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BUENOS AIRES , Argentina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The lower house of Argentina 's Congress has approved a controversial media law that spells out media ownership rules and calls for the creation of a regulatory agency . Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has blamed Grupo Clarin for her low approval ratings . The measure passed Thursday by a vote of 147 to 4 , but the wide margin does not reflect the heated debate over it . Lawmakers opposed to the measure protested by walking out of the chamber and not voting . Some even threatened to turn to the courts to challenge the legitimacy of the vote . The goal of the so-called Audio-Visual Communication law is to regulate television and radio broadcasters and increase competition in the media industry , according to a draft of the bill . Opponents say it targets media critical of the current government and President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner , especially the media giant Grupo Clarin . This bill is `` for everyone who wants to live in a more democratic and more pluralistic Argentina , '' Fernandez de Kirchner said in a speech last month . The newspaper Clarin has been highly critical of her leadership and that of her husband and predecessor , Nestor Kirchner . Although the proposed legislation would not affect newspapers , Grupo Clarin 's other business interests in cable , television and radio would be forced to be sold off or restructured . '' -LSB- Cristina -RSB- Kirchner saw -LSB- Clarin -RSB- as a limit to her power , and this was the origin of the conflict , '' Argentine political analyst Rosendo Fraga said . Argentina 's case is just one of a number of fights between the presidency and the media in Latin America . `` At this moment , in Nicaragua , Venezuela , Bolivia , Ecuador and Argentina , the presidents have conflicts with the private media and seek to dominate them , although each country is a different case , '' Fraga said . Among the changes proposed in the bill , a company that owns a cable business would not be allowed to own any over-the-air broadcast channels . Also , the owner of a cable company would be allowed to have only one channel on that system . In its current form , Grupo Clarin would be in violation of both limits , among others . `` It hits other media groups , but Clarin is the one it hurts , '' said Daniel Kerner , an analyst at Eurasia Group . The reform would also redistribute broadcast frequencies into thirds : one-third for private media , one-third for the government and one-third for nongovernmental organizations and other civil groups . `` More control of the media by the government , this is the main motivation , '' Kerner said . Journalism advocacy groups have raised concerns , focusing on a proposed requirement that broadcasters renew licenses every two years . `` We are extremely concerned at the opportunity created under the current draft legislation for political pressure on broadcasters , '' International Press Institute Director David Dadge said in a statement . `` We urge Argentinean legislators not to pass this bill in its current form . '' If anyone is applying unfair pressure , it is monopolistic media companies , Fernandez de Kirchner said . `` Freedom of expression can not turn into freedom of extortion , '' she said during an August 27 speech . `` The right to information means the right to all information , not to the concealment of part of the information and the distortion and manipulation of the other part . '' Grupo Clarin has about two-thirds of the cable market in Argentina , but its other products do n't come close to monopolistic figures , Fraga said . Both Kirchners have blamed Clarin 's critical reports for their low approval ratings . The ruling party was dealt a strong defeat during recent midterm elections . In response , Fernandez de Kirchner has come out swinging at the Clarin newspaper and its parent company , observers said . Last month , the government pushed the nation 's soccer association to rescind a contract it had with Clarin to broadcast games . The government reached into its coffers and offered the association double what Clarin was paying for rights to broadcast the games . This month , 200 tax agents made a surprise raid on the newspaper 's offices , ostensibly to check employment records , editor Ricardo Kirschbaum said . But the agents left after three hours , empty-handed . `` Their real mission was to intimidate , '' Kirschbaum said . The editor bristles at the characterization of the bill as part of conflict between his newspaper and the government . The Kirchners `` have a hostile stance , not just against Clarin but against all the press , '' he said . `` They are the proponents of ` democratizing ' the media through this law , and this is how they regard the media ? It 's paradoxical . '' CNN en Español 's Guillermo Fontana contributed to this report . | Measure passes 147 to 4 , but wide margin belies heated debate . Opponents protest by walking out of chamber , not voting ; some threaten challenge . Opponents say bill targets media critical of the government -- especially Grupo Clarin . Latin America has seen many fights between media , presidents . | [[320, 369], [376, 436], [458, 526], [437, 446], [514, 526], [527, 611], [802, 935], [1599, 1706], [1788, 1840]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kenneth Bacon , a former reporter and Pentagon spokesman who later served as a top advocate of displaced people all over the world , died Saturday , according to Refugees International . He was 64 . Kenneth Bacon was `` one of the great voices in humanitarian advocacy , '' says Joel Charny of Refugees International . Bacon had served as the president of Washington-based Refugees International since 2001 , the group said in a statement Saturday . The former Wall Street Journal reporter died Saturday morning from an aggressive melanoma that spread to his brain , the statement said . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Bacon , who was Pentagon spokesman during the Clinton administration , a `` great humanitarian leader . '' `` Most Americans remember Ken as the unflappable civilian voice of the Department of Defense , where he served with distinction as spokesperson for many years , '' Clinton said in a statement . `` But for millions of the world 's most vulnerable people -- refugees and other victims of conflict -- Ken was an invaluable source of hope , inspiration and support . Refugees International credited Bacon for doubling the group 's size under his leadership and helping it get increased protection and assistance for displaced people in Sudan 's Darfur region , Iraq , Pakistan and other troubled areas . In the last months of his life , Bacon shifted his focus toward the issue of climate displacement , the group said . `` Ken would walk the corridors of power one day and then meet with refugees in the most remote areas of Darfur the next . His unique mixture of expertise in the media , military affairs , and U.S. government policy , added to his compassion for vulnerable refugees , made him one of the great voices in humanitarian advocacy , '' said Joel Charny , acting president of Refugees International . `` Ken always saw the best in people . His ability to connect with nearly everyone he met made it possible for him to convince officials at the highest levels of government and the United Nations to make the necessary changes to save lives and protect people from harm . '' In 1994 , Bacon became the Defense Department 's assistant secretary of public affairs and Pentagon spokesman . He was known for his no-nonsense manner and his signature bow ties . `` I first got to know Ken Bacon several years ago when he was the chief Pentagon spokesman . Ken did the job the way its supposed to be done : holding press conferences , answering questions , providing facts , information and context , '' said CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr . `` I know he was often bemused to watch the new era of spin and message , since he so passionately believed that facts stand on their own merit . `` Later , Ken became an extraordinary advocate for refugees and displaced persons around the world , '' she added . `` I could ring him up to ask a question about any remote area of the world where people were suffering and he could explain with breadth and depth what was going on . '' Before working at the Defense Department , Bacon for more than 25 years served as a reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal , where his assignments included the covering the Pentagon , the newspaper reported . `` He came to the Journal in 1965 and scored a rare -LRB- for an intern -RRB- page-one story about an automated car-repair system that one overheated mechanic described as ` the greatest thing since girls , ' '' the newspaper said in a story posted on its Web site . He is survived by his wife , Darcy , two daughters , two grandchildren , his brother and his father . Refugees International said a memorial service would be held in September . | Bacon , 64 , died from an aggressive melanoma that spread to his brain . He was Pentagon spokesman during the Clinton administration . Bacon also had been president of Refugees International since 2001 . Before going to Pentagon , he was reporter and editor at Wall Street Journal . | [[217, 228], [480, 569], [547, 569], [575, 594], [660, 665], [672, 728], [2391, 2428], [349, 436], [480, 569], [3058, 3098], [3101, 3188]] |
-LRB- WIRED -RRB- -- Got a few grand to spare for a $ 3,000 phone ? Yeah , we did n't think so . Nobody does -- and that 's a problem for the makers of luxury phones , such as Motorola , Bang & Olufson , LG and Vertu . Vertu makes phones starting at $ 6,000 and going up in price . After years of chasing the ultra-wealthy with exclusive devices that carry designer logos and promise craftsmanship from materials such as sapphire and stainless steel , luxury phone makers are now pulling back . `` The culture has shifted away from conspicuous consumption , so if you are going to have a super expensive product this may not be the time for it , '' says Avi Greengart , research director for consumer devices at Current Analysis . Motorola has already gotten the memo . Earlier this week , the company reportedly canceled the Ivory E18 , a device tentatively priced around $ 3,000 . The phone had met with lack of interest from telecom carriers . Motorola declined to comment . If that sounds like an obvious outcome , perhaps it should n't . In the last few years , luxury phones had turned into an attractive new business , as designer houses rushed to get a foothold in the tech sector . Prada collaborated with LG to launch two LG Prada phones in Europe and Asia . Last September , Samsung launched the M75500 Night Effect phone , which carried the Emporio Armani insignia . A month later , Motorola offered a $ 2,000 phone , called the Aura , which was fashioned out of stainless steel and sported a 62-carat sapphire crystal lens . And then there 's Vertu , a company that makes true luxury phones , the cheapest of which costs about $ 6,000 . The recession put a spoke in those plans . And it 's not just the 401Ks of middle-class Americans that have been in peril . In Russia , many newly-minted billionaires saw their fortunes slip away with falling oil prices . By the first quarter this year , the U.S. economy had shrunk 5.5 percent . Even 50 Cent has complained about losing more than a few Benjamins on the stock market . And just like that , the crystal dominoes started to fall . Last October , Bang & Olufsen , whose phones retailed in Europe for more than $ 1,500 , shuttered its cellphone business as it decided to trim its costs and get out of non-profitable ventures . Motorola is the latest to pull back its luxury line . Luxury phones have never been a big phenomenon in North America , says Greengart . Their manufacturers have had better luck in emerging markets . But now even in those countries , where once 8 percent GDP growth seemed conservative , wealthy consumers are feeling the pinch . `` Super expensive , bling bling phones are big in markets where conspicuous consumption is a way to tell your countrymen you have arrived , '' says Greengart . `` But now , it 's a very different economy for everyone . '' Many of the troubles that the uber-expensive phones face are because they are created by companies whose main expertise is in targeting a mass market , says Frank Nuovo , former chief of design for Nokia and current head of Vertu . `` I did n't start this business to soak the phones in diamonds and jewels , '' says Nuovo . `` The concept is same as a fine watch or a fabulous car . To be a true luxury product , you have to look at making something that does n't have an 18-month shelf life . '' True luxury , as Nuovo defines it , does n't apply to a mere $ 2,000 phone : A Vertu device , soaked in platinum , can run up to $ 70,000 . The company 's one-off phones , designed in collaboration with luxury jewels house Boucheron , cost even more . Nuovo may have inadvertently hit on the real problem with luxury phones : Phones are still a very feature-driven products . They are products where the rapid advances in technology can rend older models obsolete very quickly . `` Phones are n't like a handbag where the fundamental utility remains the same and the design changes all the time , '' says Greengart . But Nuovo is n't convinced . `` Take watches and cars , '' he says . `` They all run the same but everyone has a unique way of delivering them stylistically . We can do the same with phones . '' Despite the bumps on the road now , Nuovo says the luxury phones will bounce back and find an audience . `` It is no different than a fine watch or a car , '' he says . `` If you take people who value something that is made extraordinarily well there will always be a group interested in it . '' Vertu is determined to prove that . It will launch its latest handset the Carbon Fibre Ascent Ti in August . The phone is made of high-gloss carbon fiber and has a sandblasted titanium surface . The price tag ? $ 9,800 . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here ! Copyright 2009 Wired.com . | The luxury phone market is in decline because of the recession . Uber-high-end phones are more popular outside the U.S. Vertu makes luxury phones that start at $ 6,000 and go up in price . Some phones pair with designer brands or are made from rare materials . | [[219, 281], [231, 257], [219, 224], [262, 281], [1606, 1649], [328, 345], [351, 371]] |
DALLAS , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The minute you walk into Mustang Barbers you immediately smell the scent of aftershave lotion and your grandfather 's cologne . Mustang Barbers in Dallas , Texas , is usually buzzing with hair-cutting activity . The sounds of hair clippers buzzing and hair dryers blowing fill this hardwood-floor barber shop . Mustang Barbers is an old-fashioned barber shop . Men come from all walks of life to get their haircuts from one of Mustang 's 10 barbers . While some men wait their turn in the barber 's chair , they get a shoeshine and read the morning newspaper . The old saying `` the more things change , the more things stay the same '' could n't be more true at Mustang Barbers . The shop has been around this Dallas neighborhood for 40 years . Its owner , Phil McAllister , has been cutting hair for more than 35 years . He comes from a family of barbers . His father , A.E. McAllister , was a barber for 61 years and worked at Mustang Barbers into his 90s . Phil 's son , Wes McAllister , 28 , also works there . `` Once my wife lets me retire , '' says Phil McAllister , `` my son will take over the business . '' Barbering has been around for centuries , and this old profession does n't seem be going away anytime soon . The barbers at Mustang Barbers really enjoy cutting hair and making small talk with their customers . Straight-razor shaves also are available . `` My clients are my friends , '' say McAllister . Fathers bring their sons , and sons come with their grandfathers . This American career has been passed from generation to generation . `` I 've cut grandfather 's hair , his son 's hair and his grandson 's hair , '' says barber Carolyn Wilson , who has been cutting hair for 17 years . `` Some ladies want to just cut women 's hair , but I just want to cut men 's hair , '' says Wilson . `` I just like to make them feel good about themselves . '' Watch the comings and goings at the shop '' Todd Blalock , 36 , has only been cutting for five years . `` I 'm gon na do this forever , '' he says . Blalock was a musician and a Mustang Barbers customer for years . Then he decided to change careers and become a barber . He is glad to see young people decide to become barbers . `` There 's opportunity for youth to revitalize barbering , to show it 's strong and still here . '' Barbering is not for everyone . `` You have to be thick-skinned , '' says McAllister . `` There 's lots of teasing . '' If want to know the latest talk of the town , a dirty joke or just the hottest sports opinion , this barber shop is the place to visit . `` We pretty much rake -LSB- each other -RSB- over the coals all day long , '' says Blalock . Mustang Barbers has stayed in business by keeping it simple for 40 years . `` The techniques are all the same , '' McAllister explains . `` Once you know the basics , you go from there . '' In a fast-paced world of ever-changing technology , Blalock is glad that places like Mustang Barbers are still around . `` Everything in the world changes so quickly , there 's something about a place that has stayed the same , '' he says . Wilson agrees . `` Barbering will never go away , '' she says . `` It 's been around forever and always will be . '' | Hair clippers buzzing , hair dryers blowing at old-fashioned barber shop . Shop has been passed down through the generations . Mustang Barbers is place to go to hear latest joke , sports opinion . `` Once you know the basics , you go from there , '' barber says . | [[162, 187], [198, 245], [260, 297], [286, 344], [345, 394], [2459, 2549], [2854, 2873]] |
Editor 's note : Jared L. Cohon is president of Carnegie Mellon University . Jared Cohon says Pittsburgh shows the power of education and innovation to revive an economy in crisis . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This week the international community is converging on my chosen hometown of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , as heads of state gather for the G20 summit . Pittsburgh may seem like an unlikely choice for such a high-profile event , but a closer look shows why this city personifies the transformative power of education and research , and how the practical application of innovation can drive growth and improvement in quality of life the world over . Pittsburgh is a city that was largely written off as a rusted industrial center . But as heads of state from around the world tour the city this week , they will see running trails replacing former industrial railways and they will find green hotels and LEED-certified buildings rising where abandoned steel mills once stood . These changes are creating jobs , bringing new commerce and making Pittsburgh the most livable city in the United States , according to the Economist magazine . President Obama has praised our city as a `` bold example '' of the new green economy . A significant part of Pittsburgh 's renaissance can be attributed to its two major research universities : Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh . Having one such institution is an advantage in today 's global economy ; having two -LRB- very close to each other -RRB- puts Pittsburgh in a very small group of American cities . The shape of today 's research university , with its heavy dependence on federally sponsored research , can be traced to World War II and its immediate aftermath , with a major boost a decade later when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik . But what began as a response to national security threats has turned into the engine of America 's -- and the world 's -- prosperity . As my colleague , the Dean of Carnegie Mellon 's College of Engineering , Pradeep Khosla has written , the industries that have fueled economic growth have come out of the American research university enterprise . Biotechnology , nanotechnology , digital communications , and computers and software that have improved our quality of life and economic standing all have their origins in research universities . The companies that apply this research create jobs and fuel economic growth and wealth generation in ways that the world has never before experienced . According to one report prepared for the White House , 50 percent of the growth in the American economy in the last 40 years has been due to investments in research and development . Obviously , the private sector is a major driver of R&D , but federally funded research at universities throughout the United States plays a key role . The presence of a major research university does not , by itself , guarantee economic progress beyond the direct jobs that the university creates . Realizing the full potential of a university depends on effectively tapping into the brilliance and ingenuity of its faculty and students and the innovations they create . Technology commercialization -- shaping a bright idea into a commercially successful product -- has been described as a `` contact sport '' . It requires an innovative and entrepreneurial campus culture and an ecosystem surrounding it that supports technology-based economic development with facilities , money and people who know how to take ideas to the market . More than a decade ago , Carnegie Mellon embraced Pittsburgh 's economic development as one of its institutional strategic priorities . We changed our technology transfer policies to make it easier and faster for our faculty and alumni to create local companies based on our technology . We joined forces with the University of Pittsburgh and partnered with state and local government and industry to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem on which we all rely . Today , there are more than 200 Pittsburgh companies commercializing Carnegie Mellon technology . Our economic development efforts have also included company attraction . With state and local government support , we built a building on campus for global technology companies , which see value in being so close to our faculty and students . There are now hundreds of new jobs in that building , created by Intel , Google and Apple . Disney set up their first research lab here , but they 're across the street -- the new building is full . The success of the American research university has been , and continues to be , studied by many developing and developed countries that want to advance technology , secure a stronger position for themselves in global markets and raise the standard of living for their citizens . It is clear that the U.S. model must be replicated in many countries in order for the world to be a better place . During the last decade , in pursuit of another of our strategic priorities , Carnegie Mellon has partnered with several countries , including Qatar , Portugal , Greece , Australia and Japan , among others , to establish high-caliber education and research programs . Countries that can successfully replicate the U.S. research university enterprise will secure for themselves a strong position for the future , for they will be the source of the next wave of economic expansion in the world . We are living in one of the most intellectually exciting eras in history . From medicine to energy , to robotics and computing , many fields of science are experiencing a revolution that will change our understanding of what is possible . These revolutions are occurring on the campuses and laboratories of research universities every day around the world . As world leaders arrive here in Pittsburgh , they must keep in mind the importance of research and education , historically and in addressing today 's most challenging issues . As they contemplate stimulus plans and regulation of the financial industry , and enjoy Pittsburgh 's beauty and impressive progress , they must also resolve to sustain and , in most countries , grow their systems of higher education , including and especially their research universities . Research universities are at the heart of Pittsburgh 's transformation , and they are a key to our collective future . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jared L. Cohon . | Jared Cohon : Pittsburgh economy has been reinvented through innovation . He says universities have played a key role in economic revival . He says G-20 meeting focuses attention on role of universities . Cohon : Nations must focus on key role of education and research . | [[4995, 5003], [5125, 5184], [5769, 5771], [5812, 5877]] |
SEOUL , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North and South Korea will hold three days of talks on reunions for families torn apart by the Korean War and divisions between the two countries , South Korea 's Unification Ministry said Tuesday . North Korean Yun Young-Seob hugs his South Korean sister Yun Bok-Seob at a 2007 reunion in North Korea . The talks , which begin Wednesday , will be the first on the subject in almost two years . The International Red Cross said it was sending delegates to mediate the talks , which will be held at the Mount Keumgang resort in North Korea . North Korea was also to schedule an early-October reunion for families across the peninsula who where separated in the aftermath of the Korean War , KCNA reported earlier this month . Rapprochement talks between the two sides have hit a wall since conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office in early 2008 with a tougher stance toward the North than his liberal predecessor , Roh Moo-Hyun . Tuesday 's announcement was the latest sign of potential thawing in the icy relationship between the two Koreas , which have technically remained in conflict since the Korean War ended in 1953 . The Korean conflict ended in a truce , but no formal peace treaty was ever signed . Lee met last week , prior to the funeral of former South Korean President Kim Dai-jung , with a visiting North Korean delegation , who delivered a message from Kim Jong Il expressing hopes for improved relations between the two countries . Although the president reiterated his firm stance on North Korea , South Korean Unification Minister Hyun In Taek met with North Korean unity leader Kim Yang Gon on Saturday . The meetings between officials of the two Koreas are in stark contrast to the tense public statements they made about each other earlier this year . Tensions between the two were heightened in July when North Korea launched seven short-range missiles toward the Sea of Japan . The launches came after North Korea conducted a nuclear test on May 25 and threatened the United States and South Korean ships near its territorial waters . South Korea condemned the action , calling the launches `` provocative '' and `` unwise . '' South Korea is expected to make a second attempt to launch its first satellite later Tuesday after aborting a launch last week when a piece of equipment malfunctioned minutes before launch . Earlier this month , South Korea responded positively , but cautiously , to a joint agreement announced Monday between North Korea and the South 's Hyundai Group to resume cross-border tourism , ease border controls and facilitate cross-border family reunions . Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said that the two sides needed to reach an agreement through direct talks . A Hyundai subsidiary handles all tourism and business projects between the Koreas . The announcement of the agreement followed a weekend meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and Hyundai chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun . Under the agreement , South Korean tourists would again be able to travel north across the border to Mt. Keumgang , a popular resort in the communist nation , North Korea 's state-run KCNA reported . Tours to Keumgang were halted in July 2008 after North Korean soldiers killed a South Korean tourist who strayed into a restricted area . CNN Correspondent Sohn Jie-ae contributed to this report . | North and South Korea to hold three days of talks on reunions for families . Families were torn apart by the Korean War and divisions between the two countries . Talks to be the first on the subject in almost two years . IRC sending delegates to mediate the talks to be held in North Korea . | [[8, 115], [107, 144], [658, 671], [682, 726], [343, 433], [434, 512], [482, 579]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Legendary American boxer Muhammad Ali has visited the birth place of his ancestors in Ireland , prompting thousands of well-wishers to line the streets of the town . Muhammad Ali on a nine-day visit to Europe that included a stopover to his ancestoral home in Ireland . The scenes were reminiscent of a presidential visit as the 67-year-old former three-times world heavyweight champion traveled to Ennis , County Clare to see the hometown of his forebear . The visit was commemorated by the town council with the unveiling of a plaque at the home of his great grandfather and by making Ali the first honorary `` freeman '' of the town . Abe Grady -- the grandfather of Ali 's mother Odessa Lee Grady -- lived in the town of Ennis , before emigrating to the United States in 1860 where he married an African-American emancipated slave . Watch as Muhammad Ali visits Ireland '' Ali -- who was crowned Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated in 1999 -- had his Irish heritage uncovered by genealogists in 2002 . `` Now that we know Muhammad is an Ennis man , we will be back , '' Ali 's wife Lonnie told Britain 's Daily Telegraph newspaper . The small County Clare - town of 23 thousand put on an open-air concert , closed schools early and had special screenings of the Ali v George Foreman documentary `` When We Were Kings '' to welcome the `` Louisville Lip . '' Ali -- who has been a Parkinson 's Disease sufferer since 1984 -- did not speak to those who had gathered but shadow-boxed to spectators and cameras before meeting his distant relatives . `` It was incredible . We 've had so much rain and yet today it was beautiful . The rain held off wherever Muhammad Ali went . '' Frankie Neylon , the town 's mayor said . Ali fought in Ireland only once during his career , beating Al Blue Lewis in a non-title bout at Dublin 's Croke Park in 1972 . The visit to Ireland was part of a nine-day tour of Europe that Ali had undertaken to raise money to fight Parkinson 's Disease and for the Ali Center . | Muhammad Ali visits his ancestral home of Ennis , Ireland . The 67-year-old former world heavyweight champions unveils plaque in town . Abe Grady , Ali 's great grandfather , emigrated from Ireland to the U.S. in 1860 . Lonnie , Ali 's wife , says the former champion will return to Ireland again . | [[0, 15], [19, 112], [221, 227], [233, 288], [344, 423], [439, 476], [856, 892], [865, 895], [289, 396], [344, 423], [439, 476], [477, 595], [657, 666], [752, 798]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's mother and his three children receive an allowance totaling more than $ 86,000 a month , according to court documents released Thursday . Michael Jackson 's estate provides $ 86,000 a month for Katherine Jackson and her grandchildren . The money given them by the Michael Jackson estate is in addition to the maintenance of the home -- which is owned by the estate -- in Encino , California , where Katherine Jackson lives with her grandchildren , the papers said . The Los Angeles County judge overseeing the probate of Jackson 's will ordered that the petitions for their monthly allowance be made public -- although with some details removed . Those papers were released Thursday . Katherine Jackson was granted custody of her son 's three children soon after Jackson 's June 25 death . She and the children were named beneficiaries , along with unnamed charities , in Jackson 's 2002 will . Control of the estate 's assets , however , was given to lawyer John Branca and John McClain , a former music industry executive . Jackson named them as trustees in his will . The petitions filed by Branca and McClain in July , and later approved by Judge Mitchell Beckloff , outlined $ 26,804 in monthly expenses for Katherine Jackson . The largest amount from that , $ 4,722 , pays for an assistant for her . Another $ 3,500 each month is budgeted for clothing for Katherine Jackson , who is 79 years old . She 's also given $ 2,000 each for a housekeeper and driver . She has a $ 1,500 entertainment allowance each month , the documents said . The details of the children 's budget are mostly blacked out at their lawyer 's request . Margaret Lodise told the judge there was concern someone could use the financial information to pose as one of the children online . She told CNN the family was aware of people posing as Jackson children with Twitter accounts . The documents did reveal the three children get a combined $ 60,000 a month from their father 's estate . They pay $ 14,600 a month for salaries and payroll taxes for people who take care of them , according to the petition . Michael Jackson 's children get $ 13,260 each month for entertainment and related expenses , the papers said . The petition estimated Michael Jackson 's estate is worth at least $ 500 million and is growing . Major deals have been reached in the past month that are expected to add tens of millions of dollars to the estate , including a movie and music deal with Sony . | Money from Jackson estate is in addition to the maintenance of the home . L.A. County judge ordered petitions for their monthly allowance be made public . Petitions approved by Judge Mitchell Beckloff , outline $ 26,804 per month for mom . $ 13,260 for each child 's monthly `` entertainment and related expenses '' | [[299, 395], [529, 699], [1134, 1147], [1190, 1231], [1134, 1189], [1234, 1295], [2149, 2239]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pint-sized version of the Tyrannosaurus rex , with similarly powerful legs , razor-sharp teeth and tiny arms , roamed China some 125 million years ago , said scientists who remain startled by the discovery . An adult Raptorex was about 9 feet tall and weighed about 150 pounds , scientists say . The predator , nicknamed Raptorex , lived about 60 million years before the T. rex and was slightly larger than the human male , scientists said . The findings , to be released Friday in the journal Science , are based on fossilized remains discovered in lake beds in northeastern China . They show a dinosaur with many of the specialized physical features of Tyrannosaurus rex at a fraction of its size . `` The most interesting and important thing about this new fossil is that It is completely unexpected , '' said Stephen Brusatte , co-author of the article , in a conference call with reporters . `` It 's becoming harder and harder to find fossils like this that totally throw us for a curve , '' added Brusatte , a paleontologist with the American Museum of Natural History . Scientists who have studied the fossilized animal , which was 5 to 6 years old when it died , believe it was an ancestor of the fearsome T. Rex . `` Raptorex really is a pivotal moment in the history of the group where most of the biological meaningful features about Tyrannosaurs came into being , '' said lead author Paul Sereno , a paleontologist at the University of Chicago . `` And the surprising fact is that they came into being in such a small animal , '' he added . Based on estimates of other similar-sized theropods , or `` beast-footed '' dinosaurs , Sereno and his colleagues estimate an adult Raptorex was about 9 feet tall and weighed about 143 pounds . By contrast , the Tyrannosaurus rex , which topped the prehistoric food chain until dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago , was believed to weigh at least five tons . Scientists hypothesize that Raptorex ran its prey down , using its enlarged skull , powerful jaws and sharp teeth to dispatch animals much larger than itself . Like the T. rex , the Raptorex also had tiny forelimbs , they said . `` We can say that these features did not evolve as a consequence of large body size but rather evolved as an efficient set of predatory weapons in an animal that was 1/100th the size of Tyrannosaurus rex and that lived 60 million years before Tyrannosaurus rex , '' Brusatte said . After the remains were discovered , they were smuggled out of China and into the United States , where they were eventually purchased by a Massachusetts collector , Henry Kriegstein , who donated them to science . Sereno was later asked to identify the fossil . `` I hope that this is a pathway that other important specimens that do find their way out of the ground in the dark of night do not get lost to science , '' Sereno said . The Raptorex fossil will eventually be returned to China , where it will be put on display near the excavation site , scientists said . | Scientists discover a fossil they believe was a tiny version of the T. rex . The predator , nicknamed Raptorex , lived about 60 million years before the T. rex . Scientists : An adult Raptorex was about 9 feet tall and weighed about 150 pounds . Fossilized remains were discovered in northeastern China . | [[1100, 1149], [1194, 1245], [317, 329], [332, 350], [317, 329], [353, 399], [2392, 2439], [229, 272], [229, 246], [273, 297], [1664, 1769], [464, 557], [539, 605]] |
JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Indonesia is no stranger to bombings such as the one that rocked two luxury hotels in Jakarta on Friday . Indonesian counter-terrorist police commandos secure the damaged Ritz-Carlton hotel in Jakarta . As authorities sift through the rubble of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels , which were struck by bombs that killed at least eight people , some could not help but think about past bombings in the Southeast Asian country . In 2002 , a bombing at two night clubs on the island of Bali killed 202 people , mostly foreign tourists . More than 300 people -- many of them young Australians on vacation -- were wounded by the massive blasts in the town of Kuta . Dozens of victims were burned beyond recognition or blown to pieces . The bombing was blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah -- a terror group with ties to Osama bin Laden 's al Qaeda terrorist network . The group is suspected in other bombings . Many of those convicted in the plot were sentenced to death or life in prison . In August 2003 , the same JW Marriott Hotel that was attacked Friday was bombed , killing 12 . The Australian Embassy in Jakarta was targeted in 2004 . A powerful car bomb shook Jakarta 's central business district , blowing a hole through the embassy 's security gate , killing at least eight people and wounding about 168 . A year later , three suicide bombers targeted two tourist spots on the resort island of Bali . The bombings -- two at the cafes near Jimbaran Beach and one at a restaurant in Kuta 's main square -- killed 19 people and wounded at least 132 , according to hospital officials . Despite the string of bombings , presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said Indonesia has made strides in addressing terrorist groups . Watch an eyewitness report of the blasts '' `` We have made significant progress in curbing the activities of terrorists , '' the spokesman said . Watch a report on suspects behind the blasts '' `` In recent years , we have several preventative successes in arresting terrorist cells just before they were able to make their attacks . And we have not had an attack since the Bali bombing several years ago . But this is a blow . This is a blow to us . But we will find out the perpetrators . '' | In 2002 , a bombing at two night clubs on the island of Bali killed 202 people . Bombing blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah , a terror group with ties to al Qaeda . In 2003 , the same JW Marriott Hotel attacked Friday was bombed , killing 12 . Presidential spokesman says Indonesia has made strides in addressing terrorism . | [[472, 479], [482, 550], [1347, 1359], [1362, 1441], [2097, 2169], [776, 818], [1038, 1064], [1070, 1089], [1021, 1035], [1038, 1064], [1090, 1100], [1021, 1035], [1038, 1064], [1103, 1115], [1656, 1761], [1806, 1882]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The days are getting shorter , the nights colder , but that does n't mean that your electricity bill needs to go through the roof . In a unique experiment , the residents of Britain 's Scilly Isles are hoping to show that reducing your electricity consumption does n't have to be difficult . The Isles of Scilly is switching off power to promote energy efficiency . As part of E-Day , homes , schools and businesses on the Scilly Isles are switching off all non-essential electrical equipment to promote energy saving . The results of the experiment are being posted online in real-time . E-Day organizer , Matt Prescott said : `` The Isles of Scilly are like a miner 's canary for the rest of the UK , because of their vulnerability to sea level rise , to violent storms rolling off the Atlantic and to any major changes in the Gulf Stream . '' The islands , which lie 28 miles off Land 's End , the UK 's most westerly point , are connected to the UK mainland by a single electricity cable which means that power usage in the experiment can be measured efficiently . All of the 2000-strong community who are spread across five islands have been encouraged to join in . The energy savings made will be compared against the previous day 's usage with updates appearing online regularly . The E-Day Web site keeps track of costs and kWh usage providing up-to-the-minute information about how much electricity is being used in island-wide as well as individually monitoring Five Islands School on St Mary 's Island and the electricity consumption of one family . `` We 've fitted the family and the school with special energy monitors so they can accurately monitor what appliances use the most electricity , '' Prescott told CNN . Studies suggest that families who use these sorts of energy monitors can cut their electricity bills by up to 20 percent . At the time of writing , the family 's consumption had dropped dramatically , down 35 percent on the previous day , which Prescott estimates is a saving of around # 300 -LRB- $ 475 -RRB- on their annual electricity bill . Sadly the figures for the school and the island as a whole were n't quite so impressive . The school was up six percent on the previous day , while the island as a whole saw a two percent rise in usage . Prescott put these small rises down to the notoriously fickle British weather . `` Yesterday was lovely and sunny , '' he said . `` So far , today it has been rainy . '' The damp and gloom have meant more lights being switched on but despite these meteorological setbacks , Prescott remained upbeat about the success of the experiment . `` Before the family left home this morning they turned off everything they could , so their reduction in usage is a fantastic result , '' he said . Visitors to the the E-Day Web site can also play the `` 5 Things '' game to find out what all sorts of household appliances cost to run and how much they cost you and the environment . `` The E-Day experiment will hopefully prove that the small things can make a big difference , especially when we work together and try to save energy , '' Prescott said . Prescott is also the founder of `` Ban the Bulb '' -- an energy efficiency campaign which is helping phase out the use of incandescent light bulbs in 30 countries . The event has been organized as part of a four-day Earth Summit event which has seen the Isles of Scilly play host to fellow islanders from Samoa , The Galapagos Islands , Madagascar and the Carteret Islands -- whose inhabitants are some of the first people being displaced by rising sea-levels . | UK 's Scilly Isles take part in a day-long experiment monitoring electricity consumption . Islanders being encouraged to switch off all non-essential electrical appliances . E-Day is the culmination of a four-day long Earth Summit on the islands . | [[168, 190], [193, 295], [328, 401], [402, 555], [490, 555], [3323, 3392], [3360, 3392], [3399, 3427]] |
San Diego , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama deserves an A + for his agenda for education reform . His decision to nominate Arne Duncan as U.S. education secretary was inspired , and his comments on holding the system accountable are honest , refreshing and insightful . Obama showed that again this week with a powerful speech at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison , Wisconsin . He announced that , in the coming weeks , states would be able to compete for their share of more than $ 4 billion in funding through the administration 's Race to the Top initiative . But in order to do that , he said , the states have to demonstrate that they 're serious about increasing accountability by doing things like tearing down `` firewall laws '' that prevent districts from factoring in student performance when evaluating teachers . That sinister brainchild was brought to you by politically influential teachers ' unions who make it their solemn mission to protect their members from the scrutiny and standards that everyday people have to put up in their jobs . Obama 's not having any of it . `` If you are committed to real change in the way you educate your children , '' he told his audience , `` if you 're willing to hold yourselves more accountable , and if you develop a strong plan to improve the quality of education in your state , then we 'll offer you a big grant to help you make that plan a reality . '' Like no president in recent memory -- except maybe George W. Bush , who diagnosed that schools are often afflicted with `` the soft bigotry of low expectations '' -- Obama gets it . What Obama `` gets '' is that America 's public schools often underperform and help cheat students out of brighter futures for three main reasons : . 1 -RRB- There are low expectations , not just for students but also for parents , schools and whole communities that are written off as not able to compete academically . Too many educators let themselves off the hook by telling themselves that poor kids from struggling backgrounds are somehow incapable of learning as well as kids from wealthier communities . 2 -RRB- Too many educators and politicians treat public schools as if they exist for the benefit of the adults who teach there rather than the kids who are supposed to learn there . Because teachers have unions and students do n't , everything -- including the length of the school year -- is geared for the convenience of the work force and not the clientele . 3 -RRB- Those intent on preserving the status quo resist tooth and nail any attempt to hold them accountable by linking teachers to the performance of their students or , in an idea that Louisiana is trying and that Duncan smiles upon and would like to see spread to other states , tracing back teachers to the schools of education that produced them . Obama understands all that . And , it seems , the president learned it during his stint as a community organizer in Chicago , Illinois . It was there that he went to bat for low-income black parents who , like scores of parents who send their kids to underperforming schools throughout America , are caught in a frustrating and almost comical paradox . They 're turned away , shunned , treated with condescension and even insulted by self-serving public school `` edu-crats '' who treat these institutions like their own private offices where they do n't want to be bothered by anyone who does n't have a teaching or administrative credential . Then , incredibly , the parents are blamed for not participating and involving themselves more in that hostile environment and when many of them thought that teaching their kids was the job of , well , teachers . It 's been my experience that many teachers do n't really care whether parents go to the PTA or help their kids with homework . They just want a constant foil , someone to blame when students flounder and the schools underperform . And , when that happens , in any public school in America , suddenly there 's not a mirror to be found . It 's always someone else 's fault . I know what you 're thinking . Teachers love to portray columnists , analysts and pundits as clueless about the real world of teaching unless we 've actually taught in the classroom . Been there , done that . Before I ever started writing a column , I taught for nearly five years in a poor farming town in central California where most of the students were the children of Mexican farm workers . And I learned more about education there than I did from taking graduate courses at Harvard . I bet that a lot of public school teachers -- many of whom , according to exit polls , vote Democratic -- are already missing the Bush administration . At least when they were battling the accountability law known as No Child Left Behind , they could say it was someone else 's idea put in place by a president who other people elected . Now , they must confront the unpleasantness that comes with a reform effort being pushed by an administration that many of them support . One way to square that circle is try to make Duncan out to be the problem , as if the education secretary has gone rogue . Recently , I heard from a professor of education at a state university in San Diego who bristled at the former college basketball player 's call for reforming teachers ' colleges . `` Mr. Obama , '' she wrote , `` please fire Arne Duncan and let him go back to the basketball court . '' Cute . Smug but cute . Trouble is , this week , Obama made clear that , when it comes to fixing our schools , he and the education secretary are on the same team . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette Jr. . | Ruben Navarrette says Obama targets `` firewall laws '' with school funding initiative . Obama understands school underperformance , he writes . Low-income parents are caught in frustrating paradox , Navarrette says . Many teachers just want someone to blame , he says . | [[1601, 1616], [1617, 1762], [2844, 2872], [3130, 3196]] |
-LRB- Parenting.com -RRB- -- A dad looks at how long it really takes a kid to sleep alone : . Getting the baby to sleep is a challenge for many parents . 1:28 a.m. Every couple of hours , Jack -LRB- 2 weeks -RRB- cries . My wife feeds him , then hands him to me to change his diaper . It 's an equitable division of labor , but I wish I could sleep . 2:15 a.m. Jack -LRB- 1 month -RRB- is sleeping between me and my wife because this way she can nurse while she dozes . I 'm happy , but so tired . He 's on his back , and there are no pillows or blankets around him , but I 'm wide-awake , thinking about SIDS . He 's like a little hot-water bottle . His breath is sweet and milky against my face . 10 p.m. I 'm lying on a tiny crib mattress on the floor next to the crib . We 're trying to get Jack -LRB- 9 months -RRB- to sleep through the night . His mother and I take turns lying next to him on the floor and holding his hand through the slats . I miss my wife . 1:36 a.m. Jack -LRB- 12 months -RRB- is sleeping in between us , again . Lying next to his crib did n't work -- Jack kept crying , waking both of us . This way , we all get some sleep . Parenting.com : Dad 's in charge ? Uh oh . 4:27 a.m. I 'm wide-awake because Jack -LRB- 15 months -RRB- kicked me in the groin . I have to get up to drive my wife to New York , then turn around and drive back home with Jack , all on about three hours of sleep . I decide that while his mother is gone , I will Ferberize him . Parenting.com : Ferberizing is not what you think it is . 9:13 p.m. Jack -LRB- 15 months and a day -RRB- is in his crib , crying , crying , crying . 10:11 p.m. Jack -LRB- 15 months and a week -RRB- is in his crib , alone and asleep . Ferberizing worked . Suddenly I have a great idea -- let 's have another baby ! But this would require that my wife and I stay awake for longer than ten seconds once our heads hit the pillows . 12:02 a.m. . In bed with my wife , I 'm feeling romantic , but then Jack -LRB- 18 months -RRB- cries out . He has a fever . We give him kids ' Motrin and bring him back into bed with us . He 's burning up . 11:21 p.m. Jack -LRB- 18 months and a week -RRB- is no longer sick , but now he 's back in our bed , every night . It 's once again the only way he 'll go down . 7 a.m. I realize that for the first time , Jack -LRB- 22 months -RRB- has finally slept through the night . Now we have to get him out of diapers and back in his own room . 11:41 p.m. . We are lying in an H formation . Jack -LRB- 2 years -RRB- is nestled into his mother 's chest , perpendicular to us , with his feet lodged against my throat , trying to push me off the bed . Freud was right about Oedipus . Parenting.com : Why good dads make moms jealous . 4:25 a.m. Jack -LRB- 3 years -RRB- has kicked the covers off me again and I wake up , shivering . I pull the covers up . He kicks them off . I pull them up . He kicks them off . I go downstairs , turn on the TV , and fall asleep on the couch . 2:15 p.m. I 'm sound asleep , dreaming . Unfortunately , I 'm at work . Tomorrow is Jack 's fourth birthday . Last night in bed , he said , `` Hey , why do I have to sleep in the middle ? '' 7:30 p.m. I am lying in the new twin bed we bought Jack -LRB- 4 1/4 years -RRB- , to show him how it works . We made a big deal of it , his very own Big Boy Bed , and we let him pick out the dinosaur sheets and the dinosaur comforter . All is ready . 12:05 a.m. I 'm in this big empty bed , alone . We told Jack that on his fifth birthday he 'd have to sleep in his own bed , because that 's what big boys do , and he agreed . He wants very much to be a big boy . On his birthday , my wife lay down with him at 8:30 and fell sound asleep . 5:02 a.m. I get up and peek in on Jack -LRB- 5 1/2 -RRB- . He 's been sleeping alone in his room for almost a month now . I get back into bed with my wife and snuggle up next to her . At least I think it 's her -- it 's been a while . She feels good against my skin , but now I miss Jack . I miss getting kicked in the throat . I miss getting the covers pulled off of me . Where 's my little boy ? How did he grow up so fast ? 9:42 p.m. Hearing a noise , my wife and I go upstairs to check on Jack -LRB- 6 -RRB- . He says he was having a bad dream . We lie down with him , three of us in a twin bed . It 's crowded , but if we brought him into our bed again , we 'd never get him out . His breath is still sweet and milky on my cheek . How could this not be okay ? This is my family . Try a FREE TRIAL issue of Parenting Magazine - CLICK HERE ! Copyright 2009 The Parenting Group . All rights reserved . Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited . | Dad recalls stages of son 's sleep -- and his own not sleeping . Infant son 's crying or dad 's fear of smothering kept him awake . Child has fever , parents put him in their bed . Child refuses to sleep in crib . Dad misses boy who now sleeps alone in his big boy bed . | [[1079, 1095], [1098, 1117], [2014, 2030], [4334, 4367], [3769, 3831]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Script did n't follow the script . The Script includes , from left to right , Glen Power , Danny O'Donoghue and Mark Sheehan . In the standard showbiz treatment , a group -- say , three plucky , working-class music-mad young men from Dublin , Ireland -- travel to the grand shores of the U.S. of A . They form a band , grab the ear of a noted producer and , with a lucky break or two , are soon opening for the stars who inspired them so many years before . If the story needs a rousing climax , they return as conquering heroes to their homeland , pick up the local paper and find that their new single has gone straight to No. 1 . Applause , joyful tears , roll credits . Well , it was n't quite like that . In the case of The Script -- vocalist/keyboardist Danny O'Donoghue , multi-instrumentalist Mark Sheehan and drummer Glen Power -- O'Donoghue and Sheehan traveled to the States and spent several years as struggling writers and producers . Drummer Power , another Dubliner , had bummed around music scenes for years ; he 'd met O'Donoghue and Sheehan not long before the pair packed it in and returned to Dublin , plying their trade and looking for breaks . Descriptions of the trio as `` an overnight success '' thus leave them skeptical . If that 's the case , said Sheehan before a concert at Piedmont Park in Atlanta , Georgia , `` It was the longest night of our lives . '' Watch an interview with The Script '' On the other hand , when success did strike , it struck hard and relatively quickly . When O'Donoghue and Sheehan returned to Dublin , they decided to form a band . They recruited Power , noting their `` great strength together '' -- in Power 's words -- after jamming together . The Script 's first single , `` We Cry , '' hit the UK Top 20 in the spring of 2008 , and the second , `` The Man Who Ca n't Be Moved , '' hit No. 1 . The group 's self-titled debut came out in August 2008 in Britain . In December 2008 , they played the Nobel Peace Prize Concert , and , in March of this year , opened for U2 . -LRB- Their album was finally released in the U.S. that same month . -RRB- They 've spent this summer as Paul McCartney 's opening act , which was what brought them to Piedmont Park . Touring with the former Beatle `` feels like a master class for us , '' said Sheehan . The three , all around 30 , finish each other 's sentences like the old friends they are and display a savvy about the music business . That 's only fitting , as O'Donoghue and Sheehan spent their years in America learning the trade alongside producers such as Teddy Riley and the Neptunes . Sheehan says the group is looking for the sweet spot between the `` rock climate '' they grew up in and the hip-hop and R&B sounds that dominate American popular music . '' -LSB- With our experience , -RSB- we 're hashing it out , and I think we 've found it , '' he said . -LRB- Asked about their own influences , they rattle off hip-hop artists such as Missy Elliott , Jay-Z and Kanye West . -RRB- . The Script appears to have a happy ending , just as an old tale of rising stars would have it . But the three are quick to point out that aspiring musicians should , well , write their own story . `` If there 's a message to younger musicians , to me , it 's ` do n't give up , ' '' says O'Donoghue . `` Magic can happen . '' | Musicians spent several years as struggling writers and producers in the U.S. They decided to form a band when they returned to Ireland . The group 's self-titled debut came out in August 2008 in Britain . This year , the band has been the opening act for U2 and Paul McCartney . | [[751, 776], [881, 903], [931, 988], [1552, 1598], [1601, 1630], [1910, 1914], [1915, 1927], [1897, 1964], [1984, 1988], [2058, 2073], [2143, 2208]] |
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]] |
MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two sentences inscribed above the refurbished entrance hall of Moscow 's Kurskaya metro station are causing great agitation for survivors of Russian labor camps.Yuri Fidelgoldsh , who had five ribs removed after imprisonment six decades ago , is one of the offended survivors . This slogan at a Moscow metro station has stirred controversy : `` Stalin reared us on loyalty to the people . '' `` Stalin reared us on loyalty to the people , '' says the inscription above the pristine marble floors of the metro station . `` He inspired us to labor and to heroism . '' Fidelgoldsh , now 82 , does n't use the metro station much , but he has been there to see the restoration . When he invokes the name `` Stalin , '' he gets angry . `` For people who were imprisoned , punished and whose parents were killed , this is still in their hearts , '' Fidelgoldsh says . Kremlin critics are outraged by the restored motto at the station . They say it 's the latest attempt by the government to rehabilitate the image of Joseph Stalin , the late Soviet leader largely responsible for the division of Europe , the deaths of nearly 20 million people and the creator of the Eastern Bloc . `` I have no positive emotions towards Stalin , '' Fidelgoldsh adds . `` He 's a college dropout who went into politics and became a leader of a party which fit his needs . He did n't exactly impress me with his ` great ' mind . '' Watch report on the rehabilitation of Stalin 's image '' The phrase at the metro station came from the original Soviet national anthem , written in 1944 by Sergey Mikhalkov . During the de-Stalinization process that began under Nikita Khrushchev after Stalin 's death in 1953 , statues and other vestiges of his immense cult of personality were removed . In 1977 , Mikhalkov rewrote the anthem to delete references to Stalin , and the metro station removed the original inscription of his words . The entrance hall to the station underwent extensive renovation over the past year , complete with new columns and polished marble floors . It 's located on the main metro line around the city 's center , through which tens of thousands of commuters pass every day . On a recent day , a woman named Nadia said she had no problem with the slogan honoring Stalin . She grew up after the fall of the Soviet Union and during the prosperous Putin years . `` I think we should n't be ashamed because this is a part of our history . We have to somehow accept the history , '' said Nadia , who did n't want to give her last name . The Kremlin declined comment for this story . Pavel Suharnikov , the press director for Moscow Metro , said , `` We do not wish to discuss this matter anymore , but I will say that I do n't see any political motivation behind the restoration of Kurskaya . '' Travelers at the metro station first saw the words hailing Stalin at the start of 1950 , when the station opened as one of the grand post-World War II constructions . It was contracted by Stalin himself . `` This metro station was built by prisoners of gulags who were in there for no reason , just because . They were the ones building this station . I think all of this is simply wrong , '' says Valeri M. Shevchenko , a musician , whose father suffered at the hands of Stalin 's regime . `` They came in the morning , Stalin 's police , took everyone outside and shot my grandfather in front of his family . My grandmother and her eight children , including my father who was 8 at the time , were sent to work camps . Only three children survived . '' As Shevchenko looks around the metro station today , he shakes his head . Irina Sherbakova , Moscow director of the Russian-based International Memorial Society , says this new `` re-Stalinization '' is a step back for democracy in Russia . `` It 's clear that our nation has declined to accept democracy and individual freedoms , as a principle . '' The Memorial Society is a community of dozens of human rights organizations in different regions of Russia , Ukraine , Kazakhstan , Latvia and Georgia that formed in 1990 . It is responsible for preservation of the societal memory of the severe political persecution of the Soviet Union . The return of the anthem line at Kurskaya may prove to be culturally dividing . According to the Memorial Society , more than 40 percent of citizens favor Stalin 's rehabilitation . `` That means people do n't care about what was happening to their ancestors . There are no plaques on our buildings and in our schools . It 's not at all about restoration and preserving the memory , '' says Sherbakova . Fidelgoldsh , the gulag survivor , was arrested by Stalin 's militia on the streets of Moscow in 1948 . A friend of his had admitted under questioning -- with a promise to be released -- that they had privately criticized Stalin 's regime . The two , along with another friend , were charged with anti-Soviet agitations and forming an anti-Soviet group . They were sent to a labor camp near Magadan , in eastern Russia . Fidelgoldsh was imprisoned for eight years . The friend who turned him in spent the next 30 years in various camps and prisons , where he eventually died . Fidelgoldsh shows a picture of himself at the time of his illness , which was taken by camp authorities and sent to his mother to show that her son was alive and well . He looks weak and pale . `` I nearly starved a few times . They gave me a small loaf of bread daily , but I could n't survive on that , and quickly became too thin and weak to perform , '' Fidelgoldsh says . `` Eventually , I became sick with tuberculoses and spat blood . '' Sherbakova , the Kremlin critic , says it 's a slippery slope when a nation like Russia appears to be rewriting history . `` No matter what our politicians may say and do , unless they are willing to accept the past for what it was and treat it properly , the current generations , who are growing up with World War II as a thing of the past , are under threat of repeating the same tragic mistakes , '' Sherbakova says . Joseph Stalin became the general secretary of the Communist Party in 1922 . When Vladimir Lenin died in 1924 , Stalin essentially installed himself as the Soviet heir . Stalin purged the party of `` enemies '' in what was known as the Great Terror of the 1930s . Tens of thousands of people were executed and millions were forced into the gulag labor system . CNN 's Wayne Drash contributed to this report . | Newly restored slogan at Moscow metro station hails Stalin , draws criticism . Gulag survivor : `` For people ... whose parents were killed , this is still in their hearts '' Group says 40 percent of Russians are in favor of rehabilitation of Stalin 's image . `` That means people do n't care about what was happening to their ancestors '' | [[313, 374], [896, 963], [2273, 2301], [842, 871], [4356, 4397], [4398, 4476], [4412, 4476]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fabio Cannavaro is to join the Italian national squad on Sunday for their World Cup qualifier against Cyprus next week , despite being under the cloud of a drug test controversy . Fabioo Cannavaro 's proudest moment came in 2006 when he led Italy to World Cup glory . It was revealed on Thursday that the 36-year-old Juventus defender recently failed a drug test after taking a medicine that contained the banned substance cortisone . Cannavaro was interviewed by the Italian Olympic Committee 's -LRB- CONI -RRB- anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri on Thursday night in Turin but national coach Marcello Lippi does not expect his star to be absent from the squad . `` I have not spoken to Cannavaro , '' Lippi told reporters . `` Will he be here with us on Sunday ? Of course he will . `` I have not spoken to Cannavaro , '' added national team doctor Enrico Castellacci . `` But he is calm and serene . This is just a bureaucratic case . '' Juventus claimed the defender needed cortisone treatment for an insect sting in August . The player requested an exemption from taking drugs tests on the grounds of having taken a medication in an emergency situation but his request did not include a document necessary to complete the application . While awaiting a decision , Cannavaro took an anti-doping test after a Serie A game at Roma which returned a positive result . `` When he came to the national team , after the Roma game , he told us what had happened and he told us that without the medicine that contained cortisone he would have had a reaction , an anaphylactic shock , '' Castellacci said . `` We asked Juventus for all the necessary documents regarding the medicine taken by Cannavaro and all the communication is in our possession . '' Cannavaro will not travel to Dublin for Saturday 's World Cup qualifier against Ireland as he serves a one-match ban , but is expected to lead the Azzurri in Wednesday 's qualifier against Cyprus in Parma . | Fabio Cannavaro is to join the Italian national squad on Sunday to face Cyprus . Cannavaro tested positive for cortisone after having treatment for an insect bite . The 36-year-old Juve defender has an allergy to insect bites which can be fatal . Defender was interviewed by Italian Olympic Committee anti-doping prosecutor . | [[19, 137], [1769, 1778], [1892, 1975], [287, 405], [382, 453], [962, 1050], [979, 1050], [454, 568]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nigeria 's state oil company rejected criticism from a leading human rights group Wednesday , calling an Amnesty International report `` inaccurate . '' File image of Shell 's oil and gas terminal on Bonny Island in southern Nigeria 's Niger Delta . `` We have issues with the report , '' said Levi Ajuonoma , a spokesman for Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation . Amnesty said Tuesday that pollution and environmental impacts from the oil industry in the Niger Delta are creating a `` human rights tragedy '' in which local people suffer poor health and loss of livelihood . Governments and oil companies are failing to be accountable for the problems , Amnesty said in its report , called `` Petroleum , Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta . '' But the state oil company said it was local communities who cause much of the environmental damage by vandalizing pipelines for monetary gain . `` We take environmental damage very seriously , '' Ajuonoma said . `` Pipeline damage is a major cause of pollution , '' he argued , blaming `` communities who ... vandalize pipelines and make claims on the oil company operating in the area . '' Amnesty leveled a wide range of charges in its report . `` People living in the Niger Delta have to drink , cook with and wash in polluted water , '' said Audrey Gaughran , who co-authored the report . `` They eat fish contaminated with oil and other toxins -- if they are lucky enough to be able to still find fish . The land they farm on is being destroyed . `` After oil spills , the air they breathe smells of oil , gas and other pollutants . People complain of breathing problems and skin lesions , and yet neither the government nor the oil companies monitor the human impacts of oil pollution . '' The report looks at oil spills , gas flaring , waste dumping and other environmental impacts from the oil industry . The majority of the evidence in the report relates to Shell , the main oil company operating in the region . `` Despite its public claims to be a socially and environmentally responsible corporation , Shell continues to directly harm human rights through its failure to adequately prevent and mitigate pollution and environmental damage in the Niger Delta , '' Gaughran said . A Shell spokesman said the company shares Amnesty 's concern for the people in the Niger Delta but disputes the group 's assessment of its corporate accountability . `` We feel that the root causes of the Niger Delta 's humanitarian issues are poverty , corruption , crime , militancy , and violence . This report does not acknowledge these issues to any substantive degree , but concentrates on oil and gas issues in isolation , and as such , its value is limited , '' said a spokesman at the company 's headquarters in The Hague , Netherlands , who asked not to be identified per company policy . `` This report brings no new insights or analysis to help oil companies such as SPDC improve managing the issues of the Niger Delta , '' the Shell spokesman said . `` Instead , in parts it draws wide-ranging and superficial conclusions from a number of these deeply complex issues , offering little underlying analysis to support those conclusions . '' SPDC is the Shell Petroleum Development Company , the national oil and gas company in Nigeria . Shell owns a 30-percent stake in the company while the Nigerian government owns 55 percent . The Niger Delta is a region in Nigeria consisting of nine oil-producing states . It has a land area of about 46,500 square miles -LRB- 75,000 square km -RRB- -- about the same size as the Czech Republic or the U.S. state of Pennsylvania , according to the United Nations Development Program -LRB- UNDP -RRB- . An area of rich biological diversity , the region contains the world 's third-largest wetland with the most extensive freshwater swamp forest , according to the UNDP . More than half the area contains creeks and small islands , while the rest is rainforest , the UNDP says . At the same time , the Niger Delta produces the oil wealth that accounts for the bulk of Nigeria 's foreign earnings , the UNDP says . Amnesty says the majority of people living in the Niger Delta depend on the natural environment for their food and livelihood , particularly through agriculture and fisheries . Shell said it is not responsible for some 80 percent of the pollution in the oil-rich area , because that pollution is the result of attacks and sabotage of Shell operations in the Niger Delta . `` Over the past four weeks alone we had eight attacks , '' he said . `` These attacks had a substantial impact on the environment , and assets , and most importantly for the people that live and work there . '' About 85 percent of the oil spills from Shell operations are the result of attacks and sabotage , he said . Nigeria 's main militant group , the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta , or MEND , has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on the region 's oil infrastructure in recent months . MEND said Sunday it had attacked an offshore facility and that it was engulfed in flames . Last week , the group said it had destroyed a pipeline owned and operated by the Italian gas company Agip . Also last week , MEND claimed to have destroyed Shell 's main trunk line in Bayelsa state and a Chevron oil station in the region . MEND demands that more of Nigeria 's oil wealth be invested in the Niger Delta instead of enriching those whom the militants consider to be corrupt politicians . Last year , a series of MEND attacks forced Nigeria to cut its oil exports by as much as 40 percent . Amnesty 's report acknowledged that armed groups and communities have worsened the pollution problem by vandalizing oil infrastructure or stealing oil , but it said the scale of the problem is not clear . Shell said plans are under way to deal with the problem of gas flaring , which happens when crude oil is brought to the surface along with the large volumes of gas that have been trapped with it . The gas used to be burned off safely in a process called flaring , but that process is now considered a waste of resources and revenue for the government , Shell says . A $ 3 billion program to reduce the gas flares has already been able to cut them by 30 percent , the company said . The Amnesty report also pointed the finger at governments and said they have failed to be held accountable for the situation of the people . The Niger Delta covers 185 different local government areas , according to the United Nations Development Program . `` The government must address the human impact of oil industry pollution , '' said Gaughran , of Amnesty . `` They have a duty to protect their citizens from human rights abuse or harm by businesses and they are failing in that duty . '' Shell supports `` collaborative solutions '' between communities , governments , corporations and non-profit groups as the only way to address the problems listed in the Amnesty report , the spokesman said . `` The SPDC definitely shares Amnesty International 's concern that the people in the Niger Delta have n't benefited from the extraction of the oil and gas as they should , '' the spokesman said , `` but this has been the opinion of the SPDC for a number of years . '' CNN 's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report . | Amnesty : Oil industry in Niger Delta creating `` human rights tragedy '' People living in Niger Delta have to drink , cook , wash in polluted water , it says . Nigeria 's state oil company : Local communities causing much of the damage . Niger Delta a region in Nigeria consisting of nine oil-producing states . | [[413, 597], [2088, 2153], [387, 489], [413, 597], [1221, 1270], [1221, 1230], [1273, 1309], [778, 829], [805, 917], [1037, 1049], [1052, 1137], [1037, 1039], [1052, 1161], [3405, 3443], [3424, 3485]] |
If you want to know where American food traditions are headed , look back . Many of today 's most healthful eating trends bear a strong resemblance to yesterday 's : Nearby farms offering nutritious , peak-of-season produce ; slow-cooked dinners that foster leisurely family meals ; an emphasis on meatless dishes and minimally processed foods . Sales of organic food have risen more than 20 percent per year since the 1990s , the USDA says . `` It used to be that packaging and convenience were all the rage . But today , food lovers also want to know where their food comes from and how to prepare it in the simplest , most natural way possible , '' says Fern Gale Estrow , M.S. , R.D. , a community nutritionist based in New York City . `` People still want and need to save time in the kitchen , but they 're not willing to sacrifice taste and nutrition to get it . '' Fortunately , these five food trends provide exactly that -- flavorful , nutrient-rich meals that are easy to prepare and can help you fulfill many of your dietary requirements . Flexitarianism . Like vegetarians , `` flexitarians '' eat a primarily plant-based diet composed of grains , vegetables , and fruits , but they occasionally obtain protein from lean meat , fish , poultry , or dairy . A quarter of Americans fit the description , consuming meatless meals at least four days a week , according to the American Dietetic Association . Why it 's here to stay : Flexitarianism is exactly what dietitians , nutritional researchers , and public health advocates have been recommending for years . `` It 's about eating a varied diet that 's low in saturated fat and high in fiber , '' says Milton Stokes , M.P.H. , R.D. , chief dietitian at St. Barnabas Hospital in New York City , and an ADA spokesperson . Because the emphasis is on produce rather than protein , flexitarians are more likely than most Americans to meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables and the vitamins and minerals they contain . CookingLight.com : Take our quiz on correct serving sizes . What it means for you : Studies show that people who follow this approach to eating generally weigh less and have lower rates of hypertension , heart disease , diabetes , and prostate and colon cancer . In one large study from Tulane University in New Orleans , Louisiana , researchers tracked the eating habits of more than 9,600 people over a 19-year period and found those who consumed fruits and vegetables at least three times daily lowered their risk of stroke by 42 percent , and their risk of cardiovascular disease by 27 percent . Locally grown foods . As people seek fresher foods , they have begun to connect with local family farms . Community-supported agriculture -LRB- CSA -RRB- programs and farmers ' markets give consumers direct access to produce , meats , cheeses , breads , honey , and other foods that are produced in nearby communities . In the past 10 years , the number of local farmers ' markets has more than doubled -- it is up from 1,755 to 3,706 , according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 's Agricultural Marketing Service . Why it 's here to stay : Because they are so fresh , locally grown fruits and vegetables often have a nutritional edge over produce raised on `` factory '' farms . The latter , which constitutes most of the produce grown in the United States , is picked about four to seven days before it arrives on supermarket shelves , and shipped for an average of 1,500 miles before it 's sold , according to Local Harvest , a nonprofit agricultural research group . All that downtime takes a toll . USDA researchers have found that if it 's not handled properly , produce can lose up to half its nutrients in transit . Water-soluble nutrients such as vitamin C are particularly vulnerable . What it means for you : `` Buying food from local vendors gives you input , '' says Gail Feenstra , R.D. , food systems analyst at the University of California at Davis ' Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program . `` You can find out how things were grown . You can also request varieties of fruits and vegetables that would n't be available elsewhere . '' And then there 's the most important reason of all : Because of its freshness , locally grown food tastes better than produce designed to be shipped . `` Growers ' priority is on taste and texture versus transportation , '' Feenstra says . Functional foods . Functional foods are enriched with nutrients that may not be inherent to a given food . Familiar examples include orange juice fortified with calcium or milk fortified with vitamins A and D . As sales of these foods have soared in recent years , more functional foods have reached the market , such as eggs and pastas with omega-3 fatty acids , sterol-fortified chocolates and high-fiber , high-protein flours . Why it 's here to stay : These foods help many people fill nutritional gaps . `` For example , if you 're lactose intolerant , you might find it difficult to meet your calcium quota , '' Stokes says . `` Calcium-fortified juice eliminates that problem , especially if a glass is already part of your daily diet . '' Likewise , if you dislike seafood , you can obtain extra omega-3s from eggs or pasta . CookingLight.com : Remembering real portion sizes . What it means for you : Functional foods are one helpful element in maintaining a balanced diet , not a substitute for it . `` Calcium-fortified orange juice wo n't supply other nutrients that a dairy source would provide , like protein , '' Estrow says . `` That 's why it 's best to rely on whole foods , which provide multiple nutrients that act synergistically . '' In the end , it 's fine to reap added nutrients from a functional food , but remember to fulfill the majority of your needs with naturally rich sources . Organic food . These are foods produced following a government-regulated practice of growing and processing that minimizes exposure to pesticides , herbicides , and other chemicals used in traditional farming . Organic food is one of the country 's fastest-growing market segments ; sales have risen more than 20 percent per year since the 1990s , according to the USDA 's Economic Research Service . Why it 's here to stay : Some organic foods may provide a nutrition boost . A research review of 41 studies conducted by the University of California at Davis found that , on average , organic produce contains as much as 27 percent more vitamin C , 21 percent more iron , and 29 percent more magnesium compared with traditionally grown foods . The kinds of packaged organic foods that now fuel the category 's growth , such as cookies , baked goods , and boxed meals , also benefit from a similar perception of healthfulness . What it means for you : `` An organic stamp is n't necessarily a guarantee of nutritional quality , but it is a sure sign that the food is less adulterated , '' Stokes says . An organic cookie , for example , may have just as many calories and grams of saturated fat as a nonorganic cookie . But in the case of produce crops that are commonly treated with high concentrations of pesticides , such as peaches , apples , and strawberries , choosing organic can minimize your exposure to these chemicals , according to tests conducted by researchers from the Environmental Working Group in Washington , D.C. CookingLight.com : All-star foods that fight for health . Slow food . Launched in Italy 20 years ago by restaurateur Carlo Petrini , `` slow food '' was originally designed to protest the encroachment of fast food on the traditional Mediterranean lifestyle . The trend 's principles -- choosing locally grown and produced items , preparing them in traditional ways , and eating with friends and family -- celebrate a relaxed approach to living that provides a welcome contrast to the fast-paced , eat-on-the-run lives many people lead . Why it 's here to stay : As with locally grown food , freshness is a key component of the slow food trend . `` Investing the time to choose what 's fresh that day will ensure that night 's meal will be at its peak nutritionally , '' Stokes says . This principle applies whether you 're making a family recipe or dining in a restaurant where the chef selects ingredients based on their seasonal availability . Family togetherness is also an important aspect of the trend . `` Slow food is all about cherishing the eating experience and getting back to what food used to be : a vehicle for drawing people together , '' explains Sara Firebaugh , assistant director of Slow Food USA . What it means for you : Healthful whole foods are a great start , but slow food goes a step beyond good nutrition -- and it 's a difficult one to quantify . No scientific studies have conclusively proven that friends and family make better dinner companions than televisions , but the benefits are clear . `` Slow food embraces the psychological component in food choices , meal preparation , and the act of eating , '' Estrow says . `` A healthful diet is n't just about what you eat but how you eat it . '' E-mail to a friend . For more tips on making healthy taste great , try Cooking Light - CLICK HERE . Copyright 2009 Cooking Light magazine . All rights reserved . Health and nutrition writer Maria Condo is a frequent contributor to Cooking Light . She lives in New York City . | `` Flexitarians '' eat a mostly plant-based diet but sometimes add animal protein . The number of local farmers ' markets has more than doubled in the last decade . `` Functional foods , '' those enriched with extra nutrients , can fill dietary gaps . Studies : Organic produce contains more nutrients than traditionally grown foods . | [[1088, 1184], [1191, 1268], [2918, 2938], [2941, 3000], [934, 965], [995, 1051], [4429, 4473], [4866, 4918], [3172, 3282], [6297, 6328], [6380, 6564]] |
-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- In what feels like a box-office weekend from `` The Twilight Zone , '' a low-budget and critically acclaimed movie with no stars and an unknown director managed to top the charts . `` District 9 , '' the alien action pic produced by Peter Jackson , crushed the competition grossing $ 37 million . `` District 9 , '' the alien action pic produced by Peter Jackson and directed by the 29-year-old Neill Blomkamp ? who shot the film in Johannesburg , South Africa , of all places -- crushed the competition by grossing $ 37 million , according to early estimates . Audiences clearly enjoyed what they saw too : `` District 9 '' has already soared to No. 78 on IMDb 's top 250 movies list , although it 'll obviously drop some as the initial euphoria wears off . Second place went to `` G.I. Joe : The Rise of Cobra , '' which dropped 59 percent in its second weekend but still managed to recruit $ 22.5 million . The $ 175 million action movie should pass $ 100 million domestically by Monday . `` The Time Traveler 's Wife '' materialized into third place with $ 19.2 million in its debut weekend , proving that there is a market for watching Eric Bana disappear . Rounding out the top 5 were `` Julie & Julia '' -LRB- No. 4 with $ 12.4 million -RRB- and `` G-Force '' -LRB- No. 5 with $ 6.9 million -RRB- , respectively . Also opening wide was a trio of movies that failed to make a significant dent on the box office . `` The Goods : Live Hard , Sell Hard , '' a cars-salesmen comedy starring Jeremy Piven , barely registered on the mercury thermometer by earning $ 5.4 million . `` Ponyo , '' the 10th film by Japan 's animation auteur Hayao Miyazaki , grossed $ 3.5 million on 927 screens . While that amount represents Miyazaki 's best opening weekend in America , it 's still fish feed compared to `` Ponyo 's '' worldwide gross of $ 187 million . The music comedy `` Bandslam '' wo n't be getting any requests for encores after making only $ 2.3 million from more than 2,000 screens ? even the promise of seeing the `` Taylor Lautner takes off his shirt '' trailer of The `` Twilight '' Saga : New Moon could n't save the Vanessa Hudgens movie . In limited release , the Jimmy Page/The Edge/Jack White music documentary `` It Might Get Loud '' opened promisingly , grossing $ 101,000 from just seven theaters . And `` 500 Days of Summer '' continues to cement its title as `` the indie breakout of the summer '' by charming $ 3 million more from moviegoers , bringing its total to $ 18 million so far . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. . All rights reserved . | `` District 9 , '' the alien action pic , crushed the competition grossing $ 37 million . `` G.I. Joe : The Rise of Cobra '' dropped 59 percent , bringing in $ 22.5 million . `` The Time Traveler 's Wife '' materialized into third place with $ 19.2 million . Check out which other movies made this week 's top ten list . | [[217, 230], [233, 256], [285, 332], [484, 512], [516, 564], [850, 852], [859, 899], [850, 852], [904, 945], [1028, 1109]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You do n't need to be a teenage boy to realize how scary girls can be . Girls know it too . Megan Fox plays a demonic cheerleader in `` Jennifer 's Body , '' written by Diablo `` Juno '' Cody . Certainly Diablo Cody does . The Academy Award-winning `` Juno '' scribe proves as much in her second screenplay , a horror comedy about BFFs Jennifer -LRB- Megan Fox -RRB- and Needy -LRB- Amanda Seyfried -RRB- . These bosom buddies have a relationship that stretches back to the sandbox . They 're inseparable opposites : Jennifer is a babe , head cheerleader and a bit of a snot . Needy is nerdy , conventional and a soft touch . Except that when we first meet her , she 's locked up in the local mental hospital , kicking back at the guards and muttering darkly about the murders that put her here . Looking back , she dates this disastrous turn of events to the day Jennifer talked her into seeing an up-and-coming indie band at the roadhouse . The gig ends in a deadly inferno that claims the lives of several schoolmates , then Jennifer drives off with the band for an al fresco after-party involving satanic rites and virgin sacrifice . She survives on a technicality , but shows up later that night at Needy 's place covered in blood , barfing blue goo and craving fresh flesh . In the days after the tragedy the entire school seems to be suffering from post-traumatic stress . Only Jennifer seems unfazed by the community 's second sucker punch : the gruesome fate of the star quarterback in the woods . What 's a girl to do if her best friend turns into a heartless boy-eating demon ? Needy cleans up the mess and hopes it 's just a phase . The last time a horror flick tried for a distinctly female point of view the result was `` Twilight , '' which was more of a wan gothic romance than a chiller . Directed by Karyn Kusama , who made `` Girlfight '' and `` Aeon Flux , '' `` Jennifer 's Body '' is n't anything like that . It 's a much edgier , snappier , bloodier film , aimed primarily at young hipsters and horror fans -- plus anyone else curious to see Megan Fox get nasty . -LRB- That 's got to include a sizable chunk of the audience , surely ? -RRB- . So smoldering hot that at one point she coolly sets fire to her tongue , Fox makes a convincing vixen , callously picking up victims whenever her luster begins to fade . It 's not hard to imagine she can have anyone who takes her fancy -- even Needy is not immune to her charms . Ironically , though , Jennifer is really the needy one here , while her friend eventually finds the self-possession to stand up to her . Similarly , you might come for Fox , but it 's Amanda Seyfried 's expressive range and toughness that leaves a more lasting impression . The `` Mamma Mia '' starlet is destined for good things . iReport.com : Share your review of `` Jennifer 's Body '' The bitingly smart , funny teen-speak is carried over from `` Juno , '' along with sharp pop culture references and a sassy feminist attitude , but the million-dollar question has to be : Is it scary ? Only occasionally , I 'm afraid . The gore scenes come with weird little flourishes : Jennifer 's mounting body count attracts a crowd of curious woodland creatures , sounding a sweetly sick echo of `` Bambi , '' and a climactic showdown is set in a spectacularly fetid abandoned swimming pool -LRB- do n't they drain those things ? -RRB- . But the jokiness does tend to undercut the terror . I suspect the film will prove too freaky for `` Juno '' boosters , and could have used more straight-ahead scares and sustained suspense to appease the hardcore horror geeks . That said , this entertainingly oddball offering does twist fresh kinks into a genre that 's always crying out for new blood . `` Jennifer 's Body '' is rated R and runs 102 minutes . | `` Jennifer 's Body '' is a horror winner with doses of comedy , says Tom Charity . Film stars Megan Fox as a cheerleader who turns demonic . Amanda Seyfried , playing Fox 's friend , provides movie 's standout performance . `` Jennifer 's Body '' was written by `` Juno 's '' Diablo Cody . | [[111, 171]] |
MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gunmen shot and killed 17 patients and wounded two others in a drug rehabilitation center in northern Mexico late Wednesday , the mayor of Ciudad Juarez said Thursday . Police gather at the rehab facility where 17 people were killed in Ciudad Juarez , Mexico , late Wednesday . Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz said authorities believe a rival drug gang attacked the men at the El Aviane rehab facility . `` At the very least , it was one organized crime group thinking that another group was operating in that place , '' Reyes told CNN . Wednesday night 's shootings , he said , are similar to an attack at a drug facility in March that left 20 patients dead . A Mexican civic group said last week that Ciudad Juarez , across the border from El Paso , Texas , had the most slayings per capita in 2008 of any city in the world . Watch scene at rehab center after shootings '' More than 1,420 people have been killed in Juarez this year , Reyes told CNN on Monday . About 1,600 people were killed in Juarez in 2008 , Reyes said . The latest Juarez killings came on the same day that gunmen shot dead the No. 2 security official and three others in Michoacan , the home state of Mexican President Felipe Calderon . Jose Manuel Revuelta Lopez , the deputy public safety secretary of Mexico 's Michoacan state , was killed in a shootout that also claimed the lives of two of his bodyguards and a bystander caught in the crossfire , said Jesus Humberto Adame Ortiz , spokesman for the state . Revuelta was leaving his office at 5:15 p.m. in the state capital , Morelia , when the shooting occurred , Adame said . An unprecedented wave of violence has washed over Mexico since Calderon declared war on drug cartels shortly after coming into office in December 2006 . More than 11,000 people have since died , about 1,000 of them police . The offensive against the government has been especially fierce in Michoacan . In July , La Familia Michoacana drug cartel was accused of assaults in a half-dozen cities across the state and of torturing and killing 12 off-duty federal agents and dumping their bodies on a remote road . That violence was thought to have been retaliation for the arrest of a La Familia leader . In Juarez , much of the violence is being committed by the rival Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels , which are fighting for lucrative routes into the United States as well as local street sales , Reyes said . The deportations of thousands of Mexicans who have served time in U.S. jails into Ciudad Juarez are adding a deadly ingredient to an already volatile state of security , he said . In the past 45 days , 10 percent of those killed in Juarez had been deported from the United States in the past two years , Reyes said . `` We do n't have the statistics to know if they were criminals from the United States or not , '' he told CNN . `` We know they were deported from the U.S. Most of them come from U.S. jails . They end up in the city of Juarez , and that 's a problem generated for us , but also for the United States . '' Most deportees are simply Mexicans who crossed the border illegally , but some hardened criminals get involved with the gangs , which have networks in the United States , Reyes said . According to a report released last week by the Mexican Citizens Council for Public Security watchdog group , Juarez had an estimated rate of 130 killings per 100,000 people . The city has a population of around 1.5 million . By comparison , the homicide rate in New Orleans , Louisiana , the deadliest city in the United States in 2008 , was 64 homicides per 100,000 residents , based on preliminary FBI figures . CNN 's Arthur Brice and Mariano Castillo contributed to this report . | NEW : Ciudad Juarez mayor says authorities believe drug gang attacked rehab center . Slayings add to grim statistics for Juarez , ranked deadliest city in the world . On same day , No. 2 security official in Michoacan state , 3 others , shot to death . Mexico has seen wave of violence since president declared war on drug cartels . | [[166, 208], [318, 435], [347, 435], [570, 598], [611, 663], [735, 748], [792, 859], [1060, 1107], [1353, 1363], [1374, 1432], [1639, 1791], [1702, 1791]] |
NAZARETH , Pennsylvania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Traveling through the rolling hills of Pennsylvania 's farmland , one can almost hear the music of days gone by . The factory of C.F. Martin Guitars in Pennsylvania produces instruments used all over the world . The sounds of an old guitar seem fitting for the rustic buildings and small towns that you pass through . It 's almost as if you 're being drawn in , closer and closer to where the sound originates : C.F. Martin Guitars in Nazareth , Pennsylvania . Walking through the front doors of the factory , nicely tucked into a residential neighborhood , the floors are shiny , the smell of `` newness '' in the air , but somehow it feels old . It feels like you 're stepping into a part of history . And you have . Martin Guitars was established in 1833 when C.F. Martin , along with his family , immigrated to New York from Germany . Upon visiting some friends in Pennsylvania 's Lehigh Valley , the Martin family decided to trade in the hustle and bustle of New York for the open space and German heritage of rural Pennsylvania . The story of Martin Guitars is not just one of building acoustic instruments , but also one of family . The company has passed the business down from one Martin to the next . While many guitar makers have been sold to corporations , Christian Martin IV , the company 's current owner , speaks of the responsibility he feels as the fourth-generation family owner . `` Although other guitar makers may have the name , and they certainly do appreciate the history and the heritage , in my case , it 's in my blood . '' Chris Martin describes the business as `` focused on one thing , and we do n't get distracted easily . '' The one thing is perfecting the art of guitar making , and , musicians say , Martin Guitars has done it better than most . Christian Martin says that what makes his family 's line of guitars so popular is the firm belief that the `` guitar is really meant to complement the singer , not to overshadow the person playing it . '' This idea has been the catalyst for some of America 's most beloved singer/songwriters for choosing Martin Guitars . Among the artists who have chosen Martin Guitars as their `` tool '' are Bob Dylan , Eric Clapton , David Crosby and John Mayer . Country music icons Hank Williams and Johnny Cash also were Martin men . `` You never know if six months from now Eric Clapton or somebody will be playing the guitar you just worked on , '' says George Molchany , a final inspector at Martin Guitars . Watch how the guitars are crafted '' A tour of the new 84,000-square-foot factory is overwhelming , to say the least . Each stop on the tour is a mix between old and new , hands-on craftsmanship and machined process . The hand sanding of the body of a guitar has been replaced with a belt driven sander ; the cutting of the edges of the guitar is done with a router that fills the building with so much noise it is often hard to hear the person talking right next to you . It 's a sign that Martin Guitars has changed with the times . Automation has provided the company with more productivity , but if you look in certain corners of the factory , it is still a very hands-on process . `` It 's tedious . Very much so , '' says Willard `` Buddy '' Silvius , a neck fitter at Martin who has been with the company for more than 43 years . `` You have to get the feel of the wood . You have to know exactly how much you have to chisel off to get the neck to where you want it to fit . '' Chris Martin says that although the plant has been modernized to produce more guitars , `` there are factories in Asia that make as many guitars in one month as we do in one year . '' According to Chris Martin , the reason that Martin Guitars has been able to hold off the effects of the troubled economy is because of detailed records that date back nearly two centuries . `` Every time we celebrated a 25th anniversary , within a year or two , the economy was in shambles . I use that as a way to communicate with my colleagues to say that ` the odds are that we 're going to survive this one , too , because we 've survived all the others . ' '' Martin Guitars celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2008 . He jokingly adds that `` within a year or two of our 200th anniversary , the economy 's going to be in shambles . '' There is a sense of community within the walls of the factory . Each station that you visit is one in which pride is a shared commodity mostly due to the fact that Martin Guitars employs more than 500 people locally . It 's a place where it 's hard to find someone who does n't know your name and , furthermore , exactly what part of the guitar you 're building . Perhaps it is that sense of heritage and community that makes Martin Guitars one of the premier guitar builders . It could be the responsibility of the family name , the desire for perfection on every instrument . What Chris Martin will tell you is that each instrument that comes out of the factory is unique . `` People choose Martins because they 're reliable , they 're durable , they have a richness of sound that most other guitars do not . I ca n't tell you the number of people that tell me the Martin guitar that they own is the best one we ever made . '' | C.F. Martin Guitars has been producing instruments since 1833 . Guitars have been played by icons from Hank Williams to Eric Clapton . `` You have to get the feel of the wood , '' veteran employee says . Owner says that each guitar coming out of the factory is unique . | [[762, 841], [2146, 2163], [2212, 2275], [3365, 3405], [4914, 5011], [4954, 5011]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fate , police say , saved baby Grace from being tossed out with the trash . Baby Grace was born aboard a Pacific Blue flight to New Zealand from Samoa . Were it not for a cleaning lady who chanced upon the newborn waving a feeble arm from a blue trash bag in an airplane bathroom , Grace would have met the fate her mother apparently intended for her , authorities said . On Wednesday , police in New Zealand charged the 29-year-old woman with abandonment and assault -- for giving birth to the child on an international flight and then leaving her , without alerting anyone , in a toilet bin amid bloodied paper towels . The woman , whose name was not released , faces up to seven years in prison if convicted . The case has made headlines in the island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean . The woman is a kiwi fruit picker who was returning from Samoa when she walked off a Pacific Blue flight in Auckland on Thursday , reported the New Zealand Press Association , a cooperative of the country 's newspapers . Watch more on incident . About 20 minutes later , a cleaning lady discovered the baby in a restroom inside the Boeing 737 . Her fellow custodians wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed her to authorities . About the same time , police spotted the mother in the airport , `` looking pale and bloodstained '' after she said she had mislaid her passport , said TV New Zealand , a CNN affiliate . Su'a William Sio , a Kiwi lawmaker of Samoan descent , said cultural stigma and the shame of bearing a child out of wedlock were two reasons why a mother might abandon her child . `` This is mostly derived firstly by fear , '' he told the New Zealand Herald newspaper . `` Fear that they 've done something wrong and fear of shame of the ` unmarried ' mother bringing to the family . '' Grace did not suffer significant injuries or long-term damage , police told reporters . She is in the care of government officials who are looking at long-term arrangements that would be best for her . | Woman , 29 , gave birth to the baby girl on a flight from Samoa . She left her in a toilet bin amid bloodied paper towels , without alerting anyone . Police charged the woman with abandonment and assault . Baby Grace did not suffer significant injuries or long-term damage , police said . | [[95, 171], [490, 546], [612, 640], [1063, 1085], [1088, 1161], [391, 403], [406, 486], [1820, 1881]] |
MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russian officials on Monday located a Russian cargo ship that has been missing for more than two weeks after it was believed to have been hijacked , a top official said . The Arctic Sea had been missing since July 31 . The Arctic Sea was located 300 miles -LRB- 483 km -RRB- from Cape Verde , an island nation a few hundred miles from the coast of western Africa , said Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov . The crew `` is alive and well , '' he said . `` The crew members have been moved to our anti-submarine warfare ship Ladny where they are answering questions , '' Serdyukov said . `` The questioning aims to clarify all circumstances of how the ship disappeared and why did it not send any -LSB- emergency -RSB- signals . '' The Arctic Sea , which sails under a Maltese flag , had not been heard from since July 31 . It was carrying a 6,500-ton cargo of timber from Finland to Algeria when it reported trouble on July 24 off the coast of Sweden . It was scheduled to arrive in North Africa on August 4 . On Friday , the ship was reported to be in international waters north of Cape Verde . The news came from Portugal 's state news agency , which quoted Cape Verde 's defense director , Pedro Reis . The U.S. military also had a report last week that the ship had been seen a few hundred miles from Cape Verde , two military sources told CNN , but the United States had no independent verification of those reports . The U.S. military was not involved in the search . At the time , Russia 's ambassador to Cape Verde , however , denied that the Arctic Sea had been spotted near the island nation . On July 24 , the ship 's 15-member crew had told authorities that eight to 12 people armed with guns and pistols boarded the vessel about 3 a.m. that day , masked and wearing uniforms with the word `` police '' written on them , the Malta Maritime Authority said . `` During -LSB- the attackers ' -RSB- stay onboard , the members of the crew were allegedly assaulted , tied , gagged and blindfolded and some of them were seriously injured , '' the maritime authority said in a written statement . Swedish police reached the ship by phone on July 31 and spoke with someone they believe to be the captain , police spokeswoman Maria Lonegard said . It was the last known communication with the vessel , which was believed to be off the coast of France at that time . On Saturday Finnish police told CNN that a ransom demand had been issued to the ship 's owners , Solchart Management , for the return of the vessel . | Missing cargo ship Arctic Star found weeks after disappearing . Crew safe , transferred to Russian naval vessel , ship 's owners tell CNN . Ship was carrying timber cargo from Finland to Algeria . Ship believed to have been hijacked off Swedish coast on July 24 . | [[9, 137], [63, 91], [97, 159], [495, 565], [865, 994], [144, 181], [938, 994]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The person who leaked British lawmakers ' controversial expense claims earlier this year , triggering a national scandal , was motivated by outrage at apparent equipment shortages for British troops , a newspaper said Friday . The mole was angry at apparent equipment shortages for British troops deployed around the world . The mole was one of 20 people employed to process and censor the expenses claims before their scheduled official release in July , according to The Daily Telegraph . The man leaked the claims to the Telegraph , which printed them in a series of front-page articles in May . The articles brought public embarrassment to Parliament and even forced some lawmakers to resign . The 20 employees going through the claims were guarded by British soldiers to ensure nothing was leaked . The soldiers were working there in between tours of duty in order to earn extra money to pay for badly needed military equipment , the Telegraph said . One of the soldiers had taken on the temporary work to earn enough money to buy a lightweight Kevlar protective vest similar to the ones used by U.S. troops , while another soldier was trying to earn money for desert boots , gloves , and sunglasses , the Telegraph said . Hearing the soldiers ' stories while at the same time looking through what were revealed as excessive claims made by lawmakers , prompted the mole to take action , the newspaper said . `` It 's not easy to watch footage on the television news of a coffin draped in a Union Jack and then come in to work the next day and see on your computer screen what -LRB- members of Parliament -RRB- are taking for themselves , '' the mole told the Telegraph . `` Hearing from the serving soldiers about how they were having to work there to earn enough money to buy themselves decent equipment , while the MPs could find public money to buy themselves all sorts of extravagances , only added to the feeling that the public should know what was going on . '' Watch report on what prompted outrage '' The Telegraph does not name the man who leaked the claims . He tells his story in a book , `` No Expenses Spared , '' released Friday about the scandal written by two Telegraph reporters . Speaking in the book , the mole says he is `` bloody glad '' he released the information , but is disappointed in the reaction from lawmakers so far . Controversial claims detailed by the newspaper included thousands of dollars ' worth of interest on a mortgage that had already been paid , money spent to clean a moat on a country estate , and more than $ 1,000 spent on a small house on a pond for ducks . More than a dozen members of Parliament caught up in the scandal promised to step down in the next election . It led Prime Minister Gordon Brown to reshuffle his Cabinet and forced the speaker of the House of Commons to resign , the first time that had happened since 1695 . Claims for allowances for second homes -- which most lawmakers have because they need to be in London for parliamentary business -- were a big point of controversy . The Telegraph exposed how some lawmakers `` flipped '' the designation of their main and second homes to avoid taxes or make big allowance claims . Many lawmakers defended their claims as being within the rules . But even where that was the case , the public criticized lawmakers for greed and for taking advantage . The reports forced the government to release the claims in June , a month earlier than planned . But unlike the information revealed by the Telegraph , the officially released documents were redacted , with key details blocked from view . Parliament said the edits were made to protect the security and privacy of lawmakers , their staffs and third parties . The issue of equipment shortages for British troops has been simmering for years . Some relatives of fallen soldiers have blamed their loved ones ' deaths on a lack of proper gear in the battlefield . This month , the widow and father-in-law of Sjt . Paul McAleese , killed by a bomb in Afghanistan , said the soldier had voiced concerns about safety conditions at his base in Wishtan . The father-in-law , Stephen Minter , wrote a letter to Brown detailing what he believed to be a lack of equipment for British troops . In July , Sasha Buckley , the childhood sweetheart of Rifleman Daniel Hume , who was killed in Afghanistan , voiced the same concerns to the Daily Mail newspaper . `` The real tragedy is that he wo n't be the last soldier killed out there , '' she told the paper . `` There will be many more coming home unless the government give them the support they need . That means more equipment now -- soldiers like Dan deserve better . '' The Ministry of Defence has maintained that soldiers are properly equipped . In a statement Friday , a ministry spokesman said providing the best equipment for British troops is the top priority . `` Every soldier who deploys to Afghanistan receives Osprey body armor and a Mark 6a helmet , '' the spokesman said in a statement . `` They also receive a black bag containing all their operational requirements . Valued at # 3,500 -LRB- $ 5,600 -RRB- , it contains everything a soldier will need from boots and socks to camel backs -LRB- strap-on water bottles -RRB- . Commanders now have a variety of helicopters , protected patrol vehicles , unmanned aerial vehicles and other key equipments at their disposal , and we are committed to ensuring that their needs are met , both in the short and long term . Since 2006 , we have delivered equipment valued at more than 10 billion pounds -LRB- $ 16 billion -RRB- to the armed forces . '' | Mole one of 20 people employed to process and censor MPs ' expenses . Soldiers guarding them did so to earn extra cash between tours of duty . Mole became angry at MP claims as soldiers saved to buy essential equipment . Claims included thousands of dollars ' worth of interest on mortgages already paid . | [[361, 390], [381, 441], [361, 369], [415, 489], [734, 775], [734, 839], [734, 839], [840, 843], [906, 968], [992, 1064], [263, 313], [2391, 2501], [2491, 2501], [2507, 2528]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A series of bombings rocked Iraq 's capital within one hour Wednesday , killing at least 95 people and wounding 563 others , an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said . People gather outside the Iraqi Foreign Ministry on Wednesday in a residential area in Baghdad . The six explosions marked the country 's deadliest day since the United States pulled its combat troops from Iraqi cities and towns nearly two months ago and left security in the hands of the Iraqis . In one attack , a truck bomb exploded outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . The blast blew through the front of the building , sending some vehicles flying and leaving others in mangled twists of metal in the area , which is just outside the restricted International Zone , also known as the Green Zone . Nearby , Iraqi security forces stood with shocked expressions as ambulances screamed past . More photos of Baghdad 's deadly day '' Another truck bomb went off outside the Ministry of Finance building . In central Baghdad , a roadside bomb exploded on Kifa Street , and another bomb exploded in the Salhiya neighborhood , where on Tuesday security forces had avoided injuries by successfully defusing a truck bomb . Wednesday 's other two bombs exploded in eastern Baghdad 's Beirut Square , officials said . `` The terrorism attacks that took place today require , without a doubt , the re-evaluation of our plans and our security mechanisms to face the challenges of terrorism , '' Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said in a written statement . U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill and Gen. Ray Odierno , the top U.S. commander in Iraq , issued a joint statement condemning the bombings . `` The horrific injuries and loss of life witnessed in Baghdad today are terrorist attacks that serve no legitimate purpose , '' they said . The attacks `` will not deter Iraqis from continuing their efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous society and engage the international community , nor will they weaken our resolve to help them in their efforts , '' they added . Two people believed to be connected to the bombings have been arrested , an official with the Iraqi army told CNN . The two suspects were driving in a car rigged with explosives before they were arrested by Iraqi Security Forces , the official said . The two suspects were believed to be al Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders , the official said . The United States pulled its combat troops from Iraqi cities and towns on June 30 , leaving security responsibilities to the Iraqis . The U.S. military remains in a training and advisory capacity in those areas and continues to conduct combat operations outside cities and towns . Since then , al-Maliki has ordered his government to remove the concrete blast walls that line Baghdad 's streets and surround whole neighborhoods . The order does not cover the Green Zone -- which houses Iraqi government buildings and the U.S. Embassy -- or military installations , government institutions , hotels and some private companies . The government has also removed some checkpoints , including one on the road where the bombing near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs occurred . That checkpoint had contained bomb-detection equipment . Major incidents of violence in Iraq since 2008 include : . CNN 's Arwa Damon and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report . | Iraqi prime minister says attacks require `` re-evaluation '' of security plans . Death toll from six Baghdad blasts rises to 95 ; hundreds injured . Attacks make Wednesday the deadliest day since Iraqis took charge of security . Two men believed to be al Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders arrested , official says . | [[10, 30], [106, 156], [2074, 2093], [2113, 2144], [2147, 2158], [2325, 2393]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States will withdraw another 4,000 troops in Iraq by the end of October , the U.S. military commander in Iraq said in prepared testimony for a congressional hearing Wednesday . The top military commander in Iraq says the U.S. is on track to end its combat mission in Iraq by next year . U.S. Gen. Ray Odierno is expected to tell the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee that there has been a significant drop in violence in Iraq recently , according to the statement obtained by CNN . President Obama has said the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will end by August 31 , 2010 . Obama also said he plans to keep a range of 35,000 to 50,000 support troops on the ground in Iraq after combat troops are out . `` We have approximately 124,000 troops and 11 Combat Teams operating in Iraq today . By the end of October , I believe we will be down to 120,000 troops in Iraq , '' Odierno said in the remarks . Odierno said statistics show violence has dropped in Iraq . `` Overall attacks have decreased 85 percent over the past two years from 4,064 in August 2007 to 594 in August 2009 , with 563 in September so far , '' Odierno said . `` In that same time period , U.S. military deaths have decreased by 93 percent , Iraqi Security Force deaths have decreased 79 percent . '' Odierno said there were still security questions . `` Although security is improving , it is not yet enduring . There still remain underlying , unresolved sources of potential conflict , '' Odierno said . Odierno pointed to the August 19 bombings in Baghdad that targeted the Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs that killed more than 100 people as an example of ongoing challenges in Iraq . However , Odierno gave a vote of confidence to the Iraqi forces who had taken over security for Baghdad after U.S. forces handed over control . `` The Iraqis wanted to be in charge ; they wanted the responsibilities ; and they have demonstrated that they are capable , '' he said . | Thousands more troops in Iraq expected to return to U.S. in October . U.S. Gen. Ray Odierno to tell House panel Wednesday violence has dropped in Iraq . President Obama had said U.S. combat troops would leave in August 2010 . | [[0, 15], [19, 101], [104, 206], [317, 412], [317, 338], [351, 480], [941, 1000], [954, 1000], [528, 615], [553, 615]] |
The company that owns a cash depot targeted in a daring helicopter raid this week said Friday it is offering a reward of more than $ 1 million for information about the heist . A police Swat team enter a G4S cash depot in Vastberga , Stockholm . G4S said it is offering up to 7 million Swedish kronor -LRB- $ 1.01 million -RRB- for information leading directly to the arrest and conviction of the offenders or the recovery of the stolen money . G4S also said the circulation of cash in Stockholm would not be adversely affected by the heist , which occurred just days before Sweden 's monthly payday , when the depot would have been rife with cash . The company did not disclose how much money had been lost , but the thieves could have gotten as much as the equivalent of several millions of U.S. dollars , according to CNN affiliate TV4 . A group of heavily-armed thieves used a helicopter early Wednesday to land on the roof of the cash depot in Vastbarga , Stockholm , which serves automatic teller machines all across the capital , TV4 reported . They used explosives to get into the building , witness Bjorn Lockstrom told TV4 , and later hoisted bags of money to the waiting chopper . TV4 later reported that the blueprints of the building were public documents which anybody could request to see . G4S had never asked for the blueprints to be classified . The helicopter had been stolen earlier during the night , police said . The thieves had also placed a bag marked `` bomb '' outside the police heliport , meaning Swedish police could n't immediately pursue the thieves because they had to first deal with the bag . TV4 later reported that the bag never contained a bomb . The thieves had also blocked the roads around the cash depot with metal spikes , TV4 reported . No one was hurt during the heist , police said , even though several employees had been in the building when the robbers entered . Stockholm police said the heist had been elaborate . `` The robbery was very well planned . They brought a lot of firepower with them , among other things automatic weapons , '' Anders Bjargard from the Stockholm police , told TV4 . Two people have been questioned in relation to the heist , but no one has been arrested . Police are still hopeful they will find the perpetrators . `` We have a lot of traces after the perpetrators , both where the robbery took place and where we found the helicopter , '' Bjargard said . The investigation is the biggest operation the Swedish police have mounted since the murder of Sweden 's then-Foreign Minister Anna Lindh in 2003 . `` It 's an enormous piece of puzzle , and we do n't want to miss anything , '' Anders Buren , head of police operations , told TV4 . Since the heist , Swedish police have been criticized for storing their helicopters at an unguarded heliport in the Stockholm archipelago , which enabled the thieves easily to put the police helicopter out of commission . Swedish media also criticized police for not shooting at the thieves as they escaped in their helicopter . But Bengt Svensson , the head of Swedish police , defended the police officers ' actions . `` Just because we now have criminals who act like they do in the movies does n't mean that we can do it as well , '' Svensson told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet . | Owners of Swedish cash depot offer # 1M reward for information on heist . Thieves believed to have stolen the equivalent of several million dollars . Armed thieves used a stolen helicopter during the raid . | [[0, 34], [82, 176], [710, 805], [0, 11], [17, 71], [22, 81], [841, 958]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tropical Storm Claudette was gaining strength Sunday as it churned in the Gulf of Mexico toward the Florida Panhandle , the National Hurricane Center said . A satellite image from 2 p.m. ET Sunday shows a tropical storm nearing the Florida Panhandle . At 2 p.m. ET , Claudette 's winds had picked up to near 50 mph , based on observations by an Air Force reconnaissance plane . The center of the storm was about 40 miles south of Apalachicola , Florida , and about 160 miles from Pensacola , the center said . It was moving at about 14 mph , putting it on course to hit land by Sunday evening . A tropical storm warning was in effect from the Alabama-Florida border east to the Suwannee River . A tropical storm warning means that weather conditions will likely deteriorate in the next 24 hours . The storm could bring 3 to 5 inches of rain , with isolated amounts up to 10 inches , and storm surges across portions of North Florida . Meanwhile , two other tropical storms were in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday . Tropical Storm Ana was moving west but losing strength , forecasters said , while Tropical Storm Bill was gaining strength as it followed behind Ana . Ana was about 240 miles -LRB- 385 kilometers -RRB- east of Dominica at 2 p.m. ET Sunday . It was expected to arrive at the Leeward Islands by late Sunday or early Monday , the center said . It was moving about 25 mph , and its maximum sustained winds were close to 40 mph , the center said . Tropical storm watches were in effect for Dominica , 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 , and St. Barthelemey . Tropical Storm Bill -- which could become a hurricane on Monday -- should be watched closely as it heads west-northwest in the Atlantic , possibly toward Florida , CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf said . The storm was 1,555 miles east of the Lesser Antilles at 11 a.m. ET Sunday . Bill may reach Category 3 status as it bears down on the Leeward Islands Wednesday or Thursday , he said . | Tropical Storm Claudette 's winds pick up to 50 mph . The storm , which formed overnight , is expected to hit land by Sunday evening . Tropical Storm Bill is could become a hurricane by Monday . | [[19, 136], [271, 283], [286, 333], [176, 270], [222, 270], [529, 531], [561, 613], [1272, 1351], [1745, 1767], [1774, 1808]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran 's supreme leader on Sunday blasted U.S. plans to overhaul the setup for a missile defense shield in Europe , calling the Obama administration 's intentions `` anti-Iranian , '' state-run media reported . Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the U.S. president is following `` anti-Islamic and anti-Iranian '' policies . Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also called Western concerns about Iran 's nuclear ambitions -- which Tehran says are only for energy purposes -- `` purely a fabrication by the United States , '' according to the Islamic Republic News Agency . `` This is something that is in the doctrine of anti-Iranianism , since the policy and the 30-year-old history of the Islamic Republic has proven that Iran wants to live in peace and under the spirit of equality and fraternity , with its Muslim neighbors and the rest of the world , '' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said . On Thursday , President Obama said the United States is significantly overhauling Bush-era plans for a missile defense shield in Europe , based partly on the latest analysis of Iran 's offensive capabilities . The `` new missile defense architecture in Europe '' will be ready faster , work with existing technology and provide better missile defense than the program proposed by former President George W. Bush , Obama said . Obama said the change of gears was based on an `` updated intelligence assessment '' about Iran 's ability to hit Europe with missiles . The Islamic republic 's `` short - and medium-range '' missiles pose the most current threat , he said , and `` this new ballistic missile defense will best address '' that threat . Khamenei , speaking on the first day of Eid al-Fitr , a festive end to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan , countered by comparing Obama to his predecessor . `` America , under its former president , spared no efforts against the Muslim world as well as against Iran , '' Khamenei said . `` Even the current administration -- with the apparently friendly words and messages -- follows that same anti-Islamic and anti-Iranian policy of the past . '' The Bush-era proposal called for the United States to set up a radar site in the Czech Republic and 10 missile interceptors in Poland to counter the threat of Iran launching long-range missiles at America 's allies in Europe . The new system will have `` hundreds '' of missile interceptors instead , a Pentagon official said last week . It also will have mobile radars , including some in space , `` that can move to wherever the threat actually emanates and wherever we feel we need to defend ourselves , '' said Gen. James Cartwright , vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . | New U.S. plan is `` anti-Iranian , '' Khamenei says , according to state-run media . Obama : Change was based on updated assessment of Iran 's missile capabilities . IRNA : Khamenei says Western concerns over nuclear program `` fabrication '' by U.S. | [[199, 228], [229, 335], [520, 570], [854, 886], [1900, 1918], [1025, 1096], [1314, 1420], [336, 358], [364, 419], [520, 570]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The expulsion of a U.N. official from Sri Lanka is final and he has to leave the country by September 21 , the government has told the agency . James Elder , spokesman for UNICEF in Sri Lanka has until September 21 to leave the country . Officials with the United Nations Children 's Fund met with Sri Lankan officials on Monday in hopes of keeping James Elder inside the country . But Sri Lanka stood firm in its decision , and has issued UNICEF an expulsion notice for Elder , said Sarah Crowe , the agency 's spokeswoman for South Asia . The Sri Lankan government has accused Elder of spreading propaganda supporting Tamil rebels . Ann Veneman , UNICEF 's executive director , said the agency was `` extremely concerned and disappointed '' with the decision . `` Through Mr. Elder , UNICEF has consistently spoken out against the suffering of children on both sides of the intense hostilities earlier this year and called for their protection . UNICEF unequivocally rejects any allegation of bias , '' she said in a statement Monday night . Elder has often spoken to the media about the agency 's concerns about children caught up in the country 's civil war and the conditions they endure at camps for the displaced . `` Mr. Elder 's role for UNICEF was to reflect how the conflict gravely impacted upon children , '' Crowe said . `` He did this based on concrete information that the United Nations attained and verified . '' Crowe called Sri Lanka 's allegations regarding Elder `` outrageous '' and `` contradictory . '' `` They are bordering on the ludicrous , '' she said . The Sri Lankan military finally defeated the Tamil Tigers earlier this year , after a conflict that began in 1983 . The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -- were waging war for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka . As many as 70,000 people were killed in the conflict . In February , Elder told CNN that children as young as 4 months old were being treated in hospitals for shrapnel injuries and other wounds of war . The fighting created a `` nightmarish '' situation for civilians in the conflict zone , Elder said at the time . CNN 's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report . | UNICEF 's South Asia spokesman order to leave Sri Lanka by September 21 . Sri Lankan government accuses James Elder of spreading propaganda . Elder has often spoken about UNICEF 's concern for children in Sri Lanka . | [[80, 123], [163, 174], [177, 233], [221, 256], [560, 653], [598, 653], [1063, 1142]] |
ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Italian mafia boss used his pet crocodile to threaten people and extort money , authorities said . The caiman was 1.1 meters long -LRB- 3.6 feet -RRB- , the Italian Forest Service said . Antonio Cristofaro kept the 40-kilogram -LRB- 88-pound -RRB- reptile on a terrace of his home near Naples and fed it live rats and rabbits , according to LAV , an Italian animal rights group . Authorities discovered the animal during a search for weapons at Cristofaro 's home , LAV said . The crocodile was found on September 18 but the news was only made public Wednesday , the group said . The crocodile was 1.1 meters long -LRB- 3.6 feet -RRB- , the Italian Forest Service said , and was capable of pulling off a man 's limb with one bite . It lived atop Cristofaro 's condominium in Caserta , less than an hour northeast of Naples , the Forest Service said . Cristofaro used the crocodile to intimidate people , notably entrepreneurs , to pay him more money , Italy 's ANSA news agency reported . The crocodile is of a type known as a caiman , commonly found in Latin America . It is protected under the Washington Convention , which regulates the international trade of endangered animals , and is considered too dangerous to own as a pet , the Forest Service said . Police charged Cristofaro with illegal possession of animals , ANSA said . It was not clear whether he had been arrested . The Forest Service is now holding the reptile at an animal center near Rome , ANSA reported . Cristofaro , who the Forest Service said comes from a mafia family , already had a criminal record for weapons-related charges , resisting police , and extortion , ANSA reported . Authorities found a flak jacket during a search of Cristofaro 's house , the Forest Service said . It was not the first time the Forest Service discovered an illegal crocodile at someone 's home , the Forest Service said . In August 2008 in Naples , authorities found a 2-meter-long -LRB- 6.5-foot-long -RRB- crocodile at the home of a man known for drug dealing , they said . CNN 's Hada Messia contributed to this report . | Italian mafia boss kept 40-kg reptile at his home near Naples to threaten people . Authorities found animal in search for weapons at Antonio Cristofaro 's home . Police charged Cristofaro with illegal possession of animals . | [[7, 28], [54, 112], [222, 327], [886, 962], [902, 936], [963, 984], [1915, 1939], [1942, 2031], [415, 498], [1295, 1355]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sunday night 's `` 2009 MTV Video Music Awards '' will feature a personal tribute from Janet Jackson to her late brother , MTV said . Michael Jackson receives the Legend Award during the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards . Michael Jackson fans also will get their first peek during the MTV show at the behind-the-scenes documentary of the pop star 's final three months , the network said . MTV announced this week that Janet Jackson `` will help open '' its video music awards show Sunday night with a tribute to her brother . No other details about her `` special appearance '' were released . The trailer for the upcoming documentary `` Michael Jackson : This Is It '' will also debut on the MTV show . It comes a month after concert promoter AEG Live handed over to Sony Pictures about 100 hours of video captured between April and June , when Jackson was preparing for his concert comeback . Fans who miss the MTV show , which will air live at 9 p.m. ET Sunday at New York 's Radio City Music Hall , can preview the documentary online at www.thisisit-movie.com beginning Sunday night , the network said . See guests arrive to awards show '' British comedian Russell Brand will return to host Sunday 's Video Music Awards for the second straight year . It will be the first time the awards show has aired from New York since 2006 . | MTV says Janet Jackson will give tribute to her late brother . Also promised : First look at documentary of pop star 's final three months . The show airs live starting at 9 p.m. ET Sunday . | [[0, 24], [52, 148], [477, 549], [245, 265], [271, 311], [933, 945], [954, 958], [968, 1013]] |
-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- In a sound-bite sure to be re-watched in years to come by the eight kids Jon and Kate Gosselin have brought into the world , Jon Gosselin told Good Morning America , `` I despise her . '' Jon Gosselin speaks out about his bitter break-up with his wife in a new television interview . Kate , said Jon , `` beat me down ... like a lame fish . '' Speaking to interviewer Chris Cuomo , Gosselin , always the less voluble of the couple and recently better known for pictures of his post-separation partying than his pithy statements , let loose . `` Stop feeding into the frenzy , '' he responded when Cuomo asked if he had a message to Kate . Jon was referring to Kate 's continuing public profile , such as her recent Larry King Live interview . Watch Gosselin let loose on wife '' Even Cuomo seemed taken aback by Jon 's vehemence . When Jon used the word `` despise , '' Cuomo warned him gently to be careful , that the `` tit-for-tat '' sniping might be harmful . Jon just piled on more . `` Our relationship will never be fixed , '' he said flatly . Asked why he does n't still wear his wedding ring , as Kate wears hers , he said , `` She took my ring . '' When Cuomo looked skeptical , Jon said , `` Who else would take it ? '' He added he 'd looked under his kids ' pillows for it , so I guess he considered them no longer suspects . Cuomo said the interview lasted three hours . Depending on your point of view the good news or the bad is that it 's been edited down to just enough to fit in to tonight 's one-hour ABC show `` Primetime Family Secrets , '' at 10 p.m. ET . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. . All rights reserved . | `` Our relationship will never be fixed , '' Jon Gosselin says in a television interview . Jon and Kate Gosselin have been going through a bitter break-up . The pair star in the reality TV show `` Jon & Kate Plus 8 '' | [[224, 319], [1025, 1064], [224, 319]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The America 's Cup is the oldest sporting trophy in the world , first held in 1851 , forty-five years before the incarnation of the modern Olympic Games . The `` Auld Mug '' as it is known in the sport of sailing has attracted some of the world 's most powerful men to create teams and invest millions to try and get their hands on the trophy . This month on MainSail , Shirley Robertson takes the viewer inside the world of the America 's Cup , looking back to when it all started and meeting some of the major names associated with the Cup . This includes the two most successful skippers ever to compete , America 's Dennis Connor and New Zealand 's Russell Coutts . She also has an exclusive one to one with U.S. billionaire Larry Ellison , the man in charge of the American team , BMW Oracle Racing , who is plotting and planning how to bring the Cup back to the U.S. , the nation that won every edition of the Cup from 1851 to 1983 . The next America 's Cup final is scheduled to be held in 2010 , with Ellison and his team taking on the Defenders of the Cup , European team Alinghi . But this Cup has been a battle in the New York courts and all teams who want to compete have been locked out of the game until the head-to-head between the U.S. and Europe has been settled -- a compelling story even before the first match between the two teams has been held . When the first match takes place , it will be in the two fastest , most extreme boats ever to have competed in the America 's Cup . Having already sailed the European Alinghi entry , Shirley Robertson becomes the first person in the world to have sailed both boats , as she joins the BMW Oracle Racing team in San Diego on board their spectacular multihull , and heads out for a Pacific Ocean training session . | This month , the America 's Cup -- the oldest sporting trophy in the world . Interviews with America 's Dennis Connor and New Zealand 's Russell Coutts . An exclusive one-to-one with U.S. billionaire Larry Ellison of BMW Oracle Racing . Presenter Shirley Robertson sails on BMW Oracle Racing team 's multihull yacht . | [[0, 15], [38, 80], [563, 688], [689, 692], [698, 761]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama said he would n't pat himself on the back for his first year in office , but said Wednesday he showed he can make tough decisions that were unpopular . In a year-end interview with PBS , Obama said he was `` entirely dissatisfied '' with the high unemployment rate still facing Americans as the economic recession ends . `` I do n't pat myself on the back , '' Obama said . But his administration deserved credit for making good decisions on major problems it inherited , including the recession , wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and other issues , he said . Without specifying any issue , Obama said he demonstrated that his administration was willing to face tough decisions . `` I think I 've shown this year that I can make hard decisions , even when they 're not popular , '' the president said . Last month , Obama decided to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan to bolster the counterinsurgency strategy favored by military commanders on the ground . The move was criticized by some fellow Democrats and favored by most Republicans . Obama also moved forward on plans to shut the Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , detention facility and bring some suspected terrorists held there to a U.S. prison in Illinois . The plan has been heavily criticized by Republicans . In addition , the president made health care reform his domestic priority for 2009 and endorsed sweeping provisions contained in a bill passed by the House and on the verge of final passage by the Senate . Republican opposition to the health care legislation has been almost unanimous , and concessions made during the Senate debate have caused some Democrats to question the value of the measure scheduled for a final vote on Thursday . Obama rejected criticism from some liberals that a final bill would be too watered down , saying in the PBS interview that the bill delivered most of the benefits he listed when the debate began back in January . `` This notion that somehow this health care bill that 's emerging should be grudgingly accepted by Democrats as half a loaf '' is wrong , Obama said . `` This is 95 percent of the loaf . '' | President Obama looks back on first year in office . He says he 's not satisfied with high unemployment . `` I do n't pat myself on the back , '' Obama says . But , he says , `` I can make hard decisions , even when they 're not popular '' | [[198, 230], [233, 349], [284, 366], [51, 116], [370, 401], [404, 419], [821, 844], [2111, 2123], [0, 20], [123, 175], [128, 197], [633, 721], [725, 785]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 40 people died and 20 were injured early Thursday morning when a bus plunged into a ravine in a mountainous region near Cuzco , Peru , authorities said . The bus crashed about 5:30 a.m. near the town of Espinar , Peru , Lt. Edilberto Tunquipa of the Espinar fire department said . Interviews with survivors pointed to driver fatigue as one of the possible causes of the crash , Tunquipa said . The bus had left the city of Arequipa about seven hours earlier , heading to the town of Santo Tomas in the mountains , he said . The poor conditions of the road were another possible factor , he added . No international tourists were believed to be on the bus , though authorities could not confirm that , Tunquipa said . The 20 people injured were in hospitals , their injuries ranging from severe head and back injuries to minor scrapes , he said . Most of the victims were believed to be locals who work in Arequipa and were returning home to their small towns for Christmas , he said . The exact number of people on the bus remained unknown . The bus holds 52 people , Tunquipa said , but it was overcrowded , with people standing in the aisle . CNN 's Mariano Castillo and Esprit Smith contributed to this report . | NEW : Driver fatigue , poor road conditions may have been factors . The bus had left the city of Arequipa about seven hours earlier . Injuries range from severe head and back injuries to minor scrapes . The tour bus plunged into a ravine in a mountainous region near Cuzco . | [[309, 403], [552, 612], [422, 485], [787, 861], [47, 153]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Grammy-winning rapper Coolio was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia , according to a spokeswoman for the airport . Coolio 's `` Gangsta 's Paradise '' was used in the movie `` Dangerous Minds . '' Coolio , whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , was taken to the Van Nuys Division station for booking , the spokeswoman said . A source at the airport 's public relations division confirmed the arrest but declined to be named . Coolio is best known for his 1995 hip-hop hit `` Gangsta 's Paradise . '' Efforts to reach his publicist were unsuccessful . | Grammy winner held at Los Angeles International Airport . He is accused of possessing illegal drugs , paraphernalia . His best-known hit is `` Gangsta 's Paradise '' | [[0, 11], [14, 34], [146, 196], [557, 627]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least three horses -- two yearlings and a mare -- were among the victims of the flood that inundated much of Georgia Monday . Floodwaters hit the ranch of Ed and Nancy Wellham on Monday . At least three horses died there . Jerrie Self said she called her parents , Ed and Nancy Wellham , on Sunday night to warn them to prepare their 13 horses housed in two barns and pastures on their 60-acre ranch in Powder Springs , Georgia , half an hour northwest of Atlanta . `` I told them , ` You might want to start getting your stuff out of the barns ; I think it 's going to get bad , '' the 40-year-old construction finance manager told CNN in a telephone interview . `` They had no idea how fast it was gon na come . '' On Sunday night , Self 's parents , Ed , 60 , and Nancy , 59 , made sure the horses were in the barns or on high ground and then went to sleep , she said . At 3 a.m. Monday , the storm awakened their son-in-law , who lives in an apartment in one of the barns . After he opened the door and 3 feet of water flooded into the apartment , he called the Wellhams and told them the horses needed to be moved . See photos of flooding in Georgia '' The family scrambled , putting two horses into a trailer and hauling it to the house , then leading several show horses onto high ground behind the house , Self said . The other horses remained on two acres of unflooded pasture near Sweetwater Creek , and the family went back to the house , she said . `` They thought they 'd be fine till daylight , '' she said . But when they looked out again when it was light , the horses were in neck-deep water trying to swim to safety , Self said . A neighbor said the creek had risen at the rate of 1 foot every 20 minutes . `` We all got here and we swam out the ones that could swim out , '' she said . Though they got two horses out that way , `` we thought all five babies and three mares were lost , '' she said . That turned out not to be the case . At noon Monday , they found that two of the mares had swum through the woods and made it to high ground . But they found the dead body of one of the mares and two yearlings floating in the water , and three other yearlings are unaccounted for , she said . The Wellhams , who moved to the area in the early 1980s , use their land to grow and sell hay and breed horses . Ed Wellham also owns a car-repair shop . `` My dad has lots of equipment : tractors , hay balers , '' Self said . `` Until the water goes down , we do n't know what 's salvageable and what is n't . '' She said her parents had tried to buy flood insurance years ago , but were denied , since their land is on a flood plain . Self said her grandmother 's home , which is also on the property , flooded so much that it is a total loss . | Georgia couple put their 13 horses were in barns or on high ground before flooding . Couple scrambled to move some horses as barn flooded early Monday . By daylight , other horses in neck-deep water ; family helped two swim away . Three horses later found dead ; three others unaccounted for . | [[352, 457], [757, 772], [775, 812], [820, 899], [1198, 1218], [1285, 1351], [166, 227], [1018, 1062], [1092, 1094], [1119, 1160], [1198, 1218], [1229, 1254], [1198, 1218], [1285, 1351], [1567, 1611], [1614, 1648], [1996, 2010], [2013, 2101], [228, 262], [2197, 2238]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Somalian supermodel Waris Dirie has graced the pages of glossy magazines and starred opposite 007 as a Bond Girl . Face for change : Dirie is a tireless campaigner against FGM . But her glamorous appearances on catwalks and in magazines and films belies the personal battles Dirie has had to overcome . Dirie is a leading voice against forced circumcision and female genital mutilation -LRB- FGM -RRB- and struggled to overcome her own circumcision at the age of five . The forthcoming film , `` Desert Flower '' , based on her biography , tells her story . Yet it is through her charitable foundation that Dirie hopes that the practice still common in traditions in parts of Africa , the Middle East , South American and Asia will not create more cases similar to her own . Growing up with a nomadic family in Somalia she was one of 12 children . She fled to the London , where one of her uncles was working in the Somali embassy , to avoid an arranged marriage with an older man . She was just 13-years-old at the time . After working as a housemaid and in a McDonald 's restaurant she was spotted by chance by fashion photographer Terrance Donovan and became the covergirl for the 1987 Pirelli calendar . Becoming the face of beauty products and design houses , her successful modeling career has given her a life far removed from her childhood . Yet for Dirie more importantly it has created a platform to campaign against FGM . In 2002 she created the Waris Dirie Foundation and has been given a number of honors in recognition of her work . | Somalian supermodel and human rights activist . Campaigns against female genital mutilation ; suffered circumcision age just five . Fled from Somali to UK as a teenager ; spotted by fashion photographer . Set up Waris Dirie Foundation in 2002 ; received numerous award for her work . | [[322, 327], [425, 488], [867, 889], [1042, 1169], [1452, 1498], [1452, 1463], [1488, 1565]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama built his push for a sweeping overhaul of the health care system on the premise that reform is essential for economic recovery . President Obama has said overhauling health care is a key part of economic recovery . But with some economists saying the recession shows signs of ending , will that weaken Obama 's argument ? `` If the economy is picking up , then more people are going to get jobs and more people are going to have health insurance , and so they are going to be less concerned with health care reform because they will figure , ` I 'm taken care of , ' '' said Michael Cannon , director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute , a libertarian think tank . But Julian Epstein , a Democratic strategist , said a recovering economy will help Obama 's push for health care legislation because `` it will be a huge shot in the arm for Obama 's political capital . '' `` It lessens people 's anxieties that are being stirred up by the opponents of health care reform . It gives credibility to the argument that government has an appropriate role to play in solving the nation 's problems , '' Epstein said . Obama ran on a campaign to fix the health care system , and since taking office , the president repeatedly has tried to show how this overhaul fits into his broader economic strategy . In a speech in June before the American Medical Association , Obama warned that inaction could have dire consequences . `` Make no mistake : The cost of our health care is a threat to our economy . It is an escalating burden on our families and businesses . It is a ticking time bomb for the federal budget . And it is unsustainable for the United States of America , '' he said . While the president has said health care is his top domestic priority this year , the public seems to disagree . Eighty-three percent of people are satisfied with their current health care , and 74 percent are satisfied with their health insurance , according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released last week . `` Health care reform has not been the top priority for voters . No. 1 is jobs . No. 2 is the deficit and government spending . Health care is third , '' said Bill Schneider , CNN 's senior political analyst . But Diana Owen , an associate professor of political science and director of American studies at Georgetown University , said the public is n't as concerned about the economics-driven case to overhaul health care . `` I personally think that the vast majority of the public does n't get that connection between the economy and health care . I think they 're seeing it more as a personal issue -- something that could affect them , their families , their friends , '' she said , noting that because people have an emotional involvement in the debate , the public is not likely to let it drop . That personal anxiety has manifested itself at town hall meetings across the country , where , angry protesters and other citizens have showed up to voice their doubts to their lawmakers . Voters have asked their lawmakers what reform means for them -- and how they can be assured that Obama 's proposals are good ideas . The August congressional recess , however , could end up being a blessing in disguise for Democrats , Epstein said . `` It may persuade enough of them that they do need to be more moderate and incremental in the approach , and they may actually come up with a package that is even more popular than what would have otherwise been , had they tried to get the bill through before August , '' he said . If the economy recovers , plenty of Republicans and even a few Democrats will remind voters that Obama was wrong about the importance of reform to economic recovery , Schneider said . `` What will Obama say ? That the recovery can not be sustained over the long term without health care reform . '' Obama sent a similar message in his radio address last weekend , citing the slightly better than expected job numbers as `` a sign that we 've begun to put the brakes on this recession and that the worst may be behind us . '' `` But we must do more than rescue our economy from this immediate crisis ; we must rebuild it stronger than before . We must lay a new foundation for future growth and prosperity , and a key pillar of a new foundation is health insurance reform -- reform that we are now closer to achieving than ever before , '' he said . But even if the effort does take on a lower profile , it could still have real consequences for Democrats , as it did 15 years ago , Schneider said . President Clinton 's push to overhaul health care failed , and the issue faded from the agenda as the economy recovered , but the ramifications were felt in the next election cycle . `` Clinton had to scale back his agenda . His big ideas for health care reform turned into protecting ` the safety net . ' And , of course , the Democrats lost control of Congress in 1994 for the first time in 40 years , and it took them another 12 years to get it back , '' Schneider said . | President Obama says health care overhaul , economic recovery go hand in hand . Economists point to some signs economy is recovering . Better economy may ease push to overhaul health care , some observers say . Health care failed under President Clinton in '90s , took back burner on the agenda . | [[164, 249], [201, 249], [716, 730], [759, 836], [2415, 2466], [259, 317], [363, 388], [363, 388], [716, 730], [759, 836], [2042, 2106], [4428, 4467], [4566, 4622]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man who told Maryland State Police that his wife was killed by a carjacker early Friday morning has been charged in her death . Ryan Holness , 28 , was charged with first - and second-degree murder in the death of Serika Dunkley Holness , 26 , according to Maryland police . Her body was found about 6 a.m. Friday in a field in Crumpton , Maryland , police said . Holness was arrested after inconsistencies surfaced in his story , according to investigators . Holness said that he and his wife were carjacked by a man armed with a knife and a gun on the New Jersey Turnpike while returning to Maryland from New York on Thursday night , police said . `` He told investigators that he was assaulted by the suspect and forced to drive to Crumpton , '' said Gregory Shipley of the Maryland State Police . `` He said the suspect bound his feet and hands with duct tape before attacking his wife who had tried to flee the scene . '' Police interviewed various people and launched a nationwide search for the carjacker and Holness ' 2007 blue Honda Accord , Shipley said . `` Information provided by Holness throughout the day Friday did not match information developed through witnesses and evidence at the scene , '' Shipley said . Shortly after 11 p.m. Friday , Holness ' car was located by a D.C. police officer on a Washington street . `` Maryland State police homicide detectives have taken custody of the car , '' Shipley said . State police are not yet sure how the car got to Washington . | Police arrest man who blamed carjacker for wife 's death . Ryan Holness told police he and wife were assaulted on trip to Maryland . Police say information Holness provided did not match witness statements , evidence . | [[19, 24], [29, 148], [149, 161], [265, 295], [385, 449], [1141, 1227]] |
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new Taliban military `` code of conduct '' calls for restrictions on suicide attacks aimed at avoiding the killing of civilians , but U.S. and Afghan military officials dismissed the document as propaganda , calling it hypocritical . A Pakistani looks at a bus set on fire by Taliban militants in northwest Pakistan in June . The booklet , obtained by CNN in northwestern Pakistan , has emerged during a crucial moment in the fight between troops and militants in Afghanistan , where battles are raging in the country 's Helmand province and troops work to establish stability for the upcoming presidential elections . `` Suicide attacks should be at high value and important targets because a brave son of Islam should not be used for low value and useless targets , '' the code of conduct said . `` In suicide attacks the killing of innocent people and damage to their property should be minimized . '' It also says `` all mujahideen must do their best to avoid civilian deaths and injuries and damage to civilian property . '' And it says that mujahideen `` should refrain '' from disfiguring of people , such as the severing of ears , nose and lips . `` Mujahideen must be well behaved , and treat the people properly , in order to get closer to the hearts of civilian Muslims , '' the code said . Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidenstricker , U.S. military spokeswoman in Kabul , saidit was notable that the document is intended to be `` prescriptive on how the bad guys are supposed to conduct themselves . '' Watch why Taliban have brought out new code of conduct '' `` Their day to day actions contradict everything in it , '' Sidenstricker said . `` The long and the short of it is , they do n't operate in accordance to their code of conduct . '' She said more than 60 percent of civilians killed have been killed by the Taliban , and since January , more than 450 innocent Afghans have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been injured . Watch why Taliban are proving hard to uproot '' Also , half the casualties resulting from roadside bombs were civilians . `` The booklet also says suicide attacks should always be done against high-ranking officials . In reality , they have killed more then 200 Afghan civilians , '' she said . Afghanistan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Zaher Azimi said the code is '' propaganda '' and that the Taliban `` will never implement that . '' He cites a recent beheading of a retired Afghan soldier as a clear example of the group 's real behavior . `` It was against all the laws of war , '' Azimi said . As far as the upcoming election , Azimi said , the Taliban has tried its best in the past `` to disrupt the normal process of peace and security , and they will try their best to disrupt the peace and security process in the future . '' The code of conduct is dated as coming into effect on May 9 , 2009 . It is similar to a previous document that emerged in 2006 and covers many topics . For example , it says `` kidnapping for ransom is strictly prohibited . '' As for prisoners , the code says `` it is strictly prohibited to exchange prisoners for money . Killing can only be decided by the Imam or his deputy . No one else has the right to do so . '' It says an imam or his deputy are on the only ones to make decisions on whether to kill , release of exchange a captured `` military infidel . '' Further , it says the practice of taking weapons from people by force `` is no longer permitted . '' `` But people may hand over their weapons voluntarily , '' it said . And it says that the `` mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate should not collect donations forcibly '' and that `` people should be free to choose who they want to give to . '' It said mujahideen should n't search peoples ' homes . `` If there is a need to do this , they should get permission from authority and the search should be done in the presence of the imam of the local mosque and two elders . '' The code said mujahids are n't permitted to smoke and that `` a male who has not yet grown a beard may not stay in a common sleeping area with other men . '' CNN 's National Security Analyst Peter Bergen said the militants `` clearly '' are aware of the need to win `` hearts and minds '' and are trying to rectify the `` mistakes '' of al Qaeda in Iraq . `` They have their own counter-insurgency strategy in winning hearts and minds , '' Bergen said . `` This is a corrective , absolutely . '' He said `` there 's a window for both sides to make some progress '' and the Taliban want to exploit the moment . `` The Taliban believe they are either winning or not losing . If you are an insurgent not losing is important , '' he said . CNN 's Ivan Watson , Tim Schwarz and Joe Sterling and journalist Janullah Hashimzadeh contributed to this report . | Taliban issues a new code of conduct to show it is a disciplined force . Code outlines rules to limit suicide attacks and civilian casualties . U.S. and Afghan officials dismiss rules as propaganda and hypocritical . | [[1548, 1605], [1558, 1605], [111, 169], [840, 943], [947, 949], [955, 1068], [176, 247], [176, 210], [250, 275], [2283, 2424]] |
GAALKACYO , Somalia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. government is delaying `` tens of millions '' of dollars in crucial humanitarian aid over concerns that the money is being diverted to a notorious militant group , a senior U.N. official said . Al-Shabaab militants ride through Mogadishu , Somalia , after a religious gathering in September . The U.S. government , concerned about the challenges in delivering assistance in a country wracked by civil war , says allegations that Al-Shabaab is stopping aid from reaching the people are under review . Although one U.S. government source said aid continues to flow to Somalia and has n't been suspended , another said aid might not reach `` some parts of the country '' because of Al-Shabaab , the al Qaeda-linked terror group that is trying to overthrow the government . Located in the Horn of Africa , Somalia has long been a lawless , war-ravaged nation . The United Nations says that nearly half the population is dependent on humanitarian assistance , and one in five children are acutely malnourished . Somalia has suffered through five consecutive seasons of drought , and the ongoing conflict has caused more than a million people to be displaced . Kiki Gbeho , head of office for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Somalia , said the United States is reviewing whether its aid helps fund Al-Shabaab . The U.N. office , in a report issued in September , said the U.S. delay in reaching a decision on humanitarian funding `` is already impacting on many agencies and their programmes . '' The United Nations estimates that 60 percent of the people it needs to reach with emergency assistance live in areas controlled by Al-Shabaab . `` According to humanitarian principles , we have to serve people and need to deal with those in charge , '' Gbeho said . Peter Smerdon , chief spokesman for the World Food Program , the agency responsible for delivering aid to Somalia , would not comment on the U.S. funding controversy but said investigations into whether Al-Shabaab is assisted by U.N. aid assistance are `` ongoing . '' Food supplies could run out for millions of Somalis in the next few weeks , according to the United Nations . The U.S. government is traditionally the biggest donor for food assistance . The issue of breakdowns in humanitarian aid in Somalia has long concerned the United States . A senior administration official and an administration official spoke about the issue on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly . The senior U.S. administration official said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Transitional Federal Government President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed discussed in August how the `` delivery of services '' to the Somali people be broadened . Clinton said publicly in Nairobi that the United States continues to provide `` humanitarian assistance to the Somali people where delivery is feasible and effective . '' The administration official said that the aid has never stopped , adding that food bound for the World Food Program in Somalia is on a vessel and should arrive in a few weeks . The senior administration official said , `` We are working with groups there to ensure that we can deliver assistance without having to pay off Al-Shabaab in the process . It does mean that aid may get to certain parts of the country but not others . '' | Washington reviewing claims that money is being diverted to militant group . U.N. estimates 60 percent of people who need aid live in militant-controlled areas . Millions could run out of food in the next few weeks , U.N. says . | [[152, 209], [341, 360], [455, 547], [1203, 1213], [1309, 1384], [1571, 1687], [2106, 2179]] |
MADRID , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Moroccan man wanted for links to the Madrid train bombings in 2004 was brought to Spain from France on Wednesday , a Spanish police statement said . A photograph showing Moroccan-born suspect Said Rehou . The suspect , Said Rehou , 27 , born in Casablanca , Morocco , allegedly held indoctrination sessions for Islamic militants at his former Madrid home , the statement said . `` Various individuals who participated in those meetings later were implicated directly or indirectly in the Casablanca attacks of 2003 and the March 11 , 2004 , attacks in Madrid , '' the statement said . The Madrid train bombings -- coordinated attacks on four morning-rush commuter trains -- killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800 . Spanish courts have convicted 14 Islamic militants for their roles in the Madrid bombings , along with four Spaniards , the latter for trafficking in explosives used in the attacks . Seven other prime Islamic suspects killed themselves in an explosion as police closed in on their hideout in a Madrid suburb three weeks after the bombings . The Casablanca bombings in May 2003 killed 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers . Rehou is wanted in Spain for belonging to a terrorist group , and is thought to have formed part of a cell created in Spain in 2002 , with the aim of recruiting fighters to carry out attacks in Morocco , Spain and other countries , the police statement said . The meetings at his home lasted six to eight hours , with the screening of videos that included sermons and scenes promoting holy war , the statement said . | Suspect Said Rehou allegedly held indoctrination sessions . Madrid bombings killed 191 people in March 2004 . Casablanca bombings in 2003 killed 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers . | [[241, 265], [304, 364], [621, 646], [710, 727], [1099, 1180]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another band of frigid weather will blanket the eastern two-thirds of the nation Wednesday , battering states already dealing with record-low temperatures that have been blamed for at least five deaths . The system will bring blistering cold weather and winds across the country , including many states not used to such temperatures . In Florida , Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency because of the threat to the state 's lucrative crop industry . His order aims to help farmers across the state salvage what they can by lifting weight limits on trucks and allowing them to get already harvested crops out of the cold . In other areas of the country , low temperature records are being broken and are likely to continue to fall . Later this week , the temperature could drop below zero for the first time in St. Louis , Missouri , since 1999 , according to the National Weather Center . Little Rock , Arkansas , could see an actual temperature of 10 degrees and wind chill of 20 below zero on Friday morning , according to the National Weather Service . The high temperature will be in the 20s on Thursday and Friday in Dallas , Texas , where consecutive days that cold have not happened since 1998 , the weather service said . The northern Plains could see wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero through Wednesday , CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said . `` Some locations could see temperatures 30 to 40 degrees below normal '' on Thursday across parts of the Plains , upper Midwest and Ohio River Valley , CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said . By Friday morning , afternoon highs will struggle to make it above zero , he said . `` What 's unusual about this is the length of the cold snap , '' CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said . `` Typically across the South , you 'll get a two - to three-day cold snap , and then temperatures will moderate , '' he said . `` But we 're getting reinforcing shot after reinforcing shot , and that pattern does n't look like it wants to break down until at least next week . '' Some states were still dealing with the aftermath of the first cold snap . In Atlantic , Iowa , a record set in 1958 was broken when the temperature dropped to minus 29 degrees Monday , according to the National Weather Service . Share your photos , video of winter weather near you . Safety officials in Virginia warned children and adults to stay away from frozen ponds and streams . A homeless man was found frozen to death in Kansas City , Missouri , where the temperature was 1 degree Tuesday morning , and Salvation Army officials said they desperately need donations of hats , gloves and socks , CNN affiliate KCTV reported . The temperature is not expected to rise above zero in Kansas City on Friday . A winter storm watch is in effect for Kansas City , where 2 to 4 inches of snow and near-blizzard conditions will be possible on Wednesday afternoon , CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said . A winter storm watch has also been issued for Memphis , Tennessee , where 2 to 4 inches of snow will be possible from late Wednesday evening into Thursday morning . The northern Plains could see wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero through Wednesday , Myers said . `` Some locations could see temperatures 30 to 40 degrees below normal '' on Thursday across parts of the Plains , upper Midwest and Ohio River Valley , Morris said . A winter storm warning for moderate to heavy snowfall was in effect into Tuesday afternoon in parts of northwestern Washington state , northern Idaho , Montana and northern Wyoming , the weather service said . Moderate to heavy snowfall also is possible in much of North Dakota from Tuesday to Wednesday , the weather service said . A dusting of snow will be possible in Atlanta , Georgia , on Thursday , Morris said . At least four cold-related deaths have occurred in Tennessee . One was an 81-year-old Alzheimer 's patient who apparently wandered outside during the night wearing nothing but a bathrobe , police said . John Anderson 's body was found in his driveway Monday morning . The Salvation Army shelter in Lubbock , Texas , is making room to let more people in out of the cold , CNN affiliate KCBD reported . Shelters in Jackson , Mississippi , were reaching capacity , CNN affiliate WLBT reported . New Jerusalem Church in Jackson was opening its doors to help the homeless . `` We had one of the gentlemen tonight who lives under the bridge . ... He 's never been to a shelter , and he said , ` You know , Miss Liza , my bones ca n't handle it anymore , ' '' New Jerusalem Church spokesperson Eliza Garcia told WLBT . The frigid air reaches all the way south , jeopardizing berry and citrus crops in Louisiana and Florida . Watch how berry farmers are trying to save their plants . Some hard freeze warnings were also in effect in Louisiana and parts of the state could see temperatures drop into the 20s , some of the coldest weather in the area since 1996 , CNN affiliate WWL in New Orleans , Louisiana , reported . Supplies for protecting pipes from freezing were disappearing from area stores , CNN affiliate WDSU reported . It forced some to discuss other options -- like wrapping pipes in newspaper and covering it in plastic , WDSU reported . Hard freeze warnings were in effect Tuesday morning for much of northern Florida and parts of other Gulf Coast states , according to the National Weather Service . `` For Florida , they 're going to see the coldest stretch in 15 to 25 years , '' Marciano said . `` They get freezes like this , but they do n't get them for this length of time , and that 's the danger that will probably wear the farmers out . '' In Winter Park , Florida , some students found themselves unable to escape the elements even once they got to school -- a faulty air handler left Aloma Elementary School without heat , CNN affiliate WKMG in Orlando reported . Growers are spraying water on their trees to form a protective coating of ice , said Andrew Meadows , spokesman for Florida Citrus Mutual , a trade group representing about 8,000 growers . As long as temperatures do n't drop below 28 degrees for more than four hours , damage should be minimal , he said . However , forecasters say colder air is on the way . `` Tonight 's going to be another anxious night , '' Meadows said . `` I 'm sure a lot of growers will be pulling all-nighters . '' Farmers in Louisiana such as Eric Morrow told CNN affiliate WDSU in New Orleans they were also waiting anxiously , hoping their strawberry crops do n't get destroyed at the height of the growing season . Charlotte County , Florida , planned to open a cold weather shelter Tuesday evening , CNN affiliate WINK reported . Other counties were taking similar steps . Shoppers at clothing stores were were clearing racks of warm coats , CNN affiliate WKMG in Orlando , Florida , reported . The cold can be lethal to Florida 's tree-dwelling iguana population , too . The reptiles fall into a sort of suspended animation that mimics death when the temperature drops below 40 , but they could indeed die if it stays below 40 for more than three days , according to CNN affiliate WFOR . Lows reached the teens Tuesday morning in parts of Alabama , according to the weather service . Record lows were expected in many areas across the South , CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said . The Weatherization Trust , a nonprofit group in Omaha , Nebraska , stepped in to help a family whose furnace quit in the midst of the freeze , CNN affiliate KETV reported . Tracy O'Boyle and her family have been using an oven to stay warm , but the nonprofit group has procured a replacement furnace , to be installed by the end of the week , KETV reported . `` We 're just grateful we 're going to get the furnace in a few days , '' O'Boyle told KETV . `` We 've already lasted more than a week without one and it 's been really cold . '' CNN 's Jim Kavanaugh contributed to this report . | NEW : Florida governor declares state of emergency to protect crops . Atlantic , Iowa , breaks record low set in 1958 with minus 29 degree temperature . Homeless man found frozen to death in Kansas City , Missouri . Winter storm warnings north , hard freeze warnings south . | [[354, 364], [367, 479], [2115, 2126], [2129, 2133], [2136, 2259], [2426, 2481], [4600, 4640]] |
-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- September 23 , 2009 . Quick Guide . Leaders Talk Climate Change - Discover some of the topics addressed by the U.N. General Assembly . Southeast Flooding - Witness the impact of severe flooding across the southeastern U.S. Troops in Afghanistan - Consider different opinions on how to fight the war in Afghanistan . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : The U.N. General Assembly is in session , and so is this edition of CNN Student News . Bringing you today 's commercial-free headlines , I 'm Carl Azuz . First Up : Leaders Talk Climate Change . AZUZ : First up , representatives from nearly 200 countries come together in New York to talk about global issues . This is called the United Nations General Assembly , and the decisions and resolutions that it makes set the agenda for a lot of what the U.N. works on throughout the year . One of the biggest focuses for this gathering is climate change . Secretary General Ban ki Moon calls it one of the most important issues of the 21st century . He 's hoping that countries will work on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions , which many scientists believe contribute to climate change . During speeches yesterday , President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao , who lead the countries that give off the most greenhouse gases , pledged to try to reduce them . Neither leader offered a specific timeframe for this , but both said they plan to cut greenhouse gases and increase the use of clean energy sources . President Obama also touched on another controversial issue yesterday : the Israeli-Palestinian conflict . Peace talks between the two groups have fizzled out recently , but Obama is urging both sides to come back to the negotiating table and work on a permanent solution . He met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday in an effort to restart discussions between these two . U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Despite all the mistrust , we have to find a way forward . We have to summon the will to break the deadlock that has trapped generations of Israelis and Palestinians in an endless cycle of conflict and suffering . Spoken Word . SONNY PERDUE , GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA : This has been a 48-hour ordeal that people had been , stayed here and to care for the safety of people . I just want to thank them . I want to thank those firefighters and first responders all across Georgia , from the east and Stevens county , to the west in Paulding and Carroll and Douglas , and in Cherokee in northwest Georgia . This has been a huge effort . Southeast Flooding . AZUZ : Okay , that was Georgia 's Gov. Sonny Perdue there , talking about severe flooding that has led to at least eight deaths . Noting that nearly all of those were from drivers and passengers who were swept away by floodwaters , Gov. Perdue pleaded with residents to stay off the roads until the waters recede . Yesterday , he planned to ask President Obama to declare a federal emergency in order to free up money that would help with the relief efforts . With flash flood watches stretching across parts of the southeastern U.S. , Rob Marciano examines the impact of this severe weather . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- . ROB MARCIANO , CNN METEOROLOGIST : It 's a cruel irony . After months of drought , heavy rains spawning deadly floods . Across much of the southeast , streets are covered . Homes are destroyed . Tranquil creeks now on a rampage . In some places near Atlanta , nearly two feet of rain fell . UNIDENTIFIED MALE : This is the highest water that I 've seen , and I 've been living around here all my life . MARCIANO : This couple was rescued by boat in the pitch black . They had to use flashlights to see . And the only thing they could bring with them : their dog and a few family treasures . UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE : These are my wedding pictures . MARCIANO : But they were luckier than others , others who lost something so much more dear . In Georgia , right now , 17 counties under a state of emergency . Officials say they 're in rescue and recovery mode , but those rescues , especially around Atlanta , have been slow and difficult . Pictures showing just how crippled some areas of the city are . In the western suburb of Powder Springs , a house is left to burn . Next to it , a fire truck stranded , helpless in the rising floodwaters . These two men had to get around on inflatable mattresses , and so many people are stunned by what they 're seeing . UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE : Right now , shock . I do n't think it 's really set in that this is real . This is , we 're flooded out . We do n't have a home . MARCIANO : Rob Marciano , CNN , Austell , Georgia . -LRB- END VIDEO CLIP -RRB- . AZUZ : For another perspective , look at this ! This is the amusement park , Six Flags over Georgia and under water . It 's located west of Atlanta , and what you 're seeing here is a coaster called the Scream Machine . I think I 've ridden this thing every time I 've been to Six Flags . From the looks of it , I wo n't be doing that again anytime soon . Amazing pictures . Impact Your World . AZUZ : Obviously , the relief efforts are going to be going on for a while . Several organizations are already at work . To find out how you can take part , head to the Spotlight section on our home page and click on the `` Impact Your World '' link . I.D. Me . MICHELLE WRIGHT , CNN STUDENT NEWS : See if you can I.D. Me ! I 'm a Central American nation located between Guatemala and Nicaragua . I gained my independence from Spain in 1821 . My capital city is Tegucigalpa . I 'm Honduras , and I 'm home to about 7.8 million people . Ousted President . AZUZ : Political turmoil has led to clashes in that capital city , all based around Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya . He was actually removed from office back in June and faces charges of violating the country 's constitution . Zelaya , who 's in the white hat in the middle of your screen here , returned to Honduras Monday . He took up refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa . If he leaves , the Honduran government says it will arrest him . The Brazilian embassy is n't considered part of Honduras , so Zelaya ca n't be arrested as long as he stays inside . Police and soldiers positioned outside the embassy clashed with Zelaya 's supporters before clearing the area yesterday . The situation has led the U.S. to close its embassy in the Honduran capital . Troops in Afghanistan . AZUZ : Meantime , the president of Afghanistan says he supports a top U.S. commander 's call to increase the number of U.S. troops in the Asian country . President Hamid Karzai called it `` the right approach . '' But it 's certainly not the only one . As Barbara Starr explains , there are several ideas on how to fight the war in Afghanistan , and who that war should be against . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . BARBARA STARR , CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT : As violence increases daily in Afghanistan , some are calling for a major troop build-up . The president signaling when he ordered a review of the Afghan war , he was n't anxious to quickly send tens of thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban insurgency . OBAMA : Let 's do a soup-to-nuts re-evaluation , focusing on what our original goal was , which was to get al Qaeda , the people who killed 3,000 Americans . STARR : Attacking al Qaeda is fundamentally a counter-terrorism strategy , requiring a limited number of new troops . It 's the `` Plan B '' advocated by some in the White House , according to a senior Pentagon official . But Gen. Stanley McChrystal , the top commander , is still calling for a counterinsurgency strategy to strengthen Afghanistan to the point the Taliban have no safe haven there . That could take tens of thousands of more troops beyond the 68,000 now planned . Retired Gen. Montgomery Meigs says it 's a must . GEN. MONTGOMERY MEIGS -LRB- RET . -RRB- , U.S. ARMY : If you 're going to get the tribes over on your side and the side of government , you have to have enough people there to make things happen for them , economically , socially and in terms of security . STARR : Could the Pentagon put U.S. firepower , such as fighter jets and drones , in neighboring countries to reduce the U.S. presence inside Afghanistan ? MEIGS : My point is , if you do n't have the kind of intelligence you need to make those systems effective , you are going to swing and miss a lot . STARR : The powerful chairman of the Senate Armed Service committee says more U.S. troops right away are not the answer for another reason . SEN. CARL LEVIN -LRB- D-MI -RRB- , CHAIRMAN , ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE : I 've been recommending to the president that , first of all , before any consideration is made of additional combat forces , that we get the Afghan army bigger , better equipped . STARR : The new bottom line ? Support for the war in Afghanistan is declining , and the president and his commanders will have to make the case for whatever comes next . Barbara Starr , CNN , the Pentagon . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Promo . AZUZ : Afghanistan , Honduras , the southeastern U.S. : Today 's show is all over the map . But we 've got a way to help students pinpoint locations that are in the news : our downloadable maps ! These geographic guides offer some perspective on exactly where these headlines are happening . You 'll find the free resources every day at CNNStudentNews.com . Before We Go . AZUZ : Before we go , we 've got a tale of true sportsmanship . At the end of a recent high school game in Missouri , Matt Ziesel took a handoff and hightailed it all the way to the end zone , scoring his team 's only touchdown of the day . So , why is this noteworthy ? Well , Matt has Down Syndrome , a genetic disorder . He 's always dreamed of scoring a TD . So , with the clock winding down and his team down 46-0 , Matt 's coach wanted to give him that chance . He talked to the other team 's coach , who agreed to give up the shutout and let Matt score . Goodbye . AZUZ : Great story . We 'd love to hear your thoughts on it . Would you give up a shutout to help someone out ? Would you have done it for Matt Ziesel ? Head to our blog at CNNStudentnews.com and share your opinions . We 'll look forward to reading them , and we 'll look forward to seeing you tomorrow for more CNN Student News . | Discover some of the topics addressed by the U.N. General Assembly . Witness the impact of severe flooding across the southeastern U.S. Consider different opinions on how to fight the war in Afghanistan . | [[115, 166], [167, 185], [188, 254], [255, 347], [255, 306], [310, 347], [6836, 6858], [6861, 6923]] |
To : Interested parties From : John King , CNN chief national correspondent Re : Monday Memo . Should the U.S. expand its forces in Afghanistan ? That will be the debate this week . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What you 'll see in Washington in this week is a White House focus on health care and jobs . What you wo n't see -- or see much of , at any rate -- is just as critical a challenge for the administration . On Wednesday and then again on Friday , President Obama will meet with his national security team to continue deliberations about Afghanistan strategy , including whether to commit as many as 40,000 more U.S. troops to what not too long ago was `` the forgotten war '' but is now front and center . `` Ideally , it 's better for military advice to come up through the chain of command , '' National Security Adviser James Jones told us Sunday when asked whether the very public request for more troops from the commanding general in Afghanistan had complicated the White House deliberations . Significantly , Jones , a retired Marine Corps general , offered what sounded like a more optimistic asssement of the security challenges in Afghanistan than the commander asking for more troops , Gen. Stanley McChrystal . `` I do n't foresee the return of the Taliban , '' Jones said . As for al Qaeda and its strength within Afghanistan , Jones added : `` Very diminished . The maximum estimate is less than 100 reported operating in the country . No bases . No buildings to launch attacks on either us or our allies . '' His comments left little doubt Jones is not only less than thrilled about McChrystal 's public appeals , he also is among those skeptical of sending more troops . Suffice to say those private strategy meetings warrant considerable attention . Easier to see will be presidential and vice presidential events pushing health care reform and promoting the administration 's stimulus plan as , contrary to what Republicans say , a cushion keeping a sluggish economy from taking an even bigger toll on American workers and families . Obama will make a new health care push Monday from the White House , joined by doctors from around the country . Vice President Joe Biden continues his role as stimulus cheerleader , from Connecticut on Monday . Also of note : . • The first new Supreme Court term of the Obama presidency kicks off , and Sonia Sotomayor gets down to official business as the nation 's first Hispanic high court justice . • The Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday discusses potential new sanctions against Iran , proof of congressional skepticism even though Iran over the weekend agreed to let international inspectors visit its recently disclosed uranium enrichment plant . • Wednesday is the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Afghanistan . • Wednesday also brings the Federal Reserve 's latest report on consumer credit . Enjoy the week . | Obama to meet with national security team Wednesday , Friday on Afghanistan . Military officers have varying assessments on whether more U.S. troops needed . President will make a new health care push Monday from the White House . The first new Supreme Court term of the Obama presidency kicks off . | [[406, 443], [446, 621], [2051, 2117], [2280, 2348]] |
Asuncion , Paraguay -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo underwent prostate surgery early Friday , his spokesman said . The surgery , which was performed at the Italian Hospital in Asuncion , had been scheduled for weeks , spokesman Augusto dos Santos told reporters . The procedure was performed under local anesthesia , the spokesman said . Lugo 's doctor , Nestor Martinez , said the operation was a transurethral resection , a surgery in which an instrument is inserted into the urethra to remove a section of the prostate that is blocking urine flow . Enlarged prostates are common among men as they get older . Lugo is 58 . The surgery involved nine doctors and three nurses and took about an hour , Martinez said at a news conference . Lugo arrived at the hospital at 4 a.m. -LRB- 2 a.m. ET -RRB- , was wheeled into surgery at 5 a.m. and was in the recovery room by 6 a.m. , Martinez said . The Paraguayan president 's office released post-surgery photos of an alert-looking Lugo chatting with doctors and nurses while lying in a hospital bed . Lugo is a former Roman Catholic bishop who has been involved in several paternity controversies in the past year . He is expected to remain in the hospital until Saturday afternoon and then recuperate for three to four days in the presidential residence , spokesman dos Santos said . Lugo will carry on a restricted agenda while recuperating , the spokesman said . Journalist Sanie Lopez Garelli contributed to this report . | Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo underwent prostate surgery Friday . Lugo will remain in the hospital for a few days and then recuperate in the presidential residency . Lugo is a former priest who has been involved in several paternity controversies in past year . | [[39, 113], [1184, 1186], [1254, 1322], [1074, 1183]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- William Searing is an Eagle Scout who loves hiking , adventure , art and sports . At age 19 , he 's in an education program that bridges the gap from high school to getting a job . Wil has autism . Doctors diagnosed Wil Searing , 19 , with autism when was 18 months old . The neurological disorder was diagnosed when he was 18 months old . Mia Newman 's epilepsy and autism were n't diagnosed until she was almost 3 years old . Now 9 , she and her family still face many challenges in coping with her conditions . It 's been a year since the first U.N.-declared World Autism Awareness Day . In those past 365 days , nobody has discovered the cause of autism , which the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest affects one in 150 children . Nor has a cure been found . However , new research and major court decisions have emerged to explain further what may contribute to the developmental disabilities of the brain known as `` autism spectrum disorders '' or ASDs . One thing that has been known for a while is that there is not one type of autism , but rather several types under the autism umbrella , including Asperger 's syndrome , classic autism and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified -LRB- PDD-NOS -RRB- . More and more doctors and researchers are referring to autism as autisms -LRB- plural -RRB- because each child 's case is different , as are the causes , helpful therapies and potential future cures . iReport.com : Does autism touch your life ? While the past year has n't yielded definitive answers , new information about what may or may not cause autism , prevalence and accompanying issues like paying for treatment have made headlines . Here are just a few : . Do vaccines cause autism ? In 1998 , a theory emerged that the measles-mumps-rubella -LRB- MMR -RRB- vaccine caused autism , the theory being that the vaccine lingered in the gut , causing gastrointestinal problems , and that those GI problems led to autism . A few years later , the very small study that was the basis of this theory was debunked and discredited . However , this did not quash the belief among many parents that vaccines caused autism , leading them to stop or delay immunizing their children . Since the first World Autism Awareness Day last year , a couple of studies and a major court decision declared definitively that vaccines do not cause autism . In September , researchers in the United States and Europe re-created the original 1998 study , even using one of the same laboratories to analyze their results . The study authors concluded that `` no evidence '' linked the MMR vaccine to autism or the GI problems . While many experts said this study is conclusive and `` puts the issue to rest , '' some groups that hold to the belief vaccines are the cause of autism called the research flawed . Another study , published in the March 2009 issue of Pediatrics , provided an explanation of why the MMR vaccine does not cause GI problems and autism . Daniel Campbell , a researcher at Vanderbilt University , suggested that he has found a reasonable explanation for why many children also have GI problems . According to his research , a genetic variation of a protein called MET contributes to both autism and GI problems , rather than GI problems causing autism . In addition , a decision inside a courtroom rather than a laboratory drew the conclusion that the vaccines do not cause autism . On February 12 , a special vaccine court ruled in three test cases , representing more than 5,000 families , that the `` combination of the thimerosal-containing vaccines and the MMR vaccine are not casual factors in the development of autism . '' It 's probably still too early to tell whether these rulings changed anyone 's opinions . `` I do n't think they were important from the standpoint of changing the minds of those with firmly held beliefs regarding vaccines , '' said Dr. Bryan King , director of child psychiatry at Seattle Children 's Hospital . He said that it will not be until we find credible causes for autism that people can leave this debate behind . `` We still support research that would potentially identify small groups with underlying medical or genetic conditions who may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of vaccines , '' said Dr. Geraldine Dawson , the chief science officer of Autism Speaks , the nation 's largest advocacy group . `` For the vast majority of kids , vaccines are safe and we support vaccine programs , '' Dawson said , adding that more research into vaccines is needed . Are autism rates going up ? Using data from 2000 and 2002 , the CDC released a report two years ago with the statistic that one in 150 8-year-olds have autism , up from the previous estimate of 1 in 166 . What remains unclear is if the numbers really went up or if counting these children differently led to the increase . According to a study done by the MIND Institute at the University of California-Davis and published in January , `` The incidence of autism rose seven - to eightfold in California from the 1990s through the present . '' `` The incidence of autism has not yet plateaued , '' said Irva Hertz-Picciotto , lead author of the study . `` We do n't know the reason for the increase . '' But she said that expanding the definition of autism and greater awareness and diagnosis alone ca n't account for the increase . `` Looking at the environmental cause of autism is the next logical step '' to find more answers , she said . A Danish study from December seems to suggest the opposite . It concluded that the shift in age at diagnosis , `` especially the earlier diagnosis at younger ages , artificially inflated the observance of autism in younger children . '' Dr. Max Wiznitzer , a child neurologist at Rainbow Babies & Children 's Hospital in Cleveland , Ohio , has been treating children with autism for more than 30 years . He said he 's still not quite convinced that the incidence is going up either . One explanation is that the way autism cases were counted in the CDC study and in the California study are not the same . `` We need to investigate if there 's a true rise , '' Wiznitzer said . What are environmental factors ? In the past year , more has been said about exploring how environmental factors , in addition to genetic factors , may contribute to autism . Hertz-Picciotto said environmental factors include anything that 's not in the child 's DNA , from viruses and bacteria to chemicals in the brain or personal care products . She said more research needs to be done . CDC epidemiologist and autism researcher Diana Schendel said that any nongenetic factor , including a mother 's illness during pregnancy or treatment of a baby in the hospital during or after birth , are other possible environmental factors . The CDC is conducting a five-year study at six sites looking at genetic and environmental risk factors for autism . Autism Speaks also said studies should look more closely at environmental factors . `` Everything from vitamin D to folic acid , a mother 's health condition or pesticides '' may play a role , said Dawson . Her organization recently announced it is investing $ 5 million to fund studies on genetic and environmental risk factors for autism . How to afford therapies ? Another issue that has gained momentum in the past year is how to pay for the therapies and treatment for children with autism and the now growing numbers of adults with autism . Elizabeth Newman , Mia 's mother , is helping raise $ 10,000 for five families in her hometown of Atlanta , Georgia , because she knows how difficult it is to pay for treatments that helped her daughter -LRB- more information at http://www.livingthemosaic.com/ -RRB- . Wiznitzer said that one of the ongoing issues for the parents of the children he treats is `` What will we do with them as adults ? '' He said there is an urgent need for developing programs for adults with autism to be productive rather than putting them in institutions . Most of the 8-year-olds who were counted in the CDC study in 2000 are now becoming young adults . However , there are few programs to help them when they are too old to receive therapies through the educational system . Dawson said she 's encouraged to see the Obama administration earmark $ 211 million for autism research and more . According to the 2010 federal budget proposal , `` the president is committed to expanding support for individuals , families , and communities affected by ASD . '' `` One of the things that Obama featured in his plan is money toward adult services , '' Dawson said . Wil 's mom wants her adult son to be the best he can and the happiest he can -- but she also wants him to be a productive citizen . `` I want to get a job , '' Wil said . `` I want to be a designer -- I will have to learn how to be a designer . '' He hopes to go to a college with special programs for students with disabilities . He 's already designed business cards for a few people ; his mom hopes this might be something he could do professionally in the future . Aside from doing the morally right thing , Jane Searing said , funding more programs for adults with autism makes economic sense . `` If you get them employed , you wo n't have to pay for them forever , '' Searing said , adding it 's much better to `` turn these people into taxpayers instead of tax takers . '' | Thursday is second World Autism Awareness Day . In last 365 days , no cause or cure found , but baby steps made along the way . Special vaccine court ruled in three test cases , found no link with autism . Researchers look to environmental causes ; parents look for insurance coverage . | [[533, 609], [610, 676], [802, 829], [1548, 1596], [2276, 2328], [2331, 2435], [3368, 3482], [3483, 3497], [3500, 3549], [6264, 6405], [6283, 6287], [6302, 6405], [6908, 6980], [6981, 6994], [7000, 7064]] |
Harare , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nestle , one of the world 's largest food companies , has reopened its factory in Zimbabwe after receiving assurances from the government that its business will not be interfered with again , an official with the Swiss-based company said Tuesday . The company shut its Harare factory last month , complaining of harassment by authorities after it refused to take milk supplies from a farm that had been taken over by President Robert Mugabe 's family as part of his controversial land reform program . `` On the basis of the written assurances given by the Minister of Industry and Commerce of Zimbabwe to guarantee the security of Nestle management and staff and not to interfere in the company 's operating processes , Nestle decided to restart the activities at its Harare factory , '' said Brinda Chiniah with Nestle Equatorial African Region 's corporate communications department . `` The company reiterates its commitment to source milk exclusively from its contracted farmers , '' Chiniah 's statement added . Minister of industry and commerce of Zimbabwe , Welshman Ncube , confirmed that he held meetings with Nestle management . `` I was assigned by my superiors to have meetings with them , and I assured them that their concerns will be addressed . We can not afford to lose investors at this stage when we are rebuilding the economy , '' Ncube said . The Nestle shutdown was seen by many as a setback to the country 's efforts to attract foreign investors to help shore up its battered economy . Operations were under way as normal at the Nestle plant in Harare on Tuesday . Nestle said last month its decision to shut the facility was prompted by an unannounced visit from government officials and police December 19 , after which the firm was forced to accept a milk delivery from non-contracted suppliers . Two of its managers , including expatriate managing director Heath Tilley , were questioned by police and released without charge the same day . Chiniah said Nestle had been in Zimbabwe for 50 years and employs more than 200 people in the southern African nation , adding that the company was `` working with the population of Zimbabwe and striving to maintain a long-term viable operation in often challenging conditions . `` We operate in Zimbabwe , as we do in every country , through good times and bad . We work for the long-term , in a way which has positive impact on our consumers , employees and suppliers , '' Chiniah said . Nestle stopped buying milk from Gushungo Dairy Estate , owned by Mugabe 's family , in October , following international criticism of a deal it had agreed to earlier in the year to use the farm as a supplier . The farm had been seized under Mugabe 's controversial land reform program , which targets mainly the properties of white farmers . Critics say Mugabe 's seizure of white-owned commercial farms to resettle landless black Zimbabweans -- who have no farming experience -- has ruined the country 's once-prosperous economy . Mugabe , in power since independence from Great Britain in 1980 , denies the charge , and says the economic crisis is due to sanctions imposed by Western nations in response to his land reform . | Factory had refused to take milk from Mugabe family farm . Nestle says Mugabe government has pledged not to interfere with business . Factory employs more than 200 people . | [[285, 296], [334, 425], [0, 6], [9, 33], [79, 174], [175, 226], [558, 755]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's the middle of the night and Steven Ford is wide awake . Insomniac Steven Ford says he needs to find a better way to wind down after a long day on the job . `` I toss and turn and watch the clock , sometimes at 3 in the morning , 2 in the morning , '' lamented Ford , 44 , a commercial sign installer in Atlanta , Georgia . Valerie McCloskey , a 42-year-old mother of two from Grand Rapids , Michigan , complained of a similar problem . `` My husband is sound asleep next to me and I 'm thinking about everything that I 'm worried about . '' McCloskey and Ford are among a huge group of Americans who suffer from some type of insomnia . `` Sleep problems are very , very common , '' explained Dr. David Schulman , director of the Sleep Laboratory at Emory University in Atlanta . `` They affect more than a third of Americans in a given year . '' Health Minute : Watch more on sleep disorders '' Sleep problems may be common , but Schulman stressed that insomnia is not normal if it lasts more than a month or two . He said most adults need about eight hours of sleep a night . In reality `` the average American sleeps just under seven hours , '' he said . `` That 's a problem . '' A persistent lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can leave you feeling exhausted when you wake up . `` These folks are walking zombies , '' Schulman said . `` They are out there with four or five hours of sleep a night . '' Long-term sleep problems also may exacerbate other chronic medical conditions such as diabetes or hypertension , experts say . Before you can treat the problem , you probably need to figure out what kind of insomnia you 're dealing with . The condition is classified as primary or secondary . The latter means that a patient may be having trouble sleeping because of a health condition or medication . Primary insomnia is not related to any side effects . It is considered its own disorder that can be broken down into two groups : sleep-onset insomnia and sleep-maintenance insomnia . Like its name , the sleep-onset version occurs in the beginning of the night when someone tries to fall asleep and ca n't . `` Sleep-maintenance insomnia is much less common , '' Schulman said . `` It occurs when somebody can go to sleep , but wakes up once or several times throughout the night and has difficulty resuming sleep . '' Stress , anxiety and depression may be some of the causes of chronic insomnia . Before he prescribes medications , Schulman typically suggests that his patients try a number of things to regain control of their sleep cycle . First , he said , do n't stay in bed for longer than 20 to 30 minutes if you ca n't fall asleep or fall back asleep . `` If you accustom your body to being in bed for hours at a time unable to fall asleep , that behavior to some degree becomes subconsciously ingrained , '' he said . Avoid caffeine within 8-10 hours of bedtime . Studies show that `` if you take caffeine at noon it 's still in your system at 8 or 10 at night , '' Schulman said . Do n't eat or exercise within three hours of bedtime . Schulman said both detract from sleep . He also suggested avoiding alcohol before bedtime because it might trigger a lighter sleep and make it more likely you 'll wake up in the middle of the night . Finally , he recommended finding light , relaxing activities that will induce sleep , such as reading or listening to soft music . He cautioned insomniacs to avoid bright light before bedtime . He also warned against watching television and using video games and computers before turning out the lights . Cooling off might help . `` One of the ways you can fool your body into thinking it is cooling off is to heat it up just before bedtime , '' Schulman said . `` Take a warm bath or shower 30 to 45 minutes before going to sleep . As your body cools off afterwards , it is very sleep-inducing . '' Steven Ford admitted he needs to find a better way to wind down after a long day on the job . He does n't consider his problem to be serious enough yet to see a doctor , adding `` I 'm too manly to try to look for help . I just deal with it , go to work and wait for the weekend . '' | Sleep problems affect more than a third of Americans in a given year , expert says . If you drink caffeine at noon , it 's still in your system at 8 or 10 p.m. , studies say . Avoid eating and exercising three hours before bed if you have sleep problems . Long-term sleep problems may exacerbate other chronic medical conditions . | [[629, 638], [643, 678], [822, 885], [871, 885], [2880, 2925], [2926, 3022], [3044, 3054], [3067, 3098], [1450, 1474], [1480, 1560], [1743, 1851]] |
LOGANVILLE , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The crowd cheered as Morgan Lawless faced her first pitch of the fall baseball season . Morgan Lawless , who has cerebral palsy , plays baseball at Bay Creek Park near Atlanta , Georgia . The 14-year-old middle-school student clenched her teeth as she swung the bat into a single . Instead of running to first base , Lawless zoomed over in her motorized wheelchair . Lawless has cerebral palsy . She 's among nearly 300 children who play in a special-needs baseball league at Bay Creek Park in the Atlanta , Georgia , suburb of Loganville . `` It 's actually fun because we get to be kids and we can play like regular people , '' Lawless said . What 's different about this ballpark is that the field is made of a rubberized material that allows for easier movement in wheelchairs . `` We started out on a dirt field , '' said league founder Cathy Smith . `` But power wheelchairs and dirt do n't mix . '' Smith helped raise some of the half-million dollars in private and county funding needed to build the field in 2004 . She said she gets goosebumps whenever she watches the young players come across home plate . `` The grin and smile on their faces just says it all . '' Coach Tom Estes joined the program eight years ago with his now-15-year-old son , Justin , who has cerebral palsy . Estes noted that some of the players , like his son , use a wheelchair , but others with autism , Down syndrome and multiple sclerosis are ambulatory . Health Minute : Watch more on special needs baseball '' During a game , the children are paired with young helpers from another local baseball league . No special skills are required to participate , Estes said . `` If we have to help them hit , help them run , help them catch , we are simply here to let them play baseball . '' The coaches have taken extra precautions to make sure no one gets hurt . The players wear batting helmets , and a coach feeds large , softball-sized rubber balls into a pitching machine to control the direction . There are no umpires , and no one really keeps score . `` We have a lot of tie ball games , '' Estes chuckled . The games are short , just two innings , but everyone gets to play . `` It 's not about competition as much as it is about the ability to just do what other kids do , '' said Mike Lawless , Morgan 's father . He said his daughter looks forward to the games all week . So does Estes ' son . `` Until you get involved , you do n't realize the closed life they live , '' Tom Estes said . Being part of the team gives the players a sense of independence and self control and gets them outside in the fresh air , he said . `` They 're out here doing the same thing as the other kids . They really do n't do that on a normal basis . '' The weekly games also give the kids something to brag about in school on Monday morning , Estes said . `` They hear everyone else talking about it ... and my son can say , ` Yeah , I hit a home run yesterday , too . It was great . ' '' Justin Estes seemed to take all the attention in stride . And what does he think is the best part about playing baseball ? Pointing past his wheelchair to the smooth surface of the field , he said simply , `` No ruts . '' | Special-needs baseball league near Atlanta has nearly 300 children . Some players use a wheelchair , but others are ambulatory . Field is made of a rubberized material that allows wheelchairs to move more easily . There are no umpires , and no one really keeps score . | [[436, 580], [449, 468], [473, 545], [1332, 1483], [1349, 1383], [1386, 1402], [726, 773], [752, 773], [779, 822], [2027, 2047], [2054, 2081]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- All Lyle Petersen wanted to do was get his mail . Lyle Petersen , a CDC expert who was infected with West Nile virus , says , `` it will ruin your summer . '' In the time it took him to walk down his driveway in Fort Collins , Colorado , chat briefly with a neighbor and return to his house , Petersen got infected with a potentially serious mosquito-borne illness called West Nile virus . Within hours of being bitten , he said , he began to feel symptoms he recognized . And how was he sure so quickly ? Petersen , as director of the division of vector borne diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , is one of the foremost experts in the world on the condition . A blood test confirmed his suspicion . `` From my own experience , I can tell you it 's not a very mild illness , '' Petersen cautioned . `` It will ruin your summer . '' Experts are expecting another epidemic of the disease this summer . The incidence of West Nile virus has remained the same for the past four years , and Petersen says he does n't expect this year to be any different . It should reach its peak between mid-July and mid-September . Health Minute : More on West Nile virus risk '' `` People tend to discount this as a significant problem , '' Petersen said , `` but more than 1.5 million people have been infected so far in the United States , and about 300,000 have had West Nile fever . '' West Nile virus emerged in the U.S. nine years ago . The virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito . Mosquitoes contract the illness by feeding on infected birds . The CDC reported that in rare cases , West Nile virus has spread through blood transfusions , organ transplants and breastfeeding . The disease is not spread through casual contact . The symptoms range from mild to severe and typically develop between three and 14 days after a person is bitten . Explainer : West Nile 101 '' Debbie Koma , a 50-year old hairdresser from Atlanta , Georgia , developed West Nile virus two years ago . She described it as `` unlike anything that I ever had before . I was sick as a dog . '' She recalled being hospitalized for three days with a high fever , a horrible headache and body aches . After 14 days , she was strong enough to get out of bed , but she says her strength did n't fully return for three months . Petersen had a similar experience when he was stricken five years ago . `` I discovered I had West Nile virus because I am a long-distance runner , '' he said . `` About halfway through one of my runs , I felt terrible . Within a couple of hours , I was lying in bed with severe headaches , eye pain , muscle pain and fever , which lasted about a week . I basically could n't get out of bed for a week . '' It was n't just Petersen who became sick , but his daughter and the neighbor were complaining of West Nile virus symptoms hours after being swarmed by mosquitoes at the mailbox . A medical doctor , Petersen actually tested his own blood in the laboratory and diagnosed his own illness . Like Koma , he was sick for a couple of months . His chief symptom : severe fatigue . `` I could barely walk up the stairs , '' he said . `` This is not a mild illness , and people should try to avoid it . '' Petersen mentioned that some patients with West Nile virus can develop a severe neurological disease that can be fatal . There is no effective treatment for the virus . In more serious cases , the CDC recommends that patients be hospitalized so they can receive supportive care with intravenous fluids . Researchers are working to develop a vaccine , but Petersen notes that it will be years before it is available to humans . The best way to stop the spread of West Nile virus is through prevention , he said . `` Wear mosquito repellent , especially around dawn and dusk , which are peak mosquito biting times , '' Petersen suggests . He says bug sprays that contain concentrations of the chemical DEET up to 50 percent work the best . Be sure to read the label or check with a doctor regarding the acceptable concentrations for children . Spraying repellent that contains permethrin on clothing is another option . Experts caution not to put the chemical directly on exposed skin . Petersen added that a natural product such as oil of lemon eucalyptus CQ may also be effective . The CDC says vitamin B and ultrasonic devices do not work in preventing mosquito bites . Another way to reduce the risk of getting bitten by a mosquito is to get rid of standing bodies of water around the house , Petersen said . `` The mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus often breed around people 's homes in small containers like flower pots , rain barrels and bird baths , '' he explained . Even by taking precautions , Petersen concluded , the disease wo n't be eradicated in the U.S. anytime soon . `` I think West Nile virus is here to stay , and I ca n't tell you how many cases will occur this summer , but there will be epidemics . '' | More than 1.5 million people have been infected in the U.S. Symptoms typically develop between three and 14 days after being bitten . High fever , headaches , body aches and severe fatigue are a few symptoms . Best way to stop the spread of West Nile virus is through prevention . | [[1280, 1296], [1300, 1428], [1299, 1381], [1789, 1817], [1832, 1902], [357, 426], [3686, 3758]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Retired Army Spc. Scott Winkler had many scary encounters while serving in Iraq , but they were nothing compared with his recent experience at the world 's largest aquarium : swimming alongside a massive whale shark . Ret . Army Spc. Scott Winkler , 35 , was paralyzed five years ago during an accident in Iraq . The fact that Winkler , 35 , of Augusta , Georgia , is a paraplegic made the once-in-a-lifetime experience even more challenging . `` It 's like you 're in space , '' Winkler said . `` It 's like you 're an able body again . It makes you feel so free . '' Winkler was paralyzed five years ago during an accident while unloading ammunition in Tikrit , Iraq . He is one of more than two dozen disabled veterans who have participated in the Fish Wish program at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta during the past two months . A separate swim and dive program is open to the public , but the waiting list is nearly full until the end of the year . The experience is n't cheap . A half-hour dive costs $ 290 . The veterans swam for free . Therapeutic recreational specialist Susan Oglesby helps train safety divers at the aquarium to assist swimmers with disabilities . She explained there are very few limitations in the tank . Watch more on veterans swimming with sharks '' `` The water is the great equalizer . Once you get in , you 're floating , you 're weightless , and everybody becomes equal , '' Oglesby said . Winkler was outfitted in a wet suit and snorkeling gear . He rolled his wheelchair down a long ramp to a dock floating in the 6.3 million-gallon tank of salt water . After sliding out of the chair , he took a deep breath and pushed himself into the water . `` It is so amazing , he said . `` It 's like you do n't have a disability , because you 're just floating around with everybody else . ... The fish are just swimming by . It 's a total other world . '' In addition to four 23-foot-long whale sharks , Winkler gazed on a manta ray , hammerhead sharks , goliath grouper and sawfish . He used his arms to move his body around the football-field-size tank . Swimming next to him were two safety divers and Orlando Perez , another young veteran from Augusta . `` It 's beautiful down there ! '' Perez exclaimed . `` It 's peaceful , and you just forget that you 're in a wheelchair . You 're one with the fish . '' Perez , 33 , a retired Army private first class , suffered a spinal cord injury during basic training 13 years ago . Like Winkler , he is confined to a wheelchair . Perez likened the swim experience to floating on air . `` I never thought being disabled would bring me to do something so amazing , '' he said . `` I think it 's about overcoming the disability and not letting the disability overcome you . '' Both Perez and Winkler admitted they were nervous when they first entered in the water . They settled down after being brushed by one of the passing whale sharks . Winkler had a big grin on his face as he talked about the benefits of taking part in the program . `` Mentally , you 're actually taking a stress break from life itself , '' he said . `` Physically , it 's great rehabilitation . Emotionally , your spirit is lifted , and you 're able to enjoy yourself for once . '' | Fish Wish program allows veterans with disabilities to swim with sharks . Program is open to the public , but waiting list is long and cost is $ 290 . Veterans report feeling `` equal '' in the weightless environment of water . | [[1285, 1317], [931, 990], [1021, 1051]] |
KENNESAW , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Singing `` Frosty the Snowman '' and `` Jingle Bells '' may not seem like a big deal to most third-graders , but for Joey Finley , 8 , doctors say it 's a miracle . Joey Finley , 8 , suffers from a rare condition that can prevent people from speaking normally . The blond , freckle-faced boy was unable to speak in a normal voice until about a year ago . `` I thought I would sound bad , '' he said . Joey suffers from a rare virus that can get into the cells of the voice box . `` He has a condition called recurrent papillomatosis , '' explained Dr. Steven Sobol , director of pediatric otolaryngology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta , Georgia . `` It causes growths like warts that you would see in other parts of the body . '' Watch and hear Joey sing '' Sobol said lesions in RRP -LRB- for the condition 's full name , recurrent respiratory papillomatosis -RRB- are caused by the human papilloma virus , or HPV , the same condition that causes cervical cancer . An estimated 20,000 children and adults in the United States suffer from the disease . Not only can RRP rob patients of their ability to speak normally , it can create serious breathing problems if left untreated . `` It can be rapidly fatal for somebody who completely blocks off their airway , '' Sobol said . `` Try to imagine breathing through a coffee stirrer . That 's what those children breathe like when they first come to our attention , '' Sobol described . Experts are n't sure exactly why some people contract the virus , but Sobol believes that `` it 's a combination of genetic factors and exposure either in utero or during early childhood . '' Joey 's symptoms surfaced during infancy . His mother , Melanie Finley , recalled that when Joey was a year old , he would strain his neck muscles every time he tried to talk . She took the child to several doctors before they finally met with Sobol , who diagnosed the condition . Finley was relieved to get some answers , but Joey 's medical journey was just beginning . Sobol reported that from the age of 4 , Joey endured 16 surgeries to remove the growths from his vocal cords . `` When I first met Joey ... he could n't breathe , '' Sobol recalled . Treating the boy took time , the doctor explained . `` Even though you remove the parts of the virus that you can visually see ... the virus will tend to regenerate the growths , so over time ... days or months , it will cause the growths to reoccur and obstruct the airways . '' RRP is not passed through casual contact , and there is no cure . Sobol is hopeful that one day , a vaccine may be used to help prevent the development of the disease . He said Gardasil , a series of three shots offered to adolescent girls for the prevention of cervical cancer , may be one of the drugs used to stop the spread of RRP . Ear , nose and throat specialists end up spending a lot of time with their patients with this condition , Sobol said . `` I tell my parents once we diagnose a child , ` We 're going to get to know each other really , really well . Coming to see me is like going to the dentist . ' '' But there 's an obvious difference between removing laryngeal warts and cleaning teeth . `` Certain children have a very tough time with this , '' Sobol acknowledged . `` They 're in the operating room every two weeks to save their life . ... Then , there are children like Joey who have the disease when they 're very young and grow out of it by the time they are older adolescents or teenagers . '' Though he 's required fewer operations during the last couple of years , the surgeries altered Joey 's voice . He used to joke with his doctors that he had `` frogs '' in his throat . Between all the procedures that caused him to miss school and his shyness about his voice , Joey was reluctant to socialize . His mother said he was teased by his preschool classmates . `` There is nothing worse than being different , '' she stated . Joey 's outlook started changing shortly after he was assigned to work with Edie Hapner , a speech language pathologist at Emory University School of Medicine . `` When Joey came in , he was using compensatory muscles to make his voice , '' Hapner said . `` He had had so many surgeries on his vocal cords , he did n't even know how to use them anymore . '' It took a little over a year , but Hapner is credited in part with giving Joey his voice back . She taught him how to imitate funny sounds . `` Things like lip trills and tongue trills , '' Hapner said . `` Silly little motorboat and car noises that physiologically and comfortably help people get their voice . '' Hapner said it did n't take long in their few first sessions together before Joey was able to make normal sounds . `` I heard a sweet little high-pitched voice , not that 80-year-old man voice in a 5-year-old body , '' she said . Melanie Finley remembered : `` I bawled when I heard his real voice . '' Hapner called Joey 's recovery a miracle . `` To see someone like Joey , who every day is getting in trouble for talking or singing and is now participating in after-school activities that he would not do before because of his voice , it 's incredible . '' And what 's it like to sing Christmas songs with classmates ? `` I usually was afraid to sing , and now I 'm not , '' Joey said . `` You actually get to have fun and use your voice . '' | 8-year-old left unable to speak normally by a rare virus in his voice box . Lesions in a condition called recurrent papillomatosis are caused by HPV . An estimated 20,000 children and adults in the U.S. suffer from the disease . The condition can create serious breathing problems if left untreated . | [[300, 392], [439, 469], [452, 469], [475, 516], [880, 971], [1023, 1083], [1023, 1109], [1175, 1217], [1177, 1179], [1221, 1237]] |
ALPHARETTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Soft music filled the room as waiters served white wine and hors d'oeuvres . Two dozen well-dressed women chatted in small groups . Mary Johnson , 56 , who lost most of her lashes during chemotherapy , was excited to give Latisse a try . But , this was no ordinary cocktail party . The setting was the lobby of the OH2 Medical Spa in Alpharetta , Georgia . The women were on hand to take part in a new beauty treatment hitting the United States : the promise of better looking eyelashes through a prescription drug called Latisse . `` It 's the latest , the greatest , '' exclaimed the party hostess , Christine Glavine , wife of Major League Baseball pitcher Tom Glavine . She invited a group of friends to meet with local plastic surgeon Dr. Randy Rudderman to get a dose of the new FDA-approved medication . Glavine did n't have to do much convincing . Tammie Wilson , 43 , of Roswell , Georgia , said she was motivated to try the product because `` I want to be able to look like I have on makeup when I do n't . '' Watch more on the marketing of Latisse '' `` I have blond hair and blond lashes . I have to put on three coats of mascara , '' complained her friend Jennifer Altmeyer , also 43 and from Roswell . Altmeyer , who is hoping to be able to skip mascara altogether , was the first to line up at Rudderman 's exam room . The drug is available only through a doctor ; it is approved to treat hair loss on the lash line . The product maker , Allergan , says Latisse will thicken , darken and lengthen inadequate or skimpy eyelashes in as little as eight weeks . But , here 's the catch : Doctors report it takes up to 16 weeks to see maximum eyelash growth . If you discontinue Latisse , your lashes will go back to their original state in a few months . Visit CNNhealth.com , your connection for better living . Oh , and by the way , the drug is n't cheap . It costs about $ 120 for a 30-day supply . Latisse was discovered almost by accident , Rudderman said . The product contains a compound that is also found in medication that decreases eye pressure in glaucoma patients . `` A significant number of those patients started having a side effect of increased growth of eyelashes , '' said Rudderman . Women like Altmeyer are clamoring to give Latisse a try . Rudderman 's assistant first removed Altmeyer 's eye makeup and then applied a drop of Latisse to a small applicator . The wand was then swiped across her top lashes . Rudderman advised Altmeyer to apply the drug once a day before she goes to bed and not to apply Latisse to lower lashes because they come in contact with the medicine on the top lashes during blinks . Rudderman said Latisse comes with several warnings : It is approved only for those over 18 and is not recommended for pregnant women , people with pre-existing eye conditions or those with allergies to the ingredients . Rudderman said some of the most common side effects are itchy and red eyes and hyper-pigmentation , or darkening along the eyelash base . Dr. Pradeep Sinha , a plastic surgeon in Atlanta , Georgia , started working with the glaucoma version of the medication two years ago on an off-label -- or trial -- basis , before it was approved specifically for eyelash thickening . While he said his patients were happy with the results , Sinha noted another unpleasant side effect if the user is not careful while wielding the applicator . `` One patient was messy and grew small , fuzzy hair on her eyelid , '' Sinha said . He instructed the woman to stop using the product , and the unwanted hair eventually fell out . Some women , like Mary Johnson , a 56-year-old breast cancer survivor , are willing to take their chances . After undergoing chemotherapy last year she lost a lot of eyelashes . `` That was really devastating for me , '' she said . She said she could put a wig on her head , but for the rest of her face she had to `` fake it '' by drawing in a lash line and eyebrows with cosmetics . Johnson tried some over-the-counter lash products , but she said none of them worked . She was smiling as she received her first dose of Latisse from Rudderman . `` Until you have lost your eyelashes , you do n't really realize how hard it is to put eye makeup on , '' she said . `` When you lose your eyelashes you just do n't look the same . '' | Newly FDA-approved Latisse promises to thicken , darken and lengthen lashes . Latisse contains compound also found in glaucoma medicine . Patients using that medicine had increased eyelash growth . Drawbacks include dry and red eyes , darkening around lash line and high price . | [[1473, 1490], [1504, 1612], [2014, 2078], [2133, 2233], [2903, 3002], [2918, 2922], [2926, 3040], [2903, 2912], [3006, 3040]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sada Jacobson may be a world champion fencer with three Olympic medals , but dressed in a T-shirt and sweats , she looked like any other student getting a lesson at the gym . Olympic medalist Sada Jacobson says `` a little hard work , a little luck and some guidance '' makes a champion . She grabbed her saber , pulled down her mask and started sparing with her long-time coach , Arkady Burdan , at the Nellya Fencers facility in Atlanta , Georgia . `` I 've been doing this for 10 years , '' remarked Jacobson , 25 , a first-year law student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor . `` I never anticipated that this is where my life would take me , and it has been an amazing trip . '' This year alone , that trip has taken her to competitions around the world from Algiers , Algeria , to Havana , Cuba , and eventually to Beijing , China , where she claimed two Olympic medals . Watch Sada Jacobson on the move '' About a dozen young fencers gathered around her during a break from their own lessons to take a close look at Jacobson 's silver and bronze medallions . She passed around another bronze medal that she earned at the 2004 Olympics in Athens , Greece . Jacobson is n't one to brag , but she 's happy to serve as a role model for the next generation of competitive fencers . She said all it takes to be a champion is `` a little hard work , a little luck and some guidance . '' Jacobson was inspired to pursue fencing by her own father . David Jacobson was a member of the 1974 U.S. National Fencing team . Her mother and two younger sisters also participate in the sport . She blushed when her father stepped into the group of children admiring her medals and reminded them that Sada `` started out just like you guys . '' Sada Jacobson played down her abilities . `` The beauty of this sport is that anyone can do it , '' she said . `` It 's such a mental game that you can use any kind of physical attribute to your advantage . '' There are three types of fencing : epee , foil and sabre . Jacobson specializes in sabre . `` Sabre is analogous to a sprint , '' she explained . `` It 's very fast , very powerful . It 's over very quickly , and you have to put a ton of energy into changing your momentum . '' While preparing for the Olympics , Jacobson spent countless hours cross training and working on agility exercises . Unlike other sports , Jacobson called fencing an asymmetrical workout . `` You are constantly in an unnatural body position , '' she said . `` It 's very lower-body specific , so you need really strong legs , but you also need to be very quick and light on your feet , '' she noted . The physical preparation was only part of her focus . She also studied countless videotapes of her opponents in competition in an effort to mentally outsmart them . Burdan , her coach , described the sport as a form of `` physical chess . '' He said that Jacobson has outstanding technical skills but that she 's also one of the best fencers in the world because she uses her brain to strategize during a match . That 's helped her during the past five years as she captured medals in more than two dozen World Championship , World Cup and Grand Prix competitions . She arrived at the Beijing Olympics ranked No. 1 in the world . When she returned to Atlanta after the Olympics , the entire team from the Nellya club was there to greet her at the airport . Seeing that kind of hometown support `` was a truly amazing feeling , '' she said . One of her admirers is Matthew Tennant , 12 , a budding fencer . He knows that it is going to take a lot of hard work and practice to match Jacobson 's accomplishments . `` It 's kind of cool that she 's been in the Olympics , '' he said . `` You know , it 's not every day you get to meet a famous person . '' Jacobson may be famous but not enough to forget where she got her start or to know when it 's time to hang up her saber . `` I 'm retiring , '' she announced . `` My coach thinks I 'm going to make a comeback , but I 'm committed to doing some other stuff . '' The other `` stuff '' includes plans to get married next year and finishing law school . `` I enjoy coming back and seeing everyone and fencing for fun , '' she said . `` But I think this is it for me . '' | Sada Jacobson , world champion fencer , is happy to serve as a role model for kids . Jacobson : Fencing is an asymmetrical workout , with body in unnatural position . Fencing is `` physical chess '' where brain must strategize during a match . | [[0, 7], [10, 33], [37, 107], [1242, 1328], [2404, 2453], [2454, 2505], [2831, 2837], [2852, 2904], [3029, 3078]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Amanda Wagner and Jessica Tuttle turn 50 this year , but they 're not letting age hold them back from their favorite exercise : running . They 've been lacing up their running shoes since their teens and show few signs of slowing down . Research on older runners suggests they may not have to . Jessica Tuttle , 50 , left , and Amanda Wagner , 49 , have been running for more than 30 years . `` It 's a little bit harder , but that 's part of the challenge I think , '' says Wagner . When she is n't traveling for her job at a pharmaceutical company , Wagner tries to get together with Tuttle for 45-minute pre-work runs three to five days a week . Tuttle , who is a medical epidemiologist at the Georgia Health Department , feels that running gets her day off to a good start . `` It really wakes me up in the morning , '' says Tuttle . `` It gives me an edge when I go in to work . '' Conventional wisdom holds that the pounding from years of running leads to excessive wear and tear on the body as we age , resulting in joint injuries , knee replacements or arthritis . So-called weekend warriors -- people who are n't in the type of shape needed to safely run sprints , dive for passes or make cuts on the basketball court -- add to this misconception when they hobble into their doctors ' office after an injury . But a study out of Stanford University that looked at healthy aging runners found that running did not damage joints or leave runners less able to exercise . Researchers discovered that if you 're healthy and generally free of injury , there are few reasons to put away your running shoes , even into your 70s and 80s . Watch more on running as you age '' `` Moderate -LSB- running -RSB- , three to five miles at a time , three times a week will actually help your joints to be more resilient and function a little bit better , '' says Dr. Amadeus Mason at Emory Sports Medicine Center in Atlanta , Georgia . But he stresses that keeping the joints healthy in the first place may be the key to running longevity . That includes not running through pain , and resting if you have an injury , something Tuttle takes seriously . `` I try to rest maybe if I 'm having some specific pain that seems to be over a couple of days , '' she says . Mason also warns against running if you suffer from a chronic knee injury . In this case , the continuous pounding could accelerate damage and lead to arthritis . Instead , choose joint-friendly exercises such as swimming , walking or a workout machine such as the elliptical . Even if you have remained healthy , as Wagner and Tuttle have , do n't get overzealous and overdo it . `` The biggest risk that runners will face as they age , with regard to injury , is overtraining , by far , '' says Mason , who recommends giving yourself a day of rest between runs , or cross-training on the non-running days . In addition , Mason advises wearing the proper footwear and making sure to stretch before and after a run . Beyond the good news about aging joints , the Stanford researchers also discovered some surprising overall health benefits for senior runners when they compared them with non-runners of the same age : Those in the running group were less likely to die from heart trouble , stroke , cancer , neurological diseases or infection . Watch Dr. Gupta explain the study findings '' `` The survival rate of the runners was again twice that of the controls , '' study author Dr. Eliza Chakravarty says . She says the findings were a surprise to the researchers . Additionally , runners enjoyed a better day-to-day quality of life in old age than their more sedentary peers . `` Members of the running group , it took them 16 years longer to reach certain levels of disability , '' says Chakravarty . `` Running is not the only thing that 's going to make you live longer and be healthier ; it 's actually probably engaging in any kind of exercise that people enjoy , '' notes Chakravarty . `` It 's never too late to start incorporating regular exercise into your routine ... health benefits can last for decades . '' But running is still the exercise of choice for Wagner and Tuttle , who have remained relatively injury-free throughout their 30-year running careers . The women do n't plan to hang up their running shoes any time soon . `` I really ca n't imagine not running ; it 's that much a part of my life , '' says Wagner . `` And I do expect and hope to be running when I 'm 60 and when I 'm 70 -- I truly do . '' | Stanford University study finds that running did not damage joints in aging runners . Runners still need to take precautions : Do n't run with injuries , wear proper shoes . Aging runners less likely to die from certain ailments , study says . | [[1357, 1376], [1382, 1413], [1342, 1376], [1414, 1495], [2052, 2090], [2899, 2992], [256, 313], [3194, 3320]] |
SMYRNA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A week before the start of the new school year , principal Denise Magee roamed the hallways of Campbell Middle School in Smyrna , Georgia , preparing for battle . Middle-school principal Denise Magee says a best-case scenario would be a school year without bullying . The adversary ? Preteen and teenage bullies . Toting anti-bullying posters and masking tape , Magee was determined to let students see from Day One that she had a zero-tolerance policy when it came to that kind of harassment . `` Middle-school kids are just cruel to each other , '' Magee said . `` They speak their minds , so you see bullying in the form of teasing , taunting , social isolation and name calling . '' The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 30 percent of all children in grades six through 10 have been bullied or have bullied other children during a school year . Clinical psychologist Mark Crawford of Roswell , Georgia , called the statistics unacceptable . `` Bullying is not a rite of passage , '' he said . `` It always has a bad outcome . '' Crawford said several times a month he hears complaints from young patients who are victims of bullies . And he worried about the consequences . `` Kids who are bullied are at greater risk of physical symptoms , physical complaints , emotional problems and academic underachievement . '' Parenting expert Stacey DeBroff , author of `` The Mom Book , '' cautioned that bullying often occurs in places that are n't monitored by adults , such as a walking route to and from school , a corner of a playground and the Internet . She warned mothers and fathers to be on the lookout for signs a child is being bullied . `` When you see signs of being anxious , sad and withdrawn , of having a kid move off their typical personality , it alerts you that something is going on . '' Crawford noted that some of those symptoms can be attributed to typical adolescent behavior , but he added , `` When you see a real change in a child 's personality or their normal routine , it 's a bad sign . '' Health Minute : Watch more on defeating bullies '' He also conceded that some children wo n't open up to their parents about bullying . `` One of the reasons kids do n't tell their parents they are being bullied is the fear that their parents will run in and do something about it and they think that will make it worse . '' DeBroff agreed that it is tempting for some parents to rush in to solve the problem by calling the bully 's parents . `` You often know them , your kids have been in school together , you feel like calling them up ... so they 're on the defensive and really it 's never a point of resolution . '' Crawford said that it 's important to do your homework before attempting to resolve the situation . He encouraged parents to talk with their child first and get them to open up about what 's happening . `` You need to find out when it is happening , where it is happening and exactly what is going on , '' he said . When elementary age children are involved , Crawford recommended parents intervene more quickly . `` Younger kids have a limited arsenal from which to draw , '' he said . `` They do n't necessarily know how to be more assertive . '' Middle-school students may want to have some control over the situation , according to Crawford . In that case , he said it might be a good idea to go over possible scenarios and options that will help them put a stop to the bullying . DeBroff said it is important to ask for help from a teacher or school administrator . `` They want to know about it because it ripples into the classrooms and places that are n't visible to them . '' Magee , the middle-school principal , agreed . `` I do not want parents to leave us out of the scenario , '' she said . `` I want them to immediately contact us . '' But be judicious , she urged . Some parents can inflame the situation . `` You will encounter situations where parents will tell their kids , ` If you are hit , I want you to hit back . ' '' Experts point out it is important for parents to keep emotions in check and to not encourage a child to hit back or retaliate . Instead , DeBroff suggested parents become strategic advisers to their child and help them avoid bullying situations . In a couple of weeks , after her students get settled , Magee plans to hold grade-level meetings about her school 's anti-bullying policy . In the meantime , she remained optimistic and hoped this school year will be different . `` The best-case scenario as local school principal ? We are bullyproof , fully free of any bully incidents , that we are truly here with academic focus , no fighting , no teasing , no name calling , none of that . We 're here to learn . '' | HHS estimate : 30 percent of all kids grades 6-10 are bullied or have bullied annually . Bullying usually occurs in places not monitored by adults . Symptoms : personality changes , especially anxiety , sadness , withdrawal . Expert : Calling the bully 's parents `` never a point of resolution '' | [[723, 910], [787, 856], [787, 838], [860, 910], [1445, 1572], [1716, 1766]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An enormous Asian elephant stepped out from behind a big red curtain at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Atlanta , Georgia . Eli Hummer , 3 , gets to try out an oversized motorbike at the circus . An audience of 20 pre-schoolers clapped and squealed as the elephant was handed a tiny harmonica and started playing . But , instead of sitting far away in the stands , the children , all visually impaired , were just a few feet away from the action . Among them was 3-year-old Eli Hummer . `` He does n't see , so to learn about it , he has to touch it and be close to it , '' explained his mother , Martha Hummer . She said being able to use the sense of smell , touch and sound helps her son understand the concept of a circus . Every year as it tours the country , Ringling Brothers sponsors a `` Blind-Touch Tour '' in about a dozen cities . During a stop in Atlanta , Georgia , children from the Center for the Visually Impaired got more than a front row seat . After the show , they were invited into the circus ring to interact with performers and try out some of their props . Watch more on the `` Blind-Touch '' tour '' Eight stations were set up where children could touch and try on circus costumes , play with giant umbrellas and butterfly wings and sit on an oversized motorcycle . Clowns roamed the ring juggling and trying to make the children laugh . One clown dressed in a polka dot shirt and checkered pants took Eli 's little hand and asked the boy if he wanted to touch the red clown nose . Watch some of the sights and sounds of the circus '' Eli responded by trying to pull off the ball-like prop . His teacher , Joyce Burnett , who is also visually impaired , spent two weeks before the circus visit preparing the kids in the classroom for the unique experience . `` We had clown shoes , a nose and a wig and we tried all of those on , '' Burnett said . She said the students also listened to elephant sounds and drew the outline of the animals with chalk . `` Eighty to 90 percent of early learning comes through vision , '' Burnett said . `` Our children are not using vision or -LRB- have -RRB- very little vision , so all of the other senses will make their world real . '' Visit CNNhealth.com , your connection for better living . Michelle Singleton , mother of 4-year-old Miya , said the experience is something the kids ca n't get anywhere else . `` The fact that she 's on the floor now , she is really excited . She wanted to see the elephants so she 's happy now , '' Singleton said . Four-year-old Kristina Masta was fascinated with a trapeze swing that was hanging low to the ground . One of the performers helped the girl climb on while her mother , Michelle Masta , stood nearby . `` Because of her visual impairment anything that is highly tactile and brightly colored helps out a lot , '' Masta said . Her daughter weighed 1 pound , 1 ounce at birth and suffers from retinopathy of prematurity , a disease in which the small blood vessels in the back of the eye grow abnormally . Masta said other people may not realize the limitations and challenges of having a visually impaired child . `` Everything is ten times harder , '' she said . Masta smiled as her daughter handed her a rainbow-colored lollypop to unwrap . `` The kids feel special because they get to actually do something that the other kids do n't do , and it is a real treat , '' Masta said . | Ringling Brothers ' `` Blind-Touch Tour '' gives visually impaired kids circus experience . Children get close-up performance , chance to try out costumes and equipment . Parents say it helps the kids understand and enjoy the circus . | [[1018, 1135], [1018, 1032], [1035, 1039], [1106, 1135], [1213, 1221], [1238, 1260]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You would n't know it by looking at her , but at any given moment Dana Poole hurts all over . Dana Poole , left , feels aches all over at any given moment from a condition called fibromyalgia . `` It 's kind of like a burning , but an ache . It 's almost like you have the flu , '' said Poole , 31 , a receptionist from Canton , Georgia . Poole is one of almost 6 million Americans who suffer from a chronic condition called fibromyalgia . In addition to widespread pain , patients may complain about fatigue and sleep disturbances , depression , headaches , irritable bowel syndrome and heightened sensitivity . `` Dana is typical of a lot of fibromyalgia patients , '' said Dr. Jefrey Lieberman , an Atlanta , Georgia-based rheumatologist . `` She came into my office complaining of a lot of diffuse pain all over her body and fatigue . She really did n't know why she was getting it . '' That 's part of the frustration of having fibromyalgia . Experts are n't sure what causes it , but many believe many factors are involved . Some think the condition , which is not progressive or life-threatening , may be triggered by an emotional or traumatic event . Lieberman believed it is related to a disordered sleep pattern and poor exercise . `` It appears to be more of a neuro-chemical process , '' he said . `` In other words , there really is no inflammation in patients with fibromyalgia . '' Health Minute : More on identifying fibromyalgia '' Getting a proper diagnosis can sometimes be just as frustrating as finding out what 's behind the disease . `` Fibromyalgia is to some extent a diagnosis of exclusion , '' Lieberman said . `` There are lot of things it can be confused with such as thyroid disorders , metabolic disorders and certain rheumatologic inflammatory conditions . '' For almost five years , Poole jumped from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what was causing her symptoms . `` They were constantly saying I 'm a tall , thin female . ` You 're getting older -- your body is going to change , ' and it was frustrating . '' Lieberman understood Poole 's frustration . `` Sometimes fibromyalgia is used as a wastebasket term if a patient has pain and they do n't know what it is from , '' he said . `` It is frequently misdiagnosed . In fact , it is overdiagnosed and it is underdiagnosed . '' Specialists such as Lieberman can make a proper diagnosis based on criteria set by the American College of Rheumatology . `` Those criteria are diffuse pain in three or more quadrants of the body and the presence of what are called tender points in the body , '' Lieberman explained . `` There are 18 total tender points , and by definition we like to see 11 of those tender points being present . '' It 's estimated that up to 90 percent of patients are women . Most of them start feeling symptoms in early and middle adulthood . Poole remembered that the pain first started when she was 20 . It was n't until she met Lieberman about five years ago that she got some relief . She took part in a drug study for Cymbalta , one of two medications approved for the management of fibromyalgia . The other drug is called Lyrica . `` Both of them are geared toward the patient 's well-being as well as improving their pain , '' Lieberman said . He also encouraged Poole to control her condition through a healthy diet , stress reduction , getting enough sleep and regular low-impact exercise . `` We think that aerobic exercise helps to stimulate endorphins and enkephlins from the body which are your own natural pain relievers , '' Lieberman said . The doctor is quick to point out that even with proper medication and adequate exercise , fibromyalgia has no cure . Although Lieberman said some of his patients report the symptoms tapering off in their mid-50s and -60 s , others are faced with years of managing the condition . `` For most of my patients , I tell them that I can get you 50 to 75 percent better and many of those patients will jump at that , '' he said . Poole is one of them , but knowing that she 'll need to follow a careful daily regimen can be daunting , she said . `` It wears you out , mentally , physically and emotionally . '' | Nearly 6 million Americans suffer from a chronic illness called fibromyalgia . Symptoms include fatigue , sleep disturbances , depression and headaches . Experts are n't sure what causes it ; often misdiagnosed . It 's estimated that up to 90 percent of patients are women . | [[197, 230], [376, 418], [392, 418], [423, 454], [435, 476], [510, 649], [780, 875], [797, 875], [1196, 1278], [1215, 1278], [4145, 4203], [2262, 2296], [2262, 2267], [2271, 2296], [2331, 2353], [2758, 2807], [2758, 2819]] |
It was hard to miss the bright yellow Student Driver bumper sticker on the back of the car driven by Tosha Mulligan . Tosha Mullgian , 19 , has attention deficit disorder . She says her mind wanders when she drives . Getting a driver 's license is a rite of passage for many teenagers , but the process was a bit more challenging for 19-year-old Mulligan of Acworth , Georgia . She has attention deficit disorder . When she gets behind the wheel , she said , `` Sometimes my mind wanders off . '' She 's not alone . Researchers reported driving can be a serious problem for teens with ADD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder . Motor vehicle accidents already are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the U.S. , according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration . Experts such as Russell Barkley say ADD and ADHD compound the problem . Barkley , a psychiatry professor at the Medical University of South Carolina , is a widely recognized expert on ADD and driving . He has investigated the topic for 15 years and conducted a half-dozen studies , some of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals . Teen drivers with ADD or ADHD `` are impulsive , highly distractible and clumsy , ca n't pay attention to the roadway and they get bored easily , '' he said . Health Minute : More on teens driving with ADD/ADHD '' Mulligan 's driving instructor , Jerry Thielemann of Freedom and Mobility Driver Training and Evaluation in Marietta , Georgia , experienced that firsthand . He works with teenagers with ADD three to four times a week . `` A person with ADD pays attention to someone walking down the street rather than a car coming toward them , '' Mulligan said . `` They do n't know what to focus on . '' Barkley sees speeding as a key problem . `` In general , people with ADHD speed four times more often than those without ADHD , '' he said . His research shows that those with ADD or ADHD are two to three times more likely to have an auto accident , three times more likely in the first five to eight years of driving to have their licenses revoked and five times more likely to get a parking ticket . In all three instances , Barkley pointed to the impatient and impulsive nature that is common among people with ADD or ADHD . Chris Zeigler Dendy , author of `` Teenagers with ADD and ADHD , '' raised a son and a stepson with the condition . `` We were worried sick about our kids when they started driving because both had ADHD , '' Dendy recalled . `` They both started getting speeding tickets and having car wrecks . One of them even had his license suspended . '' That was nearly 20 years ago . Today , Dendy said , she understands what was behind their troubles . `` I think the good news is that parents today are so much better informed than we were , plus laws have tightened up so you get one ticket or step out of line and your license is gone , '' she said . Dendy credited proper medication with helping get her sons back on track . `` Research tells us that with medication they are more likely to pay attention to road signs and less likely to have road rage , '' Dendy explained . She worried about parents who may not be as vigilant when it comes to monitoring their teen 's driving behavior , especially during high-risk times . `` One is after school from 3 to 6 and the other is on weekend evenings , '' she said . She mentioned those are often the hours when medication starts to wear off or when teens may be more likely to skip a dosage . Barkley acknowledged the parents who decline to medicate their children who have ADD or ADHD , but he believes `` Medication is more effective than any other treatment . '' Barkley also cautioned that people with ADD are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and are unable to drive safely after drinking . He told teens to put away their cell phones , MP3 players and other items that might distract them while driving . Barkley suggested parents closely monitor their teenagers and provide sign-in and sign-out sheets in the garage to track their whereabouts . Dendy eventually drew up a contract with her children , spelling out specific rules and expectations for driving the family car . Dendy and Barkley both recommended that teenagers with ADD or ADHD stay in a learner 's permit program longer , at least a year , and put off getting their license until they have more experience behind the wheel . That 's what Tosha Mulligan did . She finished her last driving lesson the day before she left for her freshman year in college . She passed her driver 's test on the first try and got her license . She said waiting to get her license made a big difference . She said `` It kept me focused . '' She reported no wrecks , no tickets and no problems so far . | ADD and ADHD compound the problem of teen car accident deaths , experts say . Drivers with ADHD have a greater tendency to speed . People with ADD are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol . ADD or ADHD teens should stay in a learner 's permit program longer , experts say . | [[516, 635], [795, 866], [831, 866], [1885, 2061], [3681, 3688], [3694, 3817], [4204, 4221], [4227, 4367]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama has ordered a review of security screening processes after Friday 's botched terror attack on a U.S. airliner , White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Sunday . Appearing on the ABC program `` This Week '' and the NBC program `` Meet the Press , '' Gibbs said Obama is receiving regular briefings by his national security staff on the incident in which a suspect allegedly tried to detonate an explosive device on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam , The Netherlands , making its final approach to Detroit , Michigan . The suspect , 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , was on a broad watch list of 550,000 names since last month , Gibbs said . That list does not automatically bring tighter screening of individuals , Gibbs said , and Obama has ordered a review of the procedures for determining which people on the list undergo more stringent checking . Obama also called for `` a review to ... figure out why an individual with the chemical explosive he had on him could get on a plane in Amsterdam and fly into the United States , '' Gibbs said on NBC . `` The president is very confident that this government is taking the steps that are necessary to take our fight to those who seek to do us harm , '' Gibbs said on the ABC program . Authorities on Sunday focused their investigation on how a lone traveler smuggled explosives aboard the Northwest Airlines flight and who might have helped him . Abdulmutallab , who had a multiple entry visa to the United States , was charged Saturday in a federal criminal complaint . Q&A : Why did security checks fail to spot explosives . People on the flight described a chaotic scene that began with a popping sound followed by flames erupting at Abdulmutallab 's seat . Jasper Schuringa , a Dutch passenger on the flight from Amsterdam , leaped across the aisle to grab the suspect , who according to authorities suffered burns on his legs . Schuringa told CNN he saw that Abdulmutallab was holding a burning object between his legs . `` I pulled the object from him and tried to extinguish the fire with my hands and threw it away , '' Schuringa said . He said he heard fire extinguishers as he pulled Abdulmutallab out of his seat and dragged him to the front of the plane . In Nigeria , Abdulmutallab checked no baggage on his trip that originated in Lagos on a KLM flight to Amsterdam , where he changed planes to the Northwest flight , according to Harold Demuren , director-general of Nigeria 's Civil Aviation Authority . The suspect had a shoulder bag and went through the normal check-in process with his passport and U.S. visa scanned , Demuren said Sunday . The multiple-entry U.S. visa was issued in London , England , in June 2008 with an expiration date of June 2010 , Demuren said . Abdulmutallab then passed through a walk-through metal detector and put his shoulder bag through an X-ray screening machine , Demuren said . He also said the suspect underwent secondary screening at the boarding gate for the KLM flight , according to officials of the Dutch airline . The father of the suspect recently contacted the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria with concerns his son was planning something , a senior U.S. administration official said Saturday . The father -- identified by a family source as Umaru Abdulmutallab -- contacted the embassy `` a few weeks ago '' saying his son , Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , had `` become radicalized , '' the senior administration official , who is familiar with the case , told CNN . A family source told CNN that the elder Abdulmutallab -- who recently retired as chairman of First Bank PLC , one of Nigeria 's premier banks -- had contacted the embassy in Nigeria 's capital , Abuja , and various other security agencies earlier than the timeline provided by the administration official . The family source said Abdulmutallab went to those agencies about three months ago after receiving a text message from his son . The source , who lives at the family home in Kaduna in northern Nigeria , said the son informed his family in the text message that he was leaving school in Dubai to move to Yemen . He implied that he was leaving `` for the course of Islam . '' The family member said Abdulmutallab `` had no family consent or support , '' adding he `` absconded to Yemen . '' Abdulmutallab 's information about his son was forwarded to the National Counter-Terrorism Center , and Abdulmutallab was added to a general watch list , a senior administration official said . But the official said `` the info on him was not deemed specific enough to pull his visa or put him on a no-fly list . '' In addition , the official said there was `` no derogatory information that would have prevented him from getting a visa '' back in June 2008 . A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation into Abdulmutallab said investigators are still trying to trace his past travels . `` Investigators are looking into any al Qaeda connections and whether he had help and training from Yemen , '' the law enforcement official said . A preliminary FBI analysis found that the device on the plane contained PETN , also known as Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate , a highly explosive chemical compound . In addition , FBI agents recovered what appear to be remnants of a syringe near Abdulmutallab 's seat , believed to have been part of the device . The family source said Abdulmutallab received a college degree at the University College London , where spokesman Dave Weston said a man named Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab was enrolled in the mechanical engineering department between September 2005 and June 2008 . When Abdulmutallab returned to Nigeria from London , he told his family he wanted to get a second college degree in Cairo , Egypt , or Saudi Arabia , the family source said . The family refused because they were worried that he may have developed ties to some dubious people . He went to Dubai instead , the source said , where he sent a text message saying he had gone to Yemen to start a new life and that it would be difficult for anyone to reach him because he had thrown away his SIM card . Abdulmutallab 's father notified the U.S. Embassy with information on his son , saying the family feared he went to Yemen to participate in `` some kind of jihad . '' A federal security bulletin obtained by CNN said Abdulmutallab claimed the explosive device used Friday `` was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used . '' Yemeni authorities have yet to receive official information on the terror attempt , according to a Yemeni official who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media . But , the source said the country 's government will take immediate action once the attempted bombing suspect 's alleged link to the country is officially identified . Earlier Saturday , the Netherlands ' national coordinator for counterterrorism told CNN that Abdulmutallab had gone through `` normal security procedures '' in Amsterdam before boarding the flight and those were `` well-performed . '' The initial impression is that the suspect was acting alone and did not have any formal connections to organized terrorist groups , a U.S. administration official said . Rep. Bennie Thompson , D-Mississippi , who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security , said the attempted act of terrorism would be the focus of an oversight hearing next month . Sen. Jay Rockefeller , D-West Virginia , also said his Senate Commerce Committee would hold a hearing on the incident . In Nigeria , the government said Saturday that it `` received with dismay the news of attempted terrorist attack on a U.S. airline '' and has ordered its security agencies to investigate the incident . Officials from the Nigerian Embassy in Washington have flown to Michigan `` to gain Consular access '' to Abdulmutallab , the embassy said in a statement Saturday . The embassy said it plans to cooperate with U.S. authorities . An official with the Transportation Security Administration told CNN there will be increased security measures taken on international flights to the United States . The official advised travelers to allow for extra time before the flight . There will be no change in the number of carry-on bags allowed . CNN 's Elise Labott , Jeanne Meserve , Carol Cratty , Richard Quest and Nic Robertson contributed to this report . | President Obama calls for review on how chemicals got on plane . Suspect had shoulder bag , went through normal check-in process in Nigeria . Farouk Abdulmutallab , 23 , had his passport and U.S. visa scanned . His bag went through X-ray screening machine , and he was checked at gate . | [[917, 922], [928, 950], [2536, 2566], [2536, 2547], [2571, 2651], [2536, 2547], [2571, 2651], [2946, 2948], [2954, 3088]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the second such incident in three days , fighter jets escorted a diverted commercial flight on Friday after an unruly passenger caused alarm onboard . The military sent up two F-16s in response to reports of an unruly passenger aboard AirTran Flight 39 , the North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement . The passenger had become belligerent and refused to leave the restroom , airline spokesman Tad Hutcheson told CNN on Friday . The passenger appeared to be intoxicated , he said . The flight , bound for San Francisco , California , left Atlanta , Georgia , at 9:48 a.m. ET , according to AirTran 's Web site . NORAD dispatched the fighters at 1:44 p.m. ET , escorting the aircraft to a safe emergency landing in Colorado Springs , Colorado , officials said . The passenger was detained there and FBI agents from Denver , Colorado , were called to question passengers , Hutcheson said . The other passengers were scheduled to continue their trip at 4:30 p.m. ET , he said . On Wednesday , NORAD escorted a Hawaii-bound plane back to its origination city of Portland , Oregon , after a passenger gave a flight attendant a note that was interpreted as being threatening , the federal complaint and supporting affidavit said Friday . The passenger , Joseph Hedlund Johnson , 56 , told the FBI he had n't intended to scare anyone with the note , which began , `` I thought I was going to die , '' and referenced the television show `` Gilligan 's Island . '' | NORAD : Two F-16s dispatched Friday on reports of unruly passenger aboard AirTran flight . Passenger was belligerent , would n't leave bathroom , airline spokesman says . Atlanta-to-San Francisco flight was diverted to Colorado Springs , Colorado . Fighters escorted jet bound for Hawaii back to Oregon on Wednesday in similar scenario . | [[19, 60], [63, 149], [130, 172], [173, 274], [19, 60], [63, 149], [130, 172], [344, 380], [344, 357], [385, 414], [19, 60], [63, 149], [1016, 1028], [1031, 1107]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday extended permission for hundreds of pilots to carry firearms -- just hours before their certification to carry the weapons was to expire , according to an organization which represents the pilots . `` A few hundred '' Federal Flight Deck Officers -- or FFDOs -- were to lose their certification to carry firearms effective midnight on New Year 's Eve , said Mike Karn , executive vice president of the Federal Flight Deck Officer Association . The loss would have come at a time of heightened concern about air security because of the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day . But Karn said the DHS 's Federal Air Marshal program notified him Thursday afternoon that the pilots ' certification would be extended . A Transportation Security Administration official confirmed that certifications had been extended for six months `` in light of recent events . '' The official said that `` due to an internal miscommunication , scheduled notifications to these officers were prematurely issued , '' but he offered no further explanation . FFDOs are commercial pilots who volunteer to undergo training so they can carry weapons to protect their aircraft . They undergo initial training at federal law enforcement training academies and must re-qualify with firearms every six months , and undergo a two-day recurrent training every three to five years . `` I 'm grateful -LSB- for the extension -RSB- because that will keep the most cost-effective last line of defense -LSB- of aircraft -RSB- in place , '' Karn said . `` But I 'm still concerned that such a limited budget has been approved for this program , and volunteers who want to protect the American public will be turned away . '' Karn said the budget for the program has not increased since 2003 , effectively capping the number of armed pilots . The exact number of FFDOs is classified , but government officials have said in the past the number greatly exceeds the number of federal air marshals -- plain-clothed officers who fly in the cabin of the plane to protect aircraft . Several FFDOs contacted by CNN said DHS has made getting recurrent training onerous for pilots , limiting the number and sizes of classes . Pilots also must pay for their own hotels and food during training -- `` our own time and our own dime , '' said one pilot -- placing a further burden on them . Had the loss of certification occurred , it would not have affected the pilots ' flight clearance , only their ability to carry weapons . | Federal Flight Deck Officers were to lose certification effective midnight tonight . Certifications have been extended for six months `` in light of recent events , '' official says . Officials have said there are more FFDOs than federal air marshals , number is classified . Pilot organization concerned that limited budget will deter pilots from volunteering . | [[279, 336], [340, 372], [345, 428], [688, 810], [811, 954], [871, 954], [1901, 1940], [1943, 1989]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has revealed that he believes seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher will come out of retirement and join the new Mercedes team . The German has been a consultant with Ferrari , for whom he won five of his drivers ' crowns , since he ended his career in 2006 . He almost got back behind the wheel for the Italian marque this year as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa , but his comeback was cut short due to the lingering effects of a neck injury suffered in a motorbike accident . However , the 40-year-old is now reportedly ready to return alongside compatriot Nico Rosberg for 2010 with German manufacturer Mercedes , who took a controlling interest in 2009 's double world champions Brawn . Di Montezemolo told reporters at Ferrari 's Christmas lunch in Fiorano that Schumacher was close to sealing a deal , the UK Press Association reported . `` I had n't spoken to him since Abu Dhabi but I spoke to him on Wednesday , '' Di Montezemolo said . `` He phoned me and he told me that there is a very , very , very strong possibility -LSB- of joining Mercedes -RSB- . `` Having said that , it is not 100 percent decided . But that is what he said . '' Schumacher is poised to end a 13-year association with Ferrari if he joins Mercedes . `` The real Schumacher , the one I know , will remain forever part of the Ferrari family , '' Di Montezemolo told Ferrari 's official Web site . `` I said it in Monza and I repeated it in Abu Dhabi , but , it seems he has a twin brother , identical in every way , who seems to have it in his head to go and race in Formula One with Mercedes . `` I do n't know him personally , but it seems we have nothing to offer him -- we have two young drivers in Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso , on whom we are counting to deliver a lot next year . `` I think that , this summer , when I asked him to stand in for Felipe , after the terrible accident in Budapest , he suddenly rediscovered the desire to race and the fact he was unable to follow through with that , left him a void that we are unable to fill . `` I remember how despondent he sounded on the evening of August 9 , when he called me to say that the problem with his neck meant he could not race in Valencia . `` We have tried to move forward with the idea of running a third car , but for the moment , that is not possible . I do n't know what he will decide for the future , but I extend to him , and indeed his twin brother , my very best wishes . '' | Ferrari believe F1 legend Michael Schumacher will come out of retirement . President Luca di Montezemolo says seven-time world champion will join Mercedes . The 40-year-old was unable to make comeback with Ferrari due to neck injury . The German told Di Montezemolo there is a strong chance he will sign for Mercedes . | [[0, 15], [42, 204], [0, 15], [42, 204], [1302, 1321], [1629, 1664], [457, 529], [516, 564], [2207, 2285], [0, 15], [42, 204], [1053, 1151]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- New Zealand maxi Alfa Romeo took advantage of a break in light weather conditions to steal a march on its rivals in the annual Sydney-Hobart yacht race off the south-east coast of Australia on Sunday . Skipper Neville Crichton 's 100-foot vessel has led since leaving Sydney Heads , and moved more than 10 nautical miles ahead at the halfway stage in the evening . Second-placed British entry ICAP Leopard and Australia 's four-time line honors winner Wild Oats failed to catch an early breeze , giving Crichton the edge with more patchy weather predicted ahead in the 628 nautical mile event . Leopard skipper Mike Slade told the race 's official Web site that Alfa Romeo made a break at around 9 a.m. near Gabo Island after hours of frustratingly light winds . `` We were all just splashing about , there was no breeze whatsoever , and it 's always the case that someone will get that little extra puff , '' Slade said . `` Alfa Romeo was in the right place to get it . We did n't get it , Wild Oats XI did n't get it , and Alfa put 10 miles on us both very quickly . '' Wild Oats set the race record of one day , 18 hours and 40 minutes in 2005 , but that mark is almost certain to still be standing at the end of the 65th staging of the event , with the winner expected to cross the line on arrival at the island state of Tasmania on Monday night . `` We were unfortunate to get into a hole . We could see Alfa when she got her nose into the new breeze , '' skipper Mark Richards told rolexsydneyhobart.com . `` These things happen . There is always an element of luck , and things went his way . It 's one of those frustrating things -- a role reversal of 2005 . '' However , with conditions uncertain there is still a chance that 2002 winner Crichton could yet be denied a first victory in a yacht that was launched in 2005 and has 143 line honors triumphs to date . `` The big guys will have some running in Bass Strait , but there are still a lot of potholes between that and the finish , '' yachting forecaster Roger Badham told the Web site . `` Anyone of the three could finish first . '' Noel Cornish 's Sydney 47 St Jude is a surprise leader in the handicap standings , while the Sydney 38 Mondo became the fifth entry to retire and leave the fleet reduced to 95 . The race , first held in 1945 , has been hit by severe weather conditions in recent years . In 1998 , six competitors died and several boats were lost during a fierce storm on the first night . Two years ago the fleet was also hit by similar conditions , and eight yachtsman had to abandon a sinking craft . | New Zealand maxi Alfa Romeo extends lead in Sydney-Hobart yacht race on Sunday . Skipper Neville Crichton takes advantage of a break in light weather conditions in morning . Second-placed ICAP Leopard and Wild Oats XI fail to catch breeze in 628 nautical mile event . Australian record-holder Wild Oats bidding for fifth straight line honors victory . | [[0, 15], [47, 100], [384, 512], [384, 470], [515, 564], [384, 512], [384, 470], [515, 564]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A conservative billionaire businessman and a former center-left president will face off in a runoff election in Chile 's presidential race , based on official early results released Sunday . With more than 98 percent of polling stations counted , billionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera led ex-president Eduardo Frei with 44 percent of the vote to Frei 's 30 percent , Chile 's interior ministry reported . `` This is a victory for all the Chileans who want change , '' Pinera said Sunday night . Frei began campaigning for the second-round immediately , asking in a speech for the supporters of the two other candidates who had their presidential ambitions dashed to join his cause . Frei said if he is elected , women and young people will have an important role in his government . He explicitly asked for those who voted for Marco Enriquez-Ominami and Jorge Arrate , who were eliminated in Sunday 's ballot , to vote for him in the runoff . In a concession speech , Enriquez-Ominami said that he would not endorse either candidate . The winner will follow the footsteps of a very popular president , Michelle Bachelet , who will be leaving office with high approval ratings for steering the country through the global economic downturn , and promoting progressive social reforms . Under Chile 's constitutional term limits , a president can not run for a second consecutive term . Bachelet endorsed Frei , a member of her same left-leaning coalition , but another leftist candidate who ran as an independent -- Enriquez-Ominami -- made an impressive run , pulling in 20 percent of the vote and splitting votes for the ruling party . Those who voted for him , `` have affirmed the desire for Chile to move forward and toward the future , '' he said . If Pinera triumphs in the expected January runoff election , it would mark the first time since the fall of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship that a conservative wins at the polls . In the 19 years since Pinochet 's fall , all the presidents have come from the left-leaning coalition . Pinera , 60 , is one of the country 's wealthiest businessmen who previously served as a senator and president of the National Renovation party . Since completing one term as president , Frei returned to politics as a Christian Democrat senator who has campaigned on continuing Bachelet 's policies . While Frei and Pinera were household names before the election , it was the 36-year-old Enriquez-Ominami who made a political name for himself in this presidential election . He worked as a television director before being elected as a congressman for the Socialist party in 2005 . The son of a guerrilla leader from the 1970s , Enriquez-Ominami forged his own political path , breaking from the leftist coalition and running on his own . A fourth candidate , Arrate of the Communist Party , garnered 6 percent of Sunday 's vote , according to the early vote figures . | NEW : Sebastian Pinera , Eduardo Frei will face off in a runoff in Chile 's presidential election . NEW : With over 98 percent of polling stations counted , Pinera held 44 % of vote to Frei 's 30 % . NEW : Enriquez-Ominami got 20 percent of the vote , splitting votes for ruling party . Candidate Jorge Arrate of the Communist Party , garnered 6 percent of Sunday 's vote . | [[0, 15], [62, 157], [210, 263], [266, 289], [266, 336], [1480, 1505], [1580, 1656], [2800, 2818], [2853, 2889]] |
RIO DE JANEIRO , Brazil -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An American man fighting for custody of his 9-year-old son has been invited to spend Christmas with the boy 's Brazilian family , the family 's attorney said Friday . David Goldman has been locked in a legal battle over custody of his son , Sean Goldman , with the family of the boy 's deceased mother . The family 's attorney , Sergio Tostes , said Friday that the legal battle had gone too far . `` It is about time that Sean 's family , and I mean all Sean 's family , get together . I am authorized by Mrs. Silvana Bianchi to invite you , Mr. Goldman , to spend Christmas night at her house , '' Tostes said , referring to Sean 's maternal grandmother . `` This will be a long awaited family reunion '' `` I hope you can accept and we can talk logistics , '' he said , with the boy 's grandmother standing next to him . Tostes also said that the family would consider allowing the boy to go to the United States , perhaps for the holidays , if Sean wants to go . However , `` Sean must be heard in court , '' he said . There was no immediate response from Goldman . Earlier Friday , Goldman slammed a decision by a Brazilian Supreme Court justice Thursday that prevented the boy 's return to the United States . That decision had `` nothing to do with the merits '' of the case , he said . On Wednesday , a lower court unanimously upheld a decision ordering that Sean be returned to his father in New Jersey . That decision was made in accordance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abductions . `` Every day that my son is under that roof , he is being severely psychologically damaged , '' Goldman said . He insisted that there is the `` utmost urgency '' for Sean to be reunited with him . `` My son is suffering , and he 's losing the innocence of ... a child , '' Goldman said . The family argues that it would traumatize Sean to remove him from what has been his home since 2004 , when his mother took him to Brazil on what she said would be a vacation . The family said Sean screamed with joy when he found out Thursday that he would not have to leave with his dad . The custody battle began in 2004 , when Goldman 's wife , Bruna Bianchi , took their then-4-year-old son from their home in New Jersey to Rio de Janeiro for what was to have been a two-week vacation . She never returned , instead remarrying there and retaining custody of Sean . She died last year in childbirth . Goldman has argued that as the sole surviving parent , he should at last be granted custody . Instead of traveling to Brasilia , where the high court is , Goldman planned to stay in Rio de Janeiro on Friday , where he is just miles from Sean . He has n't seen his son since February . Rep. Chris Smith , R-New Jersey , who is traveling with Goldman , said three court-appointed psychologists tasked with determining the boy 's emotional and psychological well-being had unanimously concluded that he is being hurt emotionally `` by the continuance of this abduction . '' Smith said Sean was previously put in front of a video camera as adults asked questions . The boy made remarks in that video that members of his mother 's family suggest indicate he should stay in Brazil . If the court allows a child 's drawings or such a videotape to be used as evidence in a courtroom , Smith said , `` every kidnapper everywhere in the world -- every child abductor in the world '' would have the children make such things . Goldman also addressed the videotape : `` What is he going to say ? ` No , I hate it here , ' knowing he 'll go back up under their roof ? What do you expect ? He is an innocent , helpless , vulnerable , defenseless child that needs to be freed from this circumstance . '' Smith called on Brazil 's full Supreme Court to `` vacate this illogical and unjust stay on the rightful return of Sean Goldman to his only dad . '' If the court does not do so , Smith said , he and Goldman hope Chief Justice Gilmar Mendes will . Smith also said Brazil 's Central Authority , which represents interests of the International Court of Justice in the country , planned to appeal to get the justice 's stay lifted . Brazil 's Central Authority did not immediately return calls seeking comment Friday . Goldman described how he longed to bring his son home in time for Christmas , to play with him in the yard , to go to movies and eat popcorn . Smith said that all the `` surveillance '' present at the time of the February visit -- including a psychologist that the family had `` almost right next to David and Sean the whole time '' -- made it `` an oppressive situation . '' `` David ought to be with his son , not on a visit but permanently , '' Smith said . The family has said Goldman can visit his son . `` It 's not about going to a compound with a man standing over us , intimidating my son '' and `` making him nervous , '' Goldman said . He added that when his son `` was abducted , '' he would cry , `` I want to be with my dad . '' In separating the child from him , `` You poison the child 's mind , '' he said . The case has drawn attention worldwide . Smith called it a `` major embarrassment to the Brazilian government . '' Goldman said he holds out hope that he will be able to take Sean home so the two `` can go on with our life as father and son . '' `` I 'm ... begging for justice , begging , '' he said . `` Why is it so hard ? Why ? '' CNN 's Adam Reiss contributed to this report . | NEW : Boy at center of custody dispute may be allowed to go to U.S. , family says . U.S. lawmaker says man plans to appeal ruling to Brazil 's Supreme Court . Ex-wife took son to Brazil in 2004 , never returned him to New Jersey . She died in childbirth ; boy 's stepfather says he should stay in Brazil . | [[867, 873], [879, 985], [1964, 2032], [2186, 2201], [2220, 2290], [2299, 2346], [2425, 2459], [3161, 3236]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators are reviewing the flight data recorder from American Airlines Flight 331 , the plane that overran a runway this week near Kingston , Jamaica , and crashed into a fence . A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said Thursday that the recorder arrived in the agency 's Washington laboratory overnight . Crews continue to look for the cockpit voice recorder . The flight originated from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington , Virginia , and landed in Miami , Florida , before heading to Jamaica , the airline said . It had been raining Tuesday when the plane failed to stop and ran into a fence past the end of the runway , Radio Jamaica reporter Kirk Abraham said . Ninety-one people were taken to three area hospitals , where most were evaluated and released , an American Airlines spokesman said . Ten were admitted , he said , and five remain hospitalized Thursday afternoon . The flight was carrying 148 passengers and six crew members when it landed in Kingston , the airline said . CNN 's Jim Barnett contributed to this report . | American Airlines plane overran runway , crashed into fence near Kingston , Jamaica . National Transportation Safety Board investigators are reviewing flight data recorder . Five people remain hospitalized after accident . | [[119, 128], [134, 174], [191, 213], [584, 689], [30, 116], [899, 948]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The chief justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in favor of an American father in an international custody battle . The ruling by Chief Justice Gilmar Mendes will reunite a 9-year-old boy with his father , David Goldman , who has been locked in a custody battle with the family of the boy 's deceased mother . Last week , a lower court unanimously upheld a decision ordering that Sean Goldman be returned to his father in New Jersey . David Goldman arrived in Rio de Janeiro to reunite with his son , but one Supreme Court justice issued a stay , ordering Sean to remain with his Brazilian relatives until the high court could consider the case . Mendes ' decision lifted the stay , paving the way for Goldman to be reunited with his son . Sean 's grandmother , Silvana Bianchi , was expected to immediately file appeals to Tuesday 's ruling . In a letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva , Bianchi said that the legal process was overlooking the boy 's own desires . `` I feel threatened by losing my grandson Sean because of international pressures that do n't consider the interest of a 9-year-old child who passionately desires to remain among those that gave him comfort in the mother 's death , '' the letter states in part . `` They allege that the Hague Convention determined to hand him over immediately . I am not a lawyer . But what I know is that the Convention establishes as priority the interest of the child , and the child was n't heard . '' The custody battle began in 2004 , when Goldman 's wife , Bruna Bianchi , took their then-4-year-old son from their home in New Jersey to Rio de Janeiro for what was to have been a two-week vacation . She never returned , instead remarrying there and retaining custody of Sean . She died last year in childbirth . Goldman has argued that as the sole surviving parent , he should be granted custody . The Bianchi family argues it would traumatize Sean to remove him from what has been his home for five years . The custody battle garnered much media attention and spilled over into the political arena as well . U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg , D-New Jersey , had placed a hold on a trade bill that would have benefited Brazil to the tune of $ 2.75 billion , but he lifted it on the court 's ruling , spokesman Caley Gray said . The bill in question , which sailed through the Senate after the senator dropped the hold , would provide export tariff relief to 130 countries , of which Brazil would be the fifth largest recipient , Gray said . Lautenberg 's hold was designed to exert additional pressure on Brazilian authorities to abide by the court order to return Sean to his father , he said . While the chief justice was still studying the case , Brazilian Attorney General Luis Inacio Adams said the executive branch sides with Goldman . `` Once we stop cooperating and start breaking our treaties and international obligations , Brazil risks the chance of not having its own requests in the matters regarding international judicial help granted , based on the principle of international reciprocity , '' Adams said Monday . `` Not releasing the minor into the custody of his father could bring sanctions against Brazil , '' he added . `` It could damage Brazil 's image before the international community . '' CNN 's Mariano Castillo and Adam Reiss contributed to this report . | Supreme court lifts restraining order keeping boy in Brazil . David Goldman has been locked in a legal battle over his 9-year-old son , Sean . Goldman 's wife took Sean from New Jersey to Rio de Janeiro for two weeks , never returned . Bruna Bianchi remarried , later died in childbirth ; Sean has lived with her family since 2004 . | [[227, 237], [254, 343], [1549, 1564], [1583, 1653], [1662, 1709], [590, 680], [1788, 1822]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Simon Cowell 's stranglehold on the British Christmas record charts looks as though it might be coming to an end . The talent show judge 's latest protege and winner of British TV talent show `` The X Factor , '' Joe McElderry is currently lagging behind heavy-rock group Rage Against The Machine in the battle for the UK Christmas number-one slot . With just over two days to go before the winner is announced , Rage Against The Machine 's re-release of their 1992 song `` Killing in the Name '' is narrowly beating `` The Climb , '' McElderry 's cover of a Miley Cyrus hit . The winner of `` The X Factor '' -- which Cowell produces and judges -- has held the top spot over the festive season in the UK for the past four years . The popularity of the talent show -- this year 's final was watched by around 20 million viewers -- has meant the race to the number-one slot in recent years has been , in effect , a non-contest because of the publicity the `` X Factor '' winner has enjoyed . But a campaign on the social networking site `` Facebook '' to make the U.S. rock group number-one ahead of `` The X Factor '' winner has received massive support from the British record buying public who have been snapping up `` Killing in the Name '' in their thousands . Whoever ends up on top of the UK charts this Christmas , the Rage/Cowell battle has enlivened what has become a rather dull and predictable procession to the top of the charts by the winner of the UK talent show . In an appearance on BBC radio station `` 5 live '' Thursday , Rage 's front man Zach De La Rocha swore several times during a live performance , forcing the BBC to issue an apology to listeners . And on Friday , Sir Paul McCartney , came out in support of the U.S. rock group , despite performing on the final show of `` The X Factor '' this year . Speaking to Sky News McCartney said : `` It would be kind of funny if Rage Against The Machine got it . '' Meanwhile , Simon Cowell has been raging against , well , just about anyone in defense of McElderry telling the UK tabloid newspaper `` The Sun '' that `` musical snobs have ganged up against Joe . '' He also called the Facebook campaign `` a huge hate mob '' -- a claim which the Facebook group have denied . All will be revealed this Sunday when the final UK singles chart before Christmas is announced . Will the talent judge be celebrating his fifth `` Christmas Cowell '' in a row or will he be overcome by Rage ? We 'll have to wait and see . | Rage Against The Machine heading for UK Christmas number-one . 1992 song `` Killing in the Name '' set to beat Simon Cowell 's latest protege . Paul McCartney says U.S. rock group chart success `` would be funny '' | [[449, 506], [533, 565], [1864, 1899], [1902, 1967]] |
Copenhagen , Denmark -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday warned participants in the climate change conference in Copenhagen that they are `` running out of time '' to reach an agreement on what to do about global warming . Critics say those attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference , which began December 7 , have made little or no headway toward developing a plan . U.S. officials in Copenhagen and at the White House confirmed that talks broke down Wednesday after the Chinese rejected American demands that they commit to transparency regarding their emissions reductions . Without mentioning China by name , Clinton said their continued refusal would be `` kind of a deal breaker for us . '' The uncertainty over whether a deal could be reached before talks end Friday led to speculation that President Barack Obama might not travel to Copenhagen as planned , but White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters he would leave Thursday evening . `` We all know there are real challenges that remain in the hours left to these negotiations , '' Clinton said . `` And it is no secret that we have lost precious time in these past days . In the time we have left here , it can no longer be about us versus them . `` We all face the same challenge together , '' she added . `` We 're running out of time . It 's unfortunate that there have been problems with the process , difficulties with certain parties being willing to come to the table , all kinds of discussions and disagreements , sometimes about the past rather than about the future . '' Without mentioning China by name , Clinton said that nation 's continued refusal to come to the table would be `` kind of a deal breaker for us . '' Gibbs said the Chinese `` balked '' at the `` strong transparency requirement , '' and he `` hoped they would reconsider . '' `` The president is going to travel in hopes of making progress for a strong operational agreement , '' Gibbs said . `` There are no changes in the president 's plans . '' The agreement Obama is hoping for out of Copenhagen would not be a treaty , nor would it be legally binding . Gibbs acknowledged it would be `` a political agreement that would lead to a treaty '' later . The last time the president traveled to Copenhagen -- in October to try to win the 2012 Olympic bid for Chicago -- he came back empty-handed . `` Coming back with an empty agreement would far worse , '' Gibbs said Thursday . Clinton said the United States is concerned about the ability of needy nations to do their part . The United States is willing to work with other countries to raise $ 100 billion by 2020 to address the climate-change needs of developing nations , she said . She told delegates that the United States already has joined an effort to provide more immediate funding that would reach $ 10 billion in 2012 . `` After a year of diplomacy , we have come to Copenhagen ready to take the steps necessary to achieve a comprehensive and operational new agreement that will provide a foundation for long-term , sustainable economic growth , '' Clinton said . `` We have now reached the critical juncture in these negotiations . I understand that the talks have been difficult . I know that our team , along with many others , are working hard and around the clock to forge a deal , '' she said . `` But the time is at hand for all countries to reach for common ground and take an historic step that we can all be proud of . '' Clinton 's announcement was `` enormously encouraging , '' Tim Flannery , an internationally known zoologist , conservationist and explorer , said on CNN 's `` Amanpour . '' Clinton proposed several core elements that should be included in any plan : decisive national actions ; an operational accord `` that internationalizes those actions '' ; technical and other assistance for needy nations that are `` the most vulnerable and least prepared to meet the effects of climate change ; and standards of transparency that provide credibility to the entire process . '' `` The world community should accept no less , '' she added . Kandeh Yumkella , director-general of the U.N. Industrial Development Organization , said on `` Amanpour '' he is optimistic that leaders can strike a deal before the conference ends . `` Compared to yesterday , what we have now is that the negotiators have hunkered down , '' he said . `` They 're actually in drafting committees . '' Flannery agreed . `` If the U.S. can commit to another couple of percent in terms of cuts -LRB- in emissions -RRB- , if the Chinese can increase their efficiency gains by 5 percent , that 'll probably be enough to bring the Europeans on board for a 30 percent target , and then we 'll be there . '' Meanwhile , British Prime Minister Gordon Brown , who suggested the initial estimate of about $ 100 billion a year by 2020 to reduce emissions , urged leaders Thursday to reach an agreement that would limit `` long-term , global temperature increases '' to no more than 2 degrees . According to the 10 Downing Street Web site , Brown told the conference that wealthier countries must commit to provide immediate funding for developing countries to reach such a goal . He recommended that financing start in January , with nations providing $ 10 billion a year by 2012 . He called on developing countries to commit to ambitious mitigation actions to handle climate change . `` To the developed world I say : Environmental action is the most powerful engine of job creation in an economy urgently in need of millions of new jobs . `` To the developing world I say : The technology now exists to gain the dividends of a high-growth economy without incurring the damage of a high-carbon economy . `` And to all nations I say : It is not enough for us to do the least we can get away with when history asks that we demand the most of ourselves . '' | U.S. joins an effort to mobilize `` fast-start '' funding for developing counties . Talks intended to agree a global limits on carbon emissions to replace Kyoto . U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to join the talks Friday . Japan , EU pledge more than $ 20 billion in climate aid to developing nations . | [[2734, 2804], [2753, 2838], [2795, 2797], [2805, 2878], [5158, 5223], [4907, 5037]] |
Paris , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former French President Jacques Chirac has been placed under investigation for allegations stemming from his time as mayor of Paris , his office said Friday . A judge in Nanterre , near Paris , questioned Chirac Friday morning over the employment of seven people who were hired by the city of Paris in the early 1990s . The suspicion is that the employees were working for Chirac 's right-wing political party , RPR , which no longer exists , while on the city payroll . Chirac , 77 , was mayor of Paris between 1977 and 1995 , the year he became president . The case in Nanterre is similar to but separate from another investigation in Paris , in which Chirac is accused of using 21 city employees to work on his presidential campaign . In a statement released by his office Friday , Chirac pointed out that he had `` already answered all the questions related to this investigation regarding the seven jobs in July 2007 and that no new facts have surfaced since then . '' Chirac could face a five-year sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros -LRB- $ 107,500 -RRB- if found guilty of using the employees to work for his party . The former president denies the accusations . `` On the investigation itself , President Chirac repeats that no such ` system ' has ever existed in the Paris city hall , '' the statement said . `` He is determined to demonstrate this through the procedure which was started by being placed under investigation . '' The former French head of state also said he `` wishes the investigation to progress as quickly as possible to establish once and for all that he is beyond reproach . '' Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe was already sentenced in December 2004 for his role in the affair , but Chirac benefited from presidential immunity at the time . After Chirac left office in May 2007 , he made it known he was available to answer any questions on the matter . Current Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe had no comment about the investigation , according to officials with the city of Paris , which lodged the initial complaint against Chirac . The former president remains popular in France . A survey released Thursday , conducted by the opinion research company IFOP for Paris Match magazine , showed that 78 percent of French people have a positive opinion of Chirac -- making him the highest-rated politician since the survey began in November 2003 . CNN 's Luc Lacroix contributed to this report . | Authorities are investigating Jacques Chirac over alleged corruption charges . Officials believe the alleged charges stem from his time as Mayor of Paris . Chirac could face a five-year prison sentence and a $ 107,500 fine . The former president denies the allegations . | [[0, 5], [8, 30], [58, 142], [0, 5], [8, 30], [58, 142], [113, 165], [505, 511], [519, 559], [1008, 1095], [1159, 1204]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Eurostar is running tests to try to figure out what caused an `` unprecedented '' six trains to break down , forcing the company to cancel all services this weekend , a spokeswoman said Sunday . The company announced later that Monday service will be halted as well to allow for more test runs . The cancellation of the England-to-France express train service stranded thousands of passengers on both sides of the English Channel on the weekend before Christmas . `` We sincerely regret having to take this decision and we understand how frustrated and disappointed travelers will be , '' Eurostar said on its Web site Sunday . Five trains with about 2,000 passengers stopped running Friday night inside the Channel Tunnel , also called the Chunnel , which runs between Britain and France . A sixth train broke down Saturday after Eurostar tried to run four trains from London to the continental mainland to prepare for the resumption of normal service . About 700 people were aboard when that train stopped in the Ebbsfleet area of Kent . Eurostar is making an effort to get about 500 people in `` emergency situations '' out of London , a spokesman said . They are being put on a regular train to the coastal town of Dover , England , taken across the English Channel by ferry and then by bus to Brussels or Paris , said the spokesman , who declined to be named . Eurostar is conducting a series of test trains Sunday `` to better understand the problems that have been occurring , '' the company said . `` We are committed to restoring our services as soon as possible but our key priority is the safety and comfort of our customers , '' the statement said . Those passengers affected by the breakdowns are being offered a full refund , another return ticket and 150 pounds in compensation . About 25,000 people should have been traveling on Saturday , Eurostar said . The company is not taking any new bookings until after Christmas , it announced , and is urging people not to come to the station Sunday . `` We strongly recommend that travelers whose journeys are not essential change their tickets for travel on a later date or have their tickets refunded , '' Eurostar said on its Web site . The trains became stuck in the tunnel because the air inside was much warmer than the air outside the tunnel entrance in France , Eurostar spokeswoman Amelle Mouhaddib said . `` It 's a bit like taking a bottle of beer out of the fridge into a warm room -- within minutes it 's covered in condensation , '' said Eurostar CEO Richard Brown . `` We think that was the principle cause of the electrical failures on the trains . '' Brown called the number of breakdowns `` completely unprecedented . '' Eurotunnel , which operates the Channel Tunnel , said it evacuated all 1,364 Eurostar passengers who were stuck Friday after the trains `` lost traction , '' but one of the five trains remained in the tunnel and was blocking part of it , according to a Eurotunnel spokeswoman who asked not to be named , in line with policy . The train that broke down Saturday was being towed back to the tunnel entry so passengers could be removed and transferred , Eurostar said . The problems started after 9 p.m. Friday when the first of the five Eurostar trains became stuck . It was helped out of the tunnel by a Eurotunnel locomotive , which took it all the way to London with passengers still on board , the Eurotunnel spokeswoman said . Passengers on the second and third trains to fail were evacuated via the service tunnel to a Eurotunnel train , which brought them to the exit , she said . One of the failed trains was pulled out of the tunnel , but authorities were having difficulty removing the other , she said . The fourth and fifth trains were running close together when they failed , so Eurotunnel locomotives coupled them and either pushed or pulled them to the English side of the tunnel , the spokeswoman said . Passengers from the fifth train boarded the one in front , and Eurotunnel locomotives then towed that train to London , she said . The Chunnel is two tunnels separated by a third and smaller service tunnel , so the train that remained stuck inside did not mean the entire tunnel was blocked , the Eurotunnel spokeswoman said . The Chunnel is 50.5 kilometers -LRB- 31.4 miles -RRB- long , 38 kilometers -LRB- 23 miles -RRB- of which are underwater . Brown said keeping passengers on the trains is the quickest and safest evacuation method . `` Because there were five trains , it took us ... longer than we would wish to get those trains out and those passengers on their way home , '' he said . Despite the stoppage of service Saturday , noncommercial vehicles , including cars , motorbikes , and camper vans , were still able to travel through the tunnel . CNN 's Paula Newton and Melissa Gray contributed to this report . | Eurostar trying to get about 500 people in `` emergency situations '' out of London , spokesman says . Tests Sunday are `` to better understand problems that have been occurring , '' company says . Eurostar not taking any new bookings until after Christmas , company announced . Cancellation of England-to-France express train service stranded thousands . | [[1076, 1172], [1175, 1193], [2366, 2410], [36, 100], [1459, 1461], [1469, 1517], [1520, 1541], [1908, 1972], [382, 480], [2802, 2831], [2836, 2887]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Passengers on Monday vented their fury at Eurostar management as train services between England and France were canceled for a third day , leaving thousands stranded . The cross-Channel operator said a partial train service would resume Tuesday but that was little comfort to many . `` It 's shameful , they gave you 36,000 incorrect pieces of information to get us to leave , '' one passenger named Catherine told Agence France-Presse . `` Each time you speak to someone from Eurostar , they tell you something different . '' Catherine was one of roughly 75,000 passengers stranded on either side of the English Channel on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year . `` We have to do everything ourselves , we have to pay for everything and hope we will be reimbursed , but some could not get the money together , '' 27-year-old Deborah told AFP . Tell us about wintry weather near you . Government officials in both France and the United Kingdom also criticized Eurostar . British transport minister Sadiq Khan called the experience terrible for thousands of passengers . `` I am angry that passengers have still not been told what is going on and I have told Eurostar this morning that they must tell the public immediately what their plans are , '' Khan said . `` This has been a terrible experience for thousands of passengers , both those stranded on the trains and at the stations . '' French President Nicolas Sarkozy called the disruptions `` unacceptable . '' There was some good news though for stranded passengers , as Eurostar said they would resume a partial service Tuesday . `` We 're planning on running at two-thirds our normal service tomorrow and we 'll take it from there , '' a Eurostar spokesman told CNN . Eurostar runs the high-speed rail service directly linking London to Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel . A later statement from Eurostar said tests on winter weather devices on trains had been successful and that if further trials went well Monday the operator hoped to have 26,000 seats available . However , Nicolas Petrovic , Eurostar chief operation officer said a full service would not resume until after Christmas , according to AFP . Eurostar rail services remained suspended for a third day on Monday as the operator worked to fix a fault that caused a series of breakdowns blamed on winter weather . Following a series of test runs on Sunday , the company said work was under way to `` enhance the snow screens and snow shields in the power cars of the trains . '' `` We now understand the cause of the disruption over the weekend and have identified the modifications that are required . As we suspected , the acute weather conditions in northern France have caused the disruption , '' Eurostar said . `` We sincerely regret having to take this decision and we understand how frustrated and disappointed travelers will be , particularly those who have been waiting to travel for the last two days , '' Eurostar said . Five trains with about 2,000 passengers stopped running Friday night inside the tunnel . A sixth train broke down Saturday in Kent , southern England , with about 700 people aboard . `` We were prisoners in this train for like 18 hours , '' one passenger told CNN . The trains that broke down in the tunnel malfunctioned because the air inside was warmer than that outside the tunnel entrance in France , Eurostar spokeswoman Amelle Mouhaddib said . `` It 's a bit like taking a bottle of beer out of the fridge into a warm room -- within minutes it 's covered in condensation , '' said Eurostar CEO Richard Brown . `` We think that was the principle cause of the electrical failures on the trains . '' Brown called the number of breakdowns `` completely unprecedented . '' Passengers affected by the breakdowns are being offered a full refund , another return ticket and # 150 in compensation . The company is not taking any new bookings until after Christmas . The Channel Tunnel is two tunnels separated by a third and smaller service tunnel , so the trains that remained stuck inside did not mean the entire tunnel was blocked . It is 50.5 kilometers -LRB- 31.4 miles -RRB- long , 38 kilometers -LRB- 23 miles -RRB- of which are underwater . CNN 's Paula Newton , Melissa Gray and Phil Han contributed to this report . | Passengers angry as train services between England and France canceled for third day . Thousands stranded in England and France after services under English Channel suspended since breakdowns Friday . Company hopes to resume two-thirds service Tuesday . Work under way to `` enhance snow screens , snow shields in power cars '' | [[9, 32], [57, 131], [101, 172], [2221, 2304], [101, 172], [9, 26], [175, 203], [584, 708], [3008, 3096], [204, 318], [231, 280], [1572, 1631], [1635, 1694], [2389, 2430], [2433, 2550]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A sign synonymous with the Nazi work camps of World War II was stolen overnight from the Auschwitz Concentration Camp memorial in Poland , police said Friday . Police were `` alerted at 5 a.m. local time on Friday by museum guards '' that the infamous sign reading `` Arbeit Macht Frei '' -- `` Work Sets You Free '' in German -- was stolen , according to police spokeswoman Agnieszka Szczygiel . The heavy iron sign `` was removed by being unscrewed on one side and pulled off on the other , '' Szczygiel said . `` It is also believed that this was a planned event and that several people were involved as the sign was at remarkable height . '' Police have launched an investigation . The chairman of Yad Vashem , Israel 's Holocaust museum , called the theft shocking . `` While we do n't yet know exactly who stole the sign , the theft of such a symbolic object is an attack on the memory of the Holocaust , and an escalation from those elements that would like to return us to darker days , '' said Avner Shalev . `` I call on all enlightened forces in the world -- who fight against anti-semitism , racism , xenophobia and the hatred of the other -- to join together to combat these trends , '' he said . More than 1 million people died in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp complex ; about 90 percent of the victims were Jews . Rabbi Marvin Hier , founder and dean of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center , called the sign `` the defining symbol of the Holocaust '' and urged authorities to intensify their investigation . `` Everyone knew that this was not a place where work makes you free , but it was the place where millions of men , women , and children were brought for one purpose only -- to be murdered , '' Hier said . `` The audacity and boldness of this crime deserves the full attention of the Polish government . '' The center calls itself one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations . CNN 's Laura Perez Maestro contributed to this report . | Police are searching for a sign that was stolen from Auschwitz . The sign read `` Work Sets You Free '' or `` Albeit Macht Frei '' Police believe this was a planned theft that required several people . | [[532, 661]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two men who worked as security contractors for the company formerly known as Blackwater have been charged with murder in the killings of two Afghan men , federal prosecutors announced Thursday . Christopher Drotleff and Justin Cannon are charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder each in connection with the May shootings in Kabul . The 12-count , 19-page indictment returned by a federal grand jury in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia also includes weapons charges against the two men . The indictment was returned Wednesday but unsealed Thursday . Both men were in Afghanistan working for the security company Paravant , a subsidiary of Xe , the military contracting firm formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide . FBI agents have arrested both men , the Justice Department announced . Drotleff , Cannon and two other contractors , Steven McClain and Armando Hamid , were involved in the May 5 , 2009 , shooting that left two Afghan civilians dead and another wounded . The men had been hired by Paravant to help the U.S. Army train Afghan troops . The contractors said they were driving their interpreters on a busy Kabul street called Jalalabad Road at around 9 p.m. when a car slammed into one of their two cars . `` I immediately thought we were under attack , '' McClain said in May . The contractors got out to help their colleagues , and the vehicle that had struck the car did a U-turn and headed back at them , the men said . The contractors fired at the oncoming vehicle . `` The car was coming at us , '' Cannon said in May . `` At that point we attempted to stop and immobilize the vehicle and we engaged it in small arms fire . And the car did n't stop , it just kept going . '' The incident spotlights the issue of the role and conduct of U.S. security contractors in Afghanistan . A similar issue arose in Iraq after a September 2007 confrontation involving then-Blackwater contractors that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead . Blackwater lost its contract there after Iraq 's government refused to renew its operating license . The company then changed its name to Xe , and it continues to receive multimillion-dollar contracts in Afghanistan . In the wake of the shooting , all four men lost their jobs with Paravant for violating the company 's alcohol policy . The contractors said they had not been drinking and had not had a drink since their arrival in November . `` We feel that Blackwater wanted to shift the blame from Blackwater itself to these men as if they were acting on a lark , '' attorney Daniel J. Callahan said in May . `` Off duty , with weapons , weapons of their own , and while drinking . And I think the intent is to use these men as scapegoats . '' Callahan , who has advised the men but has not been formally retained by any of them , did not immediately return a call Thursday seeking comment on the charges . In a written statement Thursday , Xe said it had `` immediately and fully cooperated with the government 's investigation of this tragic incident and terminated the individuals involved for violating company policy . '' Also Thursday , Xe announced it has settled seven lawsuits that accused it of crimes in cases not related to the Afghanistan shooting . The lawsuits accused Blackwater security guards of widespread illegal activity , including fostering `` a culture of lawlessness '' among its guards . A lawyer representing the plaintiffs , Susan Burke , said neither she nor anyone else involved in the settlement was allowed to discuss it publicly . It was not clear how much the settlement was for . One lawsuit , filed by Burke in 2007 on behalf of families of several Iraqis killed or wounded in the September 2007 shooting in Baghdad , Iraq , said that a quarter of Blackwater security guards in Iraq use steroids and other `` judgment-altering substances . '' The lawsuit also accused the company of war crimes , wrongful death , assault , negligent hiring and emotional distress . The plaintiffs included two wounded survivors of the Baghdad shooting and the families of five people killed in the incident . Blackwater denied the accusations . Last week , a federal judge dismissed manslaughter charges against five Blackwater security guards involved in the killings , finding that prosecutors wrongly used the men 's own statements against them . | Christopher Drotleff , Justin Cannon charged with murder , attempted murder . Charges relate to two shooting deaths in Kabul , Afghanistan , in May . Drotleff , Cannon were security contractors for company formerly known as Blackwater . May 5 incident began with auto collision ; men say vehicle then aimed for them . | [[104, 181], [225, 402], [330, 354], [104, 181], [225, 402], [30, 37], [42, 88], [77, 117], [1439, 1450], [1492, 1511], [1577, 1604]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rangers restored their four-point lead over Celtic despite conceding the fastest goal in Scottish Premier League history on Sunday . The Glasgow side went behind after only 12.4 seconds as Hibernian striker Anthony Stokes surpassed the previous mark set by Saulius Mikoliunas for Edinburgh rivals Hearts back in 2006 , but bounced back to register a 4-1 away victory . Scotland striker Kenny Miller scored in each half , while goals from fellow frontmen Kris Boyd and Nacho Novo ensured that third-placed Hibs ' unbeaten run of 13 league games came to an end . Celtic had closed the gap to one point after beating Hamilton Academicals 2-0 on Saturday . Rangers , meanwhile , expect to have Madjid Bougherra available for Wednesday 's home clash with fourth-placed Dundee United , but the Algeria defender will leave for African Nations Cup duty in Angola before next Sunday 's Old Firm derby showdown with Celtic . `` That 's the way it 's looking at the present moment , '' manager Walter Smith said . Smith will also be without United States winger DaMarcus Beasley for the next few weeks after he suffered an injury in training before the Hibs game . `` He has a tear in his thigh . I 'm not sure how long that will keep him out -- two or three weeks maybe , '' Smith said . `` It 's disappointing in the sense that he is just back in the team and doing exceptionally well , so it was disappointing it happened . '' However , Beasley 's international teammate Maurice Edu boosted his chances of playing at next year 's World Cup finals in South Africa after making his first appearance this season . The midfielder , who suffered a serious knee injury in the final SPL game of last season , came off the substitutes ' bench for the final 15 minutes at Easter Road . | Rangers four points clear despite conceding fastest goal in Scottish Premier League history . Anthony Stokes puts Hibernian ahead after 12.4 seconds but Rangers still win 4-1 . Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra will miss derby with Celtic due to African Nations Cup . United States winger DaMarcus Beasley out with thigh injury but Maurice Edu makes comeback . | [[19, 69], [0, 15], [78, 151], [152, 233], [152, 163], [342, 387], [799, 933], [1022, 1172]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ferrari driver Felipe Massa will be in Brazil for his home Formula One grand prix on October 18 -- as a special guest to wave the chequered flag . Felipe Massa is still hopeful of competing in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November . Massa is currently on the road to recovery after requiring life-saving surgery towards the end of July following his accident in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix . After completing two days in the Ferrari simulator this week , the 28-year-old is scheduled to drive a 2007-spec car on Monday after undergoing a medical check-up in Paris on Friday , with governing body the FIA in attendance . Massa , who has not ruled out the prospect of driving in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 1 , will then return to Brazil for the penultimate round on the calendar . Massa will become the third celebrity to wave the chequered flag at Interlagos in the past eight years , following in the footsteps of Pele and model Gisele Bundchen . Hopefully , Massa will at least have his eyes on the conclusion of what could be the title decider , unlike Pele , who famously failed to carry out his duty . The legendary footballer was looking the other way when Michael Schumacher beat his brother Ralf by half-a-second in 2002 . | Felipe Massa will be in Brazil for home Formula One grand prix on October 18 . The Ferrari driver is a special guest to wave the chequered flag at Interlagos . Massa is recovering from surgery after accident in qualifying for Hungarian GP . | [[0, 15], [34, 114], [664, 669], [776, 785], [793, 846], [664, 669], [786, 846], [121, 165], [265, 435], [265, 270], [308, 367], [363, 435]] |
JOHANNESBURG , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A mother whose daughter and granddaughter attend Oprah Winfrey 's school in South Africa considers the talk-show host heaven-sent , despite allegations of abuse being investigated there . Oprah Winfrey cuts the ribbon at the opening in January of her Leadership Academy in South Africa . `` Oprah is an angel , she is God-sent , '' Masechaba Hine said Wednesday from her small home in gritty Soweto township . `` She came to my rescue when my husband was not working . '' Hine 's daughter Palesa and her granddaughter Alebohang , both 14 , were among the 152 students chosen to be the first class to attend the high-tech , high-profile Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls when it opened in January . Her faith remains unshaken by the news that South African police have opened a criminal investigation into allegations that a dorm parent mistreated students at the school . Hine said her children `` have no problems about the school , they are happy about everything . '' Investigators declined to provide details of the alleged abuse , but the academy 's CEO , John Samuel , said in a statement issued earlier this month that an internal inquiry was launched based on a claim of misconduct involving a dormitory parent . Watch why school is being investigated '' According to an article in The Cape Argus , a Cape Town newspaper , the dorm parent allegedly grabbed a pupil by the throat and threw her against a wall , the girl claimed . Girls at the school also claimed that the matron swore and screamed at the girls and assaulted them , the newspaper reported Saturday . The newspaper said one of the pupils ran away from the school , blaming the alleged abuse . Winfrey personally selected the school 's students , all of them straight-A students from underprivileged backgrounds . The students get free tuition , free uniforms , free accommodation and free meals at the school in Henley-on-Klip , near Johannesburg . In Hine 's case , her children 's status as the `` poorest of the poor '' that the school aims to serve was clear-cut : Hine supports the five people who live in her small two-bedroom Soweto home on the $ 50 a week she makes from a fruit and vegetable stand . Hine also is caring for two other orphans -- a niece and a younger granddaughter -- as well as Palesa and Alebohang , whom Hine took responsibility for when her own mother died of AIDS . Along with the money she scrapes together , the family survives on food baskets they receive once a month from a charity . Hine attended an emergency meeting with Winfrey when the talk-show host came to the school two weeks ago . `` She was emotional , she was crying when she was talking about her daughters . It is not our daughters anymore , it is Oprah 's daughters , '' Hine said . Winfrey did not give the parents details of the allegations other than to say that the dormitory parent `` did n't treat the girls the way she likes , '' Hine said . She said parents were told at the start of the meeting that Winfrey `` does not want the thing to be in the media . It was a private meeting . '' The controversy that now surrounds the school now offers a sharp contrast to the glitter and air of limitless hope when Winfrey brought a gaggle of Hollywood stars with her to officially open the well-appointed school . The criminal probe was opened after a team of three American experts hired by Winfrey gave police the results of their initial investigation , police said . `` We came to the conclusion that there were criminal elements and then we opened the case for investigation , '' said Police Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini . Dlamini told CNN that the team of U.S. experts hired by Winfrey to conduct the internal investigation included Robert Farley , a retired Cook County , Illinois , detective . He said two American social workers were also on the team . Previously , Winfrey -- who has spoken publicly about the abuse she suffered as a child -- issued a statement on October 17 saying , `` Nothing is more serious or devastating to me than an allegation of misconduct by an adult against any girl at the academy . '' In the statement , Samuel said South African child protection services were notified and the dorm parent was removed from the campus . `` We have engaged professional investigators of the highest standing from South Africa and the United States to conduct a fair and impartial inquiry into these claims , '' the statement said . The school 's head has agreed to take a paid leave of absence pending the results of the investigation , although she is not the subject of the allegation , Samuel said . The national prosecuting authority is deciding whether criminal charges will be filed . In an October 23 statement , Samuel referred inquiries to the South African Child Protection Services Unit . E-mail to a friend . | Dorm parent accused of abuse at Oprah Winfrey 's South African school . One mother of student supports Winfrey : `` Oprah is an angel '' Allegations under investigation by Americans , South Africans . | [[89, 128], [793, 927], [1235, 1276], [187, 234]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hundreds of investigations of online child sexual exploitation and child pornography have been significantly delayed by backlogs at FBI cybercrime labs , according to a Justice Department report released Friday . FBI Inspector General Glenn Fine says processing time for digital evidence can take up to nine months . An audit conducted more than a year ago by the department 's inspector general found 353 requests awaiting digital evidence analysis . FBI computer forensic personnel on average took about 60 days to examine evidence needed by investigators , the report says . `` The processing time for the digital evidence in some cases could take up to nine months , which we concluded was too long , '' Inspector General Glenn Fine said . The digital evidence involves online communications in which potential child predators and sex offenders target juveniles for sexual exploitation or produce cyber-based child pornography . The FBI acknowledged the challenge of keeping up with the growing problem , but said it has made improvements since the audit was conducted . `` The pervasiveness of the Internet has resulted in the dramatic growth of online sexual exploitation of children , resulting in a 2,000 percent increase in the number of cases opened since 1996 , '' FBI Executive Assistant Director Stephen Tidwell said . From 2003 to 2007 , the number of crimes against children reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 's hot line rose from 7,038 to 20,760 , the report states . Since its inception in 1995 , the Innocent Images Unit has investigated more than 20,000 online cases resulting in 7,000 convictions . Tidwell said the FBI has begun implementing a series of procedural and technical recommendations made by the inspector general to reduce the lab backlogs and improve efficiencies in other programs designed to combat crimes against children . The other programs include wide-ranging investigations of child abductions and kidnappings by parents as well as strangers . The report says the largest number of missing children cases involve runaways from juvenile homes . The most recent government study says 99.8 percent of children reported missing were located or returned home alive . The number of child abductions investigated by the FBI during this decade has topped 2,000 . Abductions by strangers amount to only a fraction of 1 percent of total kidnapping cases . | Audit finds 353 requests awaiting digital evidence analysis . Processing time in some cases is up to nine months , FBI Inspector General says . FBI 's Innocent Images Unit has handled more than 20,000 online cases since 1995 . FBI acknowledges problems with caseload , says improvements are in place . | [[347, 481], [432, 481], [243, 346], [301, 346], [482, 587], [608, 698], [1547, 1574], [1577, 1681], [963, 1036], [963, 970], [1043, 1104]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom has declared a state of national calamity because so many citizens do not have food or proper nutrition . Sisters Vidalia , left , and Maribel Agustin , who suffer from malnutrition , sit at a shelter in Guatemala in August . Speaking in a nationally televised address late Tuesday , Colom said his declaration will make it easier to get food to the thousands of Guatemalan families who are in dire need . `` This will help us access resources from the international community that are generously offered for this type of situation and to mobilize national resources more rapidly , '' he said . The United Nations ' World Food Programme says Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world and the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean . Chronic undernutrition affects about half of the nation 's children under the age of 5 , the U.N. agency said . Colom said the nation 's food problems are the result of a drought this year , global warming and the effects of the international economic crisis . He also cited the Central American nation 's `` history of unfairness that has made Guatemala live since long ago with high and shameful poverty levels , extreme poverty and undernutrition . '' According to the World Bank , about 75 percent of Guatemalans live below the poverty level , which is defined as an income that is not sufficient to purchase a basic basket of goods and basic services . Almost 58 percent of the population have incomes below the extreme poverty line , which is defined as the amount needed to purchase a basic basket of food . `` This is the cause of the food and nutritional crisis that this country is going through , '' Colom said . `` There is food . What we do n't have are the financial means so that those who are affected can buy the available food . ... Let 's not wait until we have a famine to act . '' Poverty is more pronounced among indigenous populations and those who live in rural areas . In the nation 's highlands , where many indigenous people live , seven of 10 children under age 5 are malnourished , the World Food Programme says . About 40 percent of the nation 's more than 13.2 million citizens are indigenous Mayans , according to the CIA World Fact Book . | Declaration will make it easier to get food to those in need , president says . President Alvaro Colom says Guatemala welcomes aid from international community . Guatemala has highest rate of malnutrition in Latin America , U.N. says . Colom blames food problems on drought , global warming , economic crisis . | [[337, 435], [459, 529], [648, 822], [695, 822], [935, 1083], [946, 1083]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistan 's Supreme Court declared on Wednesday that an amnesty that had protected politicians , including President Asif Ali Zardari , from corruption and criminal charges , was unconstitutional . The 17-judge court invalidated the National Reconciliation Order , saying in its ruling that the amnesty `` seems to be against the national interest '' and `` violates various provisions of the Constitution . '' The order , passed in October 2007 under then-President Pervez Musharraf , protected thousands of bureaucrats and politicians , including Zardari and his wife , late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto , from corruption and criminal charges . It expired last month . The supreme court said its ruling revived all cases that had been suspended or withdrawn under the amnesty . There was no immediate response from Zardari 's government to Wednesday 's ruling . However , as president , Zardari still has immunity from prosecution . Although he was never convicted , Zardari spent 11 years in jail on corruption allegations that he called politically motivated . Bhutto had faced corruption charges in at least five cases , but was not convicted . Before her return to Pakistan to take part in the elections in 2007 , she had been in self-imposed exile for eight years after being convicted on money-laundering charges . When Bhutto was prime minister , frequent accusations of corruption against her husband , Zadari , of stealing from government coffers and accepting kickbacks , prompted many Pakistanis to derisively label him `` Mr. 10 Percent . '' He became the Pakistan People 's Party head after Bhutto was assassinated during a campaign rally in December 2007 , and he became president eight months later . The PPP had tried in October to extend the amnesty ahead of its deadline , but faced strong protest from opposition parties in parliament . A day ahead of the amnesty 's expiration , Zardari told Pakistan 's Express News that he still had immunity as president and was n't concerned about the reopening of cases against him . The president 's spokesman echoed that sentiment in November . `` The president is absolutely not concerned , '' presidential spokesman Farhatullah Baber told CNN . `` It 's whatever the courts decide . We will cross that bridge when it comes , '' Baber said . | Pakistan 's Supreme Court declares amnesty protecting politicians is unconstitutional . Politicians , including President Asif Ali Zardari , were protected from corruption , criminal charges . Amnesty , passed in 2007 under then-President Pervez Musharraf , expired last month . As president , Zardari still has immunity from prosecution . | [[0, 15], [19, 191], [72, 152], [194, 216], [0, 15], [19, 191], [72, 152], [194, 216], [901, 913], [916, 961], [1885, 1925], [1928, 2070], [674, 697], [901, 913], [916, 961], [1885, 1925], [1928, 2070]] |
Fort Hood , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators believe the suspected gunman in last week 's massacre at Fort Hood acted alone , but his communications had been flagged by U.S. intelligence agencies in late 2008 , the FBI said Monday . The suspect , Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , remained in intensive care at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio , Texas . In a statement issued Monday night , the FBI said its investigation so far `` indicates that the alleged gunman acted alone and was not part of a broader terrorist plot . '' Thursday 's shooting left 13 dead , 12 of them U.S. soldiers , and 42 wounded . Read more about the victims . Hasan , a U.S.-born citizen of Palestinian descent , was a licensed psychiatrist who joined the Army in 1997 . He was promoted to major in May and was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan sometime soon , but had been telling his family since 2001 that he wanted to get out of the military . A Muslim , he had told his family he had been taunted after the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 . In August , he reported to police that his car was keyed and a bumper sticker that read `` Allah is Love '' was torn off . A neighbor was charged with criminal mischief after that complaint . But the FBI disclosed that Hasan came to its attention as part of an unrelated terrorism probe in December 2008 , when agents reviewed `` certain communications between Maj. Hasan and the subject of that investigation . '' The intercepts `` raised no red flags , '' with no mention of threats or violence that would have triggered a U.S. terrorism investigation , senior investigative officials said Monday . Hasan , 39 , was wounded several times during the attack . Though still in intensive care , his ventilator was removed over the weekend , and he began talking afterwards , hospital spokesman Dewey Mitchell said . Federal agents attempted to interview Hasan on Sunday , but he refused to cooperate and asked for an attorney , the investigative officials said . U.S. military officials said intelligence agencies intercepted communications between Hasan and Anwar al-Awlaki , a former imam at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church , Virginia , a Washington suburb . Al-Awlaki , who left the United States in 2002 and is believed to be living in Yemen , was the subject of several federal investigations dating back to the late 1990s , but was never charged . Military officials told CNN on Monday that intelligence agencies intercepted communications from Hasan to al-Awlaki and shared them with other U.S. government agencies . But federal authorities dropped the inquiry into Hasan 's communications after deciding that the messages warranted no further action , one of the officials said . According to the FBI , investigators from one of its Joint Terrorism Task Forces determined `` that the content of those communications was consistent with research being conducted by Maj. Hasan in his position as a psychiatrist at the Walter Reed Medical Center -LSB- in Washington -RSB- . '' Hasan was first an intern , then a resident and finally a fellow at Walter Reed before moving to Fort Hood . `` Because the content of the communications was explainable by his research and nothing else derogatory was found , the JTTF concluded that Maj. Hasan was not involved in terrorist activities or terrorist planning , '' it said . FBI Director Robert Mueller has ordered a review of the matter , the FBI said . The independent commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks found al-Awlaki was a `` spiritual adviser '' to two of the hijackers in that plot , Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Midhar , while al-Awlaki was at the Virginia mosque and earlier , in San Diego . The commission report said it was not clear whether the imam knew al-Hazmi and al-Midhar were involved in the hijacking plot , but security experts have described him as a radical Islamic fundamentalist who was `` very supportive of terrorists in the past , '' former White House homeland security adviser Frances Townsend told CNN . An online post attributed to al-Awlaki praised Hasan as a hero for the Fort Hood attack , saying he `` could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people . '' But the Dar Al-Hijrah mosque denounced al-Awlaki 's remarks , and its current imam said he was stunned to hear Hasan was the suspect in the rampage . `` The quiet , very peaceful person coming in and out of the mosque , I could n't believe he could have done this , '' Sheikh Shaker Elsayed told CNN . Three senior investigative officials , who insisted they not be identified by name because of the sensitive nature of the ongoing federal investigation , told reporters in Washington that Hasan was never nominated to be on a watch list . He was able to purchase weapons legally and had done nothing to justify even a preliminary investigation , they said . In addition , Hasan had a security clearance at the `` secret '' level and received good performance reviews , they said . Nonetheless , they continued to examine his communications with the cleric in Yemen for several months as a precaution . Authorities have not identified a motive in Thursday 's attack . But at Fort Hood the post commander told reporters he has ordered his officers to `` immediately take a hard look and make sure if there 's anybody out there struggling . '' `` Hasan was a soldier and we have other soldiers ... that might have some of the same stress and indicators that he has , '' Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said . `` We have to look across our entire formation , not just in a medical community but really look hard to our right and left . That 's the responsibility for everybody from the top to the bottom to make sure we 're taking care of our own . '' Army officials have voiced concern about jumping to any conclusions about Hasan 's motive , warning about a possible backlash against Muslim soldiers . But several witnesses , like Pvt. Robert Foster , who was wounded in the hip during the attack , reported Hasan shouted `` Allahu Akbar '' -- Arabic for `` God is great '' -- which Islamic terrorists have used as a battle cry . `` I was sitting in about the second row back when the assailant stood up and yelled ` Allah Akbar ' in Arabic and he opened fire , '' Foster , 21 , said Monday on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' The Army leadership at Fort Hood will `` take a very hard look at ourselves and look at anything that might have been done to have prevented this , '' Cone said Monday . `` I think what we 're looking for are sort of people with overwhelming personal problems and patterns of behavior that are not at all related to religion , '' Cone said . No charges have been filed against Hasan . The investigative officials who briefed reporters said he was likely to be charged in the military court system . President Obama will speak at Tuesday 's memorial service for the shooting victims at Fort Hood , and will meet with victims ' families , his spokesman said . `` The president will meet with families of those that lost a loved one last week , as well as speak to the larger memorial that will take place at the base , '' White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in his daily briefing Monday . First lady Michelle Obama will accompany the president on the trip , Gibbs said . Defense Secretary Robert Gates will also participate in the memorial service , but he will not speak , Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said . CNN 's Brian Todd , Pam Benson , Mike Mount and David Mattingly contributed to this report . | NEW : FBI : Probe so far shows Fort Hood attack was n't part of a broader terrorist plot . Investigators check link between suspect , ex-cleric at Virginia mosque . Online post attributed to cleric praised Hasan as a hero for the Fort Hood attack . Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan awake , says spokesman at hospital where he 's being treated . | [[360, 381], [397, 530], [2743, 2763], [4047, 4134], [1813, 1853], [7027, 7047]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Evangelist Tony Alamo is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison after an Arkansas judge sentenced him to 175 years Friday on charges that included taking minors across state lines for sex , according to prosecutors . A jury convicted Alamo in July on 10 federal counts covering offenses that spanned 11 years and dated back to 1994 , according to documents from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas . Alamo , the 75-year-old founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries , will serve the sentences on each count consecutively , for a total of 175 years in prison , prosecutors said . In addition to his sentence , Alamo was fined $ 250,000 , court documents showed . His lawyer filed an appeal Friday . Christopher Plumlee , assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas , welcomed the sentence . `` Given the number of victims and the difficult type of testimony they had to provide in order to get to trial , it 's gratifying for them to see him get this sentence , '' he said . `` Not only did they entrust their lives to him , he did it in the name of God . And he betrayed their trust . '' Authorities in September 2008 arrested Alamo , whose real name is Bernie Hoffman , and raided his 15-acre compound near Texarkana , Arkansas . An indictment released in November 2008 accused Alamo of transporting five girls across state lines for sex . The criminal complaint included accounts from three girls , two of whom were 17 when the complaint was released last year , and one who was 14 . All three said Alamo sexually abused them . In a phone interview last year with CNN , Alamo called the accusations a hoax . `` They 're just trying to make our church look evil ... by saying I 'm a pornographer . Saying that I rape little children . ... I love children . I do n't abuse them . Never have . Never will . '' | Charges included taking minors across state lines for sex . Alamo , 75 , is founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries . Charges stem from 2008 raided of 15-acre compound near Texarkana , Arkansas . | [[152, 159], [165, 214], [1312, 1421], [1360, 1421], [1256, 1298]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Tyra Smith 's boyfriend , Chris Lewis , first suggested they be guinea pigs in a H1N1 vaccination study in August , she was n't so crazy about the idea . But then she warmed to it : While she does n't like needles , she thought she 'd help out because she knew H1N1 was a serious virus . To cut your risk of catching a bug , doctors say wash your hands and avoid touching your mouth , nose and eyes . `` I heard people might die from it , '' Smith said . `` So I think it 's a good idea to help people , by being involved . '' Lewis and Smith , both from Baltimore , Maryland , were among the first Americans to receive H1N1 flu shots . As part of a trial of 2,400 people , they gave blood samples and kept diaries of their symptoms , all in an effort to get an H1N1 vaccine ready for the fall . Now that the results from this and other trials are in , Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the FDA has approved applications from four manufacturers to make H1N1 flu vaccine , which should be ready for high-risk patients by October 15 . She said there will be enough vaccine available for everyone eventually . And that 's just in time . With fall in the air and old man winter right around the corner , seasonal flu and the common cold are sure to follow -- and H1N1 is here ; in its most recent H1N1 update , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 21 states are reporting widespread flu activity . This cold and flu season could star a cornucopia of viruses . Doctors say they worry the two flu strains -LRB- H1N1 and seasonal -RRB- could combine , further complicating the situation . Mix in colds , which are prevalent this time of year , and the immune system of Americans could be dealt a one-two punch . So , how can someone tell if those sniffles they 're having is something to be concerned about ? Infectious disease experts say people need to be aware of the symptoms . Dr. Shmuel Shoham , an infectious-disease specialist at Washington Hospital Center , says the common cold , seasonal flu and H1N1 are all respiratory illnesses , but they 're caused by different viruses . Symptoms of the cold are more common , and can make the patient miserable for three to five days . A patient usually has a stuffy nose , congestion , some body aches and a growing cough . According to the CDC seasonal flu and H1N1 symptoms consist of fever , more painful body aches , dry cough , diarrhea and severe fatigue . It 's hard , without testing , to tell apart the seasonal strain of flu from the H1N1 variety . Watch more on cold , flu and H1N1 symptoms '' `` People need to take notice when they begin to feel bad . If they start to have respiratory problems , or are dehydrated because of a bug , they should go to the doctor . It could be H1N1 or seasonal influenza , '' says Shoham . `` Some people with influenza can get very sick and could end up in the hospital if it 's not taken care of . '' People at greatest risk for catching H1N1 include young people ages 6 months to 25 years , pregnant women , and people with chronic health conditions like asthma , diabetes or heart and lung disease . The CDC recommends that these groups -- as well as health care workers -- get vaccinated first . The seasonal influenza vaccination is especially important for people at high risk of serious flu complications , according to the CDC , including children ages 6 months to 18 years , people with immune system problems , women who plan on being pregnant during the flu season , those 50 years and older and health care workers . But if someone does n't fall into these categories , it does n't mean he or she should skip vaccinations altogether . Experts say everyone should get both flu shots . `` It 's the best way to protect yourself , '' Shoham says . Other than flu shots , are there other ways to stay healthy and avoid all of these bugs ? Doctors say wash your hands and keep your fingers away from your mouth , nose and eyes . If you sneeze , sneeze into your elbow so as not to transfer your germs to your hands -- and everything else around you . As for the myth about avoiding cold drafts -- forget it . `` It does n't seem to play out that sleeping with the window open , going out with your hair wet in the cold affects your immune system , '' Shoham says . Also , keep your immune system healthy . That translates to eating well , getting enough sleep and staying active . If you become ill and experience severe symptoms , see your doctor . Your physician may recommend antiviral drugs that can treat the flu . Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines -LRB- pills , liquid or an inhaled powder -RRB- that fight the flu by keeping the virus from reproducing in your body . Above all , stay away from others . If you have the flu , the CDC recommends you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone . It 's the best way to keep others from getting infected . | Seasonal flu , H1N1 and common cold will all be around this flu season . Without testing , a person ca n't tell seasonal flu from H1N1 flu . The symptoms of both are more severe than cold symptoms and include fever . Expert : If you are having respiratory problems or are dehydrated , see your doctor . | [[1259, 1291], [1301, 1310], [1468, 1529], [1949, 1966], [2034, 2108], [2796, 2834], [2481, 2491], [2512, 2576], [2359, 2480], [4456, 4501], [2763, 2795], [4456, 4459], [4504, 4521]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Joan Baez is in a celebratory mood . And rightly so : She 's survived 50 years in show business . Joan Baez says that her new Steve Earle-produced album was meant to sound like a throwback to the folk era . The legendary singer , who rose to fame during the folk movement of the 1950s and 1960s , is marking the occasion with a new album called `` Day After Tomorrow . '' Produced by Steve Earle -LRB- whom Baez likes to call `` Mister Gruff '' -RRB- , it 's a collection of bluegrass-tinged songs reminiscent of her early repertoire . `` We were looking for songs that feel like now but sound like back then , '' she said . Earle penned one of the album 's standout tracks , `` God Is God , '' which he describes as `` recovery speak . '' Baez also covers `` Scarlet Tide , '' a song written by Elvis Costello and T Bone Burnett for the 2003 film `` Cold Mountain . '' At 67 , Baez finds her voice may not have the sheer power it did in her 20s , but her political spirit is intact . She passionately expressed her support for Barack Obama during the presidential campaign , the first time the self-described pacifist has taken sides in party politics . `` I have n't heard an orator like that since King , '' she said . Baez knew the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and famously sang the protest song `` We Shall Overcome '' to a massive crowd at the Lincoln Memorial during King 's 1963 March on Washington . Baez spoke to CNN about sustaining her voice and finding happiness in her 60s . The following is an edited version of that interview , which was conducted before Tuesday 's election . CNN : What did Steve Earle bring to the table with your new album ? Joan Baez : Oh , everything but the voice . Spirit , some songs . His gruffness to my non-gruffness . He worked fast , really fast , and I like that . And he brought the musicians . I do n't know who to choose for musicians . We were a good match . CNN : Is there a song on the album that speaks to you more than others ? Baez : I guess the ones I go back listening to are `` God Is God '' and `` Rose of Sharon . '' `` Rose of Sharon '' sounds exactly like an old folk song . I would n't have guessed in a million years that it 's contemporary . CNN : How does it feel to be embarking on a new tour at such a politically charged time ? Baez : I 've never seen this country this politically charged . I realized something this morning . I was watching Obama on TV and I thought , `` I really love this guy . '' I love what he 's capable of , I love that he 's genuine . He 's a statesman , and he 's brilliant . People say do you think he can change America ? He already has . ... And I know most of the things he 'll have to do I would battle him to the death . He 's going to be commander in chief of the Army , Navy and Air Force , and I 'm a pacifist -LSB- laughs -RSB- . CNN : So you would almost prefer that he did n't run for president , that his talents could be applied in other ways ? Baez : Yeah . I 've thought that , yeah . Part of me wishes very strongly that Obama would be outside the system and his hands would be less tied . CNN : In the '50s and '60s , you lived and breathed the causes you rallied behind . When you look at young musicians today , do you feel they 're attaching themselves to charities or causes because it 's hip , rather than meaningful ? Baez : I think it 's probably a combination of things . I think people are afraid of risk so they 'll -LSB- only -RSB- go so far . But I do n't think people have felt the urgency that we felt in the '60s . But it 's there . The urgency is there . There 's a need for community , but we do n't feel it . CNN : Why is that ? Baez : That we do n't feel it ? Because we live more and more separately . Kids are walking down the street plugged in -LSB- to personal electronics -RSB- . The only place there 's community really is in the ghetto , where they need each other and they know it . We need each other , and we do n't know it . CNN : You look back at all the causes you 've rallied behind , and there have been so many . ... Baez : It makes me dizzy . CNN : -LSB- Do -RSB- you feel emotionally wrung out ? Baez : No . It 's the opposite . What happens is it starts generating energy for myself . There 's some part of me that 's wiped out . I feel that sometimes . CNN : Do you find you have to work harder to keep your voice in shape ? Baez : Oh God , yeah . It was very humiliating to find out that I was like everybody else in the world and that I had to get coaching . And now it 's a real issue . I have to do -LSB- vocal exercises -RSB- every day , especially on tour . It 's pretty exhausting . CNN : Would you say that life in your 60s is easier than life in your 20s and 30s ? Baez : Oh God , yes . ... I was a highly neurotic kid , not particularly happy , which probably accounts for all those beautiful songs , those beautiful sad ballads . I found my home there . And as the years went by and as the therapy went on I was holding together . And then at around 50 , I decided to fall apart and find the pieces and put them back where they should 've been . And I did . And I did what I thought was impossible , which was really drag the stuff up , look at it , go through all that and then each time I did that ... it became a daily thing with the therapist ... to find out something huge . Go through the terror , go through all of it and then by the end of the week something had changed a little bit . This went on for a number of years . So I am now in a stage nothing like where I was before then . There 's no stage fright now . Just the joy of singing . CNN : You 're happy being single , are n't you ? Baez : Yeah . After all I 've been through , I do n't want to risk -LSB- pats her heart -RSB- . I mean I feel so extraordinary , so much better . And you know if something walked into my life that feels right ... the question is , am I ready to see it or not ? I 'm sure it 's wandered by me a few times . But at some point maybe I 'll be ready to see that in which case it would be a good thing . ... -LSB- In -RSB- Buddhism there 's no real happiness without the struggle . But the struggle has to defeat you in a way -LSB- before -RSB- you get to be like the Dalai Lama . You know those monks all giggle ? All the time ! They 've got it figured out . Because things are what they are on Earth , and you be as good as you can , and you die , it 's the next life . So what 's the big f ****** deal ? | Joan Baez has new album , `` Day After Tomorrow , '' produced by Steve Earle . Baez says causes generate energy , do n't leave her wrung out . Singer says she was unhappy in 20s and 30s , only recently has no stage fright . | [[126, 234], [146, 234], [235, 257], [325, 365], [354, 372], [374, 396], [400, 429], [4208, 4264], [4224, 4264], [5585, 5615]] |
NEW ORLEANS , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hurricane Gustav did n't pack the wallop of Katrina three years earlier , officials said Monday , but they urged almost 2 million evacuees to stay away from the Gulf Coast for another day . A man walks past a storefront that collapsed as Hurricane Gustav passed through Lafayette , Louisiana , on Monday . `` Tomorrow is not a day to start coming back to the city of New Orleans , '' Mayor Ray Nagin said Monday night . `` Power lines are down all over the city ; there 's a significant number of homes and businesses that are without power , '' Nagin said . Still , he said , Gustav did n't do the damage feared a few days ago , a possible repeat of 2005 's Hurricane Katrina . `` I 'd probably call Gustav , instead of the mother of all storms , maybe the mother-in-law or the ugly sister of all storms , '' Nagin said . Across Louisiana , more than 800,000 people were without electricity , and some may not see it restored for two weeks or more , Gov. Bobby Jindal said . At a news conference with Jindal , Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff urged Gulf Coast residents who evacuated to stay away until damage could be assessed . But even those who fled faced hardships . About 2,700 people who took up short-term residence Monday in the Louisiana State University Agriculture Center in Alexandria were told that the buildings generator power was not reaching the plumbing system , meaning no showers and no flushing toilets , said John Barnett , head of the facilities . `` It 's really crowded , and everybody 's just trying to do their best , '' said Kesha Harlow , who was there with her daughter , 8 , and her son , 2 months . `` We 're just waiting for the storm to blow over . '' Gustav roared from the Gulf of Mexico into southern Louisiana on Monday as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph , bringing fierce winds and heavy rains from the Alabama-Florida border west into Texas . In Baton Rouge , Louisiana , two people were killed when a tree fell on the house where they were staying after they had come from farther south to escape the storm , officials said . A man was killed in a similar incident in north Lafayette , Louisiana , officials said . Four hospice patients died while waiting for air ambulances to evacuate them from southern Louisiana , according to Richard Zuschlag , chairman and CEO of Acadian Ambulance . Gustav was blamed for more than 60 deaths in the Caribbean , including 51 in southwestern Haiti . At 10 p.m. CT , Gustav was a tropical storm with sustained winds of 60 mph , the National Hurricane Center said . In New Orleans , Gustav drove sheets of water over the protective levees around the Industrial Canal early Monday afternoon , but the walls appeared to hold up under the onslaught as the winds faded . Up to 6 feet of water spilled into an industrial park in the Upper 9th Ward late Monday morning , pouring through small gaps in the concrete flood walls before receding in the afternoon . Watch water spill over the levee '' But as the storm eased , inspectors from the Army Corps of Engineers and parish levee boards went out to check on the earthen walls and have found nothing to raise alarm , said Col. Craig Gunter , a Corps of Engineers spokesman . iReport.com : See one reader 's footage of the levee . `` The levees all held up , '' Nagin said . `` I was hoping that this would happen , that we would be able to stand before America and before everyone and say we had some success with the levee system . '' With the water level in Lake Pontchartrain north of the city rising , the Army Corps of Engineers closed flood gates on the 17th Street Canal and the London Avenue Canal , two areas that caused some of the more severe flooding during Katrina . Official feared late Monday afternoon that a private levee south of New Orleans was in danger of failing , but water levels receded , and sandbagging efforts appeared to have paid off . `` We have stopped the bleeding , and I am very encouraged by what we are seeing , '' Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said of the levee in Braithwaite . Gustav made landfall Monday morning near the coastal town of Cocodrie , Louisiana , about 80 miles southwest of New Orleans . iReport : Watch winds rip New Orleans rooftop . The storm 's eastern bands , which generally pack the most powerful winds , also hammered Mississippi as Gustav moved to the west of New Orleans . In Biloxi , Mississippi , iReporter Kevin Wise , who lives two blocks from the beach , said Gustav had pushed the Gulf waters into a highway about 100 yards from the normal shoreline . `` On the beach , it was blowing hard enough that you had to squat down to take a picture ; it could pretty much throw you around , '' he said . Wise said he and his wife ignored mandatory evacuation orders for his area . Almost 2 million residents evacuated the Louisiana coast , but some in New Orleans opted to brave the storm . `` It really did n't look as vicious as , obviously , Katrina did , '' Jack Bosma said . Watch gales batter home , reporter '' He said the wind scattered his back gate across his yard , but his power was on , and neighbors had been congregating on his porch . `` It 's really , quite honestly , basically , just like a bad storm . It does n't seem that drastic at all , '' he said . iReport.com : Did you stay ? Share your story . Property damage from Gustav could total $ 8 billion , just 25 percent of Sunday 's estimate , according to a federally supported computer projection issued Monday morning . See damage map '' Meanwhile , forecasters said late Monday that Hurricane Hanna was nearly stationary in the Bahamas . At 11 p.m. ET , Hanna had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph , making it a Category 1 storm . Hanna could make landfall Friday near the Georgia/South Carolina border , possibly as a Category 2 storm with winds of 100 mph . And in the far eastern Atlantic , Tropical Storm Ike formed Monday with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph , the National Hurricane Center said . It was headed toward the Bahamas . CNN 's Kathleen Koch , Jeanne Meserve , Mike Ahlers , Morgan Neill , Matt Sloane , Susan Roesgen , Chris Lawrence and Ali Velshi contributed to this report . | NEW : Gustav downgraded to tropical storm . NEW : About 2 million evacuees urged to stay away while damaged assessed . 800,000 lose electricity , may take weeks to restore , Louisiana governor says . Watch breaking hurricane news live on CNN.com . | [[2509, 2522], [2525, 2583], [145, 232], [1019, 1051], [1054, 1185], [4863, 4919], [866, 882], [885, 934], [941, 991]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Computer technicians have recovered about 22 million Bush administration e-mails that the Bush White House had said were missing , two watchdog groups that sued over the documents announced Monday . The e-mails date from 2003 to 2005 , and had been `` mislabeled and effectively lost , '' according to the National Security Archive , a research group based at George Washington University . But Melanie Sloan , executive director of the liberal-leaning Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington , said it could be years before most of the e-mails are made public . `` The e-mails themselves are not what we 're getting , '' Sloan said . Documents related to the handling of e-mail under the Bush administration and subsequent information regarding how White House e-mails are currently archived will be released under a settlement with the Obama administration , which inherited a lawsuit the groups filed in 2007 . But the National Archives must sort out which documents are covered by the Freedom of Information Act and which ones fall under the Presidential Records Act , which means they could be withheld for five to 10 years after the Bush administration left office in January , Sloan said . `` The National Archives will sort this out , '' she said . The e-mail controversy dates back to the Bush administration 's 2006 firing of the top federal prosecutors in nine cities . After congressional committees demanded the administration produce documents related to the firings , the White House said millions of e-mails might have been lost from its servers . Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the National Security Archive sued over the issue in 2007 , arguing the Bush administration violated federal laws that require presidential records to be preserved . Court records have shown that the Bush administration knew about the e-mail problems as far back as 2005 and did nothing to fix them , Sloan said . `` They never made an effort to restore them , '' she said . But Scott Stanzel , a former deputy press secretary in the Bush White House , said the group `` has consistently tried to create a spooky conspiracy out of standard IT issues . '' `` We always indicated that there is an e-mail archiving system and a disaster recovery system , '' Stanzel said . `` We also indicated that e-mails not properly archived could be found on disaster recovery tapes . There is a big , big difference between something not being properly archived and it being ` lost ' or ` missing , ' as CREW would say . '' Monday 's settlement allows for 94 days of e-mail traffic , scattered between January 2003 to April 2005 , to be restored from backup tapes . Of those 94 days , 40 were picked by statistical sample ; another 21 days were suggested by the White House ; and the groups that filed suit picked 33 that seemed `` historically significant , '' from the months before the invasion of Iraq to the period when the firings of U.S. attorneys were being planned . Also requested were several days surrounding the announcement that a criminal investigation was under way into the disclosure of then-CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson 's identity . That investigation led to the conviction of White House aide I. Lewis `` Scooter '' Libby on charges of perjury , obstruction of justice and lying to federal agents investigating the leak . Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington represented Wilson and her husband , former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson , in a lawsuit over her exposure , which they argued was in retaliation for his accusation that the Bush administration over-hyped the intelligence used to justify the invasion of Iraq . A federal judge dismissed the case on procedural grounds in 2007 , but Sloan said the missing e-mails raise the `` strong possibility '' that special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald never received all the documents he requested during the leak investigation . | White House had said that about 22 million Bush administration e-mails were missing . E-mails involve Bush administration 's 2006 firing of top federal prosecutors . White House said during congressional hearings they might have been lost . Suing watchdog groups will settle lawsuit with the Obama administration . | [[1424, 1523], [1526, 1566], [1526, 1535], [1547, 1606], [1300, 1423], [1526, 1535], [1547, 1606]] |
JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta , Indonesia , warned Thursday of an indication of an attack to Bali on New Year 's Eve . The Embassy said the warning initially came from the Bali governor , Mangku Pastika , and that it passed on his alert verbatim . The governor , however , said there was no information about a new terrorist threat . `` We never release -LRB- d -RRB- any warning related to terror on New Year 's Eve , '' the governor 's office said in a statement after the Embassy released the warning . `` We however encourage both domestic and foreign tourists to be cautious , '' the governor 's office said . `` The terrorists hit Bali twice . Who knows what they will do next . '' Pastika 's office said there was only a general alert on the island because of the holiday . Terrorist groups , including Jemaah Islamiyah , have carried out repeated attacks in Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia since 2002 . The Embassy did not elaborate on the governor 's message , but the United States has a standing warning to U.S. citizens in Indonesia that extremists may target both official and private interests , including hotels , clubs , and shopping centers . `` In their work and daily living activities , and while traveling , U.S. citizens should be vigilant and prudent at all times , '' the U.S. State Department warning states . `` We urge U.S. citizens to monitor local news reports , vary their routes and times , and maintain a low profile . U.S. citizens must consider the security and safety preparedness of hotels , residences , restaurants , and entertainment or recreation venues that they frequent . '' Unknown attackers shot at foreigners in Banda Aceh , in northern Sumatra , last month , wounding a European development worker , the Embassy said . The attackers also targeted a house occupied by American teachers , but no U.S. citizens were hurt , it said . The most major recent attack was in July , when suspected Jemaah Islamiyah elements bombed two western hotels in Jakarta . The blasts at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels killed nine people -- including at least two presumed suicide bombers -- and wounded more than 50 , including U.S. citizens . Also in July , armed assailants in Papua killed several people , including security personnel and one Australian national , the Embassy said . Jemaah Islamiyah , said to have links to Osama bin Laden 's al Qaeda terrorist network , is blamed for the 2002 Bali bomb attacks in which 202 people , mainly foreign tourists , were killed . More than 300 people -- many of them young Australians on vacation -- were wounded by the massive blasts in the town of Kuta . Dozens of victims were burned beyond recognition or blown to pieces . The bombing was blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah . The group was also said to be behind an attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta in 2004 in which nine people died , and an attack on the same Marriott hotel that killed eight the same year . -- CNN 's Atika Shubert in Bali and Andy Saputra in Jakarta contributed to this report . | U.S. Embassy in Jakarta , Indonesia , warns of an indication of an attack on Bali on New Year 's Eve . Embassy said warning initially came from Bali governor . Terrorist groups have carried out repeated attacks on Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia since 2002 . | [[10, 35], [81, 155], [156, 284], [173, 239], [655, 686], [818, 863], [866, 947]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Local and state authorities in Northampton , Massachusetts , are investigating nine suspicious fires that have killed two people and left residents shaken , officials said Sunday . In just over an hour early Sunday , five structures -- including a single-family residence -- burned , in addition to `` numerous cars , '' District Attorney Betsy Scheibel told a news conference that included fire and police officials and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick . The fires were reported between 2 a.m. and 3:15 a.m. , Scheibel 's office said . Two people were found dead on the first floor of a residence , Scheibel said . Identities of the victims are being withheld pending autopsy results . `` We know this community is deeply shaken by this series of suspicious fires , '' Patrick said . `` I want the public to know that every resource at the local -LSB- and -RSB- at the state level is being applied to deal with this to bring comfort and safety to the community '' and to find the individual or individuals responsible . A joint task force of local , state and federal fire officials has been formed to investigate the circumstances under which the fires started , Scheibel said . All of the blazes have been extinguished . | Officials in Northampton , Massachusetts , say 9 fires have killed 2 people . 5 structures , `` numerous cars '' burned early Sunday , district attorney says . Fires reported between 2 and 3:15 a.m. , DA says . Task force of local , state , federal fire officials investigating . | [[0, 61], [80, 173], [236, 251], [255, 293], [475, 527], [0, 61], [80, 173], [1040, 1151], [1040, 1102], [1119, 1181]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Barack Obama won Guam 's Democratic presidential caucuses Saturday by just seven votes , according to a Guam election official . Voters line up Saturday in Dededo , Guam 's largest village . With all 21 precincts reporting , Obama finished with 2,264 votes , or 50.1 percent . Sen. Hillary Clinton got 2,257 votes , or 49.9 percent . Each candidate picked up two delegates . The presidential candidates were battling for Guam 's four pledged delegate votes . Eight delegates will be elected , each with half a vote at the Democratic National Convention in Denver , Colorado , this summer . According to CNN 's latest estimate , Obama now has a total of 1,736 delegates -LRB- 1,493 pledged delegates , 243 superdelegates -RRB- . Clinton has a total of 1,599 delegates -LRB- 1,334 pledged delegates , 265 superdelegates -RRB- . The Democratic contest moves to North Carolina and Indiana , which hold their primaries Tuesday . Also on the ballot Saturday was the race for chairman and vice chairman of the U.S. territory 's Democratic Party . The winners of that race will serve as superdelegates . According to the election official , the slate of Pilar Lujan and Jaime Paulino leads the slate of Joseph Artero Cameron and Arlen Bordallo . Lujan remains uncommitted in the race for president , but running mate Paulino has endorsed Obama . Both Cameron and Bordallo have endorsed Clinton . Incumbent Chairman Tony Charfauros and running mate Mary Ann Cabrera are in third place . Neither has endorsed a presidential candidate . Although called `` caucuses , '' Saturday 's event in Guam functions more like a party-run primary . Voters cast secret ballots in polling places as opposed to publicly aligning themselves in presidential candidate preference groups , as in more traditional caucuses , such as in Iowa and Nevada . Polls closed in Guam at 6 a.m. ET . Guam is 14 hours ahead of Eastern time . Cathleen Moore-Linn stood in line for more than an hour outside the old police precinct in Dededo , Guam 's most populated village . Despite the 90-degree tropical heat and a lack of air conditioning at the polling site , she said , `` Nobody left . A lot of manamko ' -LSB- elderly people -RSB- came out to vote . And people were filling out the forms to join the Democrat Party . '' At villages in the southern end of the island , which is far less populated , election committee member Nancy Weare says the voting is running smoothly . `` There 's a constant flow of traffic and good voter turnout . '' Vying for Guam 's delegate and superdelegate votes in their tight race for the nomination , the two remaining Democratic presidential hopefuls have inundated the island with radio and TV advertisements , each promising long-awaited political gains : the ability for Guamanians to be able to vote for president , lifting the territory 's cap on Medicaid and , perhaps the most coveted prize of all , war reparations in the form of more than $ 120 million . A war reparations bill , sponsored by Bordallo , would issue payments to the survivors of Japan 's control of the island during World War II and would create educational and research programs about the occupation . The legislation is stalled in the U.S. Senate . CNN Research Director Robert Yoon , CNN Political Producer Ed Hornick and special contributor Jayne Flores contributed to this report . | NEW : Obama gets 50.1 percent of the vote . At stake Saturday were four pledged delegates . Also on ballot : chairman and vice chairman of Guam 's Democratic Party . | [[249, 300], [399, 482], [953, 1063]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Erroll Southers In the aftermath of the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 , it is likely the Senate will move to confirm the embattled nomination of Southers as head of the Transportation Security Administration when it returns from its winter recess . Objections to Southers ' confirmation were first made by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina over the potential unionization of TSA employees . Southers is the Los Angeles International Airport 's assistant chief for homeland security and intelligence . The airport 's police department , which Southers has helped manage since early 2007 , is the largest such operation in the country , with approximately 1,200 employees . Southers is also associate director at the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events at the University of Southern California . The former FBI special agent served as a deputy director of homeland security for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger . CNN Political Ticker : DeMint defends blocking appointment . Miriam Siefer The attorney who will defend the 23-year-old Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up Northwest Flight 253 is no stranger to terrorism cases , according to The Detroit News . Miriam Siefer , chief federal defender with the Federal Defender Office in Detroit , Michigan , represented James Nichols when he was a suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing . His brother Terry Nichols was convicted for that act of domestic terrorism . Siefer is now the lead attorney for Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab , who is accused of hiding explosive materials sewn into his underwear that could have brought down the airplane . `` She 's one of a handful of people who is universally respected and admired by people in the U.S. Attorney 's Office , '' said Alan Gershel , the former head of criminal prosecutions in Detroit who now is a law professor at Cooley Law School in Auburn Hills , Michigan . Detroit News : Suspect 's lawyer old hand at terror cases . Micah Fialka-Feldman A U.S. district judge has ruled that Oakland University in Rochester , Michigan , violated a federal law by refusing to allow Fialka-Feldman , a disabled student , to live in a campus dorm and now must make a room available for him . The Detroit News and NPR report that Fialka-Feldman has a mild cognitive impairment that hinders his ability to read and write . But the university said because he was in a special program and not a full-time student , he could n't live on campus . It took him two buses and two hours to get to campus from his parents ' home . The judge ruled that Oakland University had discriminated against Fialka-Feldman , who says he will hang a poster in his room with quotes from civil rights leaders . One says : `` A community that excludes one member is not a community at all . '' NPR : Intellectually disabled student wins dorm suit . Detroit News : Student wins housing fight . William Koch The Palm Beach , Florida , billionaire says that a 1787 Lafite Bordeaux with Thomas Jefferson 's initials etched into the bottle is fake . `` I thought that I had a piece of history , a piece of America 's most important history , '' Koch told the Los Angeles Times . So Koch sued the seller and has filed four other lawsuits . He says there are more to come . His goal is to clean up an industry where a single bottle can go for more than $ 100,000 . In 1989 , Koch purchased the Lafite and three other bottles of Bordeaux , also purported to be Jefferson 's , for about $ 500,000 . In the federal lawsuit he filed in New York against the wine supplier , Koch claims Jefferson 's `` initials '' were etched into the bottle with modern-day power tools . Los Angeles Times : Wine collector sues over alleged fakery . Michael Landers This 15-year-old 10th-grader from Old Westbury , New York , is the youngest player to win the men 's national singles championship in table tennis , or pingpong . In a New York Times profile , Landers says his training can last 30 hours each week . For 14 months , Goran Milanovic , a former Serbian discuss thrower , has been putting him through 90-minute workouts two or three times a week . NY Times : The ping-pong prodigy . What makes a person intriguing ? There are people who enter the news cycle every day because their actions or decisions are new , important or different . Others are in the news because they are the ones those decisions affect . And there are a number of people who are so famous or controversial that anything they say or do becomes news . Some of these people do what we expect of them : They run for office , pass legislation , start a business , get hired or fired , commit a crime , make an arrest , get in accidents , hit a home run , overthrow a government , fight wars , sue an opponent , put out fires , prepare for hurricanes and cavort with people other than their spouses . They do make news , but the action is usually more important than who is involved in the story . But every day , there are a number of people who become fascinating to us -- by virtue of their character , how they reached their decision , how they behaved under pressure or because of the remarkable circumstances surrounding the event they are involved in . They arouse our curiosity . We hear about them and want to know more . What they have done or said stimulates conversations across the country . At times , there is even a mystery about them . What they have done may be unique , heroic , cowardly or ghastly , but they capture our imaginations . We want to know what makes them tick , why they believe what they do , and why they did what they did . They intrigue us . | Nominee for TSA chief held up by South Carolina senator . Lawyer for terror suspect familiar with terrorism cases . 10th-grader is youngest player to win national table tennis championship . | [[1041, 1067], [1163, 1196], [3752, 3814], [3828, 3930]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Alaska judge has denied Bristol Palin 's request that her court fight with ex-boyfriend Levi Johnston over custody of their son be kept private to avoid a `` media circus . '' The daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is seeking full custody of 1-year-old Tripp , contending that Johnston is too immature to be a responsible father and that his mother 's felony drug conviction makes her a danger to the child . Bristol Palin filed for full custody in November , but Johnston is seeking shared custody . Both parents are 19 . Their teenage relationship fell under an intense public spotlight after Sen. John McCain picked Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate in August 2008 . Court documents , now unsealed , were published online Monday by the Anchorage Daily News . Johnston joined the family at the Republican National Convention after the campaign confirmed that Bristol , then 17 , was five months pregnant with his child . The couple broke off their engagement about two months after their son 's birth in December 2008 . Johnston has asked that the case conducted in public to protect himself from Sarah Palin , whom he said was `` powerful , politically ambitious and has a reputation for being extremely vindictive . '' But Bristol Palin 's request that the case be sealed said public proceedings `` will turn this custody case into a media circus which is not in Tripp 's best interest . '' `` In this day and age of the Internet , media stories remain available for years , even decades , after they are first published , and anything printed in the media -LRB- whether it is true or not -RRB- will be available to Tripp when he is old enough to read , '' Palin said in a sworn affidavit . She said Johnston wanted a public case so he could `` continue to make a spectacle of this custody dispute for his own self-promotion . '' Johnston was set to take part in a reality show in Alaska , she said . `` I do not believe that it would be in Tripp 's best interest for Levi 's reality show to be filming this case as it unfolds , or for Levi Johnston to be capitalizing off of this custody case through his reality show , '' Palin said . Johnston 's sworn statement said he feared what Sarah Palin might do against him if the case were kept secret . `` I really think that closing the court could make this matter very uncivil and potentially open the door for poor influences on Bristol and her attorney that may be extremely inappropriate and potentially harmful to Tripp , '' he said . While Johnston said his former girlfriend would never be malicious toward him , `` her mother is powerful , politically ambitious and has a reputation for being extremely vindictive . '' `` So , I think a public case might go a long way in reducing Sarah Palin 's instinct to attack and allow the real parties in this litigation , Bristol and I , to work things out a lot more peacefully than we could if there is any more meddling from Sarah Palin , '' Johnston said . Bristol Palin 's affidavit said her mother is not involved in the custody case , except as a grandmother . But Johnston 's lawyer , Rex Butler , said in his own affidavit that his client does not trust closed proceedings because `` Sarah Palin is known to deal forcefully with those she perceives as political enemies . '' `` He feels Sarah Palin , through her lawyer , under the guise of Bristol Palin 's name , would run roughshod over his very bones , '' Butler said . The judge 's ruling , signed last week , concludes that Bristol Palin `` failed to demonstrate that this case involves ` matters of a sensitive and highly personal nature ' of such a magnitude that ` protection of the party 's name outweighs the public 's interest in disclosure . ' '' Her filing for full custody argued that Levi was `` not ready for the demands of parenthood and the sacrifices that would entail to a 19-year-old aspiring actor/model . '' `` Levi remains without a regular job or steady source of income , '' the petition states . While he 's not enrolled in school `` to learn a trade or earn a degree , '' he has made money by selling stories about his son and the Palins to news outlets and engaged in `` risque modeling for Playgirl magazine , '' it states . The photos published last month showed Johnston in semi-nude poses , not with the full frontal nudity that 's Palin 's filing cited . The petition cited a series of messages posted on the online social network Twitter.com as evidence that Johnston `` may have substance abuse issues , based on statements he has made about seeking ` weed . ' '' Johnston 's response said he does not have a Twitter account `` and has made no such statements about the use of marijuana . '' But Palin 's harshest attack was on Levi 's mother , Sherry Johnston , who pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge earlier this year . Palin asked that the paternal grandmother be barred from having any unsupervised visitation with Tripp . Her petition said she `` may re-offend , keep medications around the house which could be accessible to the baby , have illegal drug users come to the house -LRB- or she could take the baby in her car during a drug sale -RRB- . '' Palin also said that since Sherry Johnston `` could fall asleep or be too drowsy to appropriately monitor the baby . '' `` She is also a chronic pain patient and undergoes daily , regular and sustained narcotic infusions , '' Palin 's petition said . Johnston 's response said his mother 's `` chronic pain condition is currently being managed in coordination with the Department of Corrections . '' `` Sherry Johnston will not be left to take care of the minor child alone , but will simply be there to assist to the best of her ability , '' Johnston 's filing said . She was released from an Alaska prison last week to serve the remainder of her three-year sentence under house arrest at her home in Wasilla , Alaska . She must wear an ankle bracelet for electronic monitoring , Corrections Department spokesman Richard Schmitz said . | Levi Johnston is seeking shared custody of Tripp Palin , now a year old . Bristol Palin requested that proceedings be closed to prevent a `` media circus '' Johnston wanted case kept public to protect himself from ex-fiancee 's powerful mom . Unsealed court documents were published online by the Anchorage Daily News . | [[494, 530], [76, 194], [1273, 1396], [1068, 1156], [1741, 1779], [716, 807]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Militants who control parts of Somalia 's capital city are beating women in broad daylight for violating their radical brand of Islamic law , according to local officials and witnesses in Mogadishu . `` Just today , Al-Shabaab dispatched men with whips to the streets around Bakara market and they are flogging any woman who is found not wearing socks , '' according to a female maize trader at the Mogadishu market , who spoke Thursday . She did not want to be named for security reasons . In the past two days , more than 130 people , including women who were not wearing headscarves and men chewing dried khat leaves , have been detained for violating Al-Shabaab 's interpretation of sharia , or Islamic law , according to witnesses and officials . Hooded Al-Shabaab gunmen rounded up 50 women on Wednesday from Mogadishu 's Bakara market for not wearing the veil that is required for women under some interpretations of Islamic law , according to the maize trader . `` Most of these women were vegetable traders , so they are poor and ca n't afford to buy veils for 600,000 shillings -LSB- about $ 23 U.S. -RSB- , '' she said . She said she saw more women being detained Thursday . Another 80 Somali civilians were detained in the southwestern town of Luuq , near the Kenyan and Ethiopian border , `` because they turned deaf ear to orders we imposed on the town , '' said the local Al-Shabaab commander Sheikh Hussien al-Iraqi . Al-Shabaab is considered a terrorist organization by the United States because of its ties to Osama bin Laden 's al Qaeda network . It has been imposing stricter rules on Somali civilians living in the areas it controls . Earlier this month , Al-Shabaab militants whipped women for wearing bras in an area of northern Mogadishu that they control , shocking residents who have been besieged by the ongoing insurgency . The militants believe the female undergarments are a deception to men . | Militant group Al-Shabaab imposes strict interpretation of law in areas it controls . Women violate law by not wearing socks , headscarves and by wearing bras . `` Al-Shabaab dispatched men with whips to the streets , '' witness says . Al-Shabaab is considered a terrorist organization by the United States . | [[1651, 1674], [235, 307]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Let me tell you a little about me . '' `` Farouk1986 '' introduced himself to a Muslim online community with these words in February 2005 . `` My name is Umar but you can call me Farouk , '' the poster continues , detailing biographical information that appears to match the life of Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab , the 23-year-old Nigerian man accused of attempting to detonate an explosive on an international flight into Detroit , Michigan , on Christmas Day . The failed terror plot put airports on high alert and refocused American attention on al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula , which claimed responsibility for the attempted attack . Internet postings for Farouk1986 -- apparently a combination of his name and birth year -- reveal a young man who fought feelings of loneliness and struggled with balancing his life as a Muslim with the temptations of the secular world around him . He wrote about his desire to attend university , possibly in the United States , and his thoughts on love and marriage . Officials have not confirmed that Internet postings by Farouk1986 were made by AbdulMutallab , but the many detailed biographical points made by the poster match what has been reported about AbdulMutallab 's life . `` I will describe myself as very ambitious and determined , especially in the deen , '' Farouk1986 wrote in February 2005 , referring to the Islamic way of life . The poster writes about being in boarding school , with possibilities of attending Stanford University or the University of California-Berkeley . Eventually , AbdulMutallab studied mechanical engineering at University College London . Besides being ambitious , Farouk1986 also described himself as lonely . `` First of all , I have no friend -LSB- s -RSB- , '' he wrote in another online post with informal , imperfect grammar . `` Not because I do not socialise -LRB- sic -RRB- , etc but because either people do not want to get too close to me as they go partying and stuff while I do n't . or they are bad people who befriend me and influence me to do bad things . `` i have no one to speak too , no one to consult , no one to support me and i feel depressed and lonely . i do not know what to do . '' Somewhere along the way , AbdulMutallab turned toward Islamic extremism . An FBI official said AbdulMutallab was included in the U.S. government 's Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment , or TIDE , after his father warned the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria of his son 's hard-line beliefs and possible ties to militant Islamists . But his name was not pulled from that database and included on lists barring him from U.S.-bound aircraft . Part of the explosive device that failed to take down last week 's flight from Amsterdam , Netherlands , was sewn into AbdulMutallab 's underwear , authorities said . A preliminary FBI analysis found the device contained pentaerythritol tetranitrate , an explosive also known as PETN . Investigators were having trouble determining what the accelerant AbdulMutallab allegedly tried to use to light the explosives because `` the syringe was pretty much destroyed , '' a law enforcement source told CNN . All 300 passengers and crew onboard the Christmas Day flight have been interviewed by authorities , the source said , adding that he expected no one else to be held or charged in connection with the incident . Farouk1986 's online posts show that as early as 2005 , he had a serious view of his religion . One of his struggles , the poster wrote , was that the `` loneliness leads me to other problems . '' Farouk1986 said after fasting , `` I felt a shield that prevented evil thoughts coming into my head . I felt closer to Allah . '' Being lonely awakened sexual desires that he struggled to control , he said , sometimes `` leading to minor sinful activities like not lowering the gaze . '' His religion instructed him to fast to avoid such temptation , but it did n't seem to be working , Farouk1986 said . In another online post soon afterward , though , he took his comment back . CNN 's Alden Mahler Levine and CNN Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report . | Biographical details in posts by `` Farouk1986 '' match reports of Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab 's life . Posts reveal young man who struggled to balance Islam with temptations of the secular world . `` i have no one to speak too , no one to consult , no one to support me ... i do not know what to do '' AbdulMutallab is accused of attempting to detonate explosive on flight to U.S. on Christmas . | [[210, 233], [246, 330], [210, 223], [236, 330], [1029, 1158], [1128, 1190], [1128, 1165], [1171, 1243], [659, 691], [750, 894], [659, 676], [757, 768], [807, 907], [1669, 1679], [1685, 1714], [2079, 2114], [2108, 2125], [2128, 2148], [2183, 2209], [333, 480]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A tip from a television viewer led to the arrest of a Florida man accused of killing four of his family members on Thanksgiving Day , authorities said early Sunday . Paul M. Merhige is accused of fatally shooting his twin sisters , a 6-year-old cousin and a 79-year-old aunt at a family home in Jupiter , Florida , on November 26 . One of his sisters was pregnant . Authorities say Merhige also wounded two other family members . A viewer of `` America 's Most Wanted '' recognized descriptions of Merhige and his car , authorities said at a news conference early Sunday . Officers immediately responded to the tip late Saturday , surrounding a small motel in the Middle Keys , part of the Florida Keys . Merhige , who had apparently been at the Monroe County motel since December 2 , did not resist apprehension by U.S. marshals , authorities said . It was not immediately clear whether he was armed when marshals burst into his motel room , more than 200 miles from Jupiter . Merhige made a first appearance in a West Palm Beach , Florida , court later Sunday morning in a hearing that lasted only minutes , according to CNN affiliate WPTV . He is charged with four counts of premeditated murder and attempted first-degree murder . Asked by the judge if he had anything to say , Merhige declined comment , WPTV said . His next court appearance is scheduled for February 1 . He will be held without bond at the Palm Beach County jail . Jim Sitton , father of 6-year-old Makayla , who was killed , told CNN affiliate WPTV late Saturday that he would `` sleep a little better tonight . '' `` I wo n't be patrolling my house with a shotgun , looking for the monster . ... I 've been in protective mode , '' he said . `` This does n't bring Makayla back . I 'm not jumping for joy . Her room is still empty . But the monster is in a cage now . '' The `` America 's Most Wanted '' tipster told authorities that Merhige had checked into the Edgewater Lodge motel under the name John Baca and provided an address in Homestead , Florida , according to a news release from police in Jupiter , Florida . No one at the motel was immediately available for comment , but its Web site included photos of waterfront rooms , efficiencies and townhouses starting at $ 89 a night . Merhige had paid cash at least two weeks in advance , the U.S. Marshals Service said in a news release . He was on a computer when marshals burst into his second-story room . Merhige had tried to disguise his 2007 Blue Toyota Camry with a car cover and had switched its vehicle tag with one from another car he 'd owned , the statement said . He also had shaved his head in an attempt to disguise his identity , the Monroe County Sheriff 's Office said . Last month , the marshals added Merhige to their list of the Top 15 most-wanted fugitives . A total of $ 100,000 was offered as a reward for information leading to Merhige 's arrest , the sheriff 's office said , and the tipster may be entitled to it . The agency also released some distinguishing characteristics about Merhige , saying he was known to either fake or display symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder , such as frequent bathing and shaving , and difficulty making decisions . He also had faked or displayed symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome , and taken several prescription drugs for the ailments , the agency said . | Viewer tip led to arrest of man suspected of fatally shooting four relatives on Thanksgiving . Paul Michael Merhige arrested late Saturday at Florida motel . Tipster told authorities Merhige had checked into motel under assumed name . | [[0, 15], [50, 150], [1863, 1991]] |
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