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AUSTIN , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Garry Mauro will never forget that night in 1972 when he says Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham ignored the post-election party surrounding them , instead preferring to huddle in a corner and talk about changing the future . Hillary and Bill Clinton worked on George McGovern 's 1972 campaign in Texas before they wed in 1975 . The young then-unmarried couple , attending Yale Law , were n't interested in letting off steam with their Democratic colleagues in Austin , Texas , according to Mauro , who 's now a strategist with Sen. Hillary Clinton 's presidential campaign . The three were among a group of Young Turk Democrats working that summer to register voters in Texas . The Clintons had just started dating , said Mauro , who years later became Texas land commissioner . `` They obviously had a lot of respect for each other , and they would spend hours talking to each other . '' More than 35 years on , Hillary Clinton has returned to Texas -- running a hard-fought campaign of her own and telling voters about her days there in the '70s . Mauro recalls the night it was all over in 1972 , after Democrat George McGovern lost to Republican Richard Nixon . He says he and the Clintons decided to let loose in lively Austin , paying $ 1.50 to see a Texas singer by the name of Willie Nelson before rambling back to a colleague 's tiny apartment . `` It was 2 o'clock in the morning , and everybody else had probably had too much to drink , except for Bill and Hillary -- who were drinking -LSB- soda -RSB- and having this intense discussion about the issues , '' said Mauro . `` I 'm absolutely certain that 99 percent of what they were talking about was changing things in the future . '' Mauro 's story underscores how Sen. Clinton 's lifelong political journey has come full circle in Texas . With the March 4 primary just days away , the place where the New York senator got her first job in presidential politics may become her launching pad to the White House -- or perhaps one of her final battlegrounds . Clinton and her Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama have been dueling in the state for weeks , as polls show the candidates locked in a razor-thin race to win the biggest share of 193 Texas delegates , who are crucial to sewing up the party nomination . Another key state , Ohio , also holds its primary March 4 to allocate 141 delegates . Former officials from Clinton 's husband 's administration have openly discussed the challenges Clinton faces from Obama , who has defeated the New York senator in the past 11 contests . Exit polls after previous primaries show Obama is cutting into Clinton 's base by gaining support among blue-collar workers and Latino voters . Former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers called Texas a `` do-or-die test . '' President Clinton 's former strategist James Carville said if the New York senator fails to win Ohio or Texas , `` This thing is done . '' And the former president himself said if voters in Texas do n't deliver , `` I do n't think she can be '' the party 's nominee . Mauro underscored the historic importance of the '08 election . `` We could n't have conceived of a woman running for president in 1972 , '' said Mauro . `` It never would have occurred to people that you 'd have a presidential race between a woman and an African-American . '' Obama leads Clinton in the crucial delegate count -- 1,369 to 1,267 , according to CNN calculations . The count includes superdelegates who have publicly declared their support for one of the candidates . Superdelegates consist of elected and party officials who are allowed to vote at the Democratic National Convention . They are free to vote for any candidate and are not bound by primary or caucus results . To win the nomination , 2,025 national convention delegates are needed . Neither candidate is expected to garner enough delegates in the remaining primaries and caucuses to take the nomination outright , and the roughly 800 superdelegates are likely to be the deciding factor . Mauro and the Clintons cut their political teeth in Texas during the 1972 election , knocking on doors and registering people -- many of them minorities -- to vote . Texas election workers often looked with suspicion at the so-called `` out-of-staters . '' `` Most of them had a funny accent and really did n't know how to talk to people , '' Mauro said . `` That was not the case with Hillary Clinton . She always established a rapport with the local officials she was working with -- even the ones that started out being aggressively negative . And she would always seem to move the ball forward . '' Like other places in the South at the time , Texas still had pockets of racial segregation , Mauro said , and it reminded them how much work needed to be done . `` Sometimes we forget how far we 've come . In this city there were still bathrooms and water fountains that were segregated . There were lots of places African-Americans and Hispanics were not welcome and were not allowed . '' When the Clintons , Mauro and their colleagues needed to let off steam in Austin , the town 's traditional watering holes filled the bill , places such as Armadillo Headquarters and the century-old Scholz Garten -- a German beer garden with an outdoor patio set under spreading oaks . See photos of Clinton through the years '' `` Clinton acquitted ! '' screams a framed 1999 headline from The Washington Post on the wall at Scholz . Other items adorning the walls feature former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson . Watch storied nightspot where Clintons hung out '' When Bill Clinton returned to Texas for his own presidential run , they frequented Guero 's Taco Bar in Austin 's funky South Congress Avenue neighborhood , which trendsetters like to call SoCo . The friendships and alliances Sen. Clinton made during those days sowed the seeds of a statewide grassroots network of supporters that she 's counting on to win in 2008 . `` We 're going to use those spurs to help her get elected , '' said Mauro . In general , said Mauro , a national election campaign is grueling . `` Most people only have a few good elections in them , '' said Mauro . `` It 's really hard work . It 's grunt work . '' For that reason , he said , `` That 's a pretty remarkable person to keep that enthusiasm and drive and continue to have that grit 30 years later . '' E-mail to a friend . | Longtime Clinton pal recalls boozy post-election party in '72 . Newly dating Clinton and Rodham display early political intensity . Will Texas rev up Clinton 's White House bid -- or end it all ? Ex-Clinton official Dee Dee Myers calls Texas `` do-or - die test '' | [[710, 746], [2723, 2741], [2758, 2806]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities do not consistently offer the level of services and infrastructure necessary to properly treat the growing number of female veterans , a government investigation concludes . One official says the VA can offer women better medical care than they would get in private practice . The report by the Government Accountability Office found wide variation in the medical centers ' facilities and programs for female veterans . Investigators visited 18 veterans ' facilities and found that basic services , like pelvic examinations , were being provided and that patients had access to female providers for gender-specific care . But the facilities were lacking in some simpler accommodations , such as the configuration of exam rooms and privacy in check-in areas . The department says it is taking comprehensive steps to improve , including programs for primary care and mental health care for female veterans , along with having a female veterans ' program manager in each of its medical facilities . But Veterans Affairs faces hurdles in its efforts to improve its services and facilities , the department 's chief consultant for women 's medical care testified before Congress on Tuesday . `` Moving to a more comprehensive primary care delivery model could challenge VA clinicians , who may have dealt predominantly with male veterans and sometimes have little or no exposure to female patients , '' said Patricia Hayes of the department 's Women 's Veterans Health Strategic Healthcare Group . Only one-third of veterans ' facilities offer a separate space for women to receive gynecological , mental health and social work services , according to Hayes . There is a goal to have a gynecologist available at every facility by 2012 , she said . And Dennis Cullinan , national legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars , noted that Veterans Affairs has contracted out to provide female veterans care in the facilities where there are not in-house providers . He said the department is fighting an aging infrastructure that is making it tougher to improve facilities . `` The facilities to provide the level of care and privacy just are n't there , '' he said . `` The VA is pursuing this . They are absolutely not dodging it . '' There are more than 1.8 million female veterans in the United States , 8 percent of the veteran population . In 2008 , more than 281,000 female veterans received care from Veterans Affairs , according to the department 's statistics . The number of female veterans enrolled for medical care with the department is expected to increase by 30 percent in the next five years , it predicts . The median age of female veterans is much lower than their male counterparts : 47 , compared with 61 , according to Veterans Affairs data . Hayes said the department can offer female veterans better care than they would receive in private practices . `` Women are screened for unique health concerns like cervical cancer or breast cancer at higher rates than non-VA health care programs , '' she noted . While noting that the department has taken steps to upgrade its services and facilities to meet the needs of female veterans , investigators found that it stumbled on some more basic elements . None of the facilities visited was fully compliant with the department 's standards for privacy , investigators found , including privacy in the check-in area . `` In most clinical settings , check-in desk or windows were located in a mixed-gender waiting room or on a high-traffic public corridor , '' the report explained . In a majority of the clinics , `` check-in desk were located in close proximity to chairs where other patients waited for their appointment . '' In one facility , it said , investigators observed other patients lining up immediately behind the patient trying to check in . The government investigators also found that exam tables were not oriented away from the door or shielded properly by curtains , as is required , and there was a lack of toilets near the facilities where gynecological examinations were conducted . And only two of the facilities provided sanitary napkin dispensers in at least one public restroom for women . | GAO report finds centers lacking in simple accommodations . Veterans ' agency says it is working hard for improvement . Aging infrastructure expected to complicate efforts . Number of women enrolled for care expected to rise 30 percent over five years . | [[706, 838], [3111, 3198], [3238, 3304], [839, 1075], [1080, 1125], [2048, 2106], [2083, 2156], [2554, 2583], [2619, 2690]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Pacific island nation of Palau has agreed to take in 17 Chinese Muslims held at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , the country 's ambassador to the United States said Wednesday . The map shows the Pacific island nation of Palau in relation to China . Details of the transfer are still being worked out , Ambassador Hersey Kyota told CNN . But Kyota said his country , a former U.S. Pacific trust territory , has agreed to take in the ethnic Uighur detainees `` for humanitarian reasons '' and because of the `` special relationship '' between Palau and the United States . U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly would not comment on the announcement , telling reporters , `` We 're still involved in ongoing discussions . '' The agreement includes some U.S. aid for Palau , Kyota said , but he said those details remained to be worked out as well . The country , with a population of about 20,000 , is about 1,000 miles southeast of Manila , Philippines , and about 4,600 miles west of Hawaii . Palau has received nearly $ 900 million in U.S. aid since independence in 1994 , according to congressional auditors , and depends on Washington for defense . The `` Compact of Free Association '' between Palau and the United States is up for review , but Kelly said any additional aid offer `` is not linked to any other discussions we may be having with the government of Palau . '' The Uighurs were accused of receiving weapons and military training in Afghanistan . Some of the prisoners have been cleared for release from the Guantanamo Bay facility since 2003 , but the United States would not send them back to China out of concern that Chinese authorities would torture them . A federal court ordered the men released , but an appeals court halted that order . China has said no returned Uighurs would be tortured , but it has warned other countries against taking the men . Foreign Ministry spokesman Jiang Yu told reporters in February that the men `` must be handed over to China and brought to justice . '' | Country 's ambassador to U.S. says agreement includes some aid to Palau . Uighurs are native Chinese Muslims . Palau agrees to take 17 Uighurs from Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . U.S. would n't send Uighur detainees to China due to torture concerns . | [[162, 225], [775, 821], [0, 26], [30, 105], [87, 152], [390, 395], [443, 504], [1617, 1668], [1684, 1729]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama said Thursday that watching the arrival of 18 flag-draped cases containing bodies of Americans killed in Afghanistan was a `` sobering reminder '' of U.S. sacrifice as he prepares to decide on sending more troops there . At a brief media appearance with visiting Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore , Obama was asked whether his unannounced appearance at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the pre-dawn dignified transfer of the bodies would influence his decision on troop levels in Afghanistan . `` Obviously , it was a sobering reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our young men and women in uniform are engaging in every single day , '' the president said . Obama said the burden of war on U.S. troops and their families will `` bear on how I see these conflicts . '' `` It is something I think about each and every day , '' he said . Also in attendance for the transfer of the bodies were Attorney General Eric Holder and Michele Leonhart , acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration . The bodies included three DEA special agents and 15 U.S. troops who died in Afghanistan this week . The agents were killed Monday as they returned from a raid on a compound believed to be harboring insurgents tied to drug trafficking . Seven U.S. troops also died when their helicopter went down in western Afghanistan . The military transport that landed in Delaware also included the bodies of eight U.S. soldiers killed Tuesday when their vehicles were hit by roadside bombs in two incidents in southern Afghanistan . The soldiers were from the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division , based at Fort Lewis , Washington . The DEA identified the agents killed Monday as Forrest N. Leamon , 37 , of Woodbridge , Virginia ; Chad L. Michael , 30 , of Quantico , Virginia ; and Michael E. Weston , 37 , of Washington . Leamon and Michael were members of the DEA 's Foreign-deployed Advisory and Support Teams , and Weston was assigned to the agency 's Kabul office . CNN 's Carol Cratty contributed to this report . | President Obama was on hand as bodies of soldiers who died in Afghanistan returned home . DEA agents , U.S. troops were recently killed in helicopter crash . Eight U.S. soldiers also killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan . | [[110, 151], [1060, 1123], [1296, 1313], [1319, 1380], [1442, 1580]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama should end a longstanding policy of not writing letters of condolence to families of troops who commit suicide , dozens of lawmakers urged him in a letter Wednesday . The lawmakers warned that `` our armed forces are in the midst of a suicide epidemic . '' U.S. Army statistics show that more than 200 troops have killed themselves this year , more than in 2008 , which was a record year . `` By overturning this policy on letters of condolence to the families of suicide victims , you can send a strong signal that you will not tolerate a culture in our armed forces that discriminates against those with a mental illness , '' the lawmakers wrote . The White House has begun a review of the condolence policy , which the 46 members of Congress said should be completed as soon as possible . They also argued the policy of treating suicides differently from deaths in action flew in the face of military funeral procedure , which treats both the same . Service members who kill themselves get `` a full military burial , complete with flag-draped coffin and 21-gun salute . We have not heard of any reports that military morale and discipline have waned as a result , '' they wrote . They also argued that letters of condolence are `` as much about respect for the personal loss that a family experiences as it is about an acknowledgment by our nation that we have lost a soldier . '' The White House said two weeks ago its review of the policy should `` hopefully '' conclude shortly . White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president himself asked for the review . `` If the president did n't care , the policy would remain unchanged and unexamined , '' Gibbs said at a December 9 news conference . Despite this year 's rise in suicides , Army officials said a recent trend downward could signal progress in programs intended to reduce the problem . Between January and mid-November , 140 active-duty soldiers killed themselves , as did 71 Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers . That 's a total of 211 as of November 17 , when Gen. Peter Chiarelli , the Army vice chief of staff , briefed reporters about the problem . But he said the monthly numbers are starting to slow down as the year nears its end . `` This is horrible , and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way , '' Chiarelli said . For all of 2008 , the Army said 140 active-duty soldiers killed themselves , while 57 Guard and Reserve soldiers committed suicide , totaling 197 . While the lawmakers cited attitudes toward the mentally ill , the Army is still trying to tackle why soldiers are killing themselves . `` We still have n't found any statistically significant causal linkage that would allow us to effectively predict human behavior . The reality is , there is no simple answer -- each suicide case is as unique as the individuals themselves , '' Chiarelli said . He also said there were troubling new statistics showing an increase in suicide rates among young soldiers who have never deployed , another factor puzzling Army researchers . CNN 's Adam S. Levine , Larry Shaughnessy , Mike Mount and Elaine Quijano contributed to this report . | Forty-six members of Congress ask President Obama to revise policy . White House does not send condolence letters to families of suicide victims . Obama asked for review of policy , spokesman says . Policy stigmatizes mental illness , lawmakers say . | [[159, 200], [696, 755], [1533, 1623], [1579, 1592], [1601, 1623]] |
Vero Beach , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Louis Schacht 's family has been growing citrus in Vero Beach , Florida , for 60 years , contributing to a multibillion-dollar industry . But this year , he 's worried . The winter weather blasting much of the country has made it to Florida , and the cold front now moving through is expected to last longer than usual . That could prove disastrous for Schacht and his fellow growers at the peak of the picking season . A chill can enhance the taste of the oranges and grapefruit that the Schacht family business grows and ships around the world . But if the temperature drops to 28 degrees Fahrenheit or below and stays there for four hours , fruit across Florida could be frozen and the crop destroyed . `` If it stays just above freezing , it can really help sweeten the fruit , but it 's a fine line to walk . If it gets too cold , you can definitely have some damage , '' Schacht said . He has flooded his 280-acre grove in a bid to protect his fruit , as have larger growers across the state . `` What that does is create a little layer of warmth , usually about 20 to 25 feet from the surface , which is all we really need , '' Schacht said . And Schacht said that 's just about all he can do . He said the fate of his fruit is now out of his hands . `` We 've basically done what we can do , '' he said . `` You say a prayer and go to bed . '' CNNMoney.com : Will prices rise for orange juice ? Schacht ships directly to customers around the world . `` As a small grower , you try to sell everything that you can , direct to the consumer , '' he said . His crop contributes to Florida being the No. 1 producer of oranges in the country . `` The citrus industry has a 9 billion-dollar annual economic impact , '' says Florida Citrus Mutual spokesman Andrew Meadows . | Citrus grower says fate of his fruit is out of his hands . Cold snap now chilling state is forecast to be unusually long . Louis Schacht fears oranges and grapefruit could freeze and be ruined . | [[1242, 1297], [1250, 1278], [1283, 1297], [287, 360], [684, 745]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In an effort to alleviate problems facing the company , Starbucks announced that it will close 600 company-run U.S. stores over the next year . Most of the stores are near another Starbucks and are n't profitable . Nancy Blomquist moved from Georgia to Arizona and sent friends this photo of her first ` houseguest ' -- Starbucks . CNN.com asked iReporters to respond to the news that the coffee giant , known for its saturation of the market , is shuttering some retail locations . iReporter mattwilliams says he 's happy to see some Starbucks go , opening the market for independent coffee shops . Rusty1978 says he ca n't imagine how Starbucks is in financial trouble , given that his local store is always packed . Cval predicts more people will give up their lattes as the economy tightens . Below are a selection of iReport responses , some of which have been edited for length and clarity . iReport.com : Share your thoughts on Starbucks here . Stefan : Starbucks Coffee , no doubt , has been a powerhouse phenomenon in the American barista world . The coffee super-giant has not only introduced , but set a national trend in coffee drinking for years to come ... they have created a culture . Everywhere you look , from street corners , to bookstores and now even supermarkets , there is a Starbucks coffee shop or stand . So what will we do if we no longer have our daily dose of super-charged joe ? Go somewhere else . Since they started becoming a national chain , there has been a rush of smaller coffee shops trying to duplicate the relaxing , welcoming feel of Starbucks , and some do well and even exceed the patron 's expectations , offering sofa 's , tables , background music and even free internet . But what about the coffee ? As for those specialty drinks , many small coffee shop owners have started sending their employees to barista school , where they learn how to make the `` perfect '' cup of coffee / espresso with those perfect little beans . ... It is possible we may see a new coffee shop in town ; and maybe , just maybe , the `` next big thing '' . FlashBauer38 : I am glad to see Starbucks finally realized you only need one store per city block . I personally do not like or go to Starbucks . I normally get my coffee from Dunkin Donuts on the way to work or buy grounds from them to make at home ... for a reasonable price . I already have to spend $ 4 a gallon on gas , why would I spend $ 4 for 12 oz of coffee ? cval : You 're kidding me , right ? Anyone heard of the Mr. Coffee machine ? You can get one for $ 15 , and set it to have your coffee ready for you when you roll out of bed , then it turns off an hour later so as not to burn your house down should you forget to turn it off . Starbucks has always been a luxury item , when people need to get back to basics to survive . Maybe people are just realizing this , and it is way overdue if you ask me . It 's as expensive as smoking , think of all the money you can put into savings if you brew your own coffee . Johnmcook : `` My Starbucks '' , in the Uptown section of West Village is much more than a place to get a cup of java . It is a real part of the community , a busy , urban , somewhat trendy area near downtown Dallas . I know each employee by name and they know me . I keep track of their progress through college , another 's budding music career , and will attend another 's wedding . When on the patio with my Chihuahua , they bring him water to help beat the heat or whipped cream as a treat ... If you have ever spent time in the UK ... you understand the social importance of meeting at the local pub ... my Starbucks is the equivalent of that . You come there to get your favorite coffee but you leave with and come back for ... so much more . rusty1978 : Well , amongst all the Starbucks frowners around , I must say it 's strong coffee and that 's how I like it . I 've got a Starbucks in commercial space in my building -- so convenient . I love the Verona , Gold Coast and Kenya blends . I just ca n't believe they 're not doing good business as most every store is always packed with people -- and they 've even raised their prices last year , so I ca n't understand the closings at all . Someone please explain . Yes , I prefer strong Starbucks coffee in the morning ! mattwilliams : Could I live without Starbucks ? The answer is a resounding YES ! I live in a small tourist town on the coast of Georgia . Our many different local restaurants provide unique dining experiences with their atmospheres and menus . This is something I fear is being lost because of big chains like Starbucks coming in and replacing local , unique businesses with the same atmosphere and dining experience one could have in Anytown , USA . So rather than make every little getaway town in this country the very same one Starbucks at a time , I say boycott them all and shut them all down ! That wo n't happen because Starbucks has become part of a routine for so many people . What would be nice is for the average American consumer to wake up and try to have a unique experience in his or her hometown . Rather than going to that same Starbucks that is so convenient with its drive-thru and perfect location on the way to one 's destination , why not take a detour and find a mom-and-pop coffee shoppe , like our own Palm Coast Coffee or Daddy Cate 's , and support their brave attempt at making the landscape of where one lives unique . Nblomq : Definitely a Starbucks Junkie ! I moved from Georgia to Arizona last fall , and the first digital picture I sent my girlfriends once I arrived in Tucson was a picture of my first official visitor to my new home ... a Starbucks Chai ! grdpxjmpr : I absolutely could live without Starbucks . Reason 1 : I do n't like the taste of Starbucks coffee , especially since they had their closure back in February to make their coffee shop more like a coffee shop . The coffee they have started using since then is terrible . 2 . If the Starbucks chain would close some stores , it would allow mom-and-pop-type places to get a footing in the market or allow local smaller chains to expand . 3 . Buying beans for home and making your own coffee is substantially less expensive than getting coffee every day from Starbucks . In this economy , being able to pinch pennies helps . MrRealtor : I hate to say this , but I just like a good ole cup of coffee , and that can not be found at a Starbucks . Even their most mild coffee is terribly bitter . Will I miss them ? No . I would miss a 99-cent cup of coffee from 7-11 worse than a $ 4.50 cup of yuck from Starbucks . Blueken : In my entire life , I have had exactly one coffee from Starbucks . Nothing special . I 'm not a coffee snob , of course , but I do like a pure Kona roast . I get my caffeine fix at the local gas station . Fresh brewed , $ 1.49 . I predict overpriced microbrew beer is the next to take a hit as the economy gets real . IchDenke : Yep , Starbucks is too pricey , too burnt and too mega for me ! Gim me a hometown-y joint that ai n't too expensive and supports our veterans like Just Plain Joe 's , and I 'm OK ! :-RRB- . | The Starbucks coffee chain announced Tuesday it will shutter 600 stores . CNN readers respond to the news , exchange divided opinions of the coffee giant . iReporter FlashBauer58 says as gas prices climb , pricey drink purchases will fall . iReport.com : Love Starbucks ? What about the chain ? Share your opinion . | [[75, 162], [351, 501], [404, 420], [464, 501], [5991, 6034], [6862, 6938], [917, 928], [931, 970]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Flannery O'Connor did not expect to become the subject of a biography . She thought the narrow borders of her life -- lived `` between the house and the chicken yard '' -- would n't give a writer much to work with . Author Flannery O'Connor -LRB- here with two of her peacocks -RRB- remains a subject of fascination for many . It would therefore come as a surprise -LRB- and probably secretly please her -RRB- to learn she is the focus of at least three . The latest is `` Flannery : A Life of Flannery O'Connor '' -LRB- Little , Brown -RRB- by Brad Gooch , an exhaustively researched exploration of O'Connor 's unlikely journey from shy , sarcastic and `` contrary '' Georgia girl to acerbic literary treasure . That she suffered from lupus and died before the age of 40 is well-known to fans of O'Connor . But Gooch uncovers much that even ardent followers of the author will find revealing , including details of her college career as a cartoonist , and her time in Iowa City at the Iowa Writers ' Workshop . The book manages to synthesize what seems difficult to reconcile : how such a chaste , religious person could produce stories that are bitingly funny and filled with shocking violence . Watch O'Connor 's fascinating story '' Gooch spoke with CNN about his experience researching the biography . What follows is an edited version of the interview . CNN : When did you first discover Flannery O'Connor ? Brad Gooch : I first read her stories in my 20s and loved them , and then a little later , the -LSB- collected -RSB- letters came up , `` The Habit of Being . '' And I 'd had a few hunches about her from reading the stories , which were a little mysterious . ... And then when I read the letters , a lot of those hunches seemed true . ... Trying to put the life of this woman together with the stories became as interesting as the stories to me . CNN : She was n't always known as Flannery O'Connor . Gooch : Her name was Mary Flannery O'Connor , and her mother and everyone in Milledgeville -LRB- Georgia -RRB- , where she lived most of her life , continued to call her Mary Flannery . But when she went to Iowa City -- the Iowa Writers ' Workshop -- early on , she decided she wanted to be a writer , and she decided on the name Flannery . She later said , `` Who would want to buy these stories of an Irish washerwoman named Mary O'Connor ? '' Partly , I think she wanted to lose the Southern-ness of `` Mary Flannery . '' ... Also , Flannery was a gender-neutral name . ... Her initial rejection letters were actually addressed to `` Mr. Flannery O'Connor , '' and I think she kind of liked that neutrality . CNN : What did you find most remarkable about her ? Gooch : I think the discipline of her writing becomes ... almost inspiring . She developed lupus when she was 25 , she lived until she was 39 . And in that period , she kept up this regimen that she had begun at the Iowa Writers ' Workshop of writing every morning for three hours , even if it meant sitting in front of a blank page . ... -LSB- Near the end of her life -RSB- she was editing her final stories and hiding them under the pillow in the hospital from the doctors so that she could go on . She was still working on her last story after she had last rites . ... All of that is a sort of -LSB- a -RSB- level of commitment that is startling and unmatched . CNN : Her stories are often funny , yet disturbing . Gooch : Her style goes under these names , like grotesque or gothic , but she was really crossing these two wires of humor and almost this kind of dark theological writing that had never been put together before . ... -LSB- In `` A Good Man is Hard to Find '' -RSB- a family on vacation ... meets someone named the Misfit , this ex-con in the woods . ... And he winds up shooting the entire family while spouting existentialist , nihilist philosophy . And in that story , there 's always a point where you keep laughing past this line , and suddenly someone 's being shot and you 're laughing and then -LSB- readers -RSB- get very uncomfortable . They ca n't tell whether this is supposed to be funny or not , and I think that O'Connor definitely works in that territory , where you ca n't tell if she 's being funny or tragic and serious . CNN : The titles of her stories and novels are so wonderful -- `` A Good Man Is Hard to Find , '' `` Everything That Rises Must Converge , '' `` The Life You Save May Be Your Own , '' `` The Violent Bear It Away . '' Gooch : `` A Good Man is Hard to Find '' was a Bessie Smith song ; `` Everything That Rises Must Converge '' she got from Teilhard de Chardin , a favorite Catholic theologian of hers . You see in a way how sophisticated she was in her approach to her writing . I think sometimes when people read the stories , they confuse O'Connor with the character in her story , and they think she is some Grandma-Moses-crazy-folk-artist , but actually she was an incredibly educated artist who had read everything , including a lot of theology . ... The titles ... are attracting and punchy , but you also see that she 's working kind of consciously with these reverberating references . CNN : What do you make of her fascination with birds ? Gooch : When she was forced by lupus to move back to the South and live on a dairy farm with her mother in Georgia , one of the first things she did besides getting very serious about working on her stories was to order a peacock . And eventually she had 39 peacocks . ... And I think that she was very conscious that the peacock was this gawky , comic bird . I think she identified with the peacock for that reason . The peacock squawked all night and annoyed people , ate her mother 's flowers , and yet , at this certain willful moment , opened its tail and revealed what she called this `` map of the universe . '' So , I think it really stood in a way for this kind of transfiguration that would take place for her spiritually but also in the beauty of her writing . ... She definitely made an effort to make the peacock her own personal logo . CNN : What is her literary reputation 45 years after her death ? Gooch : She seems to be ever more popular . When she died she was considered almost a minor writer . Her second volume of stories had n't even come out ; her `` Collected Stories '' was published in the early 1970s and got a posthumous National Book Award . It seems that every decade , interest in her grows . When the Library of America put out her collected works 10 years ago , she outsold Faulkner . So she has this popularity and interest . And -LSB- she -RSB- increasingly shows up in funny pop culture ways . I think in the last episode of `` Lost '' the character was reading `` Everything That Rises Must Converge '' in the last scene . So , counterintuitively , she 's only growing in importance . CNN : It 's amazing that she had a literary career at all , given how debilitating her illness was . Gooch : What became inspiring to me , unexpectedly , writing this book -LSB- was how she dealt -RSB- with her illness , and that she finally was nobody 's victim . ... Everything we think of as a Flannery O'Connor story came after she had been diagnosed as having lupus and settled in to life in the South . You get the sense that this was almost a magical thinking , where she thought that writing these stories was keeping her alive . | New biography of Flannery O'Connor offers insights on Southern author . Biographer Brad Gooch : O'Connor 's discipline was `` inspiring '' Author suffered from lupus , was dead by 39 , but left brilliant body of work . | [[2731, 2799], [757, 785], [757, 765], [790, 815], [2838, 2866], [7150, 7225]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two Washington Wizards basketball players drew guns on each other during a heated Christmas Eve gambling debt dispute , the New York Post reported Friday . Law enforcement authorities said they were investigating an incident but gave no details . Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton both brandished firearms in the team 's locker room , the Post reported , citing NBA league sources . The dispute erupted when Arenas , a three-time NBA all-star , refused to pay up on a debt owed to Crittenton , the Post stated , citing an anonymous league source . Multiple sources said Arenas drew his gun first , the Post reported . Arenas denied the charge , saying he never pulled a weapon . Neither Arenas , 27 , nor Crittenton , 22 , could be reached for comment Friday . The incident , according to the Post , occurred during a Wizards practice day at the Verizon Center , the team 's arena in downtown Washington . It is unclear whether any other Wizards players witnessed the alleged confrontation , the Post said . NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Friday that there is `` an active investigation '' being conducted by Washington law enforcement authorities . `` We are not taking any independent action at this time , '' he said . The Wizards also released a statement Friday saying that the team takes `` this situation and the ongoing investigation very seriously . We are continuing to cooperate fully with the proper authorities and the NBA . '' A Washington Metropolitan Police Department statement earlier in the week said local law enforcement was assisting the U.S. Attorney 's Office for the District of Columbia `` with an investigation into an allegation that weapons were located inside a locker room at the Verizon Center . '' `` There are a lot of rumors going around , '' Washington Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Friday . `` We need to get it right . '' CNN 's David Close and Rick Martin contributed to this report . | New York Post : Washington Wizards teammates drew guns on each other . Gilbert Arenas , Javaris Crittenton argued over gambling debt , paper says . Authorities say they are investigating incident but gave no details . | [[0, 26], [30, 147], [333, 384], [277, 332], [186, 254], [186, 213], [219, 223], [259, 276], [1060, 1139], [1111, 1199]] |
Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia are the blind husband and wife team from Mali who first gained widespread international attention in 2005 with their album `` Dimanche a Bamako '' . Amadou and Mariam have made the crossover to find international pop success . After writing and performing together since they met at Institute of Young Blind of Bamako in 1977 , their international break-through came when world music heavyweight Manu Chao produced their commercial hit album . With a more pop-friendly sound but with the couple 's positive and mesmeric vocals and Bagayoko 's guitar playing , the duo have been feted by musicians across the world ; the played opening sets for the Scissor Sisters and will be the opening act for Coldplay on their latest tour . Having made the transition from world music to international pop sensations the couple talk to African Voices about their journey through music , coping with the setback of blindness and how their careers are on a high over 30 years after they began singing . Watch the show on CNN on Saturday July 25 , 12.30 , 21.30 GMT and Sunday July 26 , 18.00 GMT . | Blind husband and wife team from Mali have become international music stars . Met at Institute for Young Blind in Bamako in 1977 , married three years later . 2005 album brought them crossover fame ; opening act for Coldplay before solo tour . | [[0, 80], [184, 261], [593, 648], [76, 80], [85, 140], [184, 261], [649, 762]] |
She told stories , flirted outrageously with boys and was constantly changing her hairstyle . Anne Frank hid with her family in a secret room at her father Otto Frank 's office in Amsterdam . It could be the description of almost any young girl growing up in Europe . But this is how Eva Schloss remembers her childhood friend Anne Frank , who had she not died in a Nazi concentration camp , would have celebrated her 80th birthday this week . Schloss described Frank , whose account of hiding from Jewish persecution in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam is one of the world 's mostly widely-read books , as a spunky young schoolgirl with a passion for storytelling that often got her into trouble . `` She got her diary in 1942 , so obviously her father knew she was interested in writing and I know she told stories , '' said Schloss . `` She talked a lot and she was called Mrs Quack Quack . Very often she used to write hundreds of lines -LSB- at school -RSB- of ` I 'm not going to talk so much , ' and so on -- but obviously she had a lot to tell . '' In some ways the two friends lived parallel lives -- but tragically they had very different outcomes . Watch more about Schloss ' story '' Schloss and Frank both came from Jewish families who fled to Holland to escape the wave of anti-Semitism spreading across Europe as the Nazis rose to power in Germany ahead of the Second World War . But while Schloss was more of an introvert , Frank loved the limelight . Schloss said : `` I was actually quite shy and she was the center of attention . We had steps where we sat , and she had a crowd of children around her . `` She was a big flirt -- she loved boys . She was always showing us who was her boyfriend at that particular time . She was always interested in her clothes . Her style , she always changed it . Sometimes she had curls , then she had straight hair . '' Schloss says they were unaware of the full scale of what was going on around them as war escalated across Europe , placing their lives in increasing jeopardy . `` Our parents really protected us so there was no talk about the horrendous things which happened . `` You could n't go out anymore after 8 o'clock , but for a 11 to 12 year old it did n't matter so much . Or not going to the cinema -- we were upset about those little things which we could n't do , but we really did n't really take it seriously at that time . '' Like Frank , Schloss was also forced into hiding when the Nazis took control of Holland . Frank hid with her family in a secret room at her father Otto Frank 's office . But Schloss and her family had to split up . Schloss stayed with her mother while her father and brother hid elsewhere . She and her mother moved around , staying in seven different hiding places over a two-year period . Eventually both families were betrayed and were sent to concentration camps , where Frank died at the age of 15 . Schloss said : `` My father and brother were betrayed by a Dutch nurse who was a double agent , and all four of us were arrested and taken to the headquarters to be interrogated . `` I did n't know anything , which was a good thing . So eventually they realized this and they gave up torturing me . Within two days we were put on a transport to Auschwitz . '' Of her family , only Schloss and her mother survived Auschwitz , one of the most notorious concentration camps , located in southern Poland . Today Schloss , who has just celebrated her own 80th birthday , has a husband , three daughters and five grandchildren . Schloss says it took her decades to rebuild her life , with the help of Frank 's father Otto , who also survived incarceration in a concentration camp . She met Otto in August 1945 , when he showed her Frank 's diary . Schloss said : `` He read a few passages but he always burst into tears . It took me 20 years . I was really unhappy , but it was Otto who came to our apartment to talk to us , and he helped me a lot . He had lost everybody . `` Her book , she -LSB- Frank -RSB- made people aware of what happened . There are many messages . She believed in the goodness of mankind . `` People always ask me , what she would have done . I guess we will never know . But I guess she would have gone into politics -- she was a fighter . It 's a pity , but also -- maybe her diary would have never been published . '' CNN 's Don Riddell contributed to this story . | Anne Frank would have celebrated her 80th birthday this week . Frank , 15 , died at Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland . Her diary is one of the world 's mostly widely-read books . Like Frank , Eva Schloss and her family fled from Nazi persecution of the Jews . | [[385, 443], [2840, 2853], [2868, 2897], [444, 451], [545, 592], [1187, 1204], [1210, 1235]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The bodies of three students at a North Dakota university who had been missing since Sunday were found Tuesday in a vehicle submerged in a pond near their school , police said . The discovery came Tuesday afternoon after a search team found tire tracks leading to a stock pond for cattle five miles northwest of Dickinson , North Dakota , Lt. William Leach of the Stark County Sheriff 's Office told CNN . The investigators found a white 1997 Jeep Cherokee with California tags containing the bodies , he said . Foul play is not suspected , he said . The Dickinson State University softball players -- Kyrstin Gemar , 22 , a senior who owned the car ; Afton Williamson , 20 , a junior ; and Ashley Neufeld , 21 , a senior -- had last been reported seen about 10:45 p.m. Sunday , according to CNN affiliate KXMB . At 11:18 p.m. and 11:19 p.m. , teammates received two distress calls from the women during which they mentioned water and a lake , said Connie Walter , Dickinson director of university relations . After the calls ended abruptly , the teammates contacted law enforcement and the search began . At 12:07 a.m. Monday , a `` ping '' on a tower from one of the students ' cell phones was traced to a cell tower five miles northeast of Dickinson and authorities concentrated their search in that area , officials said . Watch the women 's coach recall `` awesome person '' Authorities have not identified the owner of the pond , which is 25 yards by 25 yards in area . It was not known how the students ended up in the stock pond , which is on private property and is part of a farm and cattle operation , Walter said . Dickinson Police Officer Thomas Grosz told ABC 's `` Good Morning America '' that authorities believed the women may have gone out to a lake to stargaze . That would not have been unusual , Gemar 's father , Lenny , told ABC . Dickinson , he said , is a `` pretty small town '' without an active nightlife . He said the women routinely drove to a lake to stargaze and chat . Williamson and Gemar were from California , while Neufeld was from Canada , according to KXMB . Dickinson is almost 100 miles west of Bismarck , North Dakota . | Police find women in car submerged in pond . Friend says the missing women called her , were hysterical , mentioned water . The three students were known to stargaze at lake , father of one tells ABC . Kyrstin Gemar , Afton Williamson and Ashley Neufeld were last seen Sunday night . | [[133, 180], [906, 915], [929, 960], [1646, 1800], [1728, 1800], [1836, 1851], [1862, 1872], [1954, 2020], [1962, 2020], [48, 76], [81, 142], [732, 733], [744, 795]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The head of Iran 's soccer federation issued a public apology and a member of his staff resigned after the federation mistakenly sent a New Year 's greeting to its counterpart in Israel , Iranian officials announced Sunday . `` It was a big mistake sending an e-mail to Israel 's football federation , '' Ali Kaffashian , president of the Iran Football Federation , said in a statement carried by the semi-official Mehrs News Agency . `` However , I am sure the director of the foreign relations office did n't do it on purpose . '' Kaffashian said Iran 's soccer league routinely sends New Year 's greetings to all members of FIFA , the sport 's global federation , except for Israel . Iran does not recognize Israel , which it dismisses as the `` Zionist entity , '' and the two countries ' teams do not meet in international competitions . Mohammad-Mansour Azimzadeh Ardebili , the head of the league 's foreign relations office , resigned over the matter , Kaffashian said . | New Year 's e-mail to Israel was a mistake , Iranian officials say . Iran does n't recognize Israel . Iran 's soccer federation usually sends greetings to all FIFA members except Israel . Head of the Iranian federation 's foreign relations office resigns . | [[85, 204], [247, 318], [706, 736], [552, 705], [568, 650]] |
OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA , Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As you walk down Prince Street in Old Town Alexandria , Virginia , it may be easy to forget that it 's 2009 . Music preservationist Curtis Blues works the streets of Old Town Alexandria , Virginia . You might find a wooden-wheeled carriage rolling by , drawn by a mule . Holding the reins and telling the history of the town is a woman dressed in clothing of an era long past . Gas lanterns burn and adorn intricate woodwork on townhouse entrances . Cobblestone streets preserving the past lead the way to the waterfront , where the old Torpedo Factory lies . And if you listen carefully , you can hear the sounds of the past echoing in the alleys and old tunnels . The sounds come courtesy of musician Curtis Blues . `` This is a one-string diddley bow , '' Blues says as he picks up a crude , homemade instrument constructed from items you might find in any kitchen . `` They used to tie a wire on a barn door and amplify it with a metal jar top . '' He picks up the portable version of the diddley bow and plucks the one string . He uses a metal slide to change the pitch and creates a rather unique musical sound . Although Blues had n't yet begun performing , a crowd of curious tourists gathers to watch . Blues is a Mississippi Delta Blues preservationist . He owns a plethora of instruments that were used by delta musicians starting around the turn of the 20th century . He picks up his harmonica and begins to play . Powerful bending notes fly from it as he demonstrates how his heroes used the shape of their mouths to create a louder , richer sound that would reach more people on the streets . Blues started playing blues harmonica when he was 14 years old , and he has been studying , learning and performing blues music ever since . `` This acoustic style of music , I grew up with on the folk circuit . So I was exposed to some of the old blues men , and I fell in love with it , '' Blues says . `` My mission is to preserve it as the acoustic form it was before it went to Chicago and became electric band music . '' He adds : `` So it 's a preservation of an era , a moment in history , and a style of performance . One of the aspects of my preservation work is to preserve the voice of these unique instruments of this era . '' Watch Blues ply his trade '' For the past 14 years , Blues has had a one-man-band blues show that he performs in the shadow of the Old Torpedo Factory , located on the boardwalk in the heart of Old Town . His show finds him with a bright silver metal resonator guitar , a harmonica mounted around his neck , and a bass drum with cymbals . `` They performed in settings just like this on the side of the river , '' Blues says of the old-time blues musicians . `` So when I 'm playing out here I 'm really stepping into their shoes . But there 's no assumption that anyone has to pay me at all . The term in Europe is called ` busking . ' The idea behind busking is that you 're turning a stranger into a paying customer in just a few seconds . '' One of Blues ' `` busking '' techniques is to get the kids involved . `` Would you like to be part of my band ? '' he asks a shy little red-haired girl hiding behind her mother 's leg . `` I could use a pretty girl like you in my band ! Come on up here and grab a maraca . '' Blues soon has a small percussion section to his right , and each child has a parent holding a dollar for the children to place into his tip box after the song in appreciation of the fun that has been added to their day . Near the end of the song , Blues lowers the music and addresses the crowd . `` Now if you 're thinking of tipping me today and I hope you are , please consider my huge family ! '' And he gestures to the several children next to him holding colorful plastic maracas . `` And that little one there , '' he goes on , `` he eats the most out of all of them . '' The crowd laughs , and dollars pile into his tip box . Later in his show , Blues picks up a cigar-box banjo . It is literally a wooden cigar box that is attached to a long wooden neck with four strings fastened at either end . He describes the instrument to a few very interested onlookers . He stands up and sings a classic blues song called `` Turkey-Legged Woman '' and begins to engage the crowd face to face . `` Part of my job out here is not only to perform the art , but to educate the public to support the art , '' Blues explains . `` This idea of live music , that when they bring their kids by and they come across a person performing outdoors without a microphone , that this is something of value that we should treasure , and that we should support . '' `` The future of the blues is very bright , '' says Blues , `` because the human spirit always resonates and relates to the blues . '' The sun begins to set . The crowd slowly changes from shorts and flip-flops to skirts and heels . Blues says he will play on the street `` as long as there are people here to stop and listen . '' Then he runs his slide up the neck of his steel guitar . | Sounds of the past echo through streets of Old Town Alexandria , Virginia . Curtis Blues is a music preservationist , plays instruments of a past era . `` Busking '' is `` turning a stranger into a paying customer in just a few seconds '' Human spirit always relates to the blues , music preservationist says . | [[640, 715], [160, 235], [1262, 1314], [2934, 3039], [2966, 3039], [4712, 4725], [4731, 4799]] |
CABO SAN LUCAS , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hurricane Jimena weakened to a Category 3 storm Tuesday afternoon , but remained dangerous as it bore down on the Mexican peninsula of Baja California , with the resort town of Cabo San Lucas in its path . Jimena bears down Tuesday evening on Baja California , with the resort town of Cabo San Lucas in its path . Meanwhile , Tropical Storm Erika formed in the Atlantic on Tuesday , east of the northern Leeward Islands , the National Hurricane Center said . Jimena 's maximum wind speed dropped from 125 mph to 120 mph -LRB- 195 kph -RRB- , according to the U.S. National Weather Service 's 5 p.m. PT -LRB- 8 p.m. ET -RRB- update . `` A gradual weakening is forecast during the next 24 to 48 hours , '' the weather service said . `` However , Jimena could be near major hurricane strength when it makes landfall . '' The storm 's center is forecast to come ashore on Thursday morning , but the weather service warned that `` because it will be moving parallel to the coastline , any slight change in direction could have a huge impact in the location and timing of landfall . '' Mexico 's government extended a hurricane warning for most of the southern half of the Baja peninsula -- from Punta Abreojos on the peninsula 's west coast to Mulege on its east coast , according to the National Weather Service . See the storm 's projected path '' A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area in the next 24 hours and people should quickly prepare `` to protect life and property . '' `` A dangerous storm surge along with battering waves will produce significant coastal flooding along the Baja California Peninsula , '' NWS said . On its current track , Jimena 's center will approach the peninsula 's southern portion later on Tuesday and central Baja California peninsula by Thursday , the weather service said . In addition to damaging winds , the storm could bring as much as 15 inches of rain , forecasters said . Jimena -- the 10th named storm of the Pacific season -- was centered about 85 miles -LRB- 135 km -RRB- west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas , according to the weather service . It was traveling north-northwest near 12 mph -LRB- 19 kph -RRB- . On Tuesday , the skies in Cabo San Lucas were overcast and gusts of wind began to pick up . There were good waves for surfing , but popular beaches were devoid of tourists . Red flags warned people to stay out of the water , in case they needed any reminding . The day before , airlines offered extra flights to leave the area . Lionel Alvarez , who runs a resort hotel called `` Las Ventanas al Pariaso '' in the town of San Jose del Cabo , found a silver lining to the coming storm . `` The wind is refreshing a little bit because of the high temperatures we 've gone through in the past few days , '' he said . But Alvarez , like other locals , had work to do in preparation of Jimena . `` We protect the property by dismantling all that could be dangerous , fly or can be broken , '' he said . Authorities had asked about 10,000 people to evacuate the area , but many had decided to wait out the storm . Cuauhtemoc Morgan , a local resident of Los Cabos who sent videos to to CNN 's iReport , said residents had protected every home in his neighborhood , fortifying windows with masking tape . Lines at supermarkets were long with worried residents preparing for the storms , Morgan said . See iReport videos . Authorities were setting up shelters in schools and trying to devise a plan to protect the homeless , he added . The Pacific is n't the only place seeing action . As of 8 p.m. ET Tuesday , tropical storm watches were issued for the Caribbean islands of St. Maarten , Antigua , Barbuda , St. Kitts , Nevis , Anguilla , St. Martin and St. Barthelemy by the governments of France , the Netherlands Antilles , and Antigua and Barbuda , according to the hurricane center . A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions , including winds of at least 39 mph , are possible within 36 hours . See Erika 's projected path '' Interests in the northern Leeward Islands , the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico should monitor Erika 's progress , forecasters advised . Erika 's center was about 390 miles -LRB- 625 km -RRB- east of the northern Leeward Islands , the hurricane center said . Its maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph -LRB- 80 kph -RRB- , with higher gusts . While Erika meandered Tuesday afternoon , it was expected to start moving west-northwest at about 9 mph during the night . `` Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days , '' forecasters said . Tropical-storm force winds extended outward up to 105 miles -LRB- 170 km -RRB- from Erika 's center . The storm was moving west-northwest at near 9 mph -LRB- 15 kph -RRB- , and was expected to continue doing so for the next couple of days , the hurricane center said . Tracking maps put the storm east of the Bahamas by Sunday . On the forecast track , Erika should remain northeast of the Leeward Islands , forecasters said . CNN 's Betty Nguyen and CNN Radio 's Matt Cherry and Ninette Sosa contributed to this report . | Hurricane Jimena downgraded to Category 3 , hurricane center says . Jimena 's maximum winds fall to 120 mph , but storm could strengthen . Hurricane warning covers most of the southern half of the Baja Peninsula . Tropical Storm Erika forms in eastern Atlantic , National Hurricane Center says . | [[43, 108], [465, 501], [3886, 3921], [4330, 4357], [4902, 4929], [502, 582], [502, 530], [585, 675], [1123, 1224], [1388, 1407], [1414, 1492], [357, 366], [369, 423], [465, 501], [3886, 3921], [4330, 4357], [4902, 4929]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The attack on a Danish political cartoonist `` runs totally against the teachings and values of Islam , '' the umbrella organization representing Muslim countries has said . If the attack was a reaction to Kurt Westergaard 's drawing of the Muslim prophet Mohammed with a turban shaped as a bomb , `` then it should be rejected and condemned by all Muslims , '' the Organization of the Islamic Conference said in a statement Sunday . An ax-wielding Somali man is accused of trying to break into Westergaard 's home Friday and was charged the next day with attempted assassination . Intelligence officials linked the suspect to an East African Islamist militia allied with al Qaeda . The suspect tried to kill Westergaard and an on-duty police officer , the Danish Intelligence and Security Service said . Danish police shot the 28-year-old suspect Friday night as he tried to enter Westergaard 's home in the city of Aarhus . The suspect was shot in the right leg and left hand . He was hospitalized after the incident . Video showed him appearing at court strapped to a stretcher . Authorities did not identify him because the judge decided it would be illegal to disclose his name , said Chief Superintendent Ole Madsen with the East Jutland Police . They said he has legal residency in Denmark and lives in Sjaelland , near Copenhagen . The judge ordered the suspect held for four weeks while the investigation proceeds . Madsen said the man is currently the only suspect in the case , and he would not say whether police were investigating anyone else . Al-Shabaab , the militant organization with alleged ties to the suspect , is waging a bloody battle against Somalia 's transitional government and is currently on a U.S. government list of terrorist organizations . At a news conference in the Somali capital of Mogadishu , al-Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said , `` We are very happy with the Somali national who attacked the house of the Danish cartoonist who previously insulted our prophet Mohammed . This is an honor for the Somali people . We are telling that we are glad that anyone who insults Islam should be attacked wherever they are . '' Police had no indication that an attack was being planned on Westergaard , Madsen said , though the intelligence service said the suspect had been under surveillance because of his alleged terrorist links . Police said the suspect wielded an ax and a knife and managed to crack the glass front door of Westergaard 's home . A home alarm alerted police to the scene , and they were attacked by the suspect , authorities said . Westergaard , who was home with his 5-year-old granddaughter at the time of the break-in , hid in a `` panic room '' when he realized what was happening , Madsen said . Westergaard is ordinarily accompanied by bodyguards when he leaves his home , but nobody was on guard at the house Friday , the Security and Intelligence Service told CNN . Police said Westergaard was `` being taken care of '' after the break-in , but would n't reveal his new location . The incident `` once again confirms the terrorist threat that is directed against Denmark and against cartoonist Kurt Westergaard , in particular , '' said Jakob Scharf , spokesman for the Danish Security and Intelligence Service . Westergaard 's caricature of Mohammed -- showing the prophet wearing a bomb as a turban with a lit fuse -- was first published by the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten in September 2005 . It sparked an uproar among Muslims in early 2006 after newspapers reprinted the images in support of free speech . At the time , Westergaard said he wanted his cartoon to say that some people exploited the prophet to legitimize terrorism . However , many in the Muslim world interpreted the drawing as depicting their prophet as a terrorist . Over the years , Danish authorities have arrested other suspects who allegedly plotted against Westergaard 's life . After three such arrests in February 2008 , Westergaard issued a statement , saying , `` Of course I fear for my life after the Danish Security and Intelligence Service informed me of the concrete plans of certain people to kill me . However , I have turned fear into anger and indignation . It has made me angry that a perfectly normal everyday activity which I used to do by the thousand was abused to set off such madness . '' Scharf said authorities have taken measures to ensure Westergaard 's safety , and that the protection has `` proven effective . '' -- CNN 's Per Nyberg and reporter Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report . | Organization of the Islamic Conference condemns attack on cartoonist . Somali man attacked home of Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard . Westergaard known for controversial cartoons of prophet Mohammed . | [[453, 540], [883, 944], [1928, 1947], [1952, 1995], [1974, 1995], [2000, 2031]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mexico issued a hurricane warning for the southern Baja California peninsula Monday in preparation for Hurricane Jimena , a powerful Category 4 storm with winds near 155 mph -LRB- 250 kph -RRB- , the U.S. National Hurricane Center said . Forecasters expect Hurricane Jimena to approach the southwestern tip of Baja California 's peninsula Tuesday . A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours . The storm could bring as much as 2 feet of rain to the area , along with dangerous , battering waves , forecasters said . Jimena was centered about 285 miles -LRB- 460 km -RRB- south of Cabo San Lucas , Mexico , according to the hurricane center . It was traveling northwest near 10 mph -LRB- 17 kph -RRB- but meteorologists expect Jimena to pick up speed in the coming day . Forecasters expect the storm to continue in a northwest motion and approach the southwestern tip of Baja California Tuesday , forecasters said . `` It 's not expected to change in strength very much during the next day or so , '' said Daniel Brown , a hurricane specialist at the center . See the storm 's projected path '' `` It may begin to weaken a little as it approaches the Baja peninsula , but it 's expected to remain a very dangerous hurricane , perhaps a Category 3 as it approaches that area . '' Jimena is the 10th named storm of the Pacific season . Residents in spots expected to be hit by Jimena should prepare for potentially rough conditions , Brown said . Tropical Storm Kevin is also making its presence felt in the Pacific Ocean , just to the west of Jimena , but it is weak and is not expected to do any damage , according to Brown . `` For the eastern Pacific , it has been about a near-normal season . It has gotten much busier here during the month of August , '' Brown said . CNN 's John Lorinc contributed to this report . | NEW : Hurricane warning issued for the southern Baja California peninsula . The Category 4 storm is centered off Cabo San Lucas , traveling northwest at 10 mph . Jimena 's sustained winds near 155 mph , but forecasters expect it to pick up speed . | [[19, 102], [257, 367], [276, 367], [568, 646], [694, 751], [822, 945], [756, 821]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Foreign nationals who are HIV-positive will find it easier starting Monday to visit the United States . The Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed HIV infection from the list of diseases that prevent non-U.S. citizens from entering the country . HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus -- the virus that causes AIDS . Advocates for HIV-positive people said the new policy was long overdue , calling it `` a significant step forward for the United States . '' `` The end of the HIV travel and immigration ban is the beginning of a new life for countless families and thousands who had been separated because of this policy , '' said Steve Ralls , spokesman for Immigration Equality , a national rights organization for lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender and HIV-positive individuals . `` This is a new beginning for them . '' The final rule was approved in November and went into effect Monday . The new regulation takes HIV infection out of the category of `` communicable diseases of public health significance , '' the CDC said . It also removes required testing for HIV infection from the U.S. immigration medical screening process and eliminates the need for a waiver for entry into the United States . U.S. laws and regulations enacted since 1952 have made persons `` who were afflicted with any dangerous contagious disease '' ineligible to receive a visa to enter the country . People infected with HIV have been restricted since 1987 , when Congress directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to add HIV to its list of diseases of public health significance . The United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS , Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 , which President Bush signed on July 30 , 2008 , removed the statutory requirement that mandated the inclusion of HIV on the list of diseases of public health significance that barred entry in the United States . The legislation did not , however , automatically change the existing regulations , administered by HHS , that continued to list HIV as a `` communicable disease of public-health significance '' and required the more cumbersome visa process . The United States was one of 13 countries that restricted entry of HIV-positive visitors , according to amfAR , an AIDS research foundation . | Travel and immigration ban on HIV-positive travelers lifted . Advocates for HIV-positive people say the new policy was long overdue . HIV-infected visitors previously had to get a special waiver to obtain a visa . | [[549, 665], [408, 478]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- YouTube this week announced the biggest viral video sensations of 2009 , with Scottish singer Susan Boyle topping the list . The most pressing question for aspiring video creators : How do you repeat that kind of success ? Value in views . Topping the YouTube charts brings significant value -- Boyle 's clip had more than 120 million views on the site . Had the parties involved negotiated an ad revenue split -LRB- they initially did not -RRB- , a not-inconceivable $ 10 cost-per-thousand-impressions would have yielded revenue in excess of $ 1 million . When a clip has a commercial purpose , the brand value may be significantly higher : Evian 's Roller Babies ad ranked fifth , with more than 27 million views , and the company says the campaign 's success slowed its sales decline . A commercial impact was also felt in the case of the JK Wedding Entrance Dance -LRB- more than 33 million views -RRB- . The clip , which features a wedding party dancing down the aisle to Chris Brown 's `` Forever , '' sent the track rocketing up the iTunes charts . What are the commonalities here , and is there a formula for viral video success ? A definitive answer is infuriatingly absent . The cute factor . The cute factor is perhaps the most prevalent trend among popular YouTube videos . In YouTube 's most-viewed videos of all time , you 'll find such adorable clips as a boy biting his brother 's finger -LRB- 140 million views -RRB- , a baby laughing hysterically -LRB- 100 million views -RRB- , a sneezing panda -LRB- 46 million views -RRB- and even the Evian ad . The explanation is simple : When a clip makes us happy , we feel compelled to share that sentiment with others . Humor . If our willingness to share is based on our emotional reaction to a clip , it follows that humor ranks highly on YouTube . From Jeff Dunham 's ventriloquist act `` Achmed the Dead Terrorist '' to the obscure humor of `` Charlie The Unicorn , '' laughter is a common theme . In some cases , humor is not the intent : Tay Zonday 's Chocolate Rain has surpassed 45 million views , our amusement -LRB- and discomfort -RRB- deriving from Zonday 's utterly bizarre performance . Comedy has geographical limitations however : What 's funny in one country may be unfathomable in another . This perhaps explains why laughing babies consistently outrank standup comedians : funny does n't travel . Emotional response . Not every popular clip evokes laughter -- performances from Susan Boyle and Paul Potts tug at the heartstrings . So too does the Free Hugs campaign -- a music video featuring an Australian man giving out `` Free Hugs '' to strangers in public places has received more than 53 million views . Music . Music videos are by far the most viewed content on YouTube . Had YouTube not created a second list to highlight top music videos on the site , these would have dominated the rankings for 2009 . The knowledge that best-selling artists rank highly on video sites may be of little utility to aspiring YouTube stars -- except to note that dancing videos and `` lip dubs '' have proved popular . With 132 million views , Judson Laipply 's Evolution of Dance is a breakout success . Cumulative advantage . Is the quality of the clip the only factor affecting its success ? Or could it be that the rich get richer , even in the seemingly egalitarian world of YouTube ? Since most YouTube users head straight to the site 's `` Popular '' page , clips that show early promise may continue to gain momentum for weeks and years . This process of cumulative advantage may help to explain why one laughing baby shoots to the top of the charts and another giggles in obscurity . No formula ? It may be the case that there 's no simple formula for YouTube popularity . In fact , it may be that the only true guarantee of success is novelty . The unexpected , the bizarre , the humorous , the offbeat , the emotionally affecting -- these authentic elements are hard to bottle , and fakes are easy to spot . What will be YouTube 's breakout video of 2010 ? We 'll know it when we see it . | Mashable 's Pete Cashmore ponders what makes a YouTube video a viral smash . Topping the YouTube charts brings significant value to advertisers and video producers . Why `` cute '' works : When a clip makes us happy , we want to share that feeling with others . The only guarantee of success may be novelty : the unexpected , the bizarre . | [[276, 327], [1631, 1657], [1660, 1715], [1727, 1796], [3797, 3859]] |
Newark , New Jersey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A security breach at Newark Liberty International Airport Sunday evening forced the closure of a terminal for hours while authorities rescreened thousands of passengers . The incident happened at about 5:20 p.m. at Terminal C , when a man walked through an exit on the public side to the secure `` sterile '' side for passengers who had cleared screening , according to the Transportation Security Administration . `` Rescreening began after the Port Authority Police and TSA swept each of the concourses in the terminal with negative findings , '' said Ann Davis , a TSA spokeswoman . `` The man in question was never located ; however , TSA 's rescreening effort will ensure that every passenger boarding an aircraft tonight out of Newark 's Terminal C has been fully screened . '' Watch more about the situation in Newark . All passengers had been rescreened by early Monday , according to the TSA . Flights from Terminal C were grounded until the process was completed . iReport : Passenger photographs massive crowd . Authorities reviewed video from airport cameras but were not sure whether the man was once on the sterile side and went back or if he never went through screening , Davis said . The incident caused arrival delays and mainly affected Continental Airlines , which is the airport 's largest tenant . CNN 's Alina Cho , who arrived at the airport Sunday night on a flight from Fort Lauderdale , Florida , described a hectic scene , saying many passengers who had already boarded outgoing flights had to get off planes to be rescreened . Flying Continental ? Important company notice . `` I just saw one woman pleading with a gate agent , saying that she had two small children and a heart condition -- that she simply could not take this , '' Cho said . `` But of course , there will be no exceptions . '' Newark Liberty International Airport , which is about 15 miles from Manhattan , is the second-largest hub for Continental . The airport handles about 35 million passengers a year . CNN 's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report . | Security breach at Sunday evening forces closure of Terminal C for hours . Man improperly went through security screening ; he was never found . CNN 's Alina Cho describes a hectic scene as passengers were rescreened . | [[0, 6], [9, 35], [112, 154], [625, 665], [1359, 1375], [1463, 1487], [1359, 1375], [1490, 1575]] |
Tehran , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran plans to launch satellites into orbit early in the new year , its defense minister told the semi-official Fars news agency Wednesday . `` This satellite , which was built by Iranian scientists , is a big step for the continued presence of Iran in space and for taking advantage of the opportunities offered in this field , '' Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said . The launches of the Tolou satellites -- which means `` sunrise '' in Farsi -- are scheduled to take place in February and March , according to Fars . Iran launched its first satellite , Omid , in February , an event that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hailed at the time as a `` source of pride '' for the Islamic republic . The U.S. State Department expressed `` grave concern '' over the launch . `` Developing a space launch vehicle that could ... put a satellite into orbit could possibly lead to development of a ballistic missile system , '' State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood told reporters . `` So that 's of grave concern to us . '' The Pentagon called the February launch `` clearly a concern of ours . '' `` Although this appears to be satellite , there are dual-use capabilities that could be applied to missiles , and that 's a concern to us and everybody in region , '' Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell said at the time . For Iran , the planned launches are an important step for its military . `` Using these modern technologies , Iran 's armed forces are capable of catching the enemies off guard , identifying their software and hardware potential and depriving the enemy of movement and maneuverability , '' Vahidi told Fars . The development comes as the international community considers additional sanctions against Iran should Tehran not answer questions about its nuclear program . Western powers fear Iran is intent on developing nuclear weapons , an allegation Tehran denies . | Iran reportedly plans to launch Tolou satellites into orbit in February and March . `` This satellite ... is a big step for the continued presence of Iran in space , '' defense chief says . U.S. State Department had `` grave concern '' about Iran 's first satellite launch this year . U.S. official : Sateliite launches could lead to development of ballistic missile system . | [[33, 97], [389, 425], [467, 516], [100, 172], [173, 190], [233, 336], [1280, 1344], [33, 97], [539, 572], [582, 584], [713, 786], [788, 930]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Embassy in Yemen , which was closed over the weekend because of security concerns , reopened Tuesday , a day after Yemeni forces conducted successful security operations . A statement posted on the embassy 's Web site said `` successful counter-terrorism operations '' conducted by Yemeni security forces on Monday , north of the Yemeni capital , Sanaa , addressed `` a specific area of concern and have contributed to the Embassy 's decision to resume operations . '' Yemen 's state-run news agency , SABA , reported Monday that two al Qaeda suspects were killed and two others were injured in clashes with a Yemeni anti-terrorism unit . However , Mohamed Ahmed al-Haniq , the al Qaeda unit 's leader , and an unknown number of his `` companions '' were able to escape during the clashes , SABA reported , citing Yemen 's Interior Ministry . The U.S. Embassy said the threat of terrorist attacks against American interests in Yemen `` remains high , '' and it urged American citizens in the country `` to be vigilant and take prudent security measures . '' Yemen fertile ground for terror groups . A senior State Department official , who did not want to speak on the record because of the sensitive nature of the information , said Yemeni authorities have helped the United States with additional security precautions at the embassy site . The United States ' decision to close its embassy came after intelligence suggested that four al Qaeda operatives were planning an attack on the compound , a senior administration official said Monday . The official said the United States had information that a group of eight terrorists had been planning an attack . Yemeni forces killed three in recent days and another was captured wearing a suicide vest , but the other four were believed to be at large , the official said . It was not immediately clear if the same al Qaeda members in Monday 's clashes were among the group of eight suspected terrorists . U.S. lawmakers have highlighted what they say are the threats posed by terrorists in Yemen . `` As we commit ourselves to the fight in Afghanistan , some of the what I 'll call the enemy forces , the extremist forces , move to new bases of operation such as Yemen , from which they strike us , '' said Sen. Joe Lieberman , I-Connecticut , at a news conference with Sen. John McCain in Iraq Tuesday . `` I 've been quoting something that was said to us by an American working in Yemen when Sen. McCain and I visited in August , which was perhaps a bit overstated but it makes a point . He said to me : ` Iraq was yesterday 's war . Afghanistan is today 's war . And if we do not act preemptively now , Yemen will be tomorrow 's war . ' '' McCain noted that on the visit he had a `` very strong impression '' about the nation 's difficulties , particularly the presence of al Qaeda . `` The government of Yemen is going to need our help in combatting al Qaeda , '' McCain , R-Arizona , said . `` There needs to be significant effort made in improving their economy , and we can not allow Yemen to be a base for al Qaeda to mount attacks on other countries in the region as well as the U.S. '' On Monday , U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the situation in Yemen a possible threat to regional and global security , but commended Yemen for taking action against al Qaeda networks . The United States and Britain closed their embassies Sunday . Britain 's Foreign Office also cited security concerns and its embassy remained closed Tuesday . `` The British Embassy in Yemen will remain closed to the public today , '' a statement from the embassy said . `` Some embassy personnel will be in and whoever needs to contact the embassy can do it via the phone or e-mail but people wo n't be able to walk into the embassy . '' Several other nations also made changes at their Yemen-based embassies Monday , including Japan , France , Spain and Germany . Each cited the need for increased security measures . France closed its embassy to the public , although French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said Tuesday that embassy employees will continue their work . Valero said the embassy will reopen once work to secure the site , already in progress before the latest threat , is finished . Spain also restricted public access to its embassy , the Spanish Foreign Ministry said , adding that the embassy continued to function `` normally . '' Japan halted service at the consulate section of its embassy . The Japanese Foreign Ministry said the decision was based on the threat of terror , not a specific threat . Germany said that while its embassy remained fully operational , security measures were increased . The German Foreign Ministry said fewer visitors were allowed into the embassy compound . The wave of concerns follow last month 's alleged attempted terrorist attack by a Nigerian man who boarded a flight in Amsterdam , Netherlands , and allegedly tried to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear as the flight approached Detroit , Michigan . The attempt failed , and other passengers and crew grabbed the suspect . The Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day plot . U.S. President Barack Obama has also linked the suspect , Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab , to the group , which is a combination of al Qaeda networks in Saudi Arabia and Yemen . The AQAP group in Yemen has said that the attempted attack on the airliner was in retaliation for airstrikes against it on December 17 and 24 . However , Yemen has said that AbdulMutallab purchased his ticket on December 16 . The U.S. Embassy in Yemen has come under attack numerous times in recent years . In September 2008 , 10 people were killed -- among them police and civilians , but no embassy employees -- when insurgents opened fire and set off explosions outside the compound . | U.S. Embassy in Yemen reopens after being closed due to threats by al Qaeda . U.S. Secretary of State calls Yemen situation a possible threat to regional , global security . Great Britain closed its embassy in Yemen . France , Spain , Japan and Germany made changes to enhance embassy security . | [[3173, 3182], [3185, 3304], [3532, 3602], [3812, 3833], [3839, 3938], [4607, 4706], [4625, 4669], [4672, 4706]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A controversial British Muslim cleric is threatening to stage a march through the town that receives the bodies of British war dead as a protest against the war in Afghanistan , drawing fury and outrage . Anjem Choudary has accused soldiers of `` murderous crimes , '' and said the United States and United Kingdom are seeking to `` establish their own military , economic , strategic and ideological interests in the region . '' British and American troops are suffering `` depression '' as they realize `` there is no real moral or ethic -LRB- sic -RRB- reason for them to murder innocent men , women and children to fulfill their politicians -LRB- sic -RRB- agenda , '' the preacher says . His organization proposes to parade empty coffins through the streets of the English town of Wootton Bassett , where the bodies of British war dead are traditionally brought when they return to the country . Relatives and friends line the streets of the town along with local residents as hearses carry the flag-draped British remains , in scenes of public mourning widely reported by British media . Choudary has not announced a date for his planned march and local police said Saturday he had not contacted them about it , as people planning marches are required to do before staging a demonstration . But the threat itself prompted more than 215,000 people to join a Facebook group opposing the march as of Monday , a day after he posted a letter online justifying it . `` The highway for heroes & wonderful people of WB do not deserve this march to happen , '' the group 's home page says . `` This group can march anywhere it wishes in the country but have chosen WB to cause outrage & offense . Islam4UK is an extremists -LRB- sic -RRB- Islamic group & does not represent the Muslim community in this country . '' Choudary 's open letter , `` To the Families of British Soldiers who have died or who are currently in Afghanistan , '' appeared on the Web site of his organization , Islam4UK , on Sunday . The group had announced its intention to stage the protest earlier in a short statement on its Web site . `` The procession in Wootton Basset -LRB- sic -RRB- is therefore an attempt to engage the British publics -LRB- sic -RRB- minds on the real reasons why their soldiers are returning home in body bags and the real cost of the war , '' Choudary wrote . `` The parades , the speeches about soldiers doing their duty and the feeling of patriotism has obfuscated the reality of the conflict and the murderous crimes being committed by the occupiers and their agents . The British public is blissfully unaware of what is being done in their name , '' Choudary wrote . `` Afghanistan is not a British Town near Wootton Basset -LRB- sic -RRB- but rather Muslim land which no one has the right to occupy , with a Muslim population who do not deserve their innocent men , women and children to be killed for political mileage and for the greedy interests of the oppressive U.S. and UK regimes , '' he said . Choudary signs himself `` UK Head of Al-Muhajiroun , '' a banned British group which supports al Qaeda . Choudary spoke positively of Osama Bin Laden in the letter and in interviews with British media on Monday . British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Sunday that there would be `` no support '' for the march or Choudary 's `` perverted view of Islam . '' `` I think most people in the Islamic community believe that those people who have adopted a perverted view of Islam to justify murder as terrorism are outside the traditional elements of what is a peaceful faith , '' he said . `` The vast majority of the Muslim population in this country and other countries agrees with my view on this , '' Brown said . Police in Wiltshire , the county where Wootton Bassett is located , said they had the authority to control the terms and conditions of the march or even to apply to ban it if Choudary took steps towards staging it . `` If the march or procession is believed to be likely to result in serious disorder , disruption or damage , then the police can impose conditions upon the organizer , '' the police said in a statement . `` In exceptional circumstances , the police may apply to the Local Authority for an order prohibiting such a march . '' `` To date there has been no contact from Islam4UK or any other group wishing to arrange such a march in Wootton Bassett , '' they said . | Anjem Choudary accuses soldiers of `` murderous crimes '' in Afghanistan . He proposes to parade empty coffins through the streets of Wootton Bassett . English town is where the bodies of war dead are traditionally brought when they return to the UK . British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said there would be `` no support '' for the march . | [[241, 299], [729, 837], [114, 122], [128, 211], [846, 936], [3255, 3397], [3303, 3370]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- International aid groups were feverishly trying to get supplies into quake-ravaged Haiti on Thursday to prevent the situation from going from `` dire to absolutely catastrophic . '' The search-and-rescue efforts are the top priority . `` The ability to get people out of that rubble is paramount , '' said Jonathan Aiken , a spokesman for the American Red Cross . `` You have a very limited time to accomplish that before people die and before you start to get into issues of diseases . '' Behind the scenes , a massive coordination effort involving dozens of aid groups , the Haitian government , the United Nations and the U.S. military was under way to get food , water , tents and other supplies to survivors of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake . Ian Rodgers , a senior emergency adviser for Save the Children , said aid efforts were at a `` tipping point . '' `` People are without water ; children are without food and without shelter , '' he said . `` What we will see with the lack of water is the possibility of diarrheal diseases and , of course , that can kill children in a matter of hours if not tended to appropriately . `` It is very possible , '' Rodgers said , `` that the situation can go from dire to absolutely catastrophic if we do n't get enough food , medicine and work with children and their families to help them . '' In the United States , President Obama promised the people of Haiti that `` you will not be forsaken . '' `` Today , you must know that help is arriving , '' Obama said . Precise casualty estimates were impossible to determine . Haitian President Rene Preval said Wednesday that he had heard estimates of up to 50,000 dead but that it was too early to know for sure . The Haitian prime minister said he worries that several hundred thousand people were killed . The country 's infrastructure has been devastated , the scope of the calamity enormous . `` The government personnel that would normally lead these types of responses , they themselves have been affected , '' Rodgers said . The Haitian government stopped accepting flights Thursday because ramp space at the airport in the capital city , Port-au-Prince , was saturated and no fuel was available , said Federal Aviation Adminstration spokeswoman Laura Brown . Meanwhile , the pier used for delivery of cargo to Port-au-Prince was `` completely compromised '' by Tuesday 's earthquake , said CNN 's Eric Marrapodi . Three ships filled with medical supplies , food , clothing and water were turned away , he said . Roads leading into the city from the dock were bucked about 5 feet high by the earthquake , he said . Relief agencies are focusing on food , shelter , medical care and communications , all of which will help establish a sense of security , Aiken said . `` The people will at least know that the world is paying attention to them . '' Supplies and security . A bottleneck of supplies has built up while authorities have tried to get Haiti 's main airport functioning . Rubble-strewn roads , downed trees and a battered communications network have hampered humanitarian efforts . Aftershocks continue to jolt the region , causing further fear and panic among residents . `` We 're going to have to wait for this pipeline of aid coming in from various places around the world to be set up and put into full gear before Haitians can get all the help that they need , '' Aiken said . `` You 're going to start seeing some progress on that today . '' While planes were able to bring in the first round of supplies , the question became , Aiken said , `` how do you get it to the folks who need it ? '' Impact Your World : How you can help . Haiti is n't accustomed to quakes and does n't have the heavy equipment or specialized machinery to help clear the rubble , Aiken said . Aid groups and government agencies are coordinating to get the equipment in . `` It 's basically a matter of clearing out the rubble , making sure that areas are workable , that you have security that can protect these supplies and that you have security in place to help people , '' Aiken said . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said a contingent of 2,000 U.S. Marines will help the international peacekeeping and police force established after the 2004 ouster of then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide . `` We 'll try to support them as they re-establish authority , '' Clinton said . The American Red Cross emptied a warehouse in Panama that had been filled with everything from cooking kits to toiletries to medical supplies and tents . That load of supplies is likely to make it into Haiti on Thursday , Aiken said . `` Our effort is immediate relief and supplies . '' `` The needs are overwhelming at this point in time , '' Rodgers said . `` We are going to be doing our best to respond to that , but obviously that 's a big task at hand . '' Medical emergency . Hospitals in Port-au-Prince have collapsed , and the few facilities still open ca n't handle the needs of the injured . The United States and other countries were dispatching medical supplies , facilities and personnel . People who suffered broken bones from falling debris have been unable to get treatment ; there 's simply too many of them . `` We need medical help , '' Haitian President Rene Preval said . `` Some of the hospitals , they collapsed . The hospitals , they are full , and they put people in the outside . '' Clinton said , `` Just getting to people to provide the medical assistance they need is proving to be very difficult . '' See CNN 's complete coverage of the quake . Barbara DeBuono , the former commissioner of health for New York state , said the coordination between the U.S. military and groups like the Red Cross is essential to treating the sick and injured . `` Making sure that the right hand knows what the left hand is doing is really , really critical here , so that there is n't further chaos and confusion . '' Aiken said officials would assess the situation on the ground and coordinate medical efforts . As the days go by , health concerns will grow about diseases , like cholera and tuberculosis , from the thousands of corpses on streets and in the rubble . The bodies also can affect the water supply and sanitation . `` You can have airborne diseases , '' Aiken said . `` You can have animals carrying -LSB- diseases -RSB- feeding off these corpses . '' Haiti could also have a humanitarian crisis since tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed , forcing residents onto residents . `` There needs to be a place to put people and to set up a structure like a refugee camp , '' Aiken said . `` That 's all part of this . '' But he said , for now , the priority is to rescue as many people as possible -- and get supplies in as quickly as possible . | Pipeline of aid backed up as Port-au-Prince airport reopens . Top priority is to get to survivors and get supplies in as soon as possible . Aid worker : `` The needs are overwhelming at this point in time '' Health concerns grow as bodies begin piling up ; tens of thousands left homeless . | [[2914, 3023], [4656, 4704], [6691, 6698], [6701, 6773], [6701, 6713], [6761, 6801], [789, 800], [854, 899], [4708, 4759]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Union officials were going to court Thursday in London to try to stop British Airways from imposing contractual changes on its 14,000-member cabin crew . The Unite union said it wants the High Court to issue an injunction against the British carrier to stop `` unfair and unworkable '' changes to cabin crew contracts . It was unclear when the court would rule in the case . Among the changes BA wants to impose is a reduction in the number of crew members on flights , Unite said . BA plans to impose the changes starting November 16 , according to Unite . Thursday 's court action is separate from union plans to ballot its members about whether to strike over the Christmas holiday period , a Unite spokeswoman said . Unite still plans to hold the strike ballot , possibly as early as next week , regardless of how the High Court rules , she said . The contractual changes are part of the strike ballot , but other issues include jobs and pay , she said . | Union Unite says it is taking British Airways to court over working changes . BA wants to impose is a reduction in the number of crew members on flights . BA plans to impose the changes starting November 16 , according to Unite . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [36, 189], [190, 285], [411, 420], [429, 503], [519, 570], [519, 521], [573, 593]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The chairman of India 's fourth-largest software-services provider resigned Wednesday after confessing to inflating the company 's profits for years with `` fictitious '' assets and non-existent cash . Satyam Chairman B. Ramalinga Raju . The news sent stocks of the Hyderabad-based Satyam Computer Services into free fall . Stocks plummeted more than 70 percent within hours after the revelation . The major stock index in India -- the BSE SENSEX -- fell 7.3 percent Wednesday . Satyam employs 53,000 people , operates in 65 countries and serves almost 700 companies , including 185 Fortune 500 companies . More than half of its revenue comes from the United States . Satyam Chairman B. Ramalinga Raju said the balance-sheet padding began several years ago to close `` a marginal gap '' between actual operating profit and one reflected in the company 's accounting books . It continued through the years , he said . `` It was like riding a tiger , not knowing how to get off without being eaten , '' Raju said in a letter to the company 's board of directors . Raju said no board member was aware of what he was doing and he did not profit from the inflated accounts . The deception came to light after Raju tried to plug the hole by getting Satyam to buy his son 's construction companies . The acquisition was `` the last attempt to fill the fictitious assets with real ones , '' he wrote in his letter . The deal would have cost Satyam $ 1.6 billion -- but the company 's board vetoed it . Stocks fell following the botched deal . Soon afterward , Raju came clean , saying he was doing so `` with deep regret , and tremendous burden that I am carrying on my conscience . '' Analysts say Satyam is ripe for a takeover , and the government is expected to submit a formal report on the matter Thursday . -- CNN 's Bharati Naik contributed to this report . | News sent stocks of Hyderabad-based Satyam Computer Services plunging . Satyam employs 53,000 people and operates in 65 countries . Chairman B. Ramalinga Raju said balance-sheet padding began years ago . Raju said no board member was aware of what he was doing . | [[275, 360], [303, 312], [313, 360], [516, 544], [516, 522], [547, 571], [705, 910], [744, 804], [1099, 1206]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Director Barry Levinson is the star of his new film . Well , almost . Director Barry Levinson sizes up politics and media in his new film , `` PoliWood . '' In the Academy Award-winning filmmaker 's new documentary `` PoliWood , '' Levinson takes a look at the world of policymakers and screen actors and ends up voicing his own ideas in the process . `` The fact that my voice is in it always scares me to death , because I never like to be on camera , period , '' Levinson said . -LRB- The `` Rain Man '' director has appeared in a handful of films , notably the Robert Redford-directed `` Quiz Show . '' -RRB- . In `` PoliWood , '' Levinson follows a group of politically active actors to the Democratic and Republican conventions as they take in the theater of it all . The journey leads to President Obama 's inauguration . `` PoliWood '' also explores the idea that the media have become confusing catalysts that blur the lines of reality and myth . Television , which was once a romanticized invention that brought entertainment and public service announcements into our homes , is now a portal for manipulating what we see , feel and think , in the film 's presentation . CNN talked to Levinson about the politics of the media , Hollywood actors supporting candidates and `` PoliWood . '' CNN : Tell me about the celebrity-politician-media link . Barry Levinson : Well , I think what happened is , you have this television screen , and everything has to go through that screen -- and at a certain point , I do n't think that we can tell the difference between the celebrity and the politician . They both have to entertain us in some fashion . That 's why I think , in second half of the 20th century , you saw this kind of change where John F. Kennedy was probably the first television politician . He came across , he was good-looking , he was great in the way he spoke ; he had a certain sense of humor . Then you had Reagan . Someone looked at him giving a speech for Goldwater and said , you know , he could be a politician . Two years after that , he became governor of California . So anyone that is pleasant enough on television suddenly gets credentials , whether they have earned it or not . And there 's that blurring of it between celebrity and politics and everything else . CNN : Do you think that most celebrities have a good understanding of the politicians they support , or do some just jump on the bandwagon ? Levinson : I think `` PoliWood '' shows it in some ways and talks about it . But basically , to be honest , there is no upside for any actor to be politically involved other than the fact that they are concerned citizens . It does n't benefit their career at all . The term `` celebrity '' is sort of a bogus term , though , in a lot of ways . CNN : Why ? Levinson : Well because Paris Hilton and Susan Sarandon , they 're both celebrities , but Paris Hilton has n't ever really done anything , in a way . Susan Sarandon has been an actress whose done a lot of different roles , been around a long time , has been politically active , extremely smart and knowledgeable about that . But there 's two women , they get exposure , but there 's a huge difference between that . Some have earned it ; some get that attention just by the way they look or the way they have carried on in public . CNN : There 's a scene in `` PoliWood '' where actors sit down with regular people , and they talk about relating to one another . Levinson : Well , how is that so-called celebrities -- how would they possibly relate to the ordinary person ? But 90 percent of them come from those families -- they come out of the Midwest or the South or the Northeast . They come out of working-class families primarily . And because of the nature of America , that if you have certain dreams , and ultimately those dreams can in fact come true , they benefited by the society that they live in . But their roots come from all these small towns around the country , so of course they can relate . CNN : Do you think the Democratic and Republican conventions are pure theater ? Levinson : Oh , absolutely . There 's no political content that takes place at a political convention . It used to be that they would hammer out a platform . You know , there 's all kind of back-room meetings , so now it 's a show . It is a show both places . CNN : What do you think of President Obama ? Levinson : He obviously is great on TV , and he is extremely smart , and so what we 're gon na see as it goes down the road , what changes does he actually bring about ? How does he work with Congress ? All of those particular issues . He understands TV , and he 's a great communicator . Now , will he be good or bad ? We 'll see what happens in a four-year period from someone who has great capabilities -- where does it all go ? It 's too early to determine that . CNN : Do you watch much television , or do you have a cynical view about it ? Levinson : I try to watch TV like anyone else . I like to tune in just to see what new shows are out there . And then there are certain shows that I just get infuriated over . And then there are so-called political shows that I have a difficult time with . And sometimes I sit , and images are flying by so fast in some of these pieces , I 'm going , `` What is that about ? '' I 've no idea . It looks like a collision of images on the screen . | Barry Levinson 's new film looks at how TV has influenced politics . Levinson : Hard to tell politician and entertainer apart on television . `` Rain Man '' director observes celebrities , ordinary people try to relate . | [[98, 165], [1520, 1524], [1541, 1630]] |
Fort Hood , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- People who knew and studied Maj. Nidal Hasan say he was a loner who had no luck finding a wife , and a criminal profiler said the Fort Hood shooting suspect fits the profile of a mass murderer better than that of a terrorist . Investigators are searching for any missed `` red flags '' that might have prevented last week 's fatal shooting , which left 12 soldiers and one civilian dead and 40 other people wounded . However , the FBI has said its investigations indicate the `` alleged gunman acted alone and was not part of a broader terrorist plot . '' `` A lot of people are jumping to the conclusion because this man spouted violent Islamic ideology that this is a terrorist attack , '' criminologist Pat Brown said . Brown , who profiles killers , said Hasan 's profile is that of a loner . `` He was simply a lone guy who had issues , problems , psychopathic behaviors that escalated to the point where he wanted to get back at society , and he took it out on his workmates like most of them do , '' he said . A cleric at the Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church , Virginia , where Hasan attended when he lived in the area , said Hasan seemed to become `` somewhat withdrawn '' after the death of his mother in 2001 . `` Some individuals said that their experience with him , that he changed after his mother passed away , '' Imam Johari Abdul-Malik said . Another cleric there , Shaikh Shaker Elsayed , said efforts to find a wife for Hasan were unsuccessful . `` Well , we were not successful in matching him with somebody , '' he said . Hasan , a 39-year-old psychiatrist , came under investigation last year when his communications with radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki were intercepted by terrorism investigators who were monitoring al-Awlaki , a federal law enforcement official told CNN . But an employee of the Defense Department 's Criminal Investigative Services , assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force , decided to drop the investigation after reviewing the intercepted communications and Hasan 's personnel files . A senior Defense Department official said the task force 's ground rules prevented that information from being transmitted outside the task force , although others disputed that . `` I find it hard to believe that they would just say , ` OK , we 're not going to share any of this information with the military , ' '' HLN law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks said . `` I mean , that 's why you have a person from the military , from different military branches , on the task force to be the liaison . '' A former counterterrorism official said the information about Hasan 's communications with the imam should have been shared with the military unless the FBI specifically forbade it . Still , one source familiar with the investigation said Hasan 's communications with al-Awlaki appeared innocent in nature . Another federal source familiar with the investigation said Hasan 's actions give no indication he was following the guidance in al Qaeda 's terrorist handbook in the weeks before Thursday 's attack . That handbook directs jihadists to conceal their religion , mask their beliefs and blend in . Instead , Hasan frequently appeared in public in traditional Muslim clothing and prayed daily at the local mosque , making no attempt to hide his religion or conservative beliefs , the source said . Hasan remained hospitalized Wednesday in stable condition and has not been formally charged with any of the 13 deaths in last week 's shooting . His civilian attorney , retired Army Col. John Galligan , said he has spoken with his client , but that he was heavily sedated . `` I think the closest thing that indicates that there 's a court-martial in the works is last night about 8 I did receive an e-mail from the prosecutor at Fort Hood indicating to me that the pass privileges and leave privileges of Maj. Hasan had been revoked , '' Galligan said . CNN 's Drew Griffin , Elaine Quijano , Carol Cratty and Brian Todd contributed to this report . | Profiler : Hasan fits profile of mass murderer better than that of terrorist . Maj. Nidal Hasan accused of fatally shooting 13 , wounding 40 at Fort Hood . Cleric at mosque Hasan once attended : He was withdrawn after mother 's 2001 death . | [[138, 263], [362, 376], [385, 443], [428, 453], [1054, 1114], [1177, 1269], [1333, 1372]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man identified as the double agent who killed eight people at a U.S. base in Afghanistan was a Jordanian doctor recruited as a counterterrorism intelligence source , a senior Jordanian official said Tuesday . A former U.S. intelligence official identified the suicide bomber Monday as Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi . The Jordanian official , speaking on condition of anonymity , said authorities in Jordan arrested al-Balawi more than a year ago `` for some suspicious information related to him '' but released him because of a lack of evidence . `` After few months , he got in touch with us through the Internet and sent us several e-mails that include very important and rather dangerous information that might affect the security and stability of the country , '' the official said . `` We kept in touch with him through e-mails in order to get more information and also trying to bring him over to be able to get more information . We shared and exchanged the information he gave us with some other friendly countries that are involved in countering terrorism . '' The official said Jordan could not confirm that al-Balawi was the bomber , `` because we are not on the ground . '' `` But we are not denying that if he is the one , then he is the Jordanian doctor , '' the official said . The December 30 blast at a U.S. base in Khost , in southeastern Afghanistan , killed seven CIA operatives including two from private security firm Xe , formerly known as Blackwater . The eighth victim was Jordanian Army Capt. Sharif Ali bin Zeid , a cousin of Jordan 's King Abdullah II . U.S. sources said bin Zeid was the Jordanian operative working closely with al-Balawi , who was from the same hometown as the onetime leader of al Qaeda in Iraq , Abu Musab al-Zarqawi . Jordanian and U.S. intelligence agencies apparently believed that al-Balawi had been rehabilitated from his extremist views and were using him to hunt Ayman al-Zawahiri , al Qaeda 's No. 2 figure , the former intelligence official said . In a posting on its Web site last week , the Taliban in Afghanistan claimed that the bomber was an Afghan National Army soldier . On Sunday , however , Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud said in an e-mail that his arm of the Islamic movement carried out the attack , using a Jordanian national . Mehsud 's message predicted , `` This will be admitted by the CIA and the Jordanian government . '' The attack was `` a huge blow , symbolically and tactically , '' because it eliminated such a large number of CIA officers , who can require years to become ingrained in the region , said Reva Bhalla , director of analysis for the international intelligence firm STRATFOR . In addition , the attack showed the ability of the Taliban to penetrate perhaps the most difficult of targets : a CIA base , she said . Former CIA official Robert Richer called it the greatest loss of life for the agency since the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut , Lebanon , which killed eight agents . An American intelligence official vowed last week that the United States would avenge the attack . | Jordanian doctor Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi identified as bomber . Official : Authorities in Jordan recruited al-Balawi as counterterrorism intelligence . Blast at U.S. base in Afghanistan killed seven CIA operatives , Jordanian military officer . | [[232, 342], [0, 15], [112, 186], [41, 57], [62, 111], [189, 231], [1320, 1365], [1398, 1469]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dozens of flights were delayed at India 's New Delhi airport Monday after lizards , birds and jackals strayed on to a runway to seek refuge from the monsoon rains . Kids play cricket through a downpour in New Delhi as monsoon rains came early to the area this week . Animal rescuers rounded up the critters and moved them to habitats outside airport property . But the operation delayed several flights and shut down the runway for some time , airport spokesman Arun Arora said . Kartick Satyanarayan of the conservation group Wildlife SOS said the animals descended on the runway in search of dry ground . His group works with the airport to move wildlife from airport property to a sanctuary on the outskirts of the capital . `` It 's been raining cats and dogs the last two days . And when it rains like this , water goes in and fills the burrows of these animals , '' he said . `` The runway , '' he added , `` is the only safe area . So they come out . '' While monsoon rains typically sweep across the subcontinent in early June , they usually do not reach the capital city of New Delhi and other regions in northern India until early July . Watch how Indians cope with monsoon waters '' They came about two weeks early in the northern part of the country this year , killing at least 20 people in landslides , home collapses and floods . The airport sits on more than 2,000 acres that , over the years , have become home to jackals , porcupines , dogs , cats and a variety of birds . Arora would not say how many flights were delayed during the rescue operation . The airport handles 13,000 domestic and 9,500 international passengers a day . '' -LRB- The -RRB- numbers are speculative as it is difficult to attribute delays to bad weather , strong winds , birds or animals , '' Arora said . In the past , animals on the runway have disrupted flights at the airport -- particularly during the monsoon season , Satyanarayan said . `` The monitor lizards -- they look frightening but they are harmless animals , '' he said . `` But they can grow about three to four feet long . And at the velocity a plane lands , the -LSB- lizards -RSB- can still cause damage . '' | Jackals , monitor lizards and birds descend on runway at New Delhi airport . Animal invasion delays flights as wildlife group comes to the rescue . Animals take to runway to dry off and warm up after monsoon rain . | [[0, 15], [19, 120], [93, 100], [103, 143], [1534, 1589], [135, 183], [499, 545], [559, 625]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the wake of the suicide bombing at Forward Operating Base Chapman , new security guidance has gone out to U.S. bases across Afghanistan , U.S. military officials said . The December 30 suicide attack killed seven CIA officers and contractors , along with a Jordanian military officer who was the attacker 's handler . Former CIA official Robert Richer called it the greatest loss of life for the agency since the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut , Lebanon , which killed eight agents . A U.S. intelligence official , speaking on condition of anonymity , told CNN on Wednesday the attack was believed to have come on orders from `` the highest levels '' of al Qaeda . Bruce Reidel , a former CIA officer who has advised President Obama on al Qaeda , said the attack showed the capacity of terrorists to strike at U.S. targets remained `` very significant . '' `` It 's a very , very sophisticated operation , '' Reidel said . `` It must have taken a long time to plan and to set up . '' In response , U.S. military officials said they were changing procedures . `` Suffice it to say that after any serious incident we evaluate the circumstances , think through the threat implications given our current practices and disseminate guidance to the field if adjustments are necessary , '' a senior military official said . The official would not describe the new security procedures because `` we do n't broadcast the specific changes we 've made to security postures or our intelligence procedures . '' A second U.S. military official said the guidance is meant to adjust procedures as quickly as possible on a large scale . `` We do n't want just the military intelligence guys looking out for specific things . We need MPs and ground forces to be aware , '' the official said . The official said the security guidance is meant to be disseminated to as wide a group as possible , while more specific guidance on intelligence operations is kept to a much more limited , restricted distribution . The officials had not seen specific guidance on handling sources , but both noted only one week has passed since the incident , and the investigation may not have progressed far enough to produce formal recommendations in that area . One official said the intelligence officers on the ground now know enough details to `` self-correct '' procedures . According to sources , the Jordanian suicide bomber was Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi , a one-time militant who then appeared to be helping the United States . Al-Balawi was offering information on the possible whereabouts of Ayman al Zawahiri , the deputy to Osama bin Laden , the sources said , and was picked up outside the base and driven into it without being checked . The sources said al-Balawi detonated the bomb shortly after arriving . The attack shed light on the role of Jordan as a previously covert partner in the U.S. hunt for bin Laden and Zawahiri . `` The Jordanian intelligence service is the best intelligence service in the Middle East and South Asia , bar none , '' Reidel said . `` They are far more effective in working against jihadist groups like al Qaeda in Iraq like the al Qaeda core in Pakistan than any other intelligence service . '' CNN 's Barbara Starr and Pam Benson contributed to this report . | Senior official : `` After any serious incident we evaluate the circumstances '' New security guidance has gone out to U.S. bases across Afghanistan , official says . Intelligence official : Attack believed to come from `` the highest levels '' of al Qaeda . Guidance meant to adjust procedures quickly on a large scale , official says . | [[1104, 1186], [1115, 1321], [99, 168], [619, 629], [643, 709], [1043, 1103], [1542, 1663], [1579, 1663]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Researchers announced this week that they 've found a new gene , ALS6 , which is responsible for about 5 percent of hereditary Lou Gehrig 's cases . The discovery of a new gene mutation may allow those with ALS in their family to be tested . It 's being called a `` momentous discovery '' by the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association . Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital , the University of Massachusetts and Kings College in London found the mutation by doing detailed sequencing of the genes in several families with an inherited form of ALS . The findings are published in the February 27 issue of the journal Science and were partially funded by the ALS Association . ALS , a disease of the nervous system , impairs muscle movement and eventually results in total paralysis . It was brought to national attention in 1939 , when famed Yankee baseball player Lou Gehrig 's illness was diagnosed as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , or ALS . Today , the disease is most commonly known by his name . ALS6 is a protein normally found inside a cell 's nucleus , but in patients with Lou Gehrig 's disease , it is found outside the nucleus and sometimes forms unusual clumps . ALS researchers are unsure why this occurs but believe this finding , combined with a gene they discovered last year , TDP-43 , may lead them to a firmer idea of what causes this deadly disease . Both genes help in building and transporting proteins and making sure they 're in the right place in cell structure -- a process called RNA processing . Lucie Bruijn , senior vice president of research and development at the ALS Association , likens this process to building an engine : If there are parts missing or placed in the wrong place or in the wrong way , the engine does n't work right . `` Everything has an exquisite role and has to be in the right place , and any imbalance ... can cause things to go awry , '' Bruijn said . `` It 's exciting because what it 's starting to tell us now is that we might be starting to get an underlying theme , '' Bruijn said . `` We now have two genes with similar function strengthening the idea that alterations in RNA processing is important in ALS . A completely new direction and also involved in many other neurodegenerative diseases . '' She believes this gives researchers `` huge '' potential to develop new therapies . And new therapies are needed . There is no cure and only one treatment for ALS , a neurodegenerative disease that seems to progressively attack the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord . These attacks can cause symptoms such as muscle weakness , twitching , cramping and thick speech , eventually leading to paralysis . According to the ALS Association , the disease strikes a little more than 5,600 people every year , and about 10 percent of those cases are hereditary . The discovery of this new gene mutation will also allow those with ALS in their family to be tested for another gene -LRB- this makes three genes -RRB- . Bruijn says a test `` will be possible ; however , currently , it is not widely accessible '' and `` it would only be used in familial ALS patients . '' | Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association calls ALS gene discovery `` momentous '' Two genes discovered in last 12 months could hold key for new therapies . Genetic testing useful only for those with hereditary ALS . ALS , or Lou Gehrig 's disease , strikes a little more than 5,600 people every year . | [[261, 358], [3109, 3157], [865, 973], [2736, 2798]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A strike that would have crippled British Airways over Christmas and New Year 's Day can not go ahead , a judge ruled Thursday . Judge Laura Cox issued an injunction blocking the planned 12-day strike , which was set to start December 22 and could have affected up to 1 million passengers . The airline immediately issued a statement saying it is `` delighted for our customers . `` There was never any need for a strike and we hope that Unite will take this opportunity to reflect before deciding its next steps , '' BA said , referring to the union that planned the strike . `` Our customers do not believe that old-style trade union militancy is relevant to our efforts to move British Airways back toward profitability . '' But Unite joint general secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley called it `` a disgraceful day for democracy when a court can overrule such an overwhelming decision by employees taken in a secret ballot . `` This dispute is not settled . Passing the buck to the courts to do management 's job for them was never going to be the answer , '' they said , warning they could vote again to strike . `` BA must accept that there can be no resolution except through negotiation , failing which there will inevitably be a further ballot for industrial action . '' Unite has been engaged in a bitter dispute with British Airways management . `` I 'm not disappointed for the people that can get away at Christmas , '' Simpson told CNN . `` It was never our desire to hurt those people . What we wanted to do was force a negotiated settlement . '' He said he is concerned the decision has `` hardened management 's attitude '' toward negotiation . The union is unhappy with the airline 's plans to change cabin crew conditions . Unite says working hours will be extended and crew levels will be cut , changes that will damage customer service and hit the British Airways brand . The airline says the changes will save the carrier $ 665 million . BA has been losing hundreds of millions of dollars each quarter this year . Cabin crew staff voted overwhelmingly in favor of the strike . But the airline argued in court that some of the workers who cast ballots had already taken voluntary redundancy -- or buyouts -- from the airline . Some 10,288 workers voted , of about 14,000 cabin crew staff overall . The airline 's legal counsel , Bruce Carr , told the presiding judge that the balloting process contained `` serious and substantial irregularities . '' Carr called the union 's action in choosing to strike over Christmas `` willfully disproportionate and clearly unlawful . '' He referred several times to the serious disruption that would be felt by the airline 's passengers , saying some `` ordinary people will find it very difficult to understand . '' Simpson said management imposed terms on the union members without agreement , and when Unite asked a court to stop it , the court did not . The fact that the court has now blocked the union from striking `` shows an imbalance in employment law , '' he said . Travel experts have said around 1 million British Airways passengers could have been affected by the strike , finding themselves stranded and unable to rebook their tickets during the busy travel period . Thursday brought disruption to thousands of passengers on another airline , one run by the small Scottish charter company Globespan . The company announced on its Web site that it has gone into administration and that all flights on its airline , Flyglobespan , have been canceled . Further travel headaches are in store for passengers of other airlines at Heathrow and Aberdeen airports next week . Unite said baggage handlers and check-in staff at the two airports plan a series of three separate walkouts starting next week in a dispute over pay and pensions . The strike is not related to the British Airways dispute . The baggage handlers and check-in staff are employed by SAS Ground Services UK Ltd. . The strike will affect travelers on Turkish , Emirates and Thai airlines at Heathrow and passengers on KLM , Air France , Wideroe and Atlantic at Aberdeen , Unite said . The walkouts are scheduled for December 22-24 , December 26-27 and January 3-4 . Those passengers hoping to avoid air travel in Europe and take the train instead faced uncertainty after British-based drivers of the Eurostar train announced a series of two strikes starting this weekend . The drivers said they will strike Friday and Saturday , and again December 26 and 27 . Eurostar , however , said service would not be affected , because drivers from France and Belgium would be used . The train line provides service between London and both Paris , France , and Brussels , Belgium . The union representing the drivers , the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen , said talks with Eurostar `` concerning international allowances '' broke down . The dispute is over how much drivers ' meal allowances should be when they are in Paris and Brussels . A Eurostar spokeswoman said it offered the drivers what it believes is a reasonable amount , but the drivers rejected the offer . She would not divulge specifics of the offer , saying only that it was `` enough for a good meal . '' -- CNN Business Correspondent Jim Boulden contributed to this report . | High Court issues injunction stopping planned BA holiday strike . Airline issues a statement saying it is `` delighted for our customers '' Travel experts say around one million passengers would be hit by strike . Twelve-day strike was due to start Monday , disrupting holiday season travel . | [[165, 236], [327, 415], [358, 415], [165, 180], [211, 236], [278, 326], [2666, 2739], [3080, 3187], [36, 100], [211, 273], [202, 238], [245, 273], [165, 180], [211, 236], [278, 326], [3080, 3094], [3190, 3284]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Defending World Cup champion Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria claimed the second leg of the famous Four Hills ski-jumping tournament at Garmisch on New Year 's Day . Schlierenzauer could only finish ninth in the first event at Oberstdorf on Tuesday , but made no mistake with leaps of 136.5 and 137.5 m and good style marks for a total of 277.7 points . It gave him a comfortable advantage over fellow Austrian Wolfgang Loitzl , who twice jumped 135m for 272.5 points . Switzerland 's double Olympic champion from 2002 in Salt Lake City , Simon Ammann , showed he is running into form for Vancouver next February , after jumping 132 and 143.5 m for 272.4 points and third place . Austrian Andreas Kofler , who won at Oberstdorf , maintained the overall lead in the four-event competition as he came in fourth with leaps of 136 and 137m for 271.9 points . Finland 's five-time Four Hills champion Janne Ahonen , second at Oberstdorf on his comeback from retirement , finished sixth after jumps of 129.5 and 137m gave him 259.2 points . Kofler leads the standings with a 20-point lead over Loitzl with Ahonen third ahead of the next competition at Innsbruck on Sunday . The Four Hills concludes in Austria , at Bischofshofen on January 6 . Ammann still leads the overall World Cup standings with Schlierenzauer closing up in second place and Kofler third . In other pre-Olympic news , leading U.S. snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffered serious injuries in training for the halfpipe event in Utah . Reports said Pearce hit head on the halfpipe while attempting a complex move and was taken to a hospital in Salt Lake City . He was among the favorites for gold at the 2010 Vancouver games having beaten 2006 Olympic gold medallist Shaun White in recent competitions . | Gregor Schlierenzauer wins Garmisch round of Four Hills ski-jumping tournament . Austrian Andreas Kofler , who won at Oberstdorf , maintains the overall standings lead . U.S. snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffers head injuries in training accident for halfpipe event . | [[0, 15], [81, 184], [699, 722], [729, 746], [699, 722], [749, 806], [1054, 1080], [1374, 1399], [1402, 1510]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Captain Graeme Smith ground out a potentially match-winning century to put South Africa on top in the third cricket Test against England at Newlands on Tuesday . The left-hander was unbeaten on 162 at stumps on the third day , having added a record 230 for the second wicket with Hashim Amla -LRB- 95 -RRB- as the home side reached 312-2 in Cape Town 's intense heat . England struggled from the outset , losing two wickets in the day 's opening over and added just 32 runs to their overnight total of 241-7 . That gave the Proteas a first-innings lead of 18 runs , and it looked like the home side might also find batting difficult when makeshift opener Ashwell Prince continued his miserable series , falling leg before wicket to spinner Graeme Swann for 15 . But Smith and Amla set about the English attack , who gained no profit from a controversial incident when seamer Chris Broad stood on the ball with his studded boots before lunch when it was still relatively new . Smith survived a series of close calls and decision referrals as the duo set a new Test highest mark for the second wicket at the venue . The opener thought he was out soon after reaching his 19th century in the five-day format , but England wicketkeeper Matt Prior admitted that the edge off seamer Graham Onions had not carried . Amla finally fell to a bat-pad catch by Alistair Cook off Swann , falling five runs short of his eighth Test ton as he hit 14 boundaries off 156 deliveries . First-innings centurion Jacques Kallis was unbeaten on 20 at stumps , with Smith having plundered 22 boundaries in his 243 balls at the crease . Earlier , Morne Morkel -LRB- 5-75 -RRB- took two wickets in two balls to put England on the back foot , with Swann caught at slip by Smith for five from a fierce rising delivery and James Anderson following in identical fashion . Prior , who was 52 overnight , hit out to get England close to parity before dragging a short ball from Dale Steyn -LRB- 4-74 -RRB- onto his wicket to be last out for 76 . England coach Andy Flower said Wednesday 's morning session would prove vital for his side , who lead 1-0 after winning the second Test . `` We have got to attack with the new ball . We have seen wickets fall early on all the days so far . We have definitely got to attack early , '' the former Zimbabwe international player said . `` The first two days produced very difficult batting conditions , today was easier . We do n't know what sort of conditions are going to arrive tomorrow . If it plays as easy as it has today , we have got a chance . '' | South Africa captain Graeme Smith scores potentially match-winning unbeaten 162 . Hosts reach 312-2 at stumps on third day of third Test against England at Newlands . Smith adds 230 for second wicket with Hashim Amla -LRB- 95 -RRB- , a record for the Cape Town venue . England were earlier bowled out for 273 , a first-innings deficit of 18 runs . | [[0, 15], [40, 180], [181, 243], [329, 387], [181, 196], [246, 319], [1060, 1132]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American driver Robby Gordon won the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally by just one second from Stephane Peterhansel , who extended his overall lead to more than seven minutes in South America on Tuesday . NASCAR star Gordon claimed his first victory of this year 's race , and his third overall , as he snatched the quickest time on the shortened 163 kilometer stage from Fiambala in Argentina to Copiapo in Chile . It was cut by 40km as some competitors arrived late following Monday 's leg . He clocked one hour , 40 minutes and 21 seconds in his Hummer to head off BMW 's Peterhansel , who has won three car titles and six on bikes . The Frenchman now leads Carlos Sainz by seven minutes and 36 seconds , with the former world rally champion finishing fourth behind Qatar 's Nasser Al-Attiyah . Defending champion Giniel De Villiers gave Volkswagen with three drivers in the top five , but is still way back in 20th due to his problems on Monday . Gordon was left eight overall , more than an hour off the pace , while his compatriot Mark Miller is fourth in another Volkswagen after placing sixth on Tuesday . `` Today 's special stage was perfect for us with a lot of camel grass . It 's on this type of terrain that the Hummer is doing great , '' Gordon told the race 's official Web site . `` I am glad we managed to recover from yesterday . I got stuck twice yesterday and the engine overheated . We lost one hour . It 's sad but the race is still long . We 've only had four days of raid so far . A stage victory means nothing to us . It 's the final victory we are in for . '' In the bikes , defending champion Marc Coma bounced back from losing moer than 40 minutes over the last two days to win the stage . The Spaniard was left in sixth overall , 38 minutes and 50 seconds behind Frenchman Cyril Depres , who was third on the stage also riding a 690cc KTM machine . His compatriot David Casteu , riding a smaller 450cc Sherco machine , was runner-up to retain second overall -- almost nine minutes behind with 10 stages left . | Stephane Peterhansel extends lead in Dakar Rally cars section in his BMW . Frenchman is more than seven minutes ahead of second-placed Carlos Sainz . American driver Robby Gordon wins the fourth stage to be eighth overall . In the bikes , Frenchman Cyril Depres leads by almost nine minutes after placing third . | [[112, 132], [139, 221], [112, 132], [139, 221], [654, 722], [0, 15], [19, 87], [968, 1025], [1810, 1832], [1839, 1861]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Australian hurdler Jana Rawlinson has had her breast implants removed to boost her chances of winning a medal for her country at the 2012 Olympic Games in London . The 27-year-old Rawlinson , whose private life has often made headlines in Australia , said she enjoyed having larger breasts but did not want to `` short-change Australia '' . `` I absolutely loved having bigger boobs , but finally I 've grown up enough to know myself -- to be honest about who I am when I look in the mirror , '' Rawlinson told the Woman 's Day magazine . `` I do n't want to short-change Australia either -- I want to feel the most athletic I can , to know that I 'm standing on the track in London the fittest I can be . '' The double 400 meter hurdles world champion , who reportedly plans to remarry her estranged British husband and fellow-athlete Chris Rawlinson , told the magazine she had the implants because she was unhappy with her athletic figure . `` When I looked in the mirror I just saw muscled arms , broad shoulders and big , strong legs , '' she said . `` These are assets I need to run well , but they did n't make me feel like an attractive woman . `` There are a couple of girls -- who I wo n't name -- in world athletics who are Olympic champions , but they look like men and I do n't want to be like that . '' Rawlinson won the 400m hurdles at the 2003 Paris world championships and four years later in Osaka , Japan . | Australian 400m hurdler Jana Rawlinson has had her breast implants removed . The 27-year-old hopes to boost her chances of winning a medal at the 2012 Olympic Games . Rawlinson won the 400m hurdles at the 2003 Paris world championships and four years later in Osaka . | [[0, 15], [19, 182], [0, 15], [19, 182], [728, 771], [873, 911], [1336, 1425]] |
Suzanne Simons is an executive producer at CNN as well as author of the book `` Master of War : Blackwater USA 's Erik Prince and the Business of War '' -LRB- Collins , June 2009 -RRB- . Erik Prince , founder of Blackwater , is pictured in Afghanistan in November 2007 . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The private military contractor formerly known as Blackwater has held classified contracts with the Central Intelligence Agency for nearly a decade , but an allegation that the contractor was part of a secret CIA program to kill al Qaeda operatives -- if true -- would take the relationship to a whole new level . The CIA hired the private security firm Blackwater USA in 2004 to work on a covert program aimed at targeting and potentially killing top al Qaeda leaders , a source familiar with the program told CNN . Former company executives deny knowing about the program . Current leaders of the company did not return calls to CNN . The CIA wo n't comment on classified contracts . The classified program , canceled by CIA director Leon Panetta earlier this year , was part of a broader effort inside the CIA to develop the capacity to conduct training , surveillance and possible covert operations overseas , according to the source . The program was outsourced to contractors to `` put some distance '' between the effort and the U.S. government . Other contractors were brought in for other parts of the program , another source said , and Blackwater 's involvement ended by mid-2006 . But one thing is clear : The company that renamed itself Xe earlier this year in an effort to escape controversy surrounding a 2007 shooting in Baghdad that left 17 Iraqis dead has had a long relationship with the world 's most famous spy agency . When Erik Prince first opened his Blackwater training facility in the late '90s , his clients included special forces teams and law enforcement agencies from around the country . Prince had expressed frustration with the training facilities he visited during his time as a Navy SEAL , and a sizable inheritance allowed him the financial freedom to retire from the military and try his hand at creating a better facility . His first clients were indeed SEAL teams . But they also included teams from other government agencies , including the CIA . Case officers and protection details , the people generally accustomed to working in the shadows , began showing up for training on the shooting range or the driving track in a rural part of North Carolina . When then-CIA Executive Director Alvin `` Buzzy '' Krongard , whose own son was a Navy SEAL , visited the facility , former Blackwater President Gary Jackson suggested he meet with Prince , who worked out of an office in the Washington area . The two had lunch and Krongard immediately took a liking to the man who would later lead the world 's most notorious private contracting company . At the time , contacts like these were essential to building the business , so when terror struck the heart of America in September 2001 , Prince called up his new friend Krongard and offered to help . Sources inside the agency at the time say that Krongard in fact , was pushing hard for Blackwater to be given the first urgent and compelling , no-bid contract to protect CIA facilities in Afghanistan . The military , it seems , was n't up to the task of staffing such an effort . Once awarded the initial contract , Prince maintained a close relationship with Krongard , and made trips to Afghanistan to make sure things were going smoothly . The idea that the agency came to Blackwater for help on any other contracts , including one with the overall goal of locating and assassinating al Qaeda operatives , would n't come as a huge surprise , particularly since so much of the intelligence budget is spent on private contractors . But with investigations under way into just what was done and by whom at the CIA under the Bush administration , people are remaining tight-lipped . Especially under the threat of possible prosecution , should it go that far . | Relationship between Blackwater and CIA goes back almost a decade . Recent allegation says contractor was part of CIA program to kill al Qaeda operatives . Blackwater was given contract to protect CIA facilities in Afghanistan after 9/11 attacks . The private contractor renamed itself Xe earlier this year . | [[340, 437], [1508, 1532], [1648, 1730], [463, 510], [490, 538], [678, 758], [604, 694], [3165, 3280], [1508, 1519], [1525, 1573]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Any kid can dream up a roller coaster . But those who visit a new exhibit at Walt Disney World 's Epcot theme park can actually take a ride on their fantasy creations . An artist 's rendering of the `` Sum of All Thrills '' interactive ride , opening Wednesday at Disney World . Epcot on Wednesday opened a new attraction called `` Sum of All Thrills , '' which lets kids use computer tablets to design a virtual roller coaster , bobsled track or plane ride . After inputting their designs , kids climb into a robotic carriage that uses virtual-reality technology to help them experience the ride they 've created . `` This is really the next generation -- where there 's a lot more personalization involved '' in the amusement-park experience , said Eric Goodman , Disney 's lead project manager on the ride . This make-your-own-ride approach appears to be a growing trend in the world of amusement parks and museums . Taking cues from the video game industry , park and ride designers have realized that people -- especially young ones -- want to interact with and even design their own thrill rides . In addition to the new Epcot ride in Orlando , Florida , two Disney theme parks feature a ride called `` Toy Story Mania , '' which lets riders shoot at targets as they roll down the track and , in doing so , shape their own ride experience . Another Disney attraction , CyberSpace Mountain , caters to adults and kids by letting them customize their own virtual ride from a menu of drops , loops and other features . Universal Studios in Florida opened a roller coaster in August called the `` Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit , '' which lets people create their own personal musical soundtrack for their ride . Interactive rides are in the `` baby stages '' so far , since roller coasters and theme-park attractions are so expensive to build , but interaction and personalization promise to be running themes in the industry , said Bob McTyre , president of Apogee Attractions , which has has helped design rides for Disney , Universal Studios and others . McTyre was not involved in the new ride at Epcot . He said theme park designers frequently bring up ideas such as roller coasters with three possible endings , allowing riders to choose which path to take . But those big ideas quickly hit a roadblock : the high costs of implementing such a project , he said . Shawn McCoy , vice-president of marketing and business development at Jack Rouse Associates , another amusement-park design firm , said this desire for interactivity in amusement parks takes its cues from video games . `` There 's also a definite need to compete with video games or the gaming industry -- where -LSB- players -RSB- have control over all of the elements , from the environment to the players ' movement , '' he said , noting that museums and zoos also are taking notice of the trend . The `` Sum of All Thrills '' ride at Epcot employs a robotic arm -- more commonly seen assembling cars at an auto plant -- to let kids experience their roller coaster creations . Sitting in a carriage with their legs and arms outside the ride , kids watch a video version of their ride while the arm moves them from side to side and up and down to simulate the feeling of a real roller coaster . Fans blow air at the riders at various speeds to give people the sensation that they 're moving forward . Goodman , the Disney designer , said the robotic arm and carriage come `` pretty darn close '' to replicating the real roller coaster experience . Kids design their experience on touch-screen computers , using a digital ruler and pre-selected track options to construct their rides . If a person tries to build something physically impossible -- a hill that 's too steep for the cars to climb , for example -- then they 're asked to retool their ideas . Disney hopes the interactive nature of the Epcot ride also helps kids learn that math and science can be fun . `` I think it 's really empowering for the kids to realize that the math does n't control them . They get to control the math , '' Goodman said . The Raytheon Company , a maker of weapons and defense systems , said it sponsored the exhibit as a way to get middle-school aged kids more interested in careers in math and engineering . | Disney opens an exhibit where kids create roller coasters -- and ride them . Theme parks are trying to make their rides more interactive , taking cues from gaming . The `` Sum of All Thrills '' ride opens Wednesday at Epcot Center in Florida . Kids design their rides on computers , ride them in a stationary robotic carriage . | [[63, 187], [591, 634], [939, 979], [939, 1122], [2386, 2477], [2517, 2580], [2538, 2604], [188, 259], [262, 297], [298, 369], [479, 508], [511, 545], [3536, 3590]] |
BALTIMORE , Maryland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dr. Carnell Cooper , a Baltimore surgeon , is saving lives inside and outside the operating room . Dr. Carnell Cooper 's Violence Intervention Program provides training and support to trauma victims . Since becoming a trauma surgeon 16 years ago , he has dedicated himself to treating the many young African-American men who 've been shot , stabbed or beaten , only to see them return to the ER with another severe injury just months later . But when one of his patients was readmitted with a fatal gunshot wound to the head in 1996 , it changed Cooper 's life . `` The night that we pronounced that young man dead and my colleagues said there 's really nothing we can do in these situations . ... I just did n't believe that , '' said Cooper , 54 . `` From that day forward , I said , ` Let 's see what we can do . ' '' Cooper created the Violence Intervention Program -LRB- VIP -RRB- at the Shock Trauma Unit of the University of Maryland Medical Center , the state 's busiest hospital for violent injuries . It became one of the country 's first hospital-based anti-violence programs . `` We approached this problem like any public health crisis , like heart disease or smoking , '' he said . `` We tried to work on the root causes . '' Since 1998 , VIP has provided substance abuse counseling , job skills training and other support services to nearly 500 trauma victims . `` Using that scalpel blade to save their life is the first step , '' Cooper said . `` The next step is to try to keep them from coming back . '' A 2006 study by Cooper and his colleagues , published in the Journal of Trauma , showed that people in the program were six times less likely to be readmitted with a violent injury and three times less likely to be arrested for a violent crime . The issue hits close to home for Cooper . Born to unwed teenagers in Dillon , South Carolina , he grew up in a neighborhood where violent crime was commonplace ; he had friends and relatives who ended up dead or in jail . But his grandparents made sure he stayed on the right path . As a straight-A student , he attended a prestigious high school in Massachusetts , then Yale University and Duke University School of Medicine . But while Cooper rose above his circumstances , he felt sympathy for the young men who rotated in and out of his operating room . `` They could be my friends , my family , '' he said . Cooper 's program attempts to help patients from the moment they arrive because victims of violence face a greater risk of receiving another violent injury . Everyone treated for violent wounds at the hospital is seen by a VIP case worker , often at bedside . For Cooper , approaching patients at this early stage is crucial . `` We may get them in a moment when they are thinking , ' I just almost died , ' '' he said . `` We say , ` We 're going help you find a way to get out of the game . ' '' Watch Cooper talk to a victim of violence at his bedside '' VIP helps connect its members with additional support services , such as GED classes , conflict resolution , mentoring and parenting skills . A peer support group also meets at the hospital once a week . The success of Cooper 's program has made it a model for others around the country and inspired the doctor to develop a larger initiative , the Violence Prevention Program , which includes other hospital-based efforts targeting young people in at-risk communities . Howard McCray , 29 , turned his life around with help from VIP . He joined the program in 2001 after he was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the arm . Nicknamed `` Pooh '' for his resemblance to Winnie the Pooh , McCray 's demeanor and lifestyle were once vastly different from the storybook bear 's . `` Before , I was into shooting people , robbing -LSB- them -RSB- , '' he recalled . `` I 've been in many gunbattles and been through the ER many times . '' Through VIP , McCray earned his GED and received job training and a driver 's license . The program also helped him learn about budgeting money and paying child support . Today , McCray is an outreach worker for VIP , visiting patients at their bedsides and encouraging them to join the program . `` I 'm a changed man , '' McCray said proudly . `` Dr. Cooper ... he saved me . '' Watch McCray describe how Cooper 's program changed his life '' Helping people like McCray inspires Cooper to continue his work . `` There are some individuals who we are not going to save , who are just immersed in the culture , but that 's not the majority of folks , '' he said . `` The majority of folks deserve a chance . '' Cooper believes it is all part of his responsibility as a doctor . `` Every physician 's goal is to save lives , '' he said . `` This is another step in that process . In my mind , it 's just what I should be doing . '' Want to get involved ? Check out the Violence Intervention Program and see how to help . | Dr. Carnell Cooper 's Violence Intervention Program helps trauma victims . The program aims to break the cycle of violence by targeting its root causes . Study : Participants are three times less likely to be arrested for a violent crime . Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open at CNN.com / Heroes . | [[139, 240], [861, 995], [1239, 1276], [1563, 1604], [1644, 1808]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kim Clijsters defeated fellow comeback queen Justine Henin in the final of the Brisbane International on Saturday , saving two match-points and wasting three as she won an epic clash . Henin , playing her first tournament since May 2008 , fought back from a set and 4-1 down against her fellow Belgian before losing 6-3 4-6 7-6 -LRB- 8-6 -RRB- in almost two and a half hours . However , Henin sustained an injury to her left leg and later confirmed on her Web site that she will miss next week 's Sydney Invitational , where she faced a possible second-round clash with Serena Williams , in order to recover in time for the decade 's first Grand Slam event , the Australian Open . Clijsters , who made history in September as the first unseeded player to win the U.S. Open in her third event back on the WTA Tour following her own short-lived retirement , took control as she won eight straight games . But fellow former world No. 1 Henin dug deep to level the match and then take a 3-0 lead in the deciding set . The 26-year-old Clijsters battled back to tie it up at 3-3 , and then both players squandered potentially match-winning break opportunities to ensure a tie-break . Clijsters raced to a 5-1 lead , helped by her first ace of the match -- coming off a second serve -- but then missed three match-point chances at 6-3 . Henin again fought back to level at 6-6 but then her 11th double-fault gave Clijsters the chance to finally close out for victory , her 11th in 23 meeting between the two players . Clijsters clinched her 36th WTA Tour title , leaving Henin stuck on 41 . `` What a match ! '' Clijsters said . `` I think we set the bar pretty high for ourselves for the rest of the year . Justine played at a really high level for the whole tournament , so congratulations . '' Meanwhile , top seed Andy Roddick will play defending champion Radek Stepanek in Sunday 's men 's final at the Pat Rafter Arena . Roddick came from behind to beat Stepanek 's fellow Czech Tomas Berdych in the semifinals on Saturday , with the American winning 1-6 6-3 6-4 despite being broken for the first time in the tournament in his opening service game . Second seed Stepanek won 6-2 6-1 against Frenchman Gael Monfils , who was struggling with a shoulder problem . The world No. 13 told the tournament 's Web site that he was unsure if he would take part in next week 's Sydney International . In New Zealand , third seed Yanina Wickmayer shrugged off her difficult end to 2009 by winning the ASB Classic in Auckland on Saturday . The 20-year-old Belgian , who won her appeal against a one-year ban for failing to report her whereabouts for doping tests , defeated top seed Flavia Pennetta 6-3 6-2 to clinch her third WTA Tour title . | Kim Clijsters beats fellow comeback queen Justine Henin in final of Brisbane International . Clijsters wins 6-3 4-6 7-6 -LRB- 8-6 -RRB- , saving two match-points and wasting three . Former world No. 1 Henin suffers a leg injury and will miss next week 's Sydney event . Top seed Andy Roddick faces defending champion Radek Stepanek in men 's final . | [[19, 132], [0, 15], [135, 203], [1098, 1196], [1197, 1206], [1302, 1348], [406, 447], [406, 411], [452, 535], [1809, 1818], [1821, 1938]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Major conflict could return to southern parts of Sudan unless international action bolsters a faltering peace accord , ten aid agencies said in a report released Thursday . A resumption of conflict between north and south in Sudan , meanwhile , would make a sustainable peace impossible in Darfur , a region of western Sudan that has been the scene of what the U.S. calls genocide , the aid groups said . `` It is not yet too late to avert disaster , but the next 12 months are a crossroads for Africa 's largest country , '' said Maya Mailer , policy advisor for Oxfam International and the report 's co-author . The warnings were underscored by news Thursday of a clash that killed scores in Southern Sudan , the latest instance of tribal violence among southerners that has alarmed the United Nations . Locals said fierce fighting in Warap State , one of the most remote regions of the south , killed 140 people , wounded 90 , and led to the theft of tens of thousands of cattle early this month or in late December , the United Nations said . `` The human toll is massive -- hundreds if not thousands displaced . The death toll is massive , '' said Lisa Grande , a top U.N. humanitarian official in Southern Sudan . `` These attacks are a matter of great concern . '' Resurgent tribal violence in the south also concerned the 10 aid groups . They released their report , `` Rescuing the Peace in Southern Sudan , '' two days before the fifth anniversary of a 2005 peace deal that ended a grinding war between the Sudanese government and southern rebels in the Sudan People 's Liberation Movement . They said that peace deal is `` on the brink of collapse . '' That war pitted a northern government of Arab Muslims against southern blacks who follow Christianity and traditional African religions . It killed 2 million people and forced several million others from their homes . The peace deal conferred limited autonomy on southern Sudan and ended one of Africa 's longest and deadliest wars even as a separate conflict that erupted in 2003 raged in Darfur , killing roughly 200,000 , the United Nations says . Despite the peace deal , violence in the south increased last year , Mailer said , and it could escalate further to become one of the biggest emergencies in Africa this year . About 2,500 people were killed and 350,000 fled their homes in southern Sudan last year , the aid agencies said . Many died in tribal violence between southerners . Outside countries have ignored the problem and have not provided sufficient help , the agencies said . The United Nations says more people have been killed in southern Sudan in 2009 than in Darfur , where a separate conflict drew international attention , prompted charges of genocide and led the International Criminal Court to indict the Sudanese president , Omar Hassan al-Bashir , for war crimes . Some southerners blame their former enemies in the north for instigating violence in the south . As the south plans to participate in national elections in April , many southerners say the north has hindered access to registration materials , logistical support and voter education , the United Nations said . The north denies those charges , but they 're among the reasons that analysts worry about an outbreak of north-south violence in a region already buckling under the weight of corruption , cattle rustling and revenge attacks . Sudan needs diplomatic involvement from neighboring countries and the international community to help secure the 2005 peace agreement , said Paul Valentin , international director of Christian Aid , one of the agencies that produced the report . `` A return to war is by no means inevitable , but it depends whether the world heeds the warning signs of the past year and has the political will to save the peace , '' Valentin added . Other agencies that produced the report include the International Rescue Committee , Save the Children and World Vision . The report urges the U.N. Security Council to ensure that protecting civilians becomes a core priority for a peacekeeping force in Sudan . The agencies also called on the international community to mediate between the northern and southern parties before the national elections -- the country 's first multi-party elections in 24 years -- and before a referendum on independence , which is scheduled for early next year . Southern Sudan is roughly the size of Texas but has only 30 miles of paved roads and few health facilities . It is so underdeveloped that the U.N. says a 15-year-old girl in the south is more likely to die in childbirth than finish school . `` After five years of peace , southern Sudan remains one of the poorest regions on earth . People hoped the peace would bring economic benefits and development , but this has happened far too slowly and in some areas not at all , '' said Francisco Roque , country director of Save the Children in South Sudan . `` We are very worried about children who seem to be increasingly targeted in attacks on villages , '' he said . `` International donors and the government must urgently improve aid to these areas . '' | Aid groups : Peace deal signed in 2005 `` on the brink of collapse '' Aid groups : About 2,500 people killed , 350,000 fled in southern Sudan last year . U.N. : More people killed in southern Sudan in 2009 than in Darfur . Report : Protecting civilians should be core priority for U.N. peacekeepers . | [[1621, 1679], [1636, 1679], [402, 423], [1066, 1135], [1114, 1135], [2310, 2344], [2345, 2397], [2578, 2671], [2108, 2133], [2578, 2671], [3969, 4107], [3986, 4107]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Human error and system lapses , rather than deliberate concealing of information , allowed a terror suspect with explosives to board a U.S.-bound airplane on Christmas Day , President Obama 's terrorism czar said Sunday . John Brennan , the assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism , said on CNN 's `` State of the Union '' that the security breakdown in the failed bombing of the Northwest Airlines flight was different from the September 11 , 2001 , terror attacks . `` It 's not like 9/11 , '' Brennan said , adding that the `` system did n't work as it should have '' due to `` lapses '' and `` human error . '' `` There was n't an effort to try to conceal information , '' he said , referring to the well-chronicled competition and turf wars among security agencies prior to the 2001 attacks , which was later blamed for the failure to prevent them . `` There is no smoking gun piece of intelligence out there , '' Brennan said of the failed Christmas bombing , allegedly planned by a Nigerian man who boarded the flight from Amsterdam , Netherlands , to Detroit , Michigan , with explosives in his underwear . Meanwhile , the Transportation Security Administration announced Sunday new security measures to be implemented by domestic and international air carriers on flights bound for the United States , effective Monday . The suspect 's father , a leading banker in Nigeria , warned U.S. authorities before the attack that his son might be involved with Islamic extremists . Brennan said the father 's information was part of `` bits and pieces '' of information that were never connected by intelligence officials to properly target the suspect . `` That was certainly an alert that came to our attention , '' Brennan said of the father 's warnings . `` He said , ` He 's consorting with extremists in Yemen . ' '' However , Brennan rejected another potential warning sign -- that the suspect purchased the airline ticket with cash in Ghana before traveling to Nigeria for the first leg of his journey . `` A lot of people buy their tickets in Africa with cash . That is the way , in fact , things are done , because there 's so much fraud there . So that was n't a necessary -LSB- warning -RSB- bell , '' Brennan said . `` People in the Amsterdam airport did n't even know that he had bought the ticket for cash . He did bring on carry-on luggage . So there were a lot of things that were out there . '' At the same time , Brennan conceded `` there was information that was in the system that should have allowed us to stop it . '' `` A number of pieces were out there that were n't brought together , '' Brennan said . On the same program , however , the Republican chairman of the 9/11 commission said Brennan was `` wrong when he says this was n't like 9/11 . '' Thomas Kean , a former governor of New Jersey , said both events occurred because the U.S. intelligence community failed to piece together various bits of information it already possessed in the weeks and months prior to the attacks . If the information had been properly shared and analyzed , `` then this guy would 've never have gotten on a plane '' on Christmas Day , Kean said . In announcing the new security measures Sunday , the TSA stressed in a statement that `` effective aviation security must begin beyond our borders . '' As a result , any individual flying into the United States who is `` traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening , '' the statement said . `` The directive also increases the use of enhanced screening technologies and mandates threat-based and random screening for passengers on U.S. bound international flights . '' | John Brennan : `` System did n't work as it should have '' due to `` lapses '' and `` human error '' Suspect 's cash payment for airfare `` was n't a necessary -LSB- warning -RSB- bell , '' says Brennan . Thomas Kean of 9/11 panel says Brennan `` wrong when he says this was n't like 9/11 '' CNN iReport : Tell us about your airport security experiences . | [[0, 110], [113, 201], [553, 568], [578, 671], [553, 563], [571, 671], [1950, 2055], [2217, 2269], [2272, 2289], [2343, 2383], [2672, 2689], [2690, 2709], [2722, 2794], [2800, 2832]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A snowstorm that could last up to 18 hours was on its way to southern New England , and Boston , Massachusetts , could be snowed under with up to 15 inches , the National Weather Service said Sunday afternoon . A snowstorm is threatening parts of the Northeast with as much as 15 inches of snowfall . Monday 's commuters in the region could face a nightmare with blowing and drifting snow , freezing temperatures , gusty winds and periods of sleet . Flight delays and cancellations were likely , the weather service said . Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared a snow emergency starting 10 p.m. Sunday in anticipation of the storm , CNN affiliate WCVB reported . Boston public schools will be canceled on Monday . At 2:15 a.m. Monday , light snow was starting to fall , WCVB reported . Winter storm warnings straddled Interstate 95 from Maine to the Carolinas , and they also were issued in parts of Georgia and Alabama . Delta Air Lines canceled 300 flights , most of them to or from Atlanta , because of snowy weather , spokesman Brian Kruse said Sunday . It was snowing in Atlanta , where Delta is based , and 2 to 4 inches was expected . David Spear , a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Transportation , expected traffic chaos . `` People tend to get a little animated out here at the sight of snow , '' he told CNN . `` Our concern is going to be -- as we move into the evening hours and the temperature drops -- that that slush becomes ice and then we have a real situation for our morning commute tomorrow . '' He said about 200 DOT trucks were deployed to help make roads safe for motorists . In northern Connecticut , southern New Hampshire and most of Rhode Island and Massachusetts , a winter storm warning was to be in effect from 9 p.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Monday , the weather service said . Such a warning is issued when winter weather conditions are expected to make travel dangerous . As the storm continued its northward trek late Sunday , Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina was closed at 9 p.m. for snow removal from runways , according to the Federal Aviation Administration . Farther north , Richmond International Airport in Virginia was closed at 10:45 p.m. for the same reason , the FAA said . Both airports were expected to reopen before midnight . The heaviest snow , up to 15 inches , was forecast for the heavily populated I-95 corridor between Boston , Massachusetts , and Providence , Rhode Island , northeast Connecticut and north into the Merrimack Valley in northeast Massachusetts , the weather service said . As much as 3 inches per hour could fall between 10 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. Monday . In Washington , Mayor Adrian Fenty declared a snow emergency Sunday afternoon , meaning any street designated as `` snow emergency route '' by signs would be cleared of any parked vehicles , towed if necessary , so snow plows could work unimpeded . Watch report on the storm system '' `` It is important that our crews have access to the roads from curb-to-curb in order to plow the snow , '' said Fenty , whose city was expected to get up to 8 inches of accumulation Sunday night and early Monday with accumulations up to 10 inches by Monday night . `` This is one of the first plow events we have had this season , and we want to ensure we are able to maintain clear and safe roadways as we move into Monday morning , '' Fenty said . Forecasters said as many as 14 inches of snow could pile up in Philadelphia and New York City , starting Sunday night . Lesser amounts of snow were reported as far south as Alabama , although Charlotte , North Carolina , could see up to 8 inches . Watch snowfall in Georgia '' In Memphis , Tennessee , CNN iReporter George Brown said Sunday that forecasters had predicted `` Teflon snow , '' which would n't stick to the ground . But the snow that fell was much heavier , he said . iReport.com : Share photos of icy , snowy weather in your town . `` We were getting an inch or more an hour , '' he said . `` Some roads are impassable because the folks here are n't use to dealing with slick streets . Many cars are off the interstate , and hotels are packed , '' Brown said . Watch winter storm cause accidents '' Snow in Germantown , Tennessee , was more than 5 inches deep by Sunday afternoon , forecasters said . `` I talked with our maintenance director , Bill Hazlerig , who tells me he has n't seen snow like this in West Tennessee in many years , '' Julie Oaks from the Tennessee Department of Transportation told CNN . Watch the situation in Tennessee '' Tennessee called in 260 employees in the western portion of the state alone to salt and plow roadways through the night , she said . By Sunday afternoon , about 45 cars and semi-trailers had pulled over on the shoulder of Interstate 40 , Oaks said . Watch the snow come down in Memphis '' Rebecca Horsley , an iReporter from Pelham , Alabama , near Birmingham , said snow began falling there Sunday at 6 a.m. , interfering with her planned birthday celebration . `` It looks like we may have to reschedule , '' she said . CNN 's Sean Morris , Lee Garen and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report . | Winter storm warnings issued from New England south to Georgia , Alabama . Washington declares snow emergency , could get 10 inches by Monday night . Heavy snow could make for nightmarish Monday commute in parts of New England . Snow falls in South ; Georgia-based Delta Airlines cancels 300 flights . | [[803, 876], [879, 887], [893, 938], [1625, 1648], [1719, 1748], [1719, 1741], [1746, 1780], [578, 647], [2677, 2690], [2693, 2754], [3067, 3227], [230, 319], [320, 468], [320, 353], [394, 468], [1159, 1170], [1232, 1256], [1857, 1922], [939, 975], [1012, 1036]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Washington police were investigating on Sunday whether an off-duty officer drew his gun in the midst of a snowball fight involving a couple hundred people . The Metropolitan Police Department said video from a local media outlet at the scene Saturday did not show the officer with his weapon drawn . However , authorities have since received `` additional images and statements that would seem to support the allegation that the off-duty member did pull a gun , '' a police statement said . About 200 people from a D.C. neighborhood had gathered Saturday to brave a snowstorm for a massive snowball fight , CNN affiliate WJLA reported . `` It was pretty fun , '' one unidentified participant told WJLA . `` And then , you know , when the gun came out , uh , it just changed the tone of the thing a little bit . '' The off-duty , plainclothes officer was driving in the area of the snowball fight when several snowballs hit his vehicle , police said . The officer exited the vehicle and yelled at the crowd , WJLA reported ; witnesses accused that officer of drawing his gun . A uniformed police officer who subsequently arrived was holding a gun at his hip , but he eventually returned it to his holster , video from WJLA shows . MPD Assistant Chief Peter Newsham said the uniformed officer was responding to a 911 call that someone -- apparently the plainclothes officer -- had a gun , according to WJLA . The uniformed officer holstered his weapon when he recognized the plainclothes officer , Newsham said , according to WJLA . The police statement said `` there is no evidence that -LSB- officers -RSB- pointed any weapons in the direction of the crowd or at any individuals . '' | Plainclothes police officer accused of drawing gun at snowball fight in Washington , D.C. `` Images and statements ... would seem to support the allegation , '' police say . About 200 people were in snowball fight when officer 's vehicle was hit , police say . Police : Separate , uniformed officer held a gun while checking report of armed person . | [[30, 150], [1054, 1105], [340, 362], [373, 474], [340, 351], [363, 407], [375, 407], [413, 489], [492, 520], [134, 186], [521, 634], [926, 964], [967, 980], [1106, 1132], [1158, 1186]] |
NEW ORLEANS , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Drumsticks in hand , Derrick Tabb has found a way to transform New Orleans children from troublemakers to tuba players . Derrick Tabb 's program provides free tutoring , instruments and music instruction to more than 100 students . Tabb , wearing a gold chain and a baseball cap , does n't look the part of a typical band teacher . But every weekday evening in the French Quarter , he beats out the rhythm on his music stand as students play their chosen instruments . In doing so , he gives them an alternative to New Orleans ' rough streets . `` I tell everyone I 'm competing with the drug dealers , '' said Tabb , 34 . His program , The Roots of Music , offers free tutoring , instruments and music education to more than 100 students . Vote now for the CNN Hero of the Year . Reformed class clown Terrence Knockum credits Tabb with changing his life . The 15-year-old tuba player joined the band eight months ago , when he was failing in school and `` heading up the wrong road , '' said Tabb . Today , Knockum is the band captain . He hopes to make music his career and teach it himself one day . `` Before , I was getting in trouble , '' Knockum said . `` Now ... when I come here , I 'm learning how to play the horn , be disciplined and , you know , just work hard . '' Tabb can relate . During a rebellious phase in junior high , his band teacher became his mentor and helped him get back on track . `` He saved my life , '' recalled Tabb , a professional drummer with the Rebirth Brass Band , one of the city 's most popular acts . Now Tabb , a New Orleans native , strives to keep young people on the straight and narrow in the city with the nation 's highest murder rate , according to FBI statistics . `` When all you 've seen is the drug dealers and the killing , you know , they think that 's cool , '' said Tabb , adding that many young people wind up in trouble because they have nothing else to do . The type of music support systems that helped Tabb years ago have been struggling since Hurricane Katrina ; musicians scattered after the storm and budget cuts ended many school music programs . As a result , Tabb chose to target 9 - to 14-year-olds with his program . `` That 's just the most vulnerable time of your life , '' he said . `` If I catch them now , I can hold onto them for at least four or five years and guide them the way that we want to guide them . '' Students meet from 4-7 p.m. every weekday , year-round . They work with tutors on schoolwork , practice their music and eat a hot meal before heading home . Through funding from donations and sponsors , Tabb 's group is able to provide bus transportation , instruments and food for free . He calls it his `` no excuse '' policy -- `` you do n't have no excuse why you 're not here , '' Tabb said . With a 90 percent attendance rate , his formula seems to be working . Watch Tabb and The Roots of Music program in action '' Tabb attributes the success in part to the nature of music . `` You 're constantly learning something new , '' he said . `` That 's what keeps the kids coming back every day . '' Since getting underway last year , The Roots of Music has already exceeded Tabb 's expectations . The band marched in five Mardi Gras parades this season . The program also helped students improve their academic performances , with 85 percent having raised their grades in at least one class ; some D and F students have become A students . And there are more than 400 children on the waiting list . Tabb said he 's assembled a `` dream team '' of musicians to help teach the students , and he personally works with all the beginners . No previous musical experience is necessary -- many students do n't even know the names of the instruments when they start -- but youngsters like 9-year-old Lauren Washington , who plays the flute , learn fast . `` It 's kind of hard to play , but I sound good , '' she said proudly . `` It 's fun ! '' Watch Washington and other students demonstrate their talents '' But the program is n't only about fun . `` Music is about discipline , '' said Tabb . He insists on good behavior and keeps kids in order with threats of sit-ups , pushups or tasks like picking up grains of rice -- but these measures are n't just punishment . `` We wear them out so they do n't have any time or energy to get mixed up in anything on the street , '' he said . Discipline aside , Tabb wants young people to realize that music can help them build a better future . `` I do n't say that I 'm saving lives , '' he said . `` I say I 'm giving life -- a whole different life of music . '' Want to get involved ? Check out The Roots of Music and see how to help . | Derrick Tabb started The Roots of Music to help the city 's young people . The program provides free instruments , instruction , tutoring and food . Students have marched in Mardi Gras parades , improved grades . Vote now for the CNN Hero of the Year at CNN.com / Heroes . | [[164, 274], [666, 677], [701, 783], [2636, 2721], [3291, 3302], [3308, 3359]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rangers kept their stranglehold on the Scottish title as a Lee McCulloch equalizer earned them a 1-1 draw against closest rivals Celtic in the Old Firm derby on Sunday . It leaves the defending champions seven points clear of Celtic , having played a game more , with the season at the halfway point . Ranger manager Walter Smith admitted his team had been fortunate to escape with a point at Parkhead with Celtic wasting a string of chances before Scott McDonald came off the substitutes ' bench to head a 79th minute opener . The Australian international converted from an Aidan McGeedy cross , but two minutes later saw McCulloch rise superbly from a corner to earn his side a valuable point . Rangers have 44 points from 19 games and Celtic 37 from 18 , but Celtic manager Tony Mowbray remained optimistic , saying that their city neighbors had denied them the title last term after coming from seven points behind . `` Undoubtedly , it 's less of a task than they had last year , '' he told reporters . The other game on a crucial Sunday in the championship race saw Hibernian and Hearts draw 1-1 in a bad-tempered Edinburgh derby which saw both teams end with 10 men and crowd trouble . Gordon Smith gave Hearts the lead on the stroke of halftime but one of their fans was ejected after a flare was thrown as the players left the field at the interval . Anthony Stokes leveled for the home side in the 54th minute , but three minutes later Ruben Palazuelos of Hearts and Hibernian 's Darren McCormack were shown red for head-butting each other . Hibernian stay third with 33 points and Hearts are fifth . | Rangers and Celtic draw 1-1 in the Old Firm derby in Scotland . Rangers stay seven points clear of Celtic at top of Scottish standings . Hearts and Hibs draw 1-1 in bad-tempered Edinburgh derby with two men sent off . | [[76, 188], [189, 251], [1124, 1154], [1161, 1211], [1091, 1154]] |
JACKSON , Tennessee -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tornadoes and storms in the mid-South have killed 55 people since Tuesday evening in the deadliest tornado outbreak in the United States in more than 20 years . A police officer walks past destroyed cars on the Union University campus in Jackson , Tennessee , Wednesday . The storms ripped apart homes and trapped residents of university dorms and a retirement home in debris . The trail of death stretched across four states , with four people killed in Alabama , 13 in Arkansas , seven in Kentucky and 31 in Tennessee . In some cases , there was almost no warning before the severe weather hit . James Baskin of Jackson , Tennessee , was driving a car when a twister `` just picked us up and threw us , '' he said . Everyone in the car was injured , including his daughter 's friend , who suffered a broken collarbone . `` We 'll get through it . Nobody 's dead . That 's the biggest thing , '' Baskin said . The storm system was becoming less intense as it moved east Wednesday , CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said , but the National Weather Service issued tornado and severe storm warnings and said extreme weather still was possible . President Bush said Wednesday he had called the governors of the affected states to offer help and to tell them that `` the American people hold those who suffered up in prayer . '' The Federal Emergency Management Agency was deploying teams to the area , Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said Wednesday . `` We 're going to keep watching this , '' he said . See map of where storms hit '' In Sumner County , Tennessee , two victims were found outside a house that had been blown away by the storm , said Jay Austin , the county 's primary death investigator . Elsewhere in the area , a mother was found dead in a creek bed about 50 yards from where her house stood . Her baby was found alive 250 yards away . The child was taken to a local hospital , Austin said . Meanwhile , the Tennessee Highway Patrol reported looting in hard-hit Macon County , CNN affiliate WSMV reported . Macon County Mayor Shelvy Linville told CNN Thursday that the death toll in the county had risen to 13 . Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen , who flew over the disaster area Wednesday , said he was stunned by the storm 's power . Watch Bredesen describe a ` nightmare ' '' `` I do n't think that I have seen , since I 've been governor , a tornado where the combination of the intensity of it and the length of the track was as large as this one , '' Bredesen said . `` That track had to be 25 miles long . -LSB- The twister -RSB- did n't skip like a lot of them do . ... It 's just 25 miles of a tornado sitting on the ground . '' In Jackson , Tennessee , a tornado trapped Union University students and retirees in collapsed buildings , said Julie Oaks , a spokeswoman for the state 's Emergency Management Agency . Watch how the tornado devastated the campus '' `` It looks like a war zone , '' said university President David Dockery . `` Cars and trucks thrown from one side of the campus to the other . '' Dockery said the women 's dorms were destroyed , along with two academic buildings . Many other school buildings received lesser damage . See photos of chaos left by storm '' Classes were canceled at least until February 18 , he said . Nine students were hospitalized overnight , but there were no life-threatening injuries , according to university spokesman Tim Elsworth . To the west , a tornado swept through the southeastern section of Memphis in Shelby County . The storms yanked the roof off a hangar at Memphis International Airport , the National Weather Service said . Oaks said one person was killed at the Hickory Ridge Mall in Shelby County . Company officials believe a tornado hit a compressor station for the Columbia Gulf Transmission company in Hartsville , Tennessee , about 40 miles northeast of Nashville , setting off a spectacular natural gas fire . Watch flames leap hundreds of feet '' The blaze could be seen in the night sky for miles around , with flames shooting `` 400 , 500 feet in the air , '' said Tennessee Emergency Management spokesman Donnie Smith . The station was damaged significantly , but there were no reports of injuries or fatalities , said Columbia spokesman Kelly Merritt . `` We would not have had any employees there -LSB- overnight -RSB- . '' The blaze was put out early Wednesday morning , he said . The tornado cut a wide swath near the facility , flattening the home of Dara Reasonover . `` It just took the house and everything and my horses and my dog , '' a shaken Reasonover said , as the glow of the fire lit the sky behind her . `` I do n't know if they 're alive or dead , but we 'll make it . '' In Arkansas , the storm killed 13 people in six counties , the state Emergency Management Agency said . In the city of Atkins , a man , woman and child in the same family were killed , county Judge Jim Ed Gibson told CNN . The storms overturned trucks and other vehicles along Interstate 40 , closing the highway briefly , he said . Storms also ripped through Kentucky , killing at least seven people . A state of emergency was declared in Muhlenberg County , and Kentucky National Guard troops were deployed , state emergency spokesman Buddy Rogers said . In Alabama , the storms killed four people , three in Lawrence County and one in Jackson County , officials said . Resident Roger Riddle said that when he heard the tornado siren , he rounded up his children and took them to a community storm shelter . When he emerged , he saw the twister traveling away from them and `` total destruction . '' `` We 've got things tore up , and the house across the road from us is completely gone , '' Riddle said . In Mississippi , the director of the state 's Emergency Management Agency , Mike Womack , estimated that 20 to 30 tornadoes pounded the state in areas above the state capital of Jackson . `` We have no reported fatalities , and that is extremely fortunate , '' he said , given the havoc the storm caused elsewhere . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Saeed Ahmed , Mark Bixler and Ed Payne contributed to this report . | NEW : Death toll rises to 55 with report of a 13th death in Macon County , Tennessee . Tornado outbreak was deadliest in the U.S. in more than 20 years . 31 people killed in Tennessee , 13 in Arkansas , 7 in Kentucky , 4 in Alabama . | [[10, 199], [2076, 2180], [2129, 2180], [10, 199], [417, 464], [472, 501], [2076, 2180], [2129, 2180], [4739, 4750], [4753, 4795], [5072, 5078], [5110, 5141], [5296, 5306], [5309, 5338]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A woman who was beheaded near Buffalo , New York -- allegedly by her husband -- may have been on the phone with her sister when she was killed . Muzzammil Hassan has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife , Aasiya Zubair Hassan . Asma Firfirey of suburban Cape Town , South Africa , told the Afrikaans newspaper Die Burger that she was on the phone with her sister , Aasiya Zubair Hassan , last week when she heard Hassan tell her husband to calm down . She said she heard Hassan say the two could talk about their impending divorce the following day . Then she heard something that sounded like her sister struggling to breathe , she said . `` I can only imagine how scared and emotional she must have been before she died , '' Firfirey said in the interview , reported in English by South Africa 's News 24 . Police have charged Hassan 's husband , Muzzammil Hassan , with second-degree , or intentional , murder in the death of his wife , according to the Erie County District Attorney 's Office . Her decapitated body was found at the offices of Bridges TV , the television network where Muzzammil Hassan was chief executive officer and Aasiya Hassan was general manager . Hassan told Orchard Park police his wife was dead , led officers to her body and was arrested Thursday , said Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III . He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday . Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz on Tuesday contradicted a CNN report that quoted him as saying Hassan confessed to the crime . A Buffalo attorney told CNN on Tuesday that he expects to represent Hassan but declined further comment , saying details had not yet been worked out . Hassan came to America from Pakistan 25 years ago and became a successful banker , but he and his wife were troubled by the negative perception of Muslims , Voice of America reported in 2004 . Speaking in December 2004 , Hassan said his wife , then pregnant , was worried about that perception and `` felt there should be an American Muslim media where her kids could grow up feeling really strong about their identity as an American Muslim . '' `` So she came up with the idea and turned to me and said , ` Why do n't you do it ? ' '' he said . `` And I was like , I have no clue about television . I 'm a banker . ... And her comment was , ` You have an MBA . Why do n't you write a business plan ? ' '' Bridges TV began as a television network for Muslim-Americans , aimed at overcoming the negative stereotypes associated with the religion . `` There should be a Muslim media , '' Muzzammil Hassan told VOA , `` so that Muslim children growing up in America grow up with the self-confidence and high self-esteem about their identity both as Americans and as Muslims . '' In the past few years , according to a former employee who asked not to be named for fear of retribution , Bridges TV transformed itself into more of a cross-cultural network seeking to bridge the gap between all cultures . Most of their employees were not Muslim , the former employee said , and Muzzammil Hassan himself was not devout . Aasiya Hassan filed for divorce February 6 , police said , and Muzzammil Hassan was served with divorce papers at the station . That night , he showed up at the couple 's home , she notified authorities and he was served with a restraining order . Police are not commenting on details of the crime , except to say the woman 's body did not appear to have been moved . They also would not divulge what Muzzammil Hassan told police or the suspected motive . The law firm representing Aasiya Hassan refused to comment , only confirming that she had filed for divorce . Benz told CNN on Tuesday that police had responded to several domestic violence calls at the couple 's address , but no one was arrested . Firfirey , as well as a Pakistani woman identifying herself as another of Aasiya Hassan 's sisters , characterized her as living in fear . Firfirey said the last time she saw her sister was in May 2008 , when she visited South Africa . When she arrived , she was badly injured , and Firfirey 's family paid the equivalent of about $ 3,000 for her to be treated , she said . Aasiya Hassan returned to America , she said , because she wanted to complete her MBA degree and `` did n't want to leave her children with that monster . '' She said she calls Muzzammil Hassan `` the fat man with evil eyes . '' Aasiya Hassan would have graduated March 6 , Firfirey said . A woman in Pakistan using the name Salma Zubair posted on a blog that she is the sister of `` this brutally murdered woman . '' `` She lived her 8 years of married life with fear in heart , '' Zubair wrote . `` He had already frightened her enough that she could n't muster up her guts and leave him , and when she finally did gather that much strength he killed her so brutally . She lived to protect her children from this man and his family and she died doing so . '' She said Aasiya Hassan `` had always been a very loving person , not even one person in this world can say a small wrong word about her ... she had always dreamed a life of a happily married family , which she did her best to achieve . '' Both women said they were worried about the couple 's children , ages 4 and 6 . Firfirey said they were being cared for by a colleague of the couple . Muzzammil Hassan also has two older children from a previous marriage . Members of Muzzammil Hassan 's family did not return calls from CNN on Monday . The former employee told CNN that Aasiya Hassan was popular at the station and was very kind . Muzzammil Hassan was known among employees for having a temper -- he sometimes would yell at and demean his wife , but at other times appeared to be a loving husband and father , the former employee said . Bridges TV released a statement Monday saying its staff was `` deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of Aasiya Hassan and the subsequent arrest of Muzzammil Hassan . Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to the families of the victim . '' Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali , vice president of the Islamic Society of North America , said Aasiya Hassan 's death serves `` as a wake-up call to call of us , that violence against women is real and can not be ignored ... the Muslim community is not exempt from this issue . We , the Muslim community , need to take a strong stand against domestic violence . '' CNN 's Mary Snow contributed to this report . | New York man charged with second-degree murder after wife found beheaded . Police : Woman 's decapitated body found at TV station where she , husband worked . Report : Sister says she may have been on phone with victim when she was killed . Aasiya Zubair Hassan had filed for divorce from Muzzammil Hassan days earlier . | [[16, 26], [31, 56], [164, 248], [1045, 1104], [1045, 1104], [0, 15], [88, 163], [274, 309], [327, 408], [3125, 3167]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dozens of suspected terrorists released by the United States from Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , are believed to have returned to terrorism activities , according to the Pentagon . Pentagon officials say 61 former Gitmo detainees have committed or are suspected of returning to terrorism . Since 2002 , 61 former detainees have committed or are suspected to have committed attacks after being released from the detention camp , Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said at a briefing Tuesday . The number is up since the Pentagon 's last report in March 2008 when officials said 37 former detainees had been suspected of returning to the battlefield since 2002 . Since 2007 , more than 100 detainees were released , significantly more than in previous years , according to Pentagon officials . According to the statistics , of the 61 former detainees that are believed to have returned to fighting , 18 have been officially confirmed while 43 are suspected , Morrell said . The 18 were confirmed through intelligence , photographs , fingerprints and other information , Morrell said . Of the 43 other detainees suspected of taking part in terrorist attacks , only `` plausible reporting '' on their activities indicated some kind of involvement , according to Morrell . Officials would only identify one of the confirmed attackers , Adballah Salih al-Ajmi , a Kuwaiti man released from U.S. custody at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in 2005 . Pentagon officials said Salih al-Ajmi blew himself up in a suicide attack in Iraq in April 2008 . Since 2002 , the Pentagon has released about 520 detainees to their home countries or counties that agreed to take them . Some have been released in full by those countries while others are still being held . `` There , clearly , are people who are being held at Guantanamo who are still bent on doing harm to America , Americans and our allies , so there will have to be some solution for the likes of them , '' Morrell said . About 250 detainees remain held at Guantanamo and about 60 of those detainees have been cleared for release by the Pentagon , but their home countries will not take them or the U.S. believes they could be harmed by their governments if returned . President-elect Barack Obama has said he intends to shut down Guantanamo . Earlier this week , two sources close to the Obama transition team said he could issue an order to do so as early as his first week in office , saying that Obama believes `` the legal framework at Gitmo has failed to successfully and swiftly prosecute terrorists . '' | 61 former Gitmo detainees still involved in terror acts , according to Pentagon . Since 2002 , nearly 520 detainees have been released from detention facility . President-elect Barack Obama wants to shut down Guantanamo upon taking office . | [[0, 26], [176, 203], [204, 312], [204, 222], [227, 252], [271, 312], [313, 323], [326, 360], [313, 323], [326, 345], [364, 380], [326, 345], [378, 448], [30, 110], [1559, 1569], [1572, 1653], [2234, 2308], [2272, 2308]] |
Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Military divers have found the body of a U.S. paratrooper who went missing last week in a river in western Afghanistan . The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said the soldier was found close to where he disappeared November 4 . Officials are continuing their search for a second paratrooper lost at the same time . Both men -- from the 4th Brigade Combat Team , 82nd Airborne Division -- disappeared in the Morghab River near Afghanistan 's border with Turkmenistan . The men were on a routine resupply mission , the NATO group said . Family members identified the recovered body as that of Benjamin Sherman , 21 , of Plymouth , Massachusetts . They said he jumped into the river when he saw a fellow soldier struggling in the water . `` I know that day he jumped into the river to try to save his comrade was because he did n't just see another soldier in the water ; he saw his brother , '' said Sherman 's sister , Meredith , in a statement to CNN affiliate WCVB in Boston , Massachusetts . `` He did n't jump in because he was trained to but because that 's what his heart told him to do . '' Sherman 's mother , Denise , said the family called him `` the unstoppable one . '' `` I raised him with the understanding that when you choose to do something , you do it to the best of your ability , '' she said in a statement to WCVB . `` He was powerful , ingenuous and determined . '' CNN 's Thomas Evans contributed to this report . | Two U.S. soldiers went missing in Afghan river on November 4 . Both lost in Morghab River near border with Turkmenistan . Family identifies recovered body as that of Benjamin Sherman of Plymouth , Massachusetts . Search continues for the other paratrooper . | [[78, 96], [101, 159], [370, 414], [443, 522], [78, 96], [101, 159], [325, 369], [370, 414], [443, 522], [590, 699], [283, 345], [325, 369]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fort Hood , Texas , is -- for all intents and purposes -- a city . With as many as 30,000 residents , it has all the trappings of an American metropolis : malls , softball fields , subdivisions and as many as nine schools . But in other ways , Fort Hood is like no American city . It is a transition point for troops who have served overseas , soldiers who have seen the worst that war has to offer and are returning to life at home . At least 13 people were killed and 30 wounded in shootings on the post Thursday , officials said . The alleged gunman , identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , 39 , was wounded . Some of those killed or wounded were at the Readiness Center , a soldier 's last stop before deployment , said Army Lt. Gen. Bob Cone . It is also one of the first places a soldier goes after returning from war . Officials : Gunman opens fire at Fort Hood . Lt. Gen. Russel Honore , who served at Fort Hood in the late 1990s , said the nearly eight years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq have created difficulties for the U.S. armed forces . `` This is a very complex situation , a situation we have not dealt with in the Army before . We have never been at war this long before in modern history , '' he said . `` And many of these soldiers have been deployed multiple times , so this has put a lot of stress on these soldiers and their families . `` One of the biggest things on re-entry that the Readiness Center does is to help those soldiers cope with being back home and dealing with the extremes of -LSB- post-traumatic stress disorder -RSB- , '' Honore said . It is also where soldiers `` do everything from finalizing your next of kin , inspect your immunization record , as well as make a will , '' he said . Fort Hood is the largest U.S. military installation in the world by size , and on any given day , it is home to 25,000 to 30,000 people , according to an Army spokesman at the Pentagon . The post also houses the families of service members and other civilians . iReport.com : Are you there ? Send pics , video . `` Some of these soldiers have lost some of their closest friends , seen some of the horrific things associated with warfare including these roadside bombs , '' Honore said . `` They 've seen and experienced -- many of them -- some very horrific events . '' Services and programs offered on the post range from helping troops who are leaving the armed services find employment or pursue education to helping soldiers deal with combat-related illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder . One such program , called the Warrior Stress Reset Program , is `` designed to help address those common and normal reactions to war experiences , '' says a military Web site . `` It is well documented that participation in a major conflict ... has a way of leaving its mark on the psyche of our soldiers , '' the Web site reads . The program lasts three weeks and provides counseling and treatment . U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison , R-Texas , said the post has a robust support system for families of deployed troops , which would help troops and civilians there handle Thursday 's violence . `` The people who are there will surround the families and take care of them , the ones who have had loved ones who were killed , '' she said . The Army 's 1st Cavalry Division and elements of the 4th Infantry Division , as well as the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 13th Corps Support Command , are based at Fort Hood . Fort Hood measures about 340 square miles across and is approximately 160 miles south of Dallas/Fort Worth , Texas . CNN 's Barbara Starr , Adam Levine , Mike Mount and Chris Lawrence contributed to this report . | General says ongoing wars have put stress on troops and their families . Fort Hood is largest U.S. military installation in the world by size . On any given day , there can be at least 25,000 to 30,000 people . It is also a transition point for troops returning to civilian life . | [[890, 893], [894, 912], [959, 1071], [1308, 1378], [2728, 2855], [1828, 1844], [1847, 1884], [300, 335], [363, 371], [422, 453]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ibrahim Hooper knows the drill . When news first broke Thursday that a shooting at Fort Hood , Texas , killed and injured U.S. soldiers , the national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations wrote a statement of condemnation . He only sent it out later , when reports emerged that the alleged shooter 's name was Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan . `` As soon as we saw what appeared to be a Muslim name , we issued our statement , '' Hooper said . `` Until that time , we were praying that no Muslim would be involved . '' That 's the reality of crisis management for the Muslim-American community , said Hooper , who handles communications for the nation 's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group . Even without confirmation that the alleged gunman was Muslim -- there was no immediate determination of any religious affiliation for Hasan -- the mere reporting of a possible Muslim name required an immediate comment , he said . `` That 's unfortunately the world we live in nowadays , '' Hooper said . `` So often , Muslims are accused of not condemning these kind of acts . '' The CAIR statement said : `` No political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence . The attack was particularly heinous in that it targeted the all-volunteer Army that protects our nation . American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens in offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of those killed or injured . '' In a separate statement , the Muslim Public Affairs Council , based in Los Angeles , California , condemned what it called the `` heinous incident . '' `` We are in contact with law enforcement and U.S. federal government officials to gain more facts from this tragic incident and work together in dealing with its aftermath , '' the group said . Its statement called on `` all members of American Muslim communities to be in contact with local law enforcement for the safety and security of their communities and their institutions . '' The Islamic Information Center also issued a statement `` in conjunction with all the major Muslim organizations nationwide '' that condemned the attack . `` While several news reports have cited one of the gunmen to be Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , IIC strongly emphasizes that this attack and its perpetrator are in no way representative of the Muslim people or the peace-loving religion of Islam , '' the statement said . `` The individuals who perpetrated this attack blatantly acted against the teachings of Islam and humanity , '' it added . After the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks on the United States , Muslim-Americans reported increased attacks and threats by revenge-minded non-Muslims . `` We 've seen this before , '' Hooper said of a possible backlash . `` Whenever there 's an incident of this type , there 's always the possibility this will happen . '' Even non-Muslims could be targeted , he said , noting that Sikhs who wear turbans or Hispanic-Americans can be mistaken as being of Middle Eastern descent . On Thursday night , CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad told a news conference the alleged Fort Hood attacker 's motive remained unknown . `` We urge all Americans to remain calm in reaction to this tragic event and to demonstrate once again what is best about America -- our nation 's ability to remain unified even in times of crisis , '' Awad said . `` We urge national political and religious leaders and media professionals to set a tone of calm and unity . `` Unfortunately , based on past experience , we also urge American Muslims , and those who may be perceived to be Muslim , to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves , their families and their religious institutions from possible backlash . '' | Slain Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan accused in Fort Hood shootings . His religion , if any , is n't known , but American Muslims condemn his actions . `` American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens , '' one group says . Some fear backlash against Muslims and people who are thought to be Muslim . | [[822, 897], [1540, 1563], [1566, 1599], [1638, 1688], [1379, 1491], [1867, 1886], [2626, 2655], [2699, 2786], [2816, 2855], [3655, 3664], [3669, 3698]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama paid tribute Wednesday to those who have lost their lives in the nation 's wars as well as to the men and women who currently serve . `` There 's no tribute , no commemoration , no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice , '' he said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery on a rainy , overcast Veterans Day . `` We call this a holiday , but for many veterans , it 's another day of memories that drive them to live their lives each day as best as they possibly can , '' he said . `` For our troops , it is another day in harm 's way . For their families , it is another day to feel the absence of a loved one and the concern for their safety . For our wounded warriors , it is another day of slow recovery . And in this national cemetery , it is another day when grief remains fresh . '' He vowed that `` America will do right '' by its troops . `` To all who served in every battle in every war , we say that it 's never too late to say thank you . '' Earlier Wednesday , the president and first lady Michelle Obama also walked through Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery , CNN 's Jill Dougherty reported . The section is where service members from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried . There , the Obamas stopped to talked to relatives and friends of those who have died . Skip and Rhonda Rollins of New Hampshire were visiting the gravesite of their son , Justin , who was killed in Iraq in 2007 . He would have turned 25 on Tuesday . The couple said they were `` extremely surprised '' to see Obama `` take the time to speak with the families '' in Section 60 . Although he said he generally holds different political views from those of the president , Skip Rollins said that supporting American soldiers , both living and dead , `` should always be a nonpartisan issue . '' He added , `` It was extremely nice of him to take this time out to come down here and do this . '' The couple said they make the trip to their son 's grave each year around this time for their son 's birthday and for Veterans Day . `` It 's not just my son that I mourn for ; when I see all the others ' stones , the ages of the soldiers , and you know they 've given the ultimate sacrifice for all of us . And you know it 's hard for me to leave , to leave my son , '' Rhonda Rollins said . Earlier Wednesday , the president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in the cemetery . He then stood solemnly as a bugle played taps . Some onlookers watched from under umbrellas . Veterans Day comes a day after Obama addressed 15,000 people at a memorial service at Fort Hood Army Post , where 13 people were killed and dozens more were wounded in a shooting last week . The president told the families of those killed that `` no words can fill the void that has been left , '' adding , `` your loved ones endure through the life of our nation . '' The suspected gunman in the attack is a 39-year-old Army psychiatrist , Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , who remains in intensive care at an Army hospital in San Antonio , Texas . Later Wednesday , Obama discussed with his war council scenarios to move forward in Afghanistan . One scenario , a senior administration official and U.S. military official independently confirmed , calls for sending about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan . Other nations honored those who sacrificed their lives in wars on Wednesday , in many cases for the first time without any surviving veterans of World War I. Services took place around the world to mark the 91st anniversary of the armistice signed between Germany and the Allies on November 11 , 1918 . Depending on where it is celebrated , the day is known as Armistice Day , Remembrance Day , Poppy Day or Veterans Day . In Britain , Queen Elizabeth led Remembrance Day ceremonies in Westminster Abbey , a service also attended by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior politicians and military leaders . In Paris , French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a ceremony under the Arc de Triomphe . Australians observed one minute silence at 11 a.m. in memory of those who died or suffered in all of the nation 's wars and armed conflicts . `` Their loss is a reminder that there is nothing glorious about war . Those called upon to fight know that better than anyone , '' said Gen. Peter Cosgrove , chairman of the Council of the Australian War Memorial . CNN 's Leslie Bentz contributed to this report . | `` No praise ... can truly match the magnitude of your service , '' he tells veterans . America will do right by its troops , Obama promises . Nations around the world take day to honor fighting men and women . | [[222, 233], [239, 303], [876, 933], [890, 933], [3368, 3443]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With a simple , declarative statement , the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs announced his ambitious goal to eradicate one of the country 's most shameful problems . `` My name is Shinseki , and I am here to end veteran homelessness , '' VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said Tuesday in a speech to the National Summit on Homeless Veterans . But Shinseki indicated the challenge in meeting his goal by adding , `` I learned long ago there are never any absolutes in life , and a goal of zero homeless veterans sure sounds like an absolute . '' The plan unveiled by Shinseki includes trying to leverage existing education and jobs programs , boosting the ability of veteran-owned businesses to compete for federal contracts and spend an additional $ 3 billion on medical services and homeless programs . An estimated 131,000 veterans are homeless , according to the VA. . That is an improvement from 2003 , when the number was as high as 196,000 . But the secretary warned that given the ailing economy , the number could increase by as much as 10 percent to 15 percent in the next five years . The VA plans to focus its new efforts on preventing the problem . `` Our plan enlarges the scope of VA 's efforts to combat homelessness , '' said Shinseki in a news release . `` In the past , VA focused largely on getting homeless veterans off the streets . Our five-year plan aims also at preventing them from ever ending up homeless . '' The department plans to expand the recently passed educational grants program for veterans who served after September 11 , 2001 , to include not just college but vocational programs as well , according to VA spokeswoman Katie Roberts . `` Not every veteran wants to spend four years pursuing a college degree , but they might be interested in learning a trade that would get them into the taxpaying work force sooner , '' Shinseki said . The VA will also try to win more federal contracts for veteran-owned businesses , encouraging other agencies to exceed the minimum goal of 3 percent of contracts to veteran-owned small businesses . The increase , the VA believes , will also help employ more veterans since `` veterans hire veterans , '' Shinseki said . In addition , it is increasing the amount of vouchers for public-financed housing , adding 10,000 more vouchers in 2010 . The plan also calls for more programs to aid transition from prison and psychiatric facilities , as well as a renewed call to treat veterans ' psychiatric conditions . Read more about the VA 's ambitious goal . Veterans ' groups contacted after the speech were generally pleased that the secretary was focusing the attention but unsure how he would achieve such an ambitious goal . `` General Shinseki is a soldier and treating this like a military operation and in the military you have to have hope for your missions , '' said Justin Brown of Veterans of Foreign Wars . Shinseki was a four-star general in the Army . Brown said he thought Shinseki 's aim to get better coordination between the VA and federal departments , including Labor and Health , was a good start . But others were more pessimistic that Shinseki could change the VA bureaucracy . `` This secretary is going to be a good leader , but we do n't think he or the president has quite gotten a hold of how intractable the bureaucracy is inside the VA , '' said Rick Weidman , executive director for policy and government affairs at Vietnam Veterans of America . Weidman said one problem not mentioned Tuesday that would help , more than many of of the other programs , is reducing the backlog in processing veterans ' claims that delays much-needed medical and other benefits . The VA recognizes backlogs are a problem , said spokeswoman Roberts . `` The backlog is a top priority at the VA and at the forefront of the secretary 's mind , '' she said . Toni Reinis at the Los Angeles organization New Directions said the announcement Tuesday showed that Shinseki had `` real leadership , '' but she worried that lack of funds and leadership at the local level would make instituting change difficult . The problem , she said , is sometimes not in the VA 's control . Reinis said her group 's center , which helps 700 homeless veterans a year gain employment , housing and proper medical and psychiatric care in a residential setting , has lost a lot of money because of state budget cuts . The county cut the center 's mental health funding by 55 percent , which is a `` significant '' amount , Reinis said . Efforts to expand have been met with opposition , as in the case of a seven-year effort in California 's San Fernando Valley to build a new treatment center that has been opposed by local communities . `` The VA was behind it , but the neighbors do n't want those people in their neighborhood , '' Reinis explained . | VA Secretary Eric Shinseki says , `` I am here to end veteran homelessness '' An estimated 131,000 veterans are homeless , according to the VA . One observer worries Shinseki does n't realize how `` intractable '' VA bureaucracy is . Backlogs in veterans claims is cited as a major problem . | [[0, 26], [70, 205], [235, 272], [837, 879], [837, 866], [882, 902], [3256, 3367], [3479, 3641], [3598, 3694], [3695, 3735]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Clouds of black smoke from burning plastic hang over the sites of Nigeria 's vast dumps , as tiny figures pick their way through slicks of oily water , past cracked PC monitors and television screens . Toxins from dumped electronics in developing countries has been seen as a growing problem . But it is n't just a cut from broken glass these mainly young scavengers are risking . Much of the discarded electronic kit contains tiny -- but valuable -- quantities of aluminum , copper , cadmium and other minerals , all of which can be sold on , if they can be recovered . However they also contain highly toxic materials , which have been linked to reproductive problems and cancers . `` People living and working on and around the dump sites , many of whom are children , are exposed to a cocktail of dangerous chemicals that can cause severe damage to health , including cancer , damage to the nervous system and to brain development in children , '' Kim Schoppink , Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace , told CNN . `` The open burning creates even more hazardous chemicals among which are cancerous dioxins . '' No studies have been done on the extent of the chemical pollution of such sites in Nigeria , but in 2008 a Greenpeace report on similar dumps in nearby Ghana confirmed that high levels of lead , phthalates and dioxins were present in soils and the water of a nearby lagoon . A Chinese academic report published in `` Environmental Health Perspectives '' in 2007 confirmed that children living in the same area had higher levels of toxic metals in their blood than other children living nearby . There is increasing evidence that this new health and environment problem is arriving in shipping containers from Western countries . Nigeria is one of the principal global destinations for `` e-waste '' -- the catch-all term for discarded consumer electronics . Some of this may have been legitimately handed in to be recycled in an EU or U.S. city , but lax enforcement , vague legislation and a lack of political will has meant that it instead passes through a network of traders keen to profit from developing countries ' hunger for hi-tech and a burgeoning second hand market . According to the United Nations Environment Program around 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste are generated worldwide each year . In 2008 a Greenpeace study , `` Not in My Backyard '' , found that in Europe only 25 percent of the e-waste was recycled safely . In the U.S. it is only 20 percent and in developing countries it is less than one percent . Extrapolating out from these figures the report concluded that a massive 80 percent of e-waste generated worldwide is not properly recycled . Some is burnt in Western incinerators or buried in landfill sites . But much is exported to developing countries including India , China , Pakistan , Nigeria and Ghana . When it arrives , a further percentage may be repaired and sold on to populations desperate for affordable technology . But anything beyond the skills of local traders will end up dumped . It 's a profitable business , and is already attracting the attention of organized crime . A report issued by the United Nations in July said that the criminal gangs behind much of the drug trade in West Africa were becoming involved with e-waste trading . The volume of material on the move is staggering . In 2005 , more than 500 containers full of e-waste entered Nigerian ports every month , according to the Basel Action Network , a U.S. NGO campaigning on issues surrounding toxic waste . Each one contains 10 to 15 tons of e-waste , totaling 60,000 to 90,000 tons per year . These figures are likely to have increased in recent years . There seems little doubt that much of this waste is finding its way to Africa from Western countries . The Basel Action Network and Dutch NGO Danwatch have traced equipment from Europe to Nigerian dumps and earlier this year Greenpeace placed a radio tracking device in a broken TV handed in for safe recycling in the UK , but followed it to a Nigerian market . `` Greenpeace is disappointed especially by U.S. and EU authorities , '' said Schoppink . `` It is toxic waste from the U.S. and EU countries that is causing serious environmental and health problems in Nigeria , a country without the means to deal with this problem . `` The U.S. and EU must play the biggest role in stopping the spread of e-waste ; they are most responsible for the problem and have the resources to tackle it . The export of e-waste from the EU is illegal under the Basel Convention and the Waste Shipment Directive , but the laws are not being sufficiently implemented . In the U.S. , there is no such law banning this practice . `` In Nigeria the government is talking about stopping imports , but there has been no progress on this to date . '' Signs of progress . There are calls from environmental groups likes Greenpeace for electronics producers to do more to phase out their use of hazardous substances , and there are some signs of progress . Several electronics companies already make products using fewer hazardous substances , and others , including Nokia , Philips and Samsung are setting up voluntary collection and recycling systems in countries where they are not legally obliged to . Apple claims its products are now almost entirely free of the worst toxic chemicals . `` If producers continue to use hazardous chemicals in their electronics and to fail to take responsibility for the safe disposal of their products , e-waste will continue to be dumped in developing countries , '' said Schoppink . `` The pollution and related health problems in countries where e-waste is dumped will increase massively as the amount of electronics used worldwide is growing exponentially and the number of countries used as dump sites will grow . '' But while the developing world needs the U.S. and EU to take responsibility for their waste , it also needs their discarded computers to train and build a 21st century workforce . `` Nobody is arguing that Africa should be denied access to computers , '' said Tony Roberts , Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Computer Aid International , a charity licensed by the UK Environment Agency , which provides recycled computers to developing countries to improve education and healthcare . `` Technical colleges and universities are always short of resources . It is , of course , essential to developing economies escaping poverty to have access to affordable modern technology . '' Computer Aid works to close the digital divide between the north and southern hemispheres and offers corporations , including Coca Cola , as well as individuals , a positive way of disposing of electronics . They also believe learning about responsibility for that technology is a crucial part of the exchange . `` Computer Aid argues that , in addition to the PCs , it is essential to also build the skills , knowledge and operating capacity in every country to manage responsible re-use programs and environmentally sound end-of-life recycling . '' In the end , this is about everyone involved -- particularly the developed nations -- taking responsibility for their waste . `` It is clear that companies have a moral obligation to treat Africa in exactly the same way that they do , say , Germany , '' said Roberts . Until then , toxic black smoke will continue to cast a shadow over lives across the developing world . | Export of electronic products for recycling creating health and environment problems . Developed nations that export e-waste criticized by many for lack of responsibility . Study from Greenpeace suggest only around 20 percent recycled safely . Organized crime involved in e-waste trading according to UN report in July . | [[221, 312], [1658, 1757], [4192, 4204], [4210, 4273], [3149, 3194], [3149, 3314]] |
Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An attack in which the Taliban claimed to have infiltrated key government sites in downtown Kabul killed at least five people Monday morning , hospital and government officials said . Among the five were two policemen and one national security staff member , Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar said at a news conference . Seventy-one others were injured , 36 of whom were police or security officers , he said . His report of the death toll conflicts with those of Defense Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi , who said 13 died , and the Taliban , which claimed even more were slain . Seven attackers ' bodies were recovered , with two or three of them burned beyond recognition , Azimi said . The Taliban said only five were killed . Four explosions and gunfire shook downtown Kabul about 9:15 a.m. Monday , with the Taliban saying it was conducting a militant operation . The attack started as 14 members of Afghan President Hamid Karzai 's Cabinet were to be sworn in , said Parliament member Fawzia Koofi . About 20 Taliban insurgents entered the presidential palace ; the ministries of Finance , Mines and Justice ; and the Serena Hotel , said spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid . NATO-led forces said `` several small explosions '' and gunfire were reported near the Feroshgah e Afghan Shopping Center and the Serena Hotel , and later added that `` numerous '' suicide bombers had attacked government buildings close to the presidential palace and the Ministry of Justice . Atmar said that the coordinated attacks struck the city over a span of two hours and 45 minutes and that they targeted civilians . And the threat continued at 1 p.m. , when three attackers took over Bayman Hotel , Atmar said . More than two hours later , Afghan security forces killed the men , he said . At least two insurgents were killed at the shopping center , NATO-led forces said in a news release , which also said that Afghan national police had secured all roads in the area . A separate news release condemned the attack , which NATO-led forces said took place amid many civilians . Atmar , the Minister of Defense and chief of the National Security Department also condemned the violence . The Taliban claimed that they killed 31 officials and injured 31 people . Their account could not be immediately independently verified . The terrorist group also disputed the government on the number of its militants killed . Five militants had died and 13 had returned to their safe houses , the Taliban 's Mujahid said , adding that two were still fighting . But Zmaray Bashari , a spokesman for the Interior Ministry , said security forces had restored Kabul to normalcy by Monday afternoon . Monday 's assault followed weekend violence that killed at least three international troops and 14 militants in Afghanistan , authorities said . CNN 's Dan Rivers and Atia Abawi contributed to this report . | Five people killed ; two insurgents dead at shopping center , NATO-led forces say . Taliban insurgents enter presidential palace , ministry buildings , government says . Karzai Cabinet members were to be sworn in , Parliament member says . | [[749, 772], [1816, 1874], [52, 136], [912, 922], [934, 1008]] |
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Taliban in Pakistan have released a second audiotape purportedly containing the voice of their leader , Hakimullah Mehsud , who sources say was wounded in a suspected drone strike this week . The group also released an audiotape Friday , though CNN could not confirm that the voice on either tape belongs to Mehsud . It was unclear whether the first tape was recorded before or after Thursday 's drone strike , but the voice on the second tape announced the date as Saturday . `` Let me say this briefly , that I , Hakimullah Mehsud , today , on the 16th of January , with central spokesman Azam Tariq and Umar Khittab , want to give this message to all mujahedeen : that by the grace of Allah , I , Hakimullah Mehsud , am alive and in good health . Neither have I been martyred in a drone attack nor injured , '' the voice says on Saturday 's tape . Tariq , a Taliban spokesman , denied Thursday and again Friday that Mehsud was hurt . Tariq said Mehsud had left the site of the attack -- a converted religious school -- before the missiles struck . He dismissed reports of an injury to Mehsud as propaganda . However , other Taliban and intelligence sources said doctors were treating Mehsud for wounds he sustained in the drone strike . Tariq delivered both audiotapes to local journalists . On the tape released Friday , the voice says , `` The media right now is also part of the war . The enemy through the media wants to demoralize the Taliban . At times they spread the propaganda in the media that ` We have martyred Hakimullah . ' At other times they say , ` We have completed the operation in South Waziristan , ' but this will never happen . '' The drone strike hit a madrassa , or religious school , that local officials said had been converted into a militant training camp . Ten people were killed in the strike , Pakistani intelligence and local officials said . In the Friday tape , the speaker warns of what will happen if the drone strikes continue . `` I want to inform the Pakistani people that the drone attacks that take place in the tribal areas endanger the politics , well-being and sovereignty of Pakistan , '' the speaker says . `` From today onward , for any dangerous step that the Pakistani Taliban will take in Pakistan , those responsible will be Pakistan 's rulers , not the Taliban . This is because the Pakistani rulers want to spill the blood of the innocent -LSB- tribesmen -RSB- in exchange for dollars . '' The U.S. military routinely offers no comment on reported attacks by drones , or unmanned aircraft . The United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the ability to launch missiles from remote-controlled aircraft . Last week , the Taliban released a video showing Mehsud sitting next to Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi , the man who killed seven CIA employees and a Jordanian army captain at an eastern Afghan base December 30 . The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack . It was carried out out to avenge the death of Mehsud 's predecessor , Baitullah Mehsud , who died in a suspected U.S. drone strike last year , according to al Qaeda 's commander of operations in Afghanistan , Mustafa Abu Yazid . Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud are from the same tribe , but not from the same family . CNN 's Pierre Bairin contributed to this report . | NEW : Taliban in Pakistan issue another tape they say is by Hakimullah Mehsud . NEW : Speaker declares he is `` alive and in good health '' Reports conflict over whether Mehsud was injured in a drone strike this week . Last week Taliban released video of Mehsud with the man who killed seven CIA employees . | [[0, 9], [12, 36], [55, 145], [740, 741], [764, 793], [148, 165], [172, 235], [2733, 2742], [2745, 2837], [2840, 2847], [2852, 2947]] |
Tehran , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The office of a reformist Iranian member of parliament burned Tuesday night , and a reformist Web site said the act was the work of extremists . Mir Hossein Moussavi , an opposition candidate in the disputed June 12 presidential election , blamed the fire at the office of Nasrollah Torabi on plainclothes militia on Moussavi 's Facebook Web site , where he also posted photos . The photos showed heavy damage , with charred furniture , peeling wallpaper and floors strewn with broken glass , debris and ashes . Parleman News , a newsgathering organization for the Path of the Imam Khomeini faction of parliament , said the office was vandalized before it was torched . Khomeini was the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran . Torabi , who represents the southwestern province of Cahar-Mahal Bakhtiari in parliament , told Parleman News that he was awaiting the outcome of an investigation . The office is in the city of Shahr-e Kurd . Torabi urged people not to react to the incident , according to Parleman News . He said intelligence agencies and the Interior Ministry must investigate the fire and punish those responsible . The lawmaker said that after he gave a speech in parliament criticizing the government , he came under heavy criticism from government supporters , Parleman News said . No date was given for the speech . `` After that speech in the meeting of the Planning Council for Cahar-Mahal Bakhtiari -LSB- Province -RSB- , we witnessed the anger of the province 's governor-general , '' Torabi said . Investigators `` must not allow some people to use force , scare tactics and oppression to bring the three principles of independence , freedom and Islamic Republic under question , '' he added , according to Parleman News . Torabi said that after he gave the speech , banners condemning him were distributed throughout Shahr-e Kurd , with the backing of the governor 's office . According to Moussavi , Torabi told the news organization : `` In the middle of the night some made their last pathetic attempt and set the office of a representative of the people on fire with the aim of silencing the members of the parliament . '' Moussavi called the fire an attempt at intimidation . Opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have held sometimes-violent protests after he was swept into office for a second term despite accusations of election fraud . The latest protest occurred Sunday on the Shiite Muslim holy day of Ashura , which marks the death of Imam Hussein , grandson of Prophet Mohammed , as a martyr . A prosecutor said seven people died , including Moussavi 's nephew , in the demonstrations . | Reformist lawmaker Nasrollah Torabi 's office burned Tuesday . Opposition figure Mir Hossein Moussavi says fire caused by extremists . Torabi says he was under pressure after he criticized government in speech . Torabi urges people not to react to incident , according to Parleman News . | [[115, 177], [178, 198], [273, 379], [1193, 1256], [1318, 1338], [1193, 1256], [1259, 1315], [1786, 1940], [977, 1025], [977, 983], [1028, 1056], [1743, 1745], [1757, 1785]] |
-LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- Baby boomers , those born between 1946 and 1964 , are nearing retirement age . The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are 78.2 million boomers , and that every hour , 330 of them turn 60 . That means an entire generation of workers might leave the work force in the coming years . But they might not . Many baby boomers are choosing to postpone retirement and stay at their current jobs or find new ones . Some ca n't afford to retire , but many want to explore new avenues . After decades of working in jobs that paid the bills but did n't fulfill them , they 're moving to different industries . For their book `` 225 Best Jobs for Baby Boomers , '' authors Michael Farr and Laurence Shatkin decided to comb through data to discover what the best jobs are for baby boomers . They looked at salaries , projected job growth and the number of openings to calculate which jobs have the most promise . Farr and Shatkin break down their findings in more than 70 lists , ranging from the best-paying jobs to the best jobs for boomers age 45-54 . Whatever your criteria are , Farr and Shatkin have the job for you . Below you 'll find the list for the 25 overall best jobs for all baby boomers : . 1 . Management analysts What they make * : $ 67,005 Projected annual openings ** : 78,000 . 2 . Teachers , post-secondary What they make : $ 68,456 Projected annual openings : 216,000 . 3 . Logisticians What they make : $ 44,563 Projected annual openings : 162,000 . 4 . General and operations managers What they make : $ 93,594 Projected annual openings : 260,000 . 5 . Registered nurses What they make : $ 66,427 Projected annual openings : 215,000 . 6 . Anesthesiologists What they make : $ 310,132 Projected annual openings : 38,000 . 7 . General internists What they make : $ 351,307 Projected annual openings : 38,000 . 8 . Obstetricians and gynecologists What they make : $ 285,254 Projected annual openings : 38,000 . 9 . Family and general practitioners What they make : $ 198,221 Projected annual openings : 38,000 . 10 . Psychiatrists What they make : $ 191,080 Project annual openings : 38,000 . 11 . Surgeons What they make : $ 322,281 Projected annual openings : 38,000 . 12 . General pediatricians What they make : $ 181,764 Projected annual openings : 38,000 . 13 . Medical and health services managers What they make : $ 94,269 Projected annual openings : 33,000 . 14 . Financial managers , branch or department What they make : $ 101,963 Projected annual openings : 71,000 . 15 . Treasurers , controllers and chief financial officers What they make : $ 172,946 - $ 240,588 Projected annual openings : 71,000 . 16 . Chief executives What they make : $ 382,705 Projected annual openings : 63,000 . 17 . Government service executives What they make : $ 167,766 Projected annual openings : 63,000 . 18 . Private sector executives What they make : $ 169,570 Projected annual openings : 63,000 . 19 . Pharmacists What they make : $ 108,499 Projected annual openings : 23,000 . 20 . Lawyers What they make : $ 116,810 Projected annual openings : 53,000 . 21 . Education administrators , elementary and secondary school What they make : $ 150,467 Projected annual openings : 31,000 . 22 . Administrative services managers What they make : $ 86,666 Projected annual openings : 40,000 . 23 . Sales representatives , agricultural What they make : $ 53,034 Projected annual openings : 44,000 . 24 . Sales representatives , chemical and pharmaceutical What they make : $ 88,049 Projected annual openings : 44,000 . 25 . Sales representatives , electrical/electronics What they make : $ 51,105 Projected annual openings : 44,000 . * Salary figures based on data from CBsalary.com , powered by SalaryExpert.com . ** Projected annual openings figures based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics . & copy CareerBuilder.com 2009 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority . | Census : Every hour , 330 of the 78.2 million baby boomers turn 60 years old . Many will retire in the coming years , but some may continue working . Authors Michael Farr and Laurence Shatkin detail best jobs for boomers . School administrators , doctors , teachers and sales representatives in top 25 . | [[112, 226], [150, 180], [192, 202], [205, 226], [687, 814], [1108, 1147], [1148, 1225]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two people without invitations crashed President Obama 's first White House state dinner , the U.S. Secret Service said Wednesday . The Secret Service confirmed a Washington Post report that the couple who crashed Tuesday night 's dinner were Tareq and Michaele Salahi . The Post described the couple as polo-playing socialites from northern Virginia . A Secret Service checkpoint `` did not follow proper procedures '' to determine if the two were on the guest list for the dinner , said Edwin M. Donovan , a Secret Service special agent , in a statement . Playing down any security threat , Donovan 's statement said : `` It is important to note that these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of security , as did all guests attending the dinner . '' The incident represents a security breach for the White House at the Obama administration 's biggest social event to date . More than 300 guests , including Cabinet members , diplomats and Hollywood celebrities , attended the dinner in honor of visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh . `` The Secret Service has tasked our Office of Professional Responsibility with conducting a comprehensive review of the incident , '' Donovan 's statement said . Video footage of the dinner showed the couple walking past journalists into the event . On Wednesday , Michaele Salahi 's Facebook page included photos of the couple at the dinner , including two pictures with Vice President Joe Biden and another with Rahm Emanuel , the White House chief of staff , who was identified on the page as `` Ron '' Emanuel . The couple 's names did not appear on the guest list distributed Tuesday by the White House . In an e-mail to CNN , Mahogany Jones , who identified herself as a publicist for the Salahis , said the couple had `` full clearance to attend the state dinner . '' Fran Townsend , a homeland security adviser to former President George W. Bush , said the incident likely involved a breakdown at the `` perimeter '' security for the event , which is the first checkpoint that guests encounter . Lying to the Secret Service could bring a felony charge , Townsend said . | Secret Service : Tareq and Michaele Salahi attended state dinner without invitations . Michaele Salahi 's Facebook page shows pictures of couple with vice president . Couple are polo-playing socialites from northern Virginia , Washington Post reports . | [[221, 300], [1347, 1359], [1362, 1523], [301, 382]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old girl on the campus of Richmond High School in Northern California while 10 or more witnesses , most of them students , looked on has sparked familiar questions : `` Why are our kids so messed up ? '' `` Why did n't these students try to stop the crime ? '' `` What 's happening in our schools ? '' These are fair questions , and commentators in the media have provided familiar answers . The purported rape is another sad example of today 's self-absorbed and uncaring youth . It was the media 's glorification of violence that caused it . The horrific act shows how sociopathic brains develop . But it seems as if the majority of commentators have settled on the idea that the Richmond students did nothing because of the `` bystander effect '' : The more people involved in a criminal incident , the less likely any one of them will intervene to do something about it . Unfortunately , this `` What 's wrong with our children ? '' approach leads to a dead end , because it results in a sweeping moral condemnation of the schools , families and students in this community . These perpetrators committed a heinous act that should be widely condemned . But a discussion that focuses exclusively on the immorality of these deviant young men does not provide solutions that prevent gang rape from happening . Talking only about the bystander effect wrongly suggests that the vast majority of teens would not call for help . Take Richmond . Claims of depraved acts by a few kids have served to demonize an entire student community . Rather than demonize all teenagers in Richmond High School , we should be asking another question : `` What can we do to prevent such heinous acts from happening ? '' The answer to that question leads to a wholly different kind of dialogue , one that may surprise . It is primarily students , the reputed problem , who can best prevent acts of violence on campus . Make no mistake about it . The alleged two-hour-long gang rape on October 24 was an extreme form of school violence . It unfolded not far from the gym where the school-sponsored homecoming dance , supervised by school staff and police officers , was being held . And students , police say , largely perpetrated it . Research since the massacres at Columbine High School -LRB- 1999 -RRB- and Virginia Tech -LRB- 2007 -RRB- has taught us a lot about how to prevent such school violence . Chief among them is that school staff and security should patrol campuses , especially violence-prone areas , during and after school events . According to a CNN report , a friend of the alleged victim saw blatant failures in safety precautions . She said , `` I looked outside of the gym , and I saw 12 to 15 guys , sitting there , with no IDs . The officers -- not only did they not check the IDs of those students or men sitting outside of of our campus , but the security officers who are employed here did no job of checking either . '' Virtually all students and teachers at a school can identify these dangerous hot spots . At Richmond High School , one such spot is `` a dark alley near the back side of the school , '' the site of the purported rape . As CNN reported , school officials had even requested that video cameras and more lights be installed in the area , but they were never installed . The alleged rapists and student bystanders probably knew that no one would be patrolling the area . As important as campus patrols are in reducing campus violence , the most powerful form of prevention is believing that students can help stop crime from happening . They did n't stop the purported rape at Richmond , a skeptic might say . A possible reason is that they were not educated on how to stop it . . Research shows us that students often know ahead of time when and where violence will flare up on campus . Strong social networks and the widespread use of cell phones and text messaging rapidly convey such information . This dynamic can fuel violence , as officials say it did at Richmond High School . It can also prevent violence . Thousands of potential school crimes , including violent ones , have been averted on campuses across the country because students alerted school officials before the crime occurred . Students and families using a hot line in Colorado were credited with preventing more than 206 incidents of school violence from 2004-06 . As of summer 2009 , this one hot line fielded 1,687 reports that resulted in crime prevention or intervention . Alert students have also helped prevent replays of the tragedies that occurred at Columbine and Virginia Tech by tipping off school officials . Several years ago , student reports stopped a Columbine-style massacre plot , employing bombs , napalm and automatic weapons , at a high school in Green Bay , Wisconsin . This year , tips from students and alert teachers and police disrupted a student-massacre plot , featuring pipe bombs and firearms , at Hillside High School in San Mateo , California . Since Columbine , school shootings have been averted in New Bedford , New York , and Covina , California , to name some others . And at Richmond , it was an 18-year-old bystander , overhearing others talking about the incident , who reported the crime . Unfortunately , the public is largely unaware of these frequently heroic acts by high school students and their teachers because they do n't often get national media attention . That lack of information has helped obscure the important roles that students and their responsive teachers play in preventing school violence . But the evidence is clear . Students who know what to do when they witness school violence , or when they have a strong sense of impending violence , will become anonymous heroes . But they need to be taught what to do , which phone numbers -- including hot lines -- to call and which school officials or police department can be trusted to act on their reports . Students also need to feel confident that they can report trouble without fear of retribution from their peers or being called a snitch . It is up to the teachers and administrators who run schools to teach their students these procedures . They need to convince students that they will listen and respond consistently to their reports of violence or possible violence . Yes , local police need to develop trusting relationships with students and the overall community , or nothing will be reported . But the job of preventing violence on campus belongs primarily , if not solely , to the schools . Rather than wring our hands about the so-called immorality of today 's students , we should embrace them as full partners in the prevention of violence on campus . Morality is not the issue . If students are educated on what to do when the threat of violence arises and are encouraged to follow the procedures , they can be trusted to do the right thing . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ron Astor . | Commentators focused on why students did n't report alleged rape , Astor says . Studies of school violence show ways it can be prevented , he says . Astor : Training can prepare students to alert police and avert violence . | [[658, 765], [2268, 2332], [2363, 2437], [4061, 4091], [4092, 4153], [4156, 4274]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This Twitter thing has been coming on like gangbusters . The messaging site has been around for a couple of years , but its popularity seems to have exploded just recently . A self-admitted tech geek , Chris Pirillo is president of Lockergnome.com , a blogging network . Everyone from BarackObama to John Cleese to NASA to the consulate of Israel has a Twitter account . Heck , even yours truly does ! Do you ? Follow me and I 'll follow you back . Twitter is really more of a social commons than a full-blown social network like MySpace or Facebook . It pretty much does one thing : allows people to `` tweet '' what they 're up to -LRB- or what they 're thinking about -RRB- in 140 characters or less . Call it micro-blogging , if you will , but it 's about as close to the `` Keep It Simple , Stupid '' -LRB- K.I.S.S. -RRB- ideal as it gets . People can follow your tweets and you can follow theirs -- that 's pretty much it . There are some third-party apps out there that can help you organize and seek out the information flying around out there in the Twittersphere , but it all pretty much stays in the nutshell . With the overwhelming amount of widgets and gadgets and gizmos and doohickeys and whatnots attached to every other social network out there , is n't it nice to be able to get away with plain ol' simple every now and again ? Since we 're sticking with the `` less is more '' aesthetic , I 'm just going to give you 10 Twitter tips instead of the 20 I could have stretched this into . You 're welcome ! 1 . Be yourself , but beware . Say whatever you feel like saying , but remember that whatever you write could exist in the digital universe forever . Proceed with extreme caution . 2 . Do n't be afraid to interact with others . If you like something they say , reply by clicking the little grey arrow that appears when you hover over one of their tweets . You can also simply type in @username -LRB- replacing `` username '' with whatever their username happens to be on Twitter -RRB- . This is the formal way to address someone on Twitter . iReport.com : Do you agree with these tips ? Share some of yours . 3 . Follow celebrities . They may never interact with you , but at least you can interact with them . It 's no longer a question of who is on Twitter -- but who IS N'T on Twitter . 4 . Use Twitter from your desktop . Twitter has something called an API -LRB- Application Programming Interface -RRB- , which allows programmers to create experiences around Twitter for the community . Because of this , there have been an amazing array of applications released that will allow you to manage your Twitter account easily . There 's Twitterrific , TweetDeck , and Twhirl -- just to name a few . 5 . Find friends fast . If you 're looking for new friends , a quick search for some of your favorite things on search.twitter.com will quickly reveal who you should be friending on Twitter . Maybe they 'll follow you back ? 6 . Follow government officials . If your elected official is n't on http://tweetcongress.org , then they 're behind the times . Heck , even the Library of Congress is on Twitter ! 7 . Crowdsource . If you have an idea , or a question , do n't hold it in -- let it be known to all ! Who knows -- someone just may answer your call for help . 8 . Tweetups . Keep your eye out for these things . They 're meetups for people on Twitter , and there 's likely one happening regularly in your neck of the woods . I 've taken to hosting one monthly in the Seattle area , as a matter of fact . Meet Twitter people -- tweeps , tweeple -- in meatspace ! 9 . Retweet . If you like something that someone else has tweeted , you can `` RT '' -LRB- retweet -RRB- it . This gives the original person credit , and also lets your followers know what you like . That 's community ! 10 . Go with the flow . If you think you know better than everybody else , you 're wrong -- the same netiquette rules apply on Twitter as well as on the rest of the Internet . Do you have any Twitter tips to pass along ? You could even share the link to this article on Twitter and it might become the most popular story today ! | CNN tech columnist Chris Pirillo offers 10 tips on how to be a good Twitterer . Say whatever you feel , but also remember that it could exist on the Web forever . Crowdsource . If you have an idea , or a question , do n't hold it in -- let it be known ! Keep your eye out for Tweetups , which are meetups for people on Twitter . | [[1427, 1488], [1573, 1606], [1573, 1576], [1613, 1691], [3168, 3200], [3168, 3171], [3203, 3220], [3224, 3248], [3322, 3358], [3359, 3397]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan has a unique résumé : he served two tours in the country as a general , training Afghan police and troops , before trading his uniform for a diplomat 's business suit . His career history may give Karl Eikenberry 's word particular weight as President Obama struggles to come up with a way forward in Afghanistan . Eikenberry sent private cables to Obama last week , urging the president not to rush to send more troops to Afghanistan -- although the top U.S. military commander there , Gen. Stanley McChrystal , wants 40,000 more pairs of boots on the ground . Initial reports about the cables sent by Eikenberry appeared in The New York Times , Washington Post and Los Angeles Times . All three newspapers attributed the reports to senior U.S. officials , without identifying them . Two U.S. officials confirmed to CNN that Eikenberry sent two cables to Washington expressing reservations about troop increases amid uncertainty over President Hamid Karzai 's government . Neither Eikenberry nor the White House would comment on the contents of private advice between the envoy and the president , but the reports alarmed Karzai enough that his office sought confirmation from the U.S. Embassy about them , a Karzai spokesman told CNN . Karzai 's office did not get the information it sought , the spokesman said . Whatever Eikenberry told the president , the ambassador is unusually well versed in the military problems facing Afghanistan . He retired from the Army after nearly 40 years of service with the rank of lieutenant general on April 28 -- one day before he was sworn in as ambassador , according to his State Department biography . His long military career included time in Kabul as U.S. security coordinator and chief of the Office of Military Cooperation . `` Afghanistan has been at the center of my career since 9/11 , when the terrorist-commandeered aircraft crashed into the Pentagon just below the office in which I was working , '' Eikenberry said at his Senate confirmation hearing in March . `` There is no silver bullet and no quick , cheap or easy solutions . There is no substitute for more resources and sacrifice , '' he said then . But , he added : `` There is no exclusively military solution to the issues we and our partners confront in Afghanistan . '' He also advised the U.S. secretary of defense on China , Taiwan , Hong Kong and Mongolia , and was deputy director for strategy , plans and policy on the Army staff . But he 's not new to embassy life , having served as defense attache at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing , China . Eikenberry has a master 's degree in east Asian studies from Harvard , an advanced degree in Chinese history from Nanjing University in China , and is a certified translator from Mandarin Chinese . He 's also clearly attached to his wife , Ching , insisting in his Senate confirmation hearing that she accompany him to Kabul even though State Department rules barred spouses because the country is so dangerous . He prevailed . He and his wife are hosting a dinner Saturday night in Kabul for a visiting U.S. lawmaker . | Eikenberry retired from the Army after nearly 40 years of service . Military career included time in Kabul as chief of Office of Military Cooperation . He advised U.S. secretary of defense on China , Taiwan , Hong Kong and Mongolia . | [[1497, 1602], [1699, 1825], [2340, 2342], [2348, 2428]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.N. Council for Human Rights began debate Thursday over whether to adopt the recommendations of a controversial U.N. report examining the three-week winter war between Israel and the militant group Hamas in Gaza . An Israeli soldier sits on a tank on the Israel-Gaza border just before fighting began in December 2008 . The report , based on a fact-finding mission led by former South African jurist Richard Goldstone , was released last month and concluded that Israel and Hamas had both committed `` actions amounting to war crimes , possibly crimes against humanity . '' Speaking at the start of the meeting , Israeli Ambassador Aharon Leshno Yaar blasted the United Nations for even holding the special session . Yaar said it `` had nothing to do with human rights and everything to do with Palestinian politics . '' He said adoption of the `` biased '' recommendations of the Goldstone report , which calls for further action by the General Assembly and Security Council if both sides do not conduct credible investigations , would constitute a `` reward for terror '' that `` will set back hopes for peace in the region . '' Previously , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Palestinian Authority that pushing action on the Goldstone report would deal `` a mortal blow '' to the peace process . The council received the report September 29 but took no action , after a request by the Palestinian Authority to defer discussion for six months . The Palestinian Authority government of Mahmoud Abbas came under withering domestic criticism for the move and was accused of succumbing to Israeli and American pressure to drop the issue . Abbas reversed course Sunday and in a televised address told Palestinians that he was seeking immediate debate within the Human Rights Council and vowed to work `` to punish everyone who was responsible for the hideous crimes committed against our children , our men and women -- especially in our dear Gaza . '' Ibrahim Khraishi , the Palestinian Authority 's U.N. ambassador in Geneva , said Israel had rebuffed the Palestinian Authority 's conciliatory move to defer debate on the report and instead had answered `` with even more grave violations of the rights of Palestinians '' in the form of restrictions of movement and housing demolitions in East Jerusalem . The 47-member Human Rights Council is expected to vote on the resolution on Friday . The draft resolution goes beyond the Gaza conflict . It `` strongly condemns '' measures taken by Israel limiting Palestinians ' access to their properties and holy sites `` on the basis of national origin , religion , sex , age or any other discriminatory ground . '' It further condemns `` Israeli violations of human rights in Occupied East Jerusalem , particularly the confiscation of lands and properties , the demolishing of houses and private properties , the construction and expansion of settlements , the continuous construction of the separation wall , changing the demographic and geographic character of East Jerusalem , the restrictions on the freedom of movement of the Palestinian citizens of East Jerusalem , as well as the continuous digging and excavation works in and around Al-Aqsa mosque and its vicinity . '' There is an ongoing dispute about the number of people killed in the three-week military offensive that Israel called Operation Cast Lead , which began December 27 and ended January 18 . The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights put the death toll at 1,419 and said 1,167 of those were non-combatants . The Israeli military released its own figures earlier this year , saying that 1,166 people were killed , 60 percent of whom were `` terror operatives . '' | Report says both Israel and Hamas took `` actions amounting to war crimes '' Fact-finding mission looked at the three-week war last winter in Gaza . Report calls for further action by U.N. unless both sides conduct investigations . Israel blasts the report ; Palestinians call for immediate U.N. debate . | [[344, 388], [472, 594], [120, 237], [344, 388], [444, 467], [344, 388], [472, 594], [901, 921], [930, 999], [1715, 1842]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As thousands gathered Sunday in Washington for a march and rally focused on gay rights issues , lawmakers showed that some of the demonstrators ' key goals face major obstacles ahead . President Obama speaks to a major gay-rights group Saturday night in Washington . Even with President Obama pushing Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act -- a stance he highlighted to one of the nation 's leading gay-rights groups Saturday night , to huge applause -- members of his own party told CNN they 're not in lockstep . `` I 've said in the past I do n't think that 's the way to go , '' Sen. Bob Casey , D-Pennsylvania , told CNN 's John King . He added , `` We can move forward on a lot of measures , but I 'm not sure there 's the support yet for that . '' Sen. Debbie Stabenow , D-Michigan , noted that her state is one of many that has a law prohibiting same-sex marriage . `` So I think , for a number of us , that becomes a challenge , '' she said . Stabenow would not say whether she would vote to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act . The law , signed by President Clinton in 1996 , defines marriage as being between a man and a woman , and ensures that states do not have to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states . Clinton has since changed his mind , and said he no longer opposes same-sex marriage . Obama does not support same-sex marriage and has said he believes marriage is between a man and a woman . He does , however , support civil unions for same-sex couples that offer similar rights and protections . The two Democratic senators on Sunday expressed support for the president 's stances on several other key issues regarding gay rights , including legislation expanding the definition of hate crimes to include attacks based on sexual orientation and gender identity . The bill passed the House last week . Both also expressed support for the president 's efforts to end the military 's `` Do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy . On NBC 's `` Meet the Press , '' Sen. Carl Levin , D-Michigan , said he thinks the president will succeed on that front . `` I think he will and he can , but it has to be done in the right way , which is to get a buy-in from the military , which I think is now possible , '' Levin said . `` Other militaries in the West -- the British and other Western armies -- have ended this discriminatory policy . We can do it successfully , but it ought to be done with thoughtfulness , with care and with a buy-in from the military . '' Retired Gen. Richard Myers , former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said , `` Gays can serve in the military ; they just ca n't do so openly . And they do , and there are lots of them , and we 're the beneficiary of all that . '' Myers did not weigh in on whether the change should happen , but said he agreed with Levin that the `` senior military leadership needs to be part of this , the Pentagon needs to be part of this . '' But retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey disagreed . `` There 's no question that it 's time to change the policy . The key to it is n't buy-in from the military ; it 's for Congress to change the law . They ought to do so , and I 'm confident that the military will move ahead on it , '' he said . Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-South Carolina , rejected McCaffrey 's suggestion . `` It 's my belief that if you do n't have buy-in from the military , that 's a disservice to the people in the military . They should be included in this . I 'm open-minded to what the military may suggest , but I can tell you I 'm not going to make policy based on a campaign rally , '' Graham told NBC . `` If this policy about ` Do n't ask , do n't tell ' changes , it should be done based not on politics , but on reason . '' In his speech Saturday night to the Human Rights Campaign -- the nation 's largest gay rights group -- Obama praised the gay community for making strides in equal rights and pledged to deliver on major campaign promises that critics say he 's left on the back burner . `` For nearly 30 years , you 've advocated for those without a voice , '' Obama said . `` Despite the progress we 've made , there are still laws to change and hearts to open . '' | Some Democrats cautious about Obama 's pledge to end Defense of Marriage Act . Some say they think he 'll succeed in ending military 's `` Do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy . Others debate whether military `` buy-in '' is necessary to end that policy . Thousands of gay and lesbian rights supporters hold rally in Washington on Sunday . | [[492, 552], [1942, 1971], [1878, 1882], [1974, 1997], [1998, 2015], [2028, 2046], [2062, 2119], [33, 84]] |
Cleveland , Ohio -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Candles in hand and singing hymns , hundreds of Cleveland residents stunned by the discovery of 11 bodies in a local home gathered outside the house Sunday night to remember the victims . But Inez Fortson , whose daughter Telacia was among the dead , said she could barely stand to look at the home . `` It 's hard , because I want to burn it down , '' she said . `` I know my baby was in there , and she got killed in there , '' Fortson added . `` I know what other people feel like when they lost a child . I did n't , but I do now . That was my only daughter . '' Telacia Fortson , 31 , had three children , ages 2 , 4 and 6 , her mother said . She had last been seen in June . Her body was among the first identified in the home of Anthony Sowell , who is now facing five counts of aggravated murder , rape , felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with the deaths . All of those found dead were African-American women . A Cuyahoga County judge has set bail at $ 5 million for Sowell , a registered sex offender who served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape case . He was released from jail in 2005 . `` Whenever I see him on TV or think about him , I have to pray , '' Fortson said . `` Because I believe that one day , I 'll have to forgive him for what he 's done . But right now , I ca n't , because I 'm numb . '' About 500 people joined the march , which followed a packed memorial service at the neighborhood 's Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church . The turnout `` means that people do care , '' Fortson said . `` There is a little compassion in the world . '' Mount Olive pastor Larry Harris Sr. , who led the memorial service , called the Sowell home a house of `` horror . '' `` It brings trembling to the bones to think about what all went on right here , '' he said . Sowell has been placed on a suicide watch at the request of his attorney , according to Sowell 's public defender Kathleen DeMetz . A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered but it 's unlikely to happen until after the case goes before a grand jury , the next expected step in the case . Police recovered the first bodies after they went to Sowell 's home to follow up on a rape accusation . Last month , neighbors reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor , but no charges were filed . Neighbors called 911 after the October 20 incident . Firefighters and paramedics responded , and later notified police . The woman told officers that she was at the home and `` partying , '' when she fell off the roof . Allen Sowell , the suspect 's half-brother , told CNN he last saw his brother more than 20 years ago . Their stepmother , who lived in the house after Anthony Sowell got out of prison , said she knew of nothing odd going on at the time , Allen Sowell said . The stepmother tried to get Anthony Sowell evicted from the house in 2007 because he was n't paying rent , Allen Sowell said . Anthony Sowell said he should n't have to pay rent on a house that belonged to his father , who died in 2004 , and remained in the house when his stepmother had to be hospitalized in 2007 , his half-brother said . Agents from the FBI 's Behavioral Science Unit are assisting Cleveland police , Cleveland FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said . The agents are preparing a profile of Sowell for police , tracing his life and habits , and his DNA will be entered into a national database to see whether it can be linked to any unsolved crimes . Allen Sowell said he was aware of his half-brother 's prison record , but `` just could n't fathom '' the accusations now facing him . `` I did n't think he was in that bad of a mental state , '' Allen Sowell said . `` You never think it would happen to your family . It 's a horrible feeling . '' At 66 , Allen Sowell is 16 years older than his half-brother , and the two did n't meet until Anthony Sowell was 9 . He added , `` He deserves whatever he gets from the justice system . '' CNN 's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report . | After vigil , ministers walk to Anthony Sowell home , where 11 bodies were found . Sowell is on suicide watch in jail ; charged with murder , rape , other felonies . Seven of 11 bodies have been identified ; all were African-American women . | [[84, 157], [145, 223], [772, 786], [793, 799], [807, 913], [772, 786], [796, 913], [1839, 1911], [914, 967]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Snow and ice dealt a major blow to U.S. air travel Thursday , while much of the nation shivered from record low temperatures . At least 400 flights at Chicago , Illinois ' , O'Hare International Airport were canceled . Arriving flights were being delayed an average of 45 minutes and outgoing flights about 30 minutes , according to the Federal Aviation Administration . Chicago 's Midway Airport and Newark International Airport in New Jersey also reported delays . Those bottlenecks were affecting flights at many other international airports . Meanwhile , the National Weather Service was keeping an eye on a dangerous mix of ice and snow expected in the Southeast , where temperatures have dipped between 10 to 35 degrees below normal for the past two weeks , said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras . Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines offered to issue winter weather travel waivers to Delta and Northwest passengers on flights to , from or through five states . Travelers can change their schedule without fees until Saturday if their routes include Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia , Mississippi or Tennessee . The arctic blast that began last weekend has been blamed for at least seven deaths across the nation . Share your photos , video of winter weather . Record-breaking lows were forecast for two-thirds of the country , for most areas east of the Rockies . For some regions , even lower temperatures are on tap through the weekend , forecasters said . `` But the brunt of the cold air will ride down the Mississippi River , '' said CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano , reporting from Memphis , Tennessee . Marciano said temperatures have been the lowest there in more than a decade . `` You have people not used to this weather , and homes are not built for this weather . Yesterday alone , the city -LSB- Memphis -RSB- went around to turn on the heat for homes when people have not been able to pay -LSB- their utility bills -RSB- . '' Alabama issued a warning to drivers Thursday night , urging them to stay off icy roads as driving conditions were `` becoming dangerous '' with numerous accidents reported . Trooper Curtis Summerville with the Alabama State Patrol said the biggest problem on the roads was black ice on overpasses and bridges . But , he said football was helping keep people at home as University of Alabama fans cheered on their team in the National Championship Game against the University of Texas . A wind chill advisory was in effect until Friday in Arkansas , where readings were expected to drop below zero with winds of over 30 mph . A dusting of snow in Atlanta on Thursday night left roads slick after two weeks of below normal temperatures . CNN meteorologist Chad Myers noted that it was warmer in Fairbanks , Alaska , than it was in Atlanta on Thursday morning , calling the cold front sweeping the nation one that `` we probably have n't seen for 15 years . '' 29-car pileup near Atlanta airport . In the Deep South , Florida was under a state of emergency because of the threat to the state 's lucrative citrus and vegetable industries . Gov. Charlie Crist issued an order Tuesday aimed at helping farmers salvage what they can by lifting weight limits on trucks so already-harvested crops can more easily reach markets . Also suffering in the cold : sea turtles . Florida Fish & Wildlife officers have rescued 120 sea turtles after water temperatures in the 40s shocked their tropically inclined systems , according to CNN affiliate WPBF . `` Their bodies are shutting down because they 're too cold , '' Karrie Minch of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge told WPBF . `` If we do n't rescue them , they 'll end up expiring . '' Elsewhere Thursday , the high in Bismarck , North Dakota , was around 11 degrees below zero , with a wind chill of minus 35 . Forecasters said the wind chill could dip to 52 degrees below zero overnight . Snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches were forecast Thursday for the upper Plains to the Northeast and as far south as Kentucky and Tennessee . Up to 7 inches fell in parts of Illinois . School districts in Omaha and Lincoln , Nebraska , called off classes Thursday and city governments reported burning through their entire snow removal budgets with a full two months of winter left . Jeras said the long stretch of cold weather in the South is `` extremely unusual . '' Dallas , Texas , where it was 24 on Thursday , has been experiencing the longest stretch of cold weather in more than a decade , she said . The Southeast is expected to see lower temperatures by Saturday . CNN 's Jim Kavanagh , Craig Johnson and Ed Payne contributed to this report . | About 400 flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport canceled . Expected high in Bismarck , North Dakota , minus 11 , wind chill as low as minus 35 . At least 7 deaths attributed to deep freeze , which is reaching record lows in some areas . In Memphis , Tennessee , city officials turn on heat for those who ca n't pay utility bills . | [[164, 195], [198, 206], [211, 255], [1142, 1244], [1291, 1355], [1825, 1853], [1866, 1912], [1901, 1967]] |
MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russia is planning a `` comprehensive rearmament '' of its military , President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday . A Russian T-90 tank rolls through Red Square during 2008 's Victory Day parade . The announcement comes amid concerns in Moscow over the performance of its forces during last year 's invasion of Georgia , an expert on the Russian military told CNN . Christopher Langton , an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London , said the campaign against the former Soviet republic had revealed significant weaknesses within Russia 's armed forces . `` The Georgia thing was a wake-up call on a number of fronts , '' said Langton , a former British military and defense attache in Russia . `` Things they expected to perform well did n't -- communications , the air force . It took five days , which is quite a long time , to suppress another country 's air defenses , quite a small country 's . '' Medvedev said the `` most important task is to re-equip the -LSB- Russian -RSB- Armed Forces with newest weapons system , '' in televised remarks to defense ministry officials . He said the process had already begun and would accelerate through 2011 . Medvedev insisted that falling prices for oil and gas -- which contribute significantly to Moscow 's budget -- would not force him to scale back on plans to modernize the military . The defense budget has `` virtually remained the same as was planned , '' Medvedev said , `` despite our current financial problems . '' The country will aim for 70 percent of its weaponry to be `` modern '' by 2020 , Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said , according to RIA-Novosti , the state-run news agency . Russia invaded Georgia , to its south , in August of last year -- the first time Russian military forces had engaged in an offensive outside their borders since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 . The conflict strengthened the hand of Medvedev , who favors reform , against generals who oppose it , Langton , the military analyst , told CNN . `` It gave Medvedev a chance to reply to opponents in Ministry of Defense : ` We need much more mobile forces , better weaponry , ' '' Langton said . But Langton pointed out that Russia has been talking about modernizing its army almost since the end of the Cold War nearly two decades ago . Former President Boris Yeltsin announced in the early 1990s that Russia would replace its conscript army with a professional force by 2010 , Langton said -- a target it has come nowhere close to meeting . Modernization foundered on Russia 's need to bring in money by exporting arms , rather than using the products of its military-industrial complex itself ; opposition from entrenched interests in the Ministry of Defense , which opposed downsizing ; and in the face of a national security strategy that focused on conflicts like the two Chechen wars . Former President Vladimir Putin staked his popularity in the late 1990s on winning the second war with the restive Chechnya , Langton observed . Medvedev , too , wants to promote pride in the country 's military , the analyst said , but has a `` more nuanced approach '' than his predecessor , who remains influential as prime minister . Langton said Medvedev believes Russian forces should be capable of operating alongside Western forces . But , he added , `` Some of the generals do n't agree with him . '' | Russia planning `` comprehensive rearmament '' of its military , Moscow announces . Analyst : Last year 's invasion of Georgia revealed Russian military weaknesses . `` Large-scale rearmament '' to begin in 2011 , President Dmitry Medvedev says . Russia aiming for 70 percent of its weaponry to be `` modern '' by 2020 . | [[35, 102], [396, 415], [494, 614], [1713, 1735], [1738, 1750], [35, 102], [105, 145], [1142, 1144], [1150, 1161], [1184, 1215], [1535, 1586], [1574, 1613]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At an auction at a gallery in New York recently , a piece of artwork sold for a higher price than had been anticipated by the auctioneers : $ 4,080 . It was n't a very big piece of art -- just 8-by-10 inches . Technically , it was n't even art . It was a glossy black-and-white photograph . It had a slight imperfection : there were staple holes in the upper left-hand corner . Someone had written all over the front of the photograph . The person who had scrawled on it was , in fact , the subject of the photograph . He had written : . `` To Patricia Keating , with very best wishes , John Kennedy '' That is what made the photo so valuable to someone : Kennedy had held it in his hands , had run his pen over it . The owners of Swann Galleries , where the signed photo was auctioned , believe that Kennedy had autographed the picture in 1956 , when he was a United States senator . The picture itself was n't worth much ; but his signature , personalized to Patricia Keating . ... `` As far as we know , she was n't anyone famous , '' Rebecca Weiss , a Swann Galleries employee , told me on the day after the auction . `` There 's no particular significance to her name . '' Then why would someone pay more than $ 4,000 for the photo ? Weiss told me that the identities of the buyers and sellers at Swann auctions are kept confidential , so she could not disclose who had consigned the photo for sale , or who had purchased it . But she said there is a pretty safe rule of thumb about the sale of autographs of renowned men and women : . `` What people are buying is the mystique . They are taking home the autograph knowing that this person once actually touched this item , this person once actually left this imprint , this signature . '' She clearly knows what she is talking about ; just this weekend , it was announced that another auctioneer had sold what is purported to be perhaps the last autograph Kennedy ever signed : a copy of the Dallas Morning News that he reportedly signed for a woman upon his arrival in that city on November 22 , 1963 . A man in California purchased it for $ 39,000 . In our digital age , in which images and data are transferred from person to person with the tap of a key , it would seem to be an anachronism : the idea of placing enormous monetary value on pieces of paper upon which prominent individuals once wrote their names . But that personal touch seems to have remained precious ; Weiss said that many , if not most , purchasers of autographed items display them as if they were rare paintings : framed and mounted in places of honor . She did n't have to convince me . I have only two pieces of art hanging in my home , and neither would qualify as art in the conventional sense . But I would n't trade them for Picassos or Van Goghs . The first is an original theater lobby poster for the greatest movie about newspapers ever made : 1952 's `` Deadline -- U.S.A. '' , starring Humphrey Bogart . The other piece of art is an autograph -- actually , an entire -LRB- if brief -RRB- handwritten letter . It is a thank-you note . A thank-you note written to a laundry . At the top of the piece of paper , embossed in the italics/script font style of 1950s suburban-housewife stationery , are the words : . `` From the home of ... Elvis Presley '' And beneath it , in blue ballpoint pen : . `` I should like to commend your Laundry for doing a fantastic job on my clothes , you show esceptional care . Sincerely E.P. '' That 's just how , while living in a house on Audubon Drive in Memphis , Tennessee , in the years before he moved to Graceland , he wrote it . `` Laundry '' capitalized in the middle of the sentence ; a comma instead of a period after `` clothes '' ; `` esceptional '' instead of `` exceptional . '' I ca n't imagine a more wonderful or telling artifact from Presley 's life . Who writes thank-you notes to their laundries ? The young Elvis , that 's who . There 's such an essential sweetness to it -- to the very fact of the letter , to the formality of his introduction -LRB- `` I should like to commend ... '' -RRB- , to the adjective he chose -LRB- `` a fantastic job on my clothes '' -RRB- . I purchased the letter from a gallery two decades ago -LRB- for a price that made me bite the inside of my mouth -RRB- , and I would rather own it than the Mona Lisa . I was about to say that I would never part with it , but in fact I once did , for several months . An exhibit called `` American Originals : Treasures from the National Archives '' was touring the country , and was scheduled to make a long stop at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences . Included in the exhibit were the original Louisiana Purchase Treaty , Thomas Edison 's 1879 patent application for the electric lamp and the instrument of surrender of the German High Command during World War II . I thought Elvis belonged there , and persuaded the curators of the museum to accept his thank-you letter on loan . The National Archives said they would not object , so long as Elvis ' note was not in the same room with the more austere documents . It worked out fine ; I thought Elvis would like it that way . He always was proud to be an outsider . In the hallway adjacent to the entrance to the main exhibit -- visitors saw it right as they walked in -- was Elvis ' handwritten letter , in a display case , with a plaque that read : . `` This note , written by Elvis Presley when he was on the verge of becoming a star , provides an example of how seemingly trivial documents can increase in value and cultural significance as a result of historic events . It also shows that despite his growing fame in the early 1950s , Presley cared about the feelings of others . '' Brings a tear to your eye , does n't it ? I can fully understand why someone in New York the other day would purchase the photograph that John Kennedy once signed for Patricia Keating , whoever she may have been . You do n't have to be Patricia Keating to comprehend the value of that picture , just as you do n't have to be Elvis ' laundry to comprehend the value of that thank-you note . Great art , like great beauty , is where you find it . It is , as they say , in the eye -- or the laundry bag -- of the beholder . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene . | Photo signed by JFK recently sold for $ 4,080 , Greene notes . In the digital age , the idea of valuing names on paper seems odd , he says . But autographs allow an admirer to make a connection to a hero , he says . That makes some autographs more precious than fine art , he says . | [[1810, 1950], [5847, 5951], [2127, 2145], [2233, 2251], [2272, 2275], [2281, 2334]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Army Secretary John McHugh ordered a new investigation into poor record keeping and other problems at Arlington National Cemetery even as a separate investigation ended without an absolute answer to who is buried in a grave marked `` Unknown . '' `` As the final resting place of our nation 's heroes , any questions about the integrity or accountability of its operations should be examined in a manner befitting their service and sacrifice , '' McHugh said in a statement after signing the order directing the Army 's Inspector General to begin an investigation into allegations regarding cemetery operations . The Army IG is already in the middle of an investigation ordered by the previous secretary of the Army to review management of the cemetery . In recent years , the cemetery -- where President Kennedy and thousands of fallen U.S. soldiers , sailors , airmen and Marines are buried -- has had a number of embarrassing problems . In 2008 , the cemetery discovered that workers inadvertently buried cremated remains at a grave site already in use . Those remains were moved to another grave site . In 2003 , as workers were digging a grave for a new burial , they discovered a casket already buried there . There was no headstone or grave marker to indicate who . Only recently , after a report by a journalist at Salon.com , did the Army take action on the problem . Over the summer , the cemetery put up a headstone on the mystery grave that reads `` Unknown . '' As McHugh ordered the new investigation , the Army released results of a separate investigation of problems at the cemetery . That investigation focused on the discovery of the `` Unknown '' grave . A spokesman for the Military District of Washington , which conducted the review , said `` Cemetery records , the MDW investigation , and the non-invasive geophysical analysis of the grave sites strongly indicate that a husband and wife , who died years apart and should have been buried in the same grave site , were instead buried in adjacent graves . '' A DNA test of the remains in the two adjacent graves could prove conclusively that is what happened , but the family of the husband and wife did not wish for their remains to be disturbed . The MDW said the Army will abide by the family 's wishes and has ordered a headstone to properly mark the wife 's grave . One of the problems discovered by the MDW investigation was a possible lack of adequate staffing at the cemetery . Last year Arlington conducted 4,377 burials , up more than 21 percent over the past 10 years . During that same period the number of civilian staff members has dropped nearly 19 percent . Currently the cemetery has four employees to schedule 135 to 150 funerals a week as well as maintain all grave records . Arlington , which sits on a hill across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial , has been the final resting place for America 's military heroes since the Civil War , when the Union seized the estate from the family of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee . McHugh hopes this new investigation will `` ensure America 's confidence in the operation of its most hallowed ground . '' | Army Secretary John McHugh orders inquiry into poor record keeping . Previous investigation sought to identify remains in grave marked `` Unknown '' In recent years , the cemetery has had a number of embarrassing problems . | [[0, 20], [30, 159], [246, 273], [1460, 1477], [1483, 1501], [785, 800], [803, 815], [883, 969]] |
Singapore -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- While economists fret whether the sharp `` V '' - shaped drop of the financial crisis will turn into a double-dipped `` W '' recovery , Tan Pheng Hock is most worried about the `` P '' word : Protectionism . His Singapore-based ST Engineering builds aerospace and transport systems and control centers . Most of the group 's $ 3 billion in revenues come from exports . `` When you have protectionism it breeds like a disease whereby people become so dependent on it , '' Tan said . `` The moment you remove it you get lots of resistance . '' As the business and government leaders gather for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit , Tan has good reason to be concerned . Few economies have borne the brunt of the financial crisis -- or the `` financial tsunami , '' as many Asian nations call it -- as has export-driven Singapore . The city-state 's economic output took a record fall , with its GDP dropping 9.5 percent in the first quarter of this year , according to government statistics . Singapore lives and dies by the global economy . With no natural resources and a small domestic market , in a generation the city-state transformed itself from the third world British colony into a first world economic power by building its economy on exports and business services . While Singapore 's economic health is quickly rebounding -- second quarter GDP was down only 3.5 percent , the best performance since the financial crisis exploded in September last year -- protectionist winds threaten to shatter any nascent recovery . `` With the crisis we 've been through there have obviously been some protectionist tendencies beginning to rise , particularly in the Western world , '' Tan said . `` I hope we will see those quashed during the course of this week -LRB- at APEC -RRB- . '' Although APEC was built as an avenue to promulgate freer trade among Pacific Rim economies , the first salvos of trade disputes between China and the U.S. have many concerned . In September , the U.S. placed tariffs on Chinese made automobile tires ; China responded by cutting off imports of poultry parts -LRB- including chicken feet , a delicacy in China -RRB- and auto parts . More recently , China has begun an investigation whether Washington bailouts of U.S. carmakers constitutes unfair government supports of U.S. cars sold in China . The fact that the leaders of the two nations will be gathering here on Saturday ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama 's first visit to China puts implicit pressure to reduce the protectionist rhetoric , said Tan Khee Giap , chairman of the Singapore National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation Council . `` At least they have to say that they will resist any form of protectionism at meetings like this , '' Tan said . Whether words will match deeds remains an open question . A survey of 400 business leaders released Wednesday by the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council found a majority of those polled believe protectionism is likely to increase if the global recovery stalls . CNN 's Andrew Stevens and Kevin Voigt contributed to this story . | Singapore 's 2Q GDP down 3.5 percent , best performance since crisis hit . Performance follows 1Q GDP drop of 9.5 percent . Trade disputes between China , United States have many concerned . APEC meeting may help reduce protectionist rhetoric , observer says . | [[867, 919], [1373, 1417], [867, 919], [927, 989], [1916, 1999]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Suspected Somali pirates hijacked a Greek-owned bulk carrier Wednesday with 22 crew members aboard , according to the European Union 's Naval Force for Somalia . MV Filitsa was seized in the early morning about 460 miles -LRB- 740 kilometers -RRB- northeast of the Seychelles as it headed toward Durban , South Africa , according to a news release from EU NAVFOR Somalia . The Marshall Island-flagged carrier -- with three Greek and 19 Filipino crew members -- `` has now turned around and is heading north , '' it said . The bulk carrier has a deadweight of more than 23,000 tons . There have been more than 100 pirate attacks and at least 39 hijackings off the east Africa this year , according to EU NAVFOR . In late October , Somali pirates seized a private yacht in the Indian Ocean , taking Paul and Rachel Chandler hostage . They have demanded a $ 7 million ransom for the British couple 's release , but the government has refused to pay as a matter of long-standing policy . Two vessels were attacked the day after the Chandlers set sail . One of them -- a cargo ship -- was successfully boarded and seized off the Seychelles , while the other fought off its attackers near the Kenyan coast . Pirates are still holding a Spanish fishing boat , the Alakrana , which they seized on October 2 off Somalia 's coast . Days later , they transferred three of the fishing boat 's 36 crew members to land . Two pirate suspects had left the Alakrana in a small vessel heading toward land , authorities said , and the Spanish military swooped in to stop them on the high seas . They were later brought to Madrid , where a judge has charged them with piracy and kidnapping . The pirates holding the crew have demanded Spain release the two suspects . Spain is part of the European Union task force against piracy in the Indian Ocean off Somalia . The Spanish parliament last January agreed to increase Spain 's presence with up to 395 troops and assets , including a frigate and aircraft . CNN 's Al Goodman contributed to this report . | 22 crew aboard Greek-owned bulk carrier MV Filitsa . Ship changed directions , now heading north European Union Naval Force says . More than 100 pirate attacks off East Africa this year . | [[0, 15], [19, 110], [0, 15], [120, 180], [392, 476], [509, 525], [706, 730], [602, 693]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The New Zealand All Blacks gave their nation double reason for cheer with a 20-6 win Italy before a massive crowd at the San Siro in Milan . With their football counterparts qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals with a win over Bahrain earlier on Saturday , it was left to Graham Henry 's men to complete the double . But they were given a tough fight by underdogs Italy , who were inspired by an 80,000 crowd in a stadium normally reserved for Serie A giants Inter and AC Milan . Henry fielded a largely second-string team after last week 's 19-12 defeat of Wales in Cardiff . Italy briefly led as former Australian rugby league international Craig Gower kicked a penalty . But New Zealand pulled ahead with two Luke McAlister penalties and Corey Flynn put them further ahead with the only try of the game after 25 minutes . McAlister landed another penalty before halftime to send the visitors into the break with a 14-3 lead . After the interval he kicked two further penalties with Gower getting his second for Italy . The All Blacks next play England , who saw off Argentina 16-9 at Twickenham in a poor quality match in difficult conditions . A late try by Matt Banahan gave Martin Johnson 's men the edge and his sixth win from 13 games in charge . Fly-half star Jonny Wilkinson provided all of England 's points in the first half , with a drop-goal and two penalties as the scores were tied at 9-9 at the half . Center Martin Rodriguez , one of a trio of Argentina debutants , kicked three penalties from five attempts to keep them level until the late home try . In other international action , former England coach Andy Robinson led his new Scotland team to a 23-10 win over Fiji . Johnnie Beattie and Graeme Morrison went over for tries for Scotland at Murrayfield . On Friday night , France shocked world champions South Africa 20-13 in Toulouse . The Tri-Nations champions paid the price for ill-discipline as Julien Dupuy kicked four penalties and Morgan Parra one . Winger Vincent Clerc capped a fine performance for the home side with a try . South Africa 's points came from Morne Steyn with a penalty and drop-goal as well as converting a fine try by captain John Smit . | New Zealand All Blacks beat Italy 20-6 in rugby union international . A massive crowd of 80,000 watched the game in San Siro stadium . England and Scotland register wins over Argentina and Fiji . France score superb win over world champions South Africa . | [[0, 15], [46, 159], [0, 15], [46, 159], [374, 394], [399, 444], [1594, 1623], [1626, 1713], [1800, 1815], [1818, 1881]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Imagine taking the best characters and elements of your favorite fictional universe and weaving them into a new story that captures the imagination of fans . In the dark , cinematic `` Batman : Arkham Asylum , '' Batman must escape from a spooky psychiatric hospital . That 's what Emmy-winning TV writer Paul Dini did in creating `` Batman : Arkham Asylum , '' a video game coming out in late August . Buzz is building online for the dark , cinematic game , which reimagines a brooding Batman and his most notorious nemesis , the Joker , for an experience that 's reminiscent of `` The Dark Knight '' blockbuster movie . You want mayhem , insanity and brutality ? Get ready for all of it . `` This is the Batman movie I would have liked to have written , '' said Dini , who was scheduled to discuss the game during a panel Saturday at Comic-Con International , the huge celebration of comic-book culture in San Diego , California . `` This is him with all the good stuff . '' The atmospheric game pits Batman against Joker in a battle of wits and brawn after the Clown Prince of Crime traps the Caped Crusader inside Arkham Asylum , Gotham 's psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane . After the trap is sprung , the Joker releases the inmates , including some of Batman 's most ferocious enemies : Bane , Harley Quinn , Mr. Zsasz , Poison Ivy and Killer Croc . Batman has appeared in video games since 1986 , but none as ambitious or complex as `` Arkham Asylum , '' which draws much of its inspiration from the character 's comic mythology . The game will be released for the Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 , and Microsoft Windows . It 's being developed by Rocksteady Studios and will be published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. . Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics . -LRB- Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment is a division of Time Warner , which owns CNN . -RRB- . As the lead writer for the game , Dini said he was given a clean slate to work from . Because there was no movie , graphic novel or comic tie-in to follow , he was able to create an original story . Dini 's familiarity with the main character may help win the hearts and wallets of gamers . Winner of five Emmy awards , Dini has worked on Batman comic books and written episodes of `` Batman : The Animated Series '' and later , `` Batman Beyond . '' Dini , who has also written for the ABC-TV hit `` Lost , '' said he was influenced by Batman lore from character creator Bob Kane , the Batman comics of the 1960s and the Dark Knight graphic novels of Frank Miller . In creating his story 's look and tone , Dini said he chose his favorite elements from different incarnations of Batman . For example , the game emphasizes Batman 's intellect and use of technology by solving puzzles with the help of such tools as X-ray scanning and a pheromone tracker . `` Detective work is a crucial game element , '' Dini said . `` There are a lot of forensics aspects to the story . '' If you 're expecting a Heath Ledger-like Joker in `` Batman : Arkham Asylum , '' you may be disappointed . With his less-smudgy makeup , spiky green hair and maniacal cackle , Dini 's creation looks and acts more like earlier versions of the iconic villain . Kevin Conroy voices Batman in the game , while the Joker is voiced by Mark Hamill , known to millions as Luke Skywalker in the `` Star Wars '' movies . Conroy and Hamill were scheduled to join Dini at Comic-Con this weekend . Both actors also did the voices in `` Batman : The Animated Series , '' making the game feel very familiar . Sterling McGarvey , a senior editor for G4TV , said the game 's developers were smart to rely heavily on the animated TV series . `` An entire generation of Batman fans grew up with the animated Batman , '' he said . `` It is a beloved , storied franchise with very few good games . '' The Internet is full of videos showing glimpses of the game , including movie-like trailers , demo gameplay , characters and layouts of Arkham Asylum . Among Batman fans and gaming reviewers , early reviews have been strong . Brian Crecente , editor-in-chief of Kotaku.com , said he likes the way the developers combined elements to create the ultimate Batman from the fans ' perspective . `` Part dark , broody Batman , part serious crime fighter , but also part detective , '' Crecente said . `` Batman has this huge universe . Why not cherry-pick the best stuff and put it in the game ? '' A key character in the game is Arkham Asylum itself , with its spooky corridors and Gothic architecture . Dini loves its `` mix of dark , creepy , steam punk and Victorian '' and calls it the perfect location in Gotham City for the gameplay . `` It is a totally over the top mansion with gargoyles on the inside , '' added Crecente . `` Very cool . '' Dini heaped praise on how the developers made his story come to life . He hopes fans who know Batman will love how familiar it feels , while gamers will love the action . `` Fans of the canon will be happy , '' McGarvey agreed . `` But the game was designed more for the Batman fan than a hardcore gamer . '' Crecente describes the game 's combat as fluid and quick , with a martial arts feel . Acting as Batman , players will be able to hide in the shadows and stealthily take out their enemies . All the gaming mechanics in the world wo n't save Batman unless fans get drawn into the story . Remember Lego Batman ? But Dini seems confident that gamers will respond to his vision . `` Nobody loves a good Batman story more than I do , '' he said . | Online buzz is strong for upcoming `` Batman : Arkham Asylum '' video game . Lead writer Paul Dini and others discuss the game at Comic-Con this weekend . The game reunites a brooding Batman and his most notorious nemesis , the Joker . There 's no movie or comic tie-in to follow , so Dini could create an original story . | [[422, 475], [775, 878], [3409, 3482], [3409, 3426], [3442, 3482], [450, 475], [484, 543], [2080, 2121]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tyrese Gibson is far from the first singer to make the transition from music to movies . However , the `` Transformers '' star is blazing a whole new trail with his latest crossover venture . Tyrese Gibson voices `` Mayhem , '' a hero described as the `` embodiment of raw justice and vengeance . '' The actor/singer/model has partnered with Apple to develop his own comic book series called `` Mayhem , '' and he 's doing it in a very nontraditional way -- digitally . `` There was an experience that I felt was pretty limiting as far as the comic book experience itself on paper , '' says Gibson , who stresses that he did not grow up reading comic books and is not a comic book veteran . '' -LSB- So -RSB- I set up this technology with my team and this is the first-ever digital comic book -LSB- on iTunes -RSB- in the history of comic books . '' The third issue of `` Mayhem , '' which is downloadable from iTunes , is the first to go digital . It features an interactive version of a comic book with sound effects , page turns and even voiceover . Gibson himself voices the title character , a masked , dagger-hurling hero described as the `` embodiment of raw justice and vengeance . '' Gibson 's new hobby is another example of Hollywood 's love affair with comic books . Just last month , Walt Disney Studios acquired Marvel Entertainment -- and all 5,000 of the comic book company 's characters -- for $ 4 billion in cash and stock . With the success of action films based on comic book notables , including `` Batman , '' `` Iron Man '' and `` Wolverine , '' it 's not a stretch to think that Gibson might be strapping on the `` Mayhem '' costume for a summer blockbuster in the future . But for now , Gibson is focused on the early stages of his new venture . Although he would not provide details on sales figures , he did say that worldwide sales of `` Mayhem '' would `` knock your socks off . '' The following is an edited version of the interview . CNN : What turned you on to comic books ? Tyrese Gibson : I went out to Comic-Con about a year or so ago to promote the film `` Death Race . '' When I was out there , I really got to know some of the fans and I was just asking questions like , `` Look at you , you 've got a full on Superman costume on or Batman costume , '' and they were just like , `` I just love comic books . '' It was the first time I was ever exposed to that much selfless passion , to the point to where you do n't care how silly you may look -- you do n't even consider it silly . ... That really did something for me , because I 'm motivated by passion . I thought ... I want to figure a way to be a part of this world , and that 's when `` Mayhem '' was born . '' CNN : Where did the story of `` Mayhem '' come from ? Gibson : Me and my partner Mike Lee and Will Wilson all got together , we started brainstorming about different concepts and different directions we could send this character in and we came up with something pretty unique . It 's an ongoing series and so as soon as you think you 've got it figured out , there 's a cliffhanger that makes you want to read the second issue and the third issue . CNN : You 're a newcomer to this genre . What 's been the feedback from the comic book community ? Gibson : In everything you do , there 's gon na be cynics and those folks questioning what your motivation is behind getting into anything . I dealt with it when I went from one career move to the next : `` Man , stick to singing ; stick to acting . '' I dealt with a lot of that from certain folks in the comic book world . ... They wrote these long e-mails and -LSB- started -RSB- on a smear campaign . I came into this whole thing very innocent . I discovered my love for comic books and I want as many people as possible to experience my comic book . There 's this digital revolution that 's out there but the comic book world has not embraced this digital revolution on a level that it should be embraced on . And so I reached out to my contacts and I set up a meeting ... and this is my baby . CNN : Artist Jim Lee is very big in the comic book world . How did he get involved in this project ? Gibson : I found Jim Lee on Twitter ... and we just kind of took it from there . CNN : What did you learn from him ? Gibson : So much , so much . He basically made me aware of all of the big players in the comic world like Alan Moore and Grant Morrison . He just painted this picture about who 's who in the comic book world and he schooled me on that level . CNN : A lot of comic book characters become heroes on the big screen . Does `` Mayhem '' have a future in film ? Gibson : Right now , there is no conversation on any level about `` Mayhem '' becoming a film . We 've been approached a few times but my mind state is this : You ca n't expect to sell out the Staples Center until you sell a bunch of records . So we 're really trying to establish the fan base for `` Mayhem '' before we try to turn it into film . There 's still plenty of time for that . | Tyrese Gibson , who starred in `` Transformers , '' has created comic book superhero . Gibson 's character is called Mayhem , `` embodiment of raw justice and vengeance '' Gibson has no comic book background ; he was impressed by passion of devotees . Comic book is available digitally on iTunes as an LP . | [[386, 498], [236, 266], [269, 340], [1141, 1233], [635, 641], [648, 734], [627, 629], [705, 734]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A suspect has been arrested in the slaying of a 19-year-old Puerto Rican man found Friday decapitated , dismembered and partially burned , police said Tuesday . Members of the U.S. gay community are asking authorities to investigate whether the slaying was a hate crime because the victim , Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado , was gay , said Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force . `` The brutality of the slaying and the fact that he was openly gay leads us to believe it was very possibly a hate crime , '' Serrano said . Authorities are investigating whether the killing involved sex , Guayama police Commander Hector Agosto Rodriguez told CNN affiliate WLII TV . Guayama prosecutor Jose Bermudez identified the suspect as Juan A. Martinez , 26 . Police had earlier described him as a 27-year-old man from the interior Puerto Rican town of Cayey . Martinez was scheduled to attend a court hearing Tuesday night at which charges would be lodged , said Luis Bernier , a spokesman for the Guayama police district , which has jurisdiction in the case . The hearing was postponed several times throughout the day . Officials were waiting for a prosecutor from a nearby district , causing the delay , Bernier said . The FBI was not directly involved in the investigation Monday , said FBI Agent Harry Rodriguez of the San Juan office . `` The FBI is monitoring this investigation by police in Puerto Rico , '' Rodriguez said . `` Any assistance that the police requests or requires , we would be more than happy to provide . '' Puerto Rican authorities may ask for help with forensics or other advanced investigative tools the FBI could provide , Rodriguez said . The U.S. attorney 's office , in consultation with local officials and other agencies , would determine if the slaying was a hate crime , which is a federal offense . `` It 's at a very preliminary stage , '' said Lymarie Llovet , a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney 's office in San Juan , Puerto Rico 's capital . Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory , which means federal agencies have jurisdiction . `` There 's the potential for a federal investigation , '' Rodriguez said . The suspect was arrested Monday around 11:30 p.m. AST -LRB- 10:30 p.m. ET -RRB- at his home in the Mogote de Cayey neighborhood , said Wilson Porrata Mariani , another spokesman for the Guayama police district . Police impounded two cars and also are investigating a home in another neighborhood , Huertas del Barrio Beatriz de Cidra . Lopez Mercado 's body was found on Puerto Rico Road 184 in another part of town , Barrio Guavate de Cayey , police said . The slaying has reverberated throughout the gay and lesbian community in the United States , where supporters started a Facebook page called `` Justice for Jorge Steven Lopez -- End Hate Crimes . '' The group demands an investigation by Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno and prosecution of the slaying under the Federal Hate Crimes Law . The law was enacted in 1969 to guard the rights of U.S. citizens engaged in any of six protected activities , such as voting , going to school , applying for a job or attending a public venue . Last month , President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. . Hate Crimes Prevention Act , which extends federal protection against illegal acts motivated by a person 's actual or perceived gender , sexual orientation , gender identity or disability . Gay activist Serrano said he does not believe anti-gay sentiment is any stronger in Puerto Rico 's Latin culture than anywhere else . `` That 's a long-debunked myth , that our culture is more homophobic , '' Serrano said . Instead , he attributed any ill will toward gays to `` hate rhetoric '' by some religious and political leaders . One politician , he said , recently referred to gays as `` twisted and mentally ill . '' `` That 's the kind of rhetoric that incites violence against gays , '' Serrano said . Equality Forum , an international gay , lesbian , bisexual and transgender rights organization , asked for a federal investigation . `` Equality Forum calls on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to have the FBI investigate , '' said former federal prosecutor Malcolm Lazin , the group 's executive director . `` The Matthew Shepard Amendment empowers and requires the federal government to prosecute this horrific murder . '' Serrano said Lopez Mercado was a `` very , very dear friend '' he had met through a mutual acquaintance . `` Jorge was a person who you only needed one minute to fall in love with , '' Serrano said . Lopez Mercado often volunteered for gay causes , Serrano said . The teen 's family is coping , considering the circumstances . `` It has been horrible , but they are very grateful that it has come to a quick resolution , '' Serrano said . | NEW : Activist attributes ill will toward gays to some religious , political leaders ' `` hate rhetoric '' Puerto Rican gay community wants police to see if slaying was a hate crime . FBI is monitoring investigation and is prepared to offer help , agent says . Suspect , 27 , was to attend Tuesday court hearing , which was postponed several times . | [[3669, 3772], [180, 288], [1250, 1257], [1314, 1369], [1373, 1438], [1516, 1558], [787, 805], [816, 887], [787, 793], [806, 887], [888, 950], [888, 896], [911, 953], [1089, 1149]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In staging their Fourth of July fireworks show , authorities in Ocean City , Maryland , have faced challenges in recent years from Mother Nature . Fireworks light up the sky over Milwaukee , Wisconsin , during the city 's 2008 Fourth of July festivities . In 2005 , thick fog veiled the celebration . Spectators could n't see the detailed patterns and colors of the fiery blasts -- they only saw the clouds and haze get brighter . Thunderstorms erupted the next two years , delaying the show in 2006 and then forcing its cancellation in 2007 . That year , storms brought winds that were just too strong . `` We start taking a hard look at the direction and speed of the wind when it gets to 15 or more knots -LSB- about 17 mph -RSB- , '' said Ocean City Fire Marshal Sam Villani . `` At 20 knots , we consult the shooters ... to see if our perimeter is safe for the crowds . Twenty-knot -LSB- 23 mph -RSB- sustained winds would probably be our cutoff . '' As millions gather across the United States on Saturday to celebrate America 's birthday with fireworks displays , fire officials will be watching weather forecasts and preparing to make sure revelers are as safe as possible . They often start by banning spectators from a safety zone , or perimeter , around the launch site to protect them from drifting embers that can get as hot as 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit . For that reason , fireworks launches over harbors , rivers and other bodies of water can often be larger in scale . `` For a venue like New York Harbor , it is common for -LSB- launch -RSB- barges to be located on the water , well away from land , '' said Guy Colonna , division manager with the National Fire Protection Agency . `` Even if the winds increase , it 's possible ... -LSB- for -RSB- the safety of the display not to be compromised . '' Fireworks shows originating on land have stricter standards for the size of the perimeter , depending on wind speed , because spectators are generally closer to the explosives , Colonna said . Strong winds can make safety trickier . According to the Boston Globe , hundreds of people at a 2005 Fourth of July fireworks show in Canton , Massachusetts were accidentally showered with glowing embers when winds shifted about 10 minutes after the event began . High winds can even cancel a fireworks celebration . Rain , however , will not necessarily stop a show , said Philip Butler of Fireworks by Grucci , a Long Island , New York-based fireworks production company that has choreographed shows for presidential inaugurations and the Olympics . Fireworks do n't extinguish in the rain , and as long as operators `` keep the powder dry , '' they will explode , Butler said . Moisture can cause them to change colors , though . `` A brilliant blue may appear as a royal blue , '' he said . Weather challenges are nothing new for Grucci . In preparing for a large show in Dubai , the production company once faced 105-degree heat and a sandstorm . `` They told us to simply kneel down and cover our heads with our capes and ride it out , '' Butler said . Ideal conditions for fireworks are calm winds , comfortable temperatures and clear night skies , Butler said . `` When the sky is black and clear , it 's like a painter 's canvas for us . '' Some commonly asked questions about fireworks : . Do fireworks still work when it snows ? Yes . For many New Year 's Eve celebrations in cold-weather states , it 's often snowing during fireworks shows . Fireworks production companies say the snow acts as a prism , reflecting and shifting the colors . What 's the biggest danger that spectators face from fireworks ? Statistics show the vast majority of fireworks-related injuries are caused by over-the-counter fireworks instead of burning debris from public fireworks celebrations . The risk of fireworks injury is 2 1/2 times higher for children than for the general population , according to the National Fire Protection Agency . The biggest culprit ? Sparklers . The National Fire Protection Agency advises against using your own fireworks . `` Leave it to the professionals . '' For a Fourth of July weather forecast for your area , visit CNN.com / weather . | High winds and rainstorms can pose serious challenges to fireworks shows . Severe weather affected fireworks three of past four years in Ocean City , Maryland . Winds can cancel a fireworks celebration , although light rain often will not . One fireworks company weathered a sandstorm before a show in Dubai . | [[0, 15], [68, 93], [96, 165], [563, 572], [575, 623], [2030, 2069], [2294, 2346], [0, 15], [68, 93], [96, 165], [450, 463], [493, 518], [450, 463], [523, 562], [2294, 2346], [2347, 2351], [2364, 2396], [2873, 2911], [2914, 2981]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 7-year-old boy from El Paso , Texas , was gunned down across the border in the violent city of Ciudad Juarez , Mexico , a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general 's office told CNN Tuesday . Raul Xazziel Ramirez had been visiting his father in Juarez on Friday evening when unknown gunmen fired on their vehicle at a roundabout , spokesman Arturo Sandoval said . At least 18 rounds from a 9 mm weapon were shot at the white 2000 Geo Tracker driven by Ramirez 's dad , Sandoval said . The father , Raul Ramirez Alvarado , 35 , died in the driver 's seat . The younger Raul escaped from the vehicle , but was apparently shot in the back , Sandoval said . The boy 's body fell forward in front of the vehicle . The shooting happened just before 8 p.m. Friday . No arrests had been made as of Tuesday , the spokesman said . Raul Xazziel Ramirez was a third-grader at Glen Cove Elementary School in El Paso , Ysleta Independent School District spokeswoman Patricia Ayala told CNN . `` It 's a senseless tragedy that we 're trying to come to terms with , '' she said . According to El Paso County records , Raul was just three weeks shy of his eighth birthday when he was killed . The boy lived with his aunt and uncle in El Paso , Ayala said . It was the first semester that Raul was registered with the district . Raul 's classmates were spared the details of his death , but the school was nonetheless shocked at the boy 's passing . Grief counselors were made available for both students and teachers , Ayala said . More than 2,200 killings have been recorded this year in Ciudad Juarez , out of a population of approximately 1.5 million people . A bloody turf war between warring drug cartels that started last year has made the city one of the most violent in the world . According to statistics from local prosecutors , Ciudad Juarez records about 10 murders a day . The bloodiest month this year has been September , with 476 killings reported . The violence has not spilled over significantly across the border to El Paso , but as Friday 's shooting showed , the pain of one of the sister cities is shared by the other . Because of the ongoing investigation , Sandoval declined to say whether drug cartel activity was suspected in the killings of Raul and his father , but added that at least 90 percent of the city 's homicides are drug-related . Raul was not the youngest victim slain this year . In early 2009 , a 3-year-old girl was killed together with her father inside a vehicle that was targeted , Sandoval said . | NEW : Raul Xazziel Ramirez was just three weeks shy of his eighth birthday , records show . Ramirez was killed Friday along with his father in Ciudad Juarez . The boy managed to escape the vehicle but was shot in the back , police say . More than 2,200 slain this year in Juarez ; Ramirez was not the youngest . | [[1133, 1206], [0, 15], [51, 129], [223, 359], [587, 628], [587, 603], [635, 666], [0, 15], [51, 129], [1546, 1616], [2383, 2433]] |
Alexandria , Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on 11 counts of corruption . Jefferson was also ordered to forfeit more than $ 470,000 after his conviction for using his office to solicit bribes . He will also have to pay $ 1,100 in special assessments . The case against the former nine-term Louisiana Democrat included allegations of influence-peddling and the discovery of $ 90,000 in cash in his freezer . Judge T.S. Ellis will determine at a hearing next Wednesday whether Jefferson will remain free pending appeal . Until then , he is free . `` The court 's sentence today reaffirms the principle that all people -- no matter what their title or position -- are equal before the law , '' said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman in a statement . `` In a stunning betrayal of the public 's trust , former Congressman Jefferson repeatedly used his public office for private gain . The lengthy prison sentence imposed on Mr. Jefferson today is a stark reminder to all public officials that the consequences of accepting bribes can and will be severe . '' Jefferson 's family was in the courtroom when District Judge T.S. Ellis handed down the sentence . He had faced up to 150 years in prison . `` This sentence should be a clear signal that our society will not tolerate bribery , '' U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride said in a written statement . `` It 's not just another cost of doing business in government . `` Mr. Jefferson 's repeated attempts to sell his office caused significant damage to the public 's trust in our elected leaders . This sentence will begin to repair that damage and to restore that trust . `` Mr. Jefferson is well-known for the $ 90,000 found in his freezer . It is our hope that he will now be well-known for the tough sentence handed down today , showing that no one -- including our elected officials -- are above the law . '' Jefferson , of New Orleans , still faces the forfeiture of nearly $ 500,000 -- money a jury said is linked to criminal activity for which he has been convicted . On August 5 , a jury found Jefferson guilty on four bribery counts , three counts of money laundering , three counts of wire fraud and one count of racketeering . He was acquitted on five other counts , including wire fraud and obstruction of justice . He had remained free prior to Friday 's sentencing . Jefferson was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 4 , 2007 , about two years after federal agents said they found the money in his freezer . Authorities said the cash was part of a payment in marked bills from an FBI informant in a transaction captured on video . The trial was delayed while it was resolved whether an FBI search of Jefferson 's congressional office was constitutional . Defense attorney Robert Trout had asked the judge for leniency , citing Jefferson 's personal history of humble beginnings and long-standing public service . Prosecutors , in turn , filed a response saying Jefferson deserved no preferential treatment since he `` still chose to cheat , steal and lie . '' `` Congressman Jefferson has still not accepted responsibility for his own criminal conduct , '' prosecutors wrote . He `` still rationalizes his own unethical , illegal and immoral conduct . '' CNN 's Paul Courson contributed to this report . | NEW : Jefferson remains free at least until Wednesday hearing . Ex-Rep . William Jefferson gets 13 years in prison , 3 years ' supervised release . The former Louisiana Democratic congressman faced up to a 150-year sentence . In August , Jefferson found guilty of bribery , money laundering , wire fraud , racketeering . | [[546, 605], [658, 668], [671, 683], [0, 10], [13, 118], [112, 212], [1315, 1355], [112, 212], [2181, 2192], [2195, 2343]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A newborn infant , who was abducted Tuesday from his home in Tennessee , has been found alive in Alabama , according to authorities . Yair Anthony Carillo is reported to be in good health since being recovered . Yair Anthony Carillo was found Friday night in a home in Ardmore after an intensive three-day search , said Mark Gwyn , director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation . Tammy Renee Silas , 39 , was taken into custody for allegedly stabbing Maria Gurrolla at her Nashville home and then stealing the baby just four days after he was born . Gurrolla told police a woman posing as an immigration worker attacked her and took Carillo . A break in the case came when investigators were able to track down a Kia Spectra that was photographed in a Wal-Mart parking lot shortly before the attack . Authorities determined that Silas rented the vehicle from the Nashville airport , Gwyn said . My Harrison , of the FBI 's Memphis office , praised all of the investigators who worked on the case . `` We reunited a family , '' she said . `` It does n't always turn out this way . '' There is no word on a possible motive or what charges Silas will face . Carillo , who is reported in good health , will be reunited with his family after a routine medical examination , Harrison said . | Yair Anthony Carillo found safe after being abducted days after birth , authorities say . Child 's mother says woman posing as immigration worker stabbed her , took boy . Tammy Renee Silas taken into custody ; no word on possible motive . | [[0, 15], [126, 152], [403, 420], [515, 572], [573, 646], [403, 420], [423, 519], [1106, 1165]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dry skies greeted Georgia for a second day Wednesday , giving residents a chance to mourn , recover and repair after devastating floods killed nine people earlier this week . Douglas County , Georgia , emergency managers provide water Wednesday to residents without treated water . Water was beginning to recede in many areas , and some roads , including Interstate 285 and Interstate 20 , were reopening . Several others remained closed , state authorities said . As of Tuesday afternoon , hundreds of people were still in shelters , with more than 250 people in the Cobb County Civic Center , according to the Red Cross . There are cases where people have lost everything , spokeswoman Lisa Matheson said Tuesday . Before they were evacuated , Cordell Albert and her husband , Christopher , moved their valuables to the second floor of their Powder Springs home , CNN affiliate WGCL reported . `` I feel lost , '' she said , according to the affiliate . `` I feel homeless . '' Watch more about the flooding aftermath and cleanup '' Gov. Sonny Perdue has declared a state of emergency in 17 flood-stricken counties , and State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine estimated that the flooding has caused an estimated $ 250 million in losses . Watch where the flooding hit hardest '' `` Many of the homeowners afflicted by this event do n't have flood insurance , '' he said in a written statement . Georgia 's flood-related death toll has reached nine , authorities said , with six deaths alone in Douglas County , west of Atlanta . To the north , one person was missing and presumed dead in Chattanooga , Tennessee . See photos of the flooding '' Perdue spoke to President Obama on Tuesday night about the flooding , White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said . The president `` expressed his condolences for the loss of life and his concern for the citizens of Georgia amidst the ongoing flooding , '' Shapiro said . Perdue updated Obama on the situation , and the two discussed the response to the crisis , Shapiro added . The president also assured the governor that his request for federal aid would receive prompt attention , the spokesman added . Parts of northwest and south-central Georgia , as well as the metro Atlanta area , were still under flood warnings Wednesday . Also on Wednesday , students from three of metro Atlanta 's four largest school districts were returning to classes after flooding caused school closings the day before . Watch what caused such torrential rain '' But CNN meteorologists said rain was not likely for much of the state Wednesday , although isolated thunderstorms in north Georgia were possible . Georgia may also see rain this weekend , CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said . `` Of course , we 're not expecting another foot of rain , '' she said , `` but we could pick up an inch or two . '' iReport.com : Horses pulled to safety from flooded creek . On Tuesday , Perdue pleaded with residents to stay off flooded roads , noting that nearly all the fatalities in the state were drivers and passengers swept away by floodwaters . CNN 's Carolina Sanchez , Shawn Nottingham and Samuel Gardner contributed to this report . | NEW : Georgia insurance commissioner estimates $ 250 million in losses . President , Georgia governor discuss aid ; Obama expresses condolences . Death toll from floods : at least nine in Georgia ; one person missing in Tennessee . As of Tuesday afternoon , hundreds of people were still in shelters in Georgia . | [[1213, 1280], [1686, 1753], [1798, 1933], [154, 211], [1437, 1489], [1586, 1641], [528, 569]] |
SICHUAN , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Li Yunxia wipes away tears as rescue crews dig through the ruins of a kindergarten class that has buried her only child -- a 5-year-old boy . Other parents wail as soldiers in blue masks trudge through the mud , hauling bodies from the rubble on stretchers . `` Children were screaming , but I could n't hear my son 's voice , '' she says , sobbing . This grim ritual repeated itself Thursday across southwestern China , as thousands of mothers and fathers await news about their sons and daughters . Watch parents ' anguished vigil '' The death toll from Monday 's massive earthquake could be as high as 50,000 , according to state-run media . Map '' The grief is compounded in many cases by a Chinese policy that limits most couples to one child , a measure meant to control explosive population growth . As a result of the one-child policy , the quake -- already responsible for at least 15,000 deaths -- is producing another tragic aftershock : . Not only must thousands of parents suddenly cope with the loss of a child , but many must cope with the loss of their only child . China 's population minister recently praised the one-child rule , which dates to 1979 , saying it has prevented 400 million children from being born . Some wealthy families ignore the order , have more children and pay a $ 1,000 fine . In rural areas -- like earthquake-devastated Sichuan province -- families can petition for an additional child , but there 's no guarantee the authorities will approve the request -- they usually do n't . That reality has cast parents like Li into an agonizing limbo -- waiting to discover whether their only child is alive or dead . Thousands of children were in class when the temblor hit Monday afternoon . Many of their schools collapsed on top of them . In Dujiangyan City , more than 300 students were feared dead when Juyuan Middle School collapsed with 900 students inside . A similar number died at the city 's Xiang ' e Middle School . See images and video from the quake zone '' Now parents cluster outside collapsed school buildings , held back by soldiers in some cases as rescue crews search for signs of life . `` Which grade are you in ? '' a rescuer asks a trapped child in Beichuan County . `` Grade 2 , '' comes the answer . `` Hang on for a while , '' he says . `` We are figuring out ways to rescue you . '' Watch children rescued from the rubble '' The child is pulled from the rubble a short time later . For every child saved , though , many more are lost . Many are missing at a middle school in the city of Qingchuan . The scene is devastating at Juyuan Middle School , where sorrow seems endless . See photos of rescue efforts '' `` There were screaming parents , and as the bodies would come out they were trying to identify whether it was their child or not , '' said Jamil Anderlini of London 's Financial Times . `` And once they -- the parents -- realized it was their child , obviously they collapsed in grief . '' | NEW : Death toll could reach 50,000 , according to state-run media . China 's one-child policy , implemented in 1979 , has blocked 400 million births . Many parents in limbo as they wait to learn whether their sole child is dead or alive . Schools collapsed on thousands of children Monday when the quake hit . | [[571, 646], [571, 619], [649, 679], [728, 744], [750, 782], [1117, 1261], [1163, 1181], [1190, 1203], [1163, 1181], [1206, 1268], [459, 535], [536, 549], [552, 570], [1559, 1620], [1602, 1620], [1624, 1687], [1688, 1763], [1764, 1812], [1813, 1831], [1834, 1936]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Arsenal have confirmed that striker Robin van Persie will be out of action for `` approximately six weeks '' after suffering ankle ligament damage during the Netherlands ' international friendly against Italy on Saturday . Initially it had been feared the Dutch forward -- who has scored eight goals in 15 games in all competitions this season and emerged as one of the Gunners ' key figures -- could be set for a much-longer spell on the sidelines . Van Persie , 26 , will return to London later this week to continue his rehabilitation but is set to miss key clashes with Premier League leaders Chelsea at the end of the month , the trip to Liverpool on December 13 as well as the rest of the hectic Christmas schedule . An official Arsenal club statement read : `` Following the care given to van Persie by the Dutch FA , he will travel back to London this week and continue his treatment with the Arsenal medical team . `` Van Persie will be out of action for approximately six weeks . '' Although van Persie could be back for what is likely to be a season-defining few weeks when Arsenal host Manchester United on January 31 before games against Chelsea and then Liverpool , the loss of the player could not have come at a worse time for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger . Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner -LRB- groin -RRB- and England forward Theo Walcott -LRB- knee -RRB- are already out until early December , so Croatian international Eduardo da Silva is likely to take van Persie 's place in the Gunners side . Van Persie suffered the injury to his right leg in the 10th minute of Saturday 's goalless draw against Italy in Pescara . He was carried off on a stretcher following a heavy challenge from Azzurri defender Giorgio Chiellini and tests showed partially torn ligaments in his right ankle . Meanwhile , France defender Eric Abidal will miss the second leg of the World Cup playoff against the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday night due to a thigh injury . The Barcelona full-back played the full 90 minutes of Saturday 's 1-0 win in Dublin but sustained the problem in his left leg and will not be available for the return at the Stade de France . Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan has also been ruled out , as he has not yet recovered from a hamstring injury . | Arsenal reveal that striker Robin van Persie will be out of actionfor six weeks . The Dutchman suffered ankle ligament damage against Italy at the weekend . Croatian striker Eduardo da Silva is expected to replace van Persie in the Arsenal line-up . | [[19, 241], [943, 1008], [19, 241], [1766, 1824], [1437, 1536]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities plan to ask new questions of the family at the center of the balloon drama that captured the world 's attention Thursday , as a comment in a CNN interview and other concerns raised speculation that the incident may have been staged . Parents Mayumi and Richard Heene discuss the upheaval in their lives Friday on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' `` We feel it 's incumbent on us as an agency to attempt to re-interview them and establish whether this is in fact a hoax or actual event , '' Larimer County Sheriff James Alderden said at a news conference Friday . `` We believe at this time that it 's a real event . '' Investigators with expertise in spotting deceptive behavior interviewed the family Thursday and believe they were not lying , Alderden said . His office is being flooded with calls and messages from people insisting it must be , and putting `` a lot of pressure '' on authorities to charge Richard and Mayumi Heene , he said . The sheriff 's office said it was conducting background checks on the Heenes . A giant Mylar balloon took off from the backyard of the Heenes ' northern Colorado home Thursday . The couple said they were terrified their 6-year-old son Falcon may have been on it . They could n't find him . In audio from 911 calls released Friday , the parents sounded emotional and desperate . When the balloon finally landed , Falcon was not on board . Later , he came out from hiding in an attic over the home 's garage . `` I 'm feeling very , very grateful that Falcon is among us , '' Richard Heene told CNN 's `` American Morning '' on Friday . `` We went through so many emotions yesterday . '' On CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' Thursday night , the Heene parents asked Falcon why he had not come out from hiding when they were calling for him . `` You guys said we did this for the show , '' he said . Watch the boy 's remarks '' The family chases storms and takes videos of some . The Heenes also were featured in March on the ABC program `` Wife Swap . '' After the Hollywood gossip Web site TMZ.com reported that the Heenes had been `` pitching a reality show about the wacky family , '' one of the networks mentioned , TLC , which produces `` Jon and Kate plus 8 , '' said `` they approached us months ago , and we passed . '' Two other production companies , Reality Real and RDF , which produces `` Wife Swap , '' did not immediately respond to CNN 's queries . They family had a video camera recording as the balloon took off Thursday . Alderden said that was because the family planned an experiment in which the balloon was to rise 20 feet off the ground . Richard Heene said his son was confused when he made the show remark . There were media assembled on the front lawn , asking all sorts of questions , and that 's what Falcon was referring to , Heene said Friday morning . Heene , a meteorologist who takes his family along to chase storms , said he was concerned when the balloon took off because `` the project was pretty much down the tubes . '' Then their son Bradford said he thought Falcon was inside , sparking the family 's terror -- and the world 's response , as people tuned in to live TV coverage of the balloon , which looked like a cross between a mushroom and a flying saucer . Alderden told CNN 's Wolf Blitzer on Friday that , based on reports that the parents `` took these children into potentially dangerous situations '' with tornado chases , the experimental balloons and other activities , it would be `` appropriate to involve child protection -LSB- services -RSB- to at least see what the family situation is and whether the children are in a safe condition . '' Earlier , Alderden told reporters that his department has contacted the child protection officials but asked them not to contact the family until investigators have had a chance to re-interview them . Alderden , at Friday 's news conference , said he did not believe Falcon could have been following instructions by going into hiding . `` I just ca n't see this particular boy being told go sit up there for five hours and be quiet . I just do n't see that , as hyperactive as he is , '' the sheriff said . He also called it unlikely that the other two brothers , ages 8 and 10 , would have pulled off such a hoax . If it were determined that the incident was a hoax , `` the only thing we have is them making a false report to authorities , which is a Class 3 misdemeanor , '' Alderden said . But , he said , authorities could seek to recoup the money spent . `` If there is criminal conduct , we certainly would seek restitution , '' he said . The balloon landed in a plowed wheat field , and the owner could seek compensation from the family , Alderden added . Asked whether the parents would not have checked the whereabouts of their three children before allowing the device to take off and why the system to tether it was not stronger , Alderden responded , `` You raise some very valid points that we are considering . '' Watch as home video shows the balloon take off '' Alderden also said his office had contacted an expert at Colorado State University during the incident to make sure that the dimensions of the balloon were adequate to handle a child of Falcon 's weight , he said . The sheriff also sought to defend his department . Authorities had been at the house and had conducted searches for the boy three times during the incident . `` Obviously it was n't as thorough as we would have liked it to be , '' he said , `` because the boy was hiding in the attic in the garage . '' Investigators had seen the rafters in the garage , but there was no ladder to get up there . `` Our personnel just did n't think it possible that a 6-year-old boy would be able to get up into that space , so they did n't look there , '' he said . Falcon was not in a box as Alderden had originally reported . Instead , he had apparently crawled on a box in order to enter the attic area , Alderden said . Watch how the events played out '' Despite numerous conspiracy theories flying around on the Internet , Alderden emphasized that authorities have not seen suspicious behavior by the Heene family . `` They appropriately expressed statements , nonverbal communication , body language and emotions during this event that were entirely consistent with the events that were taking place , '' he said . `` Certainly , people are free to speculate , they 're free to be skeptical about it , '' Alderden added . `` But those of us in the law enforcement profession have to operate on facts and what we can prove . '' | Boy 's remark on CNN , `` We did this for the show , '' sparks speculation about stunt . Sheriff : `` We believe at this time that it 's a real event '' Father says boy was confused about scores of reporters outside house . Millions feared boy was inside balloon as it floated over Colorado countryside . | [[190, 264], [1828, 1852], [593, 645], [2703, 2747], [1190, 1210], [1218, 1239]] |
London -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Debate is rife in Australian political circles about whether carbon trading is the way forward for climate change abatement . Carbon trading is said to be one way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions . There , Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is looking to introduce a mandatory carbon trading system by 2010 which will cap the amount of pollution industry can release . The proposed Australian system will be similar to the European Union emission trading system which was established in 2005 . With Phase 1 of the European system complete , there are a few lessons about carbon trading that Australia -- and other countries looking to go down this path -- could benefit from . So what is carbon trading ? Carbon trading -- also known as `` cap and trade '' -- is a system designed to cut the carbon emissions which contribute to global warming . Generally in a market-based cap and trade system , a central authority -- such as a government or international body -- sets a limit on the amount of carbon which can be emitted and then divides this amount into units which are allocated to different groups . These units can then be traded as any commodity would . Carbon trading can occur both between countries and amongst industries within countries . A second approach to carbon trading involves a country or business generating carbon credits by investing in `` green '' projects -- usually in developing countries -- that are said to reduce emissions . Why is it necessary ? According to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -LRB- IPCC -RRB- there is unequivocal evidence that human activities have contributed to a gradual warming of the planet which has resulted in a change in climate . The IPCC report provides scientific evidence of change including to the duration of seasons , rainfall patterns and an increased frequency of extreme weather events . Industrialization is recognized as a key factor in the increase in greenhouse gas -LRB- GHG -RRB- emissions in the atmosphere and according to the IPCC the world has warmed by an average of 0.74 °C in the past 100 years . The IPCC predicts that if GHG emissions continue to rise at their current rate , this century will see a further 3 °C rise in the average world temperature . While the consensus of the scientific community -LRB- via the IPCC -RRB- is that action must be taken to avert the worst impacts of climate change , economic arguments about the cost of climate change abatement -- advanced by countries like the U.S. and at one time Australia -- have in the past proved an impediment to action . A carbon trading system is said to be one way that countries can look to make greenhouse gas emissions cuts with minimal economic impact . Do you think carbon trading is the way to reduce greenhouse emissions ? What trading systems exist ? Established in 2005 , the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme -LRB- EU ETS -RRB- is the largest multi-national , multi-sector CO2 trading system in the world . The ultimate aim of the system is to ensure that EU Member States are compliant with their Kyoto Protocol commitments and to do this the most energy-intensive industries are allocated carbon permits by Member States which allow them to emit a certain amount of CO2 . If these companies want to emit more CO2 than their permits allow for , they are able to buy them from more efficient companies with spare permits . The EU ETS takes in around 12,000 installations which account for around 50 percent of EU greenhouse gas emissions from industries such as power , steel and cement manufacture . According the World Bank , the EU ETS contributed $ 50 billion of the $ 64 billion traded in the carbon market in 2007 . The second largest carbon trading system exists under the United Nations Kyoto Protocol . The Protocol -- which sets binding emission targets for 37 industrialized countries -- permits emissions trading in order to help countries meet their agreed upon targets . Countries have agreed to an average 5 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions , compared to 1990 levels , by 2012 and carbon trading is one way to meet this quota . By December 2008 , the EU ETS will link up with the UN trading system to create a more global scheme . The Clean Development Mechanism is a further carbon trading mechanism of the Protocol which allows industrialized nations to claim emission credits from investment in clean technologies which will `` offset '' carbon in developing countries . Developed nations can also finance emission reduction projects in developing countries through Joint Implementation in exchange for emission credits . New Zealand has established a mandatory carbon trading system this year and Australia has also committed to expanding the pioneering New South Wales Greenhouse Gas Reduction Scheme to a national market by 2010 . New mandatory systems are being considered for Japan and Canada . Voluntary carbon markets also exist , with the Chicago Climate Exchange one of the more established ones . What do permits cost ? The cost of a carbon permit is dictated by the market forces of supply and demand . In 2007 , one European Union Allocation -LRB- for one ton of carbon -RRB- was trading at $ 30 to $ 35 . What industries are subject to trading ? Under mandatory schemes like the EU ETS , it 's the most energy-intensive industries within Member States which are subject to carbon trading . This includes industries like power installations , steel and cement manufacture and the construction industry . The commercial aviation industry -- which accounts for 3 percent of EU emissions -- could be brought into the EU ETS by 2011 . Currently personal or household emissions and the public sector and transport industry emissions are not included in any carbon trading system . Has emissions trading been successful ? Yes and no . The introduction of mandatory systems which cap emissions like the EU ETS is a step in the right direction for trying to cut emissions without a major cost to business . However , critics such as Carbon Trade Watch argue that the current carbon trade systems are flawed because there is a tendency for the biggest polluters to be over-allocated permits . This was clearly evident with Phase 1 of the EU ETS when the market virtually collapsed in 2006 because too many allowances were allocated . Market analyst Franck Schuttellaar estimated that the United Kingdom 's most polluting companies made windfall profits of around $ 1.7 billion as a direct result of generous carbon credit allocation under the EU ETS . Questions have also been raised about whether carbon trading systems actually reduce GHG emissions . Independent UK think-tank Open Europe reported that between 2005 and 2006 emissions from industries covered by the ETS actually rose in UK by 3.6 percent and by 0.8 percent across the whole of Europe . Auctioning off carbon credits at the outset -- rather that simply allocating credits to business for free -- is one way that has been proposed to help the system make a real impact on emissions . Certainly , increasing the scarcity of carbon credits would help ensure that businesses commit to genuine low-carbon alternatives . While carbon emissions account for around 70 percent of greenhouse gases , they are not the sole cause of climate change and it would seem a safer bet to reinforce a carbon trading system with other legislative measures aimed at reducing emissions . | Carbon trading is said to be one way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions . Existing carbon trading systems have had limited impact on emissions to date . The European experience serves as a good lesson for new trading systems . | [[87, 151], [152, 225], [152, 166], [175, 225], [724, 775], [779, 827], [782, 790], [800, 864], [2629, 2674], [2629, 2652], [2661, 2767], [2768, 2839], [4129, 4175]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One hundred twenty African refugees -- most of them fleeing war-torn Somalia -- were forced overboard at gunpoint off the coast of Yemen , leaving at least 26 dead and 20 missing , the United Nations ' refugee agency said Wednesday . A Somali refugee walks past the United Nations-donated tents at a refugee camp west of Aden . Seventy-four survivors made it to the beach Tuesday and were taken to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees center in Ahwar , Yemen , according to UNHCR . Some told the United Nations that they were waiting on their boat for a smaller vessel to take them ashore when the smugglers operating the boat forced them overboard . Some were pushed and beaten , and others were shot and killed , for not complying , they said . The smaller boat never arrived , they said . Heavy fighting in Somalia 's capital and a widespread drought has led to a dramatic increase in Somalis making the sometimes deadly journey by sea to Yemen , according to UNHCR . Nearly 26,000 refugees have arrived on Yemen 's shores this year from the Horn of Africa -- almost three times the number of refugees to make the perilous journey across the Gulf of Aden last year , according to UNHCR . Yemen is a common destination for Somalis fleeing economic hardship and war because of its proximity . It is also an attractive location because Somalis receive automatic refugee status in the fellow Muslim country . New smuggling routes , including some based out of Djibouti -- which lies north of Somalia and is much closer to Yemen -- have also led to the increase in refugees , according to the UNHCR . Refugees pay as much as $ 150 to get to Yemen on small fastboats , while others pay between $ 50 and $ 70 for a ride on larger and much slower vessels , the agency said . Earlier this year , Yemen 's coast guard stepped up patrols of its coastline in an attempt to deter the smugglers . Some of the smuggling boats are seized by Yemen 's coast guard and given to Somali fishermen who suffered losses in the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami . As part of a $ 19 million operation , UNHCR operates shelters and reception centers for the refugees in Yemen and has increased its efforts to discourage people from making the illegal crossing to Yemen . It has also sponsored training programs for coast guard personnel and other officials . | 74 survivors made it to the beach and were taken to Ahwar , Yemen . Some told U.N. smugglers operating the boat forced them overboard . Fighting in Somalia 's capital led to increase in Somalis making journey to Yemen . UNHCR : Nearly 26,000 refugees arrived in Yemen this year from Horn of Africa . | [[347, 398], [347, 369], [391, 472], [347, 369], [483, 503], [616, 672], [814, 917], [887, 969], [1104, 1189], [972, 992], [993, 1081], [1192, 1212]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ten-man Ghana overcame Brazil 4-3 on penalties in the Under-20 World Cup final in Cairo to become the first African side to win the tournament . Daniel Addo -LRB- left -RRB- is sent off but Ghana still became the first African side to win the U-20 World Cup . Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu scored the winning penalty after Brazil 's Maicon had fired over the bar when a successful spot-kick would have handed Brazil the title for a record fifth time . In a match of few chances , Ghana , who are also African champions , defied the odds to take the trophy out of Europe and South America for the first time ever after Daniel Addo was sent off in the 37th minute for a late tackle on Alex Teixeira . Goalkeeper Daniel Aygei kept Ghana in the game earlier in extra-time with a point-blank save from Maicon , who had been teed-up 10 yards out by Alex Teixeira 's cut-back . Douglas Costa twice went close in the additional 30 minutes , while Aygei was also called into action to save from Wellington Junior . Meanwhile , penalties were also needed to separate Hungary and Costa Rica in the third place playoff earlier in the day , but it was the European nation who eventually triumphed after the match ended 1-1 in 90 minutes . Despite being outplayed for the majority of the game , Costa Rica went ahead with nine minutes remaining when Marcos Urena was allowed to run at the Hungarian defence before cutting inside and firing a right-footed shot which left goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi with no chance . However , with the match entering injury time , Hungary were awarded a penalty when Jose Mena fouled Krisztian Nemeth in the box . Vladimir Koman made no mistake from the spot to take the match into a shoot-out . Liverpool 's Gulacsi was the hero of the hour -- keeping out efforts from Cristian Gamboa , Esteban Luna and Adam Simon while Nemeth and Roland Varga both scored to hand Hungary a 2-0 victory on penalties . | Ghana become the first African country in history to win the U-20 World Cup . They beat Brazil 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out after the match ends 0-0 . Hungary take third place after defeating Costa Rica also in a penalty shoot-out . | [[0, 15], [33, 87], [107, 139], [0, 15], [107, 163], [209, 278], [0, 15], [33, 87], [107, 139], [1151, 1170], [1175, 1237], [1018, 1027], [1030, 1137], [1850, 1873], [1879, 1930]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For Morris Murenzi , a visit to his native Rwanda always includes attending a gacaca court -- a local tribunal of villagers set up to try suspects in a 1994 genocide that killed 800,000 . The gacaca courts , as seen here in 2003 , are inspired by old village tribunals used to settle disputes . At the proceedings , he sits with his countrymen . Some tearfully confront their attackers and testify against them , their scars from the genocide still visible . Others -- like him -- quietly listen , their emotional scars invisible . They wait and hope for answers about how their relatives died as a nine-member panel questions suspects . `` Some of the witnesses who ask questions are disfigured , others are disabled , '' said the Dallas , Texas , resident whose last gacaca trial was in Kigali two years ago . `` The attackers have no place to hide . They are forced to address what they have done to the victims . '' Murenzi is one of thousands of people who attend gacaca courts all across Rwanda on any given day . Hearings are held in open fields in neighborhoods where the attacks occurred . There are no lawyers and no judges in robes . A panel of local villagers with no legal experience conducts the proceedings . `` For me , gacacas help me find closure and healing , '' Murenzi said . `` I am able to see up close how remorseful the attackers are . ... You never see that in real court . '' Gacaca courts were introduced in the central African nation after the April 1994 genocide , which raged for 100 days . The victims were mostly from the Tutsi ethnic minority , who were targeted by Hutus over a rivalry that dates to colonial days . Some moderates from the Hutu majority who support Tutsis were also killed . Murenzi , a Tutsi from the capital , Kigali , lost most of his extended family in the genocide . During the attacks , he was in neighboring Uganda with his parents , where he attended school at the time , the 37-year-old said . `` My mom 's sisters , brothers , my uncles , they were all killed and buried in mass graves , '' he said . The gacacas were originally formed to resolve minor disputes among villagers but were reinvented to hand out justice to the perpetrators of the genocide and help fast-track reconciliation efforts in the broken nation . `` You had about 130,000 people in jail . And there were many more outside , '' Rwandan President Paul Kagame said recently on CNN 's `` Fareed Zakaria GPS . '' The nation 's justice system and the International Criminal Tribunal set up to try genocide suspects were overwhelmed , and handling all the cases in those courts would have taken hundreds of years , according to the president . Watch Kagame justify gacacas '' `` If you went technically to try each one of them , as the law may suggest , then you would lose out on rebuilding a nation , on bringing people back together , '' he said . `` That 's why we had to say , let 's categorize responsibilities . '' The leaders and masterminds of the genocide are tried in ordinary courts , and civilians who contributed to attacks or loss of life directly or indirectly go to gacacas , Kagame said . The tribunals are lacking and fraught with problems , critics say . `` We 've had serious concerns about the gacaca process and whether it meets international fair trial standards , '' said Georgette Gagnon , Africa director for Human Rights Watch , which has offices in Rwanda . Some witnesses have been targeted for revenge after testifying , and due process falls short , Gagnon said , adding that the organization has suggested changes to the system to ensure basic human rights are met , but they have not been enforced . `` It is time for the process to end . And there needs to be a frank announcement on whether it has led to reconciliation , '' she said . Paul Rusesabagina , whose effort to save hundreds of Tutsis was featured in the 2004 movie `` Hotel Rwanda , '' calls gacacas `` the worst idea ever . '' `` Gacaca traditionally means justice on the grass . Elders sitting on the grass , handing justice to someone who stole a neighbor 's goat , '' Rusesabagina said . `` Judges are people who never went to school ... who do not know anything about law . '' Today , this justice is dealing with people who have committed a genocide , which is a much bigger issue , he said . There have been calls to abolish the tribunals , which have tried about 1.5 million cases since they started in 2001 , according to the Integrated Regional Information Networks , a U.N. agency . The government in June postponed plans to close gacacas . Some analysts say the system has its advantages , by reducing congestion in prisons and allowing survivors to hear first-hand what happened to their loved ones . Murenzi said he does not have all the answers about his relatives ' deaths , and he plans to attend more gacacas -- including during a trip to Rwanda at the end of the year . Despite the lack of information , he said , watching suspects struggle to come to terms with the attacks has brought an unusual form of comfort . `` They will never know peace . They have to live with the fact that they killed their neighbors for the rest of their lives , '' Murenzi said . `` While the survivors can move on , they -LRB- attackers -RRB- probably never will . '' | Hearings held in open fields in neighborhoods where the attacks occurred . Hearings have tried about 1.5 million cases since they started . Victims of 1994 genocide were mostly from the Tutsi ethnic minority . Gacacas originally formed to resolve minor disputes among villagers . | [[1039, 1088], [1075, 1088], [1095, 1117], [4344, 4349], [4366, 4433], [4369, 4392], [4399, 4460], [169, 184], [190, 206], [1541, 1595], [1565, 1597], [1602, 1639], [2082, 2109], [2117, 2158], [2082, 2093], [2099, 2158]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kandi Burruss , the newest cast member of the reality show `` The Real Housewives of Atlanta , '' was mourning the death Saturday of her fiancé , who died after a fistfight the night before . Kandi Burruss , at right with co-star NeNe Leakes , appeared at the BET Awards in June . The fiancé , 34-year-old Ashley `` A.J. '' Jewell , also appeared on the show . A spokeswoman for Burruss said the actress was `` devastated '' by the news . `` She has no statement to make at this time and asks for privacy , '' Tresa Sanders said . She said the two planned to marry , even though the relationship had ups and downs . In late August , Burruss told WVEE Radio in Atlanta , `` We 're on hiatus , '' and she told Essence.com last month that the two were taking a break from each other . Police said they contacted Burruss after Jewell 's death . Jewell and another man fought Friday night in the parking lot of the Atlanta strip club Body Tap , police spokesman Officer James Polite said . Jewell was taken to a hospital , where he died of blunt force trauma to the head , Polite said . Fredrick Richardson was arrested on a charge of voluntary manslaughter after witnesses identified him and he was interviewed by police . He was treated at a hospital . Police tentatively described the men as club managers , although Jewell claimed on Twitter that he owned the establishment . Polite said police do n't know why the fight started . Sanders said Burruss was doubly saddened because she is mourning the death of her uncle , Ralph Leslie , whose funeral is Saturday . The reality performer posted messages about Jewell 's death on Twitter . `` im just in one of those moods where i dont wan na talk , i dont wan na b held & told its gon na b ok . i just wan na cry myself 2 sleep , alone , '' she says . `` i could never n a million years imagine this happening . please pray for AJ 's children . that 's who im the most concerned 4 . '' `` im bout 2 giv my swollen eyes sum rest now . i just wanted to say thanks 2 every1 for their prayers . '' Burruss is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and former member of the 1990s R&B group Xscape . | NEW : Both men said to be managers of strip club where fight occurred . Ashley `` A.J. '' Jewell dies after fistfight outside Atlanta club , police say . Jewell was fiancé of Kandi Burruss of TV show `` Real Housewives of Atlanta '' Suspect charged with involuntary manslaughter after questioning by police . | [[1287, 1340], [878, 965], [1119, 1220], [1221, 1255]] |
-LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- Do n't confuse Katey Sagal for Peg Bundy -- it 's a common mistake . Katey Sagal says being a mother has been her greatest teacher -- for all her roles . While her infamous alter ego was uneducated , Katey is thoughtful and well-spoken ; Peg 's fashion is time-warped -LRB- hello , bouffant ! -RRB- , Katey 's is earthy ; for every ounce of laziness in Peg 's body , Katey has a multitasking one to match . It may have taken years for the actress to shake her TV counterpart , but watch Katey as fierce matriarch Gemma Morrow on FX 's motorcycle drama `` Sons of Anarchy '' -LRB- which was released on DVD Tuesday -RRB- , and you 'll start to wonder , `` Peg who ? '' Rachel Bertsche : You 're known for playing three very different mothers -- `` Married with Children 's '' Peg Bundy , Kate from `` 8 Simple Rules '' and now Gemma . Plus , you have three kids of your own , two teenagers and a 2 1/2 - year-old . Given all that on - and off-screen mothering experience , is there any universal quality that you would say all moms have ? Katey Sagal : Being a mother has been my greatest teacher and also the most self-sacrificing thing I 've ever done . I 've never loved anybody the way I love my children . It 's an experience I was surprised by . You have your boyfriend , your husband , your friends , but it 's a different thing . It 's deeper , and it 's a fantastic -- and risky -- commitment to love that deeply . I think the characters I 've played all have that quality , even Peg Bundy . She was devoted and loyal to her children in her own wacky way . But Gemma is intensely dedicated to her family and would do anything to protect her son and her extended family , which is the club . In my personal life , I do n't know that I would go to the lengths for my kids that Gemma does , but close . Bertsche : You were Peg Bundy before you were actually a mom . Once you had your first child , id having firsthand experience change the way you played her ? Sagal : Well , I 've always been a maternal type , but yes , everything was different once I had kids . Your whole perspective on the world changes -- I love how I was n't so self-obsessed anymore ! I ca n't say my characterizations of Peggy necessarily changed much . I just understood more what I was doing . Bertsche : You mentioned your husband , Kurt Sutter , who is also the creator of your show . What 's it like to mix family with business ? Sagal : Most of the time it 's super great . There are moments when it 's not , of course , but most of the time it 's nice because we actually get to see each other . His job is intense , so he does n't get a day like I have today where he can stay home from work . When I 'm there , we can sometimes have lunch together , stuff like that . The hard part gets to be like `` OK , maybe we should talk about something else . '' It becomes the constant topic of conversation , the show and the kids , and we have to make a conscious effort to say , `` Let 's not talk about it tonight . '' Bertsche : People used to say that women of `` a certain age '' -- over 40 -- could n't find any roles in Hollywood . That 's certainly not true anymore , especially on cable , and you might be playing one of the toughest women out there . Why do think that has changed ? Sagal : I do n't know why it 's changed , but I 'm really grateful it has . Maybe it has to do with the fact that we 're all living longer and suddenly it 's okay to get older . Maybe there 's a broader audience for these characters . The stories you can tell about older women are deeper . Plus , cable has opened up enormous possibilities . In feature films , you 're still lucky if you 're not the girlfriend or the wife . But I just read yesterday that Dianne Keaton is going to be on television now , she 's doing a series with HBO , so TV is where our stories are being told . Bertsche : Gemma 's a pretty controversial character . How do you feel about her ? Sagal : I really like her . I like that she 's flawed but she does n't think that she is . She 's survived a lot , and people like that tend to live in a lot of denial . She knows how to get through life in her way , and she does n't question it . It 's just , `` This is how it is . '' For instance , I do n't think Gemma 's ever been to therapy . She 's not that girl . What you see is what you get . Bertsche : What 's on tap for her this season ? Sagal : Something very dark happens . The club is going to go through some turmoil -- when you live an outlaw lifestyle , that 's the risk you take . As my husband says , this season is all about loyalties . Henry Rollins and Adam Arkin are on the show this year , and they ... well , I do n't want to say too much , but they 're not really good guys . Bertsche : I promised a co-worker I 'd ask you about `` Lost . '' She 's dying to know if your character , Helen , is really dead . Even though we saw the grave , she does n't believe it 's the full story . Got anything on that ? Sagal : I was just reading an article this morning at the gym about how they were going to bring back people who were dead on `` Lost , '' and they did n't mention me ! Nobody tells me anything . I 'm always thinking that Helen should come back and show up on the island , but as of today , no one 's sent me a plane ticket to Hawaii . So I do n't think it 's going to happen , but I do n't know . They 're very close to the chest with all that stuff . Oprah.com : Get up close with all the hottest celebrities ! Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved . | Katey Sagal 's series about cyclists , `` Sons of Anarchy , '' is out on DVD . Sagal says being a mother has given her insight into her major roles . She hears rumors about `` Lost , '' but nobody 's told her anything personally . | [[585, 604], [611, 644], [94, 178], [5170, 5196]] |
KAMPALA , Uganda -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gunshots rang out in Uganda 's capital Saturday in a fresh burst of unrest after loyalists of a traditional kingdom battled with government forces for a third day . Residents of the Kasubi suburb , west of Kampala , try to flee from violence as a soldier takes photos . Local media reports put the death toll at 13 since the rioting started , but attempts by CNN to confirm with local authorities were unsuccessful . An uneasy calm had swept over Kampala early in the day as police and the army patrolled the city in military convoys . By midafternoon , witnesses reported gunshots and isolated cases of riots . The unrest Saturday started after rumors circulated by text messages that the king of the Buganda kingdom had been detained , said Judith Nabakooba , a police spokeswoman . But a Buganda kingdom official refuted the rumor . `` It is not true -- the king has not been arrested , '' David Mpanga said . Tensions between the Buganda kingdom -- headed by King Ronald Mutebi II -- and President Yoweri Museveni have intensified in recent years . The two sides spar over land , sovereignty and political power . Kings in the east African nation are limited to a ceremonial role overseeing traditional and cultural affairs . Museveni has accused the Buganda kingdom , which is made of of Bagandans , of receiving foreign funding to carry out a hate campaign against the government . Bagandans are the dominant ethnicity and one of four ancient kingdoms in the nation . Violence flared Thursday when the government said it would not allow the Buganda king to travel to an area inhabited by a renegade rival group . The president said he tried to contact the king to discuss the issue as `` mature people , '' but he could not reach him by phone . After the travel ban , young Bagandans took the streets , stealing ammunition from a police station and confronting officers , whom they accused of harassment . Police and army officers were injured , and at least four people were killed , the nation 's police chief , Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura said Friday . Rioters also burned tires and cars , set buildings on fire and looted stores , according to witnesses . The streets in the capital were strewn with debris Saturday , including torched cars and burned tires . `` Soldiers are walking in a single file , waiting for rioters and ready to confront them , '' said Allan Mugabi , a resident of Kampala . Journalist Samson Ntale contributed to this report . | Local media put death toll from riots at 13 , CNN unable to confirm figure . Violence flared Thursday after government imposed travel ban on Buganda king . Witnesses say young Bagandans burned tires , cars and looted stores . Tension between splintered kingdom and Uganda 's president has been on rise . | [[306, 376], [1510, 1616], [1787, 1807], [1810, 1842], [2094, 2101], [2107, 2128], [2094, 2101], [2157, 2170], [2094, 2101], [2173, 2197], [2198, 2282], [2198, 2224], [2287, 2301], [949, 985], [1024, 1088]] |
Orlando , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former astronaut who was accused of assaulting a romantic rival in the parking lot of the Orlando airport will avoid prison after pleading guilty to lesser charges as part of a plea agreement . Citing Lisa Marie Nowak 's lack of a criminal history , Orange County Circuit Judge Marc Lubet sentenced her to a year of probation . She was given credit for the two days she served in the county jail after her arrest . Nowak , 46 , must also perform 50 hours of community service and have no contact with the victim in the case , former Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman . She must also send Shipman a letter of apology within 10 days , `` a sincere letter of apology , not one of these vanilla things that I see from other defendants , '' Lubet told Nowak . `` It 's been almost three years since the events took place that caused this nightmare for Ms. Shipman , and you are 100 percent responsible . '' In addition , Nowak must complete an eight-hour anger management course within her first 30 days of probation , Lubet said . Nowak told the judge she had undergone counseling for 1 1/2 years and the counseling is complete , so the judge said he would not order more . Lubet said he was treating Nowak as any defendant would be treated , saying he doubts any judge would send a defendant to prison on a first offense . Shipman delivered an emotional victim statement before Nowak 's sentencing , telling the court she remains convinced Nowak planned to kill her . `` Shortly after I turned 30 years old , Lisa Nowak hunted me down and attacked me in a dark parking lot , '' she said , adding that she is `` still reeling from her vicious attack '' and attempting to piece her life back together . `` The world as I knew it before Lisa Nowak is gone , '' Shipman said . `` Every stranger I see is a potential attacker . Going out in public is exhausting . '' She said she has undergone nearly three years of counseling , but suffers from nightmares , anxiety and health problems such as high blood pressure and chest pains because of the incident . Nowak initially was charged with attempted kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm , battery and burglary of a vehicle using a weapon . If convicted , she could have faced a sentence of up to life in prison . Prosecutors accused Nowak of driving nearly 900 miles from Houston , Texas , to Orlando -- wearing NASA diapers to cut down on the number of stops she needed to make -- and donning a disguise before following Shipman from the airport 's baggage claim to the parking lot in February 2007 . Nowak 's attorney , Don Lykkebak , has denied that she wore the diapers . Nowak has said she went to the airport to talk to Shipman , who had begun dating Nowak 's former love interest , Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein . But Shipman , in her comments Tuesday , called that claim `` at best , ridiculous , '' saying that Nowak , whom she did not know , had ample opportunity to talk to her , as she `` stealthily followed me for hours . '' `` I 'm a very friendly person , your honor , '' Shipman said , adding that she would have welcomed Nowak 's company `` over some hot chocolate , while I was waiting for my suitcase to arrive . '' She recounted the incident and her terror as she realized Nowak was following her in the dark parking lot , as she could hear the swishing of Nowak 's pants as she walked . She said she sprinted to her car , and Nowak attempted to open the car door and beat on her window , then spun a tale of being a helpless traveler who was afraid of being in a dark parking lot . Shipman said she cracked her window , and Nowak sprayed her in the face with pepper spray . `` She blasted me with what felt like acid , '' Shipman said . '' ... I stomped on the gas and wondered if there was a gun pointed at my head . '' At a hearing in November 2007 , Orlando Police Detective William Becton testified that in a search of Nowak 's car , he found maps showing how to reach the airport and its layout , a buck knife and papers , including a letter Nowak appeared to have written to Oefelein 's mother . He testified he found used and clean diapers in the car . Police previously had said they also found a BB gun , a steel mallet , a 4-inch knife and rubber tubing in the vehicle . Shipman said Tuesday she thought she had escaped a carjacking . `` I had no idea that a highly paid , high-ranking military officer had just attacked me . '' When she found out she had been attacked by a `` sister in arms , '' she said , she was heartbroken . Shipman said the resulting media attention and scrutiny has placed additional stress on her and her family . Before sentencing , Nowak turned to Shipman and apologized . `` I am sincerely sorry for causing fear and misunderstanding and all of the intense public exposure that you have suffered , '' Nowak said . `` I hope very much that we can all move forward from this with privacy and peace . '' Lubet said he accepted her apology as sincere , but in sentencing her he noted that he was certain her conviction would affect her Navy career and retirement . Still , the judge told Nowak , `` you brought this on yourself , and I do n't have any sympathy for you in that respect . '' Shipman has left the military and Oefelein has left the astronaut corps , and the two live in Anchorage , Alaska , where they run a company called Adventure Write as freelance writers and photographers . People.com reported in July the two were engaged . Lubet also ordered Nowak to stay away from Oefelein after Shipman alleged in her remarks she found a book with suggestive notes inside that Nowak had sent Oefelein after the incident despite a no-contact order . `` No books , no messages , no poems , nothing , '' Lubet said . `` It 's not a problem , '' Nowak responded . CNN 's John Couwels contributed to this report . | Lisa Marie Nowak , a former astronaut , accused of assaulting a romantic rival . Florida judge sentences Nowak to year on probation , community service . Prosecutors say she drove 900 miles in diapers , wore disguise , followed woman through airport . | [[37, 55], [60, 144], [289, 366], [454, 459], [467, 514], [2301, 2375], [2448, 2570], [2474, 2589], [2977, 3018]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Robert Byrd came to Congress from West Virginia , a postage stamp cost 3 cents and kids were clamoring for a new toy called Mr. Potato Head . On Wednesday , almost 57 years later , Byrd became the longest-serving member of Congress in history . Two days before he turns 92 , the eloquent legislator known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Senate rules and history surpasses Carl T. Hayden , the Arizona Democrat who served a total of 20,773 days in the U.S. House and Senate . With his 20,774 th day representing West Virginia -- six years in House and then nearly 51 years and counting in the Senate -- Byrd sets a record for longevity unlikely to be broken as the political climate turns toward term limits and growing public dissatisfaction with Congress . In a statement issued by his office , Byrd expressed his gratitude to `` the people of the great State of West Virginia '' for their long-standing confidence in him . His only regret , he said , was that his wife , Erma , who died in 2006 , would not be with him . `` I know that she is looking down from the heavens smiling at me and saying congratulations my dear Robert -- but do n't let it go to your head , '' Byrd 's statement said . In a career representing the West Virginia coal-mining country from which he emerged , Byrd has cast more Senate votes -LRB- 18,000-plus -RRB- and held more leadership positions -LRB- including two stints as majority leader -RRB- than any other senator . He has never lost an election . He was raised by an aunt and uncle after his mother died when he was a year old , and he did not graduate college until he received a degree in 1994 from Marshall University . In a sign of his Appalachian roots , Byrd was an avid fiddle player and appeared twice on the television program `` Hee Haw . '' He gave up playing in the 1980s because of a tremor in his hands . His early political years displayed some of the deeply rooted racism of the American South . Byrd was a member of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan in the early 1940s , and later called it `` the most egregious mistake I 've ever made . '' In 1964 , he voted against the Civil Rights Act pushed by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson . But Byrd later followed a more traditional Democratic path . An ardent foe of President George W. Bush 's policies in the aftermath of the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks , Byrd opposed creating the Department of Homeland Security in 2002 and called Bush `` dangerous , reckless and arrogant '' in February 2003 , six weeks before the Iraq war started . Three months later , he criticized Bush 's landing a jet on the USS Abraham Lincoln to signal the end of the Iraq war as `` flamboyant showmanship . '' On June 12 , 2006 , Byrd became the longest serving senator in history , and was re-elected to his ninth consecutive Senate term five months later . Things have changed since he arrived in Washington as a new congressman in 1953 , along with the first Eisenhower administration . Gas cost 20 cents a gallon then , and the average annual salary was less than $ 4,000 . Ten presidents later , Byrd is known for his devotion to his state and constituents . `` His number one priority has always been the people of West Virginia , '' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , says in a statement on Byrd 's Senate Web site . `` It has been a great example for all of us to never lose sight of the fact that you are elected by the people from your state and the people in your state should have first priority . '' Byrd 's statement marking Wednesday 's achievement reflected that thinking . `` Although we are marking a longevity milestone , it has been the quality and dedication of service that has guided me over the years , '' Byrd said in his statement . `` I have strived to provide the people of West Virginia the best representation possible each of the 20,774 days which I have served in the Congress of the United States . '' He thanked his constituents for their support and for `` putting their trust and faith in me . '' Slowed by illness in recent years , including a six-week hospital stay this year because of a staph infection , Byrd concluded his statement with typical bravado . `` The only way for me to close on this historic day is to say that I look forward to serving you for the next 56 years and 320 days , '' he said . `` Thank you and may God bless you . '' | Sen. Robert Byrd logs his 20,774 th day -- almost 57 years -- in Congress . Byrd is known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Senate rules and history . West Virginian says joining Ku Klux Klan in 1940s was his `` most egregious mistake '' When he arrived in D.C. in 1953 , gasoline costs 20 cents a gallon , a stamp was 3 cents . | [[177, 189], [192, 213], [216, 279], [426, 446], [451, 511], [3901, 3978], [280, 307], [310, 423], [1987, 2061], [1987, 1991], [2068, 2113], [2087, 2113], [2120, 2131], [30, 82], [85, 151], [2920, 2973], [3025, 3056]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Increased fighting in Afghanistan has caused a drop in morale among U.S. soldiers while the reduction in combat in Iraq has bolstered morale , according to a new U.S. Army report released Friday . The report summarizes two surveys of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan taken earlier this year . New statistics from the Army also show suicides are up in the entire service . Produced every two years by the Army 's Mental Health Advisory Team , this latest report comes just over a week after a U.S. soldier went on a shooting rampage at a U.S. Army base in Texas and possibly just days or weeks from an announcement from the Obama administration to send more troops to Afghanistan , where fighting has gotten more intense in recent months . Authorities have not determined a motive for the shooting . The suspect , Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan but had told his family that he wanted to get out of the military . `` Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to face stress from multiple deployments into combat but report being more prepared for the stresses of deployments , '' Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker , the Army Surgeon General told reporters Friday . Not surprisingly , the report showed that soldiers with multiple deployments , three or four tours of duty to Iraq or Afghanistan , had much lower morale and more mental health problems than those soldiers who have one or two combat deployments . Increased time at home , however , resulted in improved morale among troops sent back to the field . The updated survey of soldiers in Afghanistan found post-traumatic stress syndrome and depression in soldiers at the same levels of the survey in 2007 , but still about double that of the 2005 survey results : 21.4 percent in 2009 , 23.4 percent for 2007 and 10.4 percent in 2005 , according to the report . In Iraq , where the survey has been done every year , lower numbers were attributed to the decrease in combat action there . The 2009 numbers showed 13.3 percent of soldiers suffering from mental health problems , compared to 18.8 percent in 2007 and 22 percent in 2006 . Army officials said that with the push of more than 20,000 additional troops into the Afghan theater of battle over the last few months , there have been fewer mental health professionals in the field to help . Army officials said the ration was about one mental health professional for every 1,120 soldiers . To combat the falling morale and lack of mental health professionals in the field , Army officials said the service needs to more than double the number of mental health providers and hopes to have at least 65 more of those providers in the field by December , making the ratio one for every 700 soldiers . The mental health assessment teams also conducted interviews with soldiers and found a drop in unit morale in Afghanistan to about half of what it was in 2007 and 2005 , when about 10 percent surveyed gave top ratings to unit morale . In 2009 , that number was 5.7 percent . The report also showed soldiers are seeing more difficulty at home with an increasing number reporting they are getting or considering getting divorced , according to the report . The overall report was based on almost 4,000 soldiers who filled out anonymous surveys in Iraq and Afghanistan between December 2008 and June 2009 . In Iraq , 2,400 soldiers were randomly selected and the results were studied by a mental health assessment team in the combat zone . About 1,500 troops in Afghanistan took the survey , Army officials said . The survey was different from previous years when all types of soldiers were surveyed together . The 2009 survey questioned combat troops and support troops separately , though Army officials said there were few differences in the results . On Friday , the Army also released its latest suicide statistics . They show an increase in the number over this time last year . The Army reported 133 suspected suicides as of October ; there were 115 as of October 2008 . Of the 133 , 90 have been confirmed , and 43 are pending confirmation , according to an Army press release . Last year the Army totaled 140 suicides in its ranks , the highest the service has recorded . `` Stigma continues to be one of the most difficult challenges we confront , '' said Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire , the director of the Suicide Prevention Task Force for the Army . `` The more we educate our Army community about the need to get help , the need to get it early , and that a full recovery is often possible , the less stigma we 'll see . '' The Army has implemented a number of suicide prevention programs over the past year , including training , a suicide prevention task force and a day off official duties to focus on suicide prevention . | Report summarizes 2 surveys of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan taken this year . Results attributed to increased fighting in Afghanistan , less in Iraq . Army hopes to increase number of mental health providers in the field . | [[227, 301], [290, 327], [118, 170], [118, 149], [173, 208], [702, 713], [716, 773], [1878, 1885], [1932, 2002], [2544, 2718]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four senators pushed for a bill Wednesday to ban texting while driving , a day after a study found that drivers who text while on the road are much more likely to have an accident than undistracted drivers . A law that went into effect January 1 in California makes it illegal to send text messages while driving . Sens. Chuck Schumer , D-New York ; Robert Menendez , D-New Jersey ; Mary Landrieu , D-Louisiana ; and Kay Hagan , D-North Carolina , unveiled the ALERT Act , which would ban truck and car drivers and operators of mass transit from texting while driving . The proposed legislation would prohibit any driver from sending text or e-mail messages while driving a vehicle , said an earlier news release from the senators . If the bill passes , the Department of Transportation would set the minimum standards for compliance . States that do not enact text-banning laws within two years of the bill 's passage could lose 25 percent of their federal highway funds , Schumer said in a news conference announcing the legislation . The noncompliant states could recuperate that money once they meet the text-banning standards , Schumer said . CTIA , a cellular phone industry group , said that it supports legislation that addresses text messaging while driving . `` CTIA and our member companies continue to believe text messaging while driving is incompatible with safe driving , '' said a statement on CTIA 's Web site . Fourteen states , including the home states of three of the bill 's sponsors , and the District of Columbia already have laws barring texting while driving : Alaska , Arkansas , California , Colorado , Connecticut , Louisiana , Maryland , Minnesota , New Jersey , North Carolina , Tennessee , Utah , Virginia and Washington . Interactive map : See state-by-state policies on distracted driving '' New York does not ban texting while driving but has barred the use of handheld phones while driving , according to the Governor 's Highway Safety Association . Schumer said New York 's legislature has sent Gov. David Paterson a bill to ban texting as well . `` The legislation will send an important message to drivers across the country : Get your hands off the cell phone and back on the wheel , '' Schumer said . The senators cited a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study that found that truck drivers who texted while driving were 23 times more likely to crash or get into a near-accident than undistracted drivers . Watch more on the dangers of driving and texting . When compared with dialing , talking , listening or reaching for an electronic device , texting posed the greatest accident risk , the study found . It attributed the increased risk to the almost five seconds it found that the driver 's eyes were off the roadway while texting , said Rich Hanowski , the director of the Center for Truck and Bus Safety at the transportation institute . `` Not having -LSB- a cell phone -RSB- in your hand while driving could be the difference between life and death , '' Menendez said . In September , a commuter train engineer missed a stop signal while trading text messages with a friend , leading to a collision with a freight train that killed 25 people in California , according to federal investigators . The accident also injured 101 people . In May , 62 people were injured when one trolley struck another in Boston , Massachusetts , the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said . In July , the operator of one trolley was charged with gross negligence after he admitted to texting seconds before the accident with the other trolley , according to the Suffolk County district attorney and a National Transportation Safety Board official . CNN Radio 's John Lisk contributed to this report . | 14 states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving . Four senators push for a bill that bans the practice nationwide . New study finds drivers who text while driving more likely to have an accident . `` Get your hands off the cell phone and back on the wheel , '' one senator says . | [[238, 344], [296, 344], [640, 711], [1459, 1474], [1477, 1535], [1459, 1784], [1580, 1756], [30, 100], [115, 237], [2291, 2337], [2343, 2483], [2535, 2620], [2623, 2663]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man brutally beaten in New York City was targeted because he is openly gay , the New York Police Department said Monday . Two men shouting `` anti-gay remarks '' viciously beat Jack Price , 49 , as he left a 24-hour deli on College Point Boulevard in Queens early Friday morning , police said . No further details where available about the attack . Price is being treated at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens , where `` he is in fair condition and his vital signs are stable , '' said hospital spokeswoman Camela Morrissey . Police arrested Daniel Aleman , 26 , and charged him with assault and aggravated assault as a hate crime . `` When someone is attacked for being who they are , and for being proud of who they are , there is no other explanation for that attack than hatred and bigotry , '' said New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn , the first openly gay speaker of the city council . `` I know the Queens community is outraged that hate has tainted their streets , and I know they will join with us in helping the local authorities find the second suspect . '' The police department 's Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident . No court date has been set for Aleman . | Jack Price , 49 , who is being treated at New York Hospital , `` is in fair condition '' Daniel Aleman , 26 , is charged with aggravated assault as a hate crime . Second assailant sought ; Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating . | [[456, 472], [564, 570], [605, 670], [1118, 1197]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Elmo and Gordon want you to wash your hands so you do n't catch the flu . Smokey Bear , the Ad Council 's most famous icon , has moved from 1940s posters to his own Facebook page . The `` Sesame Street '' stalwarts star in a series of public service announcements to teach children healthy habits in the face of the H1N1 flu virus . The Muppet and the man -LRB- actor Roscoe Orman -RRB- are the latest in a long line of characters -- human and not -- to star in public service announcements co-sponsored by the Advertising Council . The Ad Council , the charitable arm of the advertising industry , employs the same top-flight talent that creates ads for Budweiser , Coca-Cola and other familiar brands . Watch Elmo and Gordon give the pitch '' Growing beyond its early `` Buy War Bonds '' posters and Smokey TV spots , today 's Advertising Council is moving into social media `` in a very big way , '' said Peggy Conlon , the organization 's CEO . `` There 's all kinds of ways the Advertising Council finds its target audience on the web , '' she said , noting that the group has its own YouTube channel . A marketing executive endorses the approach . `` If your target is young people , television really does n't make a lot of sense now if they 're spending hours on the Internet , hours in social media , '' said Ben Kunz , director of strategic planning for Mediassociates , a media planning and Internet strategy firm . `` You need to find a way to reach them in the media that they consume . '' The `` holy grail '' is to go viral , as people pass the message around because they like it or think it 's important , Kunz said . A gory , four-minute British PSA on the dangers of texting while driving has received nearly 600,000 views on YouTube in less than two weeks , fueled in part by Facebook and Twitter links . Watch how the PSA has changed minds '' `` If you can leverage these new human networks using mobile and Facebook and Twitter and blogs to disseminate your message , that 's the real home run , '' he said . `` But the only way to do that is to give people a real reason to become engaged . '' One campaign that tries to do that is called Boost Up , aimed at encouraging students to complete high school . Louis Caldera , who at the time was secretary of the Army , initiated the project with a call to the Ad Council because of a lack of qualified recruits . `` There was a disconnect between the societal message that said , ` Go to college , ' and -LSB- the Army 's -RSB- message , which said , ` Do n't go to college , join the military , ' '' Caldera , a West Point alumnus , told CNN . Caldera wanted people to think of the Army as a leader in education issues , not an alternative to schooling , and he sought the Ad Council 's help . `` We absolutely did not want people to think this was about recruiting , '' he said . The council put together a campaign intended for all students , with a particular goal of reaching Latinos , for whom dropout rates are higher than for other groups . `` It really encourages people -- both adults and their peers -- to give these kids the encouragement that they need to really reach within themselves and find the personal resolve that they need to overcome life 's difficulties and graduate from high school , '' Conlon said . `` It 's a really smart campaign . I think it 's very genuine , and it resonates really well with kids . '' Although dropout rates generally and among Latinos remain high , `` I think this is making a contribution to creating the environment in which more students can be successful , '' said Caldera , now a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress , a Washington think tank . President Obama will appear in the latest series of Boost Up PSAs , to begin airing next week . The Ad Council and its partners measure a campaign 's success by how much donated media a campaign attracts . Media outlets will run an ad more if it helps them retain audiences , Conlon said . The Ad Council receives $ 1.8 billion a year in donated media , she said . Watch some notable Ad Council PSAs '' The council also measures response to phone numbers or Web sites promoted in the ads and tracks awareness through before-and-after surveys , Conlon said . `` We can watch the needle move over time , '' she said . `` It 's very scientific ; it 's very empirical . '' But not every campaign is a home run , Conlon admitted . `` We kind of laugh about the Gerald Ford ` Whip Inflation Now ' with his big WIN buttons , '' she said . `` The Advertising Council did that campaign , and for many reasons that were mostly cultural , it completely bombed . '' And then there are those campaigns that get mixed reviews . `` The ` Just Say No ' campaign was probably the biggest success , '' Kunz said . `` I think it led to something like the creation of 5,000 clubs around the country , and there was a definite decline in drug use . '' Conlon laughed . `` It was a terrible campaign , '' she said . `` And the reason was not because we should n't be telling young people not to use drugs , but it 's just not as simple as that . It stripped it down to such a simplistic message that it had terrible reaction on the part of kids . '' Campaigns are about educating the public on the facts of an issue , Conlon said . `` You have to get their attention , and that 's where the creativity comes in , '' Conlon said . `` It ca n't be just lecturing or just exposing the message to people . In this cluttered media environment , you really have to have something that breaks through . '' One creative spot that has broken through on an emotional level depicts a grown man practicing cheerleading moves on a sidewalk . The humorous ad promotes fathers ' involvement in their children 's lives . `` Being a good dad sometimes requires shamelessness , '' said Bill Ludwig , creative director at the Campbell Ewald ad agency in Detroit , Michigan , which created the spot . `` The idea is that the smallest moments can have the biggest impact on a child 's life . Just spend a little time with your kid . '' The father-daughter message touched Facebook user Jessica Gonzales , a graduate student in San Diego , California . `` There 's plenty of ads telling us what to buy , how to look , etc. , but few remind us how to just be ... and how to be good to one another , '' Gonzales said . `` The ad 's tagline is ` Take time to be a dad , ' but that message could be easily translated to so many other roles : Take time to be a friend , a mentor , a positive influence . '' That 's the kind of response the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is hoping to get from co-sponsoring the `` Sesame Street '' flu campaign . `` We are doing everything we can to protect public health and teach children how they can stay healthy and safe , '' said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius . `` Elmo , Gordon , Sesame Workshop and the Ad Council are delivering an important message to our kids . '' | Elmo and Gordon of `` Sesame Street '' join long line of public service spot stars . Charitable arm of advertising industry adapts to changing times , tech . Media evolve from WWII posters to Twitter , Facebook , YouTube . Creative minds that make best commercials also create service spots . | [[352, 509], [93, 104], [137, 199]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nanci Griffith wanted to look on the bright side . Nanci Griffith , who says she 's `` fed up with negativity , '' was revitalized by the election of Barack Obama . And who could blame her ? In the past decade , Griffith -- perhaps best known for her Grammy-winning 1993 album , `` Other Voices , Other Rooms '' -- had faced a political climate she did n't agree with , as well as recovery from thyroid and breast cancer , which she was diagnosed with in the late '90s . Songwriting had become a struggle for the singer with the gentle , crystalline voice . `` It was ... horrific , '' she said simply . However , with her latest album , `` The Loving Kind '' -LRB- Rounder -RRB- , Griffith is as focused and passionate as she has been in years . Sparked by the changes in her life and American politics , she said , music has been vital to her personal resurgence . `` It was nice to focus on things outside of my body . Music has always done that for me , '' she said . Describing herself as someone who was `` fed up with negativity , '' Griffith was equally inspired by her fellow countrymen . '' -LSB- The -RSB- American people will not let this country collapse , '' she said . The idea motivated her to look at her country 's dark path of injustice not so long ago , stories that worked their way into her songwriting . `` In some ways , I 'm just a journalist . I -LSB- want -RSB- my audience to hear these stories , '' she said . CNN spoke with Griffith from her home in Nashville , Tennessee . CNN : Being a folk singer and your views being what they are , was it tougher or maybe easier to write songs from 2000 to 2008 ? Nanci Griffith : It was very difficult for me . I was hurt by the direction my country was going in . And then , after -LSB- the 2008 election -RSB- , everything came spilling out . Things came along like the Mildred and Richard Loving case -LRB- `` The Loving Kind '' -RRB- , where Mildred died , and I read her obituary . -LSB- The Lovings were a couple whose interracial marriage was against the law in Virginia at the time . -RSB- That was such an inspiration . ... Just wondering why I never knew about this and how important that case is currently with equality in marriage . Little things . Bit by bit , my heart started to open up again , and I could write ! CNN : Had you ever gone through that before ? Griffith : No , never in my life . I 've always been a very prolific writer . CNN : Now , what about writing in the age of Obama ? Griffith : -LRB- laughs -RRB- It feels great ! People may be down on their luck , financially . But I see so much optimism about the direction of the country and -LSB- general -RSB- openness . CNN : Now , in addition to `` The Loving Kind , '' there are other songs based on actual events on this record . Tell me about `` Not Innocent Enough . '' Griffith : That 's based on Philip Workman 's case in Memphis -LSB- Tennessee -RSB- . He was robbing a Wendy 's -- was a heroin addict -- and police came in , and an officer was killed . Now , Workman did n't kill him ; it was friendly fire . Workman was convicted anyway and executed . I 'm a total abolitionist when it comes to the death penalty , but this case really stunned me , because I feel like this country has evolved enough to where we should n't have to live with the death penalty . CNN : Is it hard as a writer/musician to inhabit those songs , knowing that they are actual events ? Griffith : Not really . I feel like , in some ways , I 'm just a journalist . I do n't express my opinion -LSB- in the songs -RSB- , necessarily . But it 's important to me that my audience hear these stories . I want as many people to know about Loving v. Virginia as possible . CNN : Do you feel like it 's a more palatable way to become aware of a story like that when a song is attached to it ? Griffith : I do . I 've been informed many times through music . Pete Seeger , Odetta , Dave Van Ronk , Bruce Springsteen ... so many folk songwriters . It 's all around you . CNN : The song `` Still Life '' -- I suspect that 's about President George W. Bush ? Griffith : It 's about people like him . This country is full of them , and especially my home state of Texas . It 's a -LSB- perspective on -RSB- people who go through life getting away with everything . CNN : Do you feel a sense of vindication with President Obama 's election , or at least a sense that things are moving in a direction you 're in favor of ? Griffith : I hope so . Right now , he is my hero . So is his wife . CNN : What in your past steered you into a topical songwriter ? Griffith : I was always more interested in story songs , things with a point of view ... and things that informed me . CNN : Is there a different process of writing those topical songs versus a song like `` Up Against the Rain , '' which is clearly more personal ? Griffith : There is a burden to writing -LSB- those topical songs -RSB- : You better have your facts straight . When you 're writing a personal song like `` Rain , '' it 's straight from your heart and seems to just flow . CNN : `` Sing '' seems like it would fit that description . Does that song sum up your life in a way ? Griffith : Many have asked that , but I was actually inspired to write that by watching an interview with Shania Twain where she said it would not have mattered if she remained a lounge act for her whole career . It 's not something you choose . It 's just what you do . | Nanci Griffith 's new album is `` The Loving Kind '' Grammy-winning singer with crystalline voice had long dry stretch in ' 00s . Election of Obama , better health has her in upbeat mood . | [[490, 576], [19, 69], [131, 183]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cool suit ? Check . Edgy spectacles ? Check . Warm vocal chords ? Check . Gary Go uses iPhone apps to help him compose new material -- and provide instant accompaniment . Instrument ? Powering up iPhone ... These days , British singer Gary Go might reach for his iPhone before his keyboard when hammering out a tune . He says applications such as Chordica and Beatmaker allow him to compose material and provide instant accompaniment for those spontaneous moments when he feels the need for a good sing -LRB- during the interview , Go broke into song every five minutes -RRB- . Go 's gadget of choice even doubled as a `` fifth member of the band '' during his July performance in front of 70,000 at London 's Wembley Stadium . He hooked it up to an amplifier and tapped out drum beats on the little screen . Watch Go in action with his iPhone '' Luckily , he said , his `` mum ' `` did n't call him mid-show to tell him his dinner was ready . -LRB- `` That would be a bit embarrassing . Thank goodness for airplane mode . '' -RRB- . While the iPhone might be a handy tool for musicians -LRB- a couple of months ago , I watched as rock 'n' roller Rhett Miller tuned his guitar using an app called Power Tuner -RRB- , Go says he 's still a fan of old-school methods . The Londoner used real instruments when making his self-titled debut album , out this week in the U.S. -LRB- Decca -RRB- . Lead single is `` wonderful '' That 's actually the song title : `` Wonderful . '' It dips and soars in all the right spots like any good Coldplay-esque pop song should . It had a good run on iTunes as the service 's single of the week and is worth checking out if you like a good chorus that sticks in your noggin for a few days . Twitter-lyrical ... Go was intrigued by a heart-shaped balloon he saw entangled in a tree outside his home , so he posted a picture of it on the social networking site Twitter . He then enlisted his followers to suggest lyrics based on the pic , and wrote and recorded a song incorporating their comments : `` Love , I 'm caught by the wind , I 've lost all control , 'cause you caught my heart string ... '' So the followers are entitled to royalties ? Not so fast ! Because the piece was offered up as a charity song to aid the British Heart Foundation last month , there wo n't be royalties . Gaga and Go-Go . A fan of singer Lady Gaga , Go likes to perform a cover of the flamboyant star 's hit `` Let 's Dance . '' He was also Gaga 's supporting act during the European leg of her tour earlier this year . It 's time to get things started ... Creativity runs in Go 's family . His father worked as a producer for Jim Henson 's `` The Muppet Show . '' | British singer Gary Go uses his iPhone for musical accompaniment . On Go 's self-titled album , he stuck with old school , playing real instruments . Go used Twitter to send a photo to fans ; he used comments to write a song . | [[102, 198], [235, 245], [248, 262], [268, 345], [1295, 1369], [1862, 1917], [1928, 1993], [1928, 1930], [2010, 2054]] |
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