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-LRB- AOL AUTOS -RRB- -- I remember driving in eastern Pennsylvania one winter following my brother home on an hour-long trip . It had snowed earlier that morning , and by the time we got on the road the plows still had n't reached the back roads we were on . I was driving a front-wheel drive Acura Integra with all-season tires while he had a 4WD Grand Cherokee with the proper tires for the road conditions . The idea was that he 'd plow me a path to drive through as best as he could . We were just asking for something to go wrong . Not even a half hour into the drive home , I came around a corner too fast , briefly lost control and steered myself right into the front yard of a farmhouse . Luckily I did n't hurt myself or anyone else , but that day I learned what it meant not to have proper traction for the road conditions . Recently , I talked with Woody Rogers from The Tire Rack to learn about the differences between all-season tires and winter tires along with the basics to consider when purchasing a set of tires designed for the harsh winter conditions . All-Season vs. Winter Tires . Rogers explained that all-season tires are a jack-of-all-trades but master of none . `` All-season tires are n't really tuned for any one area , and suffer from not being optimum for any one area because it is compromised to be capable in all areas , '' he said . He explained that winter tires -LRB- they 're just not for the snow -RRB- focus their attention on the exact conditions you 'll most likely be facing during the winter season . `` They key of a true winter tire 's capability is that you have a specialist , he said . `` A product that is designed to work the best in the cooler winter season temperatures , say below 45 degrees , a tread pattern and tread compound that are designed to take bites out of the snow and work well on packed snow and ice ; something that an all-season tired just is n't optimized to do . '' He explained that today 's winter tires have come a long way : `` They go beyond the deep aggressive lug ` snow ' tire that many of our parents put on the back of family station wagon . '' Rogers said today 's winter tires are available for certain conditions or are ideal for a particular region of the county . It 's best to determine what conditions you 'll be driving in and then determine the type of winter tire you will need . Rogers said it 's a good idea to talk with a local retailer or do some personal investigating to choose which tire has the right characteristics for your location . `` The typical image -LSB- of a snow tire -RSB- is that very aggressive , knobby zig-zag tread pattern that is n't far removed from the farm implement tire or a piece of off road construction equipment tire , '' he said . `` No longer is that loud knobby , gnarly off-road style tread pattern required to provide good traction on snow , slush and ice . '' What to Look For When Buying . When looking for true winter tire , Rogers recommends using the Canadian and American Rubber Manufacturer 's standard symbol of the snowflake-on-the-mountain . Only tires that are tested in packed snow and exceed other reference tires by 10 % are given the industry standard symbol . The presence of that symbol is typically a good indication of a true winter tire . Some tires barely meet the requirement and still have the symbol . Rogers said it 's best to look for dedicated winter tires in addition to looking for the snowflake symbol . `` The industry really intended that symbol to be a merit badge for true winter tires , not for a multi purpose or multi use tires like on - / off-road all terrain or highway all-season , '' he said . `` I do n't think we 're going to see many more or many new non-winter tires coming out with the snowflake-on-the - mountain symbol . '' He said presently there 's no comparison between a winter tire with the snowflake symbol and an-all season tire without one . `` The symbol does n't distinguish between the two , not yet , '' he said . `` The industry is talking about some type of grading scale . We 're encouraging them to have multiple snowflakes or a 1-2-3 scale . Something that gives the consumer a real idea of how good a winter performer the tire really is . '' Traction Control , All-Wheel Drive and SUVs . It seems as if there are more all-wheel drive cars and SUVs than ever , and even if you do n't have those features , an increasing number of cars have some sort of traction control . So why the need for winter tires when our cars can do so much work for us ? `` The winter tire really helps you get the most out of those safety features that are built into your car , '' Rogers said . `` These electronic systems are only as capable as the traction that 's provided to them by the tires , because the tires are the only thing connected to the ground . '' He said the all-wheel drive capability gives SUV owners driving on all-season tires a false sense of security . While they 'll be able to accelerate better than 2WD vehicles in wintry conditions , they do n't have an advantage when it comes to stopping or turning in those conditions . `` Ultimately , how quickly you can stop or how sharply you can turn on the snow or on the ice is determined by the grip that your tires provide , '' Rogers noted . Rogers uses snow tires on both his 2WD Toyota pickup and his Mini Cooper S and says that he can accelerate better with his two-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires than 4WD SUVs with all season tires . `` And I know I can stop better than they can , and turn better than they can , '' he added . Two Tires or Four ? Rogers recommends putting four winter tires on your vehicle , even if your vehicle is two-wheel drive . `` Today 's tires offer significant traction on snow and on ice , more than even good all season tires do , '' he said . `` And , because of that , our testing has shown and the industry testing has shown that the mix of two winter tires and two all season tires is a very dangerous combination . It may seem like you are spending an extra few hundred dollars to buy two more tires , but I can assure you it 's less than the deductible on your insurance once you have a wreck . '' He has a separate set of tires for most of his family cars so that he can change them over easily in his own garage before a snowstorm comes . If you 're considering purchasing a set of winter tires and rims , Rogers said that Tire Rack and other retailers generally will do the tire and wheel mount and balance for no additional cost when you purchase certain packages . `` Once you drive in the snow on a modern winter tire , you 'll never want to do anything else . I find that 's it 's much more like driving in the rain than driving in the snow , '' Rogers said . `` I 'm no longer clenching the wheel , holding on and hoping , I just drive around . The difference is stunning , when you 're driving in 3-6 inches of snow and they have n't plowed the roads , you just go . And that 's even in a two wheel drive vehicle , '' he said . `` When you drive an all wheel drive or SUV with winter tires , it 's virtually unstoppable . '' E-mail to a friend . | Snow tires really are better than all-season tires in snowy areas . All-wheel drive can give SUV owners false sense of security . Get snow tires for all four wheels , even if car is two-wheel drive . | [[4841, 4952], [4886, 4952], [5608, 5667], [5678, 5711], [6971, 7016]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mexico international striker Antonio de Nigris has died at the age of 31 from a suspected heart attack . The former Villarreal player , who was capped 16 times by his country , was rushed to hospital in the early hours of Monday morning but was pronounced dead on arrival , his Greek club Larissa confirmed in a statement . De Nigris joined Larissa in the summer from Turkish side Ankaragucu , making six appearances . The statement read : `` The Larissa family mourns the tragic loss of 31-year-old Mexican footballer Antonio de Nigris . `` It is with deep sorrow that the administration , coaching staff , players and executives of the club would like to express their condolences to his family , particularly to his wife Sonia and their five-year-old daughter Miranda . `` An autopsy will be held at the General Academic Hospital in Larissa to determine the precise reasons of his death . '' De Nigris represented his country at the 2001 Copa America and scored a superb goal against Brazil on his international debut . | Mexican international striker Antonio de Nigris has died at the age of 31 . De Nigris suffered a suspected heart attack , his Greek club Larissa revealed . De Nigris was capped 16 times for Mexico and appeared in the 2001 Copa America tournament . | [[0, 15], [56, 123], [438, 456], [460, 557], [0, 15], [56, 123], [293, 342], [124, 154], [159, 193], [914, 972]] |
Tokyo , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Touting himself as America 's `` first Pacific president , '' Barack Obama called on his own connections with Asia Saturday as he pledged a renewed engagement with Asia Pacific nations based on `` an enduring and revitalized alliance between the United States and Japan . '' The U.S. president , in his first Asia trip since taking office in January , told a packed house at Tokyo 's Suntory Hall that all Americans should know that what happens in Asia `` has a direct effect on our lives at home . '' `` This is where we engage in much of our commerce and buy many of our goods , '' he said . `` And this is where we can export more of our own products and create jobs back home in the process . `` This is a place where the risk of a nuclear arms race threatens the security of the wider world , and where extremists who defile a great religion plan attacks on both our continents . And there can be no solution to our energy security and our climate challenge without the rising powers and developing nations of the Asia Pacific . '' Obama met with new Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama Friday after his arrival in Tokyo as well as with the Japanese emperor and empress . Obama touched on nearly every part of the Asia Pacific region during his speech , and talked about a boyhood visit to Japan with his mother , his birth in Hawaii , a childhood spent partly in Indonesia and the United States ' position as a Pacific nation . `` There must be no doubt : as America 's first Pacific president , I promise you that this Pacific nation will strengthen and sustain our leadership in this vitally important part of the world , '' he said . He stressed that the United States was not interested in containing the emerging economic growth in China . `` The rise of a strong , prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations , '' he said . `` And so , in Beijing and beyond , we will work to deepen our strategic and economic dialogue . '' Obama also called on Myanmar to make more definitive moves toward democracy , including releasing all political prisoners ; urged North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks so that the reclusive nation could be reintegrated into the world stage and pledged America 's support for eliminating nuclear weapons and efforts to reduce the global effects of climate change . His trip is to include stops in Singapore , China and South Korea , during which Obama will hold formal talks with Asian leaders as a group and individually . The president plans to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao , Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong , South Korean President Lee Myung-bak , Russia President Dmitry Medvedev and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono , and will take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit . APEC 's 21 member nations represent more than half of the world 's economic output . The forum sees its goal as `` facilitating economic growth , cooperation , trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region . '' During a busy day in Singapore , Obama also will become the first U.S. president to take part in a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations -LRB- ASEAN -RRB- economic alliance . In China , Obama will continue efforts to define and strengthen the United States ' relationship with the world 's largest emerging economy , which has a growing influence in Asia , said Jeffrey Bader , the National Security Council 's senior director for East Asian affairs . `` We see it as a relationship where we 're obviously going to have differences , where we are going to be competitors in certain respects , '' he said . `` But we want to maximize areas where we can work together , because the global challenges will simply not be met if we do n't . '' Bader cited North Korea 's nuclear weapons program , the economy , climate change , human rights and Afghanistan as among the top issues for the China swing . On human rights , Bader said Obama is likely to address `` freedom of expression , access to information , freedom of religion , rule of law and , certainly , Tibet . '' Obama will make clear to Hu that he intends to meet with the Dalai Lama , the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader , Bader said . China , which rejects Tibetan aspirations for autonomy , opposes such high-level contacts with the Dalai Lama . On North Korea , the State Department announced Tuesday that U.S. officials will travel to the country by year 's end to seek a resumption of broader talks on ending the Pyongyang government 's nuclear program . The Obama administration has claimed initial progress in its strategy of forging an international effort , including China and South Korea , to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions . Japan has been asking for a comprehensive solution to North Korea 's missile tests and the abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s . Saturday morning , Obama made clear that both were necessary . `` The path for North Korea to realize this future is clear : a return to the Six-Party Talks ; upholding previous commitments , including a return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ; and the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula , '' he said . `` And full normalization with its neighbors can only come if Japanese families receive a full accounting of those who have been abducted . These are all steps that can be taken by the North Korean government , if they are interested in improving the lives of their people and joining the community of nations . '' It wo n't be all diplomatic meetings , though . Obama 's first trip to China will include a town hall-style meeting in Shanghai and sightseeing in Beijing , including a stop at the Great Wall . | In speech , Obama renews U.S. ties with Japan , reaches out to China . Obama : Rise `` of a strong , prosperous China can be a source of strength '' U.S. president urges North Korea to return to Six-Party denuclearization talks . Obama 's Asia tour includes Japan , Singapore , China and South Korea . | [[197, 304], [1814, 1887], [2003, 2008], [2127, 2177], [2374, 2439]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Like many people , widow Penny Lally plans to be buried alongside her family . But in her case , that includes a menagerie of family pets . Her husband , John , who died of cancer three years ago at the age of 64 , is already buried with their horse Super Sam , Blot the cat , Muppet the dog , and even Brian the bird . `` I often tell people that John has a canary singing in his ear , a cat purring at his feet , a dog at his side and a horse to ride on when he likes , '' Lally said . `` I know some people might find this strange , but I loved my pets and wanted them all to be close to me and my husband and to each other . '' Lally , 66 , runs a pet crematorium and woodland burial place in Penwith , Cornwall , in southwestern England . She has buried more than 30 owners alongside their animals and has over 100 more plots reserved for pets and their owners , she said . The idea of joint burials was first suggested to her by an elderly neighbor who died at the age of 77 , a year before John 's death , she said . `` Mrs. Winchcombe had seven cats and wanted to be buried with all of them when she died . It was certainly an unusual request , '' Lally said . `` We had to apply for permission to extend our license to burying humans as well as animals , but it was wonderful that we could carry out her last wishes . '' Since then , Lally has seen an increasing number of pet owners in the UK seeking joint burials . There are currently only half a dozen cemeteries in the UK that allow pets to be buried in the same plot as their owners , but in January , Lincolnshire council became the latest authority to grant planning permission for a joint site . `` I think there has been more interest recently because people are starting to realize it is possible , '' Lally said . One of her customers is animal lover Carole Mundy , 54 , who has reserved a plot for herself and her husband Robert next to their 17-year-old golden retriever , Dylan , who was buried at Penwith in 2008 . `` I know it is n't conventional , but I 'm so sick of people saying that ` it was just a dog or a cat , ' '' Mundy said . `` Animals give us unconditional love and I absolutely adore my pets . If people want to call me kooky I do n't care . '' The UK regards itself as a nation of animal lovers , so perhaps it is not surprising that there has been an increase in joint burials , but the practice is also on the rise in the United States . `` There has been a lot of interest from the public , who are asking funeral homes if they can have their pets buried with them , '' said Robert Fells of the International Cemetery , Cremation and Funeral Association in Virginia . `` It 's still a relatively new concept , so whether it 's a fad or an emerging trend , I 'm not sure , but it 's definitely on the rise , '' he said . `` We are seeing an increase in public interest , '' said Roberta Knauf , director of Hillcrest-Flynn Funeral Home in Pennsylvania . `` The joint burial concept started in 2006 , when a few people were interested -- but last year we had close to 70 joint burials in our cemetery . '' In fact , the practice of people being buried with pets is n't new . It dates far back into British history when Anglo-Saxon nobles were buried with their possessions , which included their horses . Even further back , the pharaohs of ancient Egypt would be buried with their mummified cats , dogs and monkeys , which they believed shared an afterlife with humans . But after centuries of affiliation with the pagan gods of Egypt and Rome , pet rituals found little tolerance in the new Christian era . `` The more Christianity became institutionalized , the more animal practices were discouraged as it was accepted that humans were the only beings with souls , '' said Mary Thurston , a Texas-based anthropologist who specializes in the shared history of people and pets . The director of the UK 's Association of Private Pet Cemeteries and Crematoria said people should be buried as they see fit . `` When you pass away , it 's important to have your wishes granted and people deserve to be buried in the manner they choose if they are not hurting anyone , '' Kevin Spurgeon said . `` My horse was such a good friend and by my side through the ups and downs of life , '' pet cemetery owner Lally said . `` Like me , many others see their pets as part of the family and want to be together with them even in death . '' | People and their pets can be laid to rest together at cemetery in England . Owner : More than 30 people already buried with pets ; 100 more plots reserved . Future customer : `` I 'm so sick of people saying that ` it was just a dog or a cat ' '' Anthropologist : Very old practice fell out when Christianity became institutionalized . | [[1515, 1521], [1527, 1583], [2550, 2594], [3160, 3189], [176, 187], [254, 344], [780, 783], [843, 901], [1366, 1376], [1379, 1462], [1845, 1857], [1882, 1979], [3160, 3189], [3333, 3337], [3353, 3443], [2065, 2128]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A single mother who chose taking care of her infant over deploying to Afghanistan has been discharged , the Army said in a statement . When her unit deployed to Afghanistan in November , Alexis Hutchinson was missing from the plane . Her lawyer said she refused to go because there was no one to take care of her then 10-month-old son , Kamani , and she feared he would be placed in foster care . But the Army contended that the young mother and now former Army specialist had plenty of time to sort out family issues and said she could face court-martial . The issue was resolved this week , the Army said in a statement Thursday from Fort Stewart in Georgia , where Hutchinson was training . `` The soldier will not be tried by court-martial and therefore is not at risk of receiving a federal conviction , '' the statement said . '' She is , however , reduced to the lowest enlisted rank , private , and subject to losing other military benefits from the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs to which soldiers who serve honorably are entitled . '' Before shipping overseas , every soldier must sign military Form D-A 53-05 , which states that failure to maintain a family care plan could result in disciplinary action . Hutchinson 's attorney , Rai Sue Sussman , said the soldier informed the Army that her family care plan had fallen through and that there was no one to take care of her son . She was granted a 30-day extension to deal with the issue but still was not ready to deploy after the extension had expired , the Army said . `` The investigation revealed evidence , from both other soldiers and from Private Hutchinson herself , that she did n't intend to deploy to Afghanistan with her unit and deliberately sought ways out of the deployment , '' the Army statement said . Hutchinson could not be immediately reached for comment . | Alexis Hutchinson refused to deploy , saying there was no one to care for her infant . Army contended she had been given plenty of time to sort out family issues . Hutchinson could have faced court-martial . | [[19, 34], [39, 100], [253, 372], [1249, 1271], [1292, 1397], [1297, 1423], [420, 576], [1550, 1565]] |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The space shuttle Atlantis blasted off successfully Monday afternoon on NASA 's fifth and final repair visit to the Hubble Space Telescope . Space shuttle Atlantis launched successfully from Florida Monday on its way to the Hubble telescope . The spacecraft rocketed into mostly sunny skies right on schedule at 2:01 p.m. ET . Atlantis will spend five days upgrading the Hubble , the orbiting observatory that 's been scanning the universe for almost two decades . For the seven members of the shuttle crew , that means added pressure . `` I think -LSB- this -RSB- is motivating us because we know there 's nobody coming after us to do anything we do n't get done , '' said Atlantis Commander Scott Altman . `` This is it . We either get it done or it does n't happen . '' Watch Atlantis lift off '' It 's been seven years since NASA 's last Hubble servicing mission in 2002 , and the space telescope was designed to go only about three years between fixes . iReport.com : Share photos , video of the launch . NASA canceled an Atlantis mission to extend Hubble 's operational life in January 2004 because the trip was considered too risky in the wake of the 2003 Columbia tragedy that killed seven astronauts . But public pressure and the development of safer shuttle technology led the U.S. space agency to reconsider . See shuttle astronauts discuss Hubble repair mission '' Still , some risks remain . NASA has estimated there 's a 1-in-221 chance the shuttle could be struck by orbiting space debris from past missions . Thousands of objects hurtle through the heavens , some as large as several feet in diameter , and the Hubble 's orbit is more crowded with space junk than that of the international space station , which orbits at a lower altitude , NASA said . While the Atlantis 's shields would likely deflect a small piece of debris , a larger object could cripple the spacecraft , NASA said . Space shuttle Endeavour is on standby in the unlikely event that NASA will need to rescue the Atlantis crew members during their 11-day mission . During five grueling space walks some 350 miles up in space , a pair of two-man teams from the Atlantis will work on the Hubble inside Atlantis ' cargo bay . `` This is going to be -LSB- like -RSB- running a marathon at a sprint pace , '' said Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld . Grunsfeld and fellow Mission Specialists Drew Feustel , Mike Good and Mike Massimino will change out gyroscopes , batteries and cameras on the Hubble . Grunsfeld and Feustel will handle the first 6 1/2 - hour space walk , or extravehicular activity , performing what Grunsfeld calls `` surgery '' on the Hubble . iReport.com : Share photos , video and tell us what this event means to you . The two men will change out Hubble 's wide-field camera and a module that allows the telescope 's science instruments to be commanded from the ground . The module failed just before Atlantis was supposed to launch last October . NASA delayed the mission until now so that scientists could work out the fix . During another space walk , Grunsfeld and Feustel will repair another camera and install a new spectrograph . The work involves removing dozens of tiny bolts and replacing old circuit cards with new ones . `` It all has to line up just right so that I can go in the telescope and do all this work , '' Grunsfeld said . `` We only have that one day to finish it . '' The wonderful thing about the Hubble , said former astronaut Jeff Hoffman , is that when crews service the telescope it 's not just a repair -- they leave it better . Learn more about the Hubble repairs '' `` Every time we come from a Hubble mission , Hubble is essentially a new telescope -- much more powerful , '' said Hoffman , a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who flew on the first Hubble repair mission in 1993 . `` And when this crew finishes with it , it 's going to be ... like a thousand times more sensitive -LSB- for making new discoveries -RSB- than it was when it was first put in orbit , and that 's incredible , '' he said . Astronomers and cosmologists credit the Hubble with changing humans ' understanding of the universe . The telescope , orbiting beyond the obscuring layer of the Earth 's atmosphere , has helped determine the age of the universe while sending back astounding images of galaxies in all shapes and sizes . `` The discovery that essentially as far as we can tell all galaxies have black holes -- large , super massive black holes at their centers -- is something people have speculated on , '' Hoffman said . `` But Hubble has given us data actually to confirm that . '' Perhaps Hubble 's greatest discovery has been opening scientists ' eyes to what they do n't yet know . And there 's a lot of it . `` We discovered in fact that all that stuff we thought we knew about accounts for only 4 percent of the known universe , '' Grunsfeld said . `` Most of the universe is made up of what 's called ` dark energy . ' Nobody could have anticipated it . It 's the largest constituent of the universe . We still have no idea what it is . '' But back in 1990 , shortly after the telescope 's launch , no one could think about great discoveries . Hubble was considered a disaster . The telescope 's primary mirror was flawed . Its shape was off by about 1/50th the thickness of a sheet of paper -- just enough to blur the images . `` There was a time when Hubble was a laughing stock , '' Hoffman said . `` You know , the ` techno turkey . ' Pictures in editorial cartoons , denounced on the floors of Congress , ridiculed in late-night television programs . '' In December of 1993 , astronauts on board the Shuttle Endeavour went on the first Hubble repair mission . They fixed the telescope 's blurry vision . A month later , Hubble began sending back the first of hundreds of thousands of crisp , spectacular images . Hoffman calls Hubble , `` the people 's telescope . '' Grunsfeld , who has made two repair trips to the Hubble , said that leaving it this time will be like saying a final goodbye to an old friend . `` Regardless of my intellectual knowledge that this is a satellite and it 's a satellite that people created and has electronics in it and optics and it does its job , '' he said , `` it 's impossible not give it some human characteristics and feel sadness when we see it floating away . '' | Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off Monday on final visit to the Hubble Space Telescope . It 's been seven years since NASA 's last Hubble servicing mission in 2002 . Astronauts will complete five grueling space walks some 350 miles up in space . In its 19 years in orbit , the Hubble has changed our understanding of the universe . | [[68, 88], [191, 292], [850, 924], [2108, 2148], [2101, 2127], [2161, 2258], [4147, 4212]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 6.9-magnitude earthquake shook the Pacific Ocean near the Solomon Islands Tuesday night , one day after a string of earthquakes rattled the same area and another quake hit the Philippines , the U.S. Geological Survey said . The quake , considered strong in terms of earthquake magnitude , hit near sparsely populated islands in the archipelago at 11:15 p.m. -LRB- 7:15 a.m. ET -RRB- at a depth of 35 km -LRB- 22 miles -RRB- . By 12:56 a.m. local time Wednesday , there had been five aftershocks , according to the USGS Web site . `` Usually when we see earthquakes of this size , we see aftershocks , '' said USGS geophysicist Jessica Sigala . `` The aftershocks are usually smaller in size , but are earthquakes in their own right . '' No tsunamis were expected , according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center . The island located closest to the initial quake 's epicenter was Tetepare , located eight miles to the north . Geophysicist Amy Vaughan said the USGS had received no reports of damage , and it was hard for the agency to predict what might have occurred until it hears from media or people living in the area . There was property damage from Monday 's quakes , but she did n't know how extensive it was . On Monday , the Solomon Islands were hit by eight quakes in 14 hours , starting at 8:48 a.m. local time and causing damage to at least one village . Rattling the islands were a strong 6.5-magnitude quake at 8:48 a.m. and a more powerful 7.2-magnitude tremor less than an hour later . The Solomon Islands are situated in the so-called Ring of Fire , an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions . | The Solomon Islands are struck by a 6.9-magnitude earthquake . Earthquakes rattled the same area the day before . No tsunamis were expected , according to Pacific Tsunami Warning Center . There were no reports of damage from Tuesday 's quake . | [[137, 188], [1240, 1249], [1252, 1308], [758, 783], [758, 769], [786, 835], [947, 1019]] |
Editor 's note : Peggy Wallace Kennedy is the daughter of George C. Wallace and Lurleen Wallace , who both were governors of Alabama . She lives in Montgomery , Alabama , with her husband , Mark Kennedy , a retired state Supreme Court justice . They have two sons , Leigh , a decorated veteran of the Iraq war , and Burns , a college sophomore . Peggy Wallace Kennedy says her father sought absolution for his segregationist views . MONTGOMERY , Alabama -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I heard a car door slam behind me and turned to see an elderly but spry woman heading my way . The night before , a gang of vandals had swept through the cemetery desecrating graves , crushing headstones and stealing funereal objects . My parents ' graves , situated on a wind-swept hill overlooking the cemetery , had not been spared . A large marble urn that stood between two granite columns had been pried loose and spirited away , leaving faded silk flowers strewn on the ground . I was holding a bouquet of them in my arms when the woman walked up and gave me a crushing hug . `` Honey , '' she said , `` you do n't know me , but when I saw you standing up here on this hill , I knew that you must be one of the girls and I could n't help myself but to drive up here and let you know how much me and my whole family loved both of your parents . They were real special people . '' I thanked her for her kind words as we stood side by side gazing down at the graves of Govs. George Wallace and Lurleen Wallace . After a few moments , the woman leaned into me and spoke almost in a conspiratorial whisper . `` I never thought I would live to see the day when a black would be running for president . I know your daddy must be rolling over in his grave . '' Not having the heart or the energy to respond , I gave her bony arm a slight squeeze , turned and walked away . As I put the remnants of the graveyard spray in the trunk of my car , I assumed that she had not bothered to notice the Barack Obama sticker on my bumper . When I was a young voter and had little interest in politics , my father would mark my ballot for me . As I thought about the woman in the cemetery , I mused that if he were alive and I had made the same request for this election , there would be a substantial chance , though not a certainty , that he would put an `` X '' by Obama 's name . Perhaps it would be the last chapter in his search for inner peace that became so important to him after becoming a victim of hatred and violence himself when he was shot and gravely injured in a Laurel , Maryland , shopping center parking lot . Perhaps it would be a way of reconciling in his own mind that what he once stood for did not prevent freedom of opportunity and self-advancement from coming full circle ; his final absolution . George Wallace and other Southern governors of his ilk stood defiantly in the 1950s and '60s in support of racial segregation , a culture of repression , violence and denial of basic human rights . Their actions and the stark images of their consequences that spread across the world galvanized the nation and gave rise to a cry for an end to the American apartheid . The firestorms that were lit in Birmingham , Oxford , Memphis , Tuscaloosa , Montgomery , Little Rock and Selma were a call to arms to which the people responded . And now a new call to arms has sounded as Americans face another assault on freedom . For if the stand in the schoolhouse door was a defining moment for George Wallace , then surely the aftermath of Katrina and the invasion of Iraq will be the same for George W. Bush . The trampling of individual freedoms and his blatant contempt for the rights of the average American may not have been as obvious as an ax-handle-wielding governor , but Bush 's insidiousness and piety have made him much more dangerous . Healing must come , hope will be our lodestar , humility will reshape the American conscience , and honesty in both word and deed will refresh and invigorate America , and having Barack Obama to lead will give us back our power to heal . My father lived long enough to come to an understanding of the injustices borne by his deeds and the legacy of suffering that they left behind . History will teach future generations that he was a man who used his political power to promote a philosophy of exclusion . As his daughter , who witnessed his suffering in the twilight of his years and who witnessed his deeds and heard his words , I am one who believes that the man who , on March 7 , 1965 , listened to the reports of brutality as they streamed into the Governor 's Mansion from Selma , Alabama , was not the same man who , in March of 1995 , was welcomed with open arms as he was rolled through a sea of African-American men , women and children who gathered with him to welcome another generation of marchers , retracing in honor and remembrance the historic steps from Selma to Montgomery . Four years ago , the young Illinois senator who spoke at the Democratic National Convention mesmerized me . I hoped even then that he would one day be my president . Today , Barack Obama is hope for a better tomorrow for all Americans . He stands on the shoulders of all those people who have incessantly prayed for a day when `` justice will run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream '' -LRB- Amos 5:24 -RRB- . Perhaps one day , my two sons and I will have the opportunity to meet Barack Obama in person to express our gratitude to him for bringing our family full circle . And today , the day after the election , I am going to ride to the cemetery so that if asked , I can vouch for the fact that the world is still spinning but my father lies at peace . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peggy Wallace Kennedy . | Peggy Wallace Kennedy : My dad , George Wallace , might have backed Barack Obama . Ex-segregationist Wallace sought absolution for his earlier views , daughter says . She says Obama will help heal the nation after wounds of Katrina and Iraq war . | [[346, 432], [373, 432]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When it comes to vice presidential picks , there have been some good ones and some not so good ones . Dick Cheney makes both lists ; he 's ranked as one of the best and worst VP picks in recent years . CNN asked conservative historian Lee Edwards to rank the VP choices since the 1950s . On his list of good VP picks , Edwards puts Dick Cheney at No. 5 . The current vice president makes the list because he brought lots of Washington experience with him , something President Bush lacked at the time . Coming in at No. 4 is Richard Nixon . He was Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower 's running mate . Nixon brought with him youth -- and California . The former senator also had other assets that became huge liabilities when he later ended up in the White House . `` Richard Nixon was known as the man who would cut and slash the opposition , and so that kind of dirty politics work would be done by Nixon , '' Edwards said . Next on the list , Al Gore . Bill Clinton 's right-hand man comes in at No. 3 because , as the senator from Tennessee , he brought Washington experience to a ticket featuring a little-known governor from Arkansas . Watch how this year 's VP contenders are performing '' Edwards puts George H.W. Bush in the No. 2 spot . After running against Ronald Reagan in the 1980 primaries , Bush joined him on the ticket and helped unite the Republican Party . Edwards ' award for best vice presidential pick goes to Lyndon B. Johnson . He was selected by Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kennedy . Kennedy was a Northerner who needed someone to balance him out in the South in 1960 . `` Lyndon Johnson was the man , and he delivered Texas , which helped John Kennedy in a very close race , '' Edwards said . Johnson rounds out the good list , but who will go down in history with a not-so-favorable reputation ? Edwards has four picks . iReport.com : Who would you pick for VP ? Cheney is No. 4 on the list of the bad VPs . -LRB- Yes , he makes both lists . -RRB- He might have been a great choice for running mate at the beginning , but he 's now one of the most unpopular figures in an unpopular administration . Spiro Agnew lands in the No. 3 slot . Edwards said Agnew helped get Nixon elected president , but after taking office , he pleaded no contest to tax evasion and money laundering back when he had been the governor of Maryland . Dan Quayle is runner-up for worst choice . He was the elder Bush 's pick for VP . Quayle was supposed to become the Republican JFK , but he instead became a laughingstock to many . During the 1988 vice presidential debate , Democratic VP candidate Sen. Lloyd Bentsen delivered a famous verbal blow to Quayle . `` Senator , I knew Jack Kennedy . Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine . You 're no Jack Kennedy , '' he said after Quayle said he had as much experience in Congress as Kennedy did when he embarked on his White House run . Quayle became the butt of frequent jokes , and many Americans never let him live down the `` potato incident . '' At an elementary school spelling bee in 1992 , Quayle incorrectly told a student there should be an `` e '' at the end of the word . Finally , the Edwards ' award for the worst VP pick in recent history goes to Sen. Thomas Eagleton . The Democrat from Missouri was Sen. George McGovern 's pick for VP in 1972 . Eagleton got dumped for Sargent Shriver after reports he 'd been hospitalized for `` nervous exhaustion '' and had received electroshock treatments . Those reports raised questions about Eagleton 's fitness to serve , and the concerns about his health were disastrous for McGovern 's campaign against Nixon . | Conservative historian Lee Edwards ranks best and worst VP picks since 1950s . Al Gore makes good list for bringing Washington experience to '92 Democratic ticket . Dan Quayle makes the bad list for his verbal slip-ups . `` Crucial Choice : The Next Vice President '' airs Friday at 10 pm ET on AC 360 ° . | [[19, 120], [152, 154], [158, 220], [221, 306], [231, 306], [374, 473], [1030, 1059], [1062, 1106]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When the series `` ER '' airs its finale on Thursday , the event will not only mark the completion of one of NBC 's most successful shows , but it can also be viewed as the end of an era for the network . NBC 's `` ER , '' which ends on April 2 , helped launch the careers of several actors , including George Clooney . `` What 's so symbolic about ` ER ' leaving is that that 10 o'clock Thursday night slot started out what I always called the beginning of the second golden age of television with ` Hill Street Blues ' , '' said Robert Thompson , a professor and founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University . `` In almost a quarter of a century it went from ` Hill Street Blues ' Thursday at 10 to ` L.A. Law ' Thursday at 10 to ` ER ' Thursday at 10 . ` ER ' is kind of occupying sacred space . '' Beginning this fall , such prime time real estate , which also previously housed another acclaimed hospital drama , `` St. Elsewhere . '' will be occupied by a new talk show helmed by `` The Tonight Show '' host Jay Leno . It 's a significant move for NBC in an age where sitcoms and dramas have increasingly given way to the less-expensive-to-produce reality TV shows . `` ER , '' which at one point was paying millions of dollars per episode just in actor salaries , definitely fit into the realm of costly productions . Despite the price tag , the show ran for 15 seasons and is the most Emmy-nominated series in television history with 122 nominations , 22 of which resulted in wins . Check out a timeline of the show 's actors '' It almost never made it out of a pile of scripts . Created by the late author Michael Crichton and steered by the creative team at Steven Spielberg 's Amblin Entertainment , the concept did n't immediately tickle the fancy of television honchos . `` Every network had passed on it , twice , '' the show 's longtime executive producer , John Wells , told The New York Times . `` It had all these characters and medical dialogue , and they found it utterly impossible to follow . '' Once it did get the green light , it caught on like a house afire . `` ER '' quickly attracted legions of fans and catapulted many members of the ever-changing ensemble cast to superstar status -- most notably George Clooney , who played hunky Dr. Doug Ross . Baltimore Sun television critic David Zurawik , who writes about the industry in the paper 's `` Z on TV '' blog , said there may never be another collection of such talent in an ensemble drama on network television . `` There 's just no way in the business model of network television for a producer out in Hollywood to say ` Here 's the concept , and I 've got this star , this star and this star , ' '' Zurawik said . `` By the time they got two sentences out , the production studio head they are pitching would say ` Who 's going to be paying for that . ' The economics for that are just not there , and neither is the audience . '' Zurawik noted that audiences and actors alike now have gravitated to cable television , where dramatic hits such as `` Mad Men '' and `` Rescue Me '' are being produced by the likes of AMC and FX . `` Cable is growing whereas network TV is n't , '' Zurawik said . `` The better actors , the ones who work in film and theater , really like doing cable because cable has been flexible . It 's not , if you sign on to this series you are going to do 22 episodes a year and you have to sign away five or six years of your life . Nobody wants to do that anymore . '' Former Dallas Morning News TV critic Ed Bark , who now runs the site Uncle Barky 's Bytes , said he believes in the coming years most of the Emmy-caliber shows will be on cable . Cable television benefits , he said , from the double revenue stream of both money from advertisers and subscribers , so there is not the ratings pressure network television has . Moreover , high-quality dramas are valuable calling cards , he added . Cable stations have been successful at branding themselves based on some of the shows they are producing . `` A lot of times , it takes one show to get people to look at your network as a place where you can see quality drama , '' Bark said . `` For FX , it was ` The Shield . ' For TNT it was ` The Closer . ' For AMC , it was ` Mad Men . ' I think once you get an audience over there , you build on that . '' However , at least some of cable 's audience gains come at the expense of network TV 's audience , which has shrunk substantially in the 15 years since `` ER '' went on the air . Indeed , the drama 's demise is symbolic of long-term programming trends , said Thompson . The TV and pop culture professor , who has written several books on television , said NBC choosing to cede 10 o'clock to a talk show rather than another great drama speaks volumes , though he would n't count out the genre entirely . `` This is not a good time to buy television drama futures , but I do n't think they are going to die , '' Thompson said . `` The TV drama is going to be like the American bison . There used to be herds and herds of them roaming the country . They 're not dead , but there are just not as many . '' | `` ER '' ends its NBC run on Thursday , April 2 , after 15 seasons . Drama to be replaced by new Jay Leno talk show . The popular show had continued long tradition of drama in 10 p.m. slot . Cable television now drawing audiences for popular dramas . | [[24, 71], [239, 241], [248, 263], [1420, 1447], [1031, 1041], [1047, 1084]] |
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tiger Woods has canceled plans to attend his own golf tournament in southern California because of injuries he suffered near his Florida home early Friday , the pro golfer said in a statement Monday . `` I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week , '' Woods said of the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks , California . `` I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I 'm very sorry that I ca n't be there . '' He also canceled a Tuesday news conference for the start of the tournament , which helps raise money for Tiger Woods Foundation programs . Woods suffered minor injuries in a vehicle accident early Friday in his luxury neighborhood near Orlando , Florida , according to a police accident report . State police in Florida said Monday an investigation of the single-vehicle crash `` is ongoing and charges are pending . '' The incident has ended Woods ' golf appearances until next season , according to a statement posted on his Web site . `` Woods will not participate in any other tournaments in 2009 and will return to action next year , '' the statement said . The PGA Tour has ended for the year , but the first tournament of the 2010 season is just five weeks away . At least one other charity event is scheduled , but it is not clear if Woods had planned to attend . The Chevron World Challenge will go on despite the absence of its host , said Greg McLaughlin , president of Woods ' foundation . `` We support Tiger 's decision and are confident the strong field and excellent course will provide an exciting week of competition at the Chevron World Challenge , '' McLaughlin said . In a statement issued Sunday afternoon on his Web site , Woods offered no details of his wreck except to say he had cuts and bruises and was `` pretty sore . '' `` This situation is my fault , and it 's obviously embarrassing to my family and me , '' he said . `` I 'm human and I 'm not perfect . I will certainly make sure this does n't happen again . '' According to a police report , Woods pulled out of his driveway about 2:25 a.m. Friday in a 2009 Cadillac SUV and struck a fire hydrant , then a tree . Authorities have said they do n't have details on why Woods was driving away from his home at such an early hour , but a police report said the wreck was not alcohol-related . State troopers have unsuccessfully asked three times to question him about the wreck , police said . Woods canceled the third scheduled interview on Sunday , Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes told CNN . `` We have been informed by the Florida Highway Patrol that further discussion with them is both voluntary and optional , '' said Woods ' agent Mark Steinberg , in a written statement . `` Although Tiger realizes that there is a great deal of public curiosity , it has been conveyed to FHP that he simply has nothing more to add and wishes to protect the privacy of his family . '' Under Florida law , Woods must show his license , registration and proof of insurance to police , but is not obligated to give a statement on the crash . His attorney Mark NeJame handed over the required documents to the troopers Sunday at Woods ' home , Montes said . Opinion : Tiger Woods is only human . NeJame told CNN he stood by Woods ' statement and had no further comment . `` If we 're unable to meet with him , we 'll move on with our investigation , '' Montes said . But she called the delays `` very unusual , because it 's such a minor accident . '' Profile : Tiger Woods . Last week , a story in the National Enquirer alleged that Woods has been seeing a New York nightclub hostess . The Associated Press contacted the woman and reported she denied having an affair with Woods . The 33-year-old golf phenomenon has won the Masters tournament and the PGA tournament each four times , as well as three U.S. Open Championships . Investigators had sought possible surveillance tapes of the wreck from neighbors , but none were found , she said . Toobin : Why Tiger Woods may not be talking . In his Sunday statement , Woods praised his wife Elin Nordegren , saying she `` acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble . '' Nordegren told police she used a golf club to break out the rear window of the vehicle , then pulled Woods from the SUV after she heard the accident from inside their home . `` This is a private matter , and I want to keep it that way . '' `` The only person responsible for the accident is me , '' he said . Woods and his wife have two children , a 2-year-old and a baby born in February . CNN 's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report . | NEW : Tournament will go on without Woods , president of golfer 's foundation says . Woods had minor injuries in the one-car crash near his home early Friday . Police will continue investigating after Woods delays giving statement for third time . Woods on Web site : `` The only person responsible for the accident is me '' | [[1369, 1439], [152, 198], [636, 727], [822, 899], [3394, 3431], [998, 1034], [1689, 1740], [1847, 1876], [4458, 4511]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The future of English Premier League club Portsmouth was in doubt Friday after it was forced to go into administration with debts of around $ 90 million . The south coast side are the first Premier League side to call in administrators since the division was formed 18 years ago , fueling a financial boom in English football on the back of lucrative TV rights . `` At 10:20 am today Portsmouth Football Club was placed into administration following the filing of a notice of appointment at the High Court by the chargeholder , Portpin Limited , '' the club said in a statement on its Web site . Explainer : What next for Portsmouth ? Being placed in administration means an insolvent company is run by a court-appointed administrator with a view to saving it from liquidation . The administrator will assess the assets held by the company and attempt to reach agreement with creditors . Portsmouth , managed by former Chelsea boss Avram Grant , are already bottom of the table and facing relegation after raising around $ 100 million in player sales before the current season in a bid to reduce their debts . They will now be docked a further nine points , virtually sealing their relegation to English football 's second tier at the end of the season . The club has passed through a succession of owners this season but efforts to find a fifth broke down Tuesday when present owner Balram Chainrai confirmed the club would opt for administration to avert a winding up order from the UK government . At a press conference on Friday the club 's administrator , Andrew Andronikou , confirmed that Portsmouth 's debts were around $ 100 million , but he said he was confident they would not go bust . He also said the Premier League had indicated that Portsmouth may be permitted to sell players outside the transfer window . `` There will be no firesale . We will have to sell one or two players and that is why we are talking to the Premier League , '' he said . `` The restructuring starts today and there will be significant cost cutting at all levels . I will be cutting to the bone . '' Andronikou also confirmed that Grant had vowed to stay at the club until the end of the season . Portsmouth 's Chief Executive Peter Storrie said it was an `` extremely sad day '' but admitted going into administration had `` kept the club alive and given someone an exceptional opportunity to take this great club on with fresh investment . '' He also confirmed his intention to step down when a new buyer for the club had been found . Portsmouth 's financial collapse completes a remarkable fall from grace for a side which won the FA Cup in 2008 , the club 's first major honor since winning back-to-back English league titles in 1949 and 1950 . Portsmouth are not the first football club to run into financial problems as a consequence of debts wracked up in pursuit of success on the field . Leeds United went into administration in 2007 , three years after their relegation from the Premier League and six years after the club had reached the semifinals of the Champions League . Leicester City and Portsmouth 's south coast rivals Southampton also went into administration after losing their places in the top division . | English Premier League club Portsmouth went into administration Friday . They are the first club to go into administration in Premier League history . Portsmouth 's estimated debts estimated to total around $ 90 million . South coast club won the English FA Cup in 2008 . | [[414, 561], [191, 271], [216, 240], [246, 290], [115, 190], [2639, 2645], [2652, 2674]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tiger Woods has been told to go on television to try to finally end the controversy that has forced the world 's No. 1 golfer to take an `` indefinite break '' from the sport . The American superstar announced on his Web site on Friday that he was taking time out to resolve the issues caused by his `` infidelity '' to wife Elin , having been mired in controversy since he crashed his car outside his Florida mansion late last month . Since then , several women have come forward to claim having had liaisons with Woods . Woods ' compatriot and fellow golfer John Daly , who has battled gambling and alcohol addiction and also been married four times , believes the 33-year-old should tell all on a television program such as the Oprah Winfrey Show , the UK Press Association reported . `` It 's tough and it 's going to be tough on him , but if I was him and Elin , I would go to Oprah , get on a show , get this thing aired out , tell the truth , '' former major winner Daly said . Blog : Woods can not erase this stain . `` And then it does n't matter what the media says anymore because it 's all out in the open and it would be a big sigh of relief for both of them . '' British publicist Max Clifford , whose clients have included the likes of magician David Copperfield and television mogul Simon Cowell , agreed that Oprah would provide the best platform . `` Hopefully he can go on something like Oprah , maybe even with his wife , to show that they 're making a real go of it , '' Clifford said . `` The clever move would be for him to say , ` I 'm coming back when Elin tells me the time is right . ' That would be the masterstroke . `` The golf world will miss him more than he will miss them because you 're taking the world 's top player out , the biggest attraction , the one that everyone wants to see way , way above everybody else . `` That will encourage all of his fans to say , ` Come on Tiger , when are you coming back ? ' The demand for him to come back will get greater and greater . '' Former European No. 1 Colin Montgomerie , who was second behind Woods at the 2005 British Open , believes that the 14-time major winner now seems a little less perfect . `` He is suddenly , I hate to say , more normal now , '' the Ryder Cup captain told the BBC Web site . `` There is a mystique which has been lost now and let 's hope that golf is n't damaged by that , and it should n't be . `` There was an aura , and that wall has been split slightly , so there are cracks and I feel that it gives us more opportunity of winning these big events now . '' | John Daly advises Tiger Woods to go on television with his wife Elin to end controversy . Daly believes it is best for world 's top golfer to `` get this thing aired out , tell the truth '' Publicist Max Clifford believes the sport needs Woods more than he needs it . Former European No. 1 Colin Montgomerie says the American seems `` more normal '' now . | [[0, 15], [19, 102], [542, 588], [673, 768], [542, 588], [673, 768], [887, 888], [925, 949], [2238, 2253], [2256, 2304]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You might not have wanted to bet on Billy Joel in the summer of 1977 . If `` The Stranger '' had n't been a success , Billy Joel suspects he would have been dropped from his label . For a guy whose career had started out promisingly , he 'd undergone more setbacks than a wild-armed pitcher . In his teen years he was a session pianist on Shadow Morton-produced records -LRB- including , allegedly , the Shangri-Las ' `` Leader of the Pack '' -RRB- , but failed with his groups , including a heavy-metal duo . He followed his first Top 40 hit , `` Piano Man , '' with a bitter second one , `` The Entertainer '' -LRB- in which he sang , `` If I go cold/I wo n't get sold/I 'll get put in the back/In the discount rack/Like another can of beans , '' over an incongruous synthesizer track -RRB- . He was considered a singer-songwriter with great potential but bickered with his label and his producers . Making 1976 's `` Turnstiles , '' he fired producer James William Guercio -- a consistent hitmaker with Chicago -- and took the helm himself , with uneven results . And yet he still had something , remembered Phil Ramone , who was to produce Joel 's 1977 breakthrough , `` The Stranger . '' At a 1976 Columbia Records convention in Toronto , Joel opened a musical showcase and `` ripped the crowd up , '' Ramone recalls in a phone interview from Connecticut . `` My friends said , ` Watch this guy . ' '' Watch Joel perform `` Piano Man '' '' And then there was a series of concerts at New York 's Carnegie Hall in early June 1977 , featured on the new anniversary edition of `` The Stranger '' -LRB- Columbia/Legacy -RRB- , out Tuesday . -LRB- A special edition of the release also includes a DVD of other Joel performances . -RRB- Known then , as now , as an exciting live performer , Joel and his band gave a series of performances that impressed Ramone -- though , he noted , the recorded versions paled in comparison . `` I watched what he had done and tracked his past records , '' he says . `` Everything I 'd seen had n't been captured on record . '' `` The Stranger '' turned out differently . Joel came through with a top-notch set of songs , and four of them -- `` Just the Way You Are , '' `` Movin ' Out , '' `` She 's Always a Woman '' and `` Only the Good Die Young '' -- became hits . `` The Stranger '' established Joel as a best-selling artist -- reportedly , upon release , it was the biggest-selling Columbia album in history -- and propelled him to his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career . Watch Joel perform `` Only the Good Die Young '' in Russia '' At the time , he just wanted to make a consistent record . `` I do n't recall feeling this was going to be the breakthrough . We were just happy with the album we were making at the time , '' Joel says in the press materials for the `` Stranger '' re-release . -LRB- Joel was n't available for an interview with CNN . -RRB- . He acknowledges , though , that `` The Stranger '' could have been his last stand . `` I did n't know this at the time , but had it not been a successful album , the label probably would have dropped me . 'Cause you have to remember , this was my fifth album without having had a major hit , '' he says . Joel interviewed several producers , Ramone recalls , including the Beatles ' George Martin . Ramone , known for his graceful touch in the studio , was coming off Paul Simon 's `` Still Crazy After All These Years '' and the Barbra Streisand `` A Star Is Born '' soundtrack . He and Joel hit it off at `` an Italian lunch that took forever , '' Ramone says , and in July went into the studio to record . The album was recorded in three weeks -- very quickly , says Ramone . The producer remembers the sessions as full of humor , with his most difficult task reining in the members of Joel 's band . It was an accident that Ramone ended up included in the group portrait on the album 's back cover , dressed in New York Yankee regalia -- `` I only posed because I thought , ` They 'll never use this , ' '' he says . `` The role I played was kind of like the captain of the team , '' he says . `` I doled out punishments -- it was a crazy , lunatic group . There were times I 'd throw out -LSB- ideas -RSB- and they 'd say , ` No way . ' They all had great opinions . '' Then there was Joel , a forceful singer who , Ramone observes , is also `` extremely vulnerable . '' The singer had a tendency to hide behind his song 's characters ; Ramone urged him to put more of himself into the vocals in `` The Stranger , '' and continued the advice for succeeding albums . `` I would say , ` When is Billy Joel going to show up ? ' '' Ramone says . `` You have to adapt -LSB- the character -RSB- to you . '' Running through the album 's tracks more than 30 years later , Ramone says there 's always something he 'd like to change , but in general he 's very satisfied with the record , particularly the songs `` Scenes from an Italian Restaurant , '' `` The Stranger '' and `` Just the Way You Are . '' The latter , he notes , was supposed to have been spiked -- Joel , who wrote it for his then wife , thought it was too syrupy . -LRB- `` A chick song , '' he 's called it . -RRB- Moreover , Ramone 's suggestions for the song met with resistance : Drummer Liberty DeVitto rebelled against the Brazilian baion beat , and the band was unhappy when Ramone tapped jazzman Phil Woods to play the alto sax solo . But the song proved to be the album 's big hit . `` They put out ` Movin ' Out ' -LSB- as the first single -RSB- , and it -LSB- failed -RSB- . And then out of nowhere came ` Just the Way You Are , ' '' Ramone says . The song got a big boost when Joel appeared as the musical guest on `` Saturday Night Live '' in February 1978 and eventually won Grammys for song and record of the year . `` The Stranger '' was the beginning of a fruitful run for Joel and Ramone . The pair made seven more albums together , including the No. 1 records `` 52nd Street '' and `` Glass Houses , '' and still maintain a warm relationship , says Ramone . Joel , who will play the final two concerts at New York 's soon-to-be-closed Shea Stadium July 16 and 18 , has long since put the questions of `` potential '' to rest . `` I did n't necessarily set out to be a big worldwide , international super rock star kind of guy . I set out to make a living as a musician , and this is the way it happened , '' he said . | Billy Joel was at a career crossroads in 1977 . `` The Stranger , '' his breakthrough album , came together quickly , says producer . Album now out in 30th-anniversary edition ; propelled Joel to success . | [[1130, 1141], [1148, 1188], [1554, 1643], [4725, 4785]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Elizabeth McCutchen and a friend were walking to book club two weeks ago in quaint Farmville , Virginia , when they strolled by a home on First Avenue . `` Something smells dead , '' her friend said . Richard Samuel McCroskey has been arrested in connection with the killings of four people in Virginia . They were thinking animal . A dog , a cat , something like that . They never imagined they were smelling the remains of massacred humans . It was Thursday , September 17 . But another 24 hours would pass before police made the gruesome discovery . Richard Samuel McCroskey III -- a 20-year-old rapper in the underground genre of `` Horrorcore '' who sang of chopping people into pieces -- has been arrested in connection with the slayings . The crime scene was so horrifying police would not even describe it , saying only that the victims died of blunt force trauma . The victims were Mark Niederbrock , 50 , the beloved pastor at Walker 's Presbyterian Church ; his 16-year-old daughter , Emma Niederbrock ; Melanie Wells , Emma 's 18-year-old friend from West Virginia ; and Niederbrock 's estranged wife , Debra Kelley , 53 , a professor at Longwood University . McCroskey has been charged only in the killing of Mark Niederbrock . Police and the prosecutor 's office did not return repeated phone calls from CNN . But in late September , authorities said more charges are pending . Emma was described as a fan of Horrorcore and had met McCroskey through their mutual affection for the little-known music genre . Police said she invited McCroskey to fly from his northern California home , stay with her in Virginia and then attend the Strictly for the Wicked Festival , a Horrorcore fest in Michigan featuring bands with names like Dismembered Fetus and Phrozen Body Boy . Nobody saw what would come next . The slayings have been the talk of Farmville , a town of 7,000 that is home to Longwood University and nearby Hampden-Sydney College . Senseless is the word you hear most . It 's not just the macabre nature of the killings that has people talking . It 's the grotesque lyrics of the Horrorcore singer ; it 's that it happened under their noses . McCroskey is a young man with no criminal record who took delight in the blend of horror hip-hop that celebrated macabre killings . He went by the name Syko Sam . In one YouTube video , he holds a hatchet and sings about killing people and putting their remains in black bags : `` Last night I was the murderous rage . Now , I got ta get rid of the bodies before the corpses start to get to rotting . '' ` Stinkiest rascal I 've ever smelled ' Authorities have not specified when the Virginia killings occurred , but at 4 a.m. on Friday , September 18 , tow-truck driver Elton Napier was called out to Poor House Road to help McCroskey , whose car was stuck . Napier said McCroskey was wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and `` was really smelling bad , like real bad . I ca n't describe it . '' McCroskey was driving Mark Niederbrock 's Honda . Napier said two sheriff 's deputies were at the scene and McCroskey was ticketed for driving without a license . At the time , authorities did n't know the pastor had been slain . When McCroskey hopped into Napier 's flatbed , the tow-truck driver said he started gagging from the odor and immediately rolled down the windows . `` I just held my head out the window so the wind would hit me in the face , '' he said . `` That was the stinkiest rascal I 've ever smelled . '' Napier drove McCroskey about four miles to a convenience store . McCroskey told Napier he was visiting his girlfriend and her father lent him the car . McCroskey fetched a black bag from the Honda before they parted . Napier went inside to get a cup of coffee . According to police , McCroskey eventually caught a cab to Richmond International Airport . By mid-afternoon that same day , police found the bodies at the home on First Avenue . McCroskey was arrested the next day at the airport , where he had spent the night . When he was being led to jail , McCroskey told reporters , `` Jesus told me to do it . '' Suspect 's family , community grieve . Sarah McCroskey of California told CNN-affiliate WWBT that her brother had been looking forward to his visit to Virginia for weeks . She mourned his arrest and struggled with the accusations against him . `` I want to hear his voice . I am so concerned , so worried -- not just for him -LSB- but -RSB- other people , other families involved dealing with this loss , '' she said . Read WWBT 's special coverage . Defense attorney Cary Bowen told CNN , `` I do n't want to say he 's in shock . That 's a medical term , but it 's a big experience for him . ... I 'm not sure he gets the severity of everything right now . '' The community is still devastated by the events as it struggles to move forward . Memorial services were held over the weekend for Emma Niederbrock and her mother , Debra Kelley . The Rev. Sylvia Meadows of Farmville United Methodist Church baptized Emma at age 5 and her father when he was an adult . The pastor said the church has invited an occult specialist to speak with members of the community to help them come to grips with the dark side of humanity . `` We have looked evil in the face and can not deny that it exists , '' Meadows said . `` God is stronger than evil . God is bigger . '' Luther Glenn , a member of Walker 's Presbyterian Church where Niederbrock was pastor , took issue with McCroskey 's comment about Jesus telling him to act . `` I think it 's deeply rooted in Satan , if you want to know the truth . '' Elizabeth McCutchen , who passed the First Avenue home some time after the slayings , said the killings have affected every fabric of the community : the churches , the colleges , and their youth . `` This is the kind of town that goes to the rescue of survivors , but there 's nobody -LSB- left -RSB- -- we ca n't do anything about it , '' she said . `` It 's been really , really upsetting . '' CNN 's Gary Tuchman and Susan Chun contributed to this report . | 20-year-old rapper of `` Horrorcore '' accused of Virginia slayings . Little known underground music genre celebrates macabre killings . Tow-truck driver gave suspect a lift ; said he was `` stinkiest rascal I 've ever smelled '' Defense lawyer said he 's unsure Richard McCroskey `` gets the severity of everything '' | [[220, 323], [1510, 1520], [1521, 1540], [2264, 2278], [2284, 2313], [2842, 2950], [2906, 2932], [3448, 3477], [3457, 3477], [3484, 3498], [3499, 3501]] |
-LRB- Sunset -RRB- -- Listen to the ocean from your room in one of these lesser-known coastal inns in the West . Two Harbors hides out on the quiet side of Catalina Island , California . TWO HARBORS , Catalina Island , California . On the far side of Catalina , away from the main town of Avalon , is Two Harbors , a tiny boaters ' haven that feels like an island on the island . Check in : For all the isolation , you do n't have to rough it here . In addition to boat-in and walk-in campgrounds , Two Harbors has the Banning House Lodge in the vacation home of Catalina 's onetime owners . All 12 rooms have views of the harbor . From $ 128 . Explore : At Two Harbors , you can snorkel through swaying kelp beds and kayak to hidden coves . Steep trails lead into the Catalina backcountry . Or just stroll across the isthmus and look out over the Pacific : next stop , Hawaii , 2,500 miles away . -- Matthew Jaffe . Sunset.com : 13 great California fall trips . ROCKWATER SECRET COVE RESORT , Near Halfmoon Bay , British Columbia . This ragged stretch of the Sunshine Coast is so unspoiled and awe-inspiring , it 's sometimes hard to imagine that anyone but a bald eagle or two has been here before you . Check in : Wooden walkways meander through the forest where the resort 's 13 roomy , light-filled , adults-only canvas tent suites -- with fluffy king-size duvets and tubs for two -- perch above the blue water . Each suite has a deck -- and views to inspire castaway fantasies . From $ 315 U.S. through October 12 . Explore : At Rockwater 's Spa Without Walls , treatments are on a platform at the water 's edge with stunning views . Horseback riding , bocce ball , croquet , and beach volleyball , will tempt you to stay on the property , but make time to explore the ocean by kayak . Horseback rides $ 52 U.S. for 90 minutes ; sea kayaking $ 57.20 U.S. for half-day . -- Deana Lancaster . Sunset.com : Modern beach style . CAMA BEACH STATE PARK RESORT , Camano Island , Washington . Washington State Parks resuscitated this beloved cluster of '30s - era cabins set between forest and sea last year , and ever since , it 's been a go-to destination for anyone seeking a taste of the simple life . Walk the beach or tootle around Saratoga Passage in a vintage rowboat . After dark , toast marshmallows around a beach bonfire with other adventurers lucky enough to have scored one of the 33 cabins . Finally , hunker down under the covers while Puget Sound sings you to sleep . Check in : Splurge on a two-bedroom bungalow for $ 129 a night . Save by checking into a standard cabin for $ 45 a night . Save more after October 15 , when cabins start at $ 23 a night . Two-night weekend minimum . Explore : Seattle 's Center for Wooden Boats has a new location , at Cama Beach . Rent a cute boat to explore the Sound -- fisherman 's sweater and pipe not included . Closed Mon-Tue ; rowboats $ 20 per hour ; 360/387 -9361 . -- Jenny Cunningham . COAST GUARD HOUSE HISTORIC INN , Point Arena , California . Atop a bluff and offering nose-bleed views of the major highway for gray whales -- aka the Pacific Ocean -- is this Cape Cod-style seaside estate from 1901 , with slatted ceilings , vintage photographs , and piles of firewood near the basement . Check in : It 's hard to shake the Agatha Christie vibe at the windswept inn , what with the grandfather clock ominously stopped at 4:20 , a house dog named Winston , and a Friday-night wine and cheese party where you meet the other suspects , ahem , guests . Two cottages and four rooms are shipshape cozy . From $ 165 , breakfast included ; two-night weekend minimum . Explore : Tiny Point Arena is n't exactly booming , but nearby are sand dunes , pocket beaches , the Point Arena Light Station , and the great Pinots of Anderson Valley . -- Christine Richard . Sunset.com : Tour Pacific Grove by bike . COAST CABINS , Manzanita , Oregon . If Goldilocks were a beach girl , Manzanita would be the town on Oregon 's northern coast she 'd find `` just right . '' Not too swanky , not too tacky . A bakery , wine bar , organic clothing store , and spa are all worthy indulgences , but you 've got to see the beach first : seven wide-open miles of sand , big boomy waves , and poetry-worthy sunsets . Check in : A group of `` cabins '' in name only , this Zen-like retreat is set in a bamboo grove a couple of blocks from the beach , with private outdoor spas , sculptural firepits , and heated floors . From $ 165 . Explore : Tear around the packed sand on a `` fun cycle , '' a recumbent tricycle that appeals to the kid in all of us . Manzanita Bikes & Boards ; closed Mon ; $ 8 per hour ; 503/368 -3337 . -- J.C. BLACK ROCK OCEANFRONT RESORT , Ucluelet , Vancouver Island , B.C. . The luxurious new Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is a curving sweep of glass , steel , and wood beside the rain forest and above a surge channel that boasts the best storm-watching in the West . Check in : Each room comes decked out with a fireplace , balcony , and flat-screen TV -- not that you 'll need it . What 's really worth watching here is the view out the floor-to-ceiling windows . Feeling restless ? Switch it up by taking in the view from one of the spa 's outdoor hot pools . Storm-watching season starts mid-November . From $ 237 U.S. Explore : The Wild Pacific Trail skirts rocky cliffs and meanders through dense old-growth rain forest to reveal dramatic vistas of the moody , tossing surf . -- D.L. PAIA INN HOTEL , Paia , Hawaii . Paia , Maui 's North Shore surfer outpost , is the refreshing antithesis of the sprawling resorts on the island 's south side . Check in : At the center of `` downtown '' Paia , this newly renovated five-room inn manages to be both casual-beachy -LRB- hand-scrawled notes in your room from the staff ; body boards you 're welcome to borrow -RRB- and big-city chic -LRB- high-thread-count sheets ; flat-screen TVs -RRB- . You 're 200 yards from the beach , two steps to town , and -- best of all -- miles from the masses . From $ 169 . Explore : Mama 's Fish House for just-caught ono and four-star service surrounded by palm trees and the pristine Pacific . $ $ $ $ ; 808/579 -8488 . -- Rachel Levin . TIMBER COVE INN , Sonoma Coast , California . A narrow ribbon of road clings , against all odds , to a grassy slope that plummets into the Pacific along this overlooked coastline with views to infinity . Check in : It always had the million-dollar spot on a solitary rocky point above the waves , and its rugged lodge look and soaring lounge have n't changed . But with new ownership and a cash infusion , Timber Cove has shed its swinging '70s decor and gone for a more streamlined , romantic look . Private decks are perfect for whale-watching and sharing a Sonoma Coast Pinot . From $ 169 . Explore : Pull off at Salt Point State Park to ramble by wild-colored succulents and alien rock formations carved by the sea . $ 7 per vehicle -- Lisa Trottier . CASS HOUSE INN AND RESTAURANT , Cayucos , California . The small surf town of Cayucos has remained miraculously immune to over-development for decades , despite its great wines to the east and white sandy beaches to the west . The elaborate breakfast -LRB- included ! -RRB- is nearly as good as chef Jensen Lorenzen 's seasonally inspired dinner -LRB- if it 's on the evening menu , the oxtail soup is a must -RRB- . But the best part about the 1800s Cass House ? That would be twin sisters Grace Lorenzen -LRB- the innkeeper -RRB- and Carla Wingett -LRB- groundskeeper -RRB- , who manage the organic garden and the five impeccably turned-out guestrooms . From $ 165 . Explore : With sand dunes climbing hundreds of feet above miles-long beaches and eucalyptus-lined hiking trails , the Montaña de Oro park -LRB- a 25-minute drive away -RRB- is a must . -- Jaimal Yogis . AVILA LIGHTHOUSE SUITES , Avila Beach , California . Remember those beach vacations you took with your parents back in the day ? Sandy motel floors , over-chlorinated pools , and too much junk food ? Tiny Avila Beach , smack at the midway point of California 's Central Coast , is that throwback beach town , upgraded for your new , adult standards . Check in : Yes , kids love the pool , the giant chess game , even the putt-putt golf green , but lush landscaping , a location to die for -LRB- the motel is maybe 10 steps from the beach -RRB- , and 54 large guest suites with low-key nautical decor and mini kitchens make the grown-ups giddy too . From $ 229 . Explore : Avila Beach is tailor-made for strolling around in your flip-flops eating ice cream . But if you tire of that , take a docent-led 3.5-mile hike on Pecho Coast Trail -LRB- 9 a.m. Sat ; free , reservations required -RRB- to Point San Luis Lighthouse -LRB- $ 5 -RRB- . -- Samantha Schoech . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright 2004-2009 Sunset magazine . All rights reserved . | Two Harbors on Catalina Island has boat-in and walk-in campgrounds and a lodge . Coast Cabins in Oregon offers private outdoor spas and sculptural firepits . Paia Inn Hotel in Hawaii combines casual-beachy style with big-city chic . | [[477, 496], [4335, 4455], [4930, 4996], [5663, 5667], [5684, 5750], [5663, 5667], [5684, 5697], [5706, 5756]] |
Austin , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man accused of flying a small plane into an Austin building housing an Internal Revenue Service office last week was one of two people killed in the incident , Texas authorities confirmed Monday . The man who authorities say was the pilot , Andrew Joseph `` Joe '' Stack III of Austin , and Vernon Hunter of Cedar Park have been identified as the two people killed Thursday , according to the Travis County medical examiner 's office . Both men died from blunt force injuries , said Sarah Scott , chief administrative officer for the medical examiner . Authorities say that on Thursday , Stack flew a single-engine plane into a seven-story building that held offices for nearly 200 IRS workers . Two other people were hospitalized . Hunter and his wife , Valerie , worked at the IRS office in the building , his brother Harold L. Jackson told CNN affiliate WAAY . Hunter spent the past 15 years as a collections agent and previously served 22 years in the Army . Jackson said Hunter was the youngest of five brothers . Hunter was adopted as an infant and kept his birth name into adulthood . `` We called ourselves the Jackson Five , the other Jackson Five , '' Jackson said . Agents were looking into whether the seats of the plane were removed to accommodate a fuel drum in an effort to cause maximum damage , an official familiar with the investigation said Friday . The official , who could not speak on the record because of the ongoing investigation , said that the Piper Cherokee PA-28 had several seats removed and that a fuel drum was missing from the airport where authorities say Stack took off . The single-engine plane has a fuel tank capacity of 38 gallons and is equipped with four seats , according to the Web site risingup.com . Authorities say Stack also torched his $ 230,000 home in Austin on Thursday morning before embarking on his fatal flight . A 3,000-word message on a Web site registered to Stack railed against the government , particularly the IRS . Read the apparent suicide note -LRB- PDF -RRB- . `` I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different , '' the online message says . `` I am finally ready to stop this insanity . Well , Mr. Big Brother IRS man , let 's try something different ; take my pound of flesh and sleep well . '' Stack 's wife , Sheryl Stack , expressed her `` sincere sympathy to the victims and their families '' in a statement read by family friend Rayford Walker on Friday . Friends and former colleagues have said they had no inkling of the rage apparently building inside Stack . `` He hid that very well , '' said Billy Eli , in whose band Stack played bass until a few years ago . `` Obviously , he was in some serious distress and had some real despair . I never saw that . '' | Victim worked in IRS office in building where crash happened , WAAY reports . Both men died from blunt force injuries , medical examiner 's office says . Authorities : Andrew Joseph Stack III flew single-engine plane into seven-story building . Stack set his home on fire before his flight , authorities say . | [[769, 788], [801, 841], [379, 393], [412, 471], [472, 511], [34, 103], [589, 684], [1782, 1904], [1798, 1803], [1809, 1904]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Honda has expanded an airbag recall worldwide , covering 2001 and 2002 Accord , Civic , Odyssey , CR-V , and selected 2002 Acura TL vehicles , the automaker said . The recall also includes the Honda Pilot and Acura CL in the United States , and the Honda Inspire , Saber and Lagreat in Japan for the same model years . On its Web site late Tuesday , Honda said the driver 's airbag inflators might expand with too much pressure , which can cause the inflator casing to break and could lead to injury or death . There have been 12 incidents related to an airbag inflator problem , Honda said . The original recall was issued in July 2009 , and included 2001 and 2002 Accords and Civics , as well as some 2002 model year Acura TL vehicles . The global recall now covers more than 950,000 vehicles . Honda said it will notify affected customers by mail and phone with instructions on how to have their vehicles inspected and updated at an authorized dealer . Last month , Honda announced a separate recall of 646,000 2007 and 2008 Fit , City and Jazz models worldwide , after a fire hazard involving a power window switch resulted in a death in South Africa . | Honda has expanded an airbag recall worldwide to more than half a million vehicles . The global airbag-related recall now covers 514,000 vehicles . Last month , Honda announced a separate recall of 646,000 for power window problems . | [[16, 64], [758, 815], [16, 64], [975, 985], [988, 1073]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama introduced a health care plan that he says will bridge the gap between the House and Senate bills passed last year . His proposal is similar to the Senate bill , with a few nods to the House plan . Here are some of the highlights of his plan , according to the White House . Basics . The president says his health care proposal will help more than 31 million uninsured Americans get coverage . Obama says his plan includes the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in history . It establishes a health insurance market that would provide the same insurance choices that members of Congress have . Health insurance exchanges , as proposed in the Senate bill , would be created to make it easier for small businesses , the self-employed and the unemployed to purchase less expensive coverage . There is no public option , an idea strongly backed by liberal Democrats but fiercely opposed both by Republicans and key Democratic moderates . Like the House and Senate plans , Obama 's proposal would bar insurers from charging higher premiums based on a person 's gender or medical history or denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions . Key differences . Obama 's plan eliminates the controversial proposal added to the Senate bill that exempts Nebraska from paying increased Medicaid expenses . It also provides additional federal financing to all of the states for the Medicaid expansion . The president 's proposal closes the Medicare prescription drug `` doughnut hole . '' Under current Medicare limits , seniors must pick up the costs once their drug costs reach $ 2,830 and pay all costs out of pocket until they reach $ 4,550 , at which point Medicare coverage kicks back in . Obama 's proposal eases the `` doughnut hole '' in the short term by providing a $ 250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who reach the limit in 2010 . The plan closes the doughnut hole completely by 2020 . The plan also establishes a Health Insurance Rate Authority to provide an additional level of oversight of insurance premium increase at the federal level , giving the government new authority to block excessive rate hikes by health insurance companies . Tax credits . The president 's proposal increases federal subsidies to help people buy insurance . New health insurance subsidies would be provided to families making up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level . Compared to the Senate bill , Obama 's proposal lowers premiums for families making between $ 44,000 and $ 66,000 , according to the White House . Compared to the House bill , it lowers premiums for families making between $ 55,000 and $ 88,000 . Obama 's plan also provides more cost-sharing assistance than the House and Senate bills for families with incomes below $ 55,000 . For families making about $ 55,000 , the president 's proposal matches the assistance in the Senate bill . Penalties and fees . The House and Senate bills both require payments from individuals who choose not to get health care coverage . Obama 's plan lowers the maximum penalty for individuals . Obama 's plan also provides $ 40 billion in tax credits for small businesses to help them provide health care options for their employees . Like the Senate bill , the president 's proposal does not mandate that employers provide insurance . Under Obama 's plan , companies with more than 50 employees would be required to pay a fee of $ 2,000 per worker if the company does not provide coverage and any of that company 's workers receives federal health care subsidies . The first 30 workers would be subtracted from the payment calculation . As with the individual requirement , this represents a compromise between the House and Senate plans . Obama 's proposal delays the $ 67 billion assessment on health insurers , pushing it to 2014 , when exchanges and the new health insurance market will be set up . The president 's proposal also increases the revenue drawn from the pharmaceutical industry to $ 23 billion over the next three years -- $ 10 billion more than the Senate bill . It delays the implementation of these fees to 2011 . Waste , fraud and abuse . The president 's proposal includes a number of provisions to help eliminate waste and fight fraud . Some of those provisions include establishing Medicare and Medicaid sanctions databases , increasing access to the health care integrity and protection data bank , expanding efforts to recover overpayments made to providers and suppliers , and establishing a system to more quickly identify potentially fraudulent payments . Obama 's proposal also calls for preventing delays in access to generic drugs . Questions . The president 's proposal does n't address many of the sticking points that hung up the House and Senate bills . Obama says his plan also reduces the deficit by $ 100 billion over the next decade and about $ 1 trillion over the following decade by `` cutting government overspending and reining in waste , fraud and abuse . '' The White House says the plan would cost about $ 950 billion over the next 10 years , but that 's not an official estimate . There are also not a lot of specifics on how to pay for the plan . The Senate plan , according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office , would cost an estimated $ 871 billion ; the more expansive House plan has been estimated to cost over $ 1 trillion . The Obama plan resembles the Senate version on how to block subsidies from funding abortions , choosing it over the more conservative House version . On health care and illegal immigrants , the president 's proposal follows the Senate language , which imposes far more limits on undocumented workers than the House version . Outlook . Obama 's proposal is a long way from becoming law . His proposal would need to be drafted into legislation , debated and passed by the House and Senate . As the past year has shown , health care is an emotional subject , and debate can drag on for months . Immediate reaction from Republicans suggests that this time around , it wo n't be any easier . `` Nearly one year ago , the president moderated a health care summit that kicked off a national debate that has led us to where we are today : a partisan bill devoid of support from the American people and a diminished faith in this government 's capacity to listen . Let 's not make the same mistake twice , '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said . House Minority Leader John Boehner revived the abortion debate , saying , `` Republicans are also standing with the American people by calling for health care reform to protect human life and not use taxpayer money to fund abortion . ... Health care reform should be an opportunity to protect human life -- not end it -- and the American people agree . '' CNN 's Lisa Desjardins , Kristi Keck and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report . | White House releases `` The President 's Proposal '' for health care . Plan similar to Senate version passed last year . No public option ; plan offers same insurance choices members of Congress have . Questions remain over cost , funding , other sticking points . | [[19, 132], [2436, 2453], [2522, 2552], [120, 151], [152, 194], [523, 560], [566, 638], [834, 859]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas pleaded guilty Friday to illegally possessing an unlicensed handgun in the District of Columbia in a locker-room incident last month . The 28-year-old NBA all-star told Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin that he understood he could receive up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on March 26 . But Arenas ' attorney , Kenneth Wainstein , told the court that the government will ask for no more than six months , under the terms of a plea agreement . `` He accepted full responsibility for his actions , acknowledged that those actions were wrong and against the law , and has apologized to all who have been affected by his conduct , '' Wainstein said in a written statement . The government has agreed to limit its recommendation to the low end of the guidelines -- `` estimated to be between six and 24 months , with probation , a split sentence , or incarceration permissible , '' U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips said in a written statement . `` Playing with firearms is no joke , '' said Phillips . `` Such reckless action can always be expected to garner a swift and firm response from this office . We commend Mr. Arenas for accepting responsibility and hope he fully appreciates the gravity of his actions . '' The government statement said the incident was traced to a flight from Phoenix , Arizona , on December 19 , when Arenas and a fellow teammate `` became involved in a verbal exchange after a card game . '' `` Although Arenas maintains that the statements he made during this exchange were made in jest , the exchange between Arenas and the teammate involved mutual threats to shoot one another , '' it said . `` Arenas also told the teammate that he would burn the teammate 's Cadillac Escalade . '' Two days later , Arenas entered the team 's locker room at the Verizon Center carrying at least one firearm in his backpack , the statement said . `` Once Arenas entered the locker room , he placed four firearms on the chair located directly in front of the locker of the teammate with whom he had the prior verbal exchange . Arenas then wrote the message ` PICK 1 ' on a piece of paper , and placed it on the teammate 's chair near the firearms . Arenas remained in the locker room . `` Moments later , the teammate walked into the locker room and approached his locker . He saw the handguns and he and Arenas once again exchanged words . During this exchange , Arenas stated , ` You said you were going to shoot me , so I thought you would like some firepower . Pick one . ' The teammate picked up one of Arenas 's firearms from his chair , threw it across the locker room , then reportedly took out what appeared to Arenas to be a silver-colored semi-automatic handgun . `` After this exchange , Arenas admitted to team management that he brought the firearms from his home in Virginia into Washington , D.C. . He also told team management that the teammate also had a firearm . The teammate has since denied that he ever had a handgun . Team management directed Washington Wizards security personnel to secure Arenas 's firearms and to remove them from the premises . '' The incident came to light on December 24 , when authorities were notified , the statement said . Metropolitan police went to Arenas ' home in Virginia , where the athlete 's four unloaded firearms -- a .50 - caliber gold-plated , semi-automatic Desert Eagle with magazine ; a .500 Magnum Smith & Wesson revolver ; a .45 - caliber black , semi-automatic Kimber Eclipse with magazine ; and a 9-mm Browning with magazine -- were surrendered , it said . The three-time NBA All-Star said he told authorities that he had stored the guns in his locker in the Verizon Center to keep them away from his children . `` I brought them without any ammunition into the District of Columbia , mistakenly believing that the recent change in the D.C. gun laws allowed a person to store unloaded guns in the District , '' Arenas said in his statement . He offered a public apology at the time to the league , his teammates and his fans , saying , `` I promise to do better in the future . '' During Friday 's court proceeding , the usually jocular Arenas appeared somber . Dressed in a dark pinstripe suit , he neither smiled nor spoke as he entered and left the courthouse . The judge ordered him to surrender his passport and said he could not possess any firearms while he awaits sentencing . Arenas ' indefinite suspension remains in effect until a separate NBA investigation is complete and Commissioner David Stern reaches a decision on whether to reinstate him , a source said Thursday . The league investigation , which had been on hold at the request of federal prosecutors , will now resume , the source told CNN . In a statement this month , Arenas described the incident as `` a misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate , '' and said , `` Contrary to some press accounts , I never threatened or assaulted anyone with the guns and never pointed them at anyone . Joke or not , I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong . '' Citing NBA sources , the New York Post reported in December that the teammate who allegedly also brandished a firearm was Javaris Crittenton . Crittenton 's agent , Mark Bartelstein , has told CNN that his client `` has n't done anything wrong . I 'm extremely confident he 'll be exonerated . '' Phillips said the investigation into the second player was ongoing . CNN 's Terry Frieden contributed to this report . | NEW : `` He accepted full responsibility for his actions , '' Gilbert Arenas ' attorney says . NEW : U.S. statement : Teammate had what appeared to be `` semi-automatic '' gun . NBA star pleads guilty to illegally possessing unlicensed handgun . Under plea deal , Arenas ' lawyer says government will ask for no more than six months . | [[539, 586], [2680, 2776], [69, 90], [98, 210], [384, 401], [424, 535]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The second-to-last time EJ Levy was at Disney World , she used a scooter to navigate the enormous park . Her legs were weak and she suffered from foot drop caused by multiple sclerosis . That was 4 1/2 years ago . On her most recent trip , a few months ago , Levy walked the entire time , thanks in part to a drug approved by the FDA on Friday . The FDA says the drug , Ampyra -LRB- generic name dalfampridine , formerly known as fampridine -RRB- , is the first MS therapy that is taken orally and the first of its kind to receive FDA approval . It is designed help people with any type of MS improve their walking speed . The prime of her life . In 2002 , Levy was in her 30s and an active hiker and skier with a job on Wall Street and later in San Francisco , California . But her life took a turn when she started stumbling , falling down and dragging her right leg . Her doctor 's diagnosis ? Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis , a less common form of MS and , as the name implies , one that usually plagues people with the disease after its initial course . The National Multiple Sclerosis Society defines MS as a `` chronic , often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system , which is made up of the brain , spinal cord and optic nerves . '' Symptoms of MS include extreme fatigue , difficulty walking , problems with memory and heat sensitivity . The most common form of MS is relapsing-remitting , in which people have acute attacks followed by periods of remission . In secondary progressive , however , the disease worsens steadily and there are no acute flare-ups . People with relapsing-remitting may later develop secondary progressive MS. Levy says she lived in the same building as her parents at one point because she needed them to help take care of her . She says she mostly stayed at home , and when she did venture out she usually walked only a block or two with a cane . She relied on a wheelchair for longer distances . She says she realized she would eventually be unable to walk . `` I was scared of being in a wheelchair . I was scared of getting worse and worse . I had traveled around the world before I got sick , I was super independent , '' Levy says . Trying things out . After exhausting the usual MS treatments -- and developing intolerable side effects -- Levy also became frustrated that the treatments were primarily designed for people with the more common course of the disease , and not the secondary progressive course . Levy 's neurologist then discussed the possibility of trying 4-aminopyradine -- a version of the same drug the FDA approved Friday that was available only through compounding pharmacies . Just three days after taking the drug , Levy was able to walk unassisted . `` I never thought I could put my cane away for good , '' she said . Now she hopes the same drug that helped her will be able to help other people . She addressed an FDA advisory panel late last year and recommended approval of it . `` It 's about quality of life , '' Levy says . How it works . Two phase III clinical trials of Ampyra showed 35 and 43 percent of patients experienced , on average , a consistent improvement in their walking speed , increasing it by about 25 percent . According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society , even a modest improvement in walking ability could mean that thousands of people could benefit from the drug . Dr. John Richert , executive vice president of Research & Clinical Programs at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society , says the drug can be used by most people with MS. However , the drug is not for people with a history of seizures or people who have moderate to severe kidney disease . Richert says approval means patients can now skip the compounding pharmacy and get a consistent , exact dosage in a guaranteed time-released formula , which would lower the risk of getting a toxic dose instead of a therapeutic dose . `` It 's likely that further study and clinical practice may help to determine the extent to which the drug may impact other functions , and may also provide hints as to which patients are most likely to respond positively to the therapy , '' Richert said . He added that the drug would not help nerves that have been destroyed and emphasized that people should try the drug to see if it works for them . Ampyra may not work for everyone . `` Like any medication , people will have different responses , so they should talk to their doctors about whether it 's appropriate to start therapy on Ampyra , '' according to a spokesperson from Acorda , Ampyra 's manufacturer . Moving with MS . Today , Levy is doing well . She established the not-for-profit organization MS Hope for a Cure , and in three years the organization has raised $ 1.8 million for research and programs to help people living with MS. She has also completed several five-mile hikes . But she says she is always conscious of where she steps . She says she occasionally has some weakness in her leg , but that she is thankful for every day : `` I do n't ever take jumping out of bed for granted . '' | FDA approves Ampyra , the first MS drug of its kind to improve walking speed . Ampyra is appropriate for all types of MS , although it may not help everyone . Further studies are needed to see if Ampyra helps with other neurological functions . | [[326, 364], [530, 564], [565, 611], [4346, 4380]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. government announced Monday that it has eased the requirements for orphaned children from Haiti to enter the United States on a temporary basis . The move is being made to ensure they get needed care after last week 's earthquake in Haiti , said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano , who made the announcement in coordination with the U.S. Department of State . `` We are committed to doing everything we can to help reunite families in Haiti during this very difficult time , '' said Napolitano in a news release . `` While we remain focused on family reunification in Haiti , authorizing the use of humanitarian parole for orphans who are eligible for adoption in the United States will allow them to receive the care they need here . '' Napolitano can grant humanitarian parole into the United States to bring otherwise inadmissible individuals into the country for urgent humanitarian reasons or other emergencies . The State Department said earlier Monday it is working with DHS and the Haitian government to process nearly 300 cases of Americans who are waiting to adopt Haitian children . Of those , 200 cases are being accelerated . Twenty-four of those children , whose cases `` were at the very end of the process '' before the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti nearly a week ago , have departed Haiti and joined their new families after the embassy expedited processing for immigrant visas , said Michele Bond , deputy assistant secretary for American citizen services . Department officials said Sunday that 150 children had already left Haiti , but corrected that number Monday . Officials are reviewing every case individually to see where they are in the process , what actions have been taken in the case and whether the case can be accelerated , Bond said . The department said it will be announcing an adoption plan with travel specifics shortly . If an American adoption case was early in the process , there is no guarantee of an accelerated adoption , Bond said . Examples of being early in the process would be if prospective parents have not been properly vetted ; have not been matched with a specific child ; or have been matched with a child but the Haitian government is still attempting to prove absolutely the child is an orphan . The State Department is working with DHS to examine the documents in each case and show some flexibility , but this also requires the agreement of the Haitian government , she said . `` It 's important to remember that the best interests of the child are at the heart of all this , '' Bond said . `` We want them to be well cared-for . '' Families with active adoption cases will be contacted by the department , she said . If a family is in the process of adopting from Haiti and wants information , family members can send an e-mail to [email protected] . They will be contacted and told what documents are needed , she said . Prospective families need to know , however , that officials are getting thousands of inquiries . On Sunday , the department received 300 inquiries related to 16 cases , she said . So multiple calls may not be the most efficient way for prospective families to get news about their child . Are you in Haiti and safe ? Share your story , photos with CNN iReport . Before last Tuesday 's quake , Haiti was home to about 380,000 orphans , according to the United Nations Children 's Fund . Many of them may be homeless now , since a number of orphanages are reported to have been among the buildings that were destroyed in the earthquake . The family status of many children may not yet be known , so adoption is not the first solution , Bond said . The focus is on getting the children aid and reuniting them with their families , she said . That total is expected to grow once the dead and missing from last Tuesday 's disaster have been accounted for . Some children who lost parents in the quake or were separated from parents are being relocated to the Dominican Republic , a child advocacy group said . iReport : Haitians are looking for loved ones . About 50 orphaned and abandoned children will arrive in the border town of Jimani on Wednesday , Kids Alive International said . The efforts , coordinated with the governments of both countries , will eventually take the children back to Haiti . Some will be reunited with parents who lost communication with their children in the quake 's aftermath , the group said . The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has chartered a plane to pick up about 100 children Monday , spokesman Aad Meijer said Sunday . Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin over the weekend granted the children entry into the country , although their paperwork , including travel and adoption documents , was incomplete , Justice Ministry spokesman Patrick Mikkelsen said . About 44 of the orphans ' adoptions had yet to be approved by a Haitian judge , even though they were matched to Dutch parents , Mikkelsen said . Dutch officials may seek the remaining approvals from Haiti once the children have already settled in the Netherlands , he said . CNN 's Melissa Gray , Richard Greene and Elise Labott contributed to this report . | U.S. authorizing `` humanitarian parole '' for eligible orphans , says Department of Homeland chief . 200 adoption cases are being accelerated in wake of last week 's quake . Twenty-four kids have departed Haiti and joined new families , official says . Focus in Haiti remains on getting children aid , reuniting them with their families . | [[640, 694], [1169, 1202], [1296, 1324], [1330, 1360], [1203, 1232], [1363, 1382], [1203, 1232], [1387, 1471], [1203, 1232], [1474, 1552], [424, 429], [444, 536], [587, 637], [3705, 3784], [4358, 4392]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o will be seeking to win a record fourth African Player of the Year award after being named in the final shortlist of five for the 2009 title . The Inter Milan player will be up against 2006 winner Didier Drogba and the Chelsea forward 's Ivory Coast teammate Yaya Toure , Ghana midfielder Michael Essien and Seydou Keita of Mali . Last season Eto'o helped Spanish and European champions Barcelona to an unprecedented treble of titles , along with his former clubmates Toure and Keita . The Inter Milan player also helped Cameroon to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa , having missed out on the 2006 tournament in Germany . The 28-year-old previously won the award in 2003 , 2004 and 2005 , joining George Weah and Abedi Pele as the only players to have triumphed three times . Drogba and his clubmate Essien both also helped their countries to qualify for the World Cup finals , and won the English FA Cup with Chelsea as well as finishing third in the Premier League . Essien has finished in the top three every year since 2005 , being runner-up to Frederic Kanoute in 2007 . Last year , when he was hampered by injuries , was the only time that Drogba has not figured in the top three since 2003 . Keita is the nephew of former winner Salif Keita . The award ceremony will take place on February 25 in Dakar , Senegal , a month after the African Cup of Nations takes place in Angola . | Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o in contention to win record fourth African Player of Year award . Inter Milan player named in shortlist of five after his heroics with former club Barcelona . He is up against former teammates Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita . Ghana midfielder Michael Essien and 2006 winner Didier Drogba also in the running . | [[0, 15], [19, 132], [65, 190], [65, 190], [0, 5], [106, 190], [191, 378], [191, 378]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American Bill Haas claimed a one-shot victory in the Bob Hope Classic on the final hole to join his father as a winner of the tournament . The 27-year-old went into the final day in California a stroke behind the lead but was able to break clear of the pack with a flawless 64 to finish on 30 under par . Tim Clark , Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson all finished tied for second place on 29 under . Haas led by two strokes after an fine start but the chasing pack reduced his lead and a birdie on 17 put him level with leaders Clark and Kuchar . He completed victory with a birdie four at the last hole after he struck a brave tee shot . Haas fired his approach at the last to within 27 feet and two putts were enough to seal a victory that matches the win his father - Jay Haas - secured at the same event in 1988 . Haas , who was watched by his father , admitted the victory was even sweeter with a large family contingent present . `` It 's pretty special as I did n't know my dad was here . My dad and my brother and his uncle were there , '' Haas told the tournament 's official Web site . `` They knew they flew back from Hawaii last night , I thought maybe if I was in contention they might show up , but did n't see them until the end there . `` It 's not easy to win . I was so nervous coming down the stretch . I still do n't know how I hit the shot on 18 - my hands were shaking . '' | American Bill Haas claimed a one-shot victory in the Bob Hope Classic on the final hole to join his father as a winner of the tournament . Tim Clark , Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson all finished tied for second place on 29 under . Haas completed victory with a birdie four at the last hole after he struck a brave tee shot to match his father 's win in 1988 . | [[0, 15], [19, 106], [92, 157], [561, 617], [711, 720], [733, 831], [324, 413], [0, 15], [19, 106], [92, 157], [561, 617], [624, 652], [711, 720], [733, 831]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The list of relatives Widline Germain has not heard from since Haiti 's earthquake seems like a town population in itself . `` When you count our extended family -- the dozens of cousins and aunts and uncles -- there 's several hundred of us in Haiti , and we do n't know where most of them are , '' she said from her home in Binghamton , New York . On January 11 , the day before the magnitude-7 .0 earthquake hit , the 25-year-old who recently graduated from SUNY Cortland returned to New York from an extended New Year 's holiday in Haiti . Drawing attention to a photo of the Haitian presidential palace lit up with Christmas lights , a tree decorated on its grounds , she said , `` It 's like I 'm stuck in a horrible dream . The bed I was sleeping in the day before the earthquake is dust . '' On Thursday , Germain went through the names of relatives -- she says she has about 400 in Haiti -- whom she and her parents are searching for and whom they know are gone . Elise and Benson Germain and their son Junior Germain , missing . Marie Nerla Nicolas and Wilkense Nicolas , missing . `` I lost a cousin on my father 's side . My mother lost her sister and all four kids , '' she said . `` There are 10 missing on my mother 's side and eight missing on father 's side . '' Learn more about some of Germain 's missing relatives . She described a mentally disabled uncle who reported being attacked by thugs in Port-au-Prince . Many of her family members live in Jérémie , a river town of about 31,000 that is largely isolated from the rest of the country . `` The ones in Jérémie , I do n't think most rescuers are getting to the smaller towns , '' she said , pausing . `` All my little cousins -- like ages 2 to 7 -- how are they ever going to be able to get over walking over dead bodies in the street ? `` They were telling us on their cell phones that they do n't have water . They have nothing , '' Germain said . `` We are here , and we ca n't do anything for them . My family is there starving and thirsty , sleeping on the street -- elderly people sleeping on the street -- and I 'm here with water and food . I ca n't stand this . It 's wrong . '' She and her father and their extended family in New York are prepared to take everyone in . `` It 's going to be hard , but we have college degrees , jobs , a big house , '' she said . `` We 're going to manage , because they 're family , and that 's what you do . '' | Haitian-American spent holidays in Haiti , returned day before quake hit . She said her extended family in Haiti numbers about 400 . `` My family is there starving and thirsty , sleeping on the street , '' she said . | [[369, 382], [385, 433], [436, 451], [494, 562], [880, 915], [1199, 1212], [1998, 2037], [2353, 2366]] |
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jaime Escalante , the math teacher portrayed in the 1988 film `` Stand and Deliver , '' died Tuesday after a battle with cancer , according to the actor who played him . Escalante , 79 , was surrounded by his wife , children and grandchildren when he died at his home in Roseville , California , said Edward James Olmos . Olmos visited Escalante 's bedside Monday night , he said . `` We lost one of the true giants of education and inspiration in this country , '' Olmos said . `` He really made us understand that it did n't matter what color , race , creed or ethnicity any of us are . '' Olmos disclosed earlier this month that Escalante was `` seriously ill '' with cancer and needed help paying for his medical care . He held a fundraiser in Los Angeles , California , for him last week . `` Stand and Deliver '' told the inspirational story of how Escalante turned the failing calculus program at Garfield High School in east Los Angeles into one of the top in the nation . The movie depicted events of 1982 when his inner-city student 's test scores were questioned by officials . Those who were retested had their passing scores reinstated . Escalante became a hero for educators , earning him entrance to the National Teachers Hall of Fame and the Presidential Medal for Excellence in Education . `` During his tenure at Garfield High School , many of our students excelled in learning , aspired to a higher education and went on to become very successful in various careers , '' Los Angeles School Superintendent Ramon Cortines said . `` Today , they are living testaments to a teacher who demonstrated how high expectations coupled with constant support can overcome obstacles to a quality education . '' The Garfield High math program floundered after Escalante left in 1991 for a teaching job in Sacramento , California . He also hosted a PBS television series that promoted math and science careers . He retired from teaching and returned to Bolivia in 1999 , where he was born in 1930 . Escalante recently returned to California for medical treatment . CNN 's Sonya Hamasaki contributed to this report . | Escalante , 79 , died at his home in Roseville , California . Teacher turned around failing calculus program at a Los Angeles high school . Escalante was portrayed by actor Edward James Olmos in the 1988 film `` Stand and Deliver '' | [[214, 223], [226, 257], [287, 324], [839, 1024], [899, 988]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama returned to the United States on Monday morning after an unannounced visit to Afghanistan , where he met with his Afghan counterpart and reiterated the need to wipe out terror networks . Obama slipped into Bagram Air Base near Kabul under the cover of darkness Sunday . He met with about 2,000 troops at the U.S. base and told them their work is significant to security at home . `` I know it 's not easy , '' he said . `` If I thought for a minute that America 's vital interests were not served , were not at stake here in Afghanistan , I would order all of you home right away . '' The United States has made progress in the fight against al Qaeda and its allies , Obama said . `` All of that makes America safer , and we are going to keep them on the run , '' he said . `` Because that is what is going to be required in order to ensure that our families back home have the security that they need . '' Earlier , Obama met with President Hamid Karzai to discuss progress by the Afghan government in strengthening its ability to run the country and provide security for its people . After the 30-minute meeting , Obama said he wanted to send a `` strong message '' that the partnership between the nations would continue . Related : Afghanistan Crossroads . Karzai thanked the United States , pointing out that American taxpayers have helped rebuild his country . During his trip , the president made clear that the visit was to encourage the roughly 80,000 U.S. troops in the country . `` The United States of America does not quit once it starts on something . ... We keep at it , '' he told the troops . `` We persevere . And together , with our partners , we will prevail . I am absolutely confident of that . '' Before his departure , Obama also met with U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Gen. Stanley McChrystal , the commander of allied troops in Afghanistan . The trip began in secrecy , with the president leaving his Camp David retreat . He flew to Afghanistan on Air Force One , landing at Bagram Air Base at 7:24 p.m. Sunday . Obama then flew on a helicopter to the Presidential Palace to meet with Karzai . The U.S. president landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland shortly before 9 a.m. ET . | Obama met with Afghan counterpart , reiterating need to wipe out terror networks . President met with about 2,000 troops at Bagram Air Base near Kabul . Obama landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland shortly before 9 a.m. ET . | [[124, 135], [144, 178], [144, 146], [183, 232], [316, 363], [2171, 2261]] |
Ithaca , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two suspected cases of suicide on the Cornell University campus have officially been confirmed by the Tompkins County chief medical examiner , bringing the total number of suicides for the academic year to six . Cornell officials had previously said authorities confirmed four other deaths at the school as suicides . The medical examiner says his office has been in touch with the families of the latest suicide victims . `` They have all been made aware of the manner of death , '' Dr. Howard Socoff told CNN . The rash of cases has rocked the highly competitive Ivy League school in central New York State . The most recent suicides came on successive days and prompted the university 's mental health initiatives director , Timothy Marchell , to declare a `` public health crisis . '' In February , a freshman jumped off a bridge over one of the area 's well-known gorges . The body of a sophomore engineering major was found March 11 under similar circumstances . Police are also searching for a body in another suicide witnessed March 12 . David Skorton , who became president of Cornell in 2005 , has been praised by counselors for encouraging openness on an issue that many schools try to cover up . In an e-mail to students on Friday , he encouraged them to use available suicide-prevention resources . Skorton placed full-page ads in the university newspaper , The Cornell Daily Sun , every day this week , which read , `` If you learn anything at Cornell , please learn to ask for help . It is a sign of wisdom and strength . '' The message may be getting through . The first sentence of the quote has been written in chalk on one of the bridges where the suicides took place . The cause of the wave of suicides is unclear , Marchell said . The national average for school suicides is 7.29 per year for every 100,000 students , said Paula Clayton , medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention . That means Cornell , with 19,639 students , should average fewer than two suicides a year . Cornell had no suicides from 2005 to 2008 , according to Marchell . And the school has consistently fallen within or below the national average , said Karen Carr , assistant dean of students at Cornell . The school has been praised by psychologists such as Keith Anderson , chairman of the American College Health Association 's Mental Health Best Practices Task Force , for counseling and prevention programs that confront the issue of student suicide with comprehensive training and understanding . Cornell responded to a cluster of suicides in the late 1990s with comprehensive training for members of the university community . Everyone on campus , including janitors , administrators , residential advisers and professors , is trained to look for symptoms of depression . Freshmen are screened for indicators of psychological disorders , and multiple counseling services are available for students in need . `` I know that they 've been doing a lot of outreach efforts to educate the community . Cornell is kind of a model in some ways , '' said Anderson , a staff psychologist at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , in Troy , New York . In response to the current wave of suicides , Cornell will `` strengthen the capacity of the community to know what to do , '' Marchell said . `` They will be showing nonmental health professionals what role they can play and help students and faculty get the kind of support that they need . '' The school also has posted guards to monitor the bridges over the gorges . On Wednesday , campus clubs such as Cornell Minds Matters took part in a schoolwide event to promote mental health awareness . CNN 's Cassie Spodak contributed to this report . | Rash of cases has rocked the Ivy League school in central New York State . Medical examiner : Office has been in touch with families of latest suicide victims . School has been praised by psychologists for its openness about the suicides . Cornell mental health chief says cause of the wave of suicides is unclear . | [[550, 647], [355, 459], [376, 459], [1083, 1096], [1134, 1244], [2262, 2329], [1726, 1770]] |
Moscow , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russian police released photographs Tuesday of two women suspected of being the suicide bombers who killed at least 39 people on the Moscow metro a day earlier . Special services are also seeking three suspected accomplices of the bombers , Russian state TV reported , citing Moscow police spokesman Viktor Biryukov . They are hunting for a 30-year-old man from the Northern Caucasus who was seen on security cameras wearing dark clothes and a black baseball cap , and two women , aged 22 and 45 , both ethnic Slavs , who allegedly assisted the man , state TV reported . Investigators believe that the three suspects accompanied the suicide bombers when they entered the metro , the report said . They also believe Chechen rebels may have been behind the deadly strike , although nobody has claimed responsibility . Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow would `` restore order by the use of force '' in the region , as part of its `` quest to eliminate terrorists and bandits '' there . But it was harder to root out corruption and clan structures , and to build an education system , he said in remarks televised by Russian state TV from his country residence . `` Those are the things that are much more difficult to handle . But it is our task and we will be dealing with those issues no matter what , '' he said . Meanwhile , the Russian-backed leader of Chechnya wrote in a newspaper article Tuesday that terrorists who target innocent civilians must be `` poisoned like rats . '' `` We have always believed and we continue to believe that terrorists must be hunted down and found in their lairs , they must be poisoned like rats , they must be crushed and destroyed , '' Ramzan Kadyrov wrote in the Russian daily Izvestia , a day after the deadly rush-hour attacks in two Moscow subway stations . `` The struggle against terrorists must involve the toughest measures and defeating this evil with only persuasion and educational measures is impossible . '' Moscow paused to mourn its dead Tuesday , and flags across the city were lowered to half staff as hundreds of thousands of commuters returned to the transit system . Authorities said the attacks killed at least 39 people -- an increase of one since Monday -- and wounded more than 60 others . Television stations canceled entertainment programming for the day , while some also pulled commercials . After being closed most of the day , both stations that were bombed reopened around 5 p.m. -LRB- 9 a.m. ET -RRB- Monday , said Veronica Smolskaya , a spokeswoman for the Russian Emergencies Ministry . A heavy security presence was apparent throughout the subway network as police officers were visible on train platforms . `` Our preliminary assessment is that this act of terror was committed by a terrorist group from the North Caucasus region , '' said Alexander Bortnikov of the Federal Security Service , in reference to the investigation at one of the blast sites . The current round of the Russia-Chechnya conflict dates back nearly 20 years , with Chechens having laid claim to land in the Caucasus Mountains region . Thousands have been killed and 500,000 Chechen people have been displaced by the fighting . Chechnya is located in the North Caucasus region of Russia between the Black and Caspian seas . Monday 's blasts tore through the Lubyanka and Park Kultury stations in central Moscow -- the female bombers detonating their explosives about 40 minutes apart , starting just before 8 a.m. -LRB- 12 a.m. ET -RRB- . An estimated 500,000 people were riding trains throughout the capital at the time of the attacks . CNN 's Matthew Chance , Claire Sebastian and Max Tkachenko contributed to this report . | Russian police release images of two women suspected of being the bombers . Authorities are also seeking three suspected accomplices of the bombers . Hundreds of thousands of commuters return to Moscow subway after bombing . Flags across city lowered to half staff as Moscow pauses to mourn dead . | [[0, 6], [9, 31], [35, 91], [82, 130], [197, 292], [2051, 2170], [2005, 2044], [2051, 2170]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two Supreme Court justices engaged in a late-night exchange of harsh words before the execution early Wednesday of a convicted Tennessee killer who had been sitting on death row for nearly three decades . Justices John Paul Stevens and Clarence Thomas disagreed over whether to grant a stay of execution for Cecil Johnson Jr. . The stay eventually was denied , and about an hour later , at 2:34 a.m. , Johnson was put to death by lethal injection at a Nashville , Tennessee , prison . The 53-year-old inmate had been convicted of murder in a 1980 shooting spree at a convenience store near the state capital . The victims included 12-year-old Bobby Bell Jr. , son of the store owner , who was wounded . Two other men sitting in a nearby taxicab also were shot to death . Stevens , who was initially presented the last-minute appeal by Johnson 's lawyers , would have granted the stay , along with Justice Stephen Breyer . Stevens was concerned that too much time had elapsed between sentencing and the planned execution , amounting perhaps to cruel and unusual punishment . `` Johnson bears little , if any , responsibility for this delay , '' said Stevens , who said procedural hurdles at the appellate stage for capital defendants created what he called `` underlying evils of intolerable delay . '' `` The delay itself subjects death row inmates to decades of especially severe , dehumanizing conditions of confinement . '' It is an issue that the 89-year-old justice has long urged his colleagues to address , with little success . In his early years on the high court in the mid-1970s he had supported the resumption of the death penalty after a four-year moratorium imposed by the Supreme Court . But in recent years , he has voiced his opposition to capital punishment , particularly in cases involving inmates asserting their right to challenge their sentences . Thomas reacted strongly to Stevens ' statement . The conservative jurist said the inmate had challenged his conviction and sentence for nearly 29 years and `` now contends that the very proceedings he used to contest his sentence should prohibit the state from carrying it out . '' `` In Justice Stevens ' view , it seems the state can never get the timing just right . The reason , he has said , is that the death penalty itself is wrong . '' Thomas said . `` As long as our system affords capital defendants the procedural safeguards this court has long endorsed , defendants who avail themselves of these procedures will face the delays Justice Stevens laments . '' Then Thomas goes on to say there are `` alternatives , '' citing the custom in England centuries ago to carry out an execution the day after a conviction . `` I have no doubt that such a system would avoid the diminishing justification problem Justice Stevens identifies , but I am equally confident it would find little support from this court . '' The high court had been presented with Johnson 's emergency appeal early Tuesday afternoon , but apparently the time needed to produce the Stevens and Thomas statements delayed the high court from issuing its denial of a stay until 1:38 a.m. Wednesday . The execution was carried out as scheduled , with no problems reported by corrections officials . | John Paul Stevens , Clarence Thomas disagreed over whether to grant a stay of execution . Stay was denied , Cecil Johnson Jr. was put to death by legal injection in Tennessee . Stevens was concerned too much time elapsed between sentencing , scheduled execution . Thomas : Inmate challenged conviction , sentence for nearly 29 years , which led to delay . | [[235, 357], [235, 281], [297, 357], [358, 388], [952, 1103], [979, 1049], [142, 173], [178, 234], [952, 1103], [979, 1049], [1950, 2098]] |
New Zealand maxi Alfa Romeo eased to victory in the 65th annual Sydney to Hobart ocean yacht race on Monday . Skippered by Neville Crichton , Alfa Romeo crossed the finish of the 628-mile race ahead of favorite Australian maxi Wild Oats XI . Alfa Romeo had led since they left Sydney Harbor on Saturday and was not threatened during its two days , nine hours and two minutes at sea . Australian maxi Wild Oats XI finished 16 nautical miles behind in second place with British yacht ICAP Leopard a further 24 miles behind in third . Crichton admitted he was taken aback by the large crowd which had gathered at the dockside to welcome his team home before he paid tribute to his crew . `` We did n't expect to see anything like this crowd . We 're certainly honored , '' he told the event 's official Web site wwwrolexsydneyhobart.com . `` I 'd like to thank the 21 guys in my crew . We did n't have any problems and I do n't think there was any time in the race when we were passed . '' Crichton continued : `` There were occasions when we had to take a gamble and hope it paid off . We were very busy the whole race . There were occasions when there was a lot of breeze , and occasions when we drifted , so it made the race much more interesting . `` I do n't think there was any part of the race that counted any more or less . We all had periods we were parked up . I think it was the advantage of making the least amount of mistakes of anybody that won us the race . '' Wild Oats , who set the race record in 2005 , was bidding for a fifth win , but trailed Alfa Romeo out of Sydney Harbor in the traditional Boxing Day start and was never able to get on terms with the leader . | New Zealand maxi Alfa Romeo eased to victory in the 65th annual Sydney to Hobart ocean yacht race . Skippered by Neville Crichton , Alfa Romeo crossed the finish of the 628-mile race ahead of Australian maxi Wild Oats XI . Crichton credited his team 's victory to the fact they had made few mistakes having led from start to finish . | [[0, 109], [142, 241], [0, 109], [110, 139], [142, 241], [242, 302], [1369, 1447], [1377, 1452], [1377, 1379], [1398, 1470]] |
Princeton , New Jersey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As he stood before the delegates of the 1964 Republican Convention in San Francisco , California , Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater , the party 's presidential nominee , said , `` I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice . And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue . '' The delegates , who had booed New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller when he called for the party to respect moderation , were thrilled . Many of Goldwater 's supporters were determined to push their party toward the right wing of the political spectrum . They felt that their party leaders , including President Eisenhower , had simply offered a watered-down version of the New Deal . Yet Goldwater soon learned that extremism could quickly become a political vice , particularly to a party seeking to regain control of the White House . The right wing of the Republican Party in the early 1960s inhabited a world that included extremist organizations , such as the John Birch Society , that railed against communism . The Birchers developed a huge network of local activists , reaching more than 100,000 members . They published pamphlets and books and threw their support behind local candidates . Some mainstream conservative outlets depended on supporters who were in these groups . Many right-wing organizations in the South were opponents of civil rights and advocates of racial segregation . During the fall campaign of 1964 , President Johnson devastated Goldwater and his running mate , William Miller , by painting them as an extremist duo with close ties to military hawks and racist demagogues . Since Miller , a New York congressman , was known for his close ties to the right , Democrats could charge that Republicans had not balanced their ticket . The `` Daisy '' advertisement had Americans look into the eyeball of a young girl as it reflected the image of a nuclear explosion . Another advertisement showed images of the Ku Klux Klan decked out in their garb and carrying burning crosses . The ads played on statements by the candidates and extremist organizations . The narrator of the KKK ad reminded viewers that Robert Creel , grand dragon of the Alabama KKK , had said : `` I like Barry Goldwater . He needs our help . '' Democrats certainly had their extremists as well in the 1960s , as all the discussions about Bill Ayers and the Weathermen in the 2008 campaign reminded us . Yet in the 1960s , the Democratic leadership was removed from these elements of the liberal spectrum . Indeed , radical left-wing activists were primarily revolting against what they saw as the bankrupt leadership of the Democratic Party . They hated Lyndon Johnson even more than they hated Richard Nixon . Always nervous about being tagged by Republicans in a conservative era as too close to socialism , Democrats in Congress and in the White House since the 1960s have tended to distance themselves from fringe elements of the left . Now Republicans are facing the danger of being associated with extremism once again . Last week , following the vote on health care , members of Congress have were the targets of death threats and vandalism . In the final hours of the health care debate , there were reports about how health care opponents uttered racial slurs at Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis , a hero of the civil rights movement , and sexual epithets against Rep. Barney Frank , who is openly gay . Sarah Palin sent out a statement on Twitter that urged followers , `` Do n't Retreat , Instead-Reload ! '' Palin explained later that her use of those words was not about `` inciting violence , '' but rather about inspiring people to get involved in the political process . Some ugly elements of the Tea Party movement , which have been held in check since the original Washington protest in September , have returned to the political debate . In the short-term , the Tea Party movement has helped to revitalize the Republican Party . Without question , the kind of energy that has been fostered by the activists associated with these groups has helped Republicans mobilize their supporters and can clearly be helpful at bringing out the vote in the midterm elections . By generating interest in the libertarian and anti-government arguments of conservatism , the movement will help keep conservatives motivated after their loss on health care . It is fair to say that many Americans who support this cause are simply expressing legitimate and deeply held antipathies toward Washington . But extremism is there , and it has flared in the past few weeks . This kind of rhetoric will not produce long-term gains for the Republican Party . Realizing the threat , Republican leaders have begun to disassociate themselves from these elements of the movement . There have been a few voices of condemnation , such as House Minority Leader John Boehner who said `` violence and threats are unacceptable . '' Local Tea Party organizers have also stepped forward with words of condemnation . Leaders from the Florida Tea Party said in a letter to President Obama that they stood in `` stark opposition to any person using derogatory characterizations , threats of violence , or disparaging terms toward members of Congress or the president . '' These statements are encouraging and strike the right note . Yet Republicans need to follow through by continuing to exert pressure on local organizational leaders to stamp out this kind of activity . They must also avoid contradictory messages , such as the statement of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor , who accused Democrats of `` fanning the flames '' by using the incidents as a `` political weapon . '' Cantor had a bullet fired at his campaign office after receiving anti-Semitic threats , but local police described the bullet as random gunfire not directed at his office . The leadership statements must be unambiguous and firm , leaving no question in voters ' minds that this is not what conservatism is about . When Ronald Reagan ran for the presidency in 1980 , he worked hard to weaken the connections that existed between Republicans and the fringes . He learned the lessons of 1964 and sought to remake a Republican Party that could appeal to mainstream America . Reagan realized that if he did not , the perception of extremism would pose a long-term threat to the party 's future . Now Republicans are facing the Goldwater threat once again . At the same time that conservatives have every right to oppose and challenge President Obama 's agenda , they must make clear that there are limits and that the kinds of actions that we have seen in recent days are not something that either party will be willing to tolerate in the year ahead . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer . | In 1964 , Barry Goldwater said : `` Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice . '' Party 's association with extremists hurt the GOP in that election , Julian Zelizer says . He says extreme reactions to passage of health care bill pose danger for Republicans . Zelizer says Democrats have extreme fringe but have taken pains to dissociate from far left . | [[12, 38], [208, 212], [215, 290], [3015, 3100], [6325, 6330], [6339, 6423], [2929, 3014]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When the e-mail arrived the other day , I knew instantly who it was from . At least I thought I did . I recognized the e-mail address . It belonged to Kaye Kessler , an old and treasured friend . When I was a beginning sportswriter , Kessler was the veteran star of the central Ohio paper where we worked . He gave me my first byline , a kindness for which , as I have told him many times , I am forever grateful . He is long retired from daily newspaper work now , living in Colorado , but we write back and forth from time to time . So I was startled by the first words of his note : . `` I 'm writing this with tears in my eyes . '' He apologized for `` this odd request . '' He said he was in the United Kingdom , on a vacation in London with his family . He said they had been robbed , at gunpoint . Everything had been taken : cash , credit cards , cell phone . He seemed embarrassed to have to be asking : . He wondered if I could lend him some money so he and his family could get back home . He promised to refund it as soon as he was back in the U.S. . He wanted me to wire it to him : `` Please do get back to me as soon as possible . '' And he signed it : `` Kaye . '' I felt so bad for him . He 's no longer a young man , and I was touched that , in a crisis , he would turn to me . I 've never wired money to anyone before , but I started making calls to find out how to do it . Then something started to feel wrong to me . I looked at his e-mail again . The address was his , all right . But there were some sloppy phrases in the note : run-on sentences , lowercase words that should have been capitalized , some incorrect grammar . Kessler was always an extremely careful writer ; he was a disciple of the Scripps-Howard Newspapers stylebook . He did n't make mistakes like that . There were other off-key things in the note . He said he was in London with his family ; I knew that his wife had passed away 15 years ago . He said that they `` came down here on a short vacation '' ; those of us from central Ohio would speak of going down to Chillicothe , or going down to Washington Court House , or going down to Cincinnati , but we would never say we had gone `` down '' to London . Still , I thought , he was out of the country , he was in trouble , he was undoubtedly scared , so why was I being such a stickler ? He needed my help . Speaking of which , the subject line of the e-mail was : . `` Help !!! '' Kessler was not a guy who ever overused exclamation points . I drafted an e-mail back to him , apologizing for the two questions I was going to ask him . But I knew that there were n't many people in the world , other than the two of us , who would know the answers : . 1 . Who was the makeup editor on the sports desk , with the thick glasses ? 2 . What was the name of the restaurant next to the paper where we would sometimes eat dinner ? -LRB- In case you 're interested : Clarence Young , and Paoletti 's . -RRB- . I was about to send him the e-mail when I decided to do something first . I took some of the phrases from his e-mail to me and ran them through a search engine . Yep . They were part of a scam . People around the country had been receiving them ; always , the e-mails had been asking for money to be sent . But how could this be ? This was not some e-mail from an address I 'd never heard of , saying that a bank in Nigeria had $ 100 million waiting for me ; this was from Kaye Kessler , from his regular e-mail address . Was n't it ? I called his house in Colorado . The phone was busy . For hours . After about four hours , it finally rang through , and he picked up . He was home in Colorado . He had never left . He was all right . Here is what had happened : . Someone had electronically broken into his computer and stolen his e-mail password . The person had then reset the password ; Kessler could no longer access his own e-mail account . The person who had stolen the password had gone through Kessler 's e-mail address book and started sending out the heartrending requests for money . The only way Kessler knew about it was that some of the recipients had thought to call him . That 's why his phone had been busy all afternoon . His friends had read him the letter that had gone out using his name . `` To me , it did n't sound like me , '' Kessler said . `` That line about ` I 'm writing this with tears in my eyes ' -- I do n't tear up very easily . '' He was doing his best to get in touch with his e-mail provider . Imagine how he was feeling : Someone was now , in effect , him . The person had access of all his saved e-mails , both ones he had received and ones he had sent . He was trying to remember if he had put credit card or banking information in any of the e-mails . It turns out -LRB- and some of you may already know this -RRB- that he is hardly the only victim of this scheme , both through e-mails and through social networking sites . Law enforcement officials are well aware of it ; after speaking with Kessler , I checked with FBI headquarters in Washington . I was n't one sentence into reading the Kessler e-mail to Special Agent Jason Pack before he knew exactly what it was . `` This is a new twist that gives these scams more credibility , '' Pack said . `` The way it works is that these guys remotely install malware in your computers ; you 're almost never aware they have done it . '' One way the malware is installed , he said , is when you click on a seemingly innocuous link . Pack said that the malware lets the criminals track your keystrokes from their own computers . That 's how they learn your password . Then , he said , they reset it . You ca n't log on to your own e-mail account anymore . They control it . They go through your address book and write to everyone you know . The people who receive the e-mails think they 're from you , that you 're in trouble and that you 're turning to them for money . Because it 's from your e-mail address , their impulse is to help you out by sending it . That 's part of the scam , Pack said ; the thieves set up a way to have the money wired to them . `` The best advice is not to wire money to anyone until you 're absolutely sure , '' Pack said . `` Even if a friend is stuck overseas , there are other ways to reach you than sending an e-mail saying you should wire money . Even if a friend 's cell phone has been stolen , there are ways to call you . '' The problem , he said , is that friends want to help friends who are in need , and the thieves know it . If the friends write back asking `` Is this really you ? '' the thieves , who control your account , send them a note assuring them that yes , the e-mail is legitimate , and say to please hurry up and send the money . Because it 's from the familiar e-mail account , and the second note , like the first , is signed with the familiar signature , the friends believe it . The older e-mail scams -- the ones from odd addresses , saying that there are millions of dollars waiting for you , if you will just get in touch with this person you have never met who wants to make you wealthy -- were more analogous to unsophisticated con games . This newer one , though , is like breaking and entering , like home invasion ; we increasingly live on our computers , and this scheme allows the criminals to come inside . `` I 'm still trying to get back into my account , '' Kessler said the next day when I called him again . The most puzzling part of it , he said -- and the part that should be a concern to the rest of us -- is : . `` I have absolutely no idea how they did it . They were out there writing to everyone I know , saying they were me , and I do n't know how they got into my computer in the first place . '' The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene . | Bob Greene gets an urgent e-mail from an old friend writing , `` With tears in my eyes ... '' The desperate plea for money turns out to be an e-mail scam . Greene says malware placed on computers when a user clicks on a link can capture keystrokes . Thieves take over e-mail accounts and seek money from contacts in the address book . | [[610, 651], [4358, 4397], [5398, 5417], [5443, 5492], [5493, 5587], [5508, 5587], [3916, 4002], [3916, 3954], [4007, 4064], [6589, 6600], [6607, 6627]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Barack Obama arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday , met with American forces and , according to a U.S. official , is expected to meet Sunday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai . Sen. Barack Obama attends a meeting in Jalalabad , Afghanistan , on Saturday . The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was visiting the Central Asian nation before he embarks on a tour of the Middle East and Europe , a trip aimed at boosting his foreign policy credentials . The trip , which comes four months ahead of the presidential election , marks Obama 's first visit to Afghanistan . The trip has been shrouded in secrecy for security reasons , a standard precaution for most U.S. officials in conflict zones . On Saturday , the senator from Illinois traveled to eastern Afghanistan to visit Americans forces under NATO 's Regional Command East . Obama is accompanied by Sen. Charles Hagel , R-Nebraska , and Sen. Jack Reed , D-Rhode Island . The senators met service members at Jalalabad airfield in Nangarhar province . The governor of Nangarhar province , Gul Agha Shirzai -- formerly the governor of Kandahar province -- also met the senators at the air base . Shirzai and Obama embraced briefly at the end of the meeting . Watch Obama 's visit to Jalalabad '' Upon arrival at Bagram Air Base , the senators were briefed by Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser , commanding general of the Regional Command East . Ahead of the trip to Afghanistan , the senators stopped in Kuwait to visit U.S. troops , Obama campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs said . They left Washington on Thursday . In Kuwait , the senators visited Camp Arifjan for about two hours to meet with U.S. Army Central leadership , take a brief tour of the base and talk with soldiers , U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Bill Nutter said . They met in a gymnasium with about 1,000 military members , who cheered jubliantly at their arrival . `` America is unified in being so proud of the extraordinary , brilliant , dedicated professional service that is provided by all members of our armed services , '' he told the military personnel there . Later , Obama shot baskets with some soldiers , drawing cheers with each basket he made . Watch Obama meet troops and play some hoops '' Soldiers were able to meet the senator on the basketball court later . After , Obama said , `` I am just very proud of the extraordinary work that the troops are doing here in Kuwait ; you 're providing all the logistical support that 's needed for folks in the battlefield and without you this effort would not be successful . '' Hagel agreed , saying , `` We 're here first to thank the troops . '' After the events at the the gymnasium , they met with Lt. Gen. Jim Lovelace , the U.S. Army Central Commander , and senior leadership who gave them an overview of the command , Nutter said . Obama spoke briefly to a pool reporter about his trip just before leaving Washington . `` I 'm looking forward to seeing what the situation on the ground is , '' Obama said . `` I want to , obviously , talk to the commanders and get a sense , both in Afghanistan and in Baghdad of , you know , what the most , their biggest concerns are . And I want to thank our troops for the heroic work that they 've been doing . '' Asked whether he would have tough talk for the leaders of Afghanistan and Iraq , Obama said he was `` more interested in listening than doing a lot of talking . '' `` I think it is very important to recognize that I 'm going over there as a U.S. senator . We have one president at a time , so it 's the president 's job to deliver those messages , '' Obama said . Watch Obama 's foreign policy adviser discuss overseas trip '' The fight in Afghanistan has become a more pressing issue on the political radar . Three times as many coalition soldiers and other military personnel have died this month in Afghanistan , compared with Iraq . July 's death toll for coalition troops in Afghanistan reached 22 Saturday , after the Friday death of a Canadian soldier was announced . The fight in Afghanistan has become a more pressing issue on the political radar . Three times as many coalition soldiers and other military personnel have died in July in Afghanistan than in Iraq . On Sunday , nine U.S. soldiers were killed in a fight with about 200 Taliban militants in eastern Afghanistan . It was the deadliest attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan in three years . Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that U.S. officials are looking for ways to send more troops to Afghanistan , amid the resurgence of violence nearly seven years after the ousting of the Taliban government . Gates said the hope is to send additional forces `` sooner rather than later . '' He said the Pentagon is `` working very hard to see if there are opportunities to send additional forces sooner rather than later . '' That probably means further reductions in troop levels in Iraq this year to free up forces for Afghanistan . Watch officials discuss need for more troops in Afghanistan '' Obama is to travel to Jordan on Tuesday and then visit Israel , Germany , France and England . CNN 's Reza Sayah in Kabul and Barbara Starr in Washington contributed to this report . | Sen. Barack Obama arrives in Afghanistan for first stop of global tour . Obama 's visit comes as U.S. officials want to send more troops to region . Obama also expected to visit several countries in Middle East , Europe . | [[8, 29], [39, 91], [299, 442], [503, 572], [575, 618], [4449, 4570], [4681, 4748], [4996, 5058], [299, 442], [5059, 5153], [5059, 5064], [5103, 5153]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The South Korean military suspended its search for missing sailors Wednesday because of high winds spawned by stormy weather , the Yonhap News Agency reported . Searchers have been looking for 46 missing sailors from the 1,200-ton ship Cheonan , a naval ship that sank Friday in the Yellow Sea near the maritime border of North and South Korea . Fifty-eight crew members were rescued , and the intense search led to the death of a military diver and the hospitalization of two others . Diver dies in rescue effort near sunken ship . Yonhap reported that divers have injected `` air through a crack in the stem of the 88-meter-long corvette , hopeful that the latter section of the ship , about 45 meters underwater , is holding crew members alive . '' But high winds and strong currents have been working against the rescue effort . `` We are temporarily suspending operations . We can not expect to get near the ship in this condition , '' defense ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae told reporters . Military officials say an explosion tore a hole in the rear of the ship , but the cause of the blast is not known . South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion , and the country 's defense minister , Kim Tae-young , has raised the possibility that one of the many North Korean sea mines placed during the 1950-53 Korean War could have triggered the blast . He said the military was `` trying its best '' to find survivors and that the cause of the incident will be made public `` at the soonest possible time . '' Rescuers find rear section of ship where sailors could be trapped . The navy plans to salvage the vessel , which was carrying missiles and torpedoes , to determine what caused the incident , Yonhap reported . Kim said work to hoist the ship above water could start next week and he said the government is mulling the formation of a fact-finding group to look into the incident . `` We will explain anything to answer questions and address rumors concerning the incident , '' Kim said . `` We have nothing to hide and no reason to hide . So many lives are involved in this case . '' Monday evening was the end of a 69-hour window during which rescuers believed the sailors could survive . Divers have knocked on the hulls of different parts of the ship with hammers , but raised no response . Baengyeong Island , the Seoul-administered island near the scene of the accident , is a flash point maritime border area between the Koreas . Given Baengyeong Island 's proximity to North Korea , North Korean involvement had been feared , but South Korean officials have continued to play down that scenario . North Korea 's official media has yet to mention the incident , according to Yonhap , but accused the United States and South Korea of conducting a maritime drill for the purpose of invading North Korea . | High winds caused by stormy weather delay search for missing South Korean sailors . 46 sailors missing after explosion sank a naval ship Friday in the Yellow Sea . 58 seamen were rescued soon after blast ; no bodies or survivors found since then . Military officials say an explosion tore a hole in the rear of the ship ; cause of the blast not known . | [[0, 15], [45, 117], [107, 143], [775, 851], [180, 254], [265, 277], [283, 364], [365, 402], [1016, 1087], [1094, 1131]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Protests over media freedom continued in Venezuela Tuesday , a day after two student protesters were killed in separate clashes . Student leaders opposed to cable operators ' decision to drop five television channels , including an opposition station , for failure to follow broadcast laws pleaded for an end to the violence at a demonstration in front of the state-run broadcaster . Also Tuesday , the Interior Ministry designated four investigators to look into the shooting deaths of the two students in the western state of Merida . The protests stem from the suspension of cable station Radio Caracas Television -LRB- RCTV -RRB- and five other stations over the weekend . The stations were pulled from the air because they did not broadcast a speech by President Hugo Chavez , as required by national broadcast laws . Protesters say that the suspension of RCTV , known for its anti-Chavez slant , was provoked by the Chavez government . The Chavez government had already pushed RCTV off of public airwaves in 2007 for similar violations . Then , as now , his opponents saw politics behind the move . The street protests this week produced confrontations with police and Chavez supporters , but have been more widespread . Photos from a weekend national baseball series showed many fans in the crowd wearing red bandanas over their mouths in protest . According to the preliminary investigation , a 16-year-old student was killed during an altercation in Merida Monday night , the state-run Bolivarian News Agency reported . The teen was identified as Yosinio Carrillo Torres . In a second incident in Merida , just before midnight , another youth , Marcos Rosales Suarez , was shot when a group of unidentified gunmen fired into a crowd of protesters . `` We applied the law , '' Chavez said in a speech over the weekend . `` If they do n't follow it , they wo n't be allowed back on the air . '' Many press freedom organizations , including the Committee to Protect Journalists , have urged Chavez to allow the stations back on the air right away . `` Pulling a television station from cable and satellite distribution because it chooses not to carry every word uttered by a politician would be laughable if this were n't Venezuela , '' Carlos Lauria , CPJ 's senior program coordinator for the Americas , said in a statement . `` The action against RCTV is a disturbing sign of the growing censorship imposed by President Hugo Chavez . The authorities must restore all stations to subscription TV immediately . '' The Venezuelan embassy in the United States released a statement challenging the way the RCTV incident was being portrayed , citing `` distortions in U.S. press coverage . '' `` Once again an administrative sanction against media outlets that have failed to comply with broadcast laws are painted as measures against the political views expressed in their programming with the goal of attacking the democratic legitimacy of the Venezuelan government , '' the statement said . The cable stations were aware of the laws and chose not to follow them , the Venezuelan government said . `` This is not a discriminatory nor arbitrary measure , '' the statement said . In other developments in Venezuela , the president of state-owned Banco de Venezuela , Eugenio Vazquez Orellana , announced his resignation Tuesday . The resignation follows two other high-level resignations from Chavez 's upper ranks . Over the weekend , Venezuela 's vice president and defense minister Ramon Carrizalez , and minister for the environment Yuviri Ortega , also resigned . | Protests over media freedom continue in Venezuela a day after two protesters killed . Students oppose cable operator dropping 5 TV channels , including opposition station . Stations pulled from air for not broadcasting speech by President Hugo Chavez . Protesters : RCTV suspension -LRB- known for anti-Chavez slant -RRB- provoked by government . | [[80, 81], [86, 148], [149, 202], [176, 191], [203, 269], [556, 695], [696, 798], [2074, 2186], [556, 695], [842, 960], [880, 884], [887, 918], [862, 884], [921, 960]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The race for line honors in the annual Sydney-Hobart yacht race is developing into a thrilling battle between three giant maxi yachts . Neville Crichton 's Alfa Romeo was leading after the fleet emerged from the first night , but less than five nautical miles separated the New Zealand 100-footer from British entry ICAP Leopard , skippered by Mike Slade , and four-time line honors winner Wild Oats X1 , with Australian Mark Richards at the helm . Light winds have ruled out a realistic chance of any of the contenders breaking the race record set by Wild Oats in 2005 of one day , 18 hours and 40 minutes , but the three-way tactical battle is the closest for several years . The official race Web site www.rolexsydneyhobart.com reported that the three leaders were traveling at just over 11 knots with an east-south east wind as they headed to the finish in the Tasmanian capital . 100 yachts started the 628-nautical mile `` Bluewater Classic '' from Sydney Harbor on Boxing Day and it made for the usual impressive spectacle . Four retirements had taken place by daylight , with Alan Brierty 's Limit , representing the organizing club , the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia , going out due to rigging problems . Limit was one of the favorites for overall victory on handicap . The annual race was first held in 1945 and has been hit by severe weather conditions in previous years . In 1998 , six competitors died and several boats were lost during a fierce storm on the first night . Two years ago the fleet was also hit by similar conditions and eight yachtsman had to abandon a sinking craft . The forecasted light winds are expected to favor the bigger yachts who can use their giant spinnakers to good effect as they head for Constitution Harbor in Hobart . | Three giant yachts are battling it out for line honors in Sydney-Hobart classic . New Zealand 's Alfa Romeo leads from ICAP Leopard and Wild Oats X ! Wild Oats bidding for fifth straight line honors success in 628 nautical mile test . | [[0, 15], [83, 154]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An investigation commissioned by the city of New York found private gun vendors selling weapons to buyers who admitted not being able to pass background checks , breaking federal law , a report released Wednesday says . It is illegal for unlicensed sellers to sell a gun if there is reason to think the buyer would fail a background check . The sales were made at seven gun shows in Ohio , Tennessee and Nevada , the report says . Hired investigators with hidden cameras were able to purchase guns from private sellers after announcing to the vendors they could not pass a background check , it says . Nineteen of the 30 private sellers the undercover investigators dealt with failed the integrity test , according to the report . The law does not require private unlicensed sellers at gun shows to do background checks on their customers . However , it is a federal felony for unlicensed sellers to sell a gun if they have a reason to believe the buyer would fail a background check . There were no arrests and no lawsuit were filed . `` Closing the gun show loophole has nothing to do with the Second Amendment , '' Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a news conference Wednesday . `` It is basic law enforcement , plain and simple . '' He said he does not want to shut down gun shows but to change the law . He cited a 2000 study from the then-Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco and Firearms saying 30 percent of guns involved in federal illegal gun trafficking investigations are connected in some way to gun shows . The figure is disputed by gun proponents . `` We believe anyone who breaks the law should be arrested , prosecuted and punished , '' the National Rifle Association said in a statement supplied to CNN . `` Instead of working with law enforcement to bring those who may have broken the law to justice , Mayor Bloomberg chose to use this information for a press conference . Bloomberg 's priorities are clearly media first , justice later . '' But Bloomberg has support from some in Washington , including Sen. Frank Lautenberg , D-New Jersey . `` This investigation reveals how easy it is for criminals and even terrorists to purchase firearms at gun shows and is further proof that we must close the gun show loophole , '' Lautenberg said in a written statement . | Sales made at gun shows in Ohio , Tennessee , Nevada , report says . 19 of 30 private sellers in sting failed the integrity test , according to the report . Closing gun-show loophole `` is basic law enforcement , '' NYC mayor says . It `` has nothing to do with the Second Amendment , '' said Mayor Michael Bloomberg . | [[213, 247], [213, 247], [567, 578], [584, 617], [665, 730], [630, 693], [705, 730], [630, 664], [733, 758], [1211, 1259], [1065, 1140], [1143, 1207]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rafael Nadal must get past big-serving home hope Andy Roddick to have a shot at his first title in 11 months at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami . The Spanish fourth seed crushed No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 6-3 6-2 on Wednesday night to move into the semifinals of the ATP Tour event , which has already seen top-ranked Roger Federer , Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray fall by the wayside . Sixth seed Roddick is hoping to repeat his 2004 victory , with the American in similarly dominant form as he dispatched Nadal 's 33rd-seeded compatriot Nicolas Almagro 6-3 6-3 . Nadal , twice a losing finalist in the southern American city , also reached the last four at Indian Wells two weeks ago on his return from a knee injury . `` When you play against Andy , it always is a big challenge , '' he told the ATP Tour Web site . `` His serve , and he 's a very good competitor . He 's a winner . Gon na be a very tough match , no ? I think I have to play my best tennis to try to win . '' Roddick , who has not dropped a set so far , will take on a player who will return to No. 3 in the world rankings next week following defending champion Murray 's second-round exit . He reached the final at Indian Wells before losing to Nadal 's conqueror Ivan Ljubicic , and was also a semifinalist in Miami in 2008 . `` Sometimes when you 're not playing well , everything feels a little bit forced . When you play a lot of matches and play a high level , it feels like everything kind of slows down a little bit , '' he told the ATP site . `` Muscle memory takes over a little bit more , and things kind of just happen . So I think I 'm at that stage right now . `` Unfortunately with tennis you have to start every day and it 's a new one . You 're playing well , but you still have to go out and do it every day . '' In Thursday 's quarterfinals , fifth seed Robin Soderling of Sweden takes on No. 13 Mikhail Youzhny of Russia . Czech 16th seed Tomas Berdych , who knocked out Federer on Wednesday , will play Spanish No. 10 Fernando Verdasco . Meanwhile , Justine Henin will take on fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters in a battle of the former number ones in the semifinals of the women 's event in Miami . Henin came from behind to oust second seed Caroline Wozniacki , beating the young Dane 6-7 -LRB- 5-7 -RRB- 6-3 6-4 . `` I was in a lot of trouble in the first set . It was n't easy for me to find a good balance of aggression and patience , '' Henin , who was given a wildcard entry , told the WTA Tour Web site . `` It was the kind of match I really needed . Even though I was a bit tired in the end , I was able to win . In terms of my fighting spirit , I proved I can still do it . That was important for me . '' Clijsters , the 14th seed , defeated No. 9 Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-3 7-5 as she broke to love in the 11th game and then served out for victory . `` Kim and I grew up together , arrived on the tour at the same time , played well at the same time , retired at the same time , and now we came back at the same time . It 's amazing , '' Clijsters said . `` We have never stopped respecting each other . Never , ever , ever . Even if people talk about it , we never had any problems , Kim and I. '' Henin has a 12-11 advantage in matches between the two , and the winner of Thursday night 's match will take on either American third seed Venus Williams or France 's No. 13 Marion Bartoli . | Rafael Nadal faces Andy Roddick in semifinals of Sony Ericsson Open in Miami . Spanish fourth seed continues comeback with 6-3 6-2 win over No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga . American sixth seed Roddick crushes Nadal 's compatriot Nicolas Almagro . Kim Clijsters to take on fellow Belgian Justine Henin in last four of women 's event . | [[165, 183], [259, 308], [520, 591], [2056, 2065], [2068, 2212]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Taking risks in life with her career , and less so at the buffet table , have served Mireille Guiliano and her readers well . The longtime Veuve Clicquot champagne house executive has a wisdom about women , French and otherwise , that 's made her one others turn to for advice . The former CEO and best-selling author of `` French Women Do n't Get Fat '' and `` French Women for All Seasons '' is now toasting her latest book , `` Women , Work & the Art of Savoir Faire : Business Sense & Sensibility . '' Inspired by the young women who 've approached her for guidance , Guiliano , who splits her time between New York and Paris , set out to impart what she 's learned through her career . `` We have to help each other and help especially the young generation progress and not make the same mistakes we did , '' she said . `` These very difficult times , with the recession and all of that , are actually a positive for women because it gives us a chance to make a difference and show that we are becoming the majority , and we should be treated as such . '' CNN sat down recently with Guiliano to discuss the word that hurts the careers of women most , the lessons her mother taught her and any last-minute tips she has to prevent holiday-food overindulgence . Here are excerpts from that interview : . CNN : What exactly is this art of savoir faire you speak of ? Guiliano : Savoir faire is a complex set , a mix I should say , of competence , experience and knowing somehow instinctively how to make a decision in a given situation . -LSB- It 's -RSB- creating your own luck and your own opportunities and then making the most of them . CNN : What are the pitfalls you 've seen women fall into most often and how do you think they can be avoided ? Guiliano : The word that I found comes back over and over again in women 's lives when it pertains to their professions is the word fear . They 're afraid to make a move . They 're afraid to take a job in another state or another city or another country . They 're afraid to go for an interview . They 're afraid to take a promotion because they might not be up to the job . It comes from our culture , of course , the low self-esteem and low confidence we have , and we have to change that . CNN : How did you not fall into that trap ? Guiliano : I used my mother 's management principle , which was ironic because my mother did n't go to school and was n't a businesswoman . But she told me to not be afraid to take risks and to ask myself , `` What is the worst thing that can happen ? '' ... When you have that in mind , it gives you a special strength to go ahead , be bold and take the chances . CNN : When you talk about what `` our culture '' has taught women , do you see a difference between American women and French women ? And as a Frenchwoman who 's lived and worked in New York , what have those differences meant to you ? Guiliano : Being and working in America , it 's very important to work hard , work smart and work in a certain way . France and Europe has , with the tradition and culture , it 's slow-moving and it 's not always good . So you have to find a balance between the two . I know that I could have never accomplished what I have if I had stayed in France . CNN : Why do you say that ? Guiliano : Because the opportunities were not there . Because it 's much more of a man 's world . In France , it 's still very difficult for women to move ahead and to get into the boardroom or -LSB- serve as -RSB- CEO and all of that . That has to change . CNN : But what about the need for more balance in American women 's lives ? Guiliano : Balance -- that 's what it 's about . At the end of the day , each of us is responsible for our own balance . It starts with the physical because when you are healthy physically , of course , you have more energy , you are more bubbly , you are more productive , you 're a happier person . And I believe it 's contagious . Your spouse will notice it , your colleagues will notice it , and it will have a tremendous positive effect on the way you work , the way you think and the way you do everything . CNN : Do you have tips on how to achieve this ? Guiliano : Find times to relax , to pursue your hobbies , your moments because this is very important . It 's unfortunate that sometimes our companies , our bosses do n't understand that we need that time . Actually it makes us better workers . We should n't feel guilty going for a walk at lunch , as opposed to eating at our desks . Each of us has different ways . For you , it might be five minutes , three times a day , of deep breathing . And for me it might be 20 minutes of yoga in the morning . Or for someone else it might be listening to music or going for a walk . Whatever it is , you need that . CNN : You 've also , since your first book , emphasized the importance of eating well . We are in the midst of the most gluttonous season , and though it might be a little late to apply your advice this year around , do you have any last-minute tips for how we can approach holiday parties ? Guiliano : You have to apply a few commonsense tricks . At most of those parties , the food is not that great to start with , so do n't go hungry and starving . Have two tablespoons of a yogurt or a sliver of cheese or a few nuts or a hard-boiled egg or an apple before you go , so you 're not starving , and then try not to be too close to the food . Or look at all the food and pick two or three things you like and just have small portions , small bites . ... People in America , in the Anglo-Saxon world , tend to say `` no bread . '' You can have a little bit of everything . It 's all about moderation and balance . | Mireille Guiliano , best-selling author , promotes latest book about work life . Women mentoring other women is key to growth , as is finding balance , Guiliano says . Letting go of fear allows women to take risks and move ahead , author adds . Balance is tied to physical health and sensible eating , a doable holiday challenge . | [[2591, 2691], [2586, 2612], [2615, 2617], [2673, 2691], [3763, 3842]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Scores of bodies were found in a mass grave outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince on Friday , a sign of Haitians ' desperation three days after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the impoverished nation . At least 100 bodies were discovered by a CNN crew in one open pit outside Port-au-Prince , with several other pits half-filled or completely covered over with earth , presumably full . The bodies were brought to the site by dump trucks , still accompanied by the remnants of what loved ones used to move them -- pieces of plywood , makeshift shrouds and in one case , an old refrigerator . Elsewhere , bodies were being shoved into old crypts in the city 's existing cemeteries . Haiti 's Minister of Civil Protection said Friday that the government estimates more than 50,000 people were killed , with the number possibly closer to 100,000 . There is not yet an official count of the dead from the quake . Despite the death and destruction , hundreds of people , mostly women , took to the streets in an area of the capital on Friday , singing and chanting as they marched down the street -- a sign of resilience amid huge mounds of rubble . It is not the first time such a display has been observed . Singing and clapping has been heard well into the night in a large square that thousands of people have made home after the earthquake , a CNN crew reported . Meanwhile , a crucial 72-hour window elapsed Friday afternoon -- the time to free those who still may be alive trapped under the remains of buildings . An 18-month-old baby was pulled from the rubble Friday , seemingly unharmed . Get the latest developments in Haiti . Still , those rescued were n't out of danger as hospitals lacked proper supplies to treat some of them . An 11-year-old girl rescued Thursday -- an effort CNN captured on camera throughout the day -- died later that night from her injuries after a first-aid station said it could n't treat her severe leg wound , her family said . Aid workers continued to trickle into the country Friday , trying to provide water and food to survivors in the capital , which still was being rocked by aftershocks Friday . The quake toppled many of Port-au-Prince 's buildings , and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon estimated Friday that it left as many as `` 50 percent of buildings in the worst-hit areas damaged or destroyed . '' Many of the capital 's 3 million people are without access to food , water , shelter and electricity , he said , and crews are working `` to save as many lives as possible . '' Haitian President Rene Preval identified three priorities in the recovery effort -- get the government back up and running , clear the roads and sanitize the city of the scores of corpses scattered about its streets , he told U.N. television Friday . There were small signs of progress in food and water distribution by Friday afternoon . A few fire trucks and tankers were seen distributing water . A U.N. distribution center also was set up -- guarded by Bolivian U.N. peacekeeping troops -- where some 10,000 plates of cooked chicken and rice were handed out to a patient line of survivors . Elsewhere , a U.N. food convoy was rushed by dozens of hungry people who clamored to reach the handouts of nutritional biscuits and water-purification tablets . Impact Your World . Ban announced Friday that he will travel to Haiti on Sunday . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also announced Friday that she will visit the quake-battered capital on Saturday , the first major U.S. official to do so . President Obama spoke for about a half-hour with Preval on Friday , pledging the `` full support of the American people , '' including long-term help . The relief effort has been challenged by the destruction and the need for more supplies , the U.N. secretary-general said , citing blocked roads and limited capacity at the capital 's one-runway airport . The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a ground stop on all U.S. flights into Haiti Friday because of a lack of ramp space . Haiti aid efforts hampered in critical hours . But , Ban said , aid flights are arriving , and food and medical supplies are beginning to be distributed in Port-au-Prince . `` Although it is inevitably slower and more difficult than any of us would wish , we are mobilizing all resources as fast as we possibly can , '' Ban said Friday , announcing an appeal for $ 550 million . The United Nations announced Friday that at least 37 of its personnel had died -- 36 with the U.N. mission and one with the World Food Programme . More than 300 are still unaccounted for . U.N. entities in Haiti employ more than 12,000 people . Preval said that he has been touched by the friendship of the American people . He expressed his condolences for the loss of American citizens in Haiti . The State Department has identified at least six U.S. deaths so far and a spokesman said Friday that toll `` will go up . '' Despite relative calm , CNN reporters witnessed some sporadic looting and violence Thursday afternoon . Watch how texting is helping to raise money for Haiti . `` If help does n't come quickly , it probably will -LRB- get worse -RRB- , '' Agnes Pierre-Louis , manager of her family-owned hotel , the Le Plaza in downtown Port-au-Prince . `` We 're not hearing anything from the government . We 're not seeing any foreign aid yet . '' But Lt. Gen. Ken Keen , deputy commander of the U.S. Southern Command , said forces have not `` seen a great deal of insecurity . '' The priority now , he said , is cranking up rescue and relief efforts to stave off restiveness . CNN 's Arthur Brice , Elise Labott , Richard Roth , Chris Lawrence and Steve Kastenbaum contributed to this report . | At least one mass grave has been dug outside Port-au-Prince . Small signs of progress in food and water distribution . President Obama offers `` full support of the American people '' to Haitian leader . U.N. secretary-general , U.S. secretary of state to come to Haiti . | [[0, 138], [255, 343], [2017, 2028], [2076, 2136], [2832, 2919], [3583, 3598], [3651, 3702], [3357, 3418], [3419, 3458], [3464, 3539]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the middle of the street lies a young man who appears to be dead , a pool of blood beneath his head . A large concrete block is next to his shoulder , with shattered pieces of it around him . Blood trickles down the road . Witnesses say he was a thief trying to steal people 's money Friday amid the chaos from last week 's earthquake . `` This is robbery . He went to rob the people . He went to steal money -- American dollars , '' said a man at the scene who identified himself as Frederic Mano , a Haitian sportswriter . `` The people kill him with the blocks , because the people are angry . They are not hungry , they are angry , '' Mano told CNN 's Lisa Desjardins . Gruesome photos from the scene show the man facing up , with his arms out to the side . He is wearing socks but no shoes . A second concrete block is a few feet away from him . Mano said the young man was one of several thousand prisoners who escaped after the earthquake struck . He did not deserve to be killed , Mano says , `` but anyway , he 's dead . That is destiny . '' Other witnesses gave a similar account . They said they believed the man was a thief and might have been a prisoner who escaped . In Haiti at this time , there is no immediate way to confirm the man 's identity . CNN learned of the situation when a Haitian approached a CNN crew . `` Do you want to see an example of citizen justice ? '' the man asked . He said a man had been stoned to death by an angry mob . By the time CNN arrived on the scene , the crowd had mostly dispersed . Some people stood on the side , looking at the young man in the middle of John Brown Avenue , which is usually one of the busiest streets in the capital city . There are no operating shops on the street . But there are many vendors selling items from tables or carts . The incident took place near the Champs de Mars , the capital 's central plaza that has turned into something of a tent city . It was just a few minutes ' walk from CNN 's bureau . As the body lay still , some vehicles drove by on each side . CNN 's Alec Miran contributed to this report . | Apparently by a mob , man killed near Champs de Mars , the capital 's central plaza . `` This is robbery . He went to rob the people , '' says a man at the scene . Gruesome photos from the scene show the man facing up , with his arms out to the side . | [[1450, 1506], [1453, 1506], [1848, 1895], [268, 381], [282, 381], [382, 402], [403, 430], [476, 502], [719, 772]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some silver screen couples were just meant to end up together : Bogey and Bacall , Harry and Sally , Saturday matinees and ... a cup of low-fat yogurt ? If Sony executives get their way , U.S. moviegoers will have the option of healthier snacks with their flicks -- and they wo n't even have to smuggle them in . In a recent speech at ShoWest -- the country 's largest tradeshow for the movie theater industry -- Sony Pictures Entertainment Chief Executive Michael Lynton called upon concessionaires to supplement classic , high-calorie soda , candy and popcorn options with more healthy fare like fruit , granola , yogurt and vegetables with dip . It 's `` the right thing to do for our industry , for audiences and for our country , '' said Lynton . Lynton 's colleague , Sony 's Executive Vice President for Global Communications Jim Kennedy , attempted to combat the causes of child obesity in his previous post with the Clinton Foundation . With this new intiative , he revisits that effort , telling CNN that Sony is asking theaters to accommodate the 60 percent of parents who feel that their overall moviegoing experience would be improved if there were healthier options available at the concession stand . The poll , conducted by Nielsen , also revealed that two-thirds of all moviegoers and three-quarters of parents would be more likely to buy sensible snacks from concession stands -LRB- Kennedy says that savvy moviegoers are already sneaking in raisins and granola bars -RRB- if they were available for purchase . So what does this means for lovers of king-sized Sno-Caps -LRB- 400 calories and 11 grams of saturated fat in a 3.1-ounce bag -RRB- and fishbowl-sized sodas -LRB- 400 calories and 26 teaspoons of sugar in a 44-ounce medium iced soda at Regal , or a large at AMC or Cinemark theaters -RRB- -- as well as the theaters thatsell popcorn for a 900 percent markup ? Kennedy , himself a fan of a popcorn and M&M s combo -LRB- `` I go back and forth between the sweet and the salt -- though I wish the M&M s came in smaller bags . '' -RRB- says neither set will suffer . `` We 're not asking theaters to stop selling sodas , and we know most moviegoers are unlikely to change their habits . It just makes sense to offer more choices . '' `` It 's a new source of income for theaters . They 've already innovated by adding digital technology and more comfortable seats . This is consistent with that level of innovation , '' he said . Representatives for The National Association of Theatre Owners and several major chains were unavailable for comment , but according to a SmartMoney.com interview with Warren Miller , senior equity analyst for stock tracking service Morningstar , of every dollar spent at the concession stand , 85 cents is profit . A CNN Money feature from earlier this year finds that a medium bag of popcorn at most chains costs 60 cents , but retails for $ 6 . Theater owners may be slow to invest in fare with a flatter return rate . And just how unhealthy is that much demonized `` buttery '' popcorn topping ? According to a December 2009 dispatch from the Center for Science in the Public Interest , one tablespoon of the non-hydrogenated soybean oil used by many chains adds an extra 130 calories , while the same amount of real butter topping pours on 9 grams of saturated fat -- or half a day 's limit . The corn itself packs a serious caloric pop . According to that same study , a medium -LRB- 20 cup -RRB- bucket at a Regal theater weighs in at 1,200 calories , with 60 grams of saturated fat and 980 milligrams of sodium , and Cinemark 's medium size -LRB- a mere 14 cups -RRB- serves up 760 calories , 3 grams of saturated fat and 1,240 milligrams of sodium . To put that in perspective , recommended daily intake for an average adult is 2000 calories , 20 grams of saturated fat and 1,500 milligrams of sodium . While , according to Jim Kennedy , the average American visits their local theater four times a year and this might not make a major nutritional dent , many families with children attend nearly once a week . But why are modern day moviegoers in the habit of sitting back and massively snacking in the dark , anyhow ? Kennedy says it would probably take a sociologist to figure that out . | Sony movie execs want theater concessionaires to offer fruit , granola , yogurt . Poll : Two-thirds of all moviegoers more likely to buy sensible snacks . Expert : Of every dollar spent at the concession stand , 85 cents is profit . | [[207, 281], [332, 361], [432, 667], [1235, 1266], [1274, 1509], [2769, 2789]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Deaths from pregnancy and childbirth in the United States have doubled in the past 20 years , a development that a human rights group called `` scandalous and disgraceful '' Friday . In addition , the rights group said , about 1.7 million women a year , one-third of pregnant women in the United States , suffer from pregnancy-related complications . Most of the deaths and complications occur among minorities and women living in poverty , it noted . Amnesty International issued a report Friday that calls on President Obama to take action . `` This country 's extraordinary record of medical advancement makes its haphazard approach to maternal care all the more scandalous and disgraceful , '' said Larry Cox , executive director of Amnesty International USA . `` Good maternal care should not be considered a luxury available only to those who can access the best hospitals and the best doctors . Women should not die in the richest country on earth from preventable complications and emergencies , '' Cox said in a news release . The report , `` Deadly Delivery : The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA , '' notes that the lifetime risk of maternal deaths is greater in the United States than in 40 other countries , including virtually all industrialized nations . The report also noted that severe pregnancy-related complications that nearly cause death -- known as `` near misses '' -- have increased by 25 percent since 1998 . Up to 40 percent of near misses are considered preventable with better quality of care , according to a 2007 study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology . Minorities , women living in poverty , Native Americans , immigrants and those who speak little or no English are particularly affected , Amnesty International said . `` The thing that really struck us was that these problems hit women of color , low-income , particularly hard , '' said Nan Strauss , researcher and co-author of the Amnesty report . `` But every woman who is going through pregnancy in this country is at risk . '' Figures compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta , Georgia , show that black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth than their white counterparts . White women have a mortality rate of 9.5 per 100,000 pregnancies , the CDC said . For African-American women , that rate is 32.7 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies . `` This has been known for a while and no one has a good handle on it , '' said Dr. Elliot Main , chairman and chief of obstetrics at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco . `` This is a national disgrace and a call to action . Both numbers are a call to action -- maternal mortality and racial disparity . '' The CDC analysis shows that deaths during pregnancy and childbirth have doubled for all U.S. women in the past 20 years . In 1987 , there were 6.6 deaths for every 100,000 pregnancies . The number of deaths had climbed to 13.3 per 100,000 in 2006 , the last year for which figures were available . A report called `` Healthy People 2010 '' by the Department of Health and Human Services says that number should be around four deaths for each 100,000 pregnancies . Statistics for other highly industrialized countries show that the U.S. goal of four deaths for every 100,000 pregnancies is attainable . Great Britain , for example , has fewer than four deaths for each 100,000 pregnancies , Main said . `` Women 's health is at risk , '' said Strauss . `` We spend the most , and yet women are more likely to die than in 40 other countries . And that disconnect is what makes it such a problem . '' Amnesty International points out that nearly 13 million U.S. women of reproductive age -LRB- 15 to 44 years old -RRB- , or one in five , do not have health insurance . Minorities account for 32 percent of all women in the United States but 51 percent of uninsured women , the rights group said . Furthermore , Amnesty International said , one in four women do not receive adequate prenatal care , starting in the first trimester . The number rises to about one in three for African-American and Native American women , the human rights group said . Amnesty International also cited what it called `` burdensome bureaucratic procedures in Medicaid enrollment -LSB- that -RSB- substantially delay access to vital prenatal care for pregnant women seeking government-funded care . '' In addition , the group said , a shortage of health care professionals poses a serious obstacle to timely and adequate care , especially in rural areas and inner cities . In 2008 , 64 million people were living in `` shortage areas '' for primary care , Amnesty International said . `` Obstacles to care are widespread , even though the USA spends more on health care than any other country and more on pregnancy and childbirth-related hospital costs , $ 86 billion , than any other type of hospital care , '' the rights group said . In its call for Obama to take action , Amnesty International said a health care reform proposal before Congress does not address the issue . `` Reform is primarily focused on health care coverage and reducing health care costs , and even optimistic estimates predict that any proposal on the table will still leave millions without access to affordable care , '' said Rachel Ward , one of the authors of the `` Deadly Delivery '' report . `` Mothers die not because the United States ca n't provide good care , but because it lacks the political will to make sure good care is available to all women , '' said Cox , Amnesty International USA 's executive director . Medical professionals and researchers note that although the percentage of maternal deaths is increasing , the overall number still remains low . `` They are low in absolute number sense , '' said Main in San Francisco . `` These are rare events . They serve as a canary in the mine shaft -- tell us that we need to look more carefully at the system of maternity care . Overall , childbirth is very safe . '' More of an alarm is not sounded , analysts said , because most practitioners do n't see many -- if any -- deaths each year . There is now approximately one death for every 6,000 to 10,000 births , Main said . A typical hospital has about 1,500 births a year , so any hospital can go years without a maternal death , he said . `` It 's still , thank heavens , quite rare , '' said Debra Bingham , executive director of California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative . But that does n't mean there 's not a problem , she said . `` When you see trends worsen in such a short period of time , it requires thoughtful examination , '' said Bingham . `` And you ca n't just dismiss that . '' Rivka Gordon , director of strategic initiatives at the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals , also believes something should be done . `` It 's unacceptable in a resource-rich country like the U.S. that we are seeing maternal - and pregnancy-related deaths trending upward , '' she said . `` We have to look very , very carefully at this . '' CNN 's Ashley Wennersherron contributed to this report . | Amnesty International report calls for better maternal care in United States . `` Women are more likely to die than in 40 other countries , '' Amnesty says . CDC : Whites ' mortality rate is 9.5 per 100,000 pregnancies , blacks ' rate is 32.7 . | [[471, 562], [1134, 1294], [1766, 1794], [3534, 3595], [2061, 2138], [2151, 2269], [2270, 2334], [2352, 2364], [2381, 2431]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He 's the new Billy Mays . But Anthony Sullivan does n't shout , and he did n't exactly jump at the chance to take up the mantle of the famous TV pitchman . Nine months after the ubiquitous king of direct-response TV commercials was found dead in his Florida home at age 50 , Mighty Brands has announced that Sullivan will take Mays ' place as product spokesman . When Mighty Brands initially approached him with the idea , Sullivan , 41 , was hesitant at first . `` They came to me and said , ` You guys were great friends ' -- so it was tough . '' After Mays ' family signed on to the idea , `` it came down to a question of , if I did n't do it , who else was going to do it ? '' For those who have n't watched any TV in the past decade , the phrase `` Hi , Billy Mays here for Oxi Clean ! '' made him a household name . Mays was the `` bearded , lovable rogue , '' said Sullivan . Mays built a trademark with his shouting style and blue shirt and khaki pants . Sullivan was the mastermind behind those ads , acting as director and producer after competing against Mays for years in the cutthroat world of TV pitchmen . To his credit , Sullivan -- like Mays -- has sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products -- many of them you 've likely seen on TV . But before Sullivan moved countless Stick Up Bulbs , Smart Choppers , One Sweeps and Swivel Sweepers -- his first TV sales pitch almost happened by mistake . In 1993 , Sullivan stopped by the cable shopping channel HSN to sell a product called the SmartMop . At first , while chatting informally with a show host about the mops , Sullivan was unaware that the robotic cameras were trained on him . `` Are we on ? '' he asked , already realizing the answer to his question . `` I just sort of froze for half a second , and I thought sh -- , I just got ta pitch . '' Nine minutes later , the phone lines exploded . After 22 minutes , Sullivan had sold 5,000 SmartMops . Not bad for his first time at bat . Eventually , Mays also joined HSN and the two men `` lit up that network '' for the next six years , said Sullivan . Different styles . The two pitchmen wield very different styles . As Sullivan describes it , Mays ' secret weapon was himself and his bearded pitchman character to grab viewers ' attention . Sullivan , on the other hand , mesmerizes viewers with his southwestern English accent . He describes his style as honing in on viewers and focusing on the benefits of the product . Before earning U.S. citizenship , a younger Sullivan cut his teeth in the English street markets of London , drawn to the fast-talking Artful Dodgers who were as much entertainers as they were hucksters and pitchers . `` I was always amazed . '' The London pitchmen -- following a centuries-old tradition in places like Petticoat Lane , Portobello Road and Blackbushe Market -- knew they 'd won over a crowd when they 'd see a husband nudge a wife acknowledging they 'd been entertained . `` They 'd say , ` You know , we watched this guy pitch his heart out and even though we really do n't need what he 's selling , he made us laugh . ' They 'd give you a 10-pound tip and take whatever it was we were selling . And I really enjoyed that part of the business . '' Sullivan says street pitching has become a virtual lost art now because of eBay and the Internet . `` It was just poetic , these pitches , '' recalled Sullivan , quoting some of the riffs that still echo across the years . ` Ladies and gentlemen , here 's where we sort the needy from the greedy , the spiers from the buyers , the ones that trust me from the ones that do n't . ' It was just this poetry -- if you will . That 's where poetry meets sales . '' In the world of TV pitches , poetry meets sales with phrases like , `` For zest , it 's the best ! '' and `` That 's cash in the trash ! '' As Sullivan says , the best pitchers demonstrate their products -- and the bigger the demonstration , the better . He 's been set on fire and shared a kitchen with a grizzly bear . `` Some pretty crazy stuff . '' This month Sullivan spent a day being dunked in the Florida intercoastal waterway . Sullivan went parasailing in a suit wrapped in a product called Mighty Thirsty , plunging into the water to demonstrate its absorbency . `` It was a strange moment , but only Billy could have got me there . '' Because of his street market background -- or perhaps in spite of it -- Sullivan admits that some think his sales approach is more sophisticated than Mays ' boisterous , bellowing banter . `` I think we 're both relentless . '' Mays died shortly after he and Sullivan wrapped the first season of Discovery Channel 's reality based TV series PitchMen . According to a Hillsborough County , Florida , autopsy report issued in August , Mays died from a heart attack -- with cocaine listed as a contributing factor . Choosing to move forward after Mays ' death , Sullivan and Discovery are producing a second season of PitchMen without casting a replacement for Mays . The refreshed program will focus more on inventors who pitch their products to be accepted for a Sullivan TV ad campaign . `` I think Billy would have slapped me on the side of the head if I did n't continue with it , '' said Sullivan . ` Life 's a pitch and then you buy it ' Mays lives on in thousands of YouTube videos , where he 's often heard saying , `` Life 's a pitch and then you buy it . '' Everyone is always selling or buying something , whether they realize it or not , said Sullivan . `` When your child 's applying for college -- it 's no different from pitching . You 're pitching yourself , your services , your family . You 're selling your house , you 're buying a house . Everyone is involved in the buying or selling process . Even if you 're buying -- you 're being sold . '' How does Sullivan make the sale ? `` I think you have to be passionate . You have to be sincere . You have to really believe in what you sell . You have to do it with a smile . I often think that if you can make someone laugh while you 're selling -- and disarm them with a little bit of humor -- it goes such a long way . '' But that 's not all , as the pitchmen often say . There 's more to this story . Lately , Mays ' 23-year-old son , Billy Mays III , has been working at Sullivan 's production company . Right now , the 23-year-old musician is n't interested in following his father 's path as a pitchman . `` He has his father 's soul , but he 's his own man in his own way , '' said Sullivan . Even as Sullivan hawks Mays ' former brands , the Mays family will continue to get a cut of the proceeds from sales . `` Every time I say , ` Hi , Anthony Sullivan here , ' I always think it should be ` Hi , Billy Mays here , ' the pitchman confides . `` But the bottom line is , he 's not here . So I 'm honored to be carrying on his legacy a little bit . '' | TV pitchman Anthony Sullivan replaces the late Billy Mays as product spokesman . Sullivan learned to pitch in London 's English street markets where `` poetry meets sales '' No matter who you are , everyone is always selling something , he says . His tips for pitching : be passionate , sincere , smile and use humor . | [[176, 292], [295, 382], [2480, 2511], [2514, 2586], [3667, 3701], [5418, 5426], [5430, 5444], [5852, 5887], [5888, 5912], [5888, 5891], [5897, 5912], [5959, 5991], [5959, 5962], [5968, 5991]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Barack Obama made a previously unannounced visit Thursday to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency , which is dealing with widespread flooding in the region . Obama made the stop after a speech on health care reform in Portland , Maine , and before two fundraising appearances in Boston . At the emergency agency 's facility , Obama met with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick , a fellow Democrat and political ally , as well as local officials and workers combating flooding from recent storms . He spoke with workers coordinating the response to the flooding , saying at one point : `` Sounds like at least with some sunshine and sandbags , we can hope for the best . '' Family needs boat to get to front door . Later , he began his remarks at the fundraising events by thanking the government workers involved in the flood relief effort . `` It is worth reminding people at a time when folks who work in government do n't get enough credit -LRB- that -RRB- when times are tough , when trouble arises , there are all kinds of civil servants out there who work 24/7 , '' Obama said . Patrick has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard . The worst flooding has occurred in neighboring Rhode Island , where more than 10,000 people were without power and officials said long-term recovery could take months . See first-hand stories from the flood zone . A rainstorm soaked Northeastern states Tuesday , worsening the effects of a major storm that struck two weeks ago . Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will visit Rhode Island on Friday to inspect flood damage and meet with state and local leaders to discuss response and recovery efforts . In Connecticut , Gov. Jodi Rell said a state of emergency put in place for the earlier storm remains in effect . The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal , state , local , voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the state . | Obama met with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick , local officials and workers . At fundraisers , president thanked government workers involved in the flood relief effort . Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will visit Rhode Island on Friday . | [[326, 361], [364, 411], [757, 759], [804, 876], [1527, 1667]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rescuers in northern California on Thursday found the body of Thomas Bennett , a climber who became trapped on Mount Shasta after falling ill . A seven-member rescue team flew in by helicopter and found the hiker , who had taken shelter Sunday in a snow cave , the Siskiyou County Sheriff 's Office said . According to local reports , Bennett and a climbing partner trekked to the summit of the mountain , and on their way down , Bennett became sick and unresponsive . His partner , Mark Thomas , dug a snow cave for Bennett and hiked down , looking for help . Poor visibility and weather dashed attempts to fly in the rescue team Wednesday , the sheriff 's office said . On Thursday , the team went up in a Chinook helicopter and was off-loaded near Mount Shasta 's summit . They found an avalanche marker that Thomas had left at the snow cave , and the rescuers dug and found that Bennett had died . Bennett 's family was notified , and his body was flown off the mountain , the sheriff 's office said . An autopsy to determine the exact cause of death was scheduled . | Thomas Bennett had taken ill Sunday after trekking to the summit of the mountain . His partner , Mark Thomas , dug a snow cave for Bennett and hiked down . An autopsy is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death . | [[98, 107], [112, 162], [354, 422], [488, 499], [516, 553], [488, 499], [548, 558], [1025, 1073], [1025, 1089]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Canadian graduate student has found the only known printed copy of Haiti 's Declaration of Independence , tucked away in Britain 's National Archives , researchers said . Duke University student Julia Gaffield found the eight-page pamphlet , dated January 1 , 1804 , while researching Haiti 's early independence , Duke said in a statement Thursday . The discovery sheds light on the early history of Haiti and the relations it had with its Caribbean neighbors at the time , Gaffield and Duke Professor Deborah Jenson said . Gaffield is researching early 19th-century Haiti for her doctoral dissertation in history , Duke said . She did research in France , Haiti and Jamaica , where she saw a handwritten copy of the declaration in the papers of Jamaica 's governor at the time , George Nugent . It indicated there was a printed version somewhere , but it was n't enclosed . In late January , Gaffield went to London for research at the National Archives , where she found the printed declaration . `` I was n't specifically looking for it , but I had an eye out for it because I knew it was missing , '' Gaffield said . `` We figured there was an original somewhere , but did n't know if it still existed . '' The declaration had not been misplaced and had been in the archives for a long time , Gaffield said . The period had simply not been studied in detail , and Gaffield said she figures people who saw the document before probably did n't realize what they had . Gaffield said she was thrilled by the discovery , but had to wait until the end of the day to notify her advisers at Duke , in North Carolina . `` The archives are not the place to make a big scene , '' she said . Haiti 's declaration is only the second of its kind in the world , the first being the U.S. Declaration of Independence , written by Thomas Jefferson and others , Duke said . The pamphlet , written in French , has three distinct parts , the National Archives said . The first two pages are titled `` Liberte ou La Mort , '' which translates to `` Freedom or Death , '' in which the generals of the Haitian army sign their names to an oath swearing to renounce forever the French yoke or die rather than live under its domination . Next , Jean-Jacques Dessalines , the general-in-chief , addresses the citizens of Haiti in an impassioned defense of independence and the destiny of the nation . On the final page , Haitian army generals proclaim Dessalines governor-general for life and swear to obey without question laws issued under his authority . `` To bring this document to light in Haiti 's darkest hour may be seen as a symbol of renewal and rejuvenation , helping Haiti rebuild its national spirit following the recent earthquake , '' said Ian Wilson , president of the International Council on Archives . `` Julia 's achievement in recognizing the significance of this printed document deserves high recognition . '' Oliver Morley , the acting chief executive of the National Archives , said they were pleased to play a role in the discovery . `` It 's incredible that the long search for this important document should finally end at the National Archives , '' Morley said . `` This declaration sent to the British government by Haiti 's first independent leader is of great historical importance to both Haiti and the British people , and provides unique insight into the first successful slave rebellion of modern times . '' Jenson , a professor of French studies at Duke who has researched the U.S. publication of Haiti 's independence documents , said the discovery also shows Haiti had a fully functional printing apparatus at every moment of the new nation 's independence . Researchers had looked for the printed declaration before , without success , said Laurent Dubois , a Duke professor of French studies and history and one of Gaffield 's advisers . In 1952 , Haiti asked intellectual Edmond Mangones to find an original or printed copy so it could be displayed for the nation 's 150th anniversary , Dubois said . Mangones searched in many archives in Haiti and elsewhere before writing with exasperation that all his searching had been `` in vain , '' Dubois said . `` It is really beyond belief , '' Mangones said at the time , `` that not even a copy of the original printed version has been found in France , or in England , or in the United States . '' Gaffield 's discovery , Dubois said , `` has finally changed that . '' Documents from Haiti 's early history have not been well preserved and are scattered in various places , said Dubois , who is working with other historians to rehabilitate Haiti 's archives after the January 12 earthquake . Dubois and Gaffield consulted Patrick Tardieu , a noted Haitian archivist at Brown University , to confirm the document 's authenticity . `` I was so happy to find out it was true , '' Tardieu said . `` It is an important document , and its discovery is important news for Haiti 's scholarly community and more broadly for the people of Haiti . '' Gaffield said she hopes the discovery will remind historians , Haitians and the world about the early history of the only country in the Western Hemisphere where slaves successfully revolted to gain national independence . `` The Haitian Revolution was of immense consequence to Jamaica and other colonies in the Caribbean , as well as to the United States , '' Gaffield said . `` This find is further evidence that there was contact and negotiations going on between them . Haiti was not isolated after independence and it played a complicated role in a world based on colonialism and slavery . '' | Student Julia Gaffield found document in Britain 's National Archives . Pamphlet , dated January 1 , 1804 , is only known record of Haitian independence declaration . This declaration was sent to the British government by Haiti 's first independent leader . The first two pages are titled `` Liberte ou La Mort , '' or `` Freedom or Death . '' | [[9, 16], [144, 187], [0, 6], [9, 32], [36, 141], [209, 302], [3209, 3295], [1989, 2041], [2044, 2046], [2053, 2086]] |
Mexico City , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An American jailer was the target in the shooting deaths of three people with ties to the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez , Mexican officials said . The jailer , Arthur Redelfs , and his wife , Lesley Ann Enriquez , were killed in a drive-by shooting in Juarez earlier this month . Enriquez was an employee of the U.S. Consulate in that city . Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros , 37 , the husband of a Mexican employee of the consulate , was also killed at around the same time as Redelfs and Enriquez . A suspect arrested in the case gave new details on the high-profile killings , Mexican federal authorities said in a statement late Tuesday . Ricardo Valles de la Rosa , a member of the Aztecas gang , was arrested Friday based on military intelligence , the statement said . According to federal officials , de la Rosa told interrogators that he was a lookout for the operation that killed the two Americans . He said he got to know many leaders of the Aztecas , a street gang affiliated with the Juarez cartel , while imprisoned in El Paso County , Texas . Although he was born in Juarez , de la Rosa lived in El Paso for 30 years . One of the Azteca leaders called and ordered him to find where consulate employees were having a children 's party and to follow the white sport utility vehicle belonging to Redelfs , a jail guard in El Paso , authorities said . The call came days in advance of the killings , the statement said . De la Rosa followed Redelfs ' vehicle down a Juarez avenue , until being told to fall back because the shooters had the vehicle in their sights , the statement said . A few moments later , de la Rosa heard shooting . According to federal authorities , de la Rosa drove by the scene and saw that in addition to Redelfs , his wife , who was four months pregnant , was also dead . An infant in the back seat was uninjured . De la Rosa also admitted to involvement in four other homicides involving members or rival gangs , authorities said . No additional arrests have been made in the case . De la Rosa remains imprisoned pending the outcome of the investigation . Ceniceros ' wife was not traveling with him , but two of their children in the car were wounded . His white SUV looked very similar to the one Redelfs drove . | Arthur Redelfs and wife , Lesley Ann Enriquez , killed in a drive-by shooting in Juarez . Suspect arrested in case gives new details on high-profile killings of three people total . Officials : Suspect said he was lookout for the operation that killed the two Americans . | [[189, 231], [245, 321], [1794, 1802], [1836, 1851], [542, 618], [850, 919], [906, 919], [925, 951]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police say it now appears that a southern California family missing since early February voluntarily left for Mexico . But the apparent inactivity of bank cards , credit cards and cellphones since they vanished continues to baffle police and trouble family members . `` I 've been in this business for over 35 years but never seen anything like this , '' Lt. Dennis Brugos of the San Diego Sheriff 's Department told CNN . `` This whole thing does n't add up , '' Michael McStay , the brother of Joseph McStay , said in a phone interview . `` If they left , I do n't need to know why . The bottom line is , I need to make sure they are OK . '' Information gathered on the home computer of Joseph and Summer McStay indicates the couple was making travel inquires about Mexico on the Internet a week before they were reported missing , Brugos said . `` It had to do with travel in Mexico with children and whether you needed to have passports for children , '' Brugos said . `` It looks as if there were some planning . '' The McStays and their children , Gianni , 4 , and Joseph , 3 , have not been seen or heard from since February 4 . The McStays ' two dogs were found unattended , without food or water , in the San Diego-area home , investigators said . McStay 's brother , who initially feared the family might have been kidnapped , still believes they are in danger . `` They ca n't fend for themselves , '' he said . `` If something did happen in Mexico , I would not be able to live with myself . '' A sport utility vehicle belonging to the McStays was found abandoned on February 8 two blocks from the San Ysidro border checkpoint into Mexico , authorities said . Surveillance video taken that evening appears to show the family `` casually '' walking into Mexico , sheriff 's investigators said . Brugos believes the four individuals seen on the security footage bear a strong resemblance to the missing family , including the hats the children wore and the woman 's boots and coat . The sheriff 's office met Tuesday with the department 's liaison detectives in Mexico , he added . `` There is nothing to suggest any criminal involvement in their disappearance , but we would like to find the family , '' Brugos said . Michael McStay , who said he will be handing out fliers at the San Ysirdo checkpoint and canvassing the stores , is desperate for any information . `` Who knows what happens once you leave U.S. soil ? '' he said . `` We 've all seen the news about what goes on down there . Even if they left voluntarily , were they going down for a weekend and never made it back ? What would compel someone to go ? I have no idea . If they left it would have had to be something heavy . `` It just does n't make sense . '' Joseph McStay is 5 feet , 9 inches tall and weighs 175 pounds . He has brown hair and brown eyes . Summer McStay , also known as Lisa Aranda-Martelli , is 5 feet , 5 inches tall and 115 pounds , with brown hair and brown eyes . Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the McStay family is urged to contact Sgt. Dave Martinez of the San Diego County Sheriff 's Department at 858-565-5200 . Anonymous calls can be made to 888-580-8477 . A Web site , http://www.mcstayfamily.com/ , has been set up in an effort to help locate the family . | Joseph and Summer McStay and their children have been missing since February 4 . Apparent inactivity of cards and cellphones still troubles police , loved ones . Surveillance video shows a family of 4 `` casually '' crossing border into Mexico . Joseph McStay 's brother says he will be handing out fliers at border crossing . | [[19, 137], [1040, 1096], [1103, 1121], [1040, 1096], [1125, 1154], [182, 209], [216, 285], [1691, 1790], [2248, 2262], [2269, 2358]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chechen rebel leader Dokku Umarov claimed that he personally gave orders to attack the Moscow subway this week , according to a Chechen rebel Web site . Kavkaz Center , a Web site that regularly carries messages from the rebels , released a video in which Umarov said he was behind the Monday attacks . The attacks were revenge for what Umarov called a `` massacre conducted by the Russian occupants against the poorest residents of Chechnya and Ingushetia , '' the Web site says . According to the site , the video was taped the same day as the attacks . The incident Umarov referred to is a February special operation by Russian forces , after which there were accusations of Russians killing innocent civilians . In the video , Umarov said the victims were simply gathering garlic to make a living . According to Russian officials , at least four civilians were killed during the special operation near the Ingushetian village of Arshty on February 11 . After investigating the incident , the officials admitted that it was `` the season to collect wild garlic '' and civilians may have been doing just that despite requests for `` evacuation '' from the area . The president of Ingushetia , Yunus-Bek Evkurov expressed condolences to relatives of the deceased and provided material support in the amount of 50 thousand rubles -LRB- about $ 1,700 -RRB- for each family . The president noted that during the raid 18 militants were also killed . The attacks in Moscow , in which two female suicide bombers killed at least 39 people and wounded more than 60 others , were legitimate retribution for what happened in Chechnya , Umarov said in the video . He also promised `` new acts of vengeance '' in Russia . Russians will no longer be able to simply observe the battles in the Caucasus , Umarov said . `` Therefore , the war will come to your streets , and you will feel it for yourselves and with your own lives , '' he said in the video . Monday 's blasts tore through the Lubyanka and Park Kultury stations in central Moscow -- the female bombers detonating their explosives about 40 minutes apart , starting just before 8 a.m. -LRB- 12 a.m. ET -RRB- . On Tuesday , Russian police released photographs of the two women suspected of carrying out the attacks . Special services were also seeking three suspected accomplices of the bombers , Russian state TV reported , citing Moscow police spokesman Viktor Biryukov . They were hunting for a 30-year-old man from the Northern Caucasus who was seen on security cameras wearing dark clothes and a black baseball cap , and two women , aged 22 and 45 , both ethnic Slavs , who allegedly assisted the man , state TV reported . `` Our preliminary assessment is that this act of terror was committed by a terrorist group from the North Caucasus region , '' said Alexander Bortnikov of the Federal Security Service , in reference to the investigation at one of the blast sites . The current round of the Russia-Chechnya conflict dates back nearly 20 years , with Chechens having laid claim to land in the Caucasus Mountains region . Thousands have been killed and 500,000 Chechen people have been displaced by the fighting . Chechnya is located in the North Caucasus region of Russia between the Black and Caspian seas . | Chechen rebel leader claims he ordered attack on Moscow subway . 39 people died in Monday 's attack at Lubyanka and Park Kultury stations in city center . Two female bombers detonated their explosives about 40 minutes apart . The current round of the Russia-Chechnya conflict dates back nearly 20 years . | [[0, 15], [19, 39], [53, 171], [1481, 1487], [1499, 1551], [1963, 2049], [1481, 1487], [1499, 1551], [1499, 1525], [1556, 1583], [1466, 1487], [1499, 1525], [1586, 1643], [2053, 2122], [2944, 3020]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church says an order to pay the protesters ' legal costs in a civil claim is nothing less than a `` slap in the face . '' `` By the court making this decision , they 're not only telling me that they 're taking their side , but I have to pay them money to do this to more soldiers and their families , '' said Albert Snyder , whose son , Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder , was killed in action in Iraq in 2006 . Members of the fundamentalist church based in Topeka , Kansas , appeared outside Snyder 's funeral in 2006 in Westminster , Maryland , carrying signs reading `` You 're going to hell , '' `` God hates you '' and `` Thank God for dead soldiers . '' Among the teachings of the church , which was founded in 1955 by pastor Fred Phelps , is the belief that God is punishing the United States for `` the sin of homosexuality '' through events such as soldiers ' deaths . Margie Phelps , the daughter of Fred Phelps and the attorney representing the church in its appeals , also said the money that the church receives from Snyder will be used to finance demonstrations . But she also said that the order was a consequence of his decision to sue the church over the demonstration . `` Mr. Snyder and his attorneys have engaged the legal system ; there are some rules to that legal engagement , '' said Phelps , a member of Westboro who says she has participated in more than 150 protests of military funerals . `` They wanted to shut down the picketing so now they 're going to finance it , '' she said . The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday ordered that Snyder pay more than $ 16,000 in costs requested by Westboro for copies of motions , briefs and appendices , according to court documents . In a motion filed in October , Snyder 's lawyer , who is representing him for free , asked the court to dismiss the bill of costs , or , alternatively , reduce the 50-cent fee per page or charge Snyder only for copies that were necessary to make their arguments on appeal . `` We objected based upon ability to pay and the fairness of the situation , '' Sean Summers said . The mostly pro-forma ruling is the latest chapter in an ongoing legal saga that pits privacy rights of grieving families against the free speech rights of demonstrators , however disturbing and provocative their message . Snyder 's family sued the church and went to trial in 2007 alleging privacy invasion , intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy . A jury awarded the family $ 2.9 million in compensatory damages plus $ 8 million in punitive damages , which were reduced to $ 5 million . Westboro in 2008 appealed the case to the 4th District , which reversed the judgments a year later , siding with the church 's claims that its First Amendment rights had been violated . `` The protest was confined to a public area under supervision and regulation of local law enforcement and did not disrupt the church service , '' the circuit court opinion said . `` Although reasonable people may disagree about the appropriateness of the Phelps ' protest , this conduct simply does not satisfy the heavy burden required for the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress under Maryland law . '' The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case to address issues of laws designed to protect the `` sanctity and dignity of memorial and funeral services '' as well as the privacy of family and friends of the deceased . The justices will be asked to address how far states and private entities such as cemeteries and churches can go to justify picket-free zones and the use of `` floating buffers '' to silence or restrict speech or movements of demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights in a funeral setting . Both Phelps and Snyder 's attorney said they were surprised that the 4th District chose to weigh in on the issue of legal costs when they could have waited until after the Supreme Court hearing . Phelps believes the ruling bodes well for her side . `` It is a good harbinger of the fact that the Supreme Court will remind this nation that you do n't have mob rule . The fact that so many people hate these words does not mean you can silence or penalize them . That 's supposed to be the great liberty that we congratulate ourselves on protecting in this nation . We strut all around the world forcing people to give all the liberties we supposedly have , '' she said . Phelps anticipated that a Supreme Court ruling in the church 's favor would be unpopular , but she said Westboro 's members viewed the potential outcome in Biblical terms . `` When the Supreme Court unanimously upholds the 4th Circuit , it 's going to put this country in a rage , and we will be expelled , '' she said . `` But whenever it was time for an epic event in the Bible , the thing that happened right before is the prophets were removed from the land , and that 's what 's going to happen to us . ... We 're going to sprint to the end of this race . '' Snyder claims he is unable to pay any legal costs in the case and is attempting to raise funds on his son 's site , http://www.matthewsnyder.org/ . He is equally optimistic that he will prevail before the Supreme Court . `` The American people keep my spirits lifted a lot and give me hope . I think most of the country is on my side on this issue , '' he said . `` Too many people have died to protect our rights and freedoms to have them degraded and spit upon like this church does . '' CNN 's Bill Mears contributed to this report . | Father of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder calls order to pay legal costs `` slap in the face '' Westboro lawyer says order consequence of lawsuit , says money will fund protests . Snyder 's family sued Westboro Baptist Church for protesting Marine 's funeral in 2006 . 4th Circuit reversed judgments against Westboro in ' 09 ; high court will hear case . | [[0, 15], [100, 166], [0, 15], [167, 211], [395, 449], [0, 15], [100, 166], [964, 977], [1071, 1163], [1168, 1171], [1177, 1230], [33, 41], [56, 99], [498, 534], [562, 619], [2389, 2421], [2721, 2737], [2746, 2781], [3292, 3368]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The FBI did not participate in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists detained in Guantanamo Bay , Afghanistan or Iraq , said a Justice Department investigation released Tuesday . An April 2007 photo shows a room at Guantanamo Bay that had been used for interrogations . The investigation also concluded that the bureau generally reported potentially illegal actions by the CIA and Defense Department . In `` only a few instances '' did FBI agents use techniques that were not approved by FBI policies , according to the report by Inspector General Glenn Fine . Fine criticized the FBI for being slow in developing and distributing its interrogation policy to its interrogators . Though the the FBI decided to avoid harsh techniques in August 2002 , the decision was not put in writing until 2004 , when the bureau also put in writing that the harsh techniques used by other agencies should be reported to FBI superiors . The 2002 decision by FBI Director Robert Mueller was that the bureau would adhere to restrictions used in interrogations of detainees within the United States . Those techniques prohibit coercion , abuse or threats . The policy is based on the belief that building a rapport with prisoners is the best way to gain intelligence , according to Tuesday 's report . The FBI issued a statement saying it is `` gratified '' by the report 's findings , and Mueller promised that the bureau will continue to use `` rapport-building techniques in interviews '' of detainees . The inspector general 's investigators interviewed almost all of the more than 1,000 FBI employees who were deployed to one or more military zones between 2001 and 2004 , the report said . The vast majority of the agents adhered to FBI policies and separated themselves from other agencies ' interrogators who were using techniques that the FBI did n't approve of , the report said . The report listed `` a few incidents '' that `` clearly would not be permissible for FBI agents to use in the United States , '' including isolating a prisoner from human contact and participating in an interrogation in which detainees were `` given a ` drink of water ' in a forceful and inappropriate manner . '' It also listed incidents that were not `` clear violations of FBI policy '' but which should have raised questions . Some agents participated in a program of subjecting detainees to frequent cell relocations , the report said . In another case , two agents joined in an interview in which a detainee 's hands and feet were `` short-chained '' close together for several hours , during which time the prisoner urinated on himself . FBI agents reported that non-FBI interrogators engaged in sleep deprivation or sleep disruption techniques , which include using bright lights , loud music and extreme temperatures `` to keep detainees awake or otherwise wear down their resistance . '' No FBI agents witnessed the abuses at Abu Ghraib , the U.S. Army-operated Baghdad correctional facility where some prisoners were physically and sexually abused , sparking outrage when photos of the abuse became public . However , the report said , an FBI agent said he witnessed a naked Abu Ghraib prisoner forced to roll between rows of cells . He did not report the incident because he did n't know whether it was an acceptable technique . The report also said FBI personnel did not witness the controversial waterboarding technique , which the CIA has confirmed was used on three prisoners . The FBI protested when it witnessed techniques used by the military and the CIA in questioning top terror suspects Abu Zubayda and Yousef al-Qarani , according to the report . In one instance , an agent objected to using a snarling dog to interrogate al-Qarani . Despite some criticism , the inspector general offered the FBI modest praise at the conclusion of his three-year investigation . `` We believe that while the FBI could have provided clearer guidance earlier , and while the FBI could have pressed harder for resolution of concerns about detainee treatment by other agencies , the FBI should be credited for its conduct and professionalism in detainee interrogations in the military zones in Guantanamo Bay , Afghanistan and Iraq , and in generally avoiding participation in detainee abuse , '' the report concluded . The inspector general 's investigation did not quiet the FBI 's chief critics . The American Civil Liberties Union said FBI leaders failed to uphold their obligation to `` bring an end to the abuse and application of illegal interrogation methods . '' Rep. Jerrold Nadler , D-New York , chairman of a subcommittee that oversees the FBI , criticized then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and his deputy , Larry Thompson . Nadler said FBI agents ' objections to certain interrogation methods `` fell on deaf ears . '' `` The admirable actions taken by those brave FBI agents willing to speak out were undermined by those who led them , '' he said . | Justice Department investigation finds FBI generally acted responsibly . Probe looked at interrogations at Guantanamo Bay , Afghanistan , Iraq . Investigators find `` only a few instances '' of unapproved techniques by FBI . FBI `` could have provided clearer guidance earlier , '' report acknowledges . | [[0, 26], [157, 215], [249, 306], [439, 441], [450, 498], [1909, 1948], [3896, 4089]] |
SANTA BARBARA , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barbara Harvey climbs into the back of her small Honda sport utility vehicle and snuggles with her two golden retrievers , her head nestled on a pillow propped against the driver 's seat . Californian Barbara Harvey says she is forced to sleep in her car with her dogs after losing her job earlier this year . A former loan processor , the 67-year-old mother of three grown children said she never thought she 'd spend her golden years sleeping in her car in a parking lot . `` This is my bed , my dogs , '' she said . `` This is my life in this car right now . '' Harvey was forced into homelessness this year after being laid off . She said that three-quarters of her income went to paying rent in Santa Barbara , where the median house in the scenic oceanfront city costs more than $ 1 million . She lost her condo two months ago and had little savings as backup . `` It went to hell in a handbasket , '' she said . `` I did n't think this would happen to me . It 's just something that I do n't think that people think is going to happen to them , is what it amounts to . It happens very quickly , too . '' Harvey now works part time for $ 8 an hour , and she draws Social Security to help make ends meet . But she still can not afford an apartment , and so every night she pulls into a gated parking lot to sleep in her car , along with other women who find themselves in a similar predicament . Watch women who live in their cars '' There are 12 parking lots across Santa Barbara that have been set up to accommodate the growing middle-class homelessness . These lots are believed to be part of the first program of its kind in the United States , according to organizers . The lots open at 7 p.m. and close at 7 a.m. and are run by New Beginnings Counseling Center , a homeless outreach organization . It is illegal for people in California to sleep in their cars on streets . New Beginnings worked with the city to allow the parking lots as a safe place for the homeless to sleep in their vehicles without being harassed by people on the streets or ticketed by police . Harvey stays at the city 's only parking lot for women . `` This is very safe , and that 's why I feel very comfortable , '' she said . Nancy Kapp , the New Beginnings parking lot coordinator , said the group began seeing a need for the lots in recent months as California 's foreclosure crisis hit the city hard . She said a growing number of senior citizens , women and lower - and middle-class families live on the streets . See how foreclosure filings are up 75 percent '' `` You look around today , and there are so many , '' said Kapp , who was homeless with her young daughter two decades ago . `` I see women sleeping on benches . It 's heartbreaking . '' She added , `` The way the economy is going , it 's just amazing the people that are becoming homeless . It 's hit the middle class . '' She and others with New Beginnings walk the streets looking for people and families sleeping in their cars . The workers inform them about the parking lot program . New Beginnings screens people to make sure they wo n't cause trouble . No alcohol or drugs are allowed in the parking lots . `` What we are trying to do is we pull bad apples out , and we put good apples in the parking lots and really help people out , '' said Shaw Tolley , another coordinator with New Beginnings . Most of the time , the lots are transition points . New Beginnings works with each person to try to find a more permanent housing solution . `` It saddens me when they live in their vehicles , '' Tolley said . `` It is not the most ideal situation for senior citizens and families , but it is reality . '' He added , `` We need to engage this problem . This is reality . '' John Quigley , an economics professor at the University of California-Berkeley , said the California housing crisis has left many middle-class families temporarily homeless or forced them to go to food banks to feed their families . `` Part of the reason why it 's so painful in Santa Barbara is , there 's so little in the way of alternative housing , '' Quigley said . `` If there were alternative low and moderate housing and rental accommodations that were reasonably close by , you can imagine it would n't have this desperate look to it as people living in their cars . '' At the only lot for women in Santa Barbara , it 's a tough existence . There are no showers or running water . On the night CNN visited , a half-dozen women were in the parking lot before nightfall . Linn Labou , 54 , lives in her car with four cats . She used to be in the National Guard and is on a waiting list for government housing , but the wait is a year long . `` I went looking for family , but I could n't get them to help me , '' she said . As for Harvey , she begins each day by walking her two dogs before going to her part-time job . She leaves the dogs in her car with its windows cracked while she works . It 's another chapter in her life that she 's certain she 'll get through . Her 19-year-old daughter moved in with friends to avoid being homeless . Her other children live overseas , and she did n't want to tell them about her living status . Even if her children offered to help , she said , she would n't accept it . `` They know me well enough to know that I will get through this . '' `` My daughter especially is very unhappy . Sometimes she 'll cry , and she 'll call and say , ` Mom , I just ca n't stand it that you are living in a car , ' '' Harvey said . `` I 'll say , ` You know what ? This is OK for right now , because I 'm safe , I 'm healthy , the dogs are doing OK , and I have a job , and things will get better . ' '' CNN 's Gregg Canes and Traci Tamura contributed to this report . | Mother of three grown children says , `` This is my life in this car right now '' Santa Barbara , California , allows homeless to sleep in cars in 12 parking lots . Affluent city has seen a rise in homelessness during California 's housing crisis . Advocate : `` It 's just amazing the people that are becoming homeless '' | [[565, 607], [1485, 1531], [1495, 1608], [1930, 2051], [4327, 4356], [2386, 2438], [2834, 2892]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What started as a college a cappella pastime became a ticket to the big time for 10 Indiana University graduates . Straight No Chaser broke up years ago , but success on YouTube brought the band back together . Last year a member of the disbanded group -- called Straight No Chaser -- posted a video of a quirky 1998 performance of `` The 12 Days of Christmas '' on YouTube . It got more than 8 million hits . And one of the people watching was Craig Kallman , chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records . Kallman summoned a couple of the troupe members to Los Angeles , where he offered them a record deal . Straight up . The boys -LRB- now men , of course -RRB- got back together and within 10 months -- and almost 10 years after graduation -- had a debut album neatly tied with a bow . And you thought your college reunion was exciting . Watch Straight No Chaser blend their voices '' `` Holiday Spirits '' mostly features festive covers such as `` Santa Claus Is Coming to Town '' and `` Silent Night , '' all sung in the a cappella tradition but with creative and entertaining tweaks . -LRB- They do a stirring Christmas-infused rendition of Toto 's `` Africa . '' -RRB- . Members of Straight No Chaser sang for CNN in New York recently , talked about their surprising career turn and where it leaves their day jobs . CNN : What is it like then to actually become a YouTube sensation ? Randy Stine : Well , -LSB- Jerome -RSB- got recognized on the street in Hong Kong . Jerome Collins : A person walked up to me and said , `` Hey , I know this may be out of line , but you look like this guy on this video I just saw . '' I called -LSB- Randy -RSB- and I was like , `` We officially made it . We 're being recognized in Hong Kong by some random person on the street . '' So it was kind of cool , and that 's when I knew that -LSB- it -RSB- was on a bigger scale than we thought . CNN : What went through your mind when you got the call from Atlantic Records ? Stine : I was half believing it was a prank . I got the call from Craig , and while I 'm talking to him the first time , I 'm on the computer Googling his name to read his bio . It was just kind of a dream phone call . And I kept thinking , `` Is this really happening ? '' It was pretty amazing . CNN : You all have day jobs , do n't you ? Stine : Yeah . I was actually in Chicago doing IT sales , wishing I was still in music . We 're all spread across the country . We 've got guys in Chicago , Vegas , Atlanta , here in New York . Jerome was actually in Hong Kong when all this started , and he moved back from Hong Kong to be a part of this . CNN : What were you doing in Hong Kong ? Collins : I was doing a festival of `` The Lion King , '' and I was Simba . We have one guy selling medical devices , another guy a reporter for ABC , one guy working at a bank , another guy a teacher . ... You name it , we have it . CNN : And how do you arrange rehearsing or performances if you are scattered throughout the country ? Stine : That 's probably one of the big challenges . We all have to fly in from whatever city we 're in to New York , to Chicago , L.A. , wherever we have to meet up to rehearse or record . But when we get together it 's like no time has passed . CNN : Are you going to keep your day jobs ? Collins : There 's no chance that I 'm going to be keeping my day job . I obviously gave it up to try and do this so I know for a fact that I 'm not going to be going back . I hope they did n't hear that . This is it . This is what I dreamed to do as a kid . This is what I want my day job to be . Stine : I quit my job in July . I had to get enough time off to record but could n't do it . I have one shot at this . I know there are tons of other musicians out there who would cut off a limb to have this opportunity so I could n't pass it up . Collins : We 're going to force the other guys to make sure they quit their jobs . With the scheduling and the touring some of them may not have a job to go back to . So that 's what we 're hoping may happen . CNN : That 's what you 're hoping ? You 're hoping that they will get fired ? That 's nice ! Stine : Yeah , we 'll make the phone calls on their behalf . Like , `` he 's not coming into work today '' -LSB- Stine and Collins laugh . -RSB- . CNN : Now that you have your debut album in the can , are you thinking ahead to other projects ? Collins : Well , that 's the whole point . We hope that that momentum -- not only with YouTube , but with our album -- keeps going so we can get right back in the studio and come out with some fresh new music that 's not holiday . We do n't want to pigeonhole ourselves . We do all genres , all types of music . CNN : Part of your appeal seems to be that you do n't really take yourselves too seriously , do you ? You have a lot of fun with it . Collins : It 's really fun singing with your best friends onstage . We have fun . Outside of this business , we are still friends ; we all go do things together ; we all still hang out . We still fight like brothers . So essentially ... I hope that never changes because that 's what made us who we are today . CNN : What about your personalities ... have you all changed a little since you were at school together ? Stine : I think all of us are pretty much the same , just maybe more opinionated . Collins : Some of us have wives . That 's the only thing that 's changed . CNN : Why are you called Straight No Chaser ? Stine : We basically came up with the name from Thelonious Monk , his jazz album and song . And we just thought it really tied in well to our mentality of voices , no instruments . And of course it ties in to college and visiting the bars late at night . | Straight No Chaser formed at Indiana University in 1990s . Band had broken up , but posting of '98 video on YouTube had huge success . A cappella group now has record contract , hopes for bigger things . | [[239, 280], [313, 403]] |
Editor 's note : Clark Howard , the Atlanta , Georgia-based host of a nationally syndicated radio show , hosts a television show designed to help viewers save more , spend less and avoid getting ripped off during these tough economic times . The show airs at noon and 4 p.m. ET Saturdays and Sundays on HLN . Clark Howard says , `` The only smart move is to pay your debt down or pay it off entirely . '' ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I 've been getting many calls from listeners who are outraged or perplexed by the actions of their credit card issuer . The issuing banks are raising interest rates by 20 percent or more -- even if the individual has good credit , has never been late on a payment or has n't even had any change in their credit standing . This is happening across all income levels . It 's even affecting successful business owners and moderate to wealthy individuals . Fortune magazine recently spotlighted one small business owner who had a card that went from nearly 8 percent to 26 percent , even though nothing changed with his finances or payment history . Bank of America , Citibank and Capital One are among the big issuers arbitrarily jacking up rates in the face of what they often cite as a `` continually changing business environment . '' In fact , the Federal Reserve reports 37 percent of banks have increased their interest rates . The reality is that the banks are fearful of the high rate of credit card default , and they know they 've got you if you 're among the 70 percent of Americans who carry a month-to-month balance . The good news here is that there are new rules coming that will stop the banks from retroactively raising the rate on existing balances you already carry . The banks will still , however , be able to raise the rates if you stop paying as well as on all future purchases . But what stinks is that these rules wo n't go into effect until July 2010 . That gives the banks plenty of time to lobby members of Congress and get this pending legislation overturned . For right now , the problem with banks jacking up the rates is that they 're making it tougher for someone who might have been able to pay at 5 percent but could never pay at 30 percent , for example . So they 're setting you up for failure , and they 're shooting themselves in the foot at the same time . The only smart move is to pay your debt down or pay it off entirely . And do n't assume you 're a sitting duck if your credit standing is decent . You can always shop around for a card that has a lower rate . Try looking at Web sites such as CardWeb.com or CardTrak.com to find the best rates . I also have a special warning for you if you 're buried in debt and thinking about using one of those debt-negotiation firms that advertise all over the Internet and late-night TV . Do not believe these people about their ability to negotiate with your credit card company and reduce your outstanding balance by 50 percent or more . These con artists get you to pay them money as a retainer and then tell you to stop making all payments while they negotiate on your behalf . But they 're rip-off artists through and through . Many banks wo n't even take a phone call from these people anymore because they 're on to their game . That leaves you scammed out of your retainer fee while your bills continue to pile up . There is a better way to address your debt . Try calling your credit card company and telling them you 're in over your head . You may get blown off , or they may work with you . If you do get the cold shoulder , go to NFCC.org -- the National Foundation for Credit Counseling -- and find a local affiliate who can help you come up with a debt-conquering plan for free or very low cost . You did n't get into credit card debt overnight , and you wo n't get out of it overnight ; the recovery is going to be a slow step-by-step process . | Clark Howard : Banks raising interest rates on credit cards by 20 percent or more . Even people with good credit ratings who pay on time are getting hit , Howard says . In 2010 , rules will stop banks from retroactively raising rate on existing balances . Howard advises consumers to pay down or pay off credit card debt . | [[562, 628], [1597, 1705], [309, 326], [329, 401], [2336, 2405]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Segway scooter inventor Dean Kamen freely admits it : He often suffers sleepless nights wrestling over whether to quit a project that 's not panning out . Knowing when to quit a fruitless project is difficult , says the father of the Segway , Dean Kamen , left . `` You end up lying there saying , ` I 'm not stopping . It would be an act of shallow cowardice . Or you decide to quit and you say , ` This is one of those ideas that just is n't going to work , ' '' said Kamen , speaking by phone from his home office in Manchester , New Hampshire . When to quit -- said Kamen , also the inventor of health care technologies and the Slingshot water purifier -- is `` the toughest question there is '' for any entrepreneur who survives on creativity and instinct . `` It 's not nearly as glamorous as people think to keep working on something and to keep hitting roadblocks and to keep going , '' he said . Stubborn , delusionally optimistic , creative , fearless , flexible and focused are some of the ways psychologists and business people describe the personality of an entrepreneur . Surprisingly , another word is ignorant . Quiz : Do you have the right stuff for entrepreneurship ? '' `` You need to be in denial or in ignorance about the huge challenges you face , '' laughs Guy Kawasaki , a former Apple executive and entrepreneur who 's starting the self-described `` magazine rack '' alltop.com . `` You have to believe that it would n't be hard for you to succeed . '' Research by Harvard Business School psychology professor emeritus Abraham Zaleznik has unveiled a darker side to the entrepreneur 's psyche . `` Entrepreneurs tend to have a singular weakness that allows them to do things without checking their conscience , '' Zaleznik said . `` Juvenile delinquents act and then try to sort things out afterward . I think entrepreneurs have this tendency . '' Another academic researcher on the topic , professor Kelly Shaver of the College of William & Mary , told Forbes magazine in 2002 that successful entrepreneurs `` really do n't care as much '' about what other people think . `` They 're just happy to go ahead and do what they 're doing . '' In a recession that has forced employers to eliminate 2.6 million jobs in 2008 , people who might otherwise start a business at a time of their own choosing find themselves being pushed into entrepreneurship . `` More people often become self-employed in tough times like this , '' said John Challenger , CEO of a top employment firm for executives and middle managers . Between 5 percent and 7 percent of clients at Challenger , Gray & Christmas are choosing to start their own businesses , he said . Workers are more open to starting a small business in the dot-com era , Challenger said . `` I think we 're in a more entrepreneurial period than we were in the '80s and '90s , '' he said . Recessions can be `` crucibles '' for at-home start-ups . `` Some of the best new businesses start in recessions because what they have really makes a difference if the market is interested in it , '' Challenger said . `` There 's not a lot of easy money to go around , and they have to fight their way forward . '' Great entrepreneurs , said Kawasaki , do more than just fight hard to win their market share . They have vision . They ask what he calls the `` fundamental question '' : Would n't it be neat if ... ? Kawasaki said Apple would have failed without the unique contributions of its co-founder , Steve Jobs . `` He asked the question , ` Would n't it be neat if people could carry all their music with them wherever they went ? ' '' Result : the iPod . Psychologist Lynn Friedman , whose clients often include entrepreneurs , said many of them are `` tuned into consumer needs . '' They tend to grow up in nurturing families and learned to value the concept of trying new things . Jobs described fond memories of his California childhood during an 1995 interview with the Smithsonian Institution , saying his father `` spent a lot of time with me ... teaching me how to build things , how to take things apart , put things back together . '' But obviously , Kawasaki said , everybody 's not always right about the `` would n't it be neat '' question . He cited Webvan , the online grocery store that served as many as 10 U.S. cities before going bankrupt in 2001 . `` Somebody asked the question , ` Would n't it be neat if I could buy lettuce online and they 'll deliver lettuce to my house ? ' '' Webvan failed with sales of $ 178.5 million in 2000 partly because it was buried in $ 525.4 million in expenses , according to a 2001 CNNMoney.com article . `` They went about it in a grand way , '' Kawasaki said . `` Sometimes it helps to start small . '' Webvan entrepreneur Louis Borders , who stepped down as CEO in 1999 , told the San Francisco Chronicle four years later , `` I get the strategy set , the operation running , the team in place . That 's my role as an entrepreneur . '' According to Friedman , entrepreneurs `` live in the world of action , '' and they `` often need help with slowing down and thinking several steps ahead . '' Kamen , who works hard to inspire future innovators with his FIRST program to promote high school math and science , said every entrepreneurial innovator he 's ever seen shares a few characteristics . `` It 's not that they 're brilliant or well-educated , '' Kamen said . `` They work all the time . They do n't let failure demoralize or destroy them . They pick themselves up and keep going and eventually , every once in a while , one of your ideas actually breaks through and works , and it makes all that stuff seem worthwhile . '' | An entrepreneur 's personality can influence a business . Harvard prof : Entrepreneurs have some tendencies similar to juvenile delinquents . Many people choose to start their own business in bad economy . Expert : Delusional optimism helps fend off scary challenges . | [[1846, 1888], [1854, 1888], [2184, 2198], [2265, 2393], [2394, 2460]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actor-director Mel Gibson and his girlfriend , Oksana Grigorieva , are the new parents of a daughter named Lucia , his spokesman confirmed to CNN . No other details were released about the baby , who was born Friday at an undisclosed hospital in Los Angeles , California . Baby Lucia is the eighth child for Gibson , 53 , and the second for Grigorieva , 39 . Gibson has six sons and a daughter from his marriage to his wife of 30 years , Robyn . The couple filed for divorce in April . Grigorieva has a son with her former boyfriend , actor Timothy Dalton . In August , the singer said she and Gibson have no immediate plans for marriage . `` We do n't know yet , '' Grigorieva said of any impending nuptials . `` We have n't really talked about it . '' | Grigorieva gave birth Friday in Los Angeles , California . The baby , named Lucia , is his eighth and her second . In August , Grigorieva said the pair had no immediate plans to wed . | [[198, 214], [219, 276], [109, 131], [292, 377], [577, 586], [589, 658], [683, 729]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mount Redoubt , the Alaskan volcano expected to erupt at any time , is getting a bit more edgy . Dark areas show a mudflow from the peak of Mount Redoubt earlier this week . The Alaska Volcano Observatory said in a statement Friday `` volcanic tremor '' has increased in `` amplitude . '' The activity on the 10,197-foot peak is `` more energetic than that of the previous several days . However , it is still less vigorous than that observed last weekend , '' the observatory said . Peter Cervelli , a research geophysicist with the observatory , told CNN that `` every indication is that we 're heading toward an eruption . '' Cervelli said scientists do n't know exactly when it will happen , but if it does happen , it could be days or weeks -- or even hours . `` I would not be surprised to see it erupt at anytime , '' Cervelli said . `` We 're going to know it when we see it . '' Learn more about Redoubt and its history '' Scientists raised the alert status Sunday to a `` watch '' level , the second-highest , based on seismic activity detected January 23 . The peak is about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage , the state 's most populous city . Mount Redoubt last erupted nearly 20 years ago , in December 1989 , and that eruption lasted until April 1990 . Geologists think there could be an eruption `` similar to or smaller than the one that occurred in 1989-90 . '' PopSci.com : Predicting eruptions . That eruption spread ash in Kenai and Anchorage , where it disrupted air traffic operations . Cervelli said the ash plumes caused engine failure on a jet . The 1989-90 eruption also spurred volcanic mudflows , or lahars , that flowed east down the Drift River . The ash fall was seen as far away as Fairbanks and the Yukon Territory border . PopSci.com : Prehistoric explosions wiped out ocean life -- and created petroleum . The observatory has set up a Web camera near the summit of the volcano and another within Cook Inlet . It plans to do continuous visual surveillance , measure gas output and analyze satellite and weather-radar data . | NEW : `` Volcanic tremor '' increasing in `` amplitude , '' observatory says . The 10,200-foot Mount Redoubt is about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage , Alaska . Volcano last erupted in December 1989 . Eruption could spawn huge mudflows , disrupt flights with ash . | [[193, 272], [252, 304], [477, 502], [1087, 1137], [1174, 1220], [1360, 1367], [1373, 1394], [1490, 1527], [1590, 1610], [1616, 1653]] |
Madrid , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Spanish fishing boat repelled an attack by suspected pirates Sunday morning in the Indian Ocean off the African coast , Spain 's ministry of defense said . The Spanish Ortube Berria fishing vessel was in waters southwest of the Seychelles when pirates aboard two skiffs opened fire on the ship with light arms and a grenade shot from a launcher , according to a defense ministry news release . The Seychelles are a group of islands located north of Madagascar and southeast of Somalia , whose coastal waters have become known for piracy . The attack happened at about 5:40 a.m. , the ministry said . A private security company aboard the fishing vessel returned fire and thwarted the attack , the statement said . No one was injured , and the ship did not suffer any material damage . Following the attack , the Ortube Berria was sailing southward away from the area , the defense ministry said . Pirates have captured more than 50 ships this year off Somalia and are currently holding 11 , according to information from Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon . Earlier this month , the crew of another Spanish fishing boat , the Alakrana , was released by Somali pirates after 47 days in captivity . The Alakrana was hijacked off the coast of Somalia . On Sunday , the commander of a European Union anti-piracy operation , deployed a Portuguese frigate based in the area toward the site of the attack , Spanish authorities said . CNN 's Per Nyberg contributed to this report . | Spanish fishing boat repels attack by suspected pirates in Indian Ocean off African coast . Private security company aboard fishing vessel returned fire and thwarted attack . Pirates have captured more than 50 ships this year off Somalia and are currently holding 11 . | [[9, 30], [57, 103], [76, 131], [636, 702], [636, 688], [707, 726], [933, 995], [933, 940], [1000, 1024]] |
-LRB- The Frisky -RRB- -- I 'm sitting alone in my apartment on a rainy night . I 'm restless , mildly bored , and , yes , I 'll admit it , but please do n't tell anyone ... lonely . It 's days like this that I 'm sure that there 's no more love in store for me -- all of the epically momentous possibilities must have already passed me by . Somehow I blinked and missed them . It 's in moments like this that I allow myself the small indulgence of thinking about Sebastian . Our story had all of the makings of a great love story . Once upon a time we met one evening in a dark , crowded party . He told me I was beautiful . I was young enough for him to appear larger than life . We kissed on the sidewalk in the rain . I fell hard for him -- hard like scrape-me-off-the-floor-with-a-spatula hard . But we were wrong for each other in every way . We were young , immature , and troubled . It ended tragically -- Sebastian stood me up on a cold , snowy New Year 's Eve and the two of us never spoke again . I went on with my life . I wonder what Sebastian is doing right now . I wonder if I will ever love anyone that way again -- with an open heart . I decide to cruise the internet for inspiration -- narrowly avoiding the temptation to do a Google search of Sebastian 's name . The intention of my search ? To remind myself that love really exists . A tall , existential order for sure , yet a valid one . I practice it often . On the street , on the subway . Every time I encounter a seemingly happy couple I say to myself , `` See you bitter old hag , people fall in love all the time . '' I find the kind of cinematic headline I 'm looking for : `` Gulf War Pen Pals Get Married After Facebook Encounter 19 Years Later . '' Touché . As a teenager , Jamie Benefit decided to reach out to the troops during the Gulf War . She addressed a letter of support and encouragement to `` Any Soldier . '' Jamie 's anonymous letter found its way into the hands of 19-year-old soldier Jeremy Clayton . Jamie and Jeremy continued to write each other for the duration of the war , to exchange stories and keep their minds off of the scary worlds around them . After the war ended , the two lost touch . Jamie wrapped up her letters in a patriotic ribbon , put them away in a safe place , and moved on with her life . The Frisky : I was the other woman -- should I tell ? Nineteen years later , Jamie got curious one day -LRB- maybe she was sitting alone in her apartment on a rainy evening ? -RRB- and looked for Jeremy on Facebook and sent a simple message to a man with his name , asking , `` Were You In Desert Storm ? '' That was all Jeremy needed in order to know that he had to see Jamie again . The two met up in person a few months later . When Jeremy finally saw Jamie he says of the moment , `` It took my breath , I was actually shaking and I 'm a pretty strong man . I just said to myself , ` You have to do whatever you can to make sure you spend the rest of your life with this woman . ' '' A few months later they were married . The Frisky : How to handle an overly dependent BFF . Wow . Just like that huh ? War . Letters . Great distances . Great danger . Years apart . Reunion . Facebook . Marriage . I 'm sure someone in Hollywood will be calling any minute to option the rights to the film . Maybe they 'll call it `` Love in a Time of Bush . '' I should feel inspired that love happens -- exponentially and effortlessly -- yet I feel nothing but skepticism . Does this actually happen in real life ? Like , real real life ? The Frisky : Need to say goodbye to single life before I can find love ? Like Jamie and Jeremy , Sebastian and I lost touch after that fateful New Year 's Eve . When he sent me a message on Facebook 10 years later , I was unable to breathe . It said simply , `` I hope you 're still silly . '' When we met in person for coffee , I was so dizzy that I had to sit with my head between my legs while he sat silently across from me . His hand shook slightly as he grabbed mine and said , `` I 'm sorry , I 've been waiting 10 years to say that to you . '' Momentarily I was so giddy that I almost let myself get carried away . I looked at Sebastian for the first time in the bright , clear morning light and saw him exactly as he was . It happened so quickly that if I had blinked I would have missed it . He was just an older , more mature , version of the awful of the guy who broke my heart 10 years ago . There was no proposal . Just an awkward meeting of two grownups realizing that they were no longer young and silly . TM & © 2010 TMV , Inc. | All Rights Reserved . | Late on rainy , lonely nights , some people are tempted to Google an old love . One story about a soldier and teen had a happy Facebook ending . Inspired writer searches for and meets up with her old love . But finds he 's older , more mature , version of the awful of the guy who broke her heart . | [[0, 22], [26, 30], [45, 79], [2425, 2484], [4340, 4408], [4401, 4408], [4413, 4442]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sam Hamilton , director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , died Saturday , authorities announced . Hamilton , 54 , died after suffering chest pains , a symptom reflective of an underlying heart condition , the Summit County , Colorado , coroner said . Hamilton was on a mountain at the Keystone Ski Resort in Keystone , Colorado , when he complained of the pains . Hamilton had served the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more than 30 years . `` Sam was a friend , a visionary , and a professional whose years of service and passionate dedication to his work have left an indelible mark on the lands and wildlife we cherish , '' Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said in a written statement . `` His forward-thinking approach to conservation - including his view that we must think beyond boundaries at the landscape-scale - will continue to shape our nation 's stewardship for years to come . '' Hamilton took over the leadership of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in September . He was previously the regional director of the 10-state Southeast region for the agency . He was charged with a $ 484 million budget and oversight over more than 350 threatened and endangered species and 128 national wildlife refuges , according to the agency 's Web site . While regional director , he also supported the creation of a carbon sequestration program that helped restore about 80,000 acres of wildlife habitat . His colleague , Thomas Strickland , assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks , praised Hamilton 's more than 30 years of service to the agency . `` Sam brought more than just a wealth of experience to the job , he brought courage and outstanding leadership , '' Strickland said in a statement . `` The Department of the Interior will miss him greatly . '' Hamilton first became involved with the agency when he was 15 years old , as a member of the Youth Conservation Corps in Mississippi with the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge , according to the agency 's Web site . He is survived by his wife Becky ; sons Sam Jr. and Clay , as well as his grandson , Davis . | Hamilton had served the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more than 30 years . Interior secretary : Hamilton had `` forward-thinking approach to conservation '' Hamilton was on a mountain at a Colorado ski resort when he complained of chest pains . | [[389, 468], [1440, 1527], [1530, 1595], [726, 737], [738, 755], [123, 131], [139, 171], [276, 341], [360, 388]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Monday , January 18 . 10:32 p.m. -- The Haitian National Police force in Port-au-Prince , normally with 4,000 people , has dropped to about 1,500 people since last week 's quake , according to National Police Chief Mario Andresol . Many of those who have n't reported to work are dead or injured , he says . 9:56 p.m. -- The American Red Cross and UNICEF 's United States Fund have raised nearly $ 5 million since 8 p.m. ET , when `` Haiti How You Can Help , '' a special `` Larry King Live , '' started , according to CNN 's Larry King . The show ends at 10 p.m. ET and is scheduled to repeat at midnight . How you can help . 9:47 p.m. -- Maxine Fallon , the 23-year-old student rescued today in the rubble of a building at Universite G.O.C. in Port-au-Prince , says she was pressed in the same position , with legs folded uncomfortably and very little wiggle room , for all six days she was trapped , CNN 's Chris Lawrence reports . Watch | Read . 9:39 p.m. -- The American Red Cross and UNICEF 's United States Fund have raised $ 2.9 million since 8 p.m. ET , when `` Haiti How You Can Help , '' a special `` Larry King Live , '' started , according to CNN 's Larry King . The show lasts until 10 p.m. ET . 9:36 p.m. -- While visiting the injured at a U.N. clinic in Port-au-Prince , Haitian President Rene Preval says his country -- already the Western Hemisphere 's poorest -- needs not only medicine and food , but also long-term reconstruction assistance . `` The more we receive help , the more we can take care of them , '' he said . 9:12 p.m. -- A U.S. Air Force cargo plane on Monday , bypassing the gridlock at Haiti 's main airport in Port-au-Prince , dropped 40 pallets of bottled water and ready-to-eat food on a field just north of the airport , CNN 's Larry Shaughnessy reported . `` There are so many relief agencies funneling through the airport that it has kind of created a bottleneck , '' U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Leon Strickland said en route to the drop point . `` We 're going to put things directly out of the air onto the ground and open up another distribution point north of the -LSB- Port-au-Prince -RSB- airfield . '' 8:31 p.m. -- The following video shows CNN 's Anderson Cooper dragging a bleeding boy from a crowd as looting went on Monday in a Port-au-Prince street . The video includes graphic content . Viewer discretion is advised . Watch . 7:39 p.m. -- The student saved today from the rubble of a Port-au-Prince university building , 23-year-old Maxine Fallon , says she prayed for someone to find her . `` I had hoped I would be rescued , '' Fallon said . Doctors told CNN that Fallon is suffering from severe lacerations and trauma to her organs , among other injuries . She was drifting in and out of consciousness and was transported to a field hospital in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Petionville , CNN 's Chris Lawrence and Arthur Brice reported . Read . 6:41 p.m. -- A volunteer at Sacre Coeur Hospital in northern Haiti said the facility has large numbers of open beds , but no easy way to get patients there from Port-au-Prince . `` My surgeons are sitting around looking at each other , wondering why they came , '' Tim Traynor told CNN . The hospital , in Milot , has more than 200 beds but fewer than 30 patients , Traynor said . He said the U.S. Coast Guard has flown some injured people up from Port-au-Prince , `` one or two or three or four people at a time . '' Another volunteer , Carol Fipp , said : `` Shout it from the mountaintops : We need helicopters . '' 6:35 p.m. -- Limited runway space and battered telecommunications networks are hindering efforts to get food , water and medical aid into the hands of desperate Haitians , relief agencies say . The U.S. Ambassador to Haiti , Kenneth Merten , says another big obstacle is Haiti 's damaged infrastructure , which is making it difficult to move aid from the airport quickly . 5:41 p.m. -- A 12-year-old girl on whom CNN 's Dr. Sanjay Gupta performed brain surgery on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson this morning is `` doing very well , '' Gupta says . Shrapnel had penetrated her brain . A military helicopter flew Gupta from Port-au-Prince to the aircraft carrier for the procedure . 5:23 p.m. -- The people who 've just rescued student Maxine Fallon from the crumbled university knew to go there because text messages had been sent from beneath the rubble , said paramedic Clever Sobrino , who added that more trapped survivors are believed to be inside . Read . 5:20 p.m. -- The student who has just been rescued from the Port-au-Prince university rubble , Maxine Fallon , 23 , was treated by an Israeli doctor and taken to a U.N. treatment center on the back of a CNN truck , CNN 's Chris Lawrence reports . A paramedic had flagged down the truck , which was passing through the area , and asked that the truck be used to take Fallon to the treatment center . 5:09 p.m. -- A university student has been pulled out of the rubble of a school in Port-au-Prince and taken to a hospital . 5:05 p.m. -- In his interview with CNN 's Christiane Amanpour , U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon could n't give a timeline for how long it will take to get the abundance of aid collected for Haiti flowing freely into the country . `` We are in an initial stage of this , coordinating and organizing effective way of delivering aid , '' Ban said . Read . 4:27 p.m. -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon tells CNN 's Christiane Amanpour that 46 U.N. staff members have died as a result of last week 's earthquake , and he fears that number could rise . The previous confirmed toll was 37 . The U.N. 's mission headquarters in Port-au-Prince collapsed in the earthquake . Read . 4:11 p.m. -- Two South Florida residents talk to CNN affiliate WFOR about their mother 's rescue from a Port-au-Prince grocery store 108 hours after the earthquake . 3:46 p.m. -- The U.S. State Department now says the number of Haitian children who have left Haiti to be with adoptive parents in the U.S. since last week 's earthquake is 24 , not 150 as officials said Sunday . The State Department says it 's working on nearly 300 cases of Americans who are waiting to adopt Haitian children , and 200 of those cases are being accelerated , CNN 's Elise Labott reports . 3:30 p.m. -- A campaign using text messages to raise money for the Red Cross has tallied more than $ 21 million for relief efforts in Haiti , CNN 's Doug Gross reports . The total has obliterated the nearly $ 4 million that , according to the Red Cross , was donated to all charities by mobile texts in all of 2009 . Read . 3:25 p.m. -- At a press conference , Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean tearfully denies recent allegations that he misappropriated funds from his Yele Haiti charity . Meanwhile , experts on nonprofits say they ca n't find serious wrongdoing , except for a lapse of discipline in filing his taxes , CNNMoney.com reports . Read . 3:17 p.m. -- CNN 's Anderson Cooper provides more detail on the looting he saw in downtown Port-au-Prince on Monday : Several hundred people broke into a damaged supply store , and some of them -- young men holding two-by-fours with nails hammered into them -- began attacking each other . One boy collapsed onto the street in a pool of blood . Some people came with money , buying supplies from looters -- in some cases hoping to sell for more somewhere else . 1:50 p.m. -- Twenty-four Americans are confirmed dead in the Haiti quake , the State Department said . About 25 other American deaths have been reported but not confirmed . 1:47 p.m. -- U.S. Muslims have raised more than $ 800,000 for Haiti 's earthquake victims since a call to help went out at Friday prayers across the country , according to the group Islamic Relief USA . `` We will probably reach our million dollar goal by this afternoon , '' spokesman Anwar Khan told CNN on Monday . 1:24 p.m. -- Former President Bill Clinton has arrived in Haiti , accompanied by his daughter , Chelsea , to check on relief efforts . 12:58 p.m. -- CNN 's Anderson Cooper reports widespread looting in downtown Port-au-Prince . `` People are actually stealing this , then will sell it later and then they 'll use that money for their families , '' Cooper said . 12:40 p.m. -- The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and accompanying ships with more than 2,200 Marines on board were arriving off Haiti on Monday , the Pentagon said . The Marines bring with them heavy lift and earth-moving equipment , a dozen helicopters and additional medical support capabilities . 12:33 p.m. -- Rescue crews in Haiti have saved more than 75 people from the rubble , and continue to search for survivors six days after the earthquake , U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Merten said Monday . 12:20 p.m. -- Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist , a medical doctor , arrived in Port-au-Prince , Haiti , on Monday to help in the relief effort . The Tennessee Republican will be working at Baptist Mission Hospital in Haiti with the international relief agency Samaritan 's Purse , according to a statement from Hope Through Healing Hands , Frist 's nonprofit aid organization . iReport.com : Looking for loved ones . 12:09 p.m. -- Military officials now say three Americans , not 30 , were injured in an incident outside the Port-au-Prince airport . They are being treated for injuries that are not life-threatening , CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence reports . 11:40 a.m. -- Military officials in Port-au-Prince , Haiti , tell CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence that 30 Americans have been hurt . 10:37 a.m. -- Rick Santos , president and CEO of the humanitarian organization IMA World Health , said he and a few of his colleagues survived 50 hours beneath the rubble of a hotel , sustained by a Tootsie Pop and a bit of chewing gum . Read . Share your earthquake stories . 8:22 a.m. -- CNN 's Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on board the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson assisting in the care of a 12-year-old girl with a serious head injury . The military sought Gupta 's help , and he was taken to the ship by helicopter . CNN has been told that the girl 's condition is stable . 8:15 a.m. -- Bill Clinton , the U.N. special envoy to Haiti , is set to meet with local officials to discuss how best to proceed with recovery operations in Haiti . 6:30 a.m. -- The Pentagon said it will have 7,000 personnel in Haiti on Monday working on earthquake relief . U.S. military personnel have supplied 130,000 rations and 70,000 bottles of water as of Monday morning , it said . Follow daily developments : . Tuesday . Wednesday . Thursday . Friday . Saturday . Sunday . | Read Twitter feeds to stay up to date on the latest in Haiti . Read CNN.com 's complete special coverage of the Haiti earthquake . iReport : Looking for loved ones . | [[9138, 9149], [9152, 9176]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A British man who allegedly sold fake bomb detectors to Iraq and Afghanistan has been arrested on suspicion of fraud , police said . The British government has also imposed an export ban on the device , known as the ADE651 , effective Monday . The handheld device is commonly used at checkpoints in Iraq and Afghanistan to detect explosives . The 53-year-old unidentified suspect , who was arrested Friday , is accused of knowingly selling a product that did n't work , police said . Tests show that the ADE651 , and similar devices , were not suitable for bomb detection , a spokesman for Britain 's Department of Business , Innovation and Skills said in a statement . `` As non-military technology , it does not need an export license , and we would not normally need to monitor its sale and use abroad . However , it is clearly of concern that it is being used as bomb detection equipment , '' the spokesman said . The spokesman said the export ban only applied to Iraq and Afghanistan because its legal powers to control the sale of the product were `` based on the risk that -LSB- the device -RSB- could cause harm to U.K. and other friendly forces . '' | British man arrested on suspicion of fraud concerning fake bomb detectors . British government has imposed export ban on ADE651 after tests showed it was `` not suitable '' for bomb detection . Handheld device is commonly used at checkpoints in Iraq and Afghanistan . | [[36, 49], [54, 96], [169, 236], [520, 691], [280, 378]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I did n't need to read the findings of a recent Australian research study to know that most women who live with their mates have more body fat than those who do n't . For 10 years , researchers studied nearly 6,500 women , age 18 to 23 , and found , according to one of the study 's authors , Dr. Wendy J. Brown , that `` Women with no partner and no baby averaged 11 pounds over 10 years . With a partner and no baby they gained about 15 pounds , and if they had a partner and a baby they gained 20 pounds . '' -LRB- The findings appear in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine . -RRB- . Researchers can speculate on the reasons for this , but it 's not news to me . Of the thousands of women I 've met who are desperately seeking to reshape their bodies , almost all are living with -- or just moved away from -- a partner . While I have heard many voices , their story is the same : They lust , then love . With lust comes starvation ; with love , over-consumption and under-exercise . Their love transforms from the physical to the emotional , and this usually happens after they decide to live together . But once they lift their heads above the fog of love , they look down to find that their butts are sagging , bellies are bulging and thighs have taken on interesting new shapes ! Come to think of it , many of the men who knock on my door looking for their abdominal muscles also deteriorated soon after moving in with their mates . Think about your man . Does he have the same waistline measurement as when you first signed the lease or mortgage papers ? Probably not . In fact , it probably got even worse for both of you after your first child , did n't it ? -LRB- The new Australian research references an earlier study that showed an increase in obesity in men once they 'd had children . -RRB- . Like the smokers I know , the overwhelming majority of whom hate to smoke , many women develop unhealthy patterns -LRB- like snacking on junk food at home -RRB- that lead to unhealthy bodies , which lead to a seriously unhealthy lack of self-esteem . We become `` less desirable , '' a phrase I hear far too often . Once we arrive at this place , the frantic search begins . Many of us will do anything to recover what was once our youthful body . Sadly , many waste time and money on fad diets , pills and potions . They end up doing the yo-yo thing , torturing their bodies through obsessive experimentation with an endless list of exercise programs , almost all of which fail them , because the will to really change behavior is not yet there . So , what can we do ? First , we must think about the quality and standards of our everyday behavior more than the end result . If we can just focus on gradual improvement of our diet and our exercise programs , we will likely regain our healthier , slimmer form . But more important , we will also build our self-respect . So , taking intelligent steps -LRB- i.e. , coming up with a rational workout plan or shopping for fresher and healthier foods and eating them , not impulse snacks -RRB- , carrying the steps out consistently -- more frequently and for a longer duration -- will have a huge net benefit on our bottoms and our bottom line : love . Next , we should include our mates in our process . In my experience , for example , couples who work out together have greater success in achieving their health and weight loss goals . They also seem to get along much better and stay together longer . Transform your personal physical development time into `` date time , '' doing something as simple as taking regular after-dinner walks together . Finally , cut back , but do n't cut out the fun stuff . When we are consistent with our diet and exercise programs , there is no need for maniacal starvation . We do n't need to sit at the dinner table with a radish on our plate , while our children and mates enjoy full meals . A healthy diet should not be some kind of intruder in our relationships , it should be a natural part of our lives . Besides , fun foods are what make our love lives more interesting and memorable . So eat ! But only if you do the work on the other side of those calories . Having a healthy , fit and feminine physique and a deeply loving emotional relationship are not mutually exclusive . You can have both ; and it can be done in a fun and positive way . For those of you about to move in , heed this advice : Start your program now , before your belly and your mate 's interest start to sag ! I promise : if you do n't quit , you 'll have a body that wo n't quit ! The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tracy Anderson . | Trainer Tracy Anderson not surprised study says women with partners gain weight . When people partner , she says , they get lax in eating , fitness habits . Sticking to rational diet , exercise plan and including mate key to staying slim , she says . Anderson : Moving in together ? Start fitness program now . | [[75, 189], [709, 731], [2990, 3115], [3282, 3326], [3731, 3789], [3792, 3834], [4448, 4464], [4467, 4489]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World No. 1 Serena Williams ' preparations for her Australian Open title defense suffered a late blip when she was beaten in the final of the Sydney International by Elena Dementieva on Friday . The American , who had struggled past unseeded Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai in three sets in the semifinals when she appeared to injure her left leg , lost 6-3 6-2 to suffer her fifth defeat in her last eight clashes with the Russian . `` I was struggling a little bit , but she definitely deserves all the credit , '' Williams told reporters . `` It 's definitely not ligament problems . It 's just a little pain but the strapping usually helps the pain go away . '' Dementieva , who beat world No. 2 Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals , successfully defended her title in the final event before the first Grand Slam tournament of this decade starts on Monday . `` It 's great to play against the best players in the world , especially going into a Grand Slam . It was a great experience and it 'll help me next week at the Australian Open , '' she told the WTA Tour 's official Web site . Dementieva went into the match against Williams having been handed a potential second-round clash with former world No. 1 Justine Henin , who pulled out of the Sydney event as a precaution after suffering a leg injury in her comeback tournament in Brisbane . Seven-time Grand Slam winner Henin , handed a wildcard after a 20-month retirement , will start against unseeded fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens on Monday while fifth seed Dementieva plays fellow Russian Vera Dushevina . Both have avoided the Williams sisters , who are in the top half of the draw with Serena opening against Poland 's Urszula Radwanska on Tuesday and sixth seed Venus taking on Czech Lucie Safarova . Four-time winner Serena could face seventh seed Victoria Azarenka in the last eight , with a possible semifinal against her older sibling looming . Last year 's losing finalist Safina opens against world No. 44 Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia , and could face fellow Russian Maria Sharapova in the fourth round . Sharapova , the 2008 champion but seeded 14th after struggling with shoulder problems last year , begins with a glamour clash against compatriot and fellow pin-up girl Maria Kirilenko . U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters could face fellow comeback queen Henin in the quarterfinals , having been seeded 15th and facing a qualifier first up . But to set up a rematch of the recent final in Brisbane , which she won , Clijsters is likely to have to overcome third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round . The Russian , who has never got past the last eight in Melbourne , takes on unseeded compatriot Anastasia Rodionova in her first match . Australian Open women 's singles draw -LRB- seeds in bold -RRB- : . 1-Serena Williams -LRB- USA -RRB- v Urszula Radwanska -LRB- Pol -RRB- Petra Kvitova -LRB- Cze -RRB- v Jill Craybas -LRB- USA -RRB- Qualifier v Andrea Petkovic -LRB- Ger -RRB- Ayumi Morita -LRB- Jpn -RRB- v 32-Carla Suarez-Navarro -LRB- Spa -RRB- 21-Sabine Lisicki -LRB- Ger -RRB- v Petra Martic -LRB- Cro -RRB- Varvara Lepchenko -LRB- USA -RRB- v Alberta Brianti -LRB- Ita -RRB- Kristina Barrois -LRB- Ger -RRB- v Akgul Amanmuradova -LRB- Uzb -RRB- Qualifier v Samantha Stosur -LRB- Aus -RRB- -LRB- 13 -RRB- 9-Vera Zvonareva -LRB- Rus -RRB- v Kristina Kucova -LRB- Svk -RRB- Kai Chen Chang -LRB- Tpe -RRB- v Iveta Benesova -LRB- Cze -RRB- Qualifier v Gisela Dulko -LRB- Arg -RRB- Qualifier v 20-Ana Ivanovic -LRB- Ser -RRB- 28-Elena Vesnina -LRB- Rus -RRB- v Tathiana Garbin -LRB- Ita -RRB- Kimiko Date Krumm -LRB- Jpn -RRB- v Yaroslava Shvedova -LRB- Kaz -RRB- Stefanie Voegele -LRB- Swi -RRB- v Melinda Czink -LRB- Hun -RRB- Stephanie Cohen Aloro -LRB- Fra -RRB- v 7-Victoria Azarenka -LRB- Blr -RRB- 4-Caroline Wozniacki -LRB- Den -RRB- v Aleksandra Wozniak -LRB- Can -RRB- Tamira Paszek -LRB- Aut -RRB- v Julia Goerges -LRB- Ger -RRB- Galina Voskoboeva -LRB- Kaz -RRB- v Tsvetana Pironkova -LRB- Bul -RRB- Lucie Hradecka -LRB- Cze -RRB- v 29-Shahar Peer -LRB- Isr -RRB- 22-Daniela Hantuchova -LRB- Svk -RRB- v Viktoriya Kutuzova -LRB- Ukr -RRB- Jarmila Groth -LRB- Svk -RRB- v Qualifier Stephanie Dubois -LRB- Can -RRB- v Agnes Szavay -LRB- Hun -RRB- Marina Erakovic -LRB- Nzl -RRB- v 16-Na Li -LRB- Chn -RRB- 10-Agnieszka Radwanska -LRB- Pol -RRB- v Tatjana Malek -LRB- Ger -RRB- Melanie Oudin -LRB- USA -RRB- v Alla Kudryavtseva -LRB- Rus -RRB- Julie Coin -LRB- Fra -RRB- v Alicia Molik -LRB- Aus -RRB- Alize Cornet -LRB- Fra -RRB- v 17-Francesca Schiavone -LRB- Ita -RRB- 25-Anabel Medina Garrigues -LRB- Spa -RRB- v Karolina Sprem -LRB- Cro -RRB- Anastasiya Yakimova -LRB- Blr -RRB- v Casey Dellacqua -LRB- Aus -RRB- Arantxa Parra Santonja -LRB- Spa -RRB- v Sybille Bammer -LRB- Aut -RRB- Lucie Safarova -LRB- Cze -RRB- v 6-Venus Williams -LRB- USA -RRB- 5-Elena Dementieva -LRB- Rus -RRB- v Vera Dushevina -LRB- Rus -RRB- Kirsten Flipkens -LRB- Bel -RRB- v Justine Henin -LRB- Bel -RRB- Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea -LRB- Rom -RRB- v Olivia Rogowska -LRB- Aus -RRB- Jelena Dokic -LRB- Aus -RRB- v 27-Alisa Kleybanova -LRB- Rus -RRB- 18-Virginie Razzano -LRB- Fra -RRB- v Ekaterina Makarova -LRB- Rus -RRB- Klara Zakopalova -LRB- Cze -RRB- v Sara Errani -LRB- Ita -RRB- Qualifier v Alexandra Dulgheru -LRB- Rom -RRB- Anna Chakvetadze -LRB- Rus -RRB- v 12-Flavia Pennetta -LRB- Ita -RRB- 15-Kim Clijsters -LRB- Bel -RRB- v Qualifier Sesil Karatantcheva -LRB- Kaz -RRB- v Tamarine Tanasugarn -LRB- Tha -RRB- Yung-Jan Chan -LRB- Tpe -RRB- v Kaia Kanepi -LRB- Est -RRB- Edina Gallovits -LRB- Rom -RRB- v 19-Nadia Petrova -LRB- Rus -RRB- 26-Aravane Rezai -LRB- Fra -RRB- v Sania Mirza -LRB- Ind -RRB- Olga Govortsova -LRB- Blr -RRB- v Qualifier Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova -LRB- Rus -RRB- v Anastasija Sevastova -LRB- Lat -RRB- Anastasia Rodionova -LRB- Rus -RRB- v 3-Svetlana Kuznetsova -LRB- Rus -RRB- 8-Jelena Jankovic -LRB- Ser -RRB- v Monica Niculescu -LRB- Rom -RRB- Patricia Mayr -LRB- Aut -RRB- v Katie O'Brien -LRB- GB -RRB- Qualifier v Polona Hercog -LRB- Slo -RRB- Qualifier v 31-Alona Bondarenko -LRB- Ukr -RRB- 24-Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez -LRB- Spa -RRB- v Evgeniya Rodina -LRB- Rus -RRB- Jie Zheng -LRB- Chn -RRB- v Shuai Peng -LRB- Chn -RRB- Coco Vandeweghe -LRB- USA -RRB- v Sandra Zahlavova -LRB- Cze -RRB- Rossana De los Rios -LRB- Par -RRB- v 11-Marion Bartoli -LRB- Fra -RRB- 14-Maria Sharapova -LRB- Rus -RRB- v Maria Kirilenko -LRB- Rus -RRB- Qualifier v Timea Bacsinszky -LRB- Swi -RRB- Anna-Lena Groenefeld -LRB- Ger -RRB- v Roberta Vinci -LRB- Ita -RRB- Vania King -LRB- USA -RRB- v 23-Dominika Cibulkova -LRB- Svk -RRB- 30-Kateryna Bondarenko -LRB- Ukr -RRB- v Ioana Raluca Olaru -LRB- Rom -RRB- Pauline Parmentier -LRB- Fra -RRB- v Elena Baltacha -LRB- GB -RRB- Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova -LRB- Cze -RRB- v Qualifier Magdalena Rybarikova -LRB- Svk -RRB- v Dinara Safina -LRB- Rus -RRB- -LRB- 2 -RRB- . | World No. 1 Serena Williams beaten in final of Sydney International by Elena Dementieva . Williams was playing with injured leg ahead of Australian Open title defense . American in same half of draw as sister Venus for the first Grand Slam of decade . Dementieva could face former world No. 1 Justine Henin in second round in Melbourne . | [[0, 213], [121, 213], [679, 689], [696, 710], [679, 689], [750, 854], [1102, 1112], [1141, 1221]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tokyo has a dynamic and varied nightlife , although , as with the city 's restaurants , many of the best bars are tucked away off the beaten track . Tokyo has a buzzing clubbing scene . The ultra-stylish New York Bar is among the best rooftop bars in the world . Located on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt hotel -LRB- 3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku -RRB- it offers spectacular views of the glowing , futuristic cityscape that is Tokyo after dark . There 's fantastic food and live jazz , and as an added bonus , you may recognize it as the bar where Bill Murray first meets Scarlett Johansson in `` Lost in Translation . '' At Henry Good Seven it 's the stunning interior that will catch your eye . At once kitsch , cozy and classy , it 's a truly unique space by Tokyo design gurus Wonderwall . You 'll find it tucked away on the seventh floor of the Shin-Marunouchi Building -LRB- 1-5-1 Marunouchi -RRB- right across the street from Tokyo Station . If you manage to locate it , you 'll discover that Kita Aoyama Salon -LRB- Yamahazi Building , B1F , 2-7-18 Kita Aoyama , Minato-ku -RRB- is one of the city 's coolest bars . Take the metro to Gaienmae , leave by exit 2 and turn right . An unmarked metal door will lead you to a barely-lit basement bar artfully kitted out in dark wood and antique furniture . It 's open until 5 a.m. and manages to feel laid back and indulgent at the same time . Well worth seeking out . Perennially popular with foreigners is the Roppongi area . Full of bars and restaurants , it 's always lively -- and a bit tacky . Propaganda -LRB- Yua Roppongi Building 2F 3-14-9 Roppongi , Minato-ku -RRB- is an unfussy , affable shot bar with a good-value happy hour . A world away from garish Roppongi is the Golden Gai area of Shinjuku . A ghetto of dark alleyways crammed with tiny ramshackle bars , Golden Gai evokes a bygone bohemian Tokyo of the 1960s . Some establishments are n't keen on foreign customers but La Jetee -LRB- 1-1-8 Kabukicho , Shinjuku-ku -RRB- is a friendly little drinking den that 's sure to offer a warm welcome . A new arrival on the clubbing scene is the intimate Le Baron de Paris -LRB- Aoyama Center Building , Minami-Aoyama Minatu-ku -RRB- , the Tokyo outpost of the Parisian night club . Designed in part by Marc Newson , it attracts a trendy and glamorous international crowd . More established , and much less intimate , is Tokyo 's finest superclub , Womb -LRB- 2-16 Maruyama-cho , Shibuya-ku -RRB- . More like the interior of a spaceship than a nightclub , Womb has dazzling lighting and attracts top international House and Techno DJs . Where to stay | What to see | Where to be seen | Where to eat | Where to shop . ... . Do you agree with our Tokyo picks ? Send us your comments and suggestions in the `` Sound Off '' box below and we 'll print the best . | Enjoy jazz , cocktails and mind-blowing views at the ultra-stylish New York Bar . If you can find Kita Aoyama Salon you deserve the beer that 's waiting for you . The Golden Gai area is packed with ramshackle bars - check out La Jetee . The legendary Womb is Tokyo 's finest club , featuring incredible lighting . | [[367, 432], [1706, 1776], [1789, 1837], [2532, 2558]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new national poll suggests a majority of Americans oppose legalizing same-sex marriages , but the survey indicates a vast generational divide on the issue . The recent poll shows that those who have a gay friend or relative are more likely to support gay marriage . Fifty-four percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday say marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid , with 44 percent suggesting they should be considered legal . But among those 18 to 34 years old , 58 percent said same-sex marriages should be legal . That number drops to 42 percent among respondents aged 35 to 49 , and to 41 percent for those aged 50 to 64 . Only 24 percent of Americans 65 and older support recognizing same-sex marriages , according to the poll . While a majority of those polled oppose legalizing gay marriage , six of ten said states that do not recognize gay marriages should allow civil unions . When it comes to supporting civil unions , the poll indicates a similar generational shift . Three states -- Massachusetts , Connecticut and Iowa -- currently allow same-sex marriages . A law passed by Vermont legislators that makes gay and lesbian marriages legal takes affect in September . New Hampshire lawmakers are close to passing a similar bill . `` It 's not surprising that three Northeastern states are the first to take this step , '' says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland , referring to Massachusetts , Connecticut and Vermont . `` A majority of people who live in the Northeast say they approve of same-sex marriage . Solid majorities in the South , Midwest and West all oppose gay marriage . '' Forty-nine percent of those questioned say they have a family member or close friend who is gay . That 's up eight points from 1998 and 17 points from 1992 . Fifty-eight percent of those aged 18 to 34 say they have a family member or close friend who 's gay . That drops to just one in three of people 65 or older . `` People who say they have a gay friend or relative support same-sex marriage , '' Holland notes . `` Most of those who say they do n't know anyone who is gay , oppose gay marriage . '' The poll 's release comes just three days after Supreme Court Justice David Souter announced he would step down from the high court after this year 's session ends in late June . Any Supreme Court nomination battle between conservatives and progressives will most likely include hot-button social issues , like gay marriage . `` Republicans do n't have the votes to defeat President Obama 's choice for the Supreme Court . They have to get some Democrats to join them , possibly on a hot-button social issue , '' says Bill Schneider , CNN senior political analyst . The poll indicates that close to 40 percent of Democrats oppose legalizing gay marriage . But Schneider says there 's a risk for conservatives if they make same-sex marriage an issue in the fight over a Supreme Court nomination . `` Young voters strongly favor marriage equality . They 're the future of American politics , '' says Schneider . The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted April 23-26 , with 2,019 adult Americans questioned by telephone . The survey 's sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points . | Fifty-eight percent of 18 to 34 years olds said same-sex marriages should be legal . Number drops to 42 percent among respondents 35 to 49 years old . A majority of people in the Northeast say they approve of same-sex marriage . Poll : Majority of those who do n't know anyone gay also oppose same-sex marriage . | [[543, 573], [576, 628], [1894, 1913], [629, 683], [1548, 1568], [1595, 1634], [0, 26], [30, 119], [852, 909], [2140, 2145], [2150, 2177], [2154, 2188], [2129, 2145], [2191, 2212]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pilot 's sleep disorder and a string of early mornings helped cause the crew of a commuter jet to fall asleep during a flight over Hawaii in 2008 , federal investigators reported Monday . The pilot and co-pilot of a Go ! Airlines jet failed to respond to calls from air traffic controllers for 18 minutes during the February 2008 flight from Honolulu to Hilo and awoke to find they had overshot their destination by about 30 miles , the National Transportation Safety Board reported . The plane landed safely once the pilots awoke and resumed contact with controllers . The 53-year-old pilot was later diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea , which can cause daytime sleepiness . `` This condition likely caused him to experience chronic daytime fatigue and contributed to his falling asleep during the incident flight , '' according to the NTSB 's report on the probable cause of the incident . `` In addition , the day of the incident was the third consecutive day that both pilots started duty at 0540 -LRB- 5:40 a.m. -RRB- , '' the report continued . `` This likely caused the pilots to receive less daily sleep than is needed to sustain optimal alertness and resulted in an accumulation of sleep debt and increased levels of daytime fatigue . '' Go ! is a subsidiary of Phoenix , Arizona-based Mesa Air Group . The company had no immediate response to the findings . The Hawaii incident and a 2007 runway landing accident in Michigan that investigators blamed on pilot fatigue prompted a call by federal safety experts to scale back the maximum workday allowed for airline pilots and implement other `` fatigue management '' programs . | The crew of a commuter jet fell asleep during a flight over Hawaii in 2008 . Federal investigators cite sleep apnea , string of early mornings as causes . Pilot , co-pilot of a Go ! Airlines jet awoke to find they overshot destination . Sleep apnea is a disorder that can cause chronic daytime fatigue . | [[101, 166], [209, 254], [384, 451], [701, 774], [1185, 1268]] |
Nairobi , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sala saunters in the red soil , her wrinkled skin glistening in the sun as she tries to keep up with the rest of the herd . It is hard to believe the 6-week-old , dwarfed by her human keeper , will grow up to be one of nature 's biggest beasts . Until then , she lives at a Nairobi orphanage that takes in baby elephants struggling to survive . There , she walks around in the lush wilderness with her peers , drinks soy milk and waves her trunk playfully as her keeper applies sunscreen on her delicate skin . A red garment tied around her back keeps it safe from the sun 's glare . Sala is one of scores of animals orphaned by drought , poaching and shrinking habitats , which have decimated wildlife across Kenya . The baby elephant was found wandering , alone and confused , after her mother died of starvation , her caretaker said . Conservation groups such as the David Sheldrick Foundation , where Sala is , have seen an influx of wildlife . The foundation takes in orphaned elephants and rhinos from across the country , a popular tourist destination because of its animals . `` You know if a human child came in need of care , you would n't put a bullet in or turn it away , '' said Daphne Sheldrick of the foundation . `` Elephants are the same . ... Whatever comes in , we have to make space . '' The facility has more than 20 elephants in Nairobi and more at another center in Tsavo National Park , where they are also rehabilitated . Kenya depends on tourism as a main source of income . Sala taps into that to help earn the $ 900 monthly cost for her upkeep . She slushes and slides in a mud bath for throngs of tourists and uses her trunk to nudge the only other person she dwarfs -- a squirming toddler . Sala and the other animals will be released back into the wilderness when they are old enough , which takes years . Long after they are gone , their caretakers will still worry about the fragile animals they help nurture . `` After working with these elephants , it 's no longer just a job , '' said Edwin Lusichi , the chief keeper . `` It is from inside your heart , the love that you have for these animals . '' | Conservation groups have seen an influx of wildlife . Scores of animals are orphaned by drought , poaching and shrinking habitats . David Sheldrick Foundation makes room for all the elephants that come its way . | [[873, 931], [940, 983], [644, 705], [619, 623], [687, 752], [664, 671], [683, 707], [714, 752]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The FBI attained `` actionable intelligence '' from bombing suspect Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab in the first hours after his arrest on Christmas Day , White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday . `` AbdulMutallab spent a number of hours with FBI investigators in which we gleaned useable , actionable intelligence , '' Gibbs told reporters . According to authorities , Nigerian-born AbdulMutallab tried to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear as a flight from Amsterdam , Netherlands , made its final approach to Detroit , Michigan , December 25 . The device failed to fully detonate , instead setting off a fire at the man 's seat . Gibbs declined to elaborate on the nature of the intelligence . AbdulMutallab , 23 , has been tied to the Yemen-based group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula . In a statement to reporters after meeting with his national security team , President Obama said U.S. officials had enough information in their possession before the failed bombing attack to have prevented the suspect from getting on the plane , but had been unable to `` connect the dots . '' Obama said he could accept the imperfect nature of intelligence work , `` but it is increasingly clear that intelligence was not fully analyzed or fully leveraged , '' he said , adding : `` That 's not acceptable , and I will not tolerate it . '' `` Time and again we 've learned that quickly piecing together information and taking swift action is critical to staying one step ahead of a nimble adversary , '' Obama said . `` So we have to do better , and we will do better , and we have to do it quickly . American lives are on the line . '' In one step , senior State Department officials told CNN on Tuesday that new criteria for information collected on possible terrorists would make it easier to ban them from U.S.-bound flights . Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the material , the officials said the United States has lowered the threshold for information considered important enough to put suspicious individuals on a no-fly list or revoke their visas . If the new criteria had been in place before Christmas , AbdulMutallab would have been added to the no-fly list , the officials said . AbdulMutallab is being held at the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan , Michigan , where he 's still being treated for the burn injuries he received in the failed bombing . He faces charges of attempting to destroy an aircraft , and will face his first court hearings Friday . The suspect apparently arrived in Amsterdam already carrying the explosives he planned to use , Dutch prosecutors said Tuesday . `` The suspect traveled through Ghana before he arrived via Lagos -LSB- Nigeria -RSB- at Schiphol , '' prosecutors said , referring to the airport where AbdulMutallab boarded the flight to Detroit . `` So far , it seems he already had the explosives with him before he landed at Schiphol . '' Also Tuesday , British officials announced that London 's Heathrow Airport will introduce more body scanners within weeks , and that all British airports must have equipment to detect explosives by the end of the year . British Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the British government had no evidence AbdulMutallab had been planning an attack . Johnson added that British authorities were directing airports to carry out more random searches of passengers because metal detectors can not spot explosives without metal parts . Last week , Obama blamed human error and security lapses for the failure by officials to act on information that AbdulMutallab was a possible terrorist threat . He had a valid multiple-entry U.S. visa . His father , a leading banker in Nigeria , had warned U.S. authorities before the attack that his son might be involved with Islamic extremists , but the information failed to prompt a response such as canceling the visa . Tuesday 's White House meetings were held just hours after the United States reopened its embassy in Yemen . It 's believed that AbdulMutallab may have received training in Yemen from the group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula . The United States ' decision to close the embassy came after intelligence suggested that four al Qaeda operatives could have been planning an attack on the compound , a senior administration official said Monday . A statement posted on the Embassy 's Web site said `` successful counter-terrorism operations '' conducted by Yemeni security forces 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 . CNN 's Dan Lothian and Suzanne Malveaux in Washington , Per Nyberg in London , England , and Christian Purefoy in Lagos , Nigeria , contributed to this report . | White House press secretary : Suspect gave FBI `` actionable intelligence '' Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab has been linked with al Qaeda group . Dutch authorities : Suspect apparently arrived already carrying explosives . British officials : Heathrow to introduce more body scanners within weeks . | [[30, 123], [179, 234], [281, 298], [308, 352], [744, 757], [760, 762], [765, 839], [381, 405], [2554, 2597], [2588, 2629], [2894, 2948], [2903, 2972], [2991, 3195]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Dutch man once considered a suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway has told a television station he dumped her body in a swamp , Aruba 's chief prosecutor told CNN . However , Joran van der Sloot 's claims to Dutch station RTL-5 are `` unbelievable , '' prosecutor Peter Blanken said . RTL-5 said Tuesday it had `` acquired exclusive material containing a statement by Joran van der Sloot '' regarding Holloway 's disappearance . `` This material was first offered to us in 2009 , '' Remko van Westerloo , the station 's director of programming , said in a statement . `` Obviously , our initial response was skeptical , '' van Westerloo said . `` However , we did feel that this interview required thorough research . We 've spoken to a variety of experts and several critics . These findings resulted in a TV special which will air this Sunday . It 's up to the viewers to form their own opinions on the matter . '' The statement did not divulge the contents of van der Sloot 's interview . However , Blanken told CNN on Tuesday that van der Sloot says in the interview that he dumped Holloway 's body `` in a swamp on the north end of the island . '' `` He was very unspecific , '' Blanken said . Blanken said RTL contacted him about the interview last summer , and the station showed the interview to him to get his reaction . He said his office and Aruban police investigated . `` We tried to verify it , '' Blanken said . `` It could n't be true . We talked with several witnesses and reviewed several facts . The story is unbelievable and not true , in my opinion . '' He said his office told van der Sloot `` we 'd like him to come in and speak with us about it . He failed to respond . '' Asked why van der Sloot gave the interview , Blanken said , `` You should ask him . Maybe he wanted to be on camera or make some money . '' Holloway was 18 when last seen in the early hours of May 30 , 2005 , leaving an Oranjestad , Aruba , nightclub with van der Sloot and two other men , brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe . She was visiting Aruba with about 100 classmates celebrating their graduation from Mountain Brook High School in suburban Birmingham , Alabama . Holloway failed to show up for her flight home the following day , and her packed bags were found in her hotel room . Van der Sloot and the Kalpoes were arrested and released in 2005 in connection with the case . In 2007 , they were arrested a second time after Aruba 's then-chief prosecutor , Hans Mos , said he had received new evidence in the case . Van der Sloot , who was attending college in the Netherlands , was brought back to Aruba . But judges ruled the new evidence -- which included an Internet chat the same day Holloway disappeared with one of the three youths saying she was dead -- was not enough to keep them jailed . In 2008 , prosecutors sought unsuccessfully to arrest van der Sloot a third time after a videotape surfaced on Dutch television . In it , van der Sloot tells a man he considered to be his friend that he had sex with Holloway on the beach after leaving the nightclub , then she `` started shaking '' and lost consciousness . He said he panicked when he could not resuscitate her and called a friend who had a boat . The two put Holloway 's body in the boat , he said , and then he went home . The friend told him the next day that he had carried the body out and dumped it in the ocean . `` I did n't lose a minute of sleep over it , '' van der Sloot said on the tape . Holloway 's mother , Beth Twitty , told ABC at the time that the video showed van der Sloot was `` not innocent . '' But an Aruba court ruled there was not enough evidence to re-arrest him . Aruban prosecutors said authorities had met with van der Sloot in the Netherlands , but in a two-hour interview he denied any role in Holloway 's disappearance . Van der Sloot acknowledged to a Dutch television program he made the comments , but said he was lying . `` That is what he wanted to hear , so I told him what he wanted to hear , '' he said . `` When -LSB- van der Sloot -RSB- really wants to tell the truth , -LSB- we hope -RSB- he will , '' said Blanken , who took over as chief prosecutor in September . `` He did n't tell the truth -LSB- this time -RSB- . '' CNN 's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report . | Ex-suspect tells TV station he dumped Alabama teen 's body in swamp , Aruba prosecutor says . But Joran van der Sloot 's alleged confession `` unbelievable , '' prosecutor says . Alabama teenager disappeared on trip to Aruba in May 2005 . Nancy Grace has the latest breaking developments at 8 and 10 p.m. ET Tuesday on HLN . | [[0, 15], [103, 179], [182, 218], [1089, 1203], [229, 301], [0, 15], [31, 110]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jennifer Thomas was looking at life with renewed energy : She had just survived a serious operation , and she was at a crossroads in her career . After 20 years as a producer in the stressful business of TV news , the challenge was n't there for her anymore . For eight weeks , as she recovered from the removal of a large noncancerous tumor from her uterus , Thomas thought about her next steps . `` I told myself I was going to work to do the things that I enjoy , things that are related to the news , '' she said . Thomas had recently conducted news production workshops for kids , so she already knew that she `` loved people and talking to people about the news . That made me start thinking that if I could do it all the time and get paid for it , I 'd really enjoy it . '' Within a year , Thomas had left her job at CNN 's HLN network to start a Georgia-based media consulting business with clients such as singer/actress Jennifer Holliday , former Bell Biv DeVoe singer Ron DeVoe , actor Boris Kodjoe , actress Nicole Ari Parker and former supermodel Beverly Johnson . During her journey , Thomas learned that working for yourself often requires scary first steps , generous friends and mentors , and maintaining a healthy work-life balance . She 's the first to say that her story is not typical in any way , as she seemed to meet good luck at every turn . After her surgery , Thomas , who also had worked at CNN and NBC , began saving money and planning her business . As if on cue , HLN offered her a buyout to leave the company as part of a downsizing . `` It was my light bulb ` a-ha ' moment , '' Thomas said . `` I was excited because in the back of my mind , it was what I had been praying for . '' An opportunity to write a blog for a popular local women 's magazine got her some local attention . A journalist friend e-mailed Thomas , saying that he had connected with Johnson and suggesting that they meet . `` She called out of the blue , '' Thomas said . '' ` Hi , Jennifer ! It 's Beverly -- the model ! ' I was shocked . '' Johnson needed no introduction . Thomas was very familiar with the first African-American model to win a cover on American Vogue magazine . In that year , 1974 , Thomas said Johnson 's beauty and status spoke volumes to her as a role model . `` When she called , I was like , ` shut up ! ' We were all like , ` no way ! ' I did n't think anything would come from it , but eventually , she said she would love to be my client . '' Thomas made short work of helping Johnson successfully pitch her women 's health campaign to CNN , NBC and ABC . `` It was huge for me , '' Thomas said . `` It showed me that the skills I may have taken for granted were very valuable to others . Here I was doing what just came natural to me -- working with the media -- and I 'm helping an iconic figure . It gave me such a feeling of gratification , and it gave me so much more confidence . '' But snagging Johnson as her first client was n't easy . She had to start with smaller steps -- and the first step was a doozy : dealing with the fear . `` For me , it was fear of failure , '' she said . `` Anyone who has worked with me knows I am driven to succeed , and failure is not an option . '' `` But I 'm a woman of faith , '' said Thomas , a preacher 's daughter with strong ties to her church . `` Friends told me that ` faith will give you the wings to fly when you jump off that cliff . ' '' One way new consultants can boost their confidence is by compiling a list of experience and skills they 've gained during the past five years -- including successful projects , implementations and innovations . Experts recommend referring to that list whenever confidence dips . Thomas said she chose an area of consulting that was based on what she enjoys . `` Ask yourself , ` What would I do if I had to work for free ? ' '' she says . Another tip : Find a mentor . `` Identify someone who 's successful and ask for practical advice , '' she says . `` I found my mentor at my church . '' Set aside time and money for a vacation , and guard it like gold , Thomas advises . Also , she says , determine how much income you need to stay afloat each month , and focus on that target like a laser . To be safe , experts advise aspiring consultants to start small , as a side business , while continuing to work elsewhere full time . But during a recession , keeping a full-time job and easing into consulting work is n't always possible . Unemployment has prompted many experienced professionals to launch consultant operations simply to survive . `` With the way the market has gone recently , there 's no shortage of people who are now saying that they 're consultants -- and many of them are not qualified to be consultants , '' said Les Rubenovitch , president of Toronto-based Winning Edge Consultants Inc. `` Working for a company as an employee is very different from working for a company as a consultant . The credibility factor is critical if someone is going to engage you . '' Those looking to quickly build credibility or credentials to accompany work experience may consider offering to do speaking engagements at a local college or university . Thomas showed her initiative by teaching herself to organize and lead an online seminar -- a Webinar -- aimed at showing doctors how to better communicate on TV . Financial planning is key to the success of a new consultant operation , according to experts . Thomas set aside savings to live on during the initial phase of her business . It took well into her first year for her business income to fully support her , Thomas says . That 's better than most new consultant businesses , experts say . It 's not unusual for new consultant businesses to take three years to make a profit . Thomas says she 's still not making as much money as she did in TV news , but she expects to reach that mark this year . She works about the same number of hours now as she did as a journalist -- about 40 per week , if not more . `` The big difference is , the hours are n't straight through -- they vary . '' That 's not to say that Thomas has n't made mistakes . `` Do n't assume that things will come right away , '' she advises . `` Realize that the opportunities that come to you may not be in the form of money -- but they 're still valuable . '' Also worth keeping in mind : Do n't overwork yourself . `` I 'm still learning this , '' Thomas said . `` I jumped in with both feet in the fire . Do n't burn yourself out . '' If she were launching her business all over again , she says , she would build more `` me '' time into her schedule . `` I may take a day at the beginning of the week where I do n't take clients and do paperwork -- or I just get a massage . '' What 's the best thing about being your own boss ? Thomas laughs sheepishly . `` I can sleep in if I want to -- and schedule an appointment for lunch instead of early morning . '' | Journalist leaves TV to launch consulting business . Clients include Beverly Johnson , Boris Kodjoe , Nicole Ari Parker , Ron DeVoe , Jennifer Holliday . Her tips : Love your work , save money , find mentors , set goals , take breaks . Expert : Unemployment has increased number of less-than-qualified consultants . | [[818, 831], [834, 958], [834, 840], [880, 1033], [3904, 3915], [3918, 3933], [4681, 4687], [4696, 4788]] |
Santiago , Chile -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heavily populated parts of Chile still were without water service and electricity Sunday night because of Saturday 's 8.8-magnitude earthquake , and reports of looting raised fears about security in some areas . The nation 's hardest-hit major city , Concepcion , declared an overnight curfew . The death count from the earthquake doubled on Sunday from a day earlier , to 708 deaths . Calling Saturday morning 's quake an `` unthinkable disaster , '' Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said a state of catastrophe in the hardest-hit regions would continue , allowing for the restoration of order and speedy distribution of aid . Looting broke out in parts of the country , including in Concepcion in central coastal Chile , about 70 miles -LRB- 112 kilometers -RRB- from the earthquake 's epicenter . Desperate residents scrounged for water and supplies inside empty and damaged supermarkets . On Sunday morning , authorities used tear gas and water cannons to disperse looters in some areas . The quake struck before dawn Saturday , toppling thousands of houses and dealing a serious blow to one of Latin America 's most stable economies . The Chilean Red Cross reported that about 500,000 homes had considerable damage as a result of the quake . Did you feel the quake ? Share photos , videos , info with CNN . Chilean President-elect Sebastian Piñera , scheduled to take office in March , warned Sunday that looting could grow worse with nightfall . He called for more government help in restoring order . `` Tonight we will experience a very , very difficult situation with public order , particularly in the area of Concepcion , '' Piñera told Radio Bio Bio . Concepcion , the capital of the Bio Bio region , did n't have enough police to control all those seeking food and supplies from stores . Some became desperate as supermarkets closed and gasoline was unavailable , CNN Chile reported . On Sunday afternoon , people were seen entering a mill looking for ingredients for bread . In the evening , a CNN team passed a dozen gas stations that were being looted , with people siphoning gas . Military officers were guarding a few gas stations , but few other signs of a government response could be seen . Looting was being done not just by desperate residents , but by others who were merely opportunistic , said Concepcion mayor Van Rysselberghe . `` They are robbing everything , '' she said , asking for a stronger military response to restore calm . In addition to food , gas and emergency supplies , looters were targeting appliance and electronics stores , Van Rysselberghe said . Watch chaotic scene in damaged supermarket . Some small business owners resorted to protecting their shops with rifles and shotguns , said Rysselberghe , who also considered the current police force inadequate . Concepcion is under curfew from 9 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday because of the looting . The city government is distributing water from the central plaza . Concepcion and its adjacent sister city of Talcahuano , Chile , have a population of 840,000 . Video from Concepcion showed collapsed walls of buildings exposing twisted rebar . Whole sides of buildings were sheared off , and at least two structures were on fire . Chile 's Office of Emergency Management launched a C130 helicopter Sunday with a contingent of 40 specialized firefighters and 10 search dogs for the rescue effort in Concepcion . People in their homes lacked electricity . Hundreds faced sleeping in tents on Sunday night . Bachelet said her government reached an agreement with the country 's major supermarkets that would allow them to give away basic foodstuffs to those affected by the quake . The armed forces were available to help with security and the distribution of food , she said . In Concepcion on Sunday , a long line of people waited for foodstuffs as military personnel stood watch . `` I have nothing , '' one woman told CNN Chile . `` I have no bread . I am a widow . I am 81 years old . '' Of the 708 reported dead as of Sunday afternoon , 541 had died in Chile 's Maule region , and 64 in the Bio Bio region , both in south-central Chile . `` I am certain that these are numbers that will continue to grow , '' Bachelet said . Bachelet said Saturday that some 2 million people had been affected in one way or another , but she did not elaborate . More than 90 aftershocks had been recorded , ranging from 4.9 to 6.9 in magnitude . A 6.2-magnitude aftershock was recorded near the earthquake 's epicenter on Sunday . Chile has received many offers of international aid and will accept the help that it needs , Bachelet said . The U.S. military and the U.S. Agency for International Development were working to provide satellite phones , the State Department said Sunday . `` The Chilean government has not yet accepted additional offers of assistance , pending the completion of an assessment of specific needs , '' State Department spokeswoman Megan Mattson said , noting the airport in Santiago , Chile , was closed to foreign aid . `` As soon as the Chilean government establishes additional needs , the United States stands ready to assist in disaster response efforts , '' she said . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be traveling to Santiago on Tuesday on a previously scheduled trip through Latin America . She had originally been scheduled to arrive Monday . Bachelet said she hoped that the airport in Santiago , the capital , would reopen soon to private , public and commercial air traffic . The country 's Department of Emergency Management said Sunday that repairs at the airport would take 48 hours . The airline LAN Chile said that three flights left from Peru to Chile on Sunday , one of them landing in Santiago . These flights were not commercial , but were transporting Chileans stranded in Peru back to their country , LAN Chile spokesman Roberto Davila told CNN en Español . Piñera sought to rally spirits in nationally televised remarks Sunday night , announcing a reconstruction plan called `` Up With Chile . '' `` We will raise Chile , '' he said . `` It 's not going to be a short task , it 's not going to be easy . It will require a lot of effort , a lot of resources , and a lot of time . '' Saturday 's quake was 700 to 800 times stronger than the 7.0-magnitude quake that struck Haiti in January , which left about 212,000 people dead and more than 1 million homeless . Chile 's quake also occurred at a greater depth -- 21.7 miles -- than the 8.1-mile depth of the Haiti quake , which contributed to much of the damage there . Coastal Chile has a history of deadly earthquakes , with 13 temblors of magnitude 7.0 or higher since 1973 , the U.S. Geological Survey said . As a result , experts said that newer buildings are constructed to help withstand the shocks . CNN 's Rolando Santos , Brian Byrnes , Karen Smith , Saeed Ahmed , Patricio Martinez and Patty Lane contributed to this report . | Concepcion under curfew because of looting . Death toll from Chilean quake rises to more than 700 , president says . Supermarkets will give away supplies on hand to quake victims , president says . More than 90 aftershocks recorded , a day after massive quake shook Chile . | [[248, 284], [300, 330], [667, 759], [2845, 2932], [331, 403], [4027, 4071], [3539, 3627], [3589, 3627], [3633, 3688], [4382, 4424], [4382, 4406], [4427, 4465]] |
Lagos , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nigeria 's ailing president has broken two months of silence to assure his countrymen that contrary to speculation he is alive and intending to return to power soon . President Umaru Musa Yar ` Adua this week gave his first media interview since being admitted to a hospital in Saudi Arabia in late November where he is being treated for acute pericarditis , an inflammation of tissue around the heart . His absence has created a power vacuum in Africa 's most populous country , as Yar ` Adua has not formally handed his presidential duties to Vice-president Goodluck Jonathan . In a phone interview with the BBC from his hospital bed Tuesday , President Yar ` Adua said he was recovering from his treatment . `` At the moment I 'm undergoing treatment . I 'm getting better from the treatment . I hope that very soon there will be tremendous progress to allow me to get back home , '' he said . `` As soon as my doctors discharge me I 'll return to Nigeria to resume my duties , '' he added . Yar ` Adua 's interview coincided with demonstrations in the nation 's capital , Abuja , where protesters demanded a constitutional order on his absence and `` evidence about his true state of health , '' Voice of Nigeria reported . The Nigerian Senate is seeking also information on the president 's whereabouts and health . It passed a resolution Tuesday asking Nigeria 's `` secretary to the government of the federation '' to brief it on Yar ` Adua 's status , Voice of Nigeria reported . The Senate had earlier considered sending a delegation to Saudi Arabia . `` In arriving at its decision , the Senate expressed concern that there had been no formal communication to the National Assembly '' -- as required by the nation 's constitution -- '' -LRB- to -RRB- empower the vice president to act and perform the functions of the president , '' Voice of Nigeria reported . Some senators also pushed for an amendment to a law stating that a presidential letter to the National Assembly about an absence is optional , the news organization reported . Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe told CNN he has not spoken to Yar ` Adua since he left for Saudi Arabia . But he also said he has no need to talk to the president while he is recovering . Yar ` Adua 's illness was diagnosed in November after he complained of chest pain following prayers at a mosque in Abuja . He was taken to King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah , where he had his last checkup in August , his doctor said . He said at the time he did not intend to resign while in Saudi Arabia . In addition to internal discord over its missing president , the oil-rich nation has faced some international heat after one of its citizens allegedly attempted to blow up a U.S.-bound flight on Christmas Day . Nigeria was then cited as a country from which enhanced security measures would be enforced for passengers on U.S.-bound flights . A senior U.S. administration official said Nigeria fell into the U.S. Transportation Security Administration category of `` state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest . '' Another notable worry for the government is its handling of militants who have wrestled with the government over oil . On Tuesday , police announced that four Shell contractors had been abducted . Hundreds others have been kidnapped over recent years . CNN 's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report . | Nigeria 's president says in a phone interview that he is alive and recovering from treatment . Yar ` Adua has not been seen since leaving Nigeria for treatment in Saudi Arabia in late November . His absence has created a power vacuum in the African country . Protesters , the Senate call for more information on his whereabouts and state of health . | [[615, 678], [681, 745], [791, 831], [329, 391], [439, 512], [1125, 1229], [1263, 1355]] |
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The beating of 12-year-old boy by a group of classmates at a Southern California middle school may be linked to a Facebook posting encouraging kids to target redheads , authorities say . The redheaded boy was beaten up by a group of seventh and eighth graders at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas in two separate incidents Friday , according to a statement released Sunday by the Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Department . A Facebook page stating that Friday was `` Kick a Ginger Day , '' referring to redheads and possibly inspired by an episode of the `` South Park '' series , may have sparked the injuries at the middle school , authorities said . The boy 's injuries were not serious , and no one has been arrested , authorities said Sunday . | 12-year-old boy beaten by classmates in two separate incidents on Friday . Attacks may be linked to Facebook posting encouraging kids to target redheads . Boy at middle school in Calabasas , California , was not injured seriously . | [[231, 345], [14, 40], [125, 174], [156, 210], [472, 604], [472, 482], [535, 537], [620, 626], [629, 679], [701, 737]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Americans overwhelmingly believe that the government is broken , according to a national poll released Sunday . But the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey also indicates that the public overwhelmingly holds out hope that what 's broken can be fixed . Eighty-six percent of people questioned say that the system of government is broken , with 14 percent saying no . iReport : What one government program would you eliminate ? Of the 86 percent , 81 percent say that the government can be fixed , but 5 percent say it 's beyond repair . The percentage of Americans who believe the government is broken has increased by eight points since 2006 . Full results -LRB- pdf -RRB- . `` That increase is highest among higher-income Americans and people who live in rural areas , '' said Keating Holland , CNN polling director . `` Maybe it 's just a coincidence , but those are the groups that make up the bulk of the Tea Party activists today . '' Poll shows demographics of Tea Party activists . The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted February 12-15 , with 1,023 adult Americans questioned by telephone . The survey 's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points . CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report . | 86 percent of people questioned in new poll say U.S. government is broken . That 's up 8 percentage points since 2006 . Of those people , 81 percent say the problems can be fixed . | [[30, 141], [280, 393], [582, 591], [596, 671], [564, 591], [604, 671]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya will be granted safe passage to the Dominican Republic as a guest , resolving a diplomatic impasse that kept him trapped in Honduras , Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez said Wednesday . Zelaya , who has been staying at the Brazilian embassy in Honduras , would leave for the Dominican Republic on Tuesday , Fernandez said . The deal was reached with Honduran President-elect Porfirio `` Pepe '' Lobo , with the defeated presidential candidates in last November 's election signing the accord as witnesses . Lobo takes office next week . Granting Zelaya safe conduct out of Honduras , where he is wanted on charges of abuse of power , is the first step toward re-engaging Honduras with the international community that repudiated the coup , Lobo said at a news conference Thursday . Despite polls showing that amnesty for Zelaya remains unpopular , Lobo said that having an ex-president locked up inside an embassy is not the kind of image that will move the country forward . The agreement will allow Zelaya , his family , and members of his inner circle to leave for the Dominican Republic as guests , rather than under political asylum , a fine point that derailed previous efforts at negotiating his exit . `` This is an exit with dignity , '' Fernandez said , adding that Zelaya has indicated that his final destination likely will be Mexico . Zelaya was ousted in a June 28 coup . After spending months in exile , Zelaya sneaked back into Honduras in September , and has not left the Brazilian embassy . His return was an effort to restart talks to negotiate his return as president . That never happened . An agreement was eventually signed , but its implementation has been half-hearted , and Zelaya later called the deal dead . A previous effort for Zelaya 's exit , a petition from Mexico last month , was rejected by the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti because it did not give Zelaya the status of having been granted political asylum . | Jose Manuel Zelaya has been at the Brazilian embassy in Honduras . Zelaya , family , members of inner circle will head to the Dominican Republic as guests . `` This is an exit with dignity , '' Dominican Republic president says . Zelaya , ousted in a coup , indicated he may end up in Mexico . | [[262, 328], [1462, 1492], [1495, 1501], [1548, 1584], [0, 15], [19, 129], [262, 268], [331, 380], [1052, 1098], [1103, 1176], [199, 261], [1286, 1317], [1320, 1337], [1340, 1423], [1424, 1461]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Veteran Australian paceman Brett Lee has confirmed that he is retiring from Test cricket after being plagued by injuries in recent years . The 33-year-old , who won 76 Test caps , will still make himself available for one - day cricket once he has fully recovered from an elbow operation he underwent last December . Lee , who claimed 310 wickets for Australia , missed last year 's Ashes series against England after suffering a side strain on the eve of the first Test and has not played for his country since the 2008 Boxing Day Test against South Africa . `` I am extremely proud to have played Test cricket for Australia , '' Lee told a news conference . `` My reason for retiring from this form of the game is so that I can preserve my body and continue to represent my country in the other forms of the game . '' Lee made his debut against India in Melbourne in 1999 and is fourth on Australia 's all-time Test wicket-takers list , behind Shane Warne , Glenn McGrath and Dennis Lillee . `` Brett has played a key role in helping the Australian team be one of the most successful Test teams in history , '' said Cricket Australia chief executive officer James Sutherland . | Australian paceman Brett Lee has confirmed that he is retiring from Test cricket . The 33-year-old has been plagued by a succession of injuries in recent years . Lee won 76 international caps and is still available for the one-day team . | [[0, 15], [46, 157], [0, 15], [46, 157], [158, 173], [180, 196], [158, 173], [199, 209], [215, 254], [158, 173], [210, 254]] |
KRASNOYARSK , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` It kept you alive , '' a tearful Dwight Griffith told his adopted son as the two looked at an infant incubator during a tour of the Russian hospital where he was born . Alex Griffith , 16 , raised more than $ 60,000 for a new playground at the Russian hospital where he was born . More than a decade after L.S. Berzon City Clinical Hospital No. 20 cared for him , 16-year-old Alex Griffith wanted to show his gratitude . `` Russia is part of me and this hospital is part of me . They gave me life , so I -LSB- wanted -RSB- to give back to them , to give them a fun place to play , '' said Alex , who lives in Forest Hill , Maryland . As part of a Boy Scout project , Alex donated hundreds of hours and raised tens of thousands of dollars to build a new playground for the hospital . Alex -- originally named Sergey -- was abandoned by his parents shortly after he was born at the hospital in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk . He weighed less than 2 pounds and doctors said he had a mild case of cerebral palsy . His condition improved slightly over the next 11 months , when Dwight and Jenny Griffith adopted him . `` The first time we saw Alex , he had rickets and he was malnourished , '' remembered Dwight Griffith . `` At first Alex did not smile and hardly moved . '' Watch Alex visit the hospital for the first time in 15 years '' Alex grew healthier throughout his childhood and became active in the Boy Scouts . In 2007 , he set out to build a new playground at Hospital 20 as his service project to become an Eagle Scout , the highest earned rank of the Boy Scouts of America . But the teenager had his work cut out for him . In photos his parents took when they traveled to Russia to adopt him , Alex saw that the existing playground had a single rusty swing with a rotten wooden seat and a sandbox that he described as `` a mud pit because of all the rain . '' `` I was just like , ` Wow , that 's a lot different , ' '' he said . Alex devoted 2 1/2 years to his Krasnoyarsk Playground Project . In addition to recruiting more than 500 volunteers in five countries , he raised more than $ 60,000 by soliciting help from local Rotary Clubs and joining forces with other Boy Scouts for candy sales , car washes and barbeque fundraisers . Alex oversaw every aspect of production , from designing and purchasing the playground to shipping equipment overseas . The project is a hit . Young patients and their families now have at their disposal swings , a rock wall , a climbing bridge and 5-foot tall zip slides . The playground is painted red , white and blue and the entrance has two totem poles : a bear for Russia and an eagle for America . Watch children enjoy the state-of-the-art playground '' Alex and a small group of volunteers traveled to Hospital 20 in early August to set up the playground . A dedication ceremony was held there on August 12 -- Alex 's birthday . `` It makes me feel awesome opening the playground on my 16th birthday , '' he said . `` It 's just made me really happy just being here . '' The people of Krasnoyarsk have embraced the teenager , especially the children . `` I like this playground , because when you slide on it all the sadness goes away , '' said 11-year-old Sonja Sultanova . `` I think that Alex is a noble person . '' Alex no longer shows signs of cerebral palsy , but he does have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , impulsivity and a frail frame . His parents believe some of his conditions relate to his time in the hospital , due to a small staff with a lack of resources to provide enough care for the babies . Still , he and his parents are thankful he is doing as well as he is , having grown into a typical suburban teenager alongside his four adopted siblings . He enjoys riding his dirt bike and playing video games . Alex anticipates finding out if he becomes an Eagle Scout within the next couple months , but he is already satisfied with the outcome . `` This project has been a lot of fun and other kids who have been adopted are contacting me asking for advice , '' he said . `` I am going to do whatever I can to help them . '' Want to get involved ? Check out the Krasnoyarsk Playground Project and see how to help . | Alex Griffith , 16 , was adopted as a sickly baby from a Russian hospital . To give back to his birthplace , he raised $ 60,000 to build a new playground . The project was part of Griffith 's quest to become an Eagle Scout . The top 10 CNN Heroes will be announced on October 1 . | [[212, 225], [233, 303], [710, 714], [745, 825], [1464, 1471], [1474, 1548], [2122, 2150], [1529, 1573]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three U.S. Navy SEALs face criminal charges after the alleged mastermind of one of the most notorious crimes against Americans in Iraq accused them of punching him after his capture , the military said Wednesday . Ahmed Hashim Abed -- thought to be behind the slayings and mutilation of four U.S. contractors in Falluja in 2004 and captured in summer -- made the accusations against the three servicemen , said Lt. Col. Holly Silkman , a spokeswoman for U.S. Central Command . A civilian lawyer for one of three SEALs said his client and the other SEALs declined a nonjudicial resolution to the case , a step sometimes called a `` captain 's mast . '' The servicemen say they did not harm the detainee in any way and they want their names cleared in a court-martial so they can continue their careers in the Navy , said the attorney , Neil Puckett . Because the charges against Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe , Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe and Petty Officer Julio Heurtas are the military equivalent of misdemeanors , they will go before a special court-martial , which is for less serious offenses than those heard in a general court-martial . If found guilty , they could be sentenced to a maximum of a year in a military prison , demotion to the lowest Navy rank , a cut in pay and a bad conduct discharge . But if found innocent of all charges , they would be able to continue their careers with no record of the case in their personnel files . The three SEALs are with their unit in Norfolk , Virginia . They will make an initial appearance before a military judge on December 7 . The court-martial is scheduled to begin in January . The attorney said he expects the SEALs will not waive their constitutional right to confront the accuser in court , which could cause a logistical challenge . Abed is believed to be in a U.S. military detention center overseas , and it is unclear if the military would want him brought to the United States for the court-martial . The four contractors , one of whom was a former Navy SEAL , were working for the Blackwater company when they were attacked in Falluja in 2004 . After they were killed with hand grenades and rifles , their bodies were set on fire and dragged through the streets . The bodies of two of them were hung from a bridge in Falluja , an image that was broadcast around the world . Four days after the attack , the U.S. Marines launched a major offensive inside Falluja , in part to help find the killers . | Ahmed Hashim Abed is accused of planning the '04 slayings and mutilations of 4 U.S. contractors . Abed says SEALs punched him when he was captured in summer . Contractors ' bodies were set on fire and dragged through streets of Falluja . | [[244, 261], [265, 357], [147, 211], [244, 261], [362, 380], [244, 261], [265, 357], [2153, 2205], [2208, 2237]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Looking for an affordable last-minute getaway ? JetBlue Airways is celebrating its 10th birthday with a $ 10 one-day fare sale Monday on flights from New York to the airline 's original 10 destinations . Travel must be booked on JetBlue 's Web site by 11:59 p.m. CST Monday for travel on Tuesday or Wednesday , March 9 or 10 . Flights included in JetBlue 's `` Thank You fare '' promotion go from the airline 's home base at New York 's John F. Kennedy International airport to Fort Lauderdale , Tampa , Orlando , West Palm Beach and Fort Myers , Florida ; Buffalo and Rochester , New York ; Oakland , California ; Burlington , Vermont ; and Salt Lake City , Utah . The airline plans to roll out a series of monthly deals to mark the beginning of its second decade , a JetBlue announcement said . On Wednesday , JetBlue will announce giveaways for New York-based customers on Twitter , the announcement said . `` We are excited to kick things off in our own backyard with these $ 10 fares and Wednesday 's giveaway in New York , '' said Robin Hayes , the airline 's chief commercial officer , in a statement . | JetBlue Airways celebrating 10th birthday with one-day sale . $ 10 fares offered on remaining seats from JFK to airline 's original 10 destinations . Sale ends Monday for travel Tuesday or Wednesday , March 9 or 10 . | [[67, 222], [67, 222], [380, 493]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. military is gearing up for a possible influx of Haitians fleeing their earthquake-stricken country at an Army facility not widely known for its humanitarian missions : Guantanamo Bay . Soldiers at the base have set up tents , beds and toilets , awaiting possible orders from the secretary of defense to proceed , according to Maj. Diana Haynie , a spokeswoman for Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay . `` There 's no indication of any mass migration from Haiti , '' Haynie stressed . `` We have not been told to conduct migrant operations . '' But the base is getting ready `` as a prudent measure , '' Haynie said , since `` it takes some time to set things up . '' Guantanamo Bay is about 200 miles from Haiti . Currently , military personnel at the base are helping the earthquake relief effort by shipping bottled water and food from its warehouse . In addition , Gen. Douglas Fraser , commander of U.S. Southern Command , said the Navy has set up a `` logistics field , '' an area to support bigger ships in the region . The military can now use that as a `` lily pad '' to fly supplies from ships docked at Guantanamo over to Haiti , he said . `` Guantanamo Bay proves its value as a strategic hub for the movement of supplies and personnel to the affected areas in Haiti , '' Haynie said . As part of the precautionary measures to prepare for possible refugees , the Army has erected 100 tents , each holding 10 beds , according to Haynie . Toilet facilities are nearby . If needed , hundreds more tents are stored in Guantanamo Bay and can be erected , she said . The refugees would be put on the leeward side of the island , more than 2 miles from some 200 detainees being held on the other side , Haynie said . The refugees would not mix with the detainees . Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay is responsible for planning for any kind of Caribbean mass immigration , according to Haynie . In the early 1990s , thousands of Haitian refugees took shelter on the island , she said . | Soldiers at the base have set up tents , beds and toilets . Refugees would be placed more than 2 miles from detainees . No current indication of a `` mass migration '' from Haiti . | [[224, 281], [438, 495], [463, 495], [498, 518]] |
Dubai , United Arab Emirates -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Australia warned Israel Thursday of a possible diplomatic rift if Israel condoned the use of fraudulent Australian passports in the killing of a Hamas leader . Israel 's ambassador was given the warning after it was learned that three Australian passports were used by members of an alleged assassination crew connected to the recent slaying of a Hamas leader in a Dubai hotel room , Australia 's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Thursday . `` I made it crystal clear to the ambassador that if the results of that investigation cause us to come to the conclusion that the abuse of Australian passports was in any way sponsored or condoned by Israeli officials , then Australia would not regard that as the act of a friend , `` Smith said Thursday . '' We would not regard that as the act of a friend . '' The stern statement from Smith is part of the growing international diplomatic tiff stemming from the January 20 killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh , a founding member of Hamas ' military wing . Al-Mabhouh was found dead in his hotel room January 20 . Police believe he was killed the night before and suspect the Mossad , the secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit , was behind his slaying . A total of 26 suspects have been identified by Dubai police . The suspects are believed to have acquired faulty passports to arrive in Dubai for the killing and then fled to other far-flung locations , police said . The 26 named suspects do not include two Palestinians previously arrested in Jordan and returned to the UAE . Twelve of the suspects used British passports , police said . Six suspects used Irish passports and four suspects used French passports . Along with the three suspects who used Australian passports , another suspect used a German passport . The European Union this week condemned the use of false EU passports in connection with the al-Mabhouh slaying . Authorities have not said how he died , al-Mabhouh 's family was told there were signs of electric shocks on his legs , behind his ears , on his genitals and over his heart . Blood on a pillow led police to believe he was suffocated , the family was told . The killers left some of al-Mabhouh 's medicine next to his bed in an apparent effort to suggest his death was not suspicious , police said . Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said only `` media reports '' link Israel to al-Mabhouh 's death . CNN 's Roya Shadravan contributed to this report . | Australian passports used by members of alleged assassination crew . Police say 26 people involved in killing of Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Mabhouh . Al-Mabhouh was found dead in his hotel room January 20 . | [[114, 207], [208, 357], [328, 429], [1249, 1310], [328, 429], [1046, 1102]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted martial law in the country 's south , which she declared after the massacre of 57 people last month , Philippine news outlets reported Saturday . The order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. -LRB- 8 a.m. ET -RRB- Saturday , the Philippines News Agency -LRB- PNA -RRB- and CNN affiliate ABS-CBN said . Military troops will remain in Maguindanao province to keep the peace despite the move , said Victor Ibrado , chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces , PNA said . Arroyo imposed martial law December 4 but lifted it Saturday after deciding it had achieved its objectives , Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said , according to PNA . Local government was now back in power and the justice system was functioning again , he said . Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated attempt to keep an opponent of the politically powerful Ampatuan family from running for governor . Thirty journalists were among those killed . The martial law allowed arrests without warrants , and at least six members of the Ampatuan family -- including a local mayor -- were arrested , according to ABS-CBN . Authorities raided a warehouse and ranch belonging to the family last weekend and confiscated firearms , ammunition and vehicles , Maj. Randolph Cabangbang , deputy of operations for the eastern Mindanao command , told CNN . Ermita said Saturday that three charges of multiple murders were filed in court , and that 24 people were charged with rebellion . The Philippine National Police has referred nearly 900 other cases to the Department of Justice , he said . Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines . The Maguindanao massacre , however , is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history , according to state media . The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael `` Toto '' Mangudadatu , who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao . He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. , the father of the accused mayor , saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself . Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao , which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation . | Reports : Order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. -LRB- 8 a.m. ET -RRB- Saturday . Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated . At least six members of politically-powerful Ampatuan family in the area were arrested . Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao . | [[217, 311], [826, 932], [848, 1024], [1125, 1195], [1199, 1212], [2270, 2346]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A British auction house plans to sell off newly discovered sketches done by Adolf Hitler when he was a struggling student trying desperately to get into art school . The 12 charcoal and crayon sketches cover `` typical student subjects '' and do n't display a great deal of promise , Mullock 's Auctioneers said . They include two drawings of an elderly woman thought to be Hitler 's mother , as well as studies of objects , landscapes , models , and even a Roman senator . All are signed and some even have Hitler 's Vienna address , Mullock 's said . The sale also includes the original portfolio in which Hitler kept the sketches , which is signed and has his address , Mullock 's said . `` They look quite typical of an aspiring student hoping to get into art school -- tentative and not very certain about his perspective when he 's using pencil and pen , making basic errors by getting the top and the bottom of a candlestick wrong in relation to each other , and so on , '' said Michael Liversidge , emeritus dean of arts at Bristol University in England . Letter by Hitler to Britain sells at auction . The sketches lack technical skill but are `` not so bad that one ca n't imagine him learning . `` But there 's not latent genius here , and not much beyond a moderate school grade , '' Liversidge said . `` Probably if the artist was at school today you would n't encourage him to keep the subject up . '' The sketches have been owned by a professional artist who had them for years in his own collection and for his own interest , said Richard Westwood-Brookes , the historical documents expert at Mullock 's . The artist brought the works to Mullock 's attention . Mullock 's plans to auction the sketches April 15 in Ludlow , England , about 125 miles northwest of London . They 're expected to bring between # 4,000 and # 6,000 -LRB- about $ 6,100 and $ 9,100 -RRB- each , the auction house said . The drawings all date from around 1908 and 1909 , when Hitler was a `` penniless dropout '' trying to get accepted into the prestigious Vienna Academy of Fine Arts to train as a professional artist , Mullock 's said . The school rejected him twice , so Hitler hung around the city , trying to make a living producing watercolors to sell to tourists , Mullock 's said . The rejection by the academy may have had huge implications for Hitler later in life , Westwood-Brookes said . `` Many believe that it was this rejection that turned his mind and unleashed the monster within him , which was to bring forth so much evil on the world , '' he said . '' ... In a sense , therefore , the academic decision of the art establishment in Vienna can go down as one of the most monumental decisions in all of history . '' Nevertheless , Westwood-Brookes said , `` On the evidence of these sketches , you can see why the Vienna Academy turned him away . '' | The 12 sketches date from when Adolf Hitler was trying to get into art school . All the sketches are signed and some even have Hitler 's Vienna address . They 're expected to bring between $ 6,100 and $ 9,100 each at auction . Drawings all date from around 1908 and 1909 , when Hitler was a `` penniless dropout '' | [[36, 103], [125, 157], [78, 157], [130, 201], [757, 862], [510, 528], [529, 568], [612, 634], [644, 706], [1823, 1920], [36, 103], [125, 157], [78, 157], [2003, 2111]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A federal court jury in Florida convicted seven people of participating in a global child pornography trafficking enterprise , according to the Department of Justice . Jurors convicted the seven Wednesday of multiple counts of child exploitation , pornography and obstruction of justice . Members of the organization used Internet news groups to swap and share `` illegal images and videos depicting prepubescent children , including toddlers , engaged in various sexual and sadistic acts , '' prosecutors said . An indictment filed in the case detailed interactions between group members as they swapped and commented on images . `` My thanks to you and all the others that together make this the greatest group of pedos to ever gather in one place , '' Freeman wrote in response to one posting , according to the indictment . And a posting from Castleman , cited in the indictment , read , `` Thanks to all for the wonderful material that has been posted . '' An Australian constable who infiltrated the group in August 2006 was among 50 witnesses testifying at trial . He told the jury that the group traded more than 400,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse before being dismantled by law enforcement , according to the Justice Department statement . Each defendant faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison , fines and the possibility of supervised release for the rest of their lives , authorities said . The seven will be sentenced April 14 . During the six-day trial , evidence showed the seven participated in what prosecutors called a `` well-organized criminal enterprise whose purpose was to proliferate child sex abuse images to its membership during a two-year period . '' `` This was a wide-scale , high-volume , international trafficking enterprise that used sophisticated computer encryption technology and file-sharing techniques , '' Matthew Friedrich , acting assistant attorney general , said in the statement . The seven defendants were James Freeman of Santa Rosa Beach , Florida ; Gary Lakey of Anderson , Indiana ; Marvin Lambert of Indianapolis , Indiana ; Neville McGarity of Medina , Texas ; Warren Mumpower of Spokane , Washington ; Daniel Castleman of Lubbock , Texas ; and Ronald White of Burlington , North Carolina , according to the Department of Justice . The charges included engaging in a child exploitation enterprise ; conspiracy to advertise , transport , ship , receive and possess child pornography ; advertising child pornography , transporting child pornography , receiving child pornography and obstruction of justice , prosecutors said . Seven additional American defendants previously entered guilty pleas , prosecutors said . | Jurors convict seven people of multiple child pornography charges . Australian constable infiltrated porn ring , testified . Members shared `` illegal images and videos '' of preteens engaged in sex acts . The seven will be sentenced in April . | [[0, 15], [51, 143], [187, 307], [981, 1004], [1009, 1045], [981, 1004], [1046, 1068], [308, 408], [308, 335], [374, 461], [1091, 1230], [1113, 1181], [1233, 1280], [1442, 1480]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mirror , mirror on the wall -- tell me my body faults , one and all . That 's what a lot of women ask their mirrors to tell them , at least until they get a boyfriend or a husband they can torture with the dreaded question , `` Does this dress -LRB- or blouse , pair of pants , skirt , etc. -RRB- make me look fat ? '' But even when women get the answer to that no-win question , what can they do ? How do you disguise those thunder-thighs or flappy arms or muffin-top middles ? You might want to choose between high-fat and no-fat clothes . That 's right -- no-fat clothes . They 're the outfits that can take 10 pounds off your problem area , according to Charla Krupp , who wrote `` How to Never Look Fat Again . '' Her mantra is : `` It 's not you , it 's your clothes . '' `` All women know the language of food , '' says Krupp , so she describes how to look your best in food terms . But not the old-fashioned terms of body shapes being either apple or pear , because women 's `` body issues can range from a wide face all the way down to cankles . '' It 's not just a matter of vanity ; the author cites research finding that fat can keep people from getting hired . The ingredients to her `` never looking fat system '' are : fabric , fit , styles and colors . High-fat clothes come in shiny metallic or sequin outfits in bright or neon colors that either fit too loose or too tight . Low-fat clothes come in darker hues of silk or cotton or wool gabardine and fit perfectly . `` I did n't want to sugar-coat anything , '' says Krupp . She does n't . She gives information not even your most blunt best friend would tell you about what will make you look your best or your worst . There also is a Do n't You Dare section in every chapter . Krupp goes so far as to tell how the part in your hair or your eyewear choice can help you see a beautiful woman or Humpty-Dumpty in the mirror . But there is hope . She says even women size 16 or 18 can look their best if they make the right choices . Those begin with what 's under the outfits . `` You need good supportive shapewear . It will slim you down , '' she says , adding a good one will have a high waist , right under the bra band , and will go down to whatever your problem area is . To smooth out the dreaded back fat that can ruin your appearance , she suggests wearing a control camisole over your bra to `` compress and flatten '' the roll that could follow you everywhere . She also advises to not fall head over heels in love with a trend that is bad for you . `` I do see a lot of women walking around and I wonder , how did she go out of the house in the morning looking at that ? '' says Krupp . `` They fall in love with a fashion trend even if it does n't work for them . ... ' I know this is going to make me look fat , but I do n't care . ' '' Krupp says the wrong trend can be brutal for a woman . `` Transparency is big now , but if you have fat , you do n't want the world to see that -- you want to cover it up . '' She says the celebrities that always look good in their clothes are Sandra Bullock and Demi Moore . But she notes that even if you 're rich and famous and in great shape , you do n't always make the best choices , even if you have a paid stylist to help . She noted two such fashion mistakes from the recent Academy Awards . Jennifer Lopez 's gown with a big bustle and train was a bad , or `` high-fat , '' choice for a woman with a wide backside . And she said Charlize Theron 's Dior Haute Couture dress of amethyst and lilac with rosettes on her bust was just a `` really bad choice . '' `` They really should sue their stylists for malpractice , '' says Krupp . Or they could trade the stylist for Krupp 's book . Charla Krupp is married to Richard Zoglin , assistant managing editor of TIME , which , like CNN , is a division of Time Warner . | Charla Krupp 's newest book explains `` How to Never Look Fat Again '' She breaks clothing choices down into high-fat and low-fat options . Ten chapters are devoted to body issues and how to cover them . LIsts include butt-friendly guide to skirts , shoes and boots to avoid . | [[677, 689], [696, 734], [498, 560]] |
Paris , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A winter storm named `` Xynthia '' battered the western coast of Europe Sunday , its high winds downing trees and power lines and leaving as many as 55 people dead , authorities said . Hardest hit was France , where at least 45 people were killed , French Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced . The extra-tropical cyclone whipped the country 's coastal regions and moved inland , bringing sometimes heavy flooding with it . Are you affected by the storm ? Share images and information with CNN iReport . `` It 's a national catastrophe , '' Fillon said in a brief news conference following an emergency meeting on the situation . `` Many people drowned , surprised by the rapid rise of the water . `` Now the priority is to bring all the people left homeless and still threatened by the rising waters to safety , '' the prime minister explained . `` All services are mobilized to reach that goal as soon as possible . '' French President Nicolas Sarkozy will visit the department of Charente-Maritime Monday , Fillon said . Charente-Maritime and Vendee , on the French coast west of Paris , had severe flooding when the strong winds whipped up the water at high tide . `` At 3 o'clock in the morning , we heard the toilets backing up . We got up to look and then we saw 80 cm -LRB- about 31 inches -RRB- of water in the garage , '' a resident of Aiguillon-Sur-Mer , in the department of Vendee , told CNN affiliate BFM-TV . `` It was rushing in , it broke down the walls around the garden and the gate . '' Hundreds of people had to be rescued from their rooftops overnight . `` The water was up to the gutters , '' said one woman , who spent the night on the roof with her children . Residents of the village of Aytre , in Charente-Maritime , saw a wave of water measuring 1 meter high -LRB- about 1 yard -RRB- come into the center of town . One couple told BFM-TV their children were airlifted and they were taken out by boat . `` It rose very high , very high , we were very scared , '' another man told the station . `` It was unreal , '' Aytre Mayor Suzanne Tallard told BFM-TV . At least 1 million households were without power Sunday afternoon , Bernard Lassus of Electricite de France said in an interview on BFM-TV . French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux told BFM-TV that 350 soldiers and 3,250 firefighters have been mobilized . About 10 helicopters are being used to airlift people , he said , and draining operations were underway . The high winds -- at times spiking to 200 km/h -LRB- 124 mph -RRB- -- reached inland as far as Paris , where as many as 100 flights were canceled at the Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport , BFM reported . Gusts up to 175 km/h -LRB- 108 mph -RRB- were measured at the top of the Eiffel Tower Saturday , reported CNN International Meteorologist Eboni Deon . The hurricane-strength winds stretched from Portugal northeast to the Netherlands . The system was moving toward the Baltic Sea , Deon said , and a second front was moving into the region of Portugal and Spain later in the day . In Spain , three people were killed in the first band of the storm , Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Sunday . Two children died in a car accident and another person was killed in northwestern Spain , the minister said in a news conference on CNN sister station CNN + . At least 17 provinces were on high alert due to the strong winds , CNN + reported , and some flights and train services were canceled . A 10-year-old child was killed by a falling tree in the high winds in Portugal , Patricia Gaspar , National Operations Assistant with the Portuguese National Authority for Civil Protection , confirmed to CNN . There are also some power outages in the country , Gaspar said . Some residents have reported roofs blown off and smaller houses collapsing , she added . Four people were killed in Germany as a result of the storm , officials said -- all four when they or their cars were struck by falling trees . One of them , a 69-year-old man , was a hiker in a group of about 20 , police said , but the others were evacuated to safety . A man was also killed by a falling tree in Belgium , Peter Mertens , a spokesman for Belgium 's Interior Ministry , confirmed to CNN . Eastern Belgium has seen the worst of the storm , Mertens said . `` They 've had problems with fallen trees , roofs blown off and electricity cables not working . But it seems the worst part has passed now , '' he added . The storm also reached England , where one woman was reported dead when the vehicle she was driving became submerged and washed down a swollen creek in the northeastern part of the country . The body of the 53-year-old woman was recovered downstream , North Yorkshire Police said in a recorded phone message to the media . CNN 's Al Goodman in Madrid , Spain ; Per Nyberg in London , England ; Frederik Pleitgen in Berlin , Germany ; and Estelle Eonnet and Lorraine Gublin in Paris , France contributed to this report . | At least 55 deaths from extra-tropical cyclone , 45 of them in France . High winds -- at times spiking to 200 km/h -LRB- 124 mph -RRB- -- reached as far as Paris . `` Many people drowned , surprised by the rapid rise of the water , '' French official says . Deaths also reported in Spain , Portugal , Belgium , Germany and England . | [[8, 30], [164, 197], [235, 241], [250, 280], [2486, 2500], [2507, 2552], [2486, 2512], [2556, 2586], [2702, 2796], [668, 690], [668, 682], [693, 735], [3082, 3090], [3093, 3148], [3874, 3933]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Lebanese man charged with sorcery and sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia is scheduled to be beheaded on Friday , the man 's lawyer said Wednesday . May El Khansa , the attorney for Ali Hussain Sibat , told CNN that she and Sibat 's family were informed about the upcoming execution . She said she heard from a source in Saudi Arabia with knowledge of the case and the proceedings that Saudi authorities `` will carry out the execution . '' The Saudi Ministry of Justice could not immediately be reached for comment on the matter . El Khansa said she has appealed to Lebanon 's prime minister , Saad Hariri , and president , Michel Suleiman , to stop the execution . Amnesty International , the human rights group , has called on Saudi Arabia 's King Abdullah to block it as well . TV presenter gets death sentence for ` sorcery ' Sibat is the former host of a popular call-in show that aired on Beirut-based satellite TV channel `` Sheherazade . '' According to his lawyer , Sibat would predict the future on his show and give out advice to his audience . El Khansa told CNN her client was arrested by Saudi Arabia 's religious police -LRB- known as the Mutawa'een -RRB- and charged with sorcery while visiting the country in May 2008 . Sibat was in Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic religious pilgrimage known as Umra . Sibat was then put on trial , and in November 2009 , a court in the Saudi city of Medina found him guilty and sentenced him to death . According to El Khansa , Sibat appealed the verdict . The case was taken up by the Court of Appeal in the Saudi city of Mecca on the grounds that the initial verdict was `` premature . '' El Khansa tells CNN that the Mecca appeals court then sent the case back to the original court for reconsideration , stipulating that all charges made against Sibat needed to be verified and that he should be given a chance to repent . On March 10 , judges in Medina upheld their initial verdict , meaning Sibat is once again sentenced to be executed . `` The Medina court refused the sentence of the appeals court , '' said El Khansa , adding her client will appeal the verdict once more . | Ali Hussain Sibat faces execution by beheading on Friday . Convicted of ` sorcery ' after claiming to predict future on TV show . Sibat arrested , tried and sentenced during pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia . Sibat expected to lodge another appeal against the ruling . | [[0, 15], [107, 131], [1973, 1978], [1987, 2019], [2084, 2086], [2104, 2157]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Togo , who pulled out of the Africa Cup of Nations soccer competition after a terrorist attack on their team bus , have been suspended from taking part in the next two competitions . The Confederation of African Football -LRB- CAF -RRB- also announced on Saturday that the team would be fined $ 50,000 . Why Togo ban rubs salt into open wounds . Three people were killed in the attack , which took place while Togo travelled to the team hotel two days before their opening match earlier this month . Communications chief Stanislas Ocloo and assistant coach Abalo Amnalete were shot dead and goalkeeper , Kodjovi Obilale , was among the injured . Togo , captained by Manchester City star Emmanuel Adebayor , wanted to continue despite the attack but quit on their national government 's orders . The attack raised fears about security for the World Cup , which takes place in South Africa later this year . CAF has decided the decision to recall the team was political interference , leading to Saturday 's suspension for the tournaments in 2012 and 2014 . CAF said in a statement : `` The executive committee and its president renewed their sincere condolences to the families of victims involved in this tragic terrorist attack which happened January 8 , 2010 . `` The attack was condemned by CAF and also a total support was given to the Togolese team . `` At that time , CAF said they have understood perfectly the decision of players not to participate in the competition . `` Meanwhile , following a decision taken by players to participate in the competition , the Togolese government decided to call back their national team . `` The decision taken by the political authorities is infringing CAF and CAN -LRB- African Nations Cup -RRB- regulations . `` Therefore , a decision has been taken to suspend the Togo national team for the next two editions of Africa Cup of Nations , with a fine of U.S. dollars 50,000 handed to the Togolese national football association , in conformity with article 78 of Africa Cup of Nations Angola 2010 . '' Two men arrested over the attack were said to be members of the Forces for Liberation of the State of Cabinda , an armed wing of a separatist group that has claimed responsibility for the attack and has threatened to strike again . Cabinda is a disputed oil-rich enclave in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was the site of eight matches in the African Cup of Nations tournament . The Africa Cup of Nations tournament is one of the biggest sporting events in the world this year , and Angola 's first since a 2002 peace deal ended decades of civil war in the southern African country . | Togo suspended from next two Africa Cup of Nations competitions by CAF . Team pulled out of tournament this month after terrorist attack on their bus killed three . African governing body CAF decided decision to recall team was political interference . | [[0, 15], [128, 201], [925, 928], [1002, 1074], [1789, 1938], [0, 15], [30, 131], [365, 403], [925, 999]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Paint markings found on pieces of two planes that collided over suburban Los Angeles indicate the nose of one aircraft slammed into the middle fuselage of the other , according to a federal investigator . Investigators on Monday walk past the tail section of a plane lying in a car dealership . Five people died in the accident in Corona , California , including a man on the ground who was killed when one plane 's engine crashed through the roof of a car dealership where he worked , said National Transportation Safety Board investigator Wayne Pollack . The NTSB , assisted by FBI evidence experts , completed the cleanup of wreckage and body parts that were spread over a commercial area of car dealerships , restaurants and other businesses near the Riverside Freeway Monday afternoon . Investigators do n't yet know if both single-engine planes were approaching the nearby Corona airport for landing , but it was apparently a Sunday afternoon pleasure flight for each . The two men in the Cessna 150 were ejected after the plane was struck broadside by the Cessna 172 , Pollack said . The bodies of the two men flying in the Cessna 172 were found inside the plane after it crashed to the ground , he said . The FBI helped the NTSB mark where each piece was found , although the investigation does not involve any criminal aspect , Pollack said . The wreckage was being trucked to Palmdale , California , Monday evening . Aviation experts there will examine it for more clues about what caused the collision , he said . There were two licensed pilots on board the Cessna 150 , which was rented from a local flight school , Pollack said . One of the two people on board the other plane -- a Cessna 172 -- was licensed to fly , he said . The victims from one plane were identified as Scott Lawrence , 55 , and Paul Carlson , 73 , both from Cerritos , California . The dead from the other aircraft were Brandon Johnson , 24 , from Costa Mesa , California . and Anthony Guzman , 20 , from Hesperia , Calif. , according to the Riverside County Coroner 's Office . The car dealership employee who died was Earl Smiddy , 58 , from Moreno Valley , California , the coroner said . Weather is not believed to have been a factor since it was clear and winds were calm at the time , Pollack said . Corona is about 40 miles east of downtown Los Angeles . E-mail to a friend . | Earl Smiddy , 58 , dies when engine crashes through roof of car dealership . NTSB and FBI finish removing wreckage , body parts from commercial area . Two men in Cessna 150 hit broadside by Cessna 172 and ejected . Two planes apparently were on a Sunday afternoon pleasure flight . | [[413, 426], [431, 511], [601, 609], [647, 695], [1020, 1117], [836, 849], [857, 1019]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Buffalo , New York-area man accused of beheading his estranged wife made his first appearance in court Wednesday to face murder charges , according to the district attorney . Muzzammil Hassan has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife , Aasiya Zubair Hassan . Muzzammil Hassan , 44 , is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his 37-year-old wife , Aasiya Zubair Hassan , days after she filed for divorce and was granted a restraining order against him . In court Wednesday , Hassan waived his right to a felony hearing , according to Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III . The case will go before a grand jury in the next 45 days . In the meantime , Hassan will be jailed without bond . If convicted , he faces a sentence of 15 years to life , WKBW reported , citing prosecutors . Muzzammil Hassan went to the police station in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park on Thursday and told officers that his wife was dead , authorities have said . He also led them to her body at the offices of Bridges TV . The couple began the network in 2004 to counter negative Muslim stereotypes ; Muzzammil Hassan is its chief executive officer , and Aasiya Hassan was general manager . 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 had responded to several domestic violence calls at the couple 's address , but no one was arrested , Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz said Tuesday . However , two women claiming to be Aasiya Hassan 's sisters -- one in Pakistan and one in South Africa -- told reporters and posted in a blog that she lived in fear of him . Bridges TV released a statement Monday saying its staff members were `` 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 . '' | Muzzammil Hassan , accused of beheading wife , waived right to felony hearing . Hassan , founder of Bridges TV , charged with second-degree murder . Hassan will be jailed without bail while case goes to grand jury . If convicted , he faces a sentence of 15 years to life . | [[31, 88], [512, 530], [533, 576], [196, 280], [306, 322], [325, 403], [641, 699], [700, 715], [718, 754], [770, 809]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If one California lawmaker has his way , his cash-strapped state may have an arresting real estate listing on the market : San Quentin State Prison . San Quentin prison houses more than 5,300 inmates , including Scott Peterson . State Sen. Jeff Denham is proposing selling the 432-acre prison , which offers a breathtaking view of San Francisco Bay , to garner money for California . `` Our inmates just do n't need an ocean view . Let 's level it off , '' said Denham , a Republican . `` Let 's rebuild something for the community there and reap the benefit for the state by having that money come in , '' he added . Denham estimates that the property could sell for as much as $ 2 billion , even amid a down market . On Tuesday , lawmakers put the proposal to sell the prison in a `` holding pattern , '' said Jann Taber , a spokeswoman for Denham . Watch CNN 's Dan Simon report from San Quentin '' State Sen. Mark Leno , who chairs the state 's public safety committee , said the committee was holding the proposal under a policy that allowed lawmakers and residents to give further thought to legislation that could exacerbate overcrowding in California 's prisons . Taber said it could be brought up again this year or next . The prison houses more than 5,300 inmates , including Scott Peterson , according to the department of corrections . However , even with the waterfront property , putting the prison on the market may be a hard sell , especially if a new prison had to be built . `` This is a really good facility , '' Bob Sleppy of the California Department of Corrections said . `` It 's existing ; it 's operating ; it 's well-operated over the years by custody staff . It serves an immediate need . '' He said that building another facility to house the inmates might be troublesome . `` Communities seldom welcome a new prison , '' he said , adding that constructing a prison to replace San Quentin could cost $ 2 billion , the very price tag Denham suggested . The idea of selling San Quentin , which opened its doors in 1852 , has been raised before , but it never received much support because of California 's chronic problem of overcrowded prisons . California is near 200 percent capacity in its prisons , and selling San Quentin could make the problem worse , said Leno , a Democrat . He said there were no precise numbers available showing the value of San Quentin 's property or what it would cost to build a prison to replace it . `` Again , we have no actual numbers right now , '' he said , adding , `` I would guess , at best , it would come out a wash . '' Real estate consultant Stephen Roulac said San Quentin 's land could be used for condominiums , parks or community-type buildings . `` We would love to see a performing arts center prospectively here , possibly a museum , possibly a tie-in with a university , '' he said . Lawmakers have approved $ 356 million to build a death row facility to replace the existing one at San Quentin , and some say that is another reason to consider selling the prison . `` Does it make sense anymore in the year 2009 to continue to invest in expanding this prison facility on the most prime piece of real estate in Northern California , or should we finally start to think about some non-correctional uses for this unique property ? '' asked state Assembly member Jared Huffman , a Democrat . Denham has tried twice to pass legislation to sell San Quentin . His efforts in 2007 and in 2005 never made it out of committee , his office said . | 432-acre waterfront property could sell for $ 2 billion , Sen. Jeff Denham says . `` Our inmates just do n't need an ocean view , '' Denham says . Critics say building new facility for inmates would be costly , time-consuming . California is near 200 percent capacity in its prisons ; more than 5,300 in San Quentin . | [[637, 737], [659, 709], [403, 450], [473, 487], [1478, 1511], [1738, 1820], [1751, 1820], [2430, 2461], [205, 218], [221, 247], [1251, 1319], [2095, 2191], [2192, 2246]] |
Editor 's Note : The staff at CNN.com has recently been intrigued by the journalism of VICE , an independent media company and Web site based in Brooklyn , New York . VBS.TV is Vice 's broadband television network . The reports , which are produced solely by VICE , reflect a very transparent approach to journalism , where viewers are taken along on every step of the reporting process . We believe this unique reporting approach is worthy of sharing with our CNN.com readers . Brooklyn , New York -LRB- VBS.TV -RRB- -- Several events converged recently that conspired to take me back to the summer of 2006 , the summer I snuck into Iraq . The first event was the Iraqi elections . The second was the Oscars . The third was a concert at a little bar tucked into a hip corner of the hippest neighborhood in the world -- Williamsburg , Brooklyn . These events all brought me a little closer to that time , a little closer to recalling the way things were back then . And I realized how much I had forgotten . The summer / fall of 2006 had a name -- at least it did in Iraq . It was called the Battle for Baghdad . It was one of the most bloody periods of the war . The moment just before the Surge where hundreds of people -- hundreds of Iraqis -- were dying every day . I say we snuck into the country because we did . We had been trying to obtain permission to get into the country legally , but it was proving very difficult . We heard through a friend that you could fly into Erbil through Germany . So we did . Without any papers we bought one-way tickets in cash from Erbil to Baghdad . To me it was a really bad sign : who was in charge of the -LRB- expletive -RRB- show down there ? There was a real feeling of desperation in the air when my friend Suroosh and I landed at the Baghdad International Airport . Someone in Iraq even told us that there was a rumor floating around that the U.S. forces were seriously considering building a moat around the city . Once inside , we aligned to our mission : to find and interview the only heavy metal band in the country , Acrassicauda . It was n't easy , but we found the guys -- Faisal and Firas -- and spent a week interviewing them in locations that would keep them safe from accusations of collaboration with the enemy . We met two of the nicest , warmest , funniest dudes , and through them our perspective on this war , and all war , was fundamentally changed . For the first time , I saw the war through the eyes of the oppressed , and saw it for what it was : -LRB- expletive -RRB- stupid . It was a stupid , stupid war . And the old men that conducted it , on both sides , were essentially the same ugly evil idiots ; the same ideologues that championed their own particular visions of a new world order under the banner of their chosen gods -- money , freedom , oil , Allah -- take your pick . See the rest of Heavy Metal in Baghdad at VBS.TV . The recent elections saw a flare in the random violence that characterized the hottest periods of the war and reminded me that the desire to kill is still very much alive in Iraq . That the cost of life is still very low . The recent Oscars proved to me how myopic we still are about that war , about our role in it . -LRB- Kathryn -RRB- Bigelow 's champions film of champions -LRB- `` The Hurt Locker '' -RRB- shows the Americans as the heroes , addicted to comradeship and the thrill of battle , and the Iraqis as the faceless aggressors resorting to cheap tactics and foul play . A rather disgusting narrative point of view , especially unnerving when you consider how determined Bigelow et screaming actors al were to create an apolitical discursive cocoon around their film . It 's as though they were being willfully , culturally stupid , which is strange from a director that is considered , buy most accounts , to be an intelligent filmmaker . Last night , I made my way to a little event at a little bar in Brooklyn . Almost four years since my trip to Iraq , and those awesome dudes -- Faisal , Firas , Marwan and Tony -- now live in New York . They made it out of Iraq , out of exile in Syria , out of the limbo of their refugee existences in Turkey , and they made it to the stage . Last night Acrassicauda rocked out . They are alive and well , and growing their hair long in peace . As they played I could n't help thinking that behind these four guys stands an entire generation of young Iraqis who had their lives torn apart for a truly stupid war that was built on lies and sustained by our inability to empathize . The first decade of the century was a shame . I just hope we learn something from it . | VBS.TV crew travels to Iraq to find and interview the only heavy metal band in the country . Film follows `` Acrassicauda '' through their struggles following the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein . Today , band is `` alive and well , and growing their hair long in peace . '' | [[1966, 1977], [1980, 1982], [2020, 2070], [4238, 4261], [4238, 4242], [4268, 4302]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Venezuela expelled Israel 's ambassador to the country Tuesday and accused Israel of attempting to carry out `` genocide '' against the Palestinian people . Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called the Israeli army `` cowards . '' `` In this tragic and indignant hour , the people of Venezuela manifest their unconditional solidarity with the heroic Palestinian people , share in the sadness that overcomes thousands of families through the loss of their loved ones , and extends to them a hand by affirming that the government of Venezuela will not rest until it sees those responsible for these criminal atrocities severely punished , '' the Venezuelan foreign minister said in a statement read by an anchor on state television . The statement added that the government `` condemns strongly the flagrant violations of international law '' by Israel and `` denounces their planned utilization of state terrorism . '' `` For the above-mentioned reasons , the government of Venezuela has decided to expel the ambassador of Israel and some of the personnel of the Israeli Embassy in Venezuela , '' it added . In a news conference broadcast by state-run Venezuelan television , President Hugo Chavez blasted the Israeli military . `` They are cowards , '' he said . `` It 's as though a boxing professional were to come here and challenge you to box . Well , how courageous ! How courageous is the Israeli army ! '' It said that Chavez `` makes a fraternal call to the Jewish people throughout the world to oppose these criminal policies of the state of Israel that recall the worst pages of the history of the 20th century . `` With the genocide of the Palestinian people , the state of Israel will never be able to offer its people the perspective of a peace that is both necessary and long-lasting . '' Mark Regev , a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert , was unswayed . `` I have n't heard the details yet , but you know the regime in Venezuela has been one of the few countries in the world that gives automatic support to the Iranian extremists , and it does n't surprise me that they have affinity with groups like Hamas and Hezbollah , '' he told CNN . He predicted that other countries would not follow suit , even in the Middle East . `` I think , even in the Muslim and Arab countries , there is a fair amount of understanding for what Israel has had to do here , '' he said . | Expulsion is in protest of Israeli strike against Palestinians , minister says . Venezuelan government statement condemned `` flagrant violations '' by Israel . President Hugo Chavez calls Israeli army `` cowards '' Israeli spokesman says Venezuela has given `` automatic support '' to extremists . | [[750, 932], [775, 868], [176, 232], [1125, 1190], [1193, 1245], [1246, 1265]] |
Braddock , Pennsylvania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In 2001 , I came to Braddock , the poorest town in Western Pennsylvania , to serve the community 's severely disenfranchised young people by starting an employment and GED program . Their lives were the embodiment of what happened to Braddock and this region : chaos through abandonment . However , tough times and severe hardship are nothing new . It 's been this way for decades . Once one of the most important steel manufacturing centers in the world , Braddock -- what 's left of it -- solemnly affirms one of the great economic maxims of our society : socialism for the rich , and capitalism for the poor . Since the massive banking bailout of 2008 , I have often wondered what Braddock would be today , if 35 years ago , the U.S. government also channeled hundreds of billions of dollars -LRB- and trillions in guarantees -RRB- to save the steel industry , the hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs it produced and the families it sustained . Instead , places like Braddock were allowed to descend into decades of disorder , poverty and desertion . Braddock went from a prosperous community of 20,000 residents , to a shattered town of fewer than 3,000 today . Braddock looks every bit the deserted battlefield it truly is : 90 percent of our town 's people , buildings , businesses , and homes are gone and what remains , bears witness to the torment . In 2005 , those same young people I was privileged to work for helped elect me mayor . Senseless homicides long lost their ability to shock , so I began to tattoo the dates of the killings on my arm as a living document of our collective loss . Upon taking office , we set out to help reinvent Braddock through diverse solutions ranging from effective policing and the arts , to urban agriculture and youth employment . Today , buildings have been saved and repurposed . We farm for organic produce from formerly overgrown land , and can offer full summer employment for our youth . Perhaps most importantly , no dates have been added to my forearm in over 20 months . However , at the start of my second term as mayor , we have decades of work ahead and we 'll never come close to replacing what 's been taken . As the saying goes , we 're not looking for a handout , but a hand up and the chance to ameliorate three decades of socioeconomic unraveling . Towards those ends , the stimulus , known as American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 , has been a true fiscal balm , especially since our community 's hospital , and largest employer , University of Pittsburgh Medical Center announced it would be shutting Braddock Hospital later this month , taking jobs along with our residents ' access to health care . CNN iReport : Share your thoughts on the State of the Union . Braddock received $ 250,000 in stimulus funding for the EPA compliance upgrade of our sewer system and $ 30,000 that enabled us to hire an additional 30 young people this past summer who would have otherwise been unemployed . Without question , these stimulus funds were a needed infusion of resources . However , I believe the greatest promise of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 remains untapped and now represents an unprecedented opportunity for growth and renewal . In Braddock and in the surrounding areas , we have an abundance of quality , shovel-ready projects that range in complexity and scope from small-scale urban farming , and retrofitting a now-vacant 300,000 square foot hospital , to a $ 300 million-dollar repurposing of a former steel mill site into a green enterprise zone of economic redevelopment . Investments like these will not only help reinvent communities like Braddock , but will also foster a boom in job creation and long-term growth . These and similar projects across the country represent but a tiny fraction of the resources spent to save feckless bankers and Wall Street from their own unchecked greed and hubris . Perhaps equally important , I believe this kind of investment will help restore a sense of social justice that is completely absent in today 's public debates . Consider the absurd juxtaposition of rescued banking executives defending multi-million-dollar bonuses , to our community at over 30 percent unemployment , widespread abandonment , and pervasive poverty while losing the area 's only hospital and access to medical care . The explanation of this circumstance is as simple as the contrast is stark : one got capitalism and the other , socialism . Basic fairness and equity demand that the color of your collar should not dictate if you receive a bail-out or get bailed on . For Americans living in places like Braddock , I believe the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is perhaps the last , best chance to help overcome the injustice and harm that the decades steeped in a laissez-faire orthodoxy have wrought . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Fetterman . | For decades , Braddock , Pennsylvania , has been in decline as it lost jobs and people . Mayor John Fetterman says the population shrank from 20,000 to fewer than 3,000 . He says stimulus plan has helped reverse the tide in the old steel town . Fetterman : Government bails out Wall Street while allowing Main Street to suffer . | [[392, 407], [412, 425], [2297, 2365], [1172, 1216]] |
San Diego , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In most high schools in America , they teach Shakespeare . But at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island , they 're acting out a Shakespearean drama . Only instead of the famous line from Henry VI -- let 's kill all the lawyers -- what we have is : `` Let 's fire all the teachers . '' That 's exactly what Central Falls School District Superintendent Frances Gallo did in February . In a move that was bold but also justified , Gallo fired 77 teachers at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island , along with the school 's principal , three assistant principals and other administrators . In all , the district said , 93 people were let go in the purge . The school board later stood by Gallo and approved the action . The mass firings , which take effect at the end of this school year , came after the district failed to reach an agreement with the local teachers ' union on a plan that would have required teachers to spend more time with students to improve test scores -- with only a small increase in pay . Consistent with federal guidelines designed to improve the educational system , Gallo asked teachers to work a longer school day of seven hours and tutor students weekly for one hour outside school time . She proposed teachers have lunch with students often , meet for 90 minutes every week to discuss education and set aside two weeks during summer break for paid professional development . Think of it as asking teachers to go back and fix what they did n't do right the first time . Central Falls High School is one of the lowest-performing schools in Rhode Island . It operates in a community where the median income is $ 22,000 , according to census statistics . Of the school 's 800 students , 65 percent are Latino and most of them consider English a second language . Half the student body is failing every subject , with 55 percent meeting requirements in reading and only 7 percent in math . `` No thanks , '' said the teachers . `` You 're fired , '' said Gallo . Upon hearing this story , my first thought was how do we get this woman out of Rhode Island -- and down to Washington to clean house by demanding results from the politicians ? Apologists for the public schools and other defenders of the status quo will hear those statistics , and say : `` Well , how do you expect educators to reach and teach a population like that ? '' Easy . I expect teachers to do it by putting aside the excuses , setting higher expectations , adhering to better standards , giving into common sense reforms and doing their jobs in a school that serves a vulnerable population that is especially in need of a quality education -- but also , and here 's the good news , in many cases , extra motivated to get one . Forget that poor-kids-can ` t-learn nonsense . It was n't true 100 years ago and it 's not true now . Besides , there is no ideal student population . Whenever I write in support of education reform -- whether proposed by Democrats or Republicans -- or , for that matter , whenever I challenge teachers in any way , I get an earful from angry and defensive educators who demand to know if I have ever been in the classroom . I interpret their comments to mean that if have never been a teacher , I ought to just pipe down and keep paying my taxes so they can grow their salaries at a respectful rate . I will keep paying my taxes , but I will not pipe down . Not that I think it matters , but , in fact , I have been in the classroom . I taught for nearly five years at the K-12 level in Central California . I 've taught the kids of poor farm workers , but I 've also taught the kids of doctors and lawyers . Now guess which group was more respectful of authority and eager to learn , and which was more likely to think of itself as entitled and privileged ? In teachers ' lounges , I 've heard teachers complain about kids who are poor and disadvantaged . But I 've also heard other teachers complain about those who are spoiled and overly advantaged . Why ? Because that 's what teachers do . They complain . They ca n't help it . It 's in their professional DNA . Everything is always someone else 's fault . They never want to accept responsibility for kids who drop out of school but they 're the first in line to claim credit for the kids who wind up in the Ivy League . One minute , they 're arguing that the parents have all the power over how a child performs . The next , they 're denying those same parents the right to have more options and a greater say in their kids ' education through charter schools and voucher programs . The contradictions are astounding . And now thanks to the Obama administration , whose approach to education reform is , interestingly enough , an exact replica of that of the Bush administration , teachers and teachers ' unions have even more to complain about . The American Federation of Teachers , one of the nation 's largest teachers ' unions , even complained about President Obama after the chief executive referenced the Rhode Island firings and praised the school district for taking the action . `` Our kids get only one chance at an education and we need to get it right , '' Obama said in a speech this week to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce . This , AFT president Randi Weingarten insisted , was nothing more than an attempt by Obama to `` score political points by scapegoating teachers . '' So , teachers ' unions , how 's that hope and change working out for you ? It seems to be working pretty well for the country , since Obama is obviously serious about education reform . Back in Rhode Island , Gallo said this week that she is willing to negotiate now that the local teachers ' union has agreed to support the changes she proposed . You do n't say ? The firings worked . Score one for accountability and common sense . Now , Madame Superintendent , about that trip to Washington ... The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette Jr. . | Teachers were fired at a poorly performing Rhode Island high school . Ruben Navarrette says teachers like to complain about the challenges they face . He says reforming schools requires holding teachers accountable . Blaming poor performance on the students does n't accomplish anything , he says . | [[429, 438], [474, 542], [1546, 1629], [3089, 3139], [3935, 3940], [3946, 3987]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Social networking , Martin Scorsese and cinema classics on demand : this is the enticing mix on offer at new movie Web site The Auteurs . The Auteurs mastermind Efe Cakarel -LRB- center -RRB- at Cannes with Celluloid Dreams ' Hengameh Panahi -LRB- left -RRB- and Martin Scorsese . The self-styled `` online cinematheque '' allows users to watch art house films from directors like Michael Winterbottom , Francois Ozon and Walter Salles , while Facebook-style profile pages and discussion forums encourage movie debate . With their innovative approach , The Auteurs hope to introduce art house cinema to a whole new audience . Recently , The Auteurs announced a prestigious partnership with another more widely known auteur : Scorsese . The site is collaborating with Scorsese 's World Cinema Foundation -LRB- WCF -RRB- -- an organization dedicated to restoring lost cinema classics from around the world -- to exhibit the refurbished masterpieces online . The first four rescued works from Scorsese 's project are currently available to watch for free on The Auteurs Web site . Among them are Korean domestic thriller `` The Housemaid '' -LRB- 1960 -RRB- and `` Transes '' -LRB- 1973 -RRB- , a documentary about pioneering Moroccan band Nass El Ghiwan , famously described by Scorsese as `` the Rolling Stones of North Africa . '' Watch a clip from `` The Housemaid '' Watch a clip from `` Transes '' `` It is really exciting and important to have Scorsese preserving the films he is preserving , '' said one of the masterminds behind The Auteurs , Eduardo Costantini , over the phone from New York . `` As he said , it 's not only important to preserve , but to show -- and he chose The Auteurs because of our look and feel and our philosophy and concept . We are really proud . '' The basic ambition behind The Auteurs is to make high quality cinema accessible to a young , global audience by making it available on demand cheaply . `` If you are not in LA , London , New York , San Francisco , Tokyo , Paris , or Berlin , forget it , '' Efe Cakarel told CNN over the phone from Palo Alto , California . `` Many of these films you can not get even on DVD if you are living in Warsaw , in Istanbul , in Seoul or Buenos Aires . '' The Auteurs is Cakarel 's brainchild : an ambitious former Goldman Sachs banker with a head for technology , he came up with the idea back in 2007 in Tokyo when , with some spare time on his hands , he tried to watch Wong Kar-wai 's `` In the Mood for Love '' on the Internet . `` It was very simple . I went online and I did not find a place that I could use , '' he says . He started writing his business plan there and then . Cakarel says he knew that if he was going to succeed in his quest to bring quality cinema to the global village he would have to enlist some of the industry 's top brass . Enter Argentine millionaire , Eduardo Costantini of Costa Films , the company behind 2007 Berlinale winner `` Elite Troop , '' and Hengameh Panahi of Paris-based distributor Celluloid Dreams which represents films like Jacques Audiard 's `` A Prophet , '' which won the Grand Prize at Cannes Film Festival this year . Costantini and Panahi have instilled the site with their film knowledge , and paved the way for the site 's other major collaboration with masters of the vintage re-release , the Criterion Collection . Each month , the Criterion Collection curates a free online film festival making available classic films from its large library on The Auteurs . This month , users can watch Michelangelo Antonioni 's 1960 classic `` L'Avventura '' or `` Harakiri '' -LRB- 1962 -RRB- by Japanese master Masaki Kobayashi . Of course , all this begs the question : is there really a big appetite for auteur-driven feature films outside the lofty but limited cinephile circles -- especially at a time when studio-driven blockbuster fodder like `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine '' and `` Angels & Demons '' dominate at the box office ? `` I want to create an entirely new audience for these films , '' says Cakarel . `` Because the only thing people in much of the world are exposed to is `` Spiderman 3 '' or `` Pirates of the Caribbean '' in their local multiplex . '' The Auteurs is one of a number of Web sites , like jaman.com , making previously hard-to-find films available on the Internet since the YouTube revolution paved the way for new ways of consuming video on the Web . The Auteurs ' particular niche is auteur-driven cinema combined with social networking : `` Putting the films online is only part of it . The moment you put the film in the existing conversation between people that know each other , then you create a platform for discovery . According to Cakarel , what sets the site apart from the others is quality : each film is individually encoded -LRB- compared to most sites , which batch encode films -RRB- for the Web which he says gives a higher quality of sound and vision than anywhere else on the Web . `` Being the best in the world has a huge premium and I know that we can be the best in the world , '' said Cakarel . The site is cleanly designed , easy to navigate and you can pay to watch films like 1998 Dogme 95 classic `` Festen '' by Danish director Thomas Vinterberg and `` The Corporation , '' -LRB- 2003 -RRB- an unsettling examination of the pre-eminence of big business . Currently there are 200 films available to watch , some free , but mostly for around $ 5 . Costantini says he hopes to increase the number of films to 1,000 . Despite the unabashedly highbrow aims of the site , both Cakarel and Costantini realize they will need to include more commercial fare if they want to increase membership of the site which currently stands at around 80,000 . `` It is important we start getting some major films , '' said Costantini . `` Not only treasures that Scorsese restores but also some films that are more commercial . '' Cakarel says he would love to host quality studio films like the Coen 's `` No Country for Old Men , '' Oscar-winner `` There Will be Blood , '' and Tarantino 's `` Inglourious Basterds . '' But there are limits : `` I will never put a mainstream film that is purely for entertainment ; that has no soul on the site . `` You will never see ` Knocked Up ' or ` Spiderman 3 . ' '' | Scorsese collaborates with Web site The Auteurs to put restored films online free . The movie masterpieces were restored by Scorsese 's World Cinema Foundation . They include Korean film `` The Housemaid '' and Moroccan documentary `` Transes '' The Auteurs is an innovative mix of social networking and video on demand . | [[943, 991], [992, 1113], [992, 1045], [1070, 1113], [1114, 1225], [4481, 4533]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities have officially dropped all charges against an American who tried to snatch back his children from his ex-wife in Japan , the Fukuoka prosecutor 's office said Thursday . Charges had been technically `` on hold '' since Christopher Savoie was released from jail in October , though legal experts had said the move essentially meant the charges had already been dropped . The prosecutor 's office said at the time that Savoie was released after he promised not to take his children back to the United States `` in this manner . '' It was not clear whether he had a chance to see his children after his release . Savoie , 38 , a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen , allegedly abducted his children -- 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca -- as his ex-wife walked them to school on September 28 in Yanagawa . With the children , Savoie headed for the nearest U.S. consulate in Fukuoka to try to obtain passports for them . Screaming at guards to let him in the compound , Savoie was steps from the front gate but still standing on Japanese soil when he was arrested . Savoie and his first wife , Noriko Savoie , were married for 14 years before a bitter divorce in January . The couple had lived in Japan , but moved to the United States before the divorce . Noriko Savoie received custody of the children and agreed to remain in the United States . Christopher Savoie had visitation rights . On the day that the children were to start school in August , Savoie learned that his ex-wife had fled with them to Japan . Savoie later filed for and received full custody of the children , and police in Franklin , Tennessee , issued an arrest warrant for his ex-wife . But Japan is not a party to the 1980 Hague convention on international child abduction -- though the government has expressed interest in reconsidering -- so the warrant was not recognized by Tokyo . Japanese law follows a tradition of sole-custody divorces . When a couple splits , one parent typically makes a complete and lifelong break from the children . Complicating the matter is the fact that the couple is still considered married in Japan , because they never divorced there , police said . The children also hold Japanese passports , Japanese authorities have said . Foreign parents have had little luck in regaining custody , the U.S. State Department said . Savoie 's current wife , Amy , said in October that her family has been ripped apart . `` Isaac and Rebecca had a very , very happy situation here in Tennessee , '' she said . `` They have people who love them here . '' She said she did not think the parties could work out an agreeable arrangement regarding the children . `` There are two parents who love these children and one of them has just been -- just cast aside . '' CNN 's Kyung Lah contributed to this report . | Christopher Savoie was jailed in Japan after trying to get kids back from mother . Noriko Savoie was granted custody of kids , later fled to Japan . Christopher Savoie was steps away from U.S. consulate when he was arrested . Authorities released Christopher Savoie after he said he would not take kids `` in this manner '' | [[75, 86], [91, 150], [1305, 1351], [1439, 1498], [1501, 1562], [1563, 1569], [1590, 1627], [1018, 1054], [402, 477], [435, 557]] |
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