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(WIRED) -- What did you do this summer? Flat World Knowledge stayed busy on campus and now has 40 times as many students and more than 10 times the colleges using their freemium, open-source digital textbooks as they did spring semester. And they did it the old-fashioned way -- one professor at a time. A company is offering digital alternatives to traditional college textbooks. After a sort of beta earlier this year, Flat World was set to announce Thursday that more than 40,000 college students at 400 colleges will use their digital, DRM-free textbooks fall semester, up from 1,000 in 30 colleges in the spring. Digital textbooks remain a nascent business and a tough market to enter. At an average cost of $100, textbooks command the highest cover prices in publishing, outside of only some art and coffee-table books. Demand is artificially inelastic as students are indentured to cost servitude at the whim of college professors who blithely assign titles a student must own if she hopes to do well in a given course. Now, multiply that by four, five or even six courses a semester and you are talking big bucks. By comparison, Flat World has a pricing scheme that starts at zero for online access using a browser, and $20 for a PDF, which they believe will be the most popular format. Printed versions of their textbooks cost up to $60. Perhaps best of all: Textbooks are available a la carte, chapter by chapter. But the key buy-in has been from teachers who make the assignments and who, in my college days, could not care less how much the textbooks cost. What's changed? "There has been a mind shift," co-founder Eric Frank told Wired.com. A tipping point came a couple of years ago when faculty began to consider the financial burden on students because many of them (Frank estimates a third) didn't bother to get the textbook at all. Perhaps more to the point, open-source textbooks -- which are Creative Commons-licensed to allow unencumbered non-commercial use -- make it possible to graft supporting material to the curriculum, rather than the other way around. "Faculty are notorious for wanting to do things their way," said Frank. "But they always had to cut the foot to fit the shoe. Now, with open source, they can cut the shoe to fit the foot." There is virtually no friction involved. A professor can register on Flat World's site and let students know that the book is available there. No cooperation from a school district or college administration is required. "Every single class is a fiefdom, and they are kings and queens of their domain," Frank jokes. Like any freemium retailer, Flat World depends on enough people buying something, because clearly the business cannot be sustained if everyone just opts for free web access. "What we're counting on is that people will be willing to pay for different packaging." And it will come down to the price points, Frank acknowledges, even when the company develops formats for the Sony e-book reader and Amazon Kindle, as they hope to this year. It makes as much sense to equip students with a device that makes all their reference materials available on demand as to offer a casual reader a complete portable library -- perhaps more. This is a classic chicken-and-egg scenario in which a device-dependent culture needs to evolve alongside new content formats. For this and a variety of other reasons, including the cost of e-readers and for the media they serve up, Frank thinks the PDF will remain the format of choice for students for some time to come (and the ubiquitous and DRM-free Portable Document Format is readable on the Sony and Amazon devices, anyway). "They'll move forward," Frank says of device-specific e-reader formats. "But there is so much irrational pricing right now that they'll move forward much more slowly than they probably should." For now, expect a
|
[
"What format are the downloads",
"How many colleges will the service be at this year",
"How many colleges will have the service this year?",
"How much are the books?",
"What does Flat World Knowledge offer?",
"How many colleges are using the service?",
"What do the company offer free",
"How much does the company charge for downloadable PDF-format books?"
] |
[
[
"PDF,"
],
[
"400"
],
[
"400"
],
[
"up to $60."
],
[
"digital alternatives to traditional college textbooks."
],
[
"400"
],
[
"college textbooks."
],
[
"$20"
]
] |
Flat World Knowledge offers free access to digital textbooks online .
The company charges $20 for downloadable PDF-format books .
Interest in the company is rising; the service will be at 400 colleges this year .
Still, the digital textbook business remains in its infancy, author says .
|
(WIRED) -- What's hot off the presses this week? Want an out-of-print book? With the help of Google, a machine may be able to print one for you. Any one of the more than 2 million books old enough to fall out of copyright into the public domain. Over the last seven years, Google has scanned millions of dusty tomes from deep in the stacks of the nation's leading university libraries and turned them into searchable documents available anywhere in the world through its search box. And now Google Book Search, in partnership with On Demand Books, is letting readers turn those digital copies back into paper copies, individually printed by bookstores around the world. Or at least by those booksellers that have ordered its $100,000 Espresso Book Machine, which cranks out a 300 page gray-scale book with a color cover in about 4 minutes, at a cost to the bookstore of about $3 for materials. The machine prints the pages, binds them together perfectly, and then cuts the book to size and then dumps a book out, literally hot off the press, with a satisfying clunk. (The company says a machine can print about 60,000 books a year.) That means you can stop into the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont, and for less than $10, custom-order your own copy of Dame Curtsey's Book of Candy Making, the third edition of which was published in 1920 and which can only be found online for $47.00 used. Dane Neller, On Demand Books CEO, says the announcement flips book distribution on its head. "We believe this is a revolution," Neller said. "Content retrieval is now centralized and production is decentralized." Neller said the deal was clearly about the long tail of books, a reference to Wired magazine's Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson's theory that hits become less important when distribution costs drop. One of the main benefits, according to Neller, is letting local book stores compete with Amazon.com by reducing their need to have expensive inventory. Other current retailers include the University of Michigan Shapiro Library Building in Ann Arbor; the Blackwell Bookshop in London; the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt; the University of Alberta Bookstore in Edmonton, Canada; and Angus & Robertson Bookstore in Melbourne, Australia. The company hopes to sell 60 more printers in the next year, bringing the number of machines globally to about 90. On Demand Books suggests that book stores price the books at about $8, leaving retailers with a $3 profit after both Google and On Demand Books collect a buck-a-book fee. Google plans to donate its share to a yet-unspecified charity, which might be a reaction to its messy legal and public policy fight over a copyright settlement that covers books that are still in copyright. (All the books that are being added to On Demand Books repertoire in this agreement are out of copyright in the country where it will be printed.) Starting Sept. 29, Bostonians can stop in the privately owned Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and have their books printed in front of them. Or they can order it over the phone and have the store deliver it -- by bicycle. There's a certain irony to that, too, according to Google spokeswoman Jennie Johnson, since the bookstore is right next to Harvard's library, one of the libraries that partnered with Google to turn its millions of books into an online library of the future. "Most people can't get into the Harvard Library, but you can print their books next door," Johnson said. Or put another way, On Demand Books is betting that in the future, every old book will have 15 readers. What's of interest in these old books? Plenty, according to Google. One knitter discovered a long-lost book about knitting, and recreated the heirloom pieces and even built a loom from a long-lost design. Another reader, who works with subsistence farmers in Africa, currently uses PDFs of old farming techniques to teach
|
[
"Where you can print these books?",
"How long does it take the books to be printed by the special machine?",
"How many books does Google scan?",
"How long it takes to pass a book to the network?"
] |
[
[
"individually printed by bookstores around the world."
],
[
"4 minutes,"
],
[
"millions"
],
[
"about 4 minutes,"
]
] |
Google Book Search is letting readers turn digitized texts back into paper copies .
Google scans millions of books and turns them into searchable documents .
Books can be printed on demand by a special machine in about 4 minutes .
The machine is only in a few dozen bookstores so far .
|
(Wired) -- Google is set to become your new phone company, perhaps reducing your phone bill to zilch in the process. Seriously. Google has bought Gizmo5, an online phone company that is akin to Skype but based on open protocols and with a lot fewer users. TechCrunch, which broke the news on Monday, reported that Google spent $30 million on the company. Google announced the Gizmo acquisition on Thursday afternoon Pacific Time. Gizmo5's founder Michael Robertson, a brash serial entrepreneur, will become an Adviser to Google Voice. It's a potent recipe -- take Gizmo5's open standards-based online calling system. Add to it the new ability to route calls on Google's massive network of cheap fiber. Toss in Google Voice's free phone number, which will ring your mobile phone, your home phone and your Gizmo5 client on your laptop. ÿþ Meanwhile you can use Gizmo5 to make ultracheap outgoing calls to domestic and international phone numbers, and free calls to Skype, Google Talk, Yahoo and AIM users. You could make and receive calls that bypass the per-minute billing on your smartphone. Then layer on deluxe phone services like free SMS, voicemail transcription, customized call routing, free conference calls and voicemails sent as recordings to your e-mail account, and you have a phone service that competes with Skype, landlines and the Internet telephone offerings from Vonage and cable companies. That's not just pie in-the-sky dreaming. Ask longtime VOIP watcher and consultant Andy Abramson, who introduced the idea of integrating Gizmo5 and Grand Central (now Google Voice), long before Google bought either. "Google is now the the uncommon carrier," Abramson said, punning on the iconic 7-UP commercials and the phrase "common carrier." That refers to phone companies that operate on the traditional publicly switched network -- a status that gives them benefits and obligations. "If AT&T is Coca-Cola, Google is now 7-UP," Abramson added. "All of a sudden you have something that offers more than Skype," Abramson said, saying the combo could now put Google in competition with phone and cable companies, IP "telephony" (VOIP) companies and Vonage. "But now you can do everything with Google and pay nothing and have a platform where engineers can build new things." In fact, Gizmo5 offered a rogue version of that service for $6 a month until last week. On November 2, Gizmo5 abruptly canceled the two-month old "residential service," which paired the free phone number available through Google Voice with Gizmo's Internet calling service to provide the equivalent of a home-phone replacement like Vonage. Now, that service has been wiped off the Internet and, more intriguingly, Google's cache of the page disappeared the day after the acquisition was reported. For $6 a month, Gizmo5 residential users got 300 minutes a month of outbound calling anywhere in the United States, unlimited incoming calls on their home computers or even home phones (using a broadband-to-phone network conversion box) and E911 service (which means 911 calls work like landlines calls do, once you register your home address). It's not too surprising that offer got taken down. For one Google is already trying to steer clear of U.S. regulators by making it clear that Google Voice isn't a replacement for a home phone since you have to have phone service from some other company to use it. You can forward calls from a Google Voice number to your Gizmo5 number, but you must have a mobile or landline number as well. Google doesn't say it, but clearly it hopes that restriction will keep the service from incurring the common carrier obligations attached to the regular phone system (PSTN), and the 911 and wiretapping requirements that apply to Internet telephony and to traditional copper wire phones. AT&T has already tried to sic federal regulators on Google Voice because Google is blocking outgoing calls to a handful of shady calling services mostly free conference-calling services that exploit federal rules that let rural phone
|
[
"What soft drink did a consultant compare Google to?",
"What might happen to your phone bill if Google becomes your new phone company?",
"What online phone company did Google buy?"
] |
[
[
"iconic 7-UP"
],
[
"zilch"
],
[
"Gizmo5,"
]
] |
Google is set to become your new phone company, perhaps reducing your phone bill to zilch in the process.
Google has bought Gizmo5, an online phone company that is akin to Skype .
Users could make and receive calls that bypass the per-minute billing on smartphones .
Consultant: "If AT&T is Coca-Cola, Google is now 7-UP"
|
(Wired) -- Joe Wilkins knew there was only one way to give his supercharged, alcohol-injected Hemi-engined hot rod more power: Put a jet engine in the trunk.
"It started as a hobby and turned into a monster," said Joe Wilkins, the motor madman behind what might be the wildest 1939 Ford ever built. He's an inventor and defense department contractor, and the idea of goosing the Ford's ability to turn heads and shred tires came when he bought a used gas turbine engine.
"I got hooked on the simplicity and power that this thing produced, and I decided one day I want to put it in a car."
Luckily for us, he did. The Hemi Jet -- Wilkins has copyrighted the name -- fires up this weekend at the Houston AutoRama, and Wilkins plans to attempt a land speed record in the near future.
In the meantime, he's tooling around Navasota, Texas, in what he says is the ultimate sleeper when the jet engine's tucked away in the trunk.
Most people say "Nice car" and assume he's got the obligatory small-block Chevrolet engine under the hood. Little do they know.
"I can drive it up to the store and get a gallon of milk if I want to," he told Autopia.
The car is an amalgamation of the Big Three, with a Chrysler engine, Chevrolet drivetrain and Ford body. Wilkins says the jet engine was probably used as an APU and weighs 110 pounds.
He claims the car is street legal so long as the jet stays stowed. He fires it up from time to time to show off, and he plans to run it flat-out at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
"We want to be the fastest street legal car in the world," he said.
He's got some intense competition. The Bugatti Veyron tops out at 253 mph and the Shelby Supercars Ultimate Aero TT does 255. And then there's Red Vector One, that crazy Vauxhall that does zero to 60 in under a second. Record, schmecord -- we just want to see the video.
"I'm more than certain the car will go over 300," Wilkins said. "We've still got a ways to go [before Bonneville], but not a long way. We'll have to experiment in some wind tunnels and end up with a spoiler on the back to keep the front end on the ground."
Sadly, Wilkins won't be behind the wheel during the car's test run.
"I turned 61 last Sunday. I just don't think I'm going to be able to handle it [without] the reflexes I had 20 or 30 years ago," he said. "I know several people who would be more than interested."
So do we, and we even suggested Wilkins give the job to fellow jet-junkie Bob Maddox. After jumping from a plane with a pulse jet strapped to his chest, we suspect Maddox would welcome the opportunity to stay on the ground.
Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here!
|
[
"What did a Texas man outfit?",
"who has oufitted the ford",
"what is the name of the car",
"What engine did the car have?",
"What brand of engine was used ?"
] |
[
[
"1939 Ford"
],
[
"Joe Wilkins"
],
[
"The Hemi Jet"
],
[
"jet"
],
[
"Chevrolet"
]
] |
A Texas man has outfitted a 1939 Ford with a jet engine he hopes will make it go more than 300 mph .
Nicknamed the "Hemi Jet," it fires up this weekend at the Houston AutoRama .
The car has a Chrysler engine, a Chevrolet drivetrain and a Ford body .
Owner Joe Wilkins plans to run it flat-out someday at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah .
|
(Wired) -- Joe Wilkins knew there was only one way to give his supercharged, alcohol-injected Hemi-engined hot rod more power: Put a jet engine in the trunk. "It started as a hobby and turned into a monster," said Joe Wilkins, the motor madman behind what might be the wildest 1939 Ford ever built. He's an inventor and defense department contractor, and the idea of goosing the Ford's ability to turn heads and shred tires came when he bought a used gas turbine engine. "I got hooked on the simplicity and power that this thing produced, and I decided one day I want to put it in a car." Luckily for us, he did. The Hemi Jet -- Wilkins has copyrighted the name -- fires up this weekend at the Houston AutoRama, and Wilkins plans to attempt a land speed record in the near future. In the meantime, he's tooling around Navasota, Texas, in what he says is the ultimate sleeper when the jet engine's tucked away in the trunk. Most people say "Nice car" and assume he's got the obligatory small-block Chevrolet engine under the hood. Little do they know. "I can drive it up to the store and get a gallon of milk if I want to," he told Autopia. The car is an amalgamation of the Big Three, with a Chrysler engine, Chevrolet drivetrain and Ford body. Wilkins says the jet engine was probably used as an APU and weighs 110 pounds. He claims the car is street legal so long as the jet stays stowed. He fires it up from time to time to show off, and he plans to run it flat-out at the Bonneville Salt Flats. "We want to be the fastest street legal car in the world," he said. He's got some intense competition. The Bugatti Veyron tops out at 253 mph and the Shelby Supercars Ultimate Aero TT does 255. And then there's Red Vector One, that crazy Vauxhall that does zero to 60 in under a second. Record, schmecord -- we just want to see the video. "I'm more than certain the car will go over 300," Wilkins said. "We've still got a ways to go [before Bonneville], but not a long way. We'll have to experiment in some wind tunnels and end up with a spoiler on the back to keep the front end on the ground." Sadly, Wilkins won't be behind the wheel during the car's test run. "I turned 61 last Sunday. I just don't think I'm going to be able to handle it [without] the reflexes I had 20 or 30 years ago," he said. "I know several people who would be more than interested." So do we, and we even suggested Wilkins give the job to fellow jet-junkie Bob Maddox. After jumping from a plane with a pulse jet strapped to his chest, we suspect Maddox would welcome the opportunity to stay on the ground. Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here!
|
[
"What is the nickname of the rocket powered vehicle?",
"What was it nicknamed?",
"What brand was the car?",
"What did a Texas man to his car?",
"What is the name of the owner of the vehicle?",
"What type of engine the car?",
"What kind of engine does it have?",
"Where was the man from?"
] |
[
[
"The Hemi Jet"
],
[
"The Hemi Jet"
],
[
"Ford"
],
[
"Put a jet engine in the trunk."
],
[
"Joe Wilkins"
],
[
"gas turbine"
],
[
"a jet"
],
[
"Navasota, Texas,"
]
] |
A Texas man has outfitted a 1939 Ford with a jet engine he hopes will make it go more than 300 mph .
Nicknamed the "Hemi Jet," it fires up this weekend at the Houston AutoRama .
The car has a Chrysler engine, a Chevrolet drivetrain and a Ford body .
Owner Joe Wilkins plans to run it flat-out someday at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah .
|
(Wired) -- The early hours of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" take gamers around the world and back again, but the new game's story hits close to home. Military scenarios, violent police actions and straight-from-the-big-screen massive firefights take place in such far-flung locales as Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Brazil. But things don't really get interesting until the action moves to Russia and the player is embedded in a squad of terrorists. And then, inevitably, the fight comes to U.S. shores. "Modern Warfare 2," a first-person shooter released Tuesday for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, is a greatly immersive experience that embeds players in the battlefield. Limited edition of Xbox 360 There's no place in the world where a skirmish can't go down, from airport security lines to the neighborhood burger joint to your own backyard. It's an unsettling notion and one sure to inspire plenty of parental hand-wringing, particularly for those who buy their kids the live-the-action box set that includes a pair of night-vision goggles. Night-vision goggles experience (Spoiler alert: The moments I'm about to relate describe the plot of "Modern Warfare 2" -- not where the game finally goes, but the early incidents that establish the conflict and tension of the game. Some readers may consider these to be spoilers.) Russia is where the already-controversial "No Russian" scene goes down. As Army Ranger Pvt. Allen, players go undercover with Vladimir Makarov -- an underling of the villain from "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare." Along with Makarov and other terrorists, the player finds themselves in the midst of a terrible situation. The fully armed Makarov and crew waltz into a Russian airport and open fire on civilians standing in a security line. As Allen, the player can take part in the bloodshed or simply walk alongside the cold-blooded killers as they execute hundreds of innocents. Either way, the scene is powerful. It's also the oldest trick in the book: The quickest way to turn audiences against your villain is to show them doing dirty deeds, and Makarov's murderous spree is a doozy. Allen doesn't walk away from the bloodbath. Once outside the terminal, players must fend off waves of incoming SWAT teams. If there's any kind of karmic debt that Allen owes for his role in the slayings, the guy pays it: At the end of the tarmac firefight, Makarov puts a bullet in Allen. He knew all along that the Ranger was a rat. Allen's body at the scene of the tragedy triggers Russian outrage and, eventually, a "Red Dawn"-style invasion of the United States. Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here!
|
[
"In the game, what comes to shores of United States?",
"What plays out in :Modern Warfare 2\"?",
"What are some of the locales in the game?"
] |
[
[
"the fight"
],
[
"Military scenarios, violent police actions and straight-from-the-big-screen massive firefights"
],
[
"Afghanistan, Kazakhstan"
]
] |
Military scenarios, violent police actions, firefights play out in 'Modern Warfare 2'
Locales in game include Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Brazil and Russia .
The player in 'Modern Warfare 2' is embedded in a squad of terrorists .
In the game, fighting comes to shores of United States .
|
(Wired.com) -- Editorial cartoonist Mark Fiore may be good enough to win this year's Pulitzer Prize, but he's evidently too biting to get past the auditors who run Apple's iPhone app store, who ruled that lampooning public figures violated its terms of service.
Fiore irked Apple's censorious staffers with his cartoons making fun of the Balloon Boy hoax and the pair that famously crashed a White House party, according to Laura McGann at the Neiman Journalism Lab.
Fiore won a Pulitzer Monday for animations he made for the SFGate, the online home of the San Francisco Chronicle. But Fiore, a freelancer who runs a syndication business, was rejected by Apple in December for an app called NewToons that features his work.
According to a December 21 e-mail reprinted by Neiman, Apple rejected his app because it "contains content that ridicules public figures and is in violation of Section 3.3.14 from the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement which states: Applications may be rejected if they contain content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, sounds, etc.) that in Apple's reasonable judgment may be found objectionable, for example, materials that may be considered obscene, pornographic, or defamatory."
Neither Fiore nor Apple responded to requests for comment.
The news of the rejection comes not long after Apple decided to purge its app store of content that included nudity, a retroactive ban that included apps from respected German publications such as Bild and Der Spiegel.
Fiore's rejection may be especially disconcerting to news and media organizations, many of which are betting heavily on iPad apps as a way to get users to pay to read magazines and newspapers, and to get advertisers to pay print-ad prices for online content. (Online ads cost a small percentage of what ads in glossy magazines cost, in no small part because the net has almost infinite advertising space.)
Apple has built a little slab of Disneyland with its iPad, which is meant to be an experience unsullied by provocative or crude material. It's beautiful and enticing -- the company has already sold more than a half million of them in the first two weeks it's been available -- but it's not the real world.
Publishers, including such august organizations such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Wired.com's parent company Condé Nast, see a solution to their declining dead-tree ad sales in building a pay-to-play attraction in that park. But they need to understand that to do so, they have to play by Mickey Mouse's rules.
The signs have been there from the start, as Wired.com's Brian Chen pointed out in February. Apple banned an e-book reading application once because it figured out that iPhone users could use it to read a free version of the Kama Sutra. Then last week, Apple abruptly banned apps developed using programs that translate apps into multiple platforms.
Adding the news of Fiore's ban to that, the publishing world is now officially on notice that the iPad is Apple's, and unlike with their print and web editions, they don't have the final say when it comes to their own content on an Apple device.
Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here!
|
[
"What did Fiore win?",
"what was Apple's rule over Fiore's lampooning public figures?",
"What did Apple purge from the app store?",
"Which public figures did Flore's lampoon?",
"Fiore won what for animations he made for the SFGate?",
"Where is the SFGate published?"
] |
[
[
"this year's Pulitzer Prize,"
],
[
"violated its terms of service."
],
[
"content that included nudity,"
],
[
"Balloon Boy"
],
[
"a Pulitzer"
],
[
"online"
]
] |
Apple ruled that Fiore's lampooning public figures violated its terms of service .
Fiore won a Pulitzer Monday for animations he made for the SFGate .
The rejection comes shortly after Apple purged its app store of content with nudity .
|
(Wired.com) -- Photographers have their own version of sleight of hand. They can manipulate people, objects, landscapes and light in images, fooling lesser humans into believing the final product is a representation of reality, rather than something created by hand.
In the old language, we called this "trick photography." Now, in the PC age, we just call it "Photoshop."
The latest version of Photoshop, the flagship image-editing application in Adobe's Creative Suite, adds a new stack of cards to the photographer's trick deck.
Wired.com was shown demos of new tools in Photoshop CS5 -- such as the new Content Aware Fill and HDR tools -- that we expect will amaze and please photographers with the tools' ability to bend pixels with absolute precision.
Photoshop CS5 will arrive as part of Adobe Creative Suite 5, the company's package of 14 productivity apps for visual designers, photographers and publishers. Creative Suite 5 will ship later this month (or possibly early May) according to Adobe.
Prices for the suite range between $1,300 and $2,600 depending on which package you buy, with upgrades priced between $500 and $1,500. Photoshop CS5 alone will cost $700, or $200 for an upgrade. Photoshop CS5 Extended, which has some additional tools, will cost $1,000, or $350 for an upgrade.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Photoshop's arrival, and there are certainly several "wow" features in Photoshop CS5 which achieve a level of technological advancement most of us couldn't have even dreamed of twenty years ago.
Most impressive is the new Content Aware Fill brush, a mind-bending tool that can remove large objects from photos, altering the background to make it realistically appear as though the object was never there. It can zap tourists, delete power lines and otherwise alter photos with click-and-drag ease.
This video shows it most plainly. Fast forward to about the halfway point if you want to see the really crazy stuff. (When this video first started making the rounds in March, some thought it was a hoax. It's not -- this is a real feature of Photoshop CS5.)
As with any new tool in Photoshop, expect Content Aware Fill to be overused: A surfeit of tourist-free images of Machu Picchu will soon be littering Flickr. But beyond the novelty, it's a truly useful touch-up tool that turns what used to be hours of work into a simple drag of the brush.
Speaking of brushes, all of the painting features in Photoshop -- neglected since the release of Photoshop 7 -- have been rewritten. The app now features much more realistic interactions. If you use a digitizer tablet, you'll find that your brushes are considerably more responsive. The angle of the stylus now controls the edge of the brush and the new paint mixing tools control color blending, wetness and bristle length, making for a very life-like painting experience.
Another bit of Photoshop trickery that's become popular lately is high dynamic range imaging, or HDR. The Flickr crowd is crazy for it, and Adobe has responded by improving Photoshop's Merge to HDR tool, which helps you create HDR images.
The new HDR tool now has 14 HDR presets which can save considerable effort when hand-toning an image. The HDR presets shipping with Photoshop range from the cartoonish to the fairly realistic, and should satisfy all but the pickiest of HDR enthusiasts.
Composing a real HDR image requires multiple photos taken with multiple exposures, but now you can fake it. Photoshop CS5 has a new set of tools to create what Adobe calls "single image HDRs." The results will never quite match a true HDR with multiple images, but the new single image HDR toning dialog lets you get pretty close using just one file.
Also incredibly helpful for HDR fans is the new "remove ghosts" tool in the HDR dialog, which makes it simple to eliminate ghosting and artifacts caused by differences between your layered HDR images. With Photoshop CS5, you can simply outline a ghosted area (say, for
|
[
"What will some of the Adobe Creative Suite 5 tools do?",
"what will the program be able to bend?",
"when will photoshop css arrive?",
"what will the price of cs5 be?",
"When is Photoshop CS5 expected to arrive?",
"what will amaze photographers?"
] |
[
[
"can remove large objects from photos, altering the background to make it realistically appear as though the object was never there. It can zap tourists, delete power lines and otherwise alter photos with click-and-drag ease."
],
[
"pixels with absolute precision."
],
[
"later this month (or possibly early"
],
[
"between $1,300 and $2,600"
],
[
"later this month (or possibly early"
],
[
"Photoshop CS5"
]
] |
Photoshop CS5 will arrive as part of Adobe Creative Suite 5 in late April or early May .
Prices for the suite range between $1,300 and $2,600 depending on the package .
The tools' ability to bend pixels will amaze photographers .
|
A Chinese court has sentenced four people to death for their roles in last year's deadly riots in the western city of Urumqi, state media said Tuesday.
The sentences for the defendants were to be carried out immediately. They were charged with "extremely serious crimes," said state-run Xinjiang Daily.
The newspaper said a fifth person, who was also sentenced to death, was granted a two-year reprieve.
Several others were given varying jail sentences, including life imprisonment. They were on trial for incidents of "vandalism, burning and serious violence," the newspaper said.
Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, was shaken last July when long-simmering resentment between minority Uyghurs and majority Han Chinese erupted into riots and left more than 200 people dead.
The following month, a series of series of syringe stabbings added to the unrest.
|
[
"How many were sentenced to death?",
"what groups were rioting",
"Who were the riots between?",
"How many did the riots leave dead?",
"when were the riots",
"how many people died"
] |
[
[
"four"
],
[
"minority Uyghurs and majority Han Chinese"
],
[
"minority Uyghurs and majority Han Chinese"
],
[
"200 people"
],
[
"last year's"
],
[
"more than 200"
]
] |
July riots between minority Uyghurs and Han Chinese left more than 200 dead .
Four sentenced to death were charged with "extremely serious crimes"
Another person sentenced to death but given two-year reprieve .
Others given varying jail sentences, including life imprisonment .
|
A Nigerian politician has been arrested for trying to smuggle almost five pounds of cocaine in his stomach in a scheme to finance his election campaign, authorities said Monday.
Eme Zuru Ayortor, a 52-year-old pharmacist and a hopeful for Nigeria's Edo State House of Assembly, was arrested at the international airport in Lagos, drug officials said.
Officials became suspicious of the politician when a scanning machine in the airport revealed that he was carrying 2.120 kilograms (4.7 pounds) of cocaine in his stomach, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Ayortor was trying to fly to Frankfurt, Germany, the agency said.
"After undergoing observation, the pharmacist turned politician excreted 100 pieces of powdery substance that tested positive to cocaine," the agency said in a statement.
"Preliminary check on him revealed that he was preparing himself financially for the forthcoming election into the Edo State House of Assembly."
The suspect told authorities that he was hoping his status as a politician would help him avoid being arrested.
"We do not look at faces in conducting drug screening and we are not moved by credentials. Whoever is dealing in narcotics shall be exposed and prosecuted," said Ahmadu Giade, chairman of the Nigerian drug agency.
|
[
"What was the smuggler trying to finance?",
"What did the politician try to smuggle?",
"Authorities said he was trying to finance what ?",
"Who tried to smuggle cocaine in his stomach?",
"What did Eme Zuru Ayortor say?",
"What politician tried to smuggle almost five pounds of cocaine in his stomach ?",
"Who told officials he thought his status as a politician would help him?",
"What did the authorities say?",
"Who told officials he thought his status as politician would help him avoid arrest ?"
] |
[
[
"election campaign,"
],
[
"five pounds of cocaine"
],
[
"election campaign,"
],
[
"Eme Zuru Ayortor,"
],
[
"he was hoping his status as a politician would help him avoid being arrested."
],
[
"Eme Zuru Ayortor,"
],
[
"Ayortor,"
],
[
"politician"
],
[
"Eme Zuru Ayortor,"
]
] |
Nigerian politician tried to smuggle almost five pounds of cocaine in his stomach .
Authorities said he was trying to finance his election campaign .
Eme Zuru Ayortor told officials he thought his status as politician would help him avoid arrest .
|
A Saudi Arabian man who was arrested for bragging about his sex life on television has apologized for his comments while Saudi authorities discuss whether he should be charged with a crime, according to local media. Mazen Abdul Jawad appeared earlier this month on Lebanese channel LBC's show "Red Lines," on which he discussed foreplay, sexual conquests and how he picks up women, all taboo subjects in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia. According to the Saudi daily newspaper Arab News, Abdul Jawad has initiated a damage-control campaign and on Sunday "appeared in the pages of a local newspaper apparently wiping away tears from a handkerchief as he apologized and begged for forgiveness." Abdul Jawad is a 32-year-old airline employee and divorced father of four. In Saudi Arabia, pre-marital sex is illegal and unrelated men and women are not allowed to mingle. According to Arab News, Abdul Jawad is not in jail and is considering filing a complaint against the show's producers for presenting him "in the worst possible manner by taking two hours of footage and condensing it down to a minutes-long segment." Ashraf Al-Sarraj, the lawyer representing Abdul Jawad in his possible complaint against LBC, told Arab News, "We will study the case and eventually present it to the Ministry of Information." According to the paper, "LBC refused to comment on the matter until it has more time to formulate a response." The segment in question has, since its initial broadcast, been posted on YouTube and been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. It includes scenes of Abdul Jawad discussing his enjoyment of sex and how he lost his virginity at age 14. Abdul Jawad is also shown in his bedroom, where he holds up sexual aids to the camera. It ends with him cruising the streets of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in his car and looking for women. CNN has been unable to reach Abdul Jawad, the Saudi Ministry of Justice or the Saudi Ministry of Information for comment.
|
[
"Is pre-marital sex legal in Saudi Arabia?",
"What did Jawad talk about?",
"For what reason did Mazen Abdul Jawad apologize?",
"What are Saudi authorities debating?",
"What did Mazen Abdul apologize for?",
"What show was Jawad on?"
] |
[
[
"is illegal"
],
[
"foreplay, sexual conquests and how he picks up women,"
],
[
"his comments while Saudi authorities discuss whether he should be charged with a crime,"
],
[
"whether he should be charged with a crime,"
],
[
"bragging about his sex life on television"
],
[
"\"Red Lines,\""
]
] |
Mazen Abdul Jawad apologizes for discussing sex life on TV, reports say .
Saudi authorities debating whether charges should be filed, reports say .
Jawad appeared earlier this month on a show on Lebanese channel .
In deeply conservative Saudi Arabia, pre-marital sex is illegal .
|
A new company in Germany is trying to break into the fashion business selling stylish clothes designed and produced by prison inmates. Inmates design and produce the Haeftling range. The company Haeftling, which in English means inmate, has just opened its first store in Berlin. "We want to have basic, durable, timeless, beautiful clothes," said Stephan Bohle, one of the company founders. Many of the clothes, cooking aprons and even stainless steel food trays offered in the Berlin store were either designed or manufactured in jails, but not just German ones. One design shows a female comic figure that was drawn by a man sitting on death row in Texas. Bohle said part of the proceeds from sales go to organizations that support prisoners' rights and better conditions for inmates, like Amnesty International. But in some cases, money goes directly to the inmates that designed certain pieces. "In the case of the female cartoon figure, this man was almost granted a stay from execution because of the design he did for us but in the end unfortunately the appeals court ruled against him," Bohle said The clothes offered at the Haeftling shop also tell the story of the inmates that designed individual pieces. A small text inside the item lays out the prisoners story, including the name, where he is in jail and how long the term will be. Some of the clothes are manufactured at a corrections facility in Halle, near Leipzig, in Eastern Germany. Watch the inmates at work » Prisoners sew cooking aprons in a jail workshop for several hours a day. "It's wonderful, at least it takes your mind off jail for a little while," says Mario Hildebrand, who is serving a 20 month term in Halle. "We can really identify with this label," he said. "We are the prisoners and without us this label would not be possible, so we do take some pride in making these clothes." However, Mario said he would not wear the clothes himself: "Look, I am a prisoner, and I'm really not proud of it. It isn't something I want to be parading around." But others seem to be catching the fever. Bohle said the company wants to start selling in the United States. "We've had people from New York, Chicago and Los Angeles ask about Haeftling," he said in an interview in the flagship store in Berlin. Bohle said he hopes socially responsible clothes will also make for a good business for the company. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"What is the name of the shop?",
"What prisoner rights organizations benefit?",
"where do the profits go",
"Where does a portion of the profit go?",
"who designs clothes",
"What are the prison inmates designing?",
"What portion of profits go to the prisoner rights organizations?"
] |
[
[
"Haeftling,"
],
[
"Amnesty International."
],
[
"organizations that support prisoners' rights and better conditions for inmates, like Amnesty International."
],
[
"to organizations that support prisoners' rights and better conditions for inmates, like Amnesty International."
],
[
"Inmates"
],
[
"stylish clothes"
],
[
"part of the proceeds"
]
] |
Prison inmates design clothes for new shop in German capital .
Portion of profits go to prisoner rights organizations .
Clothes include tag include prisoner's name and sentence .
Products include design by inmate on death row in Texas, U.S.
|
A whopping 70 percent of American kids aren't getting enough vitamin D, and such youngsters tend to have higher blood pressure and lower levels of good cholesterol than their peers, according to two new studies published this week in the journal Pediatrics. Low vitamin D levels also may increase a child's risk of developing heart disease later in life, experts say. People who drank milk less than once a week were among those most at risk for vitamin-D deficiency, a study found. "We were astounded at how common it was," says study author Dr. Michal Melamed, an assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in the Bronx, New York. "There is a lot of data that suggests adults with low vitamin-D levels are at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and a lot of cancers, and if kids start out with low levels and never increase them, they may be putting themselves at risk for developing all of these diseases at a much earlier age." Vitamin D is often called the "sunshine vitamin" because the human body makes it only when exposed to sunlight -- although it only takes 10 to 15 minutes a day to make an adequate amount. Vitamin D, which helps the bones better absorb calcium, is also added to multivitamins and milk. In Melamed's study, the researchers looked at the vitamin D levels of more than 6,000 people ages 1 to 21. They checked for vitamin-D deficiency, which is defined as less than 15 nanograms per milliliter of blood (ng/mL), and vitamin-D insufficiency, which is defined as 15 to 29 ng/mL. Overall, 7.6 million, or 9 percent, of U.S. children were vitamin-D deficient, and another 50.8 million, or 61 percent, had insufficient levels of this important vitamin in their blood. Children with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to have high blood pressure and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein, also known as good cholesterol -- two factors that are considered major risk factors for heart disease later in life. Health.com: How cholesterol affects your heart's health Children with low vitamin-D levels also had higher levels of parathyroid hormone than their counterparts with adequate vitamin D in their blood. Parathyroid hormone is a measure of bone health. When levels are high, it suggests that bones need more calcium to grow. Watch more on kids in the U.S. and low levels of vitamin D » Overall, those most at risk for a vitamin-D deficiency were older, female, obese, drank milk less than once a week, and spent more than four hours a day watching TV, playing video games, or working on a computer. They were also more likely to be children with darker skin, including non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican-Americans. (Children with darker skin are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D because they have more melanin than their fairer counterparts. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin color, but it may prevent the skin from absorbing enough sunlight to produce an adequate amount of vitamin D.) Health.com: Battle aging with vitamin D In the second study, a research team led by Jared P. Reis, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, looked at 3,577 adolescents ages 12 to 19. Those with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to have high blood pressure, high levels of blood sugar, and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of factors known to increase risk of heart disease) than their counterparts with ample vitamin D in their blood, regardless of how much they weighed. Exactly how a lack of vitamin D increases the risk of heart disease is an evolving story. In terms of blood pressure, vitamin D helps control renin, a protein that plays a role in regulating blood-pressure levels. Health.com: Why belly fat increases type 2 diabetes risk The best vitamin-D boosting strategy involves a three-pronged approach, says Melamed. "You can get a little bit from food, but not as much as you need," she says
|
[
"Children with what are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D?",
"Vitamin D also helps the bones better absorb what?",
"What percent of American kids aren't getting enough vitamin D?"
] |
[
[
"darker skin"
],
[
"calcium,"
],
[
"70"
]
] |
Study: 70 percent of American kids aren't getting enough vitamin D .
Children with darker skin are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D .
Vitamin D helps control the protein renin, involved in blood pressure levels .
Vitamin D also helps the bones better absorb calcium .
|
ABECHE, Chad (CNN) -- Most of the 103 children that a French charity attempted to take to France from Chad for adoption are neither Sudanese nor orphans, three international aid agencies reported on Thursday.
Hundreds of women protest child trafficking and shout anti-French slogans Wednesday in Abeche, Chad.
Six members of Zoe's Ark were arrested last week as they tried to put the children on a plane to France, where the charity said host families were waiting to take the children in.
Three French journalists, a seven-member Spanish flight crew and one Belgian were also arrested. Representatives of the journalists and flight crew said they were unaware of problems with Zoe's Ark and thought they were on a humanitarian mission.
Chadian President Idriss Deby hopes the journalists and the flight crew will be freed, his chief of staff, Mahamat Hissene, said Thursday.
The president would legally be able to intervene in the case if it is transferred from a judge in the eastern city of Abeche, where the children were taken, to a judge in N'Djamena, the capital, Hissene said.
The transfer will take place Monday, according to media reports.
The International Red Cross Committee, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and UNICEF said most of the children were living with their families before Zoe's Ark took them.
The charity said the children were Sudanese orphans that it was trying to rescue from a war-torn nation.
The agencies said most of the children also probably come from Chadian villages along Chad's border with Sudan.
The children have been living in an orphanage in Abeche while authorities and aid agencies try to determine their identities. Watch a report on whether the children are orphans »
Chadian authorities immediately accused the charity of kidnapping the children and concealing their identities. Chad's interior minister said Zoe's Ark dressed the children in bandages and fake intravenous drips to make them look like refugees who needed medical help.
The charity workers and journalists have been charged with kidnapping and extortion and could face 20 years of hard labor if convicted. The Spaniards and Belgian are charged with complicity.
The Spanish flight crew is innocent and should be released, a company executive said Thursday.
"We thought we were doing a humanitarian transport," said Antoni Cajal, sales director of Spain's Gir Jet charter firm.
"If an NGO [nongovernmental organization] has done something wrong, it's impossible for us to know."
Spain's Foreign Ministry has publicly expressed its disagreement with the charges and has dispatched top diplomats to Chad to try to win the group's release.
Over the weekend, the captain appealed urgently to be rescued, fearing the crew could be harmed or killed, Cajal said.
But the four women and three men are in good condition in custody, Cajal said, based on his conversations with a Spanish consular official who came from Cameroon to Chad and has been able to visit them.
The detention is the first problem of its kind for the company, which hopes government negotiations can resolve the issue, Cajal said.
On its Web site, Zoe's Ark describes itself as a nonprofit organization based in Paris that sends teams of physicians, nurses, firefighters and other specialists to care for children in war zones and place them with families in France, who then apply for asylum on their behalf.
The Red Cross, UNHCR and UNICEF said the 21 girls and 82 boys range in age from about 1 year to about 10, and they are healthy.
The agencies said they have been interviewing the children individually to determine their backgrounds.
"So far, the interviews carried out with the children -- some of whom could not provide any information due to their young age -- led to the preliminary conclusion that probably 85 come from Chadian villages near the cities of Adre and Tine along the Chadian-Sudanese border," the agencies said.
"Ninety-one children said they had been living with their family, consisting of at least one adult they considered to be their parent," the agencies said, adding that interviews with the remaining 12 children were ongoing
|
[
"What amount many members of Zoe's Ark are under arrest?",
"What president wants the journalists and flight crew released",
"WHAT DOES THE CHADIAN PRESIDENT WANT?",
"Who was arrested in Chad?",
"Who is under arrest in Chad?",
"What is happening in Chad?",
"What is the Chadian president's reaction?",
"Where are the children from?",
"Who wants journalists, flight crew released?",
"What number were arrested in Chad",
"few were arrested in chad?",
"What is the Chadian president asking for?",
"Where did they try to fly from",
"Who interviewed the children that tried to fly out of Chad?",
"What does the president want?",
"Which charity organisations have been interviewing children?",
"WHO ARE UNDER ARREST IN CHAD?"
] |
[
[
"Six"
],
[
"Chadian"
],
[
"journalists and the flight crew will be freed,"
],
[
"Six members of Zoe's Ark"
],
[
"But the four women and three men are"
],
[
"Hundreds of women protest"
],
[
"Idriss Deby hopes the journalists and the flight crew"
],
[
"Chad"
],
[
"Chadian President Idriss Deby"
],
[
"Six members"
],
[
"Six members of Zoe's Ark"
],
[
"journalists and the flight crew will be freed,"
],
[
"Chad"
],
[
"The Red Cross, UNHCR and UNICEF"
],
[
"hopes the journalists and the flight crew will be freed,"
],
[
"Red Cross, UNHCR and UNICEF"
],
[
"Three French journalists, a seven-member Spanish flight crew and one Belgian"
]
] |
NEW: Chadian president wants journalists, flight crew released .
Red Cross, UNICEF, UNHCR interview children that charity tried to fly out of Chad .
Most are not from Sudan and have families, agencies say .
Six members of Zoe's Ark, 11 others under arrest in Chad .
|
ABUSIR, Egypt (CNN) -- Today, I met Cleopatra's lawyer. Well, not her lawyer but someone who is determined to defend the legendary queen against centuries of bad publicity. Kathleen Martinez, an archaeologist from the Dominican Republic, wants to mend Cleopatra's tattered reputation. Kathleen Martinez is a young archaeologist from the Dominican Republic who has toiled for three years on a barren hillside overlooking the coastal highway linking Alexandria with the Libyan border. According to the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, it's here, at a spot known as Abusir, that the tomb of Marc Antony and Cleopatra might be located. I met Martinez in a dusty tomb full of bones at the excavation site. She recounted to me that, as a young girl, she listened in on a scholarly discussion in her father's library about Cleopatra. "They were speaking very badly about her and about her image," she recalled. "I got very upset. I said I didn't believe what they are saying, that I needed to study more about her." Martinez went on to earn a law degree but continued to be fascinated by the saga of Cleopatra. Four years ago, she managed to convince Zahi Hawass, the untiring director of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, to allow her to start excavating at Abusir. Her fascination with -- and admiration for -- Cleopatra is intense. The last queen of Ancient Egypt, she told me, "spoke nine languages, she was a philosopher, she was a poet, she was a politician, she was a goddess, and she was a warrior." In short, Martinez believes, Cleopatra was a woman way ahead of her times. And given that history is written by the victors -- in Cleopatra's case, the Romans -- her press was somewhat less than complimentary. It was "bad propaganda," in Martinez's words. For that reason, she told me, "I want to be Cleopatra's lawyer." With Hawass, Martinez is now working on a book about Cleopatra to repair all that damage. The tale of Antony and Cleopatra has fueled the popular imagination for centuries. Ill-fated lovers were a favorite theme for William Shakespeare, and the Roman noble and the Egyptian queen certainly fit the bill. Marc Antony was a no less fascinating character than Cleopatra. In his youth, he led a life of heavy drinking and womanizing. According to the Roman historian Plutarch, Antony accumulated debts of 250 talents, the equivalent of $5 million, before reaching 20. To escape his creditors in Rome, he fled to Greece, where he studied with the philosophers of Athens, before being called to join the Roman legions in the east, then serving under Julius Caesar. After Caesar's assassination, Marc Antony became embroiled in a series of power struggles and eventually ended up in Egypt. Egypt was the enemy of his former ally, Octavian, who would go on to become the Emperor Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. Octavian defeated Antony's forces at the battle of Actium in 30 B.C. Shortly afterward, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide, he by his own sword, she by a poisonous asp. Octavian, according to Plutarch, allowed them to be buried together "in splendid and regal fashion." But no one knows where. The sudden focus on Antony and Cleopatra has also reignited an old debate over the latter's looks. Was Cleopatra a stunning beauty a la Elizabeth Taylor, or somewhat less spectacular? Researchers from Newcastle University in England claimed in 2007 that, based upon coins found from the period, she was quite homely, with "a shallow forehead, long, pointed nose, narrow lips and a sharply pointed chin." See gallery of tomb that might be Cleopatra's » The same researchers didn't have a very flattering assessment of Marc Antony either, saying he had "bulging eyes, a large hooked nose and a thick neck." No Richard Burton. This does contradict Plutarch's description of Marc Antony as having "a noble dignity of form; and a shapely
|
[
"What was martinez looking for in Egypt?",
"For how long has Martinez toiled?",
"Who was Marc Antony's lover?",
"Was she actually a poet?",
"What is the number of languages Cleopatra spoke?",
"What was the name of her lover?",
"How many languages did Cleopatra speak?"
] |
[
[
"the tomb of Marc Antony and Cleopatra"
],
[
"three years"
],
[
"Cleopatra"
],
[
"a"
],
[
"nine"
],
[
"Marc Antony"
],
[
"nine"
]
] |
Kathleen Martinez has toiled for three years in Egypt looking for Cleopatra's tomb .
Martinez says the Egyptian queen has gotten an unfair reputation over the centuries .
Cleopatra spoke nine languages and was a philosopher and poet, Martinez says .
So was Marc Antony's lover beautiful or plain or ugly? That debate rages on .
|
ACCRA, Ghana (CNN) -- President Obama reached out to Africa on Saturday with a wide-ranging address praising the continent's steady achievements, but he called its persistent violent conflicts "a millstone around Africa's neck." President Obama speaks before Ghana's Parliament on Saturday. "Despite the progress that has been made -- and there has been considerable progress in parts of Africa -- we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled," Obama said in a speech to the parliament of Ghana, a western African nation seen as a model of democracy and growth for the rest of the continent. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan nation to gain independence, in 1957, and Obama continually cited the nation during his speech for its stability, political strides and painstaking economic progress. Its stability stands in contrast to other hot spots on the continent, such as Zimbabwe, where the society is in economic and political turmoil; Sudan, where fighting rages in the Darfur region; and Somalia, where a shaky transitional government is now battling an Islamic insurgency. Ghana, with a population of 24 million, was once a major slave trading center. Obama visited the Cape Coast Castle, a British outpost where slaves were held until shipped overseas, along with his daughters. Watch Obama's remark after touring Cape Coast Castle » "I think it was particularly important for Malia and Sasha, who are being raised in a very blessed way, that history can take some cruel turns," he said. "And hopefully, one of the things that was imparted to them during this trip is their sense of obligation to fight oppression and cruelty wherever it appears." Obama, whose father was Kenyan, compared the history to that of the Holocaust, Nazi Germany's efforts to exterminate the Jews of Europe during World War II. "It's one of those things that you don't forget about," he told CNN in an interview scheduled to air Monday on "Anderson Cooper 360." "I think it's important that the way we think about it, the way it's taught, is not one in which there's simply a victim and a victimizer, and that's the end of the story," he said. "I think the way it has to be thought about, the reason it's relevant, is whether it's what's happening in Darfur or what's happening in the Congo or what's happening in too many places around the world, the capacity for cruelty still exists." Watch how Ghana is celebrating the Obamas' visit » But he told lawmakers that Ghana now shows "a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or the need for charity." While the nation-building the country exemplifies may lack "drama of the 20th century's liberation struggles," he said "it will ultimately be more significant." As he has in past remarks, including his Cairo address last month about U.S.-Muslim relations, Obama stressed the superiority of governments that "respect the will of their own people," saying they foster more prosperity and stability than governments that don't. Watch Obama deliver speech to Ghanaian lawmakers » "No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head of the Port Authority is corrupt," he said. "No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there." Even Kenya, his father's homeland, continues to struggle with tribalism and corruption, he said. That eastern African nation "had a per-capita economy larger than South Korea's when I was born" and now, he says, it has been "badly outpaced." But he said Kenya has restored stability after the violence that followed the disputed 2007 election. South Africa has had high voter turnout in recent elections, and Zimbabwe's Election Support Network has defended the right
|
[
"What did Obama tell Ghana lawmakers?",
"Which African lawmakers did Obama tell needs, \"opportunity for more people?"
] |
[
[
"\"Despite the progress that has been made -- and there has been considerable progress in parts of Africa -- we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled,\""
],
[
"Ghana's Parliament"
]
] |
Obama tells Ghana's lawmakers Africa needs "opportunity for more people"
"Africa's diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division"
Pledges U.S. will help fight HIV/AIDS, tropical diseases, childhood illnesses .
|
ACCRA, Ghana (CNN) -- Ghanaians clad in the national colors of red, gold and green celebrated long into the night on Friday as excitement over the national team's penalty shootout victory over Brazil in the final of the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt brought the West African nation to a standstill. Ghana's players celebrate their victory over Brazil. Ghana's victory, 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw which they had survived since the 37th minute with 10 men, was the first ever by an African side in the tournament. Earlier, many football fans had converged in churches hours before the game to pray for divine intervention. But the triumph, coupled with Nigeria's disappointing performance in the tournament, may be the clearest signal yet that the balance of power in West Africa may have tilted from Nigeria to Ghana once again. Last month Ghana's Black Stars, featuring players like Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien and Inter Milan's Sulley Muntari, became the first African side to qualify for South Africa 2010 World Cup. Nigeria are in danger of missing the World Cup for the second time running. The Super Eagles trail Tunisia by two points in Group B ahead of their last group qualifying matches on November 11 when both countries face tricky away fixtures. Until 2006, Ghana was regarded as the continent's sleeping giants, having dominated African football in the years after it became the first independent sub-Saharan African country over five decades ago. By contrast, it took Nigeria -- Africa's most populous country -- another three decades to establish itself among the continent's top national sides. It was not until Ghana's first appearance at the FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006 that the four-times winners of the African Cup of Nations regained some of their lost glory. It signaled not only Ghana's long-awaited arrival at football biggest global gathering but also a fulfillment of a prediction in 1990 by Cameroon legend Roger Milla that the world had not seen the best of African football until the Black Stars made it to the World Cup. As continental champions in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982 and with Ghanaian legends including three-times African footballer of the year Abedi Pele and former Eintracht Frankfurt and Leeds United star Anthony Yeboah both rated in their time among the world's best players, Milla knew Ghana had the qualities to match some of the world's best. Youth success at the FIFA under-17 championship in 1991 and 1995, two appearances in the final of the under-20 championship in 1993 and 2001 and an Olympic bronze medal in Barcelona in 1992 emphasized Ghana's abundance of talent and unfulfilled promise at the highest level. At Germany 2006, Ghana became the only African survivor after the preliminary round, surprising the bookmakers with victories over the Czech Republic and the U.S. before losing 3-0 to Brazil in a match that was closer than the scoreline suggested. Ghana's squad for next year's World Cup in South Africa will likely include the cream of the team that impressed in Germany, including Essien and Muntari, as well as some of the brilliant youngsters who sparkled this month World Youth Championship in Egypt; notably Golden Ball and Golden Shoe winner Dominic Adiyiah, Ransford Osei and Andre Ayew, the son of Abedi Pele. Following the side's masterful display in Egypt and relatively easy World Cup qualifying campaign, the Black Stars will carry both Ghanaian and African expectations on their shoulders as they bid to improve on the quarterfinal places achieved by Cameroon and Senegal in 1990 and 2002 respectively. With a population of around 140 million and a reputation for producing stars such as Austin Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Chelsea's John Obi Mikel, the outstanding qualities of Nigerian football are beyond question. But African football observers believe poor administration by the Nigerian Football Federation and the resultant instability in the technical direction of the team has undermined the development of Nigerian football and resulted in its dwindling fortunes at the world stage. Nigeria emerged as West Africa's leading side in 1980 by wining the African Cup of Nations, a feat they repeated 14 years later in Tunisia. The Super Eagles made their World Cup debut in the U.S. in 1994 and
|
[
"What is the result part of?",
"What nation became the first African nation to win U20 Word Cup ?",
"Ghana becomes first African nation to what?",
"What stars does Ghana have on their team?",
"when this event happened",
"how many people have nigeria"
] |
[
[
"the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt"
],
[
"Ghana's"
],
[
"qualify for South Africa 2010 World Cup."
],
[
"Michael Essien"
],
[
"Friday"
],
[
"around 140 million"
]
] |
Ghana becomes first African nation to win football's Under-20 World Cup .
Result part of shift in balance of power in West Africa from Nigeria to Ghana .
Ghana has stars including Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Dominic Adiyiah .
Nigeria has star players but national team struggles with poor infrastructure .
|
ACCRA, Ghana (CNN) -- President Bush sought Wednesday to dispel rumors that the U.S. plans to bring "all kinds of military to Africa," saying that is "simply not true." President Bush shakes hands with Ghanian President John Kufuor in Accra, Ghana, on Wednesday. He said the United States has no plans to add new bases in Africa but may open an office somewhere on the continent as part of its plans for Africom, a new U.S. military command that will focus on Africa. The president did not elaborate on the size of such an office but took pains to say it would not be a military base in the traditional sense. "The purpose of this is not to add military bases," Bush said. "I know there's rumors in Ghana -- 'all Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here.' That's baloney. Or as we say in Texas, that's bull." Watch what gifts Bush brought to Ghana » The president of Ghana, John Kufuor, said he welcomed Bush's comments. "I am happy for the president's dispelling any notion that the United States of America is intending to build military bases on the continent of Africa," he said. The U.S. military divides the world into regions and has a "command" for each region. The U.S. Central Command, for example, focuses on U.S. military concerns and activities in much of the Middle East and South Asia, while the U.S. Southern Command focuses on Latin America. The new command established last year, Africom, will be based in Stuttgart, Germany "for the foreseeable future," the U.S. military says. "Now, that doesn't mean we won't develop some kind of office somewhere in Africa. We haven't made our minds up," Bush said Wednesday. "I want to dispel the notion that all of a sudden America is, you know, bringing all kinds of military to Africa. It's just simply not true." About 1,800 U.S. troops are stationed in Djibouti, a country in the Horn of Africa, as part of the U.S. fight against Islamic extremists. Bush said Africom will "provide military assistance to African nations so African nations are more capable of dealing with Africa's conflicts, like peacekeeping training." "The whole purpose of Africom is to help leaders deal with Africa's problems," he said in a joint news conference with Kufuor. E-mail to a friend CNN's Ed Henry and Tim McCaughan contributed to this report.
|
[
"What does Bush say?",
"What is Africom?",
"Who welcomes Bush?"
] |
[
[
"\"simply not true.\""
],
[
"a new U.S. military command that will focus on Africa."
],
[
"The president of Ghana, John Kufuor,"
]
] |
Bush says U.S. has no plans for military bases in Africa .
Office in Africa is possible as part of new Africom command in U.S. military, he says .
Africom, established last year, focuses on Africa but is based in Germany .
Ghanaian president welcomes Bush comments on base rumors .
|
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (CNN) -- African leaders have chosen Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi as chairman of the African Union, according to Ethiopian and Libyan official news agencies. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi will chair the African Union for one year. At a closed session on Monday, the 53-member Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government elected Gadhafi to replace the Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete, who held the position for the last year. Chairmanship of the AU went to the northern African nation because the post is a rotating position held by heads of state for one year. According to Libya's official news agency, Gadhafi will attempt in his new role "to take a decision on establishing an executive instrument for the AU, to push Africa forward to become African united states, such as the United States of Africa." U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood answered only in general terms about how the United States would deal with its former adversary as the AU president. "In terms of our working with the AU, we're going to continue, because we have a lot of interests and joint interest in terms of trying to bring peace and stability and economic development and delivery of humanitarian assistance to the continent where it's needed," Wood said. "And so the AU is an important partner for us. It will continue to be. And we'll just have to see how it goes." The United States named Libya a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 and severed diplomatic relations in 1981 after years of strained relations following a 1969 coup that left Gadhafi as head of the government. But the two countries moved closer after Libya agreed to pay restitution to families of victims of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, and announced its decision to abandon a weapons of mass destruction program. The United States removed Libya from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and restored full diplomatic relations in 2006.
|
[
"Who did Gadhafi replace?",
"who replaced the leader?",
"What is a rotating position?",
"What was his position?",
"Who is an important partner?",
"Who is the partner?"
] |
[
[
"Jakaya Kikwete,"
],
[
"Moammar Gadhafi"
],
[
"Chairmanship of the AU"
],
[
"of the African Union,"
],
[
"the AU"
],
[
"AU"
]
] |
Gadhafi replaces the leader of Tanzania, who held the post for the last year .
The chairmanship is an annual rotating position .
Gadhafi will try in his new role to push Africa "to become African united states"
U.S. says the African Union is an "important partner"
|
ADELAIDE, Australia -- World record-breaking wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has announced he will retire from cricket at the end of the Australian summer. Adam Gilchrist takes a spectacular catch off Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the third Test against India. The 36-year-old chose Australia Day to make his decision public, coming at the end of the third day of the fourth and final Test against India in Adelaide. Gilchrist said he would retire from Tests at the end of the current match, and then hang up his gloves in one-day internationals after the upcoming tri-series with Sri Lanka and India. "It is with great pride and happiness that I make the decision to retire from Tests and one-day internationals," he said in a statement on Saturday. "I've come to the decision after much thought and discussion with those most important to me. "My family and I have been fortunate to have had an amazing journey full of rich experiences throughout my career and are sincerely grateful to all who have helped make this stage of our lives so fulfilling. "I am now ready and excited to move into the next phase of my life which will, of paramount importance, include much more time with my family." Gilchrist broke the world record for the most wicketkeeping dismissals in Tests with 414 on Friday, overtaking South Africa's Mark Boucher in his 96th outing in the five-day game. Boucher, by comparison, played in 109 Tests. Gilchrist took over the gloves from Ian Healy -- third on the list with 395 dismissals from 119 Tests -- in November 1999, and went on to establish himself both as a wicketkeeper and as a batsman of brutal hitting capabilities. He has scored 5,556 runs to date, at an average of 47.89, with a highest score of 204 not out and having made 17 centuries. He has been similarly prolific in 277 one-dayers, scoring 9,297 runs at an average of 36 and reaching three figures 15 times. Gilchrist's revelation came as Australia put themselves in a strong position to win the series against the touring Indians, reaching 322-3 at stumps. Captain Ricky Ponting, whose team lead 2-1, was unbeaten on 79 after adding an unbroken 81 for the fourth wicket with Michael Clarke (37). Resuming the day on 62-0 in reply to India's imposing first innings of 526, Matthew Hayden and Phil Jaques took their opening stand to 159. Jaques was the first to fall, bowled by India captain Anil Kumble for a patient 60 off 159 deliveries. Hayden, on his return after missing the defeat in Perth due to a hamstring injury, reached his 30th Test century before being bowled by 19-year-old seamer Ishant Sharma for 103 off 200 balls. Ponting, who came in at first drop, added another 55 with Mike Hussey before the left-hander was also castled by fast bowler Irfan Pathan for 22 to leave the home side teetering a little at 241-3. But Ponting, who has struggled for form so far in the series, ground out his 40th half-century in Tests and Clarke provided able support to take Australia through to the close of play with no further loss of wickets. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"The wicketkeeper set new world record of 414 Test dismissals on Friday",
"Who set the new world record?",
"When will Gilchrist retire?",
"who is adam gilchrist?",
"Who was the Gilchrist's final game against?",
"Who is expected to retire?",
"Who is retiring from cricket?"
] |
[
[
"Gilchrist"
],
[
"Adam Gilchrist"
],
[
"end of the Australian summer."
],
[
"World record-breaking wicketkeeper"
],
[
"India."
],
[
"Adam Gilchrist"
],
[
"Adam Gilchrist"
]
] |
NEW: Adam Gilchrist to retire from cricket at end of this Australian summer .
The wicketkeeper set new world record of 414 Test dismissals on Friday .
He has played 96 Tests for Australia and 277 one-day internationals .
Australia reached 322-3 on third day of final Test against India, Gilchrist's last .
|
ALBANY, Georgia (CNN) -- Pamela Green-Jackson didn't learn until after her brother's funeral that doctors had warned him his weight could cost him his life. Pamela Green-Jackson encourages a student in the Youth Becoming Healthy program. Bernard Green weighed 427 pounds when he died in 2004. He was 43 years old. "He didn't have to die," said Green-Jackson. "I promised myself that I would do whatever I could to make sure another child didn't suffer like he did." Turning her pain into action, Green-Jackson quit her job and procured $30,000 in grants to build a fitness center in a local middle school. Today, Youth Becoming Healthy (YBH) has facilities in six middle schools and one elementary school in Albany and provides free fitness and nutrition education to about 350 students a year. Youths work one-on-one after school with personal trainers and nutritionists who help them get on the right track. To keep young people engaged and fit, YBH offers classes such as martial arts, hip-hop dance and a walking club. Green-Jackson says her group allows the children to set their own goals. "If we instill these habits in them early, they will grow up to become healthier adults," said Green-Jackson, 43. "That's what this is really all about -- saving the lives of children." Do you know a hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes. Since 2004, YBH has helped about 4,000 youth lose thousands of pounds. Green-Jackson also successfully campaigned to have schools provide healthier options in their cafeterias and vending machines. Jasmine Warren has reaped the benefits of Green-Jackson's efforts. Warren said that by age 11, she had high blood pressure, a heart murmur and problems with her cholesterol. "I felt bad about myself. People used to talk about me. ... 'Oh, she got too much weight.' " Warren, now 15, has lost 37 pounds. She credits her brighter future to the program. "Pamela saved me from going to an early grave," said Warren. Watch how Warren's life changed through Green-Jackson's program » YBH targets children from low-income families. "One in three children in this community is affected by childhood obesity because of poverty, lack of education and access to resources," said Green-Jackson, adding that dangerous neighborhoods are also a major obstacle. "Kids don't go out and play as much anymore because of the gangs and the crime. It is unsafe." Georgia has the third-highest rate of obese and overweight youths in the nation, with 37.3 percent of its children falling into those categories, according to a recent report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (Mississippi and Arkansas rank one and two, respectively.) This summer, the group is offering camp for students with high-risk health issues, such as heart problems, kidney disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. "A number of kids have [these issues]. That is unheard of," said Green-Jackson. "These children are [given] prognoses that they won't live to 21 years old. That is something we are trying to correct through this program." At nearly 400 pounds, every day is a struggle for 13-year-old Malik Thomas. "It's not easy carrying around all of this weight. I wanted to get healthy and fit," said Thomas, one of 25 children enrolled in YBH's summer program. Green-Jackson's program is giving Thomas hope for a healthier future. He's beginning to lose weight, and his endurance has improved. "Miss Pamela is my hero, because she's helping me do things that I never thought I can do," he said. "It feels great." Watch Green-Jackson's program in action » Green-Jackson believes the program will help Thomas by introducing him to other
|
[
"How many children has the organization helped since 2004?",
"For whom did Pamela Green-Jackson begin her crusade for youth fitness?",
"What is the organization's name?",
"Who has Become Healthy?",
"who began crusade for youth fitness",
"Who has helped about 4,000 children ?",
"what is the name of the organization",
"how many children have been helped since 2004"
] |
[
[
"about 4,000"
],
[
"brother's"
],
[
"Youth Becoming Healthy (YBH)"
],
[
"Jasmine Warren"
],
[
"Pamela Green-Jackson"
],
[
"YBH"
],
[
"Youth Becoming Healthy"
],
[
"about 4,000 youth lose thousands of pounds."
]
] |
Pamela Green-Jackson began crusade for youth fitness after her obese brother died .
Youth Becoming Healthy teaches middle schoolers about exercise and nutrition .
The organization has helped about 4,000 children since 2004 .
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes .
|
ALGIERS, Algeria (CNN) -- Rescuers are sifting through the rubble of the United Nations headquarters in Algiers hoping to find survivors after a powerful bomb ripped off the building's facade and leveled nearby U.N. offices.
Rescuers and bomb experts search for survivors in the rubble of a destroyed building.
It was one of two suspected car bombs that struck Algiers within 10 minutes of each other.
The death toll is unclear: the official government count is at least 26, but hospital sources in Algiers told CNN affiliate BFM-TV that 76 people were killed in the two blasts. A statement from the United Nations said 45 people were reported killed.
Algerian Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni blamed a militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda for the attacks, which also targeted a building housing Algeria's Constitutional Council and Supreme Court.
In a posting on an Islamist Web site, the group al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility.
CNN could not immediately corroborate that claim, but the Web site is known to carry messages, claims and videos from al Qaeda and other militant groups.
In the posting, the bombers were identified as Sheikh Ibrahim Abu Othman and Abdel Rahman Abu Abdel Nasser al-Asimi. It said two trucks were filled with "no less than 800 kg (1,763 pounds) of explosives."
The group called the operation "another successful conquest and a second epic that the knights of faith have dictated with their blood, defending the wounded Islamic nation and in defiance to the Crusaders and their agents, the slaves of America and the sons of France."
At least 10 U.N. staffers were among those killed, according to U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe.
The offices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees -- located across the street from the U.N. headquarters -- were leveled by a blast that struck about 9:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. ET) Tuesday.
"Our offices are basically destroyed now, nothing works," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said from its Geneva headquarters. Watch his full interview
He said rescuers are working into the night trying to get to the trapped U.N. workers. "It's a very serious situation still with the U.N. in Algiers," he said.
In a strongly worded statement, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned what he called "an abjectly cowardly strike against civilian officials serving humanity's highest ideals under the U.N. banner."
"The perpetrators of these crimes will not escape the strongest possible condemnation -- and ultimate punishment -- by Algerian authorities and the international community," Ban said in the written statement.
He said he has sent senior advisers and other top U.N. officials to head to Algiers to assist in the investigation and rescue effort.
Most of those killed in the coordinated attacks were victims of the first suspected car bombing near the Constitutional Council -- which oversees elections -- and Supreme Court in the Algiers neighborhood of Ben Aknoun, according to the state-run Algeria Press Agency.
That blast struck a bus outside the targeted building, killing many of those on board, the news agency reported.
One man said he heard the first blast then the second exploded in front of him. "I saw the trees falling and the glass shattering in front of me. I had to run away from the car," he said.
Zerhouni said the attack was the work of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), the same group that took responsibility for an attack in April in downtown Algiers that killed 33 people.
That group also uses the name al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb after merging with al Qaeda earlier this year. It abandoned small-scale attacks in favor of headline-grabbing blasts after it joined with al Qaeda.
CNN International Security Correspondent Paula Newton said the merger combined the expertise of Algerian guerrillas with the operational ability of al Qaeda in North Africa, enabling the group to penetrate the usually extensive security in high-profile areas of Algiers.
She said the group's goal is to destabilize countries like Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, which it sees as enemies of the Islamic state.
Zerhouni said police interrogations of GSPC members arrested in the
|
[
"What group is blamed for the bombing?",
"Who did Algeria blame?",
"What number of bombs exploded?",
"What is the official death toll?",
"What number of staff was killed?",
"In what capital did two bombs explode?",
"What was the death toll following the explosions?",
"Where did the two bombs explode?",
"Who does Algeria blame?",
"Where did two bombs explode?",
"Who did Algeria blame for the explosions?",
"Who bombed these buildings?",
"who is blamed by algeria for the bombings?"
] |
[
[
"with ties to al Qaeda"
],
[
"a militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"at least 26,"
],
[
"unclear:"
],
[
"Algiers"
],
[
"unclear:"
],
[
"United Nations headquarters"
],
[
"militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda"
],
[
"Algiers"
],
[
"a militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda"
],
[
"a militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda"
],
[
"militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda"
]
] |
Two bombs explode in Algerian capital near government and U.N. buildings .
Algeria blames group linked to al Qaeda .
Official death toll is 26, but some sources say as high as 76 .
U.N. officials say five of its staff killed and 14 missing .
|
ALGIERS, Algeria (CNN) -- Rescuers are sifting through the rubble of the United Nations headquarters in Algiers hoping to find survivors after a powerful bomb ripped off the building's facade and leveled nearby U.N. offices. Rescuers and bomb experts search for survivors in the rubble of a destroyed building. It was one of two suspected car bombs that struck Algiers within 10 minutes of each other. The death toll is unclear: the official government count is at least 26, but hospital sources in Algiers told CNN affiliate BFM-TV that 76 people were killed in the two blasts. A statement from the United Nations said 45 people were reported killed. Algerian Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni blamed a militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda for the attacks, which also targeted a building housing Algeria's Constitutional Council and Supreme Court. In a posting on an Islamist Web site, the group al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility. CNN could not immediately corroborate that claim, but the Web site is known to carry messages, claims and videos from al Qaeda and other militant groups. In the posting, the bombers were identified as Sheikh Ibrahim Abu Othman and Abdel Rahman Abu Abdel Nasser al-Asimi. It said two trucks were filled with "no less than 800 kg (1,763 pounds) of explosives." The group called the operation "another successful conquest and a second epic that the knights of faith have dictated with their blood, defending the wounded Islamic nation and in defiance to the Crusaders and their agents, the slaves of America and the sons of France." At least 10 U.N. staffers were among those killed, according to U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe. The offices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees -- located across the street from the U.N. headquarters -- were leveled by a blast that struck about 9:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. ET) Tuesday. "Our offices are basically destroyed now, nothing works," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said from its Geneva headquarters. Watch his full interview He said rescuers are working into the night trying to get to the trapped U.N. workers. "It's a very serious situation still with the U.N. in Algiers," he said. In a strongly worded statement, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned what he called "an abjectly cowardly strike against civilian officials serving humanity's highest ideals under the U.N. banner." "The perpetrators of these crimes will not escape the strongest possible condemnation -- and ultimate punishment -- by Algerian authorities and the international community," Ban said in the written statement. He said he has sent senior advisers and other top U.N. officials to head to Algiers to assist in the investigation and rescue effort. Most of those killed in the coordinated attacks were victims of the first suspected car bombing near the Constitutional Council -- which oversees elections -- and Supreme Court in the Algiers neighborhood of Ben Aknoun, according to the state-run Algeria Press Agency. That blast struck a bus outside the targeted building, killing many of those on board, the news agency reported. One man said he heard the first blast then the second exploded in front of him. "I saw the trees falling and the glass shattering in front of me. I had to run away from the car," he said. Zerhouni said the attack was the work of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), the same group that took responsibility for an attack in April in downtown Algiers that killed 33 people. That group also uses the name al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb after merging with al Qaeda earlier this year. It abandoned small-scale attacks in favor of headline-grabbing blasts after it joined with al Qaeda. CNN International Security Correspondent Paula Newton said the merger combined the expertise of Algerian guerrillas with the operational ability of al Qaeda in North Africa, enabling the group to penetrate the usually extensive security in high-profile areas of Algiers. She said the group's goal is to destabilize countries like Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, which it sees as enemies of the Islamic state. Zerhouni said police interrogations of GSPC members arrested in the
|
[
"What is the official toll?",
"Who did Algeria blame for the attack?",
"Where did the bomb explode?",
"Where did the two bombs explode?",
"What is the official death toll?",
"What is the group's name?",
"Who did Algeria blame?",
"What part of the U.N. did the staff work for?"
] |
[
[
"at least 26,"
],
[
"a militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda"
],
[
"United Nations headquarters"
],
[
"Algiers"
],
[
"unclear:"
],
[
"al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb"
],
[
"a militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda"
],
[
"The offices of the UN High Commissioner"
]
] |
Two bombs explode in Algerian capital near government and U.N. buildings .
Algeria blames group linked to al Qaeda .
Official death toll is 26, but some sources say as high as 76 .
U.N. officials say five of its staff killed and 14 missing .
|
ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- A federal court Thursday struck down ordinances passed by Hazleton, Pennsylvania, that were intended to limit where illegal immigrants could live and work. Last year, Hazleton passed the Illegal Immigration Relief Act Ordinance, which would have fined landlords who rented to undocumented immigrants and would have penalized companies that employed them. Under another law, tenants would have had to prove they were citizens or lawful residents, register with the city and pay for a rental permit in order to receive an occupancy permit. The ordinances were copied by other cities. The court ruled that Hazleton cannot enact any ordinances dealing with illegal immigration because they conflict with the supremacy clause of the U.S. constitution. "Hazleton, in its zeal to control the presence of a group deemed undesirable, violated the rights of such people, as well as others within the community. Since the United States Constitution protects even the disfavored, the ordinances cannot be enforced," U.S. District Judge James M. Munley wrote in the 206-page opinion. Mayor Lou Barletta, who spearheaded the opposition, said he will appeal the ruling. "This fight is far from over," he told reporters outside the courtroom. "Hazleton is not going to back down. ... We will take it all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to." Watch mayor decry "injustice" » Barletta drafted the act last year after "a high-profile murder, the discharge of a gun at a crowded city playground, and drug busts" allegedly involving illegal immigrants, he wrote on his Web site, www.smalltowndefenders.com. "Illegal aliens in our city create an economic burden that threatens our quality of life," he wrote. "With a growing problem and a limited budget, I could not sit back any longer and allow this to happen. I needed to act!" Hazleton's population was 23,000 in 2000. Since then, it has risen to an estimated 30,000 to 33,000, with many of the newcomers being Mexican immigrants, according to Munley. The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania was among several groups that filed the suit on behalf of Hazleton residents, landlords and business owners. The groups contended that only the federal government has the right to regulate immigration or to deprive residents of the rights to equal protection. In addition, they said, the ordinances violated state and federal housing laws. The ordinances, Munley said, "penalize landlords, tenants, employers and employees without providing them the procedural protections required by federal law, including notice and an opportunity to be heard." "Our analysis applies to illegal aliens as well as to legal residents and citizens. The United States Constitution provides due process protections to all persons," he wrote, emphasizing "all." The city exceeded its police powers by enacting unconstitutional ordinances, wrote Munley, whom President Clinton appointed to the federal bench in 1998. Barletta said he would "continue to fight for the people of this community and other cities around the country." "It's almost amusing to me that the judge would say we can't do what the federal government should be doing, when in fact the federal government is not doing their job," he told CNN's Lou Dobbs. A spokesman for the ACLU of Pennsylvania expressed satisfaction with the ruling. "Hazleton-type laws are designed to make life miserable for millions of immigrants," said Vic Walczak, legal director for the group and a lead attorney in the case. "They promote distrust of all foreigners, including those here legally, and fuel xenophobia and discrimination, especially against Latinos." Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, added, "Political leaders, like Mayor Barletta, must stop scape-goating undocumented immigrants for all the problems we confront in our local communities." E-mail to a friend
|
[
"Who says the fight is not over?",
"What did Mayor Lou Barletta say?",
"What did the judge say about the ordinances?",
"What ordinances did the judge say conflicted with?",
"Which laws did the Federal court throw out?",
"What did the judge say?",
"What did the federal court throw out?",
"Who threw out the law limiting where illegal immigrants can live and work?"
] |
[
[
"Mayor Lou Barletta,"
],
[
"he will appeal the ruling."
],
[
"cannot be enforced,\""
],
[
"the supremacy clause of the U.S. constitution."
],
[
"ordinances passed by Hazleton,"
],
[
"\"Hazleton, in its zeal to control the presence of a group deemed undesirable, violated the rights of such people, as well as others within the community. Since the United States Constitution protects even"
],
[
"ordinances passed by Hazleton,"
],
[
"A federal court"
]
] |
Federal court throws out laws limiting where illegal immigrants can live, work .
Judge says ordinances conflict with supremacy clause of U.S. constitution .
Law would have fined landlords renting to illegal aliens .
Mayor Lou Barletta: "This fight is far from over"
|
ALPHARETTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Ben, who's 15 months old, can already do a lot of things. He can turn on a light or open a door. He can pick up a remote control off the floor. He can pull a heavy object with his teeth.
Colise Johnson, 42, spent two weeks in September at a canine training camp getting acquainted with Ben.
But Ben, a gangly golden retriever, is more than a family pet. He is a specially trained seizure dog who may one day be able to save the life of his new owner, Colise Johnson.
"Having epilepsy and cerebral palsy is kind of like having a nonstop roller coaster ride," said Johnson, 42, of Portland, Oregon. "You never know what's going to happen, but with him, he slows the ride down so it's manageable."
Johnson, who uses a wheelchair and must wear a helmet because of persistent seizures, is among 3 million Americans who live with some form of epilepsy, a brain disorder that causes recurring seizures, violent muscle spasms or, sometimes, a loss of consciousness.
There are no estimates of how many patients are paired up with assistance dogs, and the benefits of having such an animal have not been studied to any great extent. But Dr. Gregory Barkley, a neurologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and an adviser for the Epilepsy Foundation of America, believes nearly a quarter of the people who suffer from frequent, severe seizures might be helped by a canine companion. He said the dogs have "an unqualified devotion to their master" that may offer important mental health benefits.
The dogs are sometimes credited with powers they really don't possess, Barkley said. "The dog does not predict a seizure," he said. "It may respond to the earlier stages of a seizure."
Johnson owned a seizure dog for 12 years before he died in 2007, ironically, having his own seizure. Watch more on Ben and his new owner »
She recalled that the dog, named McKeever, "told me ahead of time when I was going to have a seizure. ... He helped me get off the floor if I fell, helped me retrieve items, helped me get clothes out of the drawer for a bath, open the fridge on command and took out the recycling."
She said she'd felt lost without McKeever since his death, but that recently changed.
Johnson spent two weeks in September at a training camp at Canine Assistants in Alpharetta, Georgia, getting acquainted with Ben. This year, Johnson was one of 1,100 people on the agency's waiting list.
Jennifer Arnold founded the nonprofit service in 1991 and has placed more than 1,000 dogs with adults and children with physical disabilities or other special needs.
"We work primarily with people who have mobility issues and have conditions like muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and brain injuries," Arnold said.
In the past few years, Arnold also helped train 100 seizure dogs to assist people with epilepsy.
"We train them to do basically 90 different commands," Arnold said. "They learn to do things like go for help and press buttons to alert 9-1-1."
Over time, nearly all the dogs eventually develop the ability to identify the onset of a seizure, she said.
"We have no understanding of what it is that alerts the dogs that a seizure is oncoming," she said. "Is it a smell that the body produces? We don't know to what stimuli the dog is responding."
By spending time with epilepsy patients, Arnold's dogs are taught what a seizure looks like and not to be frightened.
Some dogs are able to anticipate a seizure 20 to 40 minutes before it happens.
"If the dog feels that their person is going to have a seizure, they tend to get very restless and distressed. ... They show signs of stress and agitation," Arnold said. "Provided their human can read what that means, you
|
[
"how many Americans live with epilepsy?",
"What do three million Americans live with?",
"How many dogs have been trained?",
"What animal is trained at Caline Camp in Georgia?",
"What happens to trained dogs?",
"What number of Americans live with epilepsy?",
"what causes recurring seizures?"
] |
[
[
"3 million"
],
[
"some form of epilepsy,"
],
[
"1,000"
],
[
"dog"
],
[
"develop the ability to identify the onset of a seizure,"
],
[
"3 million"
],
[
"epilepsy, a brain disorder"
]
] |
Three million Americans live with epilepsy, which causes recurring seizures .
Canine camp in Georgia has trained 1,000 dogs since 1991 to help the disabled .
Cost of training, maintaining dog is $20,000; dogs are free to qualified patients .
|
ALPHARETTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Ben, who's 15 months old, can already do a lot of things. He can turn on a light or open a door. He can pick up a remote control off the floor. He can pull a heavy object with his teeth. Colise Johnson, 42, spent two weeks in September at a canine training camp getting acquainted with Ben. But Ben, a gangly golden retriever, is more than a family pet. He is a specially trained seizure dog who may one day be able to save the life of his new owner, Colise Johnson. "Having epilepsy and cerebral palsy is kind of like having a nonstop roller coaster ride," said Johnson, 42, of Portland, Oregon. "You never know what's going to happen, but with him, he slows the ride down so it's manageable." Johnson, who uses a wheelchair and must wear a helmet because of persistent seizures, is among 3 million Americans who live with some form of epilepsy, a brain disorder that causes recurring seizures, violent muscle spasms or, sometimes, a loss of consciousness. There are no estimates of how many patients are paired up with assistance dogs, and the benefits of having such an animal have not been studied to any great extent. But Dr. Gregory Barkley, a neurologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and an adviser for the Epilepsy Foundation of America, believes nearly a quarter of the people who suffer from frequent, severe seizures might be helped by a canine companion. He said the dogs have "an unqualified devotion to their master" that may offer important mental health benefits. The dogs are sometimes credited with powers they really don't possess, Barkley said. "The dog does not predict a seizure," he said. "It may respond to the earlier stages of a seizure." Johnson owned a seizure dog for 12 years before he died in 2007, ironically, having his own seizure. Watch more on Ben and his new owner » She recalled that the dog, named McKeever, "told me ahead of time when I was going to have a seizure. ... He helped me get off the floor if I fell, helped me retrieve items, helped me get clothes out of the drawer for a bath, open the fridge on command and took out the recycling." She said she'd felt lost without McKeever since his death, but that recently changed. Johnson spent two weeks in September at a training camp at Canine Assistants in Alpharetta, Georgia, getting acquainted with Ben. This year, Johnson was one of 1,100 people on the agency's waiting list. Jennifer Arnold founded the nonprofit service in 1991 and has placed more than 1,000 dogs with adults and children with physical disabilities or other special needs. "We work primarily with people who have mobility issues and have conditions like muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and brain injuries," Arnold said. In the past few years, Arnold also helped train 100 seizure dogs to assist people with epilepsy. "We train them to do basically 90 different commands," Arnold said. "They learn to do things like go for help and press buttons to alert 9-1-1." Over time, nearly all the dogs eventually develop the ability to identify the onset of a seizure, she said. "We have no understanding of what it is that alerts the dogs that a seizure is oncoming," she said. "Is it a smell that the body produces? We don't know to what stimuli the dog is responding." By spending time with epilepsy patients, Arnold's dogs are taught what a seizure looks like and not to be frightened. Some dogs are able to anticipate a seizure 20 to 40 minutes before it happens. "If the dog feels that their person is going to have a seizure, they tend to get very restless and distressed. ... They show signs of stress and agitation," Arnold said. "Provided their human can read what that means, you
|
[
"When did the canine camp in Georgia start training dogs?",
"What does epilepsy cause?",
"What number of Americans have epilepsy?",
"What number of Americans live with epilepsy?",
"What causes epilepsy?",
"The Canine camp has trained how many dogs since 1991?"
] |
[
[
"1991"
],
[
"recurring seizures, violent muscle spasms or, sometimes, a loss of consciousness."
],
[
"3 million"
],
[
"3 million"
],
[
"a brain disorder"
],
[
"1,000"
]
] |
Three million Americans live with epilepsy, which causes recurring seizures .
Canine camp in Georgia has trained 1,000 dogs since 1991 to help the disabled .
Cost of training, maintaining dog is $20,000; dogs are free to qualified patients .
|
ALSIP, Illinois (CNN) -- A Cook County cemetery where hundreds of graves were dug up and allegedly resold has been declared a crime scene, meaning that relatives of people believed buried there will not be allowed to visit for several days, an official said Friday. Family members and police gather outside the Burr Oak Cemetery office in Alsip, Illinois, on Wednesday. "It would be the height of irresponsibility for me to invite people in, to raise expectations and then crash them," Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart told reporters in a news conference held at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. He pleaded for patience, saying he hoped to reopen the 150-acre cemetery to the public in five to seven days. Dart said the scope of the investigation has broadened to include "Babyland," a section of the cemetery intended for children. "A lot of women came up to me and asked for help with Babyland," he said. "To a person, every one I talked to could not find any of their children in Babyland." Watch sheriff discuss gruesome revelation » A large number of grave sites "are completely missing," he said, adding that he had received more than 5,000 telephone inquiries and 1,700 e-mails about the matter since the investigation began. As many as half of the complaints were about missing headstones, 25 to 30 percent were about loved ones who had been relocated, he said. He cited the experience of one family looking for 10 relatives buried there. "They couldn't find anybody," he said. In addition, in some cases there are no records of burials having taken place, despite relatives' insistence that they did, he said. In other cases, records have been altered, destroyed or found in people's houses, he said. "Our office has to investigate over 5,000 grave sites due to the vast amounts of inquiries from grieving family members," he said. Dart said he himself walked through the cemetery on Friday and what he saw was disturbing. "I found bones out there," he said. "I found individuals wandering aimlessly looking for their loved ones who can't find them." Some people told him that an entire area that used to have gravestones facing in one direction now has them facing in another direction, he said. "This is getting bigger," he said. "We don't have an end in sight ... more people have not found relatives than have found them." More than 2,000 families have descended on the cemetery since authorities uncovered what they say was a scheme to resell the plots, excavate the graves, dump the remains and pocket the cash. Four people face felony charges for their alleged involvement. He had said earlier this week that the number of disturbed graves was around 300, but said Friday that number was sure to rise. One family arrived on Thursday to bury a woman in a plot they had purchased and found the plot was already occupied, he said. Authorities also discovered Emmett Till's original casket in a dilapidated garage on the cemetery grounds. The casket had been replaced by a new one after Till's body was exhumed in 2005. "There was wildlife living inside of it," Dart said of the old casket, found in the corner of a garage filled with lawn care equipment and other "piles of things." Till was killed in August 1955 in Mississippi after the 14-year-old reportedly whistled at a white woman. His body was exhumed 50 years later as part of a renewed investigation into his death. The Chicago Tribune reported that he was reburied in a different casket. Thousands of people had viewed Till's body in the original casket in Chicago shortly after he was killed, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said at the news conference. "His mother had the gut and grit to say that 'I want America to see what they did to my baby's body,'" Jackson said about Till, whose body was mutilated. "More than 100,000 saw his body lying at the
|
[
"How many people face felony charges?",
"Who said there was a scheme to resell plots, excavate the graves, and dump remains?",
"Where was Emmett Till's casket found?",
"How many people are facing charges?",
"Whose original casket was found?",
"What did the scheme involve?"
] |
[
[
"Four"
],
[
"Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart"
],
[
"in a dilapidated garage on the cemetery grounds. The"
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"Emmett Till's"
],
[
"to resell the plots, excavate the graves, dump the remains and pocket the cash."
]
] |
Officials say there was scheme to resell plots, excavate the graves, dump remains .
Four people face felony charges for their alleged involvement .
Emmett Till's original casket found in dilapidated garage on cemetery grounds .
Cemetery closed temporarily so officials can investigate .
|
ALSIP, Illinois (CNN) -- Four people face felony charges after authorities discovered that hundreds of graves were dug up and allegedly resold at a historic African-American cemetery near Chicago, Illinois, authorities said Thursday. Dozens of graves at Burr Oak Cemetery were desecrated by workers as part of a financial scheme, authorities say. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said the four would resell the plots in Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, excavate the graves, dump the remains and pocket the cash. "This was not done in a very, very delicate way, folks," he told reporters at a news conference Thursday. "They would excavate a grave and would proceed to dump the remains wherever they found a place to do it in the back of the cemetery. This was not moving graves; this was not replacing graves; this was dumping of them." In some cases, graves were stacked on top of each other, they "literally pounded the other one down," Dart said. In all about 300 graves may have been dug up in the cemetery, he said. Authorities identified those charged as Carolyn Towns, an office manager for the cemetery; and Keith Nicks, Terrance Nicks and Maurice Daley, all gravediggers. Each has been charged with dismembering a human body, a felony charge for which sentences range from 6 to 30 years, Anita Alvarez, Cook County state's attorney, said at the news conference. Steven Watkins, an attorney for Towns, said his client is innocent. "Somebody is apparently making false accusations against my client," he said. "She's maintaining her innocence." The Cook County state attorney's office said the other three charged were being represented by the public defender's office, and a message left at that office was not immediately returned. Bail was set at $250,000 for Towns and $200,000 for the other three, Alvarez said. None had posted bail by late afternoon Thursday, the sheriff's department said. Watch officials announce the charges » It was not immediately known if the four had legal counsel. Authorities began investigating the cemetery -- where, among others, lynching victim Emmett Till, blues legend Dinah Washington and some Negro League baseball players are buried -- about six weeks ago after receiving a call from its owners who had concerns about possible "financial irregularities" regarding the business, Dart told CNN earlier this week. "This crime, it's a whole new dimension," Alvarez said. Authorities also suspect that Towns pretended to set up a memorial fund for Till and pocketed the funds, Dart said. Watch sheriff discuss gruesome revelation » He told CNN that groundskeepers, who have not been implicated in the scheme, have said that the grave of Till -- whose 1955 lynching at age 14 helped spark the civil rights movement -- has not been disturbed. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was also at the news conference, noted the high-profile names of some of those buried in the cemetery, but said, "everybody here is special, and every family has special needs and special hurt, special grief." Most of the excavations occurred in back lots, where the plots were older and not frequently visited, Dart said earlier this week. However, other plots may have been disturbed, as well. The cemetery's current owners, who could not be reached by CNN for comment, have operated it for more than five years but are not believed to be involved in the alleged scam, Dart said. He said the workers may have doctored records to cover their tracks and noted that the cemetery holds all the records of who is buried and where. "There's virtually no regulations whatsoever (for cemeteries)," Dart said. "Most all of the documents and everything are housed here." Investigators are trying to determine the scope of the alleged scheme and plan to use thermal-imaging devices to further examine other graves to see if they have been tampered with, Dart said. The FBI, forensic scientists and local funeral directors have been called in to help in
|
[
"Who was charged",
"What did Jackson say",
"how many graves may have been dug up?",
"What number of people charged?",
"Who is buried there"
] |
[
[
"Keith Nicks, Terrance Nicks and Maurice Daley,"
],
[
"\"everybody here is special, and every family has special needs and special hurt, special grief.\""
],
[
"about 300"
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"lynching victim Emmett Till, blues legend Dinah Washington"
]
] |
NEW: Cemetery office manager, three gravediggers charged .
NEW: Rev. Jesse Jackson says there should be "special place in hell" for suspects .
NEW: About 300 graves may have been dug up, sheriff says .
Emmett Till, other prominent African-Americans buried at cemetery .
|
ALTADENA, California (CNN) -- When she was laid off in February, Patricia Guerrero was making $70,000 a year. Weeks later, with bills piling up and in need of food for her family, this middle-class mother did something she never thought she would do: She went to a food bank. Patricia Guerrero was laid off in February. Desperate to make ends meet, she recently went to a food bank. It was Good Friday, and a woman helping her offered to pay her utility bill. "It brought tears to my eyes, and I sat there and I cried. I was like, 'This is really where I'm at?' " she told CNN. "I go 'no way;' [but] this is true. This is reality. This is the stuff you see on TV. It was hard. It was very hard." Guerrero is estranged from her husband and raising her two young children. She's already burned through her savings to help make ends meet, and is drawing unemployment checks. She has had to take extreme measures to pay for her interest-only mortgage of $2,500 a month. In fact, her mother moved in with her to help pay the bills. Guerrero even applied for food stamps, but was denied. Watch Guerrero describe going to food bank » "I never used the system. I've been working since I was 15-and-a-half. I needed it now and it turned me down," she said. Stories like Guerrero's are becoming more common as middle-class Americans feel the pinch of an economic downturn, rising gas prices and a housing crunch, especially in a state like California that has been rocked by foreclosures. On Wednesday, a key government report on the battered housing market found new home sales fell to their lowest level in 13 years in February, suggesting the nation's housing market is still struggling. Americans also have been attending in large numbers foreclosure fairs where mortgage lenders, financial planners and counselors offer tips to hard-hit homeowners. "Our economy is struggling, and families in the 'Inland Empire' and across the nation are hurting," California Rep. Joe Baca said, referring to an area of Southern California in his district. "Our housing market is in a state of crisis due to rampant abuses of sub-prime lending, and unemployment is rising. At the same time, the cost of necessities such as gas, healthcare, and education continue to rise." Map: Foreclosures state-by-state » Daryl Brock, the executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank in California's San Bernardino and Riverside counties, said his organization supplies food to more than 400 charities in metro Los Angeles, from homeless shelters to soup kitchens to an array of food banks. While the majority of people they help are working poor families, he said they have seen some major changes. In the last 12 to 18 months, Brock said, the agencies he supplies have begun seeing more middle-class families coming to their doors. "Our agencies have said there is an increasing number of people coming to them for help," Brock told CNN by phone. "Their impression was that these were not people they normally would have seen before. They seemed to be better dressed. They seemed to have better cars and yet they seemed to be in crisis mode." He added, "The only thing they can do is give us anecdotal evidence that they think it's because of the sub-prime mortgage meltdown and the housing crisis." See recent trends of foreclosure filings » A former loan processor, Guerrero knows all about that, although so far she has been able keep her house. She used her tax refund to help pay many of her bills for the first two months, but now that money's gone. She says she's now in a middle-class "no-man's-land." "It just happened so fast. It happened in a matter of -- what --
|
[
"what was guerrero's salary before?",
"Where did Patricia Guerrero go for the first time?",
"what happened to her",
"what is rising at food banks?",
"Patricia Guerrero was making how much?",
"what did guerrero do?"
] |
[
[
"$70,000"
],
[
"food bank."
],
[
"she was laid off in February,"
],
[
"middle-class families coming to their doors."
],
[
"$70,000"
],
[
"She went to a food bank."
]
] |
Patricia Guerrero went from making $70,000 to drawing unemployment checks .
Desperate to feed her kids, she recently went to a food bank for the first time .
Expert says charities are reporting a rise in middle-class families at food banks .
Guererro: "It just happened so fast. It happened in a matter of -- what -- two months"
|
AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- In the sunbathed schoolyard of the Shmisani Institute for Girls in Amman, Jordan, principal Sanaa Abu Harb makes an announcement over the speaker system.
Iraqi students at the Shmisani school in Amman gather around a teacher. One in 5 students there is Iraqi.
"All Iraqi girls come outside now. All Iraqi girls. Iraqi girls only!" she repeats several times, making sure the message is clear and waving away Jordanian pupils attracted by the commotion.
Dozens of girls in green apron-like uniforms pour out into the courtyard and cluster on the top level of a stone staircase overlooking a concrete playground.
Harb wants the CNN crew to see how many Iraqi refugee girls her school is accommodating. This school year, she says, 145 students are Iraqi -- roughly 20 percent of the students at this state-funded institution -- with another 40 Iraqi children on a waiting list. Watch Iraqi girls describe a long way from home »
The reason behind the jump in the number of Iraqis at the school is a new government policy: For the first time since the start of the Iraq war, Jordan is allowing all Iraqi children -- regardless of refugee status -- to enroll in state-funded schools.
Simply, this means that even illegal refugees with no paperwork can send their kids to school with no questions asked.
The move is cementing a massive population shift in the Middle East. More than 2.2 million Iraqis have fled the violence in their homeland, most of them seeking refuge in neighboring Jordan and Syria, according to humanitarian officials.
Jordanian Minister of Education Khalid Touqan says he expects Jordan to accommodate 40,000 to 50,000 Iraqi students this year. That's more than double the number of Iraqi children enrolled in public school two years ago.
Harb, on the front line of the phenomenon, says the influx is putting a strain on her school. Even with some U.N. and U.S. aid to Jordan, there's still not enough money.
"We need more teachers here, more resources, more buildings, more chairs for all Iraqi students and our students," she says.
In a nearby neighborhood, in the study room of the Ahmed Toukan School for Boys, a handful of Iraqi kids talk of their experience living far from home. Seated at a rectangular table covered with a red and white tablecloth, the boys tell stories of horror and displacement.
Eighteen-year-old Qutaiba lost five immediate family members before moving to Jordan to try to live a normal life. Matter-of-factly and with a straight-ahead stare, he repeats the number: "Five members."
Most of the boys and young men from Iraq have missed several years of school -- up to a four-year educational gap that will delay not only their high school graduation, but also their entry into the workforce.
All say, though, that they feel lucky to have gotten out, even if the violence in their country means always having to be on the move, ready to live far from home and away from loved ones.
"It's not strange for me to be in the middle of people I don't know," says eleventh grader Ziad Tarek Al Shamsi. "I had friends in Iraq when I was small, I left them. In America, I left them. I came here, I left them."
He pauses: "But you have to miss your country."
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates up to 250,000 school-age Iraqi children are in Jordan.
Many of them are enrolled in private institutions. But as families run out of money they had when they left Iraq, they turn to public schools.
Even so, more than a month into the new academic year, fewer Iraqi families than first anticipated enrolled their kids in schools this year. According to the charity Save the Children, 21,000 Iraqi children have so far enrolled in Jordanian classrooms.
As a result, the government extended the deadline for student applications and cut down on the required paperwork for Iraqi families.
The lower registration
|
[
"will this diversity mean anything?",
"What percentage of of pupils at her school are Iraqi according to one principal",
"What percenage of the pupils are Iraqi?",
"What does Jordan open to Iraqi children?",
"what is the percent of iraqi in the school this year?",
"where will be the kids incorporated into?",
"Who did Jordan open its schools to",
"which is the name of the student who lost his family?",
"What did the principal say",
"Who lost five family members?",
"Where are the schools located?",
"who opens school doors to all Iraqi children?",
"What was the number of family members one student lost",
"What did the education minister say?",
"What number of family members did the student lose?",
"what did he lost?",
"What percentage of the school is Iraqi?",
"What children did Jordan open its school doors to?",
"Where did one student lose five family members?",
"What percent of Iraquis is the principals school currently?",
"Which country opens school doors to all Iraqi children, regardless of refugee status?",
"who have Jordanian schools opened the door to?",
"what said the principal?",
"Which minister says that Iraqi kids will be incorporated into \"mainstream\" life?"
] |
[
[
"even illegal refugees with no paperwork can send their kids to school"
],
[
"roughly 20 percent"
],
[
"20 percent"
],
[
"state-funded schools."
],
[
"roughly 20"
],
[
"in state-funded schools."
],
[
"all Iraqi children"
],
[
"Qutaiba"
],
[
"\"All Iraqi girls come outside now. All Iraqi girls. Iraqi girls only!\""
],
[
"Qutaiba"
],
[
"Amman, Jordan,"
],
[
"Jordan"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"\"All Iraqi girls come outside now. All Iraqi girls. Iraqi girls only!\""
],
[
"\"Five members.\""
],
[
"five immediate family members"
],
[
"roughly 20 percent"
],
[
"all Iraqi children"
],
[
"Iraq"
],
[
"roughly 20"
],
[
"Jordan"
],
[
"Iraqi children"
],
[
"\"All Iraqi girls come outside now. All Iraqi girls. Iraqi girls only!\""
],
[
"Khalid Touqan"
]
] |
Jordan opens school doors to all Iraqi children, regardless of refugee status .
Principal says her school is 20 percent Iraqi this year .
Education minister: Iraqi kids will be incorporated into "mainstream" life .
One student says he lost five family members in Iraq .
|
AMSTERDAM, Holland -- Ajax lost ground on Dutch league leaders PSV Eindhoven after being held to a 2-2 draw at Vitesse Arnhem on Sunday. Ajax's Leonardo, front in blue, duels for the ball with Sebastien Sansoni and Abubakari Yakubu of Vitesse. The Amsterdam side led 2-1 with two goals in four minutes just after half-time from Urby Emanuelson and Luis Suarez following Mads Junker's early opener, but Harrie Gommans rescued a draw. Ajax are now five points adrift of PSV, who beat Excelsior 2-1 on Saturday, with Heerenveen, Feyenoord and Groningen just one point further back. Feyenoord were held 1-1 at home by Groningen on Sunday, with Marcus Berg putting the visitors on course for a 13th win of the season until an own goal by Mark-Jan Fledderus on the stroke of half-time gave the Rotterdam side a point. At the other end of the table, Heracles registered their first away win of the season with a 5-0 thumping of fellow strugglers Venlo. Relegation-threatened Sparta Rotterdam and NEC Nijmegen both picked up vital victories. Sparta won 2-1 at sixth-placed Twente Enschede as goals from Yuri Rose and Charles Dissels on 28 and 51 minutes kept the visitors above of second-bottom Nijmegen on goal difference. NEC won 2-0 at home to ninth-placed Utrecht, the club's first victory since early November, as Jhonny van Beukering and Brett Holman netted in the second half. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"Who defeated Exelsior on Saturday?",
"What was the outcome of the match in Dutch Eredivisie?",
"Who is leading the league?",
"Who is trailing league leader PSV Eindhoven?",
"Who defeated Excelsior on Saturday?",
"What is PSV Eindhoven's leadover Ajax?",
"What place do Ajax hold?",
"Who defeated Excelsior?",
"Who sits at second place in the league?",
"What score did Ajax have against Vitesse Arnhem?"
] |
[
[
"PSV,"
],
[
"2-2"
],
[
"PSV Eindhoven"
],
[
"Ajax"
],
[
"PSV,"
],
[
"are now five points adrift of"
],
[
"2-2"
],
[
"PSV,"
],
[
"Ajax"
],
[
"2-2"
]
] |
Second-placed Ajax held 2-2 at home by Vitesse Arnhem in Dutch Eredivisie .
The Amsterdam side now trail league leaders PSV Eindhoven by five points .
PSV defeated Excelsior 2-0 on Saturday to open up six-point gap at top .
|
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (CNN) -- Investigators are trying to determine what caused the crash of an airplane with a good safety record, flown by a well-respected airline, at one of the world's most modern airports.
One of the casualties is taken from the crash site.
At least nine people were killed and 55 injured when the Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed Wednesday in a field near Amsterdam's main airport, splitting into three parts, officials said.
It is too early to determine the cause of the crash but the flight data and voice recorders have been recovered, said Michel Bezuijen, acting mayor of Haarlemmermeer municipality, which is home to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.
He said investigators still need to determine what, if anything, the pilots said in the moments before the crash.
The injured included both crew and passengers, he said. The names of the dead and injured will not be released before Thursday, Bezuijen said.
"It will take more time. Probably tomorrow afternoon we can tell you about the identity of the victims, including the fatalities," he said.
Another official said earlier that both pilots and an apprentice pilot are among the dead.
"There are still three crew members in the cabin," said Bob Steensma of the Dutch Justice Department. "I'm sorry to say they are dead. We leave them there because we have to investigate the cockpit before we take the cockpit apart."
Turkish Airlines said earlier the plane was carrying 134 people -- 127 passengers and seven crew members.
Six people were critically injured, Ineke Van Der Zande of Amsterdam Emergency Services told reporters at a briefing. Watch aerials from the crash site »
Twenty-five passengers were severely injured, she said, and 24 were lightly injured. Some 60 ambulances transported 84 people to 11 hospitals throughout the region, she said. There was no word on injuries to the others who were transported.
Witnesses said they saw the nose of the plane pitch up suddenly before the crash, according to RTL journalist Greg Crouch.
The plane broken into three pieces. One break was in front of the wing, splitting the "Turkish" logo in two, and a larger break was farther back along the fuselage.
Most of the injured were seated toward the back of the plane, which sustained the most damage, a passenger on the plane told Turkish station NTV.
Many of the passengers simply walked off the plane through the cracks in the fuselage, witnesses said.
A passenger on the plane who spoke to Turkish network DHA said he saw injured people trapped and squeezed between the seats when he walked out. iReport: Send your videos, stories
Flight 1951 was arriving at Schiphol from Istanbul, Turkey, when it went down around 10:40 a.m. (4:40 a.m. ET). It came to rest in a farmer's field about 500 yards short of the runway, near the major A9 highway.
Crouch said the weather at the time was partly sunny with no wind or rain. No fire broke out after the crash, Bezuijen said. Watch how Twitter was first to report the crash »
A bank manager who was a passenger on the plane told NTV that there were no emergency announcements. The crew's last word to the cabin was an announcement to fasten their seat belts and prepare for landing, the bank manager said.
He said he felt the pilot giving more power to the engines before feeling "turbulence," then a sudden drop. He described the crash as similar to a sudden impact that was over in a matter of seconds.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of investigators to Amsterdam to assist in the crash investigation.
The Boeing 737-800 is a reliable aircraft that has been successful and safe in service, said aviation expert Kieran Daly of Air Transport Intelligence.
"They really are pretty much state-of-the-art airlines with every imaginable technical benefit the industry has come up with over the years," Daly told CNN. "You would be optimistic that they would be quite survivable
|
[
"What did the Mayor say it was too early to do?",
"How many people died from the plane crash?",
"What plane was it?",
"How many people were on board?",
"What did the accident involve?",
"where Investigators find data and voice recorders from?",
"What did mayor say?",
"What did the Mayor say is was too earlyy to determine?",
"How many on board were wounded?",
"How many people died?"
] |
[
[
"determine the cause of the crash"
],
[
"nine"
],
[
"Boeing 737-800"
],
[
"134"
],
[
"Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800"
],
[
"field near Amsterdam's main airport,"
],
[
"It is too early to determine the cause of the crash but the flight data and voice recorders have been recovered,"
],
[
"the cause of the crash"
],
[
"55"
],
[
"nine"
]
] |
Mayor says too early to determine cause of Wednesday's plane crash .
Investigators find data and voice recorders from Turkish Airlines Boeing 737 .
At least nine of the 134 people on board died; 55 wounded; six critical .
Accident involved respected airline and modern airport in good weather .
|
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (CNN) -- The nationalities of the people killed in the Turkish Airlines plane crash near Amsterdam's main airport have been identified as five Turks and four U.S. citizens.
Masked investigators work at the crash site Thursday.
Among the dead were two Boeing employees, among four onboard the flight, their company said late Thursday in a posting on its Web site. A third was hospitalized, and a fourth employee's fate was not yet known, the company said. None of their identities have been released.
Investigators were trying to determine what caused the crash of the aircraft, a model with a good safety record flown by a well-respected airline at one of the world's most modern airports.
The crash split the plane into three parts, as it was arriving at Schiphol from Istanbul, Turkey, around 10:40 a.m. (4:40 a.m. ET). Flight 1951 went down in a farmer's field about 500 yards short of the runway in favorable weather conditions. It had 135 people onboard.
Among those injured in the crash, 63 remained hospitalized Thursday, six of them in critical condition, said Theo Weterings, the mayor of Haarlemmermeer municipality, where Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is located.
Another 25 passengers were severely injured, an official said Tuesday.
Authorities have confirmed the nationalities of all but 15 of the passengers and crew, Weterings said. Those on board the flight included 53 Dutch, 51 Turkish, seven Americans, three Britons, and one each from Germany, Bulgaria, Finland, and Taiwan. Watch crash survivors return home »
"I want to express my deepest sympathies again to the victims of TK flight 1951," Weterings said.
One week ago, an employees' union accused Turkish Airlines of "inviting disaster" by ignoring aircraft maintenance, it emerged Thursday.
The Turkish Civil Aviation Union alleged on its Web site on February 18 that Turkish Airlines "is ignoring the most basic function of flight safety, which is plane maintenance services."
"The company administration does not understand the consequences of ripping people from their jobs and inviting a disaster."
The union, which represents 12,000 Turkish Airline employees, is involved in an ugly dispute with the company's management. Watch how survivors described crash »
Turkish Airlines posted a statement on its Web site on Thursday saying it takes safety seriously and that it followed all "maintenance procedures of the plane manufacturer, national and international authorities directives" for the plane.
Two days before the crash, the company statement said, the pilot of the plane reported failure with the "Master Caution Light" while taxiing. The part was replaced, and "after this replacement, the plane had eight take-offs and landings and there were no problems," Turkish Airlines said.
In the wake of the disaster, Turkish Airlines executives and officials from Turkey's Transportation Ministry said the Boeing 737-800 had last been inspected December 22. See where 737-800 has been involved in previous incidents »
"There was no problem with maintenance in the records of the plane," Candan Karlicetin, executive board chairman of Turkish Airlines, said in a news conference just hours after the crash.
Teams of investigators arrived at the crash site just after daybreak and set up a large white tent. They fanned out over the debris field, where the white fuselage of the Boeing lay in three pieces.
A special Turkish Airlines flight landed in Amsterdam Thursday morning from Istanbul, carrying about 70 relatives of those on board the fatal flight. The relatives were accompanied by trauma specialists, the airline said.
The flight data and voice recorders were recovered.
Turkish officials have also ruled out weather conditions as a possible reason for the crash. Dutch and Turkish authorities say they await the results of an international investigation into the cause.
Aviation experts say Turkish Airlines has a relatively good safety record, though in 2003, more then 70 people were killed when a Turkish Airlines domestic flight crashed in fog near the southeastern city of Diyarbakir.
Turkey's flagship carrier had been expanding its routes and fleet of aircraft in recent years.
|
[
"how many people remain in hospital",
"where did the plane crash",
"how many Boeing employees are dead",
"how many people remained",
"Who was killed on the flight?",
"What has not been released?",
"which airport did the plane crash near too"
] |
[
[
"63"
],
[
"near Amsterdam's main airport"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"63"
],
[
"five Turks and four U.S. citizens."
],
[
"None of their identities have"
],
[
"Amsterdam's Schiphol"
]
] |
NEW: Two Boeing employees -- among four on flight -- were killed, company says .
NEW: Their identities have not been released .
63 people remained in the hospital, six in critical condition, mayor says .
Plane crashed near Amsterdam's main airport, splitting into three parts .
|
AMSTETTEN, Austria (CNN) -- Austrian police believe a 73-year-old man held his daughter captive in his cellar for the past two decades and fathered at least six children with her, according to police and state-run news reports Sunday. The woman, identified as 42-year-old Elisabeth F., has been missing since 1984, when she was 18 years old, police said at a news conference. The situation came to light earlier this month after her daughter -- a 19-year-old woman, identified as Kristen F. -- was hospitalized in Amstetten after falling unconscious, according to police. She was admitted to a hospital in Amstetten, outside Vienna, by her grandfather with a note from her biological mother requesting help. Amstetten is a rural town about 150 km (93 miles) west of Vienna. But police said a DNA test later revealed her grandfather, Josef F., was also her father, according to ORF, Austria's state-run news agency. That sparked a police investigation, which revealed that Josef F. may have fathered at least six children with his daughter, forcing her and three of the surviving children to live in the cellar of his house, according to ORF's Peter Schmitzberger. The children are now between 5 and 19 years old. Police are awaiting DNA tests to verify their relationship to Josef F., who faces arrest for "severe crimes against family members," according to police. So far, he has not given a statement to police. Police spokesman Franz Polzer told ORF that the 73-year-old has led police to several hidden rooms in his cellar accessible only by an electronic passcode that he provided to police. Watch a report on the discovery » On Sunday, police searched the hidden rooms where Josef F. admitted he kept his daughter and their children, Polzer told ORF. The rooms included sleeping quarters, a kitchen and a bathroom, which Josef F. told police he built, Polzer said. Neighbors told ORF they were shocked to hear the news, and had no indication such horrors were taking place in their town. "One can't imagine how it could happen, how nobody could realize anything of what was going on in the cellar of this house," Schmitzberger told CNN. "It's quite unimaginable." Acting on "a confidential tip," Amstetten police apprehended Josef F. and Elisabeth F. on Saturday near the hospital for questioning, according to a police statement. Once police assured the daughter that she would never have contact with her father again, "she was able to tell the whole story," Schmitzberger said. Josef F. lived upstairs with his wife, Rosemarie F., who police said had no idea about her husband's other family living in the cellar. Josef F. and Rosemarie F. had adopted three of the children that he had with his daughter, according to police. He told his wife that his missing daughter had dropped the unwanted children off at the house because she could not take care of them, police said. The other three children -- Kerstin, 19; Stefan, 18; and Felix, 5 -- remained locked in the basement with their mother, according to police. None had seen the light of day during their entire time in captivity, police said. After she was detained Saturday, Elisabeth F. gave police a "psychologically and physically disturbed impression," police said in a statement. She told them her story after she was assured her children would be protected from further harm. She said her father began sexually abusing her at age 11. On August 8, 1984 -- weeks before she was reported missing -- her father enticed her into the basement, where he drugged her, put her in handcuffs and locked her in a room, she told police. For the next 24 years, she was constantly raped by her father, resulting in the six surviving children, she said, according to the police statement. She told police she gave birth to twins in 1996, but one of the babies died a few days later as a result of neglect, and Josef F. removed the infant's body
|
[
"How many years was the woman help prisoner for?",
"How long was this woman held prisoner for?",
"In what year did the woman go missing?",
"How many children did the 73 year old man father?",
"What age is the woman now?",
"At what age did the 42 year old woman go missing?"
] |
[
[
"two decades"
],
[
"two decades"
],
[
"1984,"
],
[
"six"
],
[
"42-year-old"
],
[
"18"
]
] |
Woman tells Austrian police she was held prisoner in cellar for nearly 24 years .
Police believe the 73-year-old man may have fathered at least 6 of her children .
The 42-year-old woman had been missing since 1984, when she was 18 .
One of her children, a 19-year-old woman, is hospitalized in serious condition .
|
AMSTETTEN, Austria (CNN) -- Josef Fritzl, who Austrian police say has confessed to imprisoning his daughter for 24 years and fathering seven of her children, twice holidayed in Thailand while she remained trapped in a cellar below his house, according to German media reports. Josef Fritzl appeared in court after admitting raping his daughter and fathering her seven children. Germany's Bild newspaper quoted a holiday companion, identified only as Paul H, who said he and 73-year-old Fritzl traveled to Thailand together twice and spent time in each other's homes. "He went [to Thailand] without his wife; apparently she had to look after the children. ... Once he had a very long massage from a young Thai girl at the beach. He really loved that," Paul H told the newspaper, which featured video of Fritzl laughing and receiving a massage in Thailand on its Web site. "Once I saw how Josef bought an evening dress and racy lingerie for a very slim woman in Pattaya [Thailand] on the beach. He got really angry when he realized I saw him. Then he told me that he has a girlfriend on the side. The items were meant for her. He told me not to tell his wife." Watch footage of Fritzl on vacation at a Thai beach resort » The pair had also ventured to Oktoberfest. Paul H said he had visited Fritzl's house three times, the last in 2005. "We sat out on the terrace and had a really nice evening. ... The kids were well-behaved, however; they had a great respect for their father. They were never allowed downstairs into the cellar, but we never thought anything of it," he told Bild. "Now that I think of the dungeon down there, I feel really sick in the stomach." Paul H said Fritzl was a DIY "genius," constantly extending and building on to the house. Meanwhile, family members at the center of the incest and imprisonment case have held an "astonishing" reunion, medical officials said. "They met each other on Sunday morning," clinic director Berthold Kepplinger said Tuesday. "And it is astonishing how easy it worked, that the children came together, and also it was astonishing how easy it happened that the grandmother and the mother came together." Investigators say Fritzl held his daughter, Elisabeth, captive in a cellar for 24 years. He raped her repeatedly, they say, and eventually fathered seven of her children. Elisabeth and two of her children were reunited Sunday with three of her other children and her mother, Kepplinger said Tuesday. The three children and her mother lived in the home above the cellar. Elisabeth's eldest child, 19-year-old Kerstin Fritzl, remains in hospital. A seventh child died years ago, shortly after birth. Fritzl told police he burned the infant's body in a furnace. The story of the family's imprisonment began to unravel a week ago, when Kerstin fell seriously ill with convulsions and was hospitalized. Austrian police Wednesday denied reports that they were investigating possible links between Fritzl and the unsolved murder of a woman. Franz Polzer, director of the Lower Austrian Bureau of Criminal Affairs, said Fritzl had owned an Austrian hotel near where a woman was found murdered decades ago. However, they were not investigating the incident at this stage. Meanwhile, an Austrian girl who was held prisoner in a basement for eight years said the family faced a long period of adjustment. See how Austrians are troubled by the case » Natascha Kampusch was 10 years old when she was kidnapped on her way to school in March 1998. She escaped from a bunker below the house of Wolfgang Priklopil in a suburb of Vienna in August 2007. Priklopil killed himself by throwing himself under a train only hours later. "Although they are now in a secret location, I believe it might have been even better to leave them where they were, but that was probably impossible," she said of the Fritzl family Tuesday. "Yes, because
|
[
"How long was the daughter imprisoned for?",
"How long dif Fritzl keep his daughter imprisoned?",
"Where was the daughter when the father was in Thailand?",
"Where did the incestuous father vacation?",
"Where did the dad holiday twice?",
"Where was his daughter located?",
"Who kept his own daughter captive for over two decades?",
"How long was she imprisoned?",
"Where did incest dad holiday?",
"Where does Josef Fritzl live?",
"Where was the daughter imprisoned?",
"Where did Fritzl's daughter remain while he was in Thailand?",
"Where did the incest dad go on holiday?",
"where incest dad twice holidayed in?",
"What is austrian family terorized by?",
"Where did Josef Fritzl keep his daughter?"
] |
[
[
"24 years"
],
[
"24 years"
],
[
"trapped in a cellar below his house,"
],
[
"Thailand"
],
[
"Thailand"
],
[
"cellar"
],
[
"Josef Fritzl,"
],
[
"24 years"
],
[
"Thailand"
],
[
"AMSTETTEN, Austria"
],
[
"in a cellar below his house,"
],
[
"trapped in a cellar"
],
[
"Thailand"
],
[
"Thailand"
],
[
"Josef Fritzl,"
],
[
"cellar"
]
] |
Incest dad twice holidayed in Thailand while daughter remained in cellar .
Austrian family terrorized by decades of incest meet for the first time .
Josef Fritzl kept daughter imprisoned under home for 24 years, police say .
Fritzl, who appeared in court Tuesday, has admitted guilt and faces 15 years| .
|
AMSTETTEN, Austria (CNN) -- The Austrian who reportedly admitted holding his daughter captive for 24 years and fathering seven children with her will plead insanity, his lawyer said. Josef Fritzl admitted to authorities he raped his daughter and fathered her children. Attorney Rudolf Mayer said he believed 73-year-old Josef Fritzl had a mental disorder, The Associated Press reported. Mayer said someone who was mentally ill "didn't choose" to do what police allege he did. Mayer said Fritzl would be confined to a psychiatric institution rather than a prison if he was certified as insane and convicted, AP reported. Police said last week that Fritzl had confessed to imprisoning his daughter in a secret cellar dungeon in his home, fathering seven children with her and burning the body of one who died in infancy in a furnace. Meanwhile, Fritzl's sister-in-law has said his wife did not know her daughter was held captive in their basement for decades because she had been trained not to ask questions under her husband's tyrannical rule of the household, . "He was such a tyrant," said the woman identified only as Christine R. in a Saturday interview conducted and translated by AP. "He tolerated no dissent," Christine R. added. "Listen, if I was scared myself -- I was scared of him at a family party and I did not feel confident to say anything in any form that could possibly offend him -- then you can imagine how it was for a woman who spent so many years with him." Watch what the sister-in-law has to say » In the televised interview, Christine R. added detail to the bizarre story of 73-year-old Fritzl who was recently arrested and confessed to holding his daughter captive in a dungeon under the home for decades, repeatedly raping her and fathering seven kids -- with six of them surviving. Christine R. also said Fritzl committed an unrelated rape in 1967, served 18 months in prison for that crime and that her sister continued to stay married to him in a desperate attempt to keep their family together. Recent media reports also claimed Fritzl had been convicted of rape. Austrian police have said they are looking into the claims. The horrifying story has shocked many locally and across the world. On Sunday, members of the Amstetten religious community held a Mass to remember Fritzl's family. After the Mass, members of the church signed a banner outside a church in support of the victims. Watch church members sign the banner » The story of the family's imprisonment began to unravel two weeks ago, when Fritzl's daughter, Kerstin Fritzl, fell seriously ill with convulsions and was hospitalized. The 19-year-old girl, who had been locked in the basement her entire life along with her mother and two brothers, was in an artificially induced coma in an Amstetten clinic. She was suffering from a kidney ailment that worsened because she did not receive medial treatment sooner, authorities said. Watch how Fritzl led double life » Fritzl told his wife that their daughter Elisabeth, who is now 42, ran away from home at age 18. The couple adopted three of the children who Josef said were left on their doorstep as infants by his runaway daughter. In the interview Christine R. said her sister, Rosemarie, truly thought that her daughter had ran away to join a cult. "She never believed him being capable of it," said Christine R. "We were all taken in by him and believed that she (referring to Elizabeth), was in a cult and that she wouldn't come out." It may have been Fritzl's strict rule over the household that made it possible for him to keep his gruesome secret hidden for so long, Christine R. said. The unspeakable ordeal has taken a toll on the whole family, Christine R. said, stating that she spoke to her sister on the phone recently. "Five or six days after Kerstin went to the hospital I called my sister and asked her how the girl was doing," Christine R. said. "She said that
|
[
"Which nationality is the suspect?",
"What does the suspect suffer from?",
"What is the suspect's name?",
"What was the wife scared to do?",
"Who has a mental disorder?",
"What does the lawyer claim is wrong with his client?",
"What was the role of his wife?",
"What did he do?"
] |
[
[
"Austrian"
],
[
"mental disorder,"
],
[
"Josef Fritzl"
],
[
"ask questions"
],
[
"Josef Fritzl"
],
[
"Josef Fritzl had a mental disorder,"
],
[
"did not know her daughter"
],
[
"raped his daughter and fathered her children."
]
] |
NEW: Lawyer of Austrian incest suspect says his client has a mental disorder .
Fritzl imprisoned and raped daughter, also fathered her children, police say .
Wife of Josef Fritzl was too scared to question him, her sister says .
Fritzl's wife focused on keeping family healthy, according to her sister .
|
ANAHEIM, California (CNN) -- As he fixes a broken sliding glass door at an apartment in Anaheim, California, Eduardo Gutierrez worries about his parents in Mexico. Eduardo Gutierrez can't send money back to his parents in Mexico due to rising costs and less work. He can no longer afford to send the $200 to $300 a month he had been sending back home to support his ailing father. "I kind of feel bad that I can't help my parents," said Gutierrez, a legal immigrant who has worked in the United States for 20 years. "I try. But I can't these days, and it's a tough situation." Gutierrez said he earns $18.50 an hour as a glazier, installer and fixer of glass in all shapes and sizes. But with the U.S. economy sagging, his hours have shrunk, even as his gas and grocery bills have skyrocketed along with other expenses. He's struggling just to support his wife and three children. Watch bad times in the U.S. felt in Mexico » Bank of Mexico, Mexico's equivalent to the Federal Reserve, says stories like these are becoming more common. Deceleration in the U.S. construction industry resulted in $100 million less in "remittances" -- money from workers in the U.S. to their relatives in Mexico -- in January this year, the most recent available stats. The overall figure went from $1.7 billion in January 2007 to $1.6 billion this January, according to Bank of Mexico. The slowdown in such money has been a consistent theme over the last year. The World Bank says remittances received by people in Mexico nearly ground to a halt in 2007, growing at a rate of 1.4 percent, compared with more than 20 percent annual growth from 2002 to 2006. "The slowdown in Mexico is partly due to the weak job market in the United States, especially in the construction sector," the World Bank says on its Web site. A poll, released Wednesday, of 5,000 Latin American adults living in the United States found that only 50 percent of respondents were still sending money on a regular basis to loved ones, down from 73 percent in a similar poll conducted in 2006. The poll was conducted in February by the Inter-American Development Bank's Multilateral Investment Fund. See the rise of immigrants from Latin America » What does that mean to families in Mexico counting on the payments to survive? CNN caught up with Gutierrez's father in Tejaro, Mexico, a hardscrabble farming town of about 5,000 people. A gray-bearded man in a wide-brimmed hat, 77-year-old Camilo Izquierdo was feeding white goats that poked their heads through a makeshift fence. He and his wife have 13 children, seven of whom have moved to the United States for work, including Eduardo Gutierrez. The dad used the money from his oldest son to supplement his farming income and to help pay for diabetes medication. "He says things are getting too expensive over there," the father said. "He says things are worse there in California than over here." His livestock has always been his lifeline. Izquierdo used to have 140 goats, but he began selling off his livestock to make ends meet. A drought made feed more expensive, and now he's down to just 40 goats, with little money left for his medicine. "I am sick and have been sick for quite some time. The medicine keeps getting more expensive. I just don't know what to do anymore." Back in California, Eduardo Gutierrez says that in addition to shrinking hours and rising food costs, gas prices are burning up his paycheck as he drives his truck to jobs spread out over hundreds of miles in Southern California. He estimates that just driving to and from the jobs is costing him $400 to $500 a month in gas. Gas calculator: How much do you need to work to pay for your gas? » "I've been here over 20 years, and I saw the recession back in the '90s," Gutierrez said.
|
[
"In what way are things worse?",
"what did the immigrant say",
"What has slowed during U.S. economic woes?",
"What happened to the payments>",
"Where is the father speaking from?",
"What work did the immigrants do?",
"Where is the immigrant staying in the US?",
"what did the bank of mexico say"
] |
[
[
"are getting too expensive over there,\""
],
[
"\"I kind of feel bad that I can't help my parents,\""
],
[
"money from workers in the U.S. to their relatives in Mexico"
],
[
"rising costs and less work."
],
[
"Tejaro, Mexico,"
],
[
"glazier, installer"
],
[
"Anaheim, California,"
],
[
"stories like these are becoming more common."
]
] |
Remittances to Mexico fell $100 million in January, according to Bank of Mexico .
"I kind of feel bad that I can't help my parents," immigrant in U.S. says .
Payments to loved ones back home have slowed during U.S. economic woes .
Father in Mexico: "He says things are worse there in California than over here"
|
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin abused her power as Alaska's governor and violated state ethics law by trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the state police, a state investigator's report concluded Friday. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is under investigation for the firing of her public safety commissioner. "Gov. Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda," the report states. Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan's refusal to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten from the state police force was "likely a contributing factor" to Monegan's July dismissal, but Palin had the authority as governor to fire him, the report by former Anchorage prosecutor Stephen Branchflower states. The investigator's report states Palin's efforts to get Wooten fired broke a state ethics law that bars public officials from pursuing personal interest through official action. Watch what led to investigation » The lawyers representing both Sarah and Todd Palin issued a three-page attack on the investigative report, including the contention that Ethics Act violations can only involve financial motives and financial "potential gain, or the avoidance of a potential loss." "Here, there is no accusation, no finding and no facts that money or financial gain to the Governor was involved in the decision to replace Monegan," the lawyers said. Any abuse of power, they said, was on the part of the Legislative Council members, not the Palins. "Sen. French and Sen. Green may have abused their government power by using public money to pursue a personal vendetta against the Governor, and then agreeing to pursue the PSEA attack against an administration that would not cave in to outrageous union demands." "Put bluntly, Branchflower completely misapplied the Ethics Act and has instead sought to create a headline to smear the Governor," the lawyers wrote. Monegan has said he was fired in July after refusing pressure to sack Wooten, who had gone through an acrimonious divorce and custody battle with Palin's sister. View a timeline of the investigation » Monegan said he was "relieved" by the findings. "I believed and had the opinion that I was terminated because I did not fire Wooten," he told CNN. "Now these findings say that that's what happened, so I feel relieved." Palin and her husband, Todd, have consistently denied wrongdoing, describing Wooten as a "rogue trooper" who had threatened their family -- allegations Branchflower discounted. "I conclude that such claims of fear were not bona fide and were offered to provide cover for the Palins' real motivation: to get Trooper Wooten fired for personal family reasons," Branchflower wrote. The Branchflower report states Todd Palin used his wife's office and its resources to press for Wooten's removal, and the governor "failed to act" to stop it. But because Todd Palin is not a state employee, the report makes no finding regarding his conduct. The bipartisan Legislative Council, which commissioned the investigation after Monegan was fired, unanimously adopted the 263-page public report after a marathon executive session Friday. About 1,000 more pages of documents compiled during the inquiry will remain confidential because they involve private personnel matters, according to the council's chairman, state Sen. Kim Elton. "I believe that these findings may help people come to a conclusion on how they should vote" in the presidential election, Elton said. McCain-Palin campaign spokeswoman Meg Stapleton said Palin would cooperate with the Personnel Board investigation. The Palins' lawyer has said an investigator named by that board wants to question them in late October. Stapleton called the investigation "a partisan-led inquiry" run by supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, but hailed its finding that Monegan's firing broke no law. "Gov. Palin was cleared of the allegation of an improper firing, which is what this investigation was approved to look into," she said. Stapleton went on to say that the Legislature exceeded its mandate in finding an ethics violation. "Lacking evidence
|
[
"What is the legislative panel investigating?",
"What is being investigated?",
"What did Palin violate?",
"What campaign denounced the affair as party led inquiry?",
"Who is reported to have violated state ethics law?"
] |
[
[
"Sarah Palin"
],
[
"Sarah Palin"
],
[
"state ethics law"
],
[
"McCain-Palin"
],
[
"Sarah Palin"
]
] |
NEW: Report: Palin violated state ethics law .
NEW: McCain campaign denounces affair as "partisan-led inquiry"
Legislative panel investigating July dismissal of public safety commissioner .
|
ANTIOCH, California (CNN) -- Customers of the printing company knew her as "Allissa." Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped at 11 and kept hidden for 18 years in a backyard compound, authorities say. They spoke to her about graphic design, business cards and fliers, and describe her as professional, polite and responsive. "She was always good at getting us what we wanted," said Ben Daughdrill, who used to own a junk hauling business. "You got the feeling she was doing all the work." But "Allissa," authorities say, was really Jaycee Dugard, kidnapped 18 years ago from her home in South Lake Tahoe, California. Her identity was discovered earlier this week and her alleged kidnappers -- 58-year-old Phillip Garrido, a registered sex offender, and his 55-year-old wife Nancy -- were arrested. Watch police officers talk about Garrido » They face 29 felony charges, including rape and kidnapping, and both have pleaded not guilty. Authorities said the Garridos held Dugard -- and the two daughters she had by Phillip Garrido -- in sheds in their backyard. Watch aerial view of backyard compound » Garrido's business, "Printing for Less," catered to small businesses. He ran it out of his home in Antioch, east of San Francisco. His customers say he did good work and had much lower prices than competition. CNN obtained e-mails written by "Allissa" to Daughdrill. The e-mails came from a Yahoo account set up by Phillip Garrido and in his name, but Daughdrill said they came from "Allissa" because the two were either on the phone or had just finished a conversation when they arrived. In them, Dugard uses short, compact answers and lowercase letters. The e-mails also have a typo or two. Hear interview with Garrido » "i will take a look at the price sheet and send you over a copy of the revised brochure tomorrow," she wrote in an e-mail written on May 7, 2007. "as to the pictures sorry ... but we don't have a digital camera ... hopefully you can find a way to get me those pictures you want so i can add them to them brochure. i can get the brochures to you pretty fast within the week of final approval of the brochures. How many are you going to order and do you want them on glossy or matte paper, thick or thin?" In another e-mail, this one from January 21, 2008, Dugard wrote, "heres the business cards in jpeg format let me know if you need anything else thank you." While authorities say they are still trying to sort out the conditions in which Dugard was held captive, it's clear she was an integral part of Garrido's business. Watch about recovering from captivity » Daughdrill told CNN he met Dugard in person on two occasions. "Nothing stood out," he said when "Allissa" emerged from the house and gave him his print orders. "Obviously there was some brainwashing going on. That's all I can think," he said. " She had access to a phone and a computer, so obviously something went on that no one knows about." See photos of Dugard's living conditions » Three northern California law enforcement agencies have joined the investigation of Phillip Garrido, saying he may be responsible for other crimes.
|
[
"When did the kidnapping take place?",
"What was in the emails?",
"Where did the kidnapper live?",
"Was \"Allissa\" injured?",
"What is the kidnappers name?",
"Who was known as \"Allissa\"?",
"What was owned by Phillip Garrido?"
] |
[
[
"18 years ago"
],
[
"\"heres the business cards in jpeg format let me know if you need anything else thank you.\""
],
[
"Antioch, east of San Francisco."
],
[
"rape"
],
[
"Phillip Garrido,"
],
[
"Jaycee Dugard,"
],
[
"\"Printing for Less,\""
]
] |
E-mails show girl was integral part of business owned by her alleged kidnapper .
Jaycee Dugard was known as "Allissa" to customers of printing business .
Business was owned by Phillip Garrido, the suspect in Dugard's kidnapping .
Printing business catered to small businesses in San Francisco area .
|
ANTIOCH, California (CNN) -- In many respects, Jaycee Dugard and her two daughters lived an unremarkable public life -- one that belied the horrifying circumstances that have since made front-page news. Dugard's daughters attend a birthday party two weeks ago. CNN has blurred their faces to protect their privacy. Dugard, kidnapped 18 years ago in South Lake Tahoe, California, helped manage the small printing company her alleged captor, Phillip Garrido, ran from his home in Antioch, east of San Francisco. Her two daughters, fathered by 58-year-old Garrido, attended birthday parties and, like many girls their age, shared a love for the TV show "Hannah Montana." The media "made it seem like these little girls were living like wolves or jungle kids in the backyard dungeon. Perhaps that's it, but they didn't give that visual to me," said Cheyvonne Molino, who runs an auto wrecking yard with her husband. See photos of Dugard's living conditions » Garrido would often bring the girls by the yard, delivering bottles of water on hot days. The 11-year-old went by the name Angel and the 15-year-old, Starlet. "They were polite. They were well-mannered," Molino said. Two weeks ago, the girls attended a birthday party for Molino's daughter, who turned 16. Again, they showed no signs of lives lived in turmoil. Customers of Garrido's printing company, Printing for Less, knew the girls' mother as Allissa. Watch interview with Garrido » They spoke to her about graphic design, business cards and fliers, and describe her as professional, polite and responsive. "She was always having a very pretty smile on the face," said Deepal Karunaratne, who had real estate brochures printed. "She comes and talks to me and was always smiling. She was a very pretty girl, a very pretty young lady." The children, however, sometimes stood out. "They were not dressed like average teenage girls. They were dressed very conservatively," Karunaratne said. Another customer, Ben Daughdrill, sometimes corresponded with Dugard when he used the printing service for his junk-hauling business. "Nothing stood out," he said. "Obviously, there was some brainwashing going on. That's all I can think. She had access to a phone and a computer, so obviously something went on that no one knows about." Dugard's real identity was discovered last week and her alleged kidnappers -- Garrido, a registered sex offender, and his 55-year-old wife, Nancy -- were arrested. They face 29 felony charges, including rape and kidnapping, and both have pleaded not guilty. Authorities said the Garridos held Dugard and her daughters in a soundproof shed in the couple's overgrown, littered backyard. Garrido told Karunaratne that he had a soundproof recording studio in the backyard, said Karunaratne, who described Garrido's music as "Christian, contemporary" and said some songs "were about love and romance." Watch aerial view of backyard compound » Dugard and her mother and daughters have moved to an undisclosed location as they try to get reacquainted, said Carl Probyn, Dugard's stepfather. A team of psychologists and several law enforcement officers are with them, he said. In a related development, authorities in two San Francisco Bay-area cities are investigating whether disappearances dating back to the late 1980s could be connected to Garrido. Police in Hayward, about 20 miles south of Oakland, say they are investigating whether he is connected to the disappearance of Michaela Garecht, last seen in 1988 at age 9. Hayward Police Lt. Chris Orrey said there are similarities between Garecht's disappearance and Dugard's -- similar age and appearance, both were abducted in daylight, and a sketch of a suspect resembles Garrido, she said. Orrey said there were differences as well, though she would not elaborate. But she said Hayward police have been in contact with Garecht's family and witnesses since Dugard was found alive last week.
|
[
"Who loved \"Hannah Montana\"?",
"Who fathered Dugard's girls?",
"What are police doing?",
"Who check 2 other cases?",
"Whose daughters attended birthday parties?",
"What happened 18 years ago?",
"What did Jaycee Dugard's daughters love?"
] |
[
[
"Her two daughters,"
],
[
"Garrido,"
],
[
"investigating"
],
[
"Police in Hayward,"
],
[
"Jaycee Dugard"
],
[
"Dugard, kidnapped"
],
[
"the TV show \"Hannah Montana.\""
]
] |
NEW: Police check 2 other cases for connection to alleged kidnapper Phillip Garrido .
Jaycee Dugard's daughters attended birthday parties, loved "Hannah Montana"
They were "polite ... well-mannered," says mother of one of their friends .
Dugard was allegedly held captive for 18 years by sex offender who fathered the girls .
|
ANTIOCH, California (CNN) -- Investigators who completed their search of the California property belonging to kidnapping suspects Phillip and Nancy Garrido said initial findings do not connect the couple to the disappearances of two young girls. Ilene Misheloff, left, has been missing since 1989; Michaela Garecht disappeared in 1988. But police said that they have not eliminated Phillip Garrido as a suspect in the decades-old cases. Bone fragments found on the couple's property near Antioch could be human but are "far too old to be relevant in our cases," said Lt. Chris Orrey of the Hayward police department. Teeth found on an adjacent property are most likely from an animal, she said. And some anomalies found by ground-penetrating radar uncovered "chunks of concrete, tree roots, and in one case a floor mat," Orrey said at a news conference. Investigators had already found bone fragments at the property in unincorporated Contra Costa County, but have not said if they are human. "Although nothing [was found] that would definitively link Phillip and Nancy Garrido to the disappearance of Ilene Misheloff or Michaela Garecht, we're going to continue to follow up on the evidence that we have recovered," Lt. Kurt von Savoye of the Dublin Police Department said at the news conference. "We're going to examine and process all items that have been taken from this property to see if there is any possible link to the Garridos." The processing of all the evidence could take several weeks, Orrey said. Police from Hayward and Dublin began executing search warrants simultaneously last week on the Garrido property and an adjacent property to which he had access. They sought any evidence in the 1988 abduction of 9-year-old Michaela Garecht of Hayward and the 1989 disappearance of 13-year-old Ilene Misheloff of Dublin. The search of the adjacent property was also completed and the resident will be able to return soon, police said. The Garridos' home will remain boarded up and the fence locked, Orrey said. The Garridos face a combined 29 felony counts in the 1991 kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard, then 11, from South Lake Tahoe, California. Authorities say the couple held Dugard in a hidden compound behind their home for 18 years and have said Phillip Garrido, a registered sex offender, fathered her two children. Phillip Garrido won't be eliminated as a suspect because of similarities in the Dugard case and the other disappearance cases, Orrey said. "I can't help but feel relief that they didn't find anything here," Michaela's mother, Sharon Murch, told reporters. "If they had found something on this property, it most likely would have meant Michaela wasn't alive."
|
[
"What is Phillip Garrido suspected of?",
"what does the police says about Philip Garrido?",
"What are the names of the girls who were taken?",
"Who hasn't been eliminated as a suspect?",
"What happened in 1991?",
"what is the name of the person whose autorities are seeking for evidence?",
"police began executing sear warrants last week on who's property?",
"What are Garridos accused of?"
] |
[
[
"kidnapping"
],
[
"they have not eliminated Phillip"
],
[
"Ilene Misheloff,"
],
[
"Phillip Garrido"
],
[
"kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard,"
],
[
"Phillip and Nancy Garrido"
],
[
"to kidnapping suspects Phillip and Nancy Garrido"
],
[
"combined 29 felony counts in the 1991 kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard,"
]
] |
Police say they haven't eliminated Phillip Garrido as suspect in girls' disappearances .
Authorities seek evidence in abductions of Michaela Garecht, Ilene Misheloff .
Police began executing search warrants last week on Garrido property .
The Garridos are accused in 1991 kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard, then 11 .
|
ANTIOCH, California (CNN) -- Phillip Garrido and his wife, Nancy, will face 29 felony counts after being accused of kidnapping Jaycee Lee Dugard when she was 11 and keeping her in their backyard since 1991, the district attorney of El Dorado County, California, said Friday. Phillip Garrido, a registered sex offender, was arraigned in California on Friday. The Garridos are each facing charges of kidnapping someone under 14 years of age, kidnapping for sexual purposes, forcible rape and forcible lewd acts on a child. The maximum penalty for both defendants would be life imprisonment. Authorities are looking into Garrido's possible connection to other crimes. Hear interview with Garrido » A search warrant was issued for Garrido's home in connection with killings that occurred in the 1990s, a spokesman for the Contra Costa Sheriff's Department said Friday. Pittsburg, California, police obtained the search warrant, said the spokesman, Jimmy Lee. Earlier Friday, a California sheriff also admitted that his organization "missed an opportunity" nearly three years ago to find Dugard. Someone called 911 on November 30, 2006, to say that a woman and young children were living in tents in the backyard of Phillip Garrido, said Sheriff Warren E. Rupf of Contra Costa County, California, on Friday. "This is not an acceptable outcome," he said. Watch Rupf talk about the 'missed opportunity' » The responding sheriff's deputy spoke with Garrido, a registered sex offender, in the front yard of his house. "None of us, particularly law enforcement, should believe a word that one of these animals utters," Rupf said when asked about the lessons learned from the missed opportunity. "If there's a sophistication [about sex offenders] in any regard, it's in misrepresenting who they are and what motivates them. "We took things he said obviously at face value and did not properly brand him." Rupf also said that "to the best of his knowledge," the deputy didn't know that Garrido was a sex offender. The deputy determined that no crime had been committed even though he did not enter or ask to enter the backyard, the sheriff said. "We should have been more inquisitive, more curious, and turned over a rock or two," the sheriff said. "We missed an opportunity to bring earlier closure to this situation." Dugard lived for 18 years in a shed and other outbuildings behind her abductor's house, where she gave birth to two girls whom he fathered; the girls are now 11 and 15, police said. CNN policy is not to publish the names of victims when there are allegations of sexual assault. In this case, Dugard has been the subject of a 20-year public search and her image and name have been widely disseminated, making protection of her identity virtually impossible. Dugard was kidnapped in 1991 as her stepfather watched, helpless, in front of her house in South Lake Tahoe, California. Learn about some missing children who have been found alive » Investigators arrested Garrido on charges of kidnapping and abusing her after police discovered Dugard on Wednesday. "The last 18 years have been rough, but the last two days have been pretty good," her stepfather, Carl Probyn, told CNN's "American Morning" on Friday. Watch Probyn describe getting the news » Phillip Garrido, 58, and 54-year-old Nancy Garrido were arraigned Friday in Placerville Superior Court in Placerville, California. They pleaded not guilty Friday. During their time living in Garrido's backyard, Dugard and her two children apparently rarely ventured out of their compound, investigators said. Dugard "was in good health, but living in a backyard for the past 18 years does take its toll," El Dorado County Undersheriff Fred Kollar said. He described her as "relatively cooperative, relatively forthcoming" in discussions with detectives. She was "in relatively good condition," neither obviously abused nor malnourished, he added. "There are no known attempts by her to outreach to anybody." The
|
[
"where the victim reportedly kept",
"what did the wife plead",
"What did the police say about Garrido?",
"For what reason did authorities acquire a search warrant?",
"Who plead not guilty?",
"Where was the victim reportedly kept?"
] |
[
[
"in their backyard"
],
[
"not guilty"
],
[
"\"We took things he said obviously at face value and"
],
[
"in connection with killings that occurred in the 1990s,"
],
[
"Nancy Garrido"
],
[
"their backyard"
]
] |
NEW: Sex offender, wife plead not guilty at arraignment .
Authorities have search warrant for Garrido home relating to 1990 killings .
Victim reportedly kept in isolation in backyard with children fathered by captor .
Police: Phillip Garrido admitted abducting victim when she was 11 .
|
ARBIL, Iraq (CNN) -- Two United Arab Emirates based companies announced on Tuesday that they will be investing in the Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan.
Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdish Regional Government, called the project "a significant contribution to the Iraqi economy."
Four hundred and sixty one million square feet have been officially assigned to "Gas Cities LLC," a joint venture between Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum, both Sharjah-based companies, to establish a new venture: "Kurdistan Gas City."
Kurdistan Gas City will include industrial, residential and commercial buildings in an integrated city. The expected initial investment in basic infrastructure is estimated at $3 billion, with further foreign direct investment exceeding $40 billion during the operations phase.
Work will start on the project, which is designed to promote private sector investment in a variety of gas-related industries, on September 21.
Gas City is structured to hold over 20 varieties of world scale petrochemical and heavy manufacturing plants, and hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), served by state-of-the-art facilities.
Mr Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, said: "Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum have made a significant contribution to the Iraqi economy through their work in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq thus far, we are making significant progress in spurring on economic growth and creating opportunity for our people."
Hamid Jafar, Executive Chairman of Dana Gas, explained the importance of this achievement saying: "The Kurdistan Gas City is an enormous step forward in Dana Gas' strategy across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia."
The Kurdistan Gas City is projected to generate job opportunities for nearly 200,000 Iraqi citizens in infrastructure, industrial projects, support services and other business activities.
This is not the first project for Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, the two companies are committed to a service agreement signed in April 2007 with the Kurdistan Regional Government to build 180 kilometers of natural gas pipeline and two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) plants, which are 80 percent complete.
The project is on track and will start pumping 150 million cubic feet of gas per day in the coming weeks, rising to 300 million cubic feet by early 2009.
Other companies from the UAE showed similar interest in Kurdistan Region "Damac Properties" one of the major private developers in the regions revealed on June 3 plans for a $16 billion residential, commercial and recreational project.
|
[
"What companies invest heavily in Kurdistan?",
"What companies are making investments?",
"Where are Emirati companies making significant investments?",
"What project gets underway in September?",
"What buildings will be included?",
"Who made investments in Kurdistan?",
"When will work start?",
"What will Gas City include?"
] |
[
[
"Dana Gas"
],
[
"Crescent Petroleum,"
],
[
"Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan."
],
[
"Kurdistan Gas City"
],
[
"industrial, residential and commercial"
],
[
"Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum,"
],
[
"on September 21."
],
[
"industrial, residential and commercial buildings"
]
] |
Emirati companies making significant investments in Kurdistan .
Kurdistan Gas City will include industrial, residential and commercial buildings .
Work will start on the project on September 21 .
|
ARBIL, Iraq (CNN) -- Two United Arab Emirates based companies announced on Tuesday that they will be investing in the Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan. Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdish Regional Government, called the project "a significant contribution to the Iraqi economy." Four hundred and sixty one million square feet have been officially assigned to "Gas Cities LLC," a joint venture between Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum, both Sharjah-based companies, to establish a new venture: "Kurdistan Gas City." Kurdistan Gas City will include industrial, residential and commercial buildings in an integrated city. The expected initial investment in basic infrastructure is estimated at $3 billion, with further foreign direct investment exceeding $40 billion during the operations phase. Work will start on the project, which is designed to promote private sector investment in a variety of gas-related industries, on September 21. Gas City is structured to hold over 20 varieties of world scale petrochemical and heavy manufacturing plants, and hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), served by state-of-the-art facilities. Mr Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, said: "Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum have made a significant contribution to the Iraqi economy through their work in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq thus far, we are making significant progress in spurring on economic growth and creating opportunity for our people." Hamid Jafar, Executive Chairman of Dana Gas, explained the importance of this achievement saying: "The Kurdistan Gas City is an enormous step forward in Dana Gas' strategy across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia." The Kurdistan Gas City is projected to generate job opportunities for nearly 200,000 Iraqi citizens in infrastructure, industrial projects, support services and other business activities. This is not the first project for Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, the two companies are committed to a service agreement signed in April 2007 with the Kurdistan Regional Government to build 180 kilometers of natural gas pipeline and two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) plants, which are 80 percent complete. The project is on track and will start pumping 150 million cubic feet of gas per day in the coming weeks, rising to 300 million cubic feet by early 2009. Other companies from the UAE showed similar interest in Kurdistan Region "Damac Properties" one of the major private developers in the regions revealed on June 3 plans for a $16 billion residential, commercial and recreational project.
|
[
"what are the investments",
"where Work will start?",
"What wil Kurdistan Gas City will include?",
"The project will start on what date?",
"when will work begin",
"Significant investments are being made in Kurdistan by whom?",
"for how much is the investment?",
"what does this affect?",
"what Kurdistan Gas City will include?",
"what is the investment?"
] |
[
[
"$3 billion,"
],
[
"on the project,"
],
[
"industrial, residential and commercial buildings"
],
[
"Tuesday"
],
[
"September 21."
],
[
"Two United Arab Emirates based companies"
],
[
"$3 billion,"
],
[
"Iraqi economy.\""
],
[
"industrial, residential and commercial buildings"
],
[
"$40 billion during"
]
] |
Emirati companies making significant investments in Kurdistan .
Kurdistan Gas City will include industrial, residential and commercial buildings .
Work will start on the project on September 21 .
|
ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- A new type of walk-through security machine will debut at several U.S. airports in the coming days as the Transportation Security Administration tries out the latest in body scanning technology.
Privacy experts with the ACLU are concerned the walk-through scanning machine is too invasive.
It's called "millimeter-wave passenger imaging technology," and it produces a more detailed picture than the metal detectors in use now at airports to screen for weapons and explosives..
Because it produces such a detailed image, however, technology and privacy experts at the American Civil Liberties Union are not satisfied that the new technology meets privacy standards.
In a written statement issued Thursday, Barry Steinhardt of the ACLU said the technology can pick up graphic body images and even medical details like whether a passenger has a colostomy bag.
Steinhardt called the screening an "assault on the essential dignity of passengers that citizens in a free nation should not have to tolerate."
TSA spokeswoman Elle Howe said privacy will be respected with the new millimeter-wave technique.
"We want to preserve passengers' privacy and make them feel comfortable with trying a technology like this," she said.
A TSA officer will escort a passenger to the machine for the test, but the person looking at the actual body scans will be at a different location and will not see the passenger, the TSA said.
In addition, the scans will have a "modesty filter" to blur out faces, and no images will be saved.
But the ACLU expressed concern that TSA officers would not be able to resist the temptation to save images of certain people, such as celebrities, and that the plan to blur faces might later be changed.
This is how the new scanners work. The passenger steps into a machine where he or she is quickly scanned with radio waves.
Those waves reflect off the body to transmit a three-dimensional image of the passenger that looks like a fuzzy photo negative. A TSA officer studies the image on a screen and looks for unusual shapes that might mean a passenger is carrying something suspicious.
Passengers who are asked to undergo a second screening can choose a pat-down search or the millimeter-wave test.
The TSA says the machines scan a passenger twice, each scan taking less than two seconds. But it takes another minute or two for a screener to review the scans before signaling a passenger to move on.
The TSA demonstrated the screening technology at a news conference Wednesday near Washington.
Howe said the millimeter wave is harmless and "can see more than a magnetometer," which is the first screening machine airport passengers encounter.
"A magnetometer only picks up metal or weapons, so this could see other materials that might be hidden on the body and it also produces an image" rather than just a beep, she said.
Asked if the millimeter wave could detect an object hidden in a body cavity, she said only that the TSA will learn more about the technology as it's tested at U.S. airports.
The TSA has been testing another type of imaging technology called backscatter. This technology also came under some fire because it shows very detailed body images -- which led some critics to call it an electronic strip search. So, the backscatter was altered and blurred to show more of an outline of the body.
The TSA will continue to test the backscatter scanners in some airports. TSA officials said they are a long way from deciding whether they'll settle on just one of these imaging technologies.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, begins using the new machines Thursday -- to be offered as an option for people who are asked to be screened a second time.
Los Angeles International Airport in California and John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport in New York are also slated to try the machines
Britain, Spain, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Thailand and the Netherlands are using the millimeter wave screening. In the United States, some courthouses and jails are trying it. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"What due the machines use to scan passengers?",
"When will they be used on passengers?"
] |
[
[
"imaging technology,\""
],
[
"in the coming days"
]
] |
NEW: ACLU says machines' detailed images violate privacy, assault dignity .
New machines use radio waves to scan passengers for hidden objects .
They'll be used on passengers selected for secondary screening .
TSA says blurred image, remote location of scanner protect privacy .
|
ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- A suburban Washington man was bitten Monday by a rattlesnake that found its way into his luggage, a fire department spokesman said. An Eastern diamondback rattlesnake appears in a photo from the U.S. Geological Survey. "He felt a sharp pain, brought his hand out and saw the bite," said Benjamin Barksdale, assistant chief and chief fire marshal of the Arlington County, Virginia, Fire Department. Andrew Bacas zipped his bag shut and called 911 at about 9:30 a.m. ET, the official said. "He was conscious and alert but a little anxious," Barksdale said of the victim. The bite from the young Eastern diamond rattlesnake was not life-threatening, and the man is being treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, he said. "We took the bag outside and used a [carbon dioxide] fire extinguisher to freeze the snake," killing it, Barksdale said. Bacas, a high school rowing coach, had been on a six-day trip to Summerton, South Carolina, with about 80 students, said Mike Krulfeld, director of student activities at Yorktown High School in Arlington. Krulfeld said he did not think the incident was a student prank. "It's been rare to find a coach who is as well-liked and highly regarded as Andy. I would find it hard to believe they would do anything even in the name of a prank that would cause harm to him," Krulfeld said. The Web site of the school's crew team warned members to take precautions unpacking from the trip, adding, "It's advisable to open bags and unpack outdoors." "It got into his bag somehow at the location where they were staying," said Kay Speerstra, executive director of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. "Nobody noticed it until he was unpacking, and then he definitely noticed it." Speerstra said the snake was about 10 inches long and appeared to be a juvenile. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"What killed the rattlesnake?",
"where does he coach",
"Who was treated in hospital?",
"Where was the victim treated?",
"Where did the students go on the trip?",
"what happened to victim"
] |
[
[
"fire extinguisher"
],
[
"Yorktown High School"
],
[
"Andrew Bacas"
],
[
"Inova Fairfax Hospital"
],
[
"Summerton, South Carolina,"
],
[
"bitten Monday by a rattlesnake"
]
] |
NEW: High school rowing coach had been on trip with students to South Carolina .
A 10-inch-long diamondback rattlesnake killed by blast from fire extinguisher .
Victim treated at hospital; bite reportedly not life-threatening .
|
ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- Barack Obama marked his first Memorial Day as president on Monday, calling on Americans to remember U.S. troops who died in the service of their country and navigating a Civil War memorial controversy. President Obama pays tribute to veterans at a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday. The president participated at the 141st annual Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns. The men and women buried at Arlington "waged war so that we may know peace," Obama said. "They were willing to give up everything for the defense of our freedom [and] were willing to sacrifice all for their country. ... They are the best of America." Also Monday, Obama decided to continue a controversial presidential tradition of honoring Southern Civil War soldiers by sending a wreath to Arlington's Confederate Memorial, according to the White House. But the president decided to start what may become a new tradition by sending a wreath to the African-American Civil War Memorial at Vermont Avenue and U Street Northwest in Washington. See how fallen service members are being remembered » Critics had called for an end to the longtime presidential practice of laying a wreath at the Confederate site. Last week, roughly five dozen professors sent a letter to Obama calling the tradition offensive to African-Americans. Some observers recently suggested adding the recognition of the African-American memorial as a possible compromise. Wreaths also were sent to be placed on the mast of the USS Maine and the Spanish-American War Memorial, both in Arlington National Cemetery. Obama also hosted a White House breakfast for several military Gold Star families, the relatives of service men and women killed in action. A separate Memorial Day observance was held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 1 p.m. ET, and the National Memorial Day Parade started an hour later. All Americans were asked to pause for a moment of remembrance at 3 p.m. local time Monday "because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday," according to the White House Commission on Remembrance. "The moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom," the commission said on its Web site. "It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be. In this shared remembrance, we connect as Americans." The 3 p.m. observances included, among other things, an interruption of Major League Baseball games and the pausing of the Washington Memorial Day Parade. The National Grocers Association and Food Marketing Institute has asked shoppers to pause in stores across the nation. Memorial Day was first marked May 30, 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War. Congress declared it a national holiday in 1971. CNN's Emily Schultze contributed to this report.
|
[
"Where does the President send a wreath?",
"Where does the wreath-laying take place?",
"Where does the President sends wreath ?",
"What does Obama do that is controversial?",
"At what event did Obama take part ?",
"What did he say about the men and women?",
"What did Obama take part of?",
"What did Obama continue?",
"What is Obama continuing to do ?"
] |
[
[
"to the African-American Civil War Memorial"
],
[
"Arlington National Cemetery"
],
[
"Arlington's Confederate Memorial,"
],
[
"honoring Southern Civil War soldiers"
],
[
"Memorial Day"
],
[
"\"waged war so that we may know peace,\""
],
[
"president participated at the 141st annual Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns."
],
[
"a controversial presidential tradition of honoring Southern Civil War soldiers by sending a wreath to Arlington's Confederate Memorial,"
],
[
"a controversial presidential tradition of honoring Southern Civil War soldiers by sending a wreath"
]
] |
Obama continues controversial sending of wreath to Confederate Memorial .
President also sends wreath to African-American Civil War Memorial .
Obama takes part in Memorial Day wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery .
Men and women buried there "waged war so that we may know peace," he said .
|
ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- For the past few years, Dan Redmond has been on a mission to change the way his household uses energy. Dan Redmond uses an electric bicycle with a trailer to run errands. As concerns about global warming and rising energy costs grow, many families like the Redmonds are looking for ways to change the way they use energy. Three years ago Redmond began embracing solar energy to power his suburban Washington home. And he's not alone in turning to the sun for energy. The Solar Energy Industries Association estimates there are about 250,000 homes in the United States with some sort of solar power, although not all of them have taken the concept as far as the Redmonds. Last year, 13,000 homes installed solar power. "We're just making different decisions about how we live our life," Redmond said, "And what's important to us as well, as being able to show our two boys that when they grow up they're going to need to know to be more flexible in most parts of their life and they're going to need to be adaptable." Redmond's excitement about solar energy has changed his family's daily routine and also saved money -- he paid $28.61 for electricity last month compared with $150 a month last year. The biggest change came when Redmond put solar panels on the roof of his 1925 bungalow, which he shares with his wife, Margaret McGilvray, and the couple's two young sons. The system, which still allows the family to use energy from the traditional power grid when the sun is not shining, uses what is known as net-metering. No electricity is stored in the house. Energy produced in excess of what is needed is fed back to the power grid, effectively making the Redmonds' electric meter run backward. Twelve panels on the roof feed power to a device in the basement called an inverter. The solar power system cost $23,000 after a $2,000 tax credit. Redmond estimates that the system will pay for itself in 10 to 15 years. "As we know, our power rates are going up." He said "So it probably will take less because that number is based on what we're paying right now. "About 80 percent of our power is used with the solar panels." Redmond says. To get that kind of benefit, though, the family greatly cut the amount of energy they use. "We've made a real effort to reduce how much electricity we need to use in the first place, which is much less expensive to do than to produce energy that you're wasting inside of your home." The biggest lifestyle change is as low-tech as the solar panels are high-tech -- the family uses a clothesline to dry its laundry. "It's OK just to simply hang your lines ... and not use your dryer," says Redmond, who cut his electric bill by 15 to 20 percent by ditching the dryer. "That to me would be the very first thing anybody should do in terms of conserving electricity for their home." Redmond cooks using a solar oven, a small appliance that uses four reflectors, to heat food in Redmond's front yard. The device uses only solar power and leaves no carbon footprint. Richmond says he can heat food to about 350 degrees in his solar oven, but the stove's manufacture says it can heat food up to 400 degrees. On the days when the sun is not shining, the family uses their traditional oven powered from electricity provided by the power grid. The family also uses a small array of solar panels to charge iPods and cell phones. Whenever possible, Redmond runs errands on an electric bicycle that pulls a small trailer. Every little bit helps keep their power bill low. Redmond works from home as a photographer, and McGilvray telecommutes as a consultant for IBM. The couple decided that since they spend a lot of time in their 1,400-square-foot home, and not much time on the road, their best option for saving
|
[
"How much did solar power cut the family's monthly electricity bill?",
"How many homes use solar power?",
"What percent of energy does the Redmond family use solar panels for?",
"According to the industry group, how many homes in the U.S. use solar power?",
"how much energy do they get from solar panels?",
"How much have the family saved on their electric bill?",
"What percent do the redmond family use for solar panels for their energy?"
] |
[
[
"by 15 to 20 percent"
],
[
"250,000"
],
[
"80"
],
[
"250,000"
],
[
"80 percent"
],
[
"he paid $28.61 for electricity last month compared with $150 a month last year."
],
[
"80"
]
] |
Solar power cuts family's monthly electricity bill from $150 to under $30 .
Redmond family home uses solar panels for 80 percent of its energy .
Sun-powered oven cooks meals; family runs errands with bikes .
About 250,000 homes in U.S. use solar power, industry group says .
|
ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- Staff Sgt. Travis Nielsen had no idea when he joined the U.S. Army that his duty would include one of the most solemn and hallowed ceremonies in the military. John F. Kennedy's funeral in 1963 included a riderless horse with boots facing backwards in the saddle. During funeral processions at Virginia's Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, Nielsen walks the riderless horse, a powerful military symbol that stands among the highest honors for the fallen. Images of the so-called caparisoned horse, often referred to as the "cap horse," remain emblazoned in the memories of millions of shocked Americans who watched President Kennedy's funeral procession shortly after his 1963 assassination. According to Army tradition, a ceremonial horse is led by a "cap walker," like Nielsen, in a procession with boots set backward in the saddle's stirrups. In addition to high-ranking government officials such as the president, the cap horse honor is reserved for officers of the rank of colonel or above. The tradition dates "to Roman times, or Genghis Khan," Nielsen said, "as a high honor bestowed on high-ranking fallen warriors." Watch Nielsen lead a riderless horse at Arlington » The ancient riderless horse ceremony didn't include backward boots, he said, but it did include an unusual meal. "They were shrouding their horses or putting him in battle armor or escorting the fallen to their grave," Nielsen said. "When that was done, they would eat the horse, and they would have a big feast." Today "the boots facing backward symbolize [that] the fallen won't ride again and [the rider is] looking back on his family one last time," he said. Nielsen serves with the ceremonial Caisson Platoon of the 3rd U.S. Infantry regiment, also known as the Old Guard, based at Fort Myer, Virginia, near the cemetery. Formed in 1784, the Old Guard ranks as the oldest active duty unit in the Army. "Memorial Day weekend is very busy around here," said Nielsen, who joins Old Guard comrades in the annual tradition at Arlington called "flags in." "We are responsible for going out in the cemetery and placing the American flags on all the headstones." Platoon soldiers rarely know any details about the troops or civilians they honor. "Sometimes someone who served with the fallen or maybe went to [military] academy with them will come up to you and tell you what a great guy they were," Nielsen said. When choosing Old Guard members, commanders "want guys who are punctual and disciplined and picky about the way they look and the way their horses look," he said. The focus of much of Nielsen's duties involves drilling and training horses such as Kennedy, a cap horse whose previous career involved running around harness racing tracks. Cemetery ceremonial horses are washed and brushed until their coats have a bright sheen. Saddles and brass are buffed and polished until they shine like mirrors. Ancient caissons that carry flag-draped caskets are cleaned and readied for a day of service. As for the soldiers, Old Guard members' woolen uniforms are flawless and take hours to prepare, as each inch is inspected again and again. Uniforms are pressed and ironed. Shoes and brass are polished and shined. "In the winter, it can get pretty cold out there," Nielsen said. "In the summer -- it's no joke -- the summers get extremely hot. There will be heat indexes of 100 to 115 degrees." Nielsen described his duty as rewarding. "We carry America's heroes to the final resting place," he said. Soldiers in formation lead the procession. An Army band plays, and the unit marches to muffled drums. The caisson passes, led by six horses, either black or white. The horses' harnesses jangle and the caisson wheels rumble through the hallowed paths of Arlington. Bringing up the rear of the procession is Nielsen, leading Kennedy. They pass in formation
|
[
"What does the old guard pride themselves on?",
"What is the name of the Army's ceremonial unit?",
"which presidents funeral included a riderless horse",
"Where was the horse with an empty saddle?",
"What time (city name) does the tradition date back to?",
"What was the saddle during the 1963 JFK funeral?"
] |
[
[
"the way they look and the way their horses look,\""
],
[
"Caisson Platoon of the 3rd U.S. Infantry regiment, also known as the Old Guard,"
],
[
"John F. Kennedy's"
],
[
"John F. Kennedy's funeral"
],
[
"Roman"
],
[
"a riderless horse with boots facing backwards in the"
]
] |
Riderless horses honor high-ranking fallen U.S. troops, government officials .
Many recall horse with empty saddle during 1963 JFK funeral .
Army's ceremonial "Old Guard" unit prides itself on its military funerals .
Tradition of riderless horses at funerals dates to ancient Rome, soldier says .
|
ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- The hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery took on a different tone Monday -- the usually quiet and reverent resting place of fallen heroes was buzzing with volunteers, professional landscapers and their equipment during the annual "Renewal and Remembrance" project. Monday was the annual "Renewal and Remembrance" day at Arlington National Cemetery. "Renewal" was started more than 10 years ago by an Ohio lawn-care group that wanted to give a day of service to the cemetery outside Washington, according to Bill Hildebolt, spokesman for the Professional Landcare Network. "It's grown fantastically from a few lawn-care operators to today we had over 400 individual PLANET members," he said Monday. Each year, volunteers take on several projects during the service day, including spreading lime over nearly 300 acres of the cemetery and installing irrigation systems, Hildebolt said. While the 95 companies participating Monday may normally compete for business in the lawn-care market, during Renewal the crews work together to honor the service members buried at Arlington. "It's just a day of remembrance," said Jeff Dietrich of Pennsylvania-based Joshua Tree, who has been volunteering for four years. A crew of arborists from the Joshua Tree company took on one the most expensive projects -- protecting Arlington's biggest trees from lightning. According to Dietrich, the process of lightning protection is important for protecting a valuable part of history. Watch how trees are protected » "Lightning, electricity is unpredictable at best. ... It'll blow a tree apart." To protect a tree from lightning strikes, Dietrich and his crew climb up to the top of a tree and run copper wires down the trunk with anchors that resemble rifle cartridges. The wire is then grounded by a copper pole entrenched at the base of the tree. If lightning strikes, the electricity runs down the wire and dissipates into the ground instead of harming the tree. Even though it took the Joshua Tree crew longer to reach Arlington from Pennsylvania than the four hours needed to complete their work, the workers seemed eager for their chance to volunteer, cheering each other on while working and sharing some trade secrets with other crews. "How many people can say they get to come down to Arlington, especially if they're not from around here, and climb some of these trees?" said Deitrich. For Hildebolt, providing a service for the national cemetery is a way to make a national contribution. "It's a privilege," he said. "It's a very humbling experience that I'm very proud of."
|
[
"When is Monday?",
"How many companies participated Monday at Arlington National Cemetery?",
"95 companies participated Monday at?",
"Who takes on several projects including irrigation, lightning protection?",
"Where is Arlington?",
"Landscapers volunteer during?",
"Volunteers take on several projects including?"
] |
[
[
"\"Renewal and Remembrance\" day"
],
[
"95"
],
[
"\"Renewal and Remembrance\""
],
[
"volunteers"
],
[
"Virginia"
],
[
"\"Renewal and Remembrance\" day at Arlington National Cemetery."
],
[
"spreading lime over nearly 300 acres of the cemetery and installing irrigation systems,"
]
] |
Landscapers volunteer during annual "Renewal and Remembrance" project .
95 companies participated Monday at Arlington National Cemetery .
Volunteers take on several projects including irrigation, lightning protection .
|
ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- The honors were late but still well-received Wednesday for members of the first all-African-American, all-female unit to serve overseas in World War II.
Mary Crawford Ragland said when they came home from service, there were no parades for them.
During the war, nearly 1,000 women from the "Six-Triple Eight" Central Postal Battalion moved mountains of mail for millions of American service members and civilians that clogged warehouses in England and France.
Their service to their country had been overlooked for years, starting with when they returned to the United States from assignments overseas.
"There was no parade," said Mary Crawford Ragland. "We just came home."
The 82-year old was among those gathered Wednesday at the Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, where a U.S. Army support group called the Freedom Team Salute presented them with certificates of appreciation, timed with Black History Month. Watch women receive their honors »
The group also gives a letter of appreciation signed by the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Army, an Army lapel pin and an Army decal.
For Alyce Dixon, 101, it was worth the wait. "They asked me because I'm one of the oldest survivors, and I can still talk," she said with a smile.
Nearly 800 women that were part of the 6888th were first stationed in Birmingham, England, for three months, moved to Rouen, France, and finally settled in Paris, according to the Army's Web site.
They were responsible for redirecting mail to more than seven million people -- all U.S. armed forces in the European Theater of Operations, including Army, Navy, Marine Corps, civilians and Red Cross workers.
As Army units quickly moved throughout Western Europe and into Germany, a massive mail snag occurred because of a manpower shortage.
Soldiers continued to move, fighting battles across the continent, but weren't getting their mail. Morale began to drop.
That's when the Army turned to the "Six-Triple-Eight"
When Dixon and the other women arrived at a warehouse in early 1945, they found the building had no heat.
Inside the warehouse, the windows were painted black to keep the light from coming out at night against bombing raids. Because there was no heat, the women donned long johns and anything else they could layer on.
But the temperature was nothing compared with the daunting challenge of sorting the mail.
When they walked inside the warehouse, it was stacked to the ceiling with undelivered packages and letters.
"They had 90 billion pieces of mail," Dixon told CNN, some of it from hometown friends and family addressed only to "Junior, U.S. Army or Buster, U.S. Army," she said.
"We had to figure it out," she said.
Even when there were complete names, it wasn't easy.
There were 7,500 soldiers named Robert Smith in the European Theater of Operations, according to the Museum of Black WWII History Web site, and the women had to keep them straight.
Because all undeliverable mail passed through them, they were charged with keeping information cards on everyone in the European Theater of Operations, according to the Army site. Because frontline soldiers were often moved frequently, the women often had to update information several times a month.
While it was an arduous task, the women knew the importance of their job. For soldiers in the field, letters from loved ones brought important personal connections that kept their morale going.
So they kept on sorting.
Eight hours at a time, three shifts per day, seven days a week, they kept on sorting. And because of them, 65,000 letters went out each shift to soldiers across Europe.
On Wednesday, the favor was finally returned.
|
[
"For what reasons were the working conditions so poor for the women who sorted 65,000 letters a shift?",
"What were women responsible for?",
"What was decreasing morale?",
"what was the working consitions",
"who was responsible for mail"
] |
[
[
"\"They had 90 billion pieces of mail,\""
],
[
"redirecting mail to more than seven million people"
],
[
"Soldiers continued to move, fighting battles across the continent, but weren't getting their mail."
],
[
"no heat."
],
[
"Nearly 800 women"
]
] |
Women were enlisted to help with backlog of mail that was decreasing morale .
They worked in freezing conditions but sorted 65,000 letters a shift .
Women had to find who letters addressed to "Buster" or "Junior" were for .
Women responsible for mail for more than 7 million service members and civilians .
|
ARNOLD, Missouri (CNN) -- On his 100th day in office, President Obama said Wednesday that he was "pleased with the progress we've made but not satisfied." Obama marked his 100th day in office Wednesday with a town hall meeting and later a news conference. "I've come back to report to you, the American people, that we have begun to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and we've begun the work of remaking America," the president said at a town hall meeting in a high school gymnasium in Arnold, a St. Louis suburb. "I'm confident in the future, but not I'm not content with the present," he said. "You know the progress comes from hard choices and hard work, not miracles. I'm not a miracle worker," he said. Obama acknowledged challenges of "unprecedented size and scope," including the recession. These challenges, he said, could not be met with "half measures." "They demand action that is bold and sustained. They call on us to clear away the wreckage of a painful recession, But also, at the same time, lay the building blocks for a new prosperity. And that's the work that we've begun over these first 100 days," he said. He responded to critics who say he is trying to do too much as he works to address the recession as well as health care, energy and education. "There's no mystery to what we've done; the priorities that we've acted upon were the things that we said we'd do during the campaign," he said, prompting loud applause. The president made an opening statement that lasted about 20 minutes before taking questions from the audience. The last question was from a fourth-grade girl who asked about the administration's environmental policies. Later Wednesday, Obama will hold a prime-time news conference in the East Room of the White House. Leading up to the date, White House aides had labeled the 100th day as a "Hallmark" holiday. "They don't mean anything," quipped one aide, "but you have to observe them." More than six in 10 Americans approve of the job Obama is doing as president, a recent poll of polls shows. According to a CNN Poll of Polls compiled early Wednesday, 63 percent say they approve of how Obama is handling his duties. CNN's Ed Henry contributed to this report.
|
[
"When will news conference be held?",
"where was he speaking from?",
"what will Obama hold on wednesday?",
"What did he say in Missouri?",
"who warns that progress comes from \"hard work, not miracles\"?",
"Who made these comments?"
] |
[
[
"Wednesday"
],
[
"at a town hall meeting in a high school gymnasium in Arnold, a St. Louis suburb."
],
[
"a town hall meeting and later a news conference."
],
[
"with the progress we've made but not satisfied.\""
],
[
"President Obama"
],
[
"Obama"
]
] |
"We've begun the work of remaking America," he says in Missouri .
Obama warns that progress comes from "hard work, not miracles"
He will hold a prime-time news conference later Wednesday .
|
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (CNN) -- Greg Melville's neighbors in Vermont looked at him like he was crazy 2½ years ago when he drove what he refers to as his "vegetable vehicle." It's a car that runs on vegetable oil instead of gasoline. Greg Melville converted a 1985 diesel station wagon to run on vegetable oil when his family needed another car. Back then, gasoline cost about $2.20 per gallon. Now that the cost of gas is nearly twice that, many Americans are starting to think that converting to a vehicle that runs on vegetable oil isn't such a bad idea. Melville, who now lives in Asheville, North Carolina, says the decision to convert a 1985 diesel station wagon to run on vegetable oil came about when his wife was in medical school and the couple needed a second vehicle. "We did some research and found out that the old Mercedes engines were very easy to convert, just because they are practically indestructible," Melville explained. After he found a good deal online, the couple purchased the car and found a conversion kit from a company in Massachusetts called Grease Car. The Melvilles then took the car and kit to an expert installer in their area and in no time, they were driving around -- with free fuel. The kit and installation cost about $1,000 each, and Melville says it took about 1½ years to recoup that cost. "We're kind of playing with house money, because we're driving on free gas, and it's paid for itself many times over," he said. Melville, who is a writer, has driven the gas-free vehicle more than 60,000 miles, including two cross-country trips he's written about in an upcoming book. Veggie car makes a cross-country road trip » The converted car was outfitted with a 15-gallon tank. Melville says it gets about 20 miles per gallon, the same fuel economy it would have gotten with the original diesel system. But according to a recent editorial he wrote for The New York Times, Melville says his carbon footprint is cut in half while driving the car fueled by vegetable oil. But all is not golden -- or green, as the case may be -- in this veggie tale. Melville admits that there are a few downsides to having a vegetable-oil powered vehicle. The process of collecting and filtering the grease can be time-consuming and a bit messy. He's made arrangements to get most of his waste oil from local restaurants, and each week, his suppliers leave him five-gallon drums that he must pick up. But when he travels long distances, he has to find new restaurants on the road that are willing to give him their used grease. Once Melville gets the grease, he pours it into a large gas can that's been painted black. The dark color helps absorb the sun's rays, which heat the oil inside. The process helps thin the grease and makes it easier to filter bits of onion rings and other fried foods. "[It's] not always the cleanest thing. I've spilled it all over me a couple times," Melville said. Another side effect of using vegetable oil is the smell. The undeniable aroma of french fries and other deep-fried foods wafts up frequently from the exhaust. Depending on a person's palate, the aromatherapy could be a deal-breaker or a fringe benefit. Still, Melville says he would recommend a vegetable vehicle to anyone -- with the following caution: "Make sure you have a supplier lined up, because suppliers are becoming harder to find." Even though many Americans love to eat fried food, there's not enough leftover oil to power all of the cars in the United States. The vegetable-oil powered cars have become so popular, there have been reports of cooking oil thefts from eating establishments across the country and talk of restaurants charging for the leftover oil. For now, Melville isn't concerned. "My hope is ... by the time that happens, some other alternative like
|
[
"What is a downside to veggie cars?",
"What oil was the Mercedes converted to use?",
"Who is Grey Melville?",
"How much does the car kit and installation cost?",
"Where does Melville get oil from?",
"What are a few downsides of veggie cars?"
] |
[
[
"collecting and filtering the grease can be time-consuming and a bit messy."
],
[
"vegetable"
],
[
"converted a 1985 diesel station wagon to run on vegetable oil when his family needed another car."
],
[
"about $1,000 each,"
],
[
"local restaurants, and each week, his suppliers leave him five-gallon drums that he must pick up."
],
[
"The process of collecting and filtering the grease can be time-consuming and a bit messy."
]
] |
Greg Melville converted a 1985 diesel Mercedes to run on vegetable oil .
A car kit and professional installation cost about $2,000 .
Restaurants supply Melville with free five-gallon drums of used oil, which he filters .
Collecting and cleaning oil, smelly fumes are a few downsides of veggie cars .
|
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (CNN) -- In 1988, a relatively unknown rock and blues guitarist named Warren Haynes got some of his friends together to play music in Asheville, North Carolina. It was just an opportunity for local musicians to jam during the holidays, the one time of year they were all in town together. Warren Haynes' good work has been noted by the street named after him. The artists also wanted to give back to the community, so they gave the money raised by their show to various charities. The tradition has continued. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Haynes' Christmas Jam has evolved into an epic annual event for the musicians, fans, and particularly Habitat for Humanity. "We need Habitat For Humanity more now than ever, with the whole mortgage crisis that put us where we are now, and the fact that Habitat is about building homes for people that can't afford homes as opposed to lending money to people who can't afford homes," Haynes told CNN. Haynes and his wife, Stefani Scamardo, decided to donate 100 percent of the Christmas Jam proceeds to Habitat for Humanity years ago because they could see exactly where the money was going. They go back each year and meet the families they helped build homes for. Singer Joan Osborne echoed Haynes' thoughts. "It's a scary time. A lot of people are losing their homes so it's good to be able to do something that helps with that specific problem," she said. Going into 2008's shows, which were held December 12 and 13, the Christmas Jam had raised more than $665,000 for Asheville's Habitat For Humanity. The money has gone into building 12 houses in Enka Hills, a wooded community surrounded by mountains on a street the organization appropriately named Warren Haynes Drive. (In 2005 Habitat also built a house in the New Orleans Musicians Village.) The Thursday before the show, Haynes presented the key to a new home to single mother Suzie Cromer and her 8-year-old daughter. "Meeting the families and seeing the work that Habitat's doing with our help -- you know its hard to see that and not get emotional," Haynes said. "Warren is a hero in our mind," said Habitat's Arianne Kjellquist. "In western North Carolina, the housing costs are really out of whack with what the local wages are, so there's a big discrepancy there. There are more people that maybe would have been approved previously when the lending standards weren't so strict." This year's Christmas Jam lived up to the long-lasting and crowd-pleasing traditions of previous shows. The first night's show ran more than nine hours, ending with an Allman Brothers set after 4 a.m. The second night's show ended at 3:30 a.m. Performers included Ben Harper and Relentless 7, Travis Tritt, Michael Franti, Osborne, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Steve Earle and Haynes' band Gov't Mule. Perhaps the most anticipated addition this year among both fans and artists was former Led Zeppelin member John Paul Jones, who played acoustic mandolin, bass and keyboards throughout the weekend with just about everyone. Jones said he was happy to pitch in. "In the economic climate like this, people really just want to get out and enjoy themselves and forget about the day to day stuff that they have to deal with. So it works on many levels," Jones said. "The fact that it is for a good cause is just a huge bonus." Haynes says the 20-year evolution of the Christmas Jam reflects his career. "We've grown up together. Its a parallel of the progress that I have achieved, and the event reflects not only the philosophy I share with these people but the mission." And as fans danced the night away while the artists played their hearts out, families' dreams of owning their perfect home come true. "I would have never imagined or dreamed that it would turn into what its turned into," Haynes reflected with a huge smile.
|
[
"Where is location of the concert held for charity?",
"Where is Christmas Jam held?",
"What was the money used for?",
"What city does the even toccur?",
"How many habitat for Humanity houses were build?",
"Who helped start Christmas Jam?",
"How many Habitat for Humanity houses has Money built?",
"Who helped start Christmas Jam 20 years ago?",
"When did the Christmas Jam begin?"
] |
[
[
"Asheville, North Carolina."
],
[
"Asheville, North Carolina."
],
[
"building 12 houses in Enka Hills,"
],
[
"Asheville, North Carolina."
],
[
"12"
],
[
"Warren Haynes'"
],
[
"12"
],
[
"Haynes"
],
[
"In 1988,"
]
] |
Guitarist Warren Haynes helped start Christmas Jam 20 years ago .
Asheville, N.C., concert has raised thousands for charity .
Money has built 12 Habitat for Humanity houses in a local neighborhood .
|
ASHLAND, Ohio (CNN) -- An Ohio bakery shut down in October is bustling again, with 60 eager employees who had expected a Christmas on the unemployment rolls. Cookie production has resumed and some workers are back on the job at the Archway factory in Ashland, Ohio. Some 300 workers lost their jobs when the Archway cookie factory in Ashland, Ohio, was suddenly closed by the private equity firm that owned it. The workers also were left without benefits like health insurance. But then Lance Inc., a Charlotte, North Carolina-based snack food company, purchased Archway at a bankruptcy auction. And last week 60 workers were asked to return immediately, with perhaps more coming back in the months ahead. Kathy Sexton, a worker at the bakery, had been preparing her children for a very modest holiday. Watch the holiday brighten for workers » "They said they understood," Sexton recalls. "They said, 'That's all right, Mom.' You always want to give them more, but ... I didn't think I would be able to." Now she can. Tiny Ashland has been struggling. Ohio has lost 200,000 jobs over the past eight years. The recent presidential campaign saw both candidates visiting frequently. The outlook in Ashland became especially bleak when the Archway plant closed. Workers at the bakery said they felt betrayed when Archway at first said there would be more work in a day or two, but then changed the locks. Rita Devan remembers. "They just kept taking and taking until there was nothing left to take," Devan says, "and they didn't care that they were putting 300 people out of work." Things are different now. When it promised to reopen the bakery, Lance gave all 300 former Archway workers a $1,500 prepaid debit card. "I was crying," Devan says of the gift. "I am like, 'What are these people doing? They don't know me. They don't know us. They don't know any of the Archway people. And they are giving each and every one of us $1,500.' " Sexton -- the woman who'd been preparing her kids for a meager holiday -- says of the $1,500 gift: "It was awesome. My first thought was, 'I can give my kids a Christmas.' " David Singer, CEO of Lance, says the gift cards were a way of letting Ashland know the new owners are different. "We wouldn't do it willy-nilly," Singer says. "We do want to make money. But this is the pool of folks that we intend to hire. We just wanted to let them know who we were." The 60 workers rehired so far are earning their previous salary and retained their seniority. They also were provided health insurance from day one. The bakery now produces Lance cookies that are sold to big chains like Target and Wal-Mart. But production of Archway cookies is scheduled to resume soon. Lance has told the employees that it hopes to have the plant fully operational by the end of 2009 -- that is, five lines of cookies being produced simultaneously. The new owners say that if new orders keep flowing in, more jobs will follow. Terry Mowry is another worker rehired by Lance. He says what has happened is hard to describe: "You just saw life being breathed right back into the face of these people." And Devan says with a laugh: "I walked into the garage last night, and my husband says, 'You actually smell like a cookie again.' " "He said, 'Boy, I missed that smell.' "
|
[
"Which company purchased Archway at auction?",
"How many people lost their jobs when Archway closed?",
"When did the bakery suddenly close?",
"What were laid-off workers given?",
"What did the new owners give the workers?",
"Who closed doors in October?",
"What company bought Archway?",
"How much did the owner give ex-workers on a prepaid debit card?",
"Who stepped in and bought Archway?"
] |
[
[
"Lance Inc.,"
],
[
"300 workers"
],
[
"October"
],
[
"$1,500 prepaid debit card."
],
[
"a $1,500 prepaid debit card."
],
[
"An Ohio bakery"
],
[
"Lance Inc.,"
],
[
"$1,500"
],
[
"Lance Inc.,"
]
] |
Archway bakery suddenly closed doors in October, throwing some 300 out of work .
Lance snack food company steps in, buys Archway at bankruptcy auction .
New owner gives each laid-off worker a prepaid $1,500 debit card .
Company rehires 60 workers, says more will regain jobs if orders keep coming in .
|
ASUNCION, Paraguay (CNN) -- A second woman stepped forward Monday to say that Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo fathered a child out of wedlock when he was a Roman Catholic bishop. Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo says Monday he will comply with justice on the latest paternity allegation. Benigna Leguizamon said Lugo fathered her son in 2002 in the city of San Pedro. She served notice that Lugo has 24 hours to acknowledge paternity or she will take legal action. "I am waiting in good will," she said in an interview on CNN affiliate Telefuturo TV. "But if they don't do something, oh, my God." Lugo, 57, acknowledged last week that he is the father of a 2-year-old child conceived in the months before he stepped down as bishop. He said last week he was making the admission "with the most absolute honesty, transparency and feeling of obligation." Without acknowledging paternity, he expressed similar sentiments Monday about the latest allegation. "We're going to act always in pursuit of the truth ... in this private matter," he said in a nationally televised announcement on Telefuturo. Last week's announcement came after a woman filed suit in a southern Paraguay city seeking a paternity test. "It's true that there was a relationship with Viviana Carrillo," Lugo told reporters, naming the mother. "I assume all the responsibilities that could derive from such an act, recognizing the paternity of the child." Leguizamon, 27, said Monday that last week's announcement had encouraged her to come forth. "When I saw the case with Viviana, I was strengthened to make my accusation," Leguizamon said. She said she made the accusation to help her 6-year-old son, who is starting school. She will ask for a DNA test, she said. In last week's case, Judge Evelyn Peralta said she was treating it routinely. "It is a case like any other, which involves the president and nothing more," she said. "It will be processed at it should be." Some Cabinet members interpreted Lugo's acknowledgment of paternity as an indication of the change he has promised to bring about to achieve greater transparency in the public sector. "This is the Paraguay that we want," said Liz Torres, minister of children's issues. "This is the Paraguay of serious change in which there is no double standard or secrets. It seems to be an example, a very big lesson." But some opposition party members said it appeared that Lugo practically had been forced to acknowledge what happened and that he had not done so willingly. Sen. Julio Cesar Velasquez of the opposition Colorado Party called on the Vatican to excommunicate Lugo. Lugo was made a lay Catholic last year, around the time he assumed the presidency.
|
[
"who should be excommunicated?",
"who fathered the child?",
"who is being excommunicated?",
"Who said he'll \"act always in pursuit of the truth\"?",
"who fathered the son?",
"was it out of wed lock?",
"Who admitted to fathering another child out of wedlock?",
"what country is lugo the president of?",
"What do opposition lawmakers urge the Vatican to do?"
] |
[
[
"Paraguayan President"
],
[
"Fernando Lugo"
],
[
"Fernando Lugo"
],
[
"Lugo,"
],
[
"Fernando Lugo"
],
[
"of wedlock"
],
[
"Paraguayan President"
],
[
"Paraguay"
],
[
"excommunicate Lugo."
]
] |
Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo fathered son, woman says .
Lugo admitted to fathering another child out of wedlock last week .
On latest allegation, Lugo says he'll "act always in pursuit of the truth"
Opposition lawmaker urges Vatican to excommunicate Lugo, an ex-Catholic bishop .
|
ASUNCION, Paraguay (CNN) -- Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo acknowledged Monday that he is the father of a 2-year-old child who was conceived when he was a Roman Catholic bishop. Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo speaks at a news conference in Asuncion on Monday. "It's true that there was a relationship with Viviana Carrillo," Lugo told reporters, citing the mother. "I assume all the responsibilities that could derive from such an act, recognizing the paternity of the child." He said he was making the acknowledgment "with the most absolute honesty, transparency and feeling of obligation." The announcement came in the week after Carrillo had filed suit in a city in southern Paraguay seeking a paternity test. Judge Evelyn Peralta, who is overseeing the case, said she was treating it routinely. "It is a case like any other, which involves the president and nothing more," she said. "It will be processed as it should be." Some Cabinet members interpreted Lugo's acknowledgment of paternity as an indication of the change he has promised to bring about to achieve greater transparency in the public sector. "This is the Paraguay that we want," said Liz Torres, minister of children's issues. "This is the Paraguay of serious change, in which there is no double standard or secrets. It seems to be an example, a very big lesson." But some opposition party members said it appeared that Lugo had practically been forced to acknowledge what happened; that he had not done so willingly. Sen. Julio Cesar Velasquez of the opposition Colorado Party called on the Vatican to excommunicate Lugo. Lugo was laicized last year, around the time he assumed the presidency. Journalist Sanie Lopez Garelli contributed to this report from Asuncion.
|
[
"Who is Fernando Lugo?",
"Who requested the excommunication of Lugo by the Vatican?",
"Who sued the bishop?",
"What party are the cabinet members from?",
"When did Lugo announce he has a child?",
"Who will exocommunicate him?"
] |
[
[
"Paraguayan President"
],
[
"Sen. Julio Cesar Velasquez"
],
[
"Carrillo"
],
[
"Colorado"
],
[
"Monday"
],
[
"the Vatican"
]
] |
Fernando Lugo says he's the father of a 2-year-old conceived when he was a bishop .
Announcement comes in the week after child's mother sued, seeking paternity test .
Some Cabinet members say paternity disclosure reflects government transparency .
But opposition party member calls on Vatican to excommunicate Lugo .
|
ASUNCION, Paraguay (CNN) -- The World Health Organization plans to send 2 million vaccines to Paraguay by Sunday after yellow fever emerged there for the first time in 34 years. Anxiety has gripped the South American nation of 7 million since authorities confirmed the first cases of yellow fever there last month. The disease has killed seven people and prompted the government to declare a three-month state of emergency. The government's health ministry is scrambling to find doses for a massive vaccination campaign. Nearby Brazil already has sent 1 million vaccines. The World Health Organization's shipment of 2 million doses is scheduled to arrive on Saturday or Sunday, according to a report Friday in the Paraguay's national news agency, Jakueke. Protesters have closed roads and started fires amid news reports that health workers were vaccinating certain politicians in their homes. "I categorically reject these kinds of irresponsible allegations," said Health Minister Oscar Martinez Doldan. Meanwhile, some people have endured long waits for vaccines in sweltering heat. "Citizens pay taxes for our health and education, but there are no vaccines here," Cynthia Shaerer, told CNN. "We don't need speeches here. We need vaccines." "I want the president to tell me," another said. "If we are going to die, who is responsible?" People contract yellow fever from the bite of an infected mosquito. The disease causes fever, muscle pain, headaches, shivering, nausea and vomiting, the World Health Organization says. Most people improve after three or four days, but some enter a second "toxic" phase that causes fever, jaundice and blood in the vomit, the health organization says. About half of the people who enter the second phase of yellow fever die within 10 days. There is no treatment, so medical authorities recommend vaccinations. Yellow fever typically is found in tropical regions of Africa and Latin America. Most of the seven deaths in Paraguay happened in the town of San Lorenzo, about 12 miles (20 km) from the capital city of Asuncion. The public-health crisis comes two months before scheduled elections in Paraguay. Some analysts say it presents a delicate situation for the ruling Colorado Party, which has held power for 60 years. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"When did outbreak come?",
"What did W.H.O. do?",
"what are the symptoms of the illness?",
"When did this happen",
"What disease had an outbreak in Paraguay?",
"How many people have died?"
] |
[
[
"last month."
],
[
"The World Health Organization plans to send 2 million vaccines to Paraguay"
],
[
"fever, muscle pain, headaches, shivering, nausea and vomiting,"
],
[
"last month."
],
[
"yellow fever"
],
[
"seven"
]
] |
W.H.O., nearby nations, rush vaccines to Paraguay after yellow fever outbreak .
Illness, which causes fever, muscle pain, headaches, has killed 7 so far .
Protests amid claims that politicians have been given vaccines in their homes .
Outbreak, first in 34 years, comes two months before scheduled elections .
|
ATHENS, Georgia (CNN) -- A University of Georgia professor apparently shot and killed his wife and two other people at a community theater group's reunion Saturday, then dropped the couple's two children off at a neighbor's and fled.
An alert on the UGA Web site says professor George Zinkhan is a suspect in an off-campus shooting.
Athens-Clarke County police said they have local, regional and national alerts out for George Zinkhan, 57, an endowed marketing professor at the school's Terry College of Business.
"It appeared he and his wife were having problems," police Capt. Clarence Holeman said.
Holeman identified the dead as Marie Bruce, 47, Zinkhan's wife and a prominent Athens attorney; Tom Tanner, 40; and Ben Teague, 63.
Friends identified Bruce as the president of the board of the Town and Gown Players, the theater group holding a reunion picnic on the theater's deck when the shooting took place. Tanner and Teague were identified as set designers for the theater.
Two other people were wounded by ricocheting bullets, Holeman said, but did not identify them. At least 20 people were in attendance at the event, he said.
Zinkhan was not at the theater event initially, Holeman said, but when he arrived, he got into "a disagreement" with his wife. He left the scene -- police believe to his car, where his children were waiting -- and returned with two handguns.
"It only took a few minutes," Holeman said. Police found eight shell casings, he said.
After the shootings, Zinkhan left the scene with his two children -- ages 8 and 10 -- still in the vehicle, police said. He drove to a neighbor's home in nearby Bogart, Georgia, where he lived, and left the children there.
The neighbor, Bob Covington, told CNN that Zinkhan arrived at his home shortly after noon with the two children.
"He rang the doorbell -- asked me if I could keep his kids for about an hour," Covington said. "I said sure, and he said there'd been some type of emergency, and he took off."
Zinkhan seemed hurried and agitated but that seemed consistent with an emergency, Covington said. He didn't question Zinkhan about the emergency, Covington said, adding that it wasn't unusual for someone in his family to watch the children.
An hour or so later, he said, police arrived and took the children.
Covington described Zinkhan as "a very quiet guy, but family-oriented."
"He was great around his kids," he said. "Never saw a bit of a problem between he his wife or his kids."
Covington said he was "completely shocked, didn't believe it" when he heard the news, and said he knew Marie Bruce much better than her husband.
"She was much more talkative, very vivacious," he said.
Police Maj. Mike Shockley told CNN that officers were searching Zinkhan's home Saturday and that a wide search for the suspect was in progress.
"It's still a hunt," he said. " ... Now it's just a matter of trying to locate him."
Holeman said Zinkhan has relatives in Texas and owns a home in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He was last seen driving a red, 2005 Jeep Liberty, Holeman said.
The news reverberated across Athens.
"The University community is shocked and saddened at this tragic event," University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams, said in a written statement. "Our first thoughts are for safety of the university community and for prompt apprehension of the person responsible. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all those who have been affected."
Another university professor, Steve Elliott-Gower, told CNN that Zinkhan had been at the school for at least 10 years and was "a distinguished professor with a national reputation."
"He was quirky and aloof, but absolutely nothing that I saw would lead me to
|
[
"What is the age of the wife?",
"Who was wife of suspect?",
"what was the crime",
"What is the age of the suspect?",
"Who are alerts out for?"
] |
[
[
"47,"
],
[
"Marie Bruce,"
],
[
"shot and killed his wife and"
],
[
"57,"
],
[
"George Zinkhan,"
]
] |
NEW: Marie Bruce, 47, wife of the suspect, was one of the victims, police say .
NEW: Other victims identified as Tom Tanner, 40, and Ben Teague, 63 .
NEW: Suspect apparently dropped children off at a neighbor's house before fleeing .
NEW: Local, state and national alerts are out for George Zinkhan, 57 .
|
ATHENS, Georgia (CNN) -- A wanted University of Georgia professor killed himself with a single gunshot to the head after he dug his own grave and covered it with brush, police said Tuesday. George Zinkhan, a professor at the University of Georgia, disappeared after the slayings of his wife and two others. The manhunt for George Zinkhan ended Saturday when cadaver dogs discovered his body in Georgia's Clarke County, about a mile from where his red Jeep Liberty was found more than a week earlier, police said. "Zinkhan's body was found in a small dugout area in the ground, covered with leaves and debris, and it was apparent that he took significant steps to try to conceal his body from being located," a statement from Athens police said. Law enforcement officials determined that Zinkhan, 57, committed suicide after killing his wife, Marie Bruce, 47, Thomas Tanner, 40, and Ben Teague, 63, outside a theater in Athens on April 25. Another University of Georgia professor, Barbara Carroll, believes that she was also targeted by Zinkhan but escaped because she was at a movie theater the day of the slayings. In an e-mail obtained by CNN, Carroll had warned her colleagues at the university's Terry College of Business that Zinkhan, a marketing professor, was "dangerous." The e-mail was sent after the shootings but before Zinkhan's body was found. Carroll could not be reached Tuesday, but in her e-mail she said that law enforcement officials surrounded her house early on the morning of May 1 after authorities found MapQuest directions to her house, printed on April 24, in Zinkhan's Jeep. She said she was advised to go into hiding. "I do not believe Zinkhan had a map to my house for any reason other than he planned to kill me as well on April 25," Carroll wrote. "This also suggests premeditation for the three murders he did commit. By the grace of God, I was at the movies all Saturday afternoon after being at school in my office (like a sitting duck) all that morning." All three of Zinkhan's victims were associated with the Town and Gown Players theater group, which was holding a reunion picnic at the time of the shootings. Police did not give any motive for the slayings but said in a statement that Zinkhan and his wife were having marital problems. Zinkhan targeted Tanner and shot him first, the statement added. Authorities said Zinkhan arrived while the Town and Gown event was under way and got into a disagreement with Bruce. Police believe that he left, went to his car -- where the couple's children apparently were waiting -- and returned with two handguns. In addition to the three deaths, two people were wounded, police said. After the shootings, Zinkhan, a marketing professor at the Terry College of Business, drove to his hometown of Bogart, Georgia, and left his children -- ages 8 and 10 -- with a neighbor. Authorities put out bulletins across the nation for Zinkhan after the shootings and revealed that he had purchased an airline ticket in March for a May 2 flight to the Netherlands, where he owned a house. But Zinkhan never showed up at the airport.
|
[
"What did authorities say?",
"who is the suspect?",
"which is the name of University?",
"where the body was found?",
"What was Zinkhan suspected of doing?"
] |
[
[
"Zinkhan arrived while the Town and Gown event was under way and got into a disagreement with Bruce."
],
[
"George Zinkhan,"
],
[
"of Georgia,"
],
[
"Georgia's Clarke County,"
],
[
"slayings of his wife and two others."
]
] |
NEW: Co-worker says she was also targeted .
Authorities say University of Georgia professor dug his own grave .
Cadaver dogs searching for George Zinkhan found body in woods, police say .
Zinkhan suspected of killing his wife, two other people .
|
ATHENS, Georgia (CNN) -- The body of accused triple killer and University of Georgia professor George Zinkhan was claimed by a relative Friday, nearly a week after Zinkhan was found dead, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. A studio proof shows professor George Zinkhan and his wife, Marie Bruce. A mortuary shipping service in Atlanta picked up Zinkhan's body at the request of a son from a previous marriage, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said. Details on plans for the body weren't immediately available. Earlier Friday, Bankhead had said Zinkhan's body -- found Saturday in a self-dug shallow grave -- could be headed to a pauper's grave if the family didn't claim the body from the Athens-Clarke County coroner's office by Saturday morning. Such a grave is typically reserved for unidentified bodies, unclaimed bodies or people without family members. Bankhead said the situation was rare and that it was unclear why the family had taken that long to claim the body of the professor, described by colleagues and acquaintances as aloof and eccentric. Neighbor Bob Covington remembers a lot of "forced moments" with Zinkhan. The last such interaction came the afternoon of April 24, the day before witnesses said Zinkhan, 57, killed his wife and two others outside a community theater in Athens. Covington was walking down the driveway of his Bogart home to check the mail. Zinkhan had just done the same and was walking back to his house. Covington said hello and told Zinkhan that his son, a UGA student who used to mow the Zinkhans' lawn, had recently seen Zinkhan on campus. "He said, 'Yeah, that's where I hang out,' and turned and walked into the house," said Covington, who lived next door to Zinkhan for eight years."That's mostly what it was with George, forced moments." It was odd for Zinkhan to say more than five or 10 words before disengaging, while his wife, Marie Bruce, was the "polar opposite," Covington said, describing the 47-year-old thespian as engaging and vivacious. Despite the contrasts in personalities, Covington never saw evidence that there were problems between the two, he said. "He never raised his voice at his kids. I never heard that. I never heard him raise his voice at Marie," he said. Neighbors, students and fellow faculty members all concur that Zinkhan was standoffish, but their accounts also paint a contradictory image of the marketing professor who would occasionally walk the halls of UGA's business college barefoot. Some faculty members were quick to defend Zinkhan, but reluctant to do so on record. One said he felt it was a university matter. Another was reluctant to be on record defending an accused mass killer. "He's being painted as an ogre, which doesn't fit," said the former. Two faculty members said Zinkhan was introverted but friendly. He was close to some colleagues. He remembered their birthdays and was generous with gifts at Christmas. His quirky behavior was generally overlooked because of his brilliance, a colleague said. One fellow professor went so far as to call him a genius, and not just with marketing, either. Zinkhan apparently was well-versed in a wide range of topics -- art, opera, architecture -- and he loved sports. Faculty members recalled that the strapping 6-foot-2 Zinkhan played on the intramural softball team with some of his graduate students, and he liked to boast of his home runs. He also loved his son, 8, and daughter, 10, and regularly brought them to work. Neighbors said they saw him outside playing soccer with the kids on a miniature goal that still sat in the yard this week. A basketball goal with a rim a foot or two below regulation stood over the Zinkhans' driveway, and a miniature yellow house sat dormant in his wooded backyard. A neighbor who asked not to be named said the cedar front door on the house Tuesday was new. A SWAT team had burst through the old front door shortly after Zinkhan allegedly shot Bruce; attorney Tom Tanner
|
[
"Who is eccentric?",
"Who claimed the professors body?",
"Who claims professor's body?",
"Who claimed the professor's body?",
"What happened to George Zinkhan?",
"Who claimed University of Georgia professor's body?",
"Who claims University of Georgia professor's body?"
] |
[
[
"the professor,"
],
[
"by a relative Friday,"
],
[
"a relative"
],
[
"a relative"
],
[
"found dead,"
],
[
"a relative"
],
[
"a relative"
]
] |
NEW: Son from previous marriage claims University of Georgia professor's body .
Acquaintances, colleagues remember George Zinkhan as eccentric, aloof .
Neighbor: Children unaware of mother's slaying; daughter mentioned "firecracker"
Student, colleague both thought Zinkhan may be dangerous before triple killing .
|
ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Fires in southern Greece that have razed dozens of villages and killed at least 44 people may have been deliberately set ahead of next month's national elections, the prime minister suggested Saturday. A fire burns in the Mesohoria area on Evia Island, northeast of Athens. Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis declared a nationwide state of emergency Saturday night. He also turned to European Union allies, which have promised help. Emergency crews pulled charred bodies from homes and local media reported death tolls of up to 50 people. Scores are hospitalized with severe burns and respiratory problems, state-run television reported. Although the fires were concentrated in the southern Peloponnese region, heavy smoke billowing Saturday afternoon above Mount Hymettus, southeast of Athens, signaled a new fire. It was burning close to Athens International Airport, forcing officials to close a highway. In a nationally televised address, Karamanlis suggested the blazes might have been set by political extremists, disrupting political campaigning. "So many fires sparked simultaneously in so many places is no coincidence," Karamanlis said, and vowed to punish those responsible. Many firefighters told CNN they are suspicious of the fire's source, given several witness reports that the blazes cropped up simultaneously along a 20-kilometer (12-mile) front of lush greenery in southern Greece. The prime minister described the situation as a "battle that has to be won," and ordered all resources mobilized to fight the fires. He also announced that a fund has been set up for fire victims and their families, and an assessment of the disaster will be made. The most devastated area stretches for 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the western towns of the Zaharo, within the highlands of the western Peloponnese, to the southern tip of the peninsula, Mani. In the past 24 hours, hundreds of firefighters, soldiers, and planes loaded with water have been battling the infernos on a dozen fronts, authorities said. Yet, despite their efforts, officials said the flames had not been tamed. "Our emergency services are overstretched and it is humanly impossible to battle this force of nature," a top fire official told CNN. An EU statement said 30 member countries had offered assistance. France on Saturday was slated to send two planes to help quell the fires, and Norway and Germany pledged to send aircraft as well. A sweltering heat wave in Greece has parched forests and scrubland. With intense winds fanning the flames, authorities call this the country's worst fire season on record. Since June, more than 3,000 fires have razed thousands of hectares of forests and scrubland across the country -- nearly triple last year's total -- according to officials. A mother, her child and at least seven other people died fleeing burning woods in the mountainous villages in western Peloponnese, near the town of Zaharo, according to a fire department official. Farther south, six people -- including two French tourists found by rescue crews in an embrace -- were killed in a forest fire that swept near their hotel in the town of Areopolis, located 190 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Athens. Greece's elections are set for September 16. The ruling party has called for a temporary suspension of political campaigning as a sign of respect to those who died in the flames, and flags on government buildings were flying Saturday at half staff. E-mail to a friend Journalist Anthee Carassava contributed to this report
|
[
"How many countries have offered to help according to the European Union?",
"Who declared a state of emergency?",
"Who many countries offered help?",
"What is the European Union doing?",
"What is the death toll revised to?",
"What did the Greek government delcare?",
"What is the death toll at?",
"What is happening in Greece?",
"What countries have offered help?"
] |
[
[
"30"
],
[
"Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis"
],
[
"30"
],
[
"promised help."
],
[
"50 people."
],
[
"declared a nationwide state of emergency"
],
[
"50"
],
[
"Fires"
],
[
"European Union allies,"
]
] |
NEW: Greek government declares a state of emergency for the entire country .
NEW: Death toll revised to 44 for fires sweeping southern Greece .
European Union says 30 member countries have offered help .
|
ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Authorities vowed to re-impose order after demonstrators rose up across Greece Monday in a third day of rioting over Saturday's killing of a 15-year-old boy that has left dozens injured and scores of properties destroyed.
An undated photo of Alexandros Grigoropoulos, whose death has sparked riots across Greece.
"Under no circumstances will the government accept what is occurring," said Greek Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos. "We will do what is necessary."
It was unclear what would be necessary to placate the demonstrators. "We've just lost count of how many demonstrations are taking place now," a police spokesman in Athens told CNN.
Police said 34 civilians and 16 police officers were injured Monday in rioting that spread into new municipalities, including Trikala, Larissam and Veria.
Riots broke out Saturday in Thessaloniki and Athens, where police killed the teen. Watch the latest report on the rioting »
Demonstrators had torched three government buildings and three offices of the ruling conservative political party in downtown Athens, a National Fire Brigade spokesman told Greek state television. Watch as iReporter witnesses the clashes
Thirty-five cars and 160 trash containers also had been set ablaze, he said. See images of anarchy on Greek streets »
Demonstrators Monday barricaded streets in Athens and Thessaloniki and hurled gasoline bombs as they battled with police. Clouds of tear gas hung over the capital city as riot police continued to battle the hundreds of young self-styled anarchists rioting over the boy's death.
"Rage is what I feel for what has happened, rage, and that this cop who did it must see what it is to kill a kid and to destroy a life," a student in Athens told reporters Monday. Watch protesters clash with police »
In a nationally televised address broadcast on state television, Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis condemned the violence and promised to punish those responsible for Saturday's shooting.
He also announced a decision to drop plans to reimburse business owners affected by the rioting.
The police officer who fired the fatal shot has been charged with "manslaughter with intent" and suspended from duty, police said, adding that a second police officer was arrested Saturday on criminal accessory charges.
Government officials have condemned the shooting.
"An investigation is under way and those found responsible will be punished," said Pavlopoulos. "Measures will also be taken to avoid such incidents again in the future." iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video of rioting
On Monday, authorities conducted an autopsy on the teenage boy in an effort to answer questions about the circumstances of the shooting, but the boy's family has called in their own investigators to verify state findings, the Athens coroner told CNN.
The U.S. and British embassies issued warnings to employees and tourists on Sunday, instructing them to avoid downtown Athens and other major cities until rioting subsides.
Tourists in central Athens hotels were advised by hotel staff not to leave their rooms as police fanned out across the city.
"There are lots of burning bins and debris in the street and a huge amount of tear gas in the air, which we got choked with on the way back to our hotel," according to Joel Brown, a CNN senior press officer visiting Athens on Sunday.
A police statement about the teenage boy's death said the incident started when six young protesters pelted a police patrol car with stones. The teen was shot as he tried to throw a petrol bomb at the officers, police said.
Other angry teens converged on the site almost immediately.
Fighting between youths and police erupted elsewhere, including Thessaloniki, the country's second-largest city. Hundreds of young people took to the streets of the sprawling port city, finally barricading themselves behind the gates of a state university.
Authorities have been barred from entering university grounds since tanks crushed a 1973 student uprising protesting the ruling military junta. It was not clear what authorities would do about the demonstrators still holed up at the university.
No deaths have been reported since Saturday.
Police said Monday
|
[
"Where was the teenage boy shot?",
"How many civilians were injured?",
"What caused protests to explode?",
"Authorities vow to do what in regards to the rioting?",
"Where is the rioting happening?",
"Number of civilians injure during riots?",
"How many civilians were injured in the rioting?",
"Where was the teenager shot at?",
"Who is rioting?",
"What do authorities vow to re-impose?"
] |
[
[
"Athens,"
],
[
"34"
],
[
"killing of a 15-year-old boy"
],
[
"re-impose order"
],
[
"across Greece"
],
[
"34"
],
[
"34"
],
[
"Athens,"
],
[
"young self-styled anarchists"
],
[
"order"
]
] |
NEW: Authorities vow to re-impose order as rioting enters third day .
NEW: Police say 34 civilians, 16 police officers injured Monday in rioting .
Protests exploded after police shoot dead a teenage boy in Athens .
Government says investigation into shooting is under way .
|
ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Greece's opposition Socialist party on Sunday defeated the incumbent center-right government of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, as Socialist leader George Papandreou promised to chart a new course for an economic comeback. Socialist George Papandreou is set to become Greece's next prime minister. "On this course, nothing is going to be easy -- it will take work, hard work," Papandreou said in his victory address. "And I will always be honest with the Greek people so that we may better solve the problems of the state." Sunday's national elections were held two years before originally scheduled. Karamanlis called the elections in response to pressure from Papandreou's Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Greece, which threatened to block the election of a president in February if no general election was held. The Greek constitution requires the two major parties to agree on the election of a president, giving either party an effective veto. Karamanlis' term was not due to expire until September 2011. But Papandreou insisted on new elections before the end of President Karolos Papoulias' term as president. The country's ailing economy was the focus in the run up to the elections, as both candidates offered conflicting prescriptions to revive it. While Karamanlis called for cuts in spending, Papandreou proposed a massive stimulus. Karamanlis, of the New Democracy party, congratulated Papandreou in a nationally televised concession speech. "And like every Greek, I hope that he succeeds at the big challenge of facing up to the economic situation," Karamanlis said. "Because this challenge, I have said many times, is a national issue." It was unclear whether Karamanlis would step down as New Democracy party leader, as the elections marked the worst defeat the party has seen in more than 20 years. According to figures posted on the Interior Ministry's Web site, the Socialist party received 44 percent of the vote, compared wotj New Democracy's 34 percent, with 87 percent of votes counted. The margin is the largest seen in a Greek vote in decades. The Socialist party will receive an estimated 160 seats in Greece's 300-seat Parliament, officials said, compared with New Democracy's 93 seats. Greek state television ERT showed cheering, flag-waving crowds surrounding Papandreou as he made his way to party headquarters. "All of the opinion polls are suggesting that Greek voters are becoming more frustrated with (Karamanlis') governance, more frustrated that after two parliamentary terms some of the objectives which he'd set have not been achieved," Kevin Featherstone, director of the London School of Economics' Hellenic Observatory, told CNN. However, Papandreou's stimulus plan is also under scrutiny, with critics wanting to know more details, such as how it would be funded. In addition, problems such as corruption have long plagued the Greek government, Featherstone noted. "These are systemic problems. These are problems which have been in Greece for generations. Over the last 20 years, we've had a succession of governments coming into power promising to clean up, promising to tackle waste, promising to reform the public administration, promising to be more transparent and clean," he said. "By and large, voters have been disappointed or there has been some fair degree of frustration and disappointment." "Tackling the problem, these endemic problems, really requires major efforts to reform public administration to tackle corruption and to change the culture of expectations," he said. Karamanlis' conservative New Democracy party suffered a sharp setback in European elections in June, when the Socialists matched New Democracy's tally of eight seats, with 36 percent of the vote. That election was seen as a litmus test for Karamanlis at a time of political and economic uncertainty with the economy shrinking and the country staring at a recession after nearly 15 years of high-profile growth. Nearly 10 million Greeks are registered to vote. CNN's Christine Theodorou and Journalist Anthee Carrasava contributed to this report.
|
[
"whad did Papandreo proposed during campaign?",
"How much in advance were the elections held?",
"How many seats was Socialists getting about?",
"whas is the name of the socialists Leader?",
"how many seats the Socialists got on the votes?",
"What percentage of votes have been counted?",
"Who said to always be honest?",
"Who is the socialist leader?",
"What did Papandreou proposed during campaign?"
] |
[
[
"to chart a new course for an economic comeback."
],
[
"two years before originally scheduled."
],
[
"160"
],
[
"George Papandreou"
],
[
"160"
],
[
"87 percent"
],
[
"Papandreou"
],
[
"George Papandreou"
],
[
"a massive stimulus."
]
] |
87% of votes counted; Socialists to get about 160 seats in 300-seat Parliament .
Socialist leader George Papandreou to Greeks: "I will always be honest"
During campaign, Papandreou proposed massive stimulus for weak economy .
Sunday's national elections were held two years before originally scheduled .
|
ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Protesters clashed with riot police and 10,000 people marched on parliament in Greece as a 15-year-old boy killed by police was buried Tuesday. Tear gas fills the air near where the teen's funeral service was held. Thousands paid their respects to Alexandros Grigoropoulos at his funeral, but a small number of the protesters there grew violent at the end of the ceremony. Riot police lined up as night fell and a reasonably peaceful candlelight vigil was held in central Athens. Some 10,000 people marched on the country's parliament Tuesday to express their anger at the teenager's death, and also other issues like the economy, jobs, and allegations that the government is corrupt. Groups clashed with riot police at the parliament and across central Athens. Street riots started over the weekend after Athens police killed 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos on Saturday. Police said six young protesters pelted a police patrol car with stones, and the teen was shot as he tried to throw a fuel-filled bomb at the officers. The shooting occurred in a neighborhood where there have been regular clashes with police, but it immediately sparked clashes and riots in Athens and Thessaloniki, the country's second-largest city. The violence then spread to other municipalities. Watch iReporter John Kountouris' videos of the violence » The events have exacerbated the unpopularity of the ruling party and left Greek Prime Minister Konstandinos Karamanlis scrambling to shore up support. Watch crowds gathered for funeral » On Tuesday, he met with President Karolos Papoulias and cabinet members before briefing political leaders on the country's security situation. Opposition leader George Papandreou of the left-wing PASOK party said: "The country does not have a government that can protect its citizens, their rights, or their safety. "I told Mr. Karamanlis that our society, our citizens are experiencing a multiple crisis: an economic crisis, a social crisis, an institutional crisis, and a crisis of values. And the government is unable to address these crises; they have lost the confidence of the Greek people." See images of anarchy on Greek streets » Karamanlis ruled out early elections and called for all political parties to stand together against violence. "It's our responsibility to maintain a united stance against illegal acts," he said in statement. "We must condemn in the strongest terms, with pure reason and not minced words - the violence, pillaging, and vandalism, that hampers social peace." The government called on union leaders to cancel a national strike planned for Wednesday, fearing it could lead to further violence. But the labor movement refused, saying the action was planned before the shooting of the boy and was unrelated to it. Cleaning crews worked for hours early Tuesday to clear the mess left by the riots, but evidence of the violence remained. In some places, entire rows of shops still have broken windows. iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video of rioting The mayor of Athens asked residents not to dispose of garbage for a day because many of the city's trash bins were destroyed in the violence. Karamanlis vowed again Tuesday that those responsible for the violence would be punished. "I assured the president that no leniency will be tolerated in holding people accountable," he told reporters. "No one has the right to use this tragic incident as an alibi for actions of raw violence." Athens police said 12 policemen were injured in Monday's violence and 87 people were arrested. There were 10 flashpoints across Athens where police confronted rioters, police said. Watch protesters clash with police » Many of the young people who rioted holed up at universities, taking advantage of a decades-old rule that bars police from entering university grounds. The rule came into force after tanks crushed a 1973 student uprising protesting the ruling military junta. The dean of Athens University resigned Tuesday as a result of the students' violent behavior. Public and private schools and universities across the country were shut again Tuesday. Watch as iReporter witnesses the clashes Demonstrators torched government buildings and the offices of
|
[
"Who is the funeral being held for?",
"Who's death sparked violence across Greece?",
"Who is Alexandros Grigoropoulos?",
"What age was the victim?",
"Whose death sparked riots across Greece?",
"who died teen?"
] |
[
[
"Alexandros Grigoropoulos"
],
[
"Alexandros Grigoropoulos"
],
[
"15-year-old boy killed by police"
],
[
"15-year-old"
],
[
"Alexandros Grigoropoulos"
],
[
"Alexandros Grigoropoulos"
]
] |
Funeral held for 15-year-old shot dead by police in Greece .
Anti-government violence flares at funeral and outside parliament .
Protesters are angry at government policies as well as the teen's death .
Alexandros Grigoropoulos' death sparked riots across Greece .
|
ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Thousands of youths demonstrated in central Athens Friday as anger flared in the Greek capital following the shooting of another teenager.
High school students protest in front of their school in the western Athens suburb of Peristeri.
A group of youths targeted the French Institute, a language and cultural institute, and police scrambled to the scene to contain the incident.
The situation began heating up during a protest rally Thursday that followed the bizarre shooting of a high school student in an Athens suburb earlier this week.
The 17-year-old was hit in the hand by an unknown assailant as he was talking to a group of schoolmates in the western suburb of Peristeri. Initial police reports showed the student -- the son of a leading trade unionist -- was hit with a .38-caliber handgun.
Police said no officers were patrolling the region at the time of the incident.
The mysterious shooting has enflamed widespread student anger over the fatal police shooting of a 15-year-old boy December 6, which sparked Greece's worst riots in decades. Watch more about the flare-up of protests »
Students rallied Friday in response to the shooting of the 17-year-old. One of the rallies was planned for central Athens; the other in the suburb where the student was shot.
Later in the day, scores of artists are scheduled to gather in central Athens to stage a protest concert in response to the initial shooting of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos.
Daily protests since the December 6 shooting, including riots, have thrown Greece into turmoil and have become a simmering anger about the conservative government's handling of the economy, education, and jobs.
A string of labor unions called on workers to march on Parliament Friday to protest the voting of the 2009 state budget, which calls for additional belt-tightening measures in response to the global financial crisis.
Student unions were also gathering to across the country to determine their course of action for the next few weeks.
At least 800 high schools and 200 universities remain shut as thousands of youths have seized the grounds and campuses in protest.
The unrest is threatening the government's hold on power, with some opposition groups calling for fresh elections. Stores and international businesses have been attacked, and at least 280 people have been detained by police. Of that total, 176 were arrested, 130 of them for looting.
Of the two officers involved in the death of the 15-year-old, one is charged with premeditated manslaughter and the other with acting as an accomplice.
|
[
"Anger exists about who's handling of the economy?",
"What were the police officers not doing?",
"Who was shot in the Athens suburb?",
"Who did the police kill?",
"Who was the person who was shot?",
"Where were they shot?"
] |
[
[
"the conservative government's"
],
[
"patrolling the region at the time of the incident."
],
[
"of a high school student"
],
[
"Alexandros Grigoropoulos."
],
[
"Alexandros Grigoropoulos."
],
[
"western suburb of Peristeri."
]
] |
17-year-old shot by unknown assailant in Athens suburb of Peristeri .
Police said no officers were patrolling the region at the time of the incident .
First protests flared on Dec. 6 after police killing of 15-year-old boy .
Simmering anger exists about government's handling of economy, education, jobs .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Stephen Plumlee started feeling dizzy and nauseated shortly after his flight from Sarasota, Florida, landed in Atlanta, Georgia. He was wheeled off the plane by paramedics, but instead of being taken to a hospital emergency room downtown, he was treated in the atrium of the busiest airport in the world. The AeroClinic joins a growing field of easy-access medical facilities found in pharmacies and retail outlets. The AeroClinic, a new retail medical facility, offers quick, inexpensive care to travelers and some of the airport's 55,000 employees. "We're kind of the stop in between the hospital during your travels," said Dr. Dominic Mack, chief medical officer for the clinic. The AeroClinic joins a growing field of easy-access medical facilities found in pharmacies and retail outlets around the country. You could say it falls somewhere between the newer, small clinics and the larger full-service after-hours clinics that have been around for many years. For about $80, a patient can be treated by a doctor or physician assistant for a minor acute illness such as strep throat, upset stomach or headache. That was the reason behind Derrick Gross' visit. The medical sales representative lives in Atlanta, but travels at least three days a week. He says he's too busy to see a regular doctor, and when he saw the sign while passing through the airport, he decided to make an appointment. Gross spent about 20 minutes with physician assistant Sabrina Jackson going through a battery of tests to try to determine the source of his headaches. Health Minute: Airport clinic gives travelers a health-care alternative ». He received a supply of ibuprofen when the tests revealed no obvious medical problems. "I took a chance by coming here today and I'm satisfied," Gross said. He agreed to follow up with his primary care physician. Mack said he treats a lot of patients like Gross. "You have 250,000 passengers who come through Atlanta Hartsfield every day, and people are sick. What they do is delay their care or they don't get their care at all." Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. surgeon general and frequent flier, sees the need first hand. "I've traveled almost 40,000 miles in the last month and I know there are a lot of people who spend time in airports and a lot of people don't get the care they need," he said. As a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Satcher believes the concept of a quick-care health facility inside an airport is a good one so long as patients continue to have contact with a primary care physician at home. He serves on the board of directors for The AeroClinic and is one of the privately held company's original investors. He wants potential patients to understand the restrictions of a facility such as The AeroClinic. "This is not the place to go when you're having chest pains. ... (But) obviously, if you have a minor illness this is an opportunity to seek care while you're traveling and not have to wait until you get back home." The clinic's 12 staffers also offer preventive care including physical exams, routine vaccinations and monitoring of chronic diseases. The facility accepts some insurance coverage. In the fall, The AeroClinic, will open a second facility in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, airport. The staff plans to offer flu shots at mobile kiosks in the airport concourses. For now, travelers must go out of the airport security zone to reach the facility. Stephen Plumlee didn't mind the inconvenience. "I was so out of it, I didn't know what was happening. But everyone has been very helpful." After he rested for a couple of hours and recovered from the nausea, an imbalance in his inner ear was diagnosed. He was given medication to help him cope with the flight home and sent on his way. "This has been good," concluded Plumlee. "It's been fine to be able to do it in the airport, not have to go to
|
[
"what treatment is available there?",
"what is also offered",
"What type of facility will be built?",
"what offers care to atlanta airport travellers?",
"Where is the facility located?",
"What services will be offered?",
"what does the retail facility offer",
"can chronic disease monitoring be done there?"
] |
[
[
"for a minor acute illness such as strep throat, upset stomach or headache."
],
[
"preventive care including physical exams, routine vaccinations and monitoring of chronic diseases."
],
[
"retail medical"
],
[
"The AeroClinic,"
],
[
"Atlanta Hartsfield"
],
[
"offers quick, inexpensive care to travelers and some of the airport's 55,000 employees."
],
[
"quick, inexpensive care to travelers"
],
[
"also offer preventive care including physical exams, routine vaccinations and"
]
] |
New retail medical facility offers care to Atlanta airport travelers, employees .
Treatment available for minor acute illnesses such as strep throat, headache .
Physical exams, vaccinations, monitoring of chronic diseases also offered .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A former police officer tearfully apologized Monday for his role in an elderly Atlanta woman's shooting death during a botched drug raid, and another told a judge he prays daily for the victim. "I used to think I was a good person," ex-cop Gregg Junnier said before breaking down on the witness stand during a sentencing hearing in a federal courtroom in Atlanta, CNN affiliate WXIA reported. Junnier and two other ex-officers, Arthur Tesler and Jason Smith, face prison in connection with the November 2006 drug raid that left 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston dead in a hail of gunfire. Investigators later determined the raid was based on falsified paperwork stating that illegal drugs were present in the home. The killing prompted a major overhaul of the Atlanta police drug unit. Smith, like Junnier, apologized during Monday's sentencing hearing. The proceedings were expected to resume Tuesday. "I pray daily for Ms. Johnston. I also pray other officers in Atlanta will have the moral fortitude I didn't have," Smith testified Monday, according to WXIA. Smith, Junnier and Tesler pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to violate civil rights resulting in death. Smith and Junnier also pleaded guilty to state charges of voluntary manslaughter and making false statements, and Smith admitted to planting bags of marijuana in Johnston's house after her death. Tesler was convicted on one state count of making false statements for filling out an affidavit stating that an informant had purchased crack cocaine at Johnston's home in a crime-plagued neighborhood near downtown Atlanta. The informant denied having been to Johnston's home, leading to investigations by local authorities and the FBI, and the breakup and reorganization of the Atlanta police narcotics unit. Police said Johnston fired at them with an old pistol during the raid, and they shot back in self-defense. Johnston's one shot went through her front door and over the officers' heads; they responded with 39 shots, hitting Johnston five times. "Her death was the foreseeable culmination of a long-standing conspiracy in which the officers violated their oaths of office," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon-Peter Kelly said, according to CNN affiliate WSB. The officers "regularly swore falsely" to get warrants and make cases, he said. Federal prosecutors said officers cut corners to make more time for lucrative side jobs providing additional security to businesses, often while on duty and for cash payments. Johnston's family was not in court Monday. But U.S. District Judge Julie Carnes heard a letter from Johnston's niece during the hearing, and family spokesman Markel Hutchins told WXIA he hopes an FBI report of the case can be used to prompt additional charges at the local level. "The real culprit in this is the culture within the Atlanta Police Department and the higher-ups that laid the foundation. Why aren't they being held accountable?" Hutchins asked. The probe also led to guilty pleas by the police sergeant in charge of the narcotics unit and another officer who admitted to extortion, federal prosecutors said.
|
[
"Which month and year was the botched drug raid?",
"What is the name of the woman killed?",
"In what year was she killed?",
"What did the officers plead?",
"Kathryn Johnston was how old?",
"what age was johnston",
"How many former Atlanta police officers are to be sentenced?"
] |
[
[
"November 2006"
],
[
"Kathryn Johnston"
],
[
"2006"
],
[
"guilty"
],
[
"92-year-old"
],
[
"92-year-old"
],
[
"Junnier and two other ex-officers,"
]
] |
Sentencing hearing begins for three former Atlanta police officers .
Kathryn Johnston, 92, killed in her home during botched drug raid in November 2006 .
The officers pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to violate civil rights .
Officers "regularly swore falsely" to get warrants, assistant U.S. attorney says .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A gaggle of reporters pushed their microphones and cameras toward the North Korean official shortly after he arrived at a college campus here.
North Korean diplomat Kim Myong-gil gathered with other officials to discuss North Korea's energy needs
But Kim Myong-gil's comments were off the record -- a sign of the sensitive nature of openly discussing concerns about North Korea's nuclear program. The U.S. State Department's director of Korean affairs, Kurt Tong, also agreed to participate in Thursday's conference as long as his statements were not published.
Tong and Kim, a North Korea representative at the United Nations, gathered with others including former diplomats and academics at the Georgia Institute of Technology to discuss North Korea's energy needs and the status of the six-party talks on its nuclear program.
Although the two top-level diplomats kept their remarks private, other participants in the conference at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs aired their opinions openly.
Much of the Korea conference focused on the scientific details of North Korea's infrastructure and how it could be improved to handle sources of energy other than nuclear, such as an oil pipeline or utilizing its significant mineral resources.
But all those ideas will never be realized without a change in relations between North Korea, its neighbors and the United States, and that is why diplomacy was also part of the discussion.
Thursday's conference coincided with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's announcement that her new envoy to North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, will travel to Russia, China, South Korea and Japan next week "to consult on the next steps to move the six-party process forward."
Senior administration officials said Bosworth is considering heading to Pyongyang on that visit, but only if the leaders of the other parties involved in the talks are comfortable with that overture.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Clinton, Bosworth said there is no doubt the United States plans "to engage with North Korea."
"The question as to whether we're going to engage with them on this particular trip remains to be decided," he said. "That will depend upon our consultations in the region, and it will depend upon what we hear back from the North Koreans."
Thursday's conference also coincided with reports that North Korea is apparently preparing to test-fire its long-range missile, the Taepodong-2, under the guise of launching a satellite into space.
Leon Sigal, a specialist on North Korea who used to work for the State Department, stressed that President Obama is at a "starting point" with North Korea. Mindful that the new U.S. leader is preoccupied with his country's economic recession, Sigal said Obama must act swiftly and decisively with regards to North Korea to avoid the mistakes of the previous administration.
"The only way to fix this problem is to negotiate," said Sigal, who is currently director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council in New York.
Part of Sigal's proposal includes helping North Korea construct conventional power plants as it moves toward denuclearization. He outlined two "troubling questions" facing the Obama administration: how to avoid having to constantly react under pressure to North Korea's provocations, and how the scenario could change, possibly for the worse, if there is a change in leadership, "now that Kim Jong-Il's health is at issue."
"It seems to me the answer to both is for Washington to put a bigger deal on the negotiating table now," Sigal proposed.
That drew a couple of comments and questions from the audience. One graduate student asked why the United States should "put more oil in a leaky bucket," referring to the idea of sending more fuel oil shipments to North Korea when the previous shipments -- part of an agreement to get Pyongyang to shut down its nuclear facility -- have done little to deter the country from abandoning its nuclear program.
North Korea maintains that it is due the oil shipments because it fulfilled its obligation to disable its Yongbyon nuclear complex. The United States has demanded Pyongyang
|
[
"What was part of the discussion?",
"Where was the conference?",
"Whose energy needs are discussed?",
"What was part of the discussion?",
"What is the meeting about?",
"Who is gathering?",
"What is North Korea accused of planning to test-fire?",
"What was north korea going to test?"
] |
[
[
"diplomacy"
],
[
"Georgia Institute of Technology"
],
[
"North Korea's"
],
[
"diplomacy"
],
[
"North Korea's energy needs"
],
[
"North Korean diplomat Kim Myong-gil gathered with other officials"
],
[
"long-range missile,"
],
[
"long-range missile,"
]
] |
Officials, academics gather to discuss North Korea's energy needs .
Diplomacy was part of the discussion at Georgia Tech conference .
Conference coincided with reports North Korea is going to test-fire missle .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A judge has ordered the children of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to meet in their capacity as the sole shareholders of the corporation that manages their iconic father's estate. Dexter King has denied taking "substantial funds" from his parents' estates. King's children were in Fulton County, Georgia, Superior Court Monday in a dispute over their parents' estates. Two children of the civil rights icon are suing their brother, accusing him of wrongfully taking money from their parents' estates. The Rev. Bernice King and Martin Luther King III allege Dexter King took "substantial funds" out of Coretta Scott King's estate and "wrongfully appropriated" money from their father's estate. Dexter King has publicly denied the accusations. It was unclear what outcome having a shareholder meeting for the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr., Inc. would have on the dispute. The three siblings have not held such a meeting since 2004, corporation attorney Luke Lantta said. The removal of Dexter King as the estate's administrator is unlikely because that would require a meeting of the board of directors. Judge Ural Glanville on Monday also ruled in favor of dismissing some of the allegations against Dexter King, but left the question of whether he failed to act in the best interest of his father's incorporated estate to a jury. A trial on the allegation of breach of fiduciary duty could happen as early as next month. The lawsuit reveals a very public fissure in an iconic family that has always professed unity, particularly as questions have swirled around some of their financial dealings. Martin Luther King III and Bernice King were in the courtroom Monday, but Dexter King was not. He had been injured in an accident in California and did not make the trip to Georgia. Dexter King had filed a counter claim against his sister, asking the court to force her to hand over to the corporation some items that belonged to Martin Luther King Jr. In a special hearing Monday, the court ruled that the items, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s Nobel Peace Prize and his love letters to Coretta Scott King will be turned over to the court to hold until a resolution is reached. The courtroom was packed with supporters of the King family. Among those in attendance were the Rev. Joseph Lowery and former Ambassador Andrew Young, friends of Martin Luther King Jr. who worked with him during the civil rights movement. CNN's Aaron Cooper contributed to this report.
|
[
"What was the child being accused of?",
"Did Dexter King admit the claims?",
"What do the two of King's children talk about the third?",
"What is the name of the claimant?",
"What did he do to deny the claims?"
] |
[
[
"wrongfully taking money from their parents' estates."
],
[
"has denied"
],
[
"wrongfully taking money from their parents' estates."
],
[
"Dexter King"
],
[
"filed a counter"
]
] |
Two of King's children accuse third of wrongfully taking money from estates .
Dexter King has denied claims by Bernice King, Martin Luther King III .
Civil rights icons at courthouse to support family .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A north Georgia pastor was shot to death by police when he struck an officer with his car after he was seen in a vehicle with a drug suspect, authorities told CNN. Authorities say they found nothing illegal in Jonathan Ayers' car after he was slain during a drug sting. Jonathan Ayers, pastor at Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Lavonia, Georgia, died after the incident Tuesday afternoon in the nearby town of Toccoa, Georgia, police said. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is looking into the shooting. An undercover drug task force team had set up an operation at a local business, and had a woman under surveillance -- someone they had bought drugs from on two previous occasions, GBI spokesman John Bankhead told CNN Thursday. The officers saw the woman in a car with Ayers and saw what they believed was a drug transaction, Bankhead said. They followed the car as Ayers dropped the woman off at a gas station. The undercover officers wanted to question Ayers about what they had just seen, he said. "They approached the vehicle. They were in plain clothes. They identified themselves as police officers, which civilian witnesses say happened. They also had badges around their necks." Ayers put the car in reverse and backed up, striking an officer, Bankhead said. According to Bankhead, Ayers then put the car into drive, and another officer fired into the car, hitting Ayers, because he thought his life was in danger. "The subject kept going and drove off," Bankhead said. "And later he ran off the road. He was taken a local hospital, went into surgery and died an hour later." The incident was caught on the gas station's surveillance camera. Watch surveillance video of Ayers' car hitting officer » Police later determined what they had seen was not a drug transaction, but "other circumstances were involved, and that's part of the investigation," Bankhead said. The woman who was in the car with Ayers was taken into custody and faces drug charges, Bankhead said. Stephens County sheriff Randy Shirley has placed both officers involved in the incident on paid administrative leave, he said. The officer that was struck by the car was treated and released at a local hospital. No drugs and nothing else illegal was found in Ayers' car, Bankhead said, "even though what occurred would make any undercover officer working drugs think that was a possibility. I can't get into that, but that's what we're looking at." Shirley told CNN the drug task force unit comprises three Georgia counties -- Stephens, Habersham and Rabun. Ayers' sister did not return a call from CNN Thursday. Ayers maintained a blog, in which he wrote that he had three loves in life: "Jesus Christ, my wife Abby, and the Church." Toccoa is about 95 miles northeast of Atlanta. CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report.
|
[
"What did Ayers strike the officer with?",
"who struck officer with vehicle?",
"what was found in Ayers' vehicle?",
"Who shot Ayers?",
"Who was in a car with a drug suspect?",
"who was in car with drug suspect?"
] |
[
[
"his car"
],
[
"Jonathan Ayers,"
],
[
"nothing illegal"
],
[
"police"
],
[
"Jonathan Ayers,"
],
[
"Jonathan Ayers,"
]
] |
Authorities say Jonathan Ayers was in car with drug suspect .
When police approached car, they claim Ayers struck officer with vehicle .
Another officer shot Ayers; both officers placed on paid administrative leave .
Nothing illegal found in Ayers' vehicle, authorities say .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Ann Nixon Cooper sits back in her dining room chair, her eyes closed tight and her lips clenched, when asked if she will attend Barack Obama's inauguration in January. Ann Nixon Cooper was born in 1902, a time when women and black people were denied the right to vote. "I could go and maybe would go, but I'm not looking forward to it," says the 106-year-old former socialite. What if Obama came to her house and asked her in person to attend? Cooper perks up and a big smile spreads across her face. "Oh, yes, of course I'm ready to go!" It's been a whirlwind ever since Obama mentioned the African-American centenarian in his victory speech Tuesday night. Throngs of media -- from the BBC to a Japanese station to national news outlets -- have descended on her Atlanta house. Strangers have stopped by too. She's taking it all in stride. She stayed up later than usual, until about 3 a.m., after Obama's speech and the phone began ringing off the hook. She had been tipped off by the Obama campaign that he'd say something. "Somebody told him what to say and what to do and he followed through," she says. Watch "I'd be proud to meet him as anybody else" » Cooper -- who was born during a time when women and black people couldn't vote -- fully understands the significance of Obama's victory. "Things are changing, changing, changing, and I look for more change now that it's the first black president in victory of faith over fear," she says. "Don't you know, that's quite something to be proud of." What would she tell Obama if she ever meets him? "I wouldn't have anything special to say about Obama. I enjoyed listening to him, but that's all," she says. "I would be proud to meet him as anyone else." She and her late husband, prominent dentist Dr. Albert Cooper, raised four children in her house. The home was a center of Atlanta's black society and the scene of many parties. She knew Martin Luther King Jr. when he was just a boy and was close with his mother. She sometimes refers to Obama as "that young man." In his victory speech, Obama praised Cooper's fight. The president-elect had learned of her story two weeks earlier after CNN profiled her when she went to the polls to vote early. Obama called her soon afterward. Watch Obama talk about Cooper in his victory speech » "This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations," Obama told the tens of thousands of supporters who had gathered in Chicago on Tuesday night. "But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing -- Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. "She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. "And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can." Cooper watched Obama's speech from her home. "Yeah, I knew he was talking about me -- I had been told that he would be saying these things." See images of Cooper's early voting extravaganza » She added that her late husband "would be elated" a black man will be president. "Yeah, he'd be so tickled to death,
|
[
"Who would Cooper want to meet?",
"Who has witnessed pivotal moments unfold in U.S history?",
"How old is Ann Nixon Cooper?",
"Where does Cooper live?"
] |
[
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Ann Nixon Cooper"
],
[
"106-year-old"
],
[
"Atlanta"
]
] |
At 106, Ann Nixon Cooper has witnessed pivotal moments unfold in U.S. history .
Atlanta, Georgia, resident sees "more change now that it's the first black president"
What would she say to Obama? She'd just like to shake his hand .
She co-founded a Girls Club for black youths, taught community residents to read .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Any woman who's ever watched "Sex and the City" has at some point tried to guess which of the characters she's most like. The overly confident Samantha? The slightly prudish Charlotte? The pessimistic Miranda? The overanalytical Carrie?
Candace Bushnell attends a fashion show during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in September.
But an honest viewer probably would have to admit that she's similar to all of the characters in some way. As a writer, that is Candace Bushnell's gift.
In her books, including "Sex and the City," "4 Blondes" and "Lipstick Jungle," Bushnell has given the pop culture world feminine role models with which it can identify. And the best-selling author's newest book, "One Fifth Avenue," provides a few more -- including attorney Annalisa Rice, gossip columnist Enid Merle and gold digger Lola Fabrikant.
Although all of her characters are fictional, Bushnell said each one is based on a common type of person.
"I've always been interested in people. It's part of being a novelist, really, part of the job," she said. "As a writer you can never know a real person as well as you know your characters." Watch Bushnell talk about her new book »
Bushnell said a minor character or two often will appear in several of her books. Other characters she develops in her head for years before releasing them on the literary scene.
For instance, she kept one fictional character, Schiffer Diamond, under wraps for 20 years, never seeing a place where she fit in -- until "One Fifth Avenue."
The story of a vicious scramble for a penthouse apartment once owned by a high-society queen shows the life of New York City women through the lens of where they live. One Fifth Avenue -- an actual building near Washington Square Park -- is an address that each character thinks will be her ticket to fortune. Bushnell contrasts old and new money -- and old and new media -- in the course of her tale.
A New York lover herself, Bushnell looks like she belongs on a fashion walkway. Arriving at CNN in a blue dress, bright green jacket and what look like 6-inch heels, it's obvious the author isn't just a bystander of the fashion capital. But those expecting a who's who of the designer world should take another look at Bushnell's subject matter.
"My books are social satire. They have a sense of the absurd," Bushnell said. "They have to say something about contemporary life."
"One Fifth Avenue" touches on art and antiquities theft, crosses back into the world of blogging and zips over to the stock market in less than 400 pages.
Though the book is just out in stores, it was written months ago. So how did the author -- who's been celebrated in the past for her ahead-of-the-curve approach to trends -- know the economy would be such a central focus of her readers' current lives?
"I keep my eyes open," she said with a smile.
|
[
"What is the name of the new book?",
"what is the subject of the book by a high society queen",
"what is the story about?",
"what person says they have a new book coming out",
"what person says she knows her characters better than any other person",
"what did bushnell say about her characters?",
"what is candace bushnell's new book?"
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[
[
"\"One Fifth Avenue,\""
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"Candace Bushnell"
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[
"Candace Bushnell"
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"said each one is based on a common type of person."
],
[
"\"One Fifth Avenue,\""
]
] |
Candace Bushnell has a new book, "One Fifth Avenue"
It's story of the scramble for a penthouse apartment owned by a high-society queen .
Bushnell says she often knows her characters better than any real person .
Books "have to say something about contemporary life," she says .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Any woman who's ever watched "Sex and the City" has at some point tried to guess which of the characters she's most like. The overly confident Samantha? The slightly prudish Charlotte? The pessimistic Miranda? The overanalytical Carrie? Candace Bushnell attends a fashion show during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in September. But an honest viewer probably would have to admit that she's similar to all of the characters in some way. As a writer, that is Candace Bushnell's gift. In her books, including "Sex and the City," "4 Blondes" and "Lipstick Jungle," Bushnell has given the pop culture world feminine role models with which it can identify. And the best-selling author's newest book, "One Fifth Avenue," provides a few more -- including attorney Annalisa Rice, gossip columnist Enid Merle and gold digger Lola Fabrikant. Although all of her characters are fictional, Bushnell said each one is based on a common type of person. "I've always been interested in people. It's part of being a novelist, really, part of the job," she said. "As a writer you can never know a real person as well as you know your characters." Watch Bushnell talk about her new book » Bushnell said a minor character or two often will appear in several of her books. Other characters she develops in her head for years before releasing them on the literary scene. For instance, she kept one fictional character, Schiffer Diamond, under wraps for 20 years, never seeing a place where she fit in -- until "One Fifth Avenue." The story of a vicious scramble for a penthouse apartment once owned by a high-society queen shows the life of New York City women through the lens of where they live. One Fifth Avenue -- an actual building near Washington Square Park -- is an address that each character thinks will be her ticket to fortune. Bushnell contrasts old and new money -- and old and new media -- in the course of her tale. A New York lover herself, Bushnell looks like she belongs on a fashion walkway. Arriving at CNN in a blue dress, bright green jacket and what look like 6-inch heels, it's obvious the author isn't just a bystander of the fashion capital. But those expecting a who's who of the designer world should take another look at Bushnell's subject matter. "My books are social satire. They have a sense of the absurd," Bushnell said. "They have to say something about contemporary life." "One Fifth Avenue" touches on art and antiquities theft, crosses back into the world of blogging and zips over to the stock market in less than 400 pages. Though the book is just out in stores, it was written months ago. So how did the author -- who's been celebrated in the past for her ahead-of-the-curve approach to trends -- know the economy would be such a central focus of her readers' current lives? "I keep my eyes open," she said with a smile.
|
[
"what did Bunshell say",
"What is the story about?",
"did she talk about books",
"What is the name of Candace Bushnell's new book?",
"Who do Bushnell claim to know better than any real person?",
"Who wrote the book \"One Fifth Avenue\"?"
] |
[
[
"Bushnell said each one is based on a common type of person."
],
[
"life of New York City women through the lens of where they live."
],
[
"Watch Bushnell"
],
[
"\"One Fifth Avenue,\""
],
[
"your characters.\""
],
[
"Candace Bushnell"
]
] |
Candace Bushnell has a new book, "One Fifth Avenue"
It's story of the scramble for a penthouse apartment owned by a high-society queen .
Bushnell says she often knows her characters better than any real person .
Books "have to say something about contemporary life," she says .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Artist Robert West is proud of his connection to the Pullman Company. His grandfather, Allen Parrish, was a Pullman Porter and helped inspire some of his train paintings. Robert West paints his latest project in his Atlanta, Georgia, studio. "When I was growing up, we would often take grandfather to work at the train station. I became impressed and mesmerized with trains through this experience. This passion ultimately led me to become a full-time railroad illustrator," West said. The Pullman Company was one of the largest employers of African-Americans in the 1920s and '30s. It hired them as porters in railroad sleeping cars to assist railroad passengers and make up beds. These jobs were once highly regarded in the black community because they offered the opportunity to travel and better pay and security than most jobs open to blacks at the time. West says trains have an important place in African-American history -- from symbolism in Negro spirituals to a real conveyance for the mass migration of blacks moving to the North in the 1930s, '40s and '50s. "Trains have so long symbolized hope, freedom and power -- what better metaphor could there be to represent our struggle and our assimilation into mainstream American life," West said. Many of West's paintings depict historical scenes with the now defunct Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, because that's where his grandfather worked for many years. Watch award-winning artist on trains and history » West paints other trains, including the Steam, Gas turbine, Electric, as well as first through sixth Generation Diesel Electric Locomotives. He wears a conductor's hat as he works. "I think it's important that all the cultures in the United States look back at our history by way of the railroads," West said. "It was through our contributions to the railroads, that also pushed us forward as a nation and as a human race." West has been drawing and painting trains since the age of 2. In 1973, he decided to make railroad illustrating a profession. Through the years his work has won several awards in shows of national and regional scope. "I'm probably more of a visual historian more than anything else, because I conduct weeks, months, sometimes years of research prior to doing a painting," he said. West has painted more than 500 original works, which have sold across the United States and around the world. Train enthusiasts are his largest market. "When one looks at my paintings, I like for them to not only feel a sense of joy, but to feel good about times when times were happier, kinder, and gentler," he said. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"What was Robert West inspired by?",
"Who does a lot of research?",
"What did Robert West's grandfather do for a living?",
"What was the occupation of Robert West's grandfather?",
"Do visual historians do a lot of research before painting?",
"What inspired Robert West to paint trains?",
"What was artist's grandfather?"
] |
[
[
"grandfather, Allen Parrish,"
],
[
"Robert West"
],
[
"Pullman Porter"
],
[
"a Pullman Porter"
],
[
"conduct weeks, months, sometimes years"
],
[
"grandfather, Allen Parrish,"
],
[
"a Pullman Porter"
]
] |
Robert West was inspired by family history to paint trains .
Artist's grandfather was a Pullman train porter .
"Visual historian" does a lot of research before painting .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- As little Tatyana Larbi, aka Little Miss Muffett, sings about selling her cotton and twigs to the "sister pigs," you can tell the young girl is enjoying her moment in the limelight, even if she can't see the audience's response.
The mother of Brooke Stegall, 5, says opera gave her visually impaired child new confidence.
The set and costumes are pretty basic. Most were made by parents and volunteers. But that doesn't matter to the beaming mothers, fathers and grandparents in the audience. The fact that these 10 children are performing this day is enough for them.
All of the actors in the Pumpkin Pickle Pop Cookies Opera are visually impaired 4- and 5-year-olds. Two are blind, and the others have varying degrees of sight. All are students in Atlanta's Center for the Visually Impaired BEGIN program.
But today is their last day here, and performing this 20-minute opera is their "thank you" to their families. Watch an awe-inspiring opera performance »
"These parents work so hard to make this happen," said Anne McComiskey, director of the program. She is very aware of the efforts that both the children and the parents put into the program.
"They have to give up vacation time from their jobs," she said. "Some people travel two and three hours once a week to get here."
McComiskey says the program works with newborns, sometimes only days old, up to 5-year-olds. It helps parents understand what is possible for their visually impaired or blind children.
"First of all, we are teaching the parents how to teach their child," she said. "Because some 90-odd percent of learning comes through your vision, we have to teach mommy and daddy how to do what they would do typically, a little differently."
She says with the infants, it can be even more basic. "With a newborn, you're teaching them about their body. A lot of kids don't know they have feet. They have never seen them."
All of the children go to the center one day a week. The BEGIN program, which is an acronym for Babies Early Growth Intervention Network, was started in 1985 and has about 95 children go through the program each year. The course costs $250 to register, but financial assistance is available.
McComiskey says the performance reinforces lessons learned during the course of the program. "Because this is an opera, they are learning gestures that they wouldn't learn by watching someone else. And they are learning how to listen and respond. They are learning to work in a group. It's just many of the concepts that we have been teaching them for five years, coming to play in the opera."
Jacqueline Howard is the center's music therapist. She came up with the idea for the opera while talking with some of the teachers. She also sees lessons in the performance.
"If you have a visual challenge, you want to be safe in the space you're in, because you may not be able to see everything around you. So the movements help them feel safe in the space, and we learned to move, sing and play instruments at the same time, which is a challenge for anyone!"
Brooke Stegall, 5, played one of the five "sister pigs" in this opera loosely based on "The Three Little Pigs," which added the twist of a few other nursery tale characters. Her mother, Rhonda, says the opera changed her daughter.
"She is just a naturally reserved child, and to see her go up there and just sing and do the motions and just smile and have fun -- it was just great."
McComiskey says that that is one of the goals of the program: to instill a sense of "I can" in the kids. In this case, all 10 students seem to have taken that lesson to heart. All of them will be attending mainstream kindergartens in their school districts next
|
[
"When was the program formed?",
"What inspires kids to do anything?",
"What does the Atlanta opera inspire visually impaired kids to do?",
"What year was the program formed?"
] |
[
[
"1985"
],
[
"BEGIN program."
],
[
"to instill a sense of \"I can\" in the"
],
[
"1985"
]
] |
Atlanta opera inspires visually impaired kids to "do anything"
"I am so proud of myself," young girl says after performance .
Program was formed in 1985 to help blind, visually impaired kids adjust from birth .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- As mental health advocates, policy makers, practitioners, educators and researchers gathered at the Carter Center to discuss the progress in addressing American children's mental health needs, a drama of sorts was reaching its conclusion halfway across the country.
The former first lady kicked off the 24th annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy.
The governor of Nebraska signed a bill Friday to change a controversial safe-haven law by restricting the age at which a child could be dropped off at a hospital without parents being prosecuted.
Since the law took effect in September, 35 children -- all but six of them older than 10 -- have been dropped off at Nebraska hospitals.
The revised law adds a 30-day age limit; it was approved by the legislature at a special session Friday and goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
These two events appear to have little in common, but they are "intimately related," according to Jane Knitzer, one of the pivotal speakers at the 24th annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy in Atlanta, Georgia. "Many of these families are families that have come to the attention of the service systems already, have been struggling since their children were young. They haven't gotten the help they need; they are feeling totally desperate. We have a system that doesn't respond early enough and with appropriate intensity."
Knitzer, director of the National Center for Children in Poverty and a clinical professor of population and family health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, should know.
Twenty-five years ago, she wrote a report that summarized, state by state, the programs available to children with mental health needs and their families, and the policies that govern them. The portrait was a bleak one, with many states not even able to identify the dollar amount budgeted for children's mental health.
Twenty-five years later, the situation is improved but isn't much better, according to the report's sequel, "Unclaimed Children Revisited: The status of children's mental health policy in the United States," which was unveiled at the symposium.
The landscape is still one of patchwork policy and hodgepodge programs both among states and within individual states, with very few states having a cohesive strategy for addressing the needs, much less the infrastructure and funding to carry that strategy out.
"I am really distressed about how we treat children; this is something I have worked on and been concerned about for years," former first lady Rosalynn Carter told CNN. "We know what to do for them, and we don't do it. When we finally do something with them is when they get in trouble. We neglect children."
Carter has been a mental health advocate since 1970, when her husband, former President Carter, was running for governor of Georgia.
"We have learned so much about children, about the developing brain and treatments that work, and we just don't use them; that is one reason this symposium is so important," Carter said.
"We have children's advocates from across the nation, and if we can just band together and try to do something about it. This is a really, really great time, because we have a new administration in Washington, and hopefully we can form a strong enough advocacy group and get some things changed, if not everything we'd like."
The endeavor is a giant undertaking, and the number of affected children and families is huge. Research shows that approximately one in five children has a diagnosable mental disorder ranging from "mild," such as attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder, to the more severe.
More than three-quarters of these children don't get the services they need, and what they do get is based purely on chance: which state they happen to live in.
"For the last 25 years, most of the leadership has come from states as opposed to having a federal system," explains Janis Cooper, co-author of "Unclaimed Children Revisited." "That is kind
|
[
"What did experts gather to discuss?",
"how many children do not get mental health services?",
"How many U.S. children has a diagnosable mental disorder?",
"what is the issue about?"
] |
[
[
"the progress in addressing American children's mental health needs,"
],
[
"35"
],
[
"35"
],
[
"American children's mental health needs,"
]
] |
Experts from across the country gather to discuss mental health needs of children .
One in five U.S. children has a diagnosable mental disorder .
75 to 80 percent of affected children do not get the needed mental health services .
Hope is high that new administration will tackle issue in health care reform .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Atlanta rapper DeAndre Cortez Way, better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em or just Soulja Boy, was charged with obstruction after running from police despite an order to stop, a police spokesman said Friday. Rapper Soulja Boy was arrested in Georgia after allegedly running from police. The 19-year-old singer was among a large group that had gathered at a home in Stockbridge, 20 miles south of Atlanta, said Henry County, Georgia, police Capt. Jason Bolton. Way was arrested Wednesday night along with another man, Bolton said. Police said Way left jail Thursday after posting a $550 bond. Bolton said officers responded to a complaint about a group of youths milling around the house, which appeared to be abandoned. When police arrived, they saw about 40 people. Half of them ran away, including Way, Bolton said. The ones who remained told officers they were at the home to film a video. Way was arrested when he returned to the house to get his car, Bolton said. He said the house was dark inside and looked abandoned. "He just ran from the police, and then he decided to come back," according to Bolton. The second man who returned for his vehicle was arrested after police found eight $100 counterfeit bills inside, according to the officer. Way broke into the music scene two years ago with his hit "Crank That (Soulja Boy)." The rapper also describes himself as a producer and entrepreneur.
|
[
"Who was arrested?",
"Where did the large group gather?",
"What did witnesses tell police the group was doing?",
"What is the name of the rapper?",
"What did witnesses say the group was doing?",
"To what did officers respond?"
] |
[
[
"Rapper Soulja Boy"
],
[
"at a home in Stockbridge, 20 miles south of Atlanta,"
],
[
"milling around the house, which appeared to be abandoned."
],
[
"DeAndre Cortez Way,"
],
[
"they were at the home to film a video."
],
[
"a complaint about a group of youths milling around the house,"
]
] |
Rapper Soulja Boy arrested after allegedly running from police in Georgia .
Officers responded to a report of a large group gathered near a house .
Witnesses told police the group was filming a video .
Artist taken into custody after he returned to the scene to get his car, police say .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was back in operation late Thursday after lightning hit the control tower and severe storms knocked out power to the area.
The control tower and three of the airport's five runways were open, said Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. All systems were running on emergency generator power.
A ground stoppage was already in place for arriving or departing flights when lightning struck the tower at 8:45 p.m., according to Bergen. People evacuated the tower and a smoky odor was investigated. At 9:10 p.m., the all-clear was given and controllers returned to the tower, she said. But at 9:20 p.m., the tower and parts of the airport were hit by a power outage. The outage affected all the airport's runway lights, Bergen said.
During the outage, planes headed to Atlanta from other airports were being held on the ground, Bergen said, and arrivals were circling or being diverted to other airports.
Atlanta's airport is one of the world's busiest.
|
[
"What did the aiport do during the outage?",
"Where are the storms occurring?",
"What did the outage affect?",
"What does power outage affect?",
"Where is the control tower located?",
"The power outage was how big?",
"Where is Hartsfield airport?",
"What were arriving planes told?"
] |
[
[
"to other airports."
],
[
"ATLANTA, Georgia"
],
[
"Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport"
],
[
"all the airport's runway lights,"
],
[
"Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport"
],
[
"affected all the airport's runway lights,"
],
[
"ATLANTA, Georgia"
],
[
"circling or being diverted"
]
] |
Lightning strikes a control tower at Hartsfield airport as people evacuated .
Power outage follows lightning after severe storms roll through Atlanta area .
Outage affects runway lights; arriving planes diverted or told to circle .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Dressed head to toe in black, designer Isaac Mizrahi is wearing an outfit that seems to contradict his personality -- and his usual fashion flair.
Isaac Mizrahi has earned four awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
"I always start with color when I'm designing things. Always. If the color is right, I feel better," he touts on his Web site.
But Mizrahi has an explanation for his less than colorful attire on a recent visit to CNN Center in Atlanta.
"We have this very quick trip, and we have to go right back and there's no time to pack and we can't check luggage ... so I focused it to black, gray and white."
It's just one more style tip you can pick up from Mizrahi's new book "How to Have Style" (Gotham). Despite the slightly audacious title, Mizrahi, who has won four awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, has earned the right to tell women how to dress.
For five years, the New York fashion designer has been selling low-priced clothing and home furnishings at Target. But with his new book comes a new job -- as the creative director of Liz Claiborne.
CNN talked to Mizrahi about his love for theater, the most common fashion mistakes and why bad flowers are never OK. The following is an edited version of that interview:
CNN: You started in acting at the High School of the Performing Arts. How do you combine that love and your love for design?
Isaac Mizrahi: Well, you know what, I think it's all theater. I think that fashion is a form of entertainment. And I think that these days, as a fashion designer, it's almost like you represent a political party or something.
Like women say, "Oh, that's a brand name I associate with because I've worn it before. I love it. It seems to fulfill who I am really easily." Whatever it is, she knows that it just makes her life really easy so she associates with it, you know? And in the end, I am like this personality that represents that. Watch Mizrahi talk about his new book »
But more than that, I have designs [in] the entertainment business. There's a movie called "Unzipped" about me that was a really successful movie. I had two TV series. I design costumes constantly for theater and ballet and opera. So to me it's all one big world. It's seamless to me.
CNN: What's your daily schedule like? It has to be crazy with all that you do.
Mizrahi: It changes every day, and I really like that. There's a base to it. I wake up, I go swimming every day, and I eat the same breakfast almost every single day. But when I get to work is when it changes up.
Some days I work in the showroom; some days I work in the design room; some days I actually work in my own private studio, where I just do sketches and sketches and sketches. Other days I work in the TV studio taping segments and my Web show.
I don't really love travel. I feel like it really disrupts what I love doing most, which is this creation, you know what I mean? When I finally let myself enjoy it, I can enjoy traveling. But it takes a great agony for me to separate from New York City and my studios and the people that I work with.
CNN: Say you're walking down the street. What's the most common style error that you see in people?
Mizrahi: I see a lot, a lot, a lot of bad hair. I would say that's the most common style error I see is bad hair.
You know people have excuses for bad shoes -- because you know some people have back problems, it is the street and they're walking and walking and walking -- but
|
[
"Designer Isaac Mizrahi moving from Target to creative director at where?",
"what is most common style mistake?",
"What did he say",
"Mizrahi says he believes what is the most common style mistake?"
] |
[
[
"Liz Claiborne."
],
[
"bad hair."
],
[
"\"I always start with color when I'm designing things. Always. If the color is right, I feel better,\""
],
[
"bad hair."
]
] |
Designer Isaac Mizrahi moving from Target to creative director at Liz Claiborne .
Mizrahi says he believes "bad hair" is the most common style mistake Designer says he prefers no flowers to "bad" ones .
Mizrahi admits he has a "claustrophobic" personality .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Every year, I take at least one vacation out of the country to get my international travel fix. And this time, I'm taking you with me. The travel bug is a forever-itch that leaves you longing to wake up in a foreign country, Jarrett Bellini says. No, not literally. Sit down. This year, YOU can weigh in on where I go and what I do once I get there. We're calling it: Let's Ruin Jarrett's Vacation! By adding your comments below or sharing your ideas on CNN.com Live's Facebook page, you can send me to either Argentina, Greece, South Africa or Turkey. The destination that gets the most positive response is where I'll go. And to make it more fun, I won't even find out where I'm heading until I actually get to the airport this Sunday, August 30. There, I will tear open an envelope, read the results for the first time, and then head to my departure gate -- hopefully with at least a few articles of appropriate clothing. Once I get to wherever it is you send me, I'll be blogging on CNN.com and and checking in from time to time on CNN.com Live. By sharing your ideas on Facebook, you'll be able to guide many aspects of this vacation. You call the shots. And I'll cry myself to sleep at night wondering why I agreed to work on vacation and let other people plan it. I suppose, now, you might want a little background on why I'd actually want to do this. I mean, besides the fact that clearly, I'm a glutton for punishment. Really, though, I think I just like a challenge. In the fall of 2003, after an entire month of fruitlessly waiting by my phone to hear back about an entry-level position with CNN, I finally gave up hope and took my apparent job snub as some sort of cosmic sign from the Slacker Gods. I decided, then, that the only reasonable course of action was to buy a plane ticket to Europe to spend the next three months running around with my backpack, trying -- again, quite fruitlessly -- to meet foreign chicks. Though not quite a rucksack Casanova, I did come back from these magical three months with a far greater ability to entertain myself in a completely new place among absolute strangers. (Granted, for me, this can be accomplished by the presence of shiny objects.) Amazingly, the day after I returned from Europe, CNN called and offered me the position. It took four long months, but the timing was remarkable and I couldn't have been happier. But, as I started my new professional life, I was sick. I had the travel bug. Now, this is not to be confused with bed bugs, which, FYI, I painfully fell victim to in Copenhagen at a horrible, bomb-shelter-of-a-hostel they call Sleep in Heaven. Apparently, Heaven smells like mildew and leaves you with a rash. No, this was the travel bug -- the forever-itch that leaves you longing to wake up in a foreign bed in a foreign country, rising to face new ideas and new people beneath an unfamiliar sky. Of course, that's just my poorly poetic way of saying: The world is huge and amazing. It's so good! Once it hits your lips, it's so good!
|
[
"What does Bellini have the \"travel bug\" for?",
"What network will Jarrett Bellini blog for?",
"What does Bellini say about international vacations?",
"What does Bellini want readers to decide?",
"What countries can Bellini's readers choose?",
"Where will the blog appear?",
"Where can readers choose from?"
] |
[
[
"forever-itch"
],
[
"CNN.com"
],
[
"The travel bug is a forever-itch that leaves you longing to wake up in a foreign country,"
],
[
"The destination"
],
[
"Argentina, Greece, South Africa or Turkey."
],
[
"CNN.com"
],
[
"Turkey."
]
] |
Jarrett Bellini offers readers opportunity to decide where he's going on vacation .
Readers can choose either Argentina, Greece, South Africa or Turkey .
Bellini will blog on CNN.com and appear on CNN.com Live from the country .
Bellini says he has the "travel bug" for international vacations .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- For Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau, the last two months have been a whirlwind. "Full of the best moments and the scariest moments of my life," says the 24-year-old Olympic swimmer. Eric Shanteau said he felt angry when he found out he had testicular cancer. "Getting to the Olympics was, has always been, my swimming dream since I was 8 or 9 years old. You know, right after I started swimming it was, 'I want to make an Olympic team. That's where I want to be'." In June, a week before the qualifying round of the Olympics he was told he had testicular cancer. "My initial reaction was probably anger more than anything else," he says. "I'm used to being in control of everything. I'm in control of how I train, how I race and then to all of a sudden have that control ripped away from me was tough." After weeks of tests to determine the "stage" or spread of the cancer, Shanteau's team of doctors cleared him to compete in the Beijing Olympics, which meant carefully monitoring his tumor but delaying treatment. Though putting off the surgery was controversial to some, Eric says it was an educated choice based on numerous doctor evaluations. "I hope people understand that if I was in a different position with my test results, then I wouldn't have put off having surgery." Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports from Eric Shanteau's surgery » He swam a personal best in the 200 meter breaststroke. He did not qualify for the finals. Cancer was a motivator, he says, because he knew it meant he could be facing his last competition. He put everything he had into that heat. "Leave it all in the pool, and I don't look back and regret anything as far as how I raced." Once back from Beijing, Shanteau invited CNN to spend time with him the night before his surgery in Atlanta, Georgia. Though admittedly a little scared, he spent the evening relaxing with his family, cooking dinner, walking the dog. A source of inspiration, he says, were fans who shared their stories of beating cancer. "They send me their story and it helps me to learn that people are going through the same thing I am all over the world," says Shanteau. "They all affect me in a different way and it's been really encouraging to share in this experience with other people." Testicular cancer is diagnosed in about 1 in 300 men in their lifetime. It is the most common form of cancer for 15- to 34-year-olds. It is also one of the most curable if discovered early. Nearly 140,000 men in the United States are testicular cancer survivors. Shanteau says he experienced no symptoms of cancer and came across the tumor by chance. "I've been in a Speedo half my life," he says. "So I am really comfortable with my body. One day I just felt something that wasn't suppose to be there. I decided to go and get it checked out." He adds that although he had the "greatest excuse in the world" -- an Olympic dream -- to ignore the lump, he understood the importance of early detection. Shanteau's father Rick, is battling lung cancer and responding well to treatment. "A lot of guys, if they hear a rattle in their car, they're at the mechanic the next day," he says. "But if they feel something [physically] that they don't think should be there, it takes them a year to get to their doctor and that just is not smart. There's really no excuse, because it can save your life." Fast forward to Shanteau's recent operation at Emory University Hospital. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta was with Shanteau during the surgery and spoke with the lead surgeon, Dr. Jeff Carney, moments afterward. "I think the operation went very well," Carney said. "Eric's
|
[
"When did the Olympic swimmer find out about his cancer?",
"What is the name of the Olympic swimmer?",
"who is eric shanteau",
"What cancer did Eric get?",
"What is the number of men affected by the cancer?",
"What type of cancer did Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau have?",
"What disease does Shanteau have?",
"When did the swimmer find the cancer?",
"What was the name of the swimmer?",
"What is the name of the Olympic swimmer who found out he had cancer in June?",
"He delayed treatment so he could compete in the games in which city?",
"What event will Shanteau compete in in Rome?",
"What type of cancer does Shanteau have?"
] |
[
[
"In June, a week before the qualifying round"
],
[
"Eric Shanteau,"
],
[
"Olympic swimmer"
],
[
"testicular"
],
[
"1 in 300"
],
[
"testicular"
],
[
"testicular cancer."
],
[
"June, a week before the qualifying round of the Olympics"
],
[
"Eric Shanteau,"
],
[
"Eric Shanteau"
],
[
"Beijing"
],
[
"200 meter breaststroke."
],
[
"testicular"
]
] |
Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau found out about his cancer in June .
He delayed treatment so he could compete in the games in Beijing .
He plans to compete in the 2009 World Swimming Championship in Rome .
Testicular cancer is diagnosed in about 1 in 300 men in their lifetime .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- For Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau, the last two months have been a whirlwind. "Full of the best moments and the scariest moments of my life," says the 24-year-old Olympic swimmer. Eric Shanteau said he felt angry when he found out he had testicular cancer. "Getting to the Olympics was, has always been, my swimming dream since I was 8 or 9 years old. You know, right after I started swimming it was, 'I want to make an Olympic team. That's where I want to be'." In June, a week before the qualifying round of the Olympics he was told he had testicular cancer. "My initial reaction was probably anger more than anything else," he says. "I'm used to being in control of everything. I'm in control of how I train, how I race and then to all of a sudden have that control ripped away from me was tough." After weeks of tests to determine the "stage" or spread of the cancer, Shanteau's team of doctors cleared him to compete in the Beijing Olympics, which meant carefully monitoring his tumor but delaying treatment. Though putting off the surgery was controversial to some, Eric says it was an educated choice based on numerous doctor evaluations. "I hope people understand that if I was in a different position with my test results, then I wouldn't have put off having surgery." He swam a personal best in the 200 meter breaststroke. He did not qualify for the finals. Cancer was a motivator, he says, because he knew it meant he could be facing his last competition. He put everything he had into that heat. "Leave it all in the pool, and I don't look back and regret anything as far as how I raced." Once back from Beijing, Shanteau invited CNN to spend time with him the night before his surgery in Atlanta, Georgia. Though admittedly a little scared, he spent the evening relaxing with his family, cooking dinner, walking the dog. A source of inspiration, he says, were fans who shared their stories of beating cancer. "They send me their story and it helps me to learn that people are going through the same thing I am all over the world," says Shanteau. "They all affect me in a different way and it's been really encouraging to share in this experience with other people." Testicular cancer will be diagnosed in about 1 in 300 men in their lifetime. It is the most common form of cancer for 15- to 34-year-olds. It is also one of the most curable if discovered early. Nearly 140,000 men in the United States are testicular cancer survivors. Shanteau says he experienced no symptoms of cancer and came across the tumor by chance. "I've been in a Speedo half my life," he says. "So I am really comfortable with my body. One day I just felt something that wasn't suppose to be there. I decided to go and get it checked out." He adds that although he had the "greatest excuse in the world" -- an Olympic dream -- to ignore the lump, he understood the importance of early detection. Shanteau's father Rick, is battling lung cancer and responding well to treatment. "A lot of guys, if they hear a rattle in their car, they're at the mechanic the next day," he says. "But if they feel something [physically] that they don't think should be there, it takes them a year to get to their doctor and that's just is not smart . There's really no excuse because it can save your life." Fast forward to Shanteau's recent operation at Emory University Hospital. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta was with Shanteau during the surgery and spoke with the lead surgeon, Dr. Jeff Carney, moments afterward. "I think the operation went very well," Carney said. "Eric's a very healthy young man, very thin, in
|
[
"How many men are diagnosed with testicular cancer?",
"What did Eric Shanteau find out?",
"What was he diagnosed with?",
"1 in 300 men will be diagnosed with what in their lifetime?",
"Who delayed treatment so he could compete in the Olympics in Beijing?",
"Who is Eric Shanteau?"
] |
[
[
"about 1 in 300"
],
[
"he had testicular cancer."
],
[
"testicular cancer."
],
[
"Testicular cancer"
],
[
"Eric Shanteau,"
],
[
"Olympic swimmer"
]
] |
Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau found out about his cancer in June .
He delayed treatment so he could compete in the games in Beijing .
He plans to compete in the 2009 World Swimming Championship in Rome .
Testicular cancer is diagnosed in about 1 in 300 men in their lifetime .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Former boxing champion Vernon Forrest is dead after being shot multiple times in a neighborhood southwest of downtown Atlanta, officials said Sunday. Police say they have no suspects in the death of former boxing champion Vernon Forrest. An Atlanta police spokeswoman said it appeared that Forrest, 38, had been robbed, which led to a confrontation in which he was shot several times in the back. Police had no suspects as of midday Sunday, said the spokeswoman, Sgt. Lisa Keyes. Mark Guilbeau, senior investigator with the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office in Atlanta, said an autopsy will be conducted Sunday, and results are expected by afternoon. Watch Forrest's manager react to his death » Forrest was the International Boxing Federation welterweight champion in 2001, the World Boxing Council welterweight champion in 2002-2003, and the WBC light welterweight champion in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, according to the BoxRec Web site. He was named the World Boxing Hall of Fame fighter of the year in 2002, according to BoxRec.
|
[
"how many times was he shot?",
"who was shot in the back?",
"What was he named in 2002",
"What ages is Forrest?",
"Where was Forrest shot?",
"What was Forrest's occupation?",
"Forrest won several what?"
] |
[
[
"multiple"
],
[
"Former boxing champion Vernon Forrest"
],
[
"World Boxing Hall of Fame fighter of the year"
],
[
"38,"
],
[
"neighborhood southwest of downtown Atlanta,"
],
[
"former boxing champion"
],
[
"was the International Boxing Federation welterweight champion in 2001, the World Boxing Council welterweight champion in 2002-2003, and the WBC light welterweight champion in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009,"
]
] |
Forrest, 38, was robbed and then shot in the back after confrontation, police say .
He was shot multiple times, Atlanta, Georgia, police say .
Forrest, a welterweight, won several championships .
He was named the World Boxing Hall of Fame fighter of the year in 2002 .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Four people in two states have been arrested as part of an investigation into the Final Exit Network, an organization that police believe helped a Georgia man end his life in June, authorities said Thursday. Claire Blehr, 76, of Georgia, and Thomas E. Goodwin, 63, of Florida and Georgia, were two of the four arrested. John Celmer, 58, lived in Cumming, north of Atlanta. Cumming police, the Forsyth County coroner and the man's relatives all had suspicions that his death was an assisted suicide, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation, the agency said in a news release. The GBI on Wednesday set up a sting operation at a residence in adjoining Dawson County, using an undercover agent who had posed as a terminally ill man seeking assistance with his suicide, the statement said. Claire Blehr, 76, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Thomas E. Goodwin, 63, of both Punta Gorda, Florida, and Kennesaw, Georgia, were arrested, the GBI said. Meanwhile, authorities in Baltimore, Maryland, arrested Dr. Lawrence D. Egbert, 81, of Baltimore in connection with the investigation. A second person, Nicholas Alec Sheridan, 60, also of Baltimore, was arrested Wednesday night, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said Thursday. All four face charges of assisted suicide, tampering with evidence and violation of the Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the GBI said. The Final Exit Network, based in the north Atlanta suburb of Marietta, identifies itself on its Web site as "an all-volunteer organization dedicated to serving people who are suffering from an intolerable condition. Network volunteers offer you counseling, support and even guidance to self-deliverance at a time and place of your choosing, but you always do the choosing. We will never encourage you to hasten your death." Celmer suffered from "very, very severe mouth and throat cancer," his 85-year-old mother, Betty Celmer, said from her home in the Buffalo, New York, suburb of East Amherst. "They were rebuilding the whole mouth," she said. "He was suffering terribly, that I know." She said her son had undergone numerous surgeries and "sounded depressed." When he died, she said she had no idea his death might have been a suicide. In a statement released by the GBI, Celmer's widow, Susan, said that she and her family "are gratified that the GBI and other law enforcement agencies have pursued this matter vigorously and that their investigation has led to the arrests reported today." She said she will not comment further and requested privacy, referring future questions to her attorneys. An e-mail to Jerry Dincin, a man listed as Final Exit Network's vice president and treasurer on its Web site, was not answered Thursday. A call to Final Exit was answered by a recording. The method used in the suicide was helium inhalation, according to the GBI statement. People pay $50 to join the Final Exit Network, according to the GBI, and complete an application process. They are then visited by an "exit guide" assigned to the case. "During the visitations, the member is instructed to purchase two helium tanks of a specific size and brand and a specific type of hood known as an 'exit bag,' " according to the GBI statement. "On the day of the event, the member is visited by the 'exit guide' and a 'senior exit guide.' The senior exit guide instructs the member through the process." Goodwin and Blehr were told the GBI agent suffered from pancreatic cancer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. At the Dawson County residence on Wednesday, Goodwin allegedly walked the undercover agent through the steps and demonstrated how he would hold the agent's hands to stop him from removing the exit bag, Bankhead said. The GBI said that after the death occurs, "all evidence is removed from the scene by the 'guides' and discarded, as evidence indicated
|
[
"What states where involved?",
"What did the volunteers offer?",
"The arrests were made on which day of the week?",
"The widow says she is gratified, why?",
"Where did the man who ended his life come from?"
] |
[
[
"Florida and Georgia,"
],
[
"counseling, support and even guidance to self-deliverance"
],
[
"Wednesday"
],
[
"that the GBI and other law enforcement agencies have pursued this matter vigorously and that their investigation has led to the arrests reported today.\""
],
[
"Georgia"
]
] |
NEW: Widow says she's gratified "investigation has led to the arrests"
Authorities probing group that police believe helped Georgia man end his life .
After Wednesday arrests, authorities in eight states execute search warrants .
Final Exit Network's Web site: Volunteers offer "guidance to self-deliverance"
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- I'm the mother of two daughters, a teen and a tween. So every day, I tiptoe through hormonally laced minefields hoping to avoid emotional carnage in response to any of my random comments or actions. The cervical cancer vaccine, approved in 2006, is recommended for girls around 11 or 12. As I tiptoe, I sometimes stumble, as any mother of girls that age knows. No adult woman in her right mind would knowingly, willingly utter comments that result in young people hissing, hurling verbal grenades such as, "Thanks, Mom, for calling me fat, AGAIN." Or "Are you EVEN listening to me?" Or any version of the very popular, "I hate YOU," "I hate you SO much," "I hate this family," or just plain "AAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!" followed by stomping feet and slamming doors. So given this background, you might understand why, when I chose to broach the subject of the latest vaccine for young girls, I was braced for a fight. Oddly enough, for once, the battle didn't come. I told my teenage daughter I wanted her to get the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine the next time she went to see her doctor. "I don't want to." "Well, sorry. You have to." "I heard it hurts." "Well, that's too bad. But it might prevent you from getting cancer later in life." "Oh. (pause) OK." If you were keeping score, you might chalk that one up as a Mom win. The only problem with that is after winning over my daughter, I now had to convince myself. This drug has its own emotional battlefields. The HPV vaccine has been available to the public for almost two years. When Merck launched it in 2006 under the name Gardasil, many people enthusiastically embraced it as a wonder drug. Dr. Kevin Ault, associate professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University's School of Medicine, says the vaccine helps women avoid an assortment of ailments, some not too serious, but others that are potentially deadly. "There are about 100 different types of human papillomavirus," he said. "Some of them are pretty common and not dangerous, like plantar warts or warts on your hand. About 30 of them infect the genital tract, and about a dozen of them are associated with cancer." Health for Her: Watch more the HPV vaccine and girls » In this case, the cancer Ault is talking about is cervical cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2008, there will be over 11,000 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed and almost 4,000 women will die from it in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that at least 50 percent of people who have had sex will have one type of HPV at some time in their lives. Given those stats, this vaccine would seem like a pretty good thing, right? The hitch is that the vaccine is suggested for adolescent girls, but the viruses in question are sexually transmitted. And that is one of the big reasons the HPV vaccine has divided parents in the question of "to give or not to give." Let's face it. Parents don't like thinking about their daughters having sex at all. Ever. Now a new drug comes along, and not only are parents told they should embrace this new vaccine for their young daughters, but it's also part of the set of routine vaccines that doctors are strongly encouraged to give their patients. Merck says the drug has been safely tested for girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that girls get the vaccine at age 11 or 12. Ault explains why youth is key. Human papillomavirus is sexually transmitted, "so one of the advantages of giving it to adolescents is that they are unlikely to have been sexually active, so they will not have been exposed
|
[
"what was approved for use",
"Who should get the vaccine?",
"What can cause cervical cancer"
] |
[
[
"cervical cancer vaccine,"
],
[
"girls around 11 or 12."
],
[
"HPV (human papillomavirus)"
]
] |
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, can cause cervical cancer .
Gardasil, a vaccine against HPV, was approved for U.S. use in 2006 .
CDC: Girls 11-12 should get the vaccine, before they're sexually active .
Reported side effects causing some parents to reconsider vaccination .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- It was an image that got the nation talking: Two giggling young women in oversized sunglasses robbing a bank. The "Barbie Bandits" helped their hometown earn the dubious distinction as the nation's bank robbery capital. Here one of the so-called "Barbie Bandits" is captured on surveillance video at a surburban Atlanta bank. Atlanta's FBI field division topped Los Angeles in reporting the most bank heists, with 350 for the 12 months ending September 30, 2007, according to the FBI, which annually names areas most prone to bank robberies. The Los Angeles area was No. 2 with 338 heists, followed by Philadelphia with 316. Just Thursday, two suspects overpowered a security guard at an Atlanta, Georgia, bank, took his gun, robbed the bank and fled with money in hand, police said. Eventually, police shot one of the suspects in an exchange of gunfire. Two more armed bank robberies took place in metro Atlanta Friday. The FBI says violent crime is up across the nation, especially in major metro areas like Atlanta. So it's no surprise Atlanta has become a prime target for bank robberies, FBI spokesman Stephen Emmett told CNN. Watch Hotlanta or Heistlanta? » "This goes hand in hand with those figures," Emmett said. Atlanta's rapid growth over the last decade has also been a factor. A recent Atlanta Business Chronicle article reported that metro Atlanta has 26 more banks than in all of North Carolina -- roughly one bank for every 3,500 people in the region. See photos of bank heists in metro Atlanta » "We would attribute a lot of that [bank robberies] to the growth and the fact that the banking industry has matched that growth with an increase in bank branches throughout the area," Emmett said. Atlanta's rise in bank heists comes just as Los Angeles has aggressively countered once out-of-control bank robberies. Los Angeles has gone from more than 500 bank robberies in the mid-2000s to this year's 338, the FBI stats show. According to the FBI, its Atlanta field division reported 350 bank robberies in the last year -- the most notorious of which were the "Barbie Bandits" and "Grandpa Bandit" robberies. The FBI says 122 of the heists were armed robberies, or robberies where a weapon was visibly used. Emmett said many more of the robberies were what law enforcement officers classify as "note jobs" -- where a robber gestures as if he or she has a gun on them in a demand note handed over to the teller. Also factored into the total number of robberies were ATM heists and a record nine armored car robberies. Those armored car robberies are particularly disturbing to Emmett. "Anyone that would confront an armored car courier knowing that he's already armed and in somewhat of a defensive posture, that mindset is very troubling for law enforcement," he said. While Emmett said there is no "typical" bank robber, he said he has seen some trends, most notably that they are often people battling drug addictions. He also said bank robbers are often repeat offenders. Two recent high-profile cases in Atlanta seem to confirm that. Two women dubbed the "Barbie Bandits" were arrested after working with a bank employee to rob a Bank of America in the Atlanta suburb of Acworth. They both later admitted to police to having drug addiction problems. Recently apprehended 69-year-old Bobby Joe Phillips, dubbed the "Grandpa Bandit," is suspected to have robbed seven banks in Tennessee and the Atlanta area and had a criminal history. Emmett says typically very little money is taken in a bank heist. Joe Brannen, president of the Georgia Bankers Association, agrees, saying "the average is $2,000 to $3,000. It's not as big a payoff as most people think it is." With the holidays in full swing, authorities are steeling themselves for a spate of bank robberies with robbers looking for quick holiday cash. "I would make the assumption that a large part of it is the increased [financial] pressures
|
[
"Who says it is the result of violent crimes?",
"When to expect the most robberies?",
"What city has the most bank heists?"
] |
[
[
"FBI spokesman Stephen Emmett"
],
[
"the holidays"
],
[
"Atlanta's"
]
] |
Atlanta surpasses LA, Philadelphia as city with most bank heists .
FBI says it's the result of rising violent crime and increased number of banks .
FBI: Expect more bank robberies around holidays .
Bank official says most robbers get away with just $2,000 to $3,000 .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Oscar Reynoso owed his bosses $300,000, and he was running out of time. One anti-drug operation in Atlanta netted $10.6 million, 108 kilos of cocaine, 17 pounds of meth and 32 weapons. Gunmen snatched Reynoso and locked him in the basement of a home to try to settle the drug debt. He was chained to a wall of the basement by his hands and ankles, gagged and beaten. His captors, members of a powerful Mexican drug cartel, held Reynoso for ransom, chained in the sweltering, dirty basement for six days without food. Reynoso's ordeal could've been a scene from the drug war in Mexico. But it played out recently in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. U.S. federal agents are fighting to keep that kind of violence from gripping Atlanta, as the city known for Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines has become a major distribution hub for Mexican drug cartels. In fiscal year 2008, authorities confiscated about $70 million in drug-related cash in Atlanta, more than anywhere else in the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration says. This fiscal year, Atlanta continues to outpace all other U.S. regions in such seizures, with $30 million confiscated so far. Next are Los Angeles, California, with about $19 million, and Chicago, Illinois, with $18 million. "There is definitely a center of this type of drug activity here, and we are working to make sure the violence does not spill out to the general public," Atlanta U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said. Atlanta has become a stopping point for truckloads of Mexican cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine, agents say. The drugs are held in stash houses before being distributed up the East Coast. "The money comes down here also to money managers in Atlanta, who get the books in order before it is sent out," said Rodney Benson, Atlanta's chief of the DEA. Agents attribute the growth in drug trafficking to Atlanta's location, proximity to other major cities and access to major highways. Authorities also point to the growth of the Hispanic population in Atlanta, which allows practitioners of the Mexican drug trade to blend in among hard-working, law-abiding Hispanics. No place is that more evident than in Gwinnett County, a community about 20 miles north of Atlanta. Gwinnett's Hispanic population rocketed from 8,470 in 1990 to 63,727 in 2000, according to the U.S. Census. By 2010, 20 percent of the county's projected population of 700,000 is expected to be Hispanic. "In Gwinnett County, the drug dealers are able to hide in plain sight," county District Attorney Danny Porter said. "To combat this, we have to be much more coordinated between my office, the police department and the federal authorities. The presence of the organizations is a dilemma enough that we have to develop new tactics." Federal agents say arrests and drug-related violence in Atlanta have been linked to the two most powerful Mexican organizations: the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels. A battle over drug routes has been blamed for the recent surge in violence in Mexican border towns, bloodshed that has included hundreds of deaths. The fear is that the battle will extend deeper into the United States, causing more to suffer a fate similar to Reynoso's ordeal in the Gwinnett County basement. Lucky for Reynoso, federal agents had a wiretap on his captors' phones. Agents stormed the home just as it appeared that the debt would not be paid and Reynoso would be killed. "There is no doubt in my mind that we saved his life that day," said the DEA's Benson. One case resolved, as cartels thrive in Atlanta.
|
[
"What factors contribute to trafficking growth?",
"What influences the high trafficking?",
"Where has $30 million been confiscated?",
"How much money has been confiscated?",
"what city outpaces all others?",
"Which city has outpaced all others in drug cash seizures?",
"where do dealers hide?"
] |
[
[
"Atlanta's location,"
],
[
"Atlanta's location, proximity to other major cities and access to major highways."
],
[
"Atlanta"
],
[
"$30 million"
],
[
"Atlanta"
],
[
"Atlanta"
],
[
"Gwinnett County,"
]
] |
City outpaces all others in the United States in drug-related cash seizures .
$30 million has been confiscated in Atlanta this fiscal year .
Location, proximity to other cities and highways cited in trafficking growth .
Drug dealers "hide in plain sight" in suburban Gwinnett County .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- OutKast's Big Boi is a junkie, has been for years. Big Boi: "You can really tell a lot about a person through the shoes, so I always like to keep me a fresh pair." The multiplatinum rap star got his first shoe fix back when he was better known as Antwan Patton, a busboy at Steak and Ale. He saved up his paychecks and rushed to a dealer to cop the only thing that could cure his jones -- a pair of British Knights tennis shoes. "I've actually been into sneakers since I was a little kid," Big Boi, 34, said backstage before his concert this month at the Sneaker Pimps exhibition in Atlanta. "You can really tell a lot about a person through the shoes, so I always like to keep me a fresh pair." Sneaker culture has thrived for decades, but shoe companies have increasingly capitalized on the demand for one-of-a-kind kicks. Collectors, known as sneakerheads, have lined up to pay hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to ensure few people are wearing the same shoes. See some of the rarest shoes » "Coming up, my mom got five kids so there wasn't a whole lot of stylish tennis shoes around the house, so I used to want a lot of sneakers," Big Boi said, explaining that he started making up for lost time -- and shoes -- long before OutKast's 1994 debut, "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik." Juan Castaneda, 27, also grew up in a family of modest means and longed to don the fresh kicks he saw his peers wearing. "When I got money to buy them, I started catching up," said Castaneda, who works at a nursing home in Hendersonville, North Carolina. He estimates he owns about 200 pairs of sneakers, including a pair of Nike Air Jordan XIs with patent-leather trim called "Space Jams." They cost him $500. It's supply and demand at its simplest, said Elliott Curtis, a former Carnegie Mellon University basketball player who for two semesters taught Sneakerology 101, billed as the first accredited class on sneaker culture. Shoe companies create a limited number (say, a few hundred pairs) of shoes -- even if it's just an old model with new colors or materials -- and demand automatically spikes. "It's like a status symbol. If Nike is selling a shoe for $2,000, they're not expecting to sell that many," the recent graduate said, adding that sneakerheads are drawn to scarcity. "If they've got money, they can buy coolness," Curtis said. Curtis goes to garage sales and mom-and-pop stores seeking rare and retro sneakers for his 75-pair collection, but he concedes he's waited in line for limited editions and paid as much as $250 for a pair. Sporting an ultra-rare set of blue-and-red "Bugs Bunny" Nike Air Jordan VIIIs, Big Boi said he today boasts at least 400 pairs of sneakers, but he rarely pays for them because shoe companies send him pairs. His most expensive, a pair of crocodile-skin Nike Air Force 1s, sell on various auction sites for up to $1,800. Big Boi has never worn them, but he plans on taking them out of their Nike lockbox this summer so he can wear them in a video for his upcoming solo album. To Peter Fahey, the mastermind behind Sneaker Pimps shoe shows, Big Boi's enthusiasm is typical. Sneaker culture got its start in New York in the 1970s, mostly among playground streetballers and practitioners of an emerging genre of music called hip-hop. Over the next three decades, rappers and basketball players -- most notably, Run DMC and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan -- would play integral roles in boosting the popularity of rare kicks. "Run DMC were probably at the height of the whole movement. It was the first time music and sneakers crossed like this," Fahey said of the group's 1986 hit
|
[
"What are shoe companies capitalizing on?",
"Whos shoes are they?",
"How many pairs of shoes?",
"How many pairs of shoes does Big Boi say he has?",
"What is there a niche demand for?"
] |
[
[
"the demand for one-of-a-kind kicks."
],
[
"Big Boi:"
],
[
"200"
],
[
"at least 400"
],
[
"one-of-a-kind kicks."
]
] |
Big Boi says he has 400 pairs, including crocodile-skin Nikes he's never worn .
Shoe companies capitalizing on niche demand for rare, limited-edition sneakers .
Sneakerology teacher: "If they've got money, they can buy coolness"
Woman says boyfriend "will not walk through grass. He will not walk through dirt"
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against three men accused in connection with the July death of former boxing champion Vernon Forrest, officials said Tuesday. Former boxing champion Vernon Forrest, 38, was shot and killed in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, on July 25. A grand jury indicted the three suspects -- Charman Sinkfield, 30; Demario Ware, 20; and Jquante Crews, 25 -- on charges including murder, felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Fulton County Superior Court spokesman Don Plummer said in a statement. Forrest, 38, was shot and killed in southwest Atlanta on July 25. He had stopped at a gas station to put air in his tire, Plummer said, and was robbed at gunpoint of his championship ring and Rolex watch. "Forrest chased the robber, believed to be Demario Ware, and then lost sight of him as he escaped into a nearby public housing complex," Plummer said. "Forrest then encountered the accused triggerman, Charman Sinkfield, not far from the scene of the armed robbery. As he turned to walk away from the man, Forrest was shot seven times." Crews is accused of being the getaway driver, Plummer said. Forrest was the International Boxing Federation welterweight champion in 2001, the World Boxing Council welterweight champion in 2002-03, and the WBC light welterweight champion in 2007-08 and 2008-09, according to the BoxRec Web site. He was named the World Boxing Hall of Fame fighter of the year in 2002, the Web site said. A $17,000 reward has been offered for the return of the watch and ring, Plummer said. The watch has a black leather band and diamonds, and his championship ring is engraved with his name and four X's signifying his four championship wins.
|
[
"Where was Forrest killed?",
"What three men were accused in the death?",
"Which boxing champion was killed?",
"What was the age of Vernon Forrest at the time of his death?",
"What reward was offered?",
"How many men were accused of murder?",
"What boxing champion?",
"What day in July was Vernon Forrest killed?",
"What charges included murder?"
] |
[
[
"in southwest Atlanta, Georgia,"
],
[
"and Jquante Crews,"
],
[
"Vernon Forrest,"
],
[
"38,"
],
[
"$17,000"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"Vernon Forrest,"
],
[
"25."
],
[
"aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon,"
]
] |
Three men accused in July death of former boxing champion Vernon Forrest .
Charges include murder, assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon .
Forrest, 38, was robbed, shot and killed in Atlanta, Georgia, after gas station stop .
$17,000 reward offered for return of watch, championship ring taken in robbery .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Ramin Ostadhosseini needed to vent, and this gathering seemed the place to do it. Teens at Camp Ayandeh learn how to blend their parents' history and culture with their contemporary lifestyles. "I get Raymond, Roman and sometimes Ramen noodles," he told the circle, describing how non-Iranians butcher his name. This group felt his pain. Here, sprawled out on a manicured lawn at Emory University were dozens of youths attending a weeklong summer camp designed to generate discussion on what it means to be Iranian-American. Like many attending Camp Ayandeh -- or "future" in Farsi -- Ramin has parents who were born in Tehran and immigrated to the United States after the Iranian revolution in 1979. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, six years after the revolution, Ramin grew up with two distinct and, at times conflicting, influences: the American side that met him at school and the Iranian one that greeted him at home. It's a first-generation story as old as the United States. It's so common that Ayandeh counselors said the camp was created three years ago to address both Iranian and American parts of a new generation of Iranian-American youth -- a community they define as being "hyphenated." Watch campers learn how to accept their backgrounds » "We're really becoming mindful of how we define things," said Natasha Sallahi, a first-time counselor and aspiring filmmaker. "We realize that sometimes one word doesn't cover it all. So we're trying to create better definitions ... by putting two things [Iranian-American] together." Camp Ayandeh is sponsored annually by Iranian Alliances Across Borders, a largely volunteer organization funded by individual donors and PARSA, a California-based philanthropic organization. First established on Thompson Island off eastern Massachusetts, Ayandeh began its gradual migration south the second year -- setting up at a campgrounds near Fairfax, Virginia. Iranian-American teens from high schools across the nation now flock to the new Georgia address to learn about their heritage and ask questions that range from relationships and college admissions to sexual orientation and discrimination -- issues that can come with distinctly different social parameters than their parents were once accustomed to in Iran. Camp counselor Siavash Samei remembers such angst all too well. "There was not a single person that I could look at and say, 'He is me,' " Samei said, describing an absence of elder Iranian-American role models. " 'He is what I can do. He can snap and he can dance. And at the same time, he can talk English without an accent.' " After two years as a camper, Samei returned this summer as counselor to help answer many of the same questions that plagued him a few years earlier. The typical adolescent anxieties and struggles were mixed with another layer of cultural confusion. "As a high school student, I had a horrible time," he said. "One day I would come into school very dressed up thinking, 'I'm looking Iranian.' One day I would be wearing the baggy pants and dressed completely American. And I had no clue which one was right." According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 400,000 Iranian-Americans live in the United States. The largest wave of Iranian immigrants came to the U.S. immediately following the ouster of the Shah of Iran and the Islamic-led revolution in 1979. Nearly three decades later, a new generation of Iranian-American youths are struggling to define themselves in these "hyphenated" communities. Bobak Moazami, a 17-year-old kid from Manhattan's Upper West Side, said he likes to think of himself equally as part of both communities. "I eat American food for lunch," he said. "Every day at school I have a grilled chicken sandwich. Then I come home and have chelo kabob or qormeh-sabzi." For many of these students, traditional Iranian dishes such as qormeh-sabzi -- a stew of herbs and beef or lamb -- are a part of a heritage that
|
[
"Where is the camp taking place?",
"What group sponsors the summer camp?",
"how many live in the US",
"How many Iranian-Americans live in the U.S.?",
"what was the summer camp"
] |
[
[
"Fairfax, Virginia."
],
[
"Iranian Alliances Across Borders,"
],
[
"400,000"
],
[
"nearly 400,000"
],
[
"Ayandeh"
]
] |
Camp Ayandeh helps Iranian-American youth come to terms with both cultures .
Iranian Alliances Across Borders sponsors summer camp .
Nearly 400,000 Iranian-Americans live in the U.S., Census Bureau says .
Teen at camp says she has learned "an appreciation for Persian culture"
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Rap star T.I. was sentenced in Atlanta federal court Friday to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay a $100,300 fine on weapons charges related to purchasing machine guns and silencers. T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, has mentored at-risk students as part of his community service. The rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, reached the terms of the sentence in a plea agreement with prosecutors last year. "I would like to say thank you to some, and apologize to others," Harris said at his sentencing. "In my life, I have been placed in the worst-case scenario and had to make the best of it," he said. "Most often, things I have learned have been from trial and error. I knew no way to protect myself than to arm myself." He was dressed in a gray suit and black shirt and tie. Harris, 28, also was sentenced to some property forfeiture, supervised release for three years after his prison sentence, 365 days of home confinement and 1,500 hours of community service. He has already served 305 days of home confinement and 1,030 hours of service. He also must undergo DNA testing and drug counseling, cannot own firearms and must submit to reasonable searches and a financial audit. Watch the rapper's interview with CNN's T.J. Holmes » "We are very pleased with the result in this case," U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias said. "Mr. Harris has received a significant penalty for the serious firearms offenses he committed. ... "His prison sentence was reduced from what it might have been, but the public got something very significant in exchange: the extensive and unique community service program that Mr. Harris committed to doing when he pleaded guilty. "By all accounts, his community service has been a remarkable success -- it certainly exceeded our expectations -- and there is still more to come when he gets out of prison." Watch T.I. urge others to learn from his mistakes » Former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young spoke on behalf of Harris, comparing black-on-black violence to the Ku Klux Klan decades ago. Young said he regarded working with Harris not so much as a chance to help him but more as "an opportunity for him to help me." "We hit it off immediately," Young said. "It was a grandfather type of relationship." Bishop Eddie Long of the New Birth Baptist Church also spoke in support of Harris. Harris will be taken into custody no earlier than May 19. The plea agreement, which federal authorities called unique, allowed the rapper to remain out of prison for a year while he performed community service. In that time, he mentored at-risk students at 58 schools, 12 Boys & Girls Clubs, nine churches and many other nonprofit organizations, according to court documents. Young said he and Harris went to a hospital for paraplegics in New York. "He heard the testimonies of guys in their 50s and 60s who talked about being shot back when they were 16," Young said. "A perfect example for me in my ministry, and that wouldn't be possible without the willingness of this court to try new things." Meanwhile, the rapper has released his sixth CD, "Paper Trail," which has sold close to 2 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The multiplatinum rapper also has starred in the MTV reality show, "T.I.'s Road to Redemption: 45 Days to Go," which chronicles his efforts to shave years off his sentence by completing his community service. The show features him talking to schools and community groups "about how to avoid the trouble he now finds himself in," according to the network's Web site. Harris' fall from grace was sudden and dramatic, played out on the streets of his hometown of Atlanta in 2007. That year, Harris had starred in the film "ATL" and could be seen in Chevy commercials with NASCAR driver
|
[
"What did he do with at-risk students?",
"Who was sentenced on weapons charges?",
"What is rapper T.I.'s real name?",
"What was the rapper T.I. sentenced on?",
"What did T.I. do for community service?",
"What else must the rapper do?"
] |
[
[
"mentored"
],
[
"Rap star T.I."
],
[
"Clifford Harris,"
],
[
"weapons charges"
],
[
"mentored at-risk students"
],
[
"and 1,500 hours of community service."
]
] |
Rapper T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, sentenced on weapons charges .
He also must forfeit property, have supervised release, do more community service .
T.I. was arrested in federal sting hours before appearance at BET awards show .
He has mentored at-risk students as part of community service .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Sada Jacobson may be a world champion fencer with three Olympic medals, but dressed in a T-shirt and sweats, she looked like any other student getting a lesson at the gym. Olympic medalist Sada Jacobson says "a little hard work, a little luck and some guidance" makes a champion. She grabbed her saber, pulled down her mask and started sparing with her long-time coach, Arkady Burdan, at the Nellya Fencers facility in Atlanta, Georgia. "I've been doing this for 10 years," remarked Jacobson, 25, a first-year law student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "I never anticipated that this is where my life would take me, and it has been an amazing trip." This year alone, that trip has taken her to competitions around the world from Algiers, Algeria, to Havana, Cuba, and eventually to Beijing, China, where she claimed two Olympic medals. Watch Sada Jacobson on the move » About a dozen young fencers gathered around her during a break from their own lessons to take a close look at Jacobson's silver and bronze medallions. She passed around another bronze medal that she earned at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Jacobson isn't one to brag, but she's happy to serve as a role model for the next generation of competitive fencers. She said all it takes to be a champion is "a little hard work, a little luck and some guidance." Jacobson was inspired to pursue fencing by her own father. David Jacobson was a member of the 1974 U.S. National Fencing team. Her mother and two younger sisters also participate in the sport. She blushed when her father stepped into the group of children admiring her medals and reminded them that Sada "started out just like you guys." Sada Jacobson played down her abilities. "The beauty of this sport is that anyone can do it," she said. "It's such a mental game that you can use any kind of physical attribute to your advantage." There are three types of fencing: epee, foil and sabre. Jacobson specializes in sabre. "Sabre is analogous to a sprint," she explained. "It's very fast, very powerful. It's over very quickly, and you have to put a ton of energy into changing your momentum." While preparing for the Olympics, Jacobson spent countless hours cross training and working on agility exercises. Unlike other sports, Jacobson called fencing an asymmetrical workout. "You are constantly in an unnatural body position," she said. "It's very lower-body specific, so you need really strong legs, but you also need to be very quick and light on your feet," she noted. The physical preparation was only part of her focus. She also studied countless videotapes of her opponents in competition in an effort to mentally outsmart them. Burdan, her coach, described the sport as a form of "physical chess." He said that Jacobson has outstanding technical skills but that she's also one of the best fencers in the world because she uses her brain to strategize during a match. That's helped her during the past five years as she captured medals in more than two dozen World Championship, World Cup and Grand Prix competitions. She arrived at the Beijing Olympics ranked No. 1 in the world. When she returned to Atlanta after the Olympics, the entire team from the Nellya club was there to greet her at the airport. Seeing that kind of hometown support "was a truly amazing feeling," she said. One of her admirers is Matthew Tennant, 12, a budding fencer. He knows that it is going to take a lot of hard work and practice to match Jacobson's accomplishments. "It's kind of cool that she's been in the Olympics," he said. "You know, it's not every day you get to meet a famous person." Jacobson
|
[
"What is \"physical chess\"?",
"What is an asymmetrical workout?",
"What does Jacobson say about fencing?",
"What is fencing?",
"What is Sada Jacobson happy about?",
"What is fencing compared to?",
"Who is the world champion fencer?",
"What did Jacobson say?"
] |
[
[
"fencing"
],
[
"fencing"
],
[
"\"a little hard work, a little luck and some guidance\""
],
[
"an asymmetrical workout."
],
[
"to serve as a role model"
],
[
"\"physical chess.\""
],
[
"Sada Jacobson"
],
[
"\"a little hard work, a little luck and some guidance\" makes a champion."
]
] |
Sada Jacobson, world champion fencer, is happy to serve as a role model for kids .
Jacobson: Fencing is an asymmetrical workout, with body in unnatural position .
Fencing is "physical chess" where brain must strategize during a match .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Seydi Burciaga just finished her overnight shift at Sam's Club, where she worked for the past 10 years. She made her way through the pouring rain in her minivan and turned onto her cul-de-sac in suburban Atlanta. Seydi and Pedro Burciaga were married for 14 years with two children. "She was a very loving mother," he said. She was three-tenths of a mile from home. The mother of two young children never made it. Floodwaters from a swollen creek swept her Nissan Quest from Desiree Drive around 5 a.m. Monday. On a normal day, the creek is only a few feet wide. But days of nonstop rain turned the seemingly harmless waterway into a raging river. It sits at the bottom of a steep hill on a street with no lights. It would've been nearly impossible to see the swift-moving water or how deep it was in the pre-dawn darkness. Her car was picked up and carried behind an elementary school and lodged in trees. Water was coming in fast, she told a 911 dispatcher. Listen to the frantic 911 call » "Please, come help me," she says, her voice cracking. "Please." The 911 dispatcher draws silent for a moment. "Alright, ma'am. Just stay as calm as possible." During the next 12 minutes, the dispatcher would try to reassure Burciaga as she elicited clues as to the caller's exact whereabouts. It was a neighborhood Burciaga knew well. She'd lived there for the past decade. She was known as the neighborhood mom who would take anyone who needed help to the dentist or the doctor. Fluent in Spanish, she would often act as translator. "She was a very loving mother, a good wife, a strong woman," said Pedro Burciaga, her husband of 14 years. "She liked helping everyone, and overall she worked very hard. ... She always had a smile for everyone." As her life teetered in the balance, she described being near a yellow house and tried to give other details of where her vehicle was. The 911 call was one of more than 400 before daybreak Monday that sent rescue crews through the floodwaters of Gwinnett County, a large suburban county northeast of Atlanta. "My car is turning. Now the wheels is getting up, and I'm going to drown," Burciaga says. A fire rescue team was at the scene by 5:09 a.m. Police arrived at 5:13 a.m. She was still on the phone with dispatch. The entire roadway was submerged by 5 or 6 feet of water. Nearby parked vehicles were nearly covered by the rushing water. An outbuilding had been carried from its foundation. Watch how to escape from a sinking car » "Listen to me. You're not going to drown. Roll down your windows, if you're able to, and get out of your vehicle," the 911 dispatcher says. "I'm in the back of my car. I don't know if I can break it," Burciaga says. "Ma'am, if you can break it, break it. Do whatever you can to get out of your vehicle." "Yes, please, but my car is --" "It doesn't matter about your car," the dispatcher says. "What matters is your life. We're going to save your life." A few moments later, the waters intensify. "It's taking me down now," Burciaga says, crying. "It's taking you down," the dispatcher repeats. "Just stay on the phone with me. I'm right here. I'm gonna stay with you." "Please! It's going to drown --" "OK, listen, you're not going to drown. We're going to be there for you. Just stay with me, OK?" "OK, OK," Burciaga says. Moments later, she shrieks, "Oh my
|
[
"Where did the woman work?",
"What did the 911 dispatcher say",
"How long had the woman worked at Sam's Club?",
"Who did the mother call when she got swept away in the flood?",
"What did the dispatcher say to the woman?",
"Where did the woman live?",
"How many children did the woman have?"
] |
[
[
"Sam's Club,"
],
[
"\"Alright, ma'am. Just stay as calm as possible.\""
],
[
"10 years."
],
[
"911"
],
[
"\"Alright, ma'am. Just stay as calm as possible.\""
],
[
"Atlanta."
],
[
"two"
]
] |
Mother of two gets swept away in floods, pleads for help in 911 call .
Rescuers were on the scene as she spoke but couldn't locate her .
Calm 911 dispatcher: "What matters is your life. We're going to save your life."
Woman was to turn 40 in November; she had worked at Sam's Club for 10 years .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The Bigfoot in the freezer is made of rubber, a Web posting asserted Tuesday. The frozen creature reputed to be Bigfoot turned out to be made of rubber, an enthusaist reports. The initial promoter of two hikers' claim that they found the body of Bigfoot in Georgia said he has determined that the discovery was a hoax. The body turned out to be rubber, and the two men who claimed that they found it, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, have admitted that it was a costume, said a posting Tuesday on the Web sites of Searching for Bigfoot Inc. and Squatchdetective. The posting purportedly was written by Steve Kulls, who maintains the Squatchdetective Web site and hosts a similarly named Internet radio program, where the find was announced weeks ago. In addition, Stanford University anthropologist Richard Klein said Monday that he was not aware he had been identified as participating in the project and would not be involved in any effort to examine the purported Bigfoot carcass. Whitton and Dyer announced last week that they had found the body of a 7-foot-7-inch, 500-pound half-ape, half-human creature while hiking in the north Georgia mountains in June. They said they put the carcass in a freezer and had spotted about three similar living creatures. "We were not looking for Bigfoot," Whitton, a Clayton County, Georgia, police officer, said Friday during a news conference. "We wouldn't know what we were doing if we did." He and Dyer insisted that scientific analysis would bear out their claim. The hoax was discovered after an "expedited melting process," Kulls wrote. "A break appeared up near the feet area ... as the team and I began examining this area near the feet, I observed the foot which looked unnatural, reached in and confirmed it was a rubber foot." Kulls said he contacted Tom Biscardi, the self-described "Real Bigfoot Hunter" who has been searching since 1971 for the creature of legend and appeared alongside Whitton and Dyer at the news conference. "Later that day, Tom Biscardi informed us that both Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer admitted it was a costume," the posting said. Whitton and Dyer reportedly agreed to sign a promissory note and an admission of the hoax and meet with Biscardi at their hotel on Sunday. But when Biscardi went to the hotel, the two had left, Kulls wrote. "At this time, action is being instigated against the perpetrators," the posting said, adding that the motives behind the claims were unknown. iReport.com: Do you believe in Bigfoot? The posting said Biscardi's organization, Searching for Bigfoot Inc., "is seeking justice for themselves and for all the people who were deceived by this deception." Kulls did not immediately return a call to the Squatchdetective contact number. A woman answering the phone at Searching for Bigfoot Inc. said Biscardi had been ill and said she was not sure when he would be returning calls. A number listed as belonging to Matthew Whitton was disconnected as of Tuesday. Efforts to locate a phone number for Dyer on Tuesday were unsuccessful. Dyer and Whitton failed to show up Monday for a scheduled appearance on CNN's "American Morning." Kulls said that at the time he first interviewed Dyer on July 28 for the radio program, he suspected the duo's motive was financial. On August 12, he said, the two "requested an undisclosed sum of money as an advance, expected from the marketing and promotion." Two days later, after signing a receipt and counting the money, Dyer and Whitton showed the Searching for Bigfoot team the freezer containing what they claimed was the body: "something appearing large, hairy and frozen in ice," Kulls wrote. Dyer, he said, insisted on holding the news conference and told Biscardi he would not release the body unless the briefing was held Friday. On Sunday, the research team was able to extract some hair and burn it. The hair sample "melted into a ball uncharacteristic of hair," Kulls wrote.
|
[
"What is the discovery made of?",
"Who didn't show up for CNN's \"American Morning\"?",
"What did the Stanford professor say?",
"Who didn't show up for CNN's \"American Morning?"
] |
[
[
"rubber,"
],
[
"Dyer and Whitton"
],
[
"he was not aware he had been identified as participating in the project and would not be involved in any effort to examine the purported"
],
[
"Dyer and Whitton"
]
] |
Hikers' discovery made of rubber, Web sites say .
Men who made claim didn't show up for CNN's "American Morning"
Stanford professor says his alleged participation in project is news to him .
"There is virtually no prospect of this animal being real," professor says .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The incessant banging on the door finally roused Ted Jackson from a deep sleep. Floodwaters roar across the highway in Paulding County, one of the hardest-hit in Georgia. He hustled out of bed and rushed to the door. There were his neighbors, surrounded by floodwaters the neighborhood is supposed to experience only once every 100 years. Jackson raced to his basement and the water level -- submerging nine of the 13 steps to the floor -- filled him with dread. His dog, a 2-year-old pomeranian, slept in a kennel down there. "My first initial thought was my dog is dead ... he didn't have a chance," said Jackson of Powder Springs, Georgia, where he and the rest of the residents in the metro Atlantan subdivision spent Monday stranded by acres and acres of water. The dog, named J.J., died in the flooded basement. Jackson is just one of thousands of Georgia residents trying to salvage their homes after days of rain rushed deadly flood waters to their part of the world. Counties west of Atlanta, including Douglas, Paulding and Cobb, were among the worst hit. The National Guard was poised to enter the area if necessary. See photo gallery of flooding » Aerial video of Powder Springs, near the Paulding-Douglas county line, showed scores of homes swallowed by muddy waters as the rain refused to subside. In one Powder Springs neighborhood, a fire truck floated near a cluster of two-story homes, with the charred remnants of one house smoldering a few yards from the failed response. Watch home burn, surrounded by water » Cars, trucks, buses and campers were flung into the currents, sinking near bent signs, fallen trees and downed power lines. Rescuers started rowing through affected areas in inflatable boats. After flying over the disastrous scenes in Paulding and Douglas counties, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in those and 15 other counties hit by floods. At least five flood-related deaths were reported across Atlanta-area counties -- three fatalities in Douglas, one in Gwinnett and one, a child, in Carrollton. A Douglas County hospital reported no running water. Just across the line, in Cobb County, the entrance of Georgia's largest amusement park, Six Flags, was sitting in water. Watch the flooding in Georgia » Powder Springs resident Kim Harp woke up at about 4 a.m. Monday as her brother bounded up the stairs from his basement room, reporting water spilling into the home. The family scrambled to save photo albums and other personal valuable, but the water reached a depth of 2 feet in the basement less than two hours later. "It just came so fast," Harp said, adding that the water was at head-level by midday. "It really terrified us." Harp, who lives next door to Jackson, said she and her husband, three children and brother went to bed Sunday after another day of Georgia rains with little worry. After all, she said, the family has a 7-foot retaining wall in the backyard, and it's never even come close to a breach. Watch flooding victims flee » "It really wasn't a concern," she said. Now, without flood insurance, Harp has only one thing on her mind: Clean up. Still, "where do you start?" she asked. "Where does the family go from here?"
|
[
"What happened to entrance to Six Flags?",
"What does Kim Harp say?",
"What is \"sitting in water\"?",
"What happened to scores of homes?",
"where does kim harp live",
"What are scores of homes swallowed by?",
"what is georgia's largest amusement park",
"what did Kim Harp say?",
"what did the rain refuse to do"
] |
[
[
"sitting in water."
],
[
"\"It just came so fast,\""
],
[
"Georgia's largest amusement park, Six Flags, was sitting in water."
],
[
"swallowed by muddy waters as the rain refused"
],
[
"Powder Springs"
],
[
"muddy waters"
],
[
"Six Flags,"
],
[
"\"It really terrified us.\""
],
[
"subside."
]
] |
Powder Springs resident Kim Harp: "It just came so fast. It really terrified us"
Scores of homes swallowed by muddy waters as the rain refused to subside .
Entrance to Six Flags, Georgia's largest amusement park, sitting in water .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The two men who claimed to have found the carcass of Bigfoot have surfaced to say: Hey, it was just a joke. Matt Whitton has been fired from his job as a police officer because of his role in the hoax. Not everyone is laughing. In an exclusive interview with CNN affiliate WSB, the two hoaxers -- car salesman Rick Dyer and now-fired police officer Matt Whitton -- said the whole situation began as a joke and then got out of hand. "It's just a big hoax, a big joke," Dyer said. "It's Bigfoot," Dyer explained. "Bigfoot doesn't exist." Whitton chimed in: "All this was a big joke. It got into something way bigger than it was supposed to be." Watch the two men explain their "joke" » At a news conference in California last week, the two men had stood by their claims that they had discovered Bigfoot's corpse and had it on ice. Scientific analysis would prove it, they said. Not quite. Now the two Georgia men admit that the hairy, icy blob was an Internet-purchased Sasquatch costume stuffed with possum roadkill and slaughterhouse leftovers. Whitton and Dyer say that when they came up with the hoax, they had no idea it would become a media circus. "It got legs and ran. It's crazy now," Dyer told WSB. Co-hoaxer Whitton agrees: "It started off as some YouTube videos and a Web site. We're all about having fun." "Fun" isn't exactly how Clayton County Police Chief Jeff Turner sees it. He has kicked Whitton off the police force. "He lied on national TV," Turner says of Whitton, "so a defense attorney now could say, 'How do we know you're not lying now?' " Whitton and Dyer had announced that they had found the body of a 7-foot-7-inch, 500-pound half-ape, half-human creature while hiking in the north Georgia mountains in June. They also said they had spotted about three similar living creatures. Still unclear is how much money Whitton and Dyer got out of the hoax. Steve Kulls, who maintains the SquatchDetective Web site and hosts a similarly named Internet radio program, first interviewed Dyer on July 28 for the radio program. On August 12, Kulls said, Dyer and Whitton "requested an undisclosed sum of money as an advance, expected from the marketing and promotion." Two days later, after signing a receipt and counting the money, Dyer and Whitton showed the Searching for Bigfoot team the freezer containing what they claimed was the carcass: "Something appearing large, hairy and frozen in ice," Kulls wrote on the Web site. It was, as many had suspected, an ape-like costume stuffed with entrails. After the news conference last week, Dyer and Whitton disappeared from view. The truth came out over the weekend. In a Web posting this week, Kulls wrote that "action is being instigated against the perpetrators." The two hoaxers have hired attorney Steve Lister to represent them. "There have been some threats made to them for both civil and criminal prosecution," Lister said. The attorney says the Bigfoot incident "got out of hand." Dyer, asked whether he ever thought that the hoopla had become more than just a joke, implied that everyone should have known it was a hoax. "Well, we told 10 different stories," he said. "Everyone knew we were lying."
|
[
"Were the men who were \"having fun\" cause a joke to turn into something bigger than expected?",
"What did the attorney say?",
"what was the joke about",
"What number of men surfaced?",
"What did they claim there were intending?",
"What did the two men claim about the Bigfoot hoax?",
"what did the men say",
"What was a joke?",
"Did two men claim their Bigfoot hoax was a joke?"
] |
[
[
"and then got out of hand."
],
[
"\"There have been some threats made to them for both civil and criminal prosecution,\""
],
[
"two men who claimed to have found the carcass of Bigfoot"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"it was just a joke."
],
[
"it was just a joke."
],
[
"Hey, it was just a joke."
],
[
"have found the carcass of Bigfoot"
],
[
"a big joke,\""
]
] |
Two men surface to say Bigfoot hoax was just a joke .
Men say their idea of "having fun" turned into something bigger than expected .
Attorney for men says incident "got out of hand"
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Tyler Perry is known today as the first African-American to own a major film and TV studio. He's a pioneer whose own life story is a rags-to-riches tale that reads like a screenplay. Tyler Perry is the first African-American to own a major film and TV studio. Now a writer, actor, director and producer -- Perry's success grew out of a troubled home in a poor neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. Strong on faith, Perry named his first play "I Know I've Been Changed," after an old Negro spiritual. It was a gospel musical about two adult survivors of child abuse. In 1991, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he worked as a bill collector and eventually scraped together enough money to rent a small theatre and stage the play. With only 30 people in the audience, the play was a flop. For the next several years, he struggled and was often broke and sometimes lived in his car. But Perry refused to give up. He finally got a second chance in 1998, when a promoter booked the show in the Tabernacle, a former church turned concert hall in downtown Atlanta. It was a sold out hit and the little boy from inner-city New Orleans was well on his way. Perry then took his plays on the road and traveled the so-called "chitlin' circuit" to theaters in Memphis, Tennessee, Detroit, Michigan, and Baltimore, Maryland -- where black entertainers historically performed for predominantly black audiences. He began making a name for himself with African-Americans. In 2004, he started looking for backers for his first movie project "Diary of Mad Black Woman," a story about a devoted wife in a bad marriage. He said he faced a wall of ignorance when he pitched white executives in Hollywood. One told him the project was doomed to fail at the box office because the core audience for Perry's stage plays -- black churchgoers -- wouldn't go to the movies. Another said the dialogue for his characters was unrealistic. Though he was largely unknown to white audiences, Perry refused to play by Hollywood's rules and demanded creative control of his projects. Tour of Tyler Perry's back lot » He was resigned to bankrolling the project himself and selling it as a DVD when he got a call from the independent studio Lionsgate. They struck a deal and he made "Diary" for about $5 million. The movie earned 10 times that at the box office. Since then, Perry's movies have grossed nearly $400 million and he's developed a loyal following. He now demands not only creative control but also ownership of the finished product. Still, it's just the beginning, he said. "I don't necessarily feel like I've arrived." Even so, Perry has a prolific output of stories, including his movies "Why Did I Get Married," "Meet the Browns," "The Family that Preys," and "Madea's Family Reunion." He signed a $200 million deal with TBS (owned by Time Warner, the same company that owns CNN) for 100 episodes of "House of Payne," one of television's most popular shows among black adults. The sitcom is now in syndication, making even more money for Perry. Perry said ownership of the finished product is key to building wealth, a principle he hopes other African-Americans will embrace. How are entertainment heavyweights changing black stereotypes? "If you want to think about longevity," he said, "if you want to think about your family and generations down the line, then you have to own it." And own it he does. Tyler Perry Studios, on 30 acres in Atlanta, is his black Hollywood. But he is quick to acknowledge his debt to the legendary black actors from an earlier generation by naming two of his soundstages after Sidney Poitier and Cicely Tyson. He has also helped introduce them to a new generation by casting Tyson, 76
|
[
"What race is Tyler Perry?",
"who is tyler perry",
"Where did Tyler Perry grow up?",
"what does he do",
"what movies has he made",
"what is the name of the studio",
"What is his gross income?",
"Amount that Perry's movies have made?"
] |
[
[
"African-American"
],
[
"the first African-American to own a major film and TV studio."
],
[
"New Orleans, Louisiana."
],
[
"writer, actor, director and producer"
],
[
"\"Why Did I Get Married,\" \"Meet the Browns,\" \"The Family that Preys,\""
],
[
"Tyler Perry"
],
[
"nearly $400 million"
],
[
"$400 million"
]
] |
Tyler Perry is the first African-American to own a major film and TV studio .
The director, writer and playwright grew up poor in New Orleans, Louisiana .
Perry's movies have grossed nearly $400 million; he's developed loyal following .
"[If] this little boy from Louisiana can do it, anybody can do it," says Perry .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- An advisory panel is recommending a major step up in protection for health workers dealing with patients suspected or confirmed to have H1N1 influenza. One expert says that based on current knowledge, N95 respirators offer health workers the best protection. The Institute of Medicine said Thursday, in recommendations requested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that loose paper masks are inadequate because the workers could still breathe in the virus. Instead, health workers should switch to N95 respirators that form an airtight seal around the nose and mouth. If properly fitted and worn correctly, N95 respirators filter out at least 95 percent of particles as small as 0.3 micrometers, which is smaller than influenza viruses, the report notes. The institute provides independent, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, private entities and the public. It is one of four groups that make up the National Academies. The study released Thursday was requested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "Scientists do not know to what extent flu viruses spread through the air or whether infection requires physical contact with contaminated fluids or surfaces," a summary of the report says. It calls for "a boost in research to answer these questions and to design and develop better protective equipment that would enhance workers' comfort, safety and ability to do their jobs." "Based on what we currently know about influenza, well-fitted N95 respirators offer health care workers the best protection against inhalation of viral particles," said committee chairman Kenneth Shine, executive vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. He is a former president of the institute. "But there is a lot we still don't know about these viruses, and it would be a mistake for anyone to rely on respirators alone as some sort of magic shield." Health care workers should use several strategies to guard against infection, such as innovative triage processes, washing hands, disinfecting, wearing gloves, getting vaccinated and using antiviral drugs, Shine said. The institute was asked specifically to evaluate personal protective equipment designed to guard against respiratory infection, and therefore the committee focused on the efficacy of medical masks and respirators.
|
[
"What is the type of respirator?",
"What do the respirators do?",
"What percent of particles are filtered out?",
"Health care workers should wear?",
"What percentage of particles do the respirators filter?",
"What disease are health care workers treating?",
"What did panel recommend?",
"What forms an airtight seal around nose and mouth?"
] |
[
[
"N95"
],
[
"offer health workers the best protection."
],
[
"at least 95"
],
[
"N95 respirators"
],
[
"95"
],
[
"H1N1 influenza."
],
[
"workers dealing with patients suspected or confirmed to have H1N1 influenza."
],
[
"N95 respirators"
]
] |
Panel recommends health care workers wear N95 respirators for H1N1 patients .
N95 respirators form an airtight seal around the nose and mouth .
They filter out at least 95 percent of particles as small as 0.3 micrometers .
Report says it is not known to what extent flu viruses spread through the air .
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- "You break it, you buy it..." Clark Howard says shoppers may save money if they keep their hands off the merchandise. "Look, but don't touch..." "Keep your hands to yourself..." Three tired platitudes you might hear in the world of retail that all suggest a direct connection between the power of touch and the act of buying something. Now a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research confirms what many have long believed, when you touch something in a store, you feel a sense of ownership and you're more likely to overpay for that item. That's why retailers like Apple always encourage you to play with the merchandise. First and foremost, the Journal of Consumer Research study presents a real caveat emptor for your wallet during a recession. And second, it confirms that I have the reading habits of a really dull guy! Hear a few interesting tips for saving money at the grocery store » The warning for you is that if you don't want to spend money, don't go out and handle the merchandise. Whenever I shop at Costco Wholesale, I never get a cart. I only buy what I can carry in my two arms. Once my arms are full, I'm not constantly picking up new items along the way to the register. You'd be surprised how you can cut down on your bill using this simple trick. But there's a further caution in the study. Even window shopping or browsing online can prove dangerous for your budget. The study's authors talk about the power of visualization. They suggest that if e-tailers can get you to picture yourself owning something -- even if you really can't afford it -- they have a better chance of converting you into an online sale. The question of why people spend money in ways that don't make sense is one that's addressed by behavioral economics. It's a field of study that used to be discredited in serious academic circles. But now it's proving to be an important discipline as people look for new ways to save more and spend less. A 2008 study in The American Journal of Psychiatry found that about 1 in 16 Americans -- that's some 6 percent of us -- have compulsive spending habits. This kind of behavior leads to a momentary rush of adrenaline, but afterward comes the financial hangover. Christa, my radio show's executive producer, has done a lot in her life to take control of her wayward spending habits. She believes that if you're always buying new clothes, for example, you disrespect the things you already have in your closet. When the shopping bug bites you, try paying attention to the stuff you've already acquired in your life. Speaking of closets, I once owned a house built in 1937. The master bedroom's sole closet was all of 2 x 1.5 feet in dimension! During those Great Depression years, that was big enough for a middle-class husband and wife. Today, a closet of that size would never work. Some people have so much clothing that they can go for months without wearing the same thing. So the best way to tackle compulsive spending is with shock therapy -- you've got to ban yourself from stores! Let's say you're prone to go on a shopping binge when you feel blue. You've got to make sure you don't even get into the car to go to the store or the mall. Go for a walk or go to the park if it's a nice day. If you have a conditioned response that's bad for you, you've got to work to change it. And the next time you're tempted to pick something up while shopping, remember the study in the Journal of Consumer Research. Or if that's too pointy-headed for you, just start humming the refrain from that old song by the Georgia Satellites: "Don't hand me no lines and keep your hands to yourself!"
|
[
"What way can you save money?",
"What may cause you to overpay for an item?",
"Where can you find tips on saving money?",
"In what ways can you save money while shopping?",
"What are you likely to do if you touch an item in store?"
] |
[
[
"if they keep their hands off the merchandise."
],
[
"feel a sense of ownership and you're more likely"
],
[
"Journal of Consumer Research"
],
[
"keep their hands off the merchandise."
],
[
"sense of ownership"
]
] |
Research says if you touch an item in a store, you are more likely to overpay for it .
People form emotional attachments with merchandise .
To save money, identify and avoid your emotional shopping habits .
Find many more money-saving tips at CNN.com/ClarkHoward .
|
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