(CNN)They died in separate shootings. Separated by more than 2,000 miles, they lived with the peril and uncertainty that hundreds of thousands of U.S. law enforcement officers face each day. One was a 14-year veteran; the other a rookie on his first day out on his own. Two law enforcement officers, one in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and another in San Jose, California, were shot and killed in encounters with suspects Tuesday. Such encounters are all too common. The number of law enforcement officers shot to death in the line of duty rose more than 50% last year, according to the Washington-based National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. "Officers were obviously crying, grieving," said Officer Alberto Morales, a San Jose police department spokesman."They will do so for some time, as will many of us in the department." They were grieving for San Jose police Officer Michael Johnson, a veteran killed while responding to a report of a man threatening to kill himself, police said. The suspect in the San Jose shooting was found dead on his balcony with a gunshot wound, authorities said. Thousands of miles away, officers grieved the shooting death of Wisconsin State Trooper Trevor Casper, 21, of Kiel, according to the Wisconsin Professional Police Association. The suspect -- a suspected bank robber -- was killed. Casper had successfully completely his field training recently. He was on his first solo assignment, Capt. Anthony Burrell told reporters Wednesday. It's unclear whether the suspects were fatally shot by law enforcement officers or died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Johnson, a veteran, was killed while responding to a report of a man threatening to kill himself, police said. Part of his job was to work with new officers. Police received a call Tuesday evening about a "despondent, intoxicated man, who possibly had access to a weapon, including a rifle," said San Jose police Chief Larry Esquivel. When officers arrived at the scene, they were met with gunfire, said Esquivel, adding that investigators were still trying "to understand what truly happened." Johnson was the first San Jose officer killed in the line of duty in 14 years. The last officer killed in the line of duty, Jeffrey Fontana, was in the same academy graduating class, Esquivel said. "It's unfortunate for any of our officers to lose their lives, whether it's that class or any class," he said. It's not known whether the suspect was wounded in the exchange of gunfire, the police chief said. "SJPD grieves as we offer our condolences to the family of our brother," the police department tweeted. Morales said the death had shaken many officers. "Our hearts, prayers go out with the family of Michael, our brother. This is a very, very difficult time right now." He remembered Johnson's smile and bright eyes, how he was "full of life and cared a lot about his job." "It's a tough thing to relay to your fellow officers who have to go out there to continue to do this job," Morales said. "But rest assured, that we will keep him in our memories

Summary: Wisconsin trooper killed during first solo assignment, police say . San Jose police officer is killed while responding to a report of a suicidal man . Wisconsin state trooper killed during an attempted bank robbery .


(CNN)It shouldn't come as a surprise that Yemen has collapsed -- again. A country that has split and been pulled together before, has the youngest and fastest growing population in the region, is running low on oil and water, and possesses a "personalist" government rather than stable institutions, was on the top of every expert's list as the fragile state most likely to fail next. What is surprising is that U.S. policy ignored all of this and proceeded on the premise that simply drone-bombing al Qaeda terrorists could keep Yemen intact and stable. Indeed, last fall, when President Barack Obama pointed to U.S. policy in Yemen as an example of a "success" and a model for the plans that would roll back the Islamic State (also known as ISIS), I shivered. For as September ended, Shi'ite Houthi rebels from the north moved south and took the capital city, Sanaa. By January, the Islamic State was noticeably increasing its recruitment in Yemen, and that same month the Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for organizing the deadly Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris. Last week, the Islamic State bombed two Shi'ite mosques in Yemen, killing more than 130 worshippers at prayer. This week, the Houthi forces are closing in on Yemen's second major city, Aden, on the south coast, and the U.S.-supported President, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, has reportedly fled the country. As the United States has closed its embassy and withdrawn its last troops, Yemen has slid into total chaos, with rebels and jihadists on both sides capturing military bases and seizing tanks and heavy weapons. The situation is so dire that a coalition of Sunni nations, led by Saudi Arabia, has launched massive airstrikes against the Houthis, with a Saudi adviser threatening to bring up to 150,000 ground troops into Yemen to restore the Hadi regime. Yemen does have value as a lesson -- this is what happens when you ignore the basic foundations of social stability. These include legitimate leadership with stable succession plans; a united elite; institutions to bridge regional and ethnic divisions and assure fairness in political and economic access and a functioning economy with capabilities for providing employment and growth. Rather than working to secure these things, the U.S. administration has succumbed to the illusion that precision bombing or other surgical interventions to remove "dangerous elements" will sustain broader social and political stability. Anyone could see that the conditions for collapse were progressing in Yemen and that aerial attacks on al Qaeda terrorists would have no effect on them. Those attacks were a sideshow -- like firing a lousy band performing on the deck of an ocean liner, while a hull full of holes is taking on water fast. What we have now is an area with about 24 million people, more than twice the population now under the rule of the Islamic State in eastern Syria and western Iraq, that is virtually ungoverned and up for grabs and is falling into the grips of an all-out civil war between Iran-supported Shi'as and al Qaeda/ISIS-aligned

Summary: Goldstone: U.S. policy of drone-bombing al Qaeda terrorists ignores need to build social stability . He says country now in chaos, virtually ungoverned and vulnerable to jihadist elements .


(WIRED)Screens are rectangles. Even the 3-year-old playing with your iPad could tell you that. But what would the digital world look like through a different sort of frame? Say... a circular one? Monohm, a startup based in Berkeley, California, was founded around this very idea. For the last year, the three-person team has been working a circular, palm-sized device dubbed Runcible. They cheekily refer to it as the "anti-smartphone," a description that goes for both its form factor and its value system. The round device is meant to be the antidote to our feed-obsessed, notification-saturated digital existence. It's a challenge to the rectangular status quo and everything it represents. That's a quixotic dream, but an interesting one. Display technologies have a long and rectangular history. Before smartphones there were movie screens, TVs, and computers, not to mention paintings and pages of print. And then of course there are windows—in some ways the original glass rectangles. In each case, the rectangle's prominence can be attributed in large part to practicality. Whether you're talking about film or glass or stone, rectangles are easy to make. They don't leave much wasted material. As frames for shaping the world, however, different types of rectangles can produce vastly different effects. 14 of the Best Architecture Photos From the Past Year . In her book The Virtual Window, which traces the rectangular frame from Renaissance painting up through Microsoft Windows, media theorist Anne Friedberg offers an example from the history of architecture, centering on a public feud between French builder August Perret and the preeminent modernist architect Le Corbusier. Perret was a strong advocate of the traditional French casement window, which was oriented vertically. Its main function, he said, was to let light into a room. Le Corbusier, making use of new manufacturing techniques, designed his buildings around long, horizontal windows, which were as much about framing the outside world as illuminating the space within. The disagreement influenced architecture for decades to come. The simple act of turning a rectangle on its side gave us entirely new ways to think about space. Rectangles are still subtly dictating our behavior today. Movie screens, chased by TVs, have gotten bigger and wider, encouraging us to sit back and lose ourselves in the spectacle. (In 1930, Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein lamented how the cinema's "passive horizontalism." He wanted the screen to be square.) Smartphones, with their slender, touch-controlled displays, have become a distinctly more active rectangle. Paired with the never-ending vertical feeds that fill apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, they've become an irresistible, inexhaustible diversion. The point is this: Frames matter. They suggest certain things about how we should approach them. They shape the type of stuff that's made for them. And if just turning a rectangle on its side can make such a big difference, imagine all the interesting things that might happen if you left the rectangle behind altogether. Runcible isn't meant to be a smartphone replacement so much as an alternative. "I think we've become really, really good at getting interrupted and creating conduits for interruption," says

Summary: A Californian startup has developed a circular smartphone called "Runcible" The provocative anti-phone is meant to be an antidote to our obsession for digital devices .


(CNN)Selma, it seems, is everywhere. The Ava DuVernay film of that name continues to draw audiences and plaudits, while this month marks the 50th anniversary of three pivotal civil rights marches from the Alabama city -- the first two stopped by brute force, the third a triumphant procession to the state capital of Montgomery led by Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Bunche, Maurice Davis and other activists. Now, the events that seared those marches into the American consciousness are the subject of a photography show at the Steven Kasher Gallery in New York. "Selma March 1965" brings together -- for the first time, anywhere -- pictures by three essential witnesses of the civil rights era: James Barker, Spider Martin and the man Kasher calls "the single greatest civil rights photographer" -- Charles Moore. The pictures in the gallery above include Moore's work in Selma and from other parts of the South, including some of the riveting, award-winning photos he made in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. (Two weeks after his Birmingham pictures appeared in a landmark issue of Life magazine, a letter to the editor succinctly captured the elemental power of Moore's work. The Birmingham pictures, wrote a reader from Indiana, were "superb and bone-chilling.") "The quality, the depth, the sense of reality that he brings to the work is unparalleled," Kasher said of Moore's civil rights shots. Kasher's own bona fides on the topic, meanwhile, are well-established: He's mounted photography shows on the civil rights movement in 30 different public venues since the mid-1990s. "It's important to remember that Charles was a white Alabaman," Kasher said. "He was the photographer at the Montgomery Advertiser -- hardly a bastion of integration -- who became very sympathetic to the movement. I knew Charles pretty well, and he had many sides to him -- sides he was able to reconcile and that allowed him to shoot with a deep understanding of so many different points of view. He was not parachuting into these marches and protests in the South. He had roots there and was fully engaged. "Of course, there are lots of really good pictures of the era by, say, Bruce Davidson, Bob Adelman and others, but they're Northerners -- and I think that shows. There's a sense in many of the photos made in the South by Northern photographers that what they were capturing was somehow exotic. For Charles, this was home." At his very best, Moore invested his pictures with an unsettling intimacy. Whether he was chronicling the overt, graphic suppression of human rights or framing a profoundly human moment -- as in his unforgettable shot of bloodied poet Galway Kinnell in Selma -- Moore's photographs often feel as if he was shooting with Robert Capa's famous dictum ringing in his ears: "If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough." Moore was always, always close enough. John Loengard, who was a staff photographer at Life and later the founding picture editor for People magazine and for Life, the monthly, in the late '70s and '80s, calls Selma "a not particularly

Summary: The Steven Kasher Gallery will be showing powerful photos from the 1965 Selma marches . Included are images from the late Charles Moore, whose civil rights work is legendary .


Norman, Oklahoma (CNN)Trinidad James isn't mad at Beauton Gilbow. The rapper's hit song can be heard playing in the background as Gilbow, the house mother of the University of Oklahoma Sigma Alpha Epsilon house -- known as Mom B. -- repeats the n-word seven times on camera. It appears overboard considering that the hook of the song, "All Gold Everything," uses the word only three times per succession. Gilbow has been bombarded with claims that she's just as racist as the fraternity members caught singing a racist song on a bus last weekend. It's an allegation she's firmly denied, and the Atlanta rapper who wrote "All Gold Everything" is willing to give her a pass, though he wouldn't condone her use of the word. He doesn't hate her, though. "I'm not going to be that person," he told CNN. "It's a rock and a hard place. I can't be as upset at that lady. I'm upset at the fraternity because what they're saying is a chant that's just completely disrespectful to the black race. As far as that lady goes -- man, that's an old lady, man. Let that lady be." The Trinidad-born rapper, whose real name is Nicholas Williams, said he doesn't like giving interviews about race and the n-word because his views are complex and hip-hop stars can be hypocrites when it comes to the topics. "It's hard to ridicule somebody for something that you continue to use in your music," he said. "Every (hip-hop) artist is using the n-word in their music -- hit records with the n-word in it. You can't be upset when somebody says it. You can't. It's hard to differentiate when you can use it. If we don't want the word used and the word holds such a negative connotation, then we shouldn't use it at all, period." He compared it to children hearing their parents curse, "and they told you not to curse. You wanted to curse. You cursed." Context matters, he said. If you're using the word in a negative way, talking down to someone or being sarcastic, that's wrong. "But if it's somebody that you've been rocking with or we're listening to music or whatever, I can't be upset," he said. "It's humanly impossible for you to be upset at a different race saying it when you're saying it in your music. That's crazy to me." He has a different take on the fraternity members caught clapping, pumping their fists and chanting, "There will never be a ni**** SAE. You can hang him from a tree, but he can never sign with me." SAE no stranger to scandal . "I don't respect that at all. What kind of world are we living in here?" he asked. He took it personally, he said, because he and other hip-hop artists travel the country to perform for fraternities, and to know any fraternity member would harbor such vile feelings toward him "burns my heart." As fellow Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka Flame noted when he canceled an upcoming show for the University of Oklahoma SAEs, Trinidad

Summary: Trinidad James says it would be hypocritical to condemn Beauton Gilbow . The University of Oklahoma SAE house mom was caught on tape saying n-word . Rapper: If "you would want to hang me from a tree, then don't talk to me"


(CNN)"Good night Malaysian three-seven-zero." It was a routine sign-off, an all-is-well. On March 8, 2014, at 1:19 a.m., someone spoke those last words from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 to air traffic controllers before the Boeing 777 vanished. A year later, searchers have no new clues as to where it went with 239 people on board. Radar and satellite reports have provided hints, but searchers still have nothing to hold in their hands. No wreckage seen floating at sea or beached on shore. No fuselage resting on the sea floor. Experts have said the data indicate the flight path from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing unexpectedly veered, putting the commercial jet over the southern Indian Ocean. But the water's vast and intricate depths have revealed no secrets. And as clarity has eluded grasp, analysts have made many speculations about what happened. The most controversial idea: Is the maritime search area all wrong? Did the plane land clandestinely on solid ground? Here are some expert theories about what happened to MH370. Investigators have since cast doubt on some of their details. Who radioed those last words to air traffic control? Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah? First officer Fariq Abdul Hamid? There was much speculation over that, but the Malaysian inspectors in April said it was Zaharie. The pilots were supposed to check in with new air traffic controllers in Vietnam, but never did. One theory is that one pilot may have incapacitated the other, then guided the plane to its end, taking the passengers down with him in a dramatic suicide. Mark Weiss, a retired American Airlines captain, has flown a Boeing 777. He believed shortly after the crash that there may have been a struggle. "It was one of the pilots that maybe had a meltdown or did something nefarious to the airplane," he said. But Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya has vehemently defended his employees, particularly the pilot. "We do not suspect any one of our crew until there's such evidence. ... Captain Zaharie is a very capable man," he said. "We have no reason to suspect (him)." Weiss also thought there could have been another person -- a crew member or someone else -- in the cockpit who "was bent on perhaps committing suicide or doing some destruction on the aircraft." Copilot Hamid, 27, reportedly once invited a woman and her friend into the cockpit on a 2011 flight between Thailand and Malaysia. "That's an enormous breach of security," Weiss said. But investigators punched holes in the idea, saying there was no indication of a third party in the cockpit, CNN reported in April. The difference between hijacking and commandeering is nuanced. The former term is often used when the hijacker issues a demand such as being taken to a safe-haven country or receiving ransom to release passengers. When people commandeer a plane, they might keep the motives secret, said political analyst Peter Bergen. They may want to steer it themselves at a target, like the September 11, 2001, terrorists did. In 1994, a FedEx employee burst into the cockpit

Summary: Many experts believe the plane went down in the South Indian Ocean . The most controversial theory: Russians hijacked the plane to Kazakhstan . Electrical failure is another theory .


(CNN)He was proud of his son for making good grades. So Officer Robert Wilson III climbed out of his squad car in snow-bound north Philadelphia to get him a gift. While shopping for a game, he died in the line of duty. Wilson was standing at the counter across from employees at the GameStop store when two brothers, Carlton Hipps and Ramone Williams, walked in carrying guns, police said. They allegedly stuck up the store with at least five patrons and two employees inside. "They said they thought it was going to be an easy target," said police spokesman Capt. James Clark. The store is in a quiet cul-de-sac. Williams and Hipps had not seen the police car outside, where Wilson's partner Damien Stevenson sat. Nor did they notice Wilson, who was in uniform. Wilson confronted them, and a firefight broke out, police said. The officer, an eight-year veteran, stepped away from others in the store to keep them out of the crossfire, police said after watching the store's security camera footage. He was a hero and a warrior, Clark said. "He fought until the very, very end, firing at both of them." Hipps and Williams ducked out of sight at times behind movie posters as they trained their fire on Wilson, Clark said. Within 30 to 40 seconds, 50 shots fell, he said. "Officer Wilson was shot multiple times in the body and once in the head. That is the shot that ultimately killed him," the captain said. With Wilson down, the two men ran out of the store, where Stevenson intercepted them. The officer wounded Hipps in the leg, and Williams ran back inside the store. He stood around, trying to act like he was just another customer when they arrested him, police said. He later gave them a confession. Both brothers have been charged with Wilson's murder and with attempted murder on Stevenson. The brothers told police that it was their first robbery attempt, but it wasn't their first run-in with the law. Williams, who is 26, has been arrested twice before, and Hipps, who is 30, six times, police said. He was released from jail in 2009, Clark said. In the brothers' home, police found an AK-47. The guns used in the robbery were bought on the street, police said. They want to find out who provided them. At the GameStop, residents have started a memorial, and it's growing, CNN affiliate KYW reported. At the 22nd police district, where Wilson worked, the flag hangs at half-staff. Actor Dan Aykryod, who was in town on a promotional tour, made a donation to Wilson's family and encouraged others to do the same. Wilson was 30 years old. In addition to his son, he leaves behind a 1-year-old daughter. His son turns 10 on Monday. The game was also going to be a birthday present. CNN's Jennifer Moore and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.

Summary: Officer Robert Wilson III was at the counter when two men allegedly stuck up a GameStop store . Police: He confronted them, and a firefight broke out .


(CNN)There's one big debut and several finales coming up in a busy week of television. The newest late night entry is one of six things we think you should tune in to this week. 1. 'The Late Late Show with James Corden,' Monday to Friday, 12:35 a.m. ET, CBS . Who is James Corden, you might ask? He's a household name in the United Kingdom, best known here for "Into the Woods" and "Doctor Who." He's also the brand-new host of the CBS "Late Late Show," replacing Craig Ferguson. His first show promises a fresh take on late night talk shows, especially with avant garde comedian and rapper Reggie Watts leading the house band. So far, Corden already has scored quite a coup for his first show: Tom Hanks will be his first guest. With so many late night shows out there, Corden hopes he can stand out thanks to his time slot. "I think in the time slot we're in, we have a carte blanche in a way to make a looser show and for it to feel like a more fun environment," Corden told The Hollywood Reporter. If Corden's promos are any indication, we're in for something different. 2. 'Pretty Little Liars,' Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET, ABC Family . After five seasons, 120 episodes, 123 texts and nine deaths, fans will find out just who has been tormenting the "liars" all this time: The identity of "A" will be revealed! At least that's what ABC Family promises for Tuesday night's season finale. 3. 'The Mindy Project,' Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, Fox . This season has been a big one for doctor Mindy Lahiri (Mindy Kaling) -- she moved to California and she's having a baby after all. Little has been revealed about this week's season finale, but the episode's title, "Best Man," suggests there could be a wedding involved. 4. 'Inspector Gadget,' Friday, Netflix . Go Gadget go! A brand new series for a new generation hits Netflix this week. Little has been revealed about Netflix's foray into kids' programming with a dash of nostalgia. 5. 'Hart of Dixie,' Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET, CW . The Rachel Bilson primetime soap airs what could be its final episode. 6. 'Saturday Night Live,' Saturday, 11:29 p.m. ET, NBC . After three weeks off, "SNL" returns with "Furious 7" star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hosting this week's show with musical guest George Ezra.

Summary: James Corden breaks into late night on Monday as new "Late Late Show" host . Corden is a household name in the UK and will take over Craig Ferguson's show . Big finales this week include "Girls," "Mindy Project," "Pretty Little Liars"


(CNN)Mikaela Shiffrin is on course to make skiing history after claiming her third consecutive slalom victory on the World Cup circuit on Saturday. The young American is hoping to become the first woman to win both the discipline's world title and overall crown in successive seasons. Shiffrin, who retained her slalom title at February's world championships in Colorado, now has a 90-point lead going into next week's World Cup finale in France. "I think the first couple races of the season I was pretty arrogant and was like, 'I'm just going to win these, I guess.' And I didn't. I wasn't even close," said Shiffrin, who has won the slalom Crystal Globe two years running. "When you're racing at a high level -- or doing any sport at a high level -- everybody's going for the win. I learned that I can't take my foot off the gas and expect to win. These last races, I was pushing everything. Any race that I won this season, I was giving my entire heart into it. I'm proud of that." A day after her 20th birthday, Shiffrin won by a comfortable 1.41 seconds at Are in Sweden as she claimed the 14th World Cup win of her career, with Slovakia's Veronika Velez Zuzulova second and Czech Republic's Sarka Strachova third. Slalom title rival Frida Hansdotter finished sixth in front of her home fans. Tina Maze missed a chance to close the gap on overall World Cup leader Anna Fenninger, who did not race, as the Slovenian finished back in 16th. Defending champion Fenninger has a 30-point lead following the Austrian's victory in Friday's giant slalom in Are, where Shiffrin was fourth and Maze 20th. Fenninger has an 86-point lead in the giant slalom standings from fellow Austrian Eva-Maria Brem -- who was third on Friday -- while Shiffrin is another 35 points back. Meanwhile, Marcel Hirscher clinched the men's giant slalom title ahead of the finals in Meribel as the Austrian finished second in Saturday's penultimate race in Slovenia. The 26-year-old now has a 128-point advantage as he seeks to win his fourth successive overall title as closest rival Kjetil Jansrud finished 23rd in Kranjska Gora. France's Alexis Pinturault won on Saturday to be second in the giant slalom standings ahead of American Ted Ligety and third in the overall competition. Olympic champion Ligety has won the last two giant slalom Crystal Globes but has dropped off the pace after a disappointing second half of the season. On Saturday, he was fourth behind France's Thomas Fanara. "This is the first time since the change in the ski rules (after the 2011-12 season) that I've caught the globe in GS," Hirscher said. "For me, it was two years with a lot of thinking and disappointment against Ted. "I was 2.7 seconds behind Ted in the first race with the longer skis. We realized that we are so far away from Ted and that was the beginning of a long way and a lot of work, a lot of test and some different setup things. Many

Summary: U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin wins World Cup slalom race in Are, Sweden on Saturday . The 20-year-old is poised to clinch a historic double at finals in Meribel .


(CNN)Judge Judy Sheindlin's contract has been renewed through 2020, it was announced Monday by Armando Nunez, president and CEO of the CBS Global Distribution Group. The new contract includes a first-look production deal with Queen Bee Productions, which is owned by Judy Sheindlin. This past season, Queen Bee and CBS launched "Hot Bench," a show that quickly has become one of the highest-rated new hits on daytime television, averaging 2.3 million viewers a day (when multiple airings are combined). The show "Judge Judy" is already set through the 2017 season. It is typical that the creator's deal is renewed before they renew the show itself. That is expected shortly. Other than the extension through 2020, there were no details announced about the contract for Sheindlin, 72, who has been starring on Judge Judy since September 1996. She is reportedly is among the highest-paid personalities on television, earning about $45 million a year under her old contract (and without factoring in earnings from Hot Bench). "I'm thrilled to be working with my CBS family for five more years and very excited about this new adventure in production," said Sheindlin. "I loved the experience of creating and developing Hot Bench and look forward to replicating its success with more new, compelling and smart TV." Said Nunez: "She is a true television icon who entertains and inspires millions of fans each day on Judge Judy. We look forward to continuing to provide our station partners with her highly successful show and to working with her to create the next generation of hits." "Judge Judy" is the highest-rated regular series in all of TV syndication, regularly outdrawing such iconic shows as Wheel of Fortune and top-rated talkers like Ellen and Dr. Phil. In its 19th season, Judge Judy is averaging 10.3 million viewers a day. Among court shows, it has been the top program nearly since it went on the air. It now has been No. 1 in the genre for 969 consecutive weeks. "Judge Judy" is produced by Big Ticket Pictures, a division of CBS, and is distributed by CBS Television Distribution. Randy Douthit is executive producer and director. Hot Bench was created by Sheindlin and is executive produced by Douthit and Maureen FitzPatrick. It features a panel of three judges -- Patricia DiMango, Tanya Acker and Larry Bakman -- who take viewers behind the scenes to share in their deliberations before a verdict is rendered. Hot Bench also is produced by Big Ticket Pictures and Queen Bee Productions and is distributed by CTD, which distributes 10 five-run shows in syndication. ©2015 The Hollywood Reporter. All rights reserved.

Summary: The new contract includes a first look deal . Her court show is set through the 2017 season . "Judge Judy" is the highest-rated regular series in all of TV syndication .


(CNN)Vin Diesel has been paying tribute to his friend Paul Walker as fans eagerly await the release of "Furious 7." On Monday, he revealed a very personal way that he has remembered Walker: by naming his daughter after the late actor. Diesel told "Today's" Natalie Morales that he and girlfriend Paloma Jimenez named their baby girl Pauline. The actor said he felt the presence of Walker in the delivery room with him. "There's no other person that I was thinking about as I was cutting this umbilical cord," Diesel said. " I just ... knew he was there." Diesel has been honoring Walker a lot lately and recently had some special words at an advance screening of "Furious 7." The actor spoke told the Los Angeles audience last week that "this was a very very personal and important film for us." "This was a labor of love. It was in some ways the hardest movie I ever had to do," Diesel said. "Because the relationships that you see on film are so real. When the tragedy happened, I lost my best friend. I lost my brother." Walker, 40, was killed in a car crash in November 2013 in Southern California while taking a few days off from filming the seventh "Fast and Furious" movie. The film was finished using previous footage and stand-ins including Walker's two brothers. The producers have said they don't plan on killing Walker's character off in the new movie. "Furious 7" debuts in theaters on April 3.

Summary: Diesel named his daughter Pauline after Walker . Diesel calls "Furious 7" a "very personal film" Co-star Walker was killed in 2013 during break in filming . The seventh "Fast and Furious" film debuts April 3 .


(CNN)Everyone's favorite male models made a surprise appearance at Tuesday's Valentino show at Paris Fashion Week. And, no surprise, they were really, really ridiculously good-looking. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson reprised their roles as the vacuous models from the popular 2001 film "Zoolander" at Tuesday's women's couture show. There was no mistaking Stiller for anyone other than the fierce Zoolander as he sashayed down the runway in a Valentino trench, casting Blue Steel in every direction. He was followed by nemesis Hansel McDonald, played by Wilson, showing off another Valentino coat over a pair of "lovely" pajamas, Wall Street Journalist fashion columnist Christina Binkley said. The duo is gearing up for "Zoolander 2," which is slated for release in February 2016. "Apparently Derek and Hansel have come to terms on #Zoolander2," Ben Stiller joked in a selfie posted on his Instagram account. Publicity stunt, perhaps, but we're not complaining about an opportunity to bring back the phrase, "he's so hot right now."

Summary: Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson reprised their roles as male models at Paris Fashion Week . They walked in the Valentino show as Derek Zoolander and Hansel McDonald .


Madison, Wisconsin (CNN)Friends called him Tony. Family knew him by his middle name, Terrell. Now, Tony Terrell Robinson Jr.'s name is written on signs carried by demonstrators who say they're demanding justice after a police shooting ended the unarmed teen's life. As Wisconsin state investigators begin their inquiry into the controversial case, details are emerging about the 19-year-old biracial man. Turin Carter described his nephew as a person who had struggled to fit in. "A lot of his identity was formed because of his racial ambiguity. ... Terrell felt (like) a misfit most of his life," Carter said . At one point, Carter said, his nephew's desire to fit in led him astray. "Terrell just wanted to be loved, honestly ... and as a result, made some poor decisions, and I think that's something we can all relate to," he said. Last year, Robinson found himself in jail after stealing an Xbox and TV during a home invasion. An adviser with the Robinson family attorney told CNN the teen fell on hard times after his dad lost his job and then his apartment, forcing Robinson to live with friends. He pleaded guilty in December to armed robbery and was sentenced to probation. That same month, he wrote a post on Facebook slamming police: "The only thing cops are trained for is to shoot first and ask questions later." Court documents from the case include letters the family wrote, asking the court to show mercy and vowing that the teen would never repeat his mistake. "Tony has made a grave decision, one which may cost him his freedom, but before a decision is made I want you to know him as his family does. A loving son, a responsible older brother and a kindhearted, incredibly intelligent young man with hopes and dreams to become successful and to move forward in life," wrote Lorien Carter, his aunt. "Growing up impoverished, and without his father, Tony managed to excel in school and sports. Graduating high school a semester early, he was on a great track." His grandmother, Sharon Irwin, described him as "a great kid in between being a teen and a man." "What he did was wrong. Following behind a boy he just met. He didn't want to go yet did it anyway," she wrote. "That is one of his issues. Impulsive. The other is being a follower." Carter said his nephew's run-in with the law last year had nothing to do with last week's shooting. Robinson paid his debt to society and was trying to find his way and better his life, according to his uncle. "They try to associate his past with this act, to paint a picture about the type of kid he was," he said. "He was a good, kindhearted kid who was very happy and just wanted to be accepted and wanted to be loved." A GoFundMe page collecting donations for Robinson's family says he was hoping to go to college and study business. Recent social media posts from the teen point to a troubling time in his life.

Summary: Tony Robinson's uncle says the teen often felt like a misfit . The 19-year-old was killed by a police officer in Madison, Wisconsin, last week . He pleaded guilty to armed robbery but was turning his life around, his family says .


(CNN)Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson is about to be out of a job. Jackson and city officials in the St. Louis suburb have announced his resignation, effective March 19. It's the latest fallout after a Justice Department investigation slammed his department's tactics. Speculation has swirled for months that Jackson would step down, and critics have pointed to several key points as signs that the police chief was in hot water. Here's a look at some key moments leading up to his resignation: . A police officer shoots and kills Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teen. The incident exposes feelings of distrust between Ferguson's black community and its Police Department, which is overwhelmingly white. Anger begins to simmer on that first day, when Brown's body isn't removed from the street for four hours. Protests erupt. Among demonstrators' demands: that the Police Department release the name of the officer who shot Brown. Jackson reveals the name of the officer who shot Brown, Darren Wilson. On that same day, the department releases surveillance video that he says shows Brown robbing a store. Jackson says he distributed the store videotape "because the press asked for it," noting he couldn't withhold it indefinitely. The chief adds, "we needed to release that at the same time we needed to release the name of the officer involved in the shooting," though he doesn't elaborate on why . Critics accuse him of inflaming tensions rather than getting the situation under control. In a YouTube video, Jackson apologizes to Brown's parents. "I'm truly sorry for the loss of your son. I'm also sorry that it took so long to remove Michael from the street," he said during his video statement. Investigators were doing "important work" trying to uncover the truth and collect evidence during those four hours, Jackson said, but "it was just too long, and I'm truly sorry for that." "Overnight I went from being a small-town police chief to being part of a conversation about racism, equality and the role of policing in that conversation," he says in the video. "As chief of police, I want to be part of that conversation. I also want to be part of the solution." That night, he meets with protesters, agreeing to march with them. But even that meeting turns ugly; a scuffle breaks out and arrests are made. Jackson tells CNN's Erin Burnett he plans to stay in his job as police chief. "I intend to see this thing through. And I've been working with a lot of community members to work on some progressive changes that will bring the community together and to open up dialogue and getting us all talking about serious issues and actually creating solutions to problems," he says. "So, yes, I think I can -- I think I can see this through and come out on the other side with the community, the region and even the country a whole lot better." The Justice Department slams the Ferguson Police Department for tactics that federal investigators say targeted African-Americans. Investigators also find evidence of racist jokes being

Summary: Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson says he's stepping down . Critics accused him of raising tensions rather than calming the situation . Jackson defended his department and vowed to work with the community .


(CNN)This weekend marked the official opening of "Fish in the Dark," the Broadway debut of Larry David of "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" fame. Of course, the odd conventions of live theater mean that "Fish" wasn't quite fresh-to-table at its premiere: It's been playing for several weeks now to sold-out preview crowds, to build buzz and iron out production kinks. And sold out really means sold out: The show has destroyed box office records for the vintage Cort Theatre and might yet set new ones for a nonmusical despite its limited run. That's because David has a huge built-in audience for his unique brand of humor, which "Curb" fans know to be as abrasive as sea salt and as astringent as lemon, unyielding in the face of social niceties, epic humiliation or even common human decency. It's polarizing, and the poles are pretty clearly drawn: By and large, fans of David's work tend to loudly proclaim that as long as abuse is sprayed pari passu -- e.g., proportionately in all directions -- no one should take offense. The nonfans tend to respond that this kind of comedy rests on an assumption defined by another common Latin phrase, ceteris paribus -- e.g., "all other things being equal." And all other things are never equal in our world, by definition. When a group of affluent white protagonists in an almost exclusively white "New York" behave badly toward a handful of cartoonish parodies of working-class ethnic nobodies (a pretty fair synopsis of many "Seinfeld" episodes), it's hilarious if you belong to the former category. It's much less so when you belong to the latter. So it's not entirely surprising that some of the whispered early concerns with "Fish" related to the character of Fabiana, the Puerto Rican maid of the late patriarch of David's fictional family, the Drexels. Fabiana, played by Rosie Perez, and her son Diego play a pivotal part in the show, which takes place in the immediate wake (er, shiva?) of the passing of the elder Drexel; without spoiling the plot, suffice it to say that it hinges on upstairs-downstairs romantic antics and their inevitable consequences. And yes, some reviewers are using the "R"-word in calling out the depiction of Fabiana, eye-rolling over YASHDASM (Yet Another Stereotypical Hispanic Domestic And Single Mom) whose comic function is largely to mispronounce words and make cultural stumbles like bringing cuchifritos to a Jewish memorial service. But the conversation about race and representation isn't, and shouldn't be, absolutist based on content; context is just as important -- perhaps more so. What's the threeway balance of power between the author, the actors and the intended audience? Are a performance's questionable aspects racially exceptionalized? Does the role pivot on the ethnic identity of the characters and performers in a way that prevents them from being seen as more than just the color of their skin and the accent of their speech? And finally, is the vehicle in which it's taking place innovative, eye-opening, horizon-expanding, or does it reduce, repress and restrict? As "Fish" was finishing its preview run,

Summary: Larry David's play opens on Broadway, faces some criticism over a Hispanic character . Jeff Yang: An Asian American group rightly cancels staging of "Showboat"


(CNN)Actress Taraji P. Henson is apologizing for claiming her son was racially profiled during a traffic stop in Southern California last year. The Glendale Police Department released dash cam video of the encounter Friday, which contradicted her son's claims. Police released the footage after Henson commented about the alleged profiling in an Uptown Magazine interview published last month. In her interview, the star of the hit television show "Empire" said her son, Marcell Johnson, 20, was racially profiled in Glendale and at the University of Southern California, where she accused campus police of stopping him for "having his hands in his pockets." After her son's claim, she vowed to send him to Howard University in Washington instead. "I'm not paying $50K so I can't sleep at night wondering is this the night my son is getting racially profiled on campus," she said. Even the University of Southern California stepped in, with its public safety director, John Thomas, saying he was disturbed by the report of the profiling, and was investigating it further. "We encourage reporting of allegations of bias and I hope for the opportunity to have a conversation with the young man and his mother," Thomas said. But Henson retracted her accusations Friday, and publicly apologized to the Glendale Police Department. "A mother's job is not easy and neither is a police officer's," she said in a post on Instagram. "Sometimes as humans we overreact without gathering all of the facts. As a mother in this case I overreacted and for that I apologize. Thank you to that officer for being kind to my son." Police Chief Robert Castro said his agency researched the traffic stop after her comments to the magazine. The incident started when a Glendale officer pulled over Johnson in October for failing to yield to a pedestrian at a cross walk. During the traffic stop, Johnson admitted to having marijuana, an infraction and Ritalin without a prescription, a felony, according to Castro. He consented to a search of the vehicle, and officers found marijuana, honey oil (concentrated marijuana), a marijuana grinder and a knife, Castro said. Johnson was not driving while impaired and was only cited for possession of marijuana, he said. "Misinformation that was reported in the story in Uptown Magazine with Taraji P. Henson impairs and weakens the relationships between law enforcement and the communities," Castro said. The Glendale Police Department said Friday it appreciated Henson's apology and is sharing it with its officers.

Summary: Glendale authorities release dash cam video of the encounter . It contradicts her son's claims .


(CNN)The father of a Los Angeles police officer wanted for murder has been charged with making a false statement to an FBI agent, the FBI said Thursday in a press release. Victor Manuel Solis, 53, was arrested in Lancaster, California, in connection with the ongoing search for Henry Solis, a rookie officer with the L.A. police who is believed to have entered Mexico from El Paso, Texas, the FBI said. An FBI complaint said a video recording at the border crossing showed father and son entering Mexico together at 5:40 a.m. March 14, even though the elder Solis told an agent he dropped his son at an El Paso bus station and didn't know where he went. Victor Solis "knowingly and willingly lied during the interview in order to thwart law enforcement investigative efforts," the complaint said. Henry Solis is accused of killing Salome Rodriguez Jr. early in the morning of March 13 in Pomona, California. Items left by Solis at the crime scene allowed Pomona police detectives to identify him "as the individual responsible for killing Rodriguez," according to an FBI affidavit. Victor Solis told the FBI on March 16 that his son called on March 13, said he wanted to spend some vacation time in El Paso, and rode with his father to that Texas city, the complaint said. Victor Solis said that after dropping off his son at the bus station, he later crossed into Mexico alone, the complaint said. The FBI said Victor Solis will be taken to El Paso for prosecution. Henry Solis' whereabouts are not known..

Summary: Victor Solis is charged with making a false statement to an FBI agent . Solis' son is an L.A. police officer who has been charged with murder . The FBI says the father took the son to El Paso, where he crossed into Mexico .


(CNN)Two people were shot Saturday at a nightclub party in Charlotte, North Carolina, featuring rappers T.I., Young Jeezy and Yo Gotti. Both victims are expected to survive, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a news release. Police are searching for a suspect. "Preliminary information and evidence gathered on the scene indicates that an unidentified suspect fired several shots from inside the club striking the two victims," Charlotte police said in a news release. "This is an ongoing, active investigation." The shooting occurred around 7 p.m. at the Label nightclub, which is part of the popular N.C. Music Factory Complex. The nightclub was hosting a series of parties to celebrate the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament. The club reopened a few hours later for a P. Diddy concert. "We feel the security is adequate to avoid an additional incident, and we want to make sure that the patrons enjoy the tournament weekend," Label attorney Ken Harris told CNN affiliate WSOC. "There is always a very high level of security at Label." CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

Summary: Both people shot at the nightclub Label in Charlotte are expected to survive . The club reopens a few hours later for a P. Diddy concert .


(CNN)A previously unknown species of catfish has been named for the wide-eyed, puckered-mouth "Star Wars" character it resembles. Its scientific name is Peckoltia greedoi, and it is known for its large, dark eyes, puckered lips and protruding bristles. But you can call him Greedo, in honor of the bounty hunter from "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope." You might remember him from the cantina scene on Mos Eisley, where he was killed by Han Solo while attempting to collect on a debt for Jabba the Hutt. "I think it was the whole package that evoked Greedo, but particularly the eyes and the underslung mouth," said Jonathan Armbruster, biological sciences professor and curator of fishes at the Auburn University Museum of Natural History. Armbruster made the connection in September with colleagues David Werneke, Milton Tan and Chris Hamilton. But, like many things in academia, it took a while to make it official. The specimens were found in 1998 by researchers along the Gurupi River in Brazil. Armbruster obtained them in 2005 from a museum in Porto Alegre for a manuscript he was preparing on the genus, "thinking they were unusual." He designated them as another existing species, Peckoltia vittata, in a 2008 paper, "although I had not been comfortable with that designation." He examined them again in September and discovered they were different from Peckoltia vittata. After talking it over with his colleagues, they realized he was a clear ringer for Greedo. "As a 7-year-old kid, I watched "Star Wars" in the theater, and it was a life-changing experience for me," said Armbruster. "I became a lifelong fan, and I now share that with my son. Greedo has always been a personal favorite of mine." Greedo became the object of controversy when Lucasfilm re-released the original Star Wars trilogy in 1997. A reworked scene showed Greedo firing a shot at Solo before Solo fired back. In the 1977 release, Han is the only one to fire, prompting backlash from fans and giving rise to the phrase "Han Shot First."

Summary: Catfish with large, dark eyes and puckered lips named after bounty hunter Greedo . Greedo is the bounty hunter killed by Han Solo in "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope"


Atlanta (CNN)Former CIA director and retired Gen. David Petraeus remains a trusted adviser to the White House on its strategy in Iraq, despite being convicted of leaking classified information to his mistress and biographer, then lying to the FBI. The National Security Council and Obama administration have been consulting with Petraeus on matters related to Iraq and ISIS, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed on Monday. Earnest did not elaborate how long Petraeus has been advising the White House since his fall from grace, but Newsweek reports the retired four-star general has been in the role since last summer. "Gen. Petraeus is somebody who served for a number of years in Iraq. He commanded a large number of American military personnel in that country," Earnest said. "He is, I think, legitimately regarded as an expert, when it comes to the security situation in Iraq. So I think it makes a lot of sense for senior administration officials to, on occasion, consult for him advice." Once considered a possible presidential candidate, Petraeus plead guilty to one federal charge of removing and retaining classified information earlier this month as part of a plea deal approved by Attorney General Eric Holder. According to court documents, Petraeus admitted removing several so-called black books -- notebooks in which he kept classified and non-classified information from his tenure as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan -- and giving them to his biographer, Paula Broadwell. After he resigned from his CIA post in 2012, Petraeus told the government he had no classified materials in his possession. That claim turned out to be false as the FBI found the notebooks when they conducted a search of Petraeus' house in 2013. When he was questioned by the FBI at the time, he lied and claimed he never provided classified information to anyone not authorized to have it, according to court documents. Earnest says he is unaware of any particular security precautions put in place by the White House when it consults with Petraeus, despite his legal problems and lack of CIA security clearance. Petraeus is currently the chairman of a global institute for private equity firm KKR.

Summary: The Obama administration has consulted with Petraeus on matters related to Iraq and ISIS . Petraeus plead guilty to one federal charge of removing and retaining classified information earlier this month .


Beijing (CNN)Native to a remote region of China, this tiny mammal, known as the Ili pika, doesn't know it's a member of an endangered species -- and neither do most people. Rarer -- and some would argue cuter-- than the panda, there are less than 1,000 of these teddy bear-like creatures living in the Tianshan mountain range in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, says conservationist Li Weidong. Li discovered the pika, formally known as Ochotona iliensis, in 1983 and named it after his hometown, Ili. Last July, Li spotted and photographed the elusive creature for the first time since the early 1990s. He estimates its numbers have declined by almost 70% since its discovery. "I discovered the species, and I watched as it became endangered," he told CNN. "If it becomes extinct in front of me, I'll feel so guilty." In 2008, the animal was listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature but there's no official organization or team dedicated studying or protecting it, according to Li. The mammal, only 20 centimeters long, lives on sloping bare rock faces and feeds on grasses at high elevations. Li says the pika's habitat has been affected by global warming. Due to rising temperatures, glaciers have receded and the altitude of permanent snow has risen in the Tianshan mountains, forcing the pikas to gradually retreat to mountain tops, Li said. Ili pikas were originally found at elevations between 3,200 to 3,400 meters, he said. Now they have retreated to elevations of 4,100 meters. "They have nowhere else to retreat," he added. It's also a solitary animal and is not as vocal as other pika species, so if predators are near, Ili pikas are not able to alert each other, Li said. Disease may also be a factor in its decline. In 1983, when Li first came across the mammal, nobody knew what it was. Two years later, Li found another two and it was declared a new species. In the decade following, Li and his colleagues conducted a number of studies, including a census at 14 different sites. However, in 1992, Li left Ili to work with Xinjiang Academy of Environmental Protection in the regional capital Urumqi. No studies were conducted on Ili pika in the following decade. No one saw the pika, either. In 2002 and 2003, Li, with a team of volunteers, conducted a fresh census. Despite spending 37 days searching the mountains for the pikas on seven separate trips, they came up empty handed. However, by analyzing droppings and snow tracks, Li, along with Arizona State University biologist Andrew Smith, was able to conclude that the Ili pika population had seen a dramatic decline. Together they calculated that there might be 2,000 mature animals, down from 2,900 in the early 1990s. The research, published in 2005, recommended that the animal should be listed as endangered. In 2007, Li retired early to throw himself into searching for the pika. Last year, he organized a group of 20 volunteers to conduct another survey with infrared cameras. This time, on

Summary: There are less than 1000 Ili pikas in existence, says Li Weidong . It was photographed for the first time in two decades last year .


(CNN)Don't bogart that spoon, man. Lemme get a hit off that cone, dude. Pass the bowl ... of ice cream? Could Ben and Jerry's, the counterculture snack empire gone mainstream, be planning a marijuana-infused ice cream? "Makes sense to me. You know, combine your pleasures," co-founder Ben Cohen said in an interview with HuffPost Live that's been buzzing among marijuana aficionados since it aired last month. Like attitudes about marijuana itself, the story went mainstream this week. It makes some sense. Co-founder Jerry Greenfield noted that the duo has some experience with, uh, substances. And the company already gives a nod to the marijuana culture with flavor names such as "Half Baked." Marijuana is becoming more mainstream, too. Four states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and attitudes nationwide have been changing in favor of pot, which remains banned by federal law. In January 2014, a CNN/ORC poll found that 55% of Americans favored the legalization of marijuana. Only 16% thought that in 1987, CNN reported at the time. In Colorado, where recreational marijuana use is legal under state law, edibles containing weed now make up nearly half the market for pot products, according to the Denver Post. Alas, pot fans, Cohen and Greenfield no longer control the company. They sold it to Unilever Inc. for $326 million in 2000. "If It were my decision, I'd be doing it," Greenfield told HuffPost Live. "But fortunately, we have wiser heads at the company that figure those things out." A spokeswoman for the company told AdWeek magazine that there aren't any current plans for pot ice cream, but she left the door open to the possibility. "Ben & Jerry's hasn't given serious consideration to the possibility of cannabis-infused ice cream," spokeswoman Kelly Mohr told AdWeek. "Perhaps it's high time." Of course, all this does make you wonder: What would you munch on if you got the munchies from a bowl of Ben & Jerry's? Is weed legal in your state? CNN's Lisa Respers France contributed to this report.

Summary: Ben & Jerry's founders say they like the idea of weed-laced ice cream . The company says it's not considering such a flavor, but "perhaps it's high time"


Atlanta (CNN)A suburban Atlanta police officer is dead after an apparent ambush, while his colleague's life was spared by his radio. Fulton County Police officer Terence Green, 48, was killed Wednesday in Fairburn, Georgia. A second officer was shot in the hip, but suffered no injuries. "It was actually his radio -- the bullet went through -- the radio saved him. It penetrated the radio," said Fulton Police Chief Cassandra Jones. The incident occurred when police were searching a neighborhood after reports of gunfire from the home of Amanuel Menghesha, 42. Menghesha allegedly fired at the officers without warning, authorities said. He "appeared to have gone on a rampage," said Fulton County Assistant Chief Gary Stiles, who described it as an "ambush." Police said the officers were shot with an "assault style rifle." Menghesha was then shot by other officers. Green was shot in the head and died at a local hospital. The suspect was transported to the same hospital, but his injuries do not appear to be life threatening. Charges are pending. The suspect was known to police, and had "violent tendencies," Jones said. Police say weather and poor visibility also played a factor. There was dense fog in the area at the time of the incident. "This is a call that I pray every night, every day, 10 times a day that I never get. And when you get it, you're not ready for it, but you have to lead and you have to go on because you have to stand there and be that strength for your officers, but it's one that you just can't even imagine," Jones said in a news conference. "It's like losing a child because they're all my children." Green, a 22 year veteran of the police force, is survived by his parents, brother and four sons. CNN's Melanie Whitley contributed to this report .

Summary: A second officer was shot in the hip, but suffered no injuries . "The bullet went through -- the radio saved him," Fulton Police Chief Cassandra Jones says .


Tokyo (CNN)Police in Japan say they have arrested a 40-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing five neighbors in a farming community in Sumoto city. The man has admitted stabbing three women aged 59, 76 and 84, as well as two men aged 62 and 82, Deputy Police Chief Keizo Okumoto told CNN. He said the accused refused to comment further as he was awaiting his lawyer. The victims -- two couples and the 84-year-old woman -- lived within 100 meters (330 feet) of the suspect's home, police said. According to local media, the accused and the victims shared the same surname, but it is unclear if they are related. Sumoto city is on Awaji Island, Hyogo prefecture, in Japan. CNN's Susannah Cullinane contributed to this report from London.

Summary: Police in Japan say they have arrested a man, 40, after five neighbors were fatally stabbed . The accused shares the same surname as the victims, aged 59 to 84, local media say . A police official says the man has admitted to the stabbings but refused to comment further .


Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN)It is a strangely formal, yet troubling scene. A room in a far flung corner of Afghanistan where a serious lecture is happening, to an audience that seems part ideological, part curious; some are just impoverished, hoping for a quick job. At the front of this room stands an Afghan freshly back from fighting in Syria, and intent on recruiting other Afghans to fight alongside him for ISIS. "Brothers, I am here to tell you", the recruiter begins, "about the mujahideen in Syria." All faces are hidden in the footage, yet the motivations are clear. This seems to be part of ISIS's first moves into Afghanistan, a bid to bolster their ranks for the fight in Iraq and Syria by vacuuming up disgruntled former Taliban fighters -- or even just students looking for a cause. But it's a troubling move nonetheless. There's no shortage of battle-hardened militants here. And as NATO leaves, the Taliban looks strong if a little fractured -- and the possibility of peace talks ahead with the Afghan government could alienate some of the group's more radical elements. The man is one of five recruiters, he says -- some foreign, others Afghan like him, spread out across the country. His message is broadly ideological. "Jihad is now obligatory not only in Afghanistan, but also in many other places in the world," the recruiter tells the room. "The Christians and Jews have not only attacked Afghanistan, but they have also attacked Muslims in Syria, Iraq and Palestine. So Jihad is obligatory on us in these places." His reception is mixed, but to one audience member the ideological appeal is clear. "My aim is to fight infidels," the man says. "In Syria, or if they ask me to in Afghanistan, I will." Another man says he would prefer to stay home and go to university, but he is attracted by the recruiter's offer of money. "I definitely need the money," he says, "but will stay here and hope peace comes." Concerns are growing about how ISIS may expand into Afghanistan. When asked why ISIS might be on the rise here, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told CNN's Fareed Zakaria: "The reason it's happening is because (the) collapse of Yemen, Syria, Iraq has created an environment where instead of one weak link in the interrelated system of states, now there are wider spaces." Ghani added: "They have -- it's one of the most well-endowed finance -- well-financed organizations. And the techniques are spreading." The United Nations Special Representative to Afghanistan, Nicholas Haysom, told the Security Council that ISIS's presence in Afghanistan was "of concern," but was most troubling in its "potential to offer an alternative flagpole to which otherwise isolated insurgent splinter groups can rally." A senior U.S. official told CNN that "the terrain is there" for ISIS to grow in Afghanistan. This is "something everyone is keeping a very close eye on. Afghanistan government is concerned. Pakistan government is concerned," he said, before adding that disaffected Taliban might also be attracted to the group. The path to CNN's filming with

Summary: There's no shortage of battle-hardened militants in Afghanistan, writes Nick Paton-Walsh . Concerns are growing about how ISIS may expand into the country . A senior U.S. official fears disaffected Taliban might be attracted to the group .


(CNN)The family of Ashley Summers may have reason to be hopeful again. In May 2013, when police discovered three young women who had been imprisoned inside a nondescript Cleveland home for nearly a decade, Summers' family and law enforcement hoped one of the women would be Ashley, who disappeared in Cleveland around the same time as the other women. But the discovery turned out to be unrelated to Ashley's case and there was no new information about her whereabouts. But nearly eight years since she was last seen or heard from, the family's optimism has been restored by an unlikely discovery her step-grandmother made on the Rhode Island Most Wanted website in January. An ATM surveillance photo -- released by the Warwick, Rhode Island, Police Department in late October -- depicts an unidentified woman with a familiar face, Special Agent Vicki Anderson of the FBI Cleveland Division said. "This is an incredible lookalike," Anderson said of the photo. The resemblance to Ashley, who would now be 21, is "strikingly similar," she added. The woman in the photo, along with an unidentified man she appears with, was being sought by Rhode Island police as a suspect in a string of check and identification thefts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, the FBI said. Ashley's step-grandmother alerted the FBI about the photo, Anderson said. "There's nothing that tells us that it is her, but there's nothing telling us that it's not her either," Anderson said. Still, she considers the surveillance footage to be a breakthrough in the case, given that the FBI has found no legitimate sightings or social media activity by Ashley since she disappeared on July 6, 2007. "It's the best lead we have," Anderson said. "We've had other supposed lookalikes, but nothing that has looked this similar. We consider this a huge tip for us." Because it is not possible to see the license plate of the car the couple was driving, Anderson said the FBI will rely exclusively on help from the public. "The FBI is utilizing a billboard campaign, social media and any news outlet that will air these photos for us," Anderson said. In the 2013 case, two of the missing women had been identified and police said they had disappeared within four years of when Ashley went missing -- and within five blocks of where she was last seen. "At first, when they said the third girl wasn't identified, I was hoping one would be Ashley," Debra Summers, her aunt, told CNN at the time. But the family's nightmare continued. "There is no new information that's come to light about her: Ashley Summers is an active, open investigation," Cleveland Police Deputy Chief Ed Tomba said at the time. "I can assure you that her disappearance was part of our questioning of the three subjects that we brought in."

Summary: Ashley Summers disappeared on July 6, 2007, when she was 14 . Her step-grandmother saw a photo of a woman who looks like Summers on the Rhode Island Most Wanted website . The FBI is seeking the public's assistance in identifying the woman .


Moscow (CNN)Russia was ready to put its nuclear forces on alert over the crisis in Crimea last year, such was the threat to Russian people there, President Vladimir Putin said in a documentary that aired on state TV on Sunday night. Asked if Russia was prepared to bring its nuclear weapons into play, Putin said: "We were ready to do it. I talked with colleagues and told them that this (Crimea) is our historic territory, Russian people live there, they are in danger, we cannot leave them. "It wasn't us who committed a coup, it was the nationalists and people with extreme beliefs." But this was the worst-case scenario, he added, in the documentary broadcast on state-run channel Rossiya One. "I don't think this was actually anyone's wish -- to turn it into a world conflict." It wasn't known when the interview was originally taped. It aired even as speculation mounted about Putin's health, following an absence of several days from the public stage. He reappeared in public Monday. Russia formally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula last March, after Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted following street protests that turned bloody. Russia called his ouster a coup by radical Ukrainian nationalists. Before Crimea was formally absorbed by Russia, unidentified armed men had taken control of its administrative buildings and key military sites. A referendum was held on March 16, 2014 -- a year ago to the day -- on secession from Ukraine. Ukrainian officials at the time denied there was any threat to Russian citizens in Crimea. On Monday, Russia's Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said Putin had ordered Russia's Northern Fleet and other military units to be placed on full combat alert for snap checks, state media reported. "The main aim ... is to evaluate the capabilities of the Northern Fleet to fulfill tasks on ensuring Russia's military security in the Arctic," Shoigu is quoted as saying by Russia's Tass news agency. The exercise will involve 38,000 military personnel, 41 warships, 15 submarines and 110 planes and helicopters, Shoigu said, according to Tass. In the documentary, titled "Crimea: Way Back Home," Putin said Moscow had had no choice but to act. "Crimea isn't just any territory for us, it is historically Russian territory," he said. Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula that has been part of Ukraine since 1954, has a majority Russian population and strong cultural and historical ties to Russia. It is also home to Russia's Black Sea fleet, at the Sevastopol naval base. But Putin said he had never thought of "dismembering" the peninsula from Ukraine until Yanukovych's ouster. "We cannot leave this area and the people who live there to whims of fate, to let the people of Crimea be thrown under the wheels of this nationalist bulldozer," he said. "I set certain tasks. I did say what and how we should do, but immediately stressed that we would do so only if we are absolutely convinced that the people who live in the Crimea want it." The vast majority of people who voted in the referendum approved secession

Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin was interviewed for a documentary on Crimea shown on Russian state TV . Asked if Russia had been prepared to bring its nuclear weapons into play, Putin said: "We were ready to do it"


(CNN)Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) has taken delivery of the Izumo, the largest Japanese military vessel to see service since World War II. The warship was unveiled at a ceremony at the Yokusuka naval base near Yokohama, also home to the U.S Navy's Seventh Fleet. The Izumo has a crew of 470, and with a standard displacement of 19,500 tones (24,000 tonnes at full load, according to military publication Jane's), it is as large as the storied Yamato-class battleships which fought U.S. naval forces in the Pacific theater of World War II. The wreck of one of the two Yamato-class battleships, the Musashi, was discovered early in March 2015 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. At 241 meters (791 feet) in length, the Izumo is 51 meters (167 ft) longer than the Hyuga, another helicopter carrier which was, until now, the MDSF's largest vessel. Regional neighbors and rivals questioned the legitimacy of such a ship for purely defensive purposes, pointing out that, due to its size and deck configuration it could be repurposed as an aircraft carrier -- a class banned under Japan's pacifist constitution. "The Izumo proves that Japan has the technical capabilities and demand to develop aircraft carriers. It's also possible that Japan may explore the possibility during the Izumo's service," Li Jie, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper. However, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters in Yokohama that the MSDF did not intend to use it in this way. "We are not thinking about using this as an aircraft carrier," he said, saying that the lack of hangers and service bays, along with a deck unsuitable for takeoffs and landings, meant that the Izumo wasn't designed for fixed-wing aircraft. He said that it needed to be as large as it is so it could host joint operations and act as a command center. He insisted that the new addition to Japan's maritime forces was designed for peaceful purposes. "The vessel can serve in a wide range of roles including peacekeeping operations, international disaster relief and aid." He added that its helicopter capabilities -- it can host seven anti-submarine patrol helicopters, plus two rescue and transport helicopters, the Japan Times reported -- would aid in the detection of sophisticated Chinese submarines. Japan, along with the Philippines and Vietnam, is engaged in territorial disputes with China over the sovereignty of islands in the South China Sea, and Kazuhisa Ogawa, a defense analyst at the Strategic Research Institute of International Change in Japan, says that, in combination with Japan's other helicopter carriers, the Izumo could be used to "regain remote islets." He also downplayed China's suggestions that the size of the Izumo represented an escalation of Japan's military ambitions, telling CNN that although it is the biggest Japanese military ship since World War II, it is only a fifth of the size of the USS George Washington. "It would cost five times Japan's current defense spending for the SDF to have an independent operational capability. The Japanese public would not take that kind of risk," he said. The

Summary: Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force takes receipt of newly-commissioned helicopter carrier . The ship, named the Izumo, is the largest Japanese military ship since the Second World War . Critics in neighboring countries say the ship could contravene Japan's pacifist constitution .


(CNN)Authorities at Sydney Airport stopped two Australian teenagers who were suspected of trying to leave the country to join ISIS. The brothers, aged 16 and 17, raised suspicion when they attempted to pass through customs, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said on Sunday. "What we have here are two teenagers who have been intercepted on their way to a potentially very dangerous situation," Dutton said. The teenagers had return tickets to unnamed "conflict zones" in the Middle East, and a luggage search heightened suspicions that they were headed abroad to fight. The boys were later released into the custody of their parents, who were said to have no idea of their intentions. "These two young men...are kids, not killers," Dutton said, who added the matter had been referred to the Australian Federal Police. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the brothers were Australian citizens who had been lured by a "death cult." "These were two misguided young Australians, Australian born and bred, who went to school here, grew up here, imbibed our values, and yet it seems they had succumbed to the lure of the death cult and they were on the verge of doing something terrible and dangerous." The prime minister spoke directly to other susceptible Australians who were considering leaving to fight abroad. "My message to anyone who is listening to the death cult is block your ears. Don't even begin to think you can leave Australia," he added. Australia estimates there are at least 90 citizens fighting and supporting terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria. Last month, the government announced plans to suspend or revoke citizenship for dual nationals involved in terrorism, and also strip certain privileges from Australian citizens who break anti-terror laws.

Summary: Authorities stopped two teenage brothers at Sydney Airport who were suspected of trying to join ISIS . The boys raised suspicion when attempting to pass through customs . They have been released into custody of their parents .


Jerusalem (CNN)Israel did not spy on closed-door talks over Iran's nuclear program involving the United States and other world powers, an Israeli official said Tuesday, denying a Wall Street Journal report. The newspaper reported late Monday on its website that Israel had obtained confidential information about the negotiations to help it argue against a potential deal. "These allegations are utterly false," the senior official in the Israeli Prime Minister's office told CNN. "The state of Israel does not conduct espionage against the United States or Israel's other allies." The Israeli government's use of the information it allegedly gleaned -- sharing it with U.S. lawmakers and others to undercut support for a deal -- was what really angered the White House, the Journal reported Monday, citing current and former U.S. officials. "It is one thing for the U.S. and Israel to spy on each other. It is another thing for Israel to steal U.S. secrets and play them back to U.S. legislators to undermine U.S. diplomacy," a senior U.S. official briefed on the matter said, according to the newspaper. The Israeli espionage efforts included eavesdropping and also acquiring information from confidential U.S. briefings, informants and diplomatic contacts in Europe, the report says. The senior Israeli official told CNN that "the false allegations are clearly intended to undermine the strong ties between the United States and Israel and the security and intelligence relationship we share." That's not to say Israeli officials haven't been asking around about the Iran nuclear talks, as participating parties race to get a framework agreement ahead of a March 31 deadline. Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz and Yossi Cohen, Netanyahu's national security adviser, led an Israeli delegation that met early this week with a negotiating team from France, Israeli Intelligence Ministry spokesman Eyal Basson said. The same Israeli officials left France on Tuesday morning for the United Kingdom to meet with Britain's delegation on the Iran nuclear talks, according to Basson. Both France and Britain are among the Western powers in the P5+1, a group that also includes the United States, Russia, China and Germany, whose representatives have been across the table from Iran. While in Paris, the Israeli delegation did not meet with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, said French Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal. The Israeli officials' apparent aim in France was not to "influence Paris' position in the negotiations, but to further develop the debate on the Iran nuclear talks," according to Nadal. Netanyahu himself has been clear on where he stands on this debate: He told the U.S. Congress earlier this month that a proposed agreement, as he depicted it, was "a bad deal." The Israeli leader predicted that not only would such a deal not stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, it would "all but guarantee that Iran gets (nuclear) weapons, lots of them." "This deal won't be a farewell to arms; it would be a farewell to arms control," Netanyahu said. "And the Middle East would soon be crisscrossed by nuclear tripwires." Iranian officials have said they want a nuclear program for peaceful energy purposes.

Summary: Israeli intelligence minister met with French delegation, his spokesman says . WSJ: Israel used information it obtained to try to undercut support for a deal . "These allegations are utterly false," an Israeli official says of the spying claim .


(CNN)Three French sports stars were among 10 people killed when two helicopters collided in Argentina on Monday evening, authorities said. The helicopters were reported to be heading to a gorge in northwestern Argentina for the filming of the reality TV show "Dropped" for the French broadcaster TF1. Eight French passengers and the choppers' two Argentinian pilots died in the midair crash near the town of Villa Castelli in La Rioja province, Argentina's state news agency Telam reported, citing local authorities. The dead included the famed sailor Florence Arthaud, who in 1990 broke the record for crossing the North Atlantic alone; the swimmer Camille Muffat, who won three medals at the 2012 Olympics in London; and the boxer Alexis Vastine, who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Members of the TV production team were among the other French victims, French authorities said. Former French soccer star Sylvain Wiltord, a contestant on the show who wasn't involved in the crash, expressed his shock. "I'm sad for my friends," he tweeted. "I'm shaking, I'm horrified, I'm lost for words." Muffat's boyfriend, William Forgues, told CNN's French affiliate BFMTV of his shock at hearing the news of the 25-year-old swimmer's death. Clearly emotional, he said her agent had called him soon after midnight, herself in tears, to tell him of the crash. Muffat, he said, was known as "madame 100%" because she succeeded in so many things. He said she was happy and satisfied to be taking part in the show. "To be over there was her choice, 100%," he said. At the 2012 London Olympics, Muffat won the gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle, silver in the 200-meter freestyle and bronze in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. French President Francois Hollande expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement. The sports stars "made France shine so brightly" during their careers, the statement said. The crash happened within moments of takeoff in good weather conditions, Telam reported, citing witnesses who spoke to a local radio station. The helicopters, which belonged to local governments in the region, collided about 100 meters (328 feet) above the ground, the news agency said. Police and investigators were at the scene of the crash. A manslaughter investigation has been opened in France into the incident, to be led by the Air Transport Gendarmerie, a representative for the Paris prosecutor's office said Tuesday. It is standard procedure to launch an investigation if French nationals die abroad. Five national police officers were en route from Paris to Argentina on Thursday, authorities said. Their mission there is to collaborate with the Argentinians and assist in the identification of victims. The TV show involved sports stars being helicoptered into remote areas while blindfolded and then having to survive in the wilderness, according to French media. "We learn with immense sadness of the accident that occurred during the filming of the show 'Dropped,' " TF1 said in a brief statement. TF1's staff "come together in this terrible time with the pain of the families and those close to the

Summary: Paris prosecutor's office opens a manslaughter investigation into the crash . The dead include French athletes Camille Muffat, Alexis Vastine and Florence Arthaud . The helicopters were on their way to a gorge for the filming of a reality TV show .


(CNN)After decades in private hands, a spaceship from the classic film "2001: A Space Odyssey" will go on display for the first time to the public. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that presents the Oscars, purchased the spacecraft at auction Saturday for $344,000. The academy will display the ship in its museum of movie history, scheduled to open in 2017 in Los Angeles. "We're excited to add such an iconic piece of movie history to our collection," the academy told CNN in a statement. "We look forward to sharing the '2001' Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Space Shuttle with the public once the Academy Museum opens." In case you're wondering, the craft is the spherical lunar lander that transports Dr. Heywood R. Floyd to the moon in "2001." Sorry, it's not the Discovery One, the spaceship where mission pilot Dave Bowman later famously implored the ship's computer to "open the pod bay doors, HAL." A collector and former art teacher in the UK had kept it for the past 40 years. According to the auction house, the spaceship is one of the few sets left from the 1968 film. Almost all the props, sets, models and costumes from "2001: A Space Odyssey" were destroyed by director Stanley Kubrick so they could not be used in other productions, the Premiere Props auction house said.

Summary: A shuttle from "2001: A Space Odyssey" was purchased by the motion picture academy . It will be put on display to the public for the first time . The 1968 classic is considered one of the most influential science-fiction movies ever .


Beijing (CNN)Five years ago, Beijinger Robert Zhao went on a trip to Tibet. What he encountered left him confused but intrigued. A science graduate from China's elite Tsinghua University, he had been taught to mistrust superstition and religion, but in the culture and devotion of the Buddhists he met he found something worth knowing. Now 25, he is considering giving up his job and becoming a monk. "It means I will have to give up everything of the ordinary world," he told CNN. While Buddhism has a long history in China, entering via missionaries from India during the Han dynasty, it was repressed during the Maoist era -- many monasteries and temples were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and monks actively punished for believing in "superstition." But now, a growing number of Chinese are rediscovering the country's dormant Buddhist traditions. Some, like Zhao, are looking for a spiritual anchor in a competitive, fast-changing society. Others take comfort in meditation and enjoy volunteering. However, it's not always easy to combine Buddhist beliefs with the demands of modern life. Zhao works as an assistant to the boss of an environmental company. His religion means it's difficult to entertain clients and partners -- a key part of the role. "Not drinking, smoking or eating meat affects my socializing. So the company has to send someone else to go with me, which creates extra expenses," he says. Zhao has not told his family about his desire to become a monk yet, fearing that they might oppose it. Fenggang Yang, the director of the Center on Religion and Chinese Society at Purdue University, Indiana, says it's difficult to explain exactly why so many young people are turning to Buddhism. Some discover it at university, where Buddhist groups are active and famous monks and lamas give lectures. Others have devout parents and grandparents. He also says that the Chinese Communist Party policy has "moved toward treating Buddhism more favorably than other religions." Christianity has also been growing in popularity in recent decades but church leaders say there has been a crackdown on Christians, with authorities demolishing churches and removing crosses from skylines. In particular, it's the Tibetan strain of Buddhism, rather than the Chan (also called Zen) tradition once popular in China, that is attracting new converts, particularly students, young professionals and businesspeople, he says. "It appears that both the chanting and the physical, spiritual practices of Tibetan Buddhism are appealing to some people," Yang added. To what extent these new converts are committed to Buddhism as a religion, with its strictures and rituals, is an open question. A former leader of a university Buddhism group, who didn't want to give his name, told CNN he thought its members were more interested in the religion as a lifestyle choice. Activities that his group organized focusing on relaxation and stress relief were always more popular than reading groups and lectures that examined Buddhist scriptures, he added. Yang at Purdue University says that for most people in China, Buddhism is treated more as culture than a religion. They may visit

Summary: A growing number of Chinese are rediscovering the country's Buddhist traditions . It's not always easy to combine Buddhist beliefs with the demands of modern life . Buddhism has a long history in China but was repressed during the Maoist era .


(CNN)In the 1950s it was cancer. Hush, hush, whisper, whisper. "They called it the 'C' word, and it didn't get talked about in doctor's offices," said Beth Kallmyer of the Alzheimer's Association. "It certainly wasn't talked about in the general public, it was whispered." Today it's Alzheimer's, and 55% of patients and their caregivers say their doctors never told them they have the devastating disease, according to a special report of the Alzheimer's Association released this week. Compare that to one of the big four cancers -- breast, colorectal, lung and prostate -- more than 90% said their doctors had no problem giving them the diagnosis. "Alzheimer's not being talked about, many doctors are not giving the diagnosis," added Kallmyer in a webcast. "We need to change that. It's a disease, it's nothing to be ashamed about." "This is very current, very well done, and pretty dramatic findings, let's be honest," said Dr. Pierre Tariot, director of Banner's Alzheimer's Institute. "I am reminded of the rather sobering fact that as many as 60% of people who have a dementia die without the dementia having been diagnosed by their doctor." Why the silence? This is not the first report to show doctors are sidestepping this tough conversation. But why? That's been studied too, and the reasons doctors give range from diagnostic uncertainty and fear of causing emotional distress to time constraints, lack of support, and stigma. "There is an element of stigma here towards brain and mental health problems in general," said Tariot. "I would call it professional awkwardness. I can't really help this condition, why invest time and energy talking about it, it makes me squirm." "I think the comparison of Alzheimer's to cancer is appropriate," said Dr. Tom Price, Medical Director for Emory University's Geriatric Clinic. "I give patients a new diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease many times a week, and every time it is uncomfortable, and I've been doing it for over 10 years. It is easier to talk about cancer now that there are so many new and effective treatment strategies, and cause of optimism with survival from cancer at an all-time high." What's at stake . Alzheimer's advocates stress the importance of giving a patient all the facts, as early as possible, so they can work with their family to organize legal and health directives and have time to fulfill life-long desires. It's just as important for the caregiver. "Imagine it's your spouse," said Tariot. "Personality changes, memory is different, language and communication is different, you don't know what is going on. Then you start getting answers, and you get a sense of how to play to his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. Here are travel tips, communication tips, and safety issues; here are ways to stay happy and joyful, even though this is a new chronic illness." There's another critical factor as well: access to clinical trials that might help slow the illness. "Right now, the big studies that are underway in prevention are really looking at people in the early stages of Alzheimer's," said Kallmyer. "So by

Summary: Only 45% of patients and their caregivers say their doctor told them they have Alzheimer's . Yet more than 90% of common cancer patients were given their diagnosis . Advocates say truthful diagnosis is critical to quality of life and future planning .


(CNN)Empathy. Confidence. Passion. These are the traits the next police chief in Ferguson, Missouri, will need to shrink the ocean of distrust between community and police. So says Cecil Smith. And maybe he should know. Smith is the police chief in Sanford, Florida, another community rocked by racial tensions and poor police-community relations after the high-profile shooting of a black teenager -- the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin. And if Smith's experience is any guide, it will take "a lot of prayer and a little goading" to convince someone to step into the job vacated this week by Chief Thomas Jackson. "That community, as we see, has been hurting and struggling for some time now," he says. And how: . -- The community remains deeply scarred by the events last year, after the August shooting death of unarmed African-American teenager Michael Brown by a white Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson, and the November decision by the St. Louis County Grand Jury not to charge Wilson, who later resigned. Occasionally violent protests and sometimes heavy-handed responses by police deepened divisions and distrust. -- The police department was already groaning under the epic weight of months of nearly constant protest and last week's release of a damning Department of Justice report that found evidence of discriminatory conduct on the part of Ferguson officials. -- Add to that the obvious fears facing officers following the shooting early Thursday of two police officers only hours after Jackson resigned. The decision for Jackson to step aside was a mutual one between the chief and city, Mayor James Knowles told reporters. He'll get severance and a year of health insurance and will turn the reins over to Ferguson police Lt. Col Al Eickhoff next week. The city will launch a nationwide search for a permanent replacement, Knowles said. "The City of Ferguson looks to become an example of how a community can move forward in the face of adversity. We are committed to keeping our police department and having one that exhibits the highest degree of professionalism and fairness," said Knowles -- who has himself been targeted by protesters demanding he resign. To get there, it might look to Sanford for guidance. There, trust in the police department bottomed out in the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin shooting. While no police officers were involved in the shooting, anger over their perceived failure to arrest the teenager's killer, George Zimmerman, pushed relations in the community to a boiling point, eventually resulting in the firing of Chief Bill Lee. Zimmerman eventually was arrested, and a jury acquitted him. Smith watched the chaos play out from Elgin, Illinois, where he was deputy police chief. A former boss in Illinois suggested he look at the job, so he traveled to Florida on his own time, getting to know the community and learning what divided residents and police. He still isn't sure how to explain why he took the job. "The first year, I was still wondering, was it a smart move?" Smith joked. But things are better now, he says. After taking the

Summary: NYPD commissioner: Chiefs need to embrace need for change . Ferguson might look to Sanford, Florida's experience when choosing a new chief . That city also had to find ways to heal divisions between community and police .


(CNN)The fiancée of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez said at a hearing Friday that she was asked to conceal a box and take it out of her Massachusetts home after the murder of Odin Lloyd in 2013. Shayanna Jenkins' testimony came outside the presence of the jury during a hearing on the limits of her testimony. But it signaled where the prosecution intends to take its questioning of the key witness, who took the stand before the jury later Friday. She is testifying after being granted immunity. Hernandez, the ex-tight end who had a $40 million contract until he was charged with murder, has pleaded not guilty to orchestrating the death of Lloyd, a semi-pro football player. He has also pleaded not guilty to other weapons charges. His co-defendants, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, have also pleaded not guilty and will be tried separately. "You took that box out and concealed it. Were you attempting to do it in a way so that people didn't know what you were doing?" Bristol County District Attorney William McCauley asked. "That's correct," Jenkins said. The weapon in the case has not been recovered. The prosecution has said Hernandez's high school sweetheart removed the weapon from their North Attleboro home after Lloyd was killed on June 17, 2013. The state also alleges that she lied to a grand jury several times about the presence of guns in the home. She faces possible jail time if found guilty of perjury charges. Jenkins has pleaded not guilty. Jenkins testified she was "instructed" to take the box out of the home, and that it was "important" for her to get rid of it. On the day after Lloyd's killing, prosecutors have said Jenkins received a coded text message from Hernandez. Search warrants said Hernandez asked his fiancée to remove something from their basement. The text message said: "Go ... in back of the screen in movie room when u (sic) get home an (sic) there is a box ... jus (sic) in case u were looking for it!!! Member (sic) how you ruined the big tv ... WAS JUST THINKIN bout that lol wink wink love u TTYL....K" Asked about the text message Friday afternoon, in the presence of the jury, Jenkins said she didn't know what it meant. Jenkins also told the jury that she met her fiance's two alleged accomplices in the killing of Lloyd and gave them $500 in cash as police were questioning Hernandez about the slaying. Jenkins testified that she took Hernandez to a police station on June 18, 2013, and that he asked her to give Wallace money. Wallace was comforting to her, Jenkins told the jury. "He said everything would be OK," she said. She went to a bank ATM and withdrew $500 to give Wallace. "I don't remember the dollar amount he asked for but I remember telling him that was the amount I could take out," she testified. Hours after Lloyd's death, Jenkins said, Hernandez appeared "normal" and his two alleged accomplices appeared "fine." Jenkins, 25, and Hernandez

Summary: Aaron Hernandez is on trial in the death of Odin Lloyd . His fiancée has pleaded not guilty to perjury charges .