(CNN)Singer-songwriter David Crosby hit a jogger with his car Sunday evening, a spokesman said. The accident happened in Santa Ynez, California, near where Crosby lives. Crosby was driving at approximately 50 mph when he struck the jogger, according to California Highway Patrol Spokesman Don Clotworthy. The posted speed limit was 55. The jogger suffered multiple fractures, and was airlifted to a hospital in Santa Barbara, Clotworthy said. His injuries are not believed to be life threatening. "Mr. Crosby was cooperative with authorities and he was not impaired or intoxicated in any way. Mr. Crosby did not see the jogger because of the sun," said Clotworthy. According to the spokesman, the jogger and Crosby were on the same side of the road. Pedestrians are supposed to be on the left side of the road walking toward traffic, Clotworthy said. Joggers are considered pedestrians. Crosby is known for weaving multilayered harmonies over sweet melodies. He belongs to the celebrated rock group Crosby, Stills & Nash. "David Crosby is obviously very upset that he accidentally hit anyone. And, based off of initial reports, he is relieved that the injuries to the gentleman were not life threatening," said Michael Jensen, a Crosby spokesman. "He wishes the jogger a very speedy recovery."

Summary: Accident happens in Santa Ynez, California, near where Crosby lives . The jogger suffered multiple fractures; his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening .


(CNN)Sigma Alpha Epsilon is under fire for a video showing party-bound fraternity members singing a racist chant. SAE's national chapter suspended the students, but University of Oklahoma President David Boren took it a step further, saying the university's affiliation with the fraternity is permanently done. The news is shocking, but it's not the first time SAE has faced controversy. SAE was founded March 9, 1856, at the University of Alabama, five years before the American Civil War, according to the fraternity website. When the war began, the group had fewer than 400 members, of which "369 went to war for the Confederate States and seven for the Union Army," the website says. The fraternity now boasts more than 200,000 living alumni, along with about 15,000 undergraduates populating 219 chapters and 20 "colonies" seeking full membership at universities. SAE has had to work hard to change recently after a string of member deaths, many blamed on the hazing of new recruits, SAE national President Bradley Cohen wrote in a message on the fraternity's website. The fraternity's website lists more than 130 chapters cited or suspended for "health and safety incidents" since 2010. At least 30 of the incidents involved hazing, and dozens more involved alcohol. However, the list is missing numerous incidents from recent months. Among them, according to various media outlets: Yale University banned the SAEs from campus activities last month after members allegedly tried to interfere with a sexual misconduct investigation connected to an initiation rite. Stanford University in December suspended SAE housing privileges after finding sorority members attending a fraternity function were subjected to graphic sexual content. And Johns Hopkins University in November suspended the fraternity for underage drinking. "The media has labeled us as the 'nation's deadliest fraternity,' " Cohen said. In 2011, for example, a student died while being coerced into excessive alcohol consumption, according to a lawsuit. SAE's previous insurer dumped the fraternity. "As a result, we are paying Lloyd's of London the highest insurance rates in the Greek-letter world," Cohen said. Universities have turned down SAE's attempts to open new chapters, and the fraternity had to close 12 in 18 months over hazing incidents.

Summary: Sigma Alpha Epsilon is being tossed out by the University of Oklahoma . It's also run afoul of officials at Yale, Stanford and Johns Hopkins in recent months .


(CNN)I'm Candida Moss and I am professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of Notre Dame. I was an adviser on the "True Cross" episode and served as one of the many on-camera experts in CNN's "Finding Jesus" series, which currently airs on Sundays. Viewers were invited to tweet and post their questions on the "Finding Jesus" Facebook page during the show. Below are some of the more interesting questions and my answers to them. My apologies to everyone I didn't get to. Feel free to tweet your questions to me directly. Herb Scribner: Can anyone explain to me what the Bible's deal is with 40 days/nights? Moss: It's more an interest in the number 40. In the Hebrew Bible the people of Israel wander in the wilderness for 40 years before they reach the Holy Land. The flood lasts for 40 days and nights; Moses spends 40 days and nights on the mountain; Goliath spends 40 days encouraging the Israelites to challenge him before David steps up; 40 is a common age for people to be when they get married; in the book of Judges it is always 40 years between judges; and David and Solomon each reigned for 40 years. What we can take away from all of this is that people in the ancient world saw 40 as suggesting a full, complete period of time. It's sort of like a narrative stock number, in the way that modern jokes follow the rule of three. Yalanda M. Price: Was there any division between the followers of Jesus and the followers of John the Baptist? Moss: One of the interesting things about the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist is that John doesn't lay down his tools and follow Jesus after he baptizes him. Nor, it seems, did John's disciples. They had separate ministries and, while there may have been contact between the two groups, they were also de facto competitors in the ancient religious marketplace. There are some hints in the New Testament that Jesus and his followers had to differentiate themselves from John by stating that Jesus' baptism was better (Acts 11:6) and countering the idea that Jesus was actually John raised from the dead (Matthew 14:2) Some scholars argue that these references are evidence of tension between followers of Jesus and followers of John. Mark Goodacre answers your questions about the Shroud of Turin. Jeffery Graff: Can the DNA tests on the bones indicate whether he is a Jew or even whether he is of the tribe of Levi? Moss: I'm so glad someone brought up DNA. The DNA tests on the Bulgarian bones yielded only mitochondrial DNA (DNA passed down by the mother), not the more reliable nuclear DNA (the kind of DNA referred to in forensic investigations). In the original study of the Bulgarian relics (of which I was a part) the mitochondrial DNA revealed that the Bulgarian relics were of "probable Semitic origin." Thinking back to my time in the laboratory with the Copenhagen scientists, I recall that the lead investigator

Summary: Religion professor Candida Moss appears in each episode of the program . Moss was part of the original study to determine if relics found in Bulgaria could be the bones of John the Baptist.


(CNN)Ferguson is crumbling. The cowardly and reprehensible shooting Wednesday night of two police officers came in a tumultuous seven days for the Missouri town, which had already seen Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson announce his resignation after a damning Justice Department report on its police department. The report, which was ordered in the wake of the killing of Michael Brown last year, highlighted a predatory policing problem and a department that was biased, prejudiced and that has regularly targeted, arrested and fined African-Americans. Residents understandably want justice. But what's worse in all this is that Ferguson is illustrative of a broader problem across the country as increasingly militarized majority-white police departments demonstrate consistent racial bias toward majority-black communities. It's a combustible mix. In three-quarters of all U.S. cities with populations 50,000 or more, the police presence is "disproportionately white relative to the local population," according to The Washington Post. And tensions are being exacerbated by the use among police departments of military weapons, and stipulations that these former war zone weapons must be used within a year of acquisition. All this suggests a need for a completely new mindset on how we try to understand and implement policing practices across America. Indeed, a wholesale review of policies and approaches to law enforcement is needed, something that will likely necessitate drastic reforms in some departments so they can better represent, integrate, problem solve and liaise with the communities they are serving. First and foremost, our police departments must better reflect the diverse demographics of our increasingly diverse nation, whether it be race, creed, sexual orientation and more. America is changing fast, but police departments aren't keeping up. Training and recruitment of minorities is critical, yet far more needs to be taking place. With this in mind, amplifying community policing models that work and scaling them up immediately is essential if we are to stem the growing and sometimes overwhelming tide of frustration, anger and cynicism welling up among young African, Asian and Hispanic Americans. Second, we must radically rethink the trend toward the indiscriminate procurement and use of surplus military grade weaponry, which under the Department of Defense's 1033 program is flowing from battlefields to our local police forces. When the weapons of war come home from Iraq and Afghanistan to help police America's cities and towns, then you know something has gone terribly wrong with this country. Mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, tanks, drones, grenades and assault weapons should not replace the community policing of our Main Streets. Ferguson is an excellent example of how the deployment of heavy weaponry inflames rather than de-escalates a crisis situation. Having military equipment on our streets does not make citizens feel safer, which is why the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act was recently reintroduced in Congress. We do not need our officers looking like "Robocop" when they patrol our streets. It's that simple. Yet until such a bill is passed, war weapons will continue to flood our streets; Congress must act to stem this tide. We understand that times have changed and that new security threats

Summary: Two police officers were shot Wednesday in Ferguson . Hank Johnson, Michael Shank: Policing style needs rethink .


Coral Gables, Florida (CNN)Former President Bill Clinton on Saturday defended his family foundation's practice of taking money from foreign countries, arguing that while he doesn't agree with all of the policies of countries that contributed, he feels the foundation has "done a lot more good than harm." The Clinton Foundation admitted last month that a 2010 donation from the Algerian government was not properly approved under the guidelines the Obama administration put in place with the foundation when Hillary Clinton became secretary of state in 2009. Bill Clinton defended the donations as something that went to worthwhile projects. "The UAE [United Arab Emirates] gave us money. Do we agree with everything they do? No. But they are helping us fight ISIS and they built a great university with NYU open to people around the world," Clinton said at a foundation event in Florida. "Do I agree with all the foreign policy of Saudi Arabia? No." Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman are among the countries that donated to the Clinton Foundation. Clinton continued: "You've got to decide when you do this work, whether it will do more good than harm if someone helps you from another country. ... I believe we have done a lot more good than harm." The story became a controversy for the Clintons, one where even some Democrats questioned the practice. Hillary Clinton is the party's presidential frontrunner in 2016 and is expected to announce her presidential aspirations next month. Republicans jumped on board the story, too, using it to question the Clintons' ethics and whether, as president, she would give preferential treatment to countries that have donated to the foundation. Democrats that did publicly defend the Clintons noted that the foundation disclosed all of their donation on their website. On Saturday, Clinton did the same. "My theory about all this is disclose everything. And then let people make their judgments," Clinton said. "I'm going to tell you who gave us money and you can make your own decisions." Clinton concluded his defense of the foundation, stating that he thinks organizations should "bring people together across great divides, around things that they can agree on and find something to do to make peoples lives better." The Clinton Foundation was founded by Bill Clinton after he left the presidency in 2001. To date, the foundation has raised over $2 billion that goes toward a wide variety of projects, including health and wellness, economic development and leveling the playing field for women and girls. Many of their projects focus on international issues, such as rebuilding Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and providing access to low-cost HIV and AIDS treatment. Those were primarily the projects backed by foreign countries. The former president's comments were the only moment any Clinton mentioned the foreign fundraising controversy. Neither Hillary or Chelsea Clinton mentioned the issue. At no point Saturday did any of the Clintons address the fact that Hillary Clinton exclusively used a private email account for the four years she served as America's top diplomat, a practice that skirted legal standards

Summary: Clinton Foundation has taken money from foreign governments . Bill Clinton: "I believe we have done a lot more good than harm"


(CNN)If you haven't yet been asked by friends or co-workers to Meerkat, chances are you will soon. The livestreaming app took Austin by storm last week, with media outlets -- including CNNMoney -- calling it "the new SXSW sweetheart," "the coolest cat" and the festival's "big star." The San Francisco-based startup launched February 27 and has been adding users rapidly ever since. Even Jimmy Fallon is streaming his life using Meerkat. As part of our Instant Startups series (see the videos above), CNNMoney correspondent Laurie Segall reached out to Meerkat founder Ben Rubin with some questions. And he agreed to answer them -- on Meerkat, of course. What questions do you have about the app, SXSW or entrepreneurship? Do you dream of launching your own startup? Now is your chance to ask the experts how. Leave your questions in the comments below or ask them directly on Meerkat or Twitter at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday. What: Live chat with Meerkat's Rubin . When: Wednesday, from 2 to 2:45 p.m. ET . Where: On Meerkat and Twitter . Follow on Meerkat: @benrbn and @lauriesegallcnn . Follow on Twitter: @CNNTech . Hashtag: #CNNInstantStartups . Hope to see you there!

Summary: Join Meerkat founder Ben Rubin for a live chat at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday . Follow @benrbn and @lauriesegallcnn on Meerkat . Use hashtag #CNNInstantStartups to join the conversation on Twitter .


(CNN)Diplomacy can be dangerous. U.S. diplomats have come under attack in various places in the last few decades. Here's a look at U.S. diplomats who have been killed in the line of duty. The first U.S. ambassador assassinated while in office was John Gordon Mein, the U.S. ambassador to Guatemala. According to a telegram from the embassy in Guatemala City, a young man dressed in fatigues and carrying a sub-machine gun on August 28, 1968, ordered Mein's vehicle to stop and for the ambassador to get out. He did, then ran -- prompting a cry of "Shoot him, kill him." Mein was shot and fell to the ground about 12 yards behind his limousine. Cleo Noel Jr., the U.S. ambassador to Sudan, was nearing the end of a March 1973 reception in the Saudi Embassy in Khartoum when terrorists stormed in. The gunmen took Noel and another American, as well as diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Jordan, according to a U.S. intelligence memo. The captors' demand: Free various people, mostly Palestinian guerillas, then imprisoned in Jordan, Israel and the United States. This spurred negotiations that didn't go anywhere, ending instead with the killing of Noel, fellow U.S. diplomat George Curtis Moore and Belgium's Charge d'Affaires. U.S. authorities say the assailants belonged to the Palestinian terrorist movement known as "Black September," claiming that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat signed off on the attack. Ambassador Rodger Davies, who had been in Cyprus for less than months, hunkered down in a hallway on August 19, 1974, hoping he was safe from those involved in a nearby demonstration. Instead, a bullet penetrated the embassy compound and struck his heart, killing him instantly. Antoinette Varnava, a 31-year-old local who was part of the small embassy staff for about a decade, also died in the violence. U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Francis Meloy, his economic counselor Robert O. Waring and their Lebanese driver disappeared in June 1976 as they crossed the Green Line, the division between Beirut's Christian and Muslim sectors. Their bullet-riddled bodies were found a short time later in mainly Muslim west Beirut, which was then controlled by PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat's guerrillas. Two former Muslim guerillas were convicted in the kidnapping and killings, only to be freed in 1996. About eight months after President Jimmy Carter appointed him as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs was taken from his car while heading home from the embassy. His captors took the Foreign Service veteran to the Hotel Kabul, where Dubs died in a shootout between captors and Afghan police -- a violent death that, whomever fired the fatal bullets, the U.S. State Department considers an assassination. A former eight-story hotel facing the sea transformed into America's embassy in Beirut turned into a war zone in April 1983, when a truck loaded with explosives was rammed into its entrance. The result was horrific. Offices were pancaked on top of each other, the elevator shaft and stairwell destroyed, the cafeteria full of bodies and rubble, recalled the then U.S. ambassador Robert Dillon, who himself was dug out of the

Summary: Several U.S. diplomats have died after being attacked . They include then-Ambassadors Christopher Stevens, John Mein and Francis Meloy .


(CNN)Debra Milke spent 22 years on death row, convicted of conspiring with two other men to kill her son allegedly for an insurance payout. On Monday, a judge ruled that the Arizona woman is innocent and dismissed all charges against her. This makes Milke only the second woman exonerated from death row in the United States. More importantly, the judge's decision finally clears Milke after years of legal back-and-forth in a case where she steadfastly maintained her innocence. Key to the case's dismissal was prosecutorial misconduct, mainly that of a detective, Armando Saldate, who said Milke confessed to the crime to him -- even though there was no witness or recording. Prosecutors withheld from the jury Saldate's personnel record which showed instances of misconduct in other cases, including lying under oath. The two men with whom Milke was accused of conspiring were tried separately and are still on death row. A day after seeing Santa Claus at a mall on December 1, 1989, young Christopher Milke asked his mother if he could go again. Milke's roomate, James Styers, took the boy; then called Milke saying Christopher had disappeared. Instead, Styers and a friend drove the boy out of town to a secluded ravine where Styers shot Christopher three times in the head, prosecutors said. Styers and the friend were convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Milke was implicated based on alleged testimony from Styer's friend, Roger Scott. The detective, Saldate, said Scott told him that Milke was involved in a plot to kill her son. And during her trial, prosecutors floated a likely motive: A $5,000 life insurance policy she had taken out on the child. But neither Scott nor Styers testified to a plot in court. No other witnesses or direct evidence linked Milke to the crime other than Saldate's testimony. Saldate further said that Milke confessed to her role in the murder plot during interrogation and said it was a "bad judgment call." There was no recording of the interrogation, no one else was in the room or watching from a two-way mirror, and Saldate said he threw away his notes shortly after completing his report. Milke offered a vastly different view of the interrogation and denied that she had confessed to any role. The trial became a he-said/she-said contest between the two. Ultimately, the jury believed the detective and convicted Milke of murder. What prosecutors didn't tell the court was the detective's long history of lying under oath and misconduct. Saldate had been suspended five days for taking "liberties" with a female motorist and lying about it to his supervisors. Four confessions or indictments had been tossed out because Saldate had lied under oath. Judges suppressed or vacated four other confessions because Saldate had violated a person's constitutional rights. In 2013, after more than 20 years in jail, an appeals court overturned Milke's conviction. "The Constitution requires a fair trial," Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote. "This never happened in Milke's case." "The state knew of the evidence in the personnel

Summary: Debra Milke was convicted of murder in her son's death, given the death penalty . There was no evidence tying her to the crime, but a detective said she confessed . This detective had a "history of misconduct," including lying under oath .


(CNN)A British military health care worker in Sierra Leone has tested positive for Ebola, a UK health agency said. Medical experts are assessing what to do next, including whether or not the evacuate the infected individual to the United Kingdom for treatment, according to a Public Health England spokesperson. An Ebola outbreak has devastated parts of West Africa, with Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia being the hardest hit nations. The vast majority of the more than 24,000 confirmed, reportable and suspected cases, as well as the nearly 10,000 reported deaths, have been in those three countries, the World Health Organization reports. In some cases, citizens of other nations have come down with the deadly disease while working there -- as, apparently, is true for the UK military heath care worker whose diagnosis was announced Wednesday. Authorities are investigating how this person was exposed to the virus and tracing individuals in recent contact with the diagnosed worker, said the Public Health England spokesperson. "Any individuals identified as having had close contact will be assessed and a clinical decision made regarding bringing them to the UK," the spokesperson said. Pauline Cafferkey, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United Kingdom, was discharged from London's Royal Free Hospital in January after battling the virus. She is a public health nurse in Scotland's South Lanarkshire area who was part of a 30-strong team of medical volunteers deployed to West Africa by the UK government last month in a joint endeavor with Save the Children, according to British media outlets.

Summary: Spokesperson: Experts are investigating how the UK military health care worker got Ebola . It is being decided if the military worker infected in Sierra Leone will return to England . There have been some 24,000 reported cases and 10,000 deaths in the latest Ebola outbreak .


Baghdad, Iraq (CNN)Iraqi forces appeared Wednesday to be making progress on the third day of a major offensive intended to push ISIS fighters out of the city of Tikrit. The Iraqi soldiers are reportedly approaching the city from five directions, as they seek to prevent ISIS militants from either escaping from Tikrit or sending in reinforcements to bolster its defense. The operation is part of a wide-scale offensive to retake Tikrit and Salahuddin province ordered by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Sunday. It has highlighted the role played by neighboring Iran in the fight against ISIS, at a time when the United States and five other world powers are negotiating with Tehran on a controversial deal to curb its nuclear program. The semiofficial Iranian FARS news agency reports that Qassim Sulaimani, the commander of the elite Iranian Al-Quds Brigade, is helping oversee the operation to retake Tikrit. Iran has provided advisers, weapons and ammunition to the Iraqi government. According to the Pentagon, there may be Iranians operating heavy artillery and rocket launchers as well. Despite the reported Iranian assistance, the Iraqi forces face no easy task as they seek to advance on Tikrit. Besides the direct threat posed by ISIS fighters, they must also avoid the large numbers of homemade bombs that litter the approaches to the city. Iraq has not asked the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS to provide air cover for the operation to retake Tikrit. ISIS released a number of propaganda images Wednesday, showing several vehicles and dozens of ISIS militants with their weapons, which it said were part of a military reinforcement of Salahuddin province. CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the photographs. How the U.S. and Iran found common interests . Why battle for Tikrit will defeat ISIS . Tikrit fell to ISIS in June of 2014, after the group's capture of Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul. Tikrit is best known to Westerners as the birthplace of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. ISIS, the radical Sunni militant group, has been on a murderous campaign to establish a caliphate across swaths of Iraq and Syria. On Monday, Iraqi forces approached Tikrit from several fronts, Iraqiya TV reported, engaging with ISIS north of the city at al-Alam and south of the city at al-Dour. The element of surprise probably was not a factor, as reports of Iraqi troops amassing near Tikrit were widely shared. What awaits the Iraqi army is most likely a long, hard slog and not a quick rout. Tikrit is a big city, and the army and its associated militias have had problems recapturing much smaller towns from ISIS. There have been several failed attempts to recapture Tikrit since the second half of 2014. While Iraqi forces have gained some territory in the area, it has generally been under ISIS control for the last eight months or so. Prime Minister al-Abadi, who is also commander in chief of the armed forces, said on Twitter that he would "oversee the operation to liberate Tikrit" from ISIS. The joint Iraqi forces fighting to retake Tikrit include Iraqi troops,

Summary: Iraqi forces make some progress as they seek to advance toward Tikrit . The city, best known to Westerners as Saddam Hussein's birthplace, was taken by ISIS in June .


(CNN)The gift of an inquiring mind can be both exhilarating and torturous. My job is to ask tough questions, but when it comes to faith, God, and religion, the more questions I ask in my quest for truth and understanding, the more complex the answers become. I was a bit of a rebellious child. My mom might tell you differently, but I never saw that as a bad trait. I felt that if I questioned authority, fought for the underdog, battled for the things that people told me were impossible, I would be different. Change the world maybe. That same rebellious spirit also led to things that definitely were not good for me, like hanging with the wrong crowd and getting into the type of trouble that I would rather not put in print. That's when I "found God." I became a "born-again" Christian when I attended a Young Life camp in high school. My home life wasn't exactly going swimmingly, and this group really embraced me. I loved the Christian notion of community, giving back, praying for others and making friends that cared more about doing good than getting drunk, smoking pot and having sex. I opened my arms to Jesus and fully embraced Christian morals and principles. I decided that I was going to be "that good girl" and go on to do great things. I started off at Westmont, a beautiful Christian college nestled in the heart of Santa Barbara, California. What a safe place that was. It was also extremely nurturing. The professors dedicated bountiful amounts of time to our individual spiritual development, and regularly prayed with us. My peer group was all about what ministry you signed up for, not what sorority you were rushing. We lifted each other up, had intimate sunrise Bible studies on the beach and spent hours hanging out with friends, talking about how to lead a godly life. As glorious and fulfilling as all that appeared, two years into college, the world became much larger to me. More complex, diverse, intellectually and spiritually challenging. It became the world of church, religion and faith versus the world of ideas, cultures, and philosophies. I found myself more drawn to Carl Jung than the book of Corinthians. A good friend gave me a book, The Myth of Certainty. It posed these questions: . "Do you ever feel somewhat schizophrenic about the relationship of your faith to the rest of your life? Do you find yourself compartmentalizing different aspects so that tensions between them are minimized?" The answer to all of these for me was: yes. I started to read a lot. I wanted to mesh with a myriad of thinkers, and religious scholars. I needed to make a change. I left Westmont after my sophomore year and transferred to USC's School of Journalism. I discovered I had too many questions about faith to pursue a life of ministry, but I felt good about this transition. To me, it made perfect sense, because like ministers, true journalists love people, listen well and want to make a

Summary: Kyra Phillips became a born-again Christian as a teen . She attended a Christian college, but left after her sophomore year . Phillips says she now considers herself a seeker of spiritual enlightenment .


March 3, 2015 . You may not be familiar with the city of Tikrit, but what's happening there now could be a sign of things to come in the war against ISIS. You may not know the name Steve Fossett, but today marks a significant anniversary of one of the adventurer's records. And you may not know how many times glass can be recycled, but we'll tell you on today's edition of CNN Student News. On this page you will find today's show Transcript and a place for you to request to be on the CNN Student News Roll Call. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show. ROLL CALL . For a chance to be mentioned on the next CNN Student News, comment on the bottom of this page with your school name, mascot, city and state. We will be selecting schools from the comments of the previous show. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call! Thank you for using CNN Student News!

Summary: This page includes the show Transcript . Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary . At the bottom of the page, comment for a chance to be mentioned on CNN Student News. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call.


(CNN)Incumbent Goodluck Jonathan phoned former military leader Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday to concede defeat in Nigeria's presidential elections, Buhari's party says. Jonathan acknowledged the phone call and his defeat in a written statement to his countrymen. "I thank all Nigerians once again for the great opportunity I was given to lead this country and assure you that I will continue to do my best at the helm of national affairs until the end of my tenure," he said. The Independent National Electoral Commission is still announcing the final tally in the polls, but early numbers indicate Buhari, now the President-elect, has an overwhelming majority of votes. Buhari ruled Nigeria from late 1983 until August 1985 after ousting his predecessor in a coup. His 20-month rule was known for what he described as a "war on indiscipline," a tough regime that some say was marred by human rights abuses. The 72-year-old retired major general's experience as a military ruler has variably been viewed as a plus or minus in present-day Nigeria, where the government has been locked in a deadly battle with the militant group Boko Haram. His campaign has focused on security and ending corruption in Nigeria. Read more: Who is Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari? Violent protests after elections Saturday sparked calls for calm from the two main candidates and a warning by the United States and Britain against political interference. Demonstrators fired gunshots and torched a local electoral office in Nigeria's oil-rich Rivers state on Sunday as they marched to protest the elections amid claims of vote-rigging and voter intimidation. After the protests in Rivers, Buhari's All Progressives Congress demanded the elections there be canceled. "There's been so much violence in Rivers state that it's just not tenable," party spokesman Lai Mohammed said. But the People's Democratic Party disputed the accusation, saying the election was "credible and the result reflects the overwhelming wish of the people of Rivers state to support President Goodluck Jonathan." Both candidates took to social media to call for calm. "I want to urge all Nigerians to also wait patiently for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to collate and announce results," Jonathan said on his Facebook account. "Fellow Nigerians, I urge you to exercise patience and vigilance as we wait for all results to be announced," Buhari said on Twitter. Jonathan and Buhari last week issued a pledge reaffirming their commitment to "free, fair and credible elections" after their signing of the Abuja Accord in January. In his statement Tuesday, Jonathan said; "I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word." He advised anyone upset with the results to follow due process and stay away from further violence. "As I have always affirmed, nobody's ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. The unity, stability and progress of our dear country is more important than anything else," he said. Read more: Democracy was the real winner . More than 800 people were killed in post-election violence across Nigeria's north in 2011 after charges that those elections were illegitimate. Nigeria's vote had been scheduled

Summary: Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan acknowledges defeat, says he delivered on promise of fair elections . Muhammadu Buhari's party says Jonathan called to concede even before final results are announced . Buhari is a 72-year-old retired major general who ruled in Nigeria in the 1980s .


(CNN)Wildlife services in California are being pushed to their limits this year. Since January 2015, every month has set a record in sea lion "strandings," mostly sea lion pups, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "There has been an unusually high number of sea lions stranded since January," said Justin Greenman, assistant stranding coordinator for NOAA on the West Coast. "Stranding does happen, but just to give you perspective, 1,800 [sea lion] pups have been responded to this year alone. We responded to 1,600 strandings total during the entire year in 2013," he said. Stranding is the official term to describe marine life that "swim or float into shore and become beached or stuck," according to NOAA. Strandings are taking a toll on the resources available in coastal counties from San Diego to Santa Barbara. Local care facilities have taken in more stranded sea lions this year than 2004-12 combined, and it is only mid-March. Greenman said he expects the problem to continue beyond April, when weaning normally occurs, when the pups are 10 or 11 months old. Dave Koontz, director of communications for SeaWorld San Diego, said SeaWorld has rescued nearly 500 sea lions this year. "This is a new record for Sea World," Koontz said. "In 1983 we rescued 474." Some of the sea lions responded to have had to be euthanized. "They [sea lion pups] have to be able to eat and fish on their own before they can be released back into the wild, and a lot of these pups haven't even been weaned," Greenman said. Greenman said California has had warmer weather than usual this year, and, while NOAA is still conducting studies on the Channel Islands to get a more proven explanation, warmer water drives the food source farther out or deeper into the ocean, where the colder water is. When food is farther away, the mothers are away from the pup too long in search of food, and return with little food or too few nutrients for a growing sea lion. "We have been seeing emaciated or dehydrated sea lions show up on beaches," Greenman said. However, he said, the species has made a comeback since the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. California's sea lion population has grown to 300,000 from an estimated population of 10,000 in the 1950s, according to the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. People who observe stranded sea lions are advised not to touch them or attempt to rescue them, because it can be dangerous and it is illegal. Instead, call any of the rescue agencies listed on NOAA West Coast Region's website. If the animal has died, the local dead animal pickup service should be alerted.

Summary: "There has been an unusually high number of sea lions stranded since January," NOAA representative says . The speculation is mothers are having difficulty finding food, leaving pups alone too long or malnourished .


(CNN)Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was hiding an illness from his employers and had been declared "unfit to work" by a doctor, according to German authorities investigating what could have prompted the seemingly competent and stable pilot to steer his jetliner into a French mountain. Investigators found a letter in the waste bin of his Dusseldorf, Germany, apartment saying that Lubitz, 27, wasn't fit to do his job, city prosecutor Christoph Kumpa said Friday. The note, Kumpa said, had been "slashed." Just what was ailing Lubitz hasn't been revealed. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported Friday that Lubitz suffered from mental illness and kept his diagnosis concealed from his employer. A Dusseldorf clinic said he'd gone there twice, most recently 17 days ago, "concerning a diagnosis." But the University Clinic said it had not treated Lubitz for depression. German investigators said they still have interviews and other work to do before they'll be able to reveal just what they found in the records in Lubitz's apartment in a quiet, suburban neighborhood. They found no goodbye note or confession, authorities said. But the fact that investigators found "ripped, recent medical leave notes, including for the day of the offense, leads to the preliminary conclusion that the deceased kept his illness secret from his employer and his professional environment," prosecutors said. Authorities left Lubitz's apartment Friday night with boxes of papers and evidence folders after spending about 90 minutes inside. According to authorities in Germany and France, Lubitz was a co-pilot on Germanwings Flight 9525 between Barcelona, Spain, and Dusseldorf on Tuesday when he apparently locked the captain out of the cockpit, then activated a control causing the plane to descend toward rugged terrain. Germanwings said the plane dropped for about eight minutes from its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet before crashing. The only sounds, authorities said, were those of pounding on the cockpit door, Lubitz's steady breathing and, eventually, screaming passengers. An 8-minute descent to death . Lubitz and 149 other people on board the plane died in an instant, authorities say. Mother, daughter among 3 American victims . What could have prompted Lubitz to deliberately destroy the aircraft, killing everyone on board, remained the focus of investigators in Germany. Officials said Lubitz was not known to be on any terrorism list, and his religion was not immediately known. He had passed medical and psychological testing when he was hired in 2013, said Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa, which owns Germanwings. While the ailment Lubitz had sought treatment for hasn't been revealed, that he was declared unfit for work is an important detail, aviation analysts say. Pilots are required to maintain their fitness to fly and must tell their airline if they're found unfit, CNN aviation analyst David Soucie said. Reuters reported that a German newspaper said Lubitz had been treated for depression about six years ago. Citing internal documents forwarded by Lufthansa to German authorities, Bild reported that Lubitz had suffered a "serious depressive episode" around the time he took a break from his pilot training

Summary: Reuters reports German newspaper says Lubitz took break in 2009 due to depression . Ripped medical-leave notes found at his home indicate co-pilot hid an illness, officials say . Investigators found no goodbye letter or evidence of political or religious motivation .


(CNN)I was deeply moved watching Julianne Moore win the Oscar for "Still Alice," a movie I was proud and privileged to be an executive producer on. Julianne gives a harrowing performance as a brilliant 50-year-old college professor who loses her brain and herself to early-onset Alzheimer's disease. This is a huge moment for Julianne -- and a huge moment for all of us who have been trying to focus public attention on this staggering disease. Witnessing Alzheimer's progress on the big screen is as terrifying as it is in real life. I know, because I'm a child of Alzheimer's. The mind of my father, Sargent Shriver, had always been a finely tuned instrument that left people in awe and inspired. But my family and I watched Alzheimer's erase that brain -- slowly, inexorably, completely. It was terrifying, too, because back then, the disease was surrounded by shame and silence. Alzheimer's still carries a stigma of the unknown -- even though today more than 5 million Americans have it. That's right. Every 67 seconds, another one of us develops Alzheimer's. Women in their 60s are about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's as breast cancer. With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day, there will be 13.5 million of us with Alzheimer's by 2050. And many people don't understand that Alzheimer's isn't a natural part of aging. Alzheimer's is a disease that kills. The truth is, we're right in the middle of an epidemic, but we as a nation are in denial. An Oscar for "Still Alice" is shining the brightest light yet on Alzheimer's, but light isn't enough anymore. Attention isn't enough. It's time to get serious. Alzheimer's is exerting a powerful impact on American families -- on our health, our finances, and our futures. And women are disproportionately affected. Why women? Back in 2010, when we published "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes on Alzheimer's," we reported that women were more than half the individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's and nearly two-thirds of the unpaid caregivers of those who had it. Now those numbers are far worse. Today nearly two-thirds of those with Alzheimer's are women -- that's more than 3.2 million women. And more than 60% of caregivers for people with Alzheimer's and dementia are women, with many having to reduce their own workload or even drop out of the workforce altogether to care for loved ones. Opinion: Why 'Still Alice' is about you . Women are the epicenter of this crisis, which is why I believe they also have to be the solution. So, in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association and so many inspiring women already working on the front lines to fight this disease, we have launched the Wipe Out Alzheimer's Challenge, a multipronged campaign powered by women's brains. Our mission is to enlist women of all ages to get educated, engaged and empowered to instigate change. Women around the country will go out and raise the alarm, raise awareness, raise the stakes and raise millions of dollars to fund serious research into women's brains. And there's so

Summary: Maria Shriver's father was stricken by Alzheimer's, a growing scourge in U.S. Women are disproportionately affected as sufferers and caregivers, she says . Wipe Out Alzheimer's Challenge is launching to fill in for lagging government funding, she says .


(CNN)A 30-year-old California woman was abducted from a male acquaintance's residence in the Bay Area and is being held for ransom, police said Tuesday. The male acquaintance, also 30, witnessed the kidnapping of Denise Louise Huskins from the Vallejo home, and he is not a suspect in the case, said Vallejo Police Lt. Kenny Park. "Ms. Huskins' whereabouts are unknown, and we are treating this matter as a kidnap for ransom," Park told reporters. "We're worried about Ms. Huskins' welfare. We don't know where she's at. And that's why we're coming to the public asking for their help." Huskins, who has been living in Vallejo the past year, is from Huntington Beach in Southern California, police said. She works as a physical therapist, police added. She is employed at a Kaiser Hospital, CNN affiliate KGO reported, citing her Facebook page. A cousin of Huskins, Amy Mattison, told CNN affiliate KPIX that the 30-year-old man is Huskins' boyfriend and she was abducted from his residence. Park declined to comment on the nature of the relationship between Huskins and the 30-year-old man who saw and reported the kidnapping. About 75 people from the Solano County Search and Rescue Team were searching for Huskins in nearby woods and on Mare Island, Park said. Huskins' 2000 White Toyota Camry was found in Vallejo and may have been moved from the residence, Park said. Authorities don't know when her vehicle was moved, police said. Park didn't disclose the amount of the ransom being sought. "All I can tell is there was a ransom demand," Park said. Police are asking the public's help in locating Huskins, who was described as white, 5-foot-7, 150 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. Vallejo police asked the FBI to help their investigation. CNN's Stella Chan contributed to this report.

Summary: Denise Huskins, 30, works as a physical therapist at a Kaiser Hospital, CNN affiliate KGO reports . Huskins was taken from her boyfriend's residence, her cousin tells CNN affiliate KPIX .


Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN)At least six people have died and more than 60 were injured after the roof of a partially built cement factory collapsed Thursday in southwestern Bangladesh, police and fire officials told CNN. Many of those injured were in critical condition, said Mohammed Bakir Hossain, the top government physician of Bagerhat district. Mohammad Niazmur Rahman, the fire and civil defense official coordinating the search and rescue effort, said early Thursday evening that two people had been pulled alive from the rubble and as many as 30 others are believed to be still trapped. Deputy inspector general of police of Khulna range SM Monir Uz Zaman said the number of those still trapped was unclear "as we're not sure how many people were working inside." The collapse took place around 1 p.m. (3 a.m. ET) in Mongla, a port city in the Asian nation's Bagerhat District. The factory is owned by Sena Kalyan Sangstha, a welfare organization for former Bangladeshi troops and their beneficiaries, according to Rahman and other local officials. Video from Boishakhi TV showed medical workers tending to the injured as they were wheeled into a local medical facility caked in dust. Deadly incidents at factories and other buildings, sadly, are nothing new in Bangladesh. The worst happened on April 24, 2013, when a nine-story building that housed five garment factories collapsed. Rescuers managed to save the lives of more than 2,400 people, but more than 1,100 died in the horrific accident. And a November 2012 apparel factory fire on Dhaka's outskirts killed at least 117 people, some of whom jumped from the building to escape the flames. Most of the dead were women, almost half of them burned so badly that DNA tests were needed to identify them. That blaze led to the convictions of 13 people for gross negligence of safety measures and spurred widespread criticism about the state of workers' rights in Bangladesh. The government responded by revamping laws so that workers no longer need approval from employers to form trade unions, and every factory that sells within the country also has to pledge 5% of their profits toward a workers' welfare fund. The government also boosted minimum wages from $38 to around $68 per month. Yet this hasn't stopped more deadly incidents, including the January deaths of at least 13 people when a fire broke out inside a Dhaka factory. Farid Ahmed reported from Dhaka and Harmeet Shah Singh from New Delhi. Greg Botelho wrote this story from Atlanta. CNN's Sugam Pokharel and Kunal Sehgal contributed to this report.

Summary: More than 60 are injured, many critically, official says . The cement factory was owned by a Bangladeshi army welfare organization . In recent years, Bangladesh has had other deadly incidents at factories .


(CNN)The misuse of outer protective garments may have led to the exposure of a potentially deadly strain of bacteria at the Tulane National Primate Research Center near New Orleans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. An employee at the center has tested positive for the bacterium, which is kept at the facility. The employee is not sick, and Jason McDonald, a CDC spokesman, said the bacteria probably aren't a threat to the general population. Inspectors from the CDC and the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said the misuse of outer garments "could have led to the bacteria clinging to inner garments and getting carried out of the select agent lab where research was being conducted with the bacteria on mice," a news release said. "Additionally, CDC and APHIS inspectors determined that Tulane primate center staff frequently entered the select agent lab without appropriate protective clothing, which would increase the risk of bringing the bacteria out of the lab or becoming infected themselves." The bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, was being tested on mice in a biosafety level 3 lab at the Covington, Louisiana campus. It can cause can cause melioidosis, also known as Whitmore's disease. All research with the agent at the facility was suspended on February 11 and will remain suspended until it can be shown that there are no more risks and that proper procedures are being followed, the CDC said. The CDC says the primate facility can resume that research when Tulane officials show inspectors that: . • Entity-wide procedures exist to ensure animals accidentally exposed in the future are managed appropriately; . • All personal protective equipment procedures are thoroughly reviewed and revised appropriately to lessen the risk of future breaches; . • All Tulane primate center personnel are trained on any new or revised protective clothing procedures; and . • Improved entry and exit procedures to the outside enclosures housing non-human primates are in place to stop any further transmission among the animals." The CDC and U.S. Department of Agriculture say they have completed their investigation, which began in November when two monkeys were diagnosed with Whitmore's disease. Six others had antibodies indicating exposure to the bacterium. According to the CDC, "the bacteria causing melioidosis are found in contaminated water and soil. It is spread to humans and animals through direct contact with the contaminated source." It is not transmitted between humans or animals, "and the risk of acquiring melioidosis is low," the CDC said. Melioidosis "is predominately a disease of tropical climates, especially in Southeast Asia and northern Australia where it is widespread," according to the CDC website.

Summary: The error "could have led to the bacteria clinging to inner garments and getting carried out" of a lab, inspectors say . Also, "staff frequently entered the select agent lab without appropriate protective clothing" The CDC says the bacteria probably aren't a threat to the general population .


(CNN)More than 100 schools in Pakistan have been renamed in honor of the children killed in a Taliban siege at a Peshawar school last year. According to the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 107 local schools now bear the name of a student killed during the December 16 attack on the Army Public School. Government spokesman Mushtaq Ghani told CNN that the gesture was a way to remember the bravery of the students who were taking exams in an auditorium when Taliban militants strapped with explosives laid siege. Some six hours later, 145 were dead, 132 of them children, according to authorities. In February, Pakistani authorities arrested a suspect, accusing him of commanding the attack. The Army Public School is home to about 1,100 students and staff, most of them sons and daughters of army personnel from around Peshawar. CNN's Sophia Saifi and Mariano Castillo contributed to this report.

Summary: More than 100 schools renamed in honor of students killed in a Taliban schoolhouse attack . A six-hour siege at a Peshawar school killed 145 people in December .


(CNN)When Kyesha Smith Wood heard that her teen daughters were rude to another patron who asked them to be quiet at a local movie theater, she was furious. The Birmingham, Alabama, mom made them write an apology note, but she didn't know who should get it. That's why Wood posted a plea on her local community's closed Facebook page on Saturday to track down the woman, according to CNN affiliate WMBA. The Jefferson County's Sheriff's Office reposted her note the same night, and the post has been liked more than 250,000 times. "My son later told me, much to my humiliation and embarrassment, that my girls were rude and obnoxious during the movie. The woman I'm looking for addressed them and asked them to be quiet and they were disrespectful," Wood wrote on her Facebook post. "After the movie she approached my girls and told them that her husband had been laid off and this was the last movie she would be able to take her daughter to for a while and my girls ruined that for her," wrote Wood, who asked the woman to contact her. "This rude, disrespectful, and awful behavior is unacceptable and they owe you an apology." Wood promised that her daughters would pay for another movie for the family out of their allowance. The woman Wood was trying to reach is Rebecca Boyd, who saw the sheriff's department post and contacted her. "The note from their mom brought me to tears and shows there is still good people in the world," Boyd wrote on the sheriff's department Facebook page. "I have no hard feelings towards them and I am proud of their parents. The girls are not not bad...they are children. Glad they are learning a lesson. I hope if my teenagers are out and they act up...I hope someone says something to them." Wood called Boyd the real hero of the story. "She took it upon herself to correct my girls and nobody else did." "She's the most gracious and kind and forgiving woman. I am so humbled by that." The two moms are now Facebook friends.

Summary: After her girls act up at a movie theater, a mom takes to Facebook to apologize . She looks for the mom who confronted their rude behavior, and they become Facebook friends .


Moscow (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared in a series of photos released by the Kremlin on Friday after a week in which canceled engagements led to speculation over his health. The three images showed Putin meeting with the head of the Supreme Court in Moscow on Friday, the Kremlin said. State broadcaster Russia 24 also aired video footage of the meeting. CNN cannot independently confirm that the meeting took place as stated. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov sought to quell the rumors of ill health on Thursday, joking that they were down to "spring fever," Russia's state-run Tass news agency reported. "When the sun comes up in spring, and as soon as spring is in the air, then the fever begins," Peskov said. "Someone dreams of (Rosneft CEO Igor) Sechin resignation, others -- of government resignation, while others have not seen President Putin on TV for several days," he said, according to Tass. "We are calm on this fever, and respond to the questions with patience," Peskov said. Speaking to Russian radio station Echo of Moscow, Peskov also urged people not to worry, saying that Putin was "absolutely" healthy. Asked if the President's handshake was firm, he replied that Putin "can break a hand." Last fall, rumors also circulated about the health of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, after he was absent from the public eye for more than a month. He eventually reappeared, with North Korean state media releasing photographs of him walking with a cane. The speculation about Putin began after a planned meeting in the Kazakh capital, Astana, between the Russian leader and the presidents of Kazakhstan and Belarus was postponed at short notice. Peskov confirmed Wednesday that the leaders had agreed to delay it for several days but did not give a new date, Tass said. The Kremlin press office said Friday that Putin would meet Monday with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Almazbek Atambayev, in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, Tass said. Putin's last public appearance was Sunday, on International Women's Day. Since then, he has had a number of meetings, but no video was released, only stills uploaded to the Kremlin's website. In the course of his many years in power, Putin has cultivated the image of a strong and vigorous leader. His exploits, captured on film and released to the media, have included riding horses while shirtless, exploring the seafloor in a submersible, handling a tranquilized tiger and, just last year, earning a karate black belt. The Russian President has been in the international spotlight in recent months after Moscow's intervention in Ukraine, which has prompted heightened tensions with the West. Opinion: Why has Putin gone missing? CNN's Alla Eshchenko reported from Moscow, and Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported from London.

Summary: Kremlin releases images of a meeting it says President Vladimir Putin held Friday . Putin spokesman dismisses rumors of ill health sparked by Putin's cancellation of planned talks .


(CNN)Ferguson City Manager John Shaw resigned Tuesday in the wake of a scathing Justice Department report. The report blames Ferguson, Missouri, police and courts for abusive behavior that disproportionately targets African-American residents. "Over the last several months I have done everything in my power to work with countless groups to bring about positive change and strengthen our community," Shaw wrote in his resignation letter. He continued: "During this time I have also worked closely with the Department of Justice to identify opportunities to improve, and then moved quickly to implement its recommendations for change. "And while I certainly respect the work that the DOJ recently performed in their investigation and report on the City of Ferguson, I must state clearly that my office has never instructed the police department to target African Americans, nor falsify charges to administer fines, nor heap abuses on the backs of the poor. Any inferences of that kind from the report are simply false." Shaw's resignation was announced the same day the City Council voted 7-0 on a mutual separation agreement with Shaw. Residents elect City Council members, who in turn appoint the city manager. The city manager directs and supervises all city departments, including the Police Department. Along with other officials, Shaw was heavily criticized by the Justice Department report, which found that authorities in Ferguson frequently saw residents as "sources of revenue." In fact, the city enjoyed so much success in issuing tickets and fines that Ferguson, population 21,000, was ranked in the top eight of the 80 municipal courts in St. Louis County by having more than $1 million in revenue in 2010, the report said. In one March 2012 email, the captain of the patrol division reported to Shaw that court collections the previous month reached $235,000 -- the first month collections exceeded $200,000. The city manager reported the email to the City Council, congratulating police and court staff on their "great work," the report said. When Ferguson court revenues exceeded $2 million for the whole of 2012, the city manager responded to the police chief in an internal email: "Awesome! Thanks!" according to the federal report. The DOJ's probe came after public outcry over the death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, who was shot by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in August. Wilson, who was not indicted on any charges, has resigned from the police department. But when Ferguson resident Sue Schmidt defended Wilson at Tuesday's City Council meeting, she heard vocal objections from those in the crowd. "I'd like to say a lot of people in this room owe Darren Wilson an apology," Schmidt said, prompting laughter by some in the audience. "The same justice report that you're basing all your opinions on cleared him 100%." CNN's Jennifer Feldman, Holly Yan, Sarah Aarthun and Michael Martinez contributed to this report.

Summary: John Shaw: "My office has never instructed the police department to target African Americans" A Department of Justice report blames Ferguson police and courts for abusive behavior . Ferguson resident: Many people owe former Officer Darren Wilson an apology .


(CNN)Following last year's successful U.K. tour, Prince and 3rdEyeGirl are bringing the Hit & Run Tour to the U.S. for the first time. The first -- and so far only -- scheduled show will take place in Louisville, Kentucky, the hometown of 3rdEyeGirl drummer Hannah Welton. Slated for March 14, tickets will go on sale Monday, March 9 at 10 a.m. local time. Prince crowns dual rock charts . A venue has yet to be announced. When the Hit & Run worked its way through the U.K. in 2014, concert venues were revealed via Twitter prior to each show. Portions of the ticket sales will be donated to various Louisville charities. See the original story at Billboard.com. ©2015 Billboard. All Rights Reserved.

Summary: It will be a first time for the tour stateside . First show will be in Louisville, Kentucky .


(CNN)A grand jury in Clark County, Nevada, has indicted a 19-year-old man accused of fatally shooting his neighbor in front of her house last month. Erich Nowsch Jr. faces charges of murder with a deadly weapon, attempted murder and firing a gun from within a car. Police say Nowsch shot Tammy Meyers, 44, in front of her home after the car he was riding in followed her home February 12. Nowsch's attorney, Conrad Claus, has said his client will argue self-defense. The Meyers family told police that Tammy Meyers was giving her daughter a driving lesson when there was a confrontation with the driver of another car. Tammy Meyers drove home and sent her inside to get her brother, Brandon, who allegedly brought a 9mm handgun. Tammy Meyers and her son then went back out, police said. They encountered the other car again, and there was gunfire, police said. Investigators found casings from six .45-caliber rounds at that scene. Nowsch's lawyer said after his client's first court appearance that Brandon Meyers pointed a gun before anyone started shooting. He said the family's story about a road-rage incident and what reportedly followed don't add up. After zipping away from the first shooting, Tammy Meyers drove home and the other car, a silver Audi, went there also. Police said Nowsch shot at both Tammy and Brandon Meyers. Tammy Meyers was hit in the head and died two days later at a hospital. Brandon Meyers, who police said returned fire at the home, was not injured. The driver of the silver Audi has yet to be found by authorities. That suspect wasn't named in Thursday's indictment. Nowsch was arrested five days after the killing in his family's house, just one block away from the Meyers' home. He is due in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.

Summary: Erich Nowsch will face three charges, including first-degree murder . He is accused of killing Tammy Meyers in front of her home . The two lived withing walking distance of each other .


(CNN)The case of a Georgia woman, whose execution was postponed for a second time Monday, is once again shining the national spotlight on one of the most fundamental questions we as a nation face: When do we put our own citizens to death? But it's an issue on which this country is all over the place. "As it relates to crimes against individuals ... the death penalty should not be expanded to instances where the victim's life was not taken." That was Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority in Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008). You might think at first the Department of Justice isn't listening. After all, the U.S. federal government lists dozens of capital offenses that are punishable by death, and not all of them involve a victim's life being taken. They fall into three main categories: 1) homicide offenses; 2) espionage and treason; and 3) nonhomicidal narcotics offenses. While most of them involve the death of a victim, not all of them do. But what happened to all that "shouldn't expand death penalty to crimes where the victim's life was not taken" language from the Supreme Court? Doesn't the Department of Justice have to listen to the Supreme Court? They do, and they have. The Department of Justice has read the high court's fine print in Kennedy v. Louisiana: "Our concern here is limited to crimes against individual persons. We do not address, for example, crimes defining and punishing treason, espionage, terrorism, and drug kingpin activity, which are offenses against the State. As it relates to crimes against individuals, though, the death penalty should not be expanded to instances where the victim's life was not taken." Ah. As with most things, there are exceptions to the rule -- though reasonable minds may differ on the reasoning behind those exceptions. Apparently, when we are talking about crimes against people, the death penalty should not be expanded to nonhomicide-type crimes. If it's a crime against the state, well, it's game on. After all, treason is one of three crimes mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, so there's a good argument that the federal statute authorizing death for treason is "constitutional" -- because it's actually in the constitution. (Yet another reason why federal court is not a place where defendants want to be -- it's no secret defense attorneys would rather be in state court, where the penalties are less severe and where everything isn't illegal). While it varies from state to state, as a very general proposition, the death penalty is almost universally reserved for the crime of murder. Murder is a subcategory of the broader class of homicide, and death penalty crimes are normally a subcategory of murder. As another very general proposition in the States, murder -- plus something on top that makes it more egregious -- is what will qualify as a capital crime. It would be nice to say that capital murder in the states is always defined as an intentional killing, but even that has exceptions. In fact, in some states, you can be executed for a victim's

Summary: U.S. federal government lists dozens of capital offenses punishable by death . Danny Cevallos: Society's view of death penalty is constantly evolving .


(CNN)A Canadian tourist was killed after a small inflatable tour boat collided with a whale off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, authorities said Thursday. The victim was identified as Jennifer Karren, 35, according to the Baja California Sur Prosecutor General's Office. Karren is a Canadian from Calgary, Alberta, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Two other people aboard the Cabo Adventures' vessel were injured in the incident that happened Wednesday a quarter-mile from the Bay of Santa Maria, the Mexican Federal Attorney General's Office for the Protection of the Environment said. That federal agency is investigating the incident, it said. The inflatable boat, called the Cabo Adventure 9 and designed for recreational diving, was carrying nine people and was returning from a snorkel tour when a side of the craft collided with the whale, authorities said. The skipper, José Salazar Tendis, tried to avoid the whale, officials said. Salazar couldn't be immediately reached for comment. Karren fell in the water, and a tour guide and another passenger jumped in and brought her back on the boat, the federal agency said. The vessel captain immediately informed naval rescue officials, and the boat returned to shore as first aid and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation were performed on Karren, the federal agency said. A tourist aboard the watercraft who was also a nurse performed CPR, authorities said. The Canadian woman was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the Baja California Sur Prosecutor General's Office. The tour company's general director, Felipe Diez-Canedo, released a statement through Mexican authorities that expressed regret that one of its guests died, despite receiving first aid and being transported to the hospital. CNN's Pierre Meilhan contributed to this report.

Summary: Jennifer Karren, 35, of Calgary, Alberta, falls overboard and later dies, authorities say . Two other tourists are injured on the small inflatable boat .


(CNN)December 16, 2014 was a dark day, not just in our nation's history, but the world's. Young innocent children were brutally massacred in a school in Peshawar along with their teachers. It shook a nation that had already seen more than 55,000 of its innocent civilians die in the hands of terrorism in the last 10 years, to a whole new level. Naturally, I was in no less despair. Hailing from a humble background, where both my parents have served in the field of education their entire lives, the strong emphasis on education in our house was probably another reason why this incident had affected me so deeply. READ MORE: Bloodstains, bullet holes mark Peshawar classrooms . I canceled my tours and concerts and couldn't gather myself to do much in coming weeks. However, being an artist, I had to express myself; even more so because I have always believed that an artist should be more than a tool for his art to resonate through. He must also resonate the voice of his surroundings by being socially aware and strive to contribute to his environment for the better in whatever little or large manner that he decides for himself. I thought that each one of us needed to wake up to this call and help and inspire the other to do more for our future. So I picked up the phone and started calling all my colleagues from film, fashion, TV and music. I was pleasantly surprised that all of them agreed with my initiative and came on board without a second thought on such a short notice. We all got together because we all want a progressive, peaceful, tolerant and positive Pakistan. And the response to the song and video further solidified my belief that every Pakistani wants the same. They just need someone to show them the way. And to me, education is the way forward. It's the the key to progress and peace. I also feel that there is a lot more to Pakistan than what the world gets to see. Pakistan is a beautiful land with beautiful people who -- like those in any other nation -- want to live in harmony with themselves and the world. A place where people sing, dance and play. Unfortunately because of an extremist minority, it is sometimes seen as an extremist country. But no society is void of extremism in one way or the other. This is something that we all need to work towards -- the international community and us. Pakistan needs your help. It has been fighting this battle for years and lost countless lives in the process. Its economy has also suffered. The world needs to see Pakistan in a whole different light to help us out of this darkness. They need to partner with us towards progress. They need to understand the complexities of this society and the fact that it's not easy to survive through all that this country has been through. Today the entire nation stands as one for this cause. And that is what

Summary: Taliban gunmen attacked a school in Peshawar, Pakistan killing more than 140 people . Popular singer Ali Zafar says the massacre took violence in Pakistan to a new level and affected him deeply . Zafar says he has expressed himself through music and is trying to raise money for schools .


(CNN)Nineteen-year-old Tony Robinson was not armed when a Madison, Wisconsin, police officer fatally shot him, Police Chief Mike Koval said Saturday. "We have to be clear about this," Koval said. "He was unarmed. That's going to make this all the more complicated for the investigators, the public, to accept, to understand ... why deadly force had to be used." The officer who killed Robinson, 12-year department veteran Matt Kenny, had used deadly force before, shooting and killing a man in 2007, the chief said. Kenny was exonerated of any wrongdoing and even received a commendation, the chief said, adding that the incident was "concluded to be a suicide by cop" situation. Robinson was shot after allegedly assaulting Kenny, who was responding Friday evening to a reported disturbance at a Madison residence, Koval said. Afterward, protesters in this university town took to the streets and converged on City Hall, chanting "Black lives matter." Koval called for calm, while acknowledging the protests are reminiscent of those that followed the deaths of black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and Staten Island, New York, after confrontations with police. Police described Robinson as African-American. "In light of so much things that have happened not just across the country, but in our own community, it's understandable that the reaction at the scene and of some of our citizens is extremely volatile, emotional and upsetting," the police chief told CNN affiliate WKOW-TV. "And we understand that. That's absolutely appropriate under these circumstances. We would urge, obviously, that everyone exercise restraint." Koval said he visited the home of Robinson's mother late Friday night and met Robinson's grandparents outside the house. They talked and prayed, the chief said, but they advised him to put off visiting Robinson's mother "based on the dynamics" of the situation. "I couldn't even begin to get my hands around the enormity of the loss and the tragic consequences," he said. "Nineteen years old is too young." Robinson's mother, Andrea Irwin, told CNN affiliate WKOW that she didn't understand what happened. "My son has never been a violent person, never," she said. "To die in such a violent way baffles me." Irwin said Robinson served as a father figure to her other children. "He was our caretaker and so gentle," she said. The incident started when authorities got a call that a black male was yelling and jumping in front of cars, Koval said. Dispatchers identified him as Robinson, according to 911 audio obtained by WKOW. A little later the dispatcher says, "Apparently Tony hit one of his friends, um no weapons seen." About four minutes later, the dispatcher says, "I got another call for the same suspect at [the same address]. He tried to strangle another patron." About 30 seconds later, an unidentified officer says, "Shots fired, shots fired." When Kenny went to the apartment, he heard some commotion and forced his way in, Koval said. "Once inside the home the subject involved in this incident -- the same one allegedly out in traffic and that had battered someone -- assaulted my officer," Koval said. After that,

Summary: Tony Robinson, 19, was unarmed when an officer killed him, police chief says . Officer has been involved in a fatal shooting on duty in 2007, chief says . Activists hit the streets and take to Twitter to vent anger over the shooting .


(CNN)Six weeks into the murder trial of former NFL star Aaron Hernandez, jurors in Fall River, Massachusetts, are getting more pieces of a time line leading up to the 2013 shooting death of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée. Taking center stage this week -- videotape never before seen in public, taken from Hernandez's own home security system. Prosecutors are using that grainy footage to suggest Hernandez is holding a .45-caliber handgun -- the same kind police say was used to kill Lloyd. Hernandez is seen on camera pulling into his driveway minutes after Lloyd was shot to death in an industrial park about a mile from Hernandez' Boston home. "In my opinion, the firearm shown in the video stills is a Glock pistol," Glock sales manager Kyle Aspinwall testifies. Hernandez, Ernest Wallace, and Carlos Ortiz are seen on the same security video, recorded at about 3:30 a.m. on June 17, 2013, after the men walk into Hernandez's home. All three have been charged with murder in the death of Lloyd and have pleaded not guilty. Wallace and Ortiz are being tried separately. The video is time-stamped minutes after workers in a nearby industrial park describe hearing loud noises like fireworks -- the moment prosecutors say Lloyd was gunned down after getting out of a car driven by Hernandez. Jurors lean forward in their chairs, peering into monitors and scribbling notes as Aspinwall, a former Massachusetts state trooper and New Hampshire police chief, takes them frame by frame through video during two days of testimony. Aspinwall tells jurors Hernandez appears to be holding the pistol by its muzzle as he's standing at his basement door. The defense will have none of it. They attack Aspinwall's credentials. Aspinwall is well-schooled in Glocks but admits he doesn't consider himself a gun identification expert. Hernandez's lawyers then show a different part of the video time-stamped a few seconds earlier with Hernandez holding what appears to be a shiny object in one hand, suggesting it may be an iPad. "Glock pistols don't have white glows to them, do they?" defense attorney James Sultan asks. "No, they do not," Aspinwall answers. Sultan then displays a soft-pellet gun similar in shape to a Glock, suggesting it could also be the object Hernandez is holding. Prosecutors dispute the suggestion. "Are you aware of anybody going pellet gun shooting at 3:30 in the morning?" Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg asks Aspinwall. University of New Hampshire law professor Michael McCann calls the Glock expert's findings powerful; yet, he thinks the defense did a solid job of raising questions about the fuzzy video. "The jury might think that the defense is just throwing things against the wall," he says. "But on the other hand, the jury may feel like it could be one of a dozen things. That's reasonable doubt." One thing not in dispute: the alleged murder weapon remains missing. So does a solid motive. Prosecutors could be laying the groundwork for showing more surveillance video of Hernandez -- who at

Summary: Aaron Hernandez on trial for death of Odin Lloyd . Testimony focused on security video from Hernandez's home . Debate over whether Hernandez holding gun or electronic device .


(CNN)Two million illnesses. 23,000 deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that's the human toll from antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" each year in the United States. To fight the growing problem of infections that can't be treated, the administration of President Barack Obama is implementing a five-year national action plan at a cost of $1.2 billion. Those funds, part of the President's 2015 budget, which must still be approved by Congress, would nearly double the amount of federal money allocated to the fight. The plan calls for creating a "one-health" approach to testing and reporting superbugs around the country, as well as establishing a DNA database of resistant bacteria. New, rapid tests to detect emerging resistant bacteria will be developed. Research for new antibiotics and vaccines will accelerate. The plan calls for two new options for people, and three for animals, by 2020. Global surveillance and cooperation is also stressed, including a global database for animals. A key goal is to slow the growth and spread of superbugs by reducing the use of antibiotics when they aren't needed. The plan calls for a 50% reduction in inappropriate antibiotic use in doctor's offices and a 20% reduction in hospital use by 2020. "This is a lofty goal," said internist and Emory Associate Professor Dr. Sandra Fryhofer. "It's important for both patients and professionals to be on board." There are still details to work out. "Who determines what's appropriate?" asked Atlanta pediatrician Dr. Jennifer Shu. "Are we going to have a checklist of requirements that have to be met? I think it might be a bit tough to measure, but I think improvement can definitely happen." A recent survey of 796 health care professionals found 63% of the sample prescribed antibiotics when they weren't absolutely necessary, at least 10% of the time. A top reason: the patient requested it. "Some patients put a lot of pressure on doctors to give them an antibiotic, and they may think they're not getting good care if they're not given one. But that's just not true," said Fryhofer. "It's become like an insurance policy but it's an insurance policy that doesn't give good dividends." "I do find there is a lot of education that has to go on with patients that might expect antibiotics when their child is sick," said Shu, "but I think in recent years I have seen more of an awareness, and many of my patients are more hesitant to ask." Another part of the plan pledges to eliminate the widespread use of antibiotics to boost the growth of animals raised for food. It will also phase in oversight by veterinarians for other uses of antibiotics in feed and water. While applauding the spirit of the pledge, critics say the limits are still too voluntary and limited in scope. "The problem we have with the plan is that it only removes the growth claims from the label," said senior analyst Steve Roach at Keep Antibiotics Working. "What we hoped for in the plan was a commitment from FDA to identify which antibiotic uses other

Summary: Antibiotic resistance is a pressing public health issue, CDC says . Plan would nearly double the amount of federal monies allocated to the fight . Patient use of unnecessary antibiotics will be curtailed .


(CNN)Everywhere you look there are two-wheeled drivers waiting ominously for passengers to hop on board. They're the backbone of public transport in Uganda and the fastest way to get around the capital city, Kampala. The boda boda motorbike taxi is a staple used by all sectors of society. Traditionally, the usual way of catching a ride was to venture into any street corner packed with tens of boda bodas or simply waiting for one to pass by. But now, a new local startup are bringing this classic mode of transport into the technological age by providing the ability to hail a boda boda at the click of a smartphone. "Bodas are the main thing getting people from A to B," says Alastair Sussock, co-founder of SafeBoda, "and we're trying to professionalize this transportation in the city." The motorbike taxis have their greatest popularity globally in Uganda, with over 80,000 riding the streets of Kampala, according to Sussex who wants to seize upon the country's burgeoning young population. Uganda has more than 24% of the population aged between 10 and 19 years old, according to UNICEF -- and Sussock wants them to get on their bikes. "Young people use smartphones in Kampala and it's one of the youngest countries in the world," he says. For now, the Uber-like startup operates mainly in the northern districts of Kampala, where a click on the SafeBoda app -- in addition to the traditional method of hailing them on the street -- will bring you a Safeboda bike, complete with a uniformed driver in a bright orange jacket, helmet and fully trained in road safety. He'll even have a helmet for you. Safety has long been a concern for those riding boda bodas as the bikes are a leading cause of death and head injury in Kampala. A study conducted at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, by researchers at Makerere University, identified approximately 40% of trauma cases at the hospital to be due to boda-boda accidents. I request a SafeBoda to take me to meet the team in the upmarket area of Kisementi, in Kampala's central district. As i stand waiting, at least 10 regular boda bodas pass by beeping to get my attention and business. A driver called Richard Lalunga then arrives who I spot clearly in the distance thanks to his bright orange jacket and orange helmets -- one on his head and one on his handlebars. Lalunga has been a boda driver for four years and joined SafeBoda four months ago to learn more about road safety. He explains how he now earns more than ever before due to a loyal customer base stemming from his safe driving. The ride was in fact calmer than those taken with other bodas, and unlike some, as we ride along the congested streets no kerbs were scaled or mounted to avoid the traffic. The name stands - safeboda. The dangers lie in the low use of helmets -- by both drivers and users -- alongside risky driving and poor road safety practices. This makes many fearful

Summary: Ugandan start-up SafeBoda are changing the face of boda-boda motorbike taxis . A click of their app brings you a bike complete with a safety trained driver and protective gear .


(CNN)After postponing its first execution of a woman in 70 years because of "cloudy" lethal injection drugs, Georgia has indefinitely postponed at least one other execution until it can analyze the cocktail it uses for the procedures, the state said Tuesday. Kelly Renee Gissendaner was scheduled to die at 7 p.m. ET Monday, but for the second time in less than a week, it was called off. The state postponed the first planned execution because of "weather and associated scheduling issues," department spokeswoman Gwendolyn Hogan said. "Prior to the execution, the drugs were sent to an independent lab for testing of potency. The drugs fell within the acceptable testing limits," the Georgia Department of Corrections said in a statement. "Within the hours leading up to the scheduled execution, the Execution Team performed the necessary checks. At that time, the drugs appeared cloudy. The Department of Corrections immediately consulted with a pharmacist, and in an abundance of caution, Inmate Gissendaner's execution has been postponed." Repeating the "abundance of caution" wording, the department issued a news release Tuesday, saying, "The scheduled executions of Kelly Renee Gissendaner and Brian Keith Terrell have been postponed while an analysis is conducted of the drugs planned for use in last night's scheduled execution of inmate Gissendaner." Gissendaner, 47, is condemned to die for a 1997 murder plot in which she conspired with boyfriend Gregory Owen to murder her husband. Terrell was convicted in the shooting and beating death of a 70-year-old friend of his mother's after the man called police to say Terrell had stolen checks from him, according to the Georgia attorney general's office. Gissendaner has already requested an extravagant last meal: two Burger King Whoppers with cheese (with everything), two large orders of fries, popcorn, cornbread, a side of buttermilk and a salad with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, carrots, cheese, boiled eggs and Newman's Own buttermilk dressing, the Corrections Department said. She also requested a glass of lemonade and cherry-vanilla ice cream for dessert. Terrell was scheduled to die between March 10 and 17. Last year, Oklahoma issued a months-long moratorium on executions after murderer and rapist Clayton Lockett convulsed, writhed and lay alive on a gurney for 43 minutes before dying. It was the state's first time using a new, three-drug cocktail for an execution. The constitutionality of lethal injection drugs has made headlines since 2013, when European manufacturers -- including Denmark-based Lundbeck, which manufactures pentobarbital -- banned U.S. prisons from using their drugs in executions. Thirty-two states were left to find new drug protocols.

Summary: Brian Keith Terrell execution halted while Georgia analyzes drugs used for executions . Kelly Gissendaner's execution postponed because drugs "appeared cloudy," Georgia says .


(CNN)The widow of the man whose life was portrayed in the acclaimed film "American Sniper" has penned a heartfelt letter to him on their 13th anniversary. Taya Kyle posted her letter March 16 on the Chris Kyle Facebook page, where she proclaimed, "I miss you and I love you. I feel you in my heart and soul so strongly. I am more blessed to have been your wife than anything else in my life." "Today, I have a choice. I can bury myself under the covers and acknowledge the pain of missing you and mourn the future anniversaries without you," she wrote. "Or, I can celebrate never having a day without you in my heart because you loved me enough to leave me a lifetime of memories and beauty." Kyle, a Navy SEAL, has been credited as the most successful sniper in United States military history. Bradley Cooper was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Kyle in this winter's film "American Sniper," which was based on Kyle's bestselling autobiography. The film, directed by Clint Eastwood, has become the highest-grossing war movie ever. Why 'American Sniper' is a smash hit . Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield were shot and killed at a gun range in 2013 by Eddie Ray Routh. A Texas jury found Routh guilty of capital murder in February, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jury finds Eddie Ray Routh guilty in 'American Sniper' case .

Summary: Taya Kyle posted the letter on their 13th wedding anniversary . "American Sniper" is the highest-grossing war movie . A man was found guilty in Kyle's death in February .


(CNN)I like to think I'm a pretty optimistic person. Even at dark moments for this country -- after 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, for example -- my tendency is always to scout out the sliver of hope for future progress. But I've got to be honest with you, sometimes that optimism only goes so far. The morning after the 2004 election, when voters in 11 states passed constitutional bans on marriage equality, I never thought I'd see committed and loving gay and lesbian couples getting married in my lifetime -- in Alabama of all places. What's more, I certainly never thought that, 50 years after a march for voting rights went from Selma to Montgomery, that the first couple to get married there would be a courageous African-American couple, Tori Sisson and Shanté Wolfe, who camped out overnight on the sidewalk outside the courthouse just to be the first in line. They slept on that chilly pavement despite the ravings of Chief Justice Roy Moore of the Alabama Supreme Court, who has issued baseless edict after baseless edict urging the state's probate judges to ignore a federal court ruling (which supersedes a state ruling) and to refuse to treat LGBT people equally under the law. Even today, more than half the counties in the state are refusing to issue licenses to gay couples. In an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo on Thursday, Chief Justice Moore even compared refusing marriage licenses to gay couples to refusing to enforce the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision (which upheld the legal status of slaves as property). I'm not a trained lawyer, but the logic seems to be that the refusal to treat people like slaves under the law is similar to the refusal to grant gay and lesbians their equal rights to marry under the law. That logic is not only faulty (restricting rights is not similar to expanding them) but offensive. The 13 states that still ban same-sex marriage . Many are highlighting the echoes of the past in Alabama right now; of Gov. George Wallace actually blocking two African-American students from entering the auditorium of the University of Alabama as they tried to desegregate the school; of civil rights battles come and gone. Me? I'm focused on the future. In just a few months, the U.S. Supreme Court could end this chapter of our history once and for all. Even with Alabama entering the marriage equality column, there are still 13 states that deny these couples their equal rights. That's why this spring, the Supreme Court will hear a case that will determine whether the U.S. Constitution can tolerate that kind of discrimination. Federal judge: Alabama judges must issue gay marriage licenses . We've all got to raise our voices in support of couples like Tori and Shanté. But, after Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, and Shelby v. Holder, the case gutting the 1965 Voting Rights Act in 2013, sometimes it seems like the voices of the American people don't get heard by those nine Justices. That's why I'm so inspired and excited about

Summary: Some judges in Alabama are opposing same-sex marriages . Donna Brazile: The U.S. Supreme Court should make a clear ruling in favor of gay marriage .


(CNN)Dolce & Gabbana went familial for fall at its fashion show in Milan on Sunday, dedicating its collection to "mamma" with nary a pair of "mom jeans" in sight. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who are behind the Italian brand, sent models down the runway in decidedly feminine dresses and skirts adorned with roses, lace and even embroidered doodles by the designers' own nieces and nephews. Many of the looks featured saccharine needlework phrases like "I love you, mamma" and "Per la mamma più bella del mondo" (for the most beautiful mother in the world) as a tableau vivant of moms and daughters stood and posed as a backdrop for the runway. Even the usually stoic-faced front row couldn't help but applaud and smile as a few models carried their own high-fashion progeny down the runway.

Summary: Dolce & Gabbana dedicated their fall fashion show to moms . Some of the models carried their own babies down the runway .


(CNN)ISIS militants in northern Syria released 19 Assyrian Christian hostages Sunday, an activist group said. According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, all but one of the hostages were among the at least 220 Assyrians captured on February 23 during an attack on villages in the northern Syrian province of al-Hasakah. The Syrian Observatory had said previously that a self-proclaimed ISIS court ordered the release of 29 Assyrian Christian hostages, citing an Assyrian commander. The reasoning behind the release was not immediately clear. It was also not clear why only 19 people were let go Sunday. The "court" told the commander that the fate of the other kidnapped Assyrians has yet to be decided by ISIS Sharia jurists. When the decision was announced that at least some of the hostages would be released, Graeme Wood, with The Atlantic, said he was pleased to hear about it, but not entirely surprised. "ISIS has claimed for a long time to follow rules, and it claims that these Sharia courts will impose limits," he told CNN. "They can attempt to get credibility by showing that they follow rules and that they have some kind of transparent process that follows their particular implementation of Sharia law." Also this weekend, the Syrian Observatory reported that ISIS has killed 1,969 people, since the declaration of its "caliphate" last June. Nearly two-thirds of them -- 1,238 people -- were civilians. Six were children and eight were women, the group said. Of the rest, 95 were fighters from the al Qaeda-affiliated rebel group al-Nusra Front, the Syrian Observatory said, and 511 were officers and soldiers of regime forces. ISIS also executed 125 of its own members for "exceeding the limits in religion," the Syrian Observatory said. "We in SOHR believe that the real number of people that had been killed by (ISIS) is higher than the number documented by SOHR because there are hundreds of missing and detainees inside the (ISIS) jails, loss of communication with about 1,000 men of al-Shaitaat tribe, (and) dozens of Kurds who have still been missing" since ISIS attacked the Syrian town of Kobani in September. Samira Said reported from Abu Dhabi. Dana Ford reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Melissa Gray also contributed to this report.

Summary: It's unclear what will become of the other kidnapped Assyrians . Syrian Observatory: ISIS has executed nearly 2,000 people since June .


(CNN)Could it get any cuter than seal pup kisses? The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Department of Interior this week shared a photo of a Weddell seal nuzzling up to what looked to be its mom in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. The expression of the mother is priceless. The photo was taken in October by USGS scientist William Link. Link, a statistician, was helping researchers tag newborn seal pups. He confirmed Friday that the adult seal was the baby's mom. It's hard to know what she was thinking when her baby nuzzled up to her in this photo, but Link said the animals flare their noses when disturbed, "so this Mom was pretty relaxed," Link told CNN Friday. "I have a great shot a few seconds later where Mom yawned hugely. She looked utterly content, to me." The agency's public affairs department had asked scientists for interesting images to post on social media. As the Instagram caption notes, the Weddell seals of Erebus Bay have been studied extensively for over 40 years. "Because of its isolation, this population is undisturbed by human activities. The Weddell seal population is healthy and stable, and thus gives a good example for studies of animal population dynamics." Link said it was a privilege to see the animals up close. "I was awed," he said. "It's incredible that animals can live and thrive in such harsh conditions. It's hard to describe the remoteness and isolation of the spot -- bitter cold, high winds, no life to be seen except for the seals, an occasional skua or an emperor penguin." After a seal pup is born, Link said its mom spends all her time close to her baby in a very small area, with hardly any interaction with other seals. "Mom doesn't even leave for a swim until the baby is nearly ready to be weaned, and even then doesn't get to eat. So while baby puts on a couple of hundred pounds, Mamma loses about twice that much," he said. For more information on the seals, visit WeddellSealScience.com.

Summary: The USGS has been studying Weddell seals in Antarctica for more than 40 years . The agency had asked scientists for interesting images to post on social media .