(CNN)In some ways, America's president pilots our ship of state as a captain pilots a jumbo jet, and this analogy suggests one possible way to avoid a repeat of the Germanwings massacre: Give the plane's flight crew certain powers akin to those given to America's Cabinet in the rare and terrifying situation when the president and vice president are at swords' point. Some background. Both presidents and plane captains must be shielded from lunatics and terrorists. This is why airlines across the world hardened cockpit doors after 9/11 and why Americans of all stripes are outraged by stories that the Secret Service on several occasions has failed to maintain proper security at the White House. Both presidents and plane captains are human, and subject to all the frailties of humans, from temporary disabilities created by bathroom breaks (for pilots) and scheduled surgeries (for presidents) to sudden death. Transitions in both the Oval Office and the cockpit should be made as smooth as possible. Hence the need for a vice president at the ready, able to take over at a moment's notice. The obvious aviation analogy here is the second pilot in the cockpit. In case of sudden death, the vice president or co-pilot simply takes over immediately. In case of a temporary disability -- say, a scheduled surgery under general anesthesia -- the president can hand over control to the vice president and then take back control when the disability ends. It is exactly what happened when President George W. Bush underwent planned colonoscopies in 2002 and 2007. On both occasions, Bush handed the tiller to his trusted co-pilot, Dick Cheney, and then resumed control when ready, under rules clearly laid out by the Constitution's 25th Amendment -- an amendment drafted and ratified after the shocking assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But what happens if a president is unable to predict his own future disability, or unable to recognize a genuine disability when it arises? The 25th Amendment allows the vice president to take over control in this situation, but to do so, the vice president needs the support of a majority of Cabinet officers -- officials previously appointed by the president himself and thus unlikely to support any inappropriate vice presidential power grab. On a jumbo jet, a co-pilot may likewise take over in certain situations. But current airplane architecture fails to use the crew in the optimal way. When one officer has barricaded himself in the cockpit and the other officer is banging on the door demanding entry, current airplane design enables the man in the cockpit unilaterally to block the demand for entrance with the flick of a switch. Think of this as an absolute veto. (Some airlines get around the problem with a rule that a flight attendant must replace a pilot so that there will always be at least two people in the cockpit.) But suppose instead that airlines were to borrow sensibly a page from America's Constitution. The man in the cockpit could temporarily block entrance, but this veto could be overridden if -- and

Summary: Akhil Amar: When a leader is irrational or incapacitated, we need an override mechanism . Amar: Airlines could learn from system used in U.S. Constitution to replace disabled president .


(CNN)They thought they had found a paradise. They thought wrong. The resolution of the Alexandria story arc is the first of six things you should watch this week. 1. "The Walking Dead," 9 p.m. ET Sunday, AMC . "The Walking Dead's" season-long plotline involving a group that headed north from Atlanta all comes to a head in a 90-minute season finale on Sunday night. It's been a season in which Sonequa Martin-Green's character, Sasha, stood out: She's on the verge of insanity after the deaths of her brother and many friends. "We went to a very deep place," Martin-Green said. "It was hard, depressing, bad and thrilling all at the same time. A lot of the stuff was quite challenging for me. It was something I can definitely look back on and be proud of." With Rick having gone on a blood-soaked, gun-wielding rant in front of the leaders of the Alexandria community, his fate and that of his fellow survivors hangs in the balance. "There's gonna be all the twists and turns you would expect and twists and turns you did not expect," Martin-Green said of the episode. "The finale is probably the most jam-packed episode there's ever been. Things are packed into it like sardines. All of the life is squeezed in there. They lengthened it to 90 minutes because there's just so much. It's a supersized monstrosity." Her co-star Josh McDermitt added, "There's so much good stuff in this episode they didn't want to do the hourlong version. I can't wait for people to see it. And personally, I think it's going to go down as one of the best episodes the show has ever done." 2. "Call the Midwife," 9 p.m. ET Sunday, PBS . The fan favorite retro British series returns for a fourth season in the U.S. Though the ladies of ladies of Nonnatus House may not be quite as big as "Downton Abbey," fans of that series should enjoy this one. 3. "The Dovekeepers," 9 p.m. ET Tuesday and Wednesday, CBS . Roma Downey and Mark Burnett had a ratings smash two years ago with "The Bible" (and they have a sequel, "A.D.," coming next week on NBC). CBS has their follow-up in a two-part miniseries. It's based on a novel following the journey of four women in the year 70, one of whom is played by "NCIS" alumna Cote de Pablo. 4. "Weird Loners," 9:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, Fox . Stop me if you've heard this one: A group of single men and women has to live in close proximity in New York. Fox's latest sitcom, which hopes to build from the "New Girl" lead-in, stars two actors who have deserved their own shows: Zack Knighton ("Happy Endings") and Becki Newton ("How I Met Your Mother"). 5. "Olympus," 10 p.m. ET Thursday, Syfy . Syfy takes on Greek mythology in this new series with plenty of magic, creatures and interesting costumes. 6. "Outlander," 9 p.m. ET April 4, Starz . The Scottish time-travel romance returns to finish off its first season, as Claire and

Summary: "The Walking Dead" has a 90-minute season finale on Sunday . Co-star Sonequa Martin-Green says it's the most jam-packed finale yet . The Fox comedy "Weird Loners" premieres .


(CNN)An online group claiming affiliation with Islamic State terrorists has threatened American military members and their families in the past, and over the weekend, a new threat surfaced on the Web. A group calling itself the Islamic State Hacking Division posted the names, photos and addresses of about 100 U.S. troops online, calling for attacks against them. The file, posted online Saturday before being removed, claimed to have hacked military databases and said it was leaking 100 names "so that our brothers residing in America can deal with you." The possibility of lone-wolf attacks in the United States, the type that this message calls for, is a threat officials take seriously. A U.S. law enforcement official said that all 100 or so troops named in the file are being contacted. It is believed that ISIS members and sympathizers have been scouring social media sites trying to glean as much information as possible about service members, and have even threatened the spouses of military personnel online. One military wife recalls recently staying up all night and deleting every Facebook picture of her children, every post that mentioned them or where they went to school. She Googled herself, trying to figure out how easy it would be to find where the family lived. In the morning, she went to her car and scraped the military decal off the front window. As the spouse of a Special Forces soldier, she's always tried to be conscious of how much she advertises that she and her three young children are a military family. "It's hard because I am so proud of what my husband does, but lately so many spouses that I know are actually scared that they could be targets of ISIS or someone who sympathizes with ISIS," she told CNN in January, asking that CNN keep her name out of the story for that reason. Pro-ISIS hackers have never been responsible for a major cyber breach but some experts worry their capabilities are growing. J.M. Berger, co-author of "ISIS: the State of Terror," told CNN, "There are indications some former members of Anonymous and TeaMp0isoN (another hacking group) are now hacking on behalf of ISIS." The large majority of those within such hacking collectives are thought to hold very different views. In the wake of the attack against the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris in January, hackers affiliated with Anonymous declared online war on ISIS and al Qaeda. Regarding this weekend's threat targeting troops, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service notified the Marines named in the file, a Marine Corps spokesman said. But the spokesman told CNN that the threat has yet to be verified. The Navy reminded service members to limit the amount of personal information they share online. On Sunday, a Defense Department official told CNN that it cannot confirm the validity of the posting of troops' information, but said it is investigating. The FBI is also looking into the post, a law enforcement official told CNN, adding there are questions about the credibility of the person or persons who posted it. In

Summary: Group called Islamic State Hacking Division threatened U.S. troops . It's not the first time online threats against military families have emerged on the Internet .


(CNN)"This is going to be a test for Serena Williams. We're going to find out what she's made of. How mentally tough she really is." Those were the words of tennis analyst Mary Joe Fernandez in 2001, early into Serena Williams' decider with Kim Clijsters in the final of one of tennis' most prestigious tournaments. The match was being televised on one of the biggest sports networks in the world, ESPN. The then 17-year-old Clijsters had just held to love amid vociferous cheers and -- in a breach of tennis etiquette -- a large portion of the fans on center court at the event now known as the BNP Paribas Open roared approvingly when Williams struck a double fault to begin the next game. Despite Williams growing up about 130 miles away in a suburb of Los Angeles, while Clijsters hailed from Belgium, there was clearly no home-court advantage. Williams' father, Richard, and older sister, Venus, were booed as they made their way to their seats prior to the finale, with Richard claiming in USA Today he was the victim of racial abuse. Venus Williams, meanwhile, said in a press conference at her next tournament she "heard whatever he heard." It was Richard Williams who shaped his daughters into grand slam winners from a humble background, bereft of the type of money used to help manufacture many a champion. "One guy said, 'I wish it was '75, we'd skin you alive,'" Richard Williams told USA Today. "I had trouble holding back tears. I think Indian Wells disgraced America." Charlie Pasarell, then the tournament director, said in the same story that he didn't discount Richard Williams was racially abused. CNN.com did not hear back from Pasarell when it put in an interview request for him and Clijsters declined an interview request. The fans' reaction apparently stemmed from the sisters' semifinal -- or lack of it. Venus Williams pulled out a mere minutes prior to the start, citing a knee injury. Whispers of Richard Williams pre-determining the outcome grew, no doubt aided by the comments of Elena Dementieva. After Venus Williams beat Dementieva in the quarterfinals, the Russian said the sisters' father would "decide" who won. Serena Williams, who was 19 back then, ultimately passed the 'test' that day against Clijsters, judging by the result: A three-set win. Serena Williams has certainly, too, shown her mental toughness over the years, adding 18 grand slam singles titles to the one she won prior to 2001. But what transpired tarnished the tournament, the sport and hurt one of tennis' all-time greats to such an extent that she stayed away from Indian Wells. Until now. Serena Williams plays her first match in Indian Wells in 14 years on Friday, saying she was "following her heart" in deciding to return. In the years that have passed since 2001, Williams went from teen to young adult to veteran, all the while collecting major titles elsewhere. "It has been difficult for me to forget spending hours crying in the Indian Wells locker room after winning in 2001, driving back to

Summary: Serena Williams makes her return to Indian Wells on Friday . She hasn't played at the tournament since 2001 . Her dad said he was racially abused at the tournament in 2001 . Venus Williams still has not returned to the California event .


(CNN)The FBI is asking detectives across the country to dust off their cold case murder files and see whether millionaire heir Robert Durst could be connected to any other unsolved crimes. Durst, the focus of HBO's true crime documentary series "The Jinx," was charged with first-degree murder last week in the 2000 killing of his longtime confidante, Susan Berman. Now the FBI is putting out a call to local authorities to examine cold cases in locations near where Durst lived over the past five decades, a U.S. law enforcement official said. Unsolved cases in Vermont, upstate New York, the San Francisco Bay area and Southern California are among those getting a new look, the official said. Durst's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, said it's a sign that authorities are desperate. "They seem to be going to such great lengths to pin something else on him," DeGuerin said. "They must not have much of a case to begin with." Durst, who authorities believe has a net worth of $100 million, has lived in numerous places and owned property in at least four states, according to court documents and public records. In "The Jinx," Durst describes the time he spent living in Vermont with his first wife, Kathleen, running a health food store in the 1970s. In 1982, Kathleen McCormack Durst went missing. Durst says he last saw her when he dropped her off at a train station in Katonah, New York, and she headed to their Manhattan apartment. Her family members say they believe she's dead and that Durst is the one to blame. The case has never been solved. He's also lived in Galveston, Texas, where he admitted to shooting a neighbor and dismembering the body in 2001. He was acquitted in a 2003 murder trial after arguing he'd acted in self-defense. Last week, police searched condos Durst owns in Houston as part of the investigation into Berman's death. She was shot dead in December 2000 in her Beverly Hills, California, home. Investigators know Durst was in California the week Berman died. It's a detail Durst shrugs off in the HBO documentary, in which he denied he had anything to do with Berman's death and said, "California's a big state." Authorities investigating a decades-old cold case in Vermont said Monday that there's a connection between Durst and the case of Lynne Schulze, a college student who disappeared from Middlebury College in 1971. "We are aware of the connection between the disappearance of Lynne Schulze and Robert Durst," Middlebury Police Capt. Tom Hanley said. "We have been aware of this connection for several years and have been working with various outside agencies as we follow this lead." Hanley elaborated Tuesday on the nature of the connection, saying Durst owned a health food store where Schulze shopped the day she disappeared. But there is no evidence the two had met, Hanley said. DeGuerin's attorney brushed off the accusation Monday. "You know, he may have been in Chicago when Jimmy Hoffa disappeared," he said. "He's an easy target." The name of the health food store, "All Good

Summary: Police say Robert Durst owned a store in Vermont at time college student disappeared . FBI asks local authorities to examine cold cases in areas where Robert Durst has lived . Millionaire heir's attorney says it's a sign investigators "must not have much of a case"


(CNN)Things got testy on "CNN Tonight" when conservative commentator Ben Ferguson charged that rappers like Trinidad James are profiting off the n-word. "I'll be honest with you," Ferguson told James on Monday night. "I think you know that we should probably get rid of the n-word, but in reality, I think many rappers are afraid they will lose out on money and sales and street cred if they don't stop using the word." The two were part of a panel discussion about who can say the n-word. The panel also included CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill. "I'm making money off of doing music and being creative, sir," James responded. "I'm not making money just because I use the n-word. Nobody goes to buy an album because it's full of the n-word." To which Ferguson responded: "Trinidad, you wouldn't be on this show tonight if it wasn't for using the n-word in your rap music. Let's be honest." Trinidad James is the rapper whose hit song, "All Gold Everything," is heard playing in the background as the house mother of the University of Oklahoma Sigma Alpha Epsilon house -- known as Mom B. -- was caught on a Vine video repeating the n-word seven times on camera. The woman, Beauton Gilbow, was bombarded with claims that she's just as racist as the fraternity members who were caught singing a racist song on a bus earlier this month. In a previous interview with CNN, James said he was willing to give the house mom a pass -- though he said he didn't condone her use of the word. But when Ferguson said Monday the rapper was only on the show for his use of the word, the third panelist -- Hill -- quickly jumped in. "He wouldn't be on the show if a white woman hadn't said the n-word on a tape," he said. "White people have been saying the [n-word] long before Trinidad was born." Watch the full exchange above.

Summary: Ferguson: "Rappers are afraid they will lose out on money" James: "I'm making money off ... being creative"


(CNN)The next time someone accuses you of acting like a Neanderthal, don't be offended. Just say "thank you." A new study published this month suggests Neanderthals were more "cognitively advanced than we give them credit," Kansas University's David Frayer said in a release. Frayer, a professor emeritus of anthropology, was a part of the study published in the journal PLOS ONE that looks at eagle talons found in present-day Croatia. The talons are among the thousands of human remains, animal bones and tools originally excavated between 1899 and 1905 in the area by Croatian scientist Dragutin Gorjanovic-Kramberger. Only recently, however, did Frayer identify the cut marks and notches on the 130,000-year-old bones as ones modified by humans. "I was stunned," Frayer said of the discovery. "It's so obvious that these are cut." The markings, including polishes and areas where the bones were "rubbed together," show that the talons were "manipulated into a piece of jewelry," Frayer said. Frayer co-wrote "Evidence for Neanderthal Jewelry: Modified White-tailed Eagle Claws at Krapina" with three other Croatian scientists. Their research indicates Neanderthals were more than just the cavemen-like characters depicted in Geico commercials, but sophisticated creatures concerned with ornamentation and possibly even an "advanced level of prowess" in catching birds, according to Frayer. "We can't prove it, but we suspect that they were catching these birds," he said. Even with modern technology, catching an eagle is an enormously difficult thing to do. Frayer believes Neanderthals must have had excellent "planning skills and ritual" they would've used in catching the bird. "Neanderthals are often thought of to be simple-minded mumbling, bumbling, stumbling fools," Frayer said. "But the more we know about them the more sophisticated they've become."

Summary: Researchers say marking on eagle talons prove Neanderthals made jewelry . Eagle bones used in study more than 130,000 years old . Scientist: "It really shows a level of technical sophistication"


(CNN)"Wait up 2015 CNN Fit Nation Team and Dr. Sanjay Gupta-- you want me to climb up Stone Mountain -- that is over 1,500 feet straight up. Are you nuts?" I screamed. Yes. This is actually what I signed up for when I uploaded my video to the CNN Fit Nation website in December. "But climbing mountains on Sunday morning -- you got to be kidding me," I exclaimed. But it was all part of the process I realized I was going to take on as I learn how to be a triathlete. After our first initial week with a trainer and nutritionist, the six of us were introduced to a whole new way of how to approach fitness and how to incorporate it into our lives. I knew it was going to be a difficult task, especially for someone like me heavily involved in civic affairs and community service. At Lifetime Fitness, our nutritionist walked us through a number of exercises on how we should look at food, nutrition and our calorie intake. After being on several diets over my lifetime, what he said was simple. To look and review your intake and replace it with other foods such as fruit and vegetables -- these small steps can be major impact on your training. Tackling nutrition and calorie intake can also be exactly how I viewed the climb up Stone Mountain. I put these nutritional issues on the backburner for years. It was pretty much like looking at the mountain that I was about to climb that morning -- where do I start, where do I begin? -- and telling myself that it was going to be an arduous task. My training schedule has also been an uphill battle. In January and the first weeks of February, I started strong with my gym, running and swim workouts. However, as life pressures got in the way, I saw myself withering off. But luckily I have been inspired by my 2015 CNN Fit Nation teammates to keep me on track. Their updates have been truly inspiring and have helped me think about the struggles I face in my training activities. As I get older, I realize that fitness and nutrition are key to long-term health; however, the support of friends and family is also important to help tackle your health. My team members of the CNN Fit Nation have been there for me. I recently weighed myself when I visited the doctor's office. It has been six weeks since I hit the scale. I actually lost 20 pounds. What! Really! Uphill battles are hard to see when you are in the middle of them. But you keep moving. Just like that Sunday afternoon in January, I could not wait to be on the mountaintop and see the view from Stone Mountain with the members of 2015 CNN Fit Nation. And guess what? After all this huffing and puffing over the last six weeks, I can't wait to see the view in September at the Malibu triathlon. It's just another uphill mountain to climb.

Summary: George "Chip" Greenidge Jr. says training schedule has been an uphill battle . Since joining Fit Nation team, Greenidge has lost 20 pounds .


(CNN)A video purportedly shows three British schoolgirls preparing to cross the Turkish border last month into Syria, where the teens are believed to have traveled to join ISIS, a Turkish TV network reported Friday. If authentic, the video would represent the first publicly released images showing the girls at the Turkey-Syria border. The video, released by Turkish TV network A Haber and distributed by Reuters, shows three warmly dressed females who resemble the missing teens standing with luggage outside a car and talking to at least one man who is helping them with the bags. The footage purportedly was recorded February 19 in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep, just north of Aleppo, Syria, A Haber reported. Two days before, East London classmates Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15, boarded a Turkish Airlines plane from London's Gatwick Airport to Istanbul without their families' knowledge, according to British police. "Put your bags. ... Hurry, don't stop here," a man says in the video. The girls in the video wear coats, two with fur-lined hoods covering their heads. A third wears a hijab. One appears to be looking at a cell phone. "He just hung up," one of them says. A man takes a bag from the trunk of a yellow vehicle. The vehicle's license plate has a number that indicates it is registered in the Gaziantep area. It wasn't immediately clear how A Haber obtained the video. CNN couldn't immediately verify the footage's authenticity. The video's release came a day after Turkey's foreign minister said his country arrested a "spy" who allegedly helped the British girls get into Syria. The alleged agent was working for a country that is part of an international anti-ISIS coalition, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday. Separately, a Turkish official speaking on condition of anonymity said that the suspect is not Turkish, and is not a citizen of the country for which he was working. This month, a Turkish broadcaster released images that it said showed the British girls boarding a bus in Istanbul after they arrived from London. They are thought to have crossed the Turkish border into Syria within days. A trip to Gaziantep would have been long: The border town is more than 525 miles to the southeast of Istanbul. Authorities have said they have no reason to believe the girls are still in Turkey and believe they have crossed into Syria, parts of which have been taken over by Islamist terror group ISIS. The girls' parents have publicly begged for them to come home. Days before they left for Turkey, at least one of the girls allegedly contacted a young woman, Aqsa Mahmood, who left her home in Scotland to travel to Syria in 2013 and is accused of trying to recruit others via social media. She has posted tips for girls and young women wanting to travel to Syria to marry jihadis, as she did. Her blog also has links to advice posted by another jihad supporter, which recommends that those traveling to Syria seek to pack the essentials

Summary: In video, someone helps three females with luggage in Gaziantep, Turkey, network reports . Turkish network: Video was shot February 19, two days after trio boarded plane to Istanbul .


(CNN)Ferguson's municipal judge has resigned and the city's court cases are getting moved after the U.S. Justice Department said the court discriminated against African-Americans. "To help restore public trust and confidence in the Ferguson municipal court division, the Supreme Court of Missouri today transferred Judge Roy L. Richter of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, to the St. Louis County Circuit Court, where he will be assigned to hear all of Ferguson's pending and future municipal division cases," the Supreme Court said in a statement Monday. "Extraordinary action is warranted in Ferguson, but the court also is examining reforms that are needed on a statewide basis," Chief Justice Mary R. Russell said in the statement. The announcement came the same day Municipal Court Judge Ronald Brockmeyer resigned as Ferguson's judge. "Mr. Brockmeyer recognizes that the Department of Justice report, as well as recent media reports, regardless of their accuracy or validity, have diminished the public's confidence in the Ferguson Municipal Court," his attorney Bert Fulk said in a statement. "Mr. Brockmeyer believes that it is paramount to begin immediately on promoting the public's confidence in the Ferguson Municipal Court. Promoting the public confidence in the Ferguson Municipal Court will help Ferguson begin its healing process." The Justice Department's report said Brockmeyer approved the creation of additional fees, "many of which are widely considered abusive and may be unlawful, including several that the City has repealed during the pendency of our investigation. These include a $50 fee charged each time a person has a pending municipal arrest warrant cleared." Just about every branch of Ferguson government -- police, Municipal Court, City Hall -- participated in "unlawful" targeting of African-American residents for tickets and fines, the Justice Department concluded. The millions of dollars in fines and fees paid by black residents served an ultimate goal of satisfying "revenue rather than public safety needs," the Justice Department found. Document: Justice report finds systematic discrimination by police in Ferguson . Its report detailed how Ferguson operated a vertically integrated system -- from street cop to court clerk to judge to city administration to city council -- to raise revenue for the city budget through increased ticketing and fining. The investigators also found evidence of racist jokes being sent around by Ferguson police and court officials. One November 2008 email said President Barack Obama wouldn't likely be President for long because "what black man holds a steady job for four years." Another email joked that African-American women should use abortion to control crime. "Our investigation has not revealed any indication that any officer or court clerk engaged in these communications was ever disciplined," the Justice Department's report said. 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. CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report.

Summary: Ronald Brockmeyer resigns as Ferguson's Municipal Court judge . The city's court cases are being transferred to another judge . 'Extraordinary action is warranted in Ferguson,' the state's chief justice says .


(CNN)Christopher Nowak says none of his friends were surprised when he and his wife decided to use a down payment for a home on a monorail car instead. After all, this was no ordinary monorail car, and Nowak is not your average collector. This was the front cab of an original monorail train that transported millions of visitors throughout Walt Disney World in the 1970s and 1980s. The original Mark IV monorail trains were retired in 1989 to make room for a new generation of models, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Nowak and his wife are Disney fanatics who honeymooned at Disney World and once visited all the Disney parks in the world (minus Paris) in a month. He's also a self-described artist, inventor and collector of "weird old vehicles," including an articulated bus he claims to have transformed into a mobile nightclub. The couple from Chico, California, purchased the cab in 2014, dreaming of the day they might use it to drive their kids to school or bring it to the annual Burning Man festival (Nowak declined to say what he paid for the rail car.) But plans change. Nowak listed the item last week on eBay for $260,000 with a starting bid of $169,000. More than 1,500 people were watching the auction as of Saturday night, though no one had bid. The listing itself was pulled from eBay on Sunday. Nowak, who owns a sound and lighting custom stage design company, had told CNN he and his wife needed the money to fund their next big project, but he declined to provide details. "My wife and I had plans for it, but we're kind of strapped for cash, so we figured, let's put it out and see what happens." The listing provided some insight into what Nowak might have had in mind for the cab. "Some people have train cars in their back yard, imagine your own monorail guest room, or man cave. Mount it on a bus chassis and drive it around!! Turn it into your kids' ultimate clubhouse," the description on the eBay page read. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a very serious piece of Disney history." The listing said the vehicle is available for viewing in Tampa, where Nowak left it with a friend after buying it from a seller in Georgia via eBay last year. CNN could not independently confirm its authenticity. Nowak says he did not receive a title or certificate of authenticity when he purchased the cab but he is confident that it's the real deal. "I guess there's chance it could be a reproduction, but I'm not too worried," he said. The listing promised free shipping, but Nowak is not sure that he's ready to part with the item. "I'm sure I'd have salty taste in my mouth if it gets sold, but we'll see what happens," he said. "If this thing gets sold, I know that in 20 years, I'll look back and think that of all the things I got rid of, this is the coolest."

Summary: The listing has been removed from eBay . The front cab of a Walt Disney World monorail train is on sale on eBay . The seller is a Disney fan who's not sure whether he's ready to part with it .


(CNN)A severe solar storm created a stunning display of light in the night sky over parts of the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand early Wednesday morning, spotted by those lucky enough to be awake in the wee hours. Called aurora borealis in the Northern Hemisphere and aurora australis in the Southern Hemisphere, the lights were the product of large geomagnetic blasts from the sun that arrived Tuesday about 10 a.m. ET (1 a.m. Wednesday in Sydney). Both the aurora borealis and the aurora australis were sparked by a particularly strong solar storm that sent charged particles toward the Earth, said CNN meteorologist Todd Borek. "When these particles bombard the Earth's magnetic field in the upper atmosphere, the collision often creates brilliant colors," Borek said. "Most of the time, auroras appear green -- when these particles collide with oxygen in the atmosphere -- but there were reports this past aurora australis also appeared to have a reddish tint, which suggested the collision with high-altitude oxygen was also seen on Earth." Share your photos of the aurora with iReport . The stronger the storm, the farther south it can be seen, said Borek. And this geomagnetic storm was rather powerful, reaching as a high as a G4 on a scale from 1 to 5 Tuesday night, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. The storm was expected to last 24 to 36 hours, and NOAA's latest reports say it's down to a G1. Though the storm could affect GPS technology and power grids, NOAA said Tuesday that it had no reports of disruptions. The most visible impact as been this stunning light display. If the auroras are seen again tonight, Borek said, they won't be as pronounced and most likely won't reach as far south as Tuesday night. People in northern Michigan, northern Minnesota and Maine may be able to spot them, although he warned that clouds from Minnesota to Montana may impede visibility Wednesday night.

Summary: A particularly strong solar storm created a stunning light display . Stronger storms can be seen farther south, CNN meteorologist says . Some in northern U.S. may see lights again tonight .


Boston (CNN)Eight minutes of sheer terror. That's what police officers from Watertown, Massachusetts, described in heart-stopping detail Monday, revealing details of a chaotic shootout with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects. One of the suspects, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died from injuries he sustained that day -- wounded in a gun battle, then run over by his brother, Dzhokhar. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev managed to escape, but was later caught by police. Now he's on trial, facing 30 charges for the marathon bombings, which killed three people and injured more than 260 others. The shootout with police in the early morning hours of April 19, 2013, marked one of the most dramatic chapters in the manhunt for the suspects who paralyzed the Boston metropolitan area for days. It started, patrolman Joseph Reynolds testified, soon after he locked eyes with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who he spotted driving an SUV that matched a description of a stolen vehicle. Reynolds called for backup. It wasn't long before Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were firing guns, throwing bombs and trying to run officers over with a stolen SUV, Reynolds said. "Tamerlan Tsarnaev got out of the driver's side door and began shooting at my cruiser," Reynolds said. Soon, the officer said he ran out of bullets. Sgt. Jeffrey Pugliese saw what looked like muzzle flashes as soon as he arrived at the scene. "I put my vehicle in park, I took a round through the windshield, I was sprayed with glass and I knew, OK, we were being fired on," said Sgt. John MacLellan. Then the two brothers began throwing improvised explosives, including pipe bombs and a pressure cooker bomb, the officers testified. "I noticed one was bigger than the other, and they had different styles when they were throwing the devices," MacLellan said. "One was throwing like a baseball." MacLellan said the pressure cooker bomb "was incredibly loud. I had to holster my weapon. My eyes were shaking violently in my head. I couldn't see." Pugliese said he opened fire when he saw one of the men, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, charging toward him. Pugliese fired and the man threw his pistol at the officer, hitting him in the bicep. Pugliese tackled him. And with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was wounded from gunfire, on the ground, the three officers tried to put him in handcuffs. They thought they'd be able to arrest him. But then something changed. "We were wrestling with Tamerlan, and all of a sudden I could hear an engine revving," Reynolds said . The SUV, Reynolds said, was heading straight toward the officers. The dramatic descriptions of the shootout Monday sounded like a scene from a Hollywood film, said Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen. But the most extraordinary revelation in court, he said, was that the night could have ended very differently. "Dzhokhar Tsarnaev did not have to go back and run his brother over. He actually did a three-point turn and reversed the vehicle. He could have sped off and run away," Cullen told CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper." He was in a much better position to flee. But apparently

Summary: 3 police officers described an intense gun battle with Boston Marathon bomb suspects . They said the 2 men shot at them, threw bombs and tried to run them over . Jurors see the boat where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hid before his arrest .


(CNN)Enjoy the latest pictures of the former Kate Middleton. They're the last you'll see for a while. The Duchess of Cambridge made her last official appearance Friday at a variety of spots across London, enjoying tours of a learning center and a church that hosts a youth charity. The former, the Stephen Lawrence Centre, is named for an aspiring architect who was stabbed to death at age 18 in 1993. His mother, Baroness Lawrence, escorted Catherine and her husband, Prince William, around the facility. Catherine, 33, is scheduled to give birth in mid- to late April, she said this month. It will be the second child for her and Prince William, 32. Their son, Prince George, was born in July 2013.

Summary: Duchess of Cambridge makes last official appearance, due to give birth next month . Kate and Prince William have a son, George .


(CNN)Madonna, saying something controversial? Perish the thought. The object of her scorn fighting back? Of course. The mayor of Rochester, Michigan, has written an open letter to the venerable pop star, taking her to task for saying she never wanted to go back the town where she went to high school. "I can't be around basic, provincial-thinking people," she told Howard Stern last week on his SiriusXM satellite radio program. You could almost hear the steam coming out of Mayor Bryan Barnett's ears. "It's like someone calling one of your kids ugly," the Detroit Free Press quoted Barnett as saying. "You're not going to let that go by without a response." In his letter, published Monday in the Free Press, Barnett said the city's recent achievements are anything but provincial. "Our school district is one of the top performing in the state and boasts two Blue Ribbon Schools, the most in Michigan. Our Universities are among the fastest growing in the Midwest and are rich with cultural and ethnic diversity," he wrote. Buying Madonna's house: A tale of fame and misfortune . "We design and build more robots than any other city in North America, and Rochester Hills residents and businesses have been granted over 900 patents, nearly one a day, over the last three years. Not a typical achievement you would associate with 'simple or basic' people," he wrote. He also noted the city was also named one of the 10 best places to live by Money magazine. "We are many things, Madonna, but basic and provincial minded we are not!" Barnett wrote. "I invite you back to Rochester Hills to see who we are and what we believe in. While we certainly don't need your stamp of approval, I am quite confident we would earn it." Not surprisingly, some Rochester Hills citizens weren't thrilled with Madonna's comments. "Makes me proud to live in Rochester Hills after reading this letter to Madonna by @MayorBarnett," Twitter user LoganBrown97 wrote. And although Madonna hasn't responded to the fracas, she of course found some defenders on social media. "Why is everyone mad Madonna said Rochester was basic?" Twitter user itsleah wrote. "It IS basic. I thought that was the appeal? Small towns AREN'T for everyone, dummies." Of course, Madonna is no stranger to controversy, and she's angered organizations a lot bigger and more powerful than Rochester City Hall. Remember the 1980s, when her "Like a Prayer" video angered the Catholic church? Or the 1990s, when it seemed a camera couldn't turn her direction without capturing simulated masturbation? Then there was last year, when she had to backtrack after posting an Instagram photo of her son boxing, captioned with a take on the N-word. And in January, some took offense after she posted photos of civil rights icons altered to appear like the cover of her new album. Heck, this isn't even the the first time the singer has dissed a place where she grew up. In a 1987 interview with Jane Pauley, she called Bay City, Michigan, where she was born, a "little smelly

Summary: Madonna angers the Rochester Hills, Michigan, mayor by criticizing the town . "I can't be around basic, provincial-thinking people," the singer said .


(CNN)On any other Wednesday morning, the steps in front of the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium would be packed with kids on their way to class, discussing homework, chattering about last night's TV shows, or laying out plans for the coming weekend. But not today. Instead, students approached in silence, carrying photographs and flowers. In small groups, the teenagers lined up to lay tributes to their lost classmates before hugging each other wordlessly, or dissolving into tears. At 10:53 a.m. Tuesday morning, this school in the small western German town of Haltern was changed forever by events more than 1,000 km (about 620 miles) away. A Germanwings plane carrying 16 of its pupils and their two teachers home from a school exchange trip to Spain crashed in the French Alps, killing all of those on board. Headmaster Ulrich Wessel said when the first reports of a crash came through he was still hopeful, thinking "perhaps they had missed the plane, or perhaps there was a second Germanwings flight at the same time." Instead, the worst was confirmed, leaving him "stunned and somewhat speechless," the community devastated and the classmates of the dead struggling to understand their loss. "A week ago Tuesday we sent 16 happy young people and two young colleagues off on a trip," Wessel told reporters. "What was intended as a school exchange ended in tragedy." Of the 16 teenagers killed, 14 were girls, and two boys; one of the two female teachers who died was a newlywed. In a post on the school's website, Wessel and other school representatives announced the names of the dead, "who will never again return to us," leaving all those concerned "unutterably sad." The teenagers who died were: Linda Bergjurgen, Elena Bless, Lea Druppel, Selina Eils, Gina Michelle Gerdes, Ann-Christin Hahn, Julia Hermann, Marleen Koch, Paula Lutkenhaus, Fabio Rogge, Rabea Scheideler, Lea Schukart, Helena Siebe, Steffen Strang, Aline Venhoff and Caja Westermann. The two teachers were identified as Sonja Cercek and Stefanie Tegethoff. As news of the crash spread, the area at the entrance to the school became a makeshift memorial, filled with red and white candles, notes and swiftly-painted signs. "Yesterday we were many, today we are alone," reads one. "Why?" demands another, with painful simplicity. Philippa, a friend of many of those who died, told CNN she was shocked by what had happened: "I knew all of them, they were in my grade. To some I was very close. "We had already planned things for the future, what we were going to do when they returned from their trip. It is very hard to believed that we cannot do that." Grief counselors, chaplains and psychologists have been brought in to the school to help all of those involved come to terms with the disaster. "I've told the students and teachers that we have to accept the sorrow and grieve," said Wessel. "I hope we will all get through it, if we share it." As the world's media descend on the town, messages of support have come flooding in too. The local newspaper is running an online

Summary: German town of Haltern in mourning after loss of 16 students and two teachers in plane crash . Group was returning from school exchange trip to Spain when aircraft went down in French Alps . Headteacher says school is in mourning, classmates struggling to understand what happened .


(CNN)Amy's Kitchen Inc. says it's recalling nearly 74,000 cases of its products that could contain listeria. In a statement released through the Food and Drug Administration on Sunday, Amy's Kitchen said that it was voluntarily recalling the products after learning from one of its suppliers that it may have received organic spinach that was possibly contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. The California-based organic and natural food company said it wasn't aware of any reports of illness connected with its products, but was recalling them "out of an abundance of caution." The recalled products, which are listed on the FDA's website and were distributed throughout the United States and Canada, include multiple types of vegetable lasagna, tofu scrambles, spinach pizza, enchiladas, brown rice and vegetable bowls and stuffed pasta shells. Listeriosis, a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with listeria, primarily affects the elderly, pregnant women, newborns and people with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the United States, an estimated 1,600 people become seriously ill each year; approximately 16% of these illnesses result in death. Cervical infections caused by listeriosis in pregnant women may result in spontaneous abortion during the second or third trimesters or stillbirth. CNN's Jacque Wilson contributed to this report.

Summary: Amy's Kitchen says a supplier reported that organic spinach could contain listeria . The food company says it is voluntarily recalling nearly 74,000 cases of products . The recall, the company says, is "out of an abundance of caution"


Jerusalem (CNN)Benjamin Netanyahu appears poised to keep his job as Israel's Prime Minister, declaring victory Wednesday following a bitter campaign punctuated by his last-minute appeals to right-wing voters. For weeks, Netanyahu's Likud party trailed in opinion polls to the Zionist Union alliance that characterized him as a divisive leader not up to the task of making the lives of ordinary Israelis better. Those polls turned out to be wrong. Instead, the Likud party grabbed at least 29 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, according to unofficial numbers from the Israeli election committee, based on 99% of the vote. Its leaders will have the first chance at forming a coalition government. The Zionist Union came in second, with at least 24 seats. "Against all odds, against all odds, we achieved this huge victory for Likud," Netanyahu told jubilant supporters not long after the polls closed Tuesday. "We achieved the huge victory for our people. And I am proud, I am proud for the people of Israel that in the moment of truth, knew to make the right decision and to choose the real material things over immaterial things." Rather than courting voters in the middle, Netanyahu pivoted more to the right with appeals concerning Israel's security. Two weeks ago, he made a controversial speech to the U.S. Congress warning of any deal with Iran on its nuclear program. Then, a few days ago, he declared there would be no Palestinian state so long as he's Prime Minister -- reversing an earlier position and putting him at odds again with the Obama administration's support for a two-state solution. On Tuesday, he released a video on Facebook claiming leftists were bringing "huge amounts" of Arabs by bus to vote against Likud. Arabs make up about 20% of Israel's population. "The right regime is in danger," Netanyahu said. "We have an urgent wake-up call. Bring your friends, bring your family, vote for Likud." Those appeals appear "to have energized that right-wing base," according to CNN's Elise Labott. Netanyahu still has to form a new government, a process that President Reuven Rivlin said he hopes will start Sunday. If the Likud leader does so -- as expected -- it will leave Israel not much different than it was before the election, with a conservative Netanyahu still the dominant force facing a dug-in opposition. 5 questions about Netanyahu's apparent victory . Isaac Herzog, who led the Zionist Union, called Netanyahu to concede defeat. But he and fellow opposition leader Tzipi Livni won't go away, with Herzog insisting that "nothing has changed." "This is not the time for coalitions and governments," Herzog said, apparently ruling out joining forces with Netanyahu as the Labor Party has done before. "I think what Israel is most in need of is an alternative voice that continues to say the truth. "And I'm telling everyone, 'Believe, a change will come.' " Official results will not be released until next week, with the process of building coalitions expected to take much longer. No party has ever won a majority of seats in

Summary: Expert: Israeli politician Moshe Kahlon may be "kingmaker" in coalition government . With 99% of votes counted, Netanyahu's Likud party has at least 29 of the 120 Knesset seats . Palestinian official: Results show campaign based on racism can succeed .


(CNN)Have Rick and his fellow survivors finally found a place they can settle in for the long term? That was the question left still unanswered at the end of Sunday night's season finale of "The Walking Dead," and a finale record 15.8 million viewers tuned in to find out the answer. Rick was back in "Ricktatorship" mode, telling the residents of Alexandria that he knew what it took to survive and they should follow him. That led up to one of many moments where we gasped during the 90-minute finale. Here are five of the biggest gaspworthy moments: . 1. Morgan is back . We've literally been looking for him all season, and Rick's old friend Morgan -- going all the way back to the first episode -- made a return appearance, wielding a stick he used to kick walker, and human, butt when necessary. And it was definitely necessary once he was captured by two men wearing W's on their heads, who, we would later learn, wanted to turn Morgan into a walker in order to join a horde of walkers they controlled. 2. Daryl looks done for . It was Daryl who happened upon that horde, and he and Aaron were soon surrounded and forced into a car, with little chance of escape -- that is, until Morgan rescued them. We rarely believe what we hear when there are rumors that Daryl might die, but that was a close one. 3. Carol and her casserole . Melissa McBride continues to steal scenes left and right lately, and her threatening of Pete while lending him a casserole may be one of the best scenes in the series' history so far. 4. Glenn gets shot . We seriously thought Glenn was a goner after a vengeful Nicholas shot him, then left him for a large group of walkers to attack. Somehow, Glenn survived and attacked Nicholas, but stopped short of killing him. That's our Glenn, always doing the right thing when it comes down to it. 5. Rick's memorable walker encounter . Just when you thought you'd seen everything, Rick literally squeezed a walker's neck then discharged a round causing the walker to spray out blood -- a walker he presented to the residents of Alexandria, in a bid to lead them toward survival. Rick was then rudely interrupted by Pete, who slashed Reg's throat in a fit of anger. At that point, Deanna told Rick to off Pete, which he did. Phew! It was one of the most intense episodes of the already hyperintense series, and our group of survivors somehow made it through. Fans on Twitter were into it. "That was the most intense hour and a half of my entire life," one tweeted.

Summary: "The Walking Dead" ended its fifth season with many shocking moments . SPOILER: Rick and crew made it through the finale alive .


(Rolling Stone)Kanye West fans are used to seeing thousand-dollar price tags attached to the rapper's Air Yeezy sneakers when they're put up for sale on eBay, but the auction site is now being overrun by sellers offering up plastic bags full of air allegedly captured at West's concerts. The gag started Friday when one ambitious seller attempted to sell a Zipperseal bag with "Air From Kanye Show," with 90 bidders driving the price tag to over $60,000, the Telegraph reports. While that auction was ultimately pulled from the auction site, eBay has since been flooded with similar auctions promising air bagged from a Yeezus show, even though the copycats lacked certificates of authenticity proving the air -- likely carbon dioxide -- was grabbed at a West concert. eBay has apparently stopped trying to swat down the new "bagged air" auctions, so buyer beware at this point. Rolling Stone: Kanye reveals new album title . The bagged air gag has inspired a rash of similar items like "Ziplock bag of air from Garth Brooks concert" and "Kanye West Concert Air-Infused Bay Leaves," with the latter tagged with a $4,999 opening bid. Another seller is pushing a bag of "Flatulence from Kanye" for the Buy It Now price of $5. Rolling Stone: Watch Kanye's speech on racism at BET honors . In other Kanye eBay news, following the soft launch of his Yeezy 750 Boost, his first footwear collaboration with Adidas, pairs of those sneakers are now littered throughout the site with prices ranging from $1,700 to $5,000. Those asking prices come in direct conflict of what West hopes to achieve with his new sneakers, as he recently told Style.com that he hoped his Yeezy Boosts would be "super-inexpensive" so that everyone could afford them. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone.

Summary: A wag decided to sell "air from Kanye West concert" on eBay . Bidding got to more than $60,000 before plug was pulled . Others are now doing similar auctions .


Ferguson, Missouri (CNN)Ferguson's police chief and other city officials are already out. Now some residents have told the Missouri city they'll try to oust the mayor, too. Five residents Friday filed an affidavit saying they'll try to force a referendum on whether to remove Mayor James Knowles -- capping a tumultuous week in a community grappling not only with last year's fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown, but also Wednesday's wounding of two police officers shot during a protest. A group supporting the filing, Organization for Black Struggle, a 35-year-old St. Louis-based activist group, said the five would try to collect enough signatures -- 15% of the city's registered voters -- in the next 60 days. The five "initiated recall (attempt) due to Mayor Knowles' failure to adequately rein in an out-of-control police department during the protests following Mike Brown's death," the activist group said. The city government acknowledged Saturday that it received the affidavit. Earlier this week, the police chief and the city manager resigned in the wake of a U.S. Justice Department report alleging institutionalized racism at just about every level of Ferguson's municipal government, including the police department. Residents elect City Council members, who in turn appoint the city manager. The city manager directs and supervises all city departments, including police. The top municipal court clerk was fired earlier in connection with racist emails. This month's Justice Department report was initiated after one of Ferguson's police officers, Darren Wilson, shot and killed African-American teen Michael Brown in August, a shooting that spurred months of protests. Wilson, a white officer who said he shot Brown in self-defense, will not be charged in the case -- a grand jury declared it wouldn't indict him in November, and the Justice Department said this month that it would not bring federal civil rights charges in the case. Wilson resigned from the department in November, citing security concerns. Knowles indicated Friday he won't be stepping down. "I think it's important to recognize that there's a lot of people who may be angry at the situation; there's a lot of people who are frustrated in this community with the way things have gone down," the mayor, who is white, told CNN. "But there's a lot of people who still -- and who have expressed this to me -- express confidence in both my willingness, and members of the (City) Council's willingness, to listen, to be responsive, and to make changes as necessary," he continued. "People in the community recognize this, now, not everybody. I didn't win every time with 100% of the vote. But I can tell you there are ways to remove me if that is the will of the people," the mayor said. Blake Ashby, a white resident of Ferguson, said Friday that he believed Knowles has "consciously tried to reach out to all parts" of the city of 21,000 people. "If we lose Mayor Knowles, we lose a force for change, and it will be harder to make the changes that the DOJ (Department of Justice) is asking for," Ashby said. Rasheen

Summary: Group says mayor failed to rein in police during protests after Michael Brown's 2014 death . Mayor won't step down, saying "there are ways to remove me"


London (CNN)The discovery of the remains of Richard III beneath a car parking lot in the English city of Leicester in 2012 sparked excitement around the world. Now those bones are to be reburied following a series of commemorations full of the pomp and circumstance befitting of a royal farewell. In the years since it was exhumed, the King's skeleton has given up plenty of secrets -- and research continues to find out more. Say the name Richard III to most people, and the image that will spring to mind is of Shakespeare's villain, a cruel, conniving figure whose nasty character is reflected in his physical abnormalities, a "poisonous bunch-backed toad." History, they say, is written by the victors, and according to the Tudors and their most famous playwright, Richard was hunchbacked, with a withered hand and limping gait, "deformed, unfinished ... and that so lamely and unfashionable that dogs bark at me as I halt by them." For the archaeologists searching for Richard's remains, the sight of the freshly-uncovered skeleton's twisted spine was the moment the hairs began to stand up on the back of their necks; tests later revealed the King suffered from idiopathic adolescent-onset scoliosis. But while the skeleton's curved vertebrae are striking, experts say the resulting disability would not have been obvious in Richard III when he was alive. It would have meant his right shoulder was slightly higher than the other, but this was likely disguised by clothing, and so only apparent to the King's closest family and confidantes. READ MORE: Richard III's spine twisted, not hunched . The most famous portraits of Richard III depict him as dark-haired and steely eyed, but they were painted some 25 to 30 years after his death, and DNA tests on the remains suggest they are far from accurate. Genetic specialist Turi King, from the University of Leicester, said analysis of various genetic markers offered clues to the King's appearance, suggesting he was actually fair haired and had blue eyes. "[There are] genes that we know are involved in coding for hair and eye color," she told CNN in December 2014. "The genetic evidence shows he had a 96% probability of having blue eyes, and a 77% probability of having blond hair, though this can darken with age." This would mean that the painting of Richard III held by the Society of Antiquaries of London is the closest approximation we have to his real appearance: It shows him with grey-blue eyes and lighter brown hair than other portraits. READ MORE: DNA clue to Richard III's appearanceREAD MORE: Is this the face of Richard III? It is perhaps not surprising that a monarch would have a taste for the finer things in life, but heron -- really? Well yes -- in the medieval period wildfowl such as heron, egret and even swan would have featured heavily on the high-protein menus of the aristocracy. Scientists at the British Geological Survey measured the levels of isotopes including oxygen, strontium, nitrogen and carbon in Richard III's remains, revealing clues to what he ate and

Summary: Skeleton of Richard III found under English parking lot in August 2012 . Remains have been examined and researched, yielding some surprising discoveries . The king -- the last English monarch to die in battle -- will be reburied in Leicester .


(CNN)Some of the 100 fraternity brothers of the now-disbanded Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at the University of Oklahoma have received death threats after the release of a video in which a racist chant was heard, a lawyer for the chapter's board said Friday. Attorney Stephen Jones said other members of the former chapter of the fraternity have been physically assaulted, though he wouldn't go into specifics. Jones told a news conference that he had been retained by the board of trustees -- the alumni advisers for the chapter -- "to assist them in evaluating certain legal issues and other matters that may impact local chapter of SAE." There are no plans right now to sue the university, which shut down the chapter's house and disbanded the SAE chapter, he said. The national chapter of SAE also revoked the OU chapter's charter. The school also expelled two members of the fraternity, but Jones said he is not representing them. Jones said the actions on a nine-second video that showed some members yelling a racist chant that included a reference to lynching were inexcusable. There was "no justification for what occurred. Zero," he said. Jones said he is involved to protect the due process and First Amendment rights of members. The fraternity's national office said it is investigating the incident in the video to see if it needs to take action against any of the students. "We are committed to following the due diligence and protocols that we have set forth in our fraternity laws," the national SAE office said after the news conference, "as they are designed to enable us to make deliberate, thoughtful decisions that reflect our commitment to our standards and to our members." The office also has said it was looking into incidents involving other chapters. "Several other incidents with chapters or members have been brought to the attention of the headquarters ... and each of those instances will be investigated," the national office said in a statement. It said some of the incidents date back more than 20 years. Another chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity is under fire over alleged racial slurs -- this time in Seattle. University of Washington students are accusing fraternity members of offensive comments during a protest to raise awareness about racism last month. "People were called monkeys and apes by members of SAE," said Maggie Negussie, president of the university's Black Student Union. SAE's university chapter denied the allegations, saying an investigation determined the culprits were not members of the fraternity. An investigation into the "grossly insensitive comments" is underway, said Denzil J. Suite, the university's vice president for student life. The university is gathering information to determine who was behind the remarks, but a preliminary report by some students accused the SAE fraternity, according to Suite. "If and when we can determine what occurred, we will take appropriate steps," he said. About 1,000 people were marching across the street from the fraternity house when the incident occurred, Negussie said. She said the marchers opted to ignore the offensive words. "At that

Summary: National chapter of SAE says it is giving due process to members at University of Oklahoma . Some members of the fraternity at the University of Oklahoma have received death threats, their lawyer says . University of Washington's SAE chapter president says its members were not involved in an incident on that campus .


(CNN)It's been more than 13 years since 2,753 people were reported missing in lower Manhattan after the attacks on the World Trade Center. Although death certificates have been issued for all 2,753, the work to identify each victim continues. In fact, it's far from over: Some 40% of the victims have not yet been identified, according to the city's Office of Chief Medical Examiner. The most recent identified victim is Matthew Yarnell, a 26-year-old New Jersey native who worked for Fiduciary Trust on the 97th floor of the South Tower. Yarnell's mother said Friday that the news "was a bit of a shock," but that it means that she can "finally put everything to rest." "It kind of opened up all of the old wounds and old pains initially," Michele Yarnell told CNN's Brooke Baldwin. "I guess it kind of put to rest any -- I wouldn't say doubt -- (because) we weren't doubtful about the outcome, but it kind of gave us closure." According to the medical examiner, Yarnell's DNA samples were recovered during the original recovery effort from 2001 to 2002. Until this week, they resided with other remains that have not been identified. A recent retesting, however, yielded a new result. "Every time there's a new development in a DNA processing or technique, they go back and they recheck every single remain that they have in the repository at the museum," she told Baldwin. "And this time (Matthew's) matched." The identification of Yarnell puts the total number of identifications from the World Trade Center at 1,640, meaning there are still 1,113 more to go. Daunting, but not insurmountable. "The ME's office is not going to give up," Michelle Yarnell said. "I hope for everyone that lost a loved one there, that they'll have that closure someday, and, hopefully, sooner rather than later."

Summary: DNA identifies remains of 9/11 victim more than 13 years later . Matthew Yarnell, 26, is the 1,640 victim ID'd from the World Trade Center . 2,753 died in the attack on the buildings .


(CNN)If the 20th century was the century of the skyscraper, then the 21st century is shaping up as the century of the "plyscaper." Despite its historical reputation for great city fires -- London in 1666, the Great Chicago fire of 1871 and San Francisco in 1906 -- wood is making a comeback as a construction material. Next year in Vienna, construction will begin on a 275-foot building made almost entirely of wood, while Stockholm may build a 34-story wooden apartment by 2023. Others are in the pipeline from Canada to Australia to Europe. With faster construction times and a softer environmental impact, could the building material of the past be the future of construction? Vancouver-based architect Michael Green says the momentum is gaining as new engineered woods allow for greater strength and heights in buildings. His firm MGA recently completed a 29.5m (97 feet) wooden building, the Wood Innovation and Design Center in Prince George, Northern British Columbia. But he said news of taller wooden structures is sprouting up all the time. "There seems to be a new announcement every two or three weeks," Green said. "We've got one in Vancouver for 18 stories and in Vienna there's one for more than 20 stories. "We've done research in high earthquake zones that show 30 stories is feasible; we certainly think we can go to 40 and higher." He said new developments in engineered woods -- small wood components that are glued together to make large panels for building -- are a game-changer for construction. Mass timber panels, in particular, cross-laminated timber (known in the industry simply as CLT) are becoming established as a quicker, greener and eventually cheaper alternative to concrete and steel. One great bonus of the material is the speed of construction; panels can be made to measure in the factory complete with openings, windows and doors. While the main advantages of working in wood are manifold -- it's flexible, robust and easily worked -- Green says wood may be the only material to address the growing problems of urbanization. "Wood has not been an urban material so we looked at how it could be a contributor to urban environments," he said. "There are a whole host of advantages. "Steel and concrete have huge carbon footprints. Concrete accounts for about 6-8% of man's greenhouse gas emissions, whereas wood stores carbon dioxide and gives us a vehicle to create carbon-neutral buildings." The energy used to harvest wood, he said, is much less than the enormous amount required to produce concrete and steel. "There is no other building material that is grown by the Sun," he said. "We've calculated that the North American forests grow enough wood for a 20-story wood building every 8-10 minutes." Ultimately, building in wood, Green argues, creates an economic incentive to plant more forests. "The climate story is really happening at both ends of the argument -- by using more wood we encourage countries around the world to plant more trees. "About 20% of man's carbon footprint comes from deforestation, this creates an important incentive for reforestation,"

Summary: Wood is making a comeback as a construction material . New engineered woods allow for greater strength and heights in buildings .


(CNN)For over two decades, bassist Mike Porcaro was a rock star with the band Toto, playing venues around the world. Now, the music world is mourning the death of Porcaro, who died after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. He was 59. "Our brother Mike passed away peacefully in his sleep at 12:04 AM last night at home surrounded by his family," Porcaro's brother Steve, the band's keyboardist, posted on Facebook on Sunday. "Rest in peace, my brother," About 10 years ago, Porcaro started noticing weakness in his fingers and hands. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2006. Former members of his band -- known for hits such as "Africa" and "Rosanna" -- rallied to help. They reunited for a brief European tour in 2010 in support of Porcaro. Toto vocalist and guitarist Steve Lukather also called Porcaro a brother. "My brother Mike Porcaro is now now at peace," he tweeted. "I will miss him more than I could ever put into words. My deepest love to the family. God Bless" ALS is a fast-moving, usually fatal disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It affects more than 30,000 people at any given time.

Summary: Mike Porcaro was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, ALS, in 2006 . Members of Toto rallied to help him . ALS affects nerve cells of brain and spinal cord .


(CNN)Israel has again voted for a national leader who acts as if he considers one-fifth of its country's citizens -- including me and my family -- to be an existential threat. We were born into the wrong tribe, so to speak. Campaign season shed light on the troubling reality in Israel -- that tribalism trumps democracy and ethnicity trumps citizenship. When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Arabs were "being bused to the polling station in droves," people around the world were justifiably horrified. And Monday, in response to the outrage, he apologized for his statement, offering that he knew his comments "offended members of the Israeli Arab community." But Netanyahu's policies speak much more loudly than his half-apology. And with him poised to serve a fourth term, many Palestinian citizens of Israel fear, with good reason, that his victory means it is open season for anti-Arab racism in the Knesset and in the streets. Israel's war on its Palestinian citizens is nothing new; our rights have been under attack for years (imagine a proposal that forced Jewish Americans to sign a "loyalty oath" to the United States as was proposed for Palestinians and other non-Jewish citizens of Israel). However, the majority's attempt to further entrench institutionalized racism and deny the rights of indigenous Palestinians has achieved frightening momentum. The controversial "Jewish Nation-State Bill" that previously floundered in the Knesset has been resurrected. The bill, if passed, would codify the principle of preserving a Jewish ethnic majority. There are versions of it that establish Hebrew as the sole official language and recognize Jewish religious law as a "source of inspiration for the Knesset." Even Israel's Supreme Court has come under attack in recent years for occasionally defending minority rights, which some view as a threat to the legal privileges afforded its Jewish citizens. In response, the government changed the Supreme Court's composition to tilt it further to the right. Today, the sole Arab Supreme Court justice, Salim Jubran, very often serves as a dissenting voice in judgments where the court favors legislation demeaning to Israel's Palestinian citizens. Opinion: How Obama handed Netanyahu victory . The 2011 Admissions Committees Law — upheld in 2014 by the more conservative Supreme Court, which includes the first Israeli settler jurist — allows hundreds of localities in Israel to essentially reject applicants seeking to buy homes built on state land because the applicants are deemed "unsuitable." The law caused an outcry among Palestinian citizens and human rights groups, who assert that it's simply a thinly disguised effort to discriminate against Israeli citizens on the basis of ethnicity. Simply put, the law enforces segregation within Israel, helping to keep Palestinian citizens out of Jewish communities. Attempts to marginalize Palestinian citizens of Israel also extend to the political sphere. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's successful push to raise the threshold required to win seats in the Knesset was a move designed to exclude Palestinian lawmakers. Ironically, that move backfired, prompting four Arab parties to create the Arab Joint List, whose members span a wide ideological spectrum. Despite their political

Summary: Rula Jebreal: Netanyahu showed his views during the closing days of the campaign . She says he favors policies that deny Israel's Arab citizens equal rights .


(CNN)Ashley Judd is taking on Twitter trolls, who she says make social media an unsafe space with violent threats. Her vow to fight online harassment came after she says she was attacked for expressing an unpopular opinion about a basketball game on Twitter. Judd, a diehard Kentucky Wildcats fan who regularly attends March Madness games, told MSNBC that her tweet to the effect of "I think Arkansas is playing dirty" was met with vile language and sexually charged threats. Judd retweeted messages that are too explicit to include here. "Everyone needs to take personal responsibility for what they write and not allowing this misinterpretation and shaming culture on social media to persist," Judd said. "And by the way I'm pressing charges." The actor, who is also an advocate for women's rights, added: "The amount of gender violence that I experience is absolutely extraordinary, and a significant part of my day today will be spent filing police reports at home about gender violence that's directed at me on social media." Twitter, trolls and sports collided recently in another high-profile social media fight involving former Major League Baseball pitcher Curt Schilling. Schilling had congratulated his daughter on joining her new college's softball team in a tweet that was met with sexually menacing replies. He tracked down some of the men who sent inappropriate tweets, resulting in one reportedly being fired from his part-time job with the New York Yankees. Twitter CEO Dick Costolo has admitted the company has a less than stellar track record for cracking down on abusive tweets. "We suck at dealing with abuse and trolls on the platform and we've sucked at it for years," Costolo wrote in a February memo. He told employees that he was embarrassed and took "personal responsibility" for the company's failure to address abuse. Costolo said he was committed to addressing the issue. This month the company updated its terms of service to directly combat so-called "revenge porn" that is posted to the site. Revenge porn is sexually explicit material posted online without the consent of one or more participants. Just today, the company debuted a new feature it says will make the process of reporting abusive tweets to law enforcement more seamless. The site will now email a report that can be shared with law enforcement after a user reports an abusive tweet. "While we take threats of violence seriously and will suspend responsible accounts when appropriate, we strongly recommend contacting your local law enforcement if you're concerned about your physical safety," Twitter says. David Goldman contributed to this report.

Summary: Ashley Judd says she was attacked by Twitter trolls after a critical tweet about basketball . Judd, an actor and women's rights advocate, has vowed to press charges .


(The Hollywood Reporter)Albert Maysles, who collaborated along with his late brother David in a documentary film career that included the troubling 1970 concert documentary "Gimme Shelter," has died. He was 88. The director and cinematographer, an Oscar nominee, died Thursday at his home in Manhattan of natural causes, Stacey Farrar, marketing director at the Maysles Center in New York, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. "Gimme Shelter" -- which chronicled the 1969 Rolling Stones tour that culminated in the Altamont Free Concert, in which a fan brandishing a gun was stabbed to death by a Hells Angels security man — stood in a stark and more enduring counterpoint to the myth of the documentary "Woodstock," a depiction of the glorified 1969 free concert whose own dark side was left out in its pre-conceived, celebratory style. Their most well-known film, "Grey Gardens" (1975), was a profile of Jacqueline Onassis' eccentric cousins -- mother and daughter Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier -- who lived in a dilapidated, cat-packed estate in East Hampton, New York. The brothers worked with fellow directors Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer on the film, which was remade as a Tony-winning Broadway play and as an award-winning 2009 HBO drama that starred Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. Just prior to "Gimme Shelter," they filmed "Salesman" (1969), which covered six weeks in the lives of four door-to-door Bible salesmen. The brothers, who preferred the moniker of filmmaker rather than director, often focused on musical figures. Maysles was a cameraman on D.A. Pennebaker's "Monterey Pop" (1968), about the celebrated California music festival that featured electrifying performances from the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. TCM Classic Film Fest: Albert Maysles on Freeing Cameras, Capturing Truths (Video) During that period of their career, they also collaborated on such direct cinemas as "What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A." (1964), "With Love From Truman" (1966) and "Meet Marlon Brando" (1966), which premiered at the New York Film Festival. In 1968, they made "Vladimir Horowitz: The Last Romantic," and the following year, they shot "Horowitz Plays Mozart," also for TV. "People are people. We're out to discover what is going on behind the scenes and get as close as we can to what is happening," he said of their cinematic style. There were often emotional reactions to their films; fans applauded them for the trust they developed with their subjects, allowing them to reveal long-repressed feelings or telling insights. Their style -- with their subjects caught by a hand-held camera and shotgun mike -- was in the tradition of such documentarians as Frederick Wiseman. However, cinema verite "purists" argued that the Maysleses sometimes exploited the content, particularly in regard to the omniscient editing of "Gimme Shelter," where their flashback storytelling style created a dramatic foreboding and "imposed" a narrative on the Stones' tour. Flashbacking from Mick Jagger reviewing their footage, with Altamont's horrific memory in the recent past, "Gimme Shelter" punctuated a feeling of dread as the events moved inexorably to the tour's cataclysmic end. Originally, the "free concert" was planned to happen in San

Summary: Albert Maysles was a pioneering documentarian . Best-known films include "Gimme Shelter," about Rolling Stones Altamont concert . The filmmaker also did "Grey Gardens"


(CNN)The reported kidnapping of a Vallejo, California, woman for ransom this week was nothing but a hoax, police said. Vallejo police Lt. Kenny Park went as far as to call it a "wild goose chase" that wasted department resources. Denise Huskins and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn, who reported the kidnapping Monday, are no longer cooperating with police, Park said. Huskins was found safe on Wednesday, more than 400 miles away in Huntington Beach. Officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department talked with Huskins, 29, at her father's apartment complex, department spokeswoman Jennifer Marlatt told reporters. The case has authorities scratching their heads. Huskins initially indicated she would be happy to talk with Vallejo police and provide details of what happened, according to Park. Anxious to talk with her, Vallejo police and the FBI sent a jet to Huntington Beach to fly her back to the Bay Area. When it was time to go, Huskins was a no show. "As of right now, we have not heard from Miss Huskins and we are no longer in contact with any of the family members," Park said late Wednesday. The family has retained an attorney. Like Huskins, Quinn isn't talking. Charges are possible in the case, Park said, but those will be decided by the district attorney once the investigation is complete. The quickly changing developments left authorities frustrated. Quinn called on Monday afternoon to report that his girlfriend had been kidnapped several hours earlier from his home. At the time, Park said that the case was being treated as a kidnap for ransom. Huskins' father, Michael, made an emotional appeal through CNN affiliate KGO-TV in San Francisco directed at the kidnappers: "Don't hurt her, please don't hurt her." "The biggest fear is the horror she might be going through ... that's my biggest fear. The horror, she doesn't deserve that, not from anybody." "It's like a nightmare that I can't wake up from," her father told the affiliate. "This is not supposed to happen." Then, the San Franciso Chronicle posted an audio clip. On it, a woman who identified herself as Denise Huskins says she has been abducted. "My name is Denise Huskins. I am kidnapped, otherwise I'm fine," the voice says. "Earlier today there was a plane crash in Alps and 158 people died. And one thing that people know about me is that I went to my first concert, me and my mom, to Blink 182 (last word is inaudible)." The editor in chief of the Chronicle, Audrey Cooper, said the newspaper received a link to the audio file in an email. The Chronicle reported the anonymous email said Huskins would be "returned safely (Wednesday). We will send a link to her location after she has been dropped off. She will be in good health and safe while she waits. Any advance on us or our associates will create a dangerous situation for Denise. Wait until she is recovered and then proceed how you will. We will be ready." Then came Wednesday. The Chronicle reported that Huskins' father said he received a

Summary: Police call the case a hoax, a "wild goose chase" Abductors seized Denise Huskins on Monday, her boyfriend told authorities .


Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)A few months before Nigeria's national elections, both main candidates embraced and promised a peaceful election. That pledge is now under serious threat. Protesters fired gunshots and torched a local electoral office in Nigeria's oil-rich Rivers state as they marched to protest national elections held to elect Nigeria's next President. "There's been so much violence in Rivers state that it's just not tenable," said Lai Mohammed, spokesman for the main opposition party, the All Peoples Congress. The All Peoples Congress says the vote has been rigged, voters intimidated and demanded that the elections held in Rivers state be canceled. The ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, refutes 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." Heavy rain eventually forced the protesters home, but there are fears that it will take more than rain to stop further protests and violence. "We are concerned by what seems to be happening," said Attahiru Jega, Nigeria's election chairman, about events in Rivers state. Nigeria has just held what are thought to be the closest elections since a return to democracy in 1999 after decades of military rule. The two main candidates are incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and retired general Muhammedu Buhari. What is at stake in the protests in Rivers state is not whether Nigeria can hold an election, but can it hold a "close" election. Voting is now over and the results are being counted. Jega says the final result will likely be announced within 48 hours. The fear is that the results may not be accepted by whomever loses. And if the opposition believes it has been rigged out of victory by the ruling party, then the protests in Rivers state could spread to northern Nigeria. Over 800 people were killed in post-election violence across the north after the 2011 elections were thought to be illegitimate. And so both candidates have taken 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," stated Jonathan on his Facebook account. "Fellow Nigerians, I urge you to exercise patience and vigilance as we wait for all results to be announced," said Buhari on Twitter.

Summary: Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and retired general Muhammedu Buhari faced off in election . It could be the closest elections since a return to democracy in 1999 after decades of military rule . There are fears that results may not be accepted by the losers .


(CNN)Muhammadu Buhari has ruled Nigeria before, as one of a line of military strongmen who dominated the country between 1966 and 1999. A military coup brought Buhari to power in late 1983 -- closing a brief period of popular rule by Shehu Shagari -- and another military coup ousted him from power in August 1985. Buhari's 20-month rule was known for what he described as a "war on indiscipline," a tough regime which some say was marred by human rights abuses. The 72-year-old retired major general's experience as a military ruler has been viewed as a plus by some and a minus by others in present-day Nigeria, where the government has been locked in a deadly battle with the militant group Boko Haram. This year alone, the extremists have killed at least 1,000 civilians, Human Rights Watch says. The ongoing violence in the Northeast has put security -- along with corruption and the economy -- at the top of the election agenda. Prior to this year's polls in March, Ayo Johnson, a documentary filmmaker and analyst on African affairs, told CNN that voters would opt for whoever could make Nigeria feel safe. "Many Nigerians will not forget (Buhari) was a military leader, during a dictatorship," Johnson said. "Or maybe they will feel that they need a military leader to address fundamental problems such as terrorism." Buhari has campaigned as a born-again democrat to allay fears about his strict military regime, while stressing that Nigeria's security needs to be the next government's focus. "It's a question of security. Whether I was a former military officer or a politician through and through, when there is insecurity of this scale in the country, that takes the priority," he said from his campaign plane. In another interview with Amanpour in February, Buhari blamed President Goodluck Jonathan's government for repeated setbacks in the fight against extremists. "The misappropriation of resources provided by the government for weapons means the Nigerian military is unable to beat Boko Haram," he said. Asked by Amanpour about abuses allegedly committed during his own previous leadership, Buhari said there was "a degree of accuracy" in the claims. But he said he had ruled Nigeria as part of a military administration. "When that military administration came under my leadership, we suspended -- as a military then -- part of that constitution that we felt would be difficult for us to operate and as also a consensus," he said. "I think I'm being judged harshly as an individual that what happened during a military administration can be extended under a multiparty democratic system." Buhari's campaign was fiercely anti-corruption. He ran under the slogan of "new broom," and his supporters were often pictured holding brooms in the lead-up to the vote. The 2015 presidential race was Buhari's fourth attempt at leadership since he was ousted from power in 1985. In 2003, Buhari -- then with the All Nigeria People's Party -- lost to Olusegun Obasanjo in an election during which EU observers reported widespread irregularities. He lost again to Umaru Yar'Adua in the 2007 election, which

Summary: Muhammadu Buhari is a 72-year-old retired major general from Daura, northern Nigeria . Buhari led Nigeria from 1983 to 1985, coming to power and leaving power through coups . Against a backdrop of violence in the North, he has vowed to make security a priority .


(CNN)The debate over health care reform once again blooms in D.C., but this time Democrats and the President whose legacy rests on the Affordable Care Act are tending a garden challenged by some rather invasive species. The GOP has kicked off its season by pulling Obamacare up by the roots in its proposed 2016 House budget. But this budget will not become law. And so Republicans are also preparing strategic plays if the Supreme Court rules in their favor this summer, or if a Republican wins the White House next year backed by complementary majorities in the House and Senate. Either scenario would mortally wound Obamacare. But this isn't a zero sum game. Smart Republicans already know they don't win just because the other side loses. Upending Obamacare may poison the GOP's standing with 16.4 million Americans who will face adverse, even dire consequences without legislative patches to the law, or a swift switch to a solid alternative health care policy. This week, the conservative weekly The Washington Examiner aimed to mark Obamacare's fifth anniversary by asking a panel whether to "reform, replace or restart" the law. A gas leak scuttled the event. Once they've regrouped for their next panel, Republicans should instead entertain a different R: Revise. So far every plan Republicans are offering strikes out any mandate to purchase insurance, which, oddly for a party celebrating self-reliance, encourages some people to continue shifting their adult responsibilities onto others. Many of the GOP plans replace the subsidies that make exchange plans affordable for low-income Americans with tax credits. Tax credits don't make much sense when you don't have a lot of taxes to pay in the first place. These alternatives appear to be thinly veiled transitions away from the key Obamacare principle of providing guaranteed access. To date the law has reduced the rates of uninsured Americans by a whopping 35%. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, lifted his veil even during his own plan's debut by insisting "every last word of Obamacare must be repealed" while promoting his own Health Care Choices Act that ditches subsidies and the mandate. Republican presidential front-runner Jeb Bush shares Cruz's preference to dismantle the "monstrosity" altogether, describing his preference for cheaper catastrophic insurance that helps people with massive bills but leaves poor Americans to fend for themselves when it comes to needless perks -- like insulin and blood pressure pills. And besides repealing the ACA, House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, R-Georgia, wants to tear into President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society achievements as well. His budget proposal dismantles the federal Medicaid program by slashing its funding and devolving it to the states, while asking seniors on Medicare to try their luck with a voucher-discounted private insurance. What these approaches don't get is that we live in a country entirely populated by citizens who want and expect to receive medical care when they need it, yet not all of these citizens want to pay anything for the privilege. The beating heart of Obamacare is its mandate to purchase health insurance, which keeps costs down for everyone, makes

Summary: Ford Vox: With its budget proposal to kill Obamacare, or hopes the Supreme Court will do the same, the GOP makes a mistake . He says 16.4 million Americans benefiting. Smart Republicans know this; should instead tease out problematic parts of ACA to revise .


(CNN)The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging an Alabama law that will force those under 18 seeking an abortion to go through an adversarial process that's akin to a trial. Generally, laws in the United States require parental consent for a minor to obtain an abortion. But for some children, parental consent is impossible or even dangerous. This class of minors must seek a judicial bypass. While the bypass is a common feature of abortion laws in other states, this Alabama law may have gone too far. Here are the suspect provisions of this "bypass by trial": . • Alabama has turned what is supposed to be an informal, child-centered hearing into more of a trial. • The court can appoint a Guardian ad Litem -- normally an appointed lawyer for a child in, say, a divorce proceeding or a hearing involving unfit parents -- for the fetus. • The minor may be cross-examined by the district attorney and possibly the minor's parents. • Information about the minor's pregnancy may be disclosed to her family, friends and employers, and they might even be brought to court to testify -- against the minor. When it comes to abortion, minors are supposed to enjoy the same constitutional right of privacy as adults, free from undue state interference. However, the Supreme Court has also specifically articulated reasons why the constitutional rights of children are not identical to the rights of adults. Children are vulnerable and unable to make critical decisions and, of course, parents have a right to participate in raising their child. States may pass laws that subject minors seeking an abortion to an additional requirement: parental involvement. However, if the state chooses to require parental consent for a pregnant minor to get an abortion, the state also must provide an alternative procedure for obtaining that authorization -- one that "bypasses" having to get Mom and Dad's permission. The Supreme Court has required that these hearings "must assure that resolution ... be completed with anonymity and sufficient expedition to provide an effective opportunity for an abortion to be obtained." Plus, and perhaps most importantly, the procedure bypassing parental consent cannot be a thinly veiled mechanism for an "absolute, and possibly arbitrary, veto." In plain language, hearings must be quick and quiet, and they cannot be held in kangaroo court. The problem is, this does not give a lot of detailed direction to courts about how exactly to conduct these hearings. It's not surprising that court procedures vary wildly, and that sooner or later, a state like Alabama would experiment with state abortion law. Our system was specifically designed to allow states to experiment with social and economic legislation. Of course, that state prerogative is also tempered by a federal court's power to strike these laws down if they are unconstitutional. In this case, the ACLU's position is that creating an adversarial hearing goes too far. A hearing is fine, it seems, but something approaching a trial rises to the level of an impermissible "undue burden" on the right to have an abortion. This has

Summary: Cevallos: Alabama may go too far in the process used to decide if a teenager can have an abortion without parental consent . He says a court hearing makes sense, but an adversarial process, like a trial, is questionable .