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[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Scientific tests prove bones housed in the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome are those of the apostle St. Paul himself, according to Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict XVI looks at the tomb of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome in 2007. \"Tiny fragments of bone\" in the sarcophagus were subjected to carbon dating, showing they \"belong to someone who lived in the first or second century,\" the pope said in a homily carried on Italian television. \"This seems to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition that these are the mortal remains of the Apostle St. Paul,\" Benedict said in Sunday's announcement. The tomb also holds \"traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color and laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with linen filaments,\" the pope said. The tests were carried out by inserting a probe into a small opening in the sarcophagus, \"which had not been opened for many centuries,\" the pontiff said. The probe \"also revealed the presence of grains of red incense and traces of protein and limestone.\" Separately, archaeologists have uncovered an image of St. Paul which \"could be considered the oldest icon of the apostle known to date,\" the Vatican's official newspaper reported Sunday. The painting, in the St. Tecla Catacomb, is \"among the oldest and best-defined figures from ancient Christianity,\" according to the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, L'Osservatore Romano reported. St. Paul is one of the most significant figures in Christianity. Originally a persecutor of early Christians, he became a follower of Jesus after seeing a vision on the road to Damascus, according to Christian tradition. \"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?\" the vision of Jesus asks Paul, using the apostle's birth name, in the Acts of the Apostles. Saul then took the name Paul and became a missionary. His letters, or epistles, to early Christian communities around the Mediterranean form a significant portion of the New Testament. Paul was beheaded by Roman authorities sometime between 65 and 67 A.D., according to the Catholic Church. He was buried a few miles away, and when the Roman Empire stopped persecuting Christians some 250 years later, the Emperor Constantine had a basilica built over his grave. It currently lies under a marble tombstone bearing the Latin inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART (Apostle Paul, martyr), according to the Web site of the basilica. A papal altar stands over the tombstone, which is visible through a window-like opening, the Web site says. Monday marks the end of a year of celebration in honor of the 2,000th anniversary of St. Paul's birth. It also happens to be the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Scientific tests prove bones are those of the apostle St. Paul, pope says .\nVatican tomb also holds \"traces of a precious linen cloth\"\nTests were carried out by inserting probe into small opening in sarcophagus ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- The U.S. Open has a reputation for testing the world's best golfers with the most demanding courses. The 2002 US Open at Bethpage Black featured punishing rough and heavy rain. The competition is designed to challenge, traditionally favoring courses that feature brutal rough and narrow fairways. This year's U.S. Open is no exception, taking place at Bethpage Black in Long Island, New York, widely regarded as one of the toughest courses in the game. The U.S. Open was first staged at Bethpage in 2002, when it became the first municipal course to host the competition and, at 7,214 yards, the longest course in the competition's history. Those who played at Bethpage 2002 still have the scars to prove it. Heavy rain and swirling wind turned the event into an endurance contest. It was survival of the fittest, with Tiger Woods the only competitor to finish under par, ending the tournament three under. Those brave enough to return to Bethpage on Thursday will find there have been a few changes. For starters, the course has been lengthened by 200 yards, which will make the grueling course even more exhausting. More welcome will be the introduction of \"graduated\" primary rough. That means there will be a strip of intermediate rough next to the fairway, and beyond that there a strip of primary rough approximately two-and-a-half to three inches deep, followed by a second cut of rough, which will be about four to six inches deep and stretch to the gallery rope lines. The idea is to penalize narrow misses less severely than big misses: a player who hits his shot slightly off target will land in the shorter cut of rough, an easier shot than the longer second cut. See our choice of 10 golfers to watch at the U.S. Open. » . Mike Davis, senior director of rules and competitions for the United States Golf Association, has said the course will be structurally very similar to 2002, but there will be more \"risk and reward\" opportunities. That means there are more holes where golfers can choose to gamble from the tee. A well-executed drive will save strokes and a misplaced drive could cost them dear. The sheer length of the course is likely to favor the game's big hitters. That includes the likes of Tiger Woods, the golfer who most successfully tamed Bethpage in 2002. Woods also showed his big-course credentials by winning last year's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, which topped Bethpage with its 7,643-yard course. The distance the golfers have to cover will probably favor those in good physical condition. But the size of Bethpage is not the only thing that will decide the contest. Graduated or not, the rough will be a real problem, making accurate driving a necessity. Phil Mickelson will go into the tournament as one of the favorites, but he will need to be precise from the tee, not one of his strong points. Patience will be a virtue. The fact that it is such a tough course means competitors will have to accept that they will not be able to get under par on many of the holes. On the other hand those new \"risk and reward\" holes will give gamblers the opportunity to throw caution to the wind if they are falling off the pace. The golfers and spectators will no doubt be hoping for better weather than in 2002, but even in glorious sunshine, it will still be the kind of tournament that separates the men from the boys. U.S. golfer John Daly failed to qualify for the U.S. Open last week, but he was full of praise for the course, saying \"I love Bethpage. It's the ultimate major course. It's fair. It's so hard they really can't make it any harder.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The U.S. Open is known for testing golfers with the most demanding courses .\nThis year's U.S. Open will be take place at Bethpage Black in New York State .\nBethpage Black is known for being a long course with punishing rough ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A distraught, sobbing Afghan Taliban member begged the court for mercy, but got none as an unmoved federal judge here Monday handed down maximum life sentences for convictions on drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges. A guard watches over a pile of burning drugs in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 25, 2008. Khan Mohammed, 38, of Nangarhar Province became the first person convicted and sentenced in the United States under a 2006 law that increased the penalty for a defendant found to be involved with terrorism and distributing illegal drugs. Mohammed, who had been extradited from Afghanistan, was convicted by a jury in May of plotting a rocket attack on U.S. military forces and Afghan civilians at Jalalabad Airfield. He also was found guilty of distributing between $1 million and $3 million worth of heroin into the United States \"to kill Americans as part of a jihad.\" Mohammed's court-appointed lawyer, conceding that \"what he did was wrong,\" urged U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to be lenient and sentence his client to only 20 years in prison. Then the full-bearded Mohammed, dressed in an orange jailhouse jumpsuit, addressed the judge. With tears streaming down his face, and choking back his words, he begged for only one or two years. \"I have little children and a woman. They depend on me,\" Mohammed began. \"I'm so worried about them.\" His lengthy emotional appeal went on to include his reason for selling opium. \"In my village that's how you have to make a living. There is no house there without opium,\" he said. Justice Department prosecutor Matthew Stiglitz, however, urged the court to \"send a message of deterrence,\" and warned against \"the confluence of drug trafficking and terrorism.\" \"No, he's not the Osama bin Laden of terrorism. No, he's not the Pablo Escobar of the drug world,\" Stiglitz told the judge. \"But this is where the rubber meets the road.\" Bin Laden is the head of al Qaeda, while Escobar, who died in 1993, was the most powerful of Colombian drug lords. \"Afghanistan is ground zero for opium, and an almost limitless source of funds to the Taliban,\" he argued. Kollar-Kotelly agreed fully with the prosecutors, and strongly admonished the Taliban defendant. \"You were convicted 99 percent by your own words,\" the judge declared, as she recalled how a \"courageous\" Afghan police chief wore an undercover wire to record Mohammed's plotting. \"The fact that no one died is only because you didn't get the missiles you wanted,\" she said. \"In 2006, you celebrated the Americans' use of the opium. It was a jihad. You knew the damage it could cause,\" the judge continued. \"Because of your undiluted hatred for the United States, you might well have launched other attacks had you not been arrested.\" She added, \"Terrorists stand unique among criminals. Deterrence is very important here.\" Then, concluding dramatically, the judge turned directly to the defendant. \"I heard your concerns for your family but no acceptance of responsibility for your action,\" the judge said. \"Defendants often express worry for their families, but if they considered the consequences of their actions beforehand, maybe they would have acted differently.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Khan Mohammed convicted of plotting rocket attack, selling heroin .\nMohammed the first convicted under law increasing penalties for \"narco-terrorists\"\nCiting his family, Mohammed cries and pleads with judge to have mercy .\nJudge says Mohammed had \"undiluted hatred for the United States\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The space shuttle Atlantis crew completed its first spacewalk to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, a daylong act of grueling labor that featured the replacement and installation of key instruments. Spacewalkers remove a camera from the Hubble on Thursday. Astronauts John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel removed the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 and swapped it out with an updated model, a device that \"will allow the telescope to take large-scale, clear and detailed photos over a wide range of colors,\" NASA said. But they had a tough time removing a bolt in that task, an issue that caused some concern for colleagues on the ground. They eventually released it. \"OK, here we go. I think I got it. It turned. It turned. And it's turning easily now,\" Feustel said. \"Very nice.\" In all, the repair mission took seven hours and 20 minutes, a hard day's work that ended at 4:12 p.m. EDT. \"It turned out very well,\" lead flight director Tony Ceccacci said during a NASA briefing. The team also replaced a Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit, a computer that \"sends commands to Hubble's science instruments and formats science data for transmission to the ground,\" NASA said. The team \"installed a soft capture mechanism, a device that will allow future vehicles to attach to the telescope,\" NASA said. And they installed \"a combination of locks and latches that will allow for faster opening and closing of the telescope doors during the third spacewalk.\" \"This is a huge accomplishment,\" Preston Burch, Hubble Space Telescope program manager, said during a briefing. \"Our first EVA day in more than seven years.\" EVA is the acronym for \"extravehicular activity,\" the phrase for spacewalking. It was the first of five spacewalks scheduled during the 11-day mission in which the crew will work in the shuttle's cargo bay to upgrade and repair Hubble. Astronauts Michael Good and Mike Massimino will perform the next spacewalk on Friday. They will be installing gyroscopes and batteries. Learn more about the Hubble repairs » . The mission is one of the most ambitious space repair efforts ever attempted. Atlantis launched Monday afternoon for NASA's fifth and final repair visit to the telescope. Watch Atlantis lift off on Hubble mission » . After a two-day chase, the shuttle captured the telescope Wednesday with its robotic arm some 350 miles above Earth and pulled it into Atlantis' cargo bay for service. Watch Atlantis snag the Hubble » . It's been seven years since the last space shuttle crew worked on the telescope, which has been latched to a rotating, \"lazy Susan\"-type device for five days of repairs and remodeling. A camera mounted on the shuttle's robotic arm, 200 feet from the telescope, is taking pictures of it -- the first time the telescope has been seen since March 2002. An umbilical line was connected to provide electricity from Atlantis to the telescope, according to NASA. Mission commander Scott Altman also will position the shuttle to allow Hubble's solar arrays to gather energy from the sun and recharge the telescope's batteries. The timeline for the spacewalks is so tight, there's a chance the astronauts won't get everything done, especially if they hit any snags. And that's a real possibility because some of the repairs they are attempting have never been tried before. NASA canceled an Atlantis mission to extend Hubble's operational life in January 2004 because the trip was considered too risky in the wake of the 2003 space shuttle Columbia disaster, which killed seven astronauts. That accident was blamed on a hole punched in the front of the wing by debris during liftoff. But public pressure and steps taken to increase shuttle safety led the space agency to reconsider. Hubble's \"greatest discoveries,\" NASA says, include determining the age of the universe -- 13.7 billion years, discovering that \"virtually all major galaxies have black holes at their center,\" and \"providing evidence that the speed at which the universe is expanding is accelerating -- caused by an unknown force that makes up for more than 75 percent of the universe.\" CNN's John Zarrella and Kim Segal contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Astronauts complete 7-hour-plus spacewalk to repair Hubble telescope .\nNEW: Two-man team successfully replaced a Hubble camera and computer .\nAtlantis launched Monday on 11-day mission to orbiting Hubble observatory .\nFlight director deems \"dings\" on shuttle wing \"very minor\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Humza Ismail hasn't spent much time in Raleigh, North Carolina, since he started graduate school two years ago. But when he heard two former acquaintances were arrested on terrorism charges this week, he says, \"Honestly, I wasn't surprised.\" Omar Aly Hassan, left, and Ziyad Yaghi were clear on where they stood on terrorism, an acquaintance said. Omar Aly Hassan, Ziyad Yaghi and five others are charged with conspiring to commit violent jihad overseas. An eighth suspect is still being sought, authorities have said. When he lived in Raleigh, Ismail worshipped at the same mosque as Hassan and Yaghi. When groups of young men talked there, Ismail says, the conversation often turned to religion and politics, and Hassan and Yaghi made it clear where they stood. \"When it came to something like suicide bombing, they would say, 'If it's a benefit for the Muslims then something like that can be permissible,' \" Ismail says. \"I could tell it was something they wanted to do.\" But, he adds, \"They never indicated or said 'we are going to make jihad overseas.'\" Ismail says the duo spoke in glowing terms about Osama bin Laden, calling him a scholar and a mujahedeen. \"You could tell they were being influenced by somebody,\" Ismail says. He does not know by whom. He feels they were susceptible to a message of violence \"because it sounded cool and exciting.\" Ismail says he strenuously disagreed with Yaghi and Hassan's views on terrorism even, he says, getting into a public shouting match with them at a restaurant. He says he told them, \"You can't do this, man. You can't say it is OK. \"That is corruption and terrorism and that is not permissible in Islam.\" Ismail says he and others raised concerns about Hassan and Yaghi to officials at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, but were \"overlooked.\" \"I did my part,\" Ismail says. Imran Aukhil, a spokesman for the Islamic Center of Raleigh, told CNN on Thursday that he had no information about complaints concerning Hassan and Yaghi. On Saturday, however, he informed CNN that he had researched the matter and learned there was a complaint several years ago against an individual at the mosque. Aukhil said he did not have the name of that person. \"It was reported to the FBI,\" said Aukhil. \"The FBI did take note of it in their investigation.\" Efforts to reach attorneys representing Hassan and Yaghi were unsuccessful." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Spokesman says complaint lodged against person at mosque a few years ago .\nHumza Ismail attended the same mosque as two of seven men arrested this week .\nIsmail: When it came to violence, \"I could tell it was something they wanted to do\"\nIsmail says the two spoke in glowing terms about Osama bin Laden ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Cell phone technology is helping developing nations prepare for disease threats such as a new strain of swine flu, an outbreak of measles or the increased spread of HIV. Workers in Kenya use EpiSurveyor for the first time nationwide during this year's children's health week. Kenya proved it in 2007, when the East African nation suffered its first case of the polio virus in more than 20 years, said Yusuf Ajack Ibrahim, a health care worker at the Kenyan Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation. As thousands of Somalis fled to Kenya to avoid violence in their homeland, the exodus sparked a serious health crisis, Ibrahim said. \"One case of confirmed wild polio virus put at risk the lives of 100,000 children,\" he said. Kenyan health officials determined that they needed a way to quickly survey and assess the situation and initiate a massive immunization campaign. The solution was on the Internet, where they found a free, open-source application designed for personal digital assistants, called EpiSurveyor. Open-source software is posted online for anyone to use and alter to suit their needs. Downloading the software to cell phones enabled officials to gather data directly from the site of the outbreak and send it electronically back to headquarters for faster analysis. This cuts down on the time officials have to spend collecting paper surveys and analyzing them individually before they can begin treating people. \"The information gave us useful feedback not only on the affected area but on the neighboring ones as well and helped us put plans and measures in place to stop the spread of the virus,\" Ibrahim added. Physician and epidemiologist Dr. Joel Selanikio predicts that within a year, health officials will be using the technology to track other threats in developing nations, such as the recent Mexican swine flu outbreak. Selanikio invented EpiSurveyor in 2003, after he and American Red Cross technologist Rose Donna began searching for a more efficient way to gather data on immerging diseases. They started a nonprofit organization, DataDyne, aiming to use mobile devices to efficiently and immediately gather public health information. \"Collecting data on paper and then taking two years to enter the data is a tremendous drain and barrier to good public health,\" said Selanikio, who teaches pediatrics at Washington's Georgetown University Hospital. Mobile devices such as PDAs or handheld computers have been used for field studies since the late 1990s, but electronic survey methods have traditionally been expensive, labor-intensive and challenging to implement on a global scale. Many global health institutions are now encouraging the use of advanced methodologies such as smart phones and open-source software as the next generation of data transmission, said Dr. Ramesh Krishnamurthy, an informatics scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. EpiSurveyor frees health care workers from hiring programmers to create electronic surveys. Data gatherers can customize their questionnaires online, download the questionnaires onto a cell phone that has Internet capability, poll patients and do direct analysis, all through a touch pad on a cell phone. Ibrahim credits the technology with saving Zambians who were threatened by a frightening outbreak of measles in 2007. The government didn't know that vaccine supplies were low, he said. Using EpiSurveyor, health care workers discovered that 60 percent of their vaccine stockpiles in remote areas were missing. They mobilized a response within three weeks, he said. \"Imagine if we have an outbreak of measles and the information is relayed to us three months after the outbreak. By the time we respond, lives would have been lost, but if we can get the information in a day or half a day, we an mount a quick response,\" Ibrahim said. \"By being able to relay the information at an appropriate time, that -- in and of itself -- is life-saving,\" he added. Fans point out that EpiSurveyor's success hinges on ready access to technology already in place. \"There are 4 billion mobile phones in the world; 2.2 billion of those are in the developing world,\" said Claire Thwaites, who heads a partnership between the United Nations Foundation and the Vodafone Foundation, which funded EpiSurveyor. Sixty-four percent of all mobile phone users live in the developing world, according to a U.N. estimate. By 2012, the U.N. believes, half of all residents in remote areas of the world will have mobile phones. Compare mobile ubiquity to the 305 million PCs or 11 million hospital beds in the developing world, Thwaites said. The potential for mobile technology to help manage health care is huge, she said. With the help of the U.N.'s World Health Organization and government health officials in more than 20 African countries, more than 800 health care workers are now trained to use this cell phone software, revolutionizing the way health care data can be collected, monitored and assessed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Disease-control software in cell phones is touted as boon to global public health .\nMore than half of world's cell phones are in developing countries .\nHealth workers in Kenya stopped spread of polio in '07 using EpiSurveyor .\nKenyan health care worker: Relaying information at appropriate time is life-saving ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WICHITA, Kansas (CNN) -- Kansas prosecutors have brought murder and assault charges against the man suspected of killing Wichita physician George Tiller, whose women's clinic was a frequent target of protests against abortion. Scott Roeder, 51, is being held on a first-degree murder charge and two counts of aggravated assault. Scott Roeder, 51, is being held without bail on a first-degree murder charge and two counts of aggravated assault stemming from Tiller's shooting death Sunday morning, Sedgwick County District Judge Ben Burgess said. Burgess set a preliminary hearing in the case for June 16. Police have not disclosed a possible motive in Tiller's killing, but associates said Roeder was a regular among the anti-abortion protesters who routinely gathered at his Wichita clinic, Women's Health Care Services. Tiller, 67, was one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions, and he had survived one attempt on his life before being gunned down in his church Sunday morning. Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty \"under the facts and circumstances that are known at this time,\" District Attorney Nola Foulston said. Watch the district attorney explain the charges » . Kansas state law allows the death penalty only in certain circumstances, such as multiple killings, contract killings, the deaths of police officers or jailers, or a slaying that takes place during a sexual assault. Roeder was in the county jail during his brief initial court appearance and appeared in court via video. He requested a court-appointed lawyer during the hearing, during which he was dressed in maroon jail coveralls and appeared to fidget. Watch scenes from court Tuesday » . Burgess ordered Roeder to have no contact with witnesses or Tiller's family. Since Tiller's death, supporters have left a few bouquets of flowers outside his clinic. The architecture of the low-slung, windowless concrete building -- which is fenced off, monitored by cameras and separated from buildings behind it by a moat-like ditch -- reflected the threats he faced for nearly two decades. In a statement issued Tuesday, Tiller's family said they hope his \"valuable work\" will go on, \"but there have been no final decisions made about the long-term plans for the medical practice.\" \"There is currently no plan to immediately reopen the clinic and no patients are being scheduled at this time. The Tiller family's focus, of course, is to determine what is in the best interests of the employees and the patients,\" the statement read. Dr. Leroy Carhart, a Nebraska physician who also practices at Tiller's clinic, said at his suburban Omaha office that he left a Monday meeting in Wichita with the belief that the practice would reopen \"in the very near future.\" But he said, \"At the present time, there's no known future.\" Carhart was the plaintiff who challenged a federal ban on a type of late-term procedure that opponents labeled \"partial-birth\" abortion. The Supreme Court upheld the ban in 2006. Tiller practiced medicine for nearly 40 years. Most of his patients were grappling with pregnancies that were \"fatally or catastrophically complicated by medical problems,\" Dr. Warren Hern, a Colorado physician and a friend, said on CNN's \"Anderson Cooper 360.\" \"The many women who come for late abortions, in fact, have desperate circumstances with a desired pregnancy,\" he said. \"They want to have a baby, not an abortion.\" But Tiller's practice made Wichita a flashpoint in the controversy over abortion, which opponents routinely decry as the killing of unborn children. Most anti-abortion leaders quickly condemned Tiller's killing and disavowed Roeder. The National Right to Life Committee, the largest anti-abortion organization in the United States, said it \"unequivocally condemns\" violence. And Wichita-based Operation Rescue said Roeder never was \"a member, contributor, or volunteer.\" \"Operation Rescue has diligently and successfully worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see to it that abortionists around the nation are brought to justice. Without due process, there can be no justice,\" it said. But Hern called those disavowals \"hypocritical nonsense.\" \"This is the result of 35 years of anti-abortion harassment and terrorism and hate speech and rhetoric and harsh names and exploitation of the abortion issue as a political issue to get power,\" said Hern, who runs an abortion clinic in Boulder, outside Denver. \"And this is the inevitable result of this kind of hateful behavior by the anti-abortion movement.\" Carhart blasted abortion opponents who resort to violence \"and those who support and incite these violent acts.\" He declined to name names but urged the estimated 46 million women who have received abortions and their supporters to demand that government officials \"enforce the laws on the books that protect us from hate crimes.\" \"And if these officials don't openly respect your right to choose abortion, you have the power to vote them out of office,\" he said. CNN's Ed Lavandera, Gary Tuchman and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Physician says future of slain doctor's clinic is unknown .\nScott Roeder, 51, charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault .\nHe is accused of killing Wichita doctor George Tiller on Sunday .\nPreliminary hearing is set for June 16 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama on Wednesday signed a measure awarding the 300 surviving Women Airforce Service Pilots from World War II the Congressional Gold Medal. Jane Tedeschi when she was in the Women Airforce Service Pilots program. The WASPs were formed in 1942. The bill passed by both chambers of Congress bestows one of the nation's highest civilian honors on the group known as WASPs more than 60 years after they were the first women to fly U.S. military aircraft. \"The Women Airforce Service Pilots courageously answered their country's call in a time of need while blazing a trail for the brave women who have given and continue to give so much in service to this nation since,\" Obama said in a statement. \"Every American should be grateful for their service, and I am honored to sign this bill to finally give them some of the hard-earned recognition they deserve.\" The Women Airforce Service Pilots was formed in 1942 to create a corps of female pilots able to fill all types of flying jobs at home, freeing male military pilots to travel to the war front. The 1,100 members had to pay their own way to Texas for months of rigorous training. Once assigned to military bases, they did everything from participating in ground-to-air anti-aircraft practice; to towing targets for air-to-air gunnery practice with live ammunition; to flying drones; to conducting night exercises; to testing repaired aircraft before they were used in cadet training; to serving as instructors and transporting cargo and male pilots to embarkation points. Overall, they flew more than 60 million miles in every type of aircraft -- from the PT-17 and AT-6 trainers, to fast attack planes like the A-24 and A-25 and heavy bombers such as B-17 and B-29s. Paid $250 a month, the women were not officially part of the military -- receiving no benefits, no honors. Jane Tedeschi, who graduated in May 1944, was sent to a Selma, Alabama, base that did engineering work. \"We did whatever they asked us,\" she recalled in a CNN interview. \"You knew enough about flying you could adapt. ... Sometimes it was a little tougher.\" While the work was technically noncombat, it could be dangerous. Thirty-eight of the women pilots were killed. As the war was winding down in December 1944, the program was closed with no recognition from the government and not much help for the women who served. They went off to restart their prewar lives, but without getting any of the help received by male veterans. Several of the women, however, have said they were not bitter since the only reason they had signed up was to do their part for the country. They noted they were just like the thousands of other women who also learned new skills and went to work in the factories to replace male workers sent off to war. \"We were proud of what we did, and the war was over. It was time to get on,\" Tedeschi said. Watch Tedeschi recall WWII » . But many Americans were not aware of their efforts. The WASP records were sealed for more than 30 years. In 1977, Congress voted to make the WASPs eligible for veterans benefits." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Women Airforce Service Pilots courageously answered country's call,\" Obama said .\nHonor comes 60 years after WASPs were first women to fly U.S. military aircraft .\nIn 1977, Congress voted to make the WASPs eligible for veterans benefits ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A family friend of a U.S. soldier captured by the Taliban said his friends and family want Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl to \"stand tall, stand firm.\" Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl in a video made by his captors, members of the Taliban. \"Bowe, if you see this, know that we love you and we are praying fervently for you and prayers are going up for you from all over the world,\" Tim Baker told CNN affiliate KTVB-TV in the soldier's hometown of Ketchum, Idaho. \"To all of our valiant men and women, know that the American people believe in you, support you and are 100 percent behind you, and we thank God every day that you have our back.\" In a video released Sunday, apparently made by his captors, Bergdahl spoke of being \"scared I won't be able to go home.\" \"It breaks our heart,\" Baker said. \"It's like having one of our own kids in this situation.\" Watch friend's comments about Taliban captive » . The Bergdahl family is not speaking with media, but Baker said prayer is helping. \"Prayer means that we are extremely powerful because God is not limited by where we are when we pray. He is there with Bowe, and so we know that he is protecting him and is with him, so we don't feel powerless against these people,\" Baker said. \"We feel very empowered.\" Bergdahl, 23, was captured June 30 from Paktika province in southeastern Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense. The Taliban has threatened to kill Bergdahl if foreign troops continue targeting civilians in the name of search operations in Ghazni and Paktika provinces, Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said by telephone Friday after being contacted by CNN at an undisclosed location. NATO-led forces in Afghanistan and the U.S. military have repeatedly denied targeting civilians. U.S. forces in Afghanistan are doing everything possible to free Bergdahl, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference they were disgusted at the video that Bergdahl's captors released. \"My personal reaction was one of disgust at the exploitation of this young soldier,\" Gates said. In the 28-minute video, Bergdahl becomes emotional when he speaks of his family -- his parents, siblings, nieces and nephew -- and the girlfriend he hopes to marry. \"I have a very, very good family that I love back home in America, and I miss them every day that I'm gone,\" he says. \"I miss them, and I'm afraid I might never see them again and that I'll never be able to tell them I love them again. I'll never be able to hug them. \"I'm scared I won't be able to go home. It is very unnerving to be a prisoner,\" he said. However, his captors are treating him \"like a guest,\" he said. Asked by his captors if he had any message for Americans, the soldier said, \"To my fellow Americans who have loved ones over here, who know what it's like to miss them, you have the power to make our government bring them home. Please, please bring us home so we can be back where we belong and not over here.\" It was not clear whether some or all of Bergdahl's remarks were scripted by his captors. Watch excerpt from the video » . The last few minutes of the video show him eating a meal. The Bergdahl family expressed how they are feeling to Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling. \"We've been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support and concern towards Bowe and our family. As you know, the situation is extremely difficult for everyone involved. We'd like to remind all of you our sole focus is seeing our beloved son Bowe safely home. \"Please continue to keep Bowe in your thoughts and prayers, and we ask for your continued acceptance of our need for privacy in this difficult situation. Thank you.\" A reporter asked Femling if the military has restricted anything he has said and he answered that it has not. The Taliban earlier claimed responsibility for Bergdahl's kidnapping, the military said. Last week, the U.S. military distributed pamphlets in eastern Afghanistan in an effort to locate him. \"As you can see, the American soldier is in good shape and good health, and he is being treated well based on the guidelines of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regarding war prisoners,\" said a statement on Islamist Web sites accompanying the video. \"Any decision regarding the American soldier will be the specialty of the high order of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, may God protect him.\" The U.S. military said it believed Bergdahl may have been moved to various locations. In the video, Bergdahl's captor makes reference to his being moved from Paktika to Khandahar, saying the move was accomplished \"very easily.\" The claim could not be independently verified. Asked the date by his captor, Bergdahl says it is July 14. Two versions of the pamphlets were distributed in Afghanistan, written in the Pashto language. They were made available to CNN by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. One shows the image of an American soldier shaking hands with a group of kids with the message, \"One of our American guests is missing. Return the guest to his home. Call us at\" -- and lists a phone number. The other shows a U.S. soldier kicking down a door, and then an outstretched hand with the superimposed image of a soldier, his head and arms drooping, and the words, \"If you do not release the U.S. soldier then ... you will be hunted.\" The goal of the pamphlets was to balance the effort to get Bergdahl back with how U.S. forces interact with the local population, Gates and Mullen said Monday. Mullen said the message of the second pamphlet was \"not threatening, but to express that we will do what we have to do to find this individual.\" Days after Bergdahl went missing, a senior U.S. military official said Bergdahl was captured by low-level militants and then quickly \"sold\" to the clan and network led by warlord Siraj Haqqani, who is believed to be deeply involved in the action. The Haqqani clan operates on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border and is well known to the U.S. military. Bergdahl apparently left his small outpost on his own on June 30 with no apparent means of defending himself, the official said. Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said he visited a military post in the Yousaf Khel district in the Paktika province, got drunk and was ambushed while returning to his car. Sangeen said the soldier was taken to a safe place. CNN could not independently verify Sangeen's claims. A source with the U.S. military denied the claim that Bergdahl was drunk. \"The Taliban are known for lying and what they are claiming [is] not true,\" the source said. In the video, Bergdahl says he was captured as he was lagging behind a patrol. Bergdahl is not a National Guardsman, according to the Idaho National Guard statement, but the organization said it was coordinating with the Department of Defense to provide public affairs duties and other assistance to the Bergdahl family. The family has requested privacy, the statement said. On Monday, four U.S. troops with the International Security Assistance Force were killed in eastern Afghanistan, according to a senior U.S. official there. The deaths would raise the total of U.S. military fatalities in Afghanistan to 30 in July, the highest monthly toll since the war began in October 2001. According to the security force, the four were killed in a roadside bombing. CNN's Barbara Starr and journalist Janullah Hashimzada contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: U.S. Defense Secretary Gates: U.S. forces doing everything to find Bergdahl .\nFriend to soldier: \"Know that we love you and we are praying\"\nSoldier from Idaho says he's frightened he won't be able to see family again .\nU.S. military: Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, 23, was captured June 30 in Afghanistan ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Veteran actor Karl Malden, who won an Academy Award for his role in \"A Streetcar Named Desire,\" has died at age 97, his manager said Wednesday. Karl Malden in \"The Streets of San Francisco\" in 1974. Malden was nominated for four Emmys for the series. Malden died in his sleep about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, said his manager, Bud Ross. Malden appeared alongside Marlon Brando in two of director Elia Kazan's classic films of the 1950s -- \"A Streetcar Named Desire\" and \"On the Waterfront.\" He won the best supporting actor Oscar for \"Streetcar,\" which was released in 1951, in 1952 and was nominated for his role as a priest crusading against crooked union bosses in \"On the Waterfront.\" Ross said he did not know the cause of death. \"It could be a combination of things,\" Ross said. \"He was 97 years old.\" Born Mladen George Sekulovich in Gary, Indiana, the bulb-nosed actor made his New York stage debut in 1938 and first appeared in films in the 1940 melodrama \"They Knew What They Wanted.\" After serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II, he made his mark in the New York production of \"Streetcar,\" by Tennessee Williams. Watch Malden talk about why he got into acting » . Malden also did extensive work in television, starring with Michael Douglas in the police drama \"The Streets of San Francisco\" from 1972-77. He was nominated four times for Emmys for the show, and won a supporting-actor Emmy for his part in the miniseries adaptation of the true-crime bestseller \"Fatal Vision\" in 1985. His other well-known screen roles include his performances in \"Patton,\" in which he played World War II Gen. Omar Bradley alongside George C. Scott's title character; the steamy \"Baby Doll,\" another Elia Kazan-Tennessee Williams collaboration; and \"Gypsy.\" Malden was also famous for a series of television ads for the American Express card, in which he advised viewers, \"Don't leave home without it.\" Watch Malden talk why he took such diverse roles » . A memorial service is expected to be held within the next three to four weeks, Ross said. Malden was the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1989 to 1992. The Academy is best known for its annual awards, the Oscars. Malden's \"Streetcar\" Oscar had its own mini-drama. In 1985, he sent it to the manufacturer in Chicago for replating. But he discovered the award sent back to him was a fake in 2006, when the original appeared for sale on eBay. The Academy sued the sellers, Randy and Matt Mariani, who eventually returned the award. In 2004, he received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. Malden was born on March 22, 1912, and grew up in Gary. He broke his nose twice playing football in high school, where his athleticism won him a scholarship to Arkansas State Teacher's College in Conway. After being forbidden by his basketball coach to appear in a school play, Malden left college and began playing semi-pro basketball. He later worked in the steel mills of Gary to save money for drama school. When his acting career began, Malden took his grandfather's first name and rearranged the spelling of his own first name to make his professional last name. He said he changed his name, \"to fit theater marquees.\" One of Malden's last acting roles was in 2000, according to IMDB.com. He played a priest in an episode of \"The West Wing.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Malden won Oscar for role in \"A Streetcar Named Desire\"\nHe also starred with Marlon Brando in \"On the Waterfront\"\nOn TV, he co-starred with Michael Douglas in \"The Streets of San Francisco\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Given a cast of Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill, and the guiding hand of director and writer Judd Apatow (\"Knocked Up\" and \"The 40-Year-Old Virgin\"), perhaps there is no more appropriate title than simply \"Funny People.\" Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow get together at the \"Funny People\" premiere in Hollywood. Which is saying something, since \"Funny People\" frequently treads into the darker realms of comedy. Sandler leads the cast as George Simmons, an A-list Hollywood comedian whose fame and fortune has brought him a beautiful mansion on the beach, lots of luck with the ladies and, as the audience soon discovers, a life of loneliness. Sandler is quick to point out that he and his character have little in common. \"I can't really say this guy is me; he's not living my life,\" says Sandler, who is married with two children. \"The movie star thing we have in common; we have a few mood swings in common. ... But the lifestyle and the attitude is not really me.\" George's biggest problem isn't his desolation, however. He's been diagnosed with a leukemia-like terminal disease, prompting him to get back to his roots and do more stand-up comedy. Along the way, he hires struggling comedian Ira Wright, played by Rogen, to pen jokes for him and act as his personal assistant. Despite hurling an occasional insult at Ira, George learns to trust his new, eager-to-please sidekick. The feeling isn't always mutual. Ira is forced to adapt to his boss' constant mood swings, erratic behavior as he deals with the fear of dying and deep regret at losing Laura (Leslie Mann), the only woman he ever loved. However, Ira does earn a steady paycheck -- and gets a taste of show business. Rogen, who says he wouldn't be in comedy if he never saw Sandler's movies while he was growing up, says \"Funny People\" paints an accurate picture of the ups and downs of comedians who are just starting out. \"It's an incredibly realistic representation,\" Rogen says. \"Those scenes where you're backstage at the comedy club and you're all sitting around pitching jokes to each other. It's exactly like that.\" Apatow, who performed stand-up comedy earlier in his career, says, \"It is an ode to stand-up. I've always been a crazy fan of stand-up comedians. Jonathan Winters ... Don Rickles, things like that.\" Apatow, who knows he's taking a risk with \"Funny People's\" mix of light and darkness, made a wisecrack about his hopes for the film at the Los Angeles premiere. \"Well, I think there's 10 movies that are going to be up for best picture this year, and we definitely are shooting for No. 16,\" he says. The cast also took some risks, performing stand-up in front of live audiences for the film -- and, occasionally, watching their jokes fall flat. Hill says he had never done stand-up before and calls the experience \"terrifying.\" \"It can be brutal out there,\" Rogen adds. Sandler, the most seasoned comedian by far, remembers his first days onstage and can relate. \"It's all about your last set,\" he recalls. \"If I did good Wednesday ... all day Thursday, I was in a good mood. \"Then Thursday night comes around and I go onstage and if I did bad, Friday was a miserable time for everyone.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen star in Judd Apatow's \"Funny People\"\nFilm presents \"realistic representation\" of comedians' lives, Rogen says .\nSandler plays lonely movie star; he says he's not much like character in real life ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Houston, Texas, had a record high temperature Wednesday as a heat wave continues to grip the nation's midsection, the National Weather Service said Thursday. A woman tries to beat Houston's record heat by lying on a bench in the shade. The city sweltered with a high temperature of 104 degrees Wednesday, a record high for June 24, forecasters said. The previous record high for the date was 99 degrees, set in 1980. The previous record high measured for the month of June in Houston was 103 degrees, set on June 30, 1980, and June 18, 1934. Heat indices, a combination of temperature and humidity, are breaking the 110-degree mark in many cities. Forecasters predicted a high near 100 for Houston on Thursday, but the temperature could rise into the triple digits in outlying areas, said CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf. The weather service posted heat advisories for Houston; Dallas, Texas; and New Orleans, Louisiana, indicating that temperatures in those cities will feel like 100 to 105 degrees because of high humidity. In the Houston community of Bayland Park, the elderly were taking advantage of the air-conditioned Community Center. \"I don't like hot weather. I never have and never will,\" Teet Charloton told CNN affiliate KPRC-TV in Houston. \"But we have to have it. I go from the car to the house or come in here and go back the same way. I don't do much shopping, that's for sure.\" Betty Dante added, \"It is very hot outside. ... I think as you get older, you feel the heat more.\" In southwest Houston, Leticia Alvarado is profiting from the heat. The unemployed Houstonian has been running along the median on Hillcroft Street at Bellaire Boulevard for seven weeks. She is selling water for $1 a bottle. \"It's hot, too hot,\" she told the station. Other cities also were sweltering. New Iberia, Louisiana, had a temperature Wednesday of 102, which broke the record of 97 in 2005. An excessive heat warning was issued for St. Louis, Missouri, on Thursday through 7 p.m. CT Saturday. Forecasters predicted a high near 96. Cloud cover was expected to make temperatures there a little cooler Thursday, but the weather service warned, \"A hot and humid air mass remains over the area which will continue to control weather over the region through Saturday.\" Afternoon and early evening heat index readings of 100 to 110 were expected in the Missouri city every day through Saturday. Young children, the elderly and people with chronic sicknesses were advised to stay inside if possible. The heat wave that began last week was being fed by a high pressure system north of Texas . Air quality alerts were posted for several cities, indicating pollutants exceed accepted standards. A red alert was issued for Houston, the third most severe alert that indicates unhealthy air quality." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Heat advisories for Houston, Dallas and New Orleans .\nHouston swelters at 104 degrees Wednesday .\nTemperature surpasses record high for that date set in 1980 .\nForecasters expect no end in sight to scorching weather in U.S. midsection ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHAKIE COUNTY, Wyoming (CNN) -- In the predawn darkness the agents switch the federal plates on their vehicles to local Wyoming tags and check they have no other signs showing they are from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Edward Eugene Harper is believed to have lived a nomadic lifestyle since fleeing Mississippi. They want to give the impression that they are fish and wildlife officers, certainly not what they really are -- an elite squad in search of one of the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives. Their target lives eight miles up a dirt road in the Big Horn mountains of Washakie County -- and he is also not what he seems. For the past few years Edward Eugene Harper has been tending a flock of sheep in the semi-wilderness of the region. But 15 years ago he failed to turn up for a court appearance in Mississippi on charges he had molested two girls, aged 3 and 8. He'd been on the lam ever since. Recently the FBI had received a tip on his whereabouts. Watch how FBI planned hunt for fugitive » . Snipers spent the night watching the truck with a camper top where Harper, 63, has been sleeping for the past few weeks. Michael Rankin, assistant special agent in charge at the FBI's Denver, Colorado, field office and leader of the operation to capture Harper, said he wanted to use a ruse to get close to Harper. \"We don't want to alert him or anybody who might be a supporter of his, and we want to get as close to him without somehow raising his antenna that we may be law enforcement and we may be wanting to take him into custody,\" Rankin said. \"It's an individual that has been a fugitive for almost 15 years, so he certainly doesn't want to go to jail or be put into the system after being on the lam for this length of time.\" The locals are used to seeing officers from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and it's one of their men who will make the first contact and perhaps lead Harper to think the accompanying agents are also wildlife officials. The sun is up now and it is dusty and hot. At the end of the dirt road the FBI has officers working the command and control element, a team of crisis negotiators and investigators who will confirm Harper's identity, and a tactical unit aiming to make the arrest. FBI sources say they are concerned about another \"Ruby Ridge incident.\" In August 1992, more than 400 members of federal and local law enforcement and the military converged on the Idaho hillside where a white separatist, Randy Weaver, lived in a cabin with his family. By the end of the operation, there had been a 12-day siege and a U.S. marshal, Weaver's wife and his 14-year-old son were dead. Ruby Ridge became a rallying cry for right-wing militias, and agents do not want this arrest mission spiraling out of control. Harper subscribes to \"sovereign citizen\" ideology and once claimed to be a member of the Montana Freemen, a group that rejected the authority of the U.S. government, the FBI said. In the end, the arrest of Harper is nothing like Ruby Ridge. He puts up no resistance, no shots are fired and there is no standoff. Harper, now with a heavy beard, shaggy hair and wearing a black patch on his left eye, sits calmly in a government SUV heading back into the system and a county jail in Casper, Wyoming, as authorities begin the process of extraditing him to Mississippi. He has requested a public defender. \"It feels very good that everybody's safe,\" Rankin said as the teams leave the wilderness to head back to base where they can strike a name off their most wanted list." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Accused child-molester Edward Eugene Harper detained in Wyoming .\nFBI snipers, investigators headed into wilderness before dawn to catch him .\nHarper skipped court date in 1994 and had been on the lam since ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Don't tell Brad Pitt who or how to love. Brad Pitt talks about \"soul mate\" Angelina Jolie, life, and fatherhood in Parade magazine. The actor and star of the new film \"Inglourious Basterds\" opened up to Parade magazine about his thoughts on love, marriage and fatherhood. During the candid interview, Pitt showed off a secret area in one of his homes which he said \"is a great place for sex\" and reflected on his early days in Hollywood, which included superstardom and some marijuana. \"I liked to smoke a bit of grass at the time, and I became very sheltered,\" Pitt told Parade. \"Then I got bored. I was turning into a damn doughnut, really.\" These days, Pitt said he's happy with his decision to become a parent with partner Angelina Jolie. The two have six children, all younger than 10: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh and twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox, the latter born last year. \"This family is full of life,\" Pitt said. \"There are laughs, aggravations, irritations, but at the end of the day, it's fun. When life is really good, it's messy.\" Pitt said his life is very different now that he is a dad. \"When I go down a path, I take it to the end,\" he said. \"Then I take another one. I took the path of not having kids, now it's time for family. Children are a dominant value in my life now, and they weren't before.\" He's found a \"soul mate\" in Jolie, Pitt said, but he insisted he meant what he has said in the past about not marrying her. \"When someone asked me why Angie and I don't get married, I replied, 'Maybe we'll get married when it's legal for everyone else,' \" he said. \"I stand by that, although I took a lot of flak for saying it, hate mail from religious groups. I believe everyone should have the same rights.\" Pitt told Parade he takes exception to anyone trying to dictate how someone should live and who they should love. \"Just the other night, I heard this TV reverend say that Angie and I were setting a bad example because we were living out of wedlock, and people should not be duped by us,\" Pitt told the magazine. \"It made me laugh. \"What damn right does anyone have to tell someone else how to live if they're not hurting anyone? How many times do you think real love comes to someone in a lifetime? If you're lucky, maybe two or three.\" People should be able to be happy, Pitt said, and that includes his children. \"Would it bother me if a child of mine turns out to be gay? No, not one bit,\" he said. \"Listen, I want my kids to live the lives they want to live. I want them to be fulfilled. I hope I teach my kids to be who they really are.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Brad Pitt gave a candid interview to Parade magazine .\nSays he stands by not marrying Angelina Jolie until it's \"legal for everyone else\"\nActor says he loves being a father to six children ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- The husband of a woman who authorities say was impaired by marijuana and alcohol when she caused a head-on collision that killed eight people, including herself, has rejected claims of substance abuse by his wife. Daniel Schuler, left, and his attorney, Dominic Barbara, speak at Thursday's news conference. \"I've never seen her drunk since the day I met her,\" Daniel Schuler, referring to his wife, Diane, said Thursday. \"I'm not angry at her. I'd marry her again tomorrow.\" Accompanied by his attorney, Schuler held a news conference to counter claims by authorities, who said Tuesday that Diane Schuler, 36, had a blood alcohol level of 0.19 percent -- more than twice the legal limit for drivers -- and had marijuana in her system when she drove a minivan the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway and ran head-on into an SUV. Three adults in the SUV were killed in the July 26 collision, as were Schuler and four children -- her daughter and three nieces -- who were in the minivan. A fifth child in the minivan, Schuler's son, survived. On Thursday, Dominic Barbara, Daniel Schuler's lawyer, cited a list of medical aliments inflicting Diane Schuler before the crash. She apparently had a tooth abscess for two months, diabetes at \"various levels\" and a mysterious lump on her leg that seemed to move, he said. Watch Daniel Schuler defend his wife » . \"I think she had a stroke,\" said Barbara, who admitted he had no evidence to support his claim. \"And I think from the stroke came all the other issues of what happened.\" The crash happened about 30 miles north of New York after Schuler and the children left a campground where her family had stayed. Barbara said nobody at the camp saw Diane Schuler with alcohol. He said investigators interviewed nine people who spoke with Diane Schuler before she embarked, and those people did not smell marijuana or alcohol on her breath. \"Actually, it was the opposite,\" Barbara said. \"She was happy. She was talking to people.\" Authorities said Tuesday that a broken vodka bottle was found in the minivan after the crash. Barbara said he couldn't explain the bottle, but he said, \"Something had to have happened.\" Daniel Schuler and his lawyer said they have yet to decide on whether they want another autopsy. Jay Schuler, Daniel Schuler's sister, said Thursday that Diane Schuler was reliable and loved children. \"There's no way she'd do this,\" Jay Schuler said. \"She was responsible.\" The statements by Schuler and his attorney differed from the toxicology report released Tuesday by the Westchester County District Attorney's Office. Besides the 0.19 percent blood alcohol level and marijuana, tests showed Diane Schuler had 6 grams of alcohol in her stomach that had yet to be metabolized, according to Maj. William Carey of the New York State Police. Meanwhile, an attorney representing families of two SUV occupants who died in the wreck said a lawsuit is likely. \"If I could prognosticate, it appears that there will be a civil suit,\" said Marshall Nemark, an attorney representing the families of Michael Bastardi and his son, Guy Bastardi, who were killed in the crash along with a friend." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Diane Schuler's husband says she didn't abuse alcohol, drugs .\nAuthorities: Schuler was intoxicated when she caused fatal crash in New York .\nWreck killed eight people, including Schuler, her daughter and three nieces .\nAttorney: No one saw Schuler with alcohol before she began drive ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Taliban militants, who implemented Islamic law in Pakistan's violence-plagued Swat Valley last week, have now taken control of a neighboring district. Protests in Karachi against the creation of sharia courts in Swat Valley. Here are some answers about the Swat Valley, its history and what's taking place there. What is Swat Valley? Swat Valley is located in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, near the border with Afghanistan and about 185 miles (300 kilometers) from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The alpine region once was one of Pakistan's premier tourist destinations, boasting the nation's only ski resort until it was shut down after Taliban militants overran the area. It also was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and those wishing to visit the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area. What's happening in Swat Valley? In recent years Taliban militants unleashed a wave of violence that claimed hundreds of lives in the province. The militants wanted sharia law -- or Islamic law -- imposed in the region. They took over the valley in 2008. The central government of Pakistan, which long exerted little control in the area, launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out the militants. In retaliation, the Taliban carried out a series of deadly attacks and began gaining ground, setting up checkpoints in the area. Has the government intervened? The militants and the Pakistani government reached a peace deal earlier this year, which was recently signed into law by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. Under the deal, sharia law was imposed in the region. While the peace deal drew criticism for the Pakistani government, some analysts and political observers say the government had little choice but to capitulate, as militants have terrorized the region with beheadings, kidnappings and the destruction of schools. What's happening now? This week, the Taliban moved to seize control of the neighboring Buner district, bringing it closer to Islamabad than it has been since Taliban insurgency began. What is sharia law? Sharia law is Islamic law. While there are different interpretations of it, the Taliban's strict interpretation forbids women from being seen in public without their husbands and fathers, requires veils for women and beards for men, and bans music and television. Consequences are severe; during the Taliban struggle to impose sharia law, anyone found disobeying was pinned to the ground and lashed. Others were beheaded and hung from poles, with notices attached to their bodies that anyone daring to remove the corpse before 48 hours had passed would also be beheaded and hanged." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Taliban militants in Pakistan's Swat Valley take control of neighboring Buner district .\nSwat Valley was once one of Pakistan's top tourist attractions .\nMilitants are now closer to Islamabad than any point since start of insurgency ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The father of a Florida girl who has been missing for nearly six months was charged Thursday with burglary with assault, police told CNN. Ronald Cummings was arrested on felony charges of burglary with assault, officials said. Ronald Cummings is being held on $12,500 bond for the felony charges, the Florida Putnam County Sheriff's Office said. There were no other details on his arrest available. Cummings' daughter, Haleigh Cummings, went missing from his home in Satsuma, Florida, on February 9. Cummings has made several public pleas for information about his daughter's disappearance, even begging whoever might be holding her to just return her home. Police have said they think Haleigh was abducted but have provided few details. In March, Cummings married his then-girlfriend Misty Croslin, who was the last person known to have seen the 5-year-old child alive, saying it was what Haleigh would have wanted. Croslin, 17, said she tucked Haleigh and her 4-year-old brother into bed about 8 p.m. the night Haleigh disappeared. Croslin said she went to sleep herself at about 10 p.m. but awoke at 3 a.m. to find Haleigh missing and a back door propped open by bricks. Ronald Cummings called police and reported his daughter missing when he returned from work at dawn. CNN's Maria White and John Couwels contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ronald Cummings is being held on $12,500 bond .\nHe was charged Thursday with burglary with assault .\nDaughter Haleigh Cummings went missing from his home on February 9 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. troops routinely face the threat of roadside bombs while fighting insurgencies in Afghanistan. They need the most protective clothing the market can bear, and they're getting it -- for now. North Carolina State University College of Textiles tests the flammability of different materials at this facility. Back home, a battle is brewing in Congress over the next lucrative contract for military uniforms. The issue boils down to the raw fiber used in their construction. Current uniforms are made in the United States, in Georgia, using a fabric called Defender M made by the TenCate company. It is favored by the military for its fire-resistant and breathable properties. But the fabric is made with a type of rayon imported from Austria, which normally would violate the military's buy-American requirement. This specific rayon cannot be produced in the United States for environmental reasons, so Congress passed an amendment allowing it to be temporarily imported. The extension expires, or \"sunsets,\" in 2013, but that year's defense budget is being determined now. The idea of the sunset is to give U.S. manufacturers time to come up with a comparable product. At stake: a defense contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars. American competitors have submitted alternatives, but after independent testing at North Carolina State University College of Textiles, the Defense Department concluded that TenCate's Defender M -- with its foreign-made fibers -- is the most flame-resistant. Dr. Roger Barker, who specializes in clothing flammability at the College of Textiles, conducted a demonstration for CNN. Based on his testing, the Army says Defender M resists fire the longest of other fabrics. \"What the new heat-resistant materials are able to do is add seconds of protection, so that seconds of protection can be the difference between a severe burn or a survival burn,\" Barker said. \"Life and death,\" echoes Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, regarding those extra seconds of fire protection. He asked the Senate to extend the waiver. \"So long as it's the best available in the world to protect our soldiers, we absolutely ought to maximize the use,\" Isakson told CNN. \"There is no American competitor that can meet or exceed it,\" Isakson said on the Senate floor. \"Obviously if there were, then that waiver would go away.\" The U.S. Army's uniform procurer says soldiers prefer TenCate's product. \"They have consistently exceeded our expectations. This has proven to be a valuable fabric and well-received by our soldiers,\" Jeff Myhre told CNN. In a letter to CNN, a top military official said the ability to procure the foreign rayon \"a valuable authority.\" \"Our periodic review of rayon requirements within the Military Services and testing of alternative items that are available domestically continue to support the determination that satisfactory quality and sufficient quantity of rayon yarn conforming to the domestic source requirements cannot be procured as needed,\" wrote Ashton Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology & logistics. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, opposed Isakson's amendment, debating on the Senate floor that it \"permanently extends this waiver and will end all efforts to produce a domestic material to make military uniforms.\" Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, agrees with Graham that U.S. companies won't have an incentive to invest in research and development. He says the exception was supposed to be temporary, and \"favors foreign suppliers of rayon over our own American companies.\" He argued on the Senate floor that in due time, U.S. companies would be able to demonstrate an ability to manufacture materials that meet Army requirements. He's also worried about jobs. \"Some companies, like DuPont, for example, have already lost hundreds of jobs owing to their inability to compete for Army contracts,\" he said. The Senate voted, and the nays had it. No extension, no more imports of this fabric as of 2013. What next? The House of Representatives is expected to take up the bill when members return from the August recess. Isakson is confident his argument will prevail. \"Facts are stubborn things. I think when the facts get out they'll understand it's the right thing to do. Our armed forces want it and it's the best thing for our soldiers,\" he said. Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Uniforms made in Georgia by TenCate company, using a fabric called Defender M .\nIt is favored by the military for its fire-resistant and breathable properties .\nFabric uses rayon from Austria, which normally violates buy-American requirement .\nAmendment at issue would continue to allow special rayon to be imported ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have confirmed Mark van Bommel as their captain for the new season, with Philipp Lahm named as vice-captain. Bayern Munich captain Van Bommel will be hoping to lift more trophies for the Bavarian giants this season. The Dutch midfielder was given the captain's armband by Jurgen Klinsmann last season after Oliver Kahn retired. However, the arrival of Anatoliy Tymoschuk from Zenit St Petersburg seemed to suggest that Van Bommel's place in the Bayern team was no longer guaranteed, but new coach Louis Van Gaal has decided that his compatriot will indeed be one of the first names on his team sheet next season. \"We have been observing his behavior on and off the field over the last four weeks and the influence he has on the club and on the squad,\" explained Van Gaal's assistant Andries Jonker on Bayern's official Web site. Tymoschuk must now fear for his place in the Bayern team after being told he is only second-choice behind Van Bommel. And, since Van Gaal has made it clear that he wanted to choose a captain who will play every week, Tymoschuk may have to spend much of his first season in Bavaria sitting on the substitutes' bench. \"He cannot play in his best position in our system,\" admitted Van Gaal. \"That is where Van Bommel plays. He could play on the right, but I have chosen Hamit Altintop for there. Every player is compared to his rivals and the coach makes the decisions.\" Meanwhile, Bayern's French midfielder Franck Ribery has been declared fit to resume training after a summer spent battling tendonitis in his knee. Ribery missed the pre-season Audi Cup tournament involving Manchester United, AC Milan and Boca Juniors and is not likely to make Saturday's opening Bundesliga home match against Hoffenheim. But the France international, who was Monday called into his country's squad for the World Cup qualifier with the Faroe Isles in Torshavn on August 12, will be ready to train on Wednesday, ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Bayern Munich confirm Mark van Bommel as their captain for the new season .\nThe Dutchman was given armband by Jurgen Klinsmann after Oliver Kahn quit .\nFranck Ribery declared fit to stary training after battling tendonitis in his knee ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Illinois will become the 17th state on Thursday to ban texting while driving, a safety worry that has caught the attention of the federal government. Texting poses a greater risk than talking or dialing while driving, a study says. Gov. Pat Quinn will sign an amendment to the Illinois Vehicle Code that prohibits writing, sending or receiving text messages while driving, said the governor's spokeswoman, Marlena Jentz. The bill does make texting exceptions for drivers who pull over to text or shift their car into park or neutral to message while stopped in traffic. Illinois will join a growing list of states looking to curb accidents linked to texting. Oregon and New Hampshire banned texting drivers in July, and Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia already have laws in place. Four U.S. senators announced their plan to push for a federal ban on July 29. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the Obama administration will convene a summit to discuss how it can end accidents caused by distracted drivers. Despite the ongoing efforts to address the dangers of texting while driving, studies have not shown whether the laws affect accident rates, said Jonathan Adkins, communications director at the Governor's Highway Safety Association. The nonprofit association comprised of appointees from each state's governor's office has closely followed the texting while driving saga. But Adkins said that because of several factors that potentially play a role in an accident, to know whether texting caused an accident would require a subpoena or an admission by the driver. In New York and New Jersey, the impact has been measured by an increase in driving tickets, but too few states track that data, Adkins said. \"With drunk driving it was important to pass tough laws, but the laws won't really have any effect unless they're enforced and the public knows about it and it's properly adjudicated,\" said Barbara Harsha the association executive director. \"So passing a law isn't the solution, it's only part of it.\" Studies have shown that those who text while driving have an exponentially greater risk of an accident or near accident. A Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study found that truck drivers who texted while driving were 23 times more likely to crash or nearly get into wrecks than undistracted drivers. Compared with dialing, talking, listening or reaching for an electronic device, texting posed the greatest accident risk, the study found -- most likely due to the almost five seconds researchers found the drivers' eyes were off the roadway while texting, said Rich Hanowski, the director of the Center for Truck and Bus Safety at the transportation institute. The focus on texting while driving comes after a some high-profile accidents. In September, a California commuter train engineer missed a stop signal while trading text messages with a friend, leading to a collision with a freight train that killed 25 people, according to federal investigators. A mass-transit accident in Boston, Massachusetts, injured 62 people in May. The operator of a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority trolley was later charged with gross negligence after he admitted he had been texting seconds before the collision with another trolley, according to the Suffolk County district attorney and a National Transportation Safety Board official." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "16 other states, District of Columbia ban texting while driving .\nStudies say texting while driving increases risk of an accident or near accident .\nIt is difficult to measure success of no-texting laws, experts say .\nSenators say they want federal ban on texting while driving ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- An undersea cable plugging east Africa into high speed Internet access went live Thursday, providing an alternative to expensive satellite connections. The cable links southern Africa to Europe and Asia. SEACOM, the cable provider company, opened its 17,000 kilometer submarine cable, capable of 1.28 terabytes per second, allowing the region true connectivity. Most Africans rely on expensive and slow satellite connections, which make the use of applications such as YouTube and Facebook extremely trying. \"This is going to reduce the cost of doing business in Africa, within Africa and with international parties\" said Suveer Ramdhani, SEACOM spokesman in South Africa. \"The cable is as thin as a hair strand, and in one second it can download the same amount of data that 160 people use in a month.\" SEACOM, privately funded and 75 percent African owned, will provide retail carriers with open source access to inexpensive bandwidth. It has taken less than three years to complete the mammoth project, providing landing stations at South Africa, Kenya, Madagascar and other points along the east coast of Africa. But telecoms analyst James Hodge said that some of the more ambitious hopes for the system -- such as impacting the continent's socioeconomic problems -- will be long-term, and that initially it will be those already connected who will see the benefits. The launch was delayed by a month because of increased activity by pirates along parts of the African coast. Security teams were beefed up to protect the slow moving cable layers. Neotel, a South African communications network operator, is the largest SEACOM customer in South Africa and is the country's landing partner, providing both the coastal landing station and Johannesburg data center for the submarine cable. Neotel managing director Ajay Pandey is excited about the opportunities for growth presented by the SEACOM cable. \"With this cable coming in, the pipe size opens up, so more and more people are able to get faster and better connectivity, hopefully at a lower price. It can't be more expensive than what it is today.\" SEACOM Chief Executive Officer Brian Herlihy added: \"Turning the switch 'on' creates a huge anticipation, but ultimately, SEACOM will be judged on the changes that take place on the continent over the coming years.\" South Africa has been hobbled by high costs and extremely slow bandwidth, effectively keeping the country on an information back road rather then the superhighway. There is much anticipation and hope that the cable will ensure Africa keeps up with the developed world in Internet connectivity, providing greater speed, flexibility and, potentially, a complete socioeconomic transformation. Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said in his opening address: \"It's the ultimate embodiment of modernity.\" His speech was beamed via SEACOM from a launch in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to the simultaneous launch in Johannesburg, South Africa." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Undersea SEACOM cable links southern and east Africa to Europe, Asia .\nSystem provides cheaper alternative to satellite connections .\n17,000 km cable capable of 1.28 terabytes per second .\nSEACOM spokesman: This is going to reduce the cost of doing business ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Jeremy Piven is the kind of guy who can make you laugh just by lifting an eyebrow. Jeremy Piven stars as a used car salesman in \"The Goods.\" He says \"Entourage\" would make a great film. Of course, the popular actor can do much more than that to captivate audiences. From drama to comedy, Piven has starred in more than 40 films on the big screen and has won critical acclaim for his role as super agent Ari Gold on HBO's \"Entourage.\" (HBO, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner.) Piven stopped by the CNN.com newsroom to talk with CNN's Nicole Lapin about his new film, \"The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard,\" in which he plays a used car salesman. The following is an edited version of the interview: . CNN: [The movie] was hysterical, and my producer and I were sitting next to each other and we were trying to figure out -- is this like lowbrow, but it's smart, so it's medium-brow? Highbrow comedy? Jeremy Piven: It's a hybrid-brow, or a unibrow. It's from the people who brought you \"Talladega Nights\" and \"Step Brothers\" and \"Anchorman,\" so from the kings of guys who make really smart, low-brow comedies, and I'm just insanely honored to be a part of it. It's like a dream because my fear was that by the time Will [Ferrell] hit the screen that, worst-case scenario, the movie wouldn't be funny enough. So that when Will jumps out of the plane, he takes us to a whole other level -- it's like, \"Oh my God, Will Ferrell is so brilliant.\" But the reality is, the movie was so funny up until that moment that it was really, it was kind of organic, and it sustained it and it was really fantastic. Watch why part of Piven's interview had to be bleeped out » . James Brolin would go home to his wife, Barbra Streisand, at night, and I would say, \"James, is she OK with all this?\" Because he has one of the most twisted roles you've ever seen, as you know -- and I don't want to give it away. He was like, \"Well, the wife is on the fence about this whole thing,\" and she came to a screening and I swear to God, Babs laughed the loudest. CNN: I think that's a tease in itself. That would probably get people to see it. Piven: Yes, I think you're right. The movie is OK'd by Barbra Streisand; she vetted the whole thing. If you would have told me, I would be doing a lead in a movie, and Will Ferrell would have a smaller role in it, I never would have believed you, but I'm here to tell you anything is possible. CNN: Anything is possible, even in some 40 some movies in your career, but this is the first lead in a while, I mean did it take you a while to get into the used car salesman character? Piven: There's a great documentary called \"Slasher\" about car salesmen that I took a look at, and I went to a bunch of lots, and I've also been sold a lot of cars, and I'm what's known as a sucker. As soon as they see me coming in, they know they're going to take my money. So I kind of took that, and I reversed it and I'm no longer a sucker. CNN: Are you going to stick with \"Entourage\"? Piven: Well, I think \"Entourage\" ... this season is the sixth season, and it's I think the most interesting of all of them, and I kind of have the best arc this year. The backstage life of Hollywood is such fertile stuff for our show that I think we could continue on for as long as it stays fresh. CNN: What about a movie? Piven: I think a movie would be really, really fun of \"Entourage.\" I'd love to open it up. I have a bunch of ideas, all that will be turned down, but I have some great ideas." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jeremy Piven plays a used car salesman in movie \"The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard\"\nPiven says he went to a lot of used car lots to research his role .\nHBO series \"Entourage\" will continue on for as long as it stays fresh, Piven says .\n\"I have some great ideas\" for an \"Entourage\" movie, actor says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton landed in North Korea early Tuesday on a mission to negotiate the release of two American journalists imprisoned there since March, according to the country's state news agency and a CNN source. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is shown at an environmental summit in Seoul, South Korea, in May. The North Korean news agency KCNA did not disclose the purpose of the visit in its three-line dispatch. But a source with detailed knowledge of the former president's movements told CNN late Monday that Clinton was going to seek the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, both reporters for California-based Current TV -- media venture launched by Clinton's former vice president, Al Gore. Meeting Clinton were the vice president of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, Yang Hyong Sop, and Kim Kye Gwan, the vice foreign minister, KCNA reported, adding that \"a little girl presented a bouquet to Bill Clinton.\" The women were arrested while reporting on the border between North Korea and China and sentenced in June to 12 years in prison on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign. Since the United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, efforts to resolve the issue so far have been handled through Sweden, which represents U.S. interests in the reclusive communist state. Watch what may lie behind the pick of Bill Clinton » . Last month, Clinton's wife -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- said the Obama administration had dropped its request for Ling and Lee to be released on humanitarian grounds and instead was seeking amnesty, which implies forgiveness for an offense. This change in language is an important distinction that could move North Korea to release the women without feeling that its legal system has been slighted, according to analyst Mike Chinoy. \"I suspect that it was made pretty clear in advance that Bill Clinton would be able to return with these two women otherwise it would be a terrible loss of face for him,\" said Chinoy, an Edgerton Senior Fellow on Asia at the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles. \"The bigger, broader and more important question is what else could be on the agenda. Will Clinton be carrying a letter from Barack Obama for the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il? Will he meet Kim Jong Il?\" Clinton's mission comes as the United States and its allies in the region are trying to push North Korea back into stalled nuclear disarmament talks. North Korea conducted a nuclear bomb test, its second, in May, and has conducted several missile tests since then. The United Nations responded by tightening and expanding sanctions on the North. The two nations were on opposite sides in the 1950-1953 Korean War and had no regular contacts before a 1994 crisis over North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea agreed at that time to halt the development of nuclear weapons, but abandoned that accord and withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003. Clinton had considered visiting North Korea in 2000 near the end of his second term as president. His secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, had gone to Pyongyang in early 2000 to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il -- now widely reported to be ill. CNN's Charlie Moore contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Signs point to Clinton being able to win amnesty for reporters, Chinoy says .\nReporters Ling and Lee work for Gore's Current TV .\nThe United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea .\nBill Clinton visit comes amid North Korean impasse over its nuclear program ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Sri Lanka's government said Monday its forces had killed Tamil rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran as he attempted to flee, according to the country's state-run news agency. The Sri Lankan government says Tamil chief Velupillai Prabhakaran is dead. The Tamil rebel group, formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is aware of the government's report but has yet to confirm Prabhakaran's death or the deaths of its other leaders, according to a posting on the pro-rebel Web site, Tamilnet.com. It said \"initial reports indicate a determined massacre by the Sri Lanka Army.\" Prabhakaran was one of 19 senior LTTE leaders that the government has identified among the bodies found as its troops completed mop-up operations after routing the Tigers, the defense ministry said. The leaders include Prabhakaran's eldest son, Charles Anthony, as well as Pottu Amman, LTTE's intelligence leader, according to the ministry. Prabhakaran founded the rebel group, which has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries. It pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks and, according to the FBI, invented the explosive suicide belt. It was also behind the assassination of two world leaders -- the only terrorist organization to do so. Watch more on the possible end of fighting » . Prabhakaran is accused of masterminding the killing of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 in the Tamil-dominated Indian state of Tami Nadu as he campaigned for a second term. Sri Lankan authorities allege that Prabhakaran was avenging Gandhi's decision to send Indian peacekeepers to Sri Lanka. Two years later a Tigers suicide bomber, allegedly acting under Prabhakaran's orders, detonated explosives that killed Sri Lanka's then-president, Ranasinghe Premadasa, during a rally. Over the weekend, the militants offered to \"silence\" their guns after an intense military offensive decimated their ranks, pushed them from their stronghold in the north and east of the country, and cornered the remaining rebels on a small stretch of land. If the rebels honor their pledge, it would potentially mark the end of the longest-running civil war in Asia. Prabhakaran's supporters considered him a hero with a single-minded focus -- to fight for the rights of his people. The Sri Lankan government deemed him a war criminal with a disregard for civilian casualties. He was wanted by Interpol on charges including terrorism and organized crime. In the past it has been reported he wore a cyanide capsule around his neck -- to swallow and kill himself rather than risk capture. And he reportedly expected the same dedication from his troops. As a result, few Tigers have been captured alive. Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to announce that \"military operations\" against the Tiger rebels have ended in an address to parliament and country on Tuesday. Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka » . The rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since July 1983. Journalist Iqbal Athas contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sri Lankan government says Tamil chief Velupillai Prabhakaran is dead .\nThe offensive against the rebel group is in its last stages, the government says .\nRebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils since 1983 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- With hundreds of protesters gathering and riot police out in force on the streets of Tehran, hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took the oath of office Wednesday, beginning a second term in a bitterly divided Iran. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in Wednesday as Iran's president. He begins his second term. Ahmadinejad, 52, was formally sworn in before Iran's parliament, known as the Majlis, as security forces guarded the building and nearby streets in anticipation of protests. Witnesses reported a heavy police presence -- including members of the pro-government Basij militia -- and several choppers hovering overhead. Some reported protesters, many of them women, sitting in front of the parliament building's entrance. As discontent surfaced yet again, Ahmadinejad vowed to take Iran forward and flung sharp words at those who questioned the validity of the June 12 elections, in which he was declared the winner with almost two-thirds of the vote. He took particular aim at the United States, Britain, France, Italy and Germany, which have not sent formal letters of congratulations to Ahmadinejad. \"They said they would recognize the election, but will not congratulate,\" Ahmadinejad said in his inaugural speech. \"This means they only want democracy at the service of their interests and don't respect the people's vote and rights. \"Nobody in Iran is waiting for anyone's congratulations,\" he said. What's next for Iran? » . Asked Tuesday whether the White House recognizes Ahmadinejad as the rightful leader of Iran, press secretary Robert Gibbs said, \"He's the elected leader.\" Gibbs expanded on that comment Wednesday, telling reporters \"It's not for me or for us to denote his legitimacy, except to acknowledge the fact.\" \"Whether any election was fair, obviously the Iranian people still have questions about that, and we'll let them decide that,\" Gibbs said. \"But I would simply say he's been inaugurated, and we know that is simply a fact.\" The United States and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since 1980. Britain has maintained ties, but has criticized the Iranian crackdown on protests that followed the disputed election and has not issued a statement of congratulation to Ahmadinejad. However, the British ambassador to Tehran did attend the ceremony, and the Foreign Office in London said the international community still needs to engage Iran on \"serious issues,\" such as its nuclear program. \"While we need to engage with Iran's government, today's ceremony does not change our position on Iran's elections,\" the Foreign Office said. Among others attending Wednesday's ceremony were Iran's top lawmakers, the heads of the three branches of government, the secretary of the Guardian Council and foreign diplomats. But as the camera of the semi-official Press TV panned the hall, an unprecedented number of empty seats were visible. It was unclear whether opposition leaders were boycotting the inauguration. Ahmadinejad struck a note of unity in his attempt to move Iran forward, saying \"Who has voted for whom -- this is not the question. Today we need a national resolve. Today we need to join forces.\" He vowed to promote religion and morality, and support righteousness and spread justice. \"I will guard the power that the people have entrusted in me as the sacred trust,\" Ahmadinejad said. \"I will safeguard it like an honest and faithful trustee.\" Ahmadinejad, however, starts another four years in office with many Iranians questioning his legitimacy. The results of the June 12 election were widely disputed; Ahmadinejad's chief rival, reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi called the elections a \"fraud.\" Since the vote, Iran has seen turmoil not witnessed since the 1979 Islamic revolution as thousands have taken to the streets to protest and security forces have brutally cracked down. Analyst Amir Taheri told CNN Wednesday that Ahmadinejad's second term will be closely watched around the world. Taheri said the freshly inaugurated president faces myriad challenges in his second term, among them a faltering economy and a burgeoning popular movement favoring reform. \"He has to worry a lot about the opposition,\" Taheri said. Iran says about 30 people have been killed in the post-election violence. Among those who were arrested, 110 are facing trial, according to Iranian media reports. Under Iran's constitution, the incoming president must receive the supreme leader's approval before being sworn into office. On Monday, after Ayatollah Ali Khameini gave that endorsement to Ahmadinejad, hundreds of Iranians again demonstrated in the Iranian capital. Witnesses and sources said the crowds marched on the sidewalks around Vannak Square and Vali Asr Avenue, under the watchful eye of hundreds of Iranian security forces. Some chanted \"Death to the dictator,\" while others said \"God is great.\" International media outlets, including CNN, have been restricted in their coverage of Iran in the aftermath of the elections." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins a second term as Iran's president .\nThe results of the June 12 election were widely disputed, sparking violent protests .\nSince the vote, Iran has seen turmoil not witnessed since the 1979 Islamic revolution ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Lets face it: All the information around cholesterol makes it something of a confusing topic. Not only do we make our own cholesterol, but we also must have it to produce other important body assets, such as cell membranes and certain types of hormones. \"Good\" cholesterol vs. \"bad\" cholesterol and all the associated numbers can be confusing. So it's a bodily must-have. But we also augment that inner cholesterol machine by eating foods high in saturated fats such as whole dairy products and red meats and probably half the offerings at any fast-food spot. Add to that the fact many people simply overproduce or underproduce cholesterol because of their genes -- and that is just the beginning of the conundrum over cholesterol. But while many can't quite wrap their brain around it, the reality is many of us are affected by it, and not in a good way. According to the American Heart Association, almost half the adult female population in the United States suffers from high cholesterol. Add in the good vs. bad cholesterol and all the different numbers for the different levels and it starts making my head spin. Fortunately I was able to speak with two very smart cardiologists for guidance. Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologist in New York, set me straight. She explains it's all about the balance. \"Cholesterol is an important substance and has many benefits for our bodies, but only a set amount keeps your body in a nice situation.\" Our bodies make the good and the bad kind of cholesterol, and according to Goldberg, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association's \"Go Red for Women\" campaign, they are pretty efficient machines. \"The system is set up so that the HDL high density lipoproteins, or artery-cleaning or 'good' cholesterol, cleans out the LDL low density lipoproteins, or 'bad' cholesterol,\" she explains. So, basically the good ushers out the bad by dragging it to the liver, and the liver gets rid of it. But when the bad outweighs the good, that's when the trouble begins. Dr. Nanette Wenger, chief cardiologist at Atlanta's Grady hospital, paints a cheery picture for us. \"Cholesterol is this fatty gruelly substance that builds up in the arteries, and when those obstructions have high levels of fat they are much more likely to burst.\" OK, got it: Buildup bad, burst worse! According to the American Heart Association, the bad cholesterol, with a little help from some other substances in your body, join together and form a united front (that is, a hard deposit inside your arteries) that could block the flow of blood to the heart, causing a heart attack. Or it could block the flow to the brain, causing a stroke. So, it seems that bully bad cholesterol really needs to be shut down. Health for Her: Watch to learn more about cholesterol in women » . But how do you do that? First you have to be informed. Wenger says, \"I've always said that women should know three numbers and there are so many numbers tossed around I think all of us can get confused. But I want my women patients to remember three numbers: 50, 100 and 150. Fifty is the good cholesterol, the HDL -- that should be above 50. One hundred is the LDL, the bad cholesterol. And 150 is the triglycerides, another blood fat, and your triglycerides should be below 150. So be sure that your physician tells you your numbers. If they are fine, do what you do to keep them fine, and if they are abnormal, work with your doctor to change them.\" The first two steps, says Goldberg, are about changing your lifestyle. \"You have to adopt a healthy diet and you have to exercise,\" she says. \"People with mild cholesterol problems can usually bring their numbers down just by doing those two things. Exercise is one of the most effective measures for raising good cholesterol.\" A low-fat diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids -- found in foods Including salmon, walnuts and flax seeds -- is also a good bet for boosting the good stuff. However, sometimes that is not enough. Wenger says, \"Some people have genetic predispositions and have very abnormal cholesterol. Some just make more cholesterol than others, so if your cholesterol is high, it is not that you are a failure. It's that your lifestyle interventions have not been adequate to get cholesterol to the levels we want.\" Sometimes, if warranted, those lifestyle changes need to be helped with medicine. But, cautions Goldberg, \"I've said to my patients, medications alone can't do everything. They need to help themselves by modifying their lifestyles with a low-fat diet and exercise, less stress, more sleep,\" all things that we know will keep us healthier longer. So, while in the beginning the cholesterol issue was a conundrum, in the end it's really a simple story about equipping the good to fight the bad (on a molecular level) and making the right choices so my blood won't get held back on its travels through my veins. OK, that I get! E-mail to a friend ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Heart association: Almost half U.S. adult females suffer from high cholesterol .\nMild cholesterol problems can usually be controlled through diet and exercise .\nPeople who have genetic predispositions to higher cholesterol may also need meds ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A human rights group urged Burundi to reverse a law that makes homosexuality illegal, saying it risks worsening the harsh treatment of gays in the eastern Africa nation. In March, people in Burundi demonstrate in favor of a measure banning homosexuality. It became law in April. The new law makes \"sexual relations with persons of the same sex\" illegal and punishable by up to two years in prison, Human Rights Watch said in a recently released report. It was enacted just as the gay, lesbian and transgender community had started to mobilize and call for equal treatment, according to the organization. \"The government needs to listen to these voices to understand the harm it is doing to Burundians with its state-sanctioned discrimination,\" said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director for Human Rights Watch. \"The government should rescind this law and instead work to promote equality and understanding.\" Before the law, which was passed in April, some gays and lesbians already faced significant discrimination in Burundi, according to the organization. Some had lost their jobs, others were beaten by parents and local youths, and others were evicted, according to the Human Rights Watch report, which cited accounts by the victims. Numerous attempts to reach government officials were unsuccessful. Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in the region, including in nearby Kenya and Uganda, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism. Most African nations have revised those laws to include consensual sex among gay and lesbian couples and made the punishments tougher, according to Human Rights Watch. \"Half the world's countries that criminalize homosexual conduct do so because they cling to Victorian morality and colonial laws,\" said Scott Long, director of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights program for Human Rights Watch. \"Getting rid of these unjust remnants of the British empire is long overdue.\" The role religion plays in Africa has a lot to do with the ban, others say. \"It is wrong from a biblical standpoint, and most African countries are governed based on religious beliefs,\" said Olatunde Ogunyemi, a professor in Grambling, Louisiana. \"Christianity and Islam are the dominant religions in the continent, and in some cases, constitutions are based on religion, which justifies making it illegal.\" South Africa's post-apartheid constitution bans discrimination against gays -- the first in Africa to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Homosexuality is also illegal in other countries, including Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, according to Human Rights Watch." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Human Rights Watch fears new law risks worsening harsh treatment of gays .\nIn eastern African nation, jail time for homosexual acts could be up to two years .\nHomosexuality is illegal in most countries in region, including Kenya and Uganda .\nSouth Africa's constitution bans discrimination based on sexual orientation ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- At least 441 people have died in floods in India from this season's monsoon rains, federal authorities said in their latest report. An Indian child plays in a flooded street in Mumbai earlier this month. Flooding has affected more than 1.5 million people in parts of India, said the disaster management division of the federal home ministry. The country's main weather office has warned of more heavy rain in western and central parts of India. Monsoon rains sweep across the subcontinent from June till September. Though they bring much-needed relief to often-parched farmlands, they also leave a trail of landslides, home collapses and floods that can kill. In neighboring Pakistan, torrential monsoon rains left more than three dozen people dead and broke a 32-year record over the weekend. CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "7 die as bus carrying 40 passengers sinks in overflowing canal in eastern India .\n7-year-old girl and her mother among the dead .\nBus driver ignored warnings from his passengers about flooding in canal ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Federal, state and municipal agencies staged an elaborate drill in the waters off New York City on Tuesday to prepare for the possibility of a nuclear or dirty-bomb attack from the water. A U.S. Coast Guard vessel passes a container ship in New York Harbor as part of Tuesday's terror drill. \"We're a big city, and there are vulnerabilities,\" said Ray Kelly, commissioner of the New York Police Department. Agencies involved in Tuesday's test emphasized they did not undertake it because of a specific threat against the city. However, Kelly said the city was taking no chances after a proclamation years ago by Osama bin Laden. \"We do know that Osama bin Laden several years ago obtained a fatwah to use nuclear weapons, and our goal is to make certain that that fatwah does not come to fruition,\" he said. In addition to increasing various agencies' preparedness for a seaborne radiological attack, Kelly said Tuesday's well-publicized drill was meant to deter those who would perpetrate such an attack. \"It pays to advertise to a certain extent. We want anyone who would do us harm to know that we're out there, that we have the capability to detect,\" Kelly said. Eight government agencies participated in the drill, ranging from the NYPD to the U.S. Coast Guard. The exercise took place at the entrance of New York Harbor, just south of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge linking Staten Island to Brooklyn. Per the drill's plan, eight boats were to cross a checkpoint set up by authorities. They were on the lookout for abnormally high concentrations of radioactivity -- a telltale sign of an improvised nuclear device or a radiological dispersal device, more familiarly known as a dirty bomb. Some of the boats were decoys with no radioactive substances aboard, while others had actual radioactive isotopes planted in them. A radioactivity detector in the hull of the authorities' boats was to identify which vessels had radioactive substances in them. The devices are highly sensitive -- so much so that people who have recently had certain medical treatments can set them off. It was up to the authorities participating in the drill to sort the good boats from the bad -- and to intercept the bad. Only minutes into the six-hour exercise, equipment aboard a police boat detected radioactivity within a small white pleasure craft passing through the checkpoint. Two patrol vessels then converged on the pleasure craft, while officials began to question the driver and his two passengers. Soon after, authorities boarded the boat and used a radiation detector, officially known as a radiological isotope identification detector, to produce a \"spectrum\" of the radiological material. They then transmitted the spectrum to the Department of Homeland Security's Joint Analysis Center (JAC) in Washington to determine precisely what radiological material was aboard the boat. Within moments, the JAC radioed back with a positive identification: Caesium-137, an industrial radioactive isotope that if used in large enough quantities could power a devastating dirty bomb. Sure enough, when a separate boat containing press and police officers sidled up to the apprehended craft soon afterward, the portable radioactivity detectors of officers onboard began to sound excitedly. NYPD Sgt. Art Mogil said that, in part, the agencies chose to practice on leisure craft to illustrate that radiological weapons could be transported in deceptively benign-looking boats. \"It doesn't require a large vessel. A device can be just a few pounds and still be a major threat,\" Mogil said. James Waters, counterterrorism chief for the NYPD, said exercises like Tuesday's were vital because the stakes involved are so high. \"Someone bringing in a radiological or nuclear device would be very serious if not catastrophic,\" he said. On an average day, not all incoming maritime traffic in New York City is subjected to the radioactivity tests performed at Tuesday's drill. An NYPD official declined to specify what percentage of boats normally undergo such screening." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly: \"We're a big city, and there are vulnerabilities\"\nParticipating agencies stressed that the drill was not in response to a specific threat .\nAuthorities were to decipher sinister intent from any of eight boats in waterway .\nThey were on lookout for abnormally high concentrations of radioactivity ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The music isn't new, but the discovery that a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart \"almost certainly\" composed it is a stunning revelation. A researcher in Austria says the works were probably transcribed by Mozart's father, as young Mozart played. The two compositions -- a concerto in G and a prelude in G -- have long been in the files at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, Austria, as anonymous works and were even published in the book \"New Mozart Edition\" in 1982. Now Ulrich Leisinger, director of the foundation's research department, believes the works actually were composed by Mozart before he was old enough to write music, and that Mozart's father, Leopold, transcribed them. The foundation said in a statement that Leisinger analyzed the handwriting and other \"stylistic criteria\" to determine the music was \"almost certainly unknown compositions by\" the young Mozart. The compositions were found in a book, compiled by Mozart's father, that was used for practice and the musical education of both Mozart and his sister, according to the statement. Leisinger's analyses \"support the claim that they were actually composed by the young Mozart, who was not yet versed in musical notation, and transcribed by his father as the boy played the works at the keyboard,\" the statement said. Jeffrey Kimpton, president of the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, called the works \"a remarkable historical find.\" He said Leopold Mozart transcribed his son's early works as a way of preserving them. \"When parents go to a piano recital of an early student, a young student, who's playing for the first time, they get a video tape, they get a DVD, that's a way of recording it,\" Kimpton said. \"I think what's exciting is that Mozart's father wanted to preserve this incredible genius. The young boy at this time didn't know how to write music, but he sure could play it. It's like a family photo or video album.\" Finding such historical treasures is like detective work, Kimpton said. \"You're kind of putting together a DNA picture,\" he said. \"This particular museum has hundreds of manuscripts. Over time as you learn more and more by various scholars working on this, you might turn the page and you may have looked at it a hundred times before but suddenly begin to see some things or understand some things that make some sense.\" Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756 and started composing when he was 5 years old. By the time of his death in 1791, he had written more than 600 pieces of music." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Researcher: Two pieces likely composed by Mozart before he could write music .\nMozart's father probably transcribed the music, researcher says .\nCompositions have long been known but as anonymous works .\nPieces were in book compiled by Mozart's father ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BEIJING, China (CNN) -- For years, doctors and patients have been using DNA analysis to diagnose anything from paternity to predisposition to inherited disease. Now, Chinese scientists say genetic testing can identify inherent \"talents\" as well. The results can reveal athletic or musical talents but cannot necessarily identify the next Yao Ming. By examining the DNA from a simple cheek swab, scientists at Shanghai Biochip Co., one of China's largest biotechnology companies, say they can uncover a person's natural strengths and weaknesses with 99 percent accuracy. They test eleven genes that they say correspond to memory, swiftness, thinking, comprehension, emotion, adventure, braveness, focus ability, perseverance, vigor and physical strength. According to the company, specific combinations of the genes can reveal whether someone is genetically predisposed to being highly intelligent, athletic, musical and more. In the case of memory, the scientists examine the gene known as BDNF, the Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor gene. Research by America's National Institute of Health suggests that different variants of the BDNF gene correspond to different competences in episodic memory (the ability to recall recent events) as well as different activity-levels in the hippocampus (the area of the brain that mediates memory). See photos of the children's summer camp in China where such testing occurs » . Each person has one of three possible BDNF variants: AA, AG and GG. Each variant or base pair refers to the two gene components that make up each gene on the DNA's double helix. Most people have the GG variant, which indicates \"normal\" memory. Fewer people have the AG base pair, which corresponds to \"above average\" memory. AA is the rarest and strongest type of memory gene variant. \"The AA genotype is the best in memory. (Someone with an AA pairing) will learn something easy and remember the result longer than others can,\" said Yang Yanqing, the lab's technical director. Once lab technicians determine the base pairs for each of the eleven talent genes, specialists draw conclusions about a person's broader characteristics and even make career recommendations based a person's talent level in each of the eleven categories. \"This child is very thoughtful and focused,\" Shanghai Biochip's Healthcare Director Huang Xinhua explained while looking over a girl's test results. \"I suggest she go into management.\" Although the results can also reveal athletic or musical talents, genetic testing will not necessarily be able to identify the next Yao Ming or Yo-Yo Ma. DNA analysis only provides an indication of someone's talent potential, not their realized skill-level, the scientists say. \"It's not like genes decide everything. Genes just decide 30 to 60 percent. The rest is post-natal. A child's upbringing, nutrition, and education are all very much related,\" said Huang. Still for many Chinese parents, it is worth knowing that extra 30 to 60 percent more about their child. The lab, which conducts many other types of DNA tests, has seen a surge in the demand for genetic talent tests, most of the requests come from parents on behalf of their children. In a country where, by law, most couples can only have one child, parents seem to be turning to biotechnology to ensure their only child reaches his or her full potential." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Scientists at Shanghai Biochip Co. say they can uncover a person's natural strengths .\nThey do so by examining the DNA from a simple cheek swab .\nThey test eleven genes that they say correspond to certain traits .\nSpecific combinations of the genes can reveal predispositions for certain skills ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. His new book, \"Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security -- From World War II to the War on Terrorism,\" will be published this fall by Basic Books. Zelizer writes widely about current events. Julian Zelizer says Medicare is a case of government playing a positive role in health care. PRINCETON, New Jersey (CNN) -- Health care reform has gotten off track. The president's news conference fell flat. Polls show growing unease with the proposals currently in play. And Congress will not meet the deadline that President Obama imposed. The status quo, as the president correctly explained to reporters, is not sustainable. Our health care system is not working. Millions of people lack insurance, costs are out of control, businesses and workers are struggling to keep up with premiums, and there are tremendous inefficiencies plaguing many parts of the system. Conditions will only become worse in coming years. Our health care system brings to mind the economist Herbert Stein's famous maxim: \"When something can't go on forever, it will stop.\" When Congress returns in September, Obama will only be able to revitalize the prospects for health care reform if he offers Americans a stronger argument about what government can do to improve this situation. After years of being in the opposition, Democrats are still scared about defending the value of government. Their political nerves have been exacerbated by polls showing the public is growing increasingly concerned about the size of government spending. This reticence about government, in the aftermath of the Democrats' dramatic 2008 election victory, has been one of the most striking aspects of the administration's rhetoric in the past few months. Before the 1970s, Democrats were full of confidence when pushing for federal programs. Indeed, 44 years ago this week, on July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the legislation that created Medicare and Medicaid. The event took place at Harry Truman's presidential library in Independence, Missouri. Sitting beside the 81-year-old former president, Johnson announced: \"No longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine. No longer will illness crush and destroy the savings that they have so carefully put away over a lifetime so that they might enjoy dignity in their later years.\" The program succeeded. Government worked. Before Medicare started, only about 50 percent of Americans who were 65 or older possessed hospital coverage. Within five years of the program's creation, 97 percent of the elderly had hospital coverage. The same changes occurred with physician's coverage. Today, more than 40 million elderly Americans rely on the program -- as do their families who don't have to take responsibility for these costs. Besides expanding coverage, Medicare has become instrumental to the health care industry. For all the complaints that we hear about Medicare, the reality is that most hospitals and doctors have come to depend on these federal payments into their system. Those who want to keep government \"out\" of the industry rarely acknowledge that government is already \"in.\" While doctors were at the forefront of the campaign against Medicare, they turned out to be among the program's biggest beneficiaries. As political scientist Jonathan Oberlander told Slate about the industry, \"If they'd known how well they were going to do, they wouldn't have spent all those years opposing it. They would have said, 'Please pass this.' \" Medicare has also been able to accomplish the impossible: compel hospitals to change the way in which they charge for care. While policymakers had originally allowed hospitals to charge \"reasonable costs\" to the program, reforms in 1983 created the Prospective Payment System. Rather than paying hospitals for each patient they took care of, Medicare paid hospitals a fixed amount of money. The change resulted in significant cost reductions. Most recently, in Massachusetts, state policymakers have observed that the existence of a strong government program has created an opportunity to achieve such cost measures at the state level. And finally, Medicare has proven to be more popular than private insurance programs. So, for all the talk about hating big government, the big government seems to be doing something right, according to numerous polls. According to a Kaiser poll, 68 percent of respondents said they believed the Medicare program would put \"your interests above their own\" compared to 48 percent for private insurance. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported that more than 70 percent of Medicare fee-for-service recipients were satisfied with their access to care, in contrast to those on private insurance, where only 51 percent felt they could always obtain what they needed. Certainly, Medicare has been far from perfect. The program has not been good at innovation. When Congress added catastrophic medical coverage to Medicare in 1988, legislators were forced to retreat and repeal the plan in 1989 after encountering a political backlash. Congress added prescription drug benefits to Medicare, but not until 2003. Medicare has also become an enormously expensive part of the federal budget, requiring significant increases in payroll taxes while squeezing discretionary spending for other policies. All in all, however, Medicare has done pretty well for this country. It remains the best argument President Obama can make in response to his critics. Of course, arguments were not all that LBJ relied on. Johnson was willing to make key compromises on the legislation, such as originally allowing hospitals to determine charges and sitting back as Ways and Means Chairman Wilbur Mills -- who had opposed the proposal for several years -- redrafted the measure in the final weeks and then publicly claimed credit for the outcome. Johnson was also willing to strong-arm members of his own party who were on the fence about the bill. But in the end, the key to Medicare was not politicking but a compelling belief that government could play a positive role in this country and in our health care system. As policymakers enter into the final rounds of this debate, they would do well to look carefully at the program that Lyndon Johnson signed into law in July 1965 and see just what Washington, despite all the knocks it takes, can provide. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Zelizer: Democrats nervous about expanding government role in health care .\nHe says Medicare is a strong case of government positively affecting health care .\nHe says recipients rate Medicare more highly than private insurance .\nZelizer: Today 40 million Americans rely on the program, along with their families ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Hundreds of excited music fans wait in line, on the lookout for their favorite singers on a hit television show. Elaha Sorur was the lone female finalist on this season's \"Afghan Star.\" Just a few years ago, television and some music was banned in Afghanistan. Instead of spending the time outside a New York venue or Hollywood soundstage, though, these fans braved barbed wire and gun-toting guards in Kabul to attend Afghanistan's premier pop music event: the finals of \"Afghan Star,\" the embattled country's answer to \"American Idol.\" In line, bright mod outfits have replaced Kabul's normally conservative dress code. Onstage, men sport the latest styles. And on TV screens, a country's new battle between traditional and pop culture plays out. \"For the young generation,\" says one fan in line, \"it's very important to be cool, with a cool mind.\" Inside the concert hall, Jahid Mohseni, a 38-year-old Afghan-Australian media mogul, tries to manage the chaos he's created. Singers, child acrobats and TV technicians all compete to get his attention before the start of Afghanistan's biggest night of television. Mohseni, who started the country's top television network, Tolo TV, says he's just trying to revive Afghan culture after the fallow Taliban era, when music and television were banned. Watch performances on \"Afghan Star\" » . \"Yes, we are promoting social change, but we cannot push Afghan society where it doesn't want to go. This is a commercial enterprise, and it's reflecting what people want,\" Mohseni said. In Afghanistan, more than 60 percent of the population is younger than 25, and judging by the popularity of \"Afghan Star,\" \"they're like people everywhere. They're not from Mars,\" Mohseni said. At the fourth-season finals this year, the audience included those who sat quietly as well as those who loudly cheered for contestants including Naweed Forugh (who would be named the \"Afghan Star\" winner), Naweed Sabirpur, Mehran Gulzar and Elaha Sorur, the lone female finalist. \"Art is in the blood of Afghans and has been for centuries, and it is still,\" Sorur said. \"During the years of fighting, the people haven't been able to use their artistry, but with time, it will get better and better. Afghanistan and the people of Afghanistan are ready for a change.\" But not everyone is happy with Mohseni's programming choices. Afghanistan's guardians of Islamic values, the Ulema Council, protested that \"Afghan Star\" and Tolo TV's popular Indian soap operas were not part of Afghan culture. Afghanistan's minister for information and culture even tried to stop the soap operas in court, claiming that it was a question of national security. Mohseni pointed out that Afghanistan is sandwiched between two powerful neighbors: India, with a population of 1.1 billion, and Iran, with almost 70 million people (compared with Afghanistan's estimated 34 million). \"You just have to sit down with your critics and explain that if we don't have Afghan music and entertainment, Bollywood will take over,\" he said. \"We're just trying to hold our own in the middle of what is effectively a cultural war.\" That culture war can be seen on Tolo TV. After meeting with the Ulema Council, Mohseni dreamed up another reality show called \"Tartil,\" or \"Koran Star.\" The three finalists were quizzed by religious authorities and judged on how well they've memorized passages from the Quran, Islam's holy book. There were no wild ovations when the winner was announced, but the finale still produced a bombshell: The winner was a shy 16-year-old schoolgirl named Uzra Mohamedi, who accepted the oversized $3,500 check without cracking a smile and while dressed in a traditional black veil. Other TV programming in Afghanistan includes state-run news and lifestyle shows, a popular local-produced drama about an extended Afghan family, a sketch comedy show -- and the hit Kiefer Sutherland show \"24.\" Mohseni says that \"Afghan Star\" pushes his country forward in subtle ways, for instance teaching a few valuable lessons in democracy. Winners are picked by fans who can vote on their mobile phones -- one Sim card, one vote. In previous elimination rounds, losers sometimes stormed off the set, refusing to accept defeat. But now they thank their supporters and graciously congratulate the winners. \"This is the educational component of our show, and hopefully it'll rub off on our politicians,\" Mohseni said. To coincide with Afghanistan's presidential elections in August, Mohseni created a reality show called \"The Candidate\" as a way to encourage a more robust political debate. Six young Afghans face off in mock presidential debates and compete in American-style election campaigns. In the future, Mohseni hopes the direction of Afghan culture will be decided democratically, without traditionalists imposing values by force or government edicts. Either way, Tolo TV has an avid audience: According to Mohseni, the finals of both \"Afghan Star\" and \"Koran Star\" won their nights' ratings races, easily beating the competition." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Afghan Star\" is Afghanistan's version of \"American Idol\"\nThe show, one of Afghanistan's most popular, has completed its fourth season .\n\"Koran Star\" judges contestants' knowledge of Islam's holy book .\nMany see TV programming as a culture war inside the country ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee told Ling's sister they were treated humanely in North Korea, and they believe they weren't sent to hard-labor camps because they have medical conditions, Lisa Ling said Friday. Lisa Ling, left, and her sister, Laura, center, speak to their father Wednesday after Laura arrived in California. The sister, speaking on CNN's \"American Morning,\" did not elaborate on the medical conditions, but said her sister will soon tell her story. \"Laura is eager to tell the story about what happened. I want to let her do so, but right now, she's really getting reacclimated. The processes are slow. She's very, very weak,\" Lisa Ling said, adding that the stories she's heard so far are \"jaw-dropping.\" Laura Ling and Lee were working for California-based Current TV, a media venture of former Vice President Al Gore, when they were arrested in March for crossing the border between China and North Korea. Watch Lisa Ling share her sister's story » . Lisa Ling said that before they left the United States, the pair never intended to cross into North Korea. They have acknowledged that they briefly did, however, and they were convicted of entering the country illegally to conduct a \"smear campaign\" against the reclusive Communist state. They were sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labor. North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il, pardoned the women Tuesday after meeting with former President Bill Clinton. They arrived home the following day. Lisa Ling said her sister was allowed to call the family on four occasions during her five months in captivity. On the last call, Laura Ling specifically requested that Clinton intervene. \"She said that in her opinion -- quote, unquote -- it would have to be President Clinton. It could only be President Clinton to secure the release of herself and Euna. We immediately jumped into action and alerted Vice President Gore,\" Lisa Ling said. When their release was secured, they promptly boarded a plane home. Clinton wanted them to rest because they were clearly tired, \"but the two of them were chatting away and comparing their experiences,\" Lisa Ling said. Laura Ling and Lee went to see doctors Thursday, the sister added. Laura Ling is \"doing well,\" and Lee is \"skinny,\" Lisa Ling said, joking that her mother tried to force-feed Lee on Thursday \"because she's just become so diminutive.\" The women also are slowly working to assimilate to their freedom. They were kept at opposite ends of the same North Korean detention facility, and though Laura Ling had two guards in her room at all times, she would sometimes go weeks without talking to anyone. Watch as Lisa Ling describes the pair's condition » . \"So even communicating is a challenge because she sometimes yesterday was even having a hard time getting full sentences out, so it's a slow adjustment,\" Lisa Ling said. On Thursday, Lisa Ling told CNN that her sister was \"incredibly emotional\" and didn't want to be left alone after months of \"relative isolation.\" \"Yesterday, she was so exhausted and she wanted to take a quick nap. She kept asking me: 'Are you going to be here when I come back?' \" the sister said Thursday. Emotions have run high in Lee's home as well, Lisa Ling said. Watch the journalists' family reunions » . \"I hear from Euna's husband, Michael, that Hana, their 4-year-old daughter, has not wanted her mother to leave her sight,\" she said. \"She just keeps following her around from room to room because she doesn't want her mom to leave.\" Lee and her husband went to Laura Ling's house Thursday night for their first pizza since being released, Lisa Ling said Friday. \"The thing that was so wonderful to see was little Hana,\" she said. \"I have never seen her so happy, and we all sort of remarked that it was just a beautiful thing.\" Lisa Ling said her sibling will soon share her \"powerful\" story, perhaps in an op-ed piece, but she needs space right now. Lisa Ling, meanwhile, is elated that her sister and Lee are safe. She said she always knew they would come home. \"I believe in the fundamental goodness,\" she said. \"I knew in my heart that at some point, Laura and Euna would be returned back to us. I didn't know when it would happen, but I never lost that hope.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Sister: Euna Lee \"skinny,\" Laura Ling struggling to talk because of isolation .\nNEW: Laura Ling told family, \"It would have to be President Clinton,\" Lisa Ling says .\nLaura Ling plans to detail what transpired, sister says .\nEuna Lee's daughter keeps following her, Lisa Ling says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- \"Hannah Montana: The Movie\" is exactly what it purports to be, no more, no less: a two-hour version of a \"Hannah Montana\" TV episode. Miley Cyrus stars as Hannah Montana -- and Miley Stewart -- in \"Hannah Montana: The Movie.\" Hannah's popularity becomes too much for Miley Stewart (Cyrus). Miley retreats to Tennessee, learns what really matters, performs some songs and kisses a boy, and everything turns out all right in the end. Peter Chelsom -- whose checkered career includes the terrific \"Funny Bones\" and \"Hear My Song\" as well as the bomb \"Town & Country\" -- handled the direction. It's a sunny movie for Easter weekend. There are no Blofelds threatening the world, no sexual intercourse with pies, no bodies shot into pieces by machine guns smuggled in cocaine. Just sweet Miley Cyrus, her soul-patched dad and the huge Disney movie machine humming along. Watch Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus talk about \"Hannah\" » . Which means that perfect counterprogramming is \"Observe and Report,\" which walks a fine line between brilliant and revolting. CNN.com's Tom Charity thinks it's great; the New York Press' Armond White calls it \"the ugliest, most hate-filled comedy since 'Borat.' \" (Which, for many, could make \"Observe\" a must-see; if White wanted to discourage people, he should have said \"the ugliest, most hate-filled comedy since 'Waiting.' \") Also opening this weekend is \"Dragonball: Evolution,\" and, for a handful of markets, there's \"Anvil!: The Story of Anvil,\" about an '80s metal band that never grasped the brass ring but whose history certainly makes for entertaining watching. That film is earning a 98 percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes and 83 percent at Metacritic, some of the highest marks of the year. Watch a preview of \"Dragonball\" » . On the DVD front, more 2008 holiday movies have found their way on to video, including \"Yes Man,\" \"Bedtime Stories,\" \"The Day the Earth Stood Still\" and \"Doubt,\" the latter of which was nominated for five Oscars. That's five more than \"Yes Man,\" \"Bedtime Stories\" or \"The Day the Earth Stood Still,\" for what it's worth. Bob Mould, Neil Young and the Doves released albums last week; among the acts putting out albums Tuesday are Fastball and Silversun Pickups. (And now \"The Way\" is running through my mind.) Watch an interview with country star Jason Aldean » . So, not a bad Easter weekend -- and it will conclude (more or less) with the final round of the Masters golf tournament. Miley Cyrus will probably not be there. She's got some wholesome singing to do." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Hannah Montana: The Movie\" opens this weekend, starring Miley Cyrus .\n\"Observe and Report\" is \"Hannah's\" opposite: crude and cutting .\nMasters golf tournament ends Sunday ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Arsenal will face Celtic in a mouthwatering all-British tie later this month to decide who reaches the Champions League group stages. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will see his side face an early-season test against Celtic. Scottish side Celtic went into the final qualifying round with a superb 2-0 away win over Dinamo Moscow earlier this week, overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg. Arsenal, who reached the semifinals of the Champions League last season where they lost to Manchester United, will be favorites to go through, but according to their former striker Charlie Nicholas, who also played for the Celtic, they will not be relishing the task. \"They would have wanted to avoid each other,\" he told Sky Sports News. \"For Arsenal, the concern is the lack of players they've brought in and injuries. I think it will be very tight.\" The first leg matches will be played on August 18 and 19, the same week as the start of the English Premier League season, the return matches are on August 25 or 26. A total of 10 pairings were drawn with the prize for the winners a place in the lucrative group stages of the world's most prestigious club competition. The losers will drop down to play in the Europa League, formerly the UEFA Cup. Five of the pairings feature match-ups between the champions of lower-rated leagues such as Latvia and Cyprus. European governing body UEFA effectively ring fenced five places in the group stages for these sides by separating them in the draw from teams from stronger leagues such as England, Italy and Spain. It has led to a series of intriguing clashes with Panathinaikos of Greece facing Spanish side Atletico Madrid. Portugal's Sporting Lisbon take on Fiorentina of Italy, deposed French champions Lyon play Anderlecht of Belgium and Romainian side Timisoara face Stuttgart of Germany. Timisoara surprisingly beat Shakhtar Donetsk of the Ukraine in the previous qualifying round. Shakhtar won the UEFA Cup last season and will now be able to defend their title under the guise of the revamped Europa League. They were paired against Turkish side Sivasspor when the draw for the competition was also made at UEFA's headquaters in Nyon on Friday. Champions League play-off draw: . Champions group: . Sheriff (Mol) v Olympiakos (Gre) Salzburg (Aut) v Maccabi Haifa (Isr) Ventspils (Lat) v Zurich (Swi) Copenhagen (Den) v Apoel Nicosia (Cyp) Levski Sofia (Bul) v Debrecen (Hun) Non-champions group: . Lyon (Fr) v Anderlecht (Bel) Celtic (Sco) v Arsenal (Eng) Timisoara (Rom) v VfB Stuttgart (Ger) Sporting Lisbon (Por) v Fiorentina (Ita) Panathinaikos (Gre) v Atletico Madrid (Sp)" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Arsenal draw Celtic in all-British tie in final Champions League qualifying round .\nOther ties see Lyon face Anderlecht and Sporting Lisbon taking on Fiorentina .\nHolders Shakhtar Donetsk to take on Turkish side Sivasspor in Europa League ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: Joseph Cirincione is president of Ploughshares Fund, a nonprofit organization that makes grants to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, and the author of \"Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons.\" He formerly was a senior vice president at the Center for American Progress, a think tank that describes itself as \"progressive,\" and was on the staff of the House Armed Services Committee. Joseph Cirincione says Clinton's trip was the culmination of diplomacy his adminstration began 15 years ago. (CNN) -- President Clinton did more than free two unjustly jailed journalists. He jump-started the successful diplomacy he had begun 15 years earlier. In October 2000, then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Pyongyang. During Bill Clinton's presidency, the administration had locked down North Korea's plutonium production program, which had created enough deadly material for two bombs during the Reagan years. They had stopped all missile tests. They were a few details away from concluding a deal to end these programs completely. But Clinton ran out of time. Enmeshed in Middle East peace talks, Clinton could not get assurances that a presidential visit to North Korea would seal the deal. He passed off the almost completed process to the incoming George W. Bush administration. On March 6, 2001, new Secretary of State Colin Powell said, \"We do plan to engage with North Korea to pick up where President Clinton and his administration left off.\" But Bush had different ideas. On March 7, Bush kneecapped Powell. With South Korean President Kim Dae-jung sitting next to him in embarrassed silence, Bush said, \"We look forward to, at some point in the future, having a dialogue with the North Koreans, but any negotiation would require complete verification of the terms of a potential agreement.\" The conservative ideologues in the administration froze all discussions with North Korea for an 18-month review. Clinton's hard-earned diplomatic wins were replaced by the Bush Doctrine, summed up by Vice President Dick Cheney: \"We don't negotiate with evil; we defeat it.\" The United States would instead overthrow difficult regimes. Serious options for diplomacy with North Korea were set aside. Negotiations were appeasement, the new administration believed, not a tool to advance American security. Then-Undersecretary of State John Bolton said in 2002 and repeats to this day, \"We're not going to reward their bad behavior.\" The strategy backfired. North Korea expanded plutonium production, exploded nuclear bombs, tested new missiles and traded nuclear technology to Syria and possibly Burma. North Korea's nuclear and missile programs advanced more in the George W. Bush administration then they had in the Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations combined. Whether by accident or design, the Obama administration reset the diplomatic stage. Administration officials largely ignored North Korea for their first eight months in office. Kim Jong Il responded with provocative statements and actions. It almost spiraled out of control. But the Obama administration's patience -- or just policy drift, we may never know -- paid off. Kim Jong Il's regime got weaker and more isolated. North Korea's main partners, China and Russia, turned against it, the U.N. Security Council imposed tough new sanctions, and Kim's own health deteriorated. Now in a weaker position than at any time in his regime, Kim Jong Il has been on his best behavior for the past few months. This was the time for a power play, and Obama executed perfectly. He chose as his special envoy the most prestigious political figure in America outside the administration. It is a move that was sure to please the North Koreans, showing them the respect they crave, without costing America anything. To capitalize on this breakthrough, the Obama administration must now continue to play large. It should show North Korea what good relations with the United States can lead to. Clinton's 20 hours in Pyongyang could pave the way for renewed diplomatic efforts, including direct dialogue between the United States and North Korea, the re-freezing of North Korea's nuclear program and even North Korea's return to the six-party talks. However, in dealing with the North, actions are more important than words. The Obama administration must seize this moment as an opportunity not only to articulate a plan for North Korean nuclear disarmament but to take concrete steps towards a secure and stable Korean Peninsula. The president should use the momentum Clinton's trip has generated to unfold a comprehensive, consistent regional security strategy. With this success, Bill Clinton has demonstrated what effective diplomacy looks like. He has shown the former Bush officials what they should have done years ago. He may have convinced senior White House strategists that diplomacy is a political winner, paying dividends across issue areas. Two power players, Obama and Clinton, have together taken a giant step forward, advancing the agenda Clinton began 15 years ago. America is the better for it. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Joseph Cirincione." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Joseph Cirincione: Clinton administration started outreach to North Korea .\nHe says Bush administration cut it off, saying U.S. doesn't negotiate with 'evil'\nHe says Clinton's successful trip shows effectiveness of diplomacy .\nCirincione: Obama administration must seize moment for further progress ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India's lower house of parliament elected a woman as its speaker Wednesday, a first in the male-dominated chamber's history. Meira Kumar was nominated by the ruling Congress party. Meira Kumar is also a member of the \"untouchable\" Dalit class, the lowest rung in the centuries-old caste system in the country. The speaker conducts the proceedings of the house. She will preside over 543 elected members, of which 58 are women. Kumar, 64, was elected to the position unopposed. She was nominated by the ruling Congress party but also had the backing of the alliance led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Women play a prominent role in the politics of India, the world's largest democracy. The South Asian country of 1.1 billion people has a female president, Pratibha Devisingh Patil. And four of the country's political parties, including the Congress Party, are led by women. Hindus believe there are five main groups of people. The last group is the Dalits. They're considered impure and are often forced to work in menial jobs. They drink from separate wells and use different entry ways to come and go from buildings. Dalits number about 250 million in India, about 25 percent of the population, according to the Colorado, U.S.-based Dalit Freedom Network. India's constitution outlaws caste-based discrimination, and barriers have broken down in large cities. Prejudice, however, persists in some rural areas of the country. CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Meira Kumar a member of the Dalit class -- lowest rung in centuries-old caste system .\nShe will preside over 543 elected members, of which 58 are women .\nKumar, 64, was elected to the position unopposed ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "PARIS, France (CNN) -- The Air France plane that crashed a month ago off the coast of Brazil \"did not break up or become destroyed in flight,\" but bellyflopped intact into the Atlantic Ocean, the French air investigation agency announced Thursday. Relatives and friends of an Air France steward follow his coffin during his funeral last week in Rio de Janeiro. \"The plane went straight down, almost vertically... towards the surface of the water, very very fast,\" air accident investigator Alain Bouillard said. Based on visual study of the physical remains of the Airbus A330 that have been recovered, \"we were able to see that the plane hit the surface of the water flat. Therefore everything was pushed upwards -- everything was pushed from the bottom to the top\" of the plane, he said. The 228 people killed in the crash \"had no time to prepare,\" he said. Watch more about Flight 447's descent » . But Bouillard said he did not have autopsy results from the bodies recovered, and did not know why no one lived through the crash. \"I don't know why nobody survived,\" he said. \"I don't know the intensity of the impact. Perhaps we will find out from the autopsies. Perhaps we will never know.\" Bouillard said it was still unclear what caused the crash, the deadliest in Air France's 75-year history. \"Today we are very far from establishing the causes of the accident,\" he said. But there is no reason to ground Airbus A330 airplanes, he said. \"There is no problem with flying these airplanes.\" Pressed by a reporter on why he was not ordering the model to stop flying, he said the fleet has flown millions of miles and there are currently 660 of them flying. \"Statistically, this would answer the question,\" he said. Air France 447 was unable to fly on autopilot at the time of the crash, the investigator said. That was because the autopilot was not receiving speed, wind or direction information, he said. \"These tell us that the plane has to be, in this case, directed by the pilot,\" he said. He did not immediately say if the pilots were in control of Air France 447. The last contact with the plane was at 2:10 a.m. local time on June 1. \"Right after that 24 automated messages came through\" about the status of the plane, he said. Those messages were what enabled investigators to determine that the autopilot would not have had enough information to fly the plane, he said. No air-traffic controllers seem to have been monitoring the flight when it went down, investigations have found. It would normally have been \"handed over\" from controllers in South America to others in Africa while flying over the Atlantic, but that did not happen, Bouillard said. \"We want to know why there was no concern in Dakar (in Senegal, west Africa) when this plane was not handed over,\" he said. The plane was flying through severe storms when it went down. Three other flights on similar routes changed course within an hour after Air France 447 flew into the bad weather. A Spanish, French and German flight all experienced turbulence in the same region and diverted as much as 100 km (62 miles) off course to avoid bad weather, Bouillard said. All three flights had problems communicating with air traffic control. Investigators will continue searching for the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder -- commonly known as \"black boxes\" -- until July 10, said Bouillard, of the French air accident investigation agency known as the BEA. \"They normally give a signal for 30 days. We will keep listening another 10 days,\" he said. Air France said Thursday it was of \"capital importance\" to find the recorders, \"which would enable the investigators to analyze the causes of the accident, whatever these may be. No effort must be spared in achieving this end.\" Bouillard said investigators would continue to search even after the beacons on the recorders stop signaling, in what he called a \"second phase\" of the search. \"If we could find a part of the plane that we know was near the black boxes, that will give us a clue about where to search,\" he said. The mountainous ocean floor in the search area ranges from 3,280 to 15,091 feet, BEA officials have said in the past, making the search for the recorders -- and the rest of the plane's debris -- difficult. \"It is as if it fell in the Andes,\" Olivier Ferrante, chief of the BEA search mission said last month. French submarines and sensitive U.S. military listening devices are being used in the search. Flight 447 went down in stormy weather while flying from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Brazil called off the search for bodies on June 27, having found 51 of the 228 people who died when the plunged into the sea, according to the military. Investigators have also found more than 600 parts and structural components of the plane, along with luggage, Bouillard said. They have not found any clothing, he said, but was unable to say why." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Air France plane that crashed in June \"did not break up in flight,\" officials say .\nAirbus A330 was unable to fly on autopilot at the time of the crash .\nInvestigators will search for data recorders until July 10, investigator says .\nPlane wreckage believed to be on Atlantic seabed, around 4,500 meters deep ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Christina Cimino was logging onto Twitter on Thursday morning when something happened that she found deeply unsettling. iReporter David Seaman says Twitter needs a competitor so users don't panic when it goes down. \"I got some weird error message, and I'm like, 'What's going on!?\" the 24-year-old said. That error message was the scourge of online social networkers worldwide on Thursday as cyber-attacks shut down Twitter and caused sustained glitches in other social-media sites like Facebook and the blogging site LiveJournal. Twitter co-founder Biz Stone wrote the sites were the victims of what \"appears to be a single, massively coordinated attack.\" And a pro-Georgian blogger, whose accounts on Facebook and Twitter reportedly were the targets of the denial-of-service attack, told CNN the online strike was timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Russia-Georgia conflict. What may prove more lasting about the day social networking suffered its first major blackout is the degree to which people cared. Near-panic erupted in some corners of the Internet as people lost cherished links to their online friends, family members and news feeds. Watch CNN iReporters talk about the attack . Part of the panic relates to the sheer popularity of the sites. Twitter saw a more than 1,300 percent jump in unique visitors between February 2008 and February 2009, according to Nielsen NetView. The site, which lets users post messages of 140 characters or less, had more than 44 million worldwide users in June, according to comScore. More than 120 million users log onto Facebook at least one time each day, the site says. To be sure, not all Facebook and Twitter users freaked out because of the attacks. Some people even reveled in the mayhem. Blog: Could the attacks be our fault? But for people like Cimino, who said she \"felt naked\" without access to Twitter, the attacks were a serious reality check -- a chance to evaluate just how dependent they'd become. \"You know how you pat your pockets for your cell phone and your keys? Well it's that same kind of phantom [limb] with Twitter,\" she said. \"It's like, 'I can't update! I can't update!' It's just one of those bugs that gets in you.\" She added: \"I was pretty upset, actually. It feels like a lifeline for me ... Pretty much everyone knows almost every detail of my life by what I'm doing on Twitter.\" It's not worth analyzing whether these online connections are good or bad because the reality is that Twitter and Facebook are now an important part of our lives, said Marc Cooper, a journalism professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication. \"For many people, and not just young people, the Web is not just media, it's actually a place where they conduct their lives or a portion of their lives,\" he said. \"So the panic [Thursday] morning is only reflective of that. This is not just a hobby or an amusement or another accoutrement, it's actually deeply woven into their lives and is integral to their social interaction. So when it's cut off, it's a problem.\" Others saw Twitter's existence as the problem and relished the chance to make fun of a Web site that has become so omnipresent in news cycles. \"Horrors!!! People will have to communicate face to face!\" one user commented on CNN's SciTech blog. Another commenter said, \"Turn off your computers and read a book or get outside and discover there is more to life than cyberspace. The Internet has become nothing more than the new cocaine.\" Now that Twitter is back online, the No. 1 conversation thread on the site is called \"whentwitterwasdown,\" where users discuss what they did without their real-time Twitter updates. Some people are mocking the blackout. A user named PaulWilks, for instance, wrote, \"I took up juggling.\" Others seem concerned. \"I did absolutely nothing. It's like my heart was gone,\" wrote a user named HarajukuxBarbie. \"I felt so empty inside,\" wrote another Twitter user called freinhar. Some business people on Thursday realized just how much they depend on Facebook and Twitter to do their work. Adam Ostrow, editor-in-chief at Mashable, a blog that covers social media, said the outage made it difficult for his organization to cover the news and to promote its stories. \"For someone like myself who spends all day on Twitter, it's incredibly frustrating,\" he told CNN.com Live . Justin Stauffer, a 31-year-old who works in Web strategy at a marketing company near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said Thursday's attack made him realize just how dependent on Twitter he had become. \"When something that's so central to how you do your business or how you gather information goes down, yeah, you get a little jittery -- like, when's it going to be back,\" he said. \"I didn't break out in hives or anything like that,\" he said, jokingly. David Seaman, an iReporter in New York, said he thinks Twitter needs a competitor so users will have an alternative if the site is down. Watch Seaman's talk about the issue on CNN's iReport . And Amy Gahran, who writes about social media on a blog called Contentious, said all technologies can break down, so people need to make contingency plans. \"Hell, when you get down to it, you can lose your voice or break your writing hand or have a stroke and be unable to communicate. We are fundamentally social creatures, and when we lack our usual communication channels it's scary,\" she writes. \"Don't panic. Have a backup plan, and be prepared.\" Cooper, the USC professor, said the fuss surrounding Thursday's attack is a sign that instant, online communication is here to stay. Fighting the trend would be like trying to stop the ocean's tides, he said, but it's unclear where the technology will take our society. \"The bottom line is that we don't know. All of this is too new,\" he said. \"It's like sitting around in the year 1500 and trying to figure out where the printing press was going to take us.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Some Twitter and Facebook users panicked as the sites went down Thursday .\nSeveral online social networks were the victims of cyber-attacks .\nOne Twitter user says she felt \"naked\" without her micro-blog .\nAnother says he felt \"jittery\" during the time Twitter was down ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- The regional airline involved in a fatal February plane crash outside Buffalo, New York, contested a report Monday alleging the pilot did not have the training to handle the emergency that brought the plane down, and that he might have been fatigued on the night of the crash. Debris is cleared from the scene of Flight 3407's crash near Buffalo, New York, in February. Continental Connection Flight 3407, operated by regional carrier Colgan Air, plunged into a house in Clarence Center, New York, on the night of February 12, killing all 49 on board as well as one man in the house. In a story Monday, The Wall Street Journal cited investigators as saying the crash resulted from pilot Marvin Renslow's incorrect response to the plane's precarious drop in speed: He overrode an emergency system known as a \"stick pusher,\" which sends the plane into a dive so it can regain speed and avoid a stall. The Journal's report said Colgan had not provided Renslow with hands-on flight-simulator training for a stick-pusher emergency. Colgan, in rebuttal, issued a statement saying Renslow had received classroom instruction for such an emergency. Watch a Colgan official respond to questions » . The company also emphasized that the Federal Aviation Administration does not require pilots to receive a stick-pusher demonstration in a flight simulator. \"The FAA generally trains to standards of routine line operations. They don't focus on the edges of the envelope,\" stall recovery expert Doug Moss told CNN. Colgan further admitted that during his career, Renslow failed five \"check rides\" -- occasional tests of pilot proficiency -- including two that Colgan said he did not disclose on his application with the airline. His most recent failed check ride occurred 16 months before the crash. \"In the cases while with Colgan, he received additional training and successfully passed the check rides,\" the airline said. Colgan stressed that despite his performance on check rides, Renslow nonetheless ultimately passed his pilot exams and had \"all the training and experience to safely operate the Q400,\" the airplane involved in the crash. Colgan further insisted that pilot fatigue was not a factor in the crash, noting that Renslow had \"nearly 22 consecutive hours of time off before he reported for duty on the day of the accident.\" In its statement, Colgan did not specifically address potential illness-related fatigue in 24-year-old co-pilot Rebecca Shaw, who, according to The Wall Street Journal report, said before takeoff that she probably should have called in sick. The National Transportation Safety Board begins a three-day hearing on the crash on Tuesday. Renslow's history as well as pilot training broadly will be examined." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo in February; 50 people died .\nWall Street Journal report says pilot didn't have hands-on flight-simulator training .\nColgan Air says Marvin Renslow got FAA-required classroom instruction .\nColgan, operator of flight, also insists pilot fatigue wasn't a factor in crash ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Long before fish swam in Macquariums, hipsters got Apple logo tattoos and thousands camped out for days to get into computer store openings, there was a machine. Danielle Brecker found this 1989 photo of friends on their Macs at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Saturday marks the 25th anniversary of the original Macintosh, the first personal computer to draw masses, introduce the mouse and incorporate a graphical user interface, relying on images instead of text. The Apple Inc. watershed product entered American consciousness amid fanfare, with a $1.5 million commercial, made by Ridley Scott, wowing audiences during Super Bowl XVIII. The piece's title, \"1984,\" invoked author George Orwell's message and stood as a warning against conformity. Two days after the ad ran, the Macintosh became available and life, as people knew it, changed. No longer were computers viewed as toys with which to play primitive games or as untouchable tools reserved for degreed engineers. We began to think different. \"The Macintosh demonstrated that it was possible and profitable to create a machine to be used by millions and millions of people,\" said Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, research director for the Institute for the Future, a Palo Alto, California, think tank, and chief force behind \"Making the Macintosh: Technology and Culture in Silicon Valley,\" an online historical exhibit. \"The gold standard now for personal electronics is, 'Is it easy enough for my grandmother to use it?' People on the Macintosh project were the first people to talk about a product in that way.\" Pang, 44, remembered being \"mesmerized\" by the computer when he first saw it up close in his college bookstore. He wasn't alone. Read about how iReporters are preserving Mac history . For graphic designers like Zoë Korstvedt, now a Los Angeles creative director, the evolving Mac, with each added feature, was ripe with ah-ha moments. To tinker with a piece, play with the text, \"to visualize on your computer was just insane,\" she said. \"My colleagues and I wonder how we did it [their jobs] before.\" No wonder, then, that when Korstvedt, 44, married her first husband in 1989, she used half of their wedding money to buy her first home computer: a Mac SE/30, for which she forked over extra bucks for an upgrade to a whopping 8 megabytes of RAM. Nothing compared to the 12 gigs she now has. \"I was styling,\" she said with a laugh. Jeremy Mehrle, 30, of the St. Louis, Missouri, area is too young to know a world without Macs. This MacAddict began hoarding and tinkering with tossed-out computers, and then he discovered eBay. Today, the motion graphics designer's 1,400 square-foot basement is a museum to Apple computers, all-white and in gallery-style with about 80 fully-functioning machines on display. \"Some people think it's really cool. ... Others say 'It's Jeremy's thing, it's a little weird, whatever,'\" he said. \"I think if I had stacks everywhere, and you couldn't move in my house, people would be worried.\" What's Mehrle's hobby, however, became a career for Dan Foust, 38, of Bloomington, Illinois. \"Danapplemacman,\" as he's known on eBay, makes a living out of buying, and when necessary resuscitating, these computers before hawking them online to customers/collectors in places as far-flung as Italy and Australia. So what would people pay for an original Macintosh? \"A complete boxed system?,\" he said. \"I can't put a price on that.\" The extremes to which people have gone in their love and loyalty for Apple (and specifically Macs) knows no bounds. Perhaps no one knows this better than Leander Kahney, news editor at Wired.com and author of Cult of Mac, as well as the more recently published Inside Steve's Brain. That would be Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' brain, of course. From his phone in a San Francisco coffee shop, Kahney told tales of people allotting their limited vacation time to Macworld conferences, a man who has traveled to 40 Apple store openings and those who shaved Apple logos into their heads. As for the Apple tattoos, those, at first, really bothered him. \"I'm a bit of a leftie,\" he said. The idea of \"corporate worship\" didn't initially sit well with him -- although he's not afraid to admit his own obsession. \"It's a very deep relationship people have with their computers. ... If the computer's not working, it's more important than the car breaking down.\" Speaking of worship, Israeli filmmakers Ron and Kobi Shely created \"MacHEADS: The Movie,\" a 50-minute documentary that'll be available next week on Amazon's video on demand service and, soon after, on iTunes. The film includes footage from The Church of Mac in Los Angeles, where a preacher and congregants gathered to glorify the computer at a service that ended with, \"Praise Steve.\" \"Although we read a lot about the [Mac] phenomenon,\" Ron Shely said by phone from Tel Aviv of the two-year film project, \"we didn't realize how big this social movement really is.\" And that, beyond the products, is what has been so powerful about the Mac brand, said Peter Friess, president of The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California. iReport.com: Got your own Mac Museum? Show us! Steve Jobs \"really has changed the world,\" Friess said. \"You hardly find people who changed cultures. He changed culture.\" Decades before Jobs' health became a topic of discussion, Friess was lucky enough to meet the man. At the time, German-born Friess was a lowly watchmaker, repairing clocks in the basement of Munich's Deutsches Museum, the largest science and technology museum in the world. The year was 1984, and Friess thought a Macintosh might come in handy, so he called Apple Germany to see if he might be able to get one. The answer, as he recalled it, \"'You're very lucky. Steve Jobs is in town. We'll come over and give you one.'\" Ever since, he's been amazed and exceedingly intrigued by every new computer. \"My wife goes crazy,\" Friess, 49, admitted. \"Every Apple computer I buy, the first thing I do is take it apart, just to see what's inside.\" For Gary Allen, 61, of Berkeley, California, his interest is less inside than it is outside the company's stores. He runs ifoAppleStore.com, the first three letters taken from his police dispatch days, meaning \"in front of.\" The site's genesis dates back to 2001 when Apple store No. 9 opened, in Palo Alto, and he and his son went early. Way early -- as in the night before. The crowds, and natural community, grew on Allen, who began seeing new-found friends at other openings. They were like groupies chasing a band. So he started a Web site, to help fans keep in touch, and soon other Apple enthusiasts began writing from across the globe, sharing tips about new stores, as well as testimonies and photos. The site, he said, averages about 4 million visitors a month. Allen, who guessed he's been to 22 store openings so far, once stood in the rain for days in Tokyo so he could snag the first spot in line. He's seen old friends at openings in Germany and Italy. Last summer, he and his now 21-year-old son experienced what he called \"the perfect storm,\" hitting Boston, Beijing and Sydney. Next stop: Paris. He may not speak the same language as the thousands who surround him in these various cities, but that doesn't much matter when people speak the same language of computer love. \"Apple enthusiasts, it turns out,\" Allen said, \"are the same wherever you go.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Saturday marks the 25th anniversary of the first Macintosh computer .\nApple launched the Mac in 1984 with Ridley Scott's landmark Super Bowl XVIII ad .\nSteve Jobs is credited for cult-like worship seen in tattoos, collections, Macquariums .\nFans flock to Macworld expos, Apple store openings and hoard eBay purchases ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A former professional football player and his ex-girlfriend have been charged in the killing of her wealthy boyfriend for money, a breakthrough in a cold case dating to 1994. Eric Naposki, a former football player, has been charged in the killing of an ex-lover's boyfriend. Eric Naposki and Nanette Packard McNeal face the possibility of life sentences over the shooting of Bill McLaughlin, according to the Orange County, California, district attorney. Authorities said Packard McNeal persuaded her ex-boyfriend to kill McLaughlin so she could claim a $1 million life insurance policy, inherit $150,000 and get the right to live in his beach house for a year. She gave Naposki a key to McLaughlin's house and information about when he would be home, officials said Wednesday. Naposki shot the victim six times, then went to work at a nearby nightclub where he was a bouncer, according to authorities. Packard McNeal met McLaughlin after she ran a personal ad that said, \"I know how to take care of my man if he knows how to take care of me,\" the district attorney said in a statement. He supported her financially when they were dating and bought her a beach house, authorities said. Packard McNeal has been jailed once for writing checks to herself from McLaughlin's account without his knowledge, including a $250,000 check on the day he was killed. She pleaded guilty to that crime in 1996 and was jailed for a year. The Orange County officials said new evidence prompted the arrests of the two suspects, who were charged with special circumstances murder for financial gain. Packard McNeal is due to appear in court Friday. Naposki was arrested in Connecticut, where he lives. Orange County authorities have asked that he be sent to California to face trial. Naposki, 42, played in the NFL for the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Former player Eric Naposki and Nanette Packard McNeal could face life sentences .\nDA says Packard McNeal persuaded Naposki to kill her wealthy boyfriend .\nMotive was money, authorities say: $1 million insurance policy and $150,000 in will .\nShe's due in court Friday; Naposki may be sent to California from Connecticut ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- George Sodini, the man who killed three women and wounded nine others before killing himself Tuesday at a Pennsylvania fitness center, showed in his writings typical characteristics of a mass murderer, experts say. George Sodini failed at every relationship but couldn't blame himself, experts say. \"What distinguishes the mass murderer who takes his own life afterwards from the person who just commits suicide is the externalization of blame,\" said James Alan Fox, a Northeastern University professor of criminal justice and author of six books on mass murder. \"If you blame yourself for your problems, then maybe you direct your violence inwardly. If you blame other people for your failures, like Sodini did, you go after those people.\" Sodini's blog vents his frustration and rage at the lack of relationships and sex in his life, and he blames all women for letting him down. Although Sodini expressed intense hatred for his brother and father, \"it also didn't surprise me in this case that he made some derogatory comments about his mother,\" said Dr. J. Reid Meloy, a forensic psychologist and clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. \"A lot of times, when there's this level of hatred against women, there's also a very antagonistic relationship with the mother, but it gets shifted onto other women.\" Watch what Sodini reveals about himself on video » . Sodini did not target specific women who had hurt him but all women, Fox said. \"He had an issue with women who were not giving him the time of day -- all these young, beautiful, attractive, healthy, fit women at the health club,\" Fox said. \"And so he specifically chose the health club, not just some random spot, to go after the people he blamed.\" Mass killers feel that they have been victimized and that their actions are justified, Fox and Meloy said. \"They've been victimized by someone at work, by someone in the family, by the world in general; they've been dealt a bad hand,\" Fox said. \"And ... they feel at the very end they can stand up -- with a gun -- and restore that power imbalance. They often see the gun as the great equalizer. \"This act, this final act of murder, is a way to leave this world feeling some degree of satisfaction of, in the end, being the last one to have the best and last laugh,\" Fox said. See a timeline of mass shootings since 2005 » . \"The concept here is really, really hard for most people to grasp, and that is the sense of entitlement, that 'I have a right to murder all of these women because of my personal frustration,' \" Meloy said. \"It's absolutely astonishing that a person can come to that mind-set.\" Neither expert treated Sodini, but both noted that Sodini's act, like most mass murders, was anything but spontaneous. \"His blog is a striking example of how mass murders are planned, relatively carefully planned, over the course of days, weeks or, in this case, months,\" Meloy said. \"There's this myth that mass killers just snap and go berserk and suddenly, without warning, shoot indiscriminately,\" Fox said. \"Well, he had been thinking about this for some time. He had originally planned to commit the mass murder in January [but] 'chickened out,' as he said. But this shows a lot of methodical planning, thinking.\" That hesitation, as well as his possible hesitation on the day of the killings, is unusual, Meloy said. \"Typically, as these guys are doing it, they have no ambivalence,\" he said. \"The have made the decision to maximize casualties and to also kill themselves, as he did.\" Often some humiliating event \"starts the clock\" and sets long-laid plans in motion, Meloy said, but he didn't see evidence of such an incident in the hours or days before Sodini's rampage. \"These guys are very narcissistically sensitive, meaning that the kind of insult or slight that you or I would just fluff off, these guys will ruminate and think about it and do that for long periods of time,\" Meloy said. Sodini was not a bad-looking man; he was intelligent and had a good job, so his failure to attract women must have had something to do with his behavior, Meloy said. But Sodini couldn't see that. \"He had difficult and unhappy and unsuccessful relationships with everybody,\" Fox said. \"What he was never able to do was to see that perhaps the problem was him. Maybe there's a reason why everybody rejects him, no one wants to be close to him. Maybe it's something about his own personality. \"But mass murderers don't look at things that way. If they saw themselves as being the culprit, perhaps they would just commit suicide. But no. Everyone else is to blame.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "George Sodini's writings reveal typical characteristics of mass killers, experts say .\nShooter shifted blame for self-induced problems onto others .\nMass murderers feel violence is appropriate response, psychologist says .\nAttack was result of meticulous planning, not a spontaneous outburst ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The news editor of the Zambian newspaper The Post has gone on trial for allegedly circulating obscene material to politicians, the newspaper states on its Web site. Zambia President Rupiah Banda has branded the childbirth photos pornographic. In early June, Chansa Kabwela wrote to the country's vice president, health minister and several non-governmental organizations to highlight problems in the country's health-care system -- especially the problems pregnant women faced during a strike by health-care workers. In her letter, Kabwela included several photos of a woman giving birth in a parking lot outside a hospital from which she had been turned away, according to Reporters Without Borders. The country's president, Rupiah Banda, branded the photos pornographic and called for Kabwela's arrest and prosecution, according to the press freedom organization. \"Kabwela's arrest is shocking and the grounds are ridiculous,\" the organization said in a statement on its Web site after the arrest. Now the trial into the alleged obscene photos has begun in the Lusaka magistrate's court, the newspaper Web site says. One of the first witnesses, Kenneth Ngosa, a senior private secretary to the vice president, told the court he was immediately disturbed by the pictures he found inside the letter, according to the paper. The Post described the courtroom as \"packed to capacity\" and said \"people from all works of life including musicians and opposition political party members\" had come to support Kabwela. Defense lawyer George Chisanga has asked the court to look into whether the president's order to arrest and prosecute Kabwela could influence the course of justice. A joint statement from several Zambian media organizations, published on The Post's Web site, calls for the government to amend the law on obscenity to clarify what constitutes obscenity and material that can corrupt morals. The statement concedes that the pictures were in bad taste, but notes that they were sent on behalf of a good cause: to end the strike. CNN efforts to obtain comment from both The Post and the Zambian government have been unsuccessful. According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization, in 2004 the mortality rate of children under 5 years old in Zambia was 182 per 1,000 live births. In the United States, under-5 mortality rate was 8 per 1,000 live births in 2006. Skilled health personnel attended only 43 percent of childbirths in Zambia in 2002, according to the health organization." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "News editor of Zambian newspaper on trial for circulating obscene material .\nChansa Kabwela sent pictures of a woman giving birth in a parking lot to President .\nShe says she wanted to highlight problems in country's healthcare system .\nPresident Banda branded the images pornographic and had Kabwela arrested ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The mysterious deaths of 21 prized polo horses Sunday at a club in Florida provides a peek inside the private world of a sport that generally is off limits to all but the very wealthy. The Lechuza Caracas polo team may not recover from the loss of 21 ponies for years, a polo executive says. The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville and the state-run Kissimmee Diagnostic Laboratories near Orlando are conducting necropsies on the animals. Initial tests failed to reveal a cause, said Liz Compton, a representative of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Tissues, organ samples and blood are now being screened for toxic agents, she said. Scientists have ruled out any contagious disease because the animals died so quickly, said state Agriculture Department spokesman Mark Fagan. Authorities initially requested necropsies for only the eight horses that were insured, according to Sarah Carey, a representative of the veterinary school, which got the bodies of 15 horses. Later, the order was expanded to all 15 horses, she said. The U.S. Polo Association is among the parties cooperating in the investigation. \"In the meantime, we all mourn the loss of these horses,\" U.S. Polo Association Executive Director Peter Rizzo said in a news release. \"There are no words to describe the grief and sadness shared by everyone -- particularly the devastated owners of those magnificent horses.\" Watch what investigators are studying » . Players form strong emotional bonds with the horses they ride, said John Wash, operations president of the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, where the horses fell ill. \"I've heard a couple of polo players who were affected with this loss the other day, a couple of them I don't think have left their house since Sunday night,\" Wash said. \"There were a lot of tears there -- these big, tough guys just on their hands and knees, crying over what happened.\" The U.S. Open Polo Championship that was interrupted by the tragedy will resume Wednesday with semifinal matches, Wash said. Lechuza Caracas, the team whose horses died, was offered spare mounts from other competitors so they could remain in the competition, but the devastated team chose to withdraw, Wash said. The Wellington tournament is one of the sport's three major championships, on a par with the U.S. Open in tennis or golf. Authorities say they believe that the competition facility is safe for the other horses and that whatever killed the 21 horses entered their bodies away from the site. Fifteen of the animals fell ill shortly before they were to compete Sunday; some died immediately and others lingered for almost an hour. Six others died overnight Sunday to Monday as they were kept in the same trailer in Wellington. Animals are not kept overnight at the competition site, so no special precautions are in place regarding food, water or bedding, Wash said. Organizers are planning a short memorial and laying of wreaths in honor of the horses, he said. Grief counselors are on hand at the facility to help employees deal with the trauma, Wash said. \"The scene can be described as almost like an airplane crash that involved not human life, but horses,\" he said. \"It was horrific.\" Polo ponies in the United States are not drug-tested, but the U.S. Polo Association has been considering taking up the practice for several years, Wash said. \"People are calling for reform, and maybe that needs to happen, but until toxicology reports come back, and autopsy reports, we don't even know if [Sunday's incident is] anything related to that.\" The Humane Society of the United States has no record of abuse of polo ponies, but that may be a function of the sport's exclusive nature, society spokeswoman Holly Hazard said. \"We are learning about this, as is everyone else,\" she said. \"It may be that perhaps because it's not televised or not as popular as other sports, it's not something that either our constituents or our program is particularly focused on. \"But if there are either performance-enhancing drugs or some problem that is associated with this, we will investigate and we will offer a reward to bring whoever is responsible to justice.\" Keith Dane, director of the Humane Society's equine protection program, was en route to Florida on Tuesday to interview people involved in the incident and keep an eye on the investigation, Hazard said. No evidence has been brought forth suggesting someone deliberately poisoned the animals. \"I guess everything's possible,\" Wash said. \"I've heard all different rumors. I don't know if I even want to go there and think about that.\" Compton, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services representative, said authorities have seen no evidence of criminal activity in the case. \"Clearly, law enforcement has gotten involved, given the complexity and the scope of the deaths, and they are fact-finding and gathering information, and once we have a specific cause of death, then they can determine where their investigation will go,\" she said. The devastated team, Lechuza Caracas, is one of the top teams in the world. The loss could set it back for years, Wash said. \"It's just like baseball or basketball or football,\" he said. \"You're taking years of grooming, training, nurturing to create, really, a first string of horses. And for four polo players, it takes anywhere from six to eight horses per polo player to play a game of polo. So if you're taking 21 horses, they're probably 21 of your first-string horses ... and you've just lost every one of your best players. \"It's not like you could just go out and buy 21 new horses and start at that point.\" Polo ponies are thoroughbreds, many of them former racehorses retrained for the game, but they cover a wide range of ages, Wash said. When they get too old to play, they are retired to pasture or stud, he said. \"A polo horse is treated quite well,\" Wash said. \"In fact, when you're a polo horse, you might play three months here in Palm Beach, you might take three months off, you might play another three months, say, in Argentina or England, you take three months off. They're not pushed 12 months out of the year.\" CNN's Kim Segal and John Couwels contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Investigators try to determine what killed 21 polo ponies in Florida .\nContagious disease ruled out; tissue samples sent for further study .\nPlayers form close bonds with horses, club executive says .\nHumane Society of the United States sends official to watch investigation ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Is there a filmmaker in the world with worse luck than Terry Gilliam? He was directing Heath Ledger in \"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,\" when the actor died -- and it's not the first time he has lost a leading man. Is there a filmmaker in the world with worse luck than Terry Gilliam? Jean Rochefort didn't die eight years ago, but Gilliam had to abandon \"The Man Who Killed Don Quixote\" after a few days when 70-year-old star Rochefort became seriously ill and a flash flood washed away the entire set. The whole fiasco is captured in the documentary \"Lost in La Mancha.\" But the animator-turned-director who made his name with the surreal opening sequences of \"Monty Python\" is also known for never giving up. He saved \"Parnassus\" by enlisting the help of Ledger's friends, among them Johnny Depp. He has even resurrected \"Don Quixote,\" which will start shooting next year. The Screening Room talks to \"The Fisher King\" and \"Brazil\" director about Heath Ledger, the Ibiza Film Festival and why he'll never shake off the Monty Python label. The Screening Room: Heath Ledger's death during \"Parnassus\" was tragic, but how did you deal with losing your star in the middle of production? Terry Gilliam: I was just, it's like, now you've got to use your imagination because reality has bitten very hard. And, so, you call your friend Johnny [Depp] and say, \"Heath just died. Can you help me?\" And he says, \"Fine, whatever. Whatever you need. I'll do it.\" That's how it started. Then I got Jude [Law] and Colin [Farrell], they came ... the point is that they were all friends of Heath, too. It had to be people that were close to him in order to do what we did. TSR: How do you feel about it now you've had some time to reflect? TG: The experience was awful. That's why we can laugh now. Making films is really hard, and this one was particularly hard. TSR: What is the most rewarding part of making films? TG: I don't know, I mean, you know, writing and coming up with the ideas -- that's the exciting bit. Then it's the slog of just getting through the shoot because there is never enough time . TSR: You are a patron of the Ibiza Film Festival, which is only three years old. How did that come about? TG: The festival of Ibiza approached me a couple of years ago. John Hurt was already a patron, and I know John and I thought that it would be nice. I like being a patron of things, I like patronizing things. And if it's not going to be people, I'll patronize a festival. TSR: Why do you think film festivals are important? TG: The most important thing about them is you get to see films you would never get to see because the distribution system is so dominated by Hollywood. In every country, you get Hollywood movies plus local movies. Beyond that it's very hard. TSR: Tell us about how directing \"Monty Python and the Holy Grail,\" your big feature directing break, came about? TG: With the success of \"Python,\" we decided to make \"Monty Python and the Holy Grail\" and Terry Jones [fellow Monty Python member] and I said, \"Anybody named Terry gets to direct the film,\" and the others foolishly agreed. We directed the film and our names went up as \"directed by,\" and we were film directors. Bingo! Just like that. TSR: \"Monty Python\" was hugely successful, but is the downside that you'll never shake off the label of being an ex-Python? TG: Python is going to be stuck with me 'til I'm dead and probably afterwards. That's what's gonna be on the grave, as well. I know exactly what I'd like put on my gravestone: \"Terry Gilliam. RIP and all that. He giggled in awe.\" TSR: What is your film philosophy? TG: All films are learning processes. I am still trying to work out how you make a movie. I didn't study at film school or any of those things. I didn't bother with film theory. Mine is the Mary Poppins theory of film -- a bit of sugar helps the medicine go down. And I have always got medicine I want to give to people. TSR: Which film are you most proud of? TG: \"Brazil\" is the one that will probably be stamped on my grave because that one seemed to have made a big effect on a lot of people. And that's all I'm trying to do is affect people. TSR: What have you learned over the 30-plus years you have been making films? TG: There is no one thing -- it's just going through life. I don't think you ever learn just one thing. At some point you start unlearning things. I have been working hard to unlearn everything I know. TSR: Where are you with \"Don Quixote?\" TG: \"Quixote...\" It's been almost eight years since it fell on its little face. We had been trying to get the script back from the legal entanglement it was in ... and finally pulled that off. I had in those intervening years never read the script because I knew it was the best thing I had ever written. It was perfect -- I finally did it. I got it back and re-read it and have now been busy rewriting it. TSR: What advice would you offer to aspiring filmmakers? TG: Talent is less important in filmmaking than patience. If you really want your films to say something that you hope is unique, then patience and stamina, thick skin and a kind of stupidity, a mule-like stupidity, is what you really need." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ledger died while shooting Gilliam's \"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus\"\nGilliam enlisted the help of Ledger's friends, including Johnny Depp .\nGilliam on Ledger, Monty Python and why filmmakers need \"mule-like stupidity\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Mohammed Ismail was released from the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in early 2004 and sent back to Afghanistan to be set free. A guard talks with a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, earlier this year. Within four months, the U.S. military said, he was recaptured in Afghanistan attacking U.S. troops there, with paperwork on him that said he was a Taliban in good standing. He is just one of 74 former Guantanamo Bay detainees who the military says were active in, or were suspected of being active in, fighting against the United States or committing terrorist acts after being released. Another is Abdullah Gulam Rasoul, who was released from Guantanamo in December 2007 and set free in Afghanistan. Rasoul has become a powerful Taliban military commander in southern Afghanistan, the military said, and the United States suspects he is responsible for several attacks on U.S. forces there. A senior U.S. military official said he believes Rasoul is using his former Guantanamo experience to build on his \"rock star status\" among the Taliban. Abd al Hadi Abdallah Ibrahim al Shaikh of Saudi Arabia, who was released in 2007, was arrested in 2008 by Saudi authorities on suspicion of supporting terrorism inside that country, the military said. On Tuesday, the Pentagon released information that showed 14 percent of former detainees have turned to, or are suspected of having turned to, terrorism activity since being released from Guantanamo. The data represent the most recent statistics of former detainees tracked by military and other U.S. government intelligence agencies. The report shows that of the more than 530 detainees released from the prison, 27 have been confirmed to have engaged in terrorist activities and 47 are suspected of participating in some kind of terrorist act. The statistics indicate that there has been a slight increase since the end of 2008, and the number of released detainees turning to or suspected of turning to the insurgency is almost doubled from the 7 percent in that category a few years ago, according to Pentagon officials familiar with the information. The report said that between December 2008 and March 2009, nine former detainees were added to the confirmed list, six of whom were moved over from the suspected list. The Pentagon's definition for \"suspected\" is significant reporting indicating a person is involved in terrorist activities and an analysis showing a match to an identity of a former detainee. The report defines \"confirmed\" as a preponderance of evidence, including fingerprints, DNA, photo match or reliable or well-corroborated intelligence that can identify a former detainee at Guantanamo. In January, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said 62 former Guantanamo detainees may have gone on to participate in terrorism or military activity. That number included 18 who had been directly tied to an attack or attacks and 43 who were suspected of such action, Pentagon officials said at the time. \"What's clear is we are not seeing recidivism on the decline,\" according to a defense official who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman declined to say what officials think is the reason for the numbers having gone up, but said the United States does monitor as best as it can detainees who have been released from Guantanamo. The Pentagon released the names of almost 30 former detainees confirmed or suspected to have gone on to fight, with examples of what these men had done after their release. Abdullah Saleh Ali al-Ajmi, for example, was released in 2005 to Kuwait. In April 2008 he blew himself up in Mosul, Iraq, killing a number of Iraqis, the Pentagon said. Yousef Muhammed Yaaqoub was released from Guantanamo and sent back to Afghanistan to be freed in 2003. The Pentagon documents show that he rejoined the Taliban as a commander in southern Afghanistan, and planned a jailbreak in Kandahar and a \"nearly successful capture of the town of Spin Boldak, Afghanistan.\" Yaaqoub was killed fighting U.S. troops on May 7, 2004, according to the Pentagon data, and his memorial service in Pakistan drew a number of wanted Taliban leaders. Other examples released by the Pentagon show men sent home to Morocco who were later captured and accused of recruiting people to train with and fight for al Qaeda in Iraq, two men freed in Saudi Arabia who became leaders in a new al Qaeda organization there, and a Russian sent home who later was arrested for playing a role in a gas line bombing. As a comparison, among prisoners in the United States, about 62 percent of violent offenders examined in a 1994 study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics were rearrested within three years of being released." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Pentagon: 14 percent turn to, or are suspected of turning to, terrorism activities .\nRate has doubled from that of a few years ago, Pentagon officials say .\nNames of almost 30 ex-detainees believed to have gone on to fight released ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- An autopsy report issued Friday by Hillsborough County, Florida, cites cocaine as a contributing factor in the death of TV pitchman Billy Mays, who died in June at age 50. The Hillsborough County medical examiner's office said cocaine use contributed to Billy Mays' heart disease. \"Mays died from a lethal arrhythmia of the heart caused by hypertensive and arteriosclerotic heart disease,\" the county said in a statement attributed to Dr. Leszek Chrostowski, the associate medical examiner who conducted the autopsy. \"He further concluded that cocaine use caused or contributed to the development of his heart disease, and therefore contributed to his death,\" it added. The fact that toxicology tests detected only breakdown products of cocaine, not the drug itself, led Chrostowski to conclude that Mays had used cocaine \"in the few days prior to death but not immediately prior to death.\" Cocaine is a stimulant that can raise blood pressure and thicken the wall of the left ventricle of the heart, one of the organ's four main pumping chambers. The autopsy also found low concentrations of ethyl alcohol \"consistent with social consumption of a few beverages\" as well as the narcotic drugs hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol. Mays had prescriptions for the drugs -- which were found in therapeutic or subtherapeutic concentrations -- to ease hip pain. In addition, the tests found evidence of two tranquilizers -- alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium) -- which are commonly prescribed for a variety of ailments, including anxiety and insomnia. Both drugs were determined to be in therapeutic or subtherapeutic concentrations. Mays was found dead at his home near Tampa on June 28. Mays, with his booming voice, was famous for fronting products such as OxiClean and Orange Glo in TV commercials." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cocaine contributed to Billy Mays' death, says autopsy report .\nMays died from heart disease; cocaine use played role in illness, report said .\nMays died June 28 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- The last British soldier to serve in World War I was buried Thursday, marking \"the passing of a generation,\" the British veterans minister said. The coffin draped in a Union Jack flag is taken away from Well Cathedral. Harry Patch died July 25 at the age of 111, a week after fellow British World War I veteran Henry Allingham died at the age of 113. A party of pallbearers escorting his coffin was made up of two Belgian, two French, and two German infantrymen, while his coffin was carried by six soldiers from a unit that incorporated the one he served in during World War I. Patch was buried in the cathedral in the city of Wells, southwest England, where he lived. He joined the army at the age of 18 and fought in the Battle of Passchendaele at Ypres, Belgium, in 1917. He was seriously wounded in the battle, in which more than 70,000 of his fellow soldiers died -- including three of his close friends. \"Today marks the passing of a generation, and of a man who dedicated his final years to spreading the message of peace and reconciliation,\" Veterans Minister Kevan Jones said. \"Active participation in the Great War is now no longer part of living memory in this country, but Harry Patch will continue to be a symbol of the bravery and sacrifice shown by him and those he served with,\" he said. \"In his passing we have lost our last living link to the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front and a member of a generation that stood firm in the face of extraordinary adversity and unimaginable suffering,\" said Gen. Richard Dannatt, the head of the British army. \"But today above all else we give thanks for the life of a brave and inspirational man whose message of reconciliation and peace has reached and touched so many,\" he said. The funeral was attended by the acting head of the British government and the wife of Prince Charles, among thousands of others, the Ministry of Defence said. Patch was the last British man living in the United Kingdom to have served in the trenches on the Western Front, the Ministry of Defence said. Born in 1898, Patch became a plumber before being conscripted to the army in 1916. His unit, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, was rushed to the front-line trenches of Ypres, where soldiers were urgently needed to replace those who were wounded and dying by the thousands. He fought in the trenches between June and September of 1917 and was involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the war. In late September he was wounded when a light shell exploded above his head, bringing an end to his military service. He received battlefield treatment without anesthetic. After the war ended in 1918, Patch returned to his work as a plumber and later became a sanitary engineer. He married Ada Billington, a young woman he met while convalescing after the battle. They married in 1919 and had two sons. In World War II, Patch joined the Auxiliary Fire Service and helped tackle the fires caused by heavy German raids on the English cities of Bath and Bristol. At one point he was sent to organize sanitary arrangements for soldiers at a camp near Yeovil, in southwest England, where he became friendly with some of the men. Patch remembered the shock of finding the camp deserted, with coffee still hot and meals half-eaten, on the morning that the soldiers had gone off for the invasion of France, the Ministry of Defence said. His wife, Ada, died in 1976, and their two sons also later died. Patch remarried in 1980, but he became a widower for the second time four years later. Patch didn't speak about the war until he turned 100, the Ministry of Defence said. \"He tried to suppress the memories and to live as normal a life as possible; the culture of his time said that he was fortunate to have survived and that he should get on with his life,\" a Ministry of Defence biography says. \"That suited Harry; he could 'forget' his demons, the memories of what happened to him and to his close friends.\" In 1998, a television producer with an interest in the war talked to Patch, who then made the decision to speak of his memories, the ministry said. He took part in a documentary on the war and began gradually to open up. It wasn't long before Patch became a spokesman for his generation, speaking about the horrors of the war as well as his own emotions and reactions, the ministry said. \"In speaking about his experiences, Harry began at last to come to terms with his war, and was at peace with himself and his memories,\" the ministry said. \"His thoughts then turned to reconciliation, to the long-term effects of suffering and coming to terms with that suffering.\" Patch returned to Belgium in 2002, something he had said he would never do, and laid a wreath in honor of his battalion, the Defence Ministry said. Two years later, he met and shook hands with a German artilleryman from the Western Front, Charles Kuentz. Patch later laid a wreath at Langemark Cemetery for the German war dead. In his last years, Patch was honored at Buckingham Palace and the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street. On his 101st birthday France awarded him the Knighthood of the Legion of Honor, and this year President Nicolas Sarkozy upgraded that to the rank of officer. Last year, King Albert II of Belgium made Patch a Knight of the Order of Leopold. \"Harry was delighted to receive these awards and wore the medals with great pride, but he always made it clear that he wore these medals as a representative of the selfless generation he had come to represent,\" the Ministry of Defence said. In 2007, Patch wrote a book detailing his life, called \"The Last Fighting Tommy.\" The name referred to the slang term for British privates. \"While the country may remember Harry as a soldier, we will remember him as a dear friend,\" said Jim Ross, a close friend. \"He was a man of peace who used his great age and fame as the last survivor of the trenches to communicate two simple messages: Remember with gratitude and respect those who served on all sides, (and) settle disputes by discussion, not war.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Funeral service held for WWI veteran Harry Patch .\nPatch fought in Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 .\nSoldiers from Germany, Belgium, France and Britain attended funeral service .\nFriend said Patch's message was \"settle disputes by discussion, not war\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Holly Williams is one of the only artists in country music male or female who doesn't have a stylist. But then again, she might be the only entertainer in Nashville who owns a clothing boutique. Holly Williams is daughter of musician Hank Williams Jr. and granddaughter of musician Hank Williams Sr. The chic women's store is named H. Audrey after her maternal grandmother, who was the first wife of the late country music icon Hank Williams. Holly's father is Bocephus -- the legendary hellraiser and three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year otherwise known as Hank Williams Jr. She got her height from him. With heels on, she's about 6-foot-3 -- all tanned legs and long, blonde hair. She looks like a star. And at 28, she wants to earn the right to be one. Williams just released her sophomore album, \"Here With Me\" (Mercury Nashville). Most of the 11 tracks are self-penned, and she sings them with emotional honesty in a smoky, soulful voice. The characters in her lyrics are friends, family and lovers from the past. She also has a man in her present: On July 24, she became engaged to Chris Coleman, the drummer in her band. Watch Williams show off her talents » . Williams spoke with CNN about her new album and her family's legacy. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Your new album was released the same day as your dad's new album. Was that planned? Holly Williams: It wasn't planned at all. About three weeks before my release, I was looking over to see who else was coming out that day, and it said, \"Hank Jr.\" -- and I'm going, \"Is this something my manager planned?\" And it's just so random, because out of the 52 weeks of the year, it just happened. CNN: What did he think about the album? Williams: Well, this is embarrassing, but I haven't sent him a copy yet! I need to. He's heard two of the singles. He's always been a huge supporter of the songwriting, and just been a great encourager with me. CNN: What was it like when you were growing up? Williams: Well, my mom raised my sister and me. [My parents] split when we were 3 and 5, and he was touring 300 nights a year. We'd see him every few months when he was off the road, and we'd go up there and hunt and fish and be on the farm. But my mom did all the rules and curfews and all that. CNN: Your mother doesn't seem jaded by the music industry at all. Williams: Oh, she doesn't at all. They split in '83, so when they first got married in '77, he was still a struggling artist and doing small theater shows. My single out right now is called \"Mama\" that I wrote ... is kind of a thank-you song, because she was always the most positive influence -- had so much light. My dad always talks about what a great mom she was, and they're still close friends. CNN: What was it like for you going into the music industry? Was there a lot of pressure? Williams: The songwriting hit me at a very young age. Eight, 9, 10 is when I started writing. Went away from it for a few years, and at 17 picked up a guitar and it was just on from there. I'm 28 now, and I've been doing it for 10 years nonstop. I put out an EP myself when I was 20, and paid 200 bucks for my Web site, and traveled over in the U.K. alone with a backpack. And in the U.S., I just took my mom's Suburban and followed everyone from Train, John Mellencamp, Billy Bob Thornton -- everyone's bus -- and just did any show I could, whether they paid or not. Just played, played, played. CNN: Do you remember the first song you wrote when you were 8? Williams: I do. The first song I wrote was called \"Who Am I,\" and it's funny because it was very serious. I had a very happy childhood, but it was very introspective about this broken marriage, and I wanted Tiffany or Debbie Gibson to cut it. I remember just telling my mom, \"Just please call the publishing company. ... \"I was so ambitious. I remember making cassette tapes and mailing them to Music Row. CNN: What was the reaction from those tapes? Williams: I'm sure there was never any response. I'm sure people just laughed. I was not as talented as Taylor Swift when I was 15, 16. I could write a decent song, but I couldn't sing that well at that age. CNN: You have a love for rock 'n' roll. Why did you go into country with this album? Williams: Growing up in my house, you would assume I was growing up around country music with my dad being Hank Williams Jr. But he did not bring music home. He always said, \"I'm not Bocephus to you. I'm Daddy.\" So I was really left to my own devices to find music on my own. And I really fell in love with the singer-songwriters of the '70s -- Tom Waits, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Carole King -- that whole era really struck me. And when I heard Hank Williams Sr.'s name mentioned from those people -- from Leonard Cohen to Bruce Springsteen -- that's what really brought me back around to learning more about my grandfather. My music is still based in that singer-songwriter tradition. Adding a fiddle and steel guitar makes it more country, and adding blazing electric guitars makes it more rock. I'm on a country label now. CNN: You also own a clothing boutique in Nashville called H. Audrey. Williams: Everything I have on, except my shoes, is from there. ... It's a struggle in this economy, but we make enough to pay our payroll and buy the clothes. And it's nice to fold jeans every now and again, and get my mind out of myself. CNN: When you're writing down your goals on your wish list, what is it you really want? Williams: I would love to sell a million records. I would love to play in arenas -- but what I really want to build is a core fanbase, and just hopefully build a place in the Williams family." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Country music scion Holly Williams has new album out, \"Here With Me\"\nWilliams is daughter of Hank Jr., granddaughter of Hank Sr.\nWilliams sings country, but influenced by '70s singer-songwriters ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Andrew Sable wasn't in the market for new wheels, but he says the federal \"cash for clunkers\" program helped him get an offer he couldn't refuse. \"I'd have been foolish not to take it,\" said Andrew Sable, who got $9,000 for his 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The gas-guzzling 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee his college-student son drives went bad last weekend. Ordinarily Sable would have fixed it, even though the vehicle was worth perhaps $2,000 at best. But, aware of the program that started this month, Sable took a $4,500 federal credit this week to trade in the Jeep and buy a new, more fuel-efficient Chrysler PT Cruiser. And Chrysler, eager to sell vehicles, threw in its own $4,500 incentive. The $9,000 in savings knocked the price to $8,900 before taxes and fees. \"I'll never get $9,000 for this old vehicle [any other way]. I'd have been foolish not to take it,\" the 43-year-old Sable, an insurance underwriter living in North Bellmore, New York, told CNN after filing a report with iReport.com. He'll drive the PT Cruiser and let the son drive his Nissan. iReport.com: Read Sable's account of the purchase . Under the $1 billion program, people will be given credits of $3,500 to $4,500 to replace gas guzzlers -- generally vehicles with a combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less -- with new vehicles that are more fuel efficient. The old vehicles are crushed or shredded. Watch CNN's Gerri Willis explain the \"cash for clunkers\" program » . The exact credit offered through the program --- officially called the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009, or CARS -- depends on how many more miles per gallon the new vehicle gets. Fuel economy thresholds for new vehicles vary according to type. New cars must have a combined city/highway fuel economy of at least 22 mpg. New SUVs and small or medium pickup trucks or vans must get at least 18 mpg. New large vans and pickups must get at least 15 mpg. The government put Sable's old Jeep at 15 mpg. His new PT Cruiser, which the program classifies as an SUV, gets a combined 21 mpg. Part of the program's intent is to get vehicles with low fuel efficiency off the road. Caroline Radtke, a 31-year-old who wrote about her purchase on iReport.com, was happy to oblige. Radtke and her husband this month got a $4,500 CARS credit for trading in their 2000 Isuzu Trooper (15 mpg) to buy a new Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, a diesel-powered car that the program lists as getting 33 mpg. After the credit, they paid just under $26,000. \"What was going out of my [old] vehicle was bad for the planet, and you're putting so much financially into the stupid thing to fill it up because it runs out so fast,\" Radtke, a freelance graphic designer living in San Antonio, Texas, told CNN after filing her iReport. \"After driving it for eight and a half years, I wanted something more productive financially and more friendly to the Earth.\" The couple would have bought a new car without CARS, but the credit probably allowed them to get a nicer car than they otherwise would have, Radtke said. If they had sold the Trooper themselves, they might have gotten $3,000 if they were lucky, she said. iReport.com: Radtke's purchase . The CARS program isn't for everyone. The credit won't go toward used-car purchases. Also, people looking to get rid of their under-18-mpg vehicle might find they can get about the same or more than a CARS credit by selling it. But the program worked just fine for iReporter Julie Callahan, a Salt Lake City, Utah, woman who was looking to replace her 1990 Chevy C1500 pickup truck, which had more than 350,000 miles and is rated at 15 mpg. She and her husband already had a newer vehicle, but she used the truck to go to work and for other in-town purposes. But lately it started having shifting problems, and it was occasionally slipping going uphill. Like Sable, Callahan, 39, got $4,500 this week to turn in the old vehicle and buy a new PT Cruiser. And, like Sable, she also received a separate $4,500 credit from Chrysler. She'll be paying about $10,000 for her new vehicle after taxes and fees. The $9,000 she saved with the credits from CARS and Chrysler isn't too shabby, considering she figures her old pickup was nearly worthless because it had so many miles. iReport.com: How Callahan got $9,000 for her truck . \"Without the incentives, I probably wouldn't have purchased a brand new vehicle,\" Callahan, who runs a science outreach program at the University of Utah, told CNN after filing her iReport. Unless it is renewed, the program will end November 1 or when funds allotted by Congress run out, whichever happens first. Trade-ins must be less than 25 years old, and their titles must be free of any liens. Consumers can go to a Web site, cars.gov, to learn the program's rules. FuelEconomy.gov: See if your vehicle qualifies for CARS ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "N.Y. man wasn't looking for new vehicle, but credits, circumstances changed plans .\nProgram gives credits of $3,500 to $4,500 to people who trade in gas guzzlers .\nRecipients must buy new vehicles that are more fuel efficient .\nTexas woman glad program helped her buy more fuel-efficient vehicle ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Sonia Sotomayor, who rose from humble roots in a Bronx, New York, housing project to a high-powered legal career, was sworn in Saturday as the 111th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Sonia Sotomayor takes the judicial oath Saturday as her mother, Celina, holds the Bible. With friends and family looking on, the 55-year-old jurist took the judicial oath in the court's wood-paneled East Conference Room, pledging to \"faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent on me.\" It was the first time such a ceremony was televised. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the 62-word oath required of all federal judges. In a private ceremony just moments before, Sotomayor took a separate, constitutional oath across the hall. Both oaths are necessary for her to assume her new duties. As her mother, Celina, held a ceremonial Bible, Sotomayor beamed as she waved to relatives and guests when she entered the room for the public ceremony. Among those in the room was her brother, Juan Sotomayor. Watch Sotomayor take the oath » . Roberts made brief preliminary remarks, telling the audience of about 60 that after the swearing-in, Sotomayor can \"begin her duties as an associate justice without delay.\" \"Congratulations and welcome to the court,\" he said afterward. Sotomayor made no statements and did not answer questions. She hugged her mother and several people in the front row. The newest justice can begin moving into her chambers and preparing for the upcoming fall term. The other justices plan to return early from their three-month recess to hear a case September 9 on free speech and campaign finance laws. Sources close to Sotomayor say she has already begun reading up on the caseload, and will soon formally hire four law clerks. She also will have two secretaries and a messenger to assist her. Justice Anthony Kennedy was the only current Supreme Court member on hand for the swearing-in ceremony. David Souter, whom Sotomayor replaces on the bench, was not there. He has retired to New Hampshire. The Senate confirmed Sotomayor on Thursday in a 68-31 vote. President Obama, who did not attend the swearing-in, will welcome his first high court appointee to the White House for a reception Wednesday. Watch Senate vote » . Obama, who selected Sotomayor on May 26, said Thursday he was \"deeply gratified\" by the Senate vote. \"This is a wonderful day for Judge Sotomayor and her family, but I also think it's a wonderful day for America,\" he said in brief remarks. Sotomayor, who watched Thursday's final vote surrounded by friends and family at the federal courthouse in Manhattan, was confirmed after senators spent a final day of debate rehashing the main arguments for and against her. Democrats continued to praise Sotomayor as a fair and impartial jurist with an extraordinary life story. Many Republicans portrayed her as a judicial activist intent on reinterpreting the law to conform with her own liberal political beliefs. See how Sotomayor measures up to other justices » . Sotomayor's confirmation capped an inspiring personal and professional journey. Her parents came to New York from Puerto Rico during World War II. Her father worked in a factory and did not speak English well. She was born in the Bronx and grew up in a public housing project, not too far from the stadium of her favorite team, the New York Yankees. Her father died when she was 9. Her mother, whom Sotomayor has described as her biggest inspiration, worked six days a week as a nurse to care for her and her younger brother. Sotomayor graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and attended Yale Law School, where she was editor of the Yale Law Journal. She worked at nearly every level of the judicial system over a three-decade career before being tapped by Obama. Her supporters touted her as someone with bipartisan favor and historic appeal. President George H.W. Bush named her a district judge in 1992. She had served as a judge on the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since President Bill Clinton appointed her in 1998. Prior to her judicial appointments, Sotomayor was a partner at a private law firm and spent time as an assistant district attorney prosecuting violent crimes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Sonia Sotomayor's mother, Celina, holds Bible for ceremony .\nNEW: Sotomayor makes no remarks, shares hugs with loved ones .\nNew justice becomes first Hispanic to serve on Supreme Court, third woman .\nSotomayor will start work in September to hear challenge to campaign finance bill ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A three-day manhunt ended when officials caught a murder suspect who escaped from a southeastern Louisiana jail with three other inmates, a police news release said. Timothy Murray, 29, who is charged with murder, has been recaptured, authorities in Louisiana say. Police found Timothy Murray at about 1 a.m. Sunday in a wooded stretch in the Folsom area of St. Tammany Parish, the release said. Police returned Murray to the St. Tammany Parish Jail in Covington, north of New Orleans, Louisiana. Murray, 29, is charged with murder, said Capt. George Bonnett of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office. Three other escapees were rearrested Friday, Bonnett said. Thursday night's escape by Murray and the three others prompted a massive search using dogs, three helicopters and more than 100 officers, Bonnett said. Bonnett said he could not speak to how long it took to plan the escape, but that \"it clearly was a situation where there appeared to be a great amount of planning and forethought.\" The inmates captured Friday were Gary Slaydon, 27; Eric Buras, 30; and Jason Gainey, 27. Slaydon is charged with attempted murder, and Buras is a murder suspect. Gainey has been convicted of murder. They were found in a wooded area about a mile from the jail, Bonnett said. The men escaped about 9 p.m. Thursday, Bonnett said, and the escape was not discovered until a resident and Covington police reported seeing what appeared to be inmates in jail uniforms walking down a street. About the time those calls came in, jailers were doing a routine head count and found the four men missing, Bonnett said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Escaped inmate captured in Louisiana after three-day manhunt, police say .\nMan, 29, is charged with murder, police say .\nFour men escaped from jail in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, last week .\nThree found earlier in area near jail north of New Orleans, official says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday he did not call for a ban on Facebook during the country's presidential election. President Ahmadinejad's challengers are using new technology to spread their message. \"I should make an inquiry and ask about this,\" he said when asked about reports that his government blocked access to the online social networking site. He added, \"I believe in maximum freedom of expression.\" The hardline Iranian president made the comment in response to a question from CNN at a news conference. Asked whether he would order that access to Facebook be reinstated, Ahmadinejad responded that he would \"see if there is a complaint\" that may be presented to the judiciary. The semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency reported over the weekend that the Iranian government had blocked Facebook amid political jockeying for the June 12 presidential election. Reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi -- a former prime minister considered a threat to Ahmadinejad -- has created a Facebook page for his campaign and has more than 5,000 supporters on the site. Those attempting to visit Facebook were receiving a message in Farsi saying, \"Access to this site is not possible,\" according to CNN personnel in Tehran. The news agency reported the Masadiq Committee, made up of representatives from Iran's intelligence ministry, judiciary and others, had ordered the action. After a few hours, the block was lifted, but then reinstated later, the agency said. No reason was given. \"We are disappointed to learn of reports that users in Iran may not have access to Facebook, especially at a time when voters are turning to the Internet as a source of information about election candidates and their positions,\" a Facebook spokesperson said in a written statement. \"We are investigating these reports. \"We believe that people around the world should be able to use Facebook to communicate and share information with their friends, family and co-workers. It is always a shame when a countries' cultural and political concerns lead to limits being placed on the opportunity for sharing and expression that the Internet provides.\" Ahmadinejad's challengers are increasingly turning to new technology to spread their message, according to a May 13 article in the Financial Times newspaper. Iran's population -- estimated at more than 66 million by July 2009, according to the CIA World Factbook -- has a median age of 27. The Financial Times, which put the country's population at 70 million, said 47 million Iranians have cell phones and 21 million have Internet access. \"We are using new technologies because they have the capacity to be multiplied by people themselves who can forward Bluetooth, e-mails and text messages and invite more supporters on Facebook,\" Behzad Mortazavi, head of Mousavi's campaign committee, told the Financial Times. At a Mousavi rally at a stadium Saturday, the Facebook blockage was a topic of conversation among reporters. Many said they had accessed Facebook on Friday night and believe the site was blocked Saturday morning. CNN's Reza Sayah and Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he did not call for a ban on Facebook .\nAhmadinejad: \"I believe in maximum freedom of expression\"\nAhmadinejad's opponents are using new technology to spread message .\nReformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi created Facebook page for campaign ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The backdrop to countless movies and television shows, Los Angeles has been reproduced on film more times than any other city on the planet. The L.A. metropolis spreads over nearly 500 square miles. But just like the movie sets that went up in flames last year at Universal Studios, the Tinseltown glamour is often no more than a flimsy facade. Behind the myth of Hollywood lies a swirling melting pot of a place where nearly half of people speak Spanish and where, for every rising star, there's at least a hundred wannabes waiting tables or entertaining tourists on Venice Beach. At once a Lalaland filled with dreamers, Los Angeles has also been scene to some of the worst race riots in American history: a paradoxical place that spawned both Charlie Chaplin and Gangsta Rap. These days, aside from the smog -- an ever present in a city plagued with so many cars and so little rainfall -- the atmosphere is less toxic than two decades ago when the city was awash with crack cocaine and guns. Watch Wolfgang Puck take CNN on a tour of L.A. » . Schemes to gentrify the downtown and other areas, such as the construction of the Hollywood and Highland complex that includes the Kodak Theater -- home to the Oscars since 2002 -- have gone some way to revitalizing the inner city. In any case, in a city with an estimated population of 3.8 million sprawling over a metropolis nearly 500 square miles in size, it's easy to avoid the sharper edges if you want to. Not that that's so surprising. After all, where better to detune from reality than in a town whose success is entirely founded on our appetite for escapism. And from its world class art galleries to the unashamed schmaltz of Disneyland and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it offers escapism for all tastes. The Los Angeles story started in the late nineteenth century when Midwesterners attracted by the promise of a warm, dry climate followed the railroad west. The boom times risked coming to a premature halt at the turn of the century due to water shortages, but the smart engineering and dark maneuverings of the city water department (maneuverings that helped inspire the classic film noir, Chinatown) resulted in the construction of water aqueducts that ensured the city's continued growth. See pictures of Wolfgang Puck's Los Angeles . In the end though, light was the natural resource that mattered most. From the 1920s onwards, the motion picture industry grew into a worldwide phenomenon thanks to the abundance of clear, blue skies to help light the movie moguls sets. By the time the Golden Age of Hollywood came to an end, the boom town had morphed into a sprawling urban center and the lure of the limelight had earned the city the tag it retains to this day, that of \"entertainment capital of the world.\" In the early nineties, the story lost its luster somewhat when years of marginalization suffered by African Americans found a rallying point in the Rodney King beating. Despite a video that appeared to show police violently attacking King, the accused officers were acquitted. The verdict led to rioting in which 53 people died and large areas went up in flames. The city is certainly no angel, it's true. Even so, whether it's tattooed bodybuilders rollerblading Santa Monica Boulevard, a Marilyn Monroe look alike blowing kisses outside Grauman's Chinese Theater or a blood red sunset dropping into the Pacific, Los Angeles is a place with a rare ability to beguile and bemuse in equal measure." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Los Angeles is known as \"the entertainment capital of the world\"\nSince the railroad came west it has grown to a metropolis of 3.8 million .\nThe city has seen racial tensions, notably race riots in the early 90s ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "PARIS, France (CNN) -- The French National Assembly announced Tuesday the creation of an inquiry into whether women in France should be allowed to wear the burka, one day after President Nicolas Sarkozy controversially told lawmakers that the traditional Muslim garment was \"not welcome\" in France. A woman wears traditionnal Muslim dress n Venissieux, near Lyon. A cross-party panel of 32 lawmakers will investigate whether the traditional Muslim garment poses a threat to the secular nature of the French constitution. They are due to report back with their recommendations in six months. Last week 57 lawmakers -- led by communist legislator Andre Gerin -- signed a petition calling for a study into the feasibility of legislation to ban the burka in public places. On Monday Sarkozy declared in a keynote parliamentary address that the burka, which covers women from head to toe, is \"not welcome\" in France. Watch why burkas are such a controversial issue in France » . \"The problem of the burka is not a religious problem. This is an issue of a woman's freedom and dignity. This is not a religious symbol. It is a sign of subservience; it is a sign of lowering. I want to say solemnly, the burka is not welcome in France,\" Sarkozy told lawmakers. The right of Muslim women to cover themselves is fiercely debated in France, which has a large Muslim minority but also a staunchly secular constitution. Should Muslim women in France be banned from wearing the burka? Sound Off below . In 2004, the French parliament passed legislation banning Muslim girls from wearing headscarves in state schools, prompting widespread Muslim protests. The law also banned other conspicuous religious symbols including Sikh turbans, large Christian crucifixes and Jewish skull caps. Last year, France's top court denied a Moroccan woman's naturalization request on the grounds that she wore a burka. Some lawmakers have called for burkas to be banned completely, claiming they are degrading to women. They also include housing minister Fadela Amara, a Muslim-born women's rights campaigner, who has called the garment \"a kind of tomb for women.\" \"We cannot accept in our country women trapped behind a fence, cut off from social life, deprived of any identity. This is not the idea that we have of a woman's dignity,\" Sarkozy said Monday. But French Muslim leaders say that only a small minority of women wear the full veil and had previously criticized calls for the issue to be the subject of a parliamentary inquiry. \"To raise the subject like this, via a parliamentary committee, is a way of stigmatizing Islam and the Muslims of France,\" Mohammed Moussaoui, the head of the French Council for the Muslim Religion, told AFP last week. \"We are shocked by the idea parliament should be put to work on such a marginal issue.\" According to CIA estimates, between 5 and 10 percent of France's 64 million population are Muslim. The country does not collect its own statistics on religion in accordance with laws enshrining France's status as a secular state. France is not the only European Union country to have considered banning the burka. Dutch lawmakers voted in favor of a ban in 2005, although the government of the time was defeated in elections before it could pass legislation to outlaw the garment." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "French lawmakers to consider whether burka threatens French secularism .\nPanel set up after President Sarkozy says burka not welcome in France .\nDebate is raging in France about Muslim women wearing the traditional garment ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- After her crowning in January, Katie Stam, Miss America 2009, went from beauty queen to traveling machine -- within minutes. \"The moment they put that crown on my head I started work...literally,\" she told CNN. Miss America Katie Stam is constantly on the road. The Indiana native will spend a year crisscrossing the country promoting her platform of community service. \"I change locations every two or three days, and that's exactly how it's going to be all year,\" Stam says. From visiting children in hospitals in Pennsylvania to flipping pancakes for charity in California, Miss America lives a life on the road. And with such a hectic schedule, she has picked up a few tips on how to stay sane while traveling. \"The most important tip I could offer anybody who does a lot of traveling is to stay as organized as possible,\" Stam says. To keep from losing items on the road, Stam keeps everything in the same place in her suitcase, including her crown. \"It's really funny, but it helps me kind of keep a clear mind,\" she explains. She also unpacks a little as soon as she arrives in her hotel room. \"You realize when you get on the road, and that's your life, your hotel becomes your home,\" Stam says. \"And so you really need to feel that you're coming home to your room, to your place where all of your things are.\" Stam also stresses the importance of a good night's sleep. \"It's absolutely essential to get a full night's rest or at least quality rest,\" she says. However she also acknowledges the difficulties of sleeping a full eight hours while traveling. But the ever chipper Miss America has a trick for getting around the wonky work hours: \"If you know you only have 10 minutes, you take a quick 10 minute nap.\" With airplanes being her primary mode of transportation, the beauty queen also has advice for the frequent flyer on how to stay fresh while on the go. \"It's tricky,\" she says. \"A lot of people lose their luggage and stuff. So I always keep my makeup with me, put on a little powder before I go somewhere.\" And when you're Miss America, somewhere could be anywhere." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Miss America Katie Stam is spending a year on the road .\nShe likes to unpack a little as soon as she arrives at her hotel .\nKeeping things in the same place helps her stay organized on the road ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The sponsor of a proposal to rein in aggressive celebrity photographers is meeting resistance from Los Angeles' top cop, who says the law is not needed when celebrities just behave. Photographers swarm a car carrying Britney Spears after a Los Angeles court appearance in October 2007. City Councilman Dennis Zine wants to require photographers to stay a safe distance from celebrities. His proposed ordinance is nicknamed the \"Britney Law\" for the hordes of paparazzi that swarm around pop star Britney Spears, sometimes costing the city thousands of dollars for escorts and other enforcement. \"They act like a pack of wolves stalking their prey, creating havoc in the streets, and are nuisances to innocent bystanders,\" Zine said at a task force hearing he convened Thursday. Watch how paparazzi spy on Hollywood stars » . The proposal gained exposure last month when officials from around Southern California asked former independent counsel Kenneth Starr -- whose investigation of former President Clinton spawned its own share of tabloid headlines -- to help craft a law that would protect celebrities without infringing on freedom of the press. iReport.com: Share your celeb stories and photos . Critics of the plan include Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, who argues that it would be difficult to enforce. He also says existing laws can keep unruly packs of photographers in check. The chief said the city's tabloid darlings could help by providing photographers less to work with. \"If celebrities behave themselves, that solves about 90 percent of the problem,\" Bratton said. \"Britney, the last couple of days, has started wearing clothes again. The paparazzi are leaving town because she's not as interesting when she's not running around without her underwear on.\" He said actress Lindsay Lohan \"evidently found a new love life, so she's probably in New York hanging out\" and that \"God knows\" where billionaire heiress Paris Hilton had been. \"She's thankfully disappeared from the scene,\" Bratton said. At the hearing, members of the paparazzi also said the law would be impossible to enforce. \"Unless every celebrity has a chaperone of a police officer with a 6-foot tape measure, how are you going to enforce it?\" said photographer Nick Stern. Those attending included musician John Mayer, actor Eric Roberts, sheriff's officials, representatives of the Screen Actors Guild and officials from West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Malibu. CNN's Kareen Wynter contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Councilman wants to require photographers to keep distance from celebrities .\nCritics say 'Britney Law' would be difficult to enforce .\nPolice chief says law would be unnecessary if celebs behaved themselves ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- We hear that a lot of young people don't care or worry about the economy and finances. But take it from a 23-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter: They do and should care. Kelly Evans, 23, is an economics reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Kelly Evans started as an economics reporter at the paper as the economy started getting bad a year and a half ago. She has since seen the resilience of the people in her generation as they adapt to a changing job market. CNN's Nicole Lapin talked to Evans about what young people should be doing to deal with the tough times. The following is an edited transcript of the interview: . Nicole Lapin: What do you tell young people to make economic news relevant to them? Watch the entire interview with Kelly Evans » . Kelly Evans: We really, really do try to explain to people, past some of the language and the jargon, to say that economics is really about what's happening: your job, your income, demographics, poverty rates, and what it looks like across the country. There are some terms that may seem unfamiliar, but I think if you sit down and read through our coverage, you'll see that a lot of it makes sense. I feel very proud of the fact that over the last year, year and a half, a lot of the articles that I've written and a lot of the articles that we've written as an economics team have done a lot to point out the risks out there so that this didn't just come out of nowhere. Lapin: So what are some of the things that young people should really focus on? Is it a 401(k)? Is it savings? Is it a combination of the two, perhaps? Evans: Well, I think for most young people, the big thing right now is a career or a job path. Whether you're in high school or you're in college, you're thinking, \"What am I going to do when I get out? Do I want to be a doctor, or a lawyer?\" I think less people want to be in banking than did a few years ago, and so I'm curious as a reporter what is perceived to be the golden ticket nowadays. Certainly health care, education are some of the more reliable places to go right now. So what I would say mostly is make sure you're in a good financial position. Do whatever you can for yourself. But really make sure you're investing in your education or skills, maybe the language skills in particular, that will be really important down the road. I think that ends up paying off in human capital. It's really important. Lapin: What kind of tips do you give to youngsters who are about to get out of school? Evans: I would encourage people who are looking at colleges to ignore the brand name and really go with what is going to be the best value to you." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kelly Evans is an economics reporter for The Wall Street Journal .\nShe says in this economy, young people should focus on education, job path .\nShe strives to provide common-sense information about complicated economy .\nWhen looking for college, Evans says, don't focus on \"brand name\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- The crown of the Statue of Liberty will reopen to tourists on July 4. The Statue of Liberty welcomes visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans. The crown was closed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, for safety and security reasons. The National Park Service closed the attraction amid worries that it would be difficult for visitors to evacuate quickly in the event of an emergency. Visitors must climb a narrow 168-step double-helix spiral staircase to get to the crown. Since the closing, tourists have been able to visit other parts of the statue. iReport.com: Show us your best Statue of Liberty shots . The federal government planned to give \"America a special gift\" by re-opening the crown, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in May. \"We are once again inviting the public to celebrate our great nation and the hope and opportunity it symbolizes by climbing to Lady Liberty's crown for a unique view of New York Harbor, where the forebears of millions of American families first saw the world,\" he said in a statement. Access to the crown will be limited to 10 people at a time, guided by a National Park Service ranger. \"We cannot eliminate all the risk of climbing to the crown, but we are taking steps to make it safer,\" Salazar said. The measures include raising the handrails on the spiral staircase and stationing rangers throughout the Statue to help visitors. The Statue of Liberty will be open for the next two years, then closed again for \"work on a long-term solution that will improve safety and security permanently,\" according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. A gift from France to the United States, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for its centennial on July 4, 1986. It stands just across New York Harbor from where the Twin Towers stood." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Statue of Liberty's crown will reopen to the public on July 4 .\nThe crown has been closed since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks .\niReporters shared photos of the statue, which CNN combined in a mosaic .\niReport.com: See, share your photos of Lady Liberty ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A drunk passenger tried to hijack a Turkish Airlines flight to Russia on Wednesday before he was brought under control, the head of Turkey's civil aviation authority said. The Turkish Airlines passenger jet was en route from Turkey to Russia when the incident took place. The plane landed safely and on time Wednesday afternoon in St. Petersburg. Russian authorities promptly arrested a \"slightly intoxicated\" passenger from Uzbekistan, Russia's Interfax News Agency reported, citing a national police spokesman. The suspect, in his early 50s, was arrested on suspicion of trying to hijack the plane, Interfax reported. Turkish media initially reported that the plane had been hijacked. When asked about those reports, a Turkish Airlines spokesman said the flight experienced an \"urgent situation\" as it headed to St. Petersburg, without offering further details. Interfax said the flight was carrying 164 Russian nationals. There have been several attempts to hijack Turkish airlines in recent years. In August 2007, two men hijacked an Istanbul-bound Atlasjet Airlines flight with 136 passengers and crew on board from Cyprus, claiming to have a bomb on board the flight. They forced the crew to make an emergency landing in Antalya. Both hijackers eventually surrendered to Turkish authorities. In April 2007, Turkish authorities detained a man they believed tried to hijack a Turkish airliner, possibly to Iran. The suspect, Mehmed Goksin Gol, was not armed and all 178 passengers and crew aboard the Pegasus Airlines flight were unharmed. The flight was heading from southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir to Istanbul, but landed at Ankara's airport, where the suspect was detained. In October 2006, a Turkish man hijacked a Turkish jetliner with 113 people aboard en route from the Albanian capital Tirana for Istanbul. He forced it to fly to a military airfield in Brindisi, Italy, where the passengers and crew were released unharmed. CNN's Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow and Nicky Robertson in Atlanta contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Incident on flight between Antalya, Turkey and St Petersburg, Russia .\nTurkish Airlines: Drunk man tried to hijack passenger plane .\nOfficials: Man brought under control, airline experienced \"urgent situation\"\nNEW: Interfax: Flight arrives at St. Petersburg, police arrest Uzbek man in his 50s ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: Robert J. Shiller is a professor of economics at Yale University. This op-ed is based on his book with George Akerlof, \"Animal Spirits: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy, and Why It Matters for Global Capitalism.\" Akerlof is a 2001 Nobel laureate in economics and professor of economics at the University of California at Berkeley. Robert Shiller says basic psychogical factors led to excesses which have devastated the economy. (CNN) -- President Obama's National Economic Council head Lawrence Summers noted in his speech March 13 that the economic crisis has led to an \"excess of fear\" that must be reversed. To understand the role fear plays in the current crisis, we must understand the role of human psychology. John Maynard Keynes thought psychology was the major cause of economic booms as well as busts, though this aspect of his work is now largely forgotten. He said people's economic decisions, in both good times and bad times, are largely, ultimately, if indirectly, driven by animal spirits, primitive psychological tendencies. In a recently published book, George Akerlof and I identified three animal spirits that played critical roles in the current economic meltdown. They are confidence, bad faith and storytelling. Let's first consider confidence and its dictionary meaning. Confidence means complete and secure trust. But trust goes beyond the rational use of information that is usually considered in economic theory. Trust is largely an emotion. Indeed we saw the role of vivid emotions in the stock and housing market booms that brought on our current problems. Trust is a state of mind that is the opposite of vigilance. People were purchasing and selling complex financial instruments without looking carefully at them. This trust is broken. The second animal spirit that came into play was bad faith. With so many trusting people, an uglier side of human nature became prominent. The temptation for smart promoters was overwhelming. Questionable practices boomed, and regulators failed to step in, because of the view, taken from economists, that private markets would be self-policing. Investors would only put their money at increased risk if they were duly compensated by higher expected returns. Thus, there was little worry about laxity of regulation in securities and real estate markets. But, this self-policing view did not consider that these investors might be overconfident. There is a myth that capitalism produces what people really want, as long as firms can make a profit. But, instead, more generally, it produces what people think they want, as long as firms can make a profit. True, unregulated capitalism will produce good medicines that cure our ills. But unregulated capitalism will also produce snake oil that people think they want, but does not cure our ills. (To guard against the production of such things, the federal government established the Food and Drug Administration in 1906.) The problem of snake oil has special relevance for financial assets, which are only pieces of paper. Most investors can surmise their value only from what others, such as accountants and rating agencies, tell them. These accounting and rating agencies also have their own incentives. And those incentives have not been fully aligned with the public's interest. And so when people are overconfident, financial markets produce assets that take advantage of that overconfidence. If unprotected by effective regulation, people will be sold snake oil assets. Just recently an industry arose, in Wall Street and beyond, to produce them. A third animal spirit bolstered the previous two. People act and think and live according to stories, especially human interest stories, not usually abstract calculation. That goes for their personal decisions. But there is also always a story, usually with some grain of truth and human interest, about the economy. These stories are often overly exuberant, on the one side, or overly pessimistic on the other. Ten years ago we had the story of the dot-com millionaires. Most recently we believed alchemists of financial engineering were packaging risky financial assets to make them safe. People were overconfident. And markets took advantage of their beliefs to sell them what later proved to be snake oil assets. These three animal spirits then explain how factors in human psychology play a key role in why the economy fluctuates as much as it does. The confidence comes and goes. The stories come and go. The snake oil comes and goes. This explanation for economic fluctuations has implications for the role of government. The first role of government is, before the fact -- as with the Food and Drug Administration -- to protect the public from negative consequences of their animal spirits (and to let them prevail and even to encourage the positive consequences). If, as now, the snake oil has been swallowed, it is the role of the government to restore our health. The government must aim to achieve full employment of the population by added spending to boost the economy and policies to make credit widely available. It should fulfill the full-employment goals of the Employment Act of 1946. That means that producers who produce good products at a profit should have buyers who want to buy them; workers who have trained for productive jobs should be able to get them. It also means that producers who can produce such products can get the credit to finance their production; and buyers who want to purchase these products can obtain the credit to purchase them. Why are such targets useful and necessary? History tells us. In the Great Depression, both Hoover and Roosevelt had many pragmatic schemes to put people back to work and keep credit markets from falling apart. But for lack of a correct theory of the economy, and targets corresponding to that theory, their measures fell far short. Unemployment in the United States only fell below 10 percent after the start of World War II, in 1941. Such targets are necessary for political reasons as well. Any effective plan to resolve our crisis will involve massive sticker shock. The two targets are necessary to justify and explain the tough and expensive measures that need to be taken. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Robert Shiller." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Robert Shiller: Economic boom gave rise to schemes that relied on trust .\nHe says basic psychological factors are key to restoring confidence .\nGovernment has a role in preventing fraud from being sold to the public, he says .\nShiller: Government must aim for full employment and widely available credit ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Mel Martinez, a Florida Republican, announced Friday that he will resign his seat as soon as a replacement can be named by the governor. Sen. Mel Martinez is the only Hispanic Republican in the U.S. Senate. \"My priorities have always been my faith, my family and my country, and, at this stage of my life and after nearly 12 years of public service in Florida and in Washington, it is time to return to Florida and my family,\" the 62-year-old said in Orlando, Florida. \"So today I am announcing my decision to step down from public office.\" Martinez said he is resigning \"of my own free will. There is no impending reason; it's only my desire to move on and to get on with the rest of my life.\" He added that he is in good health and that he expects the next phase of his life will take place in the private sector. \"However, I do hope that I can have a voice to speak out on issues I think are important,\" he said. Martinez added that he has no plans to run for any other public office. At a news conference at McDill Air Force Base in Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist said he will \"undertake a very thorough, comprehensive, thoughtful process\" to find a replacement for Martinez. He vowed not to appoint himself to complete Martinez's six-year term, which ends in about 17 months, and predicted that he would reach a decision before the Senate returns from recess September 8. Crist, a Republican, had announced in May that he would not seek a second term as governor and instead would run for Martinez's seat in the 2010 election. Martinez was elected in 2004. He announced in December his intention to retire at the end of his term. Martinez is the only Hispanic Republican in the Senate. He joined eight other Republicans on Thursday in voting to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Democrats hold a tenuous filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, with 60 votes. Martinez is one of six Republicans who have stated they would not seek re-election in 2010. But the Florida senator is the second Republican who has decided to leave before the curtain drops on the 111th Congress next fall. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, recently announced her intention to quit the Senate three years before her term expires, in order to run for governor next year. The five other Republicans who are retiring are Missouri Sen. Kit Bond, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning and Ohio Sen. George Voinovich. Two Democrats will not run in 2010: Illinois Sen. Roland Burris and Delaware Sen. Ted Kaufman. Republicans must defend 19 seats next year, and Democrats must protect 18. CNN's Rick DiBella, Mark Preston and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Florida senator says there is no \"impending reason\" behind decision .\nNEW: He has no plans to run for another office, he says .\nHe announced in December that he would not seek re-election .\nFlorida governor has said he will seek the seat ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Ed McMahon, the longtime pitchman and Johnny Carson sidekick whose \"Heeeeeeerre's Johnny!\" became a part of the vernacular, has died. Ed McMahon had suffered several health problems in recent years. McMahon passed away peacefully shortly after midnight at the Ronald Reagan/UCLA Medical Center, his publicist, Howard Bragman, said Tuesday . McMahon, 86, was hospitalized in February with pneumonia and other medical problems. He had suffered a number of health problems in recent years, including a neck injury caused by a 2007 fall. In 2002, he sued various insurance companies and contractors over mold in his house and later collected a $7 million settlement. Though he later hosted a variety of shows -- including \"Star Search\" and \"TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes,\" McMahon's biggest fame came alongside Carson on \"The Tonight Show,\" which Carson hosted from 1962 to 1992. The two met not long after Carson began hosting the game show \"Who Do You Trust?\" in 1957. iReport.com: Share your memories of Ed McMahon . \"Johnny didn't look as if he was dying to see me,\" McMahon, who was hosting a show on a Philadelphia TV station, told People magazine in 1980 about the pair's first meeting. \"He was standing with his back to the door, staring at a couple of workmen putting letters on a theater marquee. I walked over and stood beside him. Finally the two guys finished, and Johnny asked, 'What have you been doing?' I told him. He said, 'Good to meet you, Ed,' shook my hand, and I was out of the office. The whole meeting was about as exciting as watching a traffic light change.\" Watch McMahon discuss meeting Johnny Carson » . Though McMahon was surprised to be offered the job as Carson's sidekick, the two soon proved to have a strong chemistry. Carson was, by nature, introverted and dry-witted; McMahon was the boisterous and outgoing second banana, content to give Carson straight lines or laugh uproariously at his jokes (a characteristic much-parodied by comedians). Watch Comedian Joan Rivers recall McMahon » . Carson made cracks about McMahon's weight, his drinking and the men's trouble with divorce. McMahon was married three times; Carson, who died in 2005, had four wives. McMahon was also the show's designated pitchman, a talent he honed to perfection during \"Tonight's\" 30-year run with Carson, even if sometimes the in-show commercial spots fell flat. For one of the show's regular sponsors, Alpo dog food, McMahon usually extolled the virtues of the product while a dog eagerly gobbled down a bowl. But one day the show's regular dog wasn't available, and the substitute pooch wasn't very hungry. McMahon recalled the incident in his 1998 memoir, \"For Laughing Out Loud.\" \"Then I saw Johnny come into my little commercial area. He got down on his hands and knees and came over to me. ... I started to pet Johnny. Nice boss, I was thinking as I pet him on the head, nice boss. By this point the audience was hysterical. ... I just kept going. I was going to get my commercial done. \" 'The next time you're looking at the canned dog food ...' -- he rubbed his cheek against my leg -- ... reach for the can that contains real beef.' Johnny got up on his knees and started begging for more. I started petting him again ... and then he licked my hand.\" McMahon also promoted Budweiser, American Family Insurance and -- during the most recent Super Bowl -- Cash4Gold.com. Entertainment Weekly named him No. 1 on its list of TV's greatest sidekicks. Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 6, 1923. His father was a promoter, and McMahon remembered moving a lot during his childhood. \"I changed towns more often than a pickpocket,\" McMahon told People. He later joined the Marines and served in World War II and Korea. Though McMahon was well-rewarded by NBC -- the 1980 People article listed his salary between $600,000 and $1 million -- his divorces and some poor investments took their toll. In June 2008, The Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon was $644,000 in arrears on a $4.8 million loan for a home in Beverly Hills, California, and his lender had filed a notice of default. McMahon and his wife, Pamela, told CNN's Larry King that McMahon had gotten caught in a spate of financial problems. \"If you spend more money than you make, you know what happens. And it can happen. You know, a couple of divorces thrown in, a few things like that,\" said McMahon, who added that he hadn't worked much since the neck injury. McMahon later struck a deal that allowed him to stay in the house. He is survived by his wife, Pamela, and five children. A sixth child, McMahon's son Michael, died in 1995." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "McMahon's biggest fame came alongside Johnny Carson on \"The Tonight Show\"\nMcMahon hosted \"Star Search\" and \"TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes\"\nMcMahon had suffered several health problems in recent years ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Norman Ollestad remembers the tree limb. The book's jacket features a picture of a 1-year-old Norman clinging to his father's back on a surfboard. He was 11 years old, riding in a Cessna in a blizzard through California's San Gabriel Mountains in 1979, on his way to pick up a trophy he won in a skiing competition. \"The gray clouds were just pressing against the windows; it didn't even seem like we were moving,\" he recalls. \"Then, there's a limb reaching out of that fog and disappearing. Then another one and another one. \"Then realizing we were in the trees.\" The plane crash that followed killed his father and the pilot and badly wounded his father's girlfriend, who with young Norman was tossed violently onto the top of an 8,600-foot mountain in the freezing, February chill. \"I felt three thuds. The third one must have knocked me cold,\" says Ollestad, now 41. \"I remember feeling those thuds in my spine -- a clear memory of that. Then I woke up who knows how long after.\" The ensuing nine-hour, life-or-death descent -- in the end, he was the only survivor -- is the topic of \"Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival.\" Watch the press conference that followed his survival » . But the book is about more than a plane crash, namely his relationship with an adrenaline-junkie father who basked in the wild life of Malibu in the 1970s and relentlessly pushed his \"Boy Wonder\" to excel from the ski slopes of northern California to the crashing surf off the Mexican coast. \"It's actually 100 percent about my relationship with my father,\" Ollestad said. \"That relationship was present on the mountain with me, even though he was dead.\" Released this month, the book already has been picked up by Warner Bros. [a sister company of CNN] for a feature film and has earned critical acclaim, including comparisons to John Krakauer's 1997 nonfiction best-seller \"Into Thin Air.\" \"An engrossing story of adventure, survival and psychological exploration,\" wrote the journal Kirkus Reviews. In the book, Ollestad cuts back and forth between the crash and journey down the mountain and the years leading up to that moment. Included are memories of life in Malibu, where he grew up the son of divorced parents in a cottage on the beach. There are surfers and skate rats, musicians and nudists and memories of smoking weed and spying on his neighbors' most intimate moments. But mostly there's his father, Norman Ollestad Sr., an athlete, actor, lawyer, musician and former FBI agent. From the age of 3, Norman was groomed for competitive \"extreme sports\" by his father and pushed to be the best. The book's jacket features a picture of a 1-year-old Norman clinging to his father's back as he steers a surfboard atop the waves of California's Topanga State Beach. He acknowledges that many times, when his father was cooking up a new adventure for the two of them, he would rather have been \"riding my bike or eating chocolate cake.\" \"[At first] a lot of people are, 'Wow .. I had a lot of trouble with some of the stuff your dad was doing,' \" says Ollestad, who studied creative writing at UCLA and attended UCLA's film school. \"But then it turned out that a lot of that stuff was really beautiful.\" And he believes it saved his life. The skiing made him aware of how steep the mountain's slope was and what it would take to get down it without falling. The skiing and surfing gave him control of his body and awareness of the exact movements required to work his way out of the descent's most treacherous spots. \"Some of it was sort of eerily, specifically perfect for the situation,\" he says. \"Forty-five degree pitch, blizzard with ice, well, I've been here for eight years doing this. It was familiar to me.\" The book has had another, unexpected result for Ollestad, who now lives in Venice, California. He says he's been shocked at the e-mail from readers. \"Nobody's even written about the plane crash,\" he says. \"[They say] 'it reminds me of some of the things I did with my dad or some of the things I didn't get to do.' \"In every e-mail, whether it's a woman or a man, they talk about ...their relationship with their father or mother. It touches something in there where they want to talk about it.\" Now, for Ollestad, the story has followed him all the way around. He's the father of an 8-year-old, Noah, and seeks to walk the line between responsible parenting and teaching his child the lessons he says saved his life. \"Those were different times,\" he tells the boy in the book's epilogue. \"My dad made me do lots of things that I'd get arrested for making you do.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Norman Ollestad was 11 years old when the plane he was in crashed .\nOllestad's father died and Ollestad climbed down the mountain for nine hours .\nExperience is present in book \"Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival\"\nBook also chronicles Ollestad's relationship with his father ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two additional suspects in the strangulation of an 89-year-old Holocaust survivor were arrested Friday, the Manhattan district attorney's office said. Felix Brinkmann dances at a 2008 birthday party. \"He was not the kind of guy who had enemies,\" his son says. Aljulah Cutts, 27, and his brother Hasib, 30, were taken into custody in Manhattan in connection with the death last week of Guido Felix Brinkmann, the district attorney's office said. A spokeswoman declined to specify what, if any, connection the men are suspected to have had to the victim or to a woman previously arrested in the case. Police also would not say what charges the two might face. The woman, Angela Murray, 30, of the Bronx, was arraigned Sunday on one count of murder in the second degree and three counts of robbery in the case. Brinkmann was found dead in the bedroom of his apartment July 30, his hands tied behind his back, police said. A safe was missing from the apartment, and his car had been stolen. Brinkmann, a native of Latvia, was held in the Mauthausen, Ebensee and Auschwitz camps during World War II. After the war, he and his wife, who also survived Auschwitz, came to America. In 1971, Brinkmann co-founded Adam's Apple disco in Manhattan, and later was the real estate manager of a mixed-use building in the Bronx, according to his son, Rick Brinkman, who uses a different spelling for his last name. Brinkmann's wife died last year. CNN's Jason Kessler and Chris Kokenes contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Man, brother taken into custody in connection with Guido Felix Brinkmann's death .\nWoman previously arrested in the case was arraigned Sunday .\nBrinkmann, 89, was found strangled last week in his Manhattan apartment .\nA safe was missing from the apartment, and Brinkmann's car had been stolen ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "SRINAGAR, Indian-administered Kashmir (CNN) -- The chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir tendered his resignation Tuesday after he was accused of being involved in a 2006 sex scandal, his adviser said. Omar Abdullah denies any link to a prostitution ring, saying he has stepped down to clear his name. Omar Abdullah, 38, delivered his resignation to the state governor after opposition member Muzaffar Hussain Beigh accused Omar of a connection to the prostitution scandal during a session of the state legislative assembly. Muzaffar served as the deputy chief minister in the previous government, when several top pro-India officials were arrested on charges they misused their authority to force girls and women into a prostitution ring in Kashmir. Omar denied being involved in the scandal, but said he could not \"continue in the office following the allegation\" and would not serve again until he is cleared of the charges. \"This is not an ordinary allegation, but a highly serious one. I cannot continue in office until I am cleared,\" Omar said in the state assembly. He then drove to Raj Bhawan, the official residence of New Delhi-appointed governor N. N. Vohra, to deliver his resignation, according to Devender Rana, Omar's political adviser. The governor is consulting constitutional and legal experts before deciding on the resignation. The chief minister refused to talk to journalists outside the governor's residence. The Times of India newspaper Tuesday quoted highly placed sources in India's Central Bureau of Investigation as saying that Omar's name never came up in the prostitution probe. Omar came into office in January following elections in late 2008 that saw the highest voter turnout in the region in nearly 20 years, since the eruption of a secessionist insurgency. Voters went to the polls in large numbers, despite a separatist call for a boycott of the voting. Most recently, the chief minister has been working to defuse tensions that are still running high following the arrest of four police officers in the probe of the alleged rape and murder of two young Muslim women in May. Two people have died and many have been injured in more than 300 violent clashes between Muslim protesters and Indian security forces stemming from the case. The arrests included the former police chief of south Kashmir's Shopian district and three of his subordinates, who are accused of \"destruction of evidence\" and \"dereliction of duty\" in connection with the deaths, which occurred in the town of Shopian. Kashmir has been in the throes of a bloody secessionist campaign for nearly two decades in which, according to official figures, 43,000 people have been killed. Various rights groups and non-governmental organizations here, however, dispute the official statistics -- claiming that the number killed during the last two decades is twice the official figure." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir tenders his resignation .\nOmar Abdullah accused of being involved in a 2006 sex scandal .\nHe denies allegation he was involved in a prostitution ring ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Investigators have raised the wreckage of the helicopter involved in Saturday's deadly mid-air collision over the Hudson River, but they were still looking for the small plane involved in the crash, authorities said Sunday. Divers unload a body from their raft onto a police boat Sunday. Nine people are believed dead in the crash. New York police said they believed side-scan sonar pointed them to the wreckage of the Piper Saratoga PA-32 just north of where the helicopter went down, but Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said swift current and low visibility were hindering divers. The search stopped as a storm approached Sunday evening and will resume Monday morning, police said. Nine people, including five Italian tourists, were aboard the two aircraft when they collided over the river shortly before noon Saturday. Seven bodies had been pulled out of the river by Sunday afternoon, Hersman said. Authorities believe none of the nine people aboard the two aircraft survived the crash. Neither aircraft was required to carry electronic \"black boxes\" that record cockpit voices and flight data on larger planes, but electronic navigational devices on board might retain some information that could help the probe, Hersman said. Investigators are trying to establish the facts of the crash but won't determine the probable cause for some time, Hersman said. See where the collision occurred » . \"We are looking at everything. Nothing has been ruled out at this point in time,\" she said. Most of the Eurocopter AS350 had been lifted out of the Hudson on Sunday and taken to a pier in Hoboken, New Jersey, across the river from Manhattan, for examination, Hersman said. The helicopter was taking the five Italians on a 12-minute sightseeing tour around New York and had taken off from a heliport in midtown Manhattan shortly before the crash, she said. Watch crews search for victims » . New York police identified the pilot of the helicopter as Jeremy Clark, 32. He had worked for the operator, Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours, for about a year and a half and had 2,700 helicopter flight hours, Hersman said. iReport.com: Were you there? Send images . His passengers were Michele Norelli, 51; Fabio Gallazzi, 49; Filippo Norelli, 16; Giacomo Gallazzi, 15; and Tiziana Pedroni, 44, all of Bologna, Italy. The plane took off from a Philadelphia-area airfield Saturday morning, landed at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport and was bound for Ocean City, New Jersey, with three people aboard -- the owner and pilot, Steven Altman, 60, of Ambler, Pennsylvania; his brother, Daniel Altman, 49, of Dresher, Pennsylvania; and Daniel Altman's son Douglas, 16. Controllers lost contact with the plane at 11:53 a.m., when it was at an altitude of about 1,100 feet, Hersman said. View images from the scene » . Hersman said the NTSB has recorded eight accidents and one \"incident\" involving Liberty, but Saturday's crash was the first to involve fatalities. Previous accidents included a 2007 case in which a helicopter crash-landed in the Hudson from a height of 500 feet, but without injuring passengers; a 2008 incident in which one helicopter taking off clipped another on the ground; a 2008 incident in which a pilot caused \"substantial damage\" to a helicopter while landing during an instructional session. In 2001, a Liberty pilot made an \"improper decision\" to continue flying in poor weather at night, causing the helicopter to hit trees, according to the NTSB. Marcia Horowitz, a spokeswoman for the tour operator, said Liberty executives \"are cooperating fully\" with investigators. \"Right now, the company is focusing its efforts on cooperating with the NTSB and giving as much information as it can,\" Horowitz said. \"At this time, their priority is to help with the family of their pilot, and of course the families that were involved in the accident.\" Investigators will focus on radio communications along the congested air corridor at the time of the crash and examine any pictures or video contributed by the public, Hersman told CNN earlier. Witness accounts and still photographs already provided \"good information\" to investigators, she said. A witness told investigators he saw the airplane approach the helicopter from behind, and the plane's right wing make \"contact with the helicopter,\" Hersman said. The witness, another Liberty pilot who was refueling at a nearby heliport, said he tried to warn the helicopter pilot but got no response. Other witnesses reported seeing debris flying from the helicopter as it slammed into the water. Arnold Stevens, who saw the collision from the W Hotel in Hoboken, said the helicopter \"dropped like a rock,\" while one of the plane's wings was sheared off and it began \"corkscrewing\" into the water, he said. The busy airspace surrounding Manhattan has been the site of several recent aeronautical accidents. Earlier this year, a US Airways plane with 155 people on board ditched into the Hudson after apparently striking birds upon takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, officials said. Capt. Chesley B. \"Sully\" Sullenberger's landing, which resulted in no deaths or serious injuries, was captured on closed circuit television. In 2006, Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, 34, and his flight instructor were killed when the ballplayer's plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building near the East River, city officials said. CNN's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Seven bodies pulled from water; two others believed dead .\nSearch stops Sunday evening because of weather, will resume Monday .\nAuthorities investigating Saturday's collision of helicopter, plane over Hudson River .\nPilot on ground says he tried to warn helicopter before accident ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Blind women are being trained to use their sensitive touch to help detect breast cancer earlier and more precisely than doctors. The blind assistants use tape strips with braille coordinates to accurately locate cancerous lumps . The program, called \"Discovering Hands,\" is the brainchild of German gynecologist Dr. Frank Hoffmann. Two years ago, he created Braille strips as a system of orientation, allowing the blind to carry out breast examinations. Using these strips blind women are trained to become Medical Tactile Examiners (MTUs) because they are more able to detect smaller lumps than sighted doctors. Hoffman argues that because of their disability, the blind can possess a more acutely developed sense of touch, which has proved to be a valuable asset in breast examinations. Once the strips are placed along specific areas of the breast, they are then used to report a precise location to the doctor as the MTU reads their Braille coordinates. \"We are turning a disability into a gift,\" Dr. Hoffmann told CNN. \"It's like the game Battleship,\" he added. \"You have the exact location.\" A study at the Essen University's women's clinic, Germany, concluded that MTUs found more and smaller tumors than doctors in 450 cases. The identification of smaller lumps allows earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment. Another advantage of having MTUs is that they are able to dedicate more time to examining a patient. Dr. Hoffman said he had previously been able to spend only a few minutes on each examination due to his other commitments, whereas MTUs can commit half an hour. Training takes place at the BFW occupational school in Düren, west Germany, a center for those who are no longer able to continue their profession because of visual impairment or blindness. So far, ten blind women have qualified as MTUs. One of the women, Marie-Luise Voll, 57, told CNN: \" The work brings me a lot of joy.\" Voll had previously practiced as a nurse before losing her sight in 2007, but used the experience when training at Düren for her new role. The highly personal nature of the procedure means that only women will be trained. The MTUs report to the doctor - for whom they act as an assistant not a replacement - who then uses this information as part of their ultimate diagnosis. If an abnormality is located the doctor will decide how to proceed, with ultrasounds and mammography being the most frequent course of action. The testing phase of the project between 2006 and 2008 has now been completed in Germany. The hope is that twenty trained MTUs will qualify every year after 2010. The program has been acclaimed as a success by both patients and practitioners in Germany. Health services in Europe including Ireland, France, Denmark and Austria have also registered interest in starting an equivalent of their own, Hoffman said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Blind women being trained to use their sensitive touch to detect breast cancer lumps .\nCalled Medical Tactile Examiners, they can spend more time on patients .\nThe 'Discovering Hands' program takes place at a school in Düren, west Germany ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Golf was considered a sport of the capitalist elite and banned in Eastern Europe under the rule of communist regimes -- but in the 20 years since the Berlin Wall has fallen there has been a renaissance of the game in the region. Gary Player has overseen the development of two courses on the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria. With rising disposable income and an increasing interest in leisure pursuits, a growing number of courses, more television coverage and availability of EU funds, the future of the industry in Eastern Europe is bright. Bulgaria is one country where the sport is on the up. Eight years ago there were no golf courses but --to fulfil the increasing domestic demand and as a means to attract tourists to the region -- the country could be set for a boom in golf development. Kancho Stoychev, vice president of Bulgarian Golf, believes that despite there being only 200 registered players in a country whose population is eight million there is set to be an explosion of interest in the sport. See CNN's Justin Armsden's report on the development of golf in Eastern Europe. » . \"It is an absurdly low figure, but now I believe that there'll be a switch because we have six nice golf courses,\" Stoychev told CNN. \"We can already see there is a high increase in interest and it'll evolve quite quickly. \"We have some advantages in Bulgaria. We have an excellent coastlines, we are a small country but very diverse, so the country is geographically and naturally perfect for golf.\" The potential in Eastern Europe has also been recognized by golf legend Gary Player, whose course design company has been working on projects in the region. Having just opened a course in Poland, Player's design company is building two more in Bulgaria - BlackSeaRama which is already open, and Thracian Cliffs which is scheduled to be finished by July 2010. Player told CNN: \"You want to take golf to new areas, like Poland, you want to bring it to Bulgaria, where people never thought that they could play golf where people associated golf with just rich people. \"You can play down here along the ocean and ten minutes up the mountain you have a links course, which is the complete opposite, people who love golf will be in for a golfing treat.\" The knock-on effect of the presence of a high-profile name such as Player in the region ensures it has caught the eye of influential figures within the industry. Ryan Lauder, director of marketing at TaylorMade added: \"Eastern Europe is coming along, although there is still not the number of golfers or golf courses that we have in Western Europe, looking to the future it is a great opportunity for us.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Golf has made progress in Eastern Europe since the collapse of communism .\nDevelopments in Bulgaria have seen six courses open in the past eight years .\nGary Player has designed courses in several Eastern European countries .\nThe region has a great potential for development of golf in the future ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Bedouin who was just a boy when a U.S. Navy pilot's plane crashed in the Iraqi desert in 1991 was the key to finding his remains more than 18 years after he was killed, the Pentagon says. Marines conduct recovery efforts at the crash site of U.S. Navy Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, shot down in 1991. The new details of the final hunt for U.S. Navy pilot Scott Speicher, who was lost over Iraq on the opening night of the Gulf War in January 1991, were released by the Pentagon Friday. Two sites were searched by U.S. troops who dug west of Baghdad, Iraq, in Anbar province, one at the plane crash site and another 2 kilometers away. The remains of Capt. Speicher were found at the second location. The U.S. military has long said Speicher had ejected out of his jet after it was hit by an Iraqi missile. After years of searching, it was just last month that the military got the crucial information that led them to the burial site. A Bedouin who was just 11 years old at the time of the crash came forward and connected the military with other locals who had knowledge of generally where the crash and burial locations were. The tipster did not know exactly where Speicher was buried but he knew others who had the knowledge, the military statement explained. \"He willingly provided his information during general discussion with MNF-W [Multi-National Force-West]personnel and stated he was unaware of the U.S. government's interest in this case until queried by U.S. investigators in July 2009,\" according to the statement. Bedouin are desert-dwelling nomadic Arabs. One hundred and fifty U.S. military troops were dispatched to dig for the remains at the crash site and did not find any sign of the pilot. At the second site the troops discovered skeletal fragments, according to the statement. Dental records initially identified the bones as Speicher's and, on August 2, DNA results came back positive. Speicher's remains will be taken to Jacksonville, Florida, for burial, according to a family spokeswoman. Speicher was a lieutenant commander when shot down, but because his status remained uncertain, he received promotions during the past 18 years, reaching the rank of captain." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "U.S. Navy pilot Scott Speicher lost over Iraq opening night of Gulf War in 1991 .\nTwo sites searched by U.S. troops, west of Baghdad, Iraq, in Anbar province .\nA Bedouin, 11 at time of crash, connected military with locals who knew of crash .\nSpeicher's remains will be taken to Jacksonville, Florida, for burial ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A Turkish television show is offering contestants what it claims is the \"biggest prize ever\" -- the chance for atheists to convert to one of the world's major religions. The TV show offers converts to Islam the chance to visit Mecca. The show, called \"Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor,\" or \"Penitents Compete,\" features a Muslim imam, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk attempting to persuade 10 atheists of the merits of their religion, according to CNN Turk. If they succeed, the contestants are rewarded with a pilgrimage to one of their chosen faith's most sacred sites -- Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for converts to Judaism, a trip to Tibet for Buddhists and the chance to visit Ephesus and the Vatican for Christians. Ahmet Ozdemir, deputy director of Turkish channel Kanal T, which will air the show from September, said the program aimed to \"turn disbelievers on to God.\" \"People are free to believe anything they want. Our program does not have a say,\" he said, according to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. Contestants will be judged by a panel of eight theologians and religious experts prior to going on the show to make sure their lack of faith is genuine. But the show has been condemned by Turkish religious leaders. The head of the country's supreme council of religious affairs, Hamza Aktan, told CNN Turk that it was \"disrespectful\" to place different faiths in competition with each other and accused Kanal T of using religion to boost ratings. \"To do such a thing for the sake of ratings, not only with Islam but with all religions is disrespectful,\" said Aktan. \"Religion should not be the subject of this type of program.\" Although Turkey has a predominantly Muslim population and culture, religion is a sensitive subject because of the country's staunchly secular constitution which outlaws most displays of faith in public life. Last year the Islamist-influenced government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan clashed with the country's constitutional court when judges overturned the efforts of Erdogan's AK Party to lift a ban on female students wearing headscarves at public universities. Aylin Yazan at CNN Turk contributed to this story." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Turkish TV show features imam, Catholic priest, Jewish rabbi, Buddhist monk .\nReligious leaders attempt to persuade atheists to \"convert\" to their faith .\nShow has prompted criticism from religious groups who say it is \"disrespectful\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(Parenting.com) -- A dad looks at how long it really takes a kid to sleep alone: . Getting the baby to sleep is a challenge for many parents. 1:28 a.m. Every couple of hours, Jack (2 weeks) cries. My wife feeds him, then hands him to me to change his diaper. It's an equitable division of labor, but I wish I could sleep. 2:15 a.m. Jack (1 month) is sleeping between me and my wife because this way she can nurse while she dozes. I'm happy, but so tired. He's on his back, and there are no pillows or blankets around him, but I'm wide-awake, thinking about SIDS. He's like a little hot-water bottle. His breath is sweet and milky against my face. 10 p.m. I'm lying on a tiny crib mattress on the floor next to the crib. We're trying to get Jack (9 months) to sleep through the night. His mother and I take turns lying next to him on the floor and holding his hand through the slats. I miss my wife. 1:36 a.m. Jack (12 months) is sleeping in between us, again. Lying next to his crib didn't work -- Jack kept crying, waking both of us. This way, we all get some sleep. Parenting.com: Dad's in charge? Uh oh. 4:27 a.m. I'm wide-awake because Jack (15 months) kicked me in the groin. I have to get up to drive my wife to New York, then turn around and drive back home with Jack, all on about three hours of sleep. I decide that while his mother is gone, I will Ferberize him. Parenting.com: Ferberizing is not what you think it is . 9:13 p.m. Jack (15 months and a day) is in his crib, crying, crying, crying. 10:11 p.m. Jack (15 months and a week) is in his crib, alone and asleep. Ferberizing worked. Suddenly I have a great idea -- let's have another baby! But this would require that my wife and I stay awake for longer than ten seconds once our heads hit the pillows. 12:02 a.m. In bed with my wife, I'm feeling romantic, but then Jack (18 months) cries out. He has a fever. We give him kids' Motrin and bring him back into bed with us. He's burning up. 11:21 p.m. Jack (18 months and a week) is no longer sick, but now he's back in our bed, every night. It's once again the only way he'll go down. 7 a.m. I realize that for the first time, Jack (22 months) has finally slept through the night. Now we have to get him out of diapers and back in his own room. 11:41 p.m. We are lying in an H formation. Jack (2 years) is nestled into his mother's chest, perpendicular to us, with his feet lodged against my throat, trying to push me off the bed. Freud was right about Oedipus. Parenting.com: Why good dads make moms jealous . 4:25 a.m. Jack (3 years) has kicked the covers off me again and I wake up, shivering. I pull the covers up. He kicks them off. I pull them up. He kicks them off. I go downstairs, turn on the TV, and fall asleep on the couch. 2:15 p.m. I'm sound asleep, dreaming. Unfortunately, I'm at work. Tomorrow is Jack's fourth birthday. Last night in bed, he said, \"Hey, why do I have to sleep in the middle?\" 7:30 p.m. I am lying in the new twin bed we bought Jack (4 1/4 years), to show him how it works. We made a big deal of it, his very own Big Boy Bed, and we let him pick out the dinosaur sheets and the dinosaur comforter. All is ready. 12:05 a.m. I'm in this big empty bed, alone. We told Jack that on his fifth birthday he'd have to sleep in his own bed, because that's what big boys do, and he agreed. He wants very much to be a big boy. On his birthday, my wife lay down with him at 8:30 and fell sound asleep. 5:02 a.m. I get up and peek in on Jack (5 1/2). He's been sleeping alone in his room for almost a month now. I get back into bed with my wife and snuggle up next to her. At least I think it's her -- it's been a while. She feels good against my skin, but now I miss Jack. I miss getting kicked in the throat. I miss getting the covers pulled off of me. Where's my little boy? How did he grow up so fast? 9:42 p.m. Hearing a noise, my wife and I go upstairs to check on Jack (6). He says he was having a bad dream. We lie down with him, three of us in a twin bed. It's crowded, but if we brought him into our bed again, we'd never get him out. His breath is still sweet and milky on my cheek. How could this not be okay? This is my family. Try a FREE TRIAL issue of Parenting Magazine - CLICK HERE! Copyright 2009 The Parenting Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Dad recalls stages of son's sleep -- and his own not sleeping .\nInfant son's crying or dad's fear of smothering kept him awake .\nChild has fever, parents put him in their bed. Child refuses to sleep in crib .\nDad misses boy who now sleeps alone in his big boy bed ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- After a six-year hiatus in which many bands have emerged, such as the Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs, copying their blend of melodic, intelligent songs and cheeky blokeishness, Blur return to show them who is best. Blur frontman Damon Albarn still exudes the matey bonhomie that made him one of the best-known British pop stars of the 90s. Much has changed since the mid-1990s when the Essex boys fought Oasis in the hyped Battle of Britpop. Singer Damon Albarn has pursued successful side projects such as Gorillaz and the Chinese opera Monkey, guitarist Graham Coxon went solo after being axed acrimoniously during the troubled recording of the \"Think Tank\" album, bassist Alex James makes cheese on his farm while drummer Dave Rowntree plans to stand for the UK parliament at the next election. Happily for fans, the band's two dominant personalities in Albarn and Coxon are now reconciled and, in the year's most anticipated reunion along with The Specials' comeback gigs, Blur on Thursday played the first of two outdoor concerts in London's Hyde Park. Before a massive crowd and a setting sun, Blur kick off with their first single, a feedback-drenched \"She's So High\" before going straight into \"Girls and Boys,\" the disco-inspired anthem to hedonism that propelled them into the big time in 1994. Albarn exudes matey bonhomie, asking, \"Was that adequate?\" The crowd roars its reply in the affirmative. The good-natured banter continues throughout the concert; he pays tribute to Hyde Park's \"lakes, Speaker's Corner ... other stuff\" and more thoughtfully, reminds the crowd that a million people marched there in 2003 in an unsuccessfully effort to prevent the Iraq war. Coxon seems happy just to be back in the band, doing the job he does best. There is a poignant moment when he takes the lead vocals in \"Coffee and TV\" while Albarn watches his songwriting partner admiringly. And as with all the greatest concerts, the hits the crowd has paid to hear keep coming: \"There's No Other Way,\" a raucous and bouncy \"Country House\" and \"Parklife\" on which actor Phil Daniels takes the jokey vocals. The audience responds to all the songs perfectly, even forcing the band into an extended singalong version of \"Tender.\" The only disappointment on that song is that the gospel backing singers are drowned out in the mix. As the light fades, a superb light show suits the mood of the songs perfectly. And despite this being a huge concert, there is room for more subtle songs like \"Out of Time,\" a nostalgic \"End of the Century\" and \"This is a Low.\" Blur finish with \"For Tomorrow\" and \"The Universal,\" ending what, for this reporter, will be remembered as one of the most amazing concerts. What Blur fans hope for now is some new material to match the classics they are evidently so proud of." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Iconic 'Britpop' band Blur play comeback gig in London after six-year hiatus .\nGuitarist Graham Coxon returns to band after he was axed .\nGig is most anticipated comeback of year along with The Specials' reunion ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Five Italian tourists visiting New York from Bologna are among the nine victims believed killed Saturday in a midair collision of a sightseeing helicopter and a single-engine plane over the Hudson River, a law enforcement source said. First responders gather on a pier after a plane and helicopter collided Saturday over the Hudson River. The tourists, who apparently died with the chopper's pilot, were part of a group of 12 visiting the United States, the source said. The helicopter was operated by Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours. The bodies of two adults and one child were recovered after the collision, which occurred around noon over the Hudson between New York and Hoboken, New Jersey, authorities said. The child is believed to be one of the three people on the plane, a single-engine Piper PA-32 Saratoga that took off from New Jersey's Teterboro Airport, authorities said. A source involved in the investigation identified the pilot and owner of the plane as Steven Altman, whose brother Daniel and nephew Douglas also were among the victims. The two adult bodies, discovered underwater, are believed to be two of the Italian tourists aboard the helicopter, the law enforcement source said. The Italian Foreign Ministry said consulate officials were working with New York authorities to identify the victims. Helicopter wreckage was found in about 30 feet of water, while the plane is believed to be near the midchannel point of the Hudson in deeper water, the source said. A side-scanning sonar is being used to pinpoint the plane and has identified a possible third debris field, the source said. The search is scheduled to resume Sunday morning, Debbie Hersman, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board said at a riverside news conference late Saturday. Underwater visibility of about two feet hampered Saturday's search effort, she said. All nine people in both aircrafts are thought to have been killed in the collision, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. See where the collision occurred » . \"There was an accident which we do not believe was survivable,\" said Bloomberg, noting that the search for survivors had become a recovery mission. A temporary flight restriction over the rescue area -- about three nautical miles around and 2,000 feet up -- was put in place, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said. A witness told investigators he saw the airplane approach the helicopter from behind, Hersman said. The witness said the plane's right wing made contact with the helicopter, an American Eurocopter AS350 operated by Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours, Hersman said. View images from the scene » . Another Liberty pilot who was refueling at a nearby heliport told NTSB investigators that he saw the plane approach the helicopter and tried to warn the helicopter pilot, but got no response, Hersman said. \"This is a VFR corridor -- that means Visual Flight Rules prevail,\" Hersman told reporters late Saturday. \"You are supposed to be alert and see and avoid other aircraft in the vicinity.\" iReport.com: Police search for debris . Witnesses reported seeing debris flying from the helicopter as it crashed. The helicopter wreckage has been found, but the search for the plane, single-engine Piper Saratoga PA-32, will continue Sunday morning, Hersman said at a riverside news conference. Witness Arnold Stevens said after the plane had a wing sheared off, it began \"corkscrewing\" into the water. The helicopter \"dropped like a rock\" after the collision, which happened about noon. See a series of photos from the scene » . Radar contact was lost with a small plane this morning believed to be the aircraft in the crash, FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac said. Ben Berman, a former investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, said if the helicopter fell straight down, it's likely there was a rotor failure. Scott Schuman was with his grandparents on the Hoboken side of the river when they heard a loud bang. \"The plane was kind of whirlybirding its way down, brown smoke coming out the back of it, and it crashed into the water. Then a few seconds later the helicopter with debris falling off of it also hit as well,\" Schuman said. \"It was a scary sight,\" he added. iReport.com: Were you there? Send images . He said some of the debris fell in Hoboken, and \"we covered our heads.\" Asked if he had seen anyone in the water, Schuman replied, \"I have not seen anything, but judging by the impact when the plane and the helicopter hit, it would be very unlikely for a positive outcome.\" Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer called on witnesses who filmed or photographed the incident to come forward. \"It would be extremely helpful to have that footage,\" she said. The busy airspace surrounding New York's Manhattan island has been the site of several aeronautical mishaps in recent history. Earlier this year, a US Airways plane with 155 people on board ditched into the Hudson, apparently after striking at least one bird upon takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, officials said. Capt. Chesley B. \"Sully\" Sullenberger's landing, which resulted in no deaths or serious injuries, was captured on closed circuit television. In 2006, Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor were killed when the 34-year-old ballplayer's plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building near the East River, city officials said. CNN's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Five Italian tourists from Bologna, pilot on sightseeing copter believed dead .\nBodies of two adults from helicopter found below water, authorities say .\nAuthorities find body of child who was one of three on small plane in collision .\nPilot on ground tried to warn helicopter that plane was coming up from behind ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Sixteen people were wounded and a guru was shot to death in an outbreak of violence between rival Sikhs at an Indian temple in Vienna, Austria, police said. Austrian police secure the area outside a Sikh temple in Vienna where a shooting occured Sunday. Six people were arrested in connection with the incident, which occurred about 1:20 p.m. local time (7:20 a.m. ET) Sunday in Vienna's 15th district, police spokesman Schwaig Hofar told CNN. One armed suspect fired at two gurus, and five other knife-wielding suspects attacked congregants during prayer, Hofar said. One of the gurus, a 57-year-old Sikh preacher, was killed. The number of wounded includes four of the suspects, two of them in serious condition, he said. About 150 people were in the room when the violence took place, he said. Authorities are investigating what triggered the attacks. CNN's David Ariosto contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Police: One suspect fired at two gurus, while five suspects attacked with knives .\nOne of the gurus, a 57-year-old Sikh preacher, was killed .\nPolice: About 150 people were in the room when the violence took place ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- An 18-year-old Guatemalan man who doctors say faces almost certain death unless he receives a transplanted heart is surrounded by family as he waits, thanks to the kindness of strangers. Juan Gonzalez was earning $250 a week as a dishwasher when his heart trouble began. Juan Gonzalez, now lying in a hospital in Atlanta, hopes to learn Friday whether he will be added to the list of people eligible to receive transplants. Doctors at St. Joseph's Hospital said Gonzalez appears to be a good candidate. Without a transplant, they said, he could die in six months. The teen traveled alone to Rome, Georgia, to earn enough money to help support his family back home. The undocumented worker took a job as a dishwasher for $250 a week. That's when heart trouble stepped in. Dr. Frank Stegall, a cardiologist at Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome, told Gonzalez he had a chronically weak heart, or dilated cardiomyopathy. The organ pumps only 20 percent of the blood a healthy heart would, Stegall said. As his heart failed, Gonzalez's plight moved the hospital staff to try to reunite him with his parents. They contacted U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey -- himself a doctor. Gingrey persuaded the State Department to expedite travel visas for Pascual and Maria Gonzalez, and Delta Air Lines provided a free ride. Last month, CNN aired a story on Juan Gonzalez. Afterward, the Larry King Cardiac Foundation -- founded by the CNN talk show host 21 years ago to pay for life-saving cardiac care for patients without insurance who don't qualify for state or federal assistance -- helped get Gonzalez transferred to St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta for evaluation. Many of the people who saw the story on CNN were moved to offer help. It was then that the possibility of a heart transplant became real, thanks to a large donation from one of those people. The donor has asked that details of the gift not be revealed, other than his name, Sam Shapiro. Gonzalez and his parents say they are grateful for the overwhelming support. St. Joseph's has provided housing for the parents at a nearby hotel. Although it is not clear where Gonzalez will go once the evaluation at St. Joseph is completed, staff members at Redmond in Rome, about 60 miles northwest of Atlanta, indicated they might provide a place for the parents to say. The parents' visas will run out in about two and a half months. CNN's Anna Armas contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Juan Gonzalez hopes to learn Friday if he will be added to heart transplant list .\nWithout a transplant, doctors said, he could die in six months.\nHeart transplant a possibility now thanks to donations from strangers .\nTeen traveled alone to Georgia to earn money to support his family back home ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- NASA's Kepler space telescope has already made a discovery, and its science operations aren't even officially under way yet. The planet used in the test is a giant gas planet about the size of Jupiter that orbits a star called HAT P-7. NASA scientists who put the telescope through a 10-day test after its March 6 launch said this week that Kepler is working well. Its ability to detect minute changes in light has enabled scientists to determine that a planet orbiting a distant star has an atmosphere, shows only one side to its sun and is so hot it glows. Kepler's ability to take measurements that precise at such a great distance \"proves we can find Earth-size planets,\" William Borucki, Kepler's principal science investigator told reporters at a recent briefing. The powerful scope is looking at thousands of stars in its vision field in the Milky Way on a 3½-year mission to find planets the size of Earth and to determine how common these planets are. The planet used in the test, a giant gas planet about the size of Jupiter, orbits a star called HAT P-7 in just 2.2 days and is 26 times closer than Earth is to the sun, according to NASA. It is called an exoplanet because it orbits a star outside the solar system. Kepler detected the planet's atmosphere, demonstrating the telescope's capabilities and giving astronomers what NASA says is \"only a taste of things to come.\" \"It learned that this planet is like 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That is so hot. And it's 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit just on one side only. The other side would be closer to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, \" said Sara Seager, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Kepler science team member. \"This particular planet showed an unusual change in brightness,\" she said. \"As the planet is orbiting the star, it goes through phases just as the moon goes through phases as seen from Earth.\" \"Kepler learned something new about an old planet,\" she said. \"The new discovery was that planet is extremely hot, very, very hot. And it's very, very hot on one side, compared to the other.\" Borucki compared it to \"an element in your toaster or stove.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kepler orbiting observatory beginning mission to find planets the size of Earth .\nIt has found that a planet orbiting a distant star shows only one side to the star .\n\"Kepler learned something new about an old planet,\" says team member ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- For actress Kyra Sedgwick, it's the public's approval that makes it worth being away from her family for six months to tape her critically acclaimed series \"The Closer.\" Kyra Sedgwick and her husband, Kevin Bacon, at the 66th annual Golden Globe Awards this month. But she may be getting more approval from her peers, too. Sedgwick will walk the red carpet again Sunday night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where she is nominated for a fourth consecutive year for outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series for her role as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson. She's also won a Golden Globe for her performance, in 2007. The TNT series resumes Monday night where it left off in September with what Sedgwick called \"a fantastic five episodes.\" (TNT is a unit of Time Warner, as is CNN.) \"I said to the writers, 'I really want a lot of personal stuff for Brenda,' \" Sedgwick said. \"I feel like there's some of those personal quiet moments with her alone, is something that I've been missing as an actor, and I feel like the audience has been missing, too. \"She is such a complicated, fascinating character, and watching her growth and lack of growth is something that is really interesting,\" she said. When CNN asked whether the new episodes might include a wedding for her character, Sedgwick laughed. \"That might very well happen,\" she said. \"That's pretty insightful of you. I'm just going to just say that.\" A marriage for Brenda Johnson would be \"a complicated, difficult situation,\" she said, because \"she's basically married to her work.\" Sedgwick's job also complicates her real-life marriage to Bacon, since the show is produced in Los Angeles and the couple lives in Connecticut with their two children. That's where the approval -- whether on the street from fans or at award shows -- has \"been a wonderful phenomenon for me,\" she said. \"On a personal level, that's really good for me, because I really miss my family when I'm working on the show six months in L.A.,\" she said. \"As much as I try to get my kids to move to L.A. and my husband, they just wouldn't have it. \"It's challenging, and I'm glad that people are watching, because otherwise it would be kind of hard to go to work,\" Sedgwick said. Sedgwick has moved into an executive producer's role on the show, which she said she expects to continue for at least two more years. \"I love being with a group where there's not a power struggle,\" she said. \"I have a lot of say, and I always have. And that feels really good.\" CNN Radio's Jackie Howard contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "TNT resumes Sedgwick's series \"Closer\" where it left off in September .\nSedgwick is also up for two SAG awards Sunday .\nSedgwick expects to be in the executive producer's role for at least two more years ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- After deliberating for more than four hours, a jury convicted a Nevada man of 22 counts Tuesday for videotaping himself sexually assaulting a toddler, CNN affiliates report. Chester Arthur Stiles has been convicted of videtaping a sexual assault on a child. Chester Arthur Stiles, 38, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. He was convicted of lewdness with a child, sexual assault with a minor, attempted sexual assault with a minor and other related charges. He showed no reaction as the verdict was read after more than four hours of jury deliberations, according to KLAS. Sentencing was set for May 8. The crime triggered a national manhunt and search for the girl when the tape surfaced in 2007. Jurors in Stiles' trial viewed the videotape, but the judge would not allow members sitting in the gallery to view it, and a screen was put up to block the jury box, said Michael Sommermeyer, spokesman for Clark County, Nevada, courts. Some members of the media were allowed to view the tape as well, but the judge did not want the reactions of reporters or the public to influence jurors, he said. The charges also related to another girl who Stiles was accused of sexually assaulting on videotape. The tape was given to authorities in September 2007 by a man who said he had found it in the desert five months before. On it, police found images of the small girl being sexually assaulted. After attempting unsuccessfully to find out the girl's identity, authorities turned to the media for help and released a picture of the girl, and the case drew nationwide attention. She was found in October 2007. An attorney for her mother said she was 7 years old and safe and healthy. The rape occurred before the girl's third birthday, while she was in the care of a baby-sitter her mother had hired, he said. The mother did not know the girl had been victimized. After the girl was found, authorities asked CNN and other news organizations to stop showing her picture. In an appearance on \"The Dr. Phil Show,\" the girl's mother said the girl has no recollection of the assault. Stiles, a resident of Pahrump, Nevada, was arrested in a traffic stop in October 2007. Police said at the time they pulled Stiles' car over because it had no license plate, and became suspicious when the driver displayed an expired California license with a photo that did not match his appearance. Stiles eventually admitted who he was and that he was being sought, authorities said. The man who turned the tape over to authorities, Darrin Tuck, faced criminal charges because of the delay in turning it over, during which authorities alleged he showed it to others. A judge gave Tuck a one-year suspended sentence and three years of probation in April after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct a public officer, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He initially had faced a felony count of possession of child pornography." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Chester Arthur Stiles guilty of all counts in child sex video case .\nNEW: Sentencing for Stiles scheduled for May 8 .\nStiles could be sent to prison for the rest of his life .\nTape surfaced in 2007, years after alleged assault ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Meat is murder? Well, perhaps not for much longer. Artist Banksy has satirized modern farming and meat production; could in-vitro meat be a better option? A pioneering group of scientists are working to grow real animal protein in the laboratory, which they not only claim is better for animal welfare, but actually healthier, both for people and the planet. It may sound like science fiction, but this technology to create in-vitro meat could be changing global diets within ten years. \"Cultured meat would have a lot of advantages,\" said Jason Matheny of research group New Harvest. \"We could precisely control the amount of fat in meat. We could make ground beef with an ideal fatty acid ratio -- a hamburger that prevents heart attacks instead of causing them.\" But it isn't just the possibility of creating designer ground beef with the fat profile of salmon that drives Matheny's work. Meat and livestock farming is also the source of many human diseases, which he claims would be far less common when the product is raised in laboratory conditions. \"We could reduce the risks of diseases like swine flu, avian flu, 'mad cow disease', or contamination from Salmonella,\" he told CNN. \"We could produce meat in sterile conditions that are impossible in conventional animal farms and slaughterhouses. And when we grow only the meat we can eat, it's more efficient. There's no need to grow the whole animal and lose 75 to 95 percent of what we feed it.\" Conventional meat production is also hard on the environment. The contribution of livestock to climate change was recently highlighted by the United Nations' report, \"Livestock's Long Shadow\", while groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have demonstrated how soy farming for animal feed contributes to the destruction of the Amazon. In this context Matheny believes his project could significantly cut the environmental impact of meat production -- using much less water and producing far fewer greenhouse gases. \"We could reduce the environmental footprint of meat, which currently contributes more to global warming than the entire transportation sector,\" says Matheny. Preliminary results from a study by Hanna Tuomisto, at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, suggest that cultured meat would reduce the carbon emissions of meat production by more than 80 percent. Making cultured meat . In-vitro meat is made from samples of animals conventionally slaughtered. For example, \"pork\" is made from pig ovaries retrieved from slaughterhouses, which are fertilized with pig semen, transforming them into embryos. They are then placed in a nutrient solution, where they grow and develop. It's a long way from the popular image of animals wandering round the farmyard in the sunshine, but then so is modern intensive farming. The factor that could take the research from the lab to the store and into refrigerators around the world is its remarkable commercial potential. According to New Harvest, meat is already estimated to be a $1 trillion global market, and demand is expected to double by 2050. With concerns about health, animal welfare and the environment growing the appeal of in vitro meat is obvious. Matheny told CNN that venture capitalists Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers have shown an interest in his technology, while Stegman, a sausage subsidiary of food giant Sara Lee, is a partner. The Netherlands' Government has also invested around $4 million in Dutch research into in-vitro meat production. But it isn't just the suits who are circling with their checkbooks out -- campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have announced a $1 million prize for the first commercially viable in vitro chicken product. The Humane Society of the United States has also been supportive. \"We think that a technology to produce cultured ground meats -- burgers, sausages, nuggets, and so forth -- could be commercialized within ten years,\" said Matheny. \"As with most technologies, successive generations should improve in price, quality, and acceptance. We don't think that matching the taste and texture of ground meats will be very difficult. Both conventional and cultured meat is made of muscle tissue. And conventional ground meat is typically highly processed. Chicken nuggets for instance, are made of something called 'meat slurry' -- it would be hard not to do better!\" Public attitude . But the public doesn't always blindly buy what companies believe they should, and acceptance of what is a very radical proposition certainly isn't a foregone conclusion. There are bound to be claims of \"Frankenfoods,\" and reaction against the work. \"Social acceptance isn't guaranteed, but we all want meat that's safer and healthier,\" he said. \"If cultured meat looks, tastes, and costs the same as regular meat, then I think acceptance will be high. The more we learn about the health and environmental impact of conventional meat, the more cultured meat looks like a good alternative.\" One obvious touchstone for how in-vitro-meat will be received by the public is perhaps the way GM crops were -- or were not - accepted around the world, something that Matheny draws encouragement from. \"What's interesting about the GM issue is that it has been controversial in some places, but is a non-issue for most consumers,\" he said. \"Most Americans are regularly eating GM foods. In any case, it's not necessarily the case that cultured meat would involve GM foods. \"We all want meat that's safer and healthier. If cultured meat looks, tastes, and costs the same as regular meat, then do we care that it's produced in a steel tank, rather than in an animal farm? \"Take hydroponic vegetables. We like the idea that they're produced in sterile water instead of dirt and manure. It's true that in-vitro meat isn't natural. Nor for that matter are hydroponic vegetables, or bread, or cheese, or wine. Raising 10,000 chickens indoors and pumping them full of drugs isn't natural, either, and it isn't healthy or safe. The more we learn about how meat is produced now, the more in-vitro meat looks like a better alternative.\" Lab-produced meat also raises some ethical considerations. Kate McMahon, Friends of the Earth Energy and Transport campaigner, believes more attention should be paid to improving livestock conditions rather than developing in-vitro meat. \"At a time when hundreds of small-scale, sustainable farming operations are filing for bankruptcy every day, it is unethical to consider purchasing petri dish meat. Rather, we should be making it easier and more affordable to raise livestock in a safe, humane and ecologically sensitive manner,\" she told CNN. Gillian Madill, Genetics Technologies spokesperson for Friends of the Earth, thinks that clear parameters for in-vitro development need to put in place: \"If we can successfully develop these products, what is the defining line between lab-grown meat and natural animals?\" she told CNN. \"That is an especially important question since a high level of differentiation and tissue complexity is required to replicate muscle tissue that we use as meat. We need to draw clear lines in order to prevent the commodification of all life.\" Ultimately the success of in-vitro meat may be less about consumer sensibilities and more about the hard realities of feeding a growing global population in a finite world. \"With India and China doubling their meat consumption every decade, there's no sustainable way to satisfy the growing global appetite for meat without a significant improvement in technology,\" said Matheny. \"Cultured meat offers one solution. Improved plant-based meat substitutes offer another. I expect both will be needed.\" Test tube burgers? It seems you could be eating them sooner than you might expect. What do you think of in-vitro meat? Do you think it could be a solution to the problems connected to meat production and climate change? Let us know in the Sound Off box below." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ongoing research into in-vitro meat; grown in a lab using animal samples .\nAdvocates say in-vitro meat is better for health of humans and environment .\nLab-made meat could be served in a decade, says research scientist Jason Matheny ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- From Woodstock and a man on the moon to the Manson murders and the Stonewall riots, the summer of 1969 was a tumultuous and eventful time. Listed below are a few of the historic and memorable moments from that summer. April 23 | Sirhan Sirhan sentenced Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of murdering New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign, is sentenced to death a week after being found guilty. Three years later, his sentence is commuted to life in prison after California abolishes the death penalty. May 18 | Apollo 10 The Apollo 10 mission is a dress rehearsal for the lunar landing module. This mission tested \"all aspects of the lunar landing mission exactly as it would be performed, except for the actual landing,\" according to NASA. It also transmitted the first color pictures of Earth from space. May 23 | The Who releases \"Tommy\" The Who, a key band of the 1960s British Invasion, releases the rock opera \"Tommy.\" The double album features songs like \"Pinball Wizard\" and \"Tommy, Can You Hear Me?\" May 24 | Beatles' \"Get Back\" is No. 1 \"Get Back\" by the Beatles becomes the top song on Billboard's list and stays there for five weeks. Released as a single, the song later appeared on the \"Let it be\" album. \"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine in\" by the Fifth Dimension was the second song on the list for that week. May 25 | \"Midnight Cowboy\" released John Schlesinger's \"Midnight Cowboy,\" starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, is released with an X rating, the first ever in wide release. The film received seven Academy Award nominations and won three, including best picture. Other notable movies released during that year include \"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,\" \"Easy Rider\" and \"True Grit.\" June 3 | Last episode of 'Star Trek' airs The last episode of the original \"Star Trek\" airs on NBC. During the episode, titled \"Turnabout Intruder,\" one of Captain Kirk's former lovers steals his body. June 6 | Joe Namath briefly retires Joe Namath, the star New York Jets quarterback who famously guaranteed a Super Bowl victory, briefly retires from the National Football League over a conflict with league Commissioner Pete Rozelle. June 8 | Nixon and Vietnam President Nixon, after being elected on a campaign pledge to pull troops out of Southeast Asia, announces the withdrawal of 25,000 U.S. troops from Vietnam. June 9 / June 23 | Burger becomes chief justice Appointed by President Nixon, Warren Burger is confirmed as the chief justice of the Supreme Court on June 9, succeeding Earl Warren. Two weeks later, he is sworn in. In 1973, Burger votes with the majority in the landmark Roe v. Wade case, establishing a woman's right to an abortion. June 28 | Stonewall riots A confrontation between gay rights activists and police outside the Stonewall Inn -- a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York City -- escalates into a riot. Over the next four decades, the riots act as a symbolic force for the burgeoning gay rights movement. July 25 | Sen. Kennedy and Chappaquiddick Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy receives a two-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Mary Jo Kopechne, once a campaign worker for Sen. Robert Kennedy, drowned in the July 18 accident in Chappaquiddick, Massachusetts. July 20 | Moon landing Apollo 11, carrying three U.S. astronauts, lands on the moon. Mission commander Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon; crewmate Buzz Aldrin also walked on the moon. The third man on the mission was Michael Collins. Six lunar landings followed. July 24 | Muhammad Ali convicted Boxing champion Muhammad Ali is convicted of evading the draft after he refused to be inducted into the U.S. Army. Two years earlier, Ali applied for an exemption as a conscientious objector but was denied. He was stripped of his fighting license and title. He returned to the ring in 1970, and his conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971. August 9-10 | The Manson murders During a two-night rampage, pregnant actress Sharon Tate and seven others are killed by Charles Manson and his \"Family.\" Manson and four others -- Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Charles \"Tex\" Watson and Leslie Van Houten -- were later convicted of murder and other charges. Their death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment in 1972. August 14 | British troops sent to Northern Ireland More than 300 British troops are ordered into a Londonderry neighborhood in Northern Ireland after three nights of clashes between police and Catholic residents. The troops were supposed to stay for days, but the conflict lasted decades. The number of British troops stationed in Northern Ireland peaked at 30,000 in the early 1970s. August 14 | The Miracle Mets The New York Mets fall nine games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League race but, led by future Hall of Fame pitchers Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver, stage a comeback in the months that followed to capture the pennant. They went on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles for the Word Series title. August 15-18 | Woodstock Nearly 400,000 people show up at a farm in Bethel, New York, for a music festival that features legendary acts Jimi Hendrix, the Who, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Sly and the Family Stone. The event would help define an era. August 17 | Hurricane Camille More than 250 people are killed in Mississippi and Louisiana when Hurricane Camille strikes the United States mainland. At its peak, Camille was a Category 5 storm, packing winds stronger than 200 mph and leaving tides measuring higher than 20 feet in its wake. September 1 | Gadhafi assumes power Moammar Gadhafi, a military captain at the time, deposes King Idris and assumes control of Libya. He remains in power to this day. September 24 | The \"Chicago 8\" trial begins A trial gets under way for eight people -- known as the \"Chicago 8\" -- who were indicted on charges connected with protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. After a long, raucous trial, two were acquitted, and the others were convicted on various charges. Eight police officers were also indicted in connection with the disorder in Chicago." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Man lands on the moon on July 20 with Apollo 11 mission .\nA new Supreme Court justice and withdrawal of troops in Vietnam grab headlines .\nIn the world of sports, The Mets, Muhammad Ali and Joe Nameth make news .\nFor more, go to In Depth: Summer of 1969 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A tsunami watch issued for five nations after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean was canceled about two hours later. A tsunami watch in effect after an earthquake in the Indian Ocean has been called off. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had issued the watch for India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh after the quake, which struck at 1:55 a.m. Tuesday (3:55 p.m. Monday ET). Its epicenter was about 163 miles (262 km) north of Port Blair in India's Andaman Islands, and 225 miles south-southwest of Pathein, Myanmar, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake's focus was about 20 miles below the Earth's surface. In general, earthquakes centered closer to the Earth's surface produce stronger shaking and can cause more damage than those further underground. Watch where the earthquakes hit » . \"Sea level readings indicate that a significant tsunami was not generated,\" the warning center said in a bulletin. \"Therefore, the tsunami watch issued by this center is now canceled.\" According to the geological survey, a 6.4-magnitude quake struck near the south coast of Honshu, Japan, 12 minutes after the Indian Ocean quake. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory following that quake, but said that the expected wave would be under 2 feet. CNN's Augie Martin contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Watch covered India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh .\nIt was issued after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean .\nQuake with 6.4-magnitude occurred near Japan 12 minutes later ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Substitute Victor Obinna came off the bench to score twice as Nigeria beat Kenya 3-0 in Abuja, to claim their first victory in African World Cup qualifying Group B. Obinna scored a late second-half double to help Nigeria cruise to a 3-0 home victory over Kenya. The Inter Milan striker scored twice in the last 17 minutes, including one from the penalty spot, after Getafe's Ikechukwu Uche had given the Super Eagles as early lead. The result sees Nigeria move up to second place in the table with four points from their two games, two points behind leaders Tunisia who beat Mozambique 2-0 on Saturday to have maximum points from their two matches. Kenya are bottom of the table, without a point, and it already looks like Tunisia and Nigeria will battle it out for top spot in the group and automatic qualification for the World Cup finals. Elsewhere in Africa, Cameroon are surprisingly bottom of Group A after a 0-0 home draw with Morocco in Yaounde. The two group favorites cancelled each other out, meaning they both have a point apiece from their two matches. Gabon are the shock group leaders -- and they followed up their opening victory in Morocco by thumping an Emmanuel Adebayor-led Togo 3-0 in Libreville on Saturday. That result means Gabon are on six points, with Togo second on three points. Meanwhile, in Group E, Ivory Coast made it two wins from two matches to go top of the group with a 2-1 victory in Guinea. Sevilla midfielder Christian Koffi Ndri scored the winning goal with 13 minutes remaining as Ivory Coast joined Burkina Faso on a maximum six points. The two teams already look to have the group between them, as Guinea and Malawi are both point-less from their two matches. Malawi lost 1-0 at home to Burkina Faso on Saturday. African champions Egypt prop up Group C after crashing 3-1 in Algeria where Karim Matmour (60), Abdelkader Ghezzal (64) and Rafik Djebbour (77) were on target for the hosts. Algeria top their section on goal difference from Zambia after their weekend success in front of a sell-out crowd. Ghana, who reached their first World Cup finals in Germany three years ago, won 2-0 at Mali and lead Group D by three points from Benin. Kwadwo Asamoah and Matthew Amoah were on target." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Victor Obinna scores twice as Nigeria defeat Kenya 3-0 in African Group B .\nThe result sees Nigeria move up to second place in the table with four points .\nCameroon and Morocco draw 0-0 in Group A and trail surprise leaders Gabon ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- After 20 years of mega-success together, country duo Brooks & Dunn say they are done. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have decided to call it quits as a country singing duo. In a statement on their Web site, the pair said they will tour one last time next year as a goodbye to fans -- and then call it a day. The decision to part was mutual, the duo said. \"If you hear rumors, don't believe them, it's just time,\" the Web statement said. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn were successful singer-songwriters in their own right when they joined forces and scored their first hit as a duo with their 1991 debut CD, \"Brand New Man.\" Since then, they have released more than a dozen albums, had 20 No. 1 hits and won the Country Music Association's Vocal Duo of the Year award every year from 1992 until 2006 -- with their streak broken just once in 2000. The duo will release a compilation, \".1's . . . And Then Some,\" on September 8. \"The Last Rodeo\" tour will begin in 2010, but dates have not been announced." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The pair said they will tour one last time next year as a goodbye to fans .\nBrooks & Dunn have released more than a dozen albums and had 20 No. 1 hits .\nThe duo will release a compilation on September 8 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Divers found an eighth body Monday from the weekend collision of two aircraft over the Hudson River, leaving only one victim unaccounted for. Silvia Rigamonti, wife of one of the victims, walks with her son Davide Norelli in Bologna, Italy, on Monday. The man's body was found inside the submerged Piper Saratoga PA-32 fixed-wing plane that was carrying three people when it collided Saturday with a tourist helicopter carrying six people, police said. It was not immediately possible to remove the body, police said. The plane wreckage and the body were found on a day in which police divers worked in water made treacherous by poor visibility and strong currents. All six bodies of the people who were aboard the helicopter were pulled from water up to 50 feet deep over the weekend. Another body from among the three people who were aboard the private plane was found Saturday floating near Pier 40. Recovery operations were suspended late Monday afternoon and were to resume Tuesday morning, when the Army Corps of Engineers plans to lift the plane, police spokesman Paul Browne said. The victims aboard the helicopter included five tourists from Bologna, Italy, part of a group of 10 Bologna-area residents who were in New York to help a couple celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, said Giovanni Castellaneta, Italy's ambassador to the United States. See where the collision occurred » . The celebrating husband and one of the couple's sons were killed in the crash, but the wife skipped the sightseeing flight to go shopping, another son told Italian news media. The victims from Bologna were Michele Norelli, 51; Norelli's son Filippo Norelli, 16; Fabio Gallazzi, 49; Gallazzi's wife, Tiziana Pedroni, 44; and Gallazzi's son, Giacomo Gallazzi, 15. Michele Norelli's wife, Silvia Rigamonti, decided to visit New York stores instead of seeing its sights from above, the couple's eldest son, Davide Norelli, told Italian media. The Norellis were ecstatic to be spending their anniversary in New York, Davide Norelli told Stampa newspaper in Turin, Italy. \"They used to talk about their trip at dinner with enthusiasm, of their silver anniversary and how they were going to celebrate it together. My aunt gave them the trip as a gift,\" the paper quotes Davide Norelli saying. Davide Norelli, 23, also told Italian media that when he saw news of the crash on Saturday, he called his mother and was relieved at first because she answered. Then came the news that his father and brother died, which he had to relay to his 92-year-old paternal grandmother. The pilot of the helicopter -- a Eurocopter AS350 -- was Jeremy Clarke, 32. He had worked for Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours for about 1½ years and had logged 2,700 helicopter flight hours, Hersman said. Killed aboard the plane were the owner and pilot, Steven Altman, 60, of Ambler, Pennsylvania; his brother, Daniel Altman, 49, of Dresher, Pennsylvania; and Daniel Altman's 16-year-old son, Douglas. The National Transportation Safety Board has begun to reconstruct what happened. The Piper took off from a Philadelphia-area airfield Saturday morning and landed at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport before taking off again, this time bound for Ocean City, New Jersey. Watch why investigators are looking at the airspace » . The Piper pilot spoke after takeoff with the Teterboro tower, which handed him off electronically to the Newark tower, NTSB Chairman Debbie Hersman told reporters. But the pilot never contacted the Newark tower, she said. Controllers lost contact with the plane at 11:53 a.m., when it was at an altitude of about 1,100 feet, Hersman said. Watch why investigators are looking at the airspace » . The helicopter was taking the five Italians on a 12-minute sightseeing tour around New York and had taken off from a heliport in midtown Manhattan shortly before the crash, Hersman said. Hersman called the area \"very complex airspace\" near three major airports and a variety of other general aviation facilities. In an effort to determine just how complex, the Federal Aviation Administration found that, in each of the eight days prior to the crash, an average of 225 aircraft operated at or below 1,100 feet within a 3-mile radius of the accident site, she said. Below that altitude, aircraft can operate under visual flight regulations. The wreckage of the helicopter was pulled up Sunday, nearly intact, Hersman said on CNN's \"American Morning\" on Monday. Watch the NTSB official discuss the accident » . Castellaneta said he had asked New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to help speed the inquiry into what happened. Bloomberg, who is a pilot, likened the crowded air corridor where the accident happened to a highway. \"Nobody is ever going to make every road perfectly safe or every trip in your automobile, and the same thing is true when you fly,\" he said. He added, \"Nothing we can say will bring them back, but our prayers are with them.\" Investigators will focus on radio communications along the air corridor at the time of the crash and will examine any images contributed by the public. Neither aircraft was required to carry electronic data recorders -- often referred to as \"black boxes\" -- that record cockpit voices and flight information on larger planes. But electronic navigational devices on board might retain information that could help investigators, Hersman said. Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours, since 1995, has had eight accidents and one \"incident,\" after which the NTSB made a number of safety recommendations, Hersman said. \"I think the fact that we are here today shows there is a lot of work that still needs to be done,\" she said. Saturday's crash was the company's first involving fatalities. Marcia Horowitz, a spokeswoman for the tour operator, said Liberty executives were working with investigators. \"The company is focusing its efforts on cooperating with the NTSB and giving as much information as it can,\" Horowitz said. \"At this time, their priority is to help with the family of their pilot and, of course, the families that were involved in the accident.\" CNN's Susan Candiotti, Mary Snow and Hada Messia contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Body found Monday in submerged wreckage of plane .\nEight bodies now located after weekend plane-helicopter collision; one missing .\nWife of Italian victim skipped helicopter flight to go shopping, son tells Italian media .\nHelicopter wreckage recovered Sunday ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- If climate change were a small house fire, current policy in the European Union and the United Kingdom would ensure that it would destroy not just the house but the entire suburb. Author of \"Carbon Scenarios\" compares global warming to a house fire that the world is currently failing to contain. That's the grim analogy offered by Paul Domjan, author of a new report, \"Carbon Scenarios: Blue sky thinking for a green future\", by the Stockholm Network, a London-based pan-European think tank. The report explores three scenarios on climate change, none of which leads to what's defined by the EU and UK as a 'successful outcome'; a greater than 90 percent chance of temperatures rising by no more than two degrees above pre-industrial levels. \"We have failed,\" Domjan says, adding, \"We will not prevent two degrees of warming.\" Continuing the house fire analogy he says, \"The less than two degree scenario is a fire you can put out. With less than three degrees it spreads to other rooms but you can still put it out.\" He says global policy of the past ten years looks more like the third -- and worst -- scenario explored by the Carbon Scenarios report -- the one dubbed \"Agree and Ignore.\" In that case, \"your house is unrecognizably destroyed. The positive feedback cycle isn't contained. Your house catches fire, your neighbor's catches fire...\" And so on. Domjan blames the failure of the current climate change policy on the constant stream of compromises by world leaders designed to keep the Kyoto agreement intact. \"This dynamic of making lots of small compromises in order to keep the agreement in place has led to a situation where the agreement has lost a lot of its teeth.\" He points to Canada as an example, a signatory to the Kyoto agreement which has \"done nothing\" to implement it. \"During the time it's been a signatory it's been developing massive coal sands projects which are the most polluting way of producing gas and oil in the world,\" he says. \"There's a great international censure against the U.S. for not ratifying Kyoto but nothing has been said about Canada.\" \"The coal sands are using so much natural gas and electricity they could have an entire nuclear facility just for themselves.\" The three alternative futures explored in the Carbon Scenarios report include \"Kyoto Plus,\" \"Agree and Ignore\" and \"Step Change.\" \"Kyoto Plus\" envisages a gradual transition to a global cap on carbon emissions by 2012. Domjan calls it a \"largely successful scenario\" where there's a greater than 90 percent chance of global average temperatures rising more than 3.31 degrees above pre-industrial levels by 2100. \"That's not a disaster. It's still a world that's recognizable,\" he says. The second scenario -- \"Agree and Ignore\" -- predicts efforts to reduce carbon emissions will \"stall and backslide\" leading to \"competitive regionalism.\" There would be a greater than 90 percent chance of global average temperatures rising no more than 4.8 degrees above pre-industrial levels by 2100. From that point, temperatures would continue to rise into the next century. The third scenario -- \"Step Change\" -- imagines a radical shift in global policy direction. World leaders would introduce a system of global carbon caps, giving them greater than 90 percent chance of limiting the rise in global average temperatures to 2.85 degrees above pre-industrial levels by 2100. Of the three scenarios, \"Step Change\" is the one Domjan personally prefers but the one he concedes is unlikely to happen. \"Our proposal [for a global upstream cap] is similar to but not identical to the proposal from the Kyoto 2 project,\" he says. \"It's a line of thinking that's been around for a while that will provide a healthy alternative to emissions trading.\" Under the scheme, the United Nations would impose an annual cap on the amount of carbon that could be produced from fossil fuels. Natural resource companies would have to apply and pay for permits to produce carbon. Compliance would be determined at key points, for example, coal washing stations. \"The problem is how do you get the political impetus to have a big international change like that and for people to accept that this is genuinely going to be dealt with at an international level,\" Domjan asks. The \"Step Change\" scenario supposes that the impetus comes through a threat to U.S. and Chinese economic security. Under the scenario, climate change threatens Sino-U.S.. trade relations so the two combine to lead and enforce global change. \"Our current approach to climate change is moving at the pace of the slowest country,\" Domjan says, adding, \"Here they say we're going to move as quickly as possible and then force others to catch up.\" Under that scenario, the need to purchase carbon production permits would push record oil prices even higher as energy companies pass on the cost to consumers. Domjan is confident the global economy could cope -- it's adapted to higher energy prices so far and is likely to prove equally resilient in the future. And the extra cost of fuel, rather going to producers, would be held in a fund controlled by the United Nations. It would be used to help developing nations to use fewer fossil fuels, to support new research and development, to compensate oil producers for the carbon they're not producing, and to establish an emergency fund to deal with the consequences of climate change. Domjan acknowledges that world leaders are unlikely to use the report as the basis for a new global policy, but he hopes they at least take away two key points: \"Whenever possible regulate at the point where there are fewest participants [and] we need to make sure there's a clear price signal so the market can distribute energy efficiently.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Carbon Scenarios report says EU, UK global warming targets \"unrealistic\"\nReport's author: \"We have failed. We will not prevent two degrees of warming\"\nDocument explores three scenarios for global warming under different policies .\nProposes radical shift in policy to introduce global carbon caps and permits ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Divers on Tuesday recovered the bodies of the final two of nine victims of Saturday's collision between a helicopter and small plane over the Hudson River, police said. The wreckage of a PA-32 that collided Saturday with a helicopter is lifted Tuesday from the bed of the Hudson River. \"They were inside the wreckage when we pulled it up,\" said New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne. Earlier Tuesday, police divers had attached chains and straps to the plane's fuselage and used a crane to lift it from the riverbed 60 feet below the surface. On Saturday, the Piper PA-32 Saratoga carrying three people collided with a helicopter carrying six people, five of them Italian tourists, killing all nine people aboard both aircraft. The wreckage of the helicopter, operated by Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours, was lifted Sunday nearly intact from the Hudson. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision, which occurred shortly after the helicopter took off from a heliport in Midtown Manhattan on what was to have been a 12-minute sightseeing tour around New York. The Piper took off from New Jersey's Teterboro Airport and was bound for Ocean City, New Jersey. It began its flight Saturday morning at a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-area airfield. CNN's Susan Candiotti and Mary Snow contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Bodies of 8th and 9th victims recovered from plane wreckage .\nSingle-engine plane, tour helicopter collided Saturday over Hudson River .\nDivers attached chains, straps to lift submerged wreckage of plane .\nHelicopter's wreckage was pulled from the river Sunday ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WICHITA, Kansas (CNN) -- Scott Roeder's ex-wife said she believes her former spouse was capable of murder. Scott Roeder, 51, is being held on a first-degree murder charge and two counts of aggravated assault. Roeder, 51, is sitting in a Kansas jail, charged with murdering George Tiller, one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortion. \"He was determined that if the abortion doctor killed the baby, then he didn't have any right to live either,\" Roeder's ex-wife Lindsey Roeder told reporters on Monday, refusing to show her face to cameras. Lindsey Roeder said their 10-year marriage ended 13 years ago in part because he had a fanatical preoccupation with certain views, including those on abortion. She said her ex-husband believed killing an abortion provider \"is justifiable,\" and described him as self-righteous and someone who may be capable of murder. Scott Roeder was charged Tuesday with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault stemming from Tiller's shooting death at Tiller's Wichita church Sunday morning. Watch panel discuss ramifications of slaying » . During a brief initial court appearance, in which he appeared via video from the county jail, Roeder requested a court-appointed lawyer. He has made no plea, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 16. Police have not disclosed a possible motive in Tiller's killing. But associates have told CNN that Roeder was a regular among the anti-abortion protesters who routinely gathered at Tiller's Wichita clinic, Women's Health Care Services. And records and interviews with family and fellow abortion protesters suggest Roeder had a fanatical preoccupation with abortion and used Christianity to support his beliefs. In 1996, he was arrested in Topeka, Kansas, with explosives, a military rifle, ammunition and a gas mask in his car, according to records. His ex-wife said that at that time he intended to blow up an abortion clinic. A Shawnee County judge called Roeder a \"substantial threat to public safety\" telling him that one must follow the law as established, not the law as one might wish it to be. Roeder pleaded not guilty, spent 16 months in prison and eight on probation. But his lawyer argued on appeal that his car had been illegally searched, and Roeder's conviction was vacated. He became known as a regular at protests outside abortion clinics, say those who rallied alongside him. Anti-abortion activists Anthony Leake and Regina Dinwiddie told CNN that Tiller had strong beliefs. \"He was a confessing Christian,\" Leake continued. \"He always had his Bible, which wasn't uncommon. He professed faith in Jesus Christ.\" A man named Scott Roeder signed a message on the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue's Web site in 2007, calling for prayers to shut down Tiller's \"death camp.\" \"Sometime soon, would it be feasible to organize as many people as possible to attend Tillers church (inside, not just outside) to have much more of a presence and possibly ask questions of the pastor, deacons, elders and members while there? Doesn't seem like it would hurt anything but bring more attention to Tiller,\" the message reads. National anti-abortion organizations, including Operation Rescue, condemned Tiller's slaying. \"[The alleged killer] is not one of us, and if he thinks he is, then he is deluded,\" said the Rev. Gary Cass, the director of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. Dinwiddie, a 54-year-old grandmother, said Roeder once told her that he confronted a doctor at a Planned Parenthood center, telling the physician, \"Now I know what you look like.\" \"We all said, 'Scott, you better leave or they are gonna get after you,' \" Dinwiddie said. \"Next thing, all these people come rushing out of the place, all worried. Scott was standing up for what he believed in.\" In the mid-1990s, police said he was also possibly linked to the Freemen, an anti-government group based in Montana. Eugene Frye, who says he has known Roeder for years as an anti-tax campaigner, said just Roeder showed up at a recent abortion protest talking about this year's trial of Tiller, whom Frye called the \"killer.\" Tiller was acquitted in March of 19 misdemeanor counts of performing unlawful procedures at his clinic, and Frye said Roeder told him he had attended the trial. See what people are saying about Tiller's slaying » . \"He just said he'd been down there, and that the trial was a sham,\" Frye said. But he said he was surprised that Roeder was a suspect in Tiller's death, saying he never spoke of any kind of violence. Tiller describes the philosophy of his clinic in 1999 » . CNN's Ed Lavandera, Randi Kaye, Paul Vercammen and Ashley Fantz contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ex-wife: Scott Roeder was self-righteous, potentially dangerous .\nScott Roeder, 51, of the Kansas City, Kansas, area charged with murder .\nRoeder suspected of killing abortion provider Dr. George Tiller on Sunday .\nTiller was one few remaining doctors in the U.S. offering late-term abortions ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Tributes have been flooding in following the sudden death of Spanish Primera Liga side Espanyol's captain Daniel Jarque at the age of 26 on Saturday night. Espanyol fans have begun a memorial for captain Daniel Jarque following his sudden death on Saturday. Jarque passed away around 8pm local time when his heart stopped following a training session in Coverciano, Italy, where the squad are on a pre-season camp. Reports suggest Jarque was on the phone to his fiancee -- who is eight months pregnant -- at the time and she alerted two of his team-mates, who raced to his hotel room. Club doctors and Italian paramedics tried to revive Jarque, a product of the Espanyol youth system, but without success. Most Spanish clubs immediately expressed their condolences and leading footballing personalities have now done the same. Speaking on the official Real Madrid Web site, club captain Raul said: \"As captain, and on behalf of the whole Real Madrid team, I want to express our sincere condolences. \"We will support the player's family and the Espanyol family in any way possible during this very difficult time for everybody. \"He was a great professional and sportsman and this has left us all very hurt. We offer our most sincere sympathies,\" added Raul. Jarque's death comes two years after that of Sevilla and Spain defender Antonio Puerta, who suffered multiple organ failure in hospital, three days after a cardiac arrest during a league match against Getafe. Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini added: \"It is news that you wish wasn't true. It's terrible, it already happened a couple of years ago to Sevilla and the truth is these things have an impact.\" Joan Laporta, president of European champions Barcelona -- Espanyol's city rivals -- said on their official Web site: \"\"We are very shocked by this tragic event. \"We are all in mourning and I wish to express in the name of FC Barcelona our heartfelt condolences to Espanyol on the painful loss of their captain Dani Jarque, and also to his family\". Jarque joined Espanyol at the age of 12, making his debut in 2002, and was handed the captaincy this summer. Fans have been flocking to Espanyol's stadium since the news broke and have been in mourning outside gate 21 -- Jarque's squad number. Former Espanyol coach Ramon Moya, who handed Jarque his debut against Rayo Vallecano, was deeply shocked. \"I feel like I have lost a son,\" he told reporters. \"Jarque was a footballer, but he was also my friend. This situation is very difficult for a person. It was as if he was family. I knew him for many years. I gave him his debut and I shared many moments with him. It's very difficult to explain how I feel at the moment.\" Another former coach, Ernesto Valverde, insisted Jarque had never had any medical problems previously. \"After hearing the news I still haven't taken it in,\" said the current Villarreal coach. \"He was a player who was super strong, super healthy and very important in the dressing room. We got goosebumps when we heard the news. He was a very strong person but life is like that and it gives you terrible surprises. \" Espanyol, who had been due to play Bologna in a friendly match on Sunday, suspended their pre-season tour of Italy and have flown back to Barcelona." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tributes are flooding in following the sudden death of Espanyol's Daniel Jarque .\nJarque suffered a heart attack while in his hotel room during a club tour of Italy .\n26-year-old made his debut in 2002 and was given the captaincy this summer ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- A rare and original manuscript of one of America's most patriotic songs has been discovered in a flea market bargain. The manuscript of the song could be worth tens of thousands of dollars. A shopper browsing through the market in New York bought a framed picture of a flower for $10 and found handwritten manuscript of \"America\" (My Country 'tis of Thee) tucked behind the picture, the manuscript's owner said Thursday. The manuscript of the song whose lyrics were written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831 could be worth tens of thousands of dollars, said the owner, art collector Keya Morgan. He said he bought it from the flea market shopper, who has asked not to be identified. The song was intended to be played in schools to inspire and teach children and was first played in public on July 4, 1831, in the First Baptist Church in Newton, Massachusetts, Morgan said. The song is written to the tune of \"God Save the Queen,\" the national anthem of the United Kingdom. Take a look at the manuscript » . The authenticity of the document was confirmed by Morgan, a handwriting expert who has been authenticating historical documents for nearly a decade, and Diana Yount, an archival specialist at Andover Newton Theological School. Yount reached her conclusion after comparing the handwriting with that in a hymn written by Smith. Morgan, whose collection includes artifacts from Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Thomas Jefferson and Ulysses S. Grant, was ecstatic. \"It's the biggest high I could get,\" said Morgan. \"It shaped the nation and reminds us that this nation is just a baby.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"America\" (My Country 'tis of Thee) found tucked behind a picture .\nPicture sells for $10 at flea market; manuscript reportedly worth thousands .\n\"America\" first played in public on July 4, 1831 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- The view will be one unlike any other. Climbing up through the clouds at a rate faster than the speed of sound, the sky will darken to a deep blue and then to black. Below, entire mountain ranges, coastlines and cities will shift into focus as the horizon bends around the curvature of the Earth - the thin veil of its atmosphere shimmering against a backdrop of stars. An emerging space tourism industry may give thousands of travelers a new view of Earth. And then, of course, there will be the feeling of weightlessness. \"It is just life changing,\" said Col. Richard Searfoss, a retired NASA shuttle commander.\"To be outside the atmosphere and see the curvature of the Earth and see so much land area at once, it gives you a sense of separateness but connectedness.\" The view of Earth from outer space is a sight that in the history of mankind only a few hundred people have ever seen. But that could soon change as what was once an almost nonexistent space tourism industry slowly matures into what some analysts predict could be a billion dollar enterprise with thousands of passengers by the end of the next decade. \"This is just the beginning of the golden age of space flight,\" said Peter Diamandis, chairman of the X Prize Foundation, which awarded the $10 million Ansari X Prize in 2004 for the first privately funded human flight to the edge of space.\"Looking back a thousand years from now, this will be the period of time when the human race irrevocably moved off the planet.\" Look back roughly ten years, though, and the idea of sending tourists into space seemed more like science fiction than a viable business plan, said John Gedmark, executive director of the Personal Spaceflight Federation, a trade association representing the space travel industry. \"No one ever thought this was real at all,\" said Gedmark.\"It was just completely unthinkable.\" But that perception began to change in 2001 when American multimillionaire Dennis Tito became the world's first so-called space tourist, traveling aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule to the International Space Station for a price of around $20 million. Four more tourists have since made the trip. Another major milestone for the industry has been a growing interest and investment from entrepreneurs like Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who financed the development of SpaceShipOne, winner of the Ansari X Prize, and British billionaire Richard Branson, founder of the space tourism company, Virgin Galactic. \"Since then the activity has been more evenly spread and steadier and more consistent and more determined,\" said Gedmark. \"Now you have a number of companies working on multiple fronts to get people into space.\" There are now at least a dozen space tourism endeavors worldwide, offering experiences that range from a flight to the fringe of space to astronaut training on a tropical island. While the companies make up a varied landscape of technological know-how, financial wherewithal and enterprising ideas, they all share one common goal: The desire to conquer what is widely considered to be the final frontier of mankind -- the universe. \"The human species is about evolution and is about moving forward,\" said Eric Anderson, president of Space Adventures Ltd., the Virginia-based company responsible for arranging civilian trips to the space station on the Soyuz. \"Space is filled with infinite resources that can make our lives better.\" This October, Richard Garriott, a computer-game developer and son of former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, is scheduled to become Space Adventures' sixth client to leave the planet followed by a seventh yet-to-be identified passenger next April. Space Adventures is also planning to build commercial spaceports near Dubai and in Singapore. But Anderson said the next big step involves something slightly further afield - a trip to the Moon. With a price tag of $100 million per seat, two tourists and a pilot would spend around two weeks board a modified Russian spacecraft with the chance to see an Earth rise from lunar orbit and cruise around the far side of the Moon. The excursion will launch when contracts are finalized with travelers, Space Adventures said. Suborbital space tourism is also set to take off soon. For $200,000, Virgin Galactic passengers will undergo several days of training before taking a two-hour flight to the fringe of space - 70 miles above sea level. From there, the company says, passengers will experience the feeling of weightlessness and see a view of the Earth that spans a 1,000 miles in any direction. Will Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic, said the company has collected $35 million in deposits from 250 would-be space tourists. Another 80,000 have registered interest with the company, he said. \"That figure has been growing month by month the past year, especially as we get finished building the technology,\" said Whitehorn. Virgin will begin testing WhiteKnightTwo this summer, said Whitehorn. The carrier vehicle will ferry suborbital craft SpaceShipTwo, modeled after Ansari X Prize winner SpaceShipOne, 50,000 feet in the sky before releasing it. \"Once we have tested that sufficiently, we will put the spaceship underneath it,\" said Whitehorn. Other companies are also jumping in the suborbital space race. In March, California-based XCOR Aerospace announced plans to build the Lynx, a two-seater rocketship that will carry passengers up into the atmosphere for about $100,000. The vehicle will be the size of a small business jet, capable of making several flights a day, the company said. And last year, European aerospace giant EADS announced plans for its Astrium space division to develop a line of suborbital jets to satisfy a space tourism market that it predicts could grow to as many as 15,000 passengers a year by 2020. \"The market is there,\" said Robert Laine, chief technical officer of EADS Astrium.\"The question is how to build the planes that can satisfy that market and to understand what profits at the end we can make out of it.\" ....................... Would you want to take a holiday in space? Is it worth the cost? Leave your views and comments in the Sound Off box below." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Space tourism projected to be billion dollar industry by end of next decade .\nMore than a dozen commercial space ventures operating worldwide .\nEuropean aerospace company EADS projects 15,000 space travelers by 2021 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- Police executed a search warrant at a Las Vegas pharmacy Tuesday morning in connection with the investigation into Michael Jackson's death, a federal drug agent said. A Las Vegas pharmacy was searched Tuesday in connection with Michael Jackson's death. Applied Pharmacy on Flamingo Road in Las Vegas sold the anesthetic propofol to Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's doctor, a source familiar with the investigation said. Another source close to the investigation said last month that Murray, a Texas-based cardiologist, is said to have given Jackson propofol, commonly known by the brand name Diprivan, in the 24 hours before he died. The search of Applied Pharmacy came two weeks after searches of Murray's home and clinic in Las Vegas. The search warrant served Tuesday authorized investigators to seize documents -- both on computers and paper -- related to the Jackson investigation, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mike Flanagan said. The warrants used for those earlier searches, which were filed in a Clark County, Nevada, court, imply that investigators looking into Jackson's death believe that the singer was a drug addict. The warrants, signed by District Judge Timothy Williams and given to CNN by Las Vegas affiliate KTNV, say that \"there is probable cause to believe\" that the searches would uncover evidence at Murray's home and office of excessive prescribing, prescribing to an addict, prescribing to or treating an addict and manslaughter. They cite \"probable cause to believe\" that the premises contained \"records, shipping orders, distribution lists, use records relating to the purchase, transfer ordering, delivery and storage of propofol (Diprivan).\" Murray was with Jackson on June 25 when he was rushed to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and when he was pronounced dead, according to Murray's lawyer. A source involved with the inquiry into Jackson's death has said that investigators found numerous bottles of prescription drugs in his $100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills, California. The items taken from Murray's home included copies of his computer and cell phone hard drives. They were to be turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department, which is leading the investigation into Jackson's death at age 50. A \"thorough and comprehensive\" report into the death of Michael Jackson is complete, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said Monday, but police have requested that the report not be released because of the ongoing investigation. The coroner's office said it would abide by the request that \"the cause and manner of death remain confidential\" and referred all questions to the Los Angeles Police Department. CNN's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Applied Pharmacy sold propofol to Dr. Conrad Murray, source says .\nWarrant part of follow-up to searches of home, clinic of Jackson doctor .\nAutopsy results held because of investigation, coroner says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- As Walter Thomas knows, it's hard to look for a job when your stomach is rumbling. Samirah, 2, asked her mom to take this photo to show that hungry people \"are like everyone else.\" The 52-year-old from Washington, D.C., started skipping meals in early January when his savings account was running dry and his kitchen cabinets were almost empty. Thomas at first didn't want to turn to the United States' food safety net, the food stamp program, for help. But after being laid off in July from what seemed like a steady job in sales at a furniture store, Thomas swallowed his pride and applied for the monthly food aid. \"It lets me think, 'OK, well, tomorrow I'll be able to eat. If nothing else, I'll be able to eat,' \" he said. With the national economy in meltdown, more Americans than ever are relying on the federal aid program to keep from going hungry. In October, more than one in 10 people -- about 31 million -- were using the food stamp program to get by, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More recent numbers are not available, but advocates for the poor say the number of those in need of aid probably has increased since then. Stereotypes associated with food stamps abound, and recipients are often seen as prone to taking handouts, sometimes when they may not be needed. But the profile of hunger in America is multifaceted, as diverse as the nation itself, especially in these times of economic hardship. To get a better idea of what it's like to live on a food stamp budget, CNN correspondent Sean Callebs has decided to eat for a month on $176 and blog about the experience on CNN.com. Watch reporter's struggle to buy food with food stamps » . That's a situation many people, Thomas included, can relate to. Thomas, who said he had been working steadily since he was 13 years old, now receives $175 per month for food. That's about $5.83 per day -- less than $2 per meal. See what people on food stamps can buy » . Not that Thomas is complaining. After getting his first payment, which is added to an inconspicuous debit card to reduce the stigma associated with the program, Thomas went straight to the grocery store. He was hungry and grateful. \"It's definitely been a blessing to me,\" he said of the food stamp program, which, since October, has gone by the name Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Advocates for the poor, as well as those on federal assistance, hope President Obama's economic stimulus plan will increase food stamp payments. The average family on food stamps would receive $79 more per month if the stimulus bill passes in the U.S. Senate this week, according to The New York Times. iReport.com: How are you doing in this tough economy? There is some debate about whether giving people money to spend on groceries is a valid form of economic stimulus. Few are more hopeful the measure will pass than Crystal Sears, a 30-year-old mother in Germantown, Pennsylvania, who said she has been on food stamps for more than three years. Sears said she sometimes skips meals so her three children can eat. Even with federal assistance, she said, she sometimes has to make a meal for herself out of crackers or food scraps. She said she has been out of work for several years because all three of her children have medical conditions: Her 8-year-old son has a seizure disorder that requires frequent hospital visits and constant attention; her 2-year-old daughter was born with heart problems; and her 12-year-old daughter has scoliosis, a back condition that recently required two surgeries, she said. Without much money, she's forced to make tough choices. \"If the kids needed sneakers and their sneakers are getting too small, or if my water bill is past due, I'd opt not to pay it and risk them sending me a shut-off notice just so my children can eat,\" she said. Sometimes she chooses to buy more food instead of paying her gas bill to heat her home. When she does, the family sleeps huddled around their stove or an electric heater, she said. Her monthly food stamp payment is $489, she said. That's sometimes sufficient. But some months, she said, she doesn't receive full payments because of mix-ups with paperwork. Until recently, she said, she received about $250 per month, which she said was far from enough to feed her family of four. The SNAP program is meant to supplement a person's food budget, not cover all food expenses, said Jean Daniel, a spokesperson for the USDA, which administers the program. Taking on part-time work would further complicate the application process, she said. Sears said she worked for seven years at a Salvation Army shelter before becoming unemployed. \"For me, I've always been a helper. And my thing is I don't like to help people to enable them. I like to help people so they can help themselves in the long run,\" she said. Sears stretches her food budget by buying cheap and sometimes fatty meals. She said she doesn't like doing that but can't avoid it. With food prices high, she said, grocery shopping is stressful. \"We get like the mac and cheese, which is dehydrated cheese -- basically food that's no good for you health wise,\" she said. \"Everything is high in sodium and trans fats ... and that's all we basically can afford. There's not enough assistance to eat healthy and maintain a healthy weight.\" Advocates for the hungry say many people on the food stamp program opt to buy less-healthy foods because they can't afford fresh fruits and vegetables on such a tight budget. Food stamp \"benefits aren't really enough for a healthy diet,\" said Jim Weill, president of the nonprofit Food Research and Action Center. Sears said she is grateful for the help she does get. Maribel Diaz, a 36-year-old mother of three boys in Los Angeles, California, said her $319-per-month payment isn't always enough. But she said she would starve herself before letting her boys go hungry. \"You're bringing home less bags [of food] now, because the milk is almost $5 a gallon and the bread is $3 a loaf. ... A chicken is, like, now $8,\" Diaz said. \"If you're really breaking it down, you're not bringing a lot of groceries home.\" All SNAP recipients are eligible for free nutritional counseling to help people stretch their food budgets, said Daniel, of the USDA. Advocates for the hungry find flaws in the way the program is set up, but they praise it for being a safety net the government can't take away during tough times. Unlike aid to soup kitchens, the food stamp program receives federal funding in times thick and thin, and has a $6 billion backup fund, Daniel said. \"The money will be found so people are not turned away,\" Daniel said. All of the benefits paid to participants come from the federal government. States split the program's administrative costs. Advocates see some flaws in SNAP but generally give it praise. \"I say about food stamps what Winston Churchill said about democracy: 'It's the worst possible system except all the others,' \" said Joel Berg, executive director of the New York Coalition Against Hunger. Berg said the program's benefits are too small and too difficult for people to obtain. But the food stamp program is somewhat successful, he said. \"The main purpose of the program is to wipe out Third World starvation in America, and it's worked,\" he said, adding that he's optimistic about improvements that could come as part of the economic stimulus plan. Thomas, the laid-off furniture worker in Washington, said he doesn't want people to feel sorry for him. After being let go from his store, he stopped at an employment center before going anywhere else. He said he faxed about 20 résumés to similar companies on that very day. None has resulted in a job yet, but Thomas said he has been to interviews for other types of work and hopes employment will come soon. For now, he's just happy to continue the job search without the pain of hunger nagging at his stomach." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "More than 1 in 10 Americans are part of the federal food assistance program .\nSome people say it is hard or impossible to make ends meet, even with help .\nPresident Obama's economic stimulus plan could increase food-stamp funding .\nCNN's Sean Callebs will live on $176 this month to learn about life on food stamps ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Late-night talker David Letterman married his longtime girlfriend, Regina Lasko, last week, according to a transcript of the taping of his Monday night show. Late-night host David Letterman says he \"avoided getting married for ... 23 years.\" The wedding was at the courthouse in Choteau, Montana, on Thursday, he said, according to quotes from CBS' \"Late Show with David Letterman\" provided to CNN by Letterman's publicist, Tom Keaney. \"Regina and I began dating in February of 1986, and I said, 'Well, things are going pretty good, let's just see what happens in about 10 years ... ,\" he joked during the taping. Watch Letterman spill the beans » . \"I had avoided getting married pretty good [sic] for, like, 23 years, and ... honestly, whether this happened or not, I secretly felt that men who were married admired me -- like I was the last of the real gunslingers.\" Lasko is a former \"Late Show\" staffer. The couple have a son, Harry. Letterman told his audience that the wedding almost didn't happen after the couple, son in tow, got their pickup truck stuck in the mud on the way to the ceremony. \"So I get out of the truck and I walk two miles back to the house into a 50 mph wind. It's not Beverly Hills, it's Montana, for God's sakes,' \" he said. \"And the whole way, I'm thinking, 'See, smartass? See? See? You try to get married, this is what happens.' \" When he returned with a car, he said -- presumably joking -- that his son was disappointed, \"because mom had told him if I wasn't back in an hour, the deal was off.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Talk-show host marries Regina Lasko, who he began dating in 1986 .\nLetterman talks of last week's wedding on his show Monday night .\nLetterman and Lasko have a son; were married in Montana ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A British football fan has been shot and wounded in Kyrgyzstan after a local became upset with a group of supporters chanting in a bar. England fans celebrate following victory against Ecuador at the 2006 World Cup finals. The incident took place ahead of England's World Cup qualifying match away to neighboring Kazakhstan on Saturday. A British Foreign Office spokeswoman said the attack took place in a bar in Bishek on Tuesday. \"The British honorary consul is liaising with those involved and with the local authorities,\" she said. Britain's Sun newspaper reported on Thursday that the local in the bar told the England fan and his friends to stop chanting, and shot him in the thigh with a pistol when they continued. The wounded man is aged in his 30s and is from Rochdale in the north-western county of Lancashire, the paper said. Kyrgyzstan, with a population of more than five million people, is a landlocked nation bordered to the north by Kazakhstan. England will be seeking to maintain a 100 per cent record in the European Group Six qualifier in Almaty, having won all five games so far to be five points ahead of second-placed Croatia." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "England supporter shot in the leg in a bar in Kyrgyzstan by an angry local .\nThe local was upset by the chanting of the man and his fellow supporters .\nThe British Foreign Office says the attack took place in Bishek on Tuesday .\nEngland will play neighboring Kazakhstan in World Cup qualifier on Saturday ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- To understand how close Kanye West and his mother, Donda, were, one only needs to listen to his music. Donda and Kanye West, here during her book tour, were very close. He regularly made reference to her in his lyrics, discussing everything from her insistence that he receive a college degree to her unshakeable support of him when he ultimately decided to pursue a rap career. Donda West, who died at 58 over the weekend, appeared to be as tough as she was loving. On \"Can't Tell Me Nothing,\" a track from his latest album, \"Graduation,\" he rhymes about his mother's attempt to discourage him from spending money on jewelry and \"Louis V.\" On \"Touch the Sky,\" from his 2005 album, \"Late Registration,\" he recalls how his mother drove him from Chicago, Illinois, to New York in a U-Haul van. (Read the obituary of Donda West.) She was also the inspiration for the song \"Hey Mama,\" from the same album. \"I want to scream so loud for you/ because I'm so proud of you,\" he rhymes. \"I know I act a fool/ but I promise you I'm going back to school/ I appreciate what you allowed for me and I just want you to be proud of me.\" Watch how Kanye West is mourning his mother » . Donda West was indeed proud. She regularly attended her son's concerts and often could be found dancing and rapping his more radio-friendly lyrics. Watch Donda West talk about \"Raising Kanye\" » . At the MTV Video Music Awards in September, she and a gaggle of girlfriends were perched in the VIP section at a party for Rolling Stone magazine. As Kanye West whipped the crowd into a frenzy with hits such as \"Gold Digger\" and \"Through the Wire,\" his mom waved her hands in the air side to side and bobbed to the beats. When asked if her son would sell more records than 50 Cent (both rappers released their albums on September 11), she answered coyly. \"Good music will win out,\" she said with a smile and a wink. (Her son's label is named Good Music.) Gallery: Donda and Kanye » . \"Graduation\" would go on to trounce 50 Cent's \"Curtis,\" debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and selling more than 950,000 copies in its first week of release. Long before her son became an international superstar, Donda West was an English professor at Chicago State University. She stepped down as chairwoman of the university's English department in 2004 to manage her son's burgeoning career full time. The two collaborated on a book, \"Raising Kanye: Life Lessons From the Mother of a Hip Hop Star,\" which was released in May. And most recently, she became the CEO of Super Good, the parent company of Kanye West Enterprises. She also was the chairwoman of the Kanye West Foundation, which, interestingly enough, is focused on keeping students from dropping out of school. E-mail to a friend ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hip-hop star Kanye West often paid tribute to his mother in his songs .\nDonda West was supportive of her son's career, would dance to his beats .\nMom was former English professor, later managed son's career ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British mother of a child who died after being brutally abused has been jailed indefinitely. A police computer image of some of the facial injuries suffered by baby Peter. The child's -- originally known as Baby P --horrifying death caused a furor in Britain, with the media, public and politicians united in demanding to know how his terrible injuries were missed by social workers, police and medical staff. Judge Stephen Kramer also Friday jailed the 27-year-old mum's boyfriend for life with a minimum of 12 years and their lodger, Jason Owen, 37, indefinitely but with a minimum of three years, the British Press Association reported. The boyfriend, 32, was also convicted of raping a two-year-old girl. Baby P's mum has to serve a minimum of five years. She and her boyfriend cannot be named. Baby P -- he could not be known by his first name, Peter, until the recent lifting of a court order -- was only 17 months old when he was found dead in his blood-spattered cot in August 2007. He had more than 50 injuries, including a broken back and fractured ribs, despite being on London's Haringey council's at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, doctors and police over eight months. The resulting public outrage saw the government's child secretary, Ed Balls, step in to demand the removal of the council's head of children's services, Sharon Shoesmith, with two other leading officials also stepping down. Shoesmith had to be placed under police guard after death threats were made. Judge Kramer told Peter's mother that she was \"a manipulative and self-centered person, with a calculating side as well as a temper.\" Watch more on the case » . \"Your conduct over the months prevented Peter from being seen by social services. You actively deceived the authorities... you acted selfishly because your priority was your relationship,\" he told the court, PA reported. Judge Kramer's comments echoed the country's response to the case. \"Any decent person who heard the catalogue of medical conditions and non-accidental injuries suffered by Peter cannot fail to have been appalled.\" A second serious review of the case commissioned by Balls and released Friday, also reiterated that Peter's death \"could and should have been prevented.\" Graham Badman, the chairman of Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board, which conducted the review said: \"I believe the most important lesson arising from this case is that professionals charged with ensuring child safety must be deeply skeptical of any explanations, justifications or excuses they may hear in connection with the apparent maltreatment of children. \"If they have any doubt about the cause of physical injuries or what appears to be maltreatment, they should act swiftly and decisively. Badman said the review found that if \"doctors, lawyers, police officers and social workers had adopted a more urgent, thorough and challenging approach, the case would have been stopped in its tracks at the first serious incident.\" \"Baby Peter deserved better from the services that were supposed to protect him,\" Badman said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "British mother of child who died after brutal abuse has been jailed indefinitely .\nHer boyfriend and lodger are also sent to jail over Baby P's horrific injuries .\nCase caused an outrage in Britain after raft of people missed chance to stop abuse ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) -- \"Easy money, fast and effective.\" Investors protest outside the headquarters of DMG, one of many companies accused of defrauding the public. That was the name of one of the businesses in which millions of Colombians deposited their life savings after being promised short-term returns of as much as 150 percent. But government officials say the businesses were pyramid schemes that raked in at least $200 million from 3 million people. The government has said it knows who most of those responsible are, but they have escaped. The government is tracking them down. Sergio Munoz is among those who lost their savings. \"That was for my children,\" he said. \"Now, it comes to light that they have robbed us. It was with complicity of the authorities who permit this -- knowing that it is illegal for it to be permitted.\" The government says the businesses defrauded the public by offering false promises of a sure investment. Wilson Rodriguez handed over the equivalent of $80,000 to a money man who offered him what he thought were assets in hotels and property in exchange. Now, he doesn't know whom to approach. \"I don't even have enough to care for my family,\" he said. \"I lent money and what I make from my salary goes to pay off debts. I have nothing. I lost everything.\" Infuriated investors have demonstrated outside the headquarters of several companies in question across the nation. Worried that the situation has already led to physical altercations and riots, President Alvaro Uribe asked that authorities act immediately to bring those responsible to justice. \"We are asking the public prosecutor to speed up the resolution of the cases,\" he said. \"The national police has handed to the prosecution the power to intervene in pyramids.\" Treasury Minister Oscar Ivan Zuluaga said the government is not to blame. \"The government had advertised all this time about the illegality of this operation, warning Colombians not to let themselves be defrauded, not to take their money to these illegal activities,\" he said. Meanwhile, some observers complain that, though the investors may shoulder some blame, the government could have mitigated their losses by moving more quickly. And, they note, some of the alleged pyramid schemes continue to stay in business." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Pyramid schemes robbed 3 million Colombians of at least $200 million, officials say .\nMany businesses promised returns as high as 150 percent .\nTreasury Minister Oscar Ivan Zuluaga says government warned against schemes .\nAuthorities tracking down people behind businesses, many of whom have escaped ." } ]