Datasets:

ToastyPigeon
/

cnn-summaries-instruct

Dataset card Data Studio Files Files and versions Community

Split (1)

train · 287k rows

conversations listlengths 3 3
[ { "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) -- TV dance judge Mary Murphy said singer Chris Brown's attack on his girlfriend, Rihanna, prompted her to talk publicly about spousal abuse that she says she suffered first as a teenage bride three decades ago. Mary Murphy says she was abused by her ex-husband during their nine-year marriage. Murphy -- the vivacious judge on Fox TV's \"So You Think You Can Dance\" -- told CNN's Larry King that she wants other victims to learn from how she endured, but escaped, domestic violence. Discovering her talent with dance eventually changed her life and helped her flee the relationship after nine years, she said. Her ex-husband strongly denied that he ever physically or mentally abused Murphy, whom he married in 1978 soon after they met as teenagers in college. \"I did just tuck it away and just buried it and went on with my life and I thought that, you know, I could leave it there and I wanted to leave it there until my father died a couple years ago,\" Murphy said. Watch Murphy discuss abuse in her marriage » . Discussions with her dying father led to him apologizing for not being \"my knight in shining armor\" by intervening, she said. But Murphy said seeing a photo of singer Rihanna's bruised face, taken soon after Brown's admitted attack last February, convinced her to go public with the story. \"I still had no intention to talk to anybody until I saw Rihanna's face and seeing that just brought it all up.\" \"Abuse, it just survives and thrives in silence,\" Murphy said. US Weekly magazine's current issue offers a detailed version of Murphy's revelations in its cover story. Murphy tells the magazine about a whirlwind romance that began in 1977 when she was a 19-year-old Ohio State University student -- swept off her feet by an 18-year-old who was \"extraordinarily handsome.\" She told King that the marriage began \"getting out of control\" after just three months when her husband's jealously triggered fights. \"It increased until we started to have just horrible fights,\" she said. \"And then at the time, after a fight in which I didn't want to have sex, it just escalated to the point that he literally had to rape me in order for me to have sex.\" When a neighbor called police to her home, Murphy said she was too frightened to press charges. \"I looked at him and with the look on his face, I said 'absolutely not' and went back in my room and just laid there and cried,\" she said. Murphy said she left her husband several times over the nine-year marriage, but \"there weren't the shelters that there are today.\" \"I did try to leave, and I was having a hard time making it, and he would sweet talk me and I would go back\" she said. \"It was back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And I don't feel really proud of that.\" Murphy discovered her talent and love of dance several years into the marriage when she took a summer job at a dance studio while her husband was away for several months running the family's business in the Middle East, she said. \"It made me feel beautiful instead of how I was probably really feeling inside, totally ashamed and dirty,\" she said. Their marriage ended only after she and her husband renewed their vows in a wedding ceremony in front of his family and friends in Amman, Jordan, in 1985. She learned he had a girlfriend -- to whom he was engaged -- in the Middle East. It was his infidelity that convinced her to divorce him, she said. Her former husband -- who spoke to Larry King off the air -- said he was \"totally shocked\" by Murphy's account of their marriage. \"I never harmed her,\" he said. \"If all of these allegations are true, she could have had me deported,\" he said. He is not a U.S. citizen. He questioned if her motivation was \"more fame or sympathy.\" Still, he said he is \"very, very proud\" of her. Murphy told King his response is what she expected. \"I think a lot of men out there, by the way, that when they do get married they feel like this is their right to do whatever they want to do, and it's not,\" she said. \"And I was a scared, frightened person.\" Murphy said she is still afraid of her former husband. \"I'm not going to lie to you that he still scares me,\" she said. \"I still live in fear that he will do something to me, that I will go missing.\" Fear of not being able to make it on her own still drives her today, she said. \"I put this behind me, went out and worked like I've never worked before,\" she said. \"And I still work today like I could still be homeless.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"So You Think You Can Dance\" judge says she was abused teenage bride .\nMary Murphy says 18-year-old husband's jealousy triggered fights .\nMurphy divorced after nine years in troubled marriage .\nChris Brown's abuse of Rihanna prompted her to talk, Murphy says ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- \"By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world.\" Mother Teresa, pictured in 1997, lived and worked in Kolkata from 1931 until her death. That's how Mother Teresa chose to describe herself in life. In death, however, her words will probably do little to settle a diplomatic squabble over her remains. The Albanian government wants to receive her remains before her 100th birthday next year. Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said his nation plans to open a museum in Mother Teresa's honor and has planned commemorative events. But more important, Berisha said, Mother Teresa should rest next to her mother and sister, who are buried in a cemetery in the Albanian capital, Tirana. \"She missed them very much all her life,\" he said. \"My request is a very human one. \"She told me that she prayed every day for her family and her country. That's why I think both governments should talk about [this] and find a solution,\" Berisha said. Then there is Macedonia, the nation where Mother Teresa was born and raised. It, too, may stake a claim on the woman who is well on a path to sainthood. But India, the land where she made her life's work, has made it clear that Mother Teresa, buried in the heart of Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta), will not be leaving her final resting place. \"Mother Teresa was a citizen of India,\" said Vishnu Prakash, spokesman for the country's external affairs ministry. Though she arrived as a foreigner, Mother Teresa came to be cherished in her adopted home. In billboards and booklets, the city of Kolkata proudly claims her as one of its most famous citizens. She was a devout Catholic who transcended religion, inspiring a nation of millions of poor people, mostly Hindus and Muslims. She is buried in the courtyard at the nondescript Missionaries of Charity compound in central Kolkata, a site visited by residents and tourists alike. People stream in from the bustling streets to the serenity of Mother House to pay their respects -- and find strength in her presence. They wander among her order of nuns in their simple blue-bordered white cotton saris. On the second floor is the small and sparse room that belonged to Mother Teresa. \"She has become part and parcel of our national life,\" said Father Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. \"She built a strong bond with India,\" he said. \"People of all religious groups here rather consider her an inalienable part [of India] and therefore we would strongly want the remains to be in India.\" Mother Teresa was born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to ethnic Albanian parents in Skopje, Macedonia, on August 26, 1910. At 18, she left home and joined the Sisters of Loreto, arriving in India in 1931. Moved by staggering poverty and human suffering, she started the Missionaries of Charity, dedicating her life to helping those in need. She became a fixture on the streets of Kolkata, often picking up the sick and hungry, and giving them food, shelter and love. When she accepted her Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she asked that the gala dinner be canceled and the money be sent instead to help Kolkata's destitute. Mother Teresa was 87 when she died in 1997, the news eclipsed by Princess Diana's death several days earlier. Pope John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa in 2003 and she could be canonized by her centennial birthday next year -- a saint in the heavens whose resting place on Earth remains a devilish debate." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Mother Teresa lived, worked mostly in Kolkata but was ethnically Albanian .\nAlbania wants her body repatriated in time for 100th anniversary of birth in 2010 .\nMother Teresa currently buried in Missionaries of Charity compound in Kolkata .\nMother Teresa, who died in 1997, beatified in 2003; could be canonized next year ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The recession means competition in pro football this year isn't restricted to the gridiron. The National Football League and its 32 teams also are battling for the consumer's discretionary spending dollars. Less-established NFL teams, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, face special challenges in the recession. And just like on the playing field, some teams are having an easier time scoring an economic touchdown than others. \"Overall ticket sales are very positive but difficult in these challenging times,\" NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. He did not provide overall ticket sales numbers for the current season. The league is coming off a year that saw overall attendance drop slightly, 0.7 percent, from 2007 amid the start of the economic slowdown. Bill Prescott, a Jacksonville Jaguars vice president and the team's chief financial officer, said the team started to see the impact of the recession last year, when single-game ticket sales and concession revenue dropped as the season progressed. Heading into this season, he said, sales are off even more than the team expected -- new ticket sales are down 75 percent from last year and season ticket renewals are down 10 percent. No Jaguar games are sold out, despite a recent survey by The Media Audit that found 76 percent of adults in Jacksonville, Florida, regularly follow the Jaguars -- the fifth-best percentage of any NFL market. \"The economy is having that impact on us,\" Prescott said. \"As a very small market, I think we're feeling it more than some of the other teams in the league.\" The Minnesota Vikings also have yet to sell out any of their games, though the team expects that could change with the recent high-profile signing of quarterback Brett Favre. Within a day of Favre's signing, the Vikings had sold an additional 3,000 season tickets and 10,000 single-game tickets. \"The economy's affecting all professional sports teams,\" said Steve LaCroix, the Vikings' vice president of sales and marketing. \"We're not only competing for people's time and money, but trying to keep the fans in the stadium on game day as opposed to watching on TV.\" LaCroix said there weren't a large number of cancellations in season ticket holder accounts. However, some fans did trim down the number of seats in their respective accounts. LaCroix added some are coming back on board as the season approaches. The Cincinnati Bengals are getting nationwide exposure through the HBO reality series \"Hard Knocks,\" which chronicles the team's training camp and preparation for the upcoming season. However, the Bengals' streak of 44 straight sellouts, a franchise record, is at risk, according to spokesman Jim Brennan. The Bengals' September 13 home opener against Denver is not sold out yet. Some teams, however, are more than holding their own as far as ticket sales go despite the nation's fiscal woes. The Denver Broncos are sold out for the 40th straight year -- dating back to the first game of the 1970 season, according to spokesman Jim Saccomano. And Chicago Bears spokesman Scott Hagel says the team is sold out for the 25th straight season. He adds the season ticket renewal rate is well over 90 percent, on par with the prior decade. According to league spokesman McCarthy, 24 of the NFL's 32 teams did not raise ticket prices from last year. One of the teams that did is the Indianapolis Colts, which bumped up the cost of 10 percent of its season ticket holder seats, according to team spokesman Craig Kelley. All games are sold out. Two factors working in the Colts' favor -- they have a new stadium that opened last season and the team has been a perennial contender for the past decade. In order to try and offset the impact the economy has on the game, McCarthy said teams have created more options and flexibility for fans in order to help them afford tickets. Among those options are half-season ticket plans, such as the ones offered by the Jaguars and the New York Jets. \"We knew some season ticket holders because of the economy wouldn't be able to afford to come to all 10 games (including the preseason),\" said the Jaguars' Prescott. The half-season plan has been very popular, he said. \"We wanted to make as many products available to them whether they could come to one game, two games or with the half package we've bundled five games in each package so they can come for half a season.\" Prescott said the team is also considering introducing a package where fans can purchase tickets for a few games of their choice. David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute, thinks the best way for teams to limit the recession's impact on ticket sales is to offer exemplary customer service. \"These fans need to feel as though they're having a great time and they're getting value for their money,\" said Carter. \"If they're able to do that, they will justify continuing to spend on the NFL, because every game matters. They want to be part of the continuity of the NFL season.\" Carter believes the league has to fight the recession on two fronts. He says the first is the pricing of seats to everyday fans -- especially those in markets where the demand isn't as keen as the NFL would like. The second challenge is corporate resistance. \"You have those that have traditionally purchased seats or acquired sponsorships taking a long look at whether they want to be involved this year or not, and a lot of corporate budgets are already in bed for the rest of the year,\" explained Carter. Still, Carter believes the NFL may be well-equipped to weather the economic storm, thanks in large part to timing. \"There's a general feel that things are picking up in the economy, and I think that's going to bode well for them over time. They may have survived this downturn a little better than the other leagues.\" Matt Gonter has been a Washington Redskins season ticket holder for the past five years. He said he briefly considered whether to cancel his subscription heading into this year but decided against it -- citing the team's long waiting list to get season tickets. \"I swore to myself if I ever got Redskins season tickets, I'd do everything in my power to keep them,\" Gonter said. However, he did turn down an option to upgrade to different seats and a parking pass, saying he would have considered it in years past but not under the current economic climate. He also might sell his tickets for certain games online. \"I'm thinking of going on StubHub and selling a couple of tickets. I eat so much of the cost for the preseason tickets, because you have to pay full price for those,\" Gonter said. One ticket for an NFL game this year on the secondary ticket seller goes for an average of $151, compared with $156 at this time a year ago. Four-year Cleveland Browns season ticket holder Zeke Paster held on to his subscription and plans to make cutbacks instead when it comes to concessions and tailgating costs. However, he may get rid of some of his tickets before the season is over. \"If they're not doing well, I would maybe try to sell the tickets for some of the cold weather games,\" Paster said. Paster and Gonter admit surrendering their season ticket packages for good would be a painful decision. \"The atmosphere is unmatched,\" Paster said. \"There's nothing like being in the stadium or in the parking lot when the Browns are doing well.\" Gonter says the camaraderie is worth the cost. \"I just like the experience of sitting in the parking lot under a tent, tailgating, drinking beer and then going to the game and having a good time watching the Redskins.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "For Jacksonville Jaguars, ticket sales off more than expected .\nCincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings also looking to score more sales .\nDenver Broncos and Chicago Bears holding the line despite recession .\nSports expert says NFL's best weapon would be exemplary customer service ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "CNNU campus correspondent Brandon Gates is a junior at University of South Carolina. CNNU is a feature that provides student perspectives on news and trends from colleges across the United States. The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of CNN, its affiliates or the schools where the campus correspondents are based. Some of the students killed were affiliated with the Delta Delta Delta sorority, whose house is pictured above. COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) -- At the University of South Carolina, the campus is quiet, but students were still heading to their classes after six students were killed in a beach house fire during the weekend. The school is planning a short ceremony Monday evening to honor the six students who were killed Sunday morning in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. A seventh person killed is believed to be a student at Clemson University. Their identities had not yet been released Monday afternoon. The USC students were affiliated with the Delta Delta Delta sorority and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. \"The fraternities are praying for them and their families for the loss. It's something we're all affected by,\" Jay Laura, student president of the USC chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. In a later news conference, Laura said the outpouring of condolences was a testament to the character of the fraternity brothers who died. He also said he was proud of the way the university was coming together to support each other. Lauren Hodge, the chapter president of Delta Delta Delta, said the sorority would have ministers and counselors at the sorority house to help USC students. \"We're trying to everything we can right now to help people cope,\" she said. \"We've spent a lot of time (counseling) with the students from the sorority and fraternity,\" said Dennis A. Pruitt, the vice president for student affairs. \"We encourage any student who is just learning of the situation and is a member of Tri-Delta or SAE to contact their parents and let them know they're OK.\" The school decided against canceling classed on Monday. \"Going back to normal, everyday activities may be the best way for some to mourn and grieve,\" Pruitt said. A weekly concert that is typically a well-attended event failed to bring out students on Monday. Most students appeared to be spending time in their dorm rooms where counseling was offered. \"I feel shocked that something like that could happen here. You always see stuff like that happening at other schools, but you never it can happen to your school,\" said Artifa Ricks, a sophomore majoring in broadcasting. Six other University of South Carolina students were treated for injuries at a local hospital and released, the school said. The university is providing counseling and assistance to students who have requested it. \"When any one member of our family is lost, every one of us is diminished. I'm profoundly saddened, as are all members of Gamecock Nation, by these tragic deaths,\" said Dr. Andrew Sorensen, the university president. The students were on a weekend getaway at Ocean Isle Beach, a popular resort destination along the southern coast of North Carolina. E-mail to a friend ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "University to hold ceremony honoring the six USC students .\nSorority to have ministers and other counselors available .\nGroup urges members to make sure families know they're OK ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Last week's \"balloon boy\" incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency representative said Tuesday. The Heene family -- including Falcon, second from right -- on CNN's \"Larry King Live\" last week. Richard and Mayumi Heene, whose son Falcon was thought for several hours to have flown away in a homemade balloon, are facing a number of local charges, a Colorado sheriff said this week. The Fort Collins couple could be charged with conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to influence a public servant, Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Sunday. The family also probably will be charged with filing a false police report, which is a misdemeanor, Alderden said. Their lawyer, David Lane, said the sheriff was overreaching and that the family deserves the presumption of innocence. Watch the Heenes' friends talk about the incident » . FAA spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere confirmed Tuesday that the agency was \"investigating the circumstances\" of the incident, in which police and military scrambled to rescue the 6-year-old boy, who later turned out to be hiding in his family's attic. A source familiar with the investigation said no record has been found indicating that Richard Heene called the FAA. The agency does not record all of its calls, and the search for a record of any call is continuing, the source said. The Heenes may have violated FAA regulations barring people from flying balloons or kites within 5 miles of an airport, an FAA official said. The official declined to be named because the case is under investigation. The giant silver balloon was apparently not visible on radar, the official said, and the FAA is relying on pilot reports to determine its approximate flight path during the roughly three hours it was aloft Thursday. CNN's Mike M. Ahlers in Washington contributed to this story." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Federal Aviation Administration looking into \"escaped balloon\" story .\nBalloon's owners already facing several local charges .\nHeene family deserves presumption of innocence, lawyer says .\nNo proof that Richard Heene called FAA when balloon set off, source says ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "CALAIS, France (CNN) -- French authorities on Tuesday dismantled a makeshift camp dubbed \"the Jungle,\" which housed illegal migrants fleeing dangerous homelands to seek a more prosperous life in Europe. After being forced from their makeshift home, occupants of \"the Jungle\" were driven away in buses for processing. French police broke up protests by refugee rights advocates and began clearing the squalid camp. The French government said it was targeting human smuggling and did not say where the migrants would be relocated. Police arrested 276 migrants, 125 of whom were minors, said Calais prefecture official Catherine Mande. See photos of police clearing the camp » . A statement from the French immigration minister's office said the \"illegal encampments\" would be destroyed and then three bulldozers, a dozen trucks and a logging company would return the land to its natural state. Watch a report on the camp's closure » . The statement said the goal was to destroy the Jungle and other migrant shanties, \"which have become the main launch pad for clandestine immigration into the United Kingdom.\" Was the French government right to demolish the illegal migrant camp? Aided by smugglers, many of the migrants in coastal northern France attempt to make it into Britain, hiding in trucks that cross the English Channel. France and Britain signed an agreement in July to crack down on illegal immigration, including dispersing the migrants at the Jungle. British Home Secretary Alan Johnson said he was \"delighted\" to hear that France was honoring the agreement. \"The measures that we have put in place are not only there to prevent illegal immigration but also to stop people trafficking,\" he said. \"We are working with the French not only to strengthen our shared border but that of Europe as a whole.\" Johnson said both nations were committed \"to helping individuals who are genuine refugees.\" Others who don't need protection were expected to return home, he said. The Jungle -- shanties cobbled from cardboard, plastic tarpaulins and scraps of wood -- housed as many as 1,000 men from nations such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Somalia. Camp resident Mohammed Bashir escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan and made a new home in a tent here, among the heaps of garbage, sand and bramble on the outskirts of the French port city of Calais. Sometimes, eight men shared the tent. \"I never lived in such a condition like this back home, but right now we don't have any other choice,\" said Bashir, 24, who left behind his family. \"It's very difficult, very hard for a person who has children and parents.\" Desperation filled the air in the Jungle. Many residents survived arduous and illegal treks from their homelands. Some held ambitions to keep going another 20 miles, across the water to Britain. Others hoped to realize refugee status in France. See a map of the region » . But Tuesday, they were forced to put their plans on hold as they were evicted from the Jungle. Refugee advocates circled the migrants and scuffled with police to keep them at bay. But eventually, the protests were broken up, the migrants were taken away and the shanties started coming down. The French government's decision drew criticism from humanitarian workers who don't think that demolishing the camp will help resolve illegal immigration issues. They say moving the migrants is simply displacing the problem. \"We don't know where they're going to go,\" said Matthieu Tardis, an advocate for asylum seekers. \"We don't know what the government plans to do. We are not respecting human rights here, for sure.\" The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees sent staff to Calais earlier in the summer to counsel people about asylum procedures in France and Britain. According to the U.N. agency, most of the illegal migrants enter Europe through Greece and often fall victim to smugglers who turn a profit by helping migrants reach their destinations. The camp residents who fled Afghanistan told CNN they had paid smugglers large sums. They were promised much more than the filthy camp, they said. Bashir said he had no choice but to flee his home after Taliban militants accused him of spying. \"When they don't need you, they just slaughter you,\" he said. \"They threatened me that [I would] be slaughtered.\" Bashir's future remains uncertain as ever. He is sure only of one thing: He cannot go home." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "French police arrest 276 migrants at \"Jungle\" camp, 125 were minors .\nMigrants had been living in makeshift tents made from cardboard, plastic sheeting .\nRefugee advocates circled the migrants, trying to keep police at bay .\nThe French government has not said where the migrants would be relocated ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The announcement that Chicago, Illinois, will not host the 2016 Olympic Games took the hopeful wind out of many in the Windy City. Dreams of hosting the 2016 Olympics were dashed for many Chicagoans. But for others, the news was welcome. But for almost half of the city's dwellers, the International Olympic Committee's decision was winning news. A spokeswoman for No Games Chicago, a grass-roots organization opposed to hosting the Olympics, said she was \"relieved\" by the vote Friday in Copenhagen, Denmark. Chicago's Olympic fever, spotty as it was, broke abruptly when the city was the first of four final contenders to be knocked out of the running. The prospective host cities had been whittled down to four finalists -- Chicago; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Tokyo, Japan; and Madrid, Spain. The bid went to Rio de Janeiro, making it the first South American city to host the Olympic Games. Chicago had been seen as a front-runner in recent days, especially after it sent to Copenhagen America's biggest guns -- President Obama and his popular wife, Michelle -- for a last-minute sales pitch. But a poll taken by the Chicago Tribune and CNN affiliate WGN revealed in early September that 45 percent of the city residents didn't want the Olympic Games. And 84 percent of Chicagoans objected to the idea of public money being used to support the effort. Earlier this week, about 250 Olympic-bid protesters gathered in front of City Hall, WGN reported. A sign in the crowd read: \"Have the audacity of nope.\" Many who gathered for the bid slapdown were affiliated with No Games Chicago, which sent three delegates to Copenhagen to state their case. After the vote, however, spokeswoman Francesca Rodriguez said No Games Chicago is \"in no way taking any pleasure in this\" and feels \"sympathy\" for those who are disappointed. \"In reality, Chicagoans who were for the Games and those who were against them were committed to the same goal: Working hard for what they thought would be best for the city of Chicago in the coming decades,\" she said. \"We're glad that the city won't now be burdened by the distraction of the Olympics at the expense of improving Chicago's schools, transportation, parks and the numerous other public policy initiatives on which the city needs to be focused.\" Those who believe the Olympics can bring lasting change to a city -- beyond the spike in economic activity during the event -- are often misguided, suggested economist Rob Baade of Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois. \"There is no reason to expect that the Olympics, or any mega-event, is going to induce a sustainable boost in the economy,\" he said. \"The cost overruns are pretty legendary. Costs are generally understated and the gains overstated.\" One Web site set up to rally against bringing the Olympic Games to town relied as much on humor as it did reason. Its name: Chicagoans for Rio 2016. The site showcased unflattering head-to-head comparisons, such as \"Naked people dancing\" vs. \"Chubby people eating.\" The increasing budget deficit in Chicago was contrasted with a $0 total for Rio. \"If you're a Chicagoan, Rio's budget deficit does not matter,\" the site said. \"It would be exciting to host the Olympics here in Chicago. But you know what would be even better? Rio de Janeiro,\" the site announced. \"Just let Rio host the 2016 Olympics. We don't mind. Honest.\" Wish granted." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "For about half of Chicago's dwellers, losing out on the Olympics is welcome news .\nOlympic opponents prefer the city's focus to be on schools and other needs .\nAbout 250 anti-Olympic protesters rallied outside Chicago's City Hall this week .\nRio de Janeiro, Brazil, wins bid, making it the first South American host city ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: Nell Minow is editor and chairwoman of the Corporate Library, an independent research company, and was named one of the 20 most influential people in corporate governance by Directorship magazine and \"the queen of good corporate governance\" by BusinessWeek Online. She has co-written three books. Nell Minow says AIG's board must be held accountable for the $160 million in bonus payments. (CNN) -- The stories about the outrageous $160 million bonus payments at AIG have all omitted the most important names. They are the members of AIG's Board of Directors Compensation Committee. These people should have been on the hot seat before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises, alongside CEO Ed Liddy. Although there is a lot of blame to go around, ultimately the buck stops -- or, I should say, the bucks should have stopped -- with them. Why haven't we learned that it is the boards who are responsible for the massive failures of strategy and risk management at these companies? Regulators, journalists, securities analysts and investors routinely ignore the most obvious indicators of investment risk that are presented by bad boards of directors. This is particularly obvious in the case of AIG, which has been a serial offender in corporate governance, especially in executive compensation. Those of us who remember former CEO Hank Greenberg's departure from AIG in 2005, after a corporate governance meltdown that included excessive compensation, appreciate the irony of his comment to ABC News that the retention bonuses were \"mind-boggling.\" Mr. Kettle, Pot is on line 1. Compensation committees are not responsible for individual pay packages below the CEO, but they are responsible for determining their overall structure -- and for making sure that the CEO's job includes effective management on compensation issues. Retention of employees may be a legitimate goal of a compensation program, but it can be accomplished in a way that is both effective and credible by being tied to performance goals and by delaying vesting until after the bailout funds are returned to taxpayers. The Corporate Library released a report in February about the boards of the bailout companies, many of which were outliers in their governance and compensation practices. Some of these were clear indicators of investment and liability risk. In several cases, we found individuals who not only sat on more than four corporate boards but also sat on more than one of these particularly troubled boards during this period. Former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, for example, served on the boards of Morgan Stanley, General Motors and Wachovia -- and at various times was also a director at Merck, VF Corp., Krispy Kreme and Cousins Properties. Several other directors from these troubled boards also sat on either five or six boards altogether. We call the phenomenon of directors who serve on four or more corporate boards \"overboarding.\" Overboarding can limit the time and attention a director has for each board. It can also be an indicator of -- or a contributor to -- so many relationships and connections that it makes it more difficult to provide the respectful skepticism necessary for independent oversight. In all, 11 of the 27 companies we identified as \"troubled\" had at least one overboarded director. Six had more than one; at Merrill Lynch, there were five. By comparison, fewer than 30 percent of S&P 500 companies have even a single overboarded director, and fewer than 5 percent have more than one. Another key finding from our analysis: Shareholders at these companies were well aware of the relative weakness of these boards and had expressed their dissatisfaction by withholding votes from many of these individuals the year before these companies collapsed. At least 13 individual directors, all of whom sat on at least three corporate boards during this period, had received a 13 percent or higher negative vote. The highest of these was a 38.58 percent negative vote received by Sir Winfried F.W. Bischoff at McGraw-Hill, where he sat on the compensation committee. Bischoff also served on the boards at Citigroup (as chairman and interim CEO), Eli Lilly and Prudential. Although the businesses of these companies do not overlap enough to impair Bischoff's designation as an \"independent\" director or to create legal conflict of interest concerns, it is relevant that McGraw-Hill owns ratings agency Standard & Poor's, which not only rates the other companies for which he was a director but also issues ratings on which the other companies rely in their assessment of risk. Because of the extensive involvement that financial services companies have in many different aspects of the business of large public corporations, directors of those companies in particular should be especially cautious about overlaps and conflicts. Badly designed compensation is an indicator of poor corporate governance, and poor corporate governance is an indicator of investment risk. Instead of trying to tax the bonuses at AIG, the government and the shareholders should insist on new directors. The company's Web site says the compensation committee has five members. The two longest serving ones are James F. Orr III, who joined the committee on May 17, 2006 and Virginia M. Rometty, who joined it on January 17, 2007, according to the company's 2007 proxy statement. The committee's charter says its responsibility include making recommendations to the full board regarding AIG's compensation programs and reviewing and approving any hiring, severance or termination payments. People say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. In this case, insanity is allowing the same people to continue to serve on the board after massive failure and expecting them to produce a different result. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nell Minow." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Nell Minow: People often overlook crucial role of company board of directors .\nShe says AIG's board is ultimately responsible for the firm's mistakes .\nMinow: Compensation committee members should be held to account .\nShe says many finance firm board members are too busy on other boards ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Twenty-three suspects, including nine American Airlines employees, were arrested Tuesday for allegedly transporting nearly $20 million worth of cocaine on flights into and out of Puerto Rico, federal authorities said. Manuel Santiago-Alvarado, an American Airlines control crew chief, is among the suspects arrested Tuesday. Most of the commercial flights carrying suitcases stuffed with illicit drugs came into San Juan, which was a transshipment point for drugs bound for cities on the U.S. mainland, authorities said. The drug trafficking organization headed by defendant Wilfredo Rodriguez Rosade had been operating since 1999, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI, which participated in the long-running investigation. In a September 9 indictment unsealed Tuesday, Justice Department officials also moved to seize $18 million worth of property owned by the suspects, including seven homes, three businesses and an apartment complex. All but one of the arrests occurred in Puerto Rico. The lone arrest on the U.S. mainland was in Miami, Florida. Drug Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Javier Pena said the airline industry cooperated in the investigation. \"By denying the drug traffickers alternate smuggling routes, we disrupt the flow of drugs into Puerto Rico and discourage the use of the island as a transshipment point in the Caribbean,\" he said in a news release. The agency said that if they are convicted, the defendants taken into custody would face sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison and personal fines of up to $4 million. American Airlines issued a statement confirming some employees had been arrested, but could not confirm the number because of its privacy policy, spokesman Tim Wagner said in an e-mail. The airline has been working with authorities, he said. \"As a company, we hope that the actions of a few employees don't reflect negatively on the tens of thousands of ethical American Airlines employees who work hard to serve the public daily,\" Wagner wrote." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "9 airline employees among those accused of smuggling $20 million in cocaine .\nMost of flights were into or out of San Juan, Puerto Rico .\nDEA and FBI say operation had been running since 1999 .\nJustice Department moves to seize $18 million in property ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The girlfriend of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair had grown frustrated with their relationship and was struggling with financial difficulties in the days before she killed him and herself in July. Steve McNair, former NFL quarterback, was a married father of four when he was killed last summer. Details of their relationship were revealed in a case summary released by Nashville police Monday. McNair, 36, and Sahel Kazemi, 20, were found fatally shot in a condominium in downtown Nashville on July 4. Police have since ruled their deaths a murder-suicide. \"My life is just s--- and I should end it,\" Kazemi said the night before the couple were found dead, according to Sonya New, her shift manager at a Dave & Busters restaurant. New also said Kazemi was not her usual self and seemed down. Though McNair was a married father of four, he was seeing Kazemi and at least one other woman, Leah Ignagni, according to Nashville police. McNair had spent the night at Ignagni's apartment on July 2, two nights before he was killed, Ignagni told police. On the morning of July 4, Kazemi texted McNair, saying she was stressed and needed money to pay bills. \"Baby I might have a break down im so stressed,\" Kazemi said in one text message. \"baby i might need to go to the hospital. baby whats wrong w(ith) me i can hardly breath(e).\" Chris Wall, who provided security for McNair and his family, told police he knew about McNair's relationship with Kazemi. McNair was tired of her calling when he was with his family, Wall said. Kazemi continued to text McNair throughout the day, asking for money and when she could see him next. \"baby what are u doing,\" Kazemi asked. \"At the pool with the kids. I got the guy transferring the money,\" McNair replied. At 4:04 p.m. on July 3, Kazemi said, \"baby I have to be w(ith) u 2nite. I dnt care where.\" The messages continued for more than eight hours before McNair said he was on his way to the condo. He had told Kazemi earlier that he wouldn't leave the house \"til the kids fall asleep.\" McNair and Kazemi exchanged a final series of messages early July 4, when he asked her to leave the front door to the condo open for him. A final message, sent at 1:14 a.m., simply said, \"its open.\" About 12 hours later, a friend of McNair's found their bodies." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "McNair and Sahel Kazemi were found fatally shot in a Nashville condo on July 4 .\nText messages show Kazemi's financial stress, desperation .\nLast message said door was open; hours later, the pair's bodies were found ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Afraid that her husband will leave her for a younger woman, a 107-year-old Malaysian woman is looking to marry again -- for the 23rd time. Wok Kundor: \"I am an aged woman. I don't have the body nor am I a young woman who can attract anyone.\" Wok Kundor has been happily married for four years to her husband, a man 70 years her junior. But since he left their village in northern Terengganu state for a drug rehabilitation program in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, Wok has had a gnawing feeling. \"She said that she has been feeling insecure lately and she needs to find out whether he still loves her or not,\" said R.S.N. Murali, a reporter for The Star. The English-language Malaysian daily was among several local media outlets reporting on the lifelong romantic. \"She is worried he might not come back after his program and find himself a younger wife,\" Murali said. If so, Wok has her eyes set on a 50-year-old man, but hopes it does not come to that. \"I realize that I am an aged woman. I don't have the body nor am I a young woman who can attract anyone,\" she told the newspaper. \"My intention to remarry is to fill my forlornness,\" particularly during the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, she said. Malaysian media, which has previously reported on the woman, said Wok has been married 22 times. That would make her marriages last an average of four years. Wok would not discuss past relationships, Murali said. \"Some of her better halves have passed away or have divorced, but she doesn't want to talk about them or her children,\" he said. Wok and her current husband, Mohammed Boor Che Musa, hail from the same village and met there. Muhammad, 37, was quoted in an earlier report as saying the couple fell for each other because it was \"God's will.\" On Monday, he told The Star that he is still very much in love with his wife and cannot dream of life with someone else. But Wok wants to hear him say it, Murali said. Soon, the centenarian plans to make the journey to Kuala Lumpur -- if she can find a neighbor to drive her there." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "107-year-old Malaysian woman fears husband will leave her for younger woman .\nWok Kundor married to her husband, a man 70 years her junior, for four years .\nMalaysian media says Wok has been married 22 times ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ACCRA, Ghana (CNN) -- Ghanaians clad in the national colors of red, gold and green celebrated long into the night on Friday as excitement over the national team's penalty shootout victory over Brazil in the final of the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt brought the West African nation to a standstill. Ghana's players celebrate their victory over Brazil. Ghana's victory, 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw which they had survived since the 37th minute with 10 men, was the first ever by an African side in the tournament. Earlier, many football fans had converged in churches hours before the game to pray for divine intervention. But the triumph, coupled with Nigeria's disappointing performance in the tournament, may be the clearest signal yet that the balance of power in West Africa may have tilted from Nigeria to Ghana once again. Last month Ghana's Black Stars, featuring players like Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien and Inter Milan's Sulley Muntari, became the first African side to qualify for South Africa 2010 World Cup. Nigeria are in danger of missing the World Cup for the second time running. The Super Eagles trail Tunisia by two points in Group B ahead of their last group qualifying matches on November 11 when both countries face tricky away fixtures. Until 2006, Ghana was regarded as the continent's sleeping giants, having dominated African football in the years after it became the first independent sub-Saharan African country over five decades ago. By contrast, it took Nigeria -- Africa's most populous country -- another three decades to establish itself among the continent's top national sides. It was not until Ghana's first appearance at the FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006 that the four-times winners of the African Cup of Nations regained some of their lost glory. It signaled not only Ghana's long-awaited arrival at football biggest global gathering but also a fulfillment of a prediction in 1990 by Cameroon legend Roger Milla that the world had not seen the best of African football until the Black Stars made it to the World Cup. As continental champions in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982 and with Ghanaian legends including three-times African footballer of the year Abedi Pele and former Eintracht Frankfurt and Leeds United star Anthony Yeboah both rated in their time among the world's best players, Milla knew Ghana had the qualities to match some of the world's best. Youth success at the FIFA under-17 championship in 1991 and 1995, two appearances in the final of the under-20 championship in 1993 and 2001 and an Olympic bronze medal in Barcelona in 1992 emphasized Ghana's abundance of talent and unfulfilled promise at the highest level. At Germany 2006, Ghana became the only African survivor after the preliminary round, surprising the bookmakers with victories over the Czech Republic and the U.S. before losing 3-0 to Brazil in a match that was closer than the scoreline suggested. Ghana's squad for next year's World Cup in South Africa will likely include the cream of the team that impressed in Germany, including Essien and Muntari, as well as some of the brilliant youngsters who sparkled this month World Youth Championship in Egypt; notably Golden Ball and Golden Shoe winner Dominic Adiyiah, Ransford Osei and Andre Ayew, the son of Abedi Pele. Following the side's masterful display in Egypt and relatively easy World Cup qualifying campaign, the Black Stars will carry both Ghanaian and African expectations on their shoulders as they bid to improve on the quarterfinal places achieved by Cameroon and Senegal in 1990 and 2002 respectively. With a population of around 140 million and a reputation for producing stars such as Austin Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Chelsea's John Obi Mikel, the outstanding qualities of Nigerian football are beyond question. But African football observers believe poor administration by the Nigerian Football Federation and the resultant instability in the technical direction of the team has undermined the development of Nigerian football and resulted in its dwindling fortunes at the world stage. Nigeria emerged as West Africa's leading side in 1980 by wining the African Cup of Nations, a feat they repeated 14 years later in Tunisia. The Super Eagles made their World Cup debut in the U.S. in 1994 and qualified for both France 1998 and Japan/South Korea 2002. Like Ghana, Nigeria has shown promise at youth level, winning U-17 World Cup titles in 1985, 1993 and 2007, and winning Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games. As host of this year's FIFA Under-17 championship, Nigeria will be hoping to draw inspiration from Ghana's performance in Egypt to retain the title on home soil next month. At continental level, the once powerful Super Eagles are anything but super. Since reaching the final of the 2000 African Nations Cup, Nigeria has failed make any meaningful impact despite parading highly-talented squads. For three successive tournaments Nigeria finished in third place before crashing out at the quarterfinal stage of the 2008 edition in a 2-1 defeat by Ghana. Kwesi Nyantakyi, the 39-year-old president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), believes the country is reaping the dividends of a professional approach through the implementation of a five-year business plan, which has attracted massive injection of cash through corporate sponsorship from kit sponsor Puma and mining, banking, brewery and telecommunication firms. \"When we took over in 2005 we realized that one of the biggest problems we faced was the availability of timelines of funds needed to prepare the teams adequately, provide the necessary incentives for the players and numeration for the technical staff,\" Nyantakyi says. \"The availability of funding timely and an autonomy for the federation has helped us execute our plans effectively and this is showing in our recent impressive performances.\" Beyond monetary considerations and administrative stability, Ghana is also reaping the rewards of years of investment in youth football which has produced players like Essien and Muntari -- and now new kid on the block Adiyiah and others. For now, the country seem to have regained bragging rights as the superpower in West Africa." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ghana becomes first African nation to win football's Under-20 World Cup .\nResult part of shift in balance of power in West Africa from Nigeria to Ghana .\nGhana has stars including Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Dominic Adiyiah .\nNigeria has star players but national team struggles with poor infrastructure ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- In trendy neighborhoods of Tokyo customers are lining up for vitamin injections that promise to improve health and beauty. A Japanese woman receives an intravenous vitamin supplement at the Tenteki Cafe in Tokyo. These intravenous vitamin \"drips\" are part of the latest quick-fix, health fad catching on in Japan: the IV cafe. Each drip pack contains saline solution and specific vitamins and minerals to target a particular health ailment or beauty concern. \"I used to take vitamin supplements, but changed to the IV drip because I feel the effects more quickly,\" a 20-something woman at the Tenteki 10 Café told CNN. She said she receives specific injections to get better skin, burn fat and boost her energy. There are 10 different varieties to choose from at Tenteki. The \"orange\" variety touts anti-aging properties, loaded with antioxidants. The \"placenta pack\" is said to help rejuvenate and ease muscle stiffness. Prices range from $20-$30 per injection, and nurses see about 30-40 people each day. Their most common patients are Japanese businessmen who work in the same office building. \"I see a lot of businessmen who say they don't have time to sleep. They can't take a break from working and get the vitamin drip for an extra kick of energy,\" a Tenteki nurse told CNN. \"Blue\" is the most requested vitamin pack among these men: a concoction of B1 and vitamin E that claims to offer relief from exhaustion. Registered nurses and doctors administer the drips at Tenteki, but there's no conclusive medical evidence to back up the health claims. Many nutritionists actually caution against using injectable vitamin supplements because the quantities are not regulated. \"More is not necessarily better...some vitamins and minerals can be toxic in high doses,\" particularly the fat-soluble ones which the body stores like Vitamins A, D, E and K, explained Claire Williamson, Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. In Europe and the United States vitamin shots are popular among celebrities with hectic lifestyles and little time to sleep, particularly vitamin B 12. Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and singer Robbie Williams have both confirmed they've used the shots as part of their diets to maintain stamina during tours. Dermatological injections of Vitamin C are also popular among women hoping to keep their skin looking young. Former supermodel Cindy Crawford has admitted using such injections to keep her skin firm and wrinkle-free. According to Williamson, it does not matter if supplements are injected into the vein or into the skin. \"At the end of the day it will go into the blood stream,\" she said. Most of these nutrients we can get sufficient from foods, nutrients tend to be better absorbed by the body if they are consumed in foods.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Intravenous vitamin boosts are the latest health fad in Japan .\nVitamin injections target specific health aliments and beauty concerns .\nNutritionists warn of vitamin overdose from high quantities of supplements .\nVitamin injections are popular among celebrities and businessmen for fatigue ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A coalition of top musicians, including R.E.M. and Pearl Jam, want to know if their music was used by the U.S. military as part of controversial interrogation methods at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Ruhal Ahmed, left, shown at a 2007 news conference, says he had to listen to hours of music at Guantanamo. The artists have endorsed a series of Freedom of Information Act requests, which were filed Thursday morning, asking the U.S. government to declassify documents that would reveal which artists' work was used on detainees at U.S. prison facilities and military detention centers, including the one at Guantanamo Bay. The National Security Archive, a Washington-based independent research institute that advocates \"for the right to know,\" filed the requests on behalf of the Close Gitmo Now campaign, which launched this week, the archive's senior analyst Kate Doyle said. The multimillion-dollar national grassroots Close Gitmo Now campaign is aimed at pressuring members of Congress to support President Obama's endeavor to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. It is supported by a coalition of retired generals and liberal activists. The requests are based on the testimony of former Guantanamo prisoners and guards, as well as declassified documents, that identified music from 35 artists -- ranging from AC/DC tunes to the theme from Sesame Street -- used in the interrogations of detainees, Doyle said. See a list of bands and songs involved (PDF) \"We do know that songs and bands' work has been used to abuse detainees, we know that,\" she said. She added that any information that the National Security Archive obtains \"will add to the profile of this case.\" The requests are being filed with \"a dozen different agencies and components of the Department of Defense,\" Doyle said. They ask for any documents \"concerning the use of loud music during detention and/or as a technique to interrogate detainees at U.S.-operated prison facilities used in its War on Terror at Guantanamo, Iraq and Afghanistan during 2002-the present,\" according to a copy of the FOIA request obtained by CNN. It is unclear if any of the artists plan to pursue legal action, but Doyle said she'd be \"surprised if some of them weren't thinking about it.\" Many of the artists supporting the campaign are no strangers to political activism, but this cause has hit close to home for some of them. \"We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice. To now learn that some of our friends' music may have been used as part of the torture tactics without their consent or knowledge is horrific,\" the American rock band R.E.M. said in a statement posted on CloseGitmoNow.org. \"It's anti-American, period.\" Several former Guantanamo detainees have filed lawsuits against the U.S. government, saying they were tortured with numerous techniques, including loud music. \"It's very scary to think that you might go crazy because of the music, because of the loud noise,\" said Ruhal Ahmed, one of the former detainees who has filed a lawsuit. He said he had to listen to hours of headbanging music while held prisoner at Guantanamo in 2003. The Pentagon has not responded directly to the allegations of torture involving music, but it has said that its policy has always been to treat detainees humanely. Loud music has not been used at Guantanamo since the fall of 2003, following a Department of Defense review of detention operations and interrogation techniques, according to Maj. Diana Haynie, a Joint Task Force Guantanamo spokeswoman. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has asked a federal prosecutor to examine whether the interrogations violated the law, and the White House said Obama will leave any decision on charges to the Justice Department. And the Obama administration announced it would put the FBI in charge of a special unit set up to question suspected terrorists under White House oversight. CNN's Tricia Escobedo contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Freedom of Information Act requests seek to reveal what music used at facility .\nFormer prisoners say heavy metal, rock, children's tunes were part of interrogations .\nNumerous artists endorse \"Close Gitmo Now\" campaign, FOIA requests .\nTo learn friends' music was used in such a way is \"horrific,\" rock band R.E.M. says ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- People in big cities walk past them every day -- street performers, or buskers. Some are talented, some are not, and most aren't performing for a cause greater than themselves. But on Monday, 12-year-old Abby Miller was. Abby Miller sings for her friend Taylor Love outside Washington's Union Station on Monday. She was performing outside Washington's Union Station to help her 4-year-old friend, Taylor Love, who is suffering from cancer. Abby sat in front of the station with a couple of her friends, singing songs and strumming a guitar. Passers-by seemed to notice the girl's singing talent, stopping to listen in the chilly weather, with a few putting money in a bucket at Abby's feet. Abby said the money will help support Taylor's family. A few more stopped to write messages on \"Love Notes,\" little cards designed to encourage Taylor Love through the tough time. \"Her mom reads them to her before she goes to bed at night,\" Abby said. \"Taylor gets excited for them and she loves getting them read to her because she likes knowing that people are supporting her and people are actually thinking of her.\" Taylor has neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the nervous system. According to her Web site, she is in remission, but this type of cancer has a high risk of recurrence. There has been little research on the illness, of which there are about 650 new cases in the United States each year. Mike Gillette, a family friend of both Taylor and Abby, brought the two girls together. While raising money and support for Taylor is important, he said, he thinks Abby's outreach can help bring more critical awareness for the devastating disease. \"She really wanted to reach people all over the country,\" he said. Gillette said he has taken Abby to do similar performances in the District of Columbia, New Jersey and Virginia, and estimates they've raised thousands of dollars and have gotten people to write several hundred \"Love Notes.\" Abby does more than just raise money and awareness for her friend. Taylor's mother, Aimee, said that although Abby is eight years older than Taylor, the two see each other often and have a special connection that helps her get through her daughter's illness. \"I think it's amazing for a 12-year-old Abby to be drawn to my daughter, who is 4 and wants to inspire other children,\" Aimee Love said. \"The joy I see in Taylor when she sees Abby brings a light into my life.\" Taylor's family said her treatments are terribly painful. But Abby said Taylor has enormous character. \"She's the most happy girl in the world, which I think is just incredible,\" Abby said. \"She's so much fun to be around. She's a little 4-year-old girl but she's got a heart of like a thousand grown adults.\" Aimee Love said her daughter feels the same way about Abby. \"It gives her someone to aspire to, someone to be inspired by,\" she said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Abby Miller sings, plays guitar to help 4-year-old friend with cancer .\nAbby collects donations, has people write notes of support for Taylor Love .\nTaylor has neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the nervous system ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Leaders of the G-20 economic summit will announce Friday that the group will become the new permanent council for international economic cooperation, senior U.S. officials told CNN Thursday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says signs of optimism for a global economic recovery can be seen. The move comes in the wake of a major push by President Obama, the officials said. The G-20 will now essentially eclipse the G-8, which will continue to meet on major security issues but carry much less influence. \"It's a reflection of the world economy today and the players that make it up,\" said one senior official. Nations like China, Brazil and India -- which were locked out of the more elite G-8 -- will be part of the larger group. The Group of 20 -- leaders of 20 countries representing 90 percent of the world's economic output -- are meeting in Pittsburgh for a two-day summit, focusing on the financial crisis and how to avoid a future repeat. The gathering is Obama's first time hosting a major international summit. \"We're meeting at a time where, for the first time since London, certainly for the first time in a year, we're seeing the first signs of optimism about prospects for global recovery,\" U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told reporters Thursday. \"I think the broad consensus of private economists and businesses are that we're beginning to see growth in the United States, and around the world we see exports rising and forecasts for growth are being revised upwards.\" \"This is encouraging,\" he said, \"but we have a ways to go.\" He said the leaders are \"going to keep working to sustain the progress we've seen. And I can say with confidence, based on my discussions with finance ministers and central bank governors from around the world, there is a common, shared commitment to make sure we're working together to sustain these early signs of recovery and growth.\" One of the key goals is preventing such a crisis from occurring in the future, he said. \"In the run-up to this crisis, many of the world's largest economies depended on the American consumer to buy their exports to drive growth, and we made it easy; for too long, Americans were buying too much and saving too little,\" Geithner said. \"And that's no longer an option for us or for the rest of the world. And already in the United States you can see the first signs of an important transformation here as Americans save more and as we borrow substantially less from the rest of the world.\" \"I think we all recognize that we need to act before the memory of the crisis fades and before the impetus for reform recedes,\" he said. \"And we're trying to bring greater urgency and commitment to the need to act together.\" The tightening of global financial regulations was expected to top the summit's agenda and comes as some major economies are beginning to recover. Germany, France and Japan have announced that they have emerged from recession, prompting hopes that the worst of the financial crisis may have passed. G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors agreed at a meeting this month not to start cutting back just yet on stimulus efforts. They fear it would put economies at risk for plunging back into recession. However, the economic outlook has improved enough that countries are being encouraged to start working on exit strategies, which will vary by nation. The economic summit marks the third time in a year that the world's top industrial powers have gathered. They met in November in Washington and followed up with an April session in London. A number of protesters gathered in the area, tracked by police. At one point, riot police used pepper spray or tear gas on the protesters. CNN's Brian Todd was one of the people affected by the spray or gas. See iReport photos of police and protesters » . \"It really drove the protesters back,\" Todd said. \"It drove us back. It burned our eyes. It really burned our throats for a while. It got pretty dicey there.\" Watch Todd's report » . After that, Todd said, the protesters dispersed somewhat, but police were keeping an eye on the remaining protesters. iReport.com: Pittsburgh braces for protests . Among the protesters was a group of several hundred wearing T-shirts reading, \"G20: Free Tibet Before Free Trade.\" The crowd marched about eight blocks before police blocked their path. Officers allowed the protesters to chant in the street for more than an hour before they walked away. There were no arrests. Others chanted pro-marijuana slogans behind the riot police, and another group took up the stadium chant of \"Let's go Steelers.\" CNN's Steve Brusk and Ed Henry contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "G-20 would essentially eclipse the more elite G-8 .\nG-8 would continue to meet on major security issues but carry less influence .\nGroup of 20 meeting in Pittsburgh for economic summit .\nU.S. Treasury secretary: Signs of optimism for recovery can be seen ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Drawing on 2006 remarks in which he compared former U.S. President George Bush to the devil, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, speaking at the United Nations Thursday, said, \"It doesn't smell like sulfur anymore.\" Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez spoke highly of President Obama at the United Nations on Thursday. In a rambling speech at the U.N. General Assembly, Chavez spoke highly of current President Obama, saying he is an \"intelligent man\" and comparing him to President John F. Kennedy. \"I hope God will protect Obama from the bullets that killed Kennedy,\" he said. \"I hope Obama will be able to look and see, genuinely see, what has to be seen and bring about a change.\" Three years ago, Chavez spoke at the gathering the day after Bush spoke, and said the lectern \"still smells of sulfur.\" But on Thursday he looked around the podium and said, \"It doesn't smell of sulfur. It's gone. No, it smells of something else. It smells of hope.\" He did, however, criticize some U.S. policies, questioning whether there are \"two Obamas.\" Watch Chavez speak at the U.N. General Assembly » . Chavez accused the Pentagon of being behind the ousting of Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya in a military-backed coup in June. \"American soldiers knew about the coup and supported it,\" he said. \"Hence the contradiction that Obama has to face. Are there two Obamas? Obama spoke here yesterday. Does he have a double? ... Let's hope the one we heard yesterday will prevail. Let us hope. That's what the world needs.\" The United States and Brazil have said they support dialogue between Zelaya and de facto President Roberto Micheletti, centered on the San Jose Accord brought about through the mediation of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and the Organization of American States mission. That deal calls for Zelaya to be restored to office. \"The U.S. government, and this is strange, has not recognized the fact that a military coup d'etat has occurred,\" Chavez said. \"There is some friction between the State Department and the Pentagon.\" He said the coup was engineered by the Honduran bourgeoisie, \"four or five wealthy, powerful families.\" Chavez also called for the United States to lift what he called the \"savage, murderous blockade\" on Cuba, and was critical of plans to open U.S. military bases in Colombia, saying what the nation needs instead is aid to lift itself out of its civil war. In addition, Chavez criticized capitalism and extolled the virtues of socialism, saying it is \"the road to salvation for this planet.\" He spoke for almost exactly an hour, less than the hour and 36 minutes Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi used on Wednesday. The Venezuelan president joked that he would not speak as long as Gadhafi, but said he planned to speak as long as Obama. Asked to expand on his \"two Obamas\" comment at a news conference after his speech, Chavez said, \"I think that one of the serious failures of the United States has been that, for a long time, it has underestimated and undervalued Latin America and the Caribbean. ... I hope that Obama turns around the vision of the White House and the Department of State of Latin America. They cannot continue to mistreat us.\" He said one Obama spoke about peace in addressing the General Assembly, yet has seven U.S. military bases in Colombia. \"There's a double somewhere,\" he said. Asked by a reporter about the closures of television stations in Venezuela, Chavez said it was \"a big lie\" and asked her to provide an example. She asked about RCT, or Radio Caracas Television. Chavez told her the station broadcasts every day, but that a contract, or concession, had expired for its \"open signal\" and was not renewed. \"Never in Venezuela do we have as much freedom of expression as we do now,\" he said. But, he asked, \"What would happen here in the United States if CNN and other stations supported a coup? Not only would they be shut down, but their owners would have been taken to the electric chair.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Three years ago, Chavez said it \"still smells of sulfur,\" referring to President Bush .\nChavez spoke highly Obama, saying he is an \"intelligent man\"\nChavez said Pentagon behind ousting of Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya .\nChavez called for U.S. to lift \"savage, murderous blockade\" on Cuba ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNET) -- A post on the Facebook developer blog announces the big application program interface (API) update from the social network that was first reported on Sunday night, which it's calling the Open Stream API. The \"Open Stream API\" was front-and-center with Facebook's controversial redesign earlier this year. It's the first major implementation of an emerging (read: brand new) open standard called Activity Streams, on which Facebook has been collaborating with developers for the past few months. Basically, what it means is that third-party developers will have access to a feed of all content posted to news feeds--notes, photos, videos, links, \"likes\" and comments, and activity from other applications built on the social network's platform. \"We've officially moved away from the Web of just blog posts, which a lot of these formats were originally designed for,\" said open-source developer and advocate Chris Messina, who has been spearheading the development of Activity Streams for about a year now. \"Over time, what I think will happen is (that) you'll see something toward the type of cleverness and ingenuity that has surfaced around the Twitter community, but in a way that is even more expressive and rich,\" Messina said. \"In the case of Twitter, you're just talking about status updates; in the case of Facebook you're talking about a lot of different activities.\" Previously, only status updates--the most Twitter-like part of Facebook--were accessible to developers. That's why this announcement likely makes the biggest difference to the creators of social feed aggregation applications like TweetDeck and Seesmic Desktop. But because Activity Streams is an open standard, other social-networking and media-sharing applications will be able to use it too. This means that there could be, say, an Adobe Air-based desktop application that brings in updates across photo-sharing applications like Facebook, Flickr, and Photobucket. Facebook is also targeting different types of developers -- specifically mobile and desktop -- rather than strictly the Web app developers whose creations made Facebook's platform such a wild success when it debuted two years ago. \"One of the most important stories to tell here is this is the first time that we've ever opened the core Facebook product experience, which was previously called the 'feed' and which we're now calling the 'stream,'\" Facebook senior platform manager Dave Morin explained to CNET News. \"We're especially excited to see the types of desktop applications and the types of mobile applications which developer are going to build for the stream. We've sort of never really allowed this before, so we're pretty excited to see what developers come up with.\" Facebook will be holding an event on Monday afternoon in Palo Alto, California, to introduce developers to the new API. Presenting at the event will be representatives from Adobe, which is building a Facebook application in its Air runtime environment, and Microsoft, which is doing the same in Silverlight; contact management system Plaxo and third-party app Seesmic Desktop (which already has unveiled its support for the Open Stream) are also presenting. The \"stream\" took front-and-center with Facebook's controversial redesign earlier this year. Inspired by the likes of Twitter, the revamped design marked a shift in strategy for Facebook from static profiles to a real-time flow of information. At the same time, it proved unpopular among some users. But Facebook isn't the only big social-networking player to be implementing Activity Streams. The emerging standard was behind the upgrades to MySpace's MySpaceID product that the News Corp.-owned service launched in March at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival. \"It was sort of one of the earlier opportunities we had to take a nascent spec and see it all the way through to launch,\" MySpaceID product lead Max Engel told CNET News, adding that his team first started working on Activity Streams last September. It's what powers a new MySpace \"gadget\" for Google as well as its feeds' presence on the upcoming Yahoo homepage redesign. \"It's getting where we need it to be, which is like e-mail: where you can write a POP client and know (that) it works,\" Engel said. \"It's not even a full standard yet, so it's sort of exciting to see so many people get behind something so quickly, and it's definitely indicative of the general momentum of people who are saying we'd rather work open than work closed.\" © 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. CNET, CNET.com and the CNET logo are registered trademarks of CBS Interactive Inc. Used by permission." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A post on the Facebook developer blog announces the Open Stream API .\nThird-party developers will have access to feed of all news feed content .\nPreviously, only status updates were accessible to developers .\nBlog: API users will be able to use applications to interact with their stream ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The first nine months of this year has seen more pirate attacks than all of last year. And more than half of those attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates, an international maritime watchdog group said Wednesday. The increase in attacks has forced many countries to patrol pirate hotspots such as the Gulf of Aden. \"The increased activity in Somalia is the major reason for the spike,\" said Cyrus Mody, manager of the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crimes. From January 1 until September 30, pirates worldwide mounted 306 attacks, compared with 293 in all of 2008, the Bureau said. Of the incidents this year, Somali pirates accounted for 54 percent: they launched 168 attacks. Most of them took place off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, a major shipping route between Yemen and Somalia. They successfully hijacked 32 vessels and took 533 hostages. Eight others were wounded, four more killed and one is missing, the Bureau said. Somali pirates are still holding four ships for ransom with 80 crew members as hostages. Somalia's transitional government, which has a tenuous grip on power, has been unable to stop the pirates -- many of whom are based in the port cities. This has prompted Europe and other Western countries to step up maritime patrols. \"In the Gulf of Aden, the number of attacks have gone up. But because of the presence of naval vessels, the success rate of the pirates have decreased,\" Mody said. \"The navies are responding very very effectively.\" Today's pirates are a far cry from the eye-patched, peg-legged swashbucklers of Hollywood. They don night-vision goggles, carry rocket launchers and navigate with global positioning devices. Many pirates are trained fighters; others are young thugs enlisted for the job. Experts say they often sail out to sea in a mother ship and wait for a target. When they find one, the pirates board smaller boats and move in, typically with five to seven armed hijackers per boat. Two recent trends have led to a rise in piracy: access and opportunity. As global commerce picks up, more and more of the world's fuels, minerals and other crucial commodities travel by ship. Ninety-five percent of America's foreign trade, for instance, moves by water, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. That cargo is an easy target for robbers in countries that lack the resources to secure their shorelines, such as Somalia. Those who have tracked pirate activity say it started in Somalia in the 1980s, when the pirates claimed they were aiming to stop the rampant illegal fishing and dumping that continues to this day off the Somali coast. Piracy accelerated after the fall of the Somali government in the early 1990s and began to flourish after shipping companies started paying ransoms. Those payments started out being in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions. With the ransoms they collect, pirates can earn up to $40,000 a year, analysts say. That's a fortune for someone from an impoverished country. Some analysts say companies are simply making the problem worse by paying the piracies. \"Yes, the ransoms have probably caused the piracy to become a bit more rampant. But at the same time, from the owner's point of view, there is no other way currently to secure the safe release of the vessel along with the crew and the cargo,\" Mody said. \"It's basically a cycle.\" Other trouble spots this year were waters off Nigeria, with 20 attacks; Malaysia with 14; and Bangladesh with 12." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Somali pirates accounted for 54 percent of all attacks this year .\nMost of them took place off east coast of Somalia and in Gulf of Aden .\nSomali pirates are still holding four ships for ransom .\nOther trouble spots were waters off Nigeria, Malaysia and Bangladesh ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Why would an award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and single mother want to tack reality TV star onto her long list of accomplishments? Kandi Burruss says she is happy to join the \"Real Housewives of Atlanta\" cast. For Kandi Burruss, the newest member of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, the answer is simple: \"I was a fan last year. I love the show.\" The second season of Bravo's hit show is set to premier on Thursday with Burruss replacing cast member DeShawn Snow. Burruss is well-known in the music industry as a former member of the platinum-selling R&B girl group Xscape and co-writer of such hits as Destiny's Child's \"Bills, Bills, Bills\" and TLC's \"No Scrubs,\" for which she won a Grammy. The Atlanta native almost ended up on another reality show with former group mate and writing partner Tameka \"Tiny\" Cottle, who is the fiancée of rapper T.I. and now stars on BET's \"Tiny & Toya\" alongside Antonia \"Toya\" Carter, the ex-wife of Lil' Wayne. The deal for that show didn't work out and Burruss said she was more than happy to sign on with Bravo's wildly successful southern edition of the \"Housewives\" franchise, which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent African-American women in the ATL. Burruss was already friendly with cast mate Lisa Wu Hartwell, whom she met through their mutual friend Cottle. Having watched the show -- which last season enraptured viewers with a mix of constant infighting, lavish lifestyles and a healthy dose of drama -- Burruss said she was more concerned with being thrust into the public eye than she was with getting along with the cast. \"The only thing that made me hesitant about wanting to be a part of the show is the fact that people are so critical of the show,\" she said. \"Just dealing with people on the outside judging you. That part is going to be something that I am going to have to get used to.\" The artist has already had to get acclimated to people smearing her personal life on the Internet. Watch Burruss discuss her time on the show » . Newly engaged to a father of six children, Burruss has watched him get attacked in blogs and is protective of the man who she said even her mother isn't thrilled about her marrying. \"[The show] has been very, very stressful on the relationship,\" she said. \"I guess [people] couldn't find anything bad [to say] about me, so they wanted to go in on my fiancé.\" Her caring nature and laid-back personality make Burruss special in the industry, said rapper Rick Ross. \"She's a very humble person, maybe one of the most humble people among the biggest songwriters in the industry,\" said Ross, who collaborated with Burruss on a track for a new solo album she has in the works. \"It's good to be around the greats and she most definitely is one of the greatest in the industry.\" Her home music studio attests to that. The walls are covered with gold and platinum records for her work with several high-profile artists including Alicia Keys, *NSYNC, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Being part of a girl group helped prepare her for the drama of dealing with the other housewives' personalities, Burruss said, though she admitted clashing with outspoken cast mate NeNe Leakes during filming. \"I was a fan of hers last year,\" Burruss said. \"All that wild and crazy stuff she says to people, when you're watching it, it's funny, it's hilarious... but when it's directed at you, it's not funny anymore.\" Burruss got along better with aspiring singer Kim Zolciak, who Burruss will assist in achieving her dream of breaking into the industry. Last season, fans of the show -- and some of the other housewives -- slammed Zolciak for her less-than-stellar voice. \"Everybody loves to hate on Kim. But what I have to say is that Kim is actually cooler in person than she came off on the show,\" said Burruss, who in 1999 won top songwriter of the year from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. \"I wanted to help her out because I love helping the underdog.\" The busy artist said she has no idea if she will be invited back for another season. Appearing on the show, which Burruss said is not scripted, was fun, but she is busy with an upcoming album and with caring for her daughter, Riley, she said. She doubts she will be addicted to appearing on reality TV like she is addicted to music, Burruss said. \"It's just another way for people to get to know you and hopefully they see me in a good light,\" she said. \"You always hope that it doesn't backfire.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kandi Burruss is the newest member of Bravo's \"Real Housewives of Atlanta\"\nAn accomplished singer/songwriter/producer, she was a fan last season .\nBurruss confirms she and cast mate NeNe Leakes didn't get along .\nThe single mother hopes fans will see her in \"a good light\"" } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The guitarist stands in front of a mirror messing with his mohawk. The drummer strikes a wild tempo. The singer rips off his T-shirt and begins to scream the lyrics. Basim Usmani is bassist for The Kominas, a group that blends traditional sounds with punk rock beats. They're young. They're punk. And they're rocking both their Muslim and American worlds with their music, lyrics and style. \"A lot of times people say, 'Oh wow, look, brown people playing music' [but] it's more than that,\" said 25-year-old Pakistani-American Shahjehan Khan, the lead singer for a Muslim punk band, The Kominas. The Boston-based band is one of a handful of Muslim punk bands that emerged in the United States in the past few years. The members of this four-person rock group with South Asian roots hold varying views on religion. One says he's an atheist; three others identify as Muslims -- both practicing and non-practicing. For them, punk music is a way to rebel against their conservative cultural upbringing and the frustrations of growing up a young Muslim in America. \"We aren't [just] some alternative to a stereotypical Muslim. We actually might be offering some sort of insights for people at large about religion, about the world,\" said 26-year-old bassist Basim Usmani. Blending traditional South Asian rhythms with punk rock beats, they sing in both English and Punjabi. (Kominas means \"scum-bag\" in Punjabi, according to the band.) Their songs can be at once political, serious, satirical and insinuating. Audio slide show: On tour with Muslim punk rockers » . Their risqué lyrics and provocative song titles such as \"Sharia Law in the USA,\" \"Suicide Bomb the GAP\" and \"Rumi was a Homo\" -- a protest song against homophobia in the American Muslim community -- have drawn the attention of Muslims, non-Muslims, fans and critics alike. \"You sort of have to throw it in peoples' faces and be shocking in order to give people a different way to think about stuff,\" said Usmani. \"These punk, metal and rap scenes - so-called extreme music scenes -- are addressing issues that mainstream music doesn't,\" said Mark LeVine, a professor of Middle Eastern history at University of California, Irvine, who is also a musician and author of \"Heavy Metal Islam.\" \"[Punk] allows them to rebel against society and their own culture at the same time,\" he said. iReport: Is Islam at odds with American values? Before the Islamic punk movement in North America had a voice, it had a story. The Muslim punk scene began to gel in 2003 when novelist and convert to Islam, Michael Muhammad Knight self-published his book, \"The Taqwacores\" about a fictional Muslim punk scene in Buffalo, New York. The book opens with a poem called \"Muhammed was a Punk Rocker\" and describes both conventional and unconventional characters including a Shi'ite skinhead, a conservative Sunni Muslim, a burka-wearing feminist punk and a Sufi who sports a Mohawk and drinks alcohol. \"The punk rock kids I would hang out with weren't even Muslim,\" 31-year old Knight recalls. \"They were so fiercely individualistic -- I wish that I could be a Muslim in that way: not be ashamed of my confusion, not be ashamed of my doubts. Just be myself and be proud of who I am.\" The novel's title, \"Taqwacore,\" is a hybrid word stemming from the Arabic \"taqwa,\" meaning \"god consciousness,\" and \"core\" referring to \"hardcore\" -- a genre of punk music. It's now a general term for Muslim punk rock. The popularity of the book, which Knight said was born out of a search to find his identity as a Muslim-American, grew in underground youth circles and online. It didn't take long before real-life \"taqwacore\" bands like The Kominas began blooming across the country. \"It makes sense why punk has been the music of choice for young, politically active Muslims who are musical,\" said LeVine. \"The straight edge movement in punk which was about no drugs, no alcohol, was clean yet very intense and political. It's a way for them to rebel against their families in some extreme ways yet still be ritualistically, 'good Muslims.' \" \"Taqwacore\" gave voice to many young Muslim-Americans who felt muted by circumstances and created an opening for bands like Al-Thawra, Vote Hezbollah, and Secret Trial Five -- an all-girl punk band out of Vancouver, Canada. In the summer of 2007, five of the taqwacore bands organized a \"taqwa-tour\" of the northeastern United States. They played in city after city, traveling in a green school bus with TAQWA painted on the front bought by Knight for $2,000 on eBay. This summer, The Kominas continue to strike a chord with audiences around the country, hitting cities from San Francisco to New York on a multi-city tour. The taqwacore movement has also inspired two upcoming films - a dramatic feature film based on the book and a documentary. Many conservative Muslims may peg young taqwacores as heretic for their suggestive and irreverent lyrics. But the musicians say they are just trying to show both cultures how broad the spectrum of belief can be. Like many young adults balancing their religious beliefs with American culture, some young Muslims in the United States say it's a constant struggle to be accepted in both worlds. \"I had a lot of conflicted feelings growing up a Muslim in America,\" said 25-year-old Kominas drummer Imran Malik. \"It was hard not being able to do the same things that everyone else around you is doing without feeling guilty about them.\" Knight, who grew up with a Catholic mother and white supremacist father, converted to Islam when he was 16. He said his message is not one of blasphemy but rather an extension of his discontent with the rigid etiquette that dictates certain practices within Islam and the stereotypes of Muslims in American. \"Muslims haven't been fully accepted as Americans but the American experience hasn't been accepted as something that can contribute to the Muslim world,\" said Knight. Knight said writing the book helped him and others connect through shared experiences. \"When I first wrote it, I felt like there would never be a place for me in the Muslim community and that has really turned around a lot,\" he said. \"The book gave me the community I needed, it connected me to all these kids that were also confused and who also went through the things that I went through.\" That connection is vital to taqwacore music, bassist Usmani said. \"The music is great, but the conversation is the key to all of this. The dialogue that we have inspired is really invaluable.\" \"I don't think Islam is ever going to go away, I'm just trying to see how it best fits in my life.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A handful of Muslim punk bands have emerged in the last few years .\nA fictional portrayal of a Muslim punk scene helped set the real-world stage .\nSome conservative Muslims disapprove of the suggestive and irreverent lyrics ." } ]
[ { "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) -- The number of dead in devastating floods triggered by torrential rains in India has risen to at least 271, and about a million people have fled their homes, officials said Monday. An aerial view of a flood-affected area in Bijapur district in North Karnataka, India. At least 192 people have died in the southern state of Karnataka, its disaster-management secretary H.V. Parshwanath told CNN. More than 450,000 people there have been housed in 1,330 relief camps as authorities completed rescue operations in most of the flooded zones in the state, he said. \"The focus is now mainly on relief,\" Parshwanath said, adding that rains have now eased in Karnataka. In neighboring Andhra Pradesh, authorities put the death toll at 51. Some 531,000 people have been evacuated to safety, with more half of them now sheltering in relief camps, said Dinesh Kumar, the commissioner of the state's disaster-monitoring department. India has deployed the military to help with relief and rescue in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. More than a dozen teams of naval divers have been sent to the two flood-hit states, the country's defense ministry said. Air force planes and helicopters have also been dropping food packets in the submerged regions. The military has been able to rescue 1,336 people so far, it added. Flood waters were now receding in two of the five worst hit districts of Andhra Pradesh, disaster official Kumar said. But floodwaters from a local river might submerge the remaining three, he warned. Flooding also killed at least 25 people in Maharashtra state, officials said. Three others died because of lightning strikes, said S.C. Mohanty, director of Maharashtra's disaster-management department. About 3,000 people have been displaced because of flooding, he told CNN. Thousands of people die each year in India during seasonal monsoon rains. More than 1,100 had been killed in monsoon-triggered flooding in different parts of the country as of last month, according to the disaster-management division of the federal home ministry." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Death toll from floods in India has now reached 271 .\nOver a million people have been forced to flee their homes .\nOver 450,000 people in southern state of Karnataka housed in 1,330 relief camps ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- A brain surgeon performed what he called a \"life-saving\" surgery on a teenager by removing a large brain tumor using a method he read about on CNN.com just three days earlier. Dr. Thomas Ellis is a senior neurosurgeon at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Dr. Thomas Ellis, a senior neurosurgeon at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, the United States, said he had become \"very demoralized\" after an unsuccessful six-hour operation to remove a tumor from a 19-year-old named Brandon. \"I had had to give the boy's mother the bad news and that is not something I am used to. She was crying and it was very hard. Your story truly came at the perfect time,\" Ellis said. \"I am inclined to believe that it is the work of God that I came across your article that very night,\" the surgeon told CNN. The article was about the \"Omni directional dielectric mirror,\" a pen-shaped fiber-optic tool that allows surgeons to carry out minimally invasive surgery on areas too difficult or delicate to access. That night, Ellis contacted the neurosurgeon quoted in the story who put him in touch with Omni Guide, the Boston, Massachusetts-based company that manufactures the handheld device. It was originally devised for the U.S. military, and rolled out for surgeries three months before Ellis read about it. The tool allows surgeons to easily manipulate a CO2 laser and bend it to reach almost any tissue in the body, particularly in cases where scalpels may pose a danger. \"Seventy-two hours later I held the device in my hands,\" Ellis explained. \"Omni Guide sent someone to do a demo. I was extremely impressed and excited and very quickly I pretty much got the hang of it.\" Ellis added: \"I think it's an amazing story because it's yet another demonstration of how interconnected we've become in this world. \"You have a CNN reporter in London, who writes a story about a neurosurgeon in Chicago, who's using a device that was invented in Massachusetts. That story is read by a different neurosurgeon in North Carolina, and all within 72 hours, we have the device in North Carolina. \"We have the patient lined up for a surgery, and in the span of just a few days we perform really a life-saving operation on this patient.\" Ellis first met Brandon on December 17, 2008, when his mother took him to the emergency department at Wake Forest Hospital suffering from what Ellis calls, \"an extremely rapid decline in basic functions.\" \"While he had been suffering from minor symptoms for about a year, he suddenly acquired terrible headaches and became very confused.\" Ellis ordered an immediate MRI scan of Brandon's skull and found an extremely large tumor, known as a teratoma, in the middle of his brain. Read an explainer about teratomas . He operated two days later, but despite spending six hours in the operating room and going through half a dozen scalpels, he only managed to remove 20 percent of the tumor. \"In 15 years of doing neurosurgery, it really was the most difficult tumor that I ever encountered. It was very rubbery and hard to debulk,\" he said. \"I wish I could demonstrate the firmness of the tumor that we were dealing with but it really was the case that after trying to dissect the tumor just five minutes with each scalpel, the scalpel would be dull and I would have to move on to use another scalpel. \"I went through at least a half-dozen of them, and even after many, many hours of operating on this tumor with multiple scalpels with multiple microsurgical-dissecting tools, I couldn't remove very much of this tumor.\" Ellis advised the boy's mother, Tania, who asked we only give her first name, that her son would have to go through radiation treatment. Unlike chemotherapy, which involves the use of anticancer drugs, radiation treatment employs high-energy rays and particles to kill cancer cells. \"Radiation therapy is a difficult process, especially for such a large tumor,\" Ellis said. He explained that he was feeling despondent about the patient's condition when he got home after the operation that night. \"Being the father of four children myself, just the thought of having to go through something like this with one of my own children is just beyond words,\" he said. \"As I do every night, I read CNN online and immediately saw on the front page that there was an article in the health section entitled, From military device to life-saving surgical tool. ... Read the original CNN.com story . \"I finished the rest of the story and my first thought was: I would have given anything to have this tool available six or seven hours ago based on the description in the story. \"Lasers have long been abandoned in neurosurgery,\" he said, \"because they were too cumbersome to use. But CNN spoke of a brain operation performed by a Dr. Bernard Bendok in Chicago with CO2 laser and this new easy-to-use, perfect mirror tool.\" The following day, on Christmas Eve, Ellis along with Dr. Tamir Wolf, a physician OmniGuide sent to assist, brought Brandon back to the operating room. \"After only 30 minutes, it was clear this laser device, as simple to use as a scalpel, was successfully debulking the tumor.\" Ellis operated on Brandon for four hours and managed to remove the remaining 80 percent of the tumor by vaporizing it from the inside with the laser and then excising it. \"The boy was then extubated [removing the tube to his airway] after about 30 minutes and that same evening he was eating normally,\" Wolf said. Brandon has recovered his basic functions and is behaving normally. \"I am very optimistic and so is his mother, although we still have to be careful and do regular check-ups to look for possible spreading of the tumor,\" Ellis said. He believes that \"at the least, this device will become a valuable new tool for surgeons. But it may actually usher in a new generation of neurosurgeons who do microsurgery very differently.\" \"Either way, this type of success story is what we neurosurgeons live for.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Surgeon unsuccessfully attempts to remove patient's brain tumor .\nLater that day, he reads CNN.com story on a groundbreaking new surgery tool .\nHe contacts makers of the tool that could help in removing his patient's tumor .\nThree days later, the patient is operated on again and all the tumor is removed ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- It certainly isn't your average help wanted ad. A publication in Denver, Colorado, is looking for a journalist to review marijuana dispensaries. \"Do you have a medical condition that necessitates marijuana? Do you have a way with words? If so, Westword wants you to join the ranks as our freelance marijuana-dispensary reviewer.\" The local \"burgeoning medical marijuana scene\" in Denver, Colorado, is growing and the weekly publication Westword wants to be on the forefront, said Joe Tone, the paper's Web editor. \"We want someone who can get in and relay to our readers what it is like inside these dispensaries.\" It's not exactly like a food critic job. The online-only reviewer won't be showing up anonymously and sampling the wares. \"They are to review the places, not the weed,\" Tone said. \"We can't have our reviewer be stoned all the time,\" he quipped. But, he said, the ideal applicant should have \"the ability to write and be in the position of holding a state medical marijuana card.\" The reviewer, he said, should know his or her way around dispensaries and be \"passionate about the issue of medical marijuana.\" Colorado is one of 14 states where medical marijuana is legal by state law -- federal law still bans its use. But this week, the Obama administration announced a new policy loosening the rules regarding prosecuting criminal activity associated with medical marijuana. The Justice Department now says that prosecutors can go after traffickers but not medical marijuana patients and their caregivers. Though Westword is no longer accepting applicants for its dispensary reviewer position, they are actively working through the 120 they received and have culled the list down to under 20. The applicants run the gamut of 20-something stoners to well-educated engineers in their 50s. Some have even offered to work for free, Tone said, adding \"We won't accept that.\" The pay is \"meager,\" he said, but it's legitimate." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Weekly publication Westword in Denver, Colorado, marijuana-dispensary reviewer .\nPaper wants to cover \"burgeoning medical marijuana scene\" says Web editor .\nColorado is one of 14 states where medical marijuana is legal by state law .\nFederal law still bans its use ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Energetic, infectious and combative, the music of Nigerian musician Femi Kuti has moved audiences around the world. But the man is just as passionate about getting people to change their world as much as move their feet. Son of Afrobeat pioneer and political activist Fela Kuti, Femi inherited his father's zeal for both music and activism. Kuti was signed to Motown Records in 1994 and his music blends Afrobeat with more current soul, R&B and jazz. He's worked with rappers Mos Def and Common and continues to explore his music and collaborations. While the music matters, the man himself remains just as politically motivated as his father. Kuti's nightclub in Lagos, the New Afrika Shrine, had become a Mecca for West African music and creative expression, until it was closed by the authorities earlier in the summer. It was also homage to his father and continued his legacy of using music to inspire, change and motivate. Kuti recently told a reporter for All Africa Global Media that the Shrine was a place of worship where people can honor \"great black people, who fought for the emancipation of Africa through music.\" Freeing the \"Shrine\" from being under lock and key is just one of his crusading missions, as with his band, The Positive Force, Kuti remains outspoken about Nigeria, corruption and the positive changes that Africa can achieve. Watch Femi Kuti on African Voices on Saturday, October 31, 12.30 and 18.30 GMT; Sunday, November 1, 18.00 GMT." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Nigerian musician Femi Kuti is son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti .\nInherited his father's passion for music and political activism .\nNightclub in Lagos recently closed by authorities; remains politically outspoken ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A new smartphone application allows users to carry out a virtual dissection of a human body. The iPhone app, \"Anatomy Lab,\" allows the user to move between 40 body layers to enable dissection. The iPhone app, called \"Anatomy Lab,\" has been developed by researchers from the University of Utah and provides images of a real human cadaver. Utah professor Mark Nielsen told CNN that the application is aimed at medical and anatomy students who might not have the opportunity to dissect a real human body, but it's also proving a hit with medical practitioners. \"A lot of medical professionals, especially in physical therapy and rehabilitative medicine, are using it to educate patients and show them the body parts they're discussing,\" Nielsen told CNN. \"Anatomy Lab\" lets the user move between 40 separate body layers, zoom in to view different structures and rotate them to get different view points. It started out as a computer program showing the dissection of a cadaver, beginning with the skin and moving on to subcutaneous tissue, nerves, veins, and muscles. See some of the best health monitoring apps » . Nielsen said the iPhone's touch screen is perfect for the interactive nature of the application. \"The program's so logically set up for the iPhone -- you can pinch the screen to rotate and enlarge, and tap on things to identify them,\" he said. Nielsen's son, Scott Nielsen, a physics major at the University of Utah, wrote the code for the iPhone version, which has so far sold more than 3,000 copies. The app also comes in a cheaper, scaled-down version called \"My Body,\" aimed at the curious amateur. \"Anatomy Lab\" is the latest in a line of iPhone apps either aimed at medics, or with health benefits." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Anatomy Lab\" iPhone app allows users to dissect a virtual cadaver .\nResearchers say app is aimed at medical and anatomy students .\nThe app has so far sold more than 3,000 copies, and is a hit with doctors too ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A call for Smurfs brought together 1,253 dressed-up-in-blue people in County Monaghan, Ireland. A 4,703-pound cheesecake rolled out in Mexico City. A 7-year-old Michigan boy made a ball of plastic wrap that's 11 feet across. Anthony Victor of India has hair measuring 7.12 inches sprouting from the center of his outer ears. Meanwhile, in Ellensburg, Washington, 13-year-old Brenden Adams is having a hard time fitting into cars. At 7 feet 4.6 inches, Adams -- who as a kindergartner was taller than his teacher -- has made it into the Guinness World Records 2010 book, released Thursday, as the tallest teenage boy. It's a stature he said was earned simply because his 12th chromosome split in half. And while the height has its perks -- \"You don't get picked on as much\" -- he wishes strangers wouldn't stare. \"I'm another person, just like everybody else,\" said Adams, who doesn't play basketball -- two knee replacements insured that -- and prefers to hang out with friends, camp and ride dirt bikes. The tallest teenage boy is one of about 4,000 records listed in this year's book -- a number that accounts for a mere 10 percent of all the mind-blowing stats that make up the Guinness World Records database, said Stuart Claxton, a spokesman for the organization that began publishing feats in 1955. See more world record holders . From the obscure (Most balloons inflated with a nose? 308) to the old standbys (Lucia Zarate, who died in 1890, still holds the record for lightest adult at 4.7 pounds), it's the reference-book gift that keeps on giving. So why would someone set out to spend the most time in a bumper car (record: 24 hours), or solve the most Rubik's Cubes in one hour (record: 185)? \"It's an innate part of our psyche as human beings to explore how far we can push the boundaries,\" said Claxton, who's been with Guinness World Records since 2000. \"We're intrigued by extremes in our daily life\" and by \"the things we're not familiar with.\" iReport.com: Follow updates on \"Le Grande Bebe\" Jake Lonsway of Bay City, Michigan, was only 6 when high school students in his area set out to assemble the largest group of people wearing Groucho Marx glasses. A snowstorm killed the attempt, but the idea of setting a record became an obsession for the young boy, his mom Julie Grames said. \"I told him, 'We'll get a bunch of books, and we'll see if there's anything we can do,' \" she said. Building a ball of plastic wrap was where they landed. And what started with a softball-sized ball grew and grew and grew into a 281-pound monstrosity, earning Lonsway, now 9, a spot in this year's record book. \"It does take up a nice corner of the garage,\" Grames said with a laugh. And when people comment on how \"cool\" it is, she said her husband's response is always the same: \"You want it? Take it.\" iReport.com: Massive chess board with human pieces . Claxton, of Guinness, has seen everything from the innocuous to the extreme and dangerous. He's watched a motorcycle rider crash -- and survive -- trying to outdo the ramp-to-ramp distance jump, just one of the \"pushing the envelope\" moments that helped him \"realize just how out there the world of record breaking can be,\" he said. Some images might be hard to take in at first. \"Over 1,000 piercings in the human body is something you have to get used to looking at,\" Claxton said. And while the most tattooed man -- 99 percent of his body is covered -- \"may not be my cup of tea,\" he said that when it comes to categories there's something for everyone. Lee Redmond, 68, of Salt Lake City, Utah, earned the top berth for longest fingernails after not cutting them from 1979 onward. As of the last record-setting measurement, her nails were 28-foot long in total, the longest being her left index fingernail that came in at 3-foot, Claxton said. But a car accident in February of this year left her nails broken and her hands much freer, the Guinness spokesman said. iReport.com: World's largest rocking chair? \"They were such a part of her,\" he said, before describing Redmond's attitude as \"very stoic,\" and her take on the broken nails this way: \"If something like that had to happen, it had to happen. Someone somewhere had decided enough is enough.\" This year's book release includes a look at the top 100 records of this century's first decade, Claxton added, as well as beefed up offerings on the Guinness World Records Web site, which is also where wannabe record holders can find out how to compete and get recognized -- if not now, then in the next book's edition. Since the current record-holding Smurfs gathered in Ireland and after the 2010 book went to press, for example, 2,510 ambitious blue ones amassed in a nightclub in Wales. iReport.com: Large gathering of \"Waldos\" Does Claxton have his own eyes on a record prize? \"I want to spin a quarter for the longest time possible,\" he said, adding that the current record is 19.34 seconds. \"That's the one I want to get.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "1,253 Smurfs gather in Ireland, find place in Guinness World Records 2010 book .\nReleased Thursday, the record book lists 4,000 eyebrow-raising tidbits .\n\"I'm another person, just like everybody else,\" tallest teenage boy says .\nWoman who grew fingernails for about 30 years loses them in car accident ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- A lot of people have been outraged by the gender verification testing that South African athlete Caster Semenya has been put through, and have been trying to be supportive of her; but in doing so, they often further prejudice against the very thing which she appears to be: intersex. Hida Viloria says she looks forward to a day when intersex conditions like hers are widely accepted. Intersex people (formerly known as hermaphrodites) are those born with bodies that are difficult to classify as either \"male\" or \"female.\" Since results of Semenya's tests were apparently leaked, it seems that her body doesn't conform to the definition of \"female\" as one who has ovaries. I'm intersex because, while I have ovaries, menstruate and can get pregnant, my genitalia is somewhat male-looking (simply put, I have a clitoris that's much larger than average.) Throughout my childhood, I never thought I was anything other than \"female\" because that's what I was labeled and raised as. While I felt more aggressive than other girls, I didn't think that anything other than male and female could exist. So I just thought of myself as a \"different kind of woman.\" Ultimately, my assessment was pretty accurate. I was raised in a strict Catholic home, where nudity and sex talk was unheard of, so having no one to compare my genitals to, I was unaware that mine were different. I'm very lucky to have escaped the \"corrective\" surgeries and/or hormone treatments that are the norm for intersex infants, because my father went to medical school before these practices began (in the mid-late '50's), and knew that you shouldn't operate on a baby unless it's absolutely necessary. Later, when he wanted to give me estrogen pills at puberty to ensure that my body \"feminized\" (he told me that the pills were to make me grow taller), my mother objected, saying it was experimental and that I didn't need it. Thankfully, she won out. Thus, no one ever told me there was anything wrong with my body (that didn't happen until a gynecological visit when I was twenty), and I grew up loving it just the way it is. I still do. While many doctors would refer to my clitoris as \"grossly enlarged,\" I have to tell you, having an overabundance of the only organ in the human body whose sole purpose is pleasure is far from a negative thing! I came of age sexually with my second boyfriend in high school. I broke up with him because I knew that I preferred girls, but I couldn't act on it yet. Once I did, in college, it confirmed that girls were what I'd always longed for, and it was then that I realized how much my body differed from theirs.' Still, I had no name for my difference. At the age of twenty-six, I finally discovered I was \"intersex\" from a newspaper article. Fortunately, it was not about me specifically but about intersex in general, and I'm glad that I, unlike Semenya, had time to process the information and come out about it when I was ready to. I still had other issues I was dealing with -- namely: racism and homophobia -- so it took a year for me to embrace this additional minority status. Once I did, it was a positive turning point. I'd always felt strongly masculine and feminine, and now it made sense why these two presumably \"opposite\" traits existed, in me, side by side. I didn't think being intersex was a bad thing to be. I'd already learned that people can be prejudiced against things they're unfamiliar with, or are taught to dislike, and that we shouldn't take on their bigotry. On April 19, 2002, I appeared on the television news program \"20/20\" with a prominent urologist and \"expert\" on intersex conditions. When asked why he supported \"corrective surgeries\" he answered, \"Society can't accept people of different colors, and now we're supposed to accept somebody with genitalia that don't match what their gender is? I do not believe this society is ready for it.\" Intersex folks are not some new invention that people need to be \"ready for:\" we exist and always have. Resistance to accepting us has created the mess that Semenya now finds herself in. If medicine had been more upfront about intersex conditions rather than pretending they're just male and female as usual, they could have avoided ruining the career of some athletes. Whichever condition Caster Semenya has, she shouldn't be made to suffer for others' mistakes. Since infancy, she's been legally labeled, raised, and accepted as female. To be told that she can't compete as one now would be like being a U.S. citizen all your life, but being suddenly denied a passport because somebody decided that the city you were born in is actually, sorry, on the wrong side of the border. For thirteen years I've been outing myself as intersex just to let folks know we exist, and I'm happy to say I've seen progress. I look forward to one day telling my god-daughter about how it used to be for us, and to hearing her say, \"Wow, I can't believe some people had problems accepting intersex. Humans can be so weird.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Intersex writer Hida Viloria shares her experience of growing up intersex .\nViloria: I found out at age of 26 I was intersex, I think I'm a different kind of woman .\nViloria: Since then, I've been outing myself as intersex just to let folks know we exist ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(Mental Floss) -- We remember Henry Ford as the automotive magnate who perfected assembly line technology, but he also dabbled in ambitious social programs, including one in which he hired ex-convicts straight out of Sing Sing to staff his factories. Henry Ford, pictured in 1942, unsuccessfully attempted to increase the rubber supply with a plantation in Brazil. Although many of these efforts were successful, Ford's ill-fated foray into the Brazilian jungle was a notable and fascinating exception. The plan . If you're going to make millions of cars, you're going to need an awful lot of rubber. In 1927, Ford came up with a novel plan: He'd solve his rubber problem and test out his lofty theories about social planning. If everything went well, he could craft both a utopia full of healthy, productive workers and a direct pipeline of coveted rubber to Detroit. Ford approached the task with characteristic zeal. He talked the Brazilian government into granting him 10,000 square kilometers of land in the Amazon rain forest -- a plot that was nearly twice as big as the state of Delaware -- in exchange for a 9 percent cut of the plantation's profits. In theory, this setup seemed like one of Ford's ideas that would shake out pretty well, and in 1928, Ford sent a barge full of supplies from Michigan down to his new plantation town, which was dubbed \"Fordlandia.\" Growing rubber in the jungle . Unfortunately for Ford's stockholders, though, the captain of industry didn't always have a great eye for detail. (One famous story about Ford was that he disliked accountants so fiercely that he never had his company audited. By the end of his tenure, the Ford Motor Company allegedly had no idea exactly how much it cost to build a car.) Ford didn't check to see if the plantation was suitable for growing rubber. According to Greg Grandin, author of \"Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City,\" Ford never consulted any sort of expert on rubber cultivation; he just sent a bunch of supplies and managers into the jungle hoping to grow some rubber. Mental Floss: Henry Ford and others who survived bankruptcy . Ford was legendarily contemptuous of experts, but he could have saved some serious dough if he'd just hired a consultant to tell him that the plantation wasn't at all suitable for growing rubber. The land wasn't very fertile, but that wasn't the main problem. The real difficulty was that it's practically impossible to farm rubber in a plantation setting in the Amazon rainforest. To grow the trees on a commercial scale, you've got to pack them in fairly close together, and at that point they become incredibly susceptible to blight and insect attacks. Fordlandia's trees were no exception, and caterpillars and blight quickly decimated the fields. Not exactly a worker's paradise . Obviously, the rubber production part of the Fordlandia got off to a rocky start. How was the \"worker's paradise\" part of things going, though? Even more abysmally. The American managers and their families that Ford imported from Michigan weren't accustomed to the sweltering Brazilian heat and headed back north with an alarming frequency. The heavy machinery used on the plantation left deep ruts in the soft soil, which collected stagnant water and became breeding grounds for malaria-ridden mosquitoes. Ford had attempted to design Fordlandia like any American town, complete with schools, restaurants, a golf course, and shops. The catch here, though, was that the indigenous Brazilians who farmed the rubber weren't used to living in a stylized American community. Worse still, the plantation's workers were expected to work a strict shift from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., whereas normal harvesting practices in the region saw workers hit the fields before dawn, take a long break, and then head out again at twilight to save themselves the misery of working in the tropical midday heat. Food fights . Ford's influence extended all the way down to the residents' diets, and while the indigenous workers weren't crazy about having to eat American foods, they were livid about having to eat in a cafeteria setting rather than enjoying the homestyle meals to which they were accustomed. Eventually, the workers decided they'd had enough of the affront of cafeteria dining and rioted during a meal. Mental Floss: Three historical food fights . As the American managers fled to the safety of boats, the workers destroyed their mess hall and continued to riot until Brazilian soldiers came in to suppress violence. Another sticking point for the workers was Ford's insistence that his model community be entirely free of alcohol and tobacco. Although Prohibition wasn't exactly an unqualified success at home, and although alcohol was still legal in Brazil, Ford stayed firm on his booze ban. Workers who needed a drink were forced just outside the city limits to buy a bottle of cachaca; enterprising liquor salesman could simply paddle by on the river and unload their wares. Mental Floss: Why is the drinking age 21? End of the road . Eventually, even though Henry Ford steadfastly insisted that the community could thrive and help introduce American-style industrialization to the rest of the world, it became abundantly clear that the noble Fordlandia experiment was a flop. After the perfection of synthetic rubber in 1945, Ford sold the plantation at a $20 million loss and left Brazil. Just how much of a fiasco was the Fordlandia experiment? Although Ford spent 17 years trying to produce rubber on the plantation, no Ford car ever rolled off the assembly line with a single bit of Fordlandia's rubber in it. For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The auto magnate set up a plantation in the Amazon rain forest to produce rubber .\nHe didn't research the land and found out to late it wasn't suitable for growing rubber .\nBrazilian workers rioted against U.S.-style mess hall, ban on alcohol .\nFord ultimately sold the plantation at a $20 million loss ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A handful of people rallied outside the Japanese Embassy on Saturday to show support for an American man who is jailed in Japan, accused of trying to kidnap his own children. Amy Savoie calls on Japan to release her husband during a rally outside the Japanese Embassy in Washington. During the demonstration, Christopher Savoie's wife, Amy, along with others from the Children's Rights Council of Japan -- a group that advocates visitation for both parents in divorce cases, and which organized Saturday's event -- called for Savoie's release. \"It makes me feel wonderful to know that these people are calling him a hero, saying he's brave, and I just hope he can come home and say thank you to all these people who've supported him,\" Amy Savoie told CNN. Christopher Savoie, 38, a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen, allegedly abducted his two children -- 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca -- as his ex-wife walked them to school Monday in a rural town in southern Japan, police in Japan said. With the children, Savoie headed for the nearest U.S. consulate in the city of Fukuoka to try to obtain passports for them, screaming at guards to let him in the compound. Savoie was steps away from the front gate but still standing on Japanese soil when Japanese police arrested him. Amy Savoie said the separation is taking a toll on her. \"I just wish I could talk to him, but I am forced to live with the fact that I can't talk to him. So I have to soothe myself and comfort myself with what he would say right now, and I just hope he's doing well,\" she said. Christopher Savoie and his first wife, Noriko Savoie, were married for 14 years before their divorce in January. The couple, both citizens of the United States and Japan, had lived in Japan but moved to the United States before the divorce. Noriko Savoie was given custody of the children and agreed to remain in the United States. Christopher Savoie had visitation rights. During the summer, she fled with the children to Japan, according to court documents. A U.S. court than granted Christopher Savoie sole custody. Japanese law, however, recognizes Noriko Savoie as the primary custodian. The law there also follows a tradition of sole-custody divorces. When the couple splits, one parent typically makes a complete and lifelong break from the children. Complicating the matter further is the fact that the couple still are considered married in Japan because they never divorced there, police said Wednesday. And, police said, the children are Japanese and have Japanese passports. A 1980 Hague Convention standardized laws on international child abduction, but Japan is not a party to that agreement. If a child in Japan is taken against the wishes of the recognized Japanese parent, Japanese law considers the person who took the child an abductor. Christopher Savoie will be jailed for at least 10 days while Japanese prosecutors sort out details of the case." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Christopher Savoie's wife, Amy: \"I just wish I could talk to him\"\nSavoie in jail in Japan after trying to get kids back from his ex-wife .\nJapanese custom, law on custody differ sharply from those in U.S." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Tennis officials reacted with disappointment on Wednesday to Andre Agassi's revelation that he had used a banned drug and then lied about it to avoid a ban. Agassi's admission that he took the stimulant crystal meth in 1997 will come in a soon to be published autobiography which is being serialized by The Times of London. He avoided a three-month suspension by claiming in a letter to the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) that he failed a doping test because a drink had been 'spiked' with the crystal meth. Under today's anti-doping rules, the American legend could have faced a two-year ban from the circuit. The ATP issued a statement Wednesday in which it said that an independent panel would make the final decision on a doping violation. \"The ATP has always followed this rule, and no executive at the ATP has therefore had the authority or ability to decide the outcome of an anti-doping matter,\" the statement read. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey said they could not take retrospective action against the eight-time grand slam winner because of its eight-year statute of limitations, but demanded the ATP investigate fully. \"WADA would, however, expect the ATP, which administered its own anti-doping program at that time, to shed light on this allegation,\" Fahey said in a statement. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) took over responsibility for the ATP's doping program in 2006 and its president Francesco Ricci Bitti said that Agassi's revelations showed that a tough anti-doping program was needed. Agassi did find strong support from Nicolas Hayek, chairman of Swatch Group, for whom Agassi acts as an ambassador. He told CNN that his company would stick with the 39-year-old Agassi in his current role. \"He's admitted a mistake and it's fine with us,\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tennis governing bodies to consider Andre Agassi's doping revelations .\nATP say an independent panel would consider the issue .\nWADA cannot take action under eight-year statute of limitations ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- In just a few short weeks, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach could wake up at his home in Englewood, New Jersey, with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi camped a few feet from his front lawn. Gadhafi may be staying in a tent on the front lawn of a New Jersey house owned by the Libyan Mission. The authoritarian ruler of Libya is rumored to be planning to stay in an air-conditioned tent on the front lawn of a house owned by the Libyan Mission when he attends the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September. Members of the predominately Orthodox Jewish Englewood community are less than enthused about a visit from a leader who has made anti-Zionist statements in the past. The recent release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber to Libya has heightened the animosity. On Monday, Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, called for the U.S. Department of State to restrict Gadhafi's travel to the area around U.N. headquarters in New York City, saying in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton he \"was particularly concerned by news reports indicating that [Gadhafi] plans to stay in New Jersey, where the families of many Pan Am 103 victims reside.\" A representative from the Libyan Mission in New York would not confirm Gadhafi will stay in Englewood, only that he is scheduled to come to New York. Gadhafi has a history of setting up his extensive tent when visiting other countries, including Russia and France. Media reports have said that his request to pitch his tent in Central Park had been denied, and the New Jersey property was a likely second choice. Boteach said he had previously been willing to approach Gadhafi's rumored visit with an open mind, but he backtracked after the Lockerbie bomber's release. \"Judging by his actions, he hasn't changed one iota,\" Boteach said. \"He loves terrorists and welcomes them as heroes and speaks with a forked tongue. As soon as he had the opportunity he lionized people who committed murderous acts. Gadhafi is a fraud. I don't want him or his security team near my home.\" Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes said he was not informed of plans to erect a tent on the property, and no special permissions were requested from the zoning department. Only through neighborhood residents and media coverage was he alerted to construction on the house that, according to Boteach, began around three months ago. The mayor said he was \"mortified as a Jew and embarrassed as an American that a financier of terrorism is on U.S. soil. [Gadhafi] is someone who has embraced terrorism and has not changed his spots.\" Wildes said the Libyan Mission has \"not paid a nickel\" on taxes for the property, and said he would only be \"willing to sit down with him if he brings a check to cover years of back taxes and overtime pay for the additional police forces needed for his stay, and apologizes to the Jewish residents and the Lockerbie victims' families of New Jersey.\" Boteach, in a piece posted Thursday on The Huffington Post, where he is a regular contributor, said the residence had been left \"derelict and neglected\" for many years until the recent construction. In opposition to Gadhafi's possible visit to Englewood, Boteach said he plans several steps, including legal action, which he said would be in response to construction workers knocking down his fence and cutting down his trees. \"My plan is to sue them, extract as much money as possible and use Libyan money for planting trees instead of buying bombs,\" he wrote in another Huffington Post piece Monday. Boteach and Wildes also are planning a protest at the construction site on Sunday." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Gadhafi travels with air-conditioned tent which he stays in .\nRumored to be planning to pitch tent on front lawn of Libyan Mission house .\nMembers of mostly Orthodox Jewish Englewood are less than enthused .\nMayor \"embarrassed as an American that a financier of terrorism is on U.S. soil\"" } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, police have arrested a man whose DNA linked him to the bodies of nine women killed over 21 years, officials said at a news conference Monday night. Walter E. Ellis, 49, was arrested after police matched a DNA swab taken from him last week to the victims. Walter E. Ellis, 49, was arrested after police matched a DNA swab taken from him last week to DNA left on the bodies of nine women killed since 1986. Police said eight of the women were prostitutes and one was a runaway involved with drugs. They were all killed within a 3-square-mile area of Milwaukee's north side. \"This case was solved with shoe leather and science,\" Milwaukee Police Chief Edward A. Flynn said. \"Continuing advances in DNA technology have enabled us to link these homicide cases, and it was good police work pursuing numerous leads that led to the arrest of a suspect.\" The homicides occurred between 1986 and 2007, police said. See where the bodies were found » . Ellis was charged Monday with two counts of first degree murder relating to two of the deaths: 41-year-old Joyce Mims, who was killed in 1997, and 28-year-old Ouithreaun Stokes, who was killed in April 2007. Police said more charges are likely. It wasn't immediately clear whether Ellis had obtained an attorney. Police said other victims linked to Ellis through DNA were: Tanya L. Miller, killed in 1986; Deborah L. Harris, killed in 1986; Sheila Farrior, strangled in 1995; Florence McCormick, strangled in 1995; Irene Smith, killed in 1992; Carron D. Kilpatrick, killed in 1992, and Jessica Payne, killed in 1995. Flynn told CNN it was hard for investigators to discern a geographic pattern for the homicides. In the 20-year period, more than 2,000 slayings occurred in Milwaukee, he said -- 200 of them in the same area where the bodies were found. Another challenge investigators faced was the developing technology of DNA evidence. The technology in 2009 far exceeds that available in 1986 or even 2002, he said. It was only this year that police were able to link the nine homicides with the same DNA pattern. Even then \"we did not have anyone to match our DNA profile against, until we were able to get [Ellis'] toothbrush,\" he told CNN. A Wisconsin law passed in 2000 mandated the DNA collection from convicted felons. Ellis was released from prison in 2001 without having his DNA sample collected, Flynn said. Because his name had surfaced in the investigation and because he was also listed in two FBI databases, authorities decided to investigate him further and were able to obtain the search warrant that allowed them to collect his DNA from his toothbrush, the police chief said. News of Ellis' arrest shocked those who knew him. \"That was just my ex-boyfriend,\" his former girlfriend, Chanita, told CNN affiliate WISN-TV. She asked that her last name not be used. \"I didn't know nothing about nothing like this. I'm getting shivery now cause you're talking about some strangling stuff. Lord have mercy on me. I'm just a wreck right now. I can't believe this. I'm trembling in here. I'm shakin'.\" Chanita said she dated Ellis for four years. \"I can't believe it. This is a shock,\" she told WISN. \"I got like goose bumps on my arms instantly when you told me that. I'm like no way -- not Walter -- I can't see him hurting nobody.\" For relatives of the victims, the news brought mixed emotions. \"I knew they was gonna get him, I knew it,\" Patricia Donald, best friend of victim Deborah Harris, told WISN. \"Finally he can't hurt nobody anymore.\" For her and others, like Sandy Farrior, whose daughter Sheila was linked to Ellis, it was news that helped bring closure. \"Late justice is better than no justice,\" he told WISN. In addition to advances in DNA technology, officials attributed the break in the case to the repeated investigation of cold cases by the Milwaukee Police Department's Homicide Task Force Cold Case Unit. Although Mims and Stokes were strangled about a decade apart, similar DNA on their bodies helped lead police to a suspect. Watch where cops got DNA sample » . Mims was found strangled and lying on her back wearing only socks on June 20, 1997, in a small closet near a living room in Milwaukee, according to court documents. Police found DNA on her body, but there were no matches in the system, the court documents show. On April 27, 2007, Stokes was found strangled, partially clothed and lying face down in a living room in Milwaukee, according to court documents. When lab technicians tested the DNA found on her body, they found it directly matched the DNA found on Mims. On August 29 of this year, armed with a search warrant, police took a toothbrush and razor from Ellis' home. Testing showed the DNA found on Mims and Stokes was a match to Ellis, according to court documents. Ellis has been charged at least 10 times with varying offenses ranging from violent crimes to property crimes between 1981 and 1998, though some of the charges were dismissed, online court records in Wisconsin show. He was sentenced to five years in state prison after he pleaded no contest to a reckless injury charge in 1998. None of the victims linked to Ellis was killed during the time he was in jail. However, two men were charged in slayings later linked to Ellis, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Curtis McCoy was charged in October 1994 with killing Kilpatrick, but he was later acquitted by a jury, the newspaper reported. It also said Chaunte Ott, who was convicted of killing Payne, served 13 years in prison before being released in January, after DNA analysis showed semen found on the girl's body was not his. CNN's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "DNA found on bodies of nine women matched to Walter E. Ellis, police say .\nEllis charged in two killings and more charges likely, police say .\nPolice chief hails arrest: \"This case was solved with shoe leather and science\"\nThe women were killed between 1986 and 2007 ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics indicates about 1 percent of children ages 3 to 17 have autism or a related disorder, an increase over previous estimates. Children at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, Georgia, receive instruction on March 5, 2009. \"This is a significant issue that needs immediate attention,\" Dr. Ileana Arias, deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. \"A concerted effort and substantial national response is warranted.\" The study used data from the federal government's 2007 national survey of children's health. The survey of parents was conducted by the Health Resources and Services Administration, and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results are based on a national telephone survey of more than 78,000 parents of children ages 3 to 17.iReport.com: How has autism affected your family? In the study, parents were asked whether a health care provider had ever told them their child had an autism spectrum disorder. ASD is a group of brain disorders comprising autism and two less severe disorders: Asperger's disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. Children with the disorder show impairment in social interaction and in their ability to communicate. They often display repetitive behavior. Watch families discuss autism » . The investigators also asked a follow-up question: Were the children considered to have ASD now? Nearly 40 percent of the parents and guardians said no. That finding led the authors to question whether some of the children originally diagnosed as having ASD may have been improperly diagnosed, since the disorders are not considered curable. But Kogan said the two surveys cannot be compared because the earlier investigators did not ask the follow-up question about whether the children were still considered to have the disorder. Still, based on the findings, lead author Dr. Michael D. Kogan of HRSA's maternal and child health bureau estimated the prevalence of ASD among U.S. children ages 3 to 17 at 110 per 10,000 -- slightly more than 1 percent. Boys were four times as likely as girls to have ASD, and non-Hispanic black and multiracial children were less likely than non-Hispanic white children. He estimated that 673,000 children have ASD in the United States. Monday's findings of nearly 1 in 100 appear to indicate an increase from the average of 1 in 150 that was reported in 2003, the researchers said. The researchers urged caution in interpreting the change, noting that an increase in diagnoses does not necessarily mean that more children have the disorder. It could simply reflect a heightened awareness of the disorder. \"We don't know whether the change in the number over time is a result of the change in the actual condition, in the actual number of conditions or in part due to the fact that the condition is being recognized differently,\" Arias said. She said that preliminary results from a separate, CDC-funded study she is working on also indicate that about 1 percent of children in the United States are affected by ASD. That study is to be published later this year, she said. \"This is a behavioral diagnosis, and it's difficult to make, and it's difficult to make at young ages,\" said Dr. Peter van Dyck, HRSA's associate administrator for maternal and child health. Half of the cases were considered mild by their parents, the study reported. The results underscore the importance of creating policies that will result in early identification and intervention, the officials said. The reports raise \"a lot of questions about how we are preparing in terms of housing, employment, social support -- all the issues that many of these people are going to need,\" said Dr. Tom Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health. \"It also raises questions about how well we're prepared in the educational system to provide for the special needs of many of these kids.\" Insel said the federal government is beefing up the resources it is mobilizing to address autism and related disorders, with $85 million being appropriated by the National Institutes of Health and $48 million for next year by the HRSA." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Study indicates about 1% of children 3 to 17 have autism or related disorder .\nResults based on national telephone survey of more than 78,000 parents .\nCDC official: \"This is a significant issue that needs immediate attention\"\nResearchers saying finding could reflect heightened awareness of disorder ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: A nationally syndicated columnist, Roland S. Martin is the author of the forthcoming book, \"The First: President Barack Obama's Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin\" and of two other books, \"Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith\" and \"Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America.\" Visit his Web site for more information. Roland Martin says conservative critics are wrong to chortle at the defeat of the Chicago Olympic bid. (CNN) -- Whenever President Obama has traveled overseas and offered pointed and direct assessments of the United States, some of them critical, Republicans have ripped him for criticizing America, saying a president should always defend the United States. So I want to hear the explanation by these so-called patriots of their giddy behavior over the United States losing the 2016 Olympic Games. Yes, the United States. The bid that was rejected Friday by the International Olympic Committee was not a Chicago, Illinois, bid. It was the official bid submitted by the United States Olympic Committee and was representative of the nation. Tokyo's bid was that of Japan; Madrid's was that of Spain; and Rio de Janeiro's was that of Brazil. Republicans want to spin the decision as a massive loss by President Obama and the Democrats who have always controlled Chicago politics. \"Hahahahaha,\" wrote Erick Erickson on the conservative \"RedState\" blog, \"I thought the world would love us more now that Bush was gone.\" What the critics don't see is that Obama's loss on the Olympics is America's loss. Any red-blooded American who loves to see the American flag raised and the national anthem played when one of our own wins a gold medal should blast the Republicans' giddiness over the loss. I can recall crying along with millions of Americans when our hockey team beat the Russians and won the hockey gold in 1980. Where were those games? Lake Placid, New York. Euphoria spread all across the nation, not only because we beat the mighty Russians, but also because it took place on American soil. When Carl Lewis and Mary Lou Retton dominated the 1984 Olympic Games, we all beamed with pride because they represented the United States on American soil in Los Angeles, California. And when Michael Johnson stormed around the track to obliterate the world record in the 200-meter dash (since broken by Jamaica's Usain Bolt), we relished the win as he took a victory lap around the stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Americans love home field advantage, and we always desire to show the rest of the world what we are made of. I don't care if Republicans want to rip President Obama over going to Copenhagen, Denmark, to pitch for the games. This isn't about politics. It's not about ideology. This is about America. OUR pride. Our chance to shine. Our loss of the games. So, to all the critics happy about us losing the 2016 games, turn in your flag lapel pins and stop boasting of being so patriotic. When an American city loses, like New York did in the the last go-round, we all lose. And all you critics are on the same level as the America haters all across the world. You should be shouted down for not backing your own country. The next time any of you bang out a press release about \"Buy American\" or \"Support our troops,\" remember this moment when your cynical, callous and small-minded brains happily rejoiced when America lost the 2016 Olympic Games. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Roland Martin: The Chicago bid was made on behalf of the whole country .\nHe says conservatives boast of being patriots but are applauding a U.S. defeat .\nHe says Americans love to cheer on their Olympic athletes on home soil ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- At least nine people were killed in Somalia's war-torn capital Mogadishu when mortars slammed into a home for disabled veterans, according to journalists and witnesses. Al Shabaab fighters display two bodies of Somali police officers during a battle August 12 in Mogadishu. At least 27 people were wounded in the Friday night incident, when Muslim militants fired mortars toward Mogadishu's port and struck a residential area. The mortars hit a home for former national army officers who were disabled in a late-1970s war with Ethiopia, the sources said. Insurgents from the Al-Shabaab militant group have been fighting to topple Somalia's government. Its fighters have frequently shelled the city's airport and seaport, which are controlled by the African Union and government forces. The United States is supporting the Somali government's fight against the insurgents, including providing weapons to government forces. Al Shabaab is on the U.S. list of terror organizations because of its ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. The United States is concerned that Somalia's weak government could fall to the Islamist insurgency, as it did in 2006 before Ethiopian forces ousted the militants from power later that year." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sources: Militants fired mortars toward Mogadishu's port, struck residential area .\nMortars hit home for disabled national army officers .\nAt least 9 dead, 27 wounded in attack in war-torn capital ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Heavy rain that began pounding California on Tuesday threatened to unleash dangerous floods and mudslides, especially in areas ravaged by wildfires. Residents of La Canada Flintridge, California, fill sandbags to prepare heavy rains in the fire-affected area. \"Very heavy rain is likely over the Sierra Nevada and foothills from later today through Wednesday morning as a strong and very moist Pacific storm moves into the region,\" the National Weather Service said. Up to 8 inches of rain could fall in areas above 4,000 feet, it said. Forecasters described it as the first major storm of the season. The Santa Cruz County Office of Emergency Services issued a mandatory evacuation order for 60 homes in a section of Davenport, an unincorporated community north of Santa Cruz along the state's central coast. The San Lorenzo Valley high school, middle school, and elementary schools are closed, the county said. Many roads were flooding in Santa Cruz County, emergency management officials said. The area burned in the summer's Lockheed fire, increasing the chances of mudslides in the current storm. Wind gusts above 50 mph were reported from automated observation sites at high elevations, and rainfall was heavy over the Santa Cruz Mountains, the weather service said. Gusty winds were reported in the San Francisco Bay Area, but heavy rain there was expected to end by early evening. \"Although it has been very dry for a lengthy period of time, excessive amounts of rain of this magnitude may produce flooding in locations that normally do not flood during an early autumn rainfall,\" the weather service said. California's Emergency Management Agency was conducting conference calls with the National Weather Service to stay abreast of the latest reports, spokesman Greg Renick said. The agency had advised other agencies to make emergency preparations, he said. Sandbags have been positioned at vulnerable locations. \"We have activated the state Operations Center in Sacramento and also activated the centers in Los Alamitos and Oakland,\" Renick said. One major area of concern is the land burned by the Station wildfire in August and September, forecasters said. That 160,000-acre fire destroyed about 80 homes in Los Angeles County. \"The heavy rain will create favorable conditions for mud and rock slides over burn scars,\" said the weather service, which issued numerous flood watches and warnings. Forecasters said debris flows also were possible in or near areas burned by blazes such as the Big Meadows Fire in Yosemite National Park, the Power Fire in Tulare County and the fire in San Bernardino National Forest." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Evacuations ordered, schools closed near Santa Cruz .\nStorm is expected to dump as much as 8 inches of rain .\nStorm could hit parts of Southern California that the Station wildfire burned .\nResidents filled sandbags to prepare for flooding ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "OKAZAKI, Japan (CNN) -- At Spencer Morrey's home, there are two constant sounds: his dad, Craig, murmuring, \"You're okay, Spence. You're okay, buddy,\" and the sound of a machine clearing the toddler's airway. Spencer Morrey, pictured with his father Craig, has severe cerebral palsy and requires 24-hour medical care. Both sounds come every few minutes, in between hugs, tears and kisses. Spencer has severe cerebral palsy and requires constant, 24-hour medical care. In Japan, a country that lacks sufficient medical services for disabled children, the only person to care for Spencer is his father. Morrey says his wife left, overwhelmed by the strain of their son's medical condition. That would be pain beyond what most parents could imagine. But Spencer's mother fled while pregnant with Morrey's daughter, Amelia. In more than a year, Morrey says he has only seen his daughter four times. \"She wouldn't recognize me,\" Morrey said, with Spencer propped on his lap. \"She wouldn't call me daddy. She's just starting to talk now. But she's not going to know who I am. I think she deserves my love. And I think she deserves to be with Spencer and Spencer deserves to be with her.\" Morrey, a native of Chicago and a U.S. citizen, was married to a Brazilian woman of Japanese descent. They divorced in a Japanese court. Under Brazilian law, Morrey would likely have joint custody and guardianship of both children. What do you think about Spencer's case? Have your say . But in Japan, where only one parent gets custody of a child in a divorce, the family courts have left the case in legal limbo for a year because they have not decided which parent legally has custody of the children. Typically, the parent with physical custody of a child retains custody. Morrey has stayed in Japan the last year, trying to get the courts to recognize that he has joint custody of the children in Brazil (he has not yet applied for such custody under U.S. law). Watch Kyung Lah's report on the case » . He is afraid that if he heads home for the U.S. with Spencer without that, he could be subject to international child abduction laws, and he also fears such a move could hurt his chances of getting the Japanese family court to give him joint custody of his daughter. Morrey has been forced to quit work to care for Spencer. The financial strain of living off his credit cards is adding to the stress of caring for a disabled child alone in a foreign country. Despite his pleading with court mediators and repeated court filings claiming that joint custody is the law in both the U.S. and Brazil, Japan's slow and antiquated family courts have let the case languish. \"Kids need both parents,\" Morrey said. \"Whether the parents are married or not is irrelevant in my mind. The Japanese courts, and I realize you're going against years and years of cultural differences and everything else, but they don't care about the welfare of the child. \"In Japan, it's considered too messy. It's too complicated. It deals with personal feelings, so they don't want to deal with it. So the best way is to not deal with it.\" CNN contacted Morrey's ex-wife four times by telephone and once by fax. She declined to discuss the case. The International Association for Parent and Child Reunion believes there are an estimated 100 American families in situations like Morrey's in Japan and dozens involving those from Britain, France and Canada. One of those cases is that of American Christopher Savoie. Savoie, 38, a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen, was arrested on September 28 in Yanagawa, Japan, for attempting to abduct his two children, eight-year-old Isaac and six-year-old Rebecca. Watch more about this case » . Savoie drove his children to the nearest U.S. consulate in the city of Fukuoka to try and obtain passports for them. Steps away from the front of the consulate, Japanese police arrested him. Savoie is now in jail, awaiting a decision by prosecutors on a possible indictment. Savoie and his first wife, Noriko Savoie, were married for 14 years before their bitter divorce in January. According to court documents, she fled with the children to Japan in the summer. A U.S. court then gave Christopher Savoie sole custody of the children. But Japanese law recognizes Noriko Savoie as the sole custodian, despite the U.S. order. \"It's like a black hole,\" Morrey said. \"If you go through a divorce, there's this joke. If you have an international marriage with a Japanese, don't piss them off because you'll never see your kids again.\" Not seeing his daughter Amelia again is what is keeping Morrey in Japan. He has been selling off everything he owns, trying to keep himself and Spencer afloat, hoping the Japanese court will bring him some legal connection to his child. He is stuck choosing between caring for his son, who needs the better resources of the U.S., and hoping to be a father to his daughter. \"How do you make that choice? It's not -- once you're a dad, you're always a dad.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Craig Morrey's wife left him to care for their disabled son, Spencer, alone .\nHis wife has sole custody of the daughter she had shortly after .\nUnder Japanese law only one parent gets custody of a child in a divorce .\nUnder U.S. law Morrey would likely have joint custody of both children ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "YANAGAWA, Japan (CNN) -- Wearing a Nashville School of Law T-shirt, Christopher Savoie walked into a second-floor police interrogation room. In one corner, a stopwatch was running to hold him to the 15 minutes allotted for the interview. A Tennessee court awarded Christopher Savoie custody of his son, Isaac, and daughter, Rebecca. \"I'm so scared,\" he said. Savoie chose his words carefully, lest police Officer Toshihiro Tanaka cut short the rare interview Savoie was granted with CNN on Thursday. There were so many rules: No recording devices. No tough questions. Speak only in Japanese. \"I want Americans to know what's happening to me,\" Savoie continued in Japanese. \"I didn't do anything wrong. Children have the right to see both parents. It's very important for my children to know both parents.\" But Japanese authorities disagree. They have charged Savoie, 38, a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen, with kidnapping his two children -- 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca -- as his estranged wife, Noriko, was walking them to school Monday in Yanagawa, a rural town in southern Japan. Watch what else Savoie had to say » . He headed for the nearest U.S. consulate, in the city of Fukuoka, to try to obtain passports for the children, screaming at the guards to let him in the compound. He was steps away from the front gate but still standing on Japanese soil. Japanese police, alerted by his estranged wife, arrested him. The Savoies were divorced in Tennessee in January after 14 years of marriage. Christopher Savoie had visitation rights with his children, but after he returned from a short summer trip, his estranged wife fled to Japan with the children, according to court documents. A United States court then granted sole custody to Savoie. Watch why the case is complicated » . Japanese law, however, recognizes Noriko Savoie as the primary custodian, regardless of the U.S. court order. The law there also follows a tradition of sole custody divorces. When the couple splits, one parent typically makes a complete and lifelong break from the children. Complicating the matter further is the fact that the couple is still considered married in Japan, because they never divorced there, police said Wednesday. And, police said, the children are Japanese and have Japanese passports. A 1980 Hague Convention standardized laws on international child abduction. But Japan is not a party to that agreement. Savoie was out of luck. If a child in Japan is taken against the wishes of the recognized Japanese parent, the person who took the child is considered an abductor. \"Japanese people think she's the victim here,\" Savoie said. \"In the States, my ex-wife is the one who's in the wrong.\" U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley recognized this case as a difficult one. Even though the United States has strong ties with Japan, on this particular issue, the two nations' points of view could not differ more, he said. In Yanagawa, those who have heard about the abduction case tend to side with the woman. \"They belong with their real mother,\" said one woman, herself a mother of two children. But most have not heard of the case, because it has not been reported in local newspapers or on television. Savoie's attorney, Tadashi Yoshino, knows the cultural divide will be hard to overcome. \"He technically may have committed a crime according to Japanese law but he shouldn't be indicted,\" Yoshino said. \"He did it for the love of his children.\" Savoie, a law student who already has a Ph.D. and a M.D., will spend 10 days in jail while Japanese prosecutors sort out the details of the case. In the interrogation room, Savoie appeared exhausted. Tears welled in his eyes. He glanced over at the police officer, then paused to regain composure. \"I love you, Isaac, Rebecca,\" he said. \"Your daddy loves you forever. I'll be patient and strong until the day comes that I can see you both again. I am very sorry that I can't be with you.\" He was grateful be able to get the words out. Moments earlier, the interview had almost ended after Savoie blurted out in English: \"I love you,\" a message intended for his current wife, Amy, in Nashville. Then, as is Japanese custom, he bowed. And from the other side of the glass barrier, he gave a thumbs up, mouthing the words, \"Thank you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Man charged with abducting his own children denies committing breach .\nJapanese custom, law on custody differ sharply from those in U.S.\nJapan is not party to 1980 convention that standardized abduction laws .\nAll parties in current case are Japanese citizens ." } ]
[ { "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) -- As the man in the Dodgers jersey walked quickly around the perimeter of the infield, fans poured down from the bleachers begging for autographs. Pitbull says he learns from setbacks: \"Usually the negatives turned out to be the most positive for me.\" No, it wasn't home run king Manny Ramirez. It was Armando Christian Perez, the Cuban-American rapper better known as Pitbull. In five years, he's gone from a mouthy Miami street hustler to a chart-topping hip-hop star whose infectious Caribbean beats have enticed crossover audiences to swing their hips and sing along -- even taking on some of the words in Spanish. His fourth studio album, \"Rebelution,\" debuted in the Top 10 on the mainstream Billboard chart. But Pitbull's growing profile means nada as he takes the mound to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game. \"I'm the only Cuban who never picked up a baseball in his life,\" he said, preparing. He awkwardly winds up and releases the pitch. It falls short, bouncing on the ground before reaching the plate. \"One more try!\" he signals. The second attempt is closer to the mark. It's symbolic of Pit's career. \"It's not how you start. It's how you finish it,\" he likes to say. Watch how Pitbull leads his \"Rebelution\" » . Tommy Lasorda, the legendary Dodgers manager, is waiting to bust his chops as he leaves the infield. Later, we get the scoop on the conversation. (By the way, the Dodgers won that game.) CNN: Tommy Lasorda was out there giving you a little bit of grief. Pitbull: Tommy Lasorda told me, \"It was the worst throw I've ever seen in my life!\" I said, \"Well, I'll throw you in the studio. You rap, I'll play baseball.\" He goes, \"I'll rap a whole lot better than that throw!\" (Laughs) CNN: How much do you deflect things with humor? Pitbull: [Humor is] everything. Everything. Usually the negatives turned out to be the most positive for me. In the music industry, any other artist would have looked at the situation I was in and thought, \"Oh man, this is not for me.\" I looked at it more like [Darwin exploring] the Galápagos Islands. You know -- survival of the fittest. CNN: Were you a troublemaker growing up? Pitbull: Not a troublemaker. I'm sharp. Slick, if you want to call it. What the street taught me how to do is how to hustle. How to make something out of nothing. CNN: In the music industry, street cred may help an artist. Pitbull: Anybody who's made it out of the street -- they want to do this (places index finger over his lips). Shh. CNN: Even though some of the struggles are similar, there doesn't seem to be a lot of crossover between African-American hip-hop artists and Latin-American hip-hop artists. Pitbull: You can't get a Diddy or Jay-Z to speak to the Latins. It's not gonna happen. There's a force field where they said, \"OK, we're going to let you here -- but that's it.\" Diddy got the closest. Why? Because he had J. Lo. The only reason my grandmother knows Puff Daddy is because of J. Lo. But he couldn't cross that barrier. So as far as myself -- I guess I'm their role model. CNN: How much do you want to cross over? Pitbull: I have respect for Jay-Z and Diddy for what they did in the hip-hop game. But I want to be Celia Cruz. I want to be Gloria Estefan [both were born in Cuba]. I want to enterprise -- open clubs and restaurants. They've done it also -- but those are who I look up to. CNN: Your parents were both born in Cuba. Pitbull: They didn't want to leave Cuba! They would have stayed in Cuba. They didn't want to get out of there. There were forced out of that country. CNN: How did they come to Miami? Pitbull: My grandmother fought in the [Cuban] revolutionary war actually with Castro, because everybody thought that Batista was corrupt. I'm not saying that he wasn't, but it's almost like the lesser of two evils. [When she became disillusioned with the Castro government], my mother and my aunt got sent off in an operation called Peter Pan without their parents. She didn't see her mother for seven years. As far as my father -- he came over also. He didn't come in the Peter Pan, but they fled the country. CNN: Would you ever go to Cuba and play a concert there? Pitbull: No way. I'd never go to Cuba and play a concert. [I'd consider playing there] as soon as I know that it's confirmed that Castro's out of there. I mean, if you ask me, I think Castro's been dead for years. He handed power to Raúl, and he slips pictures here and there. He keeps giving these pictures to the media with the same shirt on -- same jacket, same everything. CNN: How do you feel about other artists of your generation who feel compelled to go and perform in Cuba as kind of an olive branch? Pitbull: Juanes just did it. Papa, you can't change Cuba. History will tell you that you can't change Cuba. I respect him as an artist -- he's like U2, the Bono of Spanish. I don't respect his decision. Maybe he doesn't really understand it at the end of the day because he's not Cuban. [Juanes is Colombian.] . But to each his own. There's too much suffering, too much pain from people who left that island, that have come over here and tried to change their life. CNN: Even though you were born in America, how much are you influenced by your Cuban roots? Pitbull: My mother, she's like, \"Look, you're American, son. You were born here in the States.\" My father? My father said, \"You're Cuban-American.\" My mother would call me Chris, because my middle name's Christian. My father would say, \"No, your name's Armando.\" But in my blood, what it tells me is, \"You're Cuban-American.\" The music is what makes you, the food is what makes you, the way you've been taught mentally." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Pitbull has had some crossover success; his new album debuted in Top 10 .\nHip-hop artist has Cuban heritage, has balanced that with American upbringing .\nHe says he's not fazed by failure: negatives can lead to positives, he says ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A single-engine airplane made an emergency landing on a California highway Sunday morning, though no major injuries were reported, authorities said. The Piper Comanche 260 carrying a married couple landed on the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101. The Piper Comanche 260 carrying a married couple landed on the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 just outside Santa Barbara and a few miles from the airport, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer James Richards. The plane's engine quit, and as the pilot descended, he lost control of the plane and landed in the southbound lane facing oncoming traffic. The plane struck two vehicles while landing, then spun and hit another one with its tail, Richards said. One vehicle passenger was treated for minor injuries, he said. No other injuries were reported. The landing happened at 10:36 a.m. (1:36 p.m. ET) and held up traffic for less than two hours, Richards said. He added that the plane had departed Temecula in southwestern Riverside County, California, and was destined for the airport in Santa Barbara, a flight of about 180 miles. The pilot told authorities that he attempted to switch fuel lines during the flight, but was unable to restore power to the plane. He said he alerted a tower at the airport that a landing on the highway was imminent, Richardson said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Piper Comanche 260 carrying a married couple landed on U.S. Highway 101 .\nPlane's engine quit, pilot lost control; landed in south lane facing oncoming traffic .\nPlane struck two vehicles while landing, then spun and hit another one with its tail ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Somalia said a senior al Qaeda operative tied to several attacks in East Africa was killed Monday in a U.S. strike in southern Somalia. Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan, pictured on the FBI's Web site, reportedly was tied to al Qaeda's East Africa operations. Intelligence sources have confirmed to the Somali government that Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan was killed, Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle said Tuesday. \"We welcome that attack because those people targeted were murderers, and they are unwanted and unwelcome in Somalia,\" Gelle said. Nabhan's death will have \"a major impact\" on al Qaeda's operations in the Horn of Africa, according to one regional analyst. U.S. special operations forces used a helicopter to fire on a car Monday in southern Somalia, killing several people, including one they believed was Nabhan, U.S. officials told CNN earlier. Nabhan, 30, was born in Kenya and had been tied to attacks that included the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, according to the sources. More than 200 were killed, and 4,000 wounded in those attacks, most of them Kenyans. The United States targeted Nabhan in an airstrike in southern Somalia near the Kenyan border in March 2008, U.S. officials said at the time. In February 2006, the FBI announced that Nabhan was wanted for questioning in connection with the 2002 suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel and the unsuccessful attack on an Israeli charter jet in Mombasa, Kenya. Ten Kenyans and three Israelis -- including two children -- were killed when three suicide bombers detonated a car bomb outside Mombasa's Paradise Hotel in November 2002. The bombing took place within minutes of an unsuccessful missile attack on an Israeli charter jet, which was taking off with 261 passengers and 10 crew members. President Obama signed off on Monday's operation, a senior U.S. official said. The United States had been monitoring the situation for days and had intelligence that Nabhan was in the area, the U.S. officials said. The officials who talked to CNN are familiar with the latest information on Monday's strike but did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The U.S. helicopter flew from a U.S. Navy warship offshore, while the ship kept watch on the operation, one of the sources said. The warship was ready to rescue the American troops if they got into trouble. Farmers in the southeastern town of Barawe, Somalia, said they witnessed the assault. They said helicopters attacked a car and its occupants and that at least two people died. The witnesses said some helicopters landed and that some of the injured or dead were pulled into at least one helicopter. A U.S. official said the troops landed to take away the body believed to be that of Nabhan for positive identification. Nabhan is believed to be an associate of al Qaeda member Harun Fazul, who was indicted in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies. The U.S. military has long sought Nabhan because he is believed to be deeply involved in al Qaeda's East African operations, a senior U.S. official said last year. \"He was certainly one of the leading al Qaeda figures in East Africa,\" said Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst for the International Crisis Group, an independent advisory and analysis organization. Nabhan \"has been living in the shadows\" in Somalia and not much is known about his recent activity, Abdi said. \"The fact that he is now out of the picture will have a bigger impact on al Qaeda than on Al-Shabaab,\" he said, referring to the Islamist militia in Somalia that has ties to al Qaeda. \"He is a man with an important organizational memory, and if a key figure like him is killed, it always has a major impact.\" Al-Shabaab is waging a bloody battle against Somalia's transitional government and is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations because of its al Qaeda ties. There are growing concerns that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA Director Leon Panetta recently said the intelligence agency is keeping tabs on the region as a possible destination for fleeing al Qaeda operatives. Journalist Mohammed Amiin Adow and CNN's David McKenzie, Barbara Starr and Ed Henry contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Analyst calls operative \"one of the leading al Qaeda figures in East Africa\"\nAl Qaeda operative Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan killed, Somali official says .\nU.S. special operations forces fired on car from chopper in Somalia, U.S. officials say .\nOfficials: Man tied to 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A man dubbed \"the Field Marshal\" by one advocacy group for alleged third-world arms dealing has been arrested on charges that he conspired to illegally export U.S. F-5 fighter jet engines and parts to Iran. An Iranian F-5 fighter jet lands in southern Iran during a military exercise on June 23, 2009. Jacques Monsieur, 56, a Belgium native who currently lives in France, was arrested Friday in New York, officials said. An indictment also charges Dara Fotouhi, 54, an Iranian living in France, with participating in the alleged crime. Fotouhi remains at large, official said. Monsieur pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Wednesday in Mobile, Alabama, where he is being held. He and Fotouhi are charged with conspiracy, money laundering and smuggling, as well as violations of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. According to the indictment and an affidavit filed in the case, both are experienced arms dealers who have been actively working with the Iranian government to procure military items. The F-5 Freedom Fighter, also called the Tiger, is built by Northrop and is used by the U.S. military for training. It is also sold overseas as a combat aircraft. The F-5 engine and parts are listed on the U.S. Munitions List and may not be exported from the United States without a license from the State Department, said John Morton, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and they can not be exported to Iran without a license from the Treasury Department. In a 2002 report by the Center for Public Integrity, a citizen advocacy group, Monsieur was nicknamed \"the Field Marshal\" for allegedly acting as a middle-man in numerous arms deals with war-torn countries. The center's report said Monsieur is \"believed to be among the biggest arms traffickers in Europe\" and said he \"violated a United Nations embargo by shipping arms to Bosnia and Croatia during the long, bloody conflict in those countries, with the approval, he later claimed, of both the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the ... French domestic intelligence service.\" Morton said his agency launched an investigation in February when Monsieur contacted an undercover federal agent and indicated he wanted to buy engines for F-5 or C-130 aircraft for export to Iran. In subsequent e-mails to the agent, Monsieur requested engines for F-5 jet fighters. Officials said the engines could be used as replacements in fighters sold to Iran by the United States before the imposition of sanctions in 1995. In March, Monsieur met with the undercover agent in Paris and again requested engines and parts, the indictment alleges. They met again in May in London, where Monsieur introduced Fotouhi as a business associate and again discussed the export of F-5 engines to Iran, according to the indictment. During this negotiation, it says, Monsieur and Fotouhi asked the agent if he could use U.S. shipping or export authorization documents that falsely indicated the items were going to Colombia. In July, Monsieur and Fotouhi wired about $110,000 from a bank in the United Arab Emirates to one in Mobile, Alabama, the indictment says. \"The two believed the funds would be used for the purchase of F-5 aircraft parts,\" Morton said. Monsieur indicated he would deposit an additional $300,000 as a down payment for the purchase of two jet engines. \"This is part of our long-standing efforts to ensure that sensitive military equipment is not exported in violation of U.S. law and against the international interests of the United States,\" Morton said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A man dubbed \"the Field Marshal\" allegedly tried to get F-5 engine parts for Iran .\nF-5 built by Northrop; used by U.S. military for training; used overseas for combat .\nImmigration and Customs Enforcement launched investigation .\nArrest part efforts to stop improper export of sensitive military equipment ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Obama administration is working on a substantial sanctions package against Iran in case current diplomatic efforts to curb its nuclear program fail, top officials told Congress on Tuesday. Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Levy also developed some of the existing financial sanctions against Iran. Under Secretary of the Treasury Stuart Levy, who developed some of the existing financial sanctions against Iran under the Bush administration, said at a Senate Banking Committee hearing that the \"comprehensive\" plan would target \"key vulnerabilities and fissures\" in Iran to show Tehran that it would face \"serious costs\" for thwarting international demands. \"It takes into account that no single sanction is a 'silver bullet'; we will need to impose measures simultaneously in many different forms in order to be effective,\" Levy said. He stressed, however, that the United States would be mindful of actions that would harm the Iranian people or undercut the opposition battling the Iranian government. The hearing comes as some members of Congress push for tougher U.S. sanctions on the Iranian regime in light of the recent revelation that Iran was building a second uranium enrichment facility near Qom, a dramatic development that jacked up tension between Iran and international powers. During talks last week in Geneva, Switzerland, between Iranian officials and representatives of the so-called P5+1 -- the United States, Britain, France, German, Russia and China -- Iran agreed to admit inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Qom facility. Tehran also agreed \"in principle\" to ship its low-enriched uranium produced in Iran to third countries for further enrichment for a nuclear reactor used for medical research. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg told the panel Tuesday that one reason for the Obama administration's engagement toward Iran was to secure international support for sanctions if Iran continued to defy international demands. Last week's talks, he said, shined a \"spotlight\" on Iran that makes inaction more costly. Levy also stressed that an international coalition was key to keeping pressure on Iran. \"Because financial measures are most effective when imposed as part of a broad-based effort with support of the largest possible international coalition, we are working closely with our allies as we put together this strategy,\" he said. \"The less united we are in applying pressure, the greater the risk our measures will not have the impact we seek.\" Several lawmakers expressed doubt that Iran would negotiate in good faith and threatened legislation to impose tough new sanctions against Tehran. Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Connecticut, said he planned to move forward this month on a proposal to expand financial restrictions, impose new sanctions on Iran's oil and gas sectors and ban both the export of refined gasoline products to Iran and the import of Iranian goods. Steinberg said the United States and its allies will judge Iran's seriousness about the talks by whether it makes good on its commitments to ship the uranium out of the country and admit the IAEA inspectors, who are expected to visit the Qom facility October 25. \"By the end of the month, we will have some very clear indications of what their intentions are,\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Comprehensive\" plan would target \"key vulnerabilities,\" official says .\nBut U.S. would be mindful of actions that would harm Iranian people, he says .\nInternational coalition is key to keeping pressure up, diplomat says ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(The Frisky) -- Last weekend at a party, I noticed a toad-like man attaching himself to a beautiful, talented friend of mine. Not only was she way out of his league, looks-wise, but as I eavesdropped I discovered he was one of those dudes who delivers endless monologues instead of engaging in actual conversations. Too many women are afraid to say, \"No,\" says author. Ladies, I think we've all been stuck with that guy. Now it was my friend's turn. I could tell by her stunned look of horror that she wanted nothing to do with him, but she seemed frozen. My pal Ivan and I tried to intervene. \"Let's go get some cake,\" we suggested, physically pulling her from his side. Her relief was short-lived as he tracked her down and reattached himself to her hip. Watching her go through this made me think back on how many times I've been afraid to say no. Maybe \"afraid\" is the wrong word, but I've spent hours worrying about offending men who would've had no problem offending me if the situation were reversed. So I was thrilled when a copy of the hilarious book, \"The Power of NO: How to Keep Blowhards and Bozos at Bay\" landed on my doorstep. As the title suggests, TPON is about learning to not only say no, but to embrace no, something women seem to have an inexplicably harder time doing than men. I shot off an email to author Beth Wareham asking her why we womenfolk find it so painful to blow-off a troll. \"The psycho-sexual-societal bulls--t that makes women be such wimps in the face of an odious man is in our DNA. And young women often make the dreadful mistake of thinking everyone has to like them,\" she fired back. The Frisky: 13 Woman you're dating is a loser . \"I believe that some dumb guy bugging you is a great moment to really march out a lie,\" she continues. \"I mean, really, who goes around harassing strangers? Say, 'I have herpes.' Say, 'I am a hermaphrodite.' Say any damn thing you want to say but get him out of your face. You have ONE LIFE. Don't give chunks of it to this kind of dude!\" The Frisky: I'm just not that into anyone anymore . But for some guys -- and, let's face it, girls, too -- the word \"no\" can have an opposite effect, acting as an aphrodisiac. Wareham says, \"Human beings want what they do not and cannot have.\" But sometimes you mean it! In that case, a persistent leghumper should be ignored, or reported to the cops if he gets stalky. \"Don't answer. It's your door, your cell. And, if it gets too bad, try 911,\" she advises. \"You wouldn't let anyone else harass you like that, would you?\" The Frisky: Are these dating habits cute or crazy? Okay, so how about the Ambiguous Dater -- the cute guy who wants to \"hang out,\" but never seems to make any plans. \"No hanging out, ever,\" Wareham insists. \"If the guy can't think up an interesting date and find $40.00 bucks for a burrito and movie, no go. Dating should never be 'hanging out.' Save that for marriage.\" The Frisky: How to deal with ambiguous dater . How about dumping someone, I asked. How do you do that nicely? \"I am not the woman to ask if you want kindly, \" Wareham replied. \"But, I do know this, keep the tone friendly. The less you imbue language with strong emotion, the better. I once said, 'Dude, it was way fun and I learned lots. But you yelled Mommy! during sex.' That happened to me, by the way.\" Hey, wait a minute . . . I once said yes to that guy too! The Frisky: How to know when it's time to dump him . TM & © 2009 TMV, Inc. \| All Rights Reserved ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Women hesitate to say no out of fear they will offend men, columnist says .\n\"The Power of NO: How to Keep Blowhards and Bozos at Bay\" has tips on saying no .\nAuthor: The word \"no\" can act as an aphrodisiac for some men .\nWhen saying, 'No\" keep the tone friendly, but emotion-free, writer says ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Climate change is happening faster than previously predicted according to a new World Wildlife Fund report. The WWF say climate change threat has worsened in the 15 months since the IPCC last reported. Bringing together some of the most recent scientific reports and data, \"Climate change: faster, stronger, sooner\" reveals that global warming is accelerating more rapidly than the predictions made in the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report published in 2007. One of the most concerning aspects of recent data is evidence that, in some places, the Arctic Ocean is losing sea ice 30 years ahead of current IPCC predictions. Summer sea ice is now forecasted to completely disappear in the summer months sometime between 2013 and 2040 -- something which hasn't happened for over a million years. The report's author, geoscientist Dr Tina Tin told CNN: \"Arctic sea ice is melting much faster than everybody had been expecting. Why? Well, maybe it's because the positive feedback mechanisms have kicked in much quicker than we have been able to quantify.\" Positive feedback mechanisms amplify changes occurring in the climate. In the case of the Arctic region there is a sort of vicious circle of warming occurring. White ice sheets perform an important function in moderating global temperature by reflecting heat from the sun back into space. But they have begun to melt as the earth has warmed. The result is more dark sea water which absorbs heat, which in turn warms the earth more and encourages further melting. Globally, sea levels are now expected to rise more than double the IPCC's most recent forecast of 0.59 meters before the end of the century. This will put millions of people in coastal regions at risk. World food production is also feeling the heat as yields of wheat, maize and barley had dwindled in recent months. In Europe, ecosystems in the North and Baltic Sea are believed to be experiencing their warmest temperatures since records began. And the Mediterranean is likely to experience an increased frequency of droughts. The WWF report also highlights a 2007 study conducted by the British Antarctic Survey. \"Widespread acceleration of tidewater glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula\" concluded that floating tide-water glaciers on the peninsula are losing ice faster and making a greater contribution to global sea level rise than was previously thought. Earlier this month, the WWF highlighted the impact that global warming is likely to have on Antarctic penguin colonies. According to Dr Tin, more Antarctic data is due to be published next year when the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research publish their findings. Scheduled for release in spring 2009 the \"Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment\" is expected to reveal more evidence of damaging climate effects on the continent. While Dr Tin says that it is true that parts of the Antarctic are not warming or perhaps even cooling, the Western Antarctic Peninsula has experienced some of the most rapid increases in warming. \"Over the past 50 years, it has warmed more than four times faster than the average rate of Earth's overall warming,\" Dr Tin said. But Dr Tin remains unsure whether this most recent climate data represents the beginning of a tipping point. \"We think there are possibly tipping points ahead and some scientists, in terms of the Arctic sea ice, think we have probably gone past the tipping point. But it's very difficult to get a strong handle on,\" she said. Nevertheless, she describes her report as a \"sobering overview\" which \"comes at a critical time during the political negotiations of the European Union's climate and energy package\". Newly elected Vice Chair of the IPCC and climate scientist, Jean-Pascal van Ypersele endorsed the WWF publication. \"It is clear that climate change is already having a greater impact than most scientists had anticipated, so it's vital that international mitigation and adaptation responses become swifter and more ambitious,\" van Ypersele said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "World Wildlife Fund report says climate change is happening faster than predicted .\nDr Tina Tin: \"Arctic sea ice melting much faster than everybody had been expecting\"\nIPCC Vice Chair: \"climate change is already having a greater impact than predicted\"" } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ASUNCION, Paraguay (CNN) -- The World Health Organization plans to send 2 million vaccines to Paraguay by Sunday after yellow fever emerged there for the first time in 34 years. Anxiety has gripped the South American nation of 7 million since authorities confirmed the first cases of yellow fever there last month. The disease has killed seven people and prompted the government to declare a three-month state of emergency. The government's health ministry is scrambling to find doses for a massive vaccination campaign. Nearby Brazil already has sent 1 million vaccines. The World Health Organization's shipment of 2 million doses is scheduled to arrive on Saturday or Sunday, according to a report Friday in the Paraguay's national news agency, Jakueke. Protesters have closed roads and started fires amid news reports that health workers were vaccinating certain politicians in their homes. \"I categorically reject these kinds of irresponsible allegations,\" said Health Minister Oscar Martinez Doldan. Meanwhile, some people have endured long waits for vaccines in sweltering heat. \"Citizens pay taxes for our health and education, but there are no vaccines here,\" Cynthia Shaerer, told CNN. \"We don't need speeches here. We need vaccines.\" \"I want the president to tell me,\" another said. \"If we are going to die, who is responsible?\" People contract yellow fever from the bite of an infected mosquito. The disease causes fever, muscle pain, headaches, shivering, nausea and vomiting, the World Health Organization says. Most people improve after three or four days, but some enter a second \"toxic\" phase that causes fever, jaundice and blood in the vomit, the health organization says. About half of the people who enter the second phase of yellow fever die within 10 days. There is no treatment, so medical authorities recommend vaccinations. Yellow fever typically is found in tropical regions of Africa and Latin America. Most of the seven deaths in Paraguay happened in the town of San Lorenzo, about 12 miles (20 km) from the capital city of Asuncion. The public-health crisis comes two months before scheduled elections in Paraguay. Some analysts say it presents a delicate situation for the ruling Colorado Party, which has held power for 60 years. E-mail to a friend ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "W.H.O., nearby nations, rush vaccines to Paraguay after yellow fever outbreak .\nIllness, which causes fever, muscle pain, headaches, has killed 7 so far .\nProtests amid claims that politicians have been given vaccines in their homes .\nOutbreak, first in 34 years, comes two months before scheduled elections ." } ]
[ { "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) -- A pharmacist testified that he warned Anna Nicole Smith's doctors and boyfriend that a list of medications intended for Smith a week after her son's death could be \"pharmaceutical suicide.\" Anna Nicole Smith, with Howard K. Stern, was found dead in her hotel room in February 2007. The former Playboy model and reality TV star died five months later of what a Florida medical examiner ruled was from \"acute combined drug intoxication.\" Ira Freeman, the chief pharmacist at Key Pharmacy in Los Angeles, testified on the seventh day of a preliminary hearing for Howard K. Stern -- Smith's lawyer and companion -- and co-defendants Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor. The three are charged with an illegal conspiracy to prescribe, administer and dispense controlled substances to an addict. Stern faces 11 felony counts, and the doctors were charged with six each. They are not charged in her death. Smith's death in a Hollywood, Florida, hotel on February 8, 2007, came just five months after the birth of her daughter, Dannielynn, and the sudden death of her 20-year-old son, Daniel, on September 10, 2006. Freeman testified that Kapoor faxed to him a list of six drugs that Eroshevich wanted to be sent to the Bahamas, where Eroshevich was treating Smith for anxiety and depression in the days after her son's death. \"The more I thought about it, the more concern I had that if she got hold of those medications, it could have fatal consequences\" Freeman said. The pharmacist said the dosages of the drugs were \"not appropriate.\" Freeman said he consulted Dr. Greg Thompson, a pharmaceutical expert, who agreed with him and who offered to talk with Eroshevich about the dangers. Freeman said Thompson later told him that he found Eroshevich, a psychiatrist, to be \"way out of her league\" in her requests for strong drugs for Smith. At the time, Smith was holed up in her home in the Bahamas mourning her son's death. Her bodyguard said in earlier testimony that the home was under siege by photographers, keeping Smith inside with her windows covered. Thompson recommended to Eroshevich that she \"forget the paparazzi and get her to a hospital\" if she needed all of those drugs, Freeman said. Freeman said the stress of the publicity after Smith's death affected his own health, especially after the celebrity Web site TMZ.com published a copy of the faxed list of medications in question. Under questioning by the defense, Freeman said that over the previous five years he had filled prescriptions for Smith, he never saw any \"red flags\" that she was getting dangerous amounts of drugs. Charges against the three defendants also include the use of false names on prescriptions. Freeman said he always understood that prescriptions written under the pseudonym \"Michelle Chase\" were intended for Smith. It was a practice begun in 2001, three years before Kapoor or Eroshevich began treating her, to prevent \"trouble for her in terms of her celebrity status,\" Freeman said. After the preliminary hearing, which could last about three weeks, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry will decide whether a trial will be held. In earlier testimony, Smith's part-time bodyguard Maurice Brighthaupt said \"she just didn't want to deal with life after the death of her son.\" Brighthaupt described Smith as \"manipulative\" when she wanted something. \"She manipulated Dr. Eroshevich,\" he said. Eroshevich, a Los Angeles psychiatrist, traveled to the Bahamas five or six times in 2006 to attend to Smith, he said. They had a mother-daughter friendship, not a doctor-patient relationship, Brighthaupt said. The doctor sometimes substituted placebos for the tray full of pills Smith regularly took for her complaints of pain and depression, he said. \"She was very concerned that we needed to wean her off the medications,\" Brighthaupt said. California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement Special Agent Danny Santiago testified that investigators found 12 prescription drugs, including dangerous opiates, in Smith's hotel room after her death. Seven of them were prescribed using Stern's name, although spelled \"Stearn,\" he said. A series of affidavits used by state investigators to obtain search warrants in their 2½-year inquiry was unsealed last month, revealing many details of the prosecution's case." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Testimony given at preliminary hearing for model's doctors, lawyer .\nPharmacist says he was faxed list of drugs that doctor wanted for Smith .\nHe found dosages \"not appropriate,\" he testifies .\nPharmacist says expert thought one doctor was \"way out of her league\"" } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Al Qaeda's second-in-command called on Pakistanis to back Islamic militants in the country's tribal areas against what he called an ongoing assault by American \"crusaders\" and the Pakistani army. Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri appears in a video released on September 2, 2006. Punishment from God was promised for Muslims who did not follow the words of Ayman al-Zawahiri in a video that appeared on radical Islamist Web sites Thursday. \"The war in the tribal areas and Swat [Valley] is an inseparable part of the crusaders' assault on the Muslims the length and breadth of the Islamic world,\" al-Zawahiri said in the video, titled \"Path of Doom.\" \"This is the battle, briefly and plainly; and this is why anyone who supports the Americans and Pakistan army -- under any pretext, ploy or lie -- is in fact standing with, backing and supporting the crusaders against Islam and Muslims.\" The Pakistani military is fighting Taliban militants in the country's north, and missile attacks from suspected U.S. drones have targeted militant leaders -- one of them killing Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban. Reports from the region suggest government troops have dislodged the Taliban from many areas of the North West Frontier Province, but militant attacks continue daily. In the video, Al-Zawahiri suggested that the United States has wider goals in the region. \"They want to eliminate the Mujahedeen (Islamic militants) in the tribal areas so they can seek to smother the Jihad in Afghanistan,\" he said. NATO-led forces are battling the Taliban across the border in Afghanistan as well. U.S. and British forces launched offensives in Helmand province this summer. Al-Zawahiri warned Muslims that they have a religious duty to support the jihad, or struggle, or face punishment from God. \"No people abandons Jihad without Allah giving them a general punishment,\" he said, quoting the Quran. Al-Zawahiri also prayed for the annihilation \"the Americans and Jews\" and anyone who might help them." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Al Qaeda's second-in-command calls Pakistanis to back Islamic militants in video .\nThe Pakistani military is fighting Taliban militants in the country's north .\nVideo, in which Ayman al-Zawahiri speaks, appeared on radical Islamist Web sites ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The National Organization for Women has sharply criticized comedian David Letterman, accusing him of promoting a hostile, uncomfortable work environment. David Letterman's behavior with employees has created \"a toxic environment\" in the workplace, NOW says. \"The latest Letterman controversy sheds new light on the widespread objectification of women in the workplace,\" NOW said in a statement Tuesday. \"Most women can attest to the fact that many workplaces are plagued with inappropriate behavior by men in power.\" The \"Late Show With David Letterman\" host admitted last week on his CBS program that he had sex with unnamed employees and had testified about those liaisons before a New York grand jury as part of an alleged extortion attempt. A CBS producer, Robert \"Joe\" Halderman, is accused of threatening to go public with embarrassing information about Letterman's private life unless the 62-year-old funnyman ponied up $2 million. Watch NOW's president slam Letteman, CBS » . Letterman made a public apology Monday to his wife, Regina Lasko, who, he said, had been \"horribly hurt by my behavior.\" He said he is trying to repair that relationship. \"Either you're going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you're going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed, so let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me,\" Letterman told the audience Monday night. Letterman married Lasko in March, and they have a 5-year-old son together. All the affairs took place before the marriage, Letterman's production company has said. One of the women who engaged in a sexual relationship with Letterman was identified as Stephanie Birkitt, an assistant to the talk show host and also a former live-in girlfriend of Halderman. Letterman spokesman Tom Keaney said that Birkitt is on a paid leave of absence from the show. NOW said Letterman's behavior was inappropriate in the workplace, saying all employees should be respected for their talent and skills. \"Recent developments in the David Letterman extortion controversy have raised serious issues about the abuse of power leading to an inappropriate, if not hostile, workplace environment for women and employees,\" NOW said in Tuesday's statement. Men such as Letterman make decisions on hiring and firing, who gets raises, who advances and who does entry-level tasks, NOW said. \"As 'the boss,' he is responsible for setting the tone for his entire workplace -- and he did that with sex. In any work environment, this places all employees -- including employees who happen to be women -- in an awkward, confusing and demoralizing situation,\" the group said. \"The National Organization for Women calls on CBS to recognize that Letterman's behavior creates a toxic environment and to take action immediately to rectify this situation. With just two women on CBS' board of directors, we're not holding our breath.\" Those board members are Shari Redstone, vice chairwoman of the board and president of National Amusements Inc., which operates motion picture screens, and Linda Griego, president and chief executive of Griego Enterprises Inc., a business management company. CBS airs \"Late Show With David Letterman,\" which Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants Inc., produces." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NOW calls David Letterman's behavior inappropriate in the workplace .\nLetterman on air admitted to sex with employees, apologized to wife .\nFeminist group urges CBS \"to take action immediately\"\nCBS producer accused in extortion plot against talk-show host ." } ]
[ { "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 on Friday urged stiff punishment for those who \"orchestrated and provoked\" the \"painful\" unrest after the June 12 presidential election, according to Iran's state-run Press TV. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said there is no evidence that would undermine the election results. \"I call upon security and judicial officials to decisively and mercilessly act with those who committed inhumane acts in the guise of the friends (of the establishment) since they inflicted damage on people and tarnished the image of the establishment, security and police forces,\" said Ahmadinejad, who made the remarks in a pre-sermon speech to Friday prayers. The government declared Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner in the disputed June 12 election. The protests sparked a government crackdown that led to thousands of arrests, scores of injuries and at least 30 deaths. Judiciary officials say most of those arrested were released, though several dozen face charges as part of the mass trials. In his remarks Friday, Ahmadinejad said there has been no evidence found that would undermine the election results and he criticized Western nations for interfering in Iran's internal affairs before and after the election." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Urged stiff punishment for those who \"orchestrated and provoked\" unrest .\nAhmadinejad declared the overwhelming winner in the disputed June 12 vote .\nProtests sparked a government crackdown that led to thousands of arrests ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BROOKLINE, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Seth Barrett really enjoys his work. \"I love the variety of projects,\" he says. \"I love a new puzzle every day.\" Seth Barrett is surrounded by scores of projects in his shop, \"Village Green Renewal.\" He's at his workbench, chisel in hand, shaving bits of wood from one of several chairs brought into his repair shop by a customer. \"She asked me to give them some attention and get them to stay together,\" Barrett says. His shop, \"Village Green Renewal,\" will fix almost anything that can fit in the front door, as long as it doesn't require any kind of special licensing or permits. Barrett hopes that by getting people to repair items instead of replacing them with new ones, it will mean less trash heading for the landfill. \"The aim of the business is really about bringing back a traditional approach to conservation,\" says Barrett, \"because, clearly, the single best way to be green is to re-use the things that we already have.\" Watch Barrett in his shop » . His small shop is tucked into a corner of a building in Brookline, Massachusetts, on the outskirts of Boston. Old glass doorknobs, brass curtain rings and even a 1930s stove are some of the many functional and non-functional items that decorate the walls, cases and every corner. From his workbench, Barrett has a clear view of the pedestrians who pass by. \"Everybody who walks past the window smiles, without fail,\" he says, and customers seem to be responding to this unique and somewhat old-fashioned business. \"I think people are really excited too about the prospect of being able to repair these things that have been sitting in their basement forever that were once really special to them, and are, now, almost a sore spot, because it's just getting dusty and getting no attention.\" A customer enters. \"I found another chair for you,\" says Beth Harris, hoisting a black and white chair into the shop. She has an old house and if she's not bringing in a set of chairs that need mending, she might be in looking for an unusual hardware item that Barrett probably has. \"It's great to have a resource that's right in the neighborhood,\" Harris says. Toasters, chairs and lamps are some of the things Barrett commonly fixes. But, occasionally, an odd item like a fancy purse or an old typewriter comes in. \"The more interesting the item is, the more time I'll spend on it off the clock,\" Barrett says. If he's really intrigued by the repair, he says, \"I sit and keep playing with this thing because it's cool.\" What would be the most unusual request? \"The pigs win it, hands down,\" Barrett says, referring to a pair of leather pigs that needed some serious stitching up. He worked on them for many more hours than he actually billed because he enjoyed figuring out how to do it. Besides, as Barrett points out, \"How often do you see two giant leather pigs?\" For years, Barrett worked in large construction projects, renovating houses and building additions, but there was something about it that bothered him. \"I've always been made upset by all the bits of construction that go in the trash, and all the interesting stuff is overlooked because it takes time,\" he says. \"Large-scale construction is fraught with tremendous waste and no time to attention and beauty.\" That's what draws him to these small, simple projects -- not only is he providing a service, but he also is an integral part of the community he grew up in, his home being about 700 feet away from the shop. Barrett feels a bond with many of his customers, because every item that comes in has a story that comes with it, and he's more than happy to hear that story. He enjoys working with the small details and says his job is very peaceful. \"I'm not trying to change the world. I'm just trying to bring something beautiful to my little corner of it.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Village Green Renewal\" aims to fix most anything that is brought in .\nShop owner says repairing items will result in less junk for landfills .\nEvery once in a while, odd items -- like leather pigs -- are brought in .\nItems that arrive at the shop are often accompanied by a story ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- Stalinist North Korea deployed new medium-range ballistic missiles and expanded special forces training during 2008, South Korea's defense ministry reported. North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il . The missiles can travel about 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles), possibly putting U.S. military bases in the Pacific Ocean territory of Guam within striking distance, the Ministry of National Defense said in its 2008 Defense White Paper, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Monday. The paper, published after weeks of delay, calls the North's 1.2 million-strong military an \"immediate and grave threat,\" according to Yonhap. The report adds that the North has recently bolstered its naval forces, reinforcing submarines and developing new torpedoes, in addition to increasing its special forces training after reviewing U.S. military tactics in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tension between Pyongyang and Seoul has increased in recent weeks, with North Korea announcing it would scrap peace agreements with the South, warning of a war on the Korean peninsula and threatening to test a missile capable of hitting the western United States. U.S. and South Korean officials have said that North Korea appears to be preparing to test-fire its long-range missile, the Taepodong-2. Pyongyang tested one of the missiles in 2006, but it failed 40 seconds after launch. The missile is thought to have an intended range of about 4,200 miles (6,700 kilometers), which if true, could give it the capability of striking Alaska or Hawaii. North Korea has been involved in what is known as the six-party talks with the United States, Japan, Russia, South Korea and China, which is an effort to end the nation's nuclear program, which the U.S. says is linked to nuclear weapons. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who returned from Asia on Sunday after her first overseas trip in the post, recently called North Korea's nuclear program \"the most acute challenge to stability in northeast Asia.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "New missiles can travel about 3,000 kilometers .\nWeapons could reach Alaska or U.S. bases on Guam .\nTensions on Korean peninsula running high ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- A Somali teen who left Minnesota to return to his native country last November has been reported killed. The 17-year-old, who was not named, was reportedly killed Friday in artillery fire in the violence-ravaged nation's capital of Mogadishu, said the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The center is asking federal officials for help in bringing the teen's body back to the United States for burial, executive director Omar Jamal said. The teen was among a group of young Somali-American men who left Minneapolis last year and were feared recruited by the extremist group, al-Shabaab, that has ties to al Qaeda, according to the U.S. State Department. Al-Shabaab is blamed for a surge of violence in Somalia, as insurgents group fight the government to implement sharia, a stricter form of Islamic law. The rebel group has said it has recruited many fighters in its battle. Al-Shabaab, also known as the Mujahedeen Youth Movement, was officially designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in March 2008. In October, Shirwa Ahmed, 27, a Somali-American who had been radicalized by al-Shabaab in his adopted home state of Minnesota, traveled to Somalia and blew himself up and 29 others. The incident, the first-ever suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen, raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community. Somalis began arriving in the United States in significant numbers after the U.S. intervention in Somalia's humanitarian crisis in 1992. The Somali-American population is now concentrated in clusters primarily in Minneapolis; Columbus, Ohio; Seattle, Washington and San Diego, California. The potential recruitment of young Somali-American men has been made possible by \"a number of factors that come together when a dynamic, influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men,\" Andrew Liepman, deputy director for intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center, said earlier this year. Many refugees, he said, \"lack structure and definition in their lives\" and are \"torn between their parents' traditional tribal and clan identities, and the new cultures and traditions offered by American society.\" CNN's Chris Welch in Minneapolis contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "17-year-old who left Minnesota to return to Somalia feared killed in Mogadishu .\nGroup of Somali men left state in 2008, feared recruited by al Qaeda-linked group .\nSomali Justice Advocacy Center asks feds for help to get body returned for U.S. burial ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The number of people killed in a car bombing in Afghanistan's capital rose to 26, including six Italian soldiers, Afghan authorities said Saturday. The coffins of six Italian soldiers killed in a suicide attack in Kabul return to Rome. Sixteen people died in the blast Thursday, and at least 55 Afghan civilians were wounded. Ten have died from their injuries since the bombing. The explosion Thursday targeted a mostly residential area near the Supreme Court in Kabul, a witness said. The bodies of the Italian soldiers killed in the blast returned to Italy Sunday, their coffins draped in the red, green and white Italian flag. Dignitaries, relatives and row upon row of uniformed troops stood on the airport tarmac as the coffins were carried off the plane, television pictures from the scene showed. Watch more about Italy in mourning » . Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano gently touched the caskets perched on the shoulders of grim-faced soldiers at Rome's Ciampino military airport. Nearby, a woman shook uncontrollably as a baby sported a maroon beret -- the kind worn by the paratroopers killed in the Kabul attack. The six deaths marked largest number of Italians killed in a single day in Afghanistan. Watch more about Italy's Afghan mission » . Before the remains left for Rome, the Italian military, international troops and dignitaries held a service in the Afghan capital. \"It's a tragedy for us,\" Lt. Col. Renato Vaira of the Italian military said at the Kabul service. \"But this is a point to continue our mission.\" \"We'll miss them. They're not the first. I hope it will be the last,\" said Maj. Gen. Tommaso Ferro of the Italian military. The arrival of the soldiers' remains was televised nationally in Italy. The bodies were taken for an autopsy. A day of mourning is scheduled in Italy on Monday, the same day as the burial service. After the attack, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said it would be \"best\" for the country's troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. Berlusconi gave no timeline for a withdrawal, but said any pullout would have to be coordinated with allies. The 500 troops Italy sent to Afghanistan this summer will be home by Christmas, Ignazio La Russa, Italy's defense minister said. The troops were sent ahead of the Afghan presidential election August 20. The rest of Italy's 2,800 troops in Afghanistan will withdraw only when NATO calls for it, La Russa said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Explosion targeted a mostly residential area near the Supreme Court in Kabul .\nBodies of six Italian soldiers who died returned to Italy Sunday .\nItalian Prime Minister says it would be \"best\" for country's troops to leave Afghanistan .\nDeaths were the highest single-day death toll for Italy in the Afghan mission ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Stringer is dead. Omar is dead. And soon, \"The Wire\" will be, too. Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce and Dominic West discuss matters on the \"Wire\" finale. The show, broadcast by HBO, which -- like CNN -- is a division of Time Warner, created complex storylines weaving together the lives of Baltimore's cops, drug dealers, politicians, port workers, schoolchildren and educators and now journalists. It also created a devoted fan base, including CNN staffers Jo Parker, who coincidentally worked at The Baltimore Sun for 13 years, and Rachel Clarke. Both are veteran watchers of previous seasons who have lapped up this year's story, where events on the street and inside the murder squad become ever more entwined with politics and news, complicating everything they touch. Here, they talk about whether the keenly awaited finale matched expectations. Clarke: Were you satisfied? Parker: No. I expected \"The Wire\" to startle me and make me think right up until the series finale, but in the end it felt too networky. Yes, the storylines were completed and there was a resolution of sorts for each major character, but it all seemed to be too neatly tied ... red ribbon, anyone? Gallery: Get to know the characters of \"The Wire\" » . Clarke: Yes, I'm all for schmaltz, but that's not why I watched \"The Wire.\" In previous seasons, the show has had me sobbing (Bodie's killing), screaming blue murder (Bubbles' suicide attempt) and spiraling downward as I awaited the really bad things that had to happen (the parting of the ways between Stringer and Avon was never going to go well). This time, I had the familiar sinking feeling about some characters and plot lines as they played out, but this time, the writing didn't have the same killer instinct. Or maybe \"The Wire\" has just given me a really dark view of the world, of Baltimore, of humanity, and I should lighten up. Parker: I did experience one shocker during the finale involving a longer-term character. I'm surprised now that I didn't see it coming any more than the character did! Clarke: I know what you're talking about. Sure, there was a moment where I gasped. And there were other vintage \"Wire\" themes and moments. The questions over a moral code, how it's rarely if ever black and white and how real life and real people are just too complicated to fall into that simple \"good or bad\" template. \"Good\" people do bad things and \"bad\" people do good things. And circumstances and the bigger picture will often intervene to steer even the best from the path of the angels. But that's where this season as a whole hasn't matched the other four. The newspaper characters were simply good or evil. But you worked at The Baltimore Sun, so maybe that's true to life?! Parker: There were definitely some folks I'd consider good or evil at The Sun, but none who flat-out grew horns like Templeton, Whiting and Klebanow. (OK, maybe the Templetonesque dude.) I worked there for 13 years and left during \"The Wire's\" run. So I know creator David Simon peripherally and some of the situations he alludes to this season fairly well. I expected this season to be even more compelling to me, if that was possible. Instead, I found the new characters too one-dimensional. I didn't emotionally bond with any of them -- even though some bore the names of my real former colleagues -- so I really didn't care what happened to any of them in the finale. Clarke: Me too, but then I'm still mourning Stringer from season three when good and evil were mixed so well and you could happily cry over the comeuppance of a calculating, cold, murderous drug dealer. There are a lot of old memories from earlier seasons in the finale, but that just made me nostalgic for the earlier stuff. Parker: No, no! Don't talk about \"nostalgia\"! That word is ruined for me now! Clarke: For all the delight I got at various lines and shots, I thought some of the last episode was just trying to be too clever. Still, I'll be watching the finale all over again on Sunday. Will you? Parker: I wanted different endings for some characters, but I'm not the one cashing HBO's check. Despite my quibbles at the last season and the finale, I'll be watching it again and mourning its passing. It was a complete treat. Although I'm still ticked off. Clarke: True that. E-mail to a friend ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Finale of \"The Wire\" to air Sunday night .\nThis season hasn't measured up to previous ones, say CNN reviewers .\nFinal show has a couple of surprises, but is too neatly tied up ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Since it was founded in 1994, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been instrumental in encouraging innovative research that will combat the biggest health issues affecting the developing world. One Gates Foundation grant aims to help reduce malaria among Nigeria's nomads. The foundation has pledged $100 million in grants to get new scientific research off the ground, as part of Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE). On Tuesday, GCE launched its latest round of grant applications, open to anyone with a unique approach to solving problems in the developing world. The idea is to develop creative thinking from people who may not have traditionally taken part in health research. Begun in 2008, current projects receiving GCE funding include work in Hong Kong to develop flu-resistant chickens and efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV through breast milk. To speed up the grant allocation process, applicants only need to fill in a two-page form and submit it online. Successful applicants get a $100,000 grant and the chance to receive more than $1 million in future grants. The latest round of GCE grants invites applicants to focus on four areas: new technologies for contraception, new ways to induce and measure mucosal immunity, low-cost diagnostics for priority global health conditions, and new ways to protect against infectious disease. Click on the \"Explainer\" tab above to take a look at some of the groundbreaking research being funded by GEC." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Gates Foundation has pledged $100 million towards health research .\nThe latest round of research grant applications has just been opened .\nOne project receiving funding is working to develop flu-resistant chickens ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- This year is the 50th birthday of the Copa Libertadores, South American football's equivalent of Europe's Champions League. Argentina's Boca Juniors salute their fans before a Copa Libertadores match against Uruguay's Defensor Sporting. The Libertadores is the most prestigious tournament in South American club football, seeing the best 32 teams in the continent battle for supremacy. It may not get as much attention as the Champions League, but for South American teams there is no bigger trophy. The tournament has reached semifinal stage, where Gremio and Cruzeiro from Brazil will clash with Argentina's Estudiantes and Uruguay's Nacional - a team captained by former Inter Milan star Juan Sebastian Veron. So with the action reaching a crescendo, it's high-time Fanzone explored what makes the compeition so great. History . The competition was first held in 1960, its name referring to the \"liberators\" who led South American countries in their wars of independence. For years it was dominated by Argentina, with a team from the country making it to every final between 1963 to 1979, and Buenos Aires team Independiente winning six times in that period. Since the early '90s, it's been the Brazilian clubs that have excelled. Brazil has provided 10 Libertadores finalists in the last 10 years, but since the tournament's inception, every country except Peru and Mexico has supplied a winner. Qualification . Under current quotas Brazil and Argentina both supply five teams for the tournament, while Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela are each represented by three teams, with the previous year's winner also qualifying. Each country has different qualifying criteria for its clubs but essentially, the winners of South America's top domestic leagues, as well as some runners up, qualify for the Libertadores. They are joined by three teams invited from Mexico (which is not a member of CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation). Better than Europe? In terms of football quality, most would agree that the Libertadores struggles to match the Champions League and the reason is simple -- South American clubs simply don't have the money to hold onto their best players. Despite this, the Libertadores is still the place where some of the world's best players cut their footballing teeth. The likes of Ronaldinho and Carlos Tevez once shone in the Libertadores, as did past masters like Pele and Zico. Which do you think is better, the Copa Libertadores or the Champions League? Sound Off below. While the tournament may lack big-name players, in other ways the Libertadores is as every bit as tough as the Champions League. Alexander Bellos is the author of \"Futebol: the Brazilian Way of Life.\" He told CNN that in the Libertadores, teams often have to travel huge distances for away matches. It can take a Brazilian club 24 hours to get to a match in Mexico, leaving little time for pre-match preparation or training. Some teams play their matches at high altitude, which can be a grueling experience for visiting teams not used to the thin air. Bellos says these factors can combine to make the Libertadores less predictable than the Champions League, as can the fact that clubs regularly lose their best players to Europe, meaning their squads can change drastically from one season to the next. As in the Champions League, big clubs, like Argentina's Boca Juniors and Brazil's Sao Paolo, usually make the final stages, but last year's winners were unheralded Ecuadorian club LBS Quito." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "This year is the 50th birthday of South American football's Copa Libertadores .\nThe competition has been dominated by Argentine and Brazilian teams .\nLiberdatores tends to be less predictable than Europe's Champions League .\nThis year's semi finals include teams from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A funeral procession for a senior Iraqi Shiite leader wound through the streets of Tehran, the Iranian capital, on Thursday. Iraqi Shiite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, seen in a 2007 photo, was an ally of both the U.S. and Iran. Mourners turned out to say goodbye to Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, who spent 20 years in exile in Iran before returning to Iraq after U.S.-led forces toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The funeral procession started at the Iraqi Embassy in Tehran, said Haitham al-Husseini, a senior official with al-Hakim's office and one of his advisers. Iraqi and Iranian government officials attended the procession with senior religious figures and some members of the Iraqi parliament. Another funeral procession is scheduled to be held Friday in Baghdad, Iraq, before the casket travels to several parts of southern Iraq with large Shiite populations. Authorities are concerned about security since Sunni insurgents have targeted large Shiite gatherings in the past. The Iraqi government announced the start of three days of mourning on Thursday, according to state television in Iraq. Al-Hakim died Wednesday in Tehran after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 59. He will be buried in his hometown of Najaf, one of the holiest cities for Shiite Muslims, al-Husseini said. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill and the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, described him as \"a national hero\" in a joint statement that expressed sadness over the death. \"Throughout his life, His Eminence demonstrated courage and fortitude, contributing to the building of a new Iraq,\" the statement said. \"We offer our sincere condolences to his family and colleagues. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki also offered condolences, saying al-Hakim was \"like an old brother.\" Al-Maliki credited him for being a \"strong supporter during the phase of fighting the ousted regime and a key figure in the process of building the new Iraq.\" Watch how al-Hakim helped shape Iraq's future » . \"His death at this critical stage that we are passing through is a great loss for Iraq,\" al-Maliki said. Al-Hakim ended his exile in Iran in 2003 when he returned to Iraq after Hussein and his regime were toppled. \"It was very emotional for me to meet with my people after Saddam fell,\" al-Hakim said in a 2006 interview. \"I was longing to see them, my goal in this life is to serve those great people and I am very proud to be a part of them.\" Iraqi Shiites were suppressed under the Hussein regime, which favored the country's minority Sunni Muslims. Al-Hakim played a central role in shaping Iraq's future following his return. During his exile, which began in the early 1980s, al-Hakim commanded the Badr Brigades, the military wing of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI. SCIRI -- a religious opposition movement to the Hussein regime -- was led by al-Hakim's brother until he was assassinated in August 2003. Al-Hakim himself was also the target of assassination attempts. He took over as the head of SCIRI and began his ascent to power as the Badr Brigades became the bulk of the Iraqi security forces in Iraq's predominantly Shiite south. SCIRI changed its name to the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) in 2007 to remove the word \"revolution,\" in an effort to reflect the situation in Iraq. Al-Hakim had always propagated a message of peace, calling on Iraqis to stop taking part in the bitter sectarian conflict that followed the fall of Hussein. But despite his desire for a secular democracy in Iraq, he wanted a country that recognized the importance of religion, religious institutions and its authorities. Al-Hakim successfully harnessed the fervor generated from emotional religious rituals like Ashura, a national day of fasting, and turned them into a powerful political platform. That ability led some to consider him Iraq's most powerful man. His political bloc won the most seats in the Iraqi Parliament in 2005. And although al-Hakim never held a government position, he commanded respect from those who did. Government ministers would meet with him at his office, not theirs, and he was often seen in the company of former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad. And when talks on Iraq's constitution stalled, former President George W. Bush called al-Hakim, not the Iraqi prime minister or president. He visited the United States three times during the Bush administration to address the situation in Iraq. But al-Hakim remained artfully vague about Iran's influence in Iraq, saying its role was a positive one -- in direct contradiction to the U.S. government, which raised concerns about what it called Iran's \"meddling.\" He said the two predominantly Shiite Muslim countries shared border, historical and cultural relations, and emphasized the desire for strong ties. Al-Hakim died at a time of violent political turmoil in Iraq. The power of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) party he leaves behind is just as uncertain as the nation he wanted to serve. Al-Hakim was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2007 and was first treated in the United States, then later in Iran. When he returned to Iraq later that year, he told CNN that he felt good. But it was around that time that it became apparent he was grooming his son, Ammar al-Hakim, to take over as head of ISCI. It was once Iraq's most powerful Shiite political party, but ISCI lost much of its influence following elections in January when politicians allied with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki won control of most of Iraq's provincial councils. CNN's Arwa Damon, Jomana Karadsheh and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Funeral procession for Abdul Aziz al-Hakim in Tehran; another set for Baghdad .\nIraqi Shiite leader spent 20 years in exile in Iran; returned after fall of Hussein .\nAl-Hakim headed Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, helped shape Iraq's future .\nHe never held public office but was one of Iraq's most powerful, respected leaders ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "URUMQI, China (CNN) -- Several hundred people staged a new protest in Urumqi on Tuesday, demanding the release of relatives detained in connection with weekend demonstrations by ethnic Uyghur residents in China's far western Xinjiang region. Ethnic Uyghur women grab the arm of a policeman as they protest in Urumqi on July 7. The crowd of 200 to 300 -- mostly women and elderly -- quickly formed as local authorities were taking members of the media on a tour of a neighborhood that was heavily damaged during riots over the weekend, witnesses said. Riot police quickly moved in to defuse the standoff as the demonstrators shouted the names of family members they wanted released. The protest is the latest sign that tensions are still simmering in the Xinjiang capital, where violent demonstrations have left 156 people dead and more than 1,000 injured, according to the regional public security department. In southern China, police have detained 15 suspects in connection with an incident that may have spurred the deadly rioting in Urumqi, state-run media reported. There is speculation that Sunday's protest, which took place in the predominantly Uyghur-populated Bazaar district, may have been a reaction to ethnic violence in southern China. The violence took place late last month at a toy factory in Guangdong province, where many migrants, including Uyghurs, have moved in search of work. A massive brawl reportedly broke out between workers of Uyghur and Han nationalities. Two Uyghurs reportedly died. The unrest in Urumqi had been brought under control with a massive presence of soldiers and anti-riot squads, the government said Tuesday. Curfews were in force in major districts of the capital. At least 1,434 suspects had been detained by Tuesday morning, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing government officials. \"The police have started interrogations with the suspects,\" said Li Yi, a spokesman for the Communist Party in Xinjiang. Those convicted would be dealt with severely, he said. Watch more on violence in Xinjiang » . In a rare public display of dissatisfaction, thousands of Uyghurs -- many of whom feel they are treated as second-class citizens by the majority Han Chinese -- took to the streets Sunday chanting and screaming, prompting a police lockdown of the city. State-run media reported that protesters attacked passersby, burned public buses and blocked traffic. The report did not say how many people took part or what their grievances were. But a witness in Urumqi told CNN that, soon after the protest started about 5 p.m., hundreds of demonstrators \"grew into easily over 1,000 -- men, women and children, all ethnic Uyghurs -- screaming and chanting.\" Police arrived quickly and tried to control the swelling crowd by erecting barriers in the street, but \"people pushed them over,\" the witness said. \"They were throwing rocks at passing cars and buses.\" As the violence escalated, hundreds of riot police arrived, the witness said. \"They used tear gas and fire hoses to disperse the crowd. I saw fire trucks, ambulances, armed personnel carriers and what looked like tanks. I heard random gunshots.\" iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video, commentary . Late Sunday, the witness said, Urumqi was in a lockdown, with hundreds of People's Liberation Army soldiers in the streets. He reported seeing riot police chasing protesters into alleys and rounding up many of them. Xinjiang is home to many Uyghurs. China's constitution guarantees ethnic minorities equal rights and limited autonomy. However, ethnic tensions run deep. Minority groups such as the Uyghurs complain that they are subjected to discrimination by the majority Han. See a map of Xinjiang » . Tensions also ran high in Han communities in the capital on Tuesday as neighbors organized to protect themselves and their businesses. Groups of men carrying pipes, sticks and cleavers milled in front of shops before police dispersed them. \"The Uyghurs will attack any Han they see,\" one man said. The World Uyghur Congress, a dissident Uyghur group based in Munich, Germany, condemned the crackdown on what it described in a written statement as Sunday's \"peaceful protest\" by Uyghurs. \"The Chinese authorities should acknowledge that the peaceful protest was sparked by the unlawful mob beating and killing of Uyghur workers at a Guangdong toy factory more than a week ago,\" it said. \"The authorities should also acknowledge that their failure to take any meaningful action to punish the Chinese mob for the brutal murder of Uyghurs is the real cause of this protest.\" It accused the Chinese authorities of having \"used tear gas, automatic rifles and armored vehicles to disperse the Uyghur protesters. During the crackdown, some were shot to death, and some were beaten to death by Chinese police. Some demonstrators were even crushed by armored vehicles near Xinjiang University, according to eyewitnesses.\" Watch victims describe the riots in Urumqi » . The government in Xinjiang blamed \"foreign forces\" for Sunday's rioting. \"The violence is premeditated, organized violent crime,\" said Nur Bekri, chairman of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the equivalent of a governor. \"It was instigated and directed from abroad and carried out by outlaws in the country.\" Bekri accused the World Uyghur Congress of spreading rumors and inciting anger that led to the rioting, in a speech carried by Xinjiang television. The World Uyghur Congress denied the charge. It is led by Rebuya Kadeer, a businesswoman of Uyghur ethnicity who was detained in 1999 and accused of harming China's national security. She was freed on bail in 2005 and was allowed to leave for the United States for medical care. Bekri accused Kadeer of instigating the unrest via the Internet and said the fight at the Guangdong toy factory was exploited to incite ethnic strife. Internet service was hard to come by in Urumqi on Tuesday. Reporters' BlackBerries could not send and receive messages. Computers could not access the Web at their hotels." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hundreds protest mass arrests following ethnic unrest in China's Xinjiang region .\nProtesters -- mostly women and elderly -- shouted names of relatives being held .\nAt least 1,434 held by Chinese police following weekend Uyghur protests .\n156 people killed and more than 800 others injured in violence ." } ]
[ { "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) -- Actor Derek Mears has a big hockey mask to fill. Derek Mears arrives on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the new \"Friday the 13th\" movie. Mears was cast as the iconic boogeyman Jason Voorhees in the new \"Friday the 13th\" movie. A remake of the original 1980 film, the new movie aims to breathe life into the former franchise about a psychopathic killer who preys on a group of young people at the fictitious Camp Crystal Lake. Mears is no stranger to the horror genre, having co-starred in \"The Hills Have Eyes II.\" His career is extensive and includes stints as a stuntman in two of the popular \"Pirates of the Caribbean\" films. He recently spoke to CNN about taking a turn as the ultimate evil, the thrill of continuing a slasher legacy and why he's really not that bloody nice. CNN: You aren't that scary in person, so what made you think you could be that scary on camera? Derek Mears: I've got a lot of issues. I've got a whole lot of daddy issues. No, I sound like a basket case. It's funny with acting -- we all wear masks in our normal life. Not to sound like a weirdo in the hockey mask, but like right now I'm really excited about the film and excited about playing the character, and I will start to speak faster. That's kind of what's coming over me: \"Oh you're, you're really nice,\" but ... on the other side of me there are other Dereks that are angry, and like I said before, have a little bit of issues. CNN: Tell me a little bit about how you were approached. Did you know they were making it before they came to you? Was it kind of a shock? Mears: It's so weird. There's two different versions. There's my version of how it went about, and there's the producer's version. I'll tell the producer's version because my version is really, really long. The short version of my version was I heard they were doing a new \"Friday the 13th,\" and I've never tried to pursue a role before and I went, I really want to do this. So when I heard they were doing it, before I even had an audition, I started training for it. I found out a little about what they wanted for the character -- that he wasn't going to be super, you know bulky or big, that he's more functional. He's still big, but he's lean. So I started training that way and trying to do what I could just to get an audition. On the other end, on the producer's end, they asked a bunch of different industry professionals. They said, \"Hey, were doing a new 'Friday the 13th.' Who do you think would be a great new Jason?\" And my name kept popping up, which I'm blown away by. They brought me in for an audition, and I met with them. and they called me the next day and went, \"OK, you're the guy.\" And I still don't believe it till this day. I'm blown away. CNN: How did you keep it light on the set? Mears: Believe it or not, all the actors ... got along so well. I have never been so close to a cast before on set. We were just goofing around and playing, but then when it's time to work and get serious with certain scenes, we'd all switch over and do our job and get to the point where we needed to. CNN: Had you seen any of the original \"Friday the 13th\" movies? Mears: Oh yeah. I mean, I'm a fan. I consider myself a fan of the series. I already knew all of the originals. I had them all on DVD, and when I first met with Platinum Dunes [the production company behind the new movie], I told them, \"Hey look, I'm a fan of the series first and foremost. If I'm right for the part, fantastic. If I'm not right for the part, that's OK, too. I, just as a fan, want to see a good 'Friday the 13th' film. I want to see the series continue so if I can help it, awesome, but I just want to see something good.\" CNN: Did you try to model your character after previous Jasons, or did you try to kind of take it and make it your own? Mears: Definitely make it my own. I used the script that Mark Swift and Damian Shannon wrote as a blueprint -- like you would for any acting role where I knew the other guys who've played \"Jason\" before, and what they've done, but you kind of shove that away somewhere deep in your brain and build your character from the new script. And there are times in the film here and there where I would do little tips of the hats or little homage for the guys who have played him before. CNN: It's kind of a dream come true. Mears: Yeah, that's why I keep saying the words this whole interview like \"unbelievable,\" unbelievable because I don't believe it. CNN: Which is funny. You don't usually think of such happiness and glee [on a horror movie set]. Mears: And trust me, you won't see that in the final product. CNN's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this article." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Actor Derek Mears takes on role of Jason in new \"Friday the 13th\"\nActor heard from producers that he was a popular casting choice .\nOf iconic role, Mears says he tried to \"definitely make it my own\"" } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Beijing, China (CNN) -- China and the United States, the largest producers of greenhouse gases, will team up to fight climate change and create clean energy, their leaders said Tuesday. Chinese President Hu Jintao and President Obama said their nations will cooperate to advance technologies and work toward a global agreement on reducing carbon emissions. \"As the two largest consumers and producers of energy, there can be no solution to this challenge without the efforts of both China and the United States,\" Obama said. \"That is why we've agreed to a series of important new initiatives in this area.\" What would you ask Obama? Share your question for CNN's interview . After Tuesday's meeting, Hu told reporters, \"We agreed to expand our cooperation on climate change, energy and environment,\" which includes developing a China-U.S. clean energy research center. The declaration by Hu and Obama comes ahead of next month's U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, and follows recent acknowledgment by the world's top economic powers, including the U.S., that there's no hope of a major breakthrough on climate change by year's end. The U.S. president said the two leaders want to accelerate the world toward a pact to cut greenhouse gases. The leaders did not offer a time frame, however. \"Our aim ... is not a partial accord or a political declaration,\" Obama said, \"but rather an accord that covers all of the issues in the negotiations and one that has immediate operational affect. \"This kind of comprehensive agreement would be an important step forward in the effort to rally the world around a solution to our climate challenge.\" Instead of reaching a final deal in Copenhagen, a strategy dubbed \"one agreement, two steps\" was unveiled at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit over the weekend in Singapore. The aim is to produce a pact over a longer period. The first step would be to have all 191 countries involved in the Copenhagen summit signing on to a framework that includes key ingredients, such as how to finance the coordinated effort to battle climate change. The second step, a binding deal on cutting carbon emissions, would be hashed out in further negotiations. \"Opportunity is knocking. It is up to you to open the door,\" U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement Monday. \"We must seize this opportunity to create a safer and more prosperous future for all, to reduce the emissions that are causing climate change and to help the most vulnerable adapt to impacts that are already under way.\" Like the United States and China, APEC and Group of 20 leaders -- the world's leading economies -- have pledged to drive toward a climate-change agreement in Copenhagen. The conference, set to begin December 7, aims to strike a deal on a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 pact that has legally binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The United States never ratified it, though more than 200 other nations did." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "President Obama, Chinese leader pledge to work to reduce carbon emissions .\nMove comes before U.N. Climate Change Conference in Denmark .\nChina and U.S. are largest producers of greenhouse gases .\nObama, Chinese President Hu Jintao don't offer a timetable ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Back in his native South Korea, the Korean Foreign Ministry nicknamed him \"Ban-chusa,\" meaning \"the Bureaucrat\" or \"the administrative clerk.\" U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has focused on global warming policy by world governments. While Ban Ki-moon was known for his attention to detail and administrative skill, he was also seen by some as lacking in charisma and subservient to his superiors, while the Korean press called him \"the slippery eel\" for his ability to dodge questions. But on October 13, 2006, South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon was elected to be the eighth Secretary-General by the United Nations General Assembly. Following up on a campaign aiming to bring out his charismatic side, Ban surprised the audience of a UN Correspondents' dinner that December by singing \"Ban Ki-moon is coming to town\" on the melody of \"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.\" Ban was born on 13 June 1944. He received a bachelor's degree in international relations from Seoul National University in 1970, and a master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1985. He and his wife, Yoo (Ban) Soon-taek, whom he met in high school in 1962, have one son and two daughters. In addition to Korean, Ban speaks fluent English and is studying French. Ban was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea from January 2004 to November 2006. His tenure included postings in New Delhi, Washington D.C. and Vienna, while he was responsible for a variety of portfolios such as Foreign Policy Advisor to the President, Chief National Security Adviser to the President, Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and Director-General of American Affairs. Throughout this service, his guiding vision was that of a peaceful Korean peninsula, playing an expanding role for peace and prosperity in the region and the wider world. Ban had long been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations. In 1992, as Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister, he served as Vice Chair of the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission following the adoption of the historic Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. In September 2005, as Foreign Minister, he played a leading role in bringing about another landmark agreement aimed at promoting peace and stability on the Korean peninsula with the adoption at the Six Party Talks of the Joint Statement on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue. In January 2007 Ban succeeded Kofi Annan and has since pushed the Sudanese government to allow peacekeeping troops in Darfur and focused on global warming policy by world governments." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ban Ki-moon elected eighth U.N. Secretary-General in October 2006 .\nBan has pushed Sudan on peacekeepers in Darfur and focused on climate change .\nBan was Ban was South Korea's Foreign Minister from Jan. 2004 to Nov. 2006 .\nHe has long been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations ." } ]
[ { "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) -- Actor Henry Gibson, who played roles ranging from loopy poets to vengeful Illinois Nazis and cranky judges during a 40-year film and television career, has died at age 73, his representatives said Wednesday. Henry Gibson had a role as a neo-Nazi in the cult movie classic \"The Blues Brothers.\" Gibson was a regular on \"Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In,\" where he was known for popping up to read short, humorous poems during the show's 1968-71 run. He was a frequent guest star on television shows from the 1970s through the mid-2000s, with a recurring role as a judge on ABC's \"Boston Legal\" as late as 2008. His movie roles included turns in two of director Robert Altman's 1970s films, \"Nashville\" and \"The Long Goodbye,\" and as the neo-Nazi leader pursuing John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in \"The Blues Brothers.\" No details of his death were immediately available, said Peter Gross, a spokesman Talentworks LA, which represented Gibson. CNN's Doug Ganley contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Gibson was known to \"Laugh-In\" audiences for reading short, funny poems .\nHe was in two Robert Altman films and recently played judge on \"Boston Legal\"\nNo details of his death were immediately available ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Nineteen U.S. troops were killed in Iraq in May, the fewest killed in any month since the war started. Baghdad saw a lull in violence in May, as a cease fire agreement has so far been maintained. The second-lowest month for American deaths was in February 2004, when 20 were killed. May's toll was a significant decrease from April, when 50 were killed -- the highest monthly figure since September. The U.S. military death toll spiked last year as the U.S. troop escalation, dubbed the \"surge,\" was unfolding. In 2007, there were 104 deaths in April, 126 in May and 101 in June. Numbers began dropping when the \"surge\" strategy took hold and Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr suspended the activities of his militia, the Mehdi Army. There were 78 American deaths in July, 2007; 84 in August; 65 in September; 38 in October; 37 in November; 23 in December; 40 in January; 29 in February; and 38 in March. May's death numbers appeared to support Senate testimony last month from Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Petraeus said recent operations in three Iraqi cities have \"contributed significantly to the reduction in violence.\" The month of June may not bring such optimistic news. A suicide car bomb struck an Iraqi police checkpoint outside police headquarters in Mosul on Monday, killing nine people, including four police officers, and wounding 46 people, a Mosul police official said. Eight of the wounded were police officers, the official said. The incident took place in southern Mosul's Dawasa commercial area at about 7 p.m. the official said. Mosul is about 260 miles (420 km) north of Baghdad." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "19 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq in May, the fewest killed in any month of the war .\nDeath toll spiked in 2007, with 104 deaths last April, 126 in May, 101 in June .\nNumbers dropped after the \"surge\" strategy took hold .\nA suicide car bomb struck an Iraqi police checkpoint Monday killing nine people ." } ]
[ { "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) -- For most people life can be boiled down to a few major decisions and a list of truly memorable events. Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams hope love conquers all in \"The Time Traveler's Wife.\" Typically, these are first words, first steps, graduations, births, weddings and -- of course -- marriage proposals. More than a few of these milestone moments take place in the new romantic drama \"The Time Traveler's Wife.\" Of all of them, perhaps the most memorable is a scene in which Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) asks Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams) to be his wife. It's a complicated request because Henry, a kind man, also has the uncanny and often unfortunate ability to be transported suddenly and unexpectedly from one time period to another, leaving Clare on her own. It's a peculiar set of circumstances that would give most women understandable hesitation when contemplating a marriage partner. But Clare is a woman in love, an emotion that tends to trump all others. Watch how Bana and McAdams found humor in the scene » . Bana and McAdams sit down with CNN to discuss this scene, its comedic elements and what it means to both their characters." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana star in \"The Time Traveler's Wife\"\nIn a key scene, Bana asks McAdams to get married .\nThe performers says they tried to put a little humor in situation ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Marine Corps has sacked four top officers of a California-based fighter squadron over the December crash of a fighter jet that slammed into a San Diego neighborhood, the service announced Tuesday. Grace Yoon, 15 months, was killed after a military jet crashed into her home. Deferred maintenance and faulty decisions by the pilot and squadron members with whom he was communicating on the ground contributed to the crash, a Marine Corps investigation concluded. The commander of the squadron involved, its top maintenance officer and two others have been relieved of duty as a result of the investigation, and nine other Marines have received other disciplinary action, Maj. Gen. Randolph Alles said. The jet crashed in the University City neighborhood of San Diego, about three miles short of the Miramar airfield. Two adults and two small children from a Korean immigrant family were killed when the jet slammed into their house. Watch what pilot said as plane had trouble » . The F/A-18 Hornet crashed after \"a succession of emergencies\" that began with oil-pressure problems in its right engine during a flight off the Southern California coast, said Marine Col. John Rupp. That left the jet relying on its other engine, which previously had been giving mechanics electronic indications of a problem with its fuel-flow system, Rupp said. Learn more about the jet » . Maintenance rules don't require immediate repairs for the problem, he said, but the squadron flew the jet 146 times before it eventually crashed because its left engine was starved for fuel. \"The end result was that the squadron elected to fly an aircraft that had a degraded fuel system on the left side of the aircraft,\" Rupp said. \"This is a critical point, and this was collectively questionable judgment on the part of the squadron's maintenance department.\" The investigation criticized the pilot, who was being trained on the F/A-18, for not consulting a pocket checklist that outlined emergency procedures. While controllers aboard the aircraft carrier that launched the jet urged the pilot to land at a nearby Navy airfield at North Island, squadron officers relied on \"incorrect assumptions and inaccurate data\" to guide him back to the plane's base at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. \"No one in the ready room stated or understood the severity of the low fuel emergency at this time,\" Rupp said. \"This is a critical moment, and this is collectively bad decision-making by the duty officer, by the operations officer and by the squadron's commanding officer.\" The pilot waited \"until the last possible moment\" to eject from the plane, bailing out at an altitude of just 400 feet, and attempted to steer away from homes on the ground before the crash, Rupp said. The pilot, whose name has not been released, is grounded pending further review, which Marine officers said was routine. Alles said the officer was an \"above-average\" pilot who \"just made a poor decision.\" Dong Yun Yoon lost his wife, children and mother-in-law in the crash and another unoccupied house also was destroyed. Yoon said the victims were his daughter Rachel, who was born less than two months before the accident; his 15-month-old daughter Grace; his wife, Young Mi Yoon, 36; and her 60-year-old mother, Suk Im Kim, who he said had come to the United States from Korea recently to help take care of the children. In an emotional press conference in December, Yoon said he did not blame the pilot and urged the public to pray for him. \"I don't blame him. I don't have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could,\" Yoon said at the time. \"Please pray for him not to suffer from this accident,\" Yoon said as he fought for composure. \"He is one of our treasures for the country.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: \"Succession of emergencies\" with aircraft preceded fatal San Diego crash .\nNEW: Squadron officers relied on \"inaccurate data\" to direct pilot to return to base .\nNEW: Pilot criticized for not consulting pocket checklist of emergency procedures .\nMan's wife, children, mother-in-law killed were killed in crash ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- For those of us who remember a time when many families didn't have color TV, a remote control or even video games, hearing the theme song from \"The Patty Duke Show\" -- \"They're cousins / Identical cousins, all the way\" -- takes us back to black-and-white television sets and split-screen special effects. Patty Duke says she has many fond memories of working on \"The Patty Duke Show.\" \"Back then it was very crude, how we did split-screen,\" star Patty Duke said of playing the dual roles of Patty and Cathy Lane in the show, which was developed specifically for her. \"Now with all-digital applications, it looks antique. But the show's values are still what we want to impart on our children.\" The first complete season of \"The Patty Duke Show,\" from 1963 to 1964, is now out on DVD. Duke told CNN that she's excited her five granddaughters will finally be able to see what \"Nana did when she was a teenager.\" \"I am tickled, just tickled,\" she said. In the sitcom, which ran for three seasons on ABC, Patty was a rambunctious teenager who always managed to find herself in some kind of trouble; cousin Cathy was a demure, worldly Scottish teenager who came to New York to live with the Lane family to finish her schooling. Duke, who was not quite 17 when the series began, says it took a lot of energy to play two different characters. She preferred the quieter Cathy, \"because I thought she was dignified and gentle and rational. When it was time to be Patty, I would have to deal with my embarrassment of her stupidity.\" Duke was already a successful actor by the time the sitcom debuted, winning an Oscar for 1962's \"The Miracle Worker\" just months before the show premiered. But she describes herself as sheltered. \"I was a very isolated teenager. When it came time to do some of the school dances [on the show], they had to bring in real teenagers to teach me how,\" she says. \"I didn't know the dances, didn't know the music.\" She says, however, the show was a relief during what were troubled times for her. She wrote about her tormented childhood in her autobiography, \"Call Me Anna,\" discussing her struggles with mental abuse at the hands of her managers, which she says led to alcohol and drug addiction. She was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and she now helps others who have the disease. \"I believe that show [gave me] the tools that helped me survive through my youth until I got my diagnosis,\" Duke said. \"I think 'tormenting' is one of the most perfect words for what you feel [with bipolar disorder], because you have no control over it. I did occasionally, very occasionally, hear voices, but mostly my instincts were messed up: If it was dangerous, then I should do it.\" The show, she said, \"was where I went for safety.\" \"It was a troubled time on the personal level, but the show was never troubled,\" she said. She speaks fondly of her co-stars, especially William Schallert, who played her father, Martin Lane. \"He has always been able to make me laugh until I had to spit up,\" she said of the now 87-year-old actor. \"He was also a solid, solid figure to me and still is. To this day, the relationship has grown, and he is always there for me.\" She remains close to the other surviving members of the cast, including Paul O'Keefe, who played her brother. Jean Byron, who played mother Natalie Lane, died three years ago. Duke was able to transition from child star to adult actor of stage and screen, and she even had a hit single, 1965's \"Don't Just Stand There.\" After \"The Patty Duke Show,\" she played a drug-addicted alcoholic singer in \"Valley of the Dolls\" and won an Emmy for the TV movie \"My Sweet Charlie.\" To date, Duke has won one Academy Award, three Emmys and two Golden Globes. Duke is also acting onstage in the musical \"Wicked\" in San Francisco, California. She plays the witch Madame Morrible, and though she finds the energy for eight shows a week a challenge, she loves the theater. \"To me, it is almost a religious experience, the exchange between those strangers out there in the dark and us,\" she said. \"To me, that's communication at its best, and that's really what I enjoy.\" Duke says she lets little faze her. \"I've gotten to the age where I'm comfortable with just about everything -- except getting old!\" she said. Even there, she's willing to look at the situation without blinking. She teamed up with the Social Security Administration to do public service announcements encouraging seniors to sign up online -- using her old \"Patty Duke Show\" characters. \"On a positive side, I know about acceptance,\" she says. \"What's negative for me is all very superficial. The incredible lines in my face.\" But she says the wisdom that comes with aging -- and, of course, maintaining a sense of humor -- helps her deal with that. \"Without a sense of humor,\" she said, \"I would have been gone a long time ago.\" Patty Lane works for CNN Radio -- and yes, that is her real name." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "First season of \"The Patty Duke Show\" out on DVD .\nIn program, Duke played identical cousins Patty and Cathy Lane .\nDuke remembers show as haven during tough times as teenager .\nActress later was diagnosed as bipolar; she now helps people who have disease ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A New York Times reporter who was kidnapped last week was freed Wednesday in a pre-dawn military raid in Afghanistan that left a British commando, an Afghan journalist and several others dead. New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell was abducted Saturday while covering a NATO airstrike in Afghanistan. Stephen Farrell was rescued by NATO's International Security Assistance Force, known as the ISAF, the British Foreign Office said. A British commando died in the operation, the country's Ministry of Defense said without offering further details. Sultan Munad, an Afghan journalist accompanying Farrell, also was killed in the raid, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said. Crossfire during the raid also killed a woman and a child, said Abdel Wahid Omar Khil, governor of Kunduz district, in Kunduz province, where the rescue took place. Armed gunmen kidnapped the journalists Saturday while they were covering a NATO airstrike on Taliban forces the day before that killed at least 90 people in the northern Kunduz province. Neither CNN nor the Times had reported Farrell's kidnapping for security reasons. \"We feared that media attention would raise the temperature and increase the risk to the captives,\" the paper quoted Executive Editor Bill Keller as saying Wednesday. Farrell called the newspaper's foreign editor before dawn and said he was \"extracted\" in a commando raid after a fierce firefight, according to a report on the Times Web site. \"There were bullets all around us. I could hear British and Afghan voices,\" Farrell, a 46-year-old dual Irish-British citizen, told the paper. Farrell and Munadi ran outside during the firefight. At the end of a wall, Munadi went forward, shouting: \"Journalist! Journalist!\" but dropped in a hail of bullets, Farrell said. He didn't know whether the shots came from allied or militant fire. \"I saw him go down in front of me. He did not move. He's dead,\" Farrell told the paper. \"He was so close, he was just 2 feet in front of me when he dropped.\" Farrell's citizenship played a role in the British decision to stage the rescue, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense. Watch a former British commander on the difficulty in rescuing hostages » . \"The obvious link for us is that Farrell is a British national. We want to safeguard the life of one of our citizens,\" the spokesman said, declining to discuss operational details of the rescue mission. \"We don't comment about the actions of British Special Ops forces.\" Local Afghans provided information and helped the commandos locate where Farrell was being held, said another British official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. He said the judgment to proceed with such an operation \"is always a difficult one, but we think it represented the best chance to save his life.\" Brown offered condolences to the families of Munadi and the British commando. Of the commando, Brown said, \"His bravery will not be forgotten.\" The operation to rescue the hostages happened after extensive planning and consideration, Brown said. \"Those involved knew the high risks they were running. That they undertook it in such circumstances showed breathtaking heroism,\" Brown said. \"Hostage-taking is never justified, and the U.K. does not make substantive concessions, including paying ransoms. But whenever British nationals are kidnapped, we and our allies will do everything in our power to free them.\" Ten weeks earlier, another Times reporter escaped after months in Taliban captivity. David Rohde, a local reporter and a driver were kidnapped November 10 outside Kabul. The two reporters escaped on June 19 by climbing over a wall in the compound where they were held for seven months in Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The driver did not escape, the newspaper said. The death toll in the Kunduz airstrike, which Farrell was covering when he was kidnapped, has varied, depending on the source, but local Afghan officials have said at least half of those killed were civilians. The NATO commander in the area called in the strike Friday as Afghans tried to siphon fuel from two tankers hijacked by the Taliban a day earlier. The Taliban allowed villagers to drain the tankers carrying fuel earmarked for the NATO-led force after they became stuck in the mud when the militants tried to drive them through the Kunduz River. The military thought there were no civilians near the trucks at the time of the attack, the ISAF's Capt. Elizabeth Mathias said. Farrell, who joined The New York Times two years ago, also was briefly kidnapped in April 2004 in Falluja, Iraq. At the time, he was on assignment for The Times of London. In a separate incident Wednesday, a suicide attack killed at least two civilians and injured several others, including NATO personnel, near the main British military base in southern Afghanistan, the ISAF said. The suicide bomber detonated his explosives vest near a crowd of civilian truck drivers near the entrance of Camp Bastion in volatile Helmand province, the ISAF said. The injured civilians and ISAF personnel were treated at Camp Bastion, which is in Washir District. The casualty count is unclear as an investigation continues. CNN's Ingrid Formanek and Chris Lawrence contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Local Afghans helped British locate abducted journalist, official says .\nNew York Times reporter Stephen Farrell freed in commando raid .\nAfghan journalist killed in raid, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says .\nBritish commando also killed during raid; woman, child die in crossfire ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Shortly after McDonald's celebrated its 30-year presence in France, the fast-food chain is conquering one of the country's most valued cultural institutions --the Louvre. McDonalds' burgers and fries will be available under the inverted glass pyramid of the Louvre. The restaurant will be serving its fast burgers in the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping mall which lies under the main entrance of the museum and which still contains an ancient wall that was discovered during construction works. McDonald's' plans seem to have caused more media attention abroad than in France, but for some French outlets, the idea of combining fast food and ancient art is stomach churning. The Parisian Web site \"Louvre pour tous\" (Louvre for everyone) describes McDonald's' decision to open a restaurant in the prestigious museum as \"bad taste\" and blamed the Louvre's directors for failing to prevent what could result in \"fragrances of fries drifting under Mona Lisa's nose\". A spokeswoman for the museum told CNN it was not their decision and declined to comment further on the issue. The Carrousel du Louvre mall is managed by Unibail-Rodamco, Europe's largest property company, and not the museum itself. The mall, which is situated next to the most visited museum in the world, counts 8.3 million visitors a year and enjoyed a total gross sales of $75 million in 2008. Le Parisien, a daily newspaper described the difference between McDonald's and the Louvre by comparing Ronald McDonald, the restaurant's clown character, to Venus de Milo, the famous ancient Greek statue of Aphrodite, which is on display at the Louvre. Should McDonald's be in the Louvre? Tell us what you think in the Soundoff box below. Museum lovers in France are shocked about the news, but not surprised. \"Museums have to offer services like restaurants and boutiques, it's completely normal,\" Jean-Michel Raingeard, President of the Federation of French Friends of Museums told CNN. What worries him, however, is the choice of shops. \"Museum directors seem to care more about the number of people they attract rather than the quality of people. Should a museum be a museum or an amusement park?\" asks Jean Michel Raingeard, who is also the European vice president for The World Federation of Friends of Museums. McDonald's sees the opening of its new restaurant next to the home of Mona Lisa as something completely normal. \"There are already many other restaurants in the mall, so we will only be one of the many restaurants that offer visitors their products.\" says a spokeswoman for McDonald's in France. \"There's even a Starbucks,\" she added. Criticism, though fierce, has not been successful: the construction work will start soon and the restaurant should be open \"by the end of the year.\" In spite of its location, the menu will very likely stay the same. \"McDonald's functions the same way in all of France, so there will probably be no special menus,\" the spokeswoman said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "McDonald's to open restaurant in the mall of the world's most visited museum .\nDecision has attracted criticisms there will be 'unpleasant smells' in the museum .\nThe restaurant is not only fast food joint in the shopping mall ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- It was against the terms of the Russia/Georgia cease-fire, brokered by France's President Nicolas Sarkozy. It was directly in contravention of the request not to do it from President George W. Bush of the United States. But Russia's President Dimitri Medvedev has gone and done it anyway. He has made Russia the first country to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russian President Dmitri Medvedev says it has recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. So does that, as some of the more fevered commentators are suggesting, amount to a new Cold War? It certainly ratchets up the East-West tension still further. It breaks the terms of a cease-fire which insisted Georgia's territorial integrity should be respected. Russia's announcement that it will station troops in the two territories to ensure their \"security\", a word others might spell as \"subservience\", is a direct provocation. It is, says Georgia, an illegal \"annexation\". Other European nations have hastened to condemn it as an unacceptable rewriting of borders by force. What do you think of Russian recognition? U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, currently in the Middle East, points out that it is in contravention of U.N. Security Council resolutions that the Russians have accepted. Sarkozy has called a meeting of EU leaders for Monday to look at Georgia and at future relations with Russia. But before we start talking about a new Cold War -- and Western leaders from Bush down are being careful not to do so-- we should examine the context. After the military action initiated by Georgia early in August, there never was a chance that South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which have in effect been independent since the early 1990s, would return to control by Tblisi. Applying a blowtorch isn't necessarily the best way of settling what had become known as \"frozen conflicts\". Russia has long been in a position to bully and has now been given the excuse to do so. For years the two disputed territories have survived on Russian military and economic assistance. Although Abkhazia seeks fuller independence, a large number of South Ossetians, perhaps 70 or 80 per cent of them, have Russian passports and would vote for membership of the Russian Federation. Both disputed territories use the rouble. But this isn't, and never has been, just about Georgia. It is about the reassertion of regional power by a country which had smarted for years over the collapse of the Soviet Union and the eastward march of NATO, swallowing up former members of the Warsaw Pact. What we are seeing is a resurgent Russia currently prepared to strut the beach kicking sand in everybody's eyes and defying any affronted party to take them on. When NATO leaders met in the wake of the invasion of Georgia and came up with nothing more concrete than the \"suspension of normal relations\", the weakness of a divided West was all too obvious to Putin and Medvedev. They have now taken the next step down the line of provocation. \"Scrap the NATO-Russia Council altogether and see if we care!\" is the message. And, playing as the back-beat sub-theme through all this is the question of Kosovo, a question which looks very different according to whether you are seated in Moscow, Belgrade, Brussels or Washington. \"If it was right for the Kosovar Albanians to be given the right to declare independence from Serbia, then why shouldn't the people of South Ossetia be allowed to choose separation from Tblisi?\" demand the Medvedev-Putin supporters in the Russian Parliament. \"Ah yes,\" some say, \"but what about those threats from Moscow to turn Russian missiles against Poland now that the Poles have agreed to host the anti-missile batteries for the US missile defense plan? Isn't that a dangerous new escalation?\" Again, it depends where you are sitting. \"How would Washington like it if the Russians were to stage anti-missile batteries in Mexico?\" is Moscow's answer. What seems to be forgotten amid the current rhetorical battle is that the threats to make Poland a target for Russian missiles are nothing new. Before the G8 summit back in 2007, Putin got the world in a tizzy with precisely the same threats, at that stage being used to stir Polish domestic opposition to the idea of hosting the missile battery. In October 2007, Putin said the missile plan risked becoming a new Cuban missile crisis, probably the closest the world ever came to a nuclear war. Then, during an election, he threatened to point missiles at western Europe, walk away from a 1980s treaty limiting missiles and scrap a treaty limiting conventional forces in Europe (which Russia has since done). First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, then seen as Putin's potential successor, threatened to site cruise missiles in Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania. General Nikolai Saltsov, then in charge of Russia's ballistic arsenal, said last December: \"I do not exclude the missile defense shield sites in Poland and the Czech Republic being chosen as targets for our intercontinental ballistic missiles.\" The big problem for the West (and especially next Monday's meeting of EU leaders, who need to make a more effective job of it than NATO's foreign ministers did last week), is just how to respond to Russia's current bout of strutting without making things worse-- and how to do it without cutting off their own noses in the process. They could agree to make it harder for Russia to join the World Trade Organisation. They could even threaten to eject Russia from the G8. But what do they gain by doing so, especially those of them in the EU who depend on Russia for a hefty chunk of their energy supplies? For years the West has been trying to draw Russia in, not push it further out into the cold. They need Russia's cooperation on climate change, on fighting terrorism, on achieving peace in the Middle East and on curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions. And, let it not be forgotten, in keeping open NATO's supply routes for its mission in Afghanistan. The West is not ready to go to war over Russia's neighbors (or \"near abroad\" as Moscow terms it) but it does still have a role to play in the Russian economy. The EU may be dependent on Russian energy but it is also Russia's biggest customer. It should use the economic levers it has, refuse to allow the Russians to pick off individual members with bilateral deals and learn to use its collective strength in demanding common standards of its fellow G8 member. The worst thing it could do is to utter threats which it will not, or cannot, follow through." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Russian president signs order recognizing independence of Georgian territories .\nWest opposes the decision, says that it impinges on Georgian international borders .\nOvershadowing the issue is the West's recognition of Kosovo independence .\nAnalysis: The worst the West could do is to utter threats it does not follow through ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security and FBI have issued security bulletins to raise awareness regarding \"terrorist interest\" in attacking sports and entertainment venues as well as luxury hotels. The bulletins, which were sent to law enforcement Monday, said that authorities did not know of any credible or specific terrorist plots to attack U.S. stadiums, arenas or luxury hotels. However, it said that terrorist groups such as al Qaeda view crowded stadiums and arenas as potential targets. It said hotels are also attractive targets for terrorists. The Department of Homeland Security said it released the notes to assist law enforcement partners as they go about their daily duties. \"While DHS and FBI have no information regarding the timing, location or target of any planned attack, we believe it is prudent to raise the security awareness of our local law enforcement partners regarding the targets and tactics of previous terrorist activity,\" the department said. The bulletins did not mention the recent arrest of three men in connection with what the Justice Department has said was a plot to detonate bombs in the United States. The men are charged with lying to federal agents during the probe of the alleged plot. The bulletin on stadiums and arenas said that previous attacks against crowd gatherings have included improvised explosive devices and car bombs, \"tactics that are also applicable to many stadiums and arenas. ... \"Detained terrorists have also discussed the use of aircraft and chemical weapons to attack stadiums and arenas. \" It said the al Qaeda training manual lists \" 'blasting and destroying the places of amusement, immorality and sin ... and attacking vital economic centers' as a key objective.\" The bulletins on luxury hotels said analysis of previous attacks abroad and thwarted plots showed that terrorists have used paramilitary and \"small unit\" tactics, explosives, improvised explosive devices and car bombs. It said hotel owners can protect their properties by installing fencing or walls around the buildings and populated areas; implementing random screening of people and their possessions; and training security staff." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Department of Homeland Security and FBI issue security bulletins .\nNo credible or specific terrorist attack threats at this time, agencies say .\nCrowds at stadiums, hotels generate terrorist attention, agencies say ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- An Al Qaeda-linked militant group waging war against Somalia's fragile government is becoming an increasing threat to Western ally Kenya and could potentially destabilize the region with dire consequences for global security, officials and analysts warn. Al-Shabab fighters count their bullets in neighborhood of Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab, one of the strongest Islamic militias battling for control of Mogadishu, has gained ground in recent weeks, according to officials, and has started to flex its muscles beyond Somalia's border with terror strikes, kidnappings and recruitment drives. They warn that unless the world takes action the group, which wants to impose an extreme type of Islamic sharia law, could extend its grip across parts of East Africa to gain control of a region that flanks busy shipping routes already plagued by Somali pirates . Appeals by Somalia's government for international help to unpick its long-running civil conflict have escalated Al-Shabaad's threats with the group behind warnings of an attack on the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. And, say experts, the group is being backed by foreign fighters -- some said to have links to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network -- a situation that draws direct comparisons with the group's influence in pre-9/11 Afghanistan. \"Al-Shabaab is a threat to the whole world,\" Somali Information Minister Farhan Ali Mohamoud told CNN. \"First to Somalia, to the neighborhood, and to everywhere they have disagreed with.\" Watch more on Somalian threat » . Mohamoud, whose transitional government has largely failed in its long-term goal of reconciling Somalia's militias, concedes Al-Shabaab is making major gains on his administration and says the global community must act to prevent their threat escalating. \"Somalia's problems are not for Somalia alone to solve. Not only for the African Union to solve. It is a global and regional issue. We are very appreciative that the international community understands that, but they need to act now, rather than later.\" \"The issue is not Somalis taking over from other Somalis. But the issue is foreign jihadists imposing their ideas into the region. So Somalia can be a launching pad for a greater and wider jihadist issue.\" Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutua told CNN his country did not yet fear direct attacks from Al-Shabaab but said it was becoming increasingly alarmed about its activities and its links to foreign networks. Despite the concerns, Mutua said the problem was nothing new and while his country struggled to exert control over its porous border with Somalia, it was taking steps to limit the danger. But he warned the threat was not limited to Kenya and could have global reach. \"We do believe that Al-Shabaab poses a threat, not only to Kenya, but to all neighboring countries such as Ethiopia and Eritrea,\" he said. \"It is not just a problem that we foresee in Kenya, just because we are neighbors to them, it is a problem that we foresee that may occur to a lot of countries and also poses a threat to outside even this region,\" he added. \"Our concern is not limited to Al-Shabaab. We know that Al-Shabaab are not able to do it without foreign intervention in terms of money and weapons that they are getting from other countries.\" Ernst Jan Hogendoorn, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, told CNN that while Al-Shabaab had whipped up concerns with headline grabbing acts such as the recent kidnap of two French citizens in Mogadishu and three aid workers on the Kenyan side of the border, countries such as Kenya should pay heed. \"I think that Kenya could do a much better job. There is always the possibility that someone could sneak across the border and launch an attack against a soft target. Obviously Kenya has been the target of attacks in the past that are very, very challenging to prevent.\" But, says Hogendoorn, with an African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia proving largely ineffective, and Ethiopian military presence withdrawn in January ahead of an Al-Shabaab push, Kenyan military involvement was unlikely to offer any quick fix. \"The problem is once [Kenyan troops] are on the ground they open themselves up to guerrilla style attacks and suicide attacks that could lead to significant loss in life.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Experts, officials warn of growing threat from Somali militant group .\nAl-Shabaab is one of strongest Islamic militias battling for Mogadishu .\nKenya says danger is to region and world despite threats on Nairobi ." } ]
[ { "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) -- Investigators searched the Las Vegas home and office of Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, on Tuesday morning, a Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman said. Investigators arrive at the Las Vegas, Nevada, home of Michael Jackson's personal physician. Los Angeles police and DEA agents, carrying search warrants, were \"looking for a lot of things,\" said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mike Flanagan. Aerial cameras showed investigators leaving Murray's home, three hours after they entered, carrying several containers. The searches came a day after a source with knowledge of the investigation confirmed to CNN that Murray administered a powerful drug that authorities believe killed the singer. Flanagan said that while he could not disclose details of the search warrants, because a judge had ordered them sealed, he confirmed they were looking for documents and computer records. Murray's attorney, Ed Chernoff, issued a statement saying that officers from the DEA, Los Angeles police and \"various local agencies\" executed a search warrant at Murray's home and office beginning about 8 a.m. (11 a.m. ET) Tuesday. \"The search warrant authorized investigators to look for medical records relating to Michael Jackson and all of his reported aliases,\" the statement said. \"Dr. Murray was present during the search of his home and assisted the officers.\" Investigators left Murray's home about noon, he said, taking cell phones and a computer hard drive. \"As of 2 p.m., the search at Dr. Murray's office continues,\" the statement said. Murray, a Texas-based cardiologist, allegedly gave Jackson the anesthetic propofol -- commonly known by the brand name Diprivan -- in the 24 hours before he died, said the source, who asked not to be named because the individual was not authorized to speak to the news media. Watch a profile of Murray » . In a statement Monday, the doctor's attorneys said they wouldn't comment on \"rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources.\" In the past, they have said Murray never prescribed or administered anything that could have killed Jackson. Watch CNN's Ted Rowlands report on drug allegation » . Last week, Texas authorities searched Murray's Houston medical office and storage unit, looking for \"evidence of the offense of manslaughter,\" according to court documents. Among the items removed from Murray's office were a computer; 27 tablets of phentermine, a prescription-strength appetite suppressant; 1 tablet of clonazepam, an anti-anxiety medication; and some Rolodex cards. From Murray's storage unit, authorities removed two computer hard drives; an \"important contact list\"; a suspension notice from Houston's Doctor Hospital; notices from the Internal Revenue Service; and a laundry list of medical and hospital documents. Chernoff, a Houston lawyer hired by Murray soon after Jackson's death, confirmed at the time that Los Angeles police detectives and federal DEA agents used a search warrant to enter Murray's office in northeast Houston on Wednesday morning. Chernoff said members of Murray's legal team were at the medical office during the search, which he said \"was conducted by members of the DEA, two robbery-homicide detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department and Houston Police officers.\" Police have interviewed Murray twice since Jackson's death. A third interview was scheduled for July 24, but was postponed after the search warrants were executed. It's unknown when the next interview will take place. Among those who have indicated that Jackson may have been using dangerous prescription medication are nutritionist Cherilyn Lee, who said Jackson pleaded for the powerful sedative Diprivan despite being told of its harmful effects. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County coroner's office continues to investigate the cause of Jackson's death on June 25. It has been waiting on toxicology lab results, but a final autopsy report is expected as soon as this week, a coroner's spokesman has said. CNN's Ted Rowlands and Paul Vercammen contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Doctor was \"present during the search of his home,\" attorney says .\nInvestigators search Dr. Conrad Murray's Las Vegas home, office .\nMurray allegedly gave Jackson propofol in the 24 hours before death, source says .\nSource close to family says doctor administered drug believed to have killed singer ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A strong earthquake jolted the southern Philippines on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The 6.2 magnitude quake struck at 11:20 a.m. local time (10:20 p.m. ET). There were no immediate reports of injuries and a tsunami warning was not issued, said Jane Punongbayan of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. \"That was enough to cause panic in some people,\" Punongbayan said. \"Some people in the mall ran out of the mall, but according to initial reports it was not strong enough to cause damage.\" The quake struck 55 kilometers (35 miles) southeast of General Santos in the island of Mindanao or 1,095 kilometers (680 miles) south-southeast of Manila and at a depth of 207 kilometers (129 miles), USGS said. The Philippines is located on the \"Ring of Fire,\" an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning for the quake." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: No immediate reports of injuries from the 6.2-magnitude quake .\nQuake struck some 1,100 km (680 miles) south of Manila, the USGS says .\nPhilippines is located on the quake-prone \"Ring of Fire\"\nPacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- If you sell it, they will come. Prices are expected to grow for Michael Jackson autographs like the one he gave this young fan in 2002. That's the hope at least for many offering Michael Jackson related merchandise and memorabilia, including autographed items and domain names, in the wake of his surprising death. Almost 20,000 items were up for sale after his death on the popular auction site eBay, where collectors could snap up everything from the rare to the ridiculous. Among the many T-shirts, record albums, DVDs and posters, there were also magazines about Jackson, dolls and copies of newspapers announcing his death. There were Michael Jackson gloves (sparkly, of course), masks, wigs, sunglasses and fedora hats. Anyone in the mood for some senior soda could try and win an auction for an unopened six-pack of Pepsi from the 1984 Jacksons world tour. For those seeking to establish Web sites, domain names were available including \"ILoveYouMichael.com,\" which was selling for the \"buy it now\" price of $5,000. Officials at eBay said that compared with the daily average of the week prior, Thursday's gross merchandise volume for Jackson memorabilia increased by 275 percent and sold items increased by 210 percent. New listings were up 61 percent, while the average selling price of items had increased by 31 percent. Online merchant CafePress also offered a variety of items, including mugs, \"R.I.P. Michael Jackson\" magnets and dozens of T-shirt designs, including one screened with a drawing of tennis legend Billie Jean King and the words \"not my lover.\" Some of the hottest items may turn out to be the ones bearing Jackson's signature. On eBay, bids for what the buyer claimed was a signed Michael Jackson guitar had reached almost $1,300 by Friday afternoon. Jerry Ohlinger, owner of Jerry Ohlinger's Movie Material Store in New York, predicted that although Jackson was generous in giving autographs, the price for a legitimate autograph probably will at least double from the $150 to $300 range it was prior to his death. \"He would sign autographs whenever he appeared in person,\" Ohlinger said. \"For instance, he visited our store at least three times, and he signed autographs for all of the employees.\" As a comparison, Ohlinger said, an autograph for the late actress Marilyn Monroe, who also was known to sign a great deal during her lifetime, sells for about $5,000 because of great demand. As of Friday, items purported to be autographed photos of Jackson were ranging in price from just over $5 to several thousand dollars. There is no way to predict whether there will be a sudden influx in demand for Michael Jackson memorabilia and merchandise, Ohlinger said. All of the hoopla would probably tickle the pop icon, who Ohlinger said was himself a fan of star items. Whenever Jackson would visit Ohlinger's Manhattan store, he would shop for vintage photos of some of the legendary ladies of cinema, including his very dear friend Elizabeth Taylor, Ohlinger recalled." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Sold Jackson items on eBay increase 210 percent compared to last week .\nPlenty of Michael Jackson merchandise goes on sale .\nOnline auction site ebay boasts thousands of items from T-shirts to soda .\nMemorabilia expert predicts Jackson autograph to at least double in price ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Taliban leaders are holding Saudi-brokered talks with the Afghan government to end the country's bloody conflict -- and are severing their ties with al Qaeda, sources close to the historic discussions have told CNN. King Abdullah of Saudia Arabia hosted meetings between the Afghan government and the Taliban, a source says. The militia, which has been intensifying its attacks on the U.S.-led coalition that toppled it from power in 2001 for harboring Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, has been involved in four days of talks hosted by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, says the source. The talks -- the first of their kind aimed at resolving the lengthy conflict in Afghanistan -- mark a significant move by the Saudi leadership to take a direct role in Afghanistan, hosting delegates who have until recently been their enemies. They also mark a sidestepping of key \"war on terror\" ally Pakistan, frequently accused of not doing enough to tackle militants sheltering on its territory, which has previously been a conduit for talks between the Saudis and Afghanistan. According to the source, fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar -- high on the U.S. military's most-wanted list -- was not present, but his representatives were keen to stress the reclusive cleric is no longer allied to al Qaeda. Details of the Taliban leader's split with al Qaeda have never been made public before, but the new claims confirm what another source with an intimate knowledge of the militia and Mullah Omar has told CNN in the past. The current round of talks, said to have been taken two years of intense behind-the-scenes negotiations to come to fruition, is anticipated to be the first step in a long process to secure a negotiated end to the conflict. But U.S.- and Europe-friendly Saudi Arabia's involvement has been propelled by a mounting death toll among coalition troops amid a worsening violence that has also claimed many civilian casualties. A Saudi source familiar with the talks confirmed that they happened and said the Saudis take seriously their role in facilitating discussions between parties to the conflict. A second round of talks is scheduled to take place in two months, the Saudi source said. The Afghan government believes the Taliban cannot be defeated militarily, and the Taliban believe that they can't win a war against the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, the Saudi source said. The involvement of the Saudis is also seen as an expression of fear that Iran could take advantage of U.S. failings in Afghanistan, as it is seen to be doing in Iraq. Several Afghan sources familiar with Iranian activities in Afghanistan have said Iranian officials and diplomats who are investing in business and building education facilities are lobbying politicians in Kabul. Learn more about King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia » . The Afghan sources wish to remain anonymous due to their political roles. Coalition commanders regularly accuse Iran of arming the Taliban, and Western diplomats privately suggest that Iran is working against U.S. interests in Afghanistan, making it harder to bring peace. Saudi sources say perceived Iranian expansionism is one of Saudi Arabia's biggest concerns. Watch CNN's Nic Robertson report on the meeting » . The talks in Mecca took place between September 24 and 27 and involved 11 Taliban delegates, two Afghan government officials, a representative of former mujahadeen commander and U.S. foe Gulbadin Hekmatyar, and three others. King Abdullah broke fast during the Eid al-Fitr holiday with the 17-member Afghan delegation -- an act intended to show his commitment to ending the conflict. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. Learn more about Ramadan » . Saudi Arabia was one of only three countries that recognized the Taliban leadership during its rule over Afghanistan in the 1990s, but that relationship was severed over Mullah Omar's refusal to hand over bin Laden. During the talks, described as an ice breaker, all parties agreed that the only solution to Afghanistan's conflict is through dialogue, not fighting. Further talks are expected in Saudi Arabia involving this core group and others." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "King Abdullah hosted talks in city of Mecca at end of September, source says .\nSaudi Arabia has generally dealt with Afghanistan through Pakistan .\nTalks are the first aimed at bringing a negotiated settlement to the Afghan conflict .\nAll parties agreed only solution to Afghan conflict is dialogue, not fighting ." } ]
[ { "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 Los Angeles Times' headquarters aptly sits where the U.S. Army corralled camels during the Civil War, when Southern California was a desert with no natural resources. A new film on PBS explores how the Chandler family helped develop Los Angeles through their newspaper. Los Angeles' development from an arid wasteland to a world metropolis and cultural capital is closely linked to the newspaper's rise under the ownership of one family. \"It would still be a desert,\" documentary filmmaker Peter Jones said, if Gen. Harrison Gray Otis didn't arrive in the 1880s to take over the bankrupt Los Angeles Times and his son-in-law, Harry Chandler, wasn't there to follow him. Jones' documentary is a saga of four generations of the region's most powerful family shaping Los Angeles as they pursued their own civil agendas -- and accumulated wealth. \"Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times\" premieres Monday on PBS. Historian David Halberstam said in the documentary that the Chandlers dominated Southern California as no other family has dominated any major region of the United States. \"They did not so much foster the growth of Los Angeles as invent it,\" said Halberstam, who died in 2007. Harrison Gray Otis, Harry Chandler, Norman Chandler and Otis Chandler succeeded each other at the helm of the Los Angeles Times over a span of 100 years. The city grew from a small desert town to the nation's second-largest city, while the family became one of the nation's wealthiest. The Chandler family dynasty ended when the general's great-grandson Otis Chandler was ousted as chairman of the Times board of directors in 1985. The family eventually sold its Times-Mirror Company to Chicago's Tribune Company -- which is now in bankruptcy. Each man's personality and strengths were tailored for what was demanded of their time, said Jones. \"For each era, they were up to that particular era,\" he said. \"You couldn't actually rearrange them,\" said Harry Chandler's namesake and the great-great-grandson of the general. \"You couldn't have a General Otis in late 20th-century America,\" Chandler told CNN, referring to the dynasty's founder who served as an Army general in the Philippine-American War before taking over the Los Angeles Times. \"His character was one of the period. 'I have a vision and everything I touch needs to support that vision and damn the consequences.'\" Otis used his newspaper to scare the public about the threat of drought, drumming up support for a 230-mile aqueduct -- one of the modern engineering marvels -- to divert water from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles, Jones said. He was part of a syndicate that bought vast tracts of barren land in the San Fernando Valley with the inside knowledge the Los Angeles Aqueduct would bring water there. The scandal later inspired Roman Polanski's award-winning film \"Chinatown.\" Otis also used the Times to influence the federal government's decision to build the Port of Los Angeles, Jones said. \"He had the foresight to say 'We have to build a man-made harbor here in Los Angeles if we want to become a major port of trade,' and today the Port of Los Angeles is the busiest port in the United States,\" Jones said. The general and his successor son-in-law promoted investment in and migration to the Los Angeles area with stories of sunshine and opportunity. More people moving in meant more readers for their newspaper and demand for the real estate empire they were building. Harrison Gray Otis and Harry Chandler used their newspaper to create a vision of Los Angeles as \"America's Great White Spot\" -- free of crime and communism. They fought a decades-long battle against labor unions -- a battle that included the 1910 bombing of The Los Angeles Times headquarters. The Los Angeles film, aviation, high technology, shipping and oil industries grew from the Chandlers' influence, Jones said. As a conservative Republican family, they helped launch Richard Nixon's political career in post-World War II California. The story is not all about the men. Dorothy Chandler -- the strong-willed wife of Norman Chandler -- waged a relentless campaign to turn Los Angeles into a world-class cultural center, Jones said. She led a campaign to raise money to save the Hollywood Bowl and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In doing so, she brought together the Westside Jewish community with the white Protestant establishment based in Pasadena, Harry Chandler said. Tom Johnson, who became first nonfamily publisher of the Times in 1980, said one of Dorothy Chandler's \"most remarkable\" contributions was the successful effort to make sure her son Otis succeeded her husband as publisher in 1960. \"The very new approach that Otis took and his leadership of the newspaper was just astounding,\" Johnson said in an interview with CNN. Otis Chandler gave reporters editorial independence, opened news bureaus around the world and strengthened the paper's coverage of the suburbs, Johnson said. Under Otis Chandler, it rose from being one of the worst major papers in the country to being one of the top three, Johnson said. \"It was his goal to make the Los Angeles Times one of the best newspapers, and he did it in 20 years, being the right publisher at the right time,\" Johnson said. But Otis Chandler's transformation of the Times from a conservative newspaper into a Pulitzer Prize-winning rival to the New York Times and Washington Post angered many Chandler family members. \"Some Chandlers were members of the John Birch society; his paper did an expose on it,\" Johnson said. Otis Chandler's newspaper looked closely at the Los Angeles Police Department, \"which had a reputation to shoot first and ask questions,\" Johnson said. The deep family rift eventually led to the sale of the Times-Mirror Company to the Tribune Company -- and the end of the dynasty. Johnson, who left the newspaper in 1989 and later became chairman of CNN, said the paper declined in the years since because \"rather than going for people who were superb newspaper people, they went outside to pick people who, in my opinion, blew the place apart.\" Some Chandler family descendants cooperated with Jones' efforts to explore the Chandler family's dealings. \"He doesn't whitewash, but he doesn't dig into the dark side and linger too long,\" said Harry Chandler, the son of Otis Chandler. The documentary is \"on whole, a very balanced, very accomplished, incredibly well researched\" documentary, Chandler said. Jones said he avoided judging the motives of Gen. Otis and his successors. \"When these guys were going about building the city, sometimes they did things, I wouldn't say in an underhanded way, but in a very private way,\" Jones said. \"How do you ascribe motives to people who did things 100 years ago? Was it for greed, avarice and duplicity? History in general is this tangled web of good and evil.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times\" premieres Monday on PBS .\nHistorian: Chandlers not only dominated Los Angeles, they invented it .\nLos Angeles grew from small desert town to nation's second-largest city .\nThe Chandler family newspaper dynasty ended in 1985 ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Actor Edward Norton already wanted to be in better shape for his 40th birthday than he was on his 30th when the idea hit -- why not join members of an African tribe famous for its runners and run the New York marathon? \"Incredible Hulk\" star Edward Norton, second from left, has trained for a marathon with Maasai tribesmen in Kenya . Before he knew it, the star of \"The Incredible Hulk\" and \"Fight Club\" had signed on to the effort, despite never having run a marathon before. \"The idea picked up traction pretty quickly,\" said Norton, who turned 39 in August. \"Then, I was like, 'Wait a minute. What have I just done?'\" The run is a benefit for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, an organization working to promote sustainable development while protecting the east African grasslands that the Maasai tribe calls home. Both the traditional tribe's way of life and its environment have been threatened by rapid industrial development. Norton discovered, and became a supporter of, the trust about 10 years ago during his first visit to Kenya, where he met founder Luca Belpietro. \"I was impressed at the way he was really genuinely working with the community to create value out of being good stewards of the land,\" Norton said. Belpietro will be one of nearly 30 runners joining Norton on the Nov. 1 marathon. Also running will be magician David Blaine and three Maasai tribesmen. The Maasai are at the heart of Kenya's long tradition of distance running. Norton said one of the runners, safari guide Parashi Ntanin, is so fast he could probably leave the rest of the group behind and run the race in less than 2½ hours. Norton said he's run as much as 15 miles twice during his training for the 26.2-mile marathon and that despite some leg and knee pains, he's confident he'll finish the endurance race. \"I'm really enjoying it,\" he said after a workout Wednesday in New York. \"I'm enjoying having a goal.\" A competitive rower at Yale, Norton said he's experienced the so-called \"runner's high\" during his training, which fans can follow on his Twitter account, @EdwardNorton. \"Running in the park, I got a taste of what people say about the New York marathon. There were people of every shape and size out there,\" he said. \"I really got a lift out of it.\" Norton's latest film, the independently produced \"Leaves of Grass,\" is set to premiere this week at the Toronto International Film Festival and his company's \"By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama,\" a documentary about President Obama's historic campaign for the White House, debuts on HBO on November 3." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Actor on marathon decision: 'What have I just done?'\nNorton's New York run will benefit Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust .\nTraining runs have hit 15 miles for Nov. 1 race .\nMaasai tribesmen, magician David Blaine also part of running group ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Formula One cars are a marvel of modern engineering, so much so, that many manufactuers who compete in the sport do so in order to benefit from the technical innovations race-honed research and development creates. Car builders such as Renault, Ferrari, BMW, Toyota and McLaren have used technology -- developed to make single-seater race cars as competitive as possible -- to enhance their road-car products. And who can blame them if you consider the performance such a machine can deliver to a driver? The average F1 car can reach 160km/h in under six seconds according to the official Formula One Web site and have top speeds in the region of 370 km/h. Going fast is one thing, stopping is another, and controlling such velocity requires carbon brakes which, in any given race, will have an operating temperature that is over 600 degrees Celsius. In general, the cars weigh around 600 kilograms in race trim, including the addition of KERS that some constructors use to increase performance. This system stores energy normally lost through braking and reuses it for speed boosts during the race. Watch out for KERS powered cars -- including the Mclarens, BMW Saubers and Renault -- using their boost as the lights go green to start this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A Formula One car can reach 160km/h in under six seconds .\nF1 car brakes operate at a temperature over 600 degrees Celsius .\nIn general, the cars weigh around 600 kilograms in race trim ." } ]
[ { "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 X-ray machine was Wednesday named the most important scientific invention, in a poll marking the centenary of the Science Museum in London. Almost 50,000 people voted in the museum or online on a shortlist of ten discoveries and inventions from past centuries in science, technology and engineering. The X-ray machine, which was discovered in 1895 and revolutionized how doctors detected disease and injury, struck a chord with most voters who singled it out for having made the greatest impact on the past, present and future. It gathered one fifth of the votes( 9581 votes) followed by the discoveries of penicillin and the DNA double helix structure. Katie Maggs, associate curator of medicine at the Science Museum, told CNN that she was \"pleasantly surprised\" with the results, saying she \"wondered whether the therapeutic benefit of penicillin might just edge in front -- or perhaps the Apollo 10 capsule as visitors find space travel so inspirational as the ultimate test of technology.\" Maggs attributed the X-ray machine's popularity to the wide impact it has on people's everyday life, from the very first steps of a medical diagnosis to security control at airports. \"People are just fascinated with seeing inside their bodies --- even today. It has fundamentally changed the way we see and understand our world -- but particularly our bodies. \"But I also think visitors are aware of the immense and various benefits x-rays have brought -- revolutionizing medical diagnosis and therapy but also astronomy and material and chemical science -- it was x-rays that enabled us to discover the structure of DNA after all!\" X-rays were discovered in November 1895 by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen. The Science Museum also houses the Reynolds machine, which was built by a father and son John and Russell Reynolds, months after Röntgen announced his discovery. They were so inspired by the news that they started constructing the equipment in their own home." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The X-ray machine was voted the most significant scientific invention, in a poll by the Science Museum in London .\nOut of almost 50,000 votes cast, one in five people selected it as the object they believed it had the greatest impact on the past, present and future .\nX-rays were followed by the discoveries of penicillin and the DNA double helix structure .\nThe public vote began on 10 June this year as part of the Science Museum's events to mark its centenary ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: Virg Bernero is the mayor of Lansing, Michigan and chairman of the Mayors and Municipalities Automotive Coalition (MMAC). He is one of the mayors of U.S. cities appearing on \"American Morning\" this week. Mayor Virg Bernero says the American worker has been sold out by backers of free trade. (CNN) -- While America reels from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, it is time that we take a deeper look at the root causes of our current predicament. The cold, hard truth is that the unholy alliance between Washington and Wall Street has sold out the American worker and exported our standard of living. Driven by the insatiable greed of Wall Street profiteers and accelerated by the false promise of free trade, our manufacturing base has been chased out of this country and along with it the livelihood of millions of hard-working Americans. It's fashionable these days among the politicians, pundits and so-called experts to claim that free trade is actually good for us. They say it enables us to buy cheaper goods made with cheap foreign labor and this, in turn, raises our standard of living. With all due respect, the free traders need to ask themselves a more fundamental question: how will Americans buy those goods when they don't even have a paycheck that covers their mortgage, much less the college tuition for their children? Watch Mayor Bernero speak to American Morning's John Roberts » . More than one pundit has told me I need to take a broader view. As the mayor of one of America's countless manufacturing communities, the only view that matters is the one my citizens see every day: Record job losses, home foreclosures and, thanks to the Wall Street wizards, a credit crunch so severe that it is nearly impossible to finance a new car. This isn't a predicament faced just by Michigan or the Midwest. This is the story of America, told in thousands of desperate households from Connecticut to California. The pundits claim our manufacturing sector is a relic of the old economy. We're told that we just can't compete anymore. We're told that our future is in the service economy, that jobs in health care and finance and knowledge-based industries will recreate the prosperity our nation once knew. The truth is that our industrial heritage is an example of everything that was right with our nation's economy. Good jobs with good benefits created the middle class in this country, and now it is being systematically dismantled under the banner of free trade and globalism. Those who continue to espouse free trade ominously warn that protectionism is the wrong path for our nation; that challenging the holy doctrine of free trade invites a global trade war. Yet we already face rampant protectionism across the globe. Pursuing a free trade agenda in a protectionist world is tantamount to unilateral disarmament. Our trading partners routinely employ taxes, tariffs and subsidies that underwrite their exports and restrict American products from entering their home markets. They use currency manipulation to reduce the relative cost of their goods here in the USA. The fact is we're not competing against other companies; we're competing against other countries. I've toured the Hyundai plant in Asan, Korea. The Koreans are wonderful people, but their technology isn't any better and they're not working any harder than Americans. The difference is that Hyundai doesn't have to pay legacy costs. The Korean government takes care of their retirees. Hyundai doesn't pay health care costs because they have national heath care. If you don't think that's an unfair advantage, you're kidding yourself. Many Americans are unaware that China sold 10 million cars last year -- more than General Motors or Toyota. I can assure you the Chinese government is part and parcel of that success. They're involved in their industry. The Korean government is involved in their industry. If we are going to have any chance to compete globally, our government must get involved in our industry and help us rebuild America's industrial might before it is too late. There's no question that we need this stimulus package. We need the reinvestment in America's infrastructure and in the working people of this country. We need tax cuts delivered directly to the American worker. We need education and retraining for the \"green collar\" jobs of the future. But we need more than a short term shot in the arm. We need a long-term strategy to rebuild the American economy that provides jobs and economic security to the millions of hard-working American families who have been sold down the river by unfair trade policies. We need fair trade agreements so that the most productive workers in the world -- American workers -- can put their skills to work and compete in the global economy. We recently watched our athletes successfully compete in the Olympics against nations of the world. When the playing field is level, Americans can compete against the best from any nation. With fair trade instead of free trade, American workers can once again bring home the gold. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Virg Bernero." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Virg Bernero: Washington and Wall Street have sold out the American worker .\nHe says we must rebuild America's industrial might before it is too late .\nBernero: Free trade in protectionist world is like unilateral disarmament ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama spoke with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday about the violence in Gaza, which has left as many as 225 people dead, two transition aides told CNN. Barack Obama's approach to the Middle East as president will be the subject of much scrutiny. \"The president-elect appreciated the call and the information from Secretary Rice,\" one aide said, adding that Obama initiated the eight-minute phone call. \"He will continue to closely monitor these and other global events.\" Israeli airstrikes pounded targets in Hamas-ruled Gaza on Saturday and continued into the night, retaliating against Palestinian militants who have been escalating rocket attacks against southern Israel. The fighting ignited eight days after a six-month Egypt-brokered cease-fire between Hamas and Israel expired. Obama has pledged to make Middle East peace a priority from the beginning of his presidency. Arabs are calling for a more even-handed approach than the Bush administration, but Israel is expecting Obama to stay true to the pro-Israel posture he showed during the campaign. But one analyst of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cautioned against putting \"dangerously high\" expectations on the incoming administration. \"I think the tone of American politics will change: You're going to get a serious effort on behalf of the new administration,\" said Aaron David Miller, a public policy scholar at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson International Center and a former adviser to six secretaries of state on Arab-Israeli relations. But, he told CNN, \"the fact is that unless the Israelis and Palestinians are prepared -- which they're not right now -- to take the political decisions required to overcome the gaps and to sell an agreement to their respective constituents, there's not much a new president, no matter how bold or charismatic he may be, is going to be able to do about that.\" CNN's Ed Henry contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "President-elect initiated eight-minute call with secretary of state .\nObama \"will continue to closely monitor\" Middle East events, aide says .\nHe has promised to make peace in the region a priority ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Flooding and resulting landslides killed 137 people Thursday and Friday in this nation's northern provinces, including Baguio City, Benguet Province and Mountain Province, the Office of Civil Defense in Cordillera said Friday. A boatman transports three empty wooden coffins on the edge of Laguna Lake east of Manila on Thursday. Another 43 people were missing and 45 were injured, it said. Landslides blocked traffic along the Marchos Highway, Naguilian Road, Kennon Road and Ambuklao Road, cutting access to Baguio City, Benguet Province and Mountain Province, it said. The floods were unleased by tropical depression Parma, which had been downgraded from a typhoon. Earlier reports from Rocky Baraan, provincial administrator of Pangasinan, said flooding had inundated 32 towns and two cities, Dagupan and Urdaneta. Some 35,000 people had fled to evacuation centers, the official Philippines News Agency reported, citing the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council. The worst-hit areas included Bayambang, Alcala and Basista, the news agency reported. People clambered onto rooftops as floodwaters rose, calling and texting for help. Rescue trucks were hampered by floodwaters that reach the roofs of single-story houses, Baraan said. About 16 rubber rescue boats had been deployed. Since the rains started in central Luzon, three dams in the Pangasinan area have been releasing vast amounts of water -- up to 10 million cubic meters per hour at one dam, dam officials said. Water passing through the three dams -- the Ambuklao, the Binga and the San Roque -- is rushing into the Agno River, which has been swollen since Thursday and affects seven towns in eastern Pangasinan, dam officials said. Water released from the San Roque dam has contributed to the flooding in eastern Pangasinan, acknowledged Alex Palada, division manager for flood forecasting and warning of the National Power Corporation. Dam officials had no choice but to maintain safe water levels, he added, noting that he alerted Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino. The governor started to evacuate residents Thursday when the Agno River started to rise, Palada said. In the last several days, water has become the Philippines' biggest enemy, as Parma, locally known as \"Pepeng,\" dumped as much as 36 inches (91.4 centimeters) of rain in some parts of the nation of islands, compounding misery in areas already flooded by earlier storm Ketsana. Parma was forecast to have winds of no greater than 39 mph (63 kph) by Friday. The U.S. Navy was expected to join rescue operations in Pangasinan, according to the agency. Journalist Lilibeth Frondoso and CNN's Judy Kwon contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "137 people dead in provinces, including Baguio City, Benguet and Mountain .\nFloods were unleased by tropical depression Parma .\nReport: Worst-hit areas in Pangasinan province are Bayambang, Alcala and Basista ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England -- Graffiti artist Banksy, famed for infiltrating museum collections without their knowledge and spray-painting public buildings around the world, is holding his first major exhibition in years. A Banksy painting of the British House of Commons at England's Bristol museum. This time, however, the anonymous artist worked in tandem with the director of Bristol museum in the UK. CNN's Max Foster got a preview of his largest project to date. The artist's anonymity gained him notoriety and he became one of the art world's biggest names with his works selling at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The exhibition's range, while very varied, remained true to Banksy form with his usual unconventional take on art. See pictures from Banksy's exhibition » . \"I think we might have dragged them down to our level rather than being elevated to theirs\" Banksy, who is thought to be from Bristol, said about the museum. He filled three stories of the building with his art in 36 hours under tight security, as only a few museum staff were aware of the shows' imminent arrival. His work is hidden among the museum's usual exhibits and is split into different rooms, including installations, paintings and sculptures. In one of the paintings, a character has been cut out and is instead sitting on the painting's frame, perhaps taking a break from posing? Another piece, which at first glance, looks like a copy of an ancient classical statue, is in fact a woman over-loaded with countless shopping bags as she browses for yet another item. Perhaps the most controversial, yet equally light-hearted piece, is a painting of the British Parliamentary House of Commons, filled with chimpanzees who are looking surprisingly \"ministerial.\" \"You paint a hundred chimpanzees and they call you a guerilla artist,\" Banksy said. While one of the more poignant installations is that of Tweety, the Warner Bros. animated character famous for his upbeat personality and energy, looking old and life-less. \"This show is my vision of the future,\" the artist said . Banksy is unlikely to show up at the exhibition as he attempts to retain his anonymity. But while we may never know his identity, with this latest show, Banksy has definitely shown yet another facet of his personality. CNN's Max Foster contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Banksy, the world-famous British graffiti artist will unveil his largest project to date .\nA surprise show is held from June 13 until August 31 at the Bristol museum, UK .\nBanksy has remained true to form with his unconventional take on art ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "GAZA CITY, Gaza (CNN) -- Palestinian militants declared Sunday that they would stop attacks on Israel for a week, a statement that came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced a unilateral cease-fire in the country's assault on Hamas in Gaza. An Israeli soldier holds up an Israeli flag after leaving Gaza on Sunday. The Palestinians demanded that Israel remove all troops from Gaza within the week, Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha said from Egypt. The agreement appears to cover all Palestinian armed factions, not only Hamas. \"We in the Palestinian resistance movements announce a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip,\" Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official in Syria, said on Syrian TV. \"And we demand that Israeli forces withdraw in one week and that they open all the border crossings to permit the entry of humanitarian aid and basic goods for our people in Gaza.\" There is no mutual agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians -- each side has made its own unilateral declaration of a cease-fire. Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, called for the cease-fire to hold so aid could get into Gaza. Watch how a family in Gaza is coping with the violence » . \"We hope that it continues and that the situation calms down and that humanitarian aid delivery begins immediately to our people,\" he said at a summit in Egypt. Watch how a reporter finds Gaza in chaos » . During 22 days of fighting, more than 1,200 people have died, all but 13 of them Palestinians. Watch clean-up efforts in Gaza City » . The Palestinians and Israel continued to skirmish for several hours Sunday after Israel said it was stopping its offensive against Hamas. Palestinians fired at least 19 rockets into Israel on Sunday -- including at least two after the Palestinian cease-fire declaration, according to Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld. At least three people were lightly wounded. Israeli military aircraft retaliated, firing missiles and destroying a rocket launcher, a military spokesman said. Shortly before the rocket attacks, Palestinian gunmen opened fire on Israeli forces in northern Gaza, the military said. Troops returned fire. Separately, Palestinian medical sources said 23 bodies were pulled from rubble in Gaza. Watch doctors tend to wounded civilians » . Olmert said Sunday the Israeli offensive had achieved its goals but that the Israel Defense Forces reserved the right to respond to any Palestinian violence against Israelis. \"IDF forces are in the Gaza Strip and many other units, which are surrounding Gaza from all sides, are closely observing every corner and listening to every whisper, ready for any response that they might receive from their commanders if and when the violations continue, as they have this morning,\" he said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, before the announcement of the Palestinian cease-fire. Israel pulled some troops out of the Palestinian territory as it called a halt to its operation against Hamas, but others remained. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told CNN they would be there for a matter of days, not weeks. International leaders are in the region for talks on the crisis. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and French President Nicolas Sarkozy hosted a summit Sunday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, bringing together leaders from Europe and the Middle East. Olmert told the gathering that, if the cease-fire holds, \"the government of Israel has no intention to stay in the Gaza Strip. We are interested in leaving Gaza as soon as we can.\" He said Israel would \"continue to do whatever is possible to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,\" and expressed sorrow for the deaths of innocent civilians. \"It wasn't our intention to fight them or to harm them, to hurt them or to shoot at them,\" he said. German Premier Angela Merkel underscored the international community's preferred outcome in a news conference in Egypt: \"The two-state solution is the only solution we have.\" Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, later in Jerusalem. A top aide to Barack Obama said the president-elect would move swiftly to work on the Middle East after he is sworn in on Tuesday. \"The events around the world demand that he act quickly, and I think you'll see him act quickly,\" David Axelrod told CNN. But he refused to promise Obama would name a Middle East special envoy \"on day one.\" Israel said it launched the offensive in Gaza to stop the firing of rockets -- primarily the short-range homemade Qassam rockets -- from the territory into southern Israel by Hamas fighters. \"We welcome any alleviation of violence, with cautious optimism and hope that these declarations of cease-fire will lead to the end of fighting,\" said Charles Clayton, national director of World Vision Jerusalem, an aid group. \"We call on all parties to stop attacks, including Hamas' rocket strikes against Israel, and refrain from further hostilities.\" He called for \"unhindered and safe humanitarian assistance to the desperate civilian families of Gaza who have lost their homes and businesses and are struggling amid shortages of food, supplies, healthcare and fuel.\" He further called for an end \"to the 18-month blockade of the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza,\" saying it has \"devastated the economy, halted services, and rendered the people of Gaza entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.\" CNN's Arie Bell and Karl Penhaul contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Israeli prime minister says no intention to hurt civilians .\nPalestinians fire two rockets after cease-fire declaration .\nPalestinian Authority president calls for aid into Gaza .\nCease-fire covers all armed Palestinian factions, CNN reports ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Cuban government, long the object of a U.S. economic blockade, is prepared to meet with the Obama administration, Cuba's leader said. Raúl Castro says Cuba is willing \"to discuss everything -- human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners.'' \"We've told the North American government, in private and in public, that we are prepared, wherever they want, to discuss everything -- human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners -- everything, everything, everything that they want to discuss,\" Cuban President Raúl Castro said Thursday at a summit of leftist Latin American leaders in Venezuela. The response came days after President Obama lifted all restrictions on the ability of American citizens to visit relatives in Cuba as well as to send them remittances. Travel restrictions for Americans of non-Cuban descent will remain in place. This week's move represents a significant shift in a U.S. policy that had remained largely unchanged for nearly half a century. The U.S. government instituted the embargo three years after Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. In Mexico City for meetings with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Obama offered a carrot and a stick to Havana. \"What we're looking for is some signal that there are going to be changes in how Cuba operates that assures that political prisoners are released, that people can speak their minds freely, that they can travel, that they can write and attend church and do the things that people throughout the hemisphere can do and take for granted,\" he said. \"And if there is some sense of movement on those fronts in Cuba, then I think we can see a further thawing of relations and further changes.\" Obama's gesture precedes a trip this week to Trinidad and Tobago for a key meeting of hemispheric powers -- the Summit of the Americas. Watch how Obama likely will hear about Cuba at the summit » ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cuba's president responds after President Obama eases some travel restrictions .\nIsland nation has long been the object of a U.S. economic blockade .\nObama says U.S. is looking for signal of \"changes in how Cuba operates\"\nCuba-U.S. relations likely will be an issue at the Summit of the Americas ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Layoffs for sea lions? Furloughs for frogs? Is there no job security, anywhere? State budget cuts mean New York's 76 zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums will lose $9.1 million in funding. The recession may be coming to a zoo near you. State budget cuts mean many zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens will lose crucial state funding for their exhibits. New York's 76 zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens will lose $9.1 million in state funds next year. \"We're faced with this very difficult problem of firing the animals, as it were,\" said Steve Sanderson, the CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium. They will lose $3 million to budget cuts. The Bronx Zoo has made a short video posted on its Web site www.bronxzoo.com/ to draw attention to the cuts. In the video, the zoo director fires a porcupine and a frog. \"I am sure you have heard that Gov. [David] Paterson's proposed budget will mean severe cuts here at the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium,\" the zoo director says. \"Next year, all 76 zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums in the state will lose all of their state funding. There is no easy way to say this: Even though you bring record numbers of people to New York and help the economy, we are going to have to let you go.\" Firing a porcupine and a frog may be a cute way to get publicity for their budget woes, but it's a serious matter and zoo officials say the recession will certainly affect the animals. Zoo officials say some collections with \"short life cycles\" will not be replaced when they die, and other animals could be sent to other zoos or wildlife sanctuaries. The state of New York funds just 2.7 percent of the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium's budget, but zoo officials say it will be difficult to make up. Between the state budget cuts, the loss in the value of their endowment and fewer people renewing memberships -- times are so tough for the zoo and aquarium -- they say they may lay off 120 to 130 people. \"Two-thirds of our budget is people, and so two-thirds of the cuts will come in cutting positions,\" Sanderson said. \"And we'll also cut back what we provide in the way of education and entertainment and nature experiences for people. So it affects everything.\" Zoo officials questioned the state's priorities. But just about everybody getting taxpayer funds has to cut back. Jeffrey Gordon, a spokesman for the New York State Budget Office told CNN the cuts are regrettable but necessary considering the state's current financial crisis. Citing a \"dramatic reduction in revenue,\" Gordon said, \"Every entity that receives state funds must do what the state has done, which is to review its operations and identify ways to operate at lower costs.\" The Bronx Zoo isn't the only one affected; cutbacks are happening everywhere. The Los Angeles Zoo in California stopped work on its $42 million elephant exhibit last year, and there are big budget cuts for zoos in Maryland, Missouri and North Carolina. There's no relief for the zoos in the $819 billion economic stimulus package. Section 1109 of the stimulus bill which passed this week in the House forbids the use of federal taxpayer money to plug the budget gaps. Taxpayer watchdog groups lobbied to keep zoos, aquariums, swimming pools, golf courses and casinos out of the stimulus, arguing that there are higher priorities for Americans' money during a recession." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "State budget cuts threaten funding for zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens .\nNew York's 76 zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens will lose $9.1 million .\nBronx Zoo: Some animals won't be replaced; others may go to zoos, sanctuaries .\nZoos in Florida, Maryland, Missouri and North Carolina face budget cuts ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The head of a shipping company recently victimized by pirates off the Somali coast told lawmakers Tuesday that U.S. cargo crews should be allowed to arm themselves in response to the rising hijacking threat. In April, pirates attacked The Liberty Sun, a U.S.-flagged cargo ship, but were unable to board. Philip Shapiro, head of Liberty Maritime Corp., told a U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee that the owners of U.S.-flagged \"have done all they can within the law to protect our crews.\" Unfortunately, he said, U.S. vessels are still largely at the mercy of pirates in shipping lanes around the heavily trafficked Gulf of Aden. \"In light of the recent threats to U.S. merchant mariners, we respectfully request that Congress consider clearing the obstacles that currently block ship owners from arming our vessels,\" Shapiro said. Pirates unsuccessfully attempted to board the Liberty Sun, a cargo vessel owned by Shapiro's company, near the Somali coast on April 14. The ship was on a humanitarian relief mission at the time, carrying 47,000 tons of food to Mombassa, Kenya. Pirate leaders later said the attempted hijacking was carried out as revenge after the U.S. Navy killed three pirates involved in a failed attack on the cargo ship Maersk Alabama. The slain pirates were holding Capt. Richard Phillips, who was in charge of the Alabama when it was boarded April 8. \"We've heard some suggestions that U.S.-flagged ship owners have not done enough to protect their vessels,\" Shapiro said. \"That view ... is flat wrong. Our company adopted every measure recommended by the international maritime organizations and required by the Coast Guard's approved security plan for making the vessel a difficult piracy target -- and more.\" Merchant vessels don't usually carry firearms, he said, but the \"Maersk Alabama incident constitutes a game changer. ... Self-proclaimed pirate leaders have now issued direct threats of violence against American merchant mariners.\" Shapiro said that U.S. crews have a right to self-defense under U.S. laws dating back to 1819, but \"recently enacted State Department arms export regulations effectively prohibit the arming of vessels.\" He also said that ship owners are at risk of \"being second-guessed in U.S. and foreign courts for self-defensive measures that were common in 1819.\" Shapiro urged congressional leaders to help \"bring U.S. law up to date and give us the legal framework we need to be able to protect ourselves.\" Until then, he said, U.S. naval escorts or government security teams will be required for U.S. vessels on high-risk transits. Shapiro was joined at the committee hearing by Phillips, who said the most desirable response would be the establishment of U.S. military escorts as well as military detachments. Phillips repeated an assertion he made before a separate Senate committee last week that arming vessels' crews could provide an effective deterrent -- but only under certain limited circumstances. \"Unless the root causes of piracy are addressed [on land], piracy will continue to expand and evolve into an even greater threat for American and foreign seamen,\" Phillips said. A Transportation Department official testifying at the hearing noted that the ships most vulnerable to attack are those built low to the water with insufficient top speeds. Ships need to be able to accelerate to \"a high rate of speed [for] aggressive maneuvering\" and should have high walls that are tough for pirates to scale, said Undersecretary of Transportation Roy Kienitz. He recommended that ship owners mandate a range of \"best practices,\" including having fire hoses to spray water over the side of a ship and extra manning for watches during dawn and dusk, when attacks are tougher to detect. Shapiro said that the crew of the Liberty Sun was able to fend off the pirate attack in part by rigging fire hoses to cover the stern of the vessel and \"create a virtual flood wall of water coming off the ship.\" Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, applauded the efforts of the crews on both the Alabama and the Liberty Sun. \"These bandits have to be stopped,\" he said at the opening of the hearing. \"Violence and lawlessness will not be tolerated whether on land, in the sky or at sea. We have a duty to protect the ships that proudly fly America's flag.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Liberty Maritime Corp. chief speaks before U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee .\nHe says U.S. vessels are at mercy of pirates around the busy Gulf of Aden .\nPirates tried, failed to board one of his company's cargo ships, the Liberty Sun .\nRichard Phillips, the hijacked Maersk Alabama captain, joined him at the hearing ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Miriam Brown has always wanted to visit Cape Cod, but when she recently began to plan a trip and found out she would have to pay $200 or more a night for lodging, her dream vacation seemed out of reach. Miriam Brown and her husband bartered their services for room and board on Cape Cod. Brown, who lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an accountant. Her husband is a home renovations contractor. Like many people dealing with a soft real estate market and high food and gas prices, they just don't have that kind of extra cash for a trip. \"I have traveled a lot in prior years, but after [Hurricane] Katrina, there's just no money for traveling,\" Brown said. So she still plans to go, but she won't spend any cash at all on lodging. Brown has joined the growing ranks of Americans who are bartering -- trading goods and services without exchanging money -- as a way to cope with tough economic times. Brown posted an ad in the barter section of the online community Craigslist last month, offering to trade her accounting skills and her husband's knack for home repairs in exchange for room and board on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She has lots of company. There were some 142,000 listings in the barter section of Craigslist in July, or almost double the number posted during the same month last year, according to Craigslist spokeswoman Susan MacTavish Best. \"When the economy turns unfriendly, Craigslist users become far more creative to get their everyday tasks done,\" Best said. Swapping 'to get by' Other Web sites that put Americans in touch with like-minded people who are willing to trade everything under the sun have also seen a boost in traffic. SwapThing, which lists almost 3.5 million \"things\" available for trade, reports its customers are bartering for different reasons than before. \"I think a few years ago it was more for fun,\" said Jessica Hardwick, SwapThing founder and CEO. \"But we've seen a real shift in the last year, and especially an increase in the last few months, where I think people are really doing it to get by.\" Some of the most popular items to trade for late this summer were school uniforms, which some parents found they could not afford to buy for their children, Hardwick said. Experts aren't surprised Americans are becoming more financially creative during an economic downturn. \"Historically, when times get tough, you see a 50 percent-plus increase in bartering as a way for people to be able to buy things or get things and do it economically,\" said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America's Research Group. The company talks with thousands of consumers every week to gauge their spending habits and attitudes. A couple of years ago, many Americans had $500 to spend at the end of the month, but that money has evaporated because of rising prices, Beemer said. \"We've never had a time, at least in my lifetime, where you have food and fuel going up at the same time. So it isn't a question of buying things, it's a question of buying nothing,\" Beemer said. Breast implants and a horse . Businesses have long recognized the benefits of bartering, and there are hundreds of barter networks set up across the country to fill their needs. They use barter credits as currency, so a plumber in need of a filling doesn't need to search for a dentist's office with plumbing problems to make a deal. He can fix a leaky pipe for one member of a network and use the credits he earned for that job at any other. Since all kinds of companies are members, the trades can be all over the map, said Michael Krane, president of Green Apple Barter Services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His company has brokered everything from breast implants to college tuition to a horse. \"Really, there are no limits to it. We trade for just about anything you can think of,\" Krane said. Bartering on this scale is also robust in tough economic times. Krane said his exchange has seen a 20 percent rise in barter transaction volume in the first six months of this year. A longtime client is Thomas Forrest, an orthodontist in suburban Pittsburgh who barters his services for everything from office improvements to stationery. His practice hasn't been affected by the economic downturn, Forrest said, but some of his patients seem glad to be able to visit him under the barter arrangement. \"I think if you have a business owner who has children in need of braces, I sense a gratitude that that's available,\" Forrest said. Barter exchanges must carefully document all trades, since the Internal Revenue Service considers income from bartering as taxable. However, a barter exchange \"does not include arrangements that provide solely for the informal exchange of similar services on a noncommercial basis,\" according to the IRS. In New Orleans, Brown and her husband are getting ready to go to Cape Cod after finding a taker for her bartering offer on Craigslist. The couple will work five hours a day in exchange for staying in \"a beautiful three-bedroom house right in the center of it all,\" Brown said. \"We can do a lot more if we don't have to pay for room and board,\" she added." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Many Americans are bartering as a way to cope with tough economic times .\nBartering involves trading goods and services without exchanging money .\nResearcher: Bartering activity rises dramatically during economic downturns .\n\"We trade for just about anything you can think of,\" barter network president says ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement closed a sex-related criminal probe of former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley on Friday without filing charges, authorities said. \"There is insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges,\" said Gerald Bailey, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Authorities were investigating whether the Florida Republican, who resigned in September 2006, might have used congressional computers to engage or solicit minors in any illegal activities. Officials said they were hindered by refusal from Foley and the House of Representatives to allow inspection of the computers. \"FDLE conducted as thorough and comprehensive investigation as possible considering Congress and Mr. Foley denied us access to critical data,\" Bailey said in a written statement. \"Should additional information arise which is pertinent to this case, we will ensure it is appropriately investigated.\" Foley is \"relieved\" that no probable cause was found to charge him with a crime, his lawyer, David Roth, told reporters Friday evening. But in a statement Roth read on behalf of the former congressman, Foley added, \"I however recognize that while my behavior was not illegal, it does not by any means make it proper or approriate. To the contrary, I am deeply ashamed of my conduct, which was wrong and without question inappropriate.\" Foley said he takes full responsibility for his actions and apologized, particularly to the recipients of the e-mails or instant messages. \"I continue to pray for forgiveness from those I have disappointed\" and emotionally harmed, Foley said in the statement. Foley entered treatment for alcoholism on October 1, 2006, he said in his statement, and has been clean and sober since the day he resigned from Congress. Roth has denied that his client engaged in sexual activity with minors. \"He is absolutely, positively not a pedophile,\" attorney David Roth said previously. \"He is apologetic for the communications he made while under the influence of alcohol, which he acknowledges are totally inappropriate.\" Those communications included scores of e-mails and instant messages that were given to investigators by former House pages. The exchanges -- in which Foley used the screen name MAF 54 -- were published in a House ethics committee report in December 2006. Roth told reporters Friday that Foley has no intention of re-entering politics and is focusing on his recovery. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement put the price tag for the nearly two-year investigation at about $37,800. Foley entered a treatment facility for alcoholism shortly after resigning, saying he is gay and was molested by a priest when he was between the ages of 13 and 15. A Catholic priest living in Italy admitted in a TV interview that he molested Foley when he was a teenager. \"Once maybe, I touched him or so, but I didn't -- it wasn't -- because it's not something you call, I mean rape or penetration or anything like that, you know. We were just fondling,\" said the priest, Anthony Mercieca. The ethics committee's probe concluded that House GOP leaders were negligent in not protecting male teenage pages from possible improper advances by Foley. But the panel said there were no violations of the House Code of Official Conduct and decided no one would be reprimanded. A Justice Department report issued a month later said the FBI should have notified the House or other officials when members first learned of the inappropriate e-mails. The FBI acted within its \"range of discretion\" when it initially decided not to open a criminal investigation in the case, the Justice Department said. But the internal watchdog's investigation concluded that simply filing away the complaint from a public interest group was an inadequate response. The FDLE's investigative summary notes that the U.S. House's clerk of courts took possession of two computer hard drives from Foley's two district offices in Florida and the computer from his Washington office, along with backup material. The department said it did not seek a search warrant for the drives because it failed to turn up probable cause of a crime with a Florida connection. The department report said that Foley's attorneys voluntarily worked with the Justice Department to review computer data, but the FDLE failed to work out a similar review with Foley's attorneys. The department said it was given no indication from the FBI or the Justice Department that there was any non-congressional data in the material that would violate Florida law. CNN's Kevin Bohn and Terry Frieden contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Former lawmaker accused of sending suggestive messages to House pages .\nFlorida agency won't file charges against ex-Rep. Mark Foley, official says .\nFoley, Congress blocked access to \"critical data,\" agency says .\nFoley did not engage in sexual activity with minors, his attorney says ." } ]
[ { "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 number of movies nominated for the best picture Oscar will double next year, a move apparently aimed at bolstering sagging ratings for the Academy Awards broadcast. Danny Boyle exults in an Oscar win for \"Slumdog Millionaire\" earlier this year. \"Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize,\" Sid Ganis, president of the Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said. Doubling the nominations would make it more likely a viewer's favorite movie is in the running for the top honor, which may make them want to watch the show, said Steve Pond, author of \"The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards.\" \"This clearly is a reaction to declining ratings,\" Pond said. \"Even though this last show the ratings were up ... over the last 10 years or so the ratings have been down.\" Oscar producers realized they \"can juice the show up all you want, but people watch the Oscars when there are movies competing that they have an interest in,\" Pond said. The best picture nominations often consist of movies that \"the vast majority of people have not seen,\" he said. The problem \"came to a head with 'The Dark Knight,' \" which sold more than $1 billion in tickets worldwide, but was snubbed by the academy in the best picture category last year, he said. The Batman sequel won best movie at the MTV Movie Awards and was chosen favorite movie by the People's Choice Awards. It also made many critics' top 10 lists. If the nomination field had been expanded last year, the film might have made the best picture list, \"which clearly would have been some kind of bump in the ratings,\" Pond said. This would also counter the impression among TV viewers that the awards show is \"for movie snobs who don't like the movies I like,\" he said. The decision to double the number of features films nominated is a return to the way the Oscars were awarded in its early decades, when as many as 12 movies were considered in the field of finalists, Ganis said. \"After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year,\" Ganis said. \"The final outcome, of course, will be the same -- one best picture winner -- but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009.\" Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards will be announced on February 2, 2010. The awards show is set for March 7 at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. A best picture nomination often serves as a marketing boost for films, driving DVD sales for those films no longer in theaters." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Nominating more films \"a reaction to declining ratings,\" says expert .\nAcademy Awards to nominate 10 best picture possibilities next year .\nAcademy has been nominating just five films for more than six decades .\n\"The Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots,\" says its president ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- On \"Amanpour\" this Thursday, Christiane Amanpour sits down for an exclusive live interview with the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe talks to CNN's Christiane Amanpour Thursday. In Mugabe's first interview with a major Western network in years, Christiane will explore the historic power-sharing agreement with the unity government there, and get the president's thoughts on the highly-emotive issue of land redistribution. As Mugabe prepares to take center stage at the United Nations on Friday, Christiane will take the opportunity to ask if the power-sharing agreement in Zimbabwe is really working, if international sanctions are responsible for his country's economic and political turmoil, and what kind of engagement he is looking for from the international community. In this rare interview, Christiane will also address signs of optimism emerging in Zimbabwe; sky-rocketing inflation stabilizing, basic goods returning to store shelves, and a loosening of restrictive media laws. \"Amanpour\" is CNN International's new live global interview program, which launched on September 21, 2009 as the centerpiece of its new evening line up. Live interview airs 2100 CET Thursday 24 September." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Christiane Amanpour to interview Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe .\nInterview will be Mugabe's first with a major Western network in years .\nPolitical turmoil, Western sanctions and power-sharing deal up for discussion .\nWatch \"Amanpour\" weekdays: ET: 1500, 0800; CET 2100, 1400; HK: 2000, 0300 ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Polish president on Saturday signed his country's ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, aimed at streamlining the workings of the European Union. Polish President Lech Kaczynski holds the EU's Lisbon Treaty in Warsaw on October 10. President Lech Kaczynski's approval of the treaty leaves the Czech Republic as the lone country that has not ratified the document. Kaczynski signed the treaty at a ceremony attended by EU officials in Warsaw. He had refused to sign the document until it was ratified by Irish voters in a referendum. They backed it by a wide margin on October 2. \"I am certain that the union will function even better with the treaty of Lisbon,\" Kaczynski said Saturday, in an excerpt of his remarks provided by the Swedish presidency of the EU. The treaty would create an EU president and foreign minister and introduce rotating representatives for member countries in the EU Commission, the union's executive branch. All member states have to ratify the treaty before it can be adopted. \"The Czech Republic must conclude their ratification process by the signature of President Klaus. Europe is waiting impatiently,\" Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said, according to the Swedish presidency. The Lisbon treaty is undergoing review in a Czech court, which will determine in a few weeks whether it is compatible with the nation's constitution. Czech President Vaclav Klaus must also sign it. On Friday, Klaus outlined his objections to the treaty, saying at a news conference that \"the Lisbon Treaty constitutes a fundamental change for the Czech Republic. \"As you know, I have always considered this treaty a step in the wrong direction,\" he said. \"It will increase its democratic deficit, worsen the standing of our country and expose it to new risks -- among other things also because it endangers the legal status of the citizens and the stability of property rights in our country,\" he said. He said he was particularly concerned about one section of the treaty, called the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which concerns fundamental human rights, including property rights, for EU citizens. \"On its basis, the Luxembourg Court of Justice of the EU will assess whether the legal provisions, customs and practices of the EU member countries comply with those of the charter,\" Klaus said. \"The charter makes it possible to reexamine even those decisions of the Czech courts that are legally binding,\" he said. He said he feared the treaty would make it possible to raise property claims related to the expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia following World War II. The last Czech government did not pay enough attention to this possibility, he said, and did not negotiate an exemption from the charter, which Poland and the United Kingdom have, he said. \"Before the ratification, Czech Republic must at least ex post negotiate a similar exemption,\" he said. \"I think this exemption can be solved quickly.\" Klaus spoke with Reinfeldt by phone on Thursday about the treaty. \"This sends the wrong message at the wrong time,\" Reinfeldt said afterward, his spokeswoman, Roberta Alenius told CNN. Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer said in a Friday statement that he had seen Klaus' concerns, and said that he regretted that the president did not consult with the government beforehand. \"I remain convinced that the Czech Republic will bring the ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty to a successful conclusion, so that it can enter into force by the end of the year,\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Treaty undergoing review in a Czech court to determine its compatiblity .\nCzech president raises fears over property claims relating to World War II .\nSwedish presidency of EU calls on Czech Republic to clarify ratification comments .\nOnly Czech Republic left to sign treaty that would reform the European Union ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "IN THE FLORIDA KEYS (CNN) -- In the early morning darkness of the Florida Keys, the low hum of the Mystic I is hardly enough to disturb the slumber of the tourists in their hotel rooms. A lobster fisherman holds two spiny tail lobsters caught during the Mystic I's trip off the Florida Keys. From the wheelhouse, Captain Karl Lessard steers his boat into the darkness toward the fertile fishing grounds off the small Island of Marathon, Florida. This is a ritual that Lessard has done thousands of times. \"I've been fishing for 38 years, my family has been fishing since the 1820s, there are a lot of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-generation fishermen that are here in the Keys,\" Lessard says. At dawn he reaches a spot that holds a special meaning for him. \"I pass where my mother's and father's ashes are scattered. Just around sunrise, it's a very spiritual place for me.\" In the light of a spectacular sunrise, Lessard plots his course on the open waters. \"I fish for the freedom,\" he explains. \"It's good for the soul. It's a fantastic way to make a living, coming out here in God's glory every day.\" He adds with a laugh that fishing also \"gets me away from the house. I hate those 'honey-do's.' \" It's spiny tail lobster season in the Florida Keys, and that is what Captain Karl and his three-man crew are on a quest for today. \"I am hoping to catch between 300 and 400 pounds, with the new moon that slows fishing down,\" the skipper says. They travel 20 miles offshore to where they have put out their traps. They hope to find them filled with the clawless crustaceans that live in these shallow waters. \"In the Keys, people really started fishing for lobster in the 1930s,\" Lessard says. \"Before that there was very little market for them.\" Lobster fishermen in years past worried more about the impact of things like hurricanes, but these days they have other concerns, namely the price they can get for their catch. \"This ... economy that we are in is not really promoting the sale of our product,\" Lessard says. \"Lobster is going from eight dollars a pound to three dollars a pound. We are basically in survival mode at the present time, but it is still a wonderful way to make a living.\" As a mate hooks the buoys and throws the line in the winches, the traps break onto the surface. As they are hoisted on deck the captain smiles at what he is seeing. \"We got some nice lobsters today, some grandes,\" he says. Watch the skipper at work on the water » . Lessard navigates his boat along his strings of traps as his crew pulls them, repeating the motion some 480 times. Two dolphins play off the bow. \"This is the most beautiful office that anyone could have in the world,\" the lobster fisherman says. \"If you feel the calling, there is no better way to make a living. It's something I've wanted to do since I was a child, and I'm blessed to have been able to do what I wanted to do in life, and have the freedom to do it. \"I hope my family can do it for another hundred years.\" As the afternoon wears on, the traps rise out of the ocean and fall back to the seabed, and a constant flow of lobster fills up the boat's holding tanks. The catch seems to be better than expected. \"Sometimes if you are lucky, it's better than being good. And if you're good and lucky, that's even better,\" Lessard jokes. With the last trap dropped back into the water, Lessard and the crew of the Mystic I head back to the dock, where they will place the day's catch onto the scales to see how good the sea has been to them. \"Today we caught 476 pounds. I didn't expect to do this well with the phase of the moon,\" Lessard says. Tomorrow morning the captain will rise again in the darkness and answer the calling that he and his family have heeded for generations. \"My family is out here, and I plan on being out here and joining them someday,\" Lessard says, \"although I would like it to be a long time from now.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lobster fisherman's family has been working the waters since the 1820s .\nCrew off the Florida Keys is on a quest for spiny tail lobster .\nBoat skipper laments the economic tailspin, falling price of lobster .\n\"This is the most beautiful office that anyone could have\"" } ]
[ { "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) -- Jay Leno says immediacy is key to his new show, and he should have plenty of it for his prime time premiere Monday, when Kanye West is a musical guest. Kanye West, center, with girlfriend Amber Rose and actor Tracy Morgan at the 2009 MTV VMAs. The rapper created a fan and artist uprising Sunday night when he jumped onstage at MTV's Video Music Awards to hijack singer Taylor Swift's acceptance speech. Leno could reprise his 1995 ratings-grabbing moment when he asked actor Hugh Grant, \"What the hell were you thinking?\" Grant had been arrested two weeks earlier for public lewd conduct with a Hollywood hooker. West placed a written apology on his Web site -- \"I'm sooooo sorry\" -- but \"The Jay Leno Show\" could be the place and time for a more personal and public mea culpa. Watch the details on West's appearance » . Leno's publicist confirmed Monday that West was still booked for the NBC show, which tapes just three hours before it airs in the eastern United States at 10 p.m. West was booked by Leno weeks ago to perform with two other hip-hop superstars: Rihanna and Jay-Z. Some drama may center around how West and Jay-Z get along onstage. Jay-Z's wife, singer Beyonce Knowles, was perhaps the most embarrassed by his outburst. Swift, a 19-year-old country-pop singer, was in the midst of her acceptance speech for the Best Female Video award when West rushed onstage and took her microphone. He then let loose an outburst on behalf of Beyonce, who was one of several artists who lost out to Swift. Although Beyonce appeared stunned as she watched from the front row, she gracefully recovered near the end of the show, when she was onstage to accept an award of her own. \"I remember being 17 years old, up for my first MTV award with Destiny's Child, and it was one of the most exciting moments of my life,\" she said, referring to the girl group with which she had her start. \"So I would like for Taylor to come out and have her moment.\" West's online apology appeared soon after. \"I'm sooooo sorry to Taylor Swift and her fans and her mom,\" the message said in all caps. \"I spoke to her mother right after and she said the same thing my mother would've said. She is very talented! ... I'm in the wrong for going on stage and taking away from her moment!\" MTV said the West-Swift incident was not planned, a point it had to stress after a walkout by singer Eminem at last year's event turned out to be staged. Staged or not, apologies from celebrities behaving badly have been good for Leno's ratings. When Grant told Leno \"I did a bad thing,\" it gave Leno's \"Tonight Show\" a viewership bump that has been credited with solidifying his lead over rival David Letterman in the late-night ratings war. This is just the kind of \"immediacy\" Leno was talking about in a call with reporters last week. \"The idea here is that we'll tape a new, fresh show every single day, talking about the events that happened that day that night,\" Leno said. West, Rihanna and Jay-Z will debut Leno's new approach to musical guests. They will be limited to one song, and most nights they'll share the stage with other stars. \"What we're trying to do is put together acts that you don't normally see together or don't normally perform together,\" Leno said. Jerry Seinfeld will also appear on Leno's premiere Monday." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rapper Kanye West scheduled to appear on \"The Jay Leno Show\"\nLeno's new show set to premiere Monday night .\nLeno could reprise famous Hugh Grant moment in questioning West .\nWest made news and angered fans by interrupting Taylor Swift during speech ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Top Obama administration officials outlined several new initiatives to safeguard the country's food supply Tuesday, saying the recent spate of food-borne illnesses is unacceptable. Recent salmonella outbreaks, including one at Nestle, were called unacceptable by federal officials Tuesday. The FDA intends to issue new guidance over the next three months regarding steps the entire food industry can take to more quickly detect contamination sources and remove the unsafe products from stores. A new position at the agency -- deputy commissioner for foods -- will be created for the sole purpose of overseeing food protection. The commissioner will be part of a \"unified incident command system\" established to address contamination outbreaks and facilitate responses at the federal, state, and local levels, officials said. In addition, they said, food safety information will be more effectively communicated to the public through a revamped Web site: www.foodsafety.gov. The announcement was made near the White House by Vice President Joe Biden, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. \"There are few responsibilities more basic or more important ... for the government than making sure our families in America eat food that is not contaminated,\" Biden said. Dozens of people have become sick in recent weeks due to a nationwide E. coli outbreak linked to tainted Nestle cookie dough. Spinach, peanut products, pistachios, peppers, mushrooms, alfalfa sprouts, have also been recent culprits, noted Sebelius. An estimated 5,000 Americans die annually after consuming contaminated food and tens of millions fall ill, she said. J.D. Hanson, a policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety, called the initiatives a good first step. \"They are the kinds of things we have been calling on previous administrations to do, and we're glad this administration is moving fairly quickly on these issues,\" he told CNN. Hanson praised the creation of the position of deputy commissioner for foods at the FDA, saying it should have happened long ago. \"You'd think an agency called 'Food and Drug' would have made food a priority a long time ago. They didn't until today.\" But he said the government still isn't tough enough with the food industry. \"Their goal of 90 percent compliance with their new guidelines is not good enough. It needs to be very close to 100 percent compliance.\" And he said bureaucracy stands in the way of improvement. \"Right now there are 13 federal agencies that deal with food safety. We would pull all of those functions into one agency.\" Making eggs safer . New safeguards to protect against salmonella contamination of eggs alone should cut the number of food-borne illnesses every year by roughly 80,000, and generate an annual savings of over $1 billion, according to Sebelius. \"Salmonella enteritidis is a major cause of food-borne illness in the United States and eggs are a significant source,\" Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told reporters in a telephone conference call. The $81 million program will translate into less than a penny per dozen eggs and will yield $1.4 billion in annual public health benefits, the agency said. In all, more than 79,000 of the 142,000 cases of sickness and 30 deaths associated with tainted eggs each year will be prevented, it predicted. Under the rule, egg producers must buy their chickens and hens from producers who monitor for salmonella bacteria, said Dr. Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. If salmonella bacteria or its derivatives are detected, a sample of eggs from the facility must be tested over eight weeks, he said. If any test positive, the producer must process the eggs to destroy the bacteria or divert the eggs to non-food uses. In addition, henhouses must be tested and those that test positive must be cleaned and disinfected, he said. Under current law, eggs do not have to be refrigerated until they are packed for the ultimate consumer, said Nancy Bufano, a food technologist at the agency. \"What's new here is requiring now that eggs must be refrigerated on the farm and during transport and storage beginning no later than 36 hours after the time they're laid,\" she said. A key part of the plan to reduce salmonella enteritidis is the requirement that producers institute rodent-control programs, said Darrell Trampel, a poultry veterinarian at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. \"Mice are notorious carriers of [salmonella enteritidis] and, in the fall when it starts getting cold, the mice start looking for a warmer home and some of them make their way into chicken houses, and then they leave their droppings behind in the feed and so the chickens pick it up in that manner.\" Producers will have to pay more to comply with the testing requirements, \"but I don't think this should put anybody out of business,\" he said. The rules go into effect within a year for producers with more than 50,000 hens, which produce approximately 71 percent of eggs sold to consumers, the FDA's Sundlof said. Those with fewer than 50,000 hens have three years to comply; those with fewer than 3,000 hens or those that sell directly to consumers are exempt. About 1 in 200 eggs in flocks of fewer than 3,000 hens test positive for salmonella and derivatives, Sundlof said. Until now, egg quality assurance programs have been voluntary, Sundlof said. \"So the fact that they will now be required really gives us greater assurance.\" Industry supports the requirements, though many of them have long been complying voluntarily, said Howard Magwire, director of government relations for United Egg Producers, a trade association. \"Our egg farmers have always done everything they could to provide a safe, affordable, high-protein product to consumers and for years we have been supportive of the concept of an egg-safety rule to address the salmonella enteritidis problem,\" he told CNN in a telephone interview. \"Do we go out and do a pep rally for more regulation? No, but at the same time, we understand why the industry has been moving that way.\" CNN's Tom Watkins and CNN Radio's Matt Cherry contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Department wants better control of salmonella in eggs, turkey and poultry .\nControl E. coli outbreaks by issuing new instructions regarding beef production .\nFDA will release new safety standards to help prevent the contamination of produce .\nSalmonella safeguards in eggs alone to cut food-borne illnesses by 80,000 a year ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Diprivan is a powerful I.V. anesthetic drug used for patients undergoing certain surgeries and diagnostic procedures. Patients undergoing surgery may receive Diprivan to keep them sedated during the procedure. The drug is making headlines with the claim from a nurse who worked for pop icon Michael Jackson that the singer, who died June 25, had repeatedly asked her about the drug. Nurse Cherilyn Lee told CNN that Jackson had brought up Diprivan about three months ago, saying he needed it for insomnia and that his doctor said it was safe. \"He said, 'I am so sleepy. I cannot sleep. I want to have at least eight hours of sleep,'\" Lee told CNN's Anderson Cooper. The medication, whose generic name is propofol, renders the patient unconscious for as long as doctors deem necessary. The patient wakes up almost immediately after the infusion is stopped, experts say. But treating sleep disorders is not an approved use of the drug. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says Diprivan should be given only by people trained in the administration of general anesthesia and who are not involved in the conduct of the surgery or diagnostic procedure. Watch Dr. Gupta explain when and how propofol (Diprivan) is used » . The general anesthetic has the effect of making patients feel well-rested when they wake up from it, said Dr. Hector Vila, chairman of the Ambulatory Surgery Committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Vila gives the drug to all of his patients who are getting office procedures in areas such as urology, dentistry and gynecology. It is also the most common anesthetic for colonoscopies, he said. \"I have never heard of anyone using it for the treatment of a sleep disorder,\" he said. There have been cases of health care professionals self-administering the drug and abusing it, however, said Vila, who has examined deaths from Diprivan in Florida. Other deaths from the drug have occurred when administered by non-anesthetist professionals, in settings such as ophthalmology, gynecology and plastic surgery, he said. Diprivan appears white and milky, and is usually run as an I.V. drip. In addition to surgical applications, it can be used in the intensive care unit for someone who may be intubated on a ventilator. The drug itself does not provide pain relief, experts say. The principle risks of Diprivan come from improper monitoring of the patient's breathing, Vila said. When a person's breathing slows down, not enough carbon dioxide gets removed from the body, and not enough oxygen enters. This could lead to cardiac arrest, he said. Still, when used properly, Diprivan is not a dangerous drug, he said. \"It's very safe in a properly trained physician's hands.\" The drug has been used in the past to treat prolonged epileptic seizures. A small MayoClinic study in 2008 found that Diprivan was associated with a higher risk of cardiac arrest and deaths in patients with a condition called refractory status epilepticus. Side effects of Diprivan may include dizziness and lightheadedness. Balance, coordination and judgment may be affected for up to 24 hours, so patients should not drive cars, play sports or sign contracts in that period, Vila said. Patients may also experience a euphoric feeling upon waking up, Vila said. This is distinct from older anesthetics, which caused nausea and vomiting, he said. The FDA also issued a warning to health care professionals in 2007 about patients who experienced chills, fever and body aches shortly after receiving the drug for sedation or general anesthesia. Doctors consider sedation a continuum, where relaxation is on the mild side and general anesthesia is at the other extreme. There may be complications of Diprivan if the patient is also taking prescription pain medications, experts say. Patients should tell their health care providers about any allergies they have before taking this drug, doctors say, including eggs, soy products, sulfite, benzyl alcohol and any medications. CNN's Stephanie Smith contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Diprivan renders the patient unconscious for as long as doctors deem necessary .\nFDA has not approved it for treating sleep disorders .\nThe drug has the effect of making the patient feel well-rested upon waking up .\nPeople with food or drug allergies should alert their doctor before taking it ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A militant Islamist group associated with al Qaeda has for the first time threatened to attack Israel, far from its normal base of operations in Somalia. Al-Shabab, which is fighting to control the east African country, accused Israel of \"starting to destroy\" the Al Aqsa mosque, where standoffs have taken place recently between Israeli police and Palestinians. The mosque is part of the complex that Jews call the Temple Mount and Muslims call Haram al-Sharif. \"The Jews started to destroy parts of the holy mosque of Al Aqsa and they routinely kill our Palestinian brothers, so we are committed to defend our Palestinian brothers,\" said Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansur, a prominent Al-Shabab commander. His threat was part of a series of fiery sermons delivered after Friday prayers in Baidoa in southwest Somalia. Al-Shabab controls the region, which is part of a country that has been without an effective national government for nearly 20 years. Other leaders of the group also threatened Israel, the first time the group is known to have done so. \"We will transfer and expand our fighting in the Middle East so we can defend Al Aqsa mosque from the Israelis,\" Al-Shabab commander Abdifatah Aweys Abu Hamza said in Mogadishu, the Somali capital. He is apparently the leader of a new Al-Shabab armed group calling themselves \"Mujahedin Al Aqsa,\" or \"Al Aqsa Holy Warriors,\" which they said is assigned to attack Israel. It is not clear whether Al-Shabab has the capacity to carry out its threats against Israel. But Rashid Abdi of the International Crisis Group, speaking last week before al-Shabab issued its threats against Israel, warned that the group should be taken seriously. \"We should not underestimate the capacity of Al-Shabab,\" he said. \"This is a deadly organization, a formidable foe.\" Abdi said the group had been mutating from a nationalist group into a terrorist organization more like al Qaeda, which was behind the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. \"If you look at the rhetoric and language and if you look at the Web sites, if you hear their preachers or their scholars speak, it is completely indistinguishable from al Qaeda leaders,\" Abdi said. The group has also become more vicious in Somalia, a local human rights expert said. \"The most gruesome and gross violations of human rights are committed by Al-Shabab,\" activist Hassan Shire Sheikh said. \"They have also instilled fear. They just shoot, they kill, they maim and they lash.\" The group also threatened African neighbors on Friday, including Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Eritrea, Ghana, Sudan and Uganda. They have in the past threatened African nations that provide peacekeeping troops to the war-torn country. The U.S. State Department Country Reports on Terrorism from April lists Al-Shabab as a terrorist organization and blames it for shootings and suicide bombings inside Somalia. It does not list the group as having carried out violence outside Somalia, but says some members of the group have trained and fought alongside al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting. The transitional government has struggled to establish authority, challenged by Islamist groups like Al-Shabab that have seized control of Mogadishu and much of the south. CNN's David McKenzie in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Al-Shabab accuses Israel of \"starting to destroy\" the Al Aqsa mosque .\n\"We are committed to defend our Palestinian brothers,\" Al-Shabab commander says .\nIt is not clear whether Al-Shabab has the capacity to carry out its threats against Israel .\nSomalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew its dictator ." } ]
[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Jurors spared the life of a former Canton, Ohio, police officer who killed his pregnant girlfriend and tearfully asked them for mercy. A judge then sentenced him Wednesday to 57 years to life in prison. Bobby Lee Cutts Jr. stared straight ahead as the jury announced its recommendation to spare him. Bobby Lee Cutts Jr., 30, will be 87 by the time he becomes eligible for parole. He stared straight ahead as the jury of six men and six women recommended that his life be spared. He and his lawyer teared up as the jurors were polled about their decision. Watch Cutts react » . Judge Charles E. Brown added to the sentence, taking other counts into consideration after hearing victim impact statements from the parents and sisters of victim Jessie Marie Davis. She was 26 and nine months pregnant when she disappeared last June. Her body, and that of her unborn child, were found 10 days later at a state park in northeastern Ohio. Whitney Davis, Jessie's sister, directed her anger and grief at Cutts. \"You got rid of someone that was an inconvenience. I hate you.\" Watch Davis' family lash out at Cutts » . She continued: \"\"You used and manipulated her over and over and still you sit there and you are not crying. I don't believe that you are sorry for what you did. I believe that you are sorry that you got caught up in all your lies. I don't know that you would know the truth.\"Watch sister tell Cutts she hates him . Cutts took off his eyeglasses as Davis' father, Ned, addressed him: \"Don't even look at me.\" \"Your honor he violently murdered her,\" the anguished father continued. \"Five-foot-four, nine months pregnant, that baby could have been delivered.\" And, tears rolled down Cutts' face as Davis' mother, Patricia Porter, spoke of her grief. \"There are mornings I have to cover her picture up, when I can't get out of bed.\" She continued, \"I serve an amazing God, Bobby. A God that forgives and heals and restores people. And all I know today is that I do forgive you, and I know it is only through him that I am able to do that.\" But she turned the other cheek: \"I may not have family to go home to after this, but I pray that you make a way for him to get out of there and begin a new life, and to be able to hold his son.\" Porter, who is raising Blake, told Cutts the child \"knows what you did. You would not believe the stories he has told us.\" When his time came, Cutts offered no statement, no testimonials to his character. On February 15, the same jury found Cutts guilty of murdering Jessie Davis and their baby, who was to be named Chloe. It was Chloe's death that made Cutts eligible for the death penalty. Jurors convicted him of two counts of aggravated murder -- for terminating a pregnancy and taking her life during the commission of a felony. All the members of the jury are white, as was Davis. Cutts is black. Cutts, who has maintained Davis' death was the result of an accidental elbow to the neck, asked the jury to spare his life and offered a tearful apology at his sentencing hearing Tuesday. Watch Cutts' tearful plea » . \"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'm asking you to spare my life,\" he said. \"To imagine that I was responsible for the death of Jessie, the mother of my children and my unborn daughter, is beyond any words that I can express,\" Cutts added, reading from a handwritten statement. \"Words cannot bring them back, nor can they erase the pain I've caused, but I want to apologize,\" he said. Cutts' lawyer, Fernando Mack, had urged jurors to recommend the lowest available penalty -- 25 years to life -- to allow him to play a limited role in his other children's lives. Mack acknowledged that many of the jurors might still be angry with Cutts for leaving his 2½-year-old son, home alone for more than a day while his mother lay dead in a field. But sentencing Cutts to death hurts Blake even more, he argued. \"That is still Blake's father, like it or not. The prosecutor here wants you to kill Blake's father, so now he'll have no parents.\" Stark County Assistant Prosecutor Dennis Barr attacked Cutts' character and his sincerity on the stand. A police officer should have known better, he said. \"Bobby Cutts took an oath to serve and protect,\" the prosecutor argued. \"But on June 14, 2007, Bobby Cutts did not serve and protect. He destroyed.\" According to testimony, Cutts rolled Davis' body in a comforter and dumped it in a park, leaving toddler son Blake in the house alone at the crime scene in a soiled diaper. \"Mommy's in the rug,\" Blake told police, according to testimony. Prosecutors charged during the trial that Cutts buckled under the financial pressure of additional child support, killed Davis, and then created a cover story to try to get away with it. After the sentencing, prosecutors -- no longer restricted in their comments by a gag order -- told reporters Cutts led authorities to Davis' body, but no deal was made in return. Davis' father, Ned Davis, told reporters, \"Our family, in one sense, was fortunate that we had some legal resolution because I know along with this, there are families out there that don't ever get an answer. It doesn't make it any less painful, but at least this part of it is resolved.\" E-mail to a friend ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Judge gives Bobby Cutts Jr. the maximum life sentence .\nJury recommended life, with no parole eligibility for 30 years .\nCutts Jr. convicted of murdering girlfriend, unborn child .\nHe apologized for killings and asked jurors to spare his life ." } ]

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.