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[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty Thursday to a weapons charge stemming from a shooting incident at a nightclub last year, the Manhattan district attorney said. Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress will serve two years in prison after pleading guilty to weapons charges. Burress, 32, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon and will serve two years in prison, according to Alicia Maxey Greene, spokeswoman for district attorney Robert M. Morgenthau's office. Two years of supervised release will follow his jail term, she said. Burress is free on bail and will be sentenced September 22. A grand jury indicted the former New York Giants football player earlier this month on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and a single count of reckless endangerment in the second degree. He pleaded not guilty to those charges earlier this year. Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg November 29, 2008, with a .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol he was carrying in the waistband of his jeans. The incident occurred in the VIP area of the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan. A teammate who was with Burress, linebacker Antonio Pierce, drove him to a hospital and arranged to have the pistol delivered to Burress' New Jersey home, according to an August 3 statement from the district attorney's office. The district attorney also sought charges against Pierce, but the grand jury did not indict him. Burress was not licensed to carry a pistol in either New York or New Jersey. No one, including employees of the New York Presbyterian Hospital and the NFL, called the police to report the gunshot wound, as required by law. One of the hospital workers was suspended after the incident. Burress became a hero to New York Giants fans in the 2008 Super Bowl when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning with 35 seconds remaining in the game. In the following year, however, Burress' career with the Giants was marred by a series of incidents in addition to the shooting. He was suspended from the team in early October for missing a practice, and later that month the NFL fined him $45,000 after he argued with a referee and threw a football into the stands during a game. Burress was suspended from the Giants immediately after the shooting incident. The team released him in April. CNN's Chloe Melas contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Former wide receiver pleaded not guilty to other charges earlier this year .\nPlaxico Burress will serve two years in prison, two years supervised release .\nEx-New York Giant accidentally shot himself in the leg November 29, 2008 .\nBurress was not licensed to carry a pistol ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Amid international condemnation after security forces reportedly attacked demonstrators at a peaceful rally, reportedly killing nearly 160 people, the Guinean government said Tuesday most of the victims were crushed in the crowd. Police arrest a protester on Monday near a stadium in Guinea's capital Conakry during a protest. Reports put the death toll at 157, with more than 1,200 people injured, U.S. State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement Tuesday. Earlier, the United Nations, citing media reports, said at least 58 people died Monday when security forces opened fire to disperse a demonstration at a stadium in the capital, Conakry. \"The United States condemns the Guinean military's brazen and inappropriate use of force against civilians,\" Kelly said. \"The military also stands accused of carrying out brutal rapes and sexual assaults on women demonstrators and bystanders during its rampage.\" On Tuesday, the African Union expressed its \"grave concern\" about the situation. \"The [AU] Commission strongly condemns the indiscriminate firing on unarmed civilians, which left dozens dead and many others injured, while serious other violations of human rights were committed,\" the AU stated. Tens of thousands of people were protesting the rule of Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, who seized power in a bloodless coup in December, according to U.S.-based Human Rights Watch. The United States demanded the immediate release of opposition leaders and a return to civilian rule, the State Department statement said. Human Rights Watch also condemned the violence against \"generally peaceful demonstrators\" and urged the government \"to hold accountable the security forces.\" It quoted victims and witnesses who said security forces sexually assaulted women at the demonstration and also attacked demonstrators with knives and bayonets. \"Women were raped by soldiers in the stadium. I saw them,\" former Guinean Prime Minister Sidya Touré told the French newspaper Le Monde. Touré led the country from 1996-1999 and was participating in the peaceful demonstration. The government maintained in a statement that \"according to preliminary investigations, most of the innocent victims died as a result of being crushed in the crowd.\" And it blamed \"certain political leaders\" for staging the demonstration despite being asked not to do so and warned that security could not be guaranteed for the gathering. The leaders stormed the stadium, \"breaking down doors and the main entryways, causing much violence that left dozens of victims, including 53 who died by suffocation and four killed by ricocheting bullets, which were recorded that day by authorities working with the Guinean Red Cross and verified by hospital officials,\" the government said. It accused the leaders of looting two police commissaries before the demonstrations, letting prisoners out of jail and stealing weapons. The government said it condemns \"these deliberate acts in violation of the law, and are working to find and bring to justice those responsible for these reprehensible acts.\" The AU noted the violence comes amid serious uncertainties and setbacks in the effort to restore constitutional order to Guinea after the December coup. The AU urged the coup leaders to stick to their vow not to run for office in the January presidential election. The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana, also condemned the actions of security forces in Conakry on Monday. Solana called \"for the immediate release of the arrested political leaders\" and asked authorities to \"exercise maximum restraint and ensure a peaceful and democratic transition.\" Guinea was thrown into turmoil in December after the death of President Lansana Conte. He was one of only two presidents to rule Guinea, after it gained independence from France in 1958. Conte came to power in 1984, when the military seized control of the government after the death of the first president, Sekou Touré. Following his death, Camara seized control in a bloodless military coup and declared himself president of the National Council for Democracy, which he called a transitional body that would oversee the country's return to democracy." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Guinean government says most victims were crushed in the crowd .\nUnited Nations, citing media reports, said at least 58 people died .\nAfrican Union expressed its \"grave concern\" about the situation ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Phillip Garrido and his wife, Nancy, met while he was in a federal prison serving time for abducting a different woman from South Lake Tahoe, California, and holding her captive in a storage unit, Nevada probation and parole officials said Friday. Phillip and Nancy Garrido face 29 felony charges relating to the kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Durgan. Details of Phillip Garrido's past began to emerge after he and his wife were charged with crimes relating to the abduction of 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard in 1991 and her captivity in a hidden shed-and-tent compound in the couple's backyard in Antioch, California. Phillip Garrido, 58, and Nancy Garrido, 54, face 29 felony charges relating to Dugard's kidnapping. They both pleaded not guilty. Garrido's record as a registered sex offender began with a 1977 conviction on charges of kidnapping and rape of a South Lake Tahoe woman, the Nevada Department of Public Safety's Division of Parole and Probation said in a press release. The victim was found with Garrido inside a mini warehouse, a type of small storage facility, in Reno. Nevada, according to court documents from Garrido's appeal. She was raped inside the storage unit, according to the documents. The woman, a 25-year-old casino worker, picked up Garrido at a supermarket near Lake Tahoe on Nov. 22, 1976, after he asked her for a ride. The documents state that when she stopped the car to drop him off, Garrido handcuffed her, bound her legs and neck with a leather strap, and drove off with her to Reno. Watch more about the psychological effects of being held captive » . Garrido, then 25, \"told the victim it wasn't intentional that he had taken her, but that it was her fault because she was attractive,\" according to the documents. Garrido served 11 years of a 50-year sentence in Levenworth, Kansas. Parole officials said he met his wife, Nancy, while he was in prison, but they didn't give details. Garrido's life began to spiral downward in high school, his father, Manuel Garrido, told CNN. \"He had a motorcycle accident and got on LSD and he's not in his right mind,\" Manuel Garrido said. \"He was in a bad accident and hit his head and then got on LSD in high school. That was the end. He went to selling dope. He went crazy.\" Though he hasn't spoken to his son for 20 years because they \"didn't get along\" and has never been to the home where his son is accused of holding Dugard, Manuel Garrido said he wasn't surprised to hear about accusations. \"I wasn't surprised because I know he's out of his head for God's sakes,\" he said. \"He was an angel when he was young and it's a damn shame.\" Phillip Garrido's father also said his son believes \"he talks to God and he can do things.\" And Garrido apparently maintained a blog where he discussed talking to God and also claimed he could control sound with his mind. Watch more about the blog » . The blog now has profanity-laced responses from people outraged over Phillip Garrido's alleged actions. Garrido's blog entries are posted by \"THEMANWHOSPOKEWITHHISMIND.\" He refers to \"God's Desire,\" which is a church based out of his home in Antioch, according to CNN affiliate KCRA of Sacramento. In a post on August 14, he writes that during a \"powerful demonstration\" in July in Pittsburg, California, \"the Creator has given me the ability to speak in the tongue of angels in order to provide a wake-up call that will in time include the salvation of the entire world.\" \"You too can witness what the world believe's [sic] is impossible to produce!\" he writes, providing an e-mail address. \"DON'T MISS OUT!\" Several news outlets, including The New York Times, have reported on the blog since the case started making international headlines Thursday. In another blog posting last year, Garrido claims to have a \"new insight that has the potential of helping people who hear voices to possibly stop and re-examine their thinking before committing a violent act on themselves and/or others.\" CNN's Irving Last, Dan Simon and Randi Kaye contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Phillip Garrido was convicted of abducting woman, keeping her in storage unit .\nOfficials: Garrido and his wife Nancy met while he was in federal prison .\nPhillip Garrido's dad not surprised about charges: \"He's out of his head\"\nMan accused of abducting girl, 11, in 1991 apparently maintained blog ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- No major security problems were reported at Michael Jackson's public memorial service on Tuesday in Los Angeles, California, according to police. Police gather Tuesday morning in Los Angeles for Michael Jackson's public memorial. The only controversy concerned the issue of who ultimately would pay for the city's efforts to heighten security as thousands of people from around the world flooded the city to say farewell to the pop icon, who died of unknown causes on June 25. A budget crisis pushed the city to ask the public for help in paying for security at the memorial. It set up a Web site where fans can donate. The city is hoping to recoup some of the estimated $2 million to $4 million it cost to have thousands of police and firefighters on hand in case of an emergency. Matt Szabo, spokesman for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, said providing security at the event was the city's \"obligation\" and its \"No. 1 priority.\" But the city does need help, he said. \"Nothing could tarnish this event more than having a public safety disturbance of any kind,\" he said. \"We're working to make sure that doesn't happen. And we're asking Michael Jackson fans to help contribute.\" Visit the donation Web site . Los Angeles faces a budget crisis and has amassed $530 million in debt. The state of California's budget deficit has climbed to $24 billion. \"Even though we're the entertainment capital of the world, we're not immune to the recession,\" Szabo said. Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry said last week that the city would pay for the security efforts. But there remains some dispute. Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine on Monday called for AEG, the company that owns the Staples Center, to cover all costs of the memorial, arguing the public should not foot any of the bill, according to the Los Angeles Times. The city provided security downtown, where the public memorial for Jackson was held, and also at the Jackson family's private service earlier in the morning. Police said crowds outside the public memorial were not as large as they had anticipated. Between 5,000 and 15,000 people without tickets showed support for the pop star by waiting outside the Staples Center during the service, said Jim McDonnell, an assistant Los Angeles police chief. An exact count was not immediately available. Some 11,000 members of the public got free tickets to attend the memorial in the Staples Center after being chosen through a lottery. Another 6,500 were ticketed to watch it on a screen at the nearby Nokia Theater. About 1.6 million had vied for those tickets online. See performances from the memorial » . Police asked members of the public without tickets to stay home. Before the memorial began, Police Chief William Bratton said he expected a security effort not seen in decades, calling Jackson's memorial the \"largest event we've planned for since the 1984 Olympics.\" About 3,000 police officers were on hand to ensure the Jackson events proceeded smoothly, McDonnell said. By comparison, about 2,000 officers were deployed for last month's parade and celebration at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Los Anegeles Lakers, who had won the NBA championship. By 1 p.m. local time, no police reports had been filed in relation to the event, said Richard French, a police spokesman. Police closed a several-block area outside the Staples Center and closed highway exits near downtown Los Angeles during the event. People without tickets or media passes were not allowed in that closed zone, said Earl Paysinger, an assistant police chief in Los Angeles. Helicopters flew overhead, and sheriff's deputies strolled through with bomb-sniffing dogs. But the security did not seem to affect the reflective and at times festive mood at Jackson's remembrance, according to CNN correspondents." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: City of Los Angeles taking donations for security efforts via its Web site .\nCrowds do not meet police expectations; as many as 15,000 wait outside .\nSecurity at the event is expected to cost from $2 million to $4 million .\nNo police reports were filed in relation to the service, police say ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Miami, Florida (CNN) -- He lies in a bed on a balloon-type mattress, to reduce pressure on his burned body. He is covered with bandages; a ventilator breathes for Michael Brewer because he can't do it for himself. He's hooked up to the marvels of modern medicine that are trying to give the 15-year-old burn victim a chance to be a kid once again. Sixty-five percent of his body is covered with second- and third-degree burns. \"People are writing horror stories ... but people just can't imagine the kind of sickness we're talking about,\" said Dr. Nicholas Namias, medical director of the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Center in Miami. \"I've been to movies like everyone else, and Hollywood hasn't even thought of something like this,\" Namias said. Brewer is heavily sedated, and the ventilator does not allow him to speak. His open wounds are covered by bandages, which are changed daily. It's a four-hour process. He has not been able to speak with police since his desperate fight for life began October 12, when police say five teenage friends, including a 13-year-old, doused Brewer with rubbing alcohol and set him on fire. The attack occurred after Brewer reported to police that one of the youths had stolen his father's bicycle. Police say the bicycle was stolen because Brewer did not pay one of the boys $40 for a video game. According to police, witnesses said the teens called Brewer \"a snitch\" as they used a lighter to set him ablaze. Namias explained how Brewer's organs are not functioning the way they should be, but that is expected at this early stage of recovery. \"He's still on the ventilator and advanced modes of mechanical ventilation. We are breathing for him. His contribution to the breathing is trivial,\" Namias said. Namias also explained that in burn cases, words must be chosen carefully when talking about patients and their condition because so much is at risk and so much can change quickly. \"When you say he's doing OK, in this situation it means he's alive and responding to treatments,\" Namias said. \"We're still dealing with the respiratory failure. We're dealing with infection now and the need to supply the massive amount of nutrition that this person needs to survive.\" On Monday, the five teens who are accused of taking part in the attack appeared separately before judges in Broward County, Florida. State prosecutors were granted additional time to build their case. Formal charges are expected later this month. For now, all five teens are being held in custody. Four of the boys, all 15 years old, could be charged as adults. The 13-year-old also could be charged as an adult but under Florida law only if Brewer dies. Michael Brewer's parents, Valerie and Michael Brewer Sr., issued a written statement through the hospital last week. They are not granting interviews. \"The recovery process will be baby steps, but eventually he will be whole again,\" they wrote. But their son's injuries enter the realm of medicine and science that has no guarantee. \"There's no evolutionary mechanism to survive a 65 percent burn,\" Namias said. \"Surviving is a miracle of modern medicine and about the technology and the things we do. This is not like a gunshot and you come out of the [operating room], and say everything's going to be OK,\" he added. \"We never give up, and we never predict it. ... Our expectation is survival.\" Across the hospital floor in the burn unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital, six other people's lives also are at stake: all victims of various accidents, all with burns similar to Michael Brewer's. They, too, are trying to regain at least a part of what they used to have. \"It's understandable that people can be burned in accidents,\" Namias said. \"But this was no accident. This didn't have to happen at all.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Police say teens doused Michael Brewer, 15, with rubbing alcohol and set him ablaze .\nAttack came after Brewer reported that one boy had stolen his father's bicycle .\n65 percent of Brewer's body is covered in second-, third-degree burns .\nTeen suspects appeared before judges Monday in Florida ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani forces in the last month foiled a planned attack on the parliament building, the intelligence agency and other federal institutions, the country's interior minister told CNN Sunday. Pakistan's parliament building was one target of a planned attack, an official says. In the last four weeks, authorities arrested three men with suicide vests who were plotting to carry out the attacks, said Interior Minister Rehman Malik. Malik would not say exactly when the men were caught. Pakistan is in the midst of an intense military offensive against Taliban militants. The militants are suspected of launching attacks inside Pakistan and in neighboring Afghanistan from their haven in the mountainous tribal region along the northwestern border. On Sunday, a suicide bomber in volatile northwestern Pakistan killed at three people and wounded 15 others, police said. The bombing rocked the Pakistani city of Peshawar, capital of North West Frontier Province. The incident took place when police approached a man acting suspiciously. The man ran away, police chased him and a gunfight ensued. The man ran out of bullets and blew himself up. Two women and seven children were among the injured. Remains of the alleged attacker were found, police said. Five houses were destroyed. The incident follows a car bombing on Saturday in Peshawar that killed two people, including the spokesman for an extremist group called Ansar ul Islam. Two suspects are in custody. Malik said Sunday the government's anti-Taliban operations will continue during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month considered to be a time of peace. Militants in North Waziristan, part of the tribal region, have said they will observe a unilateral ceasefire throughout the month. \"There will not be a ceasefire during Ramadan. We are not interested in a ceasefire,\" Malik said. \"They haven't kept their commitment in the past. We will continue targeted actions against the Taliban.\" Malik also said the Taliban killed the father-in-law of its leader Baitullah Mehsud and several other relatives, accusing them of leaking information about his whereabouts. Pakistan and U.S. officials contend Mehsud was killed in an August 5 drone attack in Waziristan at his father-in-law's house. The Taliban claims Mehsud is alive but ill." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Suicide bomber in northwestern Pakistan kills at least three, authorities say .\nNEW: Suspect blew himself up after running out of bullets in gunfight, police say .\nPakistani authorities say they stopped plot on government buildings .\nThree men plotted to carry out attacks, says Interior Minister Rehman Malik ." } ]

[ { "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 legal battle between Miss California USA pageant officials and former beauty queen Carrie Prejean ended Tuesday with an agreement to drop their claims, according to a pageant spokesman. The pageant has dropped its lawsuit filed last month demanding Prejean repay $5,200 given her for breast implants, publicist Kenn Henman said. Prejean, in exchange, withdrew her suit accusing the pageant of violating her privacy by confirming to reporters that her breasts were fake, he said. Details of the agreement were not immediately available, he said Tuesday afternoon. \"We are moving forward from the past and looking towards the crowning of two winners and the new look of the upcoming Miss California USA pageant,\" pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis said in a written statement. The public fight began last April when Prejean, 22, stepped into controversy by declaring her opposition to same-sex marriage while answering a judge's question at the Miss USA pageant. Prejean finished as first runner-up. While state and national pageant officials publicly supported her initially, their opinions eventually changed after she continued to make public statements about same-sex marriage. She held onto her crown through May -- despite a series of questionable photos that emerged on gossip Web sites. She was dethroned in June by Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump amid growing complaints by state officials that she was uncooperative and not meeting her contractual obligations. Prejean filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in August, claiming that her firing was religious discrimination because of her stand against same-sex marriage. The pageant's countercomplaint said Prejean's belligerent behavior, lack of cooperation and contract breaches caused her firing, not her opposition to same-sex marriage. Prejean also claimed pageant officials violated her privacy by acknowledging to reporters that her breasts were fake. The truth about Prejean's breasts \"ceased being private during the swimsuit competition of the nationally televised Miss USA pageant, in which Ms. Prejean walked the stage in a bikini,\" pageant lawyers said in their countersuit filed in October. State pageant officials say they loaned the money for the breast surgery under an oral agreement with Prejean and she never repaid them. The group also asked a judge to give them any profits from Prejean's tell-all book due out this month, which they claim was written in violation of her pageant contract. One thing they all agreed on was that Prejean needed bigger breasts if she was to be competitive in the national pageant in April, the pageant's filing said. \"Ms. Prejean disclosed that she had been thinking about and wanting to have breast augmentation surgery for some time, but did not have the money to pay for it,\" the filing said. \"She felt that if she had the surgery, in her opinion, she would be more competitive for the Miss USA pageant.\" After pageant officials agreed to loan her the money, Prejean underwent breast augmentation in January, the pageant filing said. The court documents gave an inside look at the hostile relationship between Prejean, California pageant officials and Trump. After the Miss USA pageant, \"With her new-found notoriety, an inflated sense of self, and the lure of financial gain available to her, Ms. Prejean turned even further against the Miss California USA organization, abandoned her obligations as the Miss California USA titleholder, and violated multiple provisions of the contract which governed her reign,\" the pageant filing said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Pageant dropped lawsuit demanding Carrie Prejean repay $5,200 for her breast implants .\nPrejean, in exchange, withdrew suit accusing pageant of violating her privacy .\nSuit had said Pageant confirmed to reporters that Prejean's breasts were fake ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Unheralded American Doug Barron has become the first player to be banned by the PGA Tour for taking performance-enhancing drugs. The 40-year-old has been given a one-year suspension. He is the first professional to fail a drugs test since the PGA and European Tours began their anti-doping programs in July 2008. \"I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the Tour and its players resulting from my suspension,\" Barron said in a statement on the PGA Tour official Web site www.pgatour.com. \"I want my fellow Tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on Tour.\" In common with their policy, the PGA Tour did not release details of the drug taken by Barron to fail the test. Barron, who turned professional in 1992, was a PGA Tour regular for eight seasons, with his best finish a tie for third at the Byron Nelson Classic in 2006. He has won over $3 million but campaigned in recent seasons on the second-tier Nationwide Tour, playing just one event on the main tour this year. He is also reported to have had health problems. The last time Barron captured the headlines was in very different circumstances at the 2006 Transistions Championship in Florida, where he removed his shirt to play a shot out of the water on the 16th hole at Innisbrook. The incident was captured on television and was greeted with amusement by his fellow players. Neither the PGA Tour or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have yet to comment further on the suspension. Golf bowed to pressure from WADA to introduce drug testing in the sport last year. PGA Tour testing is administered by The National Center for Drug Free Sport every week of the season, with all samples analyzed by WADA-accredited laboratories." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Doug Barron becomes the first golfer to be banned for doping by PGA Tour .\nBarron gets one-year ban for taking unspecified performance-enhancing drug .\nBarron, 40, has won over $3 million prize money since turning pro in 1992 .\nPGA and European Tours introduced anti-doping programs in 2008 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "QINGDAO, China (CNN) -- Another round of toasts and exclamations of \"hajiu\" sounded out around me. I took a sip and set down my small glass of Tsingtao beer as my new friends downed theirs and refilled. Our seafood dinner, perched on the single cluttered table of a tiny antique shop, was punctuated regularly by such moments. A worker operates the giant fermentation units at the Qingdao Brewery plant in Qingdao. I joined in happily, although somewhat bemused, at each increasingly beery celebration of our host, the worldly Captain Jau. My company, a gathering from four regions of China, was engaging me in Chinese drinking etiquette, in the city of Qingdao. A few drinks in the People's Republic of China led me to discover European delights and other unexpected finds in this modest city. You'd be forgiven for not knowing where Qingdao (pronounced Chingdao) is. The Chinese city in Shandong province doesn't roll off the tongue as easily as Beijing, Shanghai, or even Xi'an. The 2008 Olympics gave it a place on the map as China's sailing hub; no longer a secret that holiday-making officials could keep for themselves. But my American spell-check doesn't recognize it (which says more about my spell-check), and you can still find pre-Cultural Revolution manhole covers. So what is it about this city that seduces the unassuming traveler? Nestled on the coast of Shandong province, almost exactly halfway between its big sisters, Beijing and Shanghai, Qingdao features as a handy pit-stop on East coast itineraries. It boasts great infrastructure, a charming climate, alfresco eateries, good coffee, sandy beaches, German history, international hotels, a brand new airport and even a famous brewery. Qingdao could pass itself off as a miniature Seattle if it weren't for the fact that pretty much no one outside of the five-star hotels speaks English, and that communism still articulates itself through the tourist beaches, stoically named Number One to Number Six. \"In mainland China, Qingdao's history is uniquely international; in fact, more of the city's cultural identity is wrapped up in its German colonial past than even its prominent role in the emergence of Daoism\" said Eric Blocher, editor of the English-language magazine Red Star. \"The local culture bureau once joked to us that Qingdao is a 'cultural desert', because it doesn't have the dynastic lineage of Nanjing or Xi'an, or opera for that matter,\" Blocher said. \"But that's not what makes a city livable, or even fun -- if your office is in downtown, you're never more than five minutes from a protected beach; there's always excellent seafood close at hand; you can buy China's best beer fresh, for 10 cents a pound, and walk around drinking it out of a plastic bag.\" Following this key advice, I visited Qingdao during the International Beer Festival in late August, an event aimed largely at a domestic Chinese market. The West knows beer. China does not. The annual Beer Festival aims to change this. While the bright lights and myriad beers flowed, one thing was obvious: this was for the tourists. True Qingdaonese people are fiercely proud of Tsingtao beer, produced just down the road on Beer Street, and little else is drunk here in homes or bars. Pijiu, beer in Mandarin, is hajiu in Qingdaonese, the regional dialect. When in doubt, this does as well for a toast as anything else. Indeed, there is no better way of celebrating an occasion than by toasting the guest of honor with a bag of fresh beer. If I was the guest of honor at Captain Jau's table, I certainly wasn't living up to expectations. Particularly not for my self-appointed etiquette guardian and \"pure Qingdao boy,\" Loukas. As I raised my glass for a sip and Loukas jumped to toast the good weather for the nth time, it all became clear. In Qingdao, a beer glass is never raised without a toast. This serves three (frankly ingenious) purposes; beer is drunk in unison; beer isn't consumed too rapidly, since constant toasting would ruin conversation; and everyone finds ways to honor each other for the purposes of toasting. Captain Jau was particularly in favor of the latter as our eccentric host was made subject of most cheers, likewise teaching us the salutations he had learned from the many foreign guests he had cooked for. From the French \"salut!\" to the German \"prost!\" to the Turkish \"serefe!\" Most popular of all was homegrown \"hajiu!\" Alcohol is enjoyed throughout China. Microbreweries are yet to catch on here like they have in Japan and Singapore. For now Tsingtao holds the monopoly, and Qingdao's people aren't complaining. The Tsingtao Brewery, founded in 1903 by German settlers, confiscated by the Japanese in 1915, turned over to state ownership in 1949 and finally privatized in the early 1990s, has witnessed a colorful history. The largest stakeholder, Anheuser-Busch, recently sold majority ownership to Japanese Asahi Breweries. Residents are the first to introduce you to their biggest export. Outside every shop is a barrel or two of Tsingtao, with a ream of clean plastic bags ready to be filled with cheap 3.5 percent beer. Tsingtao beer tastes crisp and sweet (most likely from rice mixed in to cut down on the cost of barley. It is bought by the pound and weighed to prevent gaseous volume manipulation. A pint, when sold in this method, costs around 1.5 renminbi, or 22 U.S. cents. Beer is a way of life here and has been ever since the Germans arrived and erected tree-lined avenues, red-roofed houses and a brewery. The Germans are gone but the beer stayed. And with it, three hajiu-loving generations tell you about their happy memories. \"When I was little, buying beer was one special job I did for my dad every summer day,\" explained Irene Cheung over a fresh bag of beer. \"I was the little girl proudly and carefully carrying the plastic bag home.\" It is easier to identify Qingdao by what it is not -- smoggy, crowded Beijing, or nightlife hub Shanghai -- than what it is or hopes to be. This may be the very reason why Qingdao remains largely unvisited by the West. And while there may not be much more than good weather, food and beer to keep you content, that may just be enough to hop on the three-hour flight from Hong Kong, or the one hour 20 minute-journey from Beijing or Shanghai. Following Olympic-based investment, more than 3,000 factories have sprung up in the airport suburbs. You can source anything from shoes to jewels to Durex condoms among the largely Korean-owned industries. If these things aren't up your street, head elsewhere; like functionally named Beer Street, Bar Street, or my personal favorite, Coffee and Tea Craft Street. \"We used to have to put on parties so that there would be material to justify an English-oriented lifestyle magazine,\" editor Blocher said. \"Now we have trouble keeping track!\" Check out English-language newspaper Red Star, for informative listings and an insight into the growing English-speaking population that has stumbled upon and stayed in Qingdao." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Qingdao is located in northeast China, north of Shanghai .\nThe city hosts a beer festival and is home to distinctive European architecture .\nThe Tsingtao Brewery was founded in 1903 by German settlers ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- What can 40 goats and 20 cows buy a Kenyan man? Chelsea Clinton's love, if you ask Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor. Hillary Clinton says she would let her daughter Chelsea know about a Kenyan man's unique marriage offer. The Kenyan man first offered the dowry nine years ago to then-President Bill Clinton in asking for the hand of his only child. He renewed it Thursday after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked about the proposal at a Nairobi town hall session. CNN's Fareed Zakaria, the session's moderator, commented that given the economic crisis at hand, Chepkurgor's dowry was \"not a bad offer.\" However, Clinton said her daughter was her own person. \"She's very independent,\" she said. \"So I will convey this very kind offer.\" Watch Clinton's response to dowry offer » . The audience laughed, but Clinton's comments were no joke to Chepkurgor, who described the younger Clinton as a \"beautiful, disciplined and well-natured woman.\" \"Of course I have never met her, but I like her family and how they stick together,\" Chepkurgor told CNN. \"I've waited for a long time. I'm still waiting to meet her and express my love for her.\" Chepkurgor operates a small electronics and computer shop in Nakuru, a major city northwest of Nairobi. He may still be waiting for Chelsea, but he's not exactly single. He married his wife Grace, a college classmate, in 2006. \"My wife has no problem with this,\" he insisted. \"She listened to the answers given by Hillary and did not complain.\" Polygamy is legal in Kenya, so Chelsea would be Chepkurgor's second wife. \"Is that allowed in your side of the world?\" he laughed. In Kenya, a man proposes with dowry for the prospective bride, Chepkurgor explained. He said he stands by his initial livestock offer until someone makes a counteroffer. Chepkurgor, now 39, first made his intentions known when all three Clintons visited East Africa in 2000. He wrote a letter to the former president, offering himself as his only child's suitor. He said he had not expected the secretary of state to address the issue during her visit to Kenya this week. However, he admits his chances might be rather slim. \"Unfortunately, I don't have their contact information,\" he said. \"I just want to convey my message of goodwill to the Clintons,\" he said. \"And to all of America.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In 2000, Kenyan man offered cows, goats for Chelsea Clinton's hand in marriage .\nIn recent town hall meeting, Hillary Clinton says she would convey offer to daughter .\nGodwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor is already married, says wife wouldn't mind ." } ]

[ { "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) -- Financing for DreamWorks Studios' partnership with one of India's richest men was finalized Monday, giving Steven Spielberg and partner Stacey Snider money to resume making movies. From left to right, Steven Spielberg, Anil Ambani, Stacey Snider and Amitahb Jhunjhunwala. The deal with Anil Ambani, chairman of India's Reliance BIG Entertainment, provides Spielberg's DreamWorks Studios with $875 million, coming from Ambani, the Walt Disney Co. and loans made by a syndicate of banks. Disney will distribute and market about six DreamWorks Studios films around the world each year, with the exception of India, where Reliance will have those rights. Spielberg and Snider found themselves in need of financial partners last year when he cut ties with Paramount Pictures and began rebuilding DreamWorks into an independent studio. Although the deal, which was announced last year, has been characterized in some reports as \"Hollywood meets Bollywood,\" Spielberg and partner Stacey Snider will have creative control over productions. \"This will allow us to move ahead quickly into production with our first group of films,\" Snider and Spielberg said in a joint statement. Reliance BIG Entertainment is part of the Reliance group controlled by billionaire Ambani. \"Our partnership with Stacey and Steven is the cornerstone of our Hollywood strategy as we grow our film interests across the globe,\" Ambani said. \"Given our faith in the business plan that they presented to us and despite the current economic climate, we were always confident that this day would come. Now Stacey and Steven can focus on producing more of the great films for which they are renowned.\" Ambani, whose company owns hundreds of theater screens across South Asia, has also invested development money this year with other Hollywood production companies, including those owned by actors Nicolas Cage, Tom Hanks, George Clooney and Jim Carrey. A DreamWorks announcement said that J.P. Morgan brought together the syndicate of banks to provide about $325 million in funding. The banks include Bank of America, City National Bank, Wells Fargo, Comerica, Union Bank of California, SunTrust, California Bank & Trust, and Israel Discount Bank. One of the first movies to go into production will be \"Harvey,\" an adaptation of the play that won a Pulitzer for playwright Mary Chase. The tale about a man and his invisible bunny friend was first made into a movie, starring Jimmy Stewart, in 1950. Spielberg's long career as a screenwriter, director and producer has included classic blockbusters \"E.T.: The Extraterrestrial,\" the \"Indiana Jones\" series and \"Saving Private Ryan.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Steven Spielberg finalizes partnership with Indian tycoon, gets cash infusion .\nPartnership with Anil Ambani provides $875 million for DreamWorks .\nSpielberg's first film planned: remake of classic \"Harvey\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- More than 80 years after his family was ordered from the country, the grandson of one of the last Ottoman sultans was buried Saturday as hundreds of admirers looked on. Relatives carry the coffin of Osman on Saturday after his funeral ceremony in Istanbul. Ertugrul Osman, grandson of Sultan Abdulhamid II and heir to the Ottoman throne, died this week in Istanbul of kidney failure at the age of 97, after having lived most of his life in exile in a humble third-floor walk-up apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Osman's funeral in the garden of the mammoth Sultanahmet Mosque was attended by Turkish state ministers, artists and media glitterati. They lined up to pay their respects to Osman's widow, Zeynep Osman, herself a descendant of the royal family of Afghanistan. One woman pressed her forehead to Mrs. Osman's hand in a traditional Turkish show of respect, saying \"I'm just an ordinary person, but I would like to kiss your hand.\" \"His death marks the passing of an era,\" wrote Jason Goodwin, author of \"Lords of the Horizons,\" which tells the history of the Ottoman Empire, in an e-mail to CNN. \"Osman himself was born into a family that still ruled an empire stretching from the Balkans to the Indian Ocean. He was named after the founder of his dynasty, who lived seven centuries ago.\" During annual campaigns at the peak of its power, the Ottoman Sultan's army of Janissaries struck fear into the hearts of European monarchs. For 400 years, the Ottomans declared themselves the \"caliphs\" -- spiritual leaders -- of the Muslim world. But the empire declined during the 19th century, eventually suffering a humiliating defeat and partition at the hands of Allied armies during World War I. In 1922, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish Republic, sent the last Ottoman sultan packing aboard a British warship. Two years later, Ataturk banned the caliphate, declaring Turkey a secular state. Ertugrul Osman, who had played as a boy in the imperial palaces of Istanbul, was sent with the rest of his family into exile. He lived for decades in Europe, then moved after World War II to the United States. Friends say he ran a successful mining business in Chile. They described Osman as a polyglot Renaissance man with a passion for politics and opera and a taste for evening cocktails. Over the years, Osman told reporters he had no interest in assuming the Ottoman throne. In the early 1990s, after more than half a century outside the country, Osman returned to Turkey at the invitation of a Turkish prime minister. Friends say that, prior to getting a Turkish passport in 2004, he traveled using documents identifying him as an Ottoman citizen. The hundreds of mourners at Saturday's funeral stunned other surviving members of the Ottoman royal family. One man rushed Bulent Osman, a tall, elderly French-born nephew of the deceased, kissing his hand and crying in Turkish? \"My prince, we are guilty for how we treated you!\" \"I am not a prince,\" Osman later explained to a reporter in French-accented English. \"I am quite surprised. It is the first time I have seen such an outpouring.\" The royal family seems to be especially revered by devout muslim Turks, who see the sultan's descendants as a link to the abolished Islamic caliphate. \"They are our grandfathers,\" said a young man named Fatih, who wore the long beard, turban and robes of a fundamentalist Islamic sect. \"They glorified our religion and brought it to the highest level.\" The funeral was attended by an eclectic mix of mourners -- stylishly dressed members of the royal family who grew up in Europe alongside fervent Islamists, some of whom pushed through the crowd ordering women to move to the back to pray. Hundreds of police officers blocked traffic as Osman was buried in a garden filled with the gravestones of Ottoman pashas and viziers, beside the ornate tombs of his grandfather Sultan Abdulhamid II and another ancestor, Sultan Mahmut II. Osman's death serves as a reminder of Turkey's recent, yet often forgotten Ottoman history, said historian Jason Goodwin. \"His funeral may be a catalyst for modern, republican Turkey to overcome its historical amnesia, and come to terms with its own past,\" Goodwin said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Grandson of one of the last Ottoman sultans was buried Saturday .\nErtugrul Osman died this week in Istanbul of kidney failure at the age of 97 .\nOsman's funeral attended by Turkish state ministers, artists, media glitterati ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The global economic crisis has caused a spike in world hunger that has left more than a billion undernourished, United Nations agencies said in a new report. The report says the stabilization of financial markets has meant less investment in agriculture, food distribution. \"It is unacceptable in the 21st century that almost one in six of the world's population is now going hungry,\" said Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Programme. \"At a time when there are more hungry people in the world than ever before, there is less food aid than we have seen in living memory.\" The report by the WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organization was released Wednesday, ahead of World Food Day on Friday. Nearly all the world's undernourished live in developing countries, according to the report. An estimated 642 million people are suffering from chronic hunger in Asia and the Pacific. An additional 265 million live in sub-Saharan Africa while 95 million come from Latin America, the Caribbean, the Near East and North Africa. The final 15 million live in developed nations. Should developed economies be doing more to eradicate hunger, poverty? The number of hungry spiked as the global economic crisis took hold and governments pumped resources into stabilizing financial markets. The move meant smaller investments in agriculture and food distribution. \"World leaders have reacted forcefully to the financial and economic crisis, and succeeded in mobilizing billions of dollars in a short time period. The same strong action is needed now to combat hunger and poverty,\" said Jacques Diouf, director-general of the FAO. \"The rising number of hungry people is intolerable.\" The report calls for greater investment in agriculture to tackle long and short-term hunger by making farmers productive and more resilient to crises. \"We know what is needed to meet urgent hunger needs -- we just need the resources and the international commitment to do the job,\" Sheeran said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "World Food Programme: One in six of world's population is now going hungry .\nNearly all the world's undernourished live in developing countries .\nNumber of hungry spiked as the global economic crisis took hold, report says .\nCalls for greater investment in agriculture to tackle long and short-term hunger ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Emma Watson may have wanted to just blend in when she started her freshman year recently at Brown University, but it seems not everyone has the same idea. \"Harry Potter\" actress Emma Watson is an incoming freshman at Brown University in Rhode Island. The actress, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the \"Harry Potter\" films, showed up last week at the Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island, where new students were treated to orientation activities before the official start of classes on Wednesday. Watson was photographed looking very relaxed in jean shorts and a white T-shirt, but reports are that her introduction to academia has been less than low-key, with much excitement being stirred by her presence. The blog Just Jared reported that while the British actress visited the campus on Friday with her mother and her boyfriend, Jay Barrymore, Twitter user @cupcakenar sent out the following tweet: \"My dad made Emma Watson mad by taking a photo of her going inside the Financial Aid office at Brown. She was with her mom & boyfriend.\" Celebrities furthering their education are not new, but with the advent of social networking sites, stars' every move can be tracked and reported. When actor James Franco apparently fell asleep during a lecture at Columbia University in New York City earlier this year, a photo snapped by a classmate made the rounds online and prompted many a tweet. Franco, who has appeared in films such as \"Spiderman\" and the critically acclaimed \"Milk,\" was reported to be taking classes at Columbia and New York University while also writing a book. Paparazzi were on high alert when Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen began attending classes at NYU in 2004. Photos appeared constantly of the tiny twosome -- often with bodyguards in tow -- on their way to and from class after they moved from Los Angeles to New York City for school. Stars such as Julia Stiles, who enrolled in Columbia, and Natalie Portman, who attended Harvard, have tried to be as under the radar as possible while pursuing their education. According to a 2003 article about Portman in the university's Harvard Crimson newspaper, the \"Star Wars\" actress lived on campus her freshman and sophomore years while pursuing a degree in psychology. Portman told the college publication that she was able to enjoy her time as a student, despite her celebrity status. \"At the beginning of college I was talking to people who were actors who had gone to college, and I heard awful stories about people getting 200 visitors a year knocking on their dorm room, or having awful stalker issues,\" Portman said. \"But I've not been bothered once, and that's also thanks to the police here, who have been really wonderful.\" Watson also has been quoted as saying she just wants to be treated as a regular student. \"I do hope that it will be only a short time before I am known as Emma Watson the student from the UK, rather than Emma Watson who starred in the 'Harry Potter' films,\" Watson said. The \"Harry Potter\" actress isn't the only famous student taking her seat at an Ivy League school this year. The Boston Globe reported that actress Ashley Judd has enrolled in Harvard's Kennedy School's Mid-Career Master in Public Administration program and asked officials to take additional measures to ensure her privacy. The paper reported that school officials complied, including having the registrar put a privacy block on Judd's file to prevent information about the actress from being made public and arranging to have Harvard police present during the program's coffee breaks. In speaking with the Boston Globe, Brown University's director of communications Mark Nickel declined to confirm that Watson was a student there, but he did say the school might take extra precautions to protect a young wizard. ''We do whatever we need to do to ensure safety and privacy, and that applies pretty much to all students,\" Nickel said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "British actress Emma Watson participated in freshman orientation at Brown .\nThe \"Harry Potter\" actress' enrollment at the university has sparked interest .\nStars such as James Franco and Natalie Portman have also gone Ivy League .\nBoston Globe reports actress Ashley Judd asked Harvard to protect her privacy ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A judge has ruled in favor of two Florida school administrators who faced contempt charges for saying a prayer at a school luncheon, according to a group that helped represent them. Rep. Mike McIntyre is one of three members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus backing the school officials. U.S. District Judge M.C. Rodgers ruled Thursday in favor of Frank Lay, principal of Pace High School in Pace, Florida, and school athletic director Robert Freeman, the Liberty Counsel said. Lay and Freeman could have faced up to six months in prison and fines if convicted. They were accused of violating a consent decree banning county school employees from initiating prayers during school events. Ahead of the court proceedings, hundreds of supporters lined the streets outside the federal courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Many of them carried signs and some sang songs. \"It is ridiculous that these men even had to think twice about blessing a meal,\" Liberty Counsel founder Matthew Staver said in a written statement. \"To criminalize the prayer conflicts with our nation's founding and guiding principles and goes directly against our constitutionally protected rights.\" But the American Civil Liberties Union, whose lawsuit led to the consent decree, has maintained students have a right to be free from administrators who foist their personal religious beliefs on them. Still, an ACLU representative has said the organization \"never suggested\" people should go to jail for violating the decree, and the organization was not involved in the criminal proceedings. The ACLU filed suit last year against the district on behalf of two Pace students who alleged that \"school officials regularly promoted religion and led prayers at school events,\" according to an ACLU statement. Lay was a party in the initial lawsuit, and his attorney was among those approving the consent decree, according to the organization. In addition, the court required that all district employees receive a copy. But on January 28, \"Lay asked Freeman to offer a prayer of blessing during a school-day luncheon for the dedication of a new field house at Pace High School,\" according to court documents. \"Freeman complied with the request and offered the prayer at the event. It appears this was a school-sponsored event attended by students, faculty and community members.\" Attorneys from Liberty Counsel have said that attendees included booster club members and other adults who helped the field house project -- all \"consenting adults.\" The case caught the attention of members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, including the caucus' founder, Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Virginia. He and two other lawmakers, Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-North Carolina, and Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, also members of the caucus, wrote a letter in support of the two school administrators, saying that \"many of America's Founding Fathers were resolute in their faiths, and the impact of such is evident in the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and many of their writings.\" It added, \"The tradition of offering prayer in America has become so interwoven into our nation's spiritual heritage that to charge someone criminally for engaging in such a practice would astonish the men who founded this country on religious liberty.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two Florida school administrators accused of violating consent order on prayer .\nThey faced possible sentence of up to six months in prison, fine .\nACLU sued district on behalf of students who alleged prayer held at school events .\nParties agreed to consent decree in January; ACLU not part of criminal proceedings ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Rev. Franklin Graham has arrived in North Korea bearing a gift for North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the country's official news agency reported Wednesday. The Rev. Franklin Graham reportedly will oversee the delivery of $190,000 in equipment for a dental school. Graham handed the present, which was not identified, to a high-ranking official Wednesday to give to Kim, the Korean Central News Agency reported. Graham, the son of the Rev. Billy Graham and the president of Samaritan's Purse, arrived Tuesday in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, KCNA said. On its Web site, Samaritan's Purse said Franklin Graham was to meet with high-level government officials and to inspect medical facilities that the organization has installed. \"I believe it is important to make visits like this to help improve relations and to have a better understanding with each other,\" Graham said, according to the Samaritan's Purse Web site. The group said Graham will visit a hospital and also will oversee the delivery of $190,000 in equipment to outfit a dental school that can train up to 70 dentists per year. KCNA reported that Graham said he hoped he could act as a bridge for better relations between the United States and North Korea. The visit marks Graham's third trip to North Korea. His father visited the country in 1992 and 1994 and met with President Kim Il Sung, Samaritan's Purse said. His mother, the late Ruth Bell Graham, attended a mission school in Pyongyang in 1934, the organization said. Later this week, Graham is scheduled to travel to China, where he'll dedicate a clinic that Samaritan's Purse built, visit a city destroyed by last year's earthquake and speak at churches, the organization said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Rev. Franklin Graham makes third trip to North Korea .\nGraham aims for better ties between North Korea and U.S., news agency says .\nSon of evangelist Billy Graham to meet with top officials, visit medical facilities .\nFranklin Graham also set to travel to China ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- It seems no-one in South Africa can fail to be gripped by World Cup football fever. The running, tackling, shooting, offside-appealing proof comes with a clutch of grannies who have been playing in a fiercely competitive league around the Nkowankowa township, 600 kilometers north of Johannesburg. A squad of 35 nans down domestic duties twice a week to take to the field for their team Vakhegula Vakhegula, and compete against seven other teams in the region. Some of them even credit the beautiful game as having turned their lives around. \"I like to play soccer because it helps,\" said Nari Baloyi, who at 47-years-old, clocks in as one of the youngest players. \"We were sick, but now our temperatures, our blood pressures... have gone down ...even our doctors are amazed when we go for a check-up.\" One of the more elderly members, Nora Makhubela, is convinced that football has given her a new lease of life following the setback of suffering six strokes. \"My life has really changed...if I were to run with you I would beat you even though I'm much older,\" she said, throwing down the gauntlet to the likes of Ronaldo, Messi et al. \"My life has improved because of the football. I wish God could bless the person who came up with this great idea.\" The women contribute around $1 a month each for footballs, kit, and travel to the bi-annual regional tournament. Dozens of noisy fans cheer on the players, with the distinctive sound of the vuvuzelas -- a South African trumpet -- creating an atmosphere that would be welcome at any European Champions League tie. Makhubela is hoping her new-found love of the game extends long enough for her to be able to watch some of the matches when the World Cup begins in June. \"I pray every day to God to keep me alive until 2010. I would really love to watch the games,\" she said. The team was formed three years ago to offer older women a chance to exercise and come together as a group, says community worker Beka Ntsanwisi. \"Some of them couldn't even walk properly and if they did something in their free time they would be knitting or sewing and sitting all the time...here they run, shout, fight with you...it keeps them young,\" she said. David Maake said his job coaching the team is the best he's ever had. \"With young boys you need more money to achieve many things...here, I may come with my stress...but I will laugh so much until I forget everything,\" he said. The team have even suggested they play a curtain raiser for the main event itself, a brainwave the footballing authorities have said they will give serious thought to. If the women do manage to take part as an hors d'oeuvre to the World Cup proper one thing is for sure, what they lack in skill they will make up for in enthusiasm." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Grannies in a South African township have taken up football .\nThe women have been inspired by World Cup fever in the country .\nSome women have reported improving health as a result of playing the game .\nThe grannies may play a match as a curtain raiser to the tournament ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Seydi Burciaga just finished her overnight shift at Sam's Club, where she worked for the past 10 years. She made her way through the pouring rain in her minivan and turned onto her cul-de-sac in suburban Atlanta. Seydi and Pedro Burciaga were married for 14 years with two children. \"She was a very loving mother,\" he said. She was three-tenths of a mile from home. The mother of two young children never made it. Floodwaters from a swollen creek swept her Nissan Quest from Desiree Drive around 5 a.m. Monday. On a normal day, the creek is only a few feet wide. But days of nonstop rain turned the seemingly harmless waterway into a raging river. It sits at the bottom of a steep hill on a street with no lights. It would've been nearly impossible to see the swift-moving water or how deep it was in the pre-dawn darkness. Her car was picked up and carried behind an elementary school and lodged in trees. Water was coming in fast, she told a 911 dispatcher. Listen to the frantic 911 call » . \"Please, come help me,\" she says, her voice cracking. \"Please.\" The 911 dispatcher draws silent for a moment. \"Alright, ma'am. Just stay as calm as possible.\" During the next 12 minutes, the dispatcher would try to reassure Burciaga as she elicited clues as to the caller's exact whereabouts. It was a neighborhood Burciaga knew well. She'd lived there for the past decade. She was known as the neighborhood mom who would take anyone who needed help to the dentist or the doctor. Fluent in Spanish, she would often act as translator. \"She was a very loving mother, a good wife, a strong woman,\" said Pedro Burciaga, her husband of 14 years. \"She liked helping everyone, and overall she worked very hard. ... She always had a smile for everyone.\" As her life teetered in the balance, she described being near a yellow house and tried to give other details of where her vehicle was. The 911 call was one of more than 400 before daybreak Monday that sent rescue crews through the floodwaters of Gwinnett County, a large suburban county northeast of Atlanta. \"My car is turning. Now the wheels is getting up, and I'm going to drown,\" Burciaga says. A fire rescue team was at the scene by 5:09 a.m. Police arrived at 5:13 a.m. She was still on the phone with dispatch. The entire roadway was submerged by 5 or 6 feet of water. Nearby parked vehicles were nearly covered by the rushing water. An outbuilding had been carried from its foundation. Watch how to escape from a sinking car » . \"Listen to me. You're not going to drown. Roll down your windows, if you're able to, and get out of your vehicle,\" the 911 dispatcher says. \"I'm in the back of my car. I don't know if I can break it,\" Burciaga says. \"Ma'am, if you can break it, break it. Do whatever you can to get out of your vehicle.\" \"Yes, please, but my car is --\" \"It doesn't matter about your car,\" the dispatcher says. \"What matters is your life. We're going to save your life.\" A few moments later, the waters intensify. \"It's taking me down now,\" Burciaga says, crying. \"It's taking you down,\" the dispatcher repeats. \"Just stay on the phone with me. I'm right here. I'm gonna stay with you.\" \"Please! It's going to drown --\" \"OK, listen, you're not going to drown. We're going to be there for you. Just stay with me, OK?\" \"OK, OK,\" Burciaga says. Moments later, she shrieks, \"Oh my God!\" Her voice grows more concerned. Her cell phone goes out at 5:16 a.m. According to a police report, rescue crews tried to swim into the water to find her, but the waters were moving too fast, and they couldn't spot her. After about an hour, the waters receded. Her vehicle was 300 yards away. She was found across the back seats of her minivan. She was dressed in blue jeans, a green shirt and gray tennis shoes. Burciaga, a Mexican immigrant, was to turn 40 on November 18. She was the mother of a 9-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter. Her ritual every night was to tuck them in bed before heading off to work. \"She would give them a blessing, a kiss,\" her husband told CNN. Burciaga's death was one of at least nine in severe flooding that has shut down roads across north Georgia and caused gridlock on Atlanta's already congested highways. See flood photos across the Southeast » . Her death troubled even the most veteran law enforcement personnel. \"There's really no words to describe it,\" said Gwinnett County police spokesman David Shiralli. \"We're here to save lives when we can. When we do everything in our power and we still fail at it, it makes us feel bad.\" On the quiet street where Burciaga lived, residents made a makeshift memorial at the small bridge over the creek. Flowers were placed at the foot of the street; an angel figurine stood with her hands clasped in prayer. Nearby, shrubbery was flattened, possibly from her vehicle. The creek was back to being a tiny waterway. Residents said it floods often during rainstorms, but they'd never seen anything like Monday. \"At night when it's dark and water is covering the road, you can't really see it. It's not the first time it has overran, but it's never been that high before,\" said Nathaniel Knight, who lived next door to Burciaga for the past five years. Knight was still shaken by her death. \"She's just a really nice person, a woman that works the night shift. Just so nice.\" He said he felt for her husband: \"This just has to be horrible, just devastating for him.\" A viewing for friends and relatives was held Tuesday evening. In nearby Duluth, her colleagues at Sam's Club were beginning their night shift, minus their colleague of the past decade. \"We've lost a valued member of our family, and we will always remember her smile,\" said store manager Annette Gillespie. \"She was an outstanding associate and hard worker, but most importantly, she was our friend.\" Her husband struggled for words. His favorite memory: \"Her smile, how she was with my children. She loved them a lot. She gave them lots of love.\" How so? \"With kisses, hugs,\" he said, gently. \"Now I'm destroyed because I'm going to miss her a lot.\" CNN's Mallory Simon contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Mother of two gets swept away in floods, pleads for help in 911 call .\nRescuers were on the scene as she spoke but couldn't locate her .\nCalm 911 dispatcher: \"What matters is your life. We're going to save your life.\"\nWoman was to turn 40 in November; she had worked at Sam's Club for 10 years ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Google said Tuesday's widespread Gmail outage occurred when the company took some servers offline to perform routine maintenance, causing its remaining routers to become overloaded with traffic. Many Gmail users encountered this error message when trying to access their e-mail Tuesday. \"We know how many people rely on Gmail for personal and professional communications, and we take it very seriously when there's a problem with the service,\" wrote Ben Treynor, a Google vice president of engineering, Tuesday in a 9:59 p.m. ET post on the Gmail blog. \"Thus, right up front, I'd like to apologize to all of you -- today's outage was a Big Deal, and we're treating it as such,\" Treynor wrote. Gmail, Google's popular free e-mail service, was inaccessible to many of its tens of millions of users for about 100 minutes Tuesday afternoon, prompting widespread chatter on Twitter and other social networks. Gmail's problems were a top trending topic on Twitter, with users trading updates and posting links to blogs such as Mashable, which published a post called, \"5 Things to Do While Gmail is Down.\" (No. 1: \"Immediately flood Twitter with tweets alternately proclaiming 'Gmail is down!' and inquiring 'Is Gmail down?' \") \"When something like this used to happen, you would wonder if it was just you,\" Rachel Sklar, editor-at-large of Mediaite.com, told CNN. \"Here, it was immediate that you knew what was going on because of Twitter, and you knew that everyone had the same problems.\" People couldn't access Gmail via the Web interface Tuesday because their requests couldn't be routed to a Gmail server, Treynor explained. He said Google's engineers are compiling a list of things they intend to fix or improve as a result of their investigation into the outage. \"We've turned our full attention to helping ensure this kind of event doesn't happen again. Some of the actions are straightforward and are already done -- for example, increasing request router capacity well beyond peak demand to provide headroom,\" he wrote. Gmail had 36.9 million U.S. users in June, according to ComScore, a company that measures Internet use. Gmail remains the third-most popular Web-based e-mail service, after Yahoo! Mail and Microsoft's Hotmail. CNN Audience Interaction Producer Eric Kuhn contributed to this story." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Gmail outage occurred when some servers were taken offline for maintenance .\nNEW: Google says its remaining routers became overloaded with traffic .\nGoogle's free e-mail service suffered widespread outage Tuesday afternoon .\nGoogle said Gmail outage lasted about an hour and 40 minutes ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Every day, tens of thousands of fertilized hen eggs are delivered to Sinovac laboratories in Beijing. Each egg is infected with the H1N1 virus, then incubated for three days. White-coated employees examine every egg individually before the virus is extracted and used to make a vaccine. Vials of H1N1 vaccine before they are labeled and packaged. Sinovac Biotech Ltd. was the first company in the world to successfully complete clinical trials for an H1N1 vaccine. It was also the first company approved by the Chinese government to produce millions of doses for the public. China is set to become the first country to begin mass inoculations sometime around the beginning of October. According to Sinovac CEO Yin Weidong, the secret lies in years of vaccine research and development. Sinovac was the first and only company ever to create a vaccine for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the worldwide pandemic that left almost 350 people in China dead. The SARS vaccine was never used. By the time it was discovered, the outbreak had subsided. However, the breakthrough has enabled Sinovac to stay ahead of the curve. Watch as the H1N1 vaccine is produced » . \"The SARS vaccine helped us achieve the H5N1 (bird flu) vaccine, which helped us get the H1N1 vaccine,\" says CEO Yin Weidong. \"That's why we could be so fast and be the first.\" Since Sinovac's success, at least two other Chinese companies and several around the world have also produced H1N1 vaccines. China has reportedly ordered 3.3 million vaccines from Sinovac, 4 million from Hualan Biological and another 3 million from the Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences. According to Yin, the main challenge for China will be providing enough vaccines for everyone. \"A country with 1.3 billion people needs 1.3 billion vaccines,\" he says. Watch report on China's inoculation preparations » . The Chinese government has long warned an outbreak of H1N1 could be catastrophic in a massive country with an underdeveloped health system. In recent weeks, the instances of H1N1 infections have risen dramatically throughout the mainland. There have been more than 9,000 cases of the H1N1 virus in China so far, and more than half of them have happened in the last few weeks alone. \"It's basically affected all provinces of China and we're worried because of the sheer number of people involved,\" says Vivian Tan, communications director for the World Health Organization in China. \"It's moving from the urban and coastal areas into more rural remote areas.\" According to the WHO, the rapid acceleration of H1N1 is occurring in part because flu season is starting, the weather is cooling down and school is back in session. More than 80 percent of China's swine flu cases have occurred in schools or due to school-related activities. China has had perhaps the most extreme and active response to the virus than any other country in the world. For months, masked Chinese officials have boarded international flights upon arrival, checking all passengers' temperatures and administered health surveys before granting entry. Thousands have been quarantined, including entire flights and school groups. Health authorities have heavily publicized the risks posed by the virus and rolled out a Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment plan, as an alternative to the vaccines produced by Sinovac and others. Yet, some Chinese citizens remain skeptical that a vaccine is even necessary in the first place. \"It doesn't seem like my baby is going to catch the swine flu,\" says one mother at a hospital in central Beijing. \"And what if it affects his health in the future? I'm just going to avoid crowded areas.\" Like any vaccine, the WHO has warned the H1N1 vaccine may have negative side effects. Sinovac plans to track and test patients for several years after vaccinations are administered to determine if there are any dangers. Ultimately, in China, the central concern remains that the H1N1 virus itself could expand and spin out of control. According to Tan of the WHO, \"I think one of our biggest fears is that (the H1N1 virus) could re-assort with the H5N1 avian flu virus that's out there, to create this 'superbug' which is both easily transmissible, quite lethal and quite deadly.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Inside the Chinese lab that has created world's first H1N1 vaccine .\nSinovac Biotech Ltd is first company approved by the Chinese government .\nThe company will now produce millions of doses for the public .\nSinovac got headstart after creating a vaccine during SARS pandemic ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(The Frisky) -- Even if you're not going to Fiji or the Maldives, accidentally ending up in a popular honeymooning spot while not actually on your honeymoon is easier than you think, especially with the abundance of all-inclusive deals online. Just because your hotel mates are on a romantic getaway doesn't mean they're not open to company. If watching smooching couples while chilling out with your friends makes you want to puke, no worries. You can still have a blast, even if you're not traveling with your newly committed soul mate. Relax . You probably chose the fantastic place because you found a great deal to an amazing destination (much like your cuddling neighbors), so take advantage. Hit the spa, do some yoga, swim or make time for the mellow activities that are tough to fit in back home. While you probably won't meet the guy of your dreams lying motionless in a mud wrap, you'll be Zen enough to have a new outlook once your return home. Don't underestimate the locals (or the ex-patriot) There's nothing better than getting to know a place by hanging out with people who can tell you more than a guidebook about the area's culture and hidden gems. Have a glass of wine and chat up the bartender (or the person with the best English if you're abroad) or find out about an area of town where the ex-patriots live. Especially if you've been away from home for a long time, an American omelet or bagel can keep you smiling. Make friends . Just because your hotel mates are using the vacation as a romantic getaway doesn't mean that they are not open to meeting others on their travels. There's a chance you'll end up chatting with a couple who bores you with the details of their wedding, but you might luck out and make a few friends (who perhaps will save you seats at the breakfast buffet the next morning). Plan activities . Jet skiing, para-gliding, R.V. treks -- take advantage of all the offerings, that way you'll have fun and burn some of the calories you've packed on by sipping cocktails on the beach all day. Besides experiencing new things, you may run across others who have unknowingly booked the same Travelocity deal without any romantic intentions. Come prepared . With portable board games, books, cards and an unlimited amount of iPod-fueled music, keeping busy in a honeymoon spot can seem a bit like summer camp (but with booze). Use the time a couple might spend in their room getting busy to work on your Scrabble skills, or catch up on all the new music you've downloaded but have yet to hear. And if you forgot your iPod, don't like spas, and can't find anyone in the entire city who isn't newly married and in love, you and your travel-mates can always place bets on which honeymooning couple will be the first to break up. TM & © 2009 TMV, Inc. | All Rights Reserved ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It's easy to accidentally wind up in a popular honeymoon spot while traveling .\nHit the spa, do some yoga or swim, author suggests .\nThere's nothing better than getting to know a place by hanging out with locals .\nAuthor: Come prepared with board games, iPod music, etc." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- An investigation commissioned by the city of New York found private gun vendors selling weapons to buyers who admitted not being able to pass background checks, breaking federal law, a report released Wednesday says. It is illegal for unlicensed sellers to sell a gun if there is reason to think the buyer would fail a background check. The sales were made at seven gun shows in Ohio, Tennessee and Nevada, the report says. Hired investigators with hidden cameras were able to purchase guns from private sellers after announcing to the vendors they could not pass a background check, it says. Nineteen of the 30 private sellers the undercover investigators dealt with failed the integrity test, according to the report. The law does not require private unlicensed sellers at gun shows to do background checks on their customers. However, it is a federal felony for unlicensed sellers to sell a gun if they have a reason to believe the buyer would fail a background check. There were no arrests and no lawsuit were filed. \"Closing the gun show loophole has nothing to do with the Second Amendment,\" Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a news conference Wednesday. \"It is basic law enforcement, plain and simple.\" He said he does not want to shut down gun shows but to change the law. He cited a 2000 study from the then-Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms saying 30 percent of guns involved in federal illegal gun trafficking investigations are connected in some way to gun shows. The figure is disputed by gun proponents. \"We believe anyone who breaks the law should be arrested, prosecuted and punished,\" the National Rifle Association said in a statement supplied to CNN. \"Instead of working with law enforcement to bring those who may have broken the law to justice, Mayor Bloomberg chose to use this information for a press conference. Bloomberg's priorities are clearly media first, justice later.\" But Bloomberg has support from some in Washington, including Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey. \"This investigation reveals how easy it is for criminals and even terrorists to purchase firearms at gun shows and is further proof that we must close the gun show loophole,\" Lautenberg said in a written statement." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sales made at gun shows in Ohio, Tennessee, Nevada, report says .\n19 of 30 private sellers in sting failed the integrity test, according to the report .\nClosing gun-show loophole \"is basic law enforcement,\" NYC mayor says .\nIt \"has nothing to do with the Second Amendment,\" said Mayor Michael Bloomberg ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Legendary Austrian skier Hermann Maier has ended his illustrious career at the age of 36 despite having recovered from knee surgery. Hermann Maier is known for his spectacular all-action style -- and crashes -- on the piste. The two-time Olympic champion, winner of three world titles and four World Cup overall crowns, has fought back to full fitness after his operation at the end of March, but decided he was ready to bow out after a 13-season career. \"I have decided that I will draw a line and end my career as a ski racer as of today,\" Maier told reporters in Vienna on Tuesday. \"My big goal was to get back in shape physically, and I have achieved exactly that. \"With regard to my future life, my health was paramount for me and that's why I'm calling it quits now.\" Maier, who won gold in the super-G and giant slalom events at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, is known for his spectacular crashes on the piste -- and he overcame a near-fatal motorcycle accident in August 2001 which ruled him out of skiing for a year. He bounced back to win a World Cup event two weeks after his return in January 2003, and the next year reclaimed his super-G and overall World Cup titles. Nicknamed \"The Herminator\" for his physical, all-action style, Maier is the second-most successful male skier after Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark with 54 World Cup race victories to his name. He won two world titles in super-G and downhill at Vail, Colorado in 1999, and claimed gold in the giant slalom in Bormio, Italy in 2005." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Legendary Austrian skier Hermann Maier ends his illustrious career at age of 36 .\nTwo-time Olympic champion has recently recovered from knee surgery in March .\nHe says he wanted to quit while still in good physical condition .\nMaier is second-most successful male skier ever with 54 World Cup race wins ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The longest solar eclipse of the century cast a wide shadow for several minutes over Asia and the Pacific Ocean Wednesday, luring throngs of people outside to watch the celestial spectacle. A woman looks through a refractor telescope with a solar filter on top of the roof of a school in Hong Kong. Day turned into night. Temperatures turned cooler. The total eclipse could be seen starting in India on Wednesday morning and moving eastward across Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, China and parts of the Pacific. Millions cast their eyes towards the heavens to catch a rare view of the sun's corona. Cloud cover in some areas prevented people from fully savoring the phenomenon. Still, many were awed. Tim O'Rourke, a 45-year-old freelance photographer from Detroit, Michigan, lives in Hong Kong but traveled up to Shanghai -- touted as one of the best spots to watch the eclipse. . Watch the scene in Shanghai as day turns into night » . \"It was pitch black like midnight,\" said O'Rourke, standing in People's Square with what appeared to be a crowd of thousands. Read blog on CNN reporter's first eclipse experience . \"Definitely not disappointed we came. Of course it would have been much better with nice weather, blue skies. But still it was a great experience, it was a lot of fun.\" he said. Total eclipses occur about twice a year as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun on the same plane as Earth's orbit. Wednesday's event lasted up to more than six minutes in some places. Send us your photos of the eclipse . Generally considered an inauspicious day in India, thousands took a dip in the Ganges River in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi to cleanse their souls, CNN's sister station CNN-IBN reported. It was sunny skies in Hong Kong, where students, parents and the elderly flooded a primary school to watch the eclipse in the southern Chinese enclave. The local astronomy society gave a presentation on how an eclipse happens and children climbed up ladders to look through two large telescopes on the school roof -- packed with skygazers -- to catch a glimpse of the moon moving across the sun. Read blog on Mother Nature conducting grand eclipse show Others looked through binoculars covered with solar filter paper or through a large rectangular block labeled \"Large Solar Filter,\" where they could take pictures of the moon moving over the sun. Astronomy enthusiast Louis Chung, 13, brought his teacher to the school to witness the eclipse. \"City folks wouldn't usually be able to see this. Nature is wonderful. It is awesome to know that nature can provide such spectacular sights,\" said Chung, a member of the Hong Kong Astronomical Society. \"Nature is incredible, and there is too much we don't know about,\" said another Hong Kong local, Yee Ping, a journalist for a financial newspaper. \"We try to know more and see by our own eyes so we can feel the power of nature.\" Richard Binzel, an astronomer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the total eclipse will first be visible at sunrise in India and about four hours later just east of Hawaii. A partial eclipse will be visible as far south as northern Australia and as far north as Siberia, he said. In some cultures, legends and folklore surrounds eclipses. Watch as eclipse-watchers head to China » . In India, an eclipse is considered inauspicious. Women forbid pregnant daughters-in-law from going outside out of the belief that their children could be born with marks. Some temples won't offer any prayers on the day of an eclipse -- such as the one next to the planetarium in Mumbai, which said it won't even light a stick of incense. In Chinese tradition, there is a story about a heavenly dog eating the sun. As the story goes, people would make noise to scare off the dog and rescue the sun, said Bill Yeung, president of the Hong Kong Astronomical Society. \"In ancient China, we shared the same impression with our Indian friends that a solar eclipse was not a good thing,\" he told CNN. Read blog on how eclipse-chasers are gambling on weather . Some of the more unusual ways to see Wednesday's eclipse include a cruise ship that will travel along the centerline off Japan and from aboard a 737-700 chartered plane in India. More conventional viewing parties in Shanghai had been planned along the beach, in a park and in skyscrapers. A music festival has been organized in Japan's Amami island, with more than 6,000 people expected, and Japanese television has shown rows of tents set up on Akusekijima island. The witnesses of the eclipse will range \"from the farmer who only knows legends of eclipses and may not know this is happening at all to the world's experts who have come specifically to the Shanghai region to make the most detailed scientific analysis possible,\" added Binzel, the MIT astronomer. CNN's Emily Chang, John Vause, Nishi Kumar, Yoko Wakatsuki, Stephanie Akiko Haschke, Harmeet Shah Singh and Mallika Kapur contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Event is longest of 21st century, astronomers predict it would last over 6 minutes .\nPeople in parts of Pacific Ocean, China and India able to get full view .\nChinese city of Shanghai touted as one of the best spots to watch the eclipse .\nSome unusual watching events include a cruise, plane trip and a music festival ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday proposed fines against two of the nation's largest airlines, saying the airlines flew planes on hundreds of occasions in violation of FAA or airline safety standards. US Airways says the problems are in the past. United notes it self-reported its problem. The FAA is seeking a $5.4 million fine from US Airways and a $3.8 million fine from United Airlines for unrelated violations. Both airlines issued statements Wednesday assuring the public of their commitment to safety. US Airways blamed its problems on the difficulties of merging US Airways and America West maintenance operations in 2007. United, meanwhile, said it self-reported the incident leading to its proposed fine and has since taken steps to ensure that safety standards are met. The US Airways case involved the greatest number of planes -- eight. The FAA alleges US Airways operated the eight aircraft on a total of 1,647 flights last fall and winter while the planes were in a potentially unsafe condition. Three of the planes were flown while not in compliance with FAA rules known as Airworthiness Directives, or ADs. The FAA issues ADs when it discovers a potentially unsafe condition on a type of aircraft, and it wants airlines to inspect their fleets or conduct preventive maintenance. The FAA said it issued an AD requiring airlines to inspect Airbus A320 aircraft for possible cracking of a landing gear part. But US Airways operated two Airbus A320s on a total of 43 flights without complying with the ordered inspection. The airline also operated an Embraer 190 aircraft on 19 flights without performing an inspection to prevent a cargo door from opening during flight, according to the FAA. The remaining five cases involve the airline's failure to follow its own maintenance procedures, the FAA said. In a letter to its employees, US Airways Chief Operating Officer Robert Isom called the FAA announcement disappointing. \"It is important to remember that today's announcement references situations that are in the past, and in several cases, date back to two years ago,\" he wrote. \"Our team has worked cooperatively with the FAA to investigate and correct any discrepancies to the FAA's satisfaction.\" The United Airlines case involves one aircraft, a Boeing 737. According to the FAA and the airline, a pilot noticed a low fuel pressure indication while on a flight from Denver, Colorado, on April 28, 2008. The pilot shut down an engine and returned to the Denver airport. United mechanics who inspected the engine found that two shop towels had been used to cover openings in the oil sump area, instead of protective caps. The FAA said the aircraft had flown more than 200 times in the unsafe condition before the problem was discovered. A United spokeswoman said the airline reported the incident to the FAA and has taken several measures to prevent a recurrence, including additional training of maintenance workers. Both airlines have 30 days to respond to the FAA's proposal for fines. In March, Southwest Airlines agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a complaint that it flew unsafe planes." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "FAA seeks a $5.4 million fine from US Airways, $3.8 million fine from United Airlines .\nAirlines issue statements assuring public of their commitment to safety .\nUS Airways case includes planes not complying with Airworthiness Directives .\nUnited plane flew with shop towels covering openings in oil sump area ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- After hours of back and forth between members, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America decided Friday evening to accept noncelibate clergy members and lay leaders who are in \"lifelong\" and \"monogamous\" same-sex relationships. Previous Evangelical Lutheran Church policy allows gay and lesbian clergy, lay people to serve only if celibate. One of the country's largest Protestant denominations, the Lutheran church approved four recommendations to its ministry's policies that underscore a new approach to homosexuality. While the recommendations passed at the weeklong Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis, Minnesota, do not address recognizing same-sex marriage or civil unions, they do allow congregations to support same-sex relationships among their members and allow individuals in same-sex relationships to hold clergy positions. The previous policy of the 4.6-million member church allowed gay people to serve as members of professional rosters only if they were celibate. Some members argued prior to the vote that the change would fly in the face of religious teachings. \"Brothers and sisters, I ask you, before you dig yourselves deeper into this hole, if you are so absolutely certain that these behaviors are not sinful that you are willing to place yourselves and this church at the spiritual risk that comes from encouraging sin,\" said the Rev. Steven Frock of the Western Iowa Synod. Among those on the other side was Alan Wold of the Northern Illinois Synod. \"If according to some I am going to be in err for supporting this... Let me err on the side of mercy, grace, justice, and love of neighbor. Let me err on the side of gospel, which makes all things new.\" Many feared the emotional debate could tear at the unity of the church. So the members voted to re-order their resolutions -- moving to the top a resolution that the church \"commit itself to bear one another's burdens, love thy neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of all.\" It passed with overwhelming support. Other religious denominations, including Episcopalians and Unitarians, have made moves to accept gay clergy, and Evangelical Lutherans would not be the first to accept those openly in same-sex relationships, said David Masci, a senior researcher at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. But ELCA would be the largest to make such a move. The church is the third largest Protestant denomination, representing 2 percent of the U.S. population, according to the Pew Forum. The battle Friday was the latest in what Masci said many \"socially moderate\" denominations, including those in Judaism, are grappling with: balancing the growing acceptance of same-sex relationships with traditional teachings. As some have moved toward accepting same-sex relationships, within those same denominations \"you see more conservative wings that are pushing back against it,\" said Masci. On hand for Friday's debate were hundreds of \"interested parties\" -- including some people who are not members of the church, said John Brooks, ELCA spokesman. When asked whether there had been protests or rallies on either side outside the convention site, he responded, \"Interestingly, no.\" In the convention hall, Brooks said, \"The debates haven't been rancorous or mean-spirited in any way. They've been quite civil. But people have been passionate with their feelings.\" The Rev. Terri Stagner-Collier of the Southeastern Synod said a vote in favor of the resolutions would cause members of her own family to leave the church. Her sister \"felt her church was being ripped away from her,\" Stagner-Collier said tearfully, adding, I urge you not to do this to all of those people in the pew and in my family.\" Sara Gross of the Oregon Synod said some \"dear members\" of the church will be lost if the resolution passes. But, she said, \"A vote to reject this recommendation sends a message to the world saying 'not all are welcome.'\" In a \"changing world,\" Gross argued, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America \"needs to be a voice that stands up and says 'yes.'\" CNN's Josh Levs contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Evangelical Lutheran Church to accept gay clergy in lifelong relationships .\nNew policy would allow them to serve if in monogamous relationships .\nPrevious policy allows gays, lesbians to serve as clergy, lay leaders if celibate ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MAMONI VALLEY PRESERVE, Panama (CNN) -- A famed primatologist says the plight of chimpanzees helped inspire Michael Jackson to write the song \"Heal the World.\" Michael Jackson loved chimpanzees, said Jane Goodall: \"They made him smile.\" But the theme and the lyrics of the song turned out to be about a better world for humanity. \"He wrote what he told me he thought was his most powerful song ever, but it didn't end up for animals,\" Jane Goodall said in a CNN interview Thursday night. Goodall spoke exclusively to CNN in a Panamanian rain forest where she is exploring a partnership on behalf of Roots & Shoots, her global youth education program. The interview comes as a new version of the song, first released on Jackson's 1991 \"Dangerous\" album, is being recorded by a collection of artists for release in late October. Goodall became friends with Jackson about 20 years ago when he invited her to his Neverland Ranch, where \"he talked about his dreams for the place to have animals running, looking free like they would in the wild. ... It was just a very charming day, very low key, nobody else was there,\" she said. Goodall, famous for her 50 years of groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Africa, said Jackson invited her because \"he loved what I did.\" \"He loved chimpanzees,\" she said. \"He loved to watch them feeding. He liked their faces. They made him smile.\" Years later, she met Jackson's chimp, Bubbles, and has visited him at his retirement refuge in Florida, she said. \"He's extremely handsome,\" she said. \"He's a beautiful, beautiful chimp. So, he was rescued in time from this life of being inappropriately dressed up and carted around like a little symbol.\" Goodall, whose life has been spent understanding chimpanzees, said she found Jackson to be \"a sad person.\" \"In some ways, he was like a child, and a very sweet and gentle child, and he wanted me to tell him many, many stories,\" she said. \"Stories about the chimpanzees, the forests, animals, anything. He told me he liked the way I told stories.\" Goodall, who travels the world to promote protection of endangered chimps, said she had hoped Jackson would help get her message out. \"I said to him, 'You know, Michael, if you want to help, you could do a concert and give us a percentage. Or much better, write a song,' \" she said. Jackson asked her for tapes of animals in distress because \"he wanted to be angry and cry\" as he wrote the song, which became \"Heal the World,\" she said. The original CD cover notes credited Goodall for inspiring the song, she said. But, she added, the Jane Goodall Institute never saw any money from the song. Jackson later created the \"Heal the World Foundation,\" which he funded with a series of concerts. The group delivered millions of dollars of relief to children around the world." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jane Goodall says Michael Jackson loved chimpanzees .\nJackson wrote \"Heal the World\" to call attention to chimpanzees' problems .\nSong became a call to peace for humanity .\nGoodall said she found Jackson to be a \"sad person\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(WIRED) -- Last month, when Zack Ajmal was planning a vacation to Italy, he set out to find the first thing that a traveler would need in a foreign land: a map. But digital maps of Rome and Venice for his Garmin GPS device cost almost $100. So instead, Ajmal turned to OpenStreet Map, a community-driven maps database. A user-edited map of cycling routes in Perth, Australia, available on OpenStreetMap's site. \"It worked out pretty well,\" the Atlanta-based engineer says. \"I found Open MTB, which had outdoor hiking and cycling maps with not just roads information, but also trails, short cuts and little known routes.\" Ajmal is among roughly half a million users who are eschewing proprietary maps information from GPS companies and instead going with crowdsourced versions, which they then load onto their GPS devices and smartphones. The key to these map hacks is OpenStreetMap. Founded in 2004, OSM is to maps what Wikipedia is to encyclopedias. The site offers maps that can be edited, customized and loaded on to devices for free. Want to go whitewater rafting but need to know where the rapids are? There's a map for that. Or to know all the interesting points along the river Nile? There's a map for that. And it's all based on the OpenStreetMap data. \"The value is that it is a richer map with more up-to-date information because anyone can fix things,\" says Steve Coast, one of the founders of OpenStreetMap. \"Users get access to the underlying data and not just a picture of the maps.\" Consumer map data is currently a duopoly split between two mapping providers: Nokia's Navteq and TomTom's Tele Atlas. The two provide the mapping data that powers almost all commercial map applications and devices. But maps from these providers are extremely restrictive in how they can be used. Want a map of the best hiking trails in the country or a walking tour of Rome? Traditional GPS services can't offer that. For adventurous geeks that calls for a DIY fix. \"OSM maps are a little new on the scene,\" says Rich Owings, who runs the GPStracklog.com website and is the author of the book GPS Mapping. \"Most people in the U.S. were not using them until recently, but now there are iPhone apps based on it.\" Getting OpenStreetMap is easier on some devices than others. In Garmin systems, it's as simple as taking one of the available maps and dropping it into a folder on the device. \"It's really hard to mess up your GPS doing this,\" says Owings. \"And if you have questions you can always ask the community to help you out.\" Owings says he loaded maps of Ecuador on his Garmin unit in about 30 minutes. \"It's not as clean of a map as one you can get from the Garmin store but they are pretty wonderful and have very good coverage.\" For TomTom systems, getting OpenStreetMap can be a more difficult process. TomTom uses a proprietary mapping format, says Coast. That means a tricky process of converting OpenStreetMap into a TomTom-compatible format. OpenStreetMap has also been used to create iPhone apps such as MotionX, which is targeted at hikers, skiers and bikers; B.iCycle, a cyclometer that shows burned calories, trip distance and trails; and ATM@UK, which shows all ATM locations in Great Britain. The OpenStreetMap project is a cartographer's dream come true, says Randal Hale, who has a GIS consulting business. Hale has created custom maps for a few clients using OpenStreetMap and has put OSM-generated maps on his Garmin unit. \"With the professional mapping software, I have to purchase a license to use their version, which is expensive and I can't use the data for analysis,\" says Hale. \"With OpenStreetMap, I download it, make cartographic edits and hopefully I have made it better for the next user.\" Meanwhile, traditional navigation companies are also reaching out to users for help on data. For instance, Nokia kicked off a pilot project at the University of California at Berkeley to collect traffic information through GPS-enabled cellphones. Users could download the software for free and use it to check on road conditions on their phones. At the same time, the software would report data about its users' positions to a central database, enabling the researchers to assemble traffic data in real time. Google has also said it will add nationwide real-time traffic data to its maps by collecting anonymous location data from Google Maps users. Still, community-created maps and navigation information remains a small niche, appealing only to \"GPS techies\" who are willing to take risks, says Owings. \"There's not a lot of public awareness because many people don't even know they can do this with their Garmin or cellphone,\" he says. But if you are planning to go to Berlin later this year, take a look at the OpenStreetMap site. Germany is expected to become the first country in the site's database to be fully mapped by contributors. Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here! Copyright 2009 Wired.com." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "About half a million users are embracing crowdsourced versions of digital maps .\nOpenStreetMap offers maps that can be customized and loaded to GPS devices .\nCrowdsourced maps can show hiking trails, whitewater rapids and other features .\nDevelopers are creating iPhone applications based on these maps ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama said Friday he spoke with the police officer who arrested a Harvard professor and told the officer he did not mean to malign the Cambridge Police Department when he said police acted stupidly. President Obama on Friday explains to reporters the details of a phone conservation with Sgt. James Crowley. The president acknowledged that his words \"helped to contribute to ratcheting\" up the situation when he criticized the manner in which Sgt. James Crowley arrested professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. \"I unfortunately gave an impression that I was maligning the Cambridge Police Department or Sgt. Crowley specifically,\" Obama told reporters. \"I could have calibrated those words differently, and I told this to Sgt. Crowley.\" Watch Obama describe talk » . Obama spoke about two hours after police unions in Massachusetts called on him to apologize. He did not apologize for his remark but repeated that he believed his choice of words was unfortunate. He reiterated his assertion that he believes police overreacted, but said Gates \"probably overreacted as well.\" \"My sense is you have got two good people in a circumstance in which neither of them were able to resolve the incident in the way that it should have been resolved,\" he said. Obama also spoke briefly with the arrested professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr., who is a friend of the president, the White House reported. He and Gates had a \"positive discussion\" about his call to Crowley on Friday afternoon, the White House said. Obama also invited Gates \"to join him with Sgt. Crowley at the White House in the near future.\" In an e-mail Friday to CNN's Don Lemon, Gates wrote, \"I was very pleased that the president called me today, and I was pleased that he proposed that I meet with Sgt. Crowley at the White House, since I had offered to meet with him since last Monday. \"I am eager for this to be used as a teaching moment to improve racial relations in America,\" said the e-mail. \"This is certainly not about me.\" His attorney, Charles Ogletree, told Lemon that he applauds Obama's intervention and \"I look forward to working this out with all parties amicably.\" Asked if he plans to file suit, Ogletree said, \"It depends on the response from everyone involved as to how we'll proceed.\" Earlier Friday, police unions said Obama should apologize to members of the Cambridge Police Department for saying they acted stupidly, the president of a city police union said. Watch African-American colleagues defend Crowley » . Dennis O'Connor, president of the Cambridge Police Superior Officers Association, also took aim at Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who reportedly has characterized the arrest as \"every black man's nightmare and a reality for many black men.\" Echoing the words of Crowley, O'Connor said he was dismayed that the president and governor would opine on the issue without all the details. \"It's noteworthy that both qualified their statements by saying they did not have all the facts,\" O'Connor said as members of his and another police union stood behind him. \"Usually, when one hears those words, one would expect the next words to be 'so I cannot comment.' Instead, both officials, both admitted friends of professor Gates, proceeded to insult the handling of this case.\" He further said Cambridge police resent the implication they allowed race to dictate their actions in the situation. \"We hope that [Obama and Patrick] will reflect upon their past comments and apologize to the men and women of the Cambridge Police Department,\" O'Connor said. Steve Killian, president of the Cambridge Police Patrol Officers Association, also called on Obama to apologize to \"all law enforcement personnel throughout the entire country that took offense to this.\" Crowley previously said Obama had offended police in Cambridge and elsewhere. \"I was a little surprised and disappointed that the president, who didn't have all of the facts by his own admission, then weighed in on the events of that night and made a comment that really offended not just officers in the Cambridge Police Department but officers around the country,\" Crowley told CNN affiliate WHDH-TV in Boston. Obama said earlier he was \"surprised by the controversy surrounding\" his comments. \"I think it was a pretty straightforward commentary that you probably don't need to handcuff a guy, a middle-aged man who uses a cane, who's in his own home,\" Obama told ABC's \"Nightline.\" Watch Crowley's boss defend the arrest » . When Obama waded into the story by answering a question about it during his news conference Wednesday night, he admitted that he \"may be a little biased\" because Gates is a friend. \"I don't know all the facts,\" he also conceded. He said he did not know what role race played, but \"the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home.\" iReport.com: Arrest sparks debate . But during his Friday remarks, Obama said he hoped the controversy surrounding Gates' arrest provides Americans with \"a teachable moment\" on how they can improve \"relations between police officers and minority communities.\" Crowley, in the police report about the incident, said Gates refused to cooperate with him and repeatedly accusing him of racism when he went to Gates' home following a report of a possible break-in July 16. Crowley said he tried to determine whether there was someone else at the home and wanted to ensure Gates' safety. Gates, however, told him \"that I had no idea who I was 'messing' with\" and was being so loud, the sergeant said, that he could not give pertinent information to the department when he was calling in. Authorities have said they may release tapes of the officer calling in, in which Gates is heard in the background . Crowley's report said that when he asked to speak with Gates outside, the professor at one point responded, \"I'll speak with your mama outside.\" Watch Crowley's response » . Gates' attorney, Charles Ogletree, said the professor never made such a remark. The full story will show that Gates did nothing wrong -- and that Crowley did not identify himself at first, Ogletree said. Gates said Wednesday he would listen to Crowley \"if he would tell the truth about what he did, about the distortions that he fabricated in the police report. I would be prepared as a human being to forgive him.\" Crowley has said he will not apologize. The police incident report states that Crowley twice provided his name to Gates, who subsequently asked for it two more times. Gates ultimately was arrested for disorderly conduct, but the department later dropped the charges. Cambridge police Commissioner Robert Haas said he \"deeply regrets\" the arrest but stands by the procedures his department followed. \"I trust [Crowley's] judgment implicitly. He is a stellar officer,\" Haas said. Haas added the department is \"very proud about its diversity within this community and how hard we've worked over the years to build a strong, solid relationship [between] the department and the community.\" Haas said he agreed with Crowley about Obama's remarks. \"I have to tell you the officers take that very personally and basically feel hurt by that comment. We truly are trying to do the best service we can to the community and sometimes we make mistakes. We're human. But we learn from those mistakes and we move on,\" he said. Black in America 2: Does racial profiling still take place? Numerous police officers, including African-Americans, have spoken up on Crowley's behalf and portrayed him as a good and fair officer. Crowley, who is white, had once been chosen by a black police officer to teach a police academy course on ways to avoid racial profiling. Obama said he had heard of Crowley's record, saying, \"I don't know all the extenuating circumstances, and as I said, I respect what police officers do. From what I can tell, the sergeant who was involved is an outstanding police officer, but my suspicion is probably it would have been better if cooler heads prevailed.\" Gates' legal team argues that authorities are misrepresenting the professor and the officer, and Gates has said he is determined to keep the issue alive despite the charges being dropped. \"This is not about me; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America,\" he said this week. Ogletree said Gates may bring forward people who say they've had similar experiences with Crowley. When asked for examples, Ogletree said only that they may come out in time depending on how the police department handles the situation moving forward. \"I think you will be hearing much more complex and different perspective on him [Crowley] in the coming days and weeks,\" Ogletree said, alleging that Crowley \"is well-known among people, particularly young people, for some of his police practices.\" Gates has no immediate plans to file a lawsuit against the department, the attorney said. Ogletree had said earlier Gates might sue the police. CNN's Joe Johns and Don Lemon contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Gates eager for incident to be \"teaching moment\" to improve racial relations .\nPresident says he hopes incident provides \"a teachable moment\"\nAttorney says professor has no immediate plans to sue Cambridge police .\nUnion asked Obama to apologize to \"all law enforcement personnel\" offended ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(OPRAH.com) -- Lust, love and like. A healthful, happy love relationship serves up three out of three. A healthful, happy love relationship is a passionate best friendship. Modern women could learn a few things about love and seduction from Scheherazade. Many women think men only care about the lust angle -- finding a hot bod for hot sex. Unfortunately, there are many men who do only care about this. In my book \"Prince Harming Syndrome,\" I explain how relationships that are too focused on sex wind up being what my favorite philosopher buddy Aristotle called a relationship of pleasure -- where you find a sex-mate or a relationship of utility -- where you find an ego-mate or wallet-mate. However, a healthful, happy love relationship is what Aristotle calls a relationship of shared virtue -- when you find a soul mate. Where you each get one another at your core, inspire and support each other to grow into your best possible selves. A relationship of shared virtue is where you feel the whole triumvirate: lust, love and like. Meaning? If you want to fully seduce a man, then you've got to know how to grab a man by more than his you-know-what. You must truly turn on a man's soul! Oprah.com: 5 things that make you sexy . If you sleep with a man before you feel safe knowing you connect on a soul-to-soul level, the relationship might start off hot -- but like steam into air, it will rise quickly then -- pfffft -- vanish into vapor. Or worse, you'll wind up getting burnt. This is so important to prioritize, that I'm repeating this reminder in bold italic letters: If you can't stimulate a man in more areas than from the waist down, you will only be attracting a relationship of pleasure or a relationship of utility. And this man will not remain your man for long. One of my favorite quotes about love comes from the book \"The Little Prince\": \"It's only with the heart that one can see rightly; what's most important is invisible to the eye.\" I love that the Little Prince recognized that the heart (another metaphysical word for soul) is the best lens for love -- making this Little Prince a major Prince Charming. Seduction Tip 1 (in bold italics so you recognize it is crucial to remember): If you want to be a man's Princess Charming, you MUST do more than work on tightening your buns or boosting up your boobs! You MUST tap into what I call \"The Scheherazade Effect.\" Oprah.com: What to do before you can find love . Remember the tale of Scheherazade and her 1,001 nights? Scheherazade was absolutely a Princess Charming who knew how to grab and stimulate her king's soul. Voilà! The CliffsNotes on Scheherazade: . There once was a king who got very bored with the women in his life very quickly. He would marry a new virgin, \"shtup\" her, then send her pretty self away pretty much immediately... to be beheaded. Talk about a bad breakup, huh? And talk about a King Harming, huh? Anyway, this king killed thousands of women by the time he finally met the enchantingly different Scheherazade. What made Scheherazade enchantingly different? Scheherazade loved to read books and had lots of fascinating ideas and interests to share. Wisely educated in morality and kindness, she had a passion for poetry, philosophy, sciences and arts. She kept the king on the edge of his bed -- not with mere alluring sexual positions -- but with alluring stories to be told, each more exciting than the next. And so the king kept Scheherazade alive -- eagerly anticipating each new tale -- until, lo and behold, 1,001 adventurous nights passed -- along with three sons -- and the king not only learned to love Scheherazade, but he made her his queen. Talk about living happily ever after, huh? The lesson learned? It's very seductive to a man when you, as a full-bodied and full souled woman, have passions in your life you can share to keep him inspired, titillated, growing and thriving. Seduction Tip 2 (again in bold italics so you recognize it is crucial to remember): The more passions you have in your life, the more passion your man will have for you! Oprah.com: 4 steps to finding your passion . My friend David told me he fell in love with his wonderful wife of 13 years because he adored her \"world lens\" -- all the interesting perspectives she shared about life, all her passionate insights and enthusiastic talents. David's idea of love is being turned on by how his paramour looked at the world, instead of simply focusing on how she looked to the world. Which is why David is a 3-D Prince Charming who's found his Scheherazade. Unfortunately, I believe too many women feel that the best way to catch a guy is with the bait of their (to word it politely) \"vajayjay.\" But if that is the main lure for love, then why aren't little \"vajayjay icons\" found on Valentine's Day cards? I'm kidding -- but I am serious! If you sleep with a man too soon, you risk being dizzied by an \"oxytocin high,\" and you will not know until you're already emotionally entrenched if the two of you have a true soul-nurturing connection. Plus, even in this modern world, you also risk the man respecting you less if you give sex away too quickly. It's timeless psychology. The harder you are to win, the bigger your estimated prize value. Many men do not want to belong to a club that has touched their members too quickly. It's the ol' Dr. Ejaculate/Mr. Hide Syndrome. As soon as the man comes, he'll want to go. Seduction Tip 3 (back to bold italics one last time for good measure): If you ever wanna hear \"I do,\" you have to start off saying a lot of sexual \"I don'ts.\" For this reason, I recommend to the women I coach that they do not drink alcohol on dates. Staying alcohol-free will help ensure you clearly \"hear\" who a guy is, not simply \"see\" who he is. You don't want to be hypnotized by superficial qualities, like his looks and wealth. Plus, being alcohol-free will help make sure you don't move too swiftly forward physically (a.k.a. it will ensure you keep your vajayjay in your skirt!). Meaning? My overall big seduction tip for luring in healthful, happy relationship is to STOP trying to be seductive! If you focus too much on seducing a man with your body and beauty, you will only be luring in a man with your body and beauty. If you want to wisely be in a lust, love and like relationship of shared virtue, it's far more important that you excite a man's soul. Oprah.com: How to get lucky in love and life . Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Scheherazade kept her head on her shoulders by keeping her king interested .\nHer 1001 stories seduced his mind and soul .\nRelying on physical seduction often leads to heartbreak than happiness .\nExpert: If women want to hear \"I do\" they need to say \"I don't\" many times ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- British soldier Phil Packer was told a year ago that he would never walk again, but on Saturday he finished the London Marathon. Londoners applaud Maj. Phil Packer, who was told he'd never walk again. He completed the race 13 days after it started, walking on crutches for two miles a day -- the most his doctor would allow -- in order to raise money for charity. Flanked by cheering soldiers and supporters, an obviously emotional Packer had defied medical opinion after his lower spine was badly injured in the aftermath of a rocket attack on his base in Basra, Iraq, in February 2008. The attack sent a vehicle rolling down a sand bank, striking Packer \"head on\" and dragging him under it. The 36-year-old was left with no feeling or motor control in his legs, and no bladder or bowel control. Watch more on soldier's battle » . Packer was in hospital for more than four months and it was then he decided to complete three challenges to help raise £1 million ($1.5 million) for Help for Heroes, a British charity supporting wounded veterans. In February he rowed the English Channel, and next month he plans to climb El Capitan -- one of America's iconic mountaineering sites -- a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation in California. Packer, who was met at the marathon finish line by British Olympian Steve Redgrave, said that he was £370,000 ($558,000) short of his goal but he was hoping for more donations. Dressed in a white charity T-shirt and desert fatigues, he was emotional. \"It's looking after our injured servicemen,\" he said. \"There's a lot of people that can't do this, so this is for them.\" Earlier this week he told CNN that he \"wanted to be able to move on in life.\" \"I wanted to do something for other personnel who had been wounded. \"I don't want to be helped. I want to help other people. Not that I'm not grateful, but... you know... I really want to be able to help people.\" He attributed being back on his feet to \"fantastic medical support\" from Britain's Ministry of Defense and National Health Service. \"So many improvements are being made\" in medicine, he said. \"It's an evolving process.\" Watch more on Phil Packer » . However, he did not know whether he would be able to walk without crutches. \"I gotta see how it goes. Take every improvement as it comes.\" Packer is far from alone; the six-year war in Iraq has disabled thousands of people. Britain's Ministry of Defense did not respond to a CNN question about how many service members had been permanently disabled in the war. In the United States, the Congressional Research Service reported in March that 31,131 troops had been wounded in Iraq. That figure is for battlefield injuries; many more veterans were later diagnosed with some sort of traumatic brain injury, but it is difficult to determine an exact number because of how the data is kept. It's not clear how many of the injuries are permanent because the Department of Veterans' Affairs does not classify some disabilities that way until 10 years after the injury, said Ryan Gallucci of AmVets, a veterans' service organization. Statistics for Iraqis are even harder to come by. Estimates of the number of wounded range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. Iraq's Ministry of Heath says one in four wounded Iraqis have lost at least one limb. Britain's Prince Charles is among those who have expressed support for Packer. \"You are, if I may say so, a credit to the Royal Military Police and to the British Army as a whole,\" the heir to the British throne wrote in a letter posted on Packer's Web site, http://www.philpacker.com/. Packer is still on active duty and intends to remain so. \"I've still got a career in the armed forces. I'm going to go back to it.\" He has 16 years of service under his belt, including time as an enlisted man before he went to officer training school and is, he noted with a rueful laugh, 20 years from retirement. He's been asked to be an ambassador for Prince Charles' charity, the Prince's Trust, which focuses on helping young people, in addition to his life in what he calls \"the disability community.\" After his two-week effort, Packer was asked whether he would be relaxing in a warm bath. No, he said, \"I'm going to have a drink.\" And with that, the army major lifted a shot glass and toasted his supporters. CNN's Richard Greene contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Phil Packer, 36, was wounded in the aftermath of a rocket attack in Iraq .\nHe walked on crutches for two miles a day to finish the London Marathon .\nHe finished the marathon Saturday, 13 days after everyone else ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Four months after he was escorted in his pajamas onto a military plane and flown out of the country, ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya could return to power within days, analysts said Friday. Negotiators for Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti, the politician who was appointed president hours after Zelaya's June 28 removal, reached an agreement late Thursday to form a government of national reconciliation. The nation's congress, in consultation with the supreme court, must approve Zelaya's return to power. The reconciliation government would rule until a new president, to be chosen in November 29 elections, takes office in January. Micheletti announced the agreement in a televised speech to the nation Thursday night. Zelaya said Friday his return to the presidency is \"imminent\" and should occur within days. He has been staying at the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, since secretly returning to the country September 21. \"At this moment we are trying to reach a consensus so we can reconstruct democracy,\" he told CNN en Español on Friday. Although Zelaya's return to the presidency is not guaranteed in the eight-point pact, several analysts say they expect the congress will approve the measure. \"If Micheletti came forward with a public announcement, the odds of this being approved by congress are pretty good. It's a done deal,\" said Kevin Casas-Zamora, a senior foreign policy fellow at the non-partisan Brookings Institution and a former vice president of Costa Rica. \"It would be a horrible letdown if congress did not approve the agreement.\" Peter Hakim, president of the Inter-American Dialogue policy institute, also believes \"they'll go ahead and vote for it.\" Said Larry Birns, director of the liberal Council on Hemispheric Affairs: \"There seems to be no other way.\" The United States played a key role in the accord after weeks of stalemate. Thomas Shannon, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, and two other high-level U.S. officials arrived Wednesday and met separately with Zelaya and Micheletti. An agreement appeared possible Thursday when Shannon announced at a news conference that the U.S. delegation would stay another day. A delegation from the Organization of American States had visited Honduras in early October but failed to obtain an agreement. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias had held consultations with both sides but did not get them to agree on a solution. The OAS, the United Nations, the European Union and the United States condemned the military-backed coup and demanded that Zelaya be reinstated. The United States and others imposed economic sanctions, which some analysts say have started to hurt Honduras. \"The dark secret here is that the Honduran economy has been devastated,\" Birns said. \"Huge numbers of Hondurans have crossed over into Mexico and are desperate for jobs.\" Crumbling economic conditions left Micheletti little choice, Birns said. \"All along Micheletti was holding a diminishing deck,\" he said. \"Not only the poor were being hurt. The cutoffs were hurting the nation's economic elite. So there was a very strong economic motive to reach a solution.\" There also was a strong political motive, Hakim said. \"The candidates for president, the people looking forward, wanted to see the elections on November 29 as being legitimate,\" he said. Birns agreed that \"the candidates wanted a resolution because of legitimacy.\" The United States and many other nations had said the elections would be considered illegitimate if held under Micheletti's rule. \"By far, the most important thing right now is not whether Zelaya will be reinstated, but that the U.S. is going to recognize the elections,\" said Heather Berkman, a Latin America analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm. \"The next president will be able to receive diplomatic recognition and much-needed access to international aid and financing, which will be crucial given the weakness of the economy and the fact that the government is running out of money,\" she said. Zelaya also appeared to have little choice but to accept the pact, even though it does not automatically return to him to power, as he had demanded all along. \"He didn't have many options, did he?\" said Casas-Zamora of the Brookings Institution. \"He was never able to mobilize people in the numbers he claimed to have. He didn't have much clout, frankly. Holed up in the Brazilian Embassy he became much more marginalized. That's as good as it gets for him.\" The president's four-year term -- whether it's Zelaya or Micheletti -- ends January 27, when the new head of state will take over. Berkman believes Zelaya heard the clock ticking. \"Zelaya probably accepted this agreement because he was running out of time and leverage, and he may have thought that going through congress was his best bet at getting an agreement in his favor,\" she said. Birns sees it as a face-saving move. \"The only thing Zelaya gets out of this is the dignity of serving out his complete term,\" Birns said. \"He will be a president without any authority. Basically, he's been rendered into a figurehead president.\" In addition to the formation of a reconciliation government, the pact also stipulates -- at Zelaya's insistence -- that there will be no amnesty for those involved in his ouster. Micheletti said in an interview Friday evening with CNN en Español that he's certain Zelaya will try to prosecute him. Just a few weeks ago, it was Micheletti who was saying Zelaya would be prosecuted if he left the Brazilian Embassy. \"Yes, we are certain that there will be persecution,\" Micheletti said Friday. \"But I am not afraid. What we did was within the constitution.\" Micheletti has insisted Zelaya was removed through constitutional means, not a coup. Some analysts say legal proceedings might not be the best course. \"Any attempt to seek revenge here is going to be costly and inefficient and conflictive,\" said Birns, head of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. The pact also calls for the creation of a \"truth commission\" to investigate the events surrounding Zelaya's ouster; the formation of a \"verification commission\" to ensure that the agreement is adhered to; and a solicitation to the international community to lift economic and diplomatic sanctions. The political crisis stemmed from Zelaya's plan to hold a referendum that could have changed the constitution to allow longer terms for the president. The country's congress had outlawed the vote and the supreme court had ruled it illegal. Zelaya has said since his ouster he would not try to revive the issue if returned to power. That's a good thing, Hakim said. \"The most important thing,\" he said, \"are the assurances that Zelaya will be limited in his powers.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Negotiators for President Manuel Zelaya and de facto President Roberto Micheletti reach deal .\nTwo sides to form a government of national reconciliation that could reinstate Zelaya .\nZelaya forced out of country in June 28 coup, replaced by legislative leader Micheletti .\nCrisis stems from Zelaya's referendum plan that may have given president longer term ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- David Michaelis' new biography of Charles M. Schulz explores the man behind \"Peanuts,\" the comic strip that has delighted readers for decades. CNN.com appealed to fans out there to say what Linus, Lucy and Charlie Brown meant to them. Joy Hernandez has collected stuffed Snoopys since she was young; her dog, Dottie, is a Snoopy doppelganger. Readers responded with tales of bonding with family members while reading \"Peanuts,\" even meeting Schulz and finding inspiration and companionship in the strip's characters. Below is a selection of responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity: . Elise Marrion of Midland, Texas My grandmother always loved \"Peanuts,\" and across the generations, that was one of the things we shared. When I was 7 years old, I spent a summer with her in Denver and every morning, I raced to find \"Peanuts\" in the comics section. A retired teacher, Grandma always made me read at least one front-page news story before I was allowed to read the comics. That task turned into a great love of newspapers, and it inspired me to pursue a career in journalism. Sadly she passed away before I received my degree, but I still keep her Peppermint Patty doll to remind me of her and our times reading \"Peanuts\" together. Kimberly Mercier of Santa Rosa, California The \"Peanuts\" characters were more like friends, when I was growing up. Woodstock and Snoopy were always my favorites, even today. I spent many years ice skating in Santa Rosa as a child and would often see Charles Schulz there at his favorite table in the Warm Puppy Cafe in front of the fireplace. Sometimes, we got to watch him and his \"senior\" team play broomball on the ice. They enjoyed themselves so much. Mr. Schulz was always kind and friendly to me, and when I became an adult with sons of my own, he treated them with equal kindness, a warm smile and hello. We have the loveliest memories of the \"Peanuts\" characters and their creator, a beloved man in our town. Susan Clifton of Chalfont, Pennsylvania This is more a comment on Mr. Schulz than the \"Peanuts\" characters. I was in my early teens and a huge hockey fan. I loved the \"Peanuts\" programs and coloring books and my parents told me that Charles Schulz was a big hockey fan, too. I wrote him a letter telling him of our shared interest, and before I knew it, I received a personalized letter, along with two cartoons with the \"Peanuts\" gang playing hockey -- each signed with a little note. I treasured that letter and personalized cartoons so much and always loved him for the fact that he would take the time to send them to me. It pains me beyond words that those pieces got lost along the way and are gone forever. Zac Davis of Blue Springs, Missouri My favorite \"Peanuts\" strip shows Snoopy typing on his typewriter a statement that details a struggle in many men's lives (apparently even Schulz's own): \"Girls and root beer are not the answer.\" Brian Heraty of Chicago, Illinois I remember snippets of the \"Peanuts\" gang throughout my childhood. ... From \"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown\" and Christmas specials to \"Snoopy vs. the Red Baron,\" memories of Charlie Brown and the gang abound. In all that time, there were always two answers that eluded me: Why are all the boys bald or balding, and what's the deal with Peppermint Patty? Pedro Valle of San Juan, Puerto Rico My favorite \"Peanuts\" character has always been Linus Van Pelt. His view on humanity is unique, like an outsider looking in. In fact, my favorite \"Peanuts\" moment ever is when Charlie Brown challenges Linus' dream to become a little country doctor. He asks Linus how he could become a doctor if he can't deal with humanity. The very wise Linus responds: \"I love humanity; it's people I can't stand.\" That sums up my own feelings to the letter. Vicki Boston of Tucson, Arizona I always love watching Charlie Brown and his \"Peanuts\" gang on the holiday specials. I see myself as a Marcie or Peppermint Patty type. I even played Peppermint Patty in grade school when we did two Charlie Brown skits, and I loved it. Melanie Taylor of Manchester, England I am 33 years of age and still enjoy watching the \"Peanuts\" cartoon shows. The Charlie Brown Christmas special would be, to this day, my ultimate favorite. As a kid, I hated being bullied, put down, let down, always had very few true friends who never passed judgment on me. In that, Charlie was \"me.\" Linus would be my best friend Tammy, and no matter what, through thick and thin, Tammy was by my side, no matter how cruel the world was around us. We both had a true friendship bond back then. She is someone I wish I knew where she was. I would call her this instant if I knew how or where to find her. I would be calling her up and telling her that \"our show is on.\" Shannon Brady of Austin, Texas I remember having \"A Charlie Brown Christmas\" when I was very little. I used to watch that thing about 50 times a day till it finally died. Charlie Brown was the greatest. Kat Smith of Fort Washington, Maryland I have been a fan of \"Peanuts\" since I was a young girl. My aunt was a fan, and through her I too became a fan. There are so many quips and strips to choose from, but my all-time favorite quotes come from Linus. One came about during breakfast with his sister, Lucy, and some dialogue about snicker-snacks (the cereal they were eating). I don't remember all of it, but Linus told Lucy, \"My heart bleeds for the snicker-snacks company.\" And of course there is the strip where Snoopy sent a sincere letter to the IRS asking it to please remove him from its mailing list. ... I've often wondered if I could do the same. Classic. Mark Eustace of Burlington, Ontario The greatest moment was in \"A Charlie Brown Christmas\" when Linus walks on stage with a single spotlight and explains the true meaning of Christmas. At my house you could hear a pin drop during that scene. Cassey Pelkey of Birmingham, England The most touching strip was the one printed just after Charles Schulz's death. I have been a \"Peanuts\" since I was 2 years old, and absolutely love them all. I think we can all see a little bit of Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Pigpen, Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus ... in ourselves if we reflect on it. That's what makes it endearing. ... It's about Everyman. Kelly Cromwell of New York I have been a \"Peanuts\" fan since a young child. Drawing Snoopy and collecting comic books were an obsession when growing up. So when I decided to get a tattoo at age 28, I could think of nothing better than a dancing Snoopy. Ten years later, it still makes me smile. Joe Keilholz of Apex, North Carolina I have loved Charlie Brown since I was a kid. There isn't a single holiday that doesn't feel complete without watching any of the animated series, and not a day goes by without reading the classic strip. I've even gone so far as to try and get a tattoo with my face caricatured on Charlie Brown's body. The ring tone on my cell phone is Linus and Lucy, the e-mail address I send to everyone is Charlie Brown and my login names on almost every site are Charlie Brown-related. I can actually go on a bit more than this, but feel I should stop here. Needless to say, I feel very much like I'm a real life Charlie Brown. As to a catchphrase, of course the classic \"Good Grief\" is among the leaders. Grace Cavanaugh of Novato, California I have loved Snoopy and the gang for as long as I can remember. My first boyfriend gave me his Snoopy collection when he found out how much I loved the beagle. I still have it all. I think that Peppermint Patty would be the \"Peanuts\" character that I most identify with. She is bold but sometimes just so unsure of herself that it hits the right cord. Jacquelyn Bradley-Petersen of Ontario, California You can never get enough of the \"Peanuts\" gang. I always try and read the comic strip, but constantly watch the show, old videos and every special on every occasion. I will always love Charlie Brown. Watching it makes me smile and get into a zone where I forget about the day and everything else around me. Complete fun and goodness, serenity. Everyone can relate to one of the characters, especially Charlie Brown. At least I can. Thank you for talking about this and letting me relive some memories and have a nice moment. Long live the \"Peanuts\" gang, Charles Schulz and good old Charlie Brown. E-mail to a friend ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "New biography of Charles M. Schulz reveals details of his personal life .\nBook says Schulz played out his personal problems in the \"Peanuts\" characters .\nCNN.com asked readers to share their memories of the \"Peanuts\" strip .\nI-Report: Share your \"Peanuts\" memories, memorabilia ." } ]

[ { "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 struck off the south coast of Japan on Sunday night local time, \"jolting Tokyo and wide areas of eastern Japan,\" the country's Kyodo news agency reported. The 7.1 earthquake hit 200 miles (320 kilometers) south-southwest of Tokyo at 7:55 p.m. (6:55 a.m. ET), the United States Geological Survey reported. Its epicenter was 188 miles (303 kilometers) deep, the USGS said. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported its magnitude as 6.9, Kyodo said. There were no immediate reports of damage, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tremor hits south of island, \"jolting Tokyo,\" Kyodo news agency reported .\nUnited States Geological Survey measures quake as 7.1 magnitude .\nPacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami alert ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A week before 9-year-old Michaela Garecht was kidnapped in Hayward, California, in 1988, she wrote a poem about people who had been abducted, her mother said Tuesday. Cases of missing girls Ilene Misheloff, left, and Michaela Garecht now linked to Garrido investigation. \"She sat down at the coffee table and wrote a poem about people behind the doors of steel, an amazing poem for a 9-year-old, ... and a week later she was kidnapped,\" Michaela's mother, Sharon Murch, said. \"It seems to me ... like it must be some sort of a prophesy or premonition, and I keep hearing the words that she said -- 'It's about people who were kidnapped and are being held captive, not people who were kidnapped and were killed.'\" Her comments came as authorities looked into whether Michaela's abduction and other unsolved kidnappings in the region are in any way related to Phillip Garrido, who was arrested last week for the kidnapping and rape of an 11-year-old girl just three years after Michaela was taken. That girl, Jaycee Lee Dugard -- now 29 -- was found alive last week, living in a tent and shelter compound in Garrido's back yard in Antioch, California -- 30 miles from where Michaela was kidnapped. The discovery raised Murch's hopes that her daughter might also be safe. \"My husband told me (about Dugard's discovery) at 5 in the morning. He woke me up and told me he had heard it on the news,\" Murch said. Watch how case raises mother's hopes » . \"And I leaped up yelling, 'Oh, my God. I was, of course, joyful for Jaycee herself, but my first thought was 'please God, let Michaela be with her.'\" Murch said she feels there is a \"strong possibility\" that the two cases are linked. A bone fragment found near Garrido's home was being analyzed to determine whether it is was human and whether it connects Garrido to any other crimes, authorities said. The bone fragment was found on a neighbor's property in an area that Garrido had access to, they said. Watch how bone fragment may offer clues » . Murch said police have approached her in the past five days to ask what Michaela was wearing on the day of her abduction. \"They apparently found a lot of stuff there,\" she said, referring to the Garrido property search. Police in several other San Francisco Bay Area agencies are also investigating possible ties between Garrido and other missing persons' cases. In Dublin, about 25 miles east of Oakland, police were looking into whether Garrido was connected to the 1989 disappearance of Ilene Misheloff. She was 13 when abducted, investigators said. Antioch -- where Garrido is accused of holding Dugard -- is about 40 miles east of Oakland and about 165 miles southwest of Dugard's hometown, South Lake Tahoe. Contra Costa County sheriff's Lt. Steve Simpkins said police in Antioch and neighboring Pittsburg were searching Garrido's property \"for evidence relating to open cases.\" Murch says the kidnappings of her daughter and that of Dugard have several similarities. \"The method of kidnapping was the same. They were both dragged into cars. The description of the cars was very similar. The girls looked very much like each other. There have been points in the past where the investigations have crossed with the same suspects, and Jaycee was found very close to home here.\" Hayward Police Lt. Chris Orrey said both girls were abducted in daylight, and a sketch of a suspect resembled Garrido, she said. Orrey said there were differences as well, though she would not elaborate. But she confirmed that Hayward police had been in contact with Michaela's family and witnesses since Dugard was found alive. Murch said a neighbor who witnessed her daughter's kidnapping called her on the phone when she saw Garrido on television and commented on a car removed from the Garrido property. \"That car looked like the car that Michaela was kidnapped in,\" Murch quoted her as saying. According to Murch, her daughter and a friend rode their scooters to the neighborhood market on a Saturday morning. \"They left the scooters outside the door. When they came out, one of the scooters was not where they left it. Michaela spotted it in a parking lot next to a car and went to get it, and when she bent over to pick up the scooter, a man jumped out of the car, grabbed her from behind, threw her into the car and took off with her.\" That car was described as a tan color, possibly with some primer on it. \"Even before this (Dugard's reappearance) came up, I really had a feeling that perhaps my daughter might still be alive and might come home. And this has just heightened my hope for that,\" Murch said. She said she keeps busy by writing on her daughter's Web site. \"In some ways, it's a lot easier to continue to live without hope than to get your hopes raised again. Living with hopes not fulfilled is one of the hardest things, I think. \"If Michaela is out there and can hear me, I want her to know that I would like her to come home, that nothing that's transpired over the last 20 years can change the love we have for her. There's nothing that we can't overcome.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Michaela Garecht, 9, kidnapped three years before Jaycee Dugard .\nA week before her abduction, Michaela wrote poem about kidnapping, mother says .\nGirls' kidnappings seem similar, Sharon Murch says .\nPolice also looking for links into 1989 kidnapping of Ilene Misheloff ." } ]

[ { "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) -- Catherine Zeta-Jones is limbering up for her Broadway debut. Catherine Zeta-Jones will make her Broadway debut in Stephen Sondheim's \"A Little Night Music.\" The Oscar-winning star of \"Chicago\" will appear alongside Angela Lansbury in a revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical \"A Little Night Music,\" according to an announcement from the show's producers. The production is set to open December 13 at the Walter Kerr Theater in New York's theater district. Previews begin November 24. Zeta-Jones will play the lead role of Desiree Armfeldt in the production directed by Trevor Nunn, with Lansbury cast as her mother, Madame Armfeldt. \"I'm honored that Trevor Nunn and Stephen Sondheim asked me to make my Broadway debut in this beautiful production,\" Zeta-Jones said in a statement. \"I look forward to starting rehearsal with this extraordinary group of people and working with the incomparable Angela Lansbury, whose work I've long admired.\" Lansbury returned the compliment, describing Zeta-Jones in a statement as a \"lovely young actress.\" The 83-year-old Lansbury first appeared on Broadway more than 40 years ago and has claimed five Tonys during her stage career. Her most recent Tony came this year for her work in the revival of the Noel Coward play \"Blithe Spirit.\" \"A Little Night Music,\" with music and lyrics by Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, debuted on Broadway in 1973. It's based on the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film \"Smiles of a Summer Night.\" The 1973 production ran for 601 performances and won six Tonys, including best musical. The score features \"Send in the Clowns,\" one of Sondheim's best-known songs, as well as \"A Weekend in the Country,\" \"Liaisons\" and \"Every Day a Little Death.\" The producers have not announced ticket prices for the revival. Tickets go on sale October 17 for the general public." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angela Lansbury co-starring in revival of \"A Little Night Music\"\nBroadway show will be Zeta-Jones' first on the Main Stem; Lansbury a veteran .\nStephen Sondheim show is famous as source of \"Send in the Clowns\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The Bigfoot in the freezer is made of rubber, a Web posting asserted Tuesday. The frozen creature reputed to be Bigfoot turned out to be made of rubber, an enthusaist reports. The initial promoter of two hikers' claim that they found the body of Bigfoot in Georgia said he has determined that the discovery was a hoax. The body turned out to be rubber, and the two men who claimed that they found it, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, have admitted that it was a costume, said a posting Tuesday on the Web sites of Searching for Bigfoot Inc. and Squatchdetective. The posting purportedly was written by Steve Kulls, who maintains the Squatchdetective Web site and hosts a similarly named Internet radio program, where the find was announced weeks ago. In addition, Stanford University anthropologist Richard Klein said Monday that he was not aware he had been identified as participating in the project and would not be involved in any effort to examine the purported Bigfoot carcass. Whitton and Dyer announced last week that they had found the body of a 7-foot-7-inch, 500-pound half-ape, half-human creature while hiking in the north Georgia mountains in June. They said they put the carcass in a freezer and had spotted about three similar living creatures. \"We were not looking for Bigfoot,\" Whitton, a Clayton County, Georgia, police officer, said Friday during a news conference. \"We wouldn't know what we were doing if we did.\" He and Dyer insisted that scientific analysis would bear out their claim. The hoax was discovered after an \"expedited melting process,\" Kulls wrote. \"A break appeared up near the feet area ... as the team and I began examining this area near the feet, I observed the foot which looked unnatural, reached in and confirmed it was a rubber foot.\" Kulls said he contacted Tom Biscardi, the self-described \"Real Bigfoot Hunter\" who has been searching since 1971 for the creature of legend and appeared alongside Whitton and Dyer at the news conference. \"Later that day, Tom Biscardi informed us that both Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer admitted it was a costume,\" the posting said. Whitton and Dyer reportedly agreed to sign a promissory note and an admission of the hoax and meet with Biscardi at their hotel on Sunday. But when Biscardi went to the hotel, the two had left, Kulls wrote. \"At this time, action is being instigated against the perpetrators,\" the posting said, adding that the motives behind the claims were unknown. iReport.com: Do you believe in Bigfoot? The posting said Biscardi's organization, Searching for Bigfoot Inc., \"is seeking justice for themselves and for all the people who were deceived by this deception.\" Kulls did not immediately return a call to the Squatchdetective contact number. A woman answering the phone at Searching for Bigfoot Inc. said Biscardi had been ill and said she was not sure when he would be returning calls. A number listed as belonging to Matthew Whitton was disconnected as of Tuesday. Efforts to locate a phone number for Dyer on Tuesday were unsuccessful. Dyer and Whitton failed to show up Monday for a scheduled appearance on CNN's \"American Morning.\" Kulls said that at the time he first interviewed Dyer on July 28 for the radio program, he suspected the duo's motive was financial. On August 12, he said, the two \"requested an undisclosed sum of money as an advance, expected from the marketing and promotion.\" Two days later, after signing a receipt and counting the money, Dyer and Whitton showed the Searching for Bigfoot team the freezer containing what they claimed was the body: \"something appearing large, hairy and frozen in ice,\" Kulls wrote. Dyer, he said, insisted on holding the news conference and told Biscardi he would not release the body unless the briefing was held Friday. On Sunday, the research team was able to extract some hair and burn it. The hair sample \"melted into a ball uncharacteristic of hair,\" Kulls wrote. Biscardi then gave the group permission to expedite the melting process, and the rubber foot was discovered, Kulls wrote. Meanwhile, Klein, the Stanford professor, said Monday that he was \"sorry that my name and Stanford's name have been brought into this.\" Klein's name was mentioned Friday as one of four scientists, two of them Russian, who would analyze the corpse. Klein said he was unaware that Biscardi had identified him. He said he had been contacted by Biscardi in the past and responded to a request to examine bones that were identified as coming from a deer. \"He seems like a nice enough guy,\" Klein said, \"but I can't imagine why anyone would devote their lives to proving the existence [of Bigfoot]. Anything has a remote chance of being true, but there is virtually no prospect of this animal being real.\" CNN's Peter Dykstra contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hikers' discovery made of rubber, Web sites say .\nMen who made claim didn't show up for CNN's \"American Morning\"\nStanford professor says his alleged participation in project is news to him .\n\"There is virtually no prospect of this animal being real,\" professor says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- A Bangkok Airways plane crashed at an airport at a resort island in Thailand, killing the pilot and injuring 37 people Tuesday, aviation officials said. Rescue workers inspect the Bangkok Airways plane at Samui airport on Thailand's Ko Samui. The plane carrying 68 people and four crew members skidded and then crashed after landing at Koh Samui airport, officials with the civil aviation department said. The ATR-72 turboprop had taken off from the town of Krabi on the west coast Thailand for its trip to the resort island of Koh Samui. Air traffic control warned the pilot of volatile winds before the plane landed, aviation officials said. Seven people were seriously injured and emergency officials were working to free the plane's co-pilot who was trapped in the plane, officials said. CNN's Dan Rivers contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Officials: Plane skidded and then crashed after landing at Koh Samui airport .\nBangkok Airways ATR-72 turboprop carrying 68 people, four crew members .\nAir traffic control warned the pilot of volatile winds before the plane landed ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Italian giants Juventus and Roma have suffered blows with the news that star strikers Vincenzo Iaquinta and Francesco Totti have both undergone knee surgery. Junventus revealed that tests on 29-year-old Iaquinta's left knee have revealed damage to his meniscus. \"The tests done have indicated the need for the player to undergo surgery,\" read a statement on the club's official Web site. Iaquinta sustained the injury during training on Saturday and was forced to sit out Sunday's 1-0 victory at Siena. The Italy international, who has scored four goals in eight appearances for the Bianconeri this season, could be sidelined until next year. Meanwhile, Roma captain Francesco Totti has undergone surgery on his right knee. The 33-year-old missed Roma's last two Serie A matches and also their draw with Fulham in the Europa League last week. The club confirmed Totti will start his rehabilitation on Tuesday, but it is not yet known when he will be ready to return to action. A statement on Roma's official Web site read: \"The surgery was necessary after the player had problems during training. \"In the course of the surgery, no problems of any other nature were found. The player will be discharged and will now begin his rehabilitation. A return date will be determined depending on the player's condition.\" Roma currently lie 12th in the Serie A table with 11 points from their opening nine matches." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Vincenzo Iaquinta and Francesco Totti have operations on knee injuries .\n29-year-old Juventus striker Iaquinta, 29, undergoes surgery on left knee .\nRoma captain Francesco Totti has undergone surgery on his right knee ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- More than 1 million babies born prematurely die each year before they are a month old, the March of Dimes said Sunday in the first comprehensive global report on premature births. A premature baby rests at a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, in October 2007. The organization suggested the situation could worsen if the rate of premature births increases. Each year, 12.9 million infants -- or nearly 10 percent of the annual worldwide birth total -- are born before 37 weeks of development in the womb, the organization said. More than 85 percent of the premature births occur in developing countries in Africa and Asia. \"Premature births are an enormous global problem that is exacting a huge toll emotionally, physically and financially on families, medical systems and economies,\" March of Dimes President Jennifer Howse said in a statement. \"In the United States alone, the annual cost of caring for preterm babies and their associated health problems tops $26 billion.\" The March of Dimes report, which used data collected by the World Health Organization, breaks down premature birth rates by continent. The highest premature birth rate is in Africa, where 11.9 percent of births each year are preterm, with more than 4 million premature deliveries annually. In populous Asia, although the preterm birth rate is lower at 9.1 percent, the number of premature births is higher, at nearly 7 million a year. While North America -- consisting of the United States and Canada in this report -- counts fewer than 500,000 premature births a year, its preterm birth rate is close to that of Africa, at 10.6 percent of all births, according to the report. The rate is the world's second highest. In the United States, the rate of preterm births has increased 36 percent in the past 25 years, with births between the 34th and 36th week of gestation accounting for the majority of the increase, the organization found. Much of the hike in preterm births is linked to more pregnancies after the age of 35 and the use of fertility treatments that can lead to multiple births. \"Wherever trend data are available, rates of preterm birth are increasing,\" the report said. Infants who survive premature birth face lifelong health risks, including the possible development of cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, learning disabilities and other chronic conditions, according to the March of Dimes. \"Preterm birth is a global problem that needs greater attention by policymakers, researchers, health care providers, the media, donor organizations and other stakeholders,\" the report said. \"The marked disparities in preterm birth along racial/ethnic lines in many high-income countries and the concentration of preterm births in Africa and Asia also clearly indicate that addressing preterm birth is essential for reducing the pronounced inequities in neonatal health and for the world to achieve,\" it added. The March of Dimes, a nonprofit agency engaged in pregnancy and baby health research, said some premature births can be prevented by addressing risk factors in mothers, including diabetes, high blood pressure, nutrition, body weight and tobacco and alcohol use. Women who earlier gave birth to a preemie face a greater risk of having another. While doctors know some of the health and behavior factors in mothers that increase the risk of preterm births, doctors have yet to identify a reliable remedy to prevent early labor, said Christopher Howson, vice president for global programs of the March of Dimes. \"While much can be done right now to reduce death and disability from preterm birth even in low-resource settings, we need to know more about the underlying causes of premature birth in order to develop effective prevention strategies,\" Howson said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "March of Dimes: Nearly 10 percent of world's births are premature .\nMore than 85 percent of premature births are in developing parts of Africa, Asia .\nBut North America has world's second-highest premature birth rate .\nDoctors have yet to identify a reliable remedy to prevent early labor, group says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The label on the package claimed that it contained T-shirts and baby toys. When customs officials in Sydney scanned the parcel, they found five pythons and two venomous tarantulas. But when customs officials in Sydney X-ray scanned the parcel, they found instead five pythons and two venomous tarantulas. On Tuesday, authorities raided the house in Sydney to which the parcel had been addressed. Officials seized evidence but expect to file charges later, the customs agency said. Importing live animals without a permit is illegal in Australia and can yield a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of 110,000 Australian dollars ($92,000 U.S.). The parcel was sent from the United States last week, but officials would not say specifically where it had been mailed from. The snakes were wrapped within white calico bags and the spiders were packed in clear plastic containers, the customs agency said. The creatures were later killed because they posed a quarantine risk, the agency said in a press release. It titled the press release: \"Spiders and snakes on a plane.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Customs officials in Australia find pythons and tarantulas in package .\nThe parcel had been sent from the United States .\nThe creatures were later killed because they posed a quarantine risk ." } ]

[ { "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) -- South Korea will open its market to most U.S. beef, a senior government official said Thursday, according to state media. Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the South Korean capital in protest at the deal . South Korea banned imports of U.S. beef in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease in the United States. The ban closed what was then the third-largest market for U.S. beef exporters. It resumed limited imports last year -- allowing boneless beef from cattle under 30 months of age -- but that re-opening was subject to interruptions and closed altogether in October 2007. A deal that South Korea and the United States struck last month bans the import of high-risk materials, like tonsils, brains, spinal cord marrow and a section of the small intestine, Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun said Thursday, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. These parts pose the greatest risk of transmitting mad cow disease to humans. The ban will be lifted within a few days, once the government's new import rules have been published. The pending resumption of U.S. beef imports hasn't been without political costs for President Lee Myung-bak. He apologized to the nation last week for failing to fully understand concerns about mad cow disease. In downtown Seoul, thousands of people have regularly staged protests, chanting \"We don't want crazy cows,\" since the deal to revive beef imports was announced. And the main opposition party has taken up the fight. \"We will be forced to make a critical decision if the government pushes through its plan to announce resumption of beef imports,\" said Sohn Hak-kyu, leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party, Yonhap reported. \"If the government and the ruling party ignore this warning, we will come up with every possible measure to stop them.\" The opposition has already filed a suit to suspend implementation of new beef import terms, according to Yonhap. Lee's ruling Grand National Party (GNP) is working to soothe tensions, saying that American beef is safe to eat and that adequate safety precautions have been taken. \"The government has tried its best to free the public from unnecessary concerns, and sufficient countermeasures have been prepared,\" said Lee Hahn-koo, the party's chief policymaker, Yonhap reported. When South Korea and the United States reached the deal in April to re-open the South Korean market, they removed the major obstacle to U.S. congressional approval of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Lee urged the National Assembly this month to ratify the agreement as soon as possible to provide fresh impetus to the sluggish Korean economy, saying it will create 300,000 jobs. But the opposition has promised to fight the FTA until the beef pact is nullified. In 2003, the United States exported $815 million pounds of beef and beef variety meats to South Korea. The U.S. beef industry has lost up to $4 billion since the market closed, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "South Korea to open market to most U.S. beef says government official .\nBan began in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease in the U.S.\nNew agreement bans the import of high-risk materials, like tonsils and brains .\nThousands of S. Koreans have regularly staged protests against U.S. beef imports ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- They are some of the biggest names in Hollywood, but even Susan Sarandon, Ethan Hawke and Dustin Hoffman have had their fair share of casting calamities they would rather forget. Mike Myers sabotaged some auditions for parts he didn't want. \"Why not be nude even if it is a children's theatre?\" CNN's The Screening Room has managed to persuade the cream of Hollywood to confess their tales of audition woe. The stars shudder at the memory of waiting in line, frantically trying to memorize lines handed to them moments before, all the while being assessed by critical strangers. Benicio del Toro recounts attending 50 or 60 auditions before getting a part and Quentin Tarantino told Eli Roth he \"blew it\" when he first auditioned for \"Inglourious Basterds.\" While Catherine Keener remembers a cutting personal assessment: \"You're not pretty enough.\" Here are some of their worst moments: . Bill Nighy \"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.\" \"Love Actually\" \"There was one that started out terrible, which was where I had to go to a disused tax office in Harrow [near London, England] very early in the morning and put on very tight velvet flared loon pants and a pair of crocodile four-inch- heeled platform shoes, and wear a sort of very small top that didn't meet my trousers, hair extensions and I had to karaoke to 'Smoke on the Water' by Deep Purple. It's a very lonely place. And I was 45 at the time...\" Ethan Hawke \"Before Sunset,\" \"Before the Devil Knows You're Dead\" \"I have had so many bad auditions. I have fallen on my ass. I have made a complete fool of myself. I auditioned for Robert Redford once and I was so starstruck I couldn't even speak. I had a mic wire at a screen test clipped to me and then I got kind of nervous and I paced in a circle and then took a step and tripped and fell on my face. You just have to forgive yourself and keep going on.\" Mike Myers \"Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,\" \"Shrek\" \"I've had some bad auditions for some TV movies that were shooting in England where I just didn't want to be in them and offered them more obtuse [performances] ... I like to think of it as performance art. I didn't sabotage it, I was just woefully inappropriate, you know? I just thought, 'Why not be nude even if it is a children's theatre?\" Catherine Keener \"Being John Malkovich,\" \"Synecdoche, New York\" \"You wouldn't believe some of the comments, assessments. But, they're really not meant personally. Like for example, 'You're not pretty enough.' For them it's just a fact. But for you it's like, 'Oh my God! I have to live with this.' You get a thicker skin about it, which you should because it isn't meant personally, but it's such a personal profession that you kind of have to get used to getting critiqued on things that you shouldn't even care about.\" Dustin Hoffman \"Marathon Man,\" \"Meet the Fockers\" \"The most famous casting director from New York, I was lucky enough to get an audition with her in the '60s. She did all the plays, all the Broadway plays. She is sitting across the desk saying her lines, and I am saying mine, and she stops and says, 'Come here. Bring your chair here, right next to me.' And I say, 'Why?' And she says, 'Because I can't hear you, and you have never been on the stage or on Broadway, and you are going to have to reach the last row.' I said, 'Yeah, I know. I have been studying acting for about seven years now, but I'm not on Broadway now, I'm just sitting in front of you.' So, she said, 'I know, but I couldn't hear you. That's why I asked you to sit next to me.' I said, 'Okay. Can you hear me now?' I was getting so angry. Well, at that point she said, 'Speak up,' and I screamed as loud as I could, every line after. She called my agent and said, 'If you ever send that maniac around here again I will never see another one of your clients.' I really lost it. Eli Roth \"Death Proof,\" \"Inglourious Basterds\" \"I left the casting of 'Hostel: Part II,' which Quentin [Tarantino] was a producer on to go and audition for his movie ['Inglourious Basterds'] and it was just a room with a camera. He wasn't even there and I was like, 'Where's Quentin?' They go 'He didn't leave his house today.' Anyways, I blew it. I did terribly and Quentin called me and starts making fun of me. He was like,'You were so bad in your audition, but I'll give you a callback. Come on.' Demi Moore \"A Few Good Men,\" \"Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle\" \"I auditioned for 'A Few Good Men' with Tom Cruise and Rob Reiner and when I went into that audition I was eight months pregnant ,so there is always kind of a lasting impression that I was playing this military officer with this gigantic belly. Obviously, it turned out well because I got the role but there was something quite odd about it.\" Roger Moore \"Octopussy,\" \"Curse of the Pink Panther\" \"I remember auditioning for one play, and the girl was awfully short and we were holding the book in our hands and I almost couldn't see her. I knew I wasn't going to get that part, I tried to make myself smaller and smaller so I could be closer her size and that didn't happen.\" Ramon Rodriguez \"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, \"The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3\" \"I met ['Transformers' director] Michael Bay in his office in Santa Monica for an hour and a half he had me running, jumping and diving all over his office and his furniture freaking out like I was reacting to robots, which is the strangest audition I have had by far. I left the room completely drenched in sweat and all I could say was, 'I better get this part.' It worked out and the stuff we did in the room was the stuff we did on set.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Stars confess their casting calamities and tales of audition woe.\nDustin Hoffman remembers how he \"lost it\" and screamed at a casting agent .\nEthan Hawke confesses to falling \"on his ass\"\nEli Roth \"blew it\" when he first auditioned for \"Inglourious Basterds\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Dan Neumann was a 14-year-old struggling against cancer when he came across an unexpected ally in his battle. Cancer survivor Dan Neumann plays Re-Mission and is helping create the game's next edition. He was receiving treatment for leukemia at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University in 2004 when he saw a flyer inviting teenage cancer patients to test a new video game. A self-described gamer, Neumann says he was immediately drawn to the posting. He signed up to try it and was won over by the game, which simulated what goes on inside the bodies of cancer patients. \"When you go through cancer treatment, chemotherapy becomes something you dread,\" Neumann, now 19, recalled. \"But with the game you're actively playing something and shooting cells.\" That game eventually became Re-Mission, a video game that's helping teenagers around the world in their fight against cancer. Since its release in 2006, more than 145,000 free copies have been distributed, and now a new version of the game is in the works. See what it's like to play the game » . Pamela Omidyar, wife of eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, came up with the idea for the game. A former lab technician and avid video game player, she thought kids could learn a lot by experiencing the treatment process in a vivid way. That led her to launch HopeLab, a non-profit that took Re-Mission from the drawing board to an actual product. The organization, which focuses on using technology to create positive health outcomes in kids, was recently recognized by U.S. President Barack Obama for its innovative approach to tackling health challenges. Players control a tiny robot who travels through the human body to destroy harmful cancer cells. Along the way, she breaks down complex medical terminology and explains what's going on when the body undergoes treatment like chemotherapy. By making cancer a visible foe, Re-Mission gives kids a different mental view of who their enemy is, said Dr. Steve Cole, vice president of research at HopeLab. That's something that teenagers around the world can benefit from. Video games like Re-Mission transcend national boundaries and cultures, he told CNN. \"Everybody wants to beat death.\" Re-Mission has been distributed to 81 countries, and patients anywhere in the world can download it for free online. According to Cole, providing an opportunity to experience the positive emotions that come from treatment can change the behavior of young patients and can make a real difference in their health. A study he conducted that was published in 2008 showed that patients who played Re-Mission took their medication more consistently and learned more about their disease than those who didn't. \"What this game is really built to do is help teenagers be better participants in their own medical care enterprise,\" said Cole. \"It gives them a real opportunity to affect their own health outcomes.\" Neumann says when he was in the hospital, doctors walked him through pamphlets describing the chemotherapy process. But it was the game that ultimately made him feel better about his treatment. \"There's a lot of complex medical terminology, which is hard to digest at that age,\" he said. \"Re-Mission encourages you to learn that your chemotherapy is doing something.\" Now in remission, Neumann is helping HopeLab develop the next edition of the game. In the early stages of development, the new product is expected to be released in 2012 at the earliest. He's been providing feedback on his experience as a cancer survivor and gamer to help developers understand what patients personally get out of playing Re-Mission. He wants other teenagers to experience the game, and says they shouldn't shy away even if they've never played video games before. \"Re-Mission is an excellent game for any cancer patient, regardless of whether they're a gamer,\" he said. \"It really makes you feel like you're engaging in your treatment.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Re-Mission video game helps patients visualize battle against cancer .\nNon-profit organization HopeLab is planning new version for 2012 .\nCancer survivor says game helped change his attitude towards treatment .\nTeenagers around the world can benefit from game, HopeLab says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Naval forces from several countries were searching Tuesday for a British couple and their missing yacht, which may have been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Africa, military sources told CNN. European Union anti-piracy forces may have spotted the missing vessel Tuesday, a spokesman told CNN. \"One of our helicopters spotted a yacht approximately 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast, towing two skiffs of the type normally used by pirates,\" Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Auwermann told CNN. The yacht has not been identified, and the EU helicopter could not make contact with it, he said. Paul and Rachel Chandler set off from the Seychelles for Tanzania on October 21, according to their blog. They have not been heard from since, but a distress beacon was activated October 23, according to naval officials. International military forces are treating the case as a \"potential hijacking,\" Lt. Ian Jones of Britain's Royal Navy told CNN. \"We have no confirmation that anything has been pirated,\" he added. There are many possibilities, he said, adding that he was aware of the reports of piracy but that hijacking was \"far from certain.\" The weather in the area is quite good, he said. Before setting off, the Chandlers said that the journey could take as long as two weeks and that they would be out of contact for part of the voyage. \"We probably won't have satellite phone coverage until we're fairly close to the African coast, so we may be out of touch for some time,\" they wrote before setting off in the Lynn Rival, a 38-foot yacht. Britain's Foreign Office issued a statement saying it is \"extremely concerned for their safety,\" while pointing out that it had not confirmed reports they were taken captive. Pirates have been active off the east coast of Africa in the past several years, operating out of lawless Somalia. Two vessels were attacked the day after the Chandlers set sail. One of them -- a cargo ship -- was successfully boarded and seized off the Seychelles, while the other fought off its attackers near the Kenyan coast. Attacks in the region have significantly increased this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crimes. But successful attacks have decreased as a result of a strong presence of international monitors. The first nine months of this year have seen more pirate attacks than all of last year, the bureau reported October 21. From January 1 until September 30, pirates worldwide mounted 306 attacks, compared with 293 in all of 2008, it said. More than half of this year's attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, a major shipping route between Yemen and Somalia. Out of those attacks, Somali pirates successfully hijacked 32 vessels and took 533 hostages. Eight people were wounded, four were killed and one is missing, the bureau said. CNN's Adam S. Levine contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "European Union forces may have spotted couple's yacht off Somalia .\nYacht was towing two skiffs of type used by pirates .\nBritish couple left Seychelles for Tanzania on October 21 .\nYacht's distress beacon activated October 23 ." } ]

[ { "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) -- Whenever you speak with Carlos Santana, you pretty much know what you're going to get: lots of talk about love and light. spiritual analogies, name-dropping of people like Marvin Gaye and Mother Teresa. Carlos Santana will start a 72-show residency in Las Vegas in May at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. It may take a moment to enter the humble headspace of the 61-year-old guitarist legend, but once you're there, you realize that this is a man who acts with his heart instead of his head. Somehow, he's managing to live out his 1960s ideals in 2009 -- and he wants fans to experience a piece of that with his new Las Vegas, Nevada, show, \"Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits.\" The 72-show residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino launches May 27, with 36 concerts this year and 36 in 2010. As with all his events, a portion of the cost of each ticket will be donated to the Milagro Foundation, the charitable organization founded by Santana and his family to benefit children around the world. Watch Santana get into the groove » . Santana talked to CNN about the Vegas show and his beliefs. The following is an edited version of that interview. CNN: Your Vegas show sounds like it's your greatest hits mixed with a little bit of Carlos Santana spirituality. Carlos Santana: They're inseparable at this point. We're very different than a lot of bands. A lot of bands concentrate on show business and entertainment. We focus on light and touching people's hearts. We really believe that by coming to Las Vegas, it gives us an opportunity to take ourselves and the people who come to listen to us into a place where people are free from thinking they're sinners or unworthy. There's something really wonderful about music when music makes men and women dance, laugh and cry at the same time, because they're receiving like a Holy Ghost thing. CNN: Ticket prices range from $79 up to $299 -- which is a lot of money for some people in this economy. Santana: I have no clue about that. I'm more with, \"This finger goes onto this note and it makes juicy sounds, and I'm going to make people dance and laugh.\" It's not like I don't care or I'm ignorant. It's just that I'm not wired to have that insignificance on me other than what I'm going to get to give back to other people. And other than that, I trust that the people around me -- which is my sister and my brother-in-law -- will take care of all of those dimensions. We don't like to gouge people, but we do like to be realistic that you do need to pay the rent ... and stuff like that. But other than that, since I was a child, I really don't put that much focus or significance into it. CNN: You're well-loved by mainstream audiences, and the Latino audience has been really supportive, too. Do you think this is opening up the door to perhaps invite the Latino audience to Vegas? Santana: They're already there. They're washing dishes and folding sheets -- I'm serious. The Latin community is there. It's just that we don't see them. ... I don't belong to just Latinos just because I speak Spanish. We go to Ireland, and if we go to Pakistan, or Istanbul or Malaysia, we're part of the family. We just did a tour in South America, and I have never seen so many children come to our concerts in my life -- and I've been doing this since '67. CNN: You were born in Mexico, and President Obama will be heading there to talk about the war on drugs. [Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton recently made some remarks that United States drug consumption is partially to blame for this problem. Do you agree with that? Santana: Totally. I think that the solution to all of this stuff would be to legalize it, decriminalize it, reinvest all that money into teachers in schools. ... If we would teach in schools the incredible sensation of climax that it feels to be of service to other people -- like Mother Teresa, or Desmond Tutu or the Dalai Lama -- smoking pot, and drinking tequila, and watching porno or whatever people do, it pales in comparison when you actually wake up to be of service to people. To go back to the question -- I think we should legalize marijuana. I think Barack Obama should bring the brothers and sisters home -- the soldiers. If I was to see him, I would go, \"Listen to Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' and John Coltrane, and bring the boys home from the war now, like we did with Vietnam.\" They're not going to come here. People in Vietnam did not come here to attack us after we left them alone. So let's get rid of that fear, that fantasy, that stuff. Let's get rid of the bogeyman, because the bogeyman is us looking in the mirror of each other. CNN: What about when people don't get it, Carlos? What if they're listening to you and thinking, \"He sounds like one of those New Age Californians, and I really don't get what they're doing out there.\" Santana: Well, they don't get it because they're stuck in something that is not working. Like, for example, a lot of people are stuck with certain parts of the Bible, believing that God is vengeful and jealous. That's Godzilla! I'm not stuck with a God like that. I'm stuck with a God that's all love, all compassion, all light, and he only sees you with purity and innocence, like the brand-new eyes of a child that's just been born. ... A lot about Las Vegas is illusion. It's entertainment and show business. We don't know none of that. We only know to go into your heart and help you remember that it's there. I know a lot of rich millionaires who are not happy, and you're only happy when you're doing something. CNN: Are you happy? Santana: I'm very, very happy because I'm grateful. My priorities finally have been crystallized. I started washing dishes, and now I do this. And this is a lot of fun." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Carlos Santana will be opening \"Supernatural Santana\" in Las Vegas May 27 .\nGuitarist says band focuses \"on light and touching people's hearts\"\nSantana believes in legalizing marijuana, wants to emphasize teaching service ." } ]

[ { "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) -- Brandon Boyd blends into his Venice, California, neighborhood like any other resident. Brandon Boyd, front man for Incubus, is going on the road with the band in July. He surfs. Shuns Starbucks in favor of the local smoothie shop. Walks his French bulldog, Bruce. Oh, he also paints and makes music with his multiplatinum rock band, Incubus. The quintet hits the road on a North American summer tour in July, and just released a greatest hits collection called \"Monuments and Melodies.\" The packaging features artwork by Boyd, who held his first solo art exhibit at Mr. Musichead Rock Art Gallery in Los Angeles last fall. The showroom is on the Sunset Strip, a stone's throw from the clubs that were host to Incubus' first gigs. The most spectacular paintings are large, fantasy-inspired pieces drenched in burgundy or aqua. Usually, the artwork springs to life in a corner of the singer's kitchen, where an easel permanently resides. It's a zen-like space, with high ceilings, glossy concrete floors and warm, burnished wood. But instead of the requisite Buddha statue, there's a rubber rabbit's head for inspiration. The muse seems ironic and appropriate, especially since Boyd swears his home was a brothel back in the 1900s. CNN talked to Boyd about collaboration, the fulfillment of art and finding the perfect wave. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Isn't it ironic that you had your first solo art show before your first solo album? Brandon Boyd: I've actually thought very little about solo work up until just very recently. Most of it is because in my band, Incubus, it is very much a collaborative effort. I do what I do in the band, and everyone plays their respective parts, but in the end, we are sort of a democratic process. We meet in the middle for a lot of the songs, and I think that's why we sound the way we do -- because it's sort of five minds meeting in the middle. With my art thing, it's completely self-indulgent. Watch the singer discuss his art » . CNN: So what does art fulfill in you that you don't get out of music? Boyd: To me, it's like the difference between a pen and a paintbrush. Music draws from almost the identical place as art does, which really is that intangible -- it's like you're pulling from the ether. I don't know where it comes from. Nobody really does. It sort of arrives when it wants to. ... I've been painting and drawing and taking pictures as long as I've been writing music -- and I've actually been drawing longer than I've been writing music. I didn't go around looking for it. It kind of found me. CNN: Your parents always encouraged you to explore your artistic side. Boyd: My parents are wonderful, and I'm really lucky -- but my mom has always been almost exclusively a right-brained person. She goes completely on her feelings of things, on her intuition, and so she instilled that in my brothers and I. And she also instilled in us from a very young age the importance of visualization -- visualization as a tool towards manifestation in your life. And so, from a very young age, if I didn't feel well, she's like, \"Well, draw what's happening and draw a solution.\" If I had a stomach ache, I would draw a picture of my stomach, and I would draw what I thought the bad germs looked like -- and, you know, they had little robber masks on and stuff. And then I would draw a good germ, and of course it had a cape, and some tights, and he had a washcloth in his hands, and he could fly around and clean up the bad germs. And for some reason, I would always feel better afterwards. CNN: Did you ever visualize and draw what you wanted to achieve in terms of your music career, too? Boyd: Sometimes, yeah. But the guys in the band -- we kind of grew up together, and when they were like, \"We want to play music, let's start a band. You should be the singer,\" I was like, \"OK.\" I'd never written anything before, I had never even really sang, but they knew that I knew how to draw, so it seemed logical that maybe I could write lyrics or carry a tune. So I always just sort of visualize lines, I would visualize a melody, and then sound it out to them, and they would help me sort of guide it through the instruments. And eventually, I got good enough at it that I was able to do it completely on my own. CNN: When you finish a painting, is it very much like finishing a song or finishing an album? Boyd: Yeah, there is definitely a sense of accomplishment. Very rarely is there any confusion as to when a painting or a song is finished. You just know when it's done. Someone wise once said when they were asked the question, \"How do you know when you're done with a painting?\" And they said, \"How do you know when you're done making love?\" I always thought that was a great analogy. CNN: Did you ever think, \"I need a fall-back job, like being an accountant, or a lawyer, or someone who works for IBM?\" Boyd: I feel very blessed, but no. I knew from a very young age that these were the things that I was supposed to do, and I actually made some very adult decisions when I was a teenager based on the knowledge that this is what I was going to do. There was really no question about it. CNN: What else do you want to do? Boyd: Painting and art are obviously in my focus, but I dream about getting a really big tube at the Bonsai Pipeline sometime in the near future." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Incubus' Brandon Boyd has been indulging in a love of painting .\nBand has new greatest hits album out, will hit the road in July .\n\"These were the things I was supposed to do,\" says Boyd ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A global commodities trading company says it is considering a settlement to legal claims that it is responsible for the deaths of 15 people and thousands of illnesses after 500 tons of toxic waste were dumped in the African nation of Ivory Coast. Signs such as this were still up in \"toxic zones\" around Abidjan, Ivory Coast, a year after the waste dumping. The Dutch company Trafigura said studies by 20 experts it has hired conclude that the chemicals did not harm anyone. \"In view of that expert evidence, and the fact that claims are not being made in this litigation for deaths, miscarriages, still births, birth defects and other serious injuries, the parties are exploring the possibility of compromising the claims which have been made,\" Trafigura said in a release Wednesday. \"A global settlement is being considered by the parties and it currently appears that this settlement is likely to be acceptable to most, if not all, of the claimants.\" A United Nations report also released Wednesday said Trafigura did cause death and injury when the cargo ship Probo Koala dumped 500 tons of toxic waste belonging to the company at sites around Abidjan, the West African nation's largest city. The incident happened in August 2006. \"According to official estimates, 15 people died, 69 people were hospitalized and over 100,000 others, complaining of nausea and vomiting after inhaling fumes, sought medical treatment after the incident,\" said the report by Okechukwu Ibeanu, an unpaid investigator for the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council. \"We still don't know -- and we may never know -- the full effect of the dumping. But there seems to be strong prima facie evidence that the reported deaths and adverse health consequences are related to the dumping of the waste.\" Ibeanu, who visited Ivory Coast and the Netherlands during his investigation, urged all parties to take steps \"to address possible long-term human health and environmental effects of the incident.\" According to a U.N. statement, Ibeanu said last month that the areas where the toxic waste was dumped still have not been decontaminated and continue to threaten residents' health. Many people, he said, are still reporting headaches, skin lesions, digestive difficulties and nose, throat and lung problems. Trafigura noted in its release Wednesday that it initiated a plan two years ago that would compensate, without any admission of liability, any claimants who could demonstrate any injury caused by exposure to the waste, which the company calls \"slops.\" \"The company has always maintained that the Probo Koala's slops could not possibly have caused deaths and serious or long-term injuries,\" Trafigura said. \"Independent expert witnesses firmly support Trafigura in this stance.\" Trafigura also maintains it \"sought to comply with all relevant regulations and procedures concerning the offloading of the Probo Koala's slops in Abidjan.\" The company denies that the ship went to Ivory Coast solely to dump the toxic waste. \"Trafigura has consistently stated that the Probo Koala was returning from a routine commercial voyage to deliver a gasoline cargo in Lagos, Nigeria, when it stopped in Abidjan,\" the company statement said. \"Consequently, any suggestion that the vessel was sent to West Africa solely for the purpose of offloading its slops is entirely inaccurate.\" As one of the largest independent companies trading commodities, Trafigura has 1,900 employees in 42 nations, the company's Web site says. \"We handle every element involved in the sourcing and trading of crude oil, petroleum products, renewable energies, metals, metal ores and concentrates for industrial consumers.\" the company says. Ivory Coast, a former French colony with a population of 20 million, is also known as Cote d'Ivoire." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Dutch firm Trafigura: Toxic dumping didn't harm anyone, according to experts .\nU.N. report: Fifteen people died, 69 were hospitalized, and thousands were treated .\nToxic waste areas still have not been decontaminated, U.N. statement says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: Rudy Ruiz founded RedBrownandBlue.com, a site featuring multicultural political commentary, hosts a nationally syndicated Spanish-language radio show; and wrote a guide to success for immigrants (\"¡Adelante!\" published by Random House). He is co-founder and president of Interlex, an advocacy marketing agency based in San Antonio, Texas. Rudy Ruiz says people hold on to their views despite the evidence for fear of being labeled a flip-flopper. SAN ANTONIO, Texas (CNN) -- As people shout over each other and tune out diverging views in town hall meetings, the health care debate is proving to be symptomatic of a major ailment threatening our nation: . A contagious culture of closed-mindedness threatens to suffocate our progress as a society. Why has it become so difficult to even consider changing our minds about important issues? Here's my diagnosis. Increasingly, the willingness to change one's position on political issues has been misread as a mark of weakness rather than a product of attentive listening and careful deliberation. During the 2004 Presidential campaign, the successful branding of John Kerry as a flip-flopper doomed his bid. Fear of \"flip-flopper syndrome\" is apparently catching like the flu, because today politicians are not alone in their determination to adhere to partisan positions despite the changing needs of our nation. Nearly everyone's so reluctant to appear wishy-washy that they stand firm even when the evidence is against their views. Three factors exacerbate this paralysis by lack of analysis: labels, lifestyles and listening. First, the labels ascribed to many potential policy tools render sensible options taboo, loading what could be rational, economic or social measures with moral baggage. This narrows our choices, hemming in policy makers. Any proposal including the words \"government-run\" elicits cries of \"socialism\" and \"communism.\" Any argument invoking the words \"God\" or \"moral\" sparks accusations of \"right-wing extremism,\" \"fascism,\" or \"Bible-thumping.\" Instead of listening to each other's ideas, we spot the warning label and run the other way. Second, our lifestyles favor knee-jerk reactions. The way we think, work and live in the Digital Age demands we quickly categorize information without investing time into rich interaction, research and understanding. We're hesitant to ask questions because we don't have time to listen to the long, complicated answers that might follow. And we lack the time to fact-check competing claims. In our haste, it's easier to echo our party's position than drill down, questioning whether party leaders are motivated by our best interests or the best interests of their biggest contributors. Third, we tend to listen only to like-minded opinions as media fragmentation encourages us to filter out varying perspectives. If you're a liberal, you avoid FOX News. If you're a conservative you revile MSNBC. The dynamic is even more pronounced online, where a niche media source can be found for any outlook. This silences the opportunity for meaningful dialogue and deliberation that might lead to reformulating positions, forging sustainable compromises, and developing consensus crucial to moving our nation forward on complex issues. So how can we overcome this challenge, starting with the health care debate? How do we open our minds to the possibility that we could actually learn from somebody else? Here's my prescription. For starters, we should eschew the notion that changing our minds is a character flaw. To the contrary, experts believe it's a manifestation of higher intelligence. Renowned psychologist Stuart Sutherland wrote in \"Irrationality,\" his seminal 1992 book: \"The willingness to change one's mind in the light of new evidence is a sign of rationality not weakness.\" To further free our minds, we should aggressively treat the three Ls: . Let's lose the labels: from \"flip-flopper\" to \"commie,\" from \"fear-monger\" to \"right-wing nut job.\" Trash the diatribe; mull the ideas. Let's engage in some constructive lifestyle management, slowing down to ponder -- and make independent decisions -- as enlightened people. We cannot allow the technological evolution to rob us of the intellectual strides of the American Revolution. We must value the art of listening, reflection, comparative analysis, and civil discourse if we're to make the most of our democracy. In the process, we should signal to leaders that we're willing to expand our horizons beyond party lines. Maybe they'll get in front of our parade, collaborating for a change. Let's request a second opinion and listen to each other. Switch channels. Visit different Web sites. Read a newspaper, while we can still find one. How about stepping into a town hall with an open mind, prepared to converse with people hailing from diverse circumstances? A range of perspectives enriches our viewpoint, empowering us to craft nuanced responses to complex situations. Ultimately, we must stop thinking that the only thing to think is what we've thought all along. As we learn more about multifaceted matters, our positions should evolve accordingly. Let's accept that it's OK to change your minds. In the end, opening our minds can only enhance the prognosis for our most cherished patient: America. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rudy Ruiz." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rudy Ruiz: It's become unfashionable to have an open mind about issues .\nHe says labels like \"socialism\" and \"fascism\" obscure the real choices .\nHe says it's a sign of rationality to be open to the evidence .\nRuiz: Let's listen to each other and take into consideration wider range of viewpoints ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- An infant falls to his death from a second-story window while his parents are making love. Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe star in the Lars von Trier drama \"Antichrist.\" The mother (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is consumed with grief and guilt. She's hospitalized and sedated for days and weeks before her husband (Willem Dafoe), a therapist, insists she return home. He gets rid of all her medications. He will be her partner and her grief counselor, and he will see her through this, if only she will place her trust in him. Not a good idea for either of them, as it turns out. Halloween is nearly upon us, but \"Antichrist\" is a mighty strange kind of horror movie, a wrenching psychodrama for two-thirds of its running time before collapsing into a steaming heap of deranged sadism and supernatural symbolism in the outrageous third act. The movie's peculiarity can be accounted for in three words: Lars von Trier. The Danish provocateur twice won prestigious honors at the Cannes Film Festival (with \"Breaking the Waves\" and \"Dancer in the Dark\") and re-energized European art cinema in the 1990s with the Dogme movement's so-called \"Vows of Chastity.\" It's not often that an art-house director takes up the implements to make a horror film, and for a while, \"Antichrist\" compels with its anguished intensity and audacious stylistic choices, not least the severity that keeps the focus exclusively on this man and woman, neither of whom is named. The prologue -- the child's death -- is a luxurious, slow-motion rhapsody of explicit sex, black-and-white photography and baroque music, commingling with the infant's almost ersatz tragedy and finding perfunctory counterpoint in banal close-ups of the family's washer-dryer. (There may be a deliberate echo here of the famous sex scene in Nicolas Roeg's \"Don't Look Now,\" a far more keenly calibrated examination of grief succumbing to the supernatural.) Dafoe and Gainsbourg are riveting as the ill-matched couple. He's an implacable rationalist, urging her to confront her fears and venture into the darkest recesses of her psyche. She's not sure he's ready to share that torment with her. Their bitter, sometimes sourly funny back-and-forth fleetingly echoes the railing, pugnacious and remorseful men and women we find again and again in Strindberg and Bergman. Of course, when those great Scandinavian dramatists wanted to shock us with the ferocity of the battle of the sexes and show a married couple going at it tooth and nail, their only weapons were words. Mindful that he's up against \"Hostel,\" \"Saw\" and the like, Herr von Trier ups the ante considerably. Hiking to a log cabin in the mountains to uncover the apex of his wife's fears (it could be anywhere, but let's imagine we're in the neighborhood of Burkittsville), the doctor's little experiment in exposure therapy ends in crushed genitals and, uh, worse. Much worse. It's safe to say von Trier knows this climax is over the top: \"Chaos reigns!\" announces a fox, in perfect English, just as the movie goes off the deep end. Chaos reigns all right, and Gainsbourg's traumatized mom is transformed nonsensically into a raving psycho witch-bitch. This director has often been accused of misogyny for the punishments that befall his heroines -- spuriously, in my opinion. But this time the boot is on the other foot, and for once the charge seems to stick; no matter that the first half of the movie suggests Dafoe's smug therapist is due for a comeuppance. Apparently someone had a seizure when the movie showed at the New York Film Festival recently. When I caught up with it at the Vancouver International Film Festival two weeks ago, the screening was punctuated with the single loudest shriek I've ever heard in the theatre -- that would have been when Gainsbourg gets out the scissors for a spot of ad hoc auto-surgery. There also was a very vociferous walk-out: a gentleman who fairly barked \"You get what you pay for, folks\" as he made for the exit a full 20 minutes before the end. That unhappy camper had a point. Either von Trier is barking up the wrong tree, or he's pandering to the basest instincts of an audience that's seen it all before and still demands more, more, more. Beautifully shot by Anthony Dod Mantle and acted with raw conviction, \"Antichrist\" is a calamitous atrocity from a major filmmaker, nothing more and nothing less. If you don't believe me, go ask the talking fox. \"Antichrist\" is not rated and runs 104 minutes. For Entertainment Weekly's review, click here." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Antichrist\" has met with vitriolic reaction at film festivals .\nLars von Trier film stars Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg as troubled couple .\nHorror goes from moody to over-the-top and graphic .\nTo CNN.com's Tom Charity, the film is a \"calamitous atrocity\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "CIMA, California -- Driving along a pockmarked road amid rocks and Joshua trees in a lonely southern California desert, religious controversy might be the last thing you'd expect to encounter. A judge ruled the Mojave Cross must be covered until a First Amendment issue can be resolved. And if you don't look too closely, you're likely to zip right past the focus of a hotly contested Supreme Court battle. A federal judge has ordered the Mojave Cross, a war memorial erected by a veterans group 75 years ago, to be covered. It's boxed in plywood. The issue is less about what the cross symbolizes and more about where it sits: In the middle of the Mojave National Preserve, which is government land. The high court on Wednesday will consider whether the display violates the First Amendment's provision for a separation of church and state. Watch details of the cross case » . More specifically, does an individual who protests the cross have legal standing to take the case to court? Do congressional efforts to minimize the appearance of a constitutional violation carry any weight? View details on other cases awaiting the Supreme Court » . \"Religion is always very hard fought in the Supreme Court, and this is no exception,\" said Thomas Goldstein, a Washington appellate attorney and co-founder of scotusblog.com. \"A single cross on a single plot of land has given rise to this huge constitutional controversy. The court will look at whether Congress, with a kind of wink and a nod, (can) say that this governmental cross is now on private land or are we (going to) say, no this is a governmental war monument and it has a religious symbol on it.\" Riley Bembry, who served as a medic in World War I, helped erect the cross in 1934. It sits on a 4,000-foot plateau and was a place of reflection for many vets who retreated to the desert in part to recover from severe lung diseases caused by mustard gas attacks during the Great War. An annual Easter service is held there, but until recently only locals knew about it. The site is not on any maps. Watch a video about the Mojave monument » . Bembry never got permission from the government to erect the cross, but for decades nobody seemed to care. He was the caretaker of the memorial for five decades until he died in 1984. In 1994, 1.6 million acres of desert -- including the land with the cross on it -- was transferred to the National Park Service. A few years later, a resident wanted to put up a Buddhist shrine near the cross. The request was denied. Frank Buono, a former deputy superintendent of the preserve, filed a lawsuit with the help of the ACLU, claiming federal officials were acting unfairly. \"He thinks that the government is in effect misappropriating this sacred symbol and trying to give it just a secular meaning,\" said Peter Eliasberg, managing attorney of the ACLU of Southern California. \"It strikes me as sort of odd that it just happens to be in that shape,\" Eliasberg said. \"If what they really wanted to do was have a war memorial, there are hundreds of other shapes that it could be in. ... Mr. Buono does not have an objection to the government having a war memorial there that's in the shape of a soldier, or that's in the shape of the Vietnam memorial.\" A federal court ordered the cross removed earlier this decade. A judge ruled that until the dispute is settled the cross had to be covered. In 2001 Congress got involved. Lawmakers prohibited the Park Service from spending federal dollars to remove the display. A year later, they designated the site a national memorial similar to the Washington Monument and Mount Rushmore. More importantly, the Republican-led Congress agreed to transfer one acre of land around the cross in exchange for five private acres inside the preserve. A San Francisco, California-based appeals court turned that offer down, saying it failed to satisfy Constitutional concerns. The land swap \"would leave a little donut hole of land with a cross in the midst of a vast federal preserve\" the court said. The Supreme Court has traditionally taken a case-by-case approach to similar First Amendment cases. Among other things, it has upheld tax exemptions for churches and the mention of \"God\" on U.S. currency. Test your Supreme Court knowledge » . At the same time, it has banned government-sponsored school prayer and imposed limits on public aid to parochial schools. In 2005, a Ten Commandments monument on the Texas Statehouse grounds was allowed to stand because it was surrounded by historical markers. But the same day, the placement of Ten Commandment parchments in two Kentucky county courthouses was ruled unconstitutional. The high court called them \"a governmental effort substantially to promote religion.\" Earlier this year, the justices ruled that a small religious group could not erect a granite monument in a Utah park next to an existing Ten Commandments display. This time, the Obama administration will argue in favor of keeping the cross and allowing the land transfer. The implications of the case could extend beyond the Mojave Cross. Individual gravestones are not at issue, but war memorials have long featured religious imagery. \"There are 5 million veterans that we represent ... would be quite shocked and horrified to know that those memorials and the symbols chosen by vets 75 years or 100 years ago would suddenly have to be torn down by a bulldozer,\" said Hiram Sasser, attorney for the Liberty Legal Institute. Wanda and Henry Sandoz have been taking care of the memorial since Bembry passed away. They shake their heads over the legal fight that will take them to Washington. \"I hope it won't be too long before we can look at the cross again without that stupid box,\" Wanda Sandoz said. \"Yep, really. We'll repaint it,\" Henry Sandoz said. \"I already bought some white paint,\" Wanda Sandoz said. CNN national correspondent Kate Bolduan contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A war memorial erected in the shape of a cross was covered by plywood .\nThe cross is located on government property .\nJustices will decide whether the display violates the First Amendment .\nIt's \"sort of odd that it just happens to be in that shape,\" said an ACLU attorney ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Wu-Tang Clan -- the New York hip-hop supergroup that spawned millions of album sales, nine solo acts and a few acting careers -- almost never was. If RZA, left, had been jailed or Method Man killed, Wu-Tang may have never formed, RZA says. Method Man, the group's most recognizable voice, was nearly killed before the band formed, Wu-Tang's chief producer, RZA, writes in his forthcoming memoir. Meth was walking to buy marijuana at 160 Park Hill Avenue in Staten Island -- the house in Wu-Tang's \"Protect Ya Neck\" video -- when RZA saw him across the street, he writes in the book. \"Come over here, yo!\" RZA beckoned, according to \"The Tao of Wu\" (Riverhead). \"He stopped and came running over. A few seconds later -- pow-pow-pow-pow-pow! -- a guy started shooting up the front of 160. A buddy of ours, Poppy, an innocent, school-going, nice guy -- he was shot and killed right there.\" Interactive: Where's the Wu been? » . It wasn't the only close call RZA said could have snuffed the band that rewrote the rule book for hip-hop acts. The year before the group formed in 1993, RZA was acquitted on an attempted murder charge that could have put him behind bars for eight years, he writes in \"The Tao of Wu,\" out Thursday. Expanding on the book's anecdotes in an interview with CNN, RZA explained that if he had been imprisoned or if Method Man, aka Clifford Smith, had been killed, the band never would have come to fruition. RZA, whose real name is Robert Diggs and whose stage name is pronounced \"Rizza,\" also talked about his role in the death of his cousin, Russell Jones, better known as Ol' Dirty Bastard or ODB. Two days before his 36th birthday in 2004, ODB died in a New York recording studio from an overdose of cocaine and painkillers. RZA writes in the book that he once witnessed ODB force his own son to watch him do drugs. RZA tried to leave, he writes, but ODB wouldn't let him. Now, RZA told CNN, he wishes he would've been tougher with ODB about his drug problem. Following are excerpts from the interview, which has been edited for language, flow and length: . CNN: Could your imprisonment or Method Man's death have derailed Wu-Tang's formation? RZA: Either one of those incidents could definitely have derailed it. Of course, myself being the abbot, the one who came with the idea, if I wouldn't have made it out of that tumultuous time -- it seemed like I wasn't going to make it out of it; there was a lot of odds against me -- but we stood strong, and self-defense made sense to the jury. We beat that ... It was the victory over that incident that made me change my whole direction. In a way, it's double-edged in that incident. One, if I would've lost that, yeah, Wu-Tang wouldn't have happened, but also it's the victory of it that inspired me and gave me the drive also to go and really get serious about Wu-Tang and the things I was dealing with. Same thing with Meth, he always brings it up ... that that day saved his life. He actually said, if it was anybody else calling him, he wouldn't have came. CNN: In the book, you cite lessons from Eastern religions, Christianity, Islam, [Nation of Islam offshoot] Five Percent, numerology, comic books, kung fu, chess. What would you say to someone who says it's difficult to reconcile these dogmas? RZA: Like it says in the Bible, \"In the beginning was the word, and the word became flesh\" -- if we go to the root of the word, we will find that, yeah, everything is similar. Everything is teaching us all the same path. It's just that one religion was good for these people because of their living conditions. In the Quran, they mention paradise being filled with wells, wells of water, and if you're in the desert and you've got a chance to get water and gardens -- as they describe paradise in the holy Quran -- if you're going to get gardens, that's the paradise that fits your situation. ... Everything they're saying relates to the people they're talking to. ... You remove the messenger and take the message. CNN: You say in the book that your penchant for violent lyrics in your younger years \"was a product of my history and environment\" and that it no longer represents you. But you also say you won't repudiate violence. Why not? RZA: One reason I haven't repudiated it is because when it's necessary, it's necessary. [The Bible's] Ecclesiastes tell us there's a time for everything -- a time for war, a time for peace -- so in times for war, there's time for violence. Then in [the Hindu scripture] Bhagavad Gita, it says Arjuna was talking, Arjuna didn't want to commit violent acts against an army that was attacking him. He couldn't find it in his heart to do it. It was people he loved. He didn't want to get into violence, but Krishna had to point out to him, \"Your duty is your duty.\" ... So, to me, violence in the light of justice is still violent, but I don't see it the same. It's because of justice that I don't repudiate violence because justice must be served somehow. CNN: ODB was a product of his environment as well. To what degree were you and other Wu-Tang members responsible for his death? RZA: The guys would say it's more me than them because they say that's my cousin and I was right there. If you let a man that you love or anybody -- man, woman or child that you love -- sit there and destroy themselves in front of you, you're neglecting them ... Everybody let him do what he wanted to do. ... There were times when I took his drugs and threw them down the toilet. When I do that, he would get so pissed off I don't see him for weeks after that. ... So it got to a point, I was like, \"[expletive] it, let him do his drugs\" just to have him around me, just to keep him there. ... But it's still neglect, yo. CNN: You say you ran Wu-Tang like a dictatorship in its first five years. I know you and Raekwon have had creative differences and Ghostface Killah is suing you over royalties. Ever regret the dictatorship approach? RZA: I don't regret it because it got us to the power we are. ... To me, in the beginning, the dictatorship led us to such a strong foundation that even though Wu-Tang seemed to be crumbling, it didn't fall because of the root foundation of one man's idea. But now as it's coming back together -- we're living in the twilight age of it right now -- it's still surviving because of the democracy of it. CNN: Wu-Tang is still around, but nothing like the heyday of the 1990s. Will we ever see a renaissance? RZA: Well, to me, Wu-Tang is beyond Wu-Tang Clan. ... It's just like hip-hop is beyond Grandmaster Flash, but Grandmaster Flash was one of the first guys to hit those turntables like that. ... The same thing with Wu-Tang. You'll see the difference in hip-hop from the moment we came in to before we came in. We changed it. We changed the whole structure. CNN: Have you accomplished everything you've set out to accomplish? RZA: I'm me and the me that's me is me and is going to continue to be me, and it's always reaching and growing. I'm grateful for what I've accomplished. I'm grateful for anyone who thinks I accomplished something and says, \"Well he did this; he did that.\" I'm proud to be accepted, but I feel like I've just scratched the surface for some weird reason. CNN's Kyle Almond contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wu-Tang producer: Attempted murder conviction also could have derailed band .\nRapper/producer/actor RZA talks of forming Wu-Tang Clan in upcoming memoir .\nRZA: Ol' Dirty Bastard made son watch him do drugs before 2004 fatal overdose .\nBook cites lessons from Christianity, Islam, numerology, kung fu, chess ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- With strong sales and equally powerful praise, the July issue of Italian Vogue can be judged a resounding success. Chanel Iman is one of several models of color featured in the \"Black Issue\" of Italian Vogue. Dubbed the \"Black Issue,\" the magazine celebrates models of color from the past and present, including Donyale Luna, Liya Kebede, Naomi Campbell, Iman and Chanel Iman. Within 72 hours, the magazine sold out in the United States and Great Britain. Blog posts and e-mails about the beauty and historical significance of the issue began to flow -- and industry insiders were equally pleased. Praising renowned photographer Steven Meisel, who shot most of the issue's fashion pictures, The New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn gushed, \"I think they are some of the best he's done. ... They are crazily, softly beautiful, plainly the work of someone who knows women and fashion.\" See what all the fuss is about » . Another 40,000 copies of the \"Black Issue\" were recently reprinted to meet the still strong demand. But will the all the hoopla translate into tangible change for black models in the fashion industry? Will more color be seen on the runway and in magazines? Many observers have their fingers crossed. \"All the agents were happy about the issue because it gives us hope that other people will catch on and decide that it's OK to use more black girls,\" said Carlos Ojeda, an agent at New York Models. \"It's OK to have more than just one, and she doesn't have to always be Naomi.\" \"Italian Vogue is very influential around the world on an artistic level,\" said Constance White, style director at eBay. \"That is the book that all the art directors, the photographers, any fashion editor looking for inspiration turns to ... and always has. It has always been the trendsetter, so hopefully people will look at it and say using black models is both relevant and right and will start doing it too.\" Bethann Hardison, a legendary model agent-manager, said she has noticed a shift in the industry since she began holding town hall meetings last September to address the lack of diversity in fashion. The packed-to-the-rafters events quickly became the talk of the industry, and Hardison is widely credited with sparking the current movement. \"I started seeing more black models on the runway back in February,\" she said, pointing to the shows of designers like Diane Von Furstenberg and Michael Kors as examples. \"I have already seen change, and I know that I will continue to see change.\" Not all are nearly as optimistic, and fear the diversity issue will become as passe as the skinny-model debate of a few years ago. \"I hate to sound cynical, but by January, I feel like it will be back to business as usual,\" Ojeda said. \"I want to be hopeful and positive, but a part of me does not want to get my hopes up.\" \"Let's see if Italian Vogue is going to be able to live up to the standards that they've now set,\" added one prominent New York-based stylist. \"You can't have an issue with all black girls, pat yourself on the back and say 'that's it for the year.' \" Hardison is working hard to make sure that doesn't happen. She's already scheduled another town hall meeting for September, and she's also planning a mixer to introduce fledgling models of color to industry players. \"We just have to keep the bar high,\" Hardison said, \"and keep showing beautiful women and pictures.\" Lola Ogunnaike is the entertainment correspondent for CNN's American Morning." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Italian Vogue recently ran \"Black Issue\" highlighting women of color .\nIssue was huge success -- sold well, earned great reviews .\nObservers wonder if impact will last ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Enough Afghan opium to supply world demand for two years has effectively gone missing, with the Taliban suspected of stockpiling supplies in a bid to corner the market, the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed. Pakistani customs officials destroy contraband narcotics on the border with Afghanistan. Afghanistan is the world's leading narcotics supplier. Earlier this month, a U.N. study revealed Afghanistan's opium production had dropped dramatically this year partly because of new aggressive drug-fighting tactics in the country. According to the UNODC report, production dipped by 10 percent this year while cultivation fell by 22 percent. However, a senior U.N. spokesman warned that this positive news should be treated with caution. \"We figure the world needs around 4,000 tons of opium a year for licit and illicit purposes,\" Walter Kemp of the UNODC told CNN. Has enough empasis been placed on drug trafficking? \"But this year around 6,900 tons was produced, with 7,700 tons delivered last year and more than 8,500 the year before that. Map showing where Afghan opium is going » . \"So if the world only needs around 4,000 tons of opium and a further 1,000 is seized, where is the rest of it going?\" According to Kemp, world demand for opium remains stable yet prices are not crashing, which suggests a large amount of opium is being withheld from the market. \"Our guess is that around 12,000 tons of opium has been stockpiled somewhere -- not all in one place but in and around Afghanistan,\" he added. \"So while production might be coming down -- mostly because of market reasons -- there's still a lot of product around to satisfy demand for about two years.\" It is unclear exactly who is responsible for this but there's growing evidence, according to the U.N., that the Taliban are becoming increasingly involved in the industry and could be sitting on huge stockpiles of opium to use as credit for financing their activities. \"Farmers will be keeping small amounts back as credit for things such as a dowry or buying livestock,\" said Kemp. \"But they won't have the means to store supplies in the kind of quantities we're talking about here. \"It's probably in the hands of people with the ability to store it underground and to keep people away from it through corruption or force.\" Hakan Demirbuken, a research expert on the U.N.'s Afghan Opium Trade Program, said Taliban involvement in the drugs trade is not limited to taxing Afghan opium farmers and traders in return for their \"protection.\" He told CNN: \"Last year we estimated that Afghan poppy farmers earned around $730 million, while traders who take the product on to the border earned around $3.4 billion.\" \"From this lucrative business the Taliban took around $125 million in tax. \"But according to U.N. figures they need around $800 million per year for their operational needs.\" However, most of the trade is controlled by organized criminal groups from outside Afghanistan. Therefore Demirbuken believes groups such as the Taliban and al Qaeda will be forging links with criminal gangs in order to become more involved in the production and trafficking stages. In addition to the increased revenue greater involvement would provide, he said groups such as al Qaeda \"will have noted the destabilizing effect this industry -- and the sums of money it generates -- can have on more vulnerable countries with weak governments.\" In October last year, the United States told NATO members that the drug trade was a threat to coalition troops because there was a direct connection between it and Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. \"There is what we call a nexus of insurgency. There's a very broad range of militant groups that are combined with the criminality, with the narco-trafficking system, with corruption, that form a threat and a challenge to the future of that great country,\" then-U.S. commander in Afghanistan Gen. David McKiernan told reporters. As a result NATO combat forces have now been actively attacking militants, drug laboratories and buildings connected to insurgents with ties to drug lords for the first time since the start of the Afghan conflict in 2001. Meanwhile, international law enforcement organization, Interpol, believes there has been a change of tactic involving Afghanistan's opium, with much more of it being turned into heroin within the country and stockpiled or couriered out, primarily through Iran. Historically Afghanistan has been responsible only for cultivating raw opium, with the conversion into a final product taking place across the border in Pakistan or in Iran and Turkey, according to the UNODC. Producing heroin in Afghanistan makes it easier to conceal and transport than the bulkier raw opium." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Recent study revealed Afghan opium production has dropped dramatically .\nU.N. says this should be treated with caution as country has been over-producing .\nTaliban suspected of stockpiling large amounts of opium \"as credit\"\nU.S. has warned of growing link between Taliban and the drug trade ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- When they set sail from harbor most yachtsmen leave only their worries behind. But when Hilary Lister goes out to sea, she sheds an entire way of life. Hilary Lister says she feels \"a thousand times\" more free when she sails. The 36-year-old Briton is a quadriplegic who can only move her head, eyes and mouth and needs to rely on carers for almost every need. In spite of these restrictions she became the first disabled woman to sail solo around Britain Monday scoring a victory against the rare degenerative illness she has suffered from since age 11. The inventive technology behind her voyage is called \"sip and puff\" -- a system of three pneumatic straws positioned near Lister's mouth that allow her to control the boat through a series of semaphore-like commands she can give by either blowing or sucking through the straws. Developed by a Canadian engineer, the system let Lister alter course and trim the sails of her 20ft long keel boat to complete the record-breaking trip over two summers. Lister's passion for sailing is all-consuming and, considering what it has given her, unsurprising. \"When you leave the quayside, you leave behind the stresses of everyday life,\" she told CNN. \"Any sailor will tell you that. \"If you multiply that sense of freedom a thousand times, that's how I feel. I leave behind my wheelchair, a team of carers and suddenly it's just me.\" An Oxford University graduate and talented sportswoman in her youth, by 2003 Hilary's illness had laid her so low she was a virtual recluse, never leaving the home she shared with her husband Clifford, and by her own admission deeply depressed. A friend suggested she go to Westbere Sailing. The center specializes in helping disabled people on to the water, but Hilary almost never made the 20-minute trip from her home near Canterbury in southern England. \"I was ill and running a temperature and I was about to cancel it, but something stopped me from backing out,\" she said. She credits the decision to go to the center with saving her life. \"[The staff]treated me like an intelligent, capable person and not like an object to be pitied,\" she said. Her illness is called reflex sympathetic dystrophy. It makes it difficult for her to breathe -- the media interviews she has done since her latest achievement have exhausted her, she said. It also puts her in near-constant agony, a situation that is only manageable with the use of powerful drugs. Despite these hardships, or perhaps because of them, Hilary has no fear when she is out at sea. Her aim is to help other disabled people feel empowered in the same way and to that end she has set up her own charity, Hilary's Dream Trust. The charity exists to provide assistance to disabled and disadvantaged adults who dream of sailing. \"It is difficult to do all the press, my diaphragm is in a bad way and I get tired easily with the interviews. But I want people to know my story because it's important they realize disabled people can accomplish anything, given the right tools.\" Her own accomplishment she began last summer with the help of a support boat and a specially adapted motor home that she returned to after each day's sailing to recuperate. Last August she was forced to abandon the attempt due to bad weather and strong winds. She took up the gauntlet again in May and was rewarded with some transcendent moments. \"When I was in the Irish Sea I saw something that looked like a blow hole on my starboard side,\" she said. \"I wasn't sure what I'd seen then suddenly out of the water this huge whale emerged like an Exocet missile. Next thing a pod of them -- we think they were humpbacks -- were all around my boat. \"I remember thinking, 'I wonder if this is safe' but I was enjoying the moment so much. It was so exhilarating.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hilary Lister has become the first disabled woman to sail around Britain .\nShe navigated with a special technology using only her mouth and a straw .\nHilary suffers from a rare degenerative disease that has made her paraplegic .\nShe wants to help other disabled sailors through her charity Hilary's Dream Trust ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Seven emergency medics in England have been suspended from work for playing an Internet game that involves being photographed lying down in unusual places. The lying down should be as public as possible and as many people as possible should be involved. Bosses at a hospital in Swindon, western England, were angered after photographs of the doctors and nurses lying face down on resuscitation trolleys, ward floors and an air ambulance helipad were posted on social networking site Facebook. The photographs have been removed from the site and the members of the hospital's accident and emergency staff now face a disciplinary hearing. Partipants in the \"lying down game\" must lie face down with the palms of their hands against their sides and the tips of their toes touching the ground. Should the medics have been suspended? Send us your views . There are two aims to the challenge: that the lying down should be as public as possible and that as many people as possible should be involved. But Dr. Alf Troughton, medical director of Great Western Hospital NHS Trust, was unamused by the alleged incident, which he said took place during a night shift last month. \"This did not involve patients and we are satisfied that at no time was patient care compromised,\" Dr. Troughton said in a statement. \"The Great Western Hospital sets high standards for staff behaviour at all times and therefore takes any such breaches extremely seriously. It is important to reassure patients and our workforce that this was an isolated incident and staff cover was maintained at all times. \"The allegations have been thoroughly investigated and seven members of staff remain suspended pending formal disciplinary hearings.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Seven medics in England suspended for playing \"lying down game\"\nInternet game involves being photographed lying down in unusual places .\nMembers of hospital's accident and emergency staff await disciplinary hearing .\nThey were allegedly photographed lying on trolleys and emergency helipad ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LEONE, American Samoa (CNN) -- Another earthquake struck Wednesday near the Samoan islands, an area already devastated by earthquake and tsunami damage which killed more than 130 people. A traditional Samoan fale is destroyed Wednesday in the devastated village of Leone. The 5.5-magnitude earthquake occurred at 6:13 p.m. Wednesday evening (1:13 a.m. Thursday ET), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake's epicenter was 10 km (6 miles) deep in the Pacific Ocean about 121 miles (194 km) from the city of Apia, Samoa. The quake did not trigger a tsunami warning, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. It followed an 8.0-magnitude earthquake which hit the small cluster of Samoan islands early Tuesday triggering a tsunami. At least 139 people are confirmed dead as a consequence of Tuesday's quake and tsunami. They include 22 people killed in American Samoa, 110 in Samoa and seven in Tonga, according to officials on the islands. A huge emergency effort was continuing late Wednesday in the Samoan islands and officials warned that the death toll could rise as rescue workers start to reach outlying villages and discover new casualties. Watch the tsunami take over the street » . Survivors like Ropati Opa were trying to find ways to cope. The massive waves had destroyed his home, store and gas station in the village of Leone on the southwest coast of American Samoa. With tears in his eyes, he said \"I don't have a house. I don't have a car. I don't have money. I lost everything yesterday. But thank God I am alive.\" iReport.com: Witness describes tsunami hitting land . U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the disaster at an event Wednesday in Washington. \"To aid in the response,\" he said, \"I've declared this a major disaster to speed the deployment of resources and FEMA ... is working closely with emergency responders on the ground, and the Coast Guard is working to provide immediate help to those in need. \"We also stand ready to help our friends in neighboring Samoa and throughout the region, and we'll continue to monitor this situation closely as we keep the many people who have been touched by this tragedy in our thoughts and in our prayers,\" Obama said. Journalist Jeff DePonte contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Latest death toll from Tuesday's quake, tsunami stands at 139 .\nSecond quake -- magnitude 5.5 -- shook Samoan islands region Wednesday .\nQuake does not trigger a tsunami warning, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says .\nHuge rescue effort under way in Samoan islands amid fears death toll could rise ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Aboard the Tea Party Express (CNN) -- From the stage, Deborah Johns is the angry conscience of the tea party movement. A protester uses a Nazi swastika to make a point at a Tea Party Express stop in Dallas, Texas. \"Question everything your government is doing,\" she tells a crowd of about 100 from the bus's stage in the parking lot of the Winners casino in Winnemucca, Nevada. Under a setting sun on the steps of the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas, Johns says: \"Our men and women took an oath when they put on the uniform to defend and protect this country from enemies both foreign and domestic. I think we've got some domestic enemies in the White House.\" On a sunny afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky, Johns works the crowd of about 2,000 into a frenzy. \"The men and women in our military didn't fight and die for this country for a communist in the White House,\" she says, and the crowd erupts in a chant of \"U-S-A, U-S-A!\" Watch rally participants converge on Washington » . On the bus, Johns slips off her heels and slips on a pair of ankle socks. She curls up under a quilt her grandmother made. She favors skirts and cardigans -- a pit bull in cashmere. She leads the rallies in each city with Mark Williams, a former talk radio host who now writes books and makes the rounds on cable TV chat shows. Both work for Our Country Deserves Better, the conservative political action committee sponsoring the Tea Party Express bus tour. The tour concluded Saturday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington after a 34-stop tour that began August 28 in Sacramento, California. Williams is the showman of the bunch. His signature line when he gets the mic goes like this: \"You can have our country when you pry it from our ... cold ... dead ... fingers!\" Again the crowd erupts. Watch scenes from Tea Party Express rallies » . Seldom seen on stage are the two gurus of the tea party movement, veteran politico Sal Russo and his protégé, Joe Wierzbicki. They are charged with turning the passion on display at the tea parties into political action. They have three goals: Defeat President Obama's health care reform efforts, win back the House and Senate in 2010 and take the White House in 2012. Russo grew up in a house full of working-class Democrats in Monterey, California, and nearly gave his father a heart attack when he became a Republican. His first paid gig in politics was working for Ronald Reagan's 1966 California gubernatorial campaign, and he has worked in conservative politics ever since. Russo often watches the raucous tea party events from his perch in the bus. Besides Johns and Williams each event features several musical acts and featured speakers. The crowd is its own sideshow. Tea partyers are a creative lot, and many in the crowd express themselves by way of their clothing and signs. See some of the getups and signs » . \"Obamacare Condense Cream of Crap soup\" reads a sign in Sparks, Nevada. In Dallas, Texas, a darker mood prevails. A homemade sign with \"Obama Lies\" features a bold, black swastika. As the tour moves on, Nazi imagery becomes more prominent -- and sometimes confused. One sign at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, has Obama's portrait sandwiched between pictures of Adolf Hitler and communist philosopher Karl Marx. In Canton,Ohio, Obama and Hitler adorn a sign reading \"Hitler made great speeches, too.\" In Elko, Nevada, over a Basque supper of oxtail, lamb and sweetbreads, Russo assesses the tea party movement. \"There are some people who are mad at everyone,\" he says, \"but there are others who say, 'How do we move beyond this and turn it into action?'\" Rare is the conversation with Russo in which he doesn't bring up the name of his idol and one-time boss, Ronald Reagan. But if there is a Reagan out there to take the reins of the tea party movement, Russo doesn't know who that person is. \"It's opened for a leader. I don't see anyone out there that can grab it,\" he says. \"I'll be surprised if someone emerges. I don't see who that is.\" Many in the crowd hope former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will emerge as the leader of the movement, \"but she has so many negatives,\" Russo says. If the tea party movement has an architect, it is Joe Wierzbicki. Unassuming in wrinkled khakis and a polo shirt, he is in near perpetual motion. Hands gesturing wildly through the air, he describes his plan. \"There are going to be stops along the way. The first stop is going to be the health care reform act,\" he says. If the tea partyers can play a part in stopping the president's health care efforts they will be poised for a much bigger challenge: taking control of Congress from the Democrats, he says. \"Those politicians that aren't responsive to this message are going to face a lot of trouble in their re-election bids in 2010,\" he says. That the tea party movement has no leader at this point is just fine with Wierzbicki. He says right now the movement is centered on a few key issues: taxes, expansion and distrust of Obama. \"If there was a leader there might be a divisive factor,\" he says. In Wierzbicki's plan, the movement doesn't need a leader until after the 2010 election. \"From then to 2012 is probably the period of time when you'll find a big national leader that will emerge that the majority of the people in this movement will feel comfortable following,\" he says. No one on the tea party express seems concerned with the vocal fringe of the crowds that come with offensive signs -- besides Nazi imagery, a poster of Obama as an African witch doctor has become popular -- or the numerous conspiracy theories that float around most tea parties. In Battle Creek, Michigan, a woman in her 60s says, \"I really don't want to be a guinea pig for the experiment they have with the population control.\" In Canton, Ohio, a woman argues with an Obama supporter: \"He's going after our kids to try to indoctrinate them into a national defense army.\" The Tea Party Express tour has been free of violence, but occasional outbursts of vitriolic hatred toward the president combined with some menacing outward appearances often overshadow the more moderate tea partyers. iReport.com: Weigh in on health care . In Louisville, Kentucky, two young men in camouflage fatigues roamed the crowd trying to recruit new members for their militia called the Ohio Valley Freedom Fighters. They bear signs reading \"AK-47s: today's pitchfork\" and \"Quit worrying. Start your militia training today.\" In Jackson, Michigan, a young man didn't need a sign. He was carrying the real thing: A loaded AK-47 assault rifle and two loaded handguns. \"I don't want a revolution. I don't want a civil war,\" he said. \"But it is a possibility. It's there as an option, as a last resort.\" From the stage, Deborah Johns and Mark Williams never interact with most of these characters. Russo shrugs it off, saying that the early stages of every political movement have people like this. To Wierzbicki these troubling elements are just part of the price of a grassroots movement. He is convinced they will not derail the movement. \"The message will be moderated by the time it gets to 2010,\" he says." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tea Party Express bus tour concludes Saturday at U.S. Capitol .\nFury at Obama, government in general apparent at rallies along route .\nTwo operatives organize tour, seek ways to turn passion into action .\nClear leader, moderated message eventually will emerge, organizer 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) -- It may look like an air mattress you might see lying around next to a swimming pool but in reality its function couldn't be less trivial. The Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin could play a major role in saving lives in the developing world. The Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin (SWDT) -- a new portable water purifier -- could be a major step forward in the fight against disease and mortality in the Third World. Eric Olsen, a San Francisco-based architect and the inventor of the SWDT believes the product could help eradicate the scourge of polluted water which the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate claims over 1.5 million lives every year. Not only does it purify water -- up to 20 liters -- it makes it more portable in large quantities -- a vital dual role in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Central Asia where access to clean water is often scarce. \"There are lots of products that do one or the other,\" Olsen told CNN. \"There's a really interesting product that's been around for 10 or 12 years called the Hippo Water Roller -- a 20 gallon drum with a handle attached that allows people -- mostly women -- to transport a week's worth of water back home\". Olsen also points to another product developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) that has successfully tackled water impurities. According to Eawag SODIS (Solar Water Disinfection Process) is already used by more than two million in over 30 countries. \"The idea of SWDT,\" he says, \"is to combine these two products and make them into something that can do both roles effectively\". Made out of a top layer of recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and a bottom layer of durable rubberized nylon, the SWDT is both flexible and robust. Its design was morphologically inspired by the saguaro cactus and is adaptable to a variety of situations -- as a wrap to carry or placed on the roof of a mud hut -- and is easy to store. The SWDT uses passive solar radiation -- a water sterilizing method approved by WHO -- which disrupts the reproduction of microorganisms. Heat and UVA radiation from the sun pass through the LDPE layer and into the water cavity and are reflected back by the bottom layer of nylon. On a sunny day purification takes five hours. Olsen admits that its performance is hampered by its low density -- scratches to the surface mean it doesn't transmit the sun's rays as effectively -- but he is confident that this can be overcome with more research. Production using a Radio Frequency Welding equipment may be relatively expensive but Olsen says that the raw materials are cheap and the labor is inexpensive. \"We are trying to imagine ways that this thing can be made and repaired by people where it is most needed,\" he said. \"We are working on a sheet welding process which is much lower tech, inexpensive and also capitalizes on the handcraft skills of local people\". What started out as a solo effort a little over a year ago has gradually grown into a collaborative project. Olsen's students at the California College of Arts, where he currently teaches -- he moves to a new post at Woodbury University this fall -- have lent their enthusiasm and experts from the bioscience and textile industries are increasingly coming on board. Olsen's efforts have already been recognized. The SWDT won first prize in the 2008 Next Generation Design Competition run by Metropolis Magazine -- netting him $10,000 -- and he is waiting for conformation that the invention has been selected for Wired Magazine's Next Fest show which takes place in Chicago later this year. So what next for Olsen and his invention? The aim is to adapt the original design and turn it from a water carrying wrap into a fully fledged coat and he's also looking at ways the material might be redrawn as a tent. He's currently in the process of trying to qualify for non-profit status. And with the likes of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other institutions out there, he thinks the prospects for funding development and deployment look promising." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin aims to reduces disease and death .\nThe award-winning design by Eric Olsen is portable as well as a being a purifier .\nFlexible and robust the design is morphologically inspired by the saguaro cactus ." } ]

[ { "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) -- Fires in central and southern California raged Saturday as triple-digit temperatures mixed with dry conditions continued to fuel the flames, torching thousands of acres and threatening scores of homes. Firefighters look on as fire rages near Ocean View Drive in Los Angeles on Saturday. Authorities confirmed three civilian injuries from a growing blaze known as the Station fire burning through the Angeles National Forest-La Canada Flintridge. The blaze nearly quadrupled in size from 5,500 acres Friday to more than 20,000 acres, officials said. The blaze, which grew to more than 20,100 acres, was 5 percent contained early Sunday, officials said. It was upgraded to type 1 brush fire -- the most severe classification. \"Today what happened is what I called a perfect storm of fuels, weather and topography coming together ... essentially the fire burned at will,\" Mike Dietrich of the U.S. Forest Service said Saturday. Authorities consider the Station fire an anomaly, as it is not driven by strong winds as most California wildfires. Watch CNN's Reynolds Wolf explain what's driving the fire » . \"The fire has been very active on all fronts,\" U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Randi Jorgensen said. The fire threatened about 10,000 homes in Los Angeles County and 900 homes were evacuated, she said. Watch close-up views of the fast-moving fire » . \"Basically, all the homes that back up to the National Forest in the La Canada-Flintridge are in danger from the fire,\" Jorgensen said, adding that fire officials have told residents to be prepared for possible evacuation orders. The Station fire disrupted power to 750 homes. More than 750 workers have been dispatched to control the blaze, which started Wednesday afternoon. Watch iReport images and descriptions of the fire » . Jorgensen confirmed one injury involving heat exhaustion. A wildfire also hit San Bernardino National Forest, burning 2,200 acres, fire officials said. The blaze, called the Cottonwood fire, started Thursday afternoon about 10 miles from the southern California city of Hemet, officials reported. That blaze was about 10 percent contained Friday evening. Hemet is about 85 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Firefighters fully contained another fire that torched 230 acres about 20 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles on Friday. The blaze, called the Palos Verdes fire, forced 1,200 people to evacuate and destroyed five homes and two other buildings. Another fire in the Angeles National Forest had burned more than 2,100 acres. The blaze, called the Morris fire, started Tuesday. That fire was about 85 percent contained Friday evening, officials said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Station fire \"very active on all fronts,\" U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman said .\nThe Cottonwood, Palos Verdes and Morris fires were all ablaze late Friday .\nHomes in the Angeles National Forest-La Canada Flintridge area in danger ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Villagers march more than 300 kilometers from northwest Cambodia to ask the prime minister to save their homes from developers. Some 400 families in the country's south learn their farmland had been given to developers only when bulldozers arrive. Villagers in northwest Cambodia set court documents on fire in protest over a land dispute. Such examples of forced evictions and land conflicts are cited by the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) in a report, \"Losing Ground,\" released Thursday. The report was a collection of voices from people rarely heard and \"present a painful look into the lives of people affected by forced evictions and intimidation, mainly the rural poor,\" said CHRAC, a network of 21 non-governmental organizations. \"The voices in the report belong to Cambodians who have been or are facing eviction. Most have insisted that their names and photographs be used, believing that openness will bring justice and appropriate solutions,\" the group said, adding that such trust is \"the springboard for the next stage of Cambodia's recovery from decades of civil strife.\" An estimated 150,000 Cambodians live at risk of forced eviction, Amnesty International said in its 2008 report on the country. Read about AIDS patients who were resettled to an isolated area . Beng Hong Socheat Khemro, deputy director general of Cambodia's Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, said the government was committed to finding the best solutions for not just squatters, but the entire population, and that it is drafting legal guidelines on squatter resolution. He also said the government rejected the term forced evictions, saying that meant people were forced off land they legally owned. He noted that various factors affect land use and ownership in the country: The 1970s ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge regime abolished all legal and regulatory documents regarding land, strong economic growth has contributed to demand for land, particularly in urban areas, and the pace of urbanization has stepped up in recent years. \"Many people illegally occupy land that does not belong to them,\" he said, later noting: \"What has happened now with the resettlement, or the relocation, of people is the fact that the government is implementing the law.\" \"I am very sure that those who claim to be on the land before the legal land owner, most of them do not have any proof at all,\" he said. \"Most of the cases that people -- illegal squatters, settlers -- have claimed that they have been on that land since, let's say 1979, are not true. If you study the legal development of Cambodia, you will understand, and not many people understand, including the NGOs (non-governmental organizations) themselves.\" Amnesty said poor Cambodians share the plight of many impoverished people around the world. The group cited the forced evictions of thousands in Angola, violence and insecurity in Brazil's shantytowns, and social services denied to Roma in Italy. \"There are more than 200,000 such communities, home to 1 billion people around the world,\" the group said. \"In Cambodia for the last two years, Amnesty International has been focusing on forced evictions as one of the country's most serious human rights violations today,\" Amnesty said in a statement on CHRAC's report. \"The increasing number of land disputes, land confiscations, and industrial and urban redevelopment projects hurt almost exclusively people living in poverty.\" People fighting evictions \"experience harassment at the hands of the authorities or people hired by private businesses. The rich and powerful are increasingly abusing the criminal justice system to silence communities taking a stand against land concessions or other opaque business deals affecting the land they live on or cultivate,\" Amnesty said. CHRAC said development of Cambodia, recovering from the Khmer Rouge genocide and ensuing decades of conflict, \"must not negatively affect\" people's lives. \"Our communities are losing land and natural resources. These are the resources that people have depended on for generations,\" CHRAC said. The report details evictions across the country. One group of villagers walked from the rice bowl of Battambang in the northwest to Phnom Penh to deliver a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen, seeking help in two long-running court fights with businessmen who claim to own a total of 200 hectares of their land. \"We didn't have enough money to get the bus to Phnom Penh. We had to walk. It was our last hope. We had to see Hun Sen or we would lose our land,\" said Chim Sarom, 45. They delivered their letter, but Sarom said they were unsure whether he ever got it. She said authorities gave them money to go home and were told an official would visit them. \"No government official ever came to our village. If we have to, maybe we will walk again,\" she said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cambodian human rights network releases report on forced evictions .\nAmnesty: Evictions one of Cambodia's most serious human rights violations .\nGroups: Mainly the rural poor affected; people intimidated, harassed .\nOfficial: Government committed to finding best solutions; no forced evictions ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Jody Powell, who served as press secretary for President Jimmy Carter, has died, a spokesman for the Carter Center said. He was 65. Former White House Press Secretary Jody Powell died Monday. Powell, who served in the Carter administration from 1977 to 1981, died Monday of an apparent heart attack, Carter Center spokesman Tony Clark told CNN. Carter said he and former first lady Rosalynn Carter \"share a great personal loss today in the passing of Jody Powell.\" \"From the time he began, as a young graduate student, as my volunteer driver during my 1970 run for governor, no one worked more closely with me than Jody,\" the former president and former governor of Georgia said in a statement. \"Jody was beside me in every decision I made as a candidate, governor, and president, and I could always depend on his advice and counsel being candid and direct.\" Robert Gibbs, press secretary to President Barack Obama, said he was \"deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Jody Powell.\" \"As press secretary to President Carter, Jody served his country during a difficult time, and he always did the job with grace and good humor,\" Gibbs said in a statement. \"When I needed advice at the start of my own tenure as press secretary, he was always generous with his time and wise in his counsel. I'll miss his support and encouragement, and I'll be keeping him and his family in my thoughts and prayers,\" he said. After his press secretary stint under Carter, Powell headed a Washington public relations firm, Powell-Tate, partnering with Nancy Reagan's former press secretary, Sheila Tate." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Carters \"share a great personal loss today in the passing of Jody Powell\"\nCarter: \"Beside me in every decision I made as a candidate, governor, and president\"\nPowell also headed Washington PR firm with Nancy Reagan's ex-press secretary ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "THE EVERGLADES, Florida (CNN) -- Joe Wasilewski drives along a narrow stretch of road through Florida's Everglades. The sun is setting, night is coming on quickly, and Wasilewski is on the prowl for snakes -- and one snake in particular. Reptile expert Joe Wasilewski holds a Burmese python he found in the Florida Everglades. \"The next 10 miles seem to be the hot spot for Burmese pythons,\" he said. Wasilewski is a state-sanctioned snake-hunter who regularly scours this area for the reptiles. The Everglades, known as the River of Grass, has the perfect space and climate for pythons to hide and breed. And breed they do: The largest clutches found in the Everglades have contained 83 eggs. They are also speedy travelers, able to move across 1.6 miles of land every day, experts say. The travel lets people like Wasilewski hunt the snakes from the driver's seat of his truck. But it also means that the problems created in the local ecosystem by the non-venomous snakes are spreading. \"It's a large predator, and they're eating basically everything in sight. That's the problem,\" Wasilewski said of the Burmese python. Volunteers like Wasilewski, happy to grasp the problem and the snakes with both hands, are not the only troops in Florida's war on the invading pythons. A \"Python Patrol\" was launched in the Florida Keys, south of the Everglades, by Alison Higgins of the Nature Conservancy. Her program uses utility workers, wildlife officials, park rangers and police to keep an eye out for snakes and trains them to capture any they find. \"The Burmese pythons that are coming out of the Everglades are eating a lot of our endangered species and other creatures, and we want to make sure they don't breed here,\" said Higgins, the conservation manager for the Keys. It is believed that the problem originated when reptile-breeding facilities near the Everglades were destroyed during Hurricane Andrew. Compounding the problem is the release of these snakes by pet owners. \"These pets were released by owners that do not understand the threat to the ecosystem,\" Everglades National Park spokeswoman Linda Friar said. She said the pets, which can grow to 200 pounds and live for 30 years, often get too big for owners to handle. The state has a pilot program with several volunteer snake hunters such as Wasilewski. Twenty years ago, no Burmese pythons were found in the Everglades, park statistics say. Now, there could be 100,000 snakes in the River of Grass, but no one knows for sure. What Wasilewski, an expert on reptiles, is sure of is that night is the best time for his hunting, as that is when the snakes tend to be on the move. When he finds his prey, he puts the snake in a bag, deposits it in a crate and delivers it to biologists for the Everglades National Park, where the snake can be studied and/or destroyed. On one recent evening, the pickings were slim, and after two hours of driving back and forth along the two-lane Tamiami Trail, Wasilewski's crate was empty. He saw a python on the road, but it was dead, and the other small snakes and a baby alligator in the area did not interest him. Finally, Wasilewski, an environmental and wildlife consultant, spotted something. \"Yeah, baby! Hee ha! Look at the size of this one,\" he exclaimed from the front seat of his truck. He got out and picked up the brownish-green snake, which immediately coiled around his arm. \"This isn't a big one,\" he said, but as he got a closer look, he did not deny that it was a good one: \"At least 12 [feet.]\" Wasilewski has a soft spot for these species, and one of the reasons he volunteers for the snake hunt is to learn more about them. He says it is not the snakes' fault that they ended up in the Everglades, but he acknowledges the problems they are causing on the Florida ecosystem and the need to do something. \"One down, 100,000 to go,\" he said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Florida Everglades are perfect place for Burmese pythons to live and breed .\nHuge snakes breed quickly and travel quickly .\nOne reptile expert patrols the area for snakes to capture ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini's vacation destination, and you chose South Africa. Check back for updates on his trip. Giraffes are a common sight in Kruger National Park. KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, South Africa (CNN) -- I spent two nights sleeping under a full-moon sky, nestled in my trusty hammock at Kruger National Park. Our guides provided us with tents, but I figured I wouldn't have too many opportunities in my life to slumber in the open bush on the African continent. Thus, I rested more or less exposed throughout the night, hoping that a lion wouldn't figure that he wouldn't have too many opportunities in his life to maul a sleeping American tourist in the open bush on the African continent. Needless to say, I survived, and it was magnificent. Visually speaking, I wasn't sure what, exactly, to expect from a South African safari, for my complete mental database of safari images spanned a wide variety of distinct landscapes, and most were cartoonishly obstructed by rich, middle-aged tourists covered head to toe in unnecessary beige safari gear. However, Kruger National Park seemed to fit, quite perfectly, my idea of the African savannah. Arid and brown from the winter dry season, it was a forever-long expanse of low trees and dusty earth, the kind that somehow allows the early sun to reflect that perfect glow of stunning reds and oranges. See the animals » . Our guide was a self-proclaimed African bushman named Elson, who seemed to have an amazing one-ness with both the land and the animals. We'd be driving down one of the many nondescript dirt roads at a fairly fast pace, only to have him hit the brakes of our jeep, slam into reverse and point out a leopard 200 yards away. It would take the rest of us a fair bit of time to finally see what he noticed at a mere passing glance. He knew the land, and he knew the animals -- a talent that proved helpful for finding the less common residents in the savannah. The other creatures carelessly came into view as though the roads and cars were just a natural part of their habitat, a mild annoyance at worst. iReport.com: Share your South Africa experiences and suggestions . Kruger National Park is roughly the same size as Israel, and here, many animals roamed right along the roadside, gnawing on whatever vegetation remained until the rainy season would flourish the plants anew. Seemingly endless miles of terrain, and there they were just feet away from us. If you didn't know you were in a national park, you might think you were in a zoo. That's how close the animals came to our jeep. Only, here, they weren't in separate enclosures, wandering aimlessly within an artificial terrain. This was truly their home, and we were only passing guests. Giraffes tore away at high branches. Elephants walked fearlessly, one-by-one across the road. Rhinos ... well, the rhinos pretty much just sat there looking stupid. But the zebras frolicked. The hippos splashed in the water. And the baboons stopped at nothing to make me laugh. Of course, the rare lions and leopards pretty much just shaded themselves under distant trees, and the crocs swam silently through the bog. But they were there. And we were there. And it was beautiful. And just as soon as it began, our time in the South African bush was over. A couple of giraffes and elephants met us by the roadside to bid our group farewell as we drove out of the park. The preserve faded silently behind us, and the road ahead paved my way to Swaziland for a short stopover before continuing to the second part of this South African journey." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "CNN.com's Jarrett Bellini is traveling in South Africa .\nReaders chose his destination and can share their travel suggestions .\nBellini will provide updates from South Africa on CNN.com and CNN.com Live ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- While President Obama takes plenty of heat over his plans to overhaul domestic policies, critics have also taken aim at his foreign policy approach, particularly as it relates to human rights around the globe. Human Rights Watch advocacy director Tom Malinowski says Obama should have met with the Dalai Lama. Human Rights Watch advocacy director Tom Malinowski said Wednesday that while the administration appeared to have \"gotten the balance right\" on Myanmar, the military junta-ruled Asian nation formerly known as Burma, by starting a dialogue while maintaining sanctions, \"China is a different matter.\" \"And that's where we've seen the tension play out in the most acute way, with several signals that have been sent suggesting that the administration is putting human rights issues to one side,\" Malinowski said on CNN's \"Amanpour.\" \"And most recently, the, I think, symbolic mistake of the president declining to meet the Dalai Lama before his own visit to China later next month.\" Watch the discussion » . The Tibetan spiritual leader, who fled to India in 1959 and established a government in exile there, visited the United States earlier this month. China considers Tibet a renegade province and accuses the Dalai Lama of inciting violence. The timing of a presidential meeting with the Dalai Lama is considered largely symbolic, and Malinowski said the president's delay \"sent a message to the Chinese government that perhaps this isn't as high a priority for the United States as it has been in the past.\" Malinowski also criticized the U.S. special envoy to Sudan, retired Air Force Maj. J. Scott Gration, who had suggested wooing the Sudanese government with \"cookies\" and \"gold stars, smiley faces, handshakes, agreements, talk, engagement\" to change its attitude about Darfur, where genocide and famine have killed hundreds of thousands of people. \"It's a really dumb thing to say,\" said Malinowski, who previously served in the administration of President Clinton. \"Governments like this, they are not children, and they do not react to cookies and gold stars,\" he said. \"They act on their interests, and historically, as you know from Bosnia, to all the places where we have successfully defeated this kind of violence, governments respond to pressure.\" Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, a candidate for re-election next year, has been indicted on war-crimes charges by the International Criminal Court. Despite Gration's comments, the Obama administration has not yet articulated a Sudan policy. But Louise Arbour, president of the International Crisis Group and a former U.N. human rights commissioner, told \"Amanpour\" that talking rather than pressuring governments over human rights can be beneficial. \"If you have a policy of engagement, which I think very much is the one put forward by the Obama administration, you may give an impression that you're softening,\" said Arbour, who is also a former war crimes prosecutor. \"It's very easy to look tough, right? You don't talk to anybody, you repudiate everything, you slam all the doors and you accomplish nothing, or very little. And we have a lot of precedence for that. \"When you have a policy of reinforcing diplomatic initiatives, engagement, it may look soft, because you have to put on the table a multiplicity of issues, not just a single one. But on balance, I think there's more chance on some of these ... all important initiatives than just by looking tough and achieving nothing.\" Arbour added, however, that the engagement approach to human rights abuses will not create fast change from the abusive regimes. Noting the glacial pace of transformation in Myanmar, where democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been held under house arrest for nearly two decades, Arbour said \"it's going to be very slow.\" \"You can't have 20 years of extremely adversarial, confrontational posturing, and then say, well, we're ready to talk and be friendly, and assume that the other side's going to roll over,\" she said. \"It's just not going to work that way.\" \"There have to be very slow processes, but I think Aung San Suu Kyi herself has been encouraging more engagement. She wants to have contact with the junta and with foreigners, and it's happening. These are small steps. They're certainly in the right direction.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Good start in Myanmar, China problematic, says Human Rights Watch official .\nHe also criticizes the U.S. special envoy to Sudan for \"dumb\" remarks .\nEx-U.N. official says Obama's strategy has more chance of accomplishment ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A videotape on a Russian Web site allegedly showing a State Department employee having sex with a prostitute is a \"smear campaign\" meant to discredit the man, a State Department spokesman said Thursday. The State Department has said the tape allegedly showing an employee having sex with a prostitute is a fake. The employee, Brendan Kyle Hatcher, denied any encounter with a prostitute to his superiors at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, another State Department official said. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle, \"supports\" Hatcher, who remains at his job at the embassy. Hatcher had previously worked in the sensitive area of religious and human rights in Russia, the spokesman said. \"Mr. Hatcher ... enjoys the full confidence of Ambassador Beyrle and fully intends to serve out the rest of his tour in Moscow,\" Kelly said at an afternoon briefing at the State Department. The United States \"deplores this type of campaign and use of the Internet to smear a foreign service officer of good standing,\" he added. Watch why the U.S. says the tape is doctored » . Beyrle was unequivocal in expressing his support in an interview with ABC News. \"Kyle Hatcher has done nothing wrong,\" he said. \"Clearly, the video we saw was a montage of lot of different clips, some of them which are clearly fabricated.\" A senior State Department official said, \"It's a doctored tape and a set-up designed to implicate someone working as a liaison with religious and human rights groups in Russia.\" The official said Hatcher, who is married, \"was approached by Russians; they tried to blackmail him, but he did everything correctly,\" reporting the incident to his supervisors at the Embassy. The tape then appeared on the tabloid newspaper Web site Compromat.ru and was picked up by other outlets. Diplomatic sources who declined to be named said Compromat.ru has a history of ties to Russia's security services. Russia's Foreign Ministry had no comment when asked about the video. Another senior State Department official, who has seen the video, said \"it's clear to me that it's him,\" referring to portions showing Hatcher alone in the hotel room. \"But then the lights go down,\" and the footage from there on is faked, that official said. The video of Hatcher in the hotel room was taken last year, \"somewhere in Siberia,\" said the senior State Department official who watched the video. It was shot in a hotel that Hatcher visited, the official said. When questioned about the possible motivation for creating the video, the official said it's presumed \"it was done because of his human rights work,\" in Russia. The official doubted the incident will have any effect on U.S.-Russian relations and noted that the Kremlin and the Russian Foreign Ministry have both been \"very cooperative\" in the months since the footage came to light. \"The vast majority of people there are working toward better relations,\" the official said. Another official said Hatcher is a \"great officer\" who, until last summer, was a political reporting officer focusing on religious freedom issues in Russia. The assignment lasts two years: one year in that specialty and a year on the visa-issuing line at the embassy. Last year, this official said, Hatcher was the lead officer compiling the State Department's Religious Freedom report and was given an award for his work by the ambassador. Another official confirmed that Hatcher received a meritorious honor award in 2009 and a group award in 2008. Hatcher, one official said, worked with religious groups that are considered \"outside the mainstream\" in Russia, such as Protestants and non-Christians. Such faiths often face official and unofficial discrimination in the largely Russian-Orthodox society. Another senior State Department official said, \"there is a lot of inertia\" among some special security services in Russia. \"They are pretty much unreconstructed,\" he said. The security services may have wanted to compromise Hatcher's ability to work with religious groups, he says, \"or they may have wanted to throw a stick into the spokes\" of the U.S.-Russia relationship. \"Some in Moscow,\" he said, \"are looking to integrate with the West, and others are trying to stop that.\" The officials asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. CNN's Matthew Chance in Moscow and Paul Courson in Washington contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Russian officials are being \"very cooperative,\" U.S. official says .\nRussian site allegedly shows State Department employee having sex with prostitute .\nU.S. ambassador says video clips \"clearly fabricated\"\nOfficial: Tape meant to discredit employee working in religious and human rights ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Academy-Award winning British producer and (briefly) Columbia Pictures head David Puttnam used to have a placard on the wall of his office. It read: \"Hello, he lied.\" In \"The Invention of Lying,\" Ricky Gervais plays a \"loser\" in a society that tells only the truth. Lies are second nature in Hollywood, or maybe even first nature, so it's not surprising that the breathtakingly simple but bewilderingly original idea underpinning the new movie from \"The Office\" creator Ricky Gervais came from an industry neophyte, Gervais's co-writer and co-director, Matthew Robinson. The idea? In a world in which everyone always speaks the truth -- in which no one has ever so much as considered deceit, flattery, hyperbole, hiring an illegal maid or under-declaring their taxable returns -- what status, fame and fortune would fall to the first man to realize the power of fabrication? Appropriately, Gervais' character, Mark Bellison, works in the film biz as a screenwriter. But this being a society in which fiction has yet to be invented, his job consists of penning historical lectures that will then be read aloud to the moviegoing public by the on-screen narrator. Mark has drawn the short straw with the 14th century (no one wants to hear about the Black Death), and he's about to be fired, as his secretary (Tina Fey) is eager to tell him. She's never liked him anyway; she tells him that, too. An honest world can be a brutal place for a short, fat loser, which is all that Mark is. After all, everybody says so. The movie never surpasses the gleeful hilarity of the first 25 minutes, when it allows us to imagine just how crushing and soulless this nakedly Darwinian universe would be. The high point comes early, with Mark's dispiriting blind date with the beautiful Anna (Jennifer Garner), who is scrupulously frank about her first impressions and his long-term prospects, which are nil. She's searching for a fiscally well-endowed, genetically attractive mate, and Mark ain't him. Watch Gervais explain why Garner came cheap » . Gervais has made similar, self-deprecating remarks about the chances of a chubby Brit like him making it in Hollywood -- a line he repeated at the Emmys recently -- though it must be said, so far, Hollywood seems to be welcoming him with open arms. \"The Invention of Lying\" is loaded with celebrity cameos from the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton and Christopher Guest. Gervais should relax: Clowns don't have to be Cary Grant. Funny-looking is fine for a funny man. Meanwhile Mark's obsession with the unfairness of it all smacks of self-pity. It doesn't seem to have occurred to the filmmakers that his attraction to Anna is based entirely on her looks. Garner's role cries out for grace notes -- a kind word, a quip, an insight, some flash of warmth -- Garner can only hint at. Provocatively, the big lie that changes everything is the promise of an afterlife Mark gives to his mother on her deathbed. The word soon gets out, and Mark is forced to spell out the tenets of the world's first religion, as dictated to him by \"the man in the sky.\" Or so he says, and who should doubt it? You have to admire the audacity of such sacrilegious mischief-making, but truth be told, the movie loses its way the longer Gervais spins out this anti-parable. His false prophet acquires fame and fortune but still struggles to convince the girl that he's a better bet than Rob Lowe in the genes department. The ending's uncertain mixture of cynicism and sentimentality doesn't feel entirely plausible, and between them, Gervais and Robinson can't smooth over the story's bumpy patches. At times, the energy just seeps out of the film. But that doesn't mean \"The Invention of Lying\" isn't the funniest movie around right now. At its best, it's inspired. It's just that Ricky Gervais still has a ways to go before his filmmaking reaches the sustained pitch of his TV work. It should be fun seeing him figure it out. \"The Invention of Lying\" is rated PG-13 and runs 100 minutes. For Entertainment Weekly's review, click here." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"The Invention of Lying\" has moments of inspired comedy, says Tom Charity .\nMovie is about man who learns to lie in truth-telling society .\nFilm is flat at times, but star Ricky Gervais helps carry it over weak spots ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sunday night's \"2009 MTV Video Music Awards\" will feature a personal tribute from Janet Jackson to her late brother, MTV said. Michael Jackson receives the Legend Award during the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. Michael Jackson fans also will get their first peek during the MTV show at the behind-the-scenes documentary of the pop star's final three months, the network said. MTV announced this week that Janet Jackson \"will help open\" its video music awards show Sunday night with a tribute to her brother. No other details about her \"special appearance\" were released. The trailer for the upcoming documentary \"Michael Jackson: This Is It\" will also debut on the MTV show. It comes a month after concert promoter AEG Live handed over to Sony Pictures about 100 hours of video captured between April and June, when Jackson was preparing for his concert comeback. Fans who miss the MTV show, which will air live at 9 p.m. ET Sunday at New York's Radio City Music Hall, can preview the documentary online at www.thisisit-movie.com beginning Sunday night, the network said. See guests arrive to awards show » . British comedian Russell Brand will return to host Sunday's Video Music Awards for the second straight year. It will be the first time the awards show has aired from New York since 2006." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "MTV says Janet Jackson will give tribute to her late brother .\nAlso promised: First look at documentary of pop star's final three months .\nThe show airs live starting at 9 p.m. ET Sunday ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Typhoon Morakot dumped heavy rain on Taiwan early Saturday and threatened to further soak the recently drought-stricken island. A man fights against strong winds in Hsintien, Taipei county, Taiwan, on Friday. As of 3 a.m. local time, the storm's eye was over the northern part of the island, CNN forecaster Kevin Corriveau reported, although he noted that slow-moving Morakot is so large it encompassed the entire island. Journalist Andrew Lee in Taipei, citing local media, said the storm had blown off roofs and washed out some bridges. Corriveau said the island has received more than 39 inches (99 centimeters) of rain from the storm, which he said was expected to dump another 39 to 47 inches (99 to 119 centimeters) of rain on Taiwan. The storm made landfall carrying winds of up to 92 mph (148 km/h), with gusts up to 115 mph (185 km/h), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. iReport.com: See balcony view of heavy rains . Corriveau said the storm was expected to linger over the island for several more hours, and the southern portion of Morakot would likely be passing over Taiwan for hours after that. The storm's impact had already been felt by Friday morning, with mudslides and landslides occurring on the island. The area has been severely affected by drought in recent months, leaving the ground so hard that it does not absorb the rainfall, Corriveau said. Taiwan's Central News Agency, acknowledging the drought, cited the Water Resources Agency as saying that the storm had replenished the island's reservoirs and would put an end to water rationing in several areas. Watch more about the typhoon's impact » . The storm prompted airlines to cancel flights. Schools and government offices were closed ahead of Morakot's arrival, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency. Trading at the Taiwan Stock Exchange was also postponed until Monday, the news agency reported. In China, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that governments in coastal provinces were readying themselves for the storm and had ordered fishing boats to seek shelter before Thursday night. In Fujian province, about 8.4 million text messages had been sent to citizens warning them to prepare for the typhoon, Xinhua reported. More than 900 people, including Chinese and foreign tourists, have been evacuated from the resort of Nanji Island off east China, the news agency reported. CNN's Brandon Miller contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Island gets more than 39 inches of rain; 47 inches more possible .\nAirlines cancel flights; schools, government offices, stock exchange closed .\nMore than 900 people evacuated from resort of Nanji Island off east China ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Amid turmoil over the treatment of post-election detainees and controversy over the mass trials of political figures, Iran's supreme leader on Saturday appointed a new judiciary chief, Iranian media reported. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during the announcement that Sadeq Larijani, right, will head Iran's judiciary. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tapped Sadeq Larijani -- brother of Iran's powerful parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani -- to replace Hashemi Shahroudi, a vocal hardliner against the opposition movement, who finished his 10-year term, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported. Another brother, Mohammad Javad Larijani, is the secretary-general of the judiciary's human rights office. The development is significant in that the two brothers now head two of the three branches of Iran's government, and tensions between Ali Larijani and hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have emerged as the president tried to assemble his Cabinet for his second term. Sadeq Larijani makes the transition as a third round of detainees arrested in the aftermath of the Islamic republic's disputed presidential election were scheduled to appear in court Sunday, the semi-official Fars news agency said. The mass trial of about 100 Iranians is being held in the Revolutionary Court. Reformist politicians, lawyers and journalists are among those accused of protesting in an attempt to overturn government leadership. More than two dozen detainees were scheduled to be on trial Sunday, according to media reports, although it is not clear whether it will be the defendants' first appearance in court. Among the defendants who have been on trial this month are Seyyed Mohammad Abtahi, a former Iranian vice president; Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian reporter for Newsweek magazine; and Kian Tajbakhsh, an Iranian-American scholar. Street protests and a brutal government crackdown followed the June 12 presidential election, leading to the arrests of more than 1,000 people. The official death toll from the post-election unrest is 30, although opposition leaders reportedly have said it's more than twice that figure. The new judiciary chief's brother, Ali Larijani, spent the last week dismissing allegations by Iran's opposition that post-election detainees were raped while in custody, according to state-run media. Larijani said that a special panel of Iran's parliament, or Majlis, conducted a \"precise and comprehensive inquiry\" into the treatment at Tehran's Evin and Kahrizak prisons, and found \"no cases of rape or sexual abuse,\" government-funded Press TV reported. A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry also denied that prisoners had been tortured. \"What kind of talk is this? There was never any pressure used against these people,\" Hassan Qashqavi said Monday, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. They were responding to accusations made by opposition candidate Mehdi Karrubi who, along with opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi, ran against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election. Iran's election authority declared Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the race, sparking hundreds of thousands of Iranians to take to the streets in protest. Iranian opposition figures, including Karrubi, have compared the treatment of the detainees to the abuse of political prisoners under the \"oppressing regime\" of the shah, who was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution in 1979. In an open letter to former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani posted Saturday on his party's Web site, Karrubi says an \"impartial committee\" is needed to \"investigate these tragedies with transparency until they are resolved.\" \"Some of the former detainees have told of such brutal and violent, repeated rapes of the young women [in detention] that have caused irreparable damage to their reproductive systems,\" Karrubi says in the letter. \"Others have raped our detained young men with such brutality that they [the victims] have been afflicted by depression and are no longer speaking with anyone and refuse to leave the dark corners of their houses.\" Larijani on Wednesday challenged Karrubi to \"present evidence of such outrages\" for the Majlis to investigate, according to Press TV." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Iran's supreme leader picks brother of parliamentary speaker to head judiciary .\nSadeq Larijani replaces the outgoing Hashemi Shahroudi, a vocal hardliner .\nMedia reports: More than two dozen detainees were to be tried Sunday .\nLeadership denies claims that arrested dissidents have been raped in custody ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "PADANG, Indonesia (CNN) -- The first school assembly since the earthquake was charged with emotion and grief. Students gather for the emotional assembly at their school in Padang, Indonesia. Students at SMA1 High School in Padang have been arriving amid the ruins of their classrooms hoping life will get back to normal quickly. They still don't know how many pupils were victims of the earthquake. Only half the 800 students turned up Monday. But there was a gasp of shock as the vice principal informed them that one member of staff had been killed in the quake. As prayers and a lament were sung in the yard, the emotion was too much for one teacher who fainted and was carried away. Many students have stories of narrow escapes and cheating death by seconds. Haria Fitri told me she was taking a shower when suddenly the bathroom started shaking violently. She grabbed a towel and ran downstairs and jumped out of a window, just as her house collapsed behind her. Many are clearly traumatized by what happened, mentioning how scared they are that another quake will again turn their world upside down. The teachers too seem stunned by what's happened. Most of the classrooms here are full of rubble and lessons are now being conducted in a tent outside, provided by United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF. 17-year-old student Harris Putrareza, said: \"When I see my school, very big destruction, I get a little sad, but I am very happy to be back to my school.\" The school's English teacher, a warm, animated woman called Gustina said: \"They feel very sad, they can't control their emotions, what pity our school is broken.\" In some ways the very spirit of the school has been damaged. It was built in 1917 during the Dutch colonial period and has survived numerous earthquakes down the years. But this one ripped the place apart, leaving mountains of red bricks lying on the desks and huge gaping holes in the ceiling. One building is simply too dangerous to enter and may have to be torn down. Everywhere there are little reminders of the day the earth shook so violently: the trophy cabinet full of toppled sports awards, the covered walkways choked with smashed stone pillars. The senior students are already wondering how they will cope when it comes to their important mid-term exams next week. The principal has announced a postponement, while they find a suitable room. Slowly the students at this highly-acclaimed school will refocus on their studies, but no one will forget that day at the end of September when everything changed in Padang." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Death toll from two powerful earthquakes that struck Indonesia has risen to 608 .\n343 are still missing officially, although the number could be closer to 1000 .\nStudents at SMA1 High School in Padang said prayers for dead and missing .\nMany students have stories of narrow escapes and cheating death by seconds ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- English Premier League side Chelsea have said they will mount the \"strongest appeal possible\" following the transfer ban placed on the club by world football's governing body FIFA. English Premier League side Chelsea have been banned by FIFA from signing any new players until 2011 . The punishment, which would prevent any new member joining the squad until 2011, was dished out after the club were found to have \"induced\" Gael Kukuta to breach his contract in a transfer from French league side Lens in 2007. In a statement on their official Web site, Chelsea announced their plan to: \"Mount the strongest appeal possible following the decision of FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber over Gaël Kakuta. \"The sanctions are without precedent to this level and totally disproportionate to the alleged offence and the financial penalty imposed. We cannot comment further until we receive the full written rationale for this extraordinarily arbitrary decision,\" the statement concluded. The ruling came after Lens complained to FIFA that Chelsea had acted improperly over the transfer of 18-year-old left-winger Kakuta two years ago. The complaint was referred to the body's Disciplinary Resolution Chamber (DRC) who decided to impose a ban on any further player recruitment by last season's Champions League semifinalists. Have FIFA made the right decision? Sound Off below. A statement on FIFA's official Web site read: \"The DRC found that the player had indeed breached a contract signed with the French club. \"Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such a breach. As a result the player was condemned to pay compensation in the amount of €780,000 ($1.1 million), for which the club, Chelsea, are jointly and severally liable, and sporting sanctions were imposed on both the player and Chelsea in accordance with art. 17 par. 3 and 4 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.\" Kakuta, who was voted the side's academy player of the year in his first 12 months with Chelsea, received a personal suspension of four months as a result of the ruling. \"Chelsea are banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the present decision.\" The first football transfer window in Europe runs from January 1-31 in 2010; the second from the end of the current season until August 31 in Europe, and September 1 in Britain next year. Chelsea were also ordered to pay Lens \"training compensation\" of €130,000 ($185,000), in a decision the club could appeal at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Football governing bodies have intervened on two previous occasions in recent times regarding the acquisition of new players by Chelsea. In 2005, Nigeria midfielder Jon Mikel Obi was ordered by FIFA to return to Norwegian club Lyn Oslo to see out his contract before eventually joining Chelsea, after protracted transfer negotiations had led to disagreement with Manchester United who also claimed they had signed the player. Chelsea were also fined £300,000 ($490,000) by the English Premier League over the capture of England defender Ashley Cole from Arsenal in 2005. The club were found guilty of breaking rule K3, which forbade them approaching Cole, who still had two years left on his Arsenal deal, \"by any means while under contract.\" Watch a former Chelsea manager discuss the ban » . The Blues were also warned they could face being docked points if a similar offence occurred during the 2005/2006 season. It is the second time FIFA have handed out a transfer ban on a club. The transfers of Switzerland's FC Sion were frozen until the end of the 2010 season after they attempted to sign Egypt's Essam El Hadary before the goalkeeper's contract with Al-Ahly had expired." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Chelsea to mount the \"strongest appeal possible\" following the club's ban .\nChelsea prevented by FIFA from signing any new players until 2011 .\nClub found to have \"induced\" Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens .\nHave FIFA made the right decision? Sound Off below ." } ]

[ { "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": "(WIRED) -- Apple is the exclusive gatekeeper to its iPhone App Store, able to reject apps at will -- as it did July 28 with Google Voice. Some would-be iPhone developers, rejected by Apple, are turning to an unauthorized app store called Cydia. But some developers aren't taking the rejection lying down: They're turning instead to an unauthorized app store called Cydia, where forbidden wares continue to exist -- and even earn developers some money. That store is operated by Jay Freeman, more fondly known in the iPhone \"Jailbreak\" community as Saurik. Only five months old, his app store Cydia specializes in selling apps that Apple would reject or ban (or already has). To use Cydia or the apps available through it, customers need to jailbreak their phones -- hack them to work around Apple-imposed restrictions -- a process that Apple claims is illegal. Indeed, you can even get a Google Voice app, GV Mobile, through Cydia. After Apple pulled the app from its App Store, developer Sean Kovacs (who is not affiliated with Google) made it available for free through Cydia. It's difficult to get accurate data on how many customers have jailbroken their iPhones. But based on the number of unique device identifiers tracked on his server, Freeman claims that about 4 million, or 10 percent of the 40 million iPhone and iPod Touch owners to date, have installed Cydia. On a recent day, he said 470,000 people were connecting to the Cydia store, up from 350,000 per day just a few months ago. Among many free apps, there are also 15 paid apps in Cydia, and the store has earned $220,000 in overall sales in just five months. \"People are so annoyed by Apple and their s---, and if you give them opportunity to go around it, then they'll even pay for it,\" said Kim Streich, a developer whose app 3G Unrestrictor earned $19,000 in sales in just two weeks through Cydia. Though Cydia is relatively young, the underground \"Jailbreak\" community has existed since the first iPhone launched in 2007. That year, Apple didn't yet have an app store for its iPhone, stifling the true potential of the device. This limitation inspired digital rebels to hack away at the iPhone's closed platform in an effort to free its mind. The result? An app called Installer, opening a door for early iPhone owners to add games, utilities and other third-party software coded by developers. It wasn't until 2008 that Apple offered a software development kit for third-party coders to make programs for its iPhone. That led to the opening of the official App Store in July 2008. Apple's store grew rapidly, accumulating 65,000 apps and serving over 1.5 billion downloads to date. Many developers abandoned Installer for the more popular App Store, leaving behind an underground space where unauthorized wares could continue to exist. Installer died and became reborn as Cydia, which evolved from an app library into a store in March 2009. To gain access to Cydia, iPhone owners must jailbreak their smartphones using some freely available tools courtesy of the hacker group iPhone Dev-Team. Given the nature of this procedure, it's clear Cydia's primary audience consists of nerdy rebels wishing to utilize the full power of their iPhones, restriction-free. Cydia's numbers appear small compared to the rare stories we hear about developers turning into millionaires with hot sales of their iPhone apps in the App Store. But the idea behind a store like Cydia is that you don't have to be huge to make money. With a smaller market, fewer competitors and a reasonably large customer base, each developer has a higher chance for making a quick buck, Freeman said. Plus, you get more personal attention: Developers submitting their app through Cydia need only contact Freeman, and their app can be made available almost immediately. That's an enticing alternative to Apple's approval process, which can take months and is notoriously opaque: Some App Store developers have faced difficulty getting answers to simple questions from Apple about their apps. It's obvious what's driving iPhone customers toward Cydia: Apple's rejections and restrictions of major iPhone apps. Most notably, Apple recently banned apps supporting Google Voice, the search giant's internet-based phone enhancement service that can provide cellphone users with free text messaging and transcribed voicemail. Angry consumers and developers theorize that Apple banned the Google Voice apps so as not to detract business from its partner AT&T's phone services. The incident has brewed so much controversy that even the Federal Communications Commission has gotten involved, sending letters to AT&T, Apple and Google inquiring about the reasons for the rejections. \"Looks like Apple and AT&T pissed off a lot of people,\" Kovacs wrote in a July 28 blog post. \"I'll be releasing GV Mobile v1.2 on Cydia for free today or tomorrow.\" Another high-profile App Store regulation involves SlingPlayer, an app that enables iPhone users to stream video from a Slingbox device hooked up to a TV. When Sling originally submitted the app, it was capable of streaming over both Wi-Fi and the cellular 3G connection. However, Apple requested Sling to modify the app to work on Wi-Fi only. AT&T said this was a necessary move to prevent congestion on its 3G network. That restriction spawned the most successful Cydia app to date, 3G Unrestrictor, developed by Streich. 3G Unrestrictor, a $2 app that has sold 9,500 copies, allows the iPhone to circumvent any network limitations imposed by Apple. For example, the app enables SlingPlayer users to stream TV over 3G as well as Wi-Fi; and when using the VOIP app Skype to place phone calls, customers can also use the cellular connection, whereas normally the app only enables users to dial over Wi-Fi. \"It's just amazing what you can do on such a little cellphone, and Apple just forbids customers from doing these things, and it's just a shame,\" Streich said. \"That's why I'm so happy there's a Cydia store.\" Another developer who reports positive experiences with Cydia is Jonathan Zdziarski, who said he has made more money through the unauthorized store than Apple's App Store. In February, his app iWipe sold 694 copies in Cydia, compared to 91 copies of iErase in the App Store. \"I guess you could say the App Store is kind of like Wal-Mart, with more crap than you'd ever want to buy,\" Zdziarski said. \"And Cydia is like the general store that has everything you want and need, from fresh cuts of meat to those homemade cookies you can't get anywhere else.\" Though some developers say they're having better experiences selling apps through Cydia, it's unlikely they will succeed on a longer term, said Rana Sobhany, vice president of Medialets, an iPhone app analytics company. She said the average consumer would prefer to purchase apps through a well trusted source such as Apple. \"There have been all these apps downloaded in the App Store because it's easy for consumers to find, download and pay for apps,\" Sobhany said. \"This model is new because Apple has been training people how to download music to their iPods for years.\" However, even in the case of the App Store, developers who strike it rich still face challenges recreating their success, said Phillip Ryu, co-creator of the e-book reader Classics, which has sold over 400,000 copies to date. \"If you're hoping to reach the mainstream, the best you can hope for is your app catches on fire and charts high enough for you to make a windfall,\" Ryu said. \"Essentially you aim for the jackpot, and if you don't hit that, it's not going to make you a living.\" Freeman said it was too soon to tell whether Cydia would provide developers stable incomes, but he recommends they give it a try, considering the successes some are experiencing. He admits, however, he isn't making much money as the creator of Cydia: Like Apple, he takes 30 percent of each app sale to cover taxes. \"I don't make much money off this project, but I value the community, and I look forward to how this changes the device landscape,\" Freeman said. Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here! Copyright 2009 Wired.com." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Some would-be iPhone developers are turning instead to an unauthorized app store .\nThe new store, Cydia, specializes in selling apps that Apple would reject or ban .\nTo use Cydia or the apps available through it, customers must jailbreak their phones .\nCydia operator: Too soon to tell whether store could earn developers stable incomes ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (CNN) -- Two years ago, Dawn Warfield was drowning in debt. Dawn Warfield sold one of her two video stores to help reduce her debts. The average American household has $8,329 in credit card debt, according to the Nilson Report, a credit industry newsletter. Warfield had nearly 10 times that amount. At its worst point, her debt totalled nearly $80,000. She had 17 credit cards and admits that living beyond her means was part of the problem. \"I'll own up to that,\" she said. \"There is always unforeseen expenses, and when you are making the minimum payments on these credit cards, when you think you can't afford to make more than that, they don't go down.\" But Warfield's spending was not the only factor working against her. Watch Warfield describe how the debt piled up, and how she started paying it off » . She was in the middle of an expensive divorce and had been charging business expenses to her personal credit cards when she opened a second location of her video store. \"Every month I was writing out 17 checks,\" she said. \"And the interest rates ranged from like 6 percent to 33 percent. So it was impossible. \"I was transferring balances from one card to another, and every time I got a card to a decent interest rate, I felt like one of the cards would come off the promotional interest rate, and I was just never catching up.\" So Warfield took matters into her own hands. She sold the second location of her video store, stopped using her credit cards and decided it was time to get help. \"I sat down one day and I called each credit card one by one, and I asked each one to work with me ... to lower my interest rate.\" The credit card companies did not respond to her plea. Instead, she was directed to the debt management program of the nonprofit Consumer Credit Counseling Service, part of Money Management International. Counselor Eric Jackson helped Warfield analyze her bills and expenses and created a plan to help her get lower interest rates. Now she makes a single monthly payment. \"I don't even have to think about it, which makes it a lot easier for me, because when you have a lot of debt, it's not just financial, but it's emotional, you know, even physical,\" Warfield said. \"You think about it all the time.\" Adds Jackson: \"She's making her payments on time, they're posting to her creditor accounts, she has very low interest rates -- that was one of the benefits -- and she's definitely doing well. \"She is on track to get all her debts paid off in full within the five years.\" Today, Warfield is less than $40,000 in debt. \"I'm about halfway,\" she said. \"It hasn't been easy, but we're getting there.\" Are you fighting the recession, using innovative techniques to stay ahead in this economy or overcoming financial adversity? Share your story with us by sending an e-mail to [email protected] , and you could be profiled in an upcoming segment on CNN." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two years ago, Dawn Warfield had $80,000 in debt on 17 credit cards .\nThe video store owner was facing a divorce and expanding her business .\nShe also admits that living beyond her means was part of the problem .\nNonprofit counseling service is helping her get lower rates and pay off her debts ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- U.S. officials urged American citizens in Germany to keep a low profile and remain wary of their surroundings after the terrorist organization al Qaeda posted a video message threatening attacks in the country. German special police patrol in Berlin last month during a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benajmin Netanyahu. A State Department travel alert, issued Wednesday, remains in effect until November 11 -- two weeks after Germany holds its federal elections on Sunday. Al Qaeda posted its video threat on the Internet on September 18, vowing attacks if the elections do not come out the way it wants. The same day, the German government reacted to the video by raising its own alert level and heightening security. The British Foreign Office has also issued an advisory to its citizens living and traveling to Germany. The State Department travel alert asks Americans to keep abreast of news reports and consider the security procedures in place when they visit public places or pick hotels and restaurants. Germany's interior ministry said earlier this month that the country has noted an increase in threats by al Qaeda and other Islamist groups since the beginning of the year. In the nearly 26-minute video statement, a man identified as Bekay Harrach, using the pseudonym Abu Talha and speaking in German, said that, if the September 27 elections vote into power parties that do not pledge to pull German troops from Afghanistan, there will be a \"rude awakening.\" The speaker called on Muslims living in Germany to stay away from public life during the first two weeks after the elections, implying that any attacks would take place then. The speaker repeatedly criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also criticized Merkel's rivals, the Social Democrats, but offered the possibility of a \"peace offer.\" \"If the German people vote for peace, then the Mujahedeen will choose peace with Germany as well,\" he said. \"And with the withdrawal of the last German soldier from Afghanistan, the last Mujahed will also leave Germany. Al Qaeda gives you their word.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Al Qaeda terror group posts video message threatening attacks in Germany .\nU.S. officials urge their citizens in Germany to keep low profile and be wary .\nGermany's interior ministry report increase in threats by al Qaeda this year .\nMessage criticizes Chancellor Merkel over wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The reaction to Mackenzie Phillips' detailed account of her sexual relationship with her father, John Phillips, has been explosive, and some of the strongest statements have come from her family. Chynna Phillips said she doesn't think anyone could make up having a consensual incestuous relationship. But as the former actress and musician talked with Oprah Winfrey for the second time this week -- this time about the firestorm that erupted from her hour-long interview Wednesday -- she said she doesn't regret writing her memoir, \"High on Arrival.\" \"I understand this is a difficult thing for my family,\" Phillips told Winfrey via satellite Friday, \"but nobody's talking about this, and if I've started a national dialogue, then I'm forever grateful.\" Phillips said she has gotten letters and Facebook messages from incest survivors, thanking her for coming forward. \"It's been heartening and heartbreaking at the same time,\" she said. John Phillips died in 2001. Two of his former wives, however, have vehemently denied Mackenzie Phillips' accusations. In an statement to CNN, Michelle Phillips, an original Mamas & Papas bandmate who divorced John in 1970, called the situation \"very hurtful.\" \"Mackenzie's drug addiction for 35 years has been the result of many unpleasant experiences,\" Michelle Phillips said. \"Whether her relationship with her father is delusional or not, it is an unfortunate circumstance and very hurtful for our entire family.\" She spoke more strongly to The Hollywood Reporter's Roger Friedman, telling him, \"Mackenzie has a lot of mental illness. She's had a needle stuck up her arm for 35 years. ... She did 'Celebrity Rehab,' and now she writes a book. The whole thing is timed.\" Genevieve Waite, who married John Phillips in 1972, told Winfrey in a statement that \"John was a good man who had a lot of problems, [but] he was incapable, no matter how drunk or drugged he was, to have sexual relations with his own child.\" The fallout from Phillips' decision to reveal her family's secrets has been heartbreaking for her sister Bijou as well. Bijou Phillips supplied a statement to Winfrey stating that Mackenzie told her about the incestuous relationship with their father when Bijou was 13 but later denied it. \"This news was confusing and also scary, because I'd lived alone with him since I was 3,\" she said. \"[John Phillips] was Mr. Mom, loving and encouraging; the man who raised me would never be capable of such things.\" She also questioned why Mackenzie would leave her alone with their father if he'd molested the elder sister. Still, Bijou Phillips showed signs of measured support. \"I understand Mackenzie's need to come clean, but it hurts because the man in question isn't here to defend himself,\" she said. \"I hope she can come to terms with this and find peace.\" Mackenzie Phillips told Winfrey that her family's disbelief and anger saddened her, especially since she and Bijou Phillips have been very close. Phillips recalled the way Bijou immediately came to her aid when she was arrested last year for cocaine and heroin possession. \"I love my baby sister, and I miss having contact with her,\" Mackenzie said. \"By the time Bijou was living with my father, I felt she was safe. I did take her out of there if I felt like she wasn't being watched properly,\" she said in her defense. But she added that Michelle Phillips' statements weren't as surprising. \"When Michelle found out I was writing this book, she vowed to do everything to discredit me,\" Mackenzie told Winfrey. \"She's having a textbook reaction, trying to sweep it under the rug. It seems so unkind and ungenerous to lash out in this way; I don't have a history of mental illness. I have a history of drug addiction.\" Chynna Phillips, who also sat down with Winfrey on Friday, said she believes that her mother, Michelle, made those statements out of anger and that she does still love Mackenzie, even if she doesn't admit it. \"I think the most devastating thing is when people are in denial and don't want things on a public platform, it's not something everyone wants to share with the world,\" Chynna Phillips said. \"It's not something my mom wants plastered all over the papers.\" Chynna told Winfrey that she'd known about her sister's history with her father for about 12 years and believes that no one would go out of their way to admit having a consensual incestuous relationship. She's also not the only one who thinks Mackenzie is telling the truth. Jessica Woods, the daughter of former Mamas & Papas band member Denny Doherty, also wrote in to Winfrey and said her father knew about everything. \"I just watched your show,\" Woods wrote, \"and everything she said is true. My dad told me the awful truth, and he was horrified at what John had done.\" Chynna, who grew up with her mother, said that although she didn't spend a lot of time with John Phillips, the memories she had of him were positive, in spite of the heavy drug use she witnessed. \"He was a very charismatic man,\" she said. \"He was a very talented man and a very loving man in many ways.\" Now one half of the Christian music duo Chynna and Vaughan, Chynna said that her relationship with Mackenzie has grown over the past six months and that she's proud of her half-sister for having the courage to talk about her past. \"The thing is, who among us haven't done something that we're highly ashamed of in our lives?\" she said to Winfrey. \"Who are we to cast the first stone? In my faith, as a Christian, God told me I need to forgive. Am I happy that she put me in this position? No, I'm not. But I have to forgive. It's 13 years later, and I still haven't digested this information.\" Chynna added that she hopes her sister will take her experiences and use them to help others, offering one piece of advice: \"Get the Lord on board, because you'll need it.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Mackenzie Phillips talks about family's reaction to her claims of incest .\nSister Bijou called experience hurtful but hopes Mackenzie finds peace .\nJohn Phillips' ex-wives don't think Mackenzie's story is valid .\nChynna Phillips believes Mackenzie, hopes she uses her experience to help others ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Josh Rouse is a chameleon. And a busy one, too. Josh Rouse has made his name with well-crafted songs in a variety of styles. Listeners to his first album, 1998's \"Dressed Up Like Nebraska,\" may have lumped him into the alt-country movement. Aside from Rouse's rough, intimate voice, that album sounds little like 2003's \"1972,\" which features songs such as \"Love Vibration\" and \"Comeback (Light Therapy)\" and has a funkier, more upbeat production to match. The 36-year-old singer's willingness to follow several paths may have come from moving around as a child. Rouse was born in Nebraska and grew up around the West and the South. \"It really shaped me as a person,\" he told the Toronto Sun. \"There's an openness to the sound that I think I got from moving to, say, a big city in California to a Wyoming town of five or six hundred.\" Though he has yet to have a breakthrough single in the United States, his music has appeared in the movie \"Vanilla Sky\" and TV shows including \"Dawson's Creek\" and \"Party of Five.\" He's also admired by fellow songwriters. In 2004, the Australian newspaper The (Melbourne) Age noted Rouse was going to have dinner with Edie Brickell, the \"What I Am\" singer who is married to Paul Simon. \"She called me and said, 'I love \"1972,\" ' and I was like, 'I was listening to you when I was 16 -- and you're married to Paul Simon!' \" Rouse told the paper. On the business side, he's marching to his own drummer. On joshrouse.com, Rouse's Web site, he sells his \"Bedroom Classics\" -- dozens of songs Rouse recorded live or in random locations (hotel rooms, apartments) available to fans. For those who like a more traditional medium, the CD, Rhino Records recently compiled a two-disc set of Rouse's material -- including several demos and outtakes -- for \"The Best of the Rykodisc Years,\" which covers the first seven years of Rouse's career. \"Listening to this collection of tracks taken ... it's plain that Josh Rouse arrived fully formed,\" writes Allmusic.com's Tim Sendra. \"From his first release ... he was already a thoughtful writer with a heartbreakingly intimate voice and the unfailing ability to wrap his melancholy in warm and sweet melodies.\" Rouse answered several questions via e-mail for CNN.com. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Your music showcases a number of styles -- the fairly basic sound of the early records, the early-'70s infused stuff from \"1972,\" and then there are songs like \"Miserable South\" that would sound comfortable coming from Otis Redding or Al Green. So, though it's a cliché, what are your influences? Josh Rouse: Anything that is soulful and honest is an influence. There are too many musicians/writers to name. CNN: Are you surprised that Rhino put together a \"best of\"? Rouse: No, I was aware that they were planning on doing it. It's nice to reflect on the body of work I've created. CNN: One of your songs, \"Directions,\" was on the \"Vanilla Sky\" soundtrack. What effect, if any, did this have on your career? Rouse: Well, I got to meet Cameron Crowe, and he seemed nice. I'm sure it exposed my music to some people who might not of heard it otherwise. However, it did not have a Zach Braff effect on my career. CNN: With all the material on the Web, as well as your albums, you're obviously a prolific songwriter. Has it been helpful to put all that out there, or have some people criticized you for releasing too much, as Ryan Adams has been criticized? Rouse: More than being criticized for releasing a lot, I think it's more difficult to receive a lot of attention for one specific record. Sometimes [the] press doesn't want to write on a songwriter they just wrote about a year or two ago. I think my fan base is grateful. CNN: Which of your songs are among your favorites, and why? Which would you like to have back -- or rework? Rouse: \"1972\" is a beautiful song all the way around. I don't think I ever want to rework anything. I'm constantly trying to move forward. Sometimes you say, \"I wish that was faster, etc.\" but it I'm not going to go back and re-record it. CNN: In the album notes, you mention that you write best when you're in motion -- getting ideas for melodies in taxicabs, for example. How do you hold on to those? Rouse: If they're good, I can usually remember them. I also have a variety of small handheld recorders. CNN: You've got songs referring to Nebraska, the Hamptons, Nashville ... have you thought of pulling a Sufjan Stevens and profiling a state? Rouse: No, and I'm not sure half of those Sufjan songs are profiling a state. However, it makes for a great marketing tool. CNN: You say you feel as if these albums are your \"first stage.\" What's next? Rouse: I'm currently working on an Afro-Brazilian record in Spanish." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Josh Rouse has fans among other songwriters .\n\"Love Vibration\" singer has no hits, but songs in TV shows, movies .\nWhat's next? \"Afro-Brazilian record in Spanish\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- By the end of World War II in April 1945, with about two-thirds of European Jewry wiped out, Jewish survivors stepped out of the darkness in search of a place to call home. Bestselling author Anita Diamant releases her latest historical novel, \"Day After Night.\" About 250,000 were considered displaced persons, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. A growing number of Jews -- before, during and especially after the war -- dreamt of helping to build a Jewish homeland in what was, at the time, British-controlled Palestine. \"Getting out of Europe, for a lot of people, felt like getting out of a graveyard,\" said bestselling author Anita Diamant, whose newest book focuses on this period. \"Palestine was like over the rainbow, practically. It was somewhere that they knew they were wanted, at least by the Jewish community in Palestine, and it was a way to start over again in a completely new world.\" Immigration quotas, however, meant that the more than 100,000 Jews who arrived between 1945 and 1948, when Israel was declared a state, did so illegally. Most of those who were captured were sent to internment camps in places like Cyprus. But some Jewish prisoners ended up at a camp in Palestine called Atlit, located on the Mediterranean coast near the city of Haifa. Living in barracks and peering through barbed wire, these Holocaust survivors lived in limbo between their past and their future. \"Nobody else wanted them, so they wanted to go to Palestine,\" Diamant said. \"There was this bottleneck. It was a big problem for the British, and it was also a public relations nightmare for the British.\" Watch Diamant talk about her new book » . One night in October 1945, members of the Palmach -- an underground Jewish fighting force originally created to help the British fight the Nazis -- broke into Atlit and helped more than 200 prisoners escape. Central in this charge was Yitzhak Rabin, who would go on to be Israel's prime minister, and who was assassinated by a Jewish extremist in 1995. Diamant, author of \"The Red Tent,\" among other books, delves into the lives of four women who were part of this experience in her latest historical novel, \"Day After Night.\" Carrying with them different wartime experiences, they are: a Polish partisan fighter, a Parisian woman who was forced into prostitution, a Dutch Jew who was in hiding, and a concentration camp survivor. CNN sat down with Diamant, a daughter of Holocaust survivors, to talk about her latest book, the reason this story is relatively unknown and her attempt to stay out of Middle East politics. CNN: How did you decide to focus on this specific story? Diamant: The story found me, the way I think all of my novels found me. My daughter was in Israel on a semester program when she was 15, in 2000, and my husband and I went on the parents' trip. So we were on and off the buses with the kids as they did their field trips, and one of the field trips was in Atlit. We were given the tour, and we were told the story of this escape and about these so-called illegal immigrants. And I thought there's a novel. CNN: This isn't a piece of Israel's history that many seem to know about. Why is that? Diamant: American Jews, even people who know Haifa well, who know Israel well, it comes as a surprise to them. It's not one of the big bloody chapters. It was early in the conflict in terms of Jewish resistance. After this they started bombing train tracks and doing more overt military resistance to the British occupation, as it was known then. Part of the reason we don't know about it is that I think the Holocaust is still such a huge shadow, and it's still something we focus on. This is a relatively tender interlude. It's not the founding of the state, and it's not the Holocaust. CNN: Are the characters based on real women you learned about in your research? Diamant: No, they're my girls. I invented them based on some stories that I had heard and read. ... There were women partisan fighters. I know that women were forced to do things against their will to survive. A lot of people were in hiding. It's sort of based on common knowledge about what happened during the war but at the same time trying to flesh out women's stories which I still think are under-told. CNN: What was the central struggle facing these women and the people in Atlit in general? Diamant: It's the struggle to continue after great loss, great pain and great suffering. How do you cope with those memories? Where do you put them? How do you carry them with you into the future? How much do you have to forget in order to live, to continue? ... We are a resilient species. Life moves on and they fall in love. And they're coming back to life, their bodies are coming back to life. A lot of marriages happened in displaced persons camps and camps like this, and a lot of babies were conceived in places like this, too, because life demands that we continue. But that can feel also like a betrayal of all the people you lost, so it's a painful tension -- the past and the future. CNN: Politically, everything that involves Israel is so loaded. Did you worry about this? Did you factor in how history unfolded after this? Diamant: I focused it very narrowly on this one little window of history. For it to have integrity, telling the story of that period, you can't know what happens next. So I really focused on their stories, their personal stories. Maybe that's a cop-out? But in writing a historical novel, you can't go outside of the box. I don't think I can. Although...a couple characters say, \"They told us there was nobody here. There are all these Arabs here.\" There was a slogan: \"People without a land, and a land without a people.\" That was the slogan in Europe that was used to drum up Zionist support. But in fact there were people in the land, and they got there and they went, \"What? No one told us.\" Jews have been grappling with that fact from before the founding of the state. So it's acknowledged in here, but it's not the center of the book." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "After Holocaust, before Israel became a state, 100,000 survivors immigrated illegally .\nSome were imprisoned in British-controlled Palestine and later freed in breakout .\nBestselling author Anita Diamant explores this chapter in new book, 'Day After Night'\nCharacters face question: 'How much do you have to forget in order to live?'" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: Leslie Sanchez, a Republican who was director of the White House Initiative on Hispanic Education from 2001 to 2003, is the author of a forthcoming book, \"You've Come a Long Way, Maybe: Sarah, Michelle, Hillary and the Shaping of the New American Woman.\" Sanchez is CEO of the Impacto Group, which specializes in market research about women and Hispanics. Leslie Sanchez says Michelle Obama's fashion choices have helped create a positive image for the first lady. (CNN) -- In just 200 days, Michelle Obama has put her own stamp on one of America's most unusual political positions -- the unelected, undefined job of being first lady. And the way she's done it? It's largely through the fashion choices she's made. Each of her predecessors has brought a unique perspective and personality to the east wing of the White House, helping to shape how the nation views the president and how the world views the nation. The use of fashion and image as a political strategy is an underrated factor. While Washington's political cognoscenti debate the successes and failures of the young Obama presidency, one half of Washington's newest power couple fine tunes fashion as a political strategy -- and it's working for her. See photos of Michelle Obama's fashion » . The fashion authorities who are gathered this week in New York for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, more than seven months into the Obama presidency, are watching Michelle Obama's redefinition of the role of first lady with professional and personal interest. The contemporary standard for the job was set decades ago by Jacqueline Kennedy, who had both a high sense of fashion and the style to pull it off. Carl Sferrazza Anthony, the historian at the National First Ladies' Library, points out that Mrs. Kennedy wanted to be well-dressed, liked European style and had American designers copy it. She even went as far as to personally design her own outfits on three important state occasions, including her famous White House dinner for Nobel laureates, while letting other designers take the credit. The comparisons between Mrs. Kennedy and Mrs. Obama are as apt as the comparisons between their husbands. Michelle Obama comes across as feminine yet strong, professional and, unlike Mrs. Kennedy, approachable. She's a thoughtful presence on the national stage, but it's a very different kind of style from what we associate with Jackie Kennedy, who displayed a style of wealth, youth and glamor to an adoring middle class. Mrs. Obama, on the other hand, is portrayed as a take-charge woman who is sensitive to today's economic realities. Not stylish in her own right, she blends advice from her noted advisers to appear independent and progressive, yet \"in touch.\" But while Jackie was high fashion, Michelle Obama is trendy but traditional. And that approachability extends to her personal style as well, her advisors having absorbed the lesson that the first lady's style is all too easily linked to her husband's presidency. Ronald Reagan's opponents used his wife Nancy's interest in fashion and her intent to look like the wife of a president, rather than mimic the school-marmish attire of her predecessor, as a gateway through which to attack the president. Mrs. Reagan's wardrobe choices, especially her designer Adolfo dresses, were used to make her husband seem insensitive to the poor and hungry. Mrs. Obama has avoided making the same mistake during the worst economic times in recent memory. She seems to have made a calculated decision to avoid that trap by focusing on emerging designers, like Jason Wu for her inaugural gown or choosing to wear trendy, off-the-rack clothes like the J. Crew gloves, sweater and skirt she chose for her husband's inauguration. And whatever the style mavens have to say about that, it produces political benefits. J. Crew's shares jumped 10 percent within 24 hours after the nation saw her in its clothing, which prompted NBC's Conan O'Brien to suggest the president consider wearing a Buick. As Women's Wear Daily media reporter Stephanie Smith says, this child of Chicago's South Side has become \"the biggest celebrity in the world.\" Forbes lists her among the \"Most Powerful Women,\" and there's no doubt she's expanding the boundaries of perceptions surrounding the role of a \"traditional\" first lady, balancing her visits to homeless shelters and military bases with taking part in her children's soccer games. As The New York Times reported, Mrs. Obama \"pointedly controlled her look on the covers of People, Essence, More and O, Oprah Winfrey's magazine. Editors at Essence, who suggested colors, styles and accessories, said her staff did not call to acknowledge their overtures. ... Lesley Jane Seymour, the editor-in-chief of More... said Mrs. Obama refused to wear anything other than her own clothes for their October cover. 'She wanted none of that. She was creating the cover. She was creating the image. There's definitely a will of steel there.'\" According to Anthony, the general public's fascination with Michelle Obama spills over and helps the administration. To him, everything the media and the public criticize or praise is visual. \"It's not anything she's saying or doing. That's perhaps somewhat tactical. If she's unpopular based on her clothes choices, the White House can say it's really not of importance.\" IMG executive Fern Mallis, the creative inspiration behind New York's Fashion Week, says \"most first ladies have always been on a pedestal of expensive, elegant clothing, of couture evening gowns. It's something that people can't really relate to.\" This was especially true during the Kennedy years. Even if most American women wanted Jackie's dresses, Anthony points out, they could not buy them. These clothes were not only too expensive -- they weren't even available at the high-end stores. They were one of a kind. Mrs. Obama, because she has made fashion \"more democratic,\" says style expert Robert Verdi, has made her own impact on a world full of elites and -- let's face it -- snobs. Mrs. Kennedy, he says, \"was very contemporary and up-to-the-moment in fashion. But fashion at that time as not democratic. There was no Zara, no J. Crew, no Banana Republic. It was not accessible; it was exclusively aspirational.\" On balance, though, Michelle Obama has shown a feminine but bold approach to her style by rattling the image of what a \"Washington\" first lady must look like. For other professional women and moms, the impact may not be purely imitation, as was the case with Jackie Kennedy, but rather the timely embracing of a new image of a modern, professional woman. Whatever it is, it's clearly by design. The push-pull of knowing fashion and appropriately wearing fashion may take Mrs. Obama longer to manage. Though a risk-taker and eager to highlight the equivalent of \"mom and pop\" designers, she, like many women, is still safely wearing styles others create rather than something new we could aspire to. Still -- whatever the implications for fashion -- on a political level, the first lady's approach is working. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Leslie Sanchez." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Leslie Sanchez: Fashion choices are important strategy for a First Lady .\nShe says Michelle Obama has wisely chosen image of a modern professional .\nShe says other First Ladies have communicated an elite and expensive image .\nSanchez: Michelle Obama's style fits the times Americans live in ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- A store owner in New York who is being hailed as a hero after rescuing a 4-year-old boy from a burning building said he plans to visit the child in the hospital Friday. Horia Cretan climbed up a fire escape and helped save a boy through the window of a burning building. Horia Cretan, who owns an electronics store in the Bronx structure where the fire broke out, also hopes to meet Christopher's parents for the first time, he told CNN's \"American Morning.\" The boy is expected to recover, Cretan said. The child was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where a nurse said she couldn't provide his condition. Cretan, who moved to the United States from Romania 15 years ago, said he was inside his store Wednesday when he heard a child's screams. It was about 4 p.m., he said, about the time children play outside after getting out of school, but he said the screams he heard were \"totally different.\" He reached a fire escape and climbed to the fourth floor, where a firefighter handed the boy to him through a smoke-clouded window, video from the scene shows. \"What I was worried about is, is he still alive? Because his head just dropped, and he wasn't helping himself or helping me,\" Cretan said. \"He just couldn't hold his weight and he was unconscious.\" While the firefighter was handing over the boy, other crew members were trying to get into the building's main entrance to make their way to the apartment where the fire was, the store owner said. Cretan covered himself and the boy with a blanket or curtain to shield themselves from falling debris and glass, which cut the boy on the leg. Watch Cretan describe the rescue » . During the rescue, the boy's brother stood below, yelling, the rescuer said. Christopher was given oxygen on the ground and taken to the hospital. Cretan said it wasn't the first time he rescued someone. He said he rescued his sister from a fire in Romania that killed their father. The 33-year-old Cretan said he was 12 years old at the time. \"It was a sad story, a tragic moment at the time,\" he said, referring to the Romanian incident. \"And you know, it had an impact on people around the neighborhood like it does right now. It's amazing. This just skyrocketed.\" Cretan said he's received messages across the globe about the Bronx incident. \"This has become famous because somebody happened to be on the corner with the camera pretty much. You don't do things like this for merit. The merit in itself is you save somebody,\" Cretan said. \"And the whole community's just being great. Adopting me like a son, and I'm a part of a big family and I'm happy to have them in my life.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Horia Cretan says he was working in his store when he heard a child's screams .\nThe boy is expected to recover, says Cretan, who plans to visit the child .\nHe says he has received messages from around the world .\nCretan says at 12 he rescued his sister from a fire in which his father died ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Kenya needs $230 million over the next six months to feed millions affected by drought, the United Nations said in a new report. Farmers carry food handouts from the World Food Programme at a distribution spot near Nanyuki. The three-year failure of annual rains has reduced crop output, the main source of food for the country of 37 million. The drought has also affected water production and prompted power rationing in the east African nation. Kenya gets most of its energy from hydro-generation. About 3.8 million Kenyans need emergency food aid, and conditions are expected to deteriorate in the next few months, the United Nations World Food Programme said Wednesday. The rate among children under 5 suffering malnutrition has gone from 15 to 20 percent in some cases, the report said. \"People are already going hungry, malnutrition is preying on more and more young children, cattle are dying -- we face a huge challenge and are urging the international community to provide us with the resources we need to get the job done,\" said Burkard Oberle, Kenya director of the World Food Programme. The organization said it is helping about 2.6 million people in Kenya affected by drought while the government is supporting 1.2 million more until the end of October. \"In order to feed all 3.8 million people for the next six months, WFP and the Kenyan government will require strong support from donors in the weeks ahead,\" the report said. More than 17 million people across the Horn of Africa need help from the United Nations, which is battling funding shortfalls. Some of the most dire nations include Somalia and Uganda, which need $164 million and $96 million respectively." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "U.N.: Kenya needs $230 million to feed millions affected by drought .\nThree-year failure of annual rains has hit crops that feed country of 37 million .\nAbout 3.8 million Kenyans need emergency food aid; conditions set to worsen ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(Mental Floss) -- Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to seek out covert items at fast food chains around the country. Not all food items are always listed on restaurant menus. Be warned, this mission includes very real dangers such as hardening arteries and skyrocketing cholesterol. We've compiled a list to get you started. 1. If you're at Starbucks and in need of just a little caffeine, don't worry -- there's a tiny option for you. It's the Short size, and they don't advertise it. It's like a little baby cup of coffee. It also comes in handy when you're scrounging for change and don't have enough for a tall (not that that has ever happened to me). 2. It's a good thing we don't have Jamba Juice here in Iowa, because I would be all over candy-based smoothies. Because it's considered a health-food chain, Jamba Juice doesn't officially list these on their in-store menus, but the Web site Mighty Foods assures us that the secret flavors exist. The ones they confirmed with the company's headquarters include Strawberry Shortcake, White Gummy Bear, PB&J, Various flavors of Starbursts, Fruity Pebbles, Push-Up Pops, and Skittles. Other tantalizing flavors that are rumored to exist: Chocolate Gummi Bear, Apple Pie, Sourpatch Kid, Tootsie Roll, and Now and Later. 3. This one might be my favorite. At Fatburger, you can order a Hypocrite -- a veggie burger topped with crispy strips of bacon. 4. Chipotle has a whole secret menu that is limited only by your imagination -- they have a store policy that says that if they have the item available, they will make it for you. Things that have been tested include nachos, quesadillas, taco salads and single tacos. Some stores are testing out quesadillas as a regular menu item, however, so maybe someday soon you won't need a super-secret handshake to order one. Mental Floss: 7 food promotions gone horribly wrong . 5. If you're at Wendy's and you're really hungry -- like, three-patties-just-won't-cut-it hungry -- go ahead and order the Grand Slam, which is four patties stacked on a bun. This option is only available at select Wendy's, and it's also known as the Meat Cube. 6. Several places, including McDonald's and In-N-Out, will serve you the Neapolitan milkshake. It's just what it sounds like -- chocolate, vanilla and strawberry shakes layered in a cup. 7. In-N-Out Burger's \"secret menu\" isn't so secret these days -- in fact, they've posted it on their Web site. But in case you're not in the habit of surfing fast food Web sites, here's the skinny on their rather un-skinny items: ordering something \"Animal Style\" at In-N-Out means you're going to get it with lettuce, tomato, a mustard-cooked beef patty, pickles, extra spread (it's sort of Thousand-Islandy) and grilled onions. You can even get your fries Animal Style. Mental Floss: Why is it called \"Thousand Island\" dressing? \"Protein Style\" is a burger wrapped in a lettuce leaf instead of a bun. A Grilled Cheese is two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato and spread on a bun (grilled onions if you so choose). And you can get just about any combo of meat and cheese that you want if you order it like you're ordering lumber: 3×3 gets you three beef patties and three slices of cheese, 4×4 gets you four of each, and so on. According to photos posted at SuperSizedMeals.com, one gluttonous patron requested and received a 100x100 at a Las Vegas store a few years ago. One item not listed on the Web site secret menu: the Flying Dutchman, which is two slices of cheese sandwiched between two patties, hold the bun. 8. Feeling a little health-conscious at Popeye's? If you are, you really should have gone somewhere else. But there's a little hope for you -- ordering \"naked chicken\" will get you breading-free poultry. The word is that this is on the menu at some Popeye's, but not all of them, although it is an option at all of them. 9. Like Chipotle, Taco Bell will make you just about anything within reason as long as they have the ingredients for it. Since most of the food at Taco Bell is made out of the same basic items, that means you can probably ask for most discontinued items and get them. One \"secret,\" though, is that they have a not-advertised green chili sauce at most locations, and apparently it's excellent. 10. Some Subways will still make you the popular pizza sub from the 1990s. Once the chain decided to make their focus healthy eating, the pizza sub disappeared from the menu in most places (the word is that Canadian and Mexican Subways still offer them on a regular basis). But if you ask, lots of places will still make it for you. Be warned, though -- Jared would not approve of the nine slices of pepperoni and copious amounts of cheese slathered in marinara sauce. Mental Floss: Brief history of dubious dieting . For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Some fast food outlets have not-on-menu items you can get if you ask for them .\nFatburger's Hypocrite is bacon-topped veggie burger; Popeye's offers naked chicken .\nSome Subways will still make the popular pizza sub from the 1990s .\nWendy's offers the Meat Cube; McDonald's has a Neapolitan milkshake ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Monstrosities, eyesores, nightmares of architecture -- call them what you like, ugly buildings are sadly all around us. Worst in Britain: The Bullring Shopping Centre in Birmingham was voted as the country's ugliest building. And you cannot simply define one category of hideous architecture. There is ugly, and then there is Ugly. The latter often open in controversial circumstances: There may be protests from local residents, and there can even be calls to knock them down. Yes, these are the world's ugliest buildings. From the divisive Millennium Dome (02 Arena) in London, to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and the incomplete Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea -- we have compiled a gallery of ten of the world's ugliest buildings for your viewing displeasure. Although the buildings shown are scattered across the globe, they share several things in common. All of them had big budgets, most were attempts at creating contemporary or futuristic styling, and they have all divided opinion among local residents, architects, and the general public. • Click here to see photos of the world's ugliest buildings » . And these largely unpleasant buildings should not be treated as a joke. Sometimes the architecture can have a grave impact on the perception of a city or region. Birmingham, in the Midlands of the United Kingdom, for example, was recently voted the ugliest city in the country through a national poll. This came after the city's Bullring Shopping Centre and the Birmingham Central Library were named as the number one and two ugliest buildings in the country. And far from it being a case of the rest of the country bashing the area, in a local poll some 40 percent of local residents agreed that their city was home to the single ugliest building in the country. Do you have any ugly buildings you would like to name and shame? Let us know what you think of the buildings in our photo gallery and tell us some others that could make it by posting a comment in the Sound Off box below. We'll publish the best." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The 02 Arena in London was the world's ugliest building on the Forbes list .\nBirmingham's Bullring shopping Center was voted as Britain's ugliest building .\nNorth Korea's Ryugyong Hotel has been criticized by many people ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Chinese leaders Monday mourned the death of Zhuo Lin, wife of former national leader Deng Xiaoping. Zhuo Lin, center, mourns at husband Deng Xiaoping's funeral in 1997. Zhuo, a former consultant of the Central Military Commission General Office, died July 29 at age 93 and was cremated Monday, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. She was \"an excellent Communist Party of China member and time-honored loyal communist fighter,\" the party said in a written statement. Zhuo stood by Deng through decades of what CNN once described as \"amazing comebacks\" from \"political purges.\" Though a committed Communist revolutionary, Deng also was a chief architect of some key reforms that reshaped China's economy. Zhuo met Deng in 1939 when they were young revolutionaries. She became his third wife and mother of his two sons and three daughters. When Deng rose to prominence as the most powerful leader of China, the family became China's \"first family.\" Zhuo and Deng remained together until his death in 1997. Part of their story includes time spent together in exile. In 1966, Deng proposed major reforms including free markets for farmers and incentive bonuses. He was quickly denounced as a \"capitalist roader,\" a Maoist term used for people embracing capitalist ideals. He was under house arrest for two years, paraded in a dunce cap through the streets of Beijing and forced to wait tables at a Communist Party school. In 1969, Deng, Zhuo and several of their children were exiled to Jiangxi province in southeastern China. Deng later said only a personal security team supplied by Chinese leader Mao Zedong protected him from being killed. As Xinhua reported, Zhuo was Deng's companion \"through thick and thin.\" When he ascended to power in 1978, Deng argued that \"poverty is not socialism\" and encouraged the creation of a market economy and capitalist-like enterprises. By the early 1990s his reforms had helped lift an estimated 170 million peasants out of extreme poverty. But he refused to abolish the power of the Communist Party over the lives of China's citizens. And he apparently approved the brutal suppression of unarmed demonstrators in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989. The remarkable ups and downs of Deng Xiaoping's long political career took a dramatic toll on Deng and Zhuo's children, CNN reported in 1999, \"leaving one son crippled from an attack during the Cultural Revolution but, in more recent years, enabling all five Deng heirs to succeed in business, government or the arts.\" The Cultural Revolution was initiated by Mao in 1966 to purge reformists and return the country to his style of communism. Zhuo took on various roles in the Chinese government. In 1978, she was appointed a consultant of the Central Military Commission General Office, Xinhua reported. \"She served as a deputy to the fourth and fifth National People's Congress and was awarded the Independence Merit Medal from the People's Liberation Army in 1988,\" the news agency said. \"My father and mother did not just share a family, they shared political ideals and life pursuits,\" said Deng Rong, in a Xinhua report. According to Xinhua, several leaders and former statesmen attended Zhuo's cremation ceremony, including President Hu Jintao, former President Jiang Zemin, legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao. \"To complete the last trip with her beloved husband, Zhuo chose to have her ashes scattered at sea as her husband's were,\" Xinhua reported." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Chinese Community Party calls her \"time-honored loyal communist fighter\"\nZhuo Lin, wife of Deng Xiaoping, died July 29 at the age of 93 .\nChild says mother, father \"shared political ideals and life pursuits\"\nNews agency: Zhuo wanted her ashes spread at sea, just as Deng's were ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Obama administration has unveiled a government \"app store\" designed to push the federal bureaucracy into the era of cloud computing. The Obama administration is pushing for the government to use cloud-computing technologies. The change means some federal employees will begin using services like YouTube, Gmail and WordPress, which store data on private Internet servers instead of on those paid for with public money. The process will start small but will ramp up quickly, Vivek Kundra, the U.S. chief information officer, said in a blog post on Tuesday. \"Our policies lag behind new trends, causing unnecessary restrictions on the use of new technology,\" Kundra writes in the post on WhiteHouse.gov. \"We are dedicated to addressing these barriers and to improving the way government leverages new technology.\" The app store is designed for federal employees doing official government business and is not intended for use by the public. Also on Tuesday, Google announced the creation of a \"government cloud,\" in which public data will be stored on Google computer servers by 2010. According to a Google blog post, this dedicated space will serve the needs of federal, state and local governments. With \"cloud computing,\" users access applications that exist online instead of on their computers' hard drives. Both projects are designed to save the government money and to give government employees access to tools sometimes used in the private sector. The measures fall in line with the Obama administration's efforts to get the federal government up to speed with the latest technologies. Kundra wrote that the cost savings could be significant. The federal government spends $75 billion per year on data storage and other information technology costs, he wrote. A video on the new app store Web site also says government servers that host government Web sites and infrastructure often waste energy and money because they duplicate the efforts of the private sector. The app store, which is online at apps.gov, is essentially a compilation of Web programs, tools and services available to some government employees. A social media page, for instance, explains the possible uses of Web sites like YouTube, TwitVid and Flickr. People using the site have to log in and submit requests for approval before gaining access. Many of the applications, such as those mentioned, are free. Other business software in the government app store requires payment. \"With more rapid access to innovative IT solutions, agencies can spend less time and taxpayer dollars on procedural items and focus more on using technology to achieve their missions,\" writes Kundra. Ben Parr, associate editor at the social media blog Mashable, said it's smart for the government to turn to third-party tech companies that know their stuff better than federal bureaucrats. \"I'm a fan of it, because in most circumstances government is inefficient and this is a big way to really bring government up to speed in terms of computing,\" he said. \"There are a lot of places where the government is far behind.\" Some privacy experts are concerned about the fact that some public data could end up on private-run computer servers, however. Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said people are required to submit information to the government and their data should be protected. \"We're not against the cloud computing model but there are real concerns here, both about privacy and security online,\" he said. He questioned whether Google, for example, would be able to use keywords from heath records to push pharmaceutical company ads at the American public. The details of government agreements about cloud computing need to be more public to ensure proper encryption techniques are taken and privacy laws are upheld, he said. \"I think it might make people wonder why government data is being commercialized in this way,\" he said. Parr said most government data is public anyway. \"So I definitely don't expect to see the CIA posting private documents on Scribd,\" he said, referring to the site where people can publish documents and other writing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The \"app store\" would be for federal workers doing government business .\nThe site, at apps.gov, seeks to offer and explain cloud computing programs .\nThe administration says such programs could save the government money .\nGoogle also announces a \"government cloud\" where public data may be stored ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- When the late Sen. Edward Kennedy was growing up, there was a family edict: Kennedy men don't cry. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, left, and Ted Kennedy Jr. appear on \"Larry King Live\" on Monday evening. On \"Larry King Live\" Monday night, the senator's sons -- Ted Kennedy Jr. and Rep. Patrick Kennedy -- said times have changed, and that includes the no-tears rule of an earlier generation. In a wide-ranging interview, they also discussed the moment of their father's passing, how their mother, Joan, was handling her ex-husband's death, the legacy of Chappaquiddick, the Kennedy \"curse\" and their impressions of their dad's memoir, \"True Compass.\" The 77-year-old senator died August 25 after a battle with brain cancer. \"You know my father was very good at overcoming his own kind of old, traditional sense of not talking about your feelings, not really expressing a lot of emotions,\" Patrick Kennedy told King. The family has had plenty of moments over which to shed tears. King asked Ted Kennedy Jr. if there was crying when he lost his leg to cancer as a boy. \"Absolutely,\" he replied. Ted Kennedy Jr. said his father's memoirs explore his father's emotional tribulations. \"[It talks] about the very difficult things that he had to do, for example telling my grandfather that my uncle Jack had been killed.\" Both sons said their father's last year was a gift to them and the family. His brothers -- President John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy -- had their lives cut short by assassinations in the 1960s. Watch sons tell of their last year with their father » . \"He also was able to enjoy a lot of accolades, not just from obviously his natural constituencies in the Democratic Party, but ... quite moving testaments from many of his Republican colleagues,\" Teddy Kennedy Jr. said. \"It was really wonderful to see my father actually be able to revel in a lot of those compliments that people had to say about my dad.\" \"The really beautiful part about having that extra year with him where he didn't have to traipse all around the world and all around the country was that he was able to spend time with us, and we were able to be there for him emotionally and physically,\" Patrick Kennedy said. Despite their many family tragedies, they debunked the so-called \"Kennedy curse.\" \"You don't buy the idea of a curse?\" King asked. \"No. No. Obviously my dad had a sense of spirituality that transcended his ability to face these problems, you know, in a way that would have otherwise paralyzed the normal person,\" Patrick Kennedy said. Ted Kennedy Jr. added, \"The Kennedy family has had to endure these things in a very open way. But our family is just like ... every other family in America in many ways.\" He also described the moment of his father's passing. \"I was there, Larry. It was very peaceful. ... He was suffering in those last few weeks [so] it really did take the sting out of his final passing. ... And it was a very peaceful, extremely spiritual thing.\" The sons elaborated on how their mother, Joan, has handled being divorced, her ex-husband's death and their thoughts on their stepmother. \"My dad was and remains a central figure in her life. Obviously, they both shared so much of their lives together,\" Patrick Kennedy said. \"The fact is that my dad and Vicki [Sen. Edward Kennedy's second wife] were so gracious. In all of the holidays, my mom was included. There wasn't any of this bitterness and everything. ... And I really am so grateful to Vicki for that, to my dad for that. \"Vicki was such a great sense of support to my dad at the end. \"My mom has been such an inspiration to me,\" Patrick Kennedy went on. \"She has struggled, as we talked about in an earlier program, with this disease called alcoholism, which I suffer from as well. She's been so public in her fight on this that she's inspired so many people and inspired me.\" The sons also talked about their father's memoirs, including the now-infamous episode at Chappaquiddick. After a July 18, 1969, party for those who had worked on Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign, Ted Kennedy drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. Although he managed to escape, his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned. Kennedy did not report the incident immediately and later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. \"Years ago, he spoke to me about exactly what happened that night,\" Ted Kennedy Jr. told King.\"And I knew how sorry my father has been each and every day of his life for what happened that night. If he could undo that moment, he would give anything to have been able to do so. \"And in this book ... he doesn't make an excuse -- any excuses. He accepts responsibility for what happened. But ... it's what you do with these tragic events that happen in your life that's really the measure of the person.\" They said they drew a lot of inspiration from reading \"True Compass.\" \"I feel like this book ... is a gift. It's a gift to me and my children who of course knew him as a grandfather but never really knew him as a man in the fullest sense of the word,\" Ted Kennedy Jr. said. \"I was a little worried when I first opened up the pages because even though he'd been talking about it and even though I'd heard many of these stories before, I really didn't know what to expect. And what I found was ... a riveting, riveting two-day read.\" \"Many people castigated him and attacked him and made him a caricature where he actually was a very real person as we've seen in this book,\" Patrick Kennedy told King. \"There wasn't a better politician around. My dad had the ability to just connect with anybody.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sons of late Sen. Edward Kennedy say dad learned to embrace emotional side .\nThey say they don't believe in the so-called \"Kennedy curse\"\nTed Kennedy Jr. says moment of his father's passing was peaceful, spiritual .\nOn Chappaquiddick: He accepted responsibility for what happened, sons say ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Just three weeks after Jon and Kate Gosselin announced their separation, there is speculation of a new plus-one in the mix for \"Jon & Kate Plus 8.\" Jon Gosselin, here with his sons, was photographed on vacation with another woman. Fans of the show are buzzing about photos of Jon Gosselin apparently on vacation in Saint-Tropez, France, with a young woman who is definitely not his wife and reality TV co-star. People.com identified her as Hailey Glassman, the daughter of Dr. Lawrence Glassman, a surgeon who famously performed a tummy tuck on Kate that was documented for the Gosselins' hit TLC show. Gosselin and Glassman appeared to be the guests of designer Christian Audigier, creator of the Ed Hardy line, and the pair was spotted holding hands, smoking together and lounging aboard Audigier's yacht. The Gosselins' marriage became the focus of their reality show -- which had followed the adventures of the pair raising a set of twins and sextuplets -- amid allegations that Jon was cheating on Kate with 23-year-old teacher Deanna Hummel. Jon repeatedly denied that he had strayed. But after much speculation and tension on the show, the couple announced in June that they had separated. The same day, Kate filed for divorce. Given the media spotlight, dating coach Patti Feinstein said, it's not a good idea for Gosselin to be out with another woman so soon after the marital rift. \"You need to take a little time off from dating, because there is this rebound period,\" Feinstein said. \"He's probably feeling that he wasn't getting enough attention from his wife, so he's all lonely, and he needs to be stroked up. \"Once he gets the feeling that 'I'm loveable; I'm worthy; someone loves me for me and wants to put me first,' \" Feinstein theorized, \"then that person he is dating, either he will dump her, or she will dump him.\" Relationship expert Nancy Slotnick said the unfortunate ones in the high-profile tabloid fodder are the Gosselin children: 8-year-old twins Cara and Mady and 5-year-old sextuplets Aaden, Collin, Joel, Alexis, Hannah and Leah. \"Their whole TV show is based on them being parents and caring for all of these kids they have, and both of them seem totally wrapped up in themselves,\" Slotnick said. \"It's strange that [Jon] feels like he has to deny the whole thing, then at the same time he is flaunting it.\" Psychotherapist M. Gary Neuman advises that parents should wait about a year after a separation before introducing a relationship to their children. \"Children need about a year at least to adjust to the new sense of family and to develop individual relationships with each parent,\" said Neuman, the author of \"Helping Your Kids Cope With Divorce the Sandcastles Way.\" \"When Dad has a girlfriend, then kids can see that as an intrusion on their time and their situation.\" Neuman, whose Sandcastles program for children of divorce is mandatory through the court system in several states, said children go through a great deal of emotional turmoil in the wake of a broken marriage. Couples should wait at least six months to even let their kids know that they are actively dating, Neuman said. \"It is hurtful to children to think that their parents are dating when it is done so soon after a separation,\" Neuman said. \"Because what it says is that it is minimizing the marriage, and the marriage is crucial to children because they came from this union, and they want to know that their parents were in love when [the children] were born. \"The idea that there could be such a quick move to dating that the children are aware of could devalue their parents' relationship and therefore themselves.\" Neuman noted that parents going through a divorce can date privately but said they should also consider counseling before entering another serious relationship to guard against the high divorce rate for second marriages. Jon Gosselin hasn't commented on the seriousness of his apparent relationship or even confirmed that it is a relationship. He told People that he felt \"very relaxed\" during his time away, though he added: \"I keep thinking about the kids and missing them.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Speculation arises about possible girlfriend for Jon Gosselin .\nReality star is photographed with another woman in the South of France .\nGosselins announced three weeks ago that they are divorcing .\nDating coach: \"You need to take a little time off from dating\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Re-elected German Chancellor Angela Merkel is eyeing a new coalition to replace the \"grand coalition\" her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party shared with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the previous parliament. Angela Merkel has pledged to be \"a Chancellor for all Germans\". If, as expected, Merkel forms a new coalition with the Free Democratic Party (FPD) it will have wide-reaching implications for Germans. The FPD are more economically liberal than Merkel's previous partner, the SPD. According to CNN's Fred Pleitgen, the FPD led by Guido Westerwelle will push for control of some key positions in the new government, including perhaps the finance ministry. Pleitgen believes that economic policy is likely to change dramatically. \"This means a whole lot more pro-business politics for Germany than in the past. You'll probably see tax cuts and it will probably mean smaller government than seen in the past four years,\" he said. Speaking at a post-election news conference on Monday, Merkel said that the result is an opportunity to build a smaller government. \"If one looks at the majority relationships, we will be dealing with a smaller partner, the FDP,\" she said. \"We are happy to use this chance in very difficult economic times to secure jobs, create new ones and drive growth more decisively.\" Merkel also pledged to be \"a Chancellor for all Germans\". The election was disastrous for her rival, foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the SPD who saw their vote fall 10 percent from 34.2 percent in 2005 to 23 percent. The result is the SPD's worst result since World War II. The results leave the CDU as the strongest party in the German parliament with 27.3 percent of the popular vote -- slightly down on the 27.8 percent it achieved four years ago. Despite being the biggest party in the Bundestag, the vote marked one of the CDU's poorest showings in an election. But its traditional coalition with the Christian Social Union -- who won 6.5 percent of the vote -- means that the CDU/CSU bloc won 33.8 percent of the vote. The biggest winners on election night were the Free Democratic Party (FPD) whose share of the vote rose nearly five percent from 9.8 to 14.6 percent." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Angela Merkel is elected German chancellor for a second time .\nRival Social Democratic Party suffers worst election night since WWII .\nMerkel expected to form coalition with economically liberal Free Democratic Party ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(REAL SIMPLE) -- The summers of my youth were filled with the kinds of activities that were common to every kid in the 80s but are considered almost death-defying these days: tree climbing, bike riding without a helmet, and daylong road trips spent in the backseat of the family car, where we bounced around like Super Balls, nary a seat belt in sight. Kate Simonson and her dad, Mike Fieseler, at her home in Iowa. Still, my mother was safety-obsessed about some things, like swimming lessons. Year after year, she forced me to take them at our local pool in Iowa City. Having to go against my will seemed all the more unfair to me, since my mother could not swim and was actually afraid of the water. But my mother reasoned that if water came between her children and their safety, she would be helpless. \"I can't save you,\" she would calmly state in answer to my pleas to bow out of the lessons. \"So I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you can save yourself.\" Real Simple: Mother-daughter relationships . It's no wonder she embraced this philosophy of self-reliance. She knew how unexpectedly life can rob you of someone you care about. My parents adopted me as an infant and went on to have a biological child -- my brother, Jason -- a couple of years later. My dad was an electrician, and he died in an accident on the job when I was three. After his death, my mother had to raise us alone, and she was acutely aware that she was truly on her own, with no backup plan. She was fiercely strong and yet constantly fearful. I have almost no memories of my father. Instead I remember Mike Fieseler. He was a former industrial-arts teacher whom my mother dated off and on for much of my childhood. Jason and I weren't his biggest fans. He was a man of strict rules, while my mom's approach could be more properly deemed overindulgent leniency. iReport.com: Share your bonding with dad memories . We resented having to share the spotlight with him -- a sentiment that was particularly strong every Christmas morning, when we had to wait for him to arrive before we could open gifts. (There is little a man can do to endear himself to children less than delaying Christmas-morning gratification.) And when they stopped dating, when I was 15, I wasn't unhappy to see him go. Real Simple: Small, helpful gestures with big impact . Then, on February 18, 1991, when I was 17, my mother suddenly died of a brain aneurysm. One minute she was laughing with friends, enjoying an evening out; the next, she was unconscious on the floor. She never woke up. Just 19 hours later, she was dead, leaving my 15-year-old brother and me orphans. In the moments of shock and horror that followed, my relatives all gathered in the hospital, and I went home with only a close friend for company (Jason followed a while later). We spent that night on our own. I was numb; it had all happened so fast. I could barely think beyond the immediate moment. The next morning, my grandfather, aunts, and uncles were still immersed in their own mourning. Shell-shocked as I was, I knew I had to let people know what had happened. I saw my mother's address book lying where she had set it only days before and started dialing. One of the phone numbers I found was Mike's. Even though he lived about an hour away, it felt like he was there in an instant. As soon as he walked in, he took charge -- and took care of Jason and me. Among other small kindnesses, he gave me a credit card and said, \"Why don't you buy something to wear to the funeral?\" He gave me permission to be a 17-year-old -- to focus on the more mundane issue of what I was going to wear instead of weighty adult concerns. Real Simple: Father's Day gift ideas . Generally, when children are orphaned, a family member comes forward to take them in. This didn't happen in our case. Everyone had a good reason, I suppose. My mom's father was too old to assume responsibility for us; my mother's sister and her husband had three kids of their own and weren't able to take in any others; her other two siblings were both single and worked long hours. The guardian named in my mother's will was a babysitter that none of us had seen in 15 years. But I can tell you this: Abandonment, even for very good reasons, feels awful. It was heartbreaking and terrifying to have lost the person we loved most and then to be set adrift. Months passed and it felt like our relatives could offer no reassurances. The only news we got was that if Jason and I remained without a guardian, we would have to enter foster care. Our mother was gone, and there was nothing we could do to save ourselves. And, once again, there was Mike. After the funeral, he was a constant presence. He made sure that food filled the cupboards, the bills were paid, and the lawn was mowed. (Mike's adult daughter, Linda, pitched in and took care of his house.) He made sure I went back to school even when it was the last thing I wanted to do. His overbearing personality -- the trait I had hated the most -- is what comforted me the most and got me through those difficult days. Mike says that Linda came up with the idea to make his role with Jason and me official -- he could become our guardian. He was on board right away. Mike still says he never considered not doing it; caring for us was simply the right thing to do. One day he made us his offer. In a moment where the grief of loss and the pain of being unwanted threatened to capture my very breath, this man, whose only tie to us was having dated my mother, said he would be honored to take us in. From that moment on, everything was different. His girlfriend, Patty, threw us a \"guardian party\" when the paperwork became official. It was just a small gathering, but it made us feel special. I received a key chain with my initials, and I remember thinking that the idea behind it was so lovely. Over the years, Mike has become not merely a legal guardian but a real father to me. When I fell into depression in college, unable to get past thoughts of my mother and all I had lost, he was there to listen. When my husband, Eric, and I bought our first house, Mike spent weekends installing insulation and repairing our gutters. He never wrote me off as a good, mature kid who could handle everything herself. He walked the line between trusting me and recognizing when I might need help. And what more could you want from a father than that? His was an unconventional path to parenthood, to say the least. It is not by birth or adoption that I consider this man to be my father; it isn't even through his presence in my childhood. It is rather by sheer good luck on my part. Before he made that generous offer, I felt as though I had lost my mooring and the waters were flooding in; afterward, I simply felt rescued. If my mother had taught me to be strong and depend on myself, Mike imparted his own lesson -- that the world will provide for you, even when you least expect it. Eight years after Mike stepped forward, he walked me down the aisle. Four years after that, I gave birth to his first granddaughter, Emily Michl Simonson. (Mike's legal name is Michl.) The name is a reminder of my saved past and a promise for the future, and I hope one day Emily will see that as well. Because as much as I plan to teach her to swim (indeed, she's now six and enrolled in lessons), I also want her to know this: No matter how fast the waters rise, no matter how hard it may be to keep her head above the waves, someone will throw her a line. Get a FREE TRIAL issue of Real Simple - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. All rights reserved." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kate Simonson wasn't so fond of Mike Fieseler when he was dating her mother .\nAfter her mom died, Mike came for the funeral and helped Kate and her brother .\nHe eventually adopted the kids, helped Kate get through college .\nKate considers Mike her father and he walked her down the aisle at her wedding ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "TAMPA BAY, Florida (CNN) -- Judging by her proud expression as she left the parking lot in her 1991 Honda Accord for the first time, Jessica Ostrofsky could have been driving a brand new sports car. Susan Jacobs' Wheels of Success program helps low-income workers get their own cars. \"I'm so happy,\" she said with a laugh. \"Having this [car] is going to change my life drastically because it's going to make me totally independent.\" Ostrofsky, 31, a single mother of three, had been leaving her house before dawn -- toting a stroller, car seat, diaper bag and purse -- to catch a bus. She would go first to her children's baby sitter and then to work. The trip took up to three hours. But on Labor Day, the St. Petersburg, Florida, resident and 19 others received their own cars, thanks to Susan Jacobs' Wheels of Success program. Since 2003, Wheels of Success has refurbished 280 donated cars for low-income individuals and families and helped another 280 clients with vehicle-related services. \"Receiving ... the car is more than just the car,\" said Jacobs. \"People literally see how it's going to change their life\" by knocking down an obstacle that had gotten in their way due to lack of transportation. Jacobs would know. The 59-year-old Tampa resident lost access to reliable transportation more than a decade ago when she ended a relationship and left her car behind. While staying with a friend who lived far from a bus line and across town from Jacobs' evening job, she had to hitch rides to work. That did not last long, Jacobs said, thanks to a used car dealership owner who loaned Jacobs three clunkers while she saved the money to buy her own car. But soon she saw others in a similar predicament. In 2000, as the manager of a staffing agency, Jacobs was struck by the high number of clients who lost jobs in which her office had placed them because they couldn't always get there. Others turned down positions and promotions because limited public transportation kept them from early or late shifts. Jacobs was laid off from her job at the staffing firm in 2001 and turned it into an opportunity to figure out how to \"keep working families working.\" She founded Wheels of Success in 2003 with two donated cars. The organization gives low-cost, donated and refurbished vehicles to qualified full-time workers or those with job offers. Employers or social service agencies refer the applicants to the group. Once they receive their vehicles, they must make low monthly payments based on their personal budgets. Those contributions average $40 and go toward repairing cars for other recipients. \"These are used cars. They're not going to last forever,\" said Jacobs. \"What I tell people is, 'This probably isn't your dream car, but hopefully it's going to get you to your dream.' \" Jacobs' group is able to restore donated clunkers to roadworthy operation by partnering with local companies and corporations that help provide auto body work at significantly discounted rates. Wheels of Success cars come with a free, one-year membership to the American Automobile Association. The organization also helps clients with ongoing repair, licensing, insurance and replacement of a car when it dies. Watch how Jacobs and her group provide working wheels for families » . Clients are required to complete a car maintenance class and donate three volunteer hours to Wheels of Success per month. This helps the group serve more clients and gives each recipient the ability to \"pay it forward,\" said Jacobs. On any given day, Jacobs reports about 100 qualified recipients on the waiting list for vehicles. About 60 new requests come in every other month. \"We would like nothing better than for there not to be a need for us,\" she said. \"But that isn't realistic in the near future and might not be realistic even long-term for people who have three children and day care.\" And recipients agree. \"Susan Jacobs is actually saving my life [because] she's saving my job,\" said Ostrofsky, who had been consistently late arriving to work because of the inconsistency of her bus's arrival. \"In turn, she saves my apartment and saves me taking care of my children.\" Watch Ostrofsky receive her Wheels of Success car » . For Jacobs, seeing the results of her work inspires her. \"I love what I do,\" she said. \"My life has made a difference.\" Want to get involved? Check out Wheels of Success and see how to help." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Susan Jacobs created Wheels of Success to help low-income workers get cars .\nThe organization gives donated, refurbished vehicles to qualified applicants .\nLack of transportation often gets in the way of people making a living, Jacobs says .\nThe top 10 CNN Heroes will be announced on October 1 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MIAMI BEACH, Florida (CNN) -- On the grainy, silent black and white video, it's hard to tell exactly what happened the night of June 14 in Miami Beach. But one thing is certain: A tourist, Husien Shehada, can be seen falling to the ground, shot by a police officer. Shehada, 29, later died. Husien Shehada, at left with his brother, Samer, was shot dead by Miami Beach police on June 14. Four nights later, again in Miami Beach, Lawrence McCoy allegedly pistol-whipped a cab driver and led police on a chase. Police say shots were exchanged. McCoy, also 29, was killed. Officer Adam Tavss, a 34-year-old former history teacher with three years on the force, was involved in both police shootings, the first in Miami Beach since 2003. Although it is not yet clear whether Tavss fired one of the shots that killed McCoy, questions are being raised as to whether the officer was cleared for patrol duty too soon after the first shooting. Police and the Miami-Dade County state attorney's office are investigating the shootings. The inquiry is expected to last several more months. All the records and reports have been sealed. Watch surveillance video of the first shooting » . The families of Shehada and McCoy are asking the Justice Department to investigate. Tavss, who is now assigned to desk duty, declined through his attorney to speak with CNN, citing the ongoing investigation. Miami Beach Police Chief Carlos Noriega has defended both shootings. \"It is important to note that the subjects in both cases had exhibited aggressive, violent, non-compliant and criminal behavior,\" the chief said in a statement to the media. Noriega added that officers \"are required to make split-second decisions based on a variety of factors and cannot afford to hesitate or be wrong.\" The Miami Beach department's standard operating procedure for use of force, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, states that any officer involved in a fatal shooting must be assigned to administrative duties for at least 72 hours. The department also mandates psychological support. Tavss was removed from duty for 72 hours, evaluated and then cleared by Noriega to return to patrol, which is departmental policy. On his first day back out on the street, Tavss was involved in the second shooting. Each of the nation's 20,000 police departments sets its own policy for police involved in shootings and fatalities. Some departments keep the officers off the streets for a week or longer. In virtually all cases, psychological evaluation and counseling are mandatory. Watch CNN's report on the shootings » . Maria Haberfeld, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and an expert on police use of force and stress management, said she had never heard of an officer being involved in two shootings within four days. \"I think it's a gross error of judgment for any police department to maintain a rule that allows an officer who was involved in a fatal shooting to be back on the streets four days after the incident,\" Haberfeld said. A study by the Justice Department's National Institute of Justice found that officers involved in fatal shootings can be affected for months afterward. \"In the days, weeks and months that follow a shooting, officers may suffer adverse reactions such as sleep interruption, anxiety and depression,\" a report on the study said. Officers \"experienced a range of psychological, emotional and physiological reactions that distorted time, distance, sight and sound,\" the study concluded. In some cases, the study found, officers could not recall firing their weapons. But even experts are undecided on just how much time off the street is enough, because every incident and every police officer is different. \"It's hard for me to estimate whether it's weeks or a little bit more, but certainly not days; certainly not hours. It's just too irresponsible toward the officer and toward the society the officer needs to serve,\" Haberfeld said. Police officers across the country train on how to make difficult split-second decisions on the use of deadly force. The sheriff in neighboring Broward County uses an interactive video screen that places officers into scenarios they might face while on patrol. \"In less than half a second, your pulse may go from 60 to 160, 170, and your heart's beating out of your chest, and you have to make a split-second decision,\" Broward Sheriff's Sgt. Bill Pennypacker said. Witnesses, police and surveillance video obtained by CNN provide the following, sometimes conflicting, accounts of what happened during the two Miami Beach shootings: . Husien Shehada and his brother, Samer, had come from Virginia to spend a long weekend with their girlfriends in Miami Beach. Early on Sunday, June 14, they got into a scuffle with another group of men, who intervened after Samer Shehada allegedly assaulted his girlfriend. Investigators said they believe that the two brothers were looking for revenge against those men when somebody called 911, reporting that two men were walking down the street and that one of them might be carrying a machine gun. The callers said they could see the outline of a large gun underneath his white shirt, and he was carrying it in his left hand. In a color security camera tape released by the Miami Beach Police Department, it appears that one of the brothers was carrying something under his shirt, holding it with his left hand. Tavss and other officers approached the brothers in front of Twist, a popular South Beach nightclub. A grainy black and white videotape shows the brothers together and Husien Shehada falling to the ground. A police officer can then be seen approaching. Samer Shehada said he and his brother were cooperating. \"His hands were up for a good two seconds, three seconds,\" Samer Shehada said. \"He wasn't in the process of raising his hands. His hands were up.\" One witness told CNN that when Tavss approached the brothers with his gun drawn, the brothers were belligerent. The witness, Derek Reynolds, was working security at the club that night. He said the two men cursed at police and wouldn't put their hands up. \"It got intense. ... They weren't cooperating,\" he said. \"One guy reached behind him, and he got shot.\" Law enforcement sources say a coat hanger and a bottle were found at the scene, but no gun was found. Samer Shehada said that neither he nor his brother was carrying a coat hanger, much less a gun. After the shooting, Tavss was relieved of duty for 72 hours, per department policy. When he returned to street patrol, he was one of several officers who responded to a 911 call reporting that that a taxi driver had been pistol-whipped and his cab stolen. Police confronted Lawrence McCoy on a Miami Beach causeway. According to police, McCoy ran and fired at the officers. McCoy was shot dead by police. It is not yet known whether Tavss fired any shots. John Contini, an attorney representing the families of both men shot by police, said McCoy was shot nine to 11 times. No weapon was found on McCoy. Police found a gun several days later in Biscayne Bay, but they say they don't know if it belonged to McCoy. Lawrence McCoy Sr. said his son's civil rights were violated. \"Michael Vick was convicted and put in jail for two years for killing dogs -- for killing dogs. I want justice for my son,\" he said. Contini said Tavss should be in jail. He also questioned the policy that allowed him back on the street so quickly. \"In fairness to the officer, you don't put him on the street, with a gun and a badge, to be in this situation without allowing for a period of decompression -- for the officer's sake, to get some help,\" Contini said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Miami Beach police officer Adam Tavss is involved in two police shootings .\nSecond shooting happened on his first day back on street .\nQuestions are being raised as to whether he was cleared for duty too soon .\nMiami Beach police chief decides when an officer is ready to return ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Although Elizabeth Woodville lived centuries ago, author Philippa Gregory believes women today will find they have a commonality with her. Philippa Gregory took years to research and write \"The White Queen.\" Gregory's new novel \"The White Queen\" focuses on the life of Woodville, who was Queen consort to England's Edward IV, and the events that came to be known as the Wars of the Roses. Gregory is herself often referred to in majestic terms as the \"queen of historical fiction.\" She has enjoyed international success after a series of best-selling novels, including \"The Other Boleyn Girl,\" which was made into a feature film starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. The new book, which was years in the making, has Gregory departing from the exploits of the Tudor family and delving into the lives of their predecessors, the Plantagenets. Woodville, a commoner, captured the heart of England's King Edward IV. She was also the mother of Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, who came to be known as the \"Princes in the Tower.\" Their disappearances, and presumed deaths, have long been an enduring mystery. That intrigue, and Woodville's fascinating life, appealed to the historian in Gregory. The British author talked to CNN about her new direction, why Americans can't get enough of historic kings and queens and why she loves living in the past. CNN: Your Tudor series has been so successful. What took you in this direction? Philippa Gregory: I think I felt like I had written a lot on the Tudors and although they are such fascinating characters and [there are] still some I would like to write about, I just got so interested in the back-story, the family that was there before the Tudors, and I thought I'd see if I could take the audience with me. I knew I wanted to do it so I thought I would take the chance. CNN: What drew you to Elizabeth Woodville? Gregory: She is, herself, such an extraordinary character and a spectator of extraordinary times. And, of course, she is the mother of the Princes in the Tower which is possibly the greatest mystery in English history. Watch Gregory talk about her new novel » . CNN: Why do you think people are still so fascinated with the princes? Gregory: I think because it involves two completely innocent young boys. It really focuses on the absolute wickedness of Richard III, and of course that is debatable, so you've got some controversy there to start off there. It's very much about could Elizabeth have protected them or should she have done so. In a sense, it questions her as a mother and a queen. I think the debate about Richard III is probably the key thing. CNN: Do you think modern-day women will be able to relate to Elizabeth? Gregory: Oh yes. What we see in Elizabeth and what we see in some of the other historical heroines are women who are in an appalling situation. They have no legal rights, they have no financial rights, they have no security and the likelihood of them dying in childbirth was always very, very high. You were talking about a terribly dangerous life for women. Although women today have fantastic rights in comparison, I think we still often have a sense of being in a man's world and having to play by men's rules. I know women identify with that because they often write to me and say they draw great strength and courage from these women who are, in a sense, our heroines. CNN: You have such a huge fan base in the United States. What do you think it is about Americans which draws us to royalty? Gregory: I don't know that it's royalty. I thing a lot of people have a great deal of interest in the royal family, but in a sense the Tudors or even Plantagenets are so far from the modern royal family that I don't think it's that sort of snobbery. I think actually that a lot of American women find it quite hard to fit into modern, American society. They find the conflicts and difficulties of the past a very fruitful escape, so it's lovely just to stop worrying about now and go to somewhere else, but I think women also use the books as a type of role model of how to cope. The Plantagenet women, Elizabeth Woodville the White Queen, they are fighting mythic, epic battles to survive. We fight much more ordinary battles, but sometimes you need the same courage. CNN: What do you enjoy about writing historical fiction? Gregory: I love the research. I am a historian by profession so that's probably the biggest thing for me. The reason that I write historical fiction is so that I can set the story in the past and explore the past. I like the form of it as well. I'm quite a technical writer. I think about how it works and I think the challenge of making the past come alive for the reader is a huge one. CNN: Having had a book made into a film, does that affect your writing at all? Are you thinking about the fact that a new novel might become a movie? Gregory: No. One of the funny things is that getting the history right, doing intense amounts of research, trying to make the characters come alive, living with the characters and putting it all in first person, present tense which is technically quite challenging, all of that keeps me busy enough. I don't even think about the readers. I just think about how the novel is working as a novel. I never think about what will happen with it after I am done." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Philippa Gregory has found fame writing historical fiction .\nHer new novel, \"The White Queen,\" is set during the Wars of the Roses .\nGregory believes modern-day readers will be able to relate to the protagonist .\nStory tells perspective of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen consort to Edward IV ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (CNN) -- President Obama said Sunday the 34-nation Summit of the Americas was a \"very productive\" meeting that proved hemispheric progress is possible if countries set aside \"stale debates and old ideologies.\" President Obama addresses reporters before leaving Trinidad for Washington on Sunday. Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the summit, Obama cited a potential thaw in relations between the United States and longtime adversaries Cuba and Venezuela, but said the ultimate test \"is not simply words, but deeds.\" Leaders did not \"see eye to eye\" on some important issues, but the meeting proved it is possible to \"disagree respectfully,\" the president said. Obama highlighted the importance of using American diplomacy and development aid in \"more intelligent ways.\" Watch Obama talk about summit » . He reached out to the Cuban government before the summit by lifting all restrictions on U.S. citizens wishing to visit or send remittances to relatives in Cuba. Cuba was not represented at the summit, but Obama noted that the leaders of other countries highlighted Cuba's program that sends \"thousands of doctors\" throughout the hemisphere. A number of countries depend heavily on Cuba's medical assistance program. \"It's a reminder ... that if our only interaction with many of these countries is drug interdiction -- if our only interaction is military -- then we may not be developing the connections that can over time increase our influence and have a beneficial effect,\" he said. Obama called Cuban President Raul Castro's recent indication of a willingness to discuss human rights issues \"a sign of progress.\" But he said the Cuban government could send a much clearer, more positive signal by releasing political prisoners or reducing fees charged on remittances that Americans send to relatives in the country. Change in Cuba will not come quickly, but it is good for other countries to see that \"we are not dug in into policies that were formulated before I was born,\" Obama said. U.S. policy on Cuba has remained largely unchanged since 1962, when the U.S. government imposed a trade embargo. Turning to Venezuela, Obama conceded Washington has vast differences with that country's president on economic and foreign policy issues. But he said the strategic interests of the United States would not be endangered by having a \"more constructive relationship\" with the oil-rich nation. Asked what an \"Obama doctrine\" would be, he declined to give a specific answer, but he outlined broad principles such as the importance of listening to other countries. The United States, Obama said, remains the most powerful nation in the world but cannot solve problems such as climate change, drugs and terrorism on its own. \"If you start with that approach, you are inclined to listen, and not just talk,\" he said. Obama, who was set to return to Washington on Sunday, added that the United States is at its best when it stands \"for universal ideals [such as] freedom of speech and religion.\" \"If we confess to having strayed from [our] values, it strengthens our hand [and] allows us to speak with greater moral force and clarity,\" he said. The president was criticized over the weekend by several leading Republicans and former CIA director Michael Hayden for releasing four Bush-era memos outlining terror interrogation methods used against suspected al Qaeda operatives. Read about Hayden's criticism . When he released the documents Thursday Obama said the United States needs to \"right its course in concert with our core values.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Obama cites potential thaw in U.S. relations with Venezuela, Cuba .\nObama: Cuba's apparent willingness to discuss human rights \"a sign of progress\"\nCuba was topic at weekend summit, though not represented there .\nObama: Using diplomacy, development aid in \"more intelligent ways\" important ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "GAZA CITY (CNN) -- A large explosion late Tuesday at a wedding party for relatives of a Fatah leader injured at least 50 people in Gaza, Palestinian medical sources said. A bomb Tuesday injured relatives of Mohammed Dahlan, the Palestinian Authority's national security adviser. Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, the uncle of the groom, did not attend the wedding, according to witnesses. The cause of the explosion, which occurred at 11:10 p.m. in Khan Younis, was not known. Dahlan is the Palestinian Authority's national security adviser. Details of Tuesday's explosion were not immediately clear. Dahlan's associates in recent years have been targeted by Hamas as tensions between the militant group and rival Fatah -- the Palestine Liberation Organization's largest faction -- escalated. In January 2007, Hamas gunmen tried to kill Dahlan's bodyguard. Dahlan was not present at the time of the attack. In that month alone, Fatah and Hamas militants abducted more than 50 members of their rival groups -- most of them in the West Bank town of Nablus -- according to Palestinian security sources. Dahlan's nephew was kidnapped the next month amid a fragile cease-fire between supporters of Hamas and Fatah. In late December 2006, Hamas accused Dahlan of orchestrating an assassination attempt on its leader Ismail Haniya. Haniya's son was injured in the attack. Dahlan has described himself to CNN in the past as being involved in directing Fatah's military response to Hamas' military \"provocation.\" Dahlan is particularly disliked by Hamas because during his leadership of the Preventive Security Forces in the 1990s, Hamas members were apprehended and tortured. After a series of suicide bombings in Israel in 1996, Dahlan took a major part in the Palestinian Authority's effort to crack down on Hamas. CNN's Talal Abu-Rahma in Gaza City contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan is uncle of the groom .\nDahlan did not attend the wedding in Gaza .\nThe cause of the explosion is not known .\nHamas says Dahlan has sought to assassinate its leader Ismail Haniya ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(WIRED) -- The U.S. Marine Corps has banned Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social media sites from its networks, effective immediately. The Marine Corps fears that social media sites such as Facebook could pose a security risk. \"These internet sites in general are a proven haven for malicious actors and content and are particularly high risk due to information exposure, user generated content and targeting by adversaries,\" reads a Marine Corps order, issued Monday. \"The very nature of SNS [social network sites] creates a larger attack and exploitation window, exposes unnecessary information to adversaries and provides an easy conduit for information leakage that puts OPSEC [operational security], COMSEC [communications security], [and] personnel... at an elevated risk of compromise.\" The Marines' ban will last a year. It was drawn up in response to a late July warning from U.S. Strategic Command, which told the rest of the military it was considering a Defense Department-wide ban on the Web 2.0 sites, due to network security concerns. Scams, worms, and Trojans often spread unchecked throughout social media sites, passed along from one online friend to the next. \"The mechanisms for social networking were never designed for security and filtering. They make it way too easy for people with bad intentions to push malicious code to unsuspecting users,\" a Stratcom source told Wired.com. Yet many within the Pentagon's highest ranks find value in the Web 2.0 tools. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has 4,000 followers on Twitter. The Department of Defense is getting ready to unveil a new home page, packed with social media tools. The Army recently ordered all U.S. bases to provide access to Facebook. Top generals now blog from the battlefield. \"OPSEC is paramount. We will have procedures in place to deal with that,\" Price Floyd, the Pentagon's newly-appointed social media czar, said. \"What we can't do is let security concerns trump doing business. We have to do business... We need to be everywhere men and women in uniform are and the public is. If that's MySpace and YouTube, that's where we need to be, too,\" Floyd said. The Marines say they will issue waivers to the Web 2.0 blockade, if a \"mission critical need\" can be proven. And they will continue to allow access to the military's internal \"SNS-like services.\" But for most members of the Corps, access to the real, public social networks is now shut off for the next year. Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here! Copyright 2009 Wired.com." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "U.S. Marine Corps bans Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social media sites .\nOrder, issued Monday, states that information on the sites poses a security risk .\nThe Marines' ban is effective immediately and will last a year .\nU.S. Army recently ordered all U.S. bases to provide access to Facebook ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Richard Strandlof said he survived the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon. He said he survived again when a roadside bomb went off in Iraq, killing four fellow Marines. He'd point to his head and tell people he had a metal plate, collateral damage from the explosion. Richard Strandlof says he didn't mean to cause harm when he lied about being a military veteran. None of it was true. On Friday, the FBI arrested him on the rare charge of \"stolen valor.\" Strandlof, 32, was held \"for false claims about receipt of military decorations or medals,\" an FBI news release said. Charges had been filed in Denver, Colorado, the week before, the bureau said. \"The penalty for his crime is up to one year incarceration and a $100,000 fine,\" it said. Before his deception was revealed, crowds ate up his story. He canvassed Colorado appearing at the sides of politicians. Inspiring and seemingly authentic, he spoke on behalf of veterans at the state Capitol. He formed a group called the Colorado Veterans Alliance. The whole thing was a lie, he admitted to CNN's Anderson Cooper earlier this year. Watch Strandlof discuss case in June. » . He wasn't at the Pentagon. He was never a Marine. He never served his country. He never graduated from the Naval Academy. He claimed his real name was Rick Duncan. Where was he on 9/11, the day he said he witnessed heroism firsthand? \"I was in San Jose, California, watching it in horror on TV with a few other people,\" Strandlof told CNN. He was at a homeless shelter at the time. Strandlof denies being a pathological liar. He says he suffered from \"some severely underdiagnosed mental illness\" and he got caught up in the moment around \"people who are passionate and loved what they did.\" He told CNN he had put on a \"production, which I'm sorry for.\" \"Hopefully the people that I hurt can in some way gain closure from that, and I myself don't know what I can do, short of leaving them alone and not being in their lives, to make that happen,\" Strandlof said. He said he's not sure exactly how he's hurt people. \"It's not for me to say, and time will tell,\" he said. Hal Bidlack, a former Air Force lieutenant colonel, is one of those people. He ran for Congress as a Democrat and had Strandlof appear with him. Bidlack -- who lost to incumbent Republican Doug Lamborn -- isn't too happy. \"Once one lie fell apart, the whole series of things ... just cascaded into an ocean of lies,\" he said. Bidlack was at the Pentagon when it came under attack on September 11, 2001. He now realizes that Strandlof stole portions of his own story. \"Now that we know he's a lying fraud,\" Bidlack said, \"I think he was just parroting my own story back to me.\" \"There are an awful lot of things that he kept straight to try to fool an awful lot of people for an awful long time.\" Doug Sterner has catalogued hundreds of people claiming to be military veterans who never served in the military. He says it's typical for those perpetuating the hoaxes to claim mental illness. \"I don't buy that,\" Sterner said. \"What he was doing was looking for a cause to promote himself. I see this repeatedly. I've had a hundred cases just this year like Rick Strandlof's. ... What they're doing is building a kingdom of self and feeding their own ego.\" Sterner has pushed for a federal database listing the names and citations of all decorated military veterans to help put an end to such cases. He said Strandlof has robbed true veterans of their veracity. \"Doing good does not take away from the bad that he did,\" he said. \"Because of Rick Strandlof, the next global war on terrorism veteran that speaks in a school or talks to the media or gets involved in politics is going to be questioned.\" Ryan Gallucci, a spokesman for AMVETS, agreed. \"Strandlof's actions dishonor the actual sacrifices of veterans,\" he told CNN Monday. \"Second, by commissioning his own advocacy group, Strandlof diverted philanthropy dollars for legitimate causes within the veterans community,\" Gallucci said. \"Personally, it just sickens me,\" Gallucci added. \"As a veteran of the war in Iraq, it's unfathomable that someone would propagate such a lie at a time when American men and women are actually putting their lives on the line, and American families are coping with the loss of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.\" According to the Denver Post, Strandlof came to authorities' attention first in 1997, when he was sentenced to five years on forgery and bad-check charges. The FBI was investigating him for fraud when he spoke to CNN -- a charge he denied. \"We did not take money to use on non-veterans projects. I did not enrich myself on this. I did not gain any money from this,\" he said. He has not been charged with fraud. That's not the point, said Sterner. \"The one thing he robbed from every veteran that comes out now is credibility.\" Gallucci called Strandlof a \"con man\" and the case \"morally repugnant.\" \"Strandlof's actions are exploitation plain and simple, and AMVETS is eager to see justice served,\" Gallucci said. CNN's Joe Johns contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Richard Strandlof said he survived 9/11 Pentagon attack, Iraq bombing .\nIn June, Strandlof admitted he lied .\nPenalty for stolen valor is up to one year in jail, up to $100,000 fine .\nStrandlof formed Colorado Veterans Alliance ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Hidden under a quaint resort 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, lies a treasure trove of potential energy that's free and available 24/7. \"Imagineer\" Bernie Karl and his wife, Connie, own Chena Hot Springs Resort near Fairbanks, Alaska. Alaskan entrepreneur Bernie Karl has pioneered modern technology to tap into one of Earth's oldest energy resources: hot water. Karl, 56, likes to call himself an \"imagineer.\" Using imagination to fuel his engineering ambitions, this tenacious thinker and self-starter has figured out a way to generate electricity using water that's the temperature of a cup of coffee -- about 165 degrees Fahrenheit. \"There's more opportunity now than there has ever been in the history of man, but we have to reinvent ourselves,\" Karl said. Karl was determined to reinvent the way he consumed energy after he and his wife, Connie, purchased the Chena Hot Springs Resort from the state of Alaska in 1998. \"After we purchased the hot spring, I couldn't believe it, the swimming pool and the hot spring were being heated by diesel fuel, 1,000 gallons every month!\" Karl said. To slash costs and to use resources that were right under his nose, Karl invented a portable geothermal power plant. In a little more than three years, Karl and his wife have severed the facility's dependence on diesel fuel and have saved $625,000, he said. Karl's partnered with the Department of Energy to fund half of a $1.4 million exploration project to find and characterize the geothermal resources at Chena Hot Springs. \"It's a model for what you can do,\" said Karl. Karl developed his tenacity from growing up as the sixth child of 16 siblings on a farm outside of Peoria, Illinois. He said his parents taught him hard work, how to recycle his clothes and shoes, and how to compost food and farm wastes. In the late 1970s, Karl was active in gold mining in Alaska's Central District, and he established the state's largest recycling facility in 1984, he said. Many of his ideas stem from finding alternative ways to use and reuse resources he already has at his fingertips. After acquiring the 400-acre resort, Karl began trapping water from the underground hot springs, which produce enough power to heat the facility's greenhouses year-round. Most recently, Karl has turned his invention into a separate business by contracting with Peppermill hotel and casino in Reno, Nevada, to build a similar system there. His portable geothermal generator units cost from $350,000 to $375,000, each with the potential to generate enough power for 250 average American homes per year. 'Hot taps' His energy-generating machine lies on a flatbed truck and can be hooked up to oil and gas wells or other heat-emitting sources to generate electricity. Karl adds a branch connection to an oil or gas pipeline, and the process begins when he \"hot taps\" into waste water coming through the pipes. The hot water enters the tubes of an evaporator encased in a common refrigerant found in many air conditioning systems. As the hot water passes through the evaporator, it begins to boil the refrigerant in the casing surrounding the tubes. The heat given off by the boiling refrigerant then causes an attached turbine to spin, which jump-starts a generator, producing electrical power. Next, cooling water enters from another source, recondensing the vapor refrigerant into a liquid. A pump pushes the liquid refrigerant back to the evaporator, so the cycle can start again. The difference in temperatures drives the entire \"binary system.\" This setup works exactly the opposite of a refrigerator. \"Chena Hot Springs is home to the lowest-temperature geothermal resource to be used for commercial power production in the world,\" Karl said. \"Oil companies don't drill wells for water, but they have some 5,000 kilowatts of geothermal power at their disposal in unused oil wells. Let's pick the low-hanging fruit and use the wells we have for oil for geothermal power,\" he said. Citing a 2007 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study, Karl said harnessing just 2 percent of Earth's internal energy could provide 2,000 times more energy than the entire planet currently consumes -- all free of polluting greenhouse gas emissions. \"Everything goes back, there is no pollution, no smokestack,\" he said. \"We are going to go recycle oil wells and recycle water and put it back in the ground.\" Sizzle from the center of the Earth . Though Karl's lower-temperature approach is new, for more than a century, people have been trying to generate electricity from the heat that sizzles from the center of the Earth -- using it to cook, bathe and for electricity. In fact, the word \"geothermal\" comes from the Greek words geo (Earth) and therme (heat). \"We've determined that heat mining can be economical in the short term, based on a global analysis of existing geothermal systems, an assessment of the total U.S. resource and continuing improvements in deep-drilling and reservoir stimulation technology,\" said MIT professor Jefferson W. Tester. In a 2007 study, professors at MIT found that mining the huge amounts of heat that reside as stored thermal energy in the Earth's hard rock crust could supply a substantial portion of the electricity the United States will need in the future, probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact. \"... if we just drill deep enough, most of the U.S. can be transformed into a huge geothermal power zone while drastically reducing the nation's carbon footprint,\" the MIT report said. Widespread geothermal power fuels electricity in a couple dozen countries, with the small island nation of Iceland leading the pack. An unusual abundance of geothermal sources creates 30 percent of Iceland's energy, according to its National Energy Authority. \"Imagination is so important,\" said Karl, whose resort houses 65 employees and can house 210 guests at maximum capacity. \"If Bernie Karl, one of the smallest mom-and-pop operators in the world, can do these things, then why can't all of us?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Resort owner makes electricity with water the temperature of a cup of coffee .\nAlaskan entrepreneur goes from diesel to geothermal, saving $625K in 3 years .\nHe invented portable geothermal generator that he says can power 250 homes .\nMIT: Most of U.S. can be transformed into a huge geothermal power zone ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- A potential victim became a compassionate counselor during a recent robbery attempt, changing the would-be criminal's mind -- and apparently his religion. Surveillance video shows storekeeper Mohammad Sohail holding a robber at bay with a shotgun. Storekeeper Mohammad Sohail was closing up his Long Island convenience store just after midnight on May 21 when -- as shown on the store's surveillance video -- a man came in wielding a baseball bat and demanding money. \"He said, 'Hurry up and give me the money, give me the money!' and I said, 'Hold on',\" Sohail recalled in a phone interview with CNN on Tuesday, after the store video and his story was carried on local TV. Sohail said he reached under the counter, grabbed his gun and told the robber to drop the bat and get down on his knees. \"He's crying like a baby,\" Sohail said. \"He says, 'Don't call police, don't shoot me, I have no money, I have no food in my house.' \" Amidst the man's apologies and pleas, Sohail said he felt a surge of compassion. He made the man promise never to rob anyone again and when he agreed, Sohail gave him $40 and a loaf of bread. \"When he gets $40, he's very impressed, he says, 'I want to be a Muslim just like you,' \" Sohail said, adding he had the would-be criminal recite an Islamic oath. \"I said 'Congratulations. You are now a Muslim and your name is Nawaz Sharif Zardari.'\" When asked why he chose the hybrid of two Pakistani presidents' names, the Pakistani immigrant laughed and said he had been watching a South Asian news channel moments before the confrontation. Sohail said the man fled the store when he turned away to get the man some free milk. He said police might still be looking for the suspect but he doesn't intend to press charges. \"The guy, you know, everybody has a hard time right now, it's too bad for everybody right now in this economy,\" said the storekeeper." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Long Island storekeeper Mohammad Sohail faces man wielding baseball bat .\nSohail grabs shotgun; stunned man begins to cry, says he has no food at home .\nMan's story tugs at Sohail's heartstrings, and he offers man money, bread, milk .\nAfter act of compassion, man says he wants to become a Muslim like Sohail ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "FORT HOOD, Texas (CNN) -- Families of tens of thousands of soldiers based at Fort Hood have one military wife to thank for a more normal routine at the base. A blunt conversation with an Army wife started Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch on the path toward his family-first policies. When Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch first took over as commander of the largest Army base in the United States, a soldier's wife approached him and gave him a talking to about how soldiers don't \"really\" get to spend time at home when they come home from war. \"She said 'General, don't talk to us about dwell time. Because my husband might as well be in Iraq,'\" Lynch told CNN last week. \"'He comes home after the kids go to bed, we never see him on weekends and you take him away to train all the time.'\" Lynch said that woman's comments \"really hit me in the gut.\" In response, Lynch made \"focus on the family\" a key part of Fort Hood's environment. He insists that every soldier on a day schedule leave work in to be home for dinner by 6 p.m. On Thursday, many are told to leave by 3 p.m. so they can have the afternoon with the family. And no one at Fort Hood works weekends unless Lynch signs off on it. He likes to point out that when a soldier deploys overseas, the only thing he can't get is time with his family, so it's important to get it between deployments -- what the military calls \"dwell time.\" Lynch's \"home by dinner\" order creates a daily traffic jam on the base in Killeen, Texas, as tens of thousands of soldiers leave at once. Master Sgt. Guadalupe Stratman enjoys Fort Hood's family-first attitude. She has a husband and three sons. When she's not cooking dinner after leaving the base, she's helping with homework or \"just watching them grow.\" It's not just about keeping military spouses and children happy, it's about creating a more resilient soldier; one less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol, injure or kill himself in a traffic accident or fall to suicide, Lynch says. It's working. No soldier has been killed on the roads around Fort Hood in more than 200 days. And although the base has seen two suicides since the start of the year, that is much less than some other major Army bases. Lynch is taking other steps to battle stress and suicides at Fort Hood. He's opened a soldier \"Resiliency Campus\" -- a city-block-sized collection of buildings with programs and activities aimed at improving a soldier's mind, body and spirit. And there is a weekly meeting of the base's \"suicide prevention board,\" which Lynch usually chairs. This isn't to say that all the soldiers at Fort Hood are completely well-adjusted and ready for their next deployment. CNN spoke to one squad of soldiers who'd returned from a deployment to Fort Hood just a week before our visit. One soldier said he has \"anger issues. I get angry over a lot of little things.\" Others are bothered by crowds or just driving around town. But even those young veterans, for whom the stress of being in a war zone continues after their return to their home base, have found ways to cope. The spend their off-hours together playing video games or just remembering what they went through together. \"Some of the roughest times we've had, we sit back and laugh,\" Pfc. Keven Abbott said. \"We are very well together -- you cannot bring us down.\" Watch CNN's Barbara Starr report on sorrows and joys of returning home » . The successful fight against stress at Fort Hood is getting noticed at the Pentagon. Among others, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has praised Lynch's programs. But just after CNN's visit to Fort Hood, the Defense Department sent out a news release announcing that Lynch would be moving on to his next job in the Army. What remains to be seen is whether his ideas about putting families first and creating \"resilient soldiers\" will carry on at Fort Hood after he leaves." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch at Fort Hood had blunt conversation with Army wife over priorities .\nHe instituted a family-first program, including orders to be home for dinner by 6 .\nFewer accidents, stress and suicides at largest Army base in U.S. now reported .\n\"Suicide prevention board\" meets weekly; Lynch usually chairs ." } ]