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new york times <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- the new york times on saturday endorsed christine quinn , a democrat , and joseph lhota , a republican , ahead of the primary elections to determine who will run to succeed new york mayor michael bloomberg . the endorsements by the renowned newspaper could have substantial influence on the september 10 primary elections for each party . quinn , the city council speaker and one of seven democrats in the primary race , offers the judgment and record of achievement anyone should want in a mayor , ' the newspaper said . she has shepherded through important laws protecting new yorkers'health , safety and civil rights , including measures banning public smoking , protecting tenants and small businesses , and battling slumlords . she sponsored the sweeping 2007 legislation that made the city 's exemplary campaign-finance laws even stronger , ' the times endorsement said . the newspaper gave credit to two other democratic candidates , bill de blasio , the public advocate , and former comptroller william thompson jr. , but said the editorial board had already been set to endorse quinn even before what they believed was her impressive performance in a debate wednesday . we are honored to have the endorsement of the new york times . the endorsement makes clear that christine quinn has n't just talked about being a progressive , she has a long record of fighting for new york 's progressive values and she has delivered results every step of the way , ' said mike morey , spokesman for the campaign . according to the latest nbc 4 ny/wall street journal/marist survey released on august 16 , de blasio and quinn are currently tied in the polls . if no candidate obtains the required 40 % of the vote , the top two will hold a runoff on oct. 1 . the crowded democratic field includes former u.s. rep. anthony weiner . the times called republican candidate joe lhota , once right-hand man to mayor rudolph giuliani and former chairman of the new york city metropolitan transportation authority , the best qualified of the three men seeking the republican nomination for mayor . ' few people know better than mr. lhota how city government works . he was an expert budget director for mr. giuliani , and then became deputy mayor for operations , ' the times said . in 2011 and 2012 , he ran the metropolitan transportation authority , which , under his leadership , recovered amazingly quickly from the damage done by hurricane sandy , ' the paper said . cnn 's greg botelho contributed to this report . | new york times issues mayoral endorsements |
copts <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- egypt 's military has started rebuilding a church burned down in an outbreak of unrest between christian copts and muslims , a military official told cnn on sunday . the shahedin church in helwan province south of cairo , the capital , was burned earlier this month in what was believed to be a feud between a muslim and coptic family . further clashes last tuesday killed 13 copts . the engineering department of the egyptian armed forces has started to rebuild the church in atfeeh today at the same exact location , ' army spokesman maj. mohamed askar said . the armed forces will bear all expenses . ' meanwhile , thousands of christians in cairo have protested outside the offices of the egyptian state broadcaster for nine consecutive days , demanding the rebuilding of the church and an end to what they call government persecution and discrimination . the egyptian military previously announced an investigation into the church burning and ensuing violence . tensions have increased this year between egypt 's muslim majority and its coptic minority . a coptic church in the town of alexandria was bombed on new year 's day , killing 23 people . the palestinian islamic army , which has links to al qaeda , claimed responsibility for what was the deadliest attack on christians in egypt in recent times . ten days later , a gunman killed a christian man and wounded five other christians on a train in egypt . also in january , a man was sentenced for his part in an attack on another coptic church a year ago , egypt 's state-run al ahram newspaper reported . about 9 % of egypt 's 80 million residents are coptic christians . they base their theology on the teachings of the apostle mark , who introduced christianity to egypt , according to st. takla church in alexandria , the capital of coptic christianity . the religion split with other christians in the fifth century over the definition of the divinity of jesus christ . cnn 's mohamed fadel fahmy contributed to this report . | the church burning set off further unrest between copts and muslims |
copts <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- egypt 's military has started rebuilding a church burned down in an outbreak of unrest between christian copts and muslims , a military official told cnn on sunday . the shahedin church in helwan province south of cairo , the capital , was burned earlier this month in what was believed to be a feud between a muslim and coptic family . further clashes last tuesday killed 13 copts . the engineering department of the egyptian armed forces has started to rebuild the church in atfeeh today at the same exact location , ' army spokesman maj. mohamed askar said . the armed forces will bear all expenses . ' meanwhile , thousands of christians in cairo have protested outside the offices of the egyptian state broadcaster for nine consecutive days , demanding the rebuilding of the church and an end to what they call government persecution and discrimination . the egyptian military previously announced an investigation into the church burning and ensuing violence . tensions have increased this year between egypt 's muslim majority and its coptic minority . a coptic church in the town of alexandria was bombed on new year 's day , killing 23 people . the palestinian islamic army , which has links to al qaeda , claimed responsibility for what was the deadliest attack on christians in egypt in recent times . ten days later , a gunman killed a christian man and wounded five other christians on a train in egypt . also in january , a man was sentenced for his part in an attack on another coptic church a year ago , egypt 's state-run al ahram newspaper reported . about 9 % of egypt 's 80 million residents are coptic christians . they base their theology on the teachings of the apostle mark , who introduced christianity to egypt , according to st. takla church in alexandria , the capital of coptic christianity . the religion split with other christians in the fifth century over the definition of the divinity of jesus christ . cnn 's mohamed fadel fahmy contributed to this report . | 13 copts were killed in clashes last week |
doj <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the bush administration told the cia in 2002 that its interrogators working abroad would not violate u.s. prohibitions against torture unless they have the specific intent to inflict severe pain or suffering , ' according to a previously secret justice department memo released thursday . former u.s. attorney general john ashcroft testifies before congress july 17 about waterboarding . the interrogator 's good faith ' and honest belief ' that the interrogation will not cause such suffering protects the interrogator , the memo adds . because specific intent is an element of the offense , the absence of specific intent negates the charge of torture , ' jay bybee , then the assistant attorney general , wrote in the memo . the 18-page memo is heavily redacted , with 10 of its 18 pages completely blacked out and only a few paragraphs legible on the others . another memo released thursday advises that the waterboard , ' or simulated drowning , does not violate the torture statute . ' it also cites a number of warnings against torture , including statements by president bush and a then-new supreme court ruling which raises possible concerns about future u.s. judicial review of the [ interrogation ] program . ' a third memo instructs interrogators to keep records of sessions in which enhanced interrogation techniques ' are used . the memo is signed by then-cia director george tenet and dated january 28 , 2003 . the memos were made public by the american civil liberties union , which obtained the three cia-related documents under freedom of information act requests . these documents supply further evidence , if any were needed , that the justice department authorized the cia to torture prisoners in its custody , ' said jameel jaffer , director of the aclu national security project . the bush administration has consistently denied that the united states tortures detainees . reports say the cia waterboarded three high-value detainees , ' including khalid sheikh mohammed , although former justice department official daniel levin suggested in congressional testimony in june that there had been more than three instances of the practice , which critics call torture . the third document released thursday was blacked out except for a line saying unless otherwise approved by headquarters , cia officers ( redacted ) may use only permissible interrogation techniques . permissible interrogation techniques consist of both ( a ) standard techniques and ( b ) enhanced techniques , ' plus the instruction for interrogators to keep records of sessions in which enhanced interrogation techniques are used . | doj authorized the cia to torture prisoners , says aclu official |
cruz <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- sen. ted cruz lauded the republican senate takeover tuesday night , but shied away from endorsing sen. mitch mcconnell to lead the new majority . the texas republican declined to say whether he would vote for mcconnell -- the current senate minority leader -- to become the senate majority leader . that 'll be a decision for the conference to make and that 'll be decided next week , ' cruz told cnn 's wolf blitzer twice on cnn . tonight what i 'm focused on is the results of this election , which is a resounding republican majority , ' cruz said . it 's not the first time that cruz , a tea party favorite and potential 2016 presidential contender , has skirted the question , also declining to pledge his loyalty to mcconnell in an interview with the washington post published sunday . but cruz did say that americans are frustrated with what 's happening in washington . ' and mcconnell might just be the face of that republican establishment , having served in congress for the past three decades . now the responsibility falls on us to lead with a positive , bold , optimistic , pro-jobs agenda and i hope that we see republicans unite , ' cruz said . i think a lot of voters are skeptical of politicians in both parties and i very much hope that my party can validate and earn the trust that 's been placed in us and that we can stand up , listen to the people . ' cruz also said he believes republicans will be willing to work with obama if the president is willing to work with us . ' and cruz said republicans need to pass legislation to repeal obamacare , though he conceded that obama would almost surely ' veto full repeal . mitch mcconnell re-elected | americans are frustrated ' with washington , cruz says |
cruz <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- sen. ted cruz lauded the republican senate takeover tuesday night , but shied away from endorsing sen. mitch mcconnell to lead the new majority . the texas republican declined to say whether he would vote for mcconnell -- the current senate minority leader -- to become the senate majority leader . that 'll be a decision for the conference to make and that 'll be decided next week , ' cruz told cnn 's wolf blitzer twice on cnn . tonight what i 'm focused on is the results of this election , which is a resounding republican majority , ' cruz said . it 's not the first time that cruz , a tea party favorite and potential 2016 presidential contender , has skirted the question , also declining to pledge his loyalty to mcconnell in an interview with the washington post published sunday . but cruz did say that americans are frustrated with what 's happening in washington . ' and mcconnell might just be the face of that republican establishment , having served in congress for the past three decades . now the responsibility falls on us to lead with a positive , bold , optimistic , pro-jobs agenda and i hope that we see republicans unite , ' cruz said . i think a lot of voters are skeptical of politicians in both parties and i very much hope that my party can validate and earn the trust that 's been placed in us and that we can stand up , listen to the people . ' cruz also said he believes republicans will be willing to work with obama if the president is willing to work with us . ' and cruz said republicans need to pass legislation to repeal obamacare , though he conceded that obama would almost surely ' veto full repeal . mitch mcconnell re-elected | ted cruz declines to say whether he 'll vote for mcconnell to become new senate majority leader |
mcconnell <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- sen. ted cruz lauded the republican senate takeover tuesday night , but shied away from endorsing sen. mitch mcconnell to lead the new majority . the texas republican declined to say whether he would vote for mcconnell -- the current senate minority leader -- to become the senate majority leader . that 'll be a decision for the conference to make and that 'll be decided next week , ' cruz told cnn 's wolf blitzer twice on cnn . tonight what i 'm focused on is the results of this election , which is a resounding republican majority , ' cruz said . it 's not the first time that cruz , a tea party favorite and potential 2016 presidential contender , has skirted the question , also declining to pledge his loyalty to mcconnell in an interview with the washington post published sunday . but cruz did say that americans are frustrated with what 's happening in washington . ' and mcconnell might just be the face of that republican establishment , having served in congress for the past three decades . now the responsibility falls on us to lead with a positive , bold , optimistic , pro-jobs agenda and i hope that we see republicans unite , ' cruz said . i think a lot of voters are skeptical of politicians in both parties and i very much hope that my party can validate and earn the trust that 's been placed in us and that we can stand up , listen to the people . ' cruz also said he believes republicans will be willing to work with obama if the president is willing to work with us . ' and cruz said republicans need to pass legislation to repeal obamacare , though he conceded that obama would almost surely ' veto full repeal . mitch mcconnell re-elected | mcconnell has served in congress for three decades |
mcconnell <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- sen. ted cruz lauded the republican senate takeover tuesday night , but shied away from endorsing sen. mitch mcconnell to lead the new majority . the texas republican declined to say whether he would vote for mcconnell -- the current senate minority leader -- to become the senate majority leader . that 'll be a decision for the conference to make and that 'll be decided next week , ' cruz told cnn 's wolf blitzer twice on cnn . tonight what i 'm focused on is the results of this election , which is a resounding republican majority , ' cruz said . it 's not the first time that cruz , a tea party favorite and potential 2016 presidential contender , has skirted the question , also declining to pledge his loyalty to mcconnell in an interview with the washington post published sunday . but cruz did say that americans are frustrated with what 's happening in washington . ' and mcconnell might just be the face of that republican establishment , having served in congress for the past three decades . now the responsibility falls on us to lead with a positive , bold , optimistic , pro-jobs agenda and i hope that we see republicans unite , ' cruz said . i think a lot of voters are skeptical of politicians in both parties and i very much hope that my party can validate and earn the trust that 's been placed in us and that we can stand up , listen to the people . ' cruz also said he believes republicans will be willing to work with obama if the president is willing to work with us . ' and cruz said republicans need to pass legislation to repeal obamacare , though he conceded that obama would almost surely ' veto full repeal . mitch mcconnell re-elected | ted cruz declines to say whether he 'll vote for mcconnell to become new senate majority leader |
ayoob <tsp> ( cnn ) -- europe and the muslim world seem to be on a collision course that could have major political , economic and ideological ramifications . january 23 , 2012 , may well come to be remembered as the crucial date when samuel huntington 's clash of civilizations ' thesis , which many of us believed discredited beyond repair , was reaffirmed . political scientist huntington wrote in 1993 that cultural divisions preclude a defining global civilization , and the west and the muslim world would never share the same values . last month , europe took two different actions that nonetheless sent the same message to the muslim world : you are not our equals and are doomed to be judged by standards different from those by which we judge ourselves . future historians might call january 23 the day when europe irreversibly alienated not one , but both , pivotal powers -- iran and turkey -- that in all probability will dominate the political landscape of the middle east for several decades . one action was the european union 's decision to ban oil purchases from iran , including imports of crude oil , petroleum products and petrochemical products , to force tehran to negotiate away its uranium enrichment program , which tehran insists is for civilian use only . this is the latest in a series of increasingly stringent sanctions that western powers have unilaterally imposed on iran . these sanctions go well beyond those required by the u.n. security council . the eu sanctions attempt to hit the iranian economy where it hurts most : europe imports about a fifth of iranian oil . when combined with a ban on transactions with iran 's central bank , this action is aimed at paralyzing the iranian economy . at the same time , the french senate passed a law making it a crime to deny genocides that are officially recognized by france . the two genocides in this category are the holocaust and the killing of 1.5 million armenians in anatolia during the last years of the ottoman empire . because the denial of the holocaust is already a crime under french law , the obvious objective of the bill is to criminalize the denial of the 1915 armenian genocide . the issue of armenian genocide touches a very raw nerve in turkey , which denies the scale of the killings -- turkey maintains that roughly 500,000 armenians were killed -- as well as the claim that it was planned . according to turkey , the killings happened in the midst of the disarray accompanying world war i and the disintegration of the ottoman empire . turkey says a nearly equivalent number of turks and kurds were also killed in inter-ethnic strife with the armenians , who were allied with the ottoman 's russian adversaries . it 's not the accuracy of the opposing claims that is at issue ; it 's muslim perceptions . iran may well be trying to develop nuclear weapons , and what amounts to an armenian genocide may well have taken place . what roils muslim opinion worldwide is the perception that the west uses blatant double standards to pass judgment . harsh sanctions on iran are seen as an attempt to prevent a muslim country from developing deterrents to attacks from israel and the united states , both nuclear powers hostile to the islamic republic . most western discussions of the iranian bomb do not make even passing reference to the well-documented israeli nuclear capability , even as israel threatens to militarily strike iran 's nuclear facilities . this omission is seen as hypocritical , dishonest and self-serving . for many in the muslim world , double standards explain why france singled out turkey , and did n't criminalize the denial of other nations'crimes against humanity . although denying germany 's crimes is a crime , the holocaust is universally accepted as genocide , while turkey 's is not . many ask why disputing european massacres of non-european people is not criminalized -- such as the french actions in algeria , as turkish prime minister erdogan has said . these would include the near-total extermination of native populations by european settlers in australia , new zealand , and north america . they would include the killings of millions of people by the belgian administration of the congo free state , whose population was halved during the early decades of belgian rule . most pertinent of all , muslims ask , why not criminalize the denial of the genocidal spanish inquisition that led to the extermination , expulsion or conversion of the entire muslim and jewish populations of the iberian peninsula ? many muslims perceive these moves as the west targeting iran and turkey in an attempt to prevent important muslim countries from achieving the military capacity -- iran -- and the political stature -- turkey -- they deserve . many see behind these moves the not-so-hidden hand of an ideology based on huntington 's theory of the clash of civilizations . although these perceptions may not fully conform with reality , it is well established that perceptions count much more than reality in the conduct of international relations . follow cnn opinion on twitter join the conversation on facebook the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of mohammed ayoob . | ayoob : many muslims see these as alienating : double standards applied in judgment of them |
ayoob <tsp> ( cnn ) -- europe and the muslim world seem to be on a collision course that could have major political , economic and ideological ramifications . january 23 , 2012 , may well come to be remembered as the crucial date when samuel huntington 's clash of civilizations ' thesis , which many of us believed discredited beyond repair , was reaffirmed . political scientist huntington wrote in 1993 that cultural divisions preclude a defining global civilization , and the west and the muslim world would never share the same values . last month , europe took two different actions that nonetheless sent the same message to the muslim world : you are not our equals and are doomed to be judged by standards different from those by which we judge ourselves . future historians might call january 23 the day when europe irreversibly alienated not one , but both , pivotal powers -- iran and turkey -- that in all probability will dominate the political landscape of the middle east for several decades . one action was the european union 's decision to ban oil purchases from iran , including imports of crude oil , petroleum products and petrochemical products , to force tehran to negotiate away its uranium enrichment program , which tehran insists is for civilian use only . this is the latest in a series of increasingly stringent sanctions that western powers have unilaterally imposed on iran . these sanctions go well beyond those required by the u.n. security council . the eu sanctions attempt to hit the iranian economy where it hurts most : europe imports about a fifth of iranian oil . when combined with a ban on transactions with iran 's central bank , this action is aimed at paralyzing the iranian economy . at the same time , the french senate passed a law making it a crime to deny genocides that are officially recognized by france . the two genocides in this category are the holocaust and the killing of 1.5 million armenians in anatolia during the last years of the ottoman empire . because the denial of the holocaust is already a crime under french law , the obvious objective of the bill is to criminalize the denial of the 1915 armenian genocide . the issue of armenian genocide touches a very raw nerve in turkey , which denies the scale of the killings -- turkey maintains that roughly 500,000 armenians were killed -- as well as the claim that it was planned . according to turkey , the killings happened in the midst of the disarray accompanying world war i and the disintegration of the ottoman empire . turkey says a nearly equivalent number of turks and kurds were also killed in inter-ethnic strife with the armenians , who were allied with the ottoman 's russian adversaries . it 's not the accuracy of the opposing claims that is at issue ; it 's muslim perceptions . iran may well be trying to develop nuclear weapons , and what amounts to an armenian genocide may well have taken place . what roils muslim opinion worldwide is the perception that the west uses blatant double standards to pass judgment . harsh sanctions on iran are seen as an attempt to prevent a muslim country from developing deterrents to attacks from israel and the united states , both nuclear powers hostile to the islamic republic . most western discussions of the iranian bomb do not make even passing reference to the well-documented israeli nuclear capability , even as israel threatens to militarily strike iran 's nuclear facilities . this omission is seen as hypocritical , dishonest and self-serving . for many in the muslim world , double standards explain why france singled out turkey , and did n't criminalize the denial of other nations'crimes against humanity . although denying germany 's crimes is a crime , the holocaust is universally accepted as genocide , while turkey 's is not . many ask why disputing european massacres of non-european people is not criminalized -- such as the french actions in algeria , as turkish prime minister erdogan has said . these would include the near-total extermination of native populations by european settlers in australia , new zealand , and north america . they would include the killings of millions of people by the belgian administration of the congo free state , whose population was halved during the early decades of belgian rule . most pertinent of all , muslims ask , why not criminalize the denial of the genocidal spanish inquisition that led to the extermination , expulsion or conversion of the entire muslim and jewish populations of the iberian peninsula ? many muslims perceive these moves as the west targeting iran and turkey in an attempt to prevent important muslim countries from achieving the military capacity -- iran -- and the political stature -- turkey -- they deserve . many see behind these moves the not-so-hidden hand of an ideology based on huntington 's theory of the clash of civilizations . although these perceptions may not fully conform with reality , it is well established that perceptions count much more than reality in the conduct of international relations . follow cnn opinion on twitter join the conversation on facebook the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of mohammed ayoob . | mohammed ayoob : europe took actions that showed muslims not viewed as equal |
british <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- something strange is going on in britain . some of the biggest tv stars of the 20th century are donning luscious wigs and scaring the wits out of children . and queen elizabeth is n't in a position to stop them either -- she 's guilty of joining in herself . overweight men are squeezing themselves into dresses , young women are prancing about on stage incessantly slapping their own thighs , and everywhere families are wildly screaming he 's behind you ! ' it does n't make any sense . but then , that 's pantomime -- or panto ' as the british fondly refer to it -- a musical comedy unleashed across theaters every christmas season and like nothing you 've ever seen before . imagine your favorite childhood fairy tale -- peter pan , ' cinderella , ' or robin hood . ' now subvert it with cross-dressing , topical references , audience participation , big song and dance routines , and you 've pretty much got the idea . small stage , big names but wait . what 's this ? recently panto has been getting a celebrity makeover . once the realm of local actors , now international stars are getting involved . henry winkler , better known as the fonz , ' from tv show happy days , ' and david hasselhoff , better known as , er , the hoff , ' are wearing renaissance wigs , badly drawn mustaches , and 45 kilograms of embroidered velvet as they bring to life one of the most infamous panto characters of all -- hook . for me , there 's no other part , ' said 68-year-old winkler , who has been playing the peter pan villain since 2006 , resurrecting him again at london 's richmond theater this year . all of a sudden you just hear the tiniest voice on the planet either yelling'booooo'or'peter ! he 's behind yoooouuu .'then when peter is banishing me from neverland you hear this voice go'yay !'and i turn to where it 's coming from and say'well , i did n't like you much either .'it 's just great . ' read this : step inside master clown 's fairy tale home and it 's true , one of the great joys of panto is seeing the audience erupt with lines that have been passed down through generations ; youngsters standing on their seats to yell oh yes he is ! ' while parents laugh at the sexual innuendo flying just above their heads . it 's not the kind of theater-going experience where you have to sit still and shut up and feel that you have to be very educated to understand , ' said professor katherine newey , chair in theater history at the university of exeter . i think one of the joys of seeing it with children is that you 've got an excuse to be a child again . ' english eccentricity not even queen elizabeth is immune to the magic of panto , with a treasure trove of old photos recently revealing she wore her own curly wig when she played the male lead of prince florizel in a palace production of cinderella ' in 1941 . swimming in lace ruffles and silk knickerbockers , the then-15-year-old elizabeth starred opposite her 11-year-old sister margaret -- who took the title role . it 's the one opportunity for us to let our hair down , ' said newey . it seems like this weird , eccentrically british thing -- so of course we keep doing it because part of our national self-image is taking delight in being a bit odd and eccentric . yes , the pantomime dame is a man dressed as a woman . yes , the princip boy , the hero , that 's a woman dressed up in tights and knee-high boots , slapping her thigh . obviously . ' happy days and then there 's the larger-than-life villain . enter the fonz . everyone who is 35-and-up recognizes me from'happy days ,'said winkler , today a grandfather-of-three . and they can call me the fonz all they want because they have also gone with me on my journey -- i 've never been restricted in my career by it , ' adds the man who tells me that over his career he 's produced 19 years of tv series if you watched them back-to-back , and in 2011 received an order of the british empire for his work with dyslexic children after also suffering from the condition . read this : 342 takes for one movie scene the native new yorker admits he never heard of panto before getting involved . but now he 's , ahem , hooked . it 's the story of peter pan with vaudeville in the middle -- it 's like chocolate candy with this delicious melted syrup in the center , ' said winkler . as hook , i 'm wearing about 100 pounds of velvet , i 'm wearing a king james wig with curls down to my shoulders , i 'm wearing a hat . if you do n't make that animated , you will get swallowed up and then i would just be lost . so the movement is very calculated . it 's a very important part of bringing the character to life . ' rich tradition today , panto is seen as a uniquely christmas tradition , but it was n't always the case . pantomime as we know it now really emerges in the second half of the 19th century , ' said newey . the original pantomimes had an opening scene , generally a fairy tale , with characters which wore these big masks and were often quite satirical of contemporary politics or events . ' when victorian writer charles dickens began writing about christmas and pantomime , the two became cemented in the national psyche , with panto even spreading to other commonwealth nations . and with many britons having boxing day -- december 26 -- off work , it became an ideal time of year to enjoy the show . with the fonz and the hoff now tackling panto , does that finally make it cool ? i never knew it was n't , ' says winkler . | unique british christmas tradition sees classic fairy tales brought to life onstage |
nicaraguan <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the permanent council of the organization of american states has approved a resolution asking troops to withdraw from the disputed border area between costa rica and nicaragua . in a resolution issued early saturday , the council said both nations should avoid deployments of the armed forces or security forces in the area where their presence could generate tensions . ' tensions between nicaragua and costa rica have flared over calero island , a parcel of land on the atlantic coast . managua claims the area is nicaraguan and denies its troops are in costa rican territory . costa rica claims it has been invaded . the resolution supported a report by oas secretary-general jose miguel insulza that said both sides should resume binational talks and not escalate the military and police presence near the disputed area . the council 's washington meeting was contentious , however , beginning friday afternoon and lasting until early saturday as diplomats tried to reach consensus . ultimately , the resolution passed with 22 votes , the organization said in a statement . three countries abstained and two voted against it . denis ronaldo moncada , nicaragua 's ambassador to the organization of american states , said early saturday that officials from his country would challenge the resolution . in the end , an agreement was reached that is really without any value , ' he said . we are going to challenge this resolution . we are going to question it , and we are going to document our position against this resolution , which was flawed from the outset and flawed in its conclusion , ' he said . costa rican officials claimed the vote was a triumph of peace and law . ' now , more than ever , the nicaraguan authorities must know to listen to the clamor of all of the hemisphere in favor of peace and peaceful relations between neighboring nations , and withdraw their armed forces from costa rican territory , ' costa rica 's foreign ministry said in a statement . costa rica claims that in addition to the nicaraguan troops , a dredging project in the river is dumping sediment on its side of the border , and that a costa rican flag in the area was replaced with a nicaraguan flag . nicaragua has accused costa rica of breaking diplomatic relations between the countries . wednesday , costa rican president laura chinchilla said her country would take its border dispute with nicaragua to the united nations and the international court of justice if a resolution is not found . chinchilla has said her country accepted the recommendations made by insulza , but that before there are binational talks , the nicaraguan troops must move back into undisputed nicaraguan territory . if the nicaraguan troops pull back from the disputed area , chinchilla said she gives assurances that costa rican police will not move in . in response , nicaraguan vice president jaime morales carazo acknowledged that costa rica may have no standing army , but said that means little , given that members of the costa rican police are better armed than nicaragua 's soldiers . in an earlier interview with cnn en espanol , he called on costa rica and nicaragua to resolve this as brothers ' and for a ceasefire in the verbal war , ' but added that nicaragua is not the aggressor . we can not invade our own floor of our own house , ' he said . neither can we accept from anyone conditions or ultimatums . ' cnn en espanol 's ione molinares contributed to this report . | new : a nicaraguan ambassador says his country will challenge the resolution |
south african <tsp> frequency modulation , ' exclaims south african radio shock jock gareth cliff in an online video posted earlier this year . which f * * * ing hitler used in world war ii for propaganda ! ' cliff -- who is famous for his outrageousness on the airwaves and is sometimes compared to american radio personality howard stern -- tries hard to stifle a grin that betrays a mischievous mixture of exasperation and comedic bombast . is this a medium we should be proud to use ? ' the audience laughs -- but the bonhomie belies a serious point . how has radio progressed so little over the last 70 years ? sure , there may now be digital radio and more interaction between programs and their listeners today , cliff explains . but much of the original formula where a presenter broadcasts to a passive listener interspersed by advertisements remains . it was this stasis that eventually pushed cliff to earlier this year quit his popular morning show at national station 5fm and take a leap into the unknown . radio revolution he has since founded cliff central , a web-only un-radio ' venture that aims to merge online broadcasting with social media and instant messaging platforms . the idea is to engage directly with listeners ( and attract advertisers ) and the early benefits are many , cliff says . no longer is he constrained by regulatory guidelines -- meaning he can drop the f-bomb live on air without a rap on the knuckles -- nor does he have to pay for a broadcast license . but the real advantage , he explains , is interacting with listeners in a new and exciting environment . mobile is definitely where the action is , ' cliff says . we have phones with us wherever we go . ' this is increasingly the case in africa . market intelligence firm , the international data corporation , expects the smartphone market on the continent to double in volume over the next three years and account for close to a third of all handset shipments by 2017 . south africa will remain the largest smartphone market in africa in the near-term with more than a million units being shipped there each month , the idc said last year . anybody who is n't adaptable to the possibilities that mobile represents is going to miss out on a huge business opportunity , ' according to cliff . the rise of mobile like most modern media outlets , cliff central has embraced the likes of facebook and twitter ( a task made easier by the fact cliff has close to a million twitter followers ) , integrating them into its service early on . all shows are also available via live streaming , podcast and for online download after the event . the most intriguing development , however , is what cliff central is doing on the hugely popular mobile communication app , wechat . thanks to an initial partnership with the chinese firm -- who have been looking at ways of publicizing their services in africa -- users have been able to listen to cliff central shows through the app , as well as being able to directly contact presenters and debate the content of shows with friends and fellow wechat users . the concept is similar to the way that people may watch something on tv and then use twitter to discuss what 's going on via hashtags . the major difference with cliff central 's wechat platform is that broadcast and discussion all happen within one app . we 've got 120,000 wechat official account subscribers to cliff central . i do n't know if that 's a lot or a few as i do n't really have a frame of reference to compare it to , ' cliff explains . but what i 'm pleased about is that the level of engagement with those people is extremely high and it 's growing . ' it 's this engagement that cliff explains is proving attractive to advertisers . in the future , rather than being subjected to five or six minute advertisements for products that may or may not be relevant -- as currently happens on the radio -- he foresees companies targeting consumers more directly through the app and podcasts . this will leave greater time for programming and should prove more fruitful for advertisers . i think that 's a real value proposition to an audience , ' cliff says . it 's also a very big commercial proposition and it ties radio in most especially in a measurable way . ' relaying the instant message numerous other media organizations have already tried to square the circle of using popular instant messaging platforms to distribute their content . the bbc used the wechat and whatsapp products when covering the indian elections in early 2014 . the corporation also adapted the mxit app to distribute content during south africa 's parliamentary elections in may . elsewhere , buzzfeed have added a whatsapp sharing button on their mobile stories while wechat has stated its intention to move into nigeria and other african countries where smartphone usage is high by working with local media organisations . closer to cliff central in south africa , other web-only stations have popped-up in recent years . 2oceansvibe radio was one of the country 's first online-only outfits and paired up with wechat a few months after cliff central launched . according to chris botha , managing director of industry analysts the media shop , both ventures have generated a lot of buzz . but botha is quick to add that it 's difficult to tell how successful they have been so far because they have been quite cagey in terms of the data they are sharing with advertisers . ' cliff even admitted earlier this year that releasing a rate card at the wrong time could kill us . ' and building the audience is n't the only problem the online upstarts face . broadcast radio remains popular , free to listen to and attractive for advertisers , botha adds . then there are the potential added data costs for listeners streaming content on their phones . for cliff , these are challenges , but they are not insurmountable . he is clear that he does n't want to replace radio in south africa , rather offer something different . what 's different is we are using superior technology to allow people to consume on their own basis what they 'd like , ' he said . advertisers really get this . the people who really know about these things ( media , digital advertising and branded content ) are as excited about this as we are , ' he adds . given the popularity of radio and the growth of smart phone devices in south africa and across the continent , there will be plenty of observers interested in how cliff 's un-radio ' project turns out . | cliff central is new mobile'unradio'station by south african shock jock gareth cliff |
labor day <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a texas woman vanished without a trace after visiting friends in plano over labor day weekend , police said . now her family and friends are desperately trying to find out what happened to christina marie morris . morris , 23 , lives in fort worth but was visiting friends in plano , about 50 miles away , when she disappeared on august 30 , according to her family . relatives reported her missing on tuesday night , four days after she was last seen . morris'parents filed a missing persons report on their daughter late tuesday , according to police . morris was last seen by a friend , who walked her to a parking garage at the shops at legacy mall just before 4 a.m. , but he did not walk her all the way to her car , police said . she appears on surveillance video walking into the parking garage with the friend , police said . the guy ... is a friend of hers from high school . they had been at a friend 's apartment hanging out and walked back together , ' plano police spokesman david tilley said saturday . police later found morris'vehicle in the parking garage , but there was no sign of the woman . her mother , jonni mcelroy , visited stores at the mall this week , desperately looking for anyone who may have seen morris before she disappeared , cnn affiliate wfaa-tv reported . i 'm not leaving . i will not leave here until i find clues to find my daughter , ' she told wfaa . family and friends on friday night also retraced morris'steps , hoping to find answers to her whereabouts , the station said . police said morris'cell phone is either dead or turned off . we have been able to track the phone 's last known location and that was in the shops at legacy , ' tilley said . her boyfriend , hunter foster , put out a plea on his facebook page this week asking for help finding morris . i 'm worried sick and will do anything to get any information on the last time anyone has seen or talked to her please help and pray that she is ok , ' he said in a posting tuesday . police are involved and we are going to find her and whoever has taken her or whoever she is with . ' plano authorities are asking for the public 's help in locating morris , who is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall , with blond hair and brown eyes , weighing 100 pounds . anyone with information is asked to call police at 972-424-5678 . | christina marie morris vanished in plano , texas , over labor day weekend |
mumbai <tsp> new delhi , india ( cnn ) -- after months of delays the trial of the lone surviving suspect in the mumbai terror attacks finally got underway friday . soldiers patrol in mumbai on the eve of the trial of a key suspect in last year 's attacks in the indian city . mohammad ajmal kasab is charged with 12 criminal counts including murder , attempted murder , and waging war against india . police say he was caught on surveillance camera holding a gun as he stalked and killed people inside mumbai 's main train station . kasab is also accused of shooting down people at mumbai 's cama hospital . kasab is one of 10 pakistani nationals who police say reigned down terror on mumbai , india 's financial capital , for four days and three nights . police say the men gunned down more than 160 people in the attack as they took over three luxury hotels and a jewish center and shot up several other places including a popular restaurant . police say kasab is the only suspected gunman caught alive . in his opening statements prosecutor ujjwal nikam read from kasab 's alleged confession about how he trained for the attack . nikam said , the terror attack was in order to capture kashmir . ' kashmir has long been a source of tension between india and pakistan . the dispute over who owns the territory has resulted in wars between the two countries . it 's alleged kasab and his cohorts traveled to india from pakistan by boat for the sole purpose of attacking india . late in the day kasab 's newly appointed defense attorney abbas kazmi said kasab was now retracting his statements , saying he confessed under police pressure . kazmi also argued that kasab was under age at the time of the attacks and should be tried in juvenile court , but judge m.l . tahilyani disagreed saying kasab was older than 17 at the time of the attack . the prosecutor put kasab 's age at 21 . the trial was supposed to get underway april 15 but in a stunning turn of events the original court appointed defense attorney for kasab was dismissed from the case that day . tahilyani removed lawyer anjali waghmare from the case saying she failed to disclose pertinent information to the court . the court said it was brought to its attention that waghmare was listed as an attorney for a victim of the mumbai attacks who was seeking compensation from the state . that victim also happens to be a witness against kasab in this trial . in court waghmare said she did not agree to take the victims case but had talked to him . she also said she was unaware that he was listed as a witness in kasab 's trial . the next day the judge appointed kazmi , who was in the court during the proceedings observing the trial as a member of the indian bar association . | the november siege targeted victims at mumbai hotels , hospitals , railway stations |
mumbai <tsp> new delhi , india ( cnn ) -- after months of delays the trial of the lone surviving suspect in the mumbai terror attacks finally got underway friday . soldiers patrol in mumbai on the eve of the trial of a key suspect in last year 's attacks in the indian city . mohammad ajmal kasab is charged with 12 criminal counts including murder , attempted murder , and waging war against india . police say he was caught on surveillance camera holding a gun as he stalked and killed people inside mumbai 's main train station . kasab is also accused of shooting down people at mumbai 's cama hospital . kasab is one of 10 pakistani nationals who police say reigned down terror on mumbai , india 's financial capital , for four days and three nights . police say the men gunned down more than 160 people in the attack as they took over three luxury hotels and a jewish center and shot up several other places including a popular restaurant . police say kasab is the only suspected gunman caught alive . in his opening statements prosecutor ujjwal nikam read from kasab 's alleged confession about how he trained for the attack . nikam said , the terror attack was in order to capture kashmir . ' kashmir has long been a source of tension between india and pakistan . the dispute over who owns the territory has resulted in wars between the two countries . it 's alleged kasab and his cohorts traveled to india from pakistan by boat for the sole purpose of attacking india . late in the day kasab 's newly appointed defense attorney abbas kazmi said kasab was now retracting his statements , saying he confessed under police pressure . kazmi also argued that kasab was under age at the time of the attacks and should be tried in juvenile court , but judge m.l . tahilyani disagreed saying kasab was older than 17 at the time of the attack . the prosecutor put kasab 's age at 21 . the trial was supposed to get underway april 15 but in a stunning turn of events the original court appointed defense attorney for kasab was dismissed from the case that day . tahilyani removed lawyer anjali waghmare from the case saying she failed to disclose pertinent information to the court . the court said it was brought to its attention that waghmare was listed as an attorney for a victim of the mumbai attacks who was seeking compensation from the state . that victim also happens to be a witness against kasab in this trial . in court waghmare said she did not agree to take the victims case but had talked to him . she also said she was unaware that he was listed as a witness in kasab 's trial . the next day the judge appointed kazmi , who was in the court during the proceedings observing the trial as a member of the indian bar association . | after months of delays trial of suspect in mumbai terror attacks finally gets underway |
medicare <tsp> ( cnn ) -- during the first presidential debate wednesday night , the candidates talked a lot about how they would lower the cost of your medical care . heavy on data and large numbers , the debate may not have been the easiest to follow for americans interested in the subject . ken thorpe , an emory university economist who specializes in health care costs , may have been one of the few excited by all these numbers . it was about as substantive a debate as i think we 've ever seen , ' thorpe said . the problem is , even after this debate , i do n't think people truly understand the similarities and the differences in what these candidates are proposing for health care . ' fact check : would repeal of obamacare hike seniors'drug costs ? here are five things you should know about what the candidates said about health care in last night 's debate : 1 . you do pay more for health insurance , but obama 's policy is n't totally to blame . the first mention of health care came about six minutes into the debate . discussing how middle-income americans have been buried ' financially under the president 's policies , republican challenger mitt romney said health care costs have gone up by $ 2,500 a family . each year , health care costs have gone up during obama 's administration -- that is true . but experts say the increases have not been due to policy , but because of the rising cost of health care . the figure romney used is not quite right . the kaiser family foundation , which conducts an annual survey of health care costs , found that since 2008 the average family premium has gone up about $ 1,698 . for context , that is the total cost that you and your employer pay -- it 's not $ 1,698 out of your pocket . in fact , the report said the increase you personally pay was not statistically significant . ' rising health care costs are a significant problem , though . the same survey found that the average premiums for family coverage have increased a whopping 113 % since 2001 . that means the trend started long before president barack obama took office . romney takes debate to obama over economy , health care 2 . medicaid and medicare fraud is a huge problem and more needs to be done . obama 's first specific reference to health care described how the administration pursued medical fraud in medicare and medicaid more aggressively than ever before , ' which saved the system tens of billions of dollars . medicare and medicaid fraud is what one expert called one of the most profitable crimes in america . ' it costs taxpayers billions of dollars annually -- $ 60 to $ 90 billion a year , based on government estimates . that 's money that could be better spent on taking care of actual health care costs . fact check : would romney bankrupt medicare by 2016 ? historically , it was up to states to police this problem , but the fraud grew too big for them to handle . a republican-backed bill called the deficit reduction act of 2005 created the medicaid integrity program , which gives the federal government the ability to oversee and support states'anti-fraud efforts . the obama administration launched several key programs to protect against fraud . they have saved taxpayers billions ; however , a government accountability office investigation concluded that while progress has been made under obama , more could be done . in a report this june , in fact , it found at least one of the major programs -- an audit conducted by the government -- costs taxpayers $ 102 million , but only found $ 20 million in excess payments . they have certainly been increasing their work in this area , ' thorpe said . a certain kind of focus definitely did help eliminate some of this fraud . ' health care act 's glaring omission : liability reform 3 . sending medicaid back to the states would save the federal government money , but cost states more and adversely impact those using the benefits . obama criticized romney 's idea of sending medicaid back to the states . he argued that this would mean a 30 % cut in the primary program ( for ) seniors who are in nursing homes , for kids who are with disabilities . ' the plan gop vice-presidential candidate paul ryan , as the head of the house budget committee , suggested in april -- which romney adopted as his own -- would cut $ 1.4 trillion in medicaid in the next 10 years . it would accomplish this by converting the program into a block grant that would in large part shift costs to the states , which romney argued would give states more flexibility to do what they deem best to help their medicaid population . the nonpartisan congressional budget office conducted an analysis of the proposal , which found that it would save the federal government a significant amount . medicaid costs would be 49 % lower by 2030 than current spending under ryan 's plan . that 's because the block grant spending caps the cost and makes fewer adjustments . the cbo concluded that while the federal government would save money , the states would face significant challenges in achieving sufficient cost savings . ' in wednesday night 's debate , romney spelled out how he would adjust spending behind these block grants . i would like to take the medicaid dollars that go to states and say to a state ,'you 're going to get what you got last year , plus inflation , plus 1 % , and then you 're going to manage your care for your poor in the way you think best ,' he said . that formula does n't account for rising health care costs ( remember the cost of health insurance has gone up 113 % since 2001 ) , nor does it account for the aging population . with baby boomers ' getting older , there will be 63 million more people over 60 by the time 2030 comes around , according to u.s. census projections . health care costs would go up significantly to accommodate this 20 % increase in the number of people over 60 who will need more health care . nor does romney 's formula account for economic downturns where more people would qualify for the medicaid program , like the current government formula -- which would leave the states in a much more uncertain position . the cbo analysis concludes about these block grants that these proposed cuts would likely force states to scale back their medicaid programs considerably . ' since poor people , seniors , and people with disabilities make up the majority of those who receive medicaid , they 'd be hit the hardest . ' new report compares obama , romney health care plans 4 . romney 's accusation that obama cut medicare by $ 716 billion is misleading . in the debate , romney said 10 times that obama was paying for his health care package by taking the money from medicare recipients'pockets , cutting $ 716 billion out of the program . to balance the additional cost of obamacare is , in my opinion , a mistake , ' romney said . in his closing statement , he promised to restore that amount . dozens of bipartisan fact-checkers say that number , often repeated by the romney/ryan campaign , is misleading . where does it come from ? it 's the figure mentioned in a letter from the congressional budget office sent to house speaker john boehner in july . boehner had asked for an analysis from the cbo if congress could repeal obamacare , something romney said he would do if elected . spending for medicare would increase by an estimated $ 716 billion ' over the next decade , the analysis said . that means medicare would cost the government more . obama 's health legislation does not mean people will see cuts to their benefits . hospitals and health care providers will , but that 's what they agreed to in exchange for the affordable care act 's mandate that people have health insurance . if more people have health insurance , hospitals will have to care for fewer of the uninsured . uninsured patients cost significantly more to care for than patients who are insured . it is unclear what impact the cuts would have on the medicare program . romney argues providers will accept fewer medicaid patients . in the debate he said , some 15 % of hospitals and nursing homes say they wo n't take any more medicare patients under that scenario ( obamacare ) . ' medicare 's own independent actuary , which it uses to analyze changes in the program , has warned that these planned cuts to pay providers'bills will force some doctors to stop accepting medicare patients . 5 . the cleveland and mayo clinics do it better . the candidates agreed during the debate that more needs to be done to control the cost of health care . obama praised the cleveland clinic as a model for new ways of controlling the cost of care . they actually provide great care cheaper than average , ' he said . and the reason they do is because they do some smart things . ' one approach he highlighted was the collaborative approach of the clinic 's doctors . instead of each doctor ordering a different test , they meet and decide as a team how to approach the patient 's problem . this prevents duplication . the team of doctors also provides preventive care . obama has held the clinic up as a model throughout his time in office . he visited it in 2009 . it is a top-ranked teaching hospital that attracts patients from around the world . an analysis done by the dartmouth atlas of health care found that the cleveland clinic did treat medicare patients for tens of thousands of dollars less than many other medical centers . one of the big differences between the cleveland clinic and other hospitals is that it and other multi-specialty clinics like the mayo clinic in minnesota employ their own doctors and can create these teams . in most traditional hospitals , doctors are independent private practitioners who are left to making their own choices . cleveland clinic 's success secret because cleveland clinic 's doctors are paid fixed salaries , there is less incentive to do unnecessary tests or procedures compared to a doctor who works on a fee-for-service basis . as of right now , medicare acts a lot like those traditional hospitals do , thorpe said . if you take the typical patient who is chronically ill , they will be overweight or obese , they suffer from bad cholesterol , hypertension , asthma and diabetes -- that means they take 10 to 15 medications and there is no team-based care , ' he said . going to separate doctors with their own plans is expensive . these integrated group plans work well and the ongoing preventive care they provide -- working with doctors , nutritionists , nurses , nurse practitioners and the rest -- ultimately save on costs . ' complete coverage of cnn 's fact checks | an accusation of $ 716 billion in medicare cuts is misleading |
medicare <tsp> ( cnn ) -- during the first presidential debate wednesday night , the candidates talked a lot about how they would lower the cost of your medical care . heavy on data and large numbers , the debate may not have been the easiest to follow for americans interested in the subject . ken thorpe , an emory university economist who specializes in health care costs , may have been one of the few excited by all these numbers . it was about as substantive a debate as i think we 've ever seen , ' thorpe said . the problem is , even after this debate , i do n't think people truly understand the similarities and the differences in what these candidates are proposing for health care . ' fact check : would repeal of obamacare hike seniors'drug costs ? here are five things you should know about what the candidates said about health care in last night 's debate : 1 . you do pay more for health insurance , but obama 's policy is n't totally to blame . the first mention of health care came about six minutes into the debate . discussing how middle-income americans have been buried ' financially under the president 's policies , republican challenger mitt romney said health care costs have gone up by $ 2,500 a family . each year , health care costs have gone up during obama 's administration -- that is true . but experts say the increases have not been due to policy , but because of the rising cost of health care . the figure romney used is not quite right . the kaiser family foundation , which conducts an annual survey of health care costs , found that since 2008 the average family premium has gone up about $ 1,698 . for context , that is the total cost that you and your employer pay -- it 's not $ 1,698 out of your pocket . in fact , the report said the increase you personally pay was not statistically significant . ' rising health care costs are a significant problem , though . the same survey found that the average premiums for family coverage have increased a whopping 113 % since 2001 . that means the trend started long before president barack obama took office . romney takes debate to obama over economy , health care 2 . medicaid and medicare fraud is a huge problem and more needs to be done . obama 's first specific reference to health care described how the administration pursued medical fraud in medicare and medicaid more aggressively than ever before , ' which saved the system tens of billions of dollars . medicare and medicaid fraud is what one expert called one of the most profitable crimes in america . ' it costs taxpayers billions of dollars annually -- $ 60 to $ 90 billion a year , based on government estimates . that 's money that could be better spent on taking care of actual health care costs . fact check : would romney bankrupt medicare by 2016 ? historically , it was up to states to police this problem , but the fraud grew too big for them to handle . a republican-backed bill called the deficit reduction act of 2005 created the medicaid integrity program , which gives the federal government the ability to oversee and support states'anti-fraud efforts . the obama administration launched several key programs to protect against fraud . they have saved taxpayers billions ; however , a government accountability office investigation concluded that while progress has been made under obama , more could be done . in a report this june , in fact , it found at least one of the major programs -- an audit conducted by the government -- costs taxpayers $ 102 million , but only found $ 20 million in excess payments . they have certainly been increasing their work in this area , ' thorpe said . a certain kind of focus definitely did help eliminate some of this fraud . ' health care act 's glaring omission : liability reform 3 . sending medicaid back to the states would save the federal government money , but cost states more and adversely impact those using the benefits . obama criticized romney 's idea of sending medicaid back to the states . he argued that this would mean a 30 % cut in the primary program ( for ) seniors who are in nursing homes , for kids who are with disabilities . ' the plan gop vice-presidential candidate paul ryan , as the head of the house budget committee , suggested in april -- which romney adopted as his own -- would cut $ 1.4 trillion in medicaid in the next 10 years . it would accomplish this by converting the program into a block grant that would in large part shift costs to the states , which romney argued would give states more flexibility to do what they deem best to help their medicaid population . the nonpartisan congressional budget office conducted an analysis of the proposal , which found that it would save the federal government a significant amount . medicaid costs would be 49 % lower by 2030 than current spending under ryan 's plan . that 's because the block grant spending caps the cost and makes fewer adjustments . the cbo concluded that while the federal government would save money , the states would face significant challenges in achieving sufficient cost savings . ' in wednesday night 's debate , romney spelled out how he would adjust spending behind these block grants . i would like to take the medicaid dollars that go to states and say to a state ,'you 're going to get what you got last year , plus inflation , plus 1 % , and then you 're going to manage your care for your poor in the way you think best ,' he said . that formula does n't account for rising health care costs ( remember the cost of health insurance has gone up 113 % since 2001 ) , nor does it account for the aging population . with baby boomers ' getting older , there will be 63 million more people over 60 by the time 2030 comes around , according to u.s. census projections . health care costs would go up significantly to accommodate this 20 % increase in the number of people over 60 who will need more health care . nor does romney 's formula account for economic downturns where more people would qualify for the medicaid program , like the current government formula -- which would leave the states in a much more uncertain position . the cbo analysis concludes about these block grants that these proposed cuts would likely force states to scale back their medicaid programs considerably . ' since poor people , seniors , and people with disabilities make up the majority of those who receive medicaid , they 'd be hit the hardest . ' new report compares obama , romney health care plans 4 . romney 's accusation that obama cut medicare by $ 716 billion is misleading . in the debate , romney said 10 times that obama was paying for his health care package by taking the money from medicare recipients'pockets , cutting $ 716 billion out of the program . to balance the additional cost of obamacare is , in my opinion , a mistake , ' romney said . in his closing statement , he promised to restore that amount . dozens of bipartisan fact-checkers say that number , often repeated by the romney/ryan campaign , is misleading . where does it come from ? it 's the figure mentioned in a letter from the congressional budget office sent to house speaker john boehner in july . boehner had asked for an analysis from the cbo if congress could repeal obamacare , something romney said he would do if elected . spending for medicare would increase by an estimated $ 716 billion ' over the next decade , the analysis said . that means medicare would cost the government more . obama 's health legislation does not mean people will see cuts to their benefits . hospitals and health care providers will , but that 's what they agreed to in exchange for the affordable care act 's mandate that people have health insurance . if more people have health insurance , hospitals will have to care for fewer of the uninsured . uninsured patients cost significantly more to care for than patients who are insured . it is unclear what impact the cuts would have on the medicare program . romney argues providers will accept fewer medicaid patients . in the debate he said , some 15 % of hospitals and nursing homes say they wo n't take any more medicare patients under that scenario ( obamacare ) . ' medicare 's own independent actuary , which it uses to analyze changes in the program , has warned that these planned cuts to pay providers'bills will force some doctors to stop accepting medicare patients . 5 . the cleveland and mayo clinics do it better . the candidates agreed during the debate that more needs to be done to control the cost of health care . obama praised the cleveland clinic as a model for new ways of controlling the cost of care . they actually provide great care cheaper than average , ' he said . and the reason they do is because they do some smart things . ' one approach he highlighted was the collaborative approach of the clinic 's doctors . instead of each doctor ordering a different test , they meet and decide as a team how to approach the patient 's problem . this prevents duplication . the team of doctors also provides preventive care . obama has held the clinic up as a model throughout his time in office . he visited it in 2009 . it is a top-ranked teaching hospital that attracts patients from around the world . an analysis done by the dartmouth atlas of health care found that the cleveland clinic did treat medicare patients for tens of thousands of dollars less than many other medical centers . one of the big differences between the cleveland clinic and other hospitals is that it and other multi-specialty clinics like the mayo clinic in minnesota employ their own doctors and can create these teams . in most traditional hospitals , doctors are independent private practitioners who are left to making their own choices . cleveland clinic 's success secret because cleveland clinic 's doctors are paid fixed salaries , there is less incentive to do unnecessary tests or procedures compared to a doctor who works on a fee-for-service basis . as of right now , medicare acts a lot like those traditional hospitals do , thorpe said . if you take the typical patient who is chronically ill , they will be overweight or obese , they suffer from bad cholesterol , hypertension , asthma and diabetes -- that means they take 10 to 15 medications and there is no team-based care , ' he said . going to separate doctors with their own plans is expensive . these integrated group plans work well and the ongoing preventive care they provide -- working with doctors , nutritionists , nurses , nurse practitioners and the rest -- ultimately save on costs . ' complete coverage of cnn 's fact checks | medicare and medicaid fraud remains a huge problem |
greece <tsp> athens ( cnn ) -- most people travel to greece to look at antiquities . but i 've spent the last few days in athens sightseeing the country 's digital future . and what i 've seen is surprisingly encouraging . the future is n't hard to excavate in greece . indeed , immediately upon arrival at athens airport , travelers are confronted by spread of slick advertisements for a global bank . the future is full of opportunity . be part of the future , ' one of these advertisements advises . age will be no barrier to ambition , ' another promises . even the smallest business will be multinational , ' a third guarantees . but today , in a greece wracked by the most serious economic crisis for at least a century , the truth about the country 's economic future is mostly the opposite of these advertisements . in greece today , the future is mostly characterized by fear rather than opportunity . the problem is that this small country does n't appear to be part of anyone 's future . ' increasingly peripheral , even to the euro crisis , greece is in danger of drifting back into its dark 20th century past : back to the self-destructive politics of anti-capitalist violence and ethnic hatred ; back perhaps to the drachma , to economic autarky and perhaps even to a financial apocalypse equivalent to the great depression . euro crisis : in-depth in greece , the smallest businesses ' in an economy still dependent mostly on tourism , are about as multinational as the crumbling remains of the acropolis . in this classic southern european gerontocracy in which at least 50 % of young people are unemployed , age actually mostly represents an impenetrable barrier to ambition . and yet , amidst all the despair , there is a rebirth going on in greece . it 's a digital renaissance and it 's being pioneered by a new generation of talented young internet entrepreneurs who are trying to reinvent not only the greek economy and society , but also greece 's role in today 's global economy . the irony of this nascent greek digital renaissance is that it probably would n't have happened without the economic crisis . in pre-crisis greece , most greeks grew up wanting to be public servants . but now that the old clientist state can not offer lifetime sinecures for university graduates , young greeks coming out of university now have little else to do except invest their labor in start-ups . there 's no other option , ' tasos frantzolas , the founder of soundsnap who splits his time between new york and athens , told me about this entrepreneurial renaissance in greece . people of my generation recognize this . ' john doxaras , the ceo of warp.ly who studied physics at cambridge university and who now divides his time between athens and san francisco , agrees with frantzolas . given the crisis , doxaras -- a young man who is already on his third start-up -- believe that young greeks have nothing to lose ' and are willing to take a risk . ' there 's a big opportunity ' in greece , doxaras told me because -- given the relative insignificance of the local market - start-ups have to be global , both in their organization and their market . warp.ly , for example , which offers big brands tools for mobile marketing , has its biggest client in kuwait and , of its 22 fulltime staff , four are in the u.s. , six in europe and 12 in athens . in the greek digital economy , even the smallest business have to be multinational . europe 's leaders are spinning plates christina plakopita concurs with doxaras . plakopita , a 28-year-old woman who has degrees in economics and real-estate development from london and columbia universities , came back from the us to greece to start-up and run netrobe , an iphone app designed as a virtual closet for young fashionistas which already has 40,000 users . people said i was crazy ' to come back to greece , plakopita , who returned to athens to live with her parents , told me . but it was a great decision , ' she explained , because digital is booming ' in greece and it 's an ideal market to think global and act local . ' like doxaras and frantzolas , plakopita 's confidence in the digital greek rebirth is rooted in the wealth of human talent in greece . i think they are correct . having spent the last few days in the invigorating company of many greek start-up entrepreneurs , i have been struck with their vitality , intelligence and ambition . from early-stage collaborative workspaces like colab and 123p , to entrepreneurs from promising local start-ups like taxibeat , radiojar , parking defenders , dailysecret , joolmaworks , crowdpolicy.org and cookisto , it is self-evident that there is something very promising brewing in this nascent greek digital economy . so what could go wrong with this budding digital greek renaissance ? the biggest problem , of course , remains the oppressively bureaucratic greek state that , in spite of the crisis , continues to be a major obstacle to entrepreneurial innovation . failure in greece in penalized , ' john doxaras told me about a system in which entrepreneurs can end up in jail if they bankrupt their companies . and every greek start-up entrepreneur i met complained bitterly about arcane and ever-changing bureaucratic regulations that make setting up and running a company frustratingly complex and time-consuming . greeks pull money out of country 's banks as stavros messinis , the co-founder of colab told me , greece remains a tough environment ' for entrepreneurs . what 's missing , messinis explained , is a both a legal and social acceptance of the idea of failure . there 's no culture of forgiveness ' for business failure in greece , messinis explained . and thus most greeks remains terrified of failing , even though failure is the unavoidable norm of even the most successful start-up ecosystem . then there 's the broader cultural challenge of rewiring greek minds for the digital age . as warp.ly ceo doxaras explained , most greeks -- even its younger generation -- do n't get ' the idea that greece , if it wants to compete in the 21st century global economy , has any other option but to become a start-up nation like israel . oddly enough , a possible greek exit from the euro is seen by many entrepreneurs as a much a blessing in disguise for their businesses as a catastrophe . if you sell abroad you will get rich overnight , ' fotis evagelou , the cto of joolmaworks , told me . while colab co-founder stavros messinis acknowledges that any start-up with clients overseas would benefit from the inevitable devaluation of the local currency that a greek exit from the euro would trigger . but does greek economic failure really equal entrepreneurial success ? no , it 's not that simple . messinis cautions that the return of the drachma would be superbly negative ' for entrepreneurs in the short-term , with exchange controls , massive layoffs , riots and empty supermarket shelves . john doxaras even warns that a euro exit might result in significant power cuts thereby cutting off local digital companies from their lifeblood -- access to the global network . yet in spite of the danger of a complete economic meltdown , the future remains full of opportunity for greece 's young digital entrepreneurs . it wo n't be easy , of course . but a country best known for its antiquities might turn out to be a key hub for radical innovation in our digital economy . | greece is wracked by the most serious economic crisis for at least a century |
greece <tsp> athens ( cnn ) -- most people travel to greece to look at antiquities . but i 've spent the last few days in athens sightseeing the country 's digital future . and what i 've seen is surprisingly encouraging . the future is n't hard to excavate in greece . indeed , immediately upon arrival at athens airport , travelers are confronted by spread of slick advertisements for a global bank . the future is full of opportunity . be part of the future , ' one of these advertisements advises . age will be no barrier to ambition , ' another promises . even the smallest business will be multinational , ' a third guarantees . but today , in a greece wracked by the most serious economic crisis for at least a century , the truth about the country 's economic future is mostly the opposite of these advertisements . in greece today , the future is mostly characterized by fear rather than opportunity . the problem is that this small country does n't appear to be part of anyone 's future . ' increasingly peripheral , even to the euro crisis , greece is in danger of drifting back into its dark 20th century past : back to the self-destructive politics of anti-capitalist violence and ethnic hatred ; back perhaps to the drachma , to economic autarky and perhaps even to a financial apocalypse equivalent to the great depression . euro crisis : in-depth in greece , the smallest businesses ' in an economy still dependent mostly on tourism , are about as multinational as the crumbling remains of the acropolis . in this classic southern european gerontocracy in which at least 50 % of young people are unemployed , age actually mostly represents an impenetrable barrier to ambition . and yet , amidst all the despair , there is a rebirth going on in greece . it 's a digital renaissance and it 's being pioneered by a new generation of talented young internet entrepreneurs who are trying to reinvent not only the greek economy and society , but also greece 's role in today 's global economy . the irony of this nascent greek digital renaissance is that it probably would n't have happened without the economic crisis . in pre-crisis greece , most greeks grew up wanting to be public servants . but now that the old clientist state can not offer lifetime sinecures for university graduates , young greeks coming out of university now have little else to do except invest their labor in start-ups . there 's no other option , ' tasos frantzolas , the founder of soundsnap who splits his time between new york and athens , told me about this entrepreneurial renaissance in greece . people of my generation recognize this . ' john doxaras , the ceo of warp.ly who studied physics at cambridge university and who now divides his time between athens and san francisco , agrees with frantzolas . given the crisis , doxaras -- a young man who is already on his third start-up -- believe that young greeks have nothing to lose ' and are willing to take a risk . ' there 's a big opportunity ' in greece , doxaras told me because -- given the relative insignificance of the local market - start-ups have to be global , both in their organization and their market . warp.ly , for example , which offers big brands tools for mobile marketing , has its biggest client in kuwait and , of its 22 fulltime staff , four are in the u.s. , six in europe and 12 in athens . in the greek digital economy , even the smallest business have to be multinational . europe 's leaders are spinning plates christina plakopita concurs with doxaras . plakopita , a 28-year-old woman who has degrees in economics and real-estate development from london and columbia universities , came back from the us to greece to start-up and run netrobe , an iphone app designed as a virtual closet for young fashionistas which already has 40,000 users . people said i was crazy ' to come back to greece , plakopita , who returned to athens to live with her parents , told me . but it was a great decision , ' she explained , because digital is booming ' in greece and it 's an ideal market to think global and act local . ' like doxaras and frantzolas , plakopita 's confidence in the digital greek rebirth is rooted in the wealth of human talent in greece . i think they are correct . having spent the last few days in the invigorating company of many greek start-up entrepreneurs , i have been struck with their vitality , intelligence and ambition . from early-stage collaborative workspaces like colab and 123p , to entrepreneurs from promising local start-ups like taxibeat , radiojar , parking defenders , dailysecret , joolmaworks , crowdpolicy.org and cookisto , it is self-evident that there is something very promising brewing in this nascent greek digital economy . so what could go wrong with this budding digital greek renaissance ? the biggest problem , of course , remains the oppressively bureaucratic greek state that , in spite of the crisis , continues to be a major obstacle to entrepreneurial innovation . failure in greece in penalized , ' john doxaras told me about a system in which entrepreneurs can end up in jail if they bankrupt their companies . and every greek start-up entrepreneur i met complained bitterly about arcane and ever-changing bureaucratic regulations that make setting up and running a company frustratingly complex and time-consuming . greeks pull money out of country 's banks as stavros messinis , the co-founder of colab told me , greece remains a tough environment ' for entrepreneurs . what 's missing , messinis explained , is a both a legal and social acceptance of the idea of failure . there 's no culture of forgiveness ' for business failure in greece , messinis explained . and thus most greeks remains terrified of failing , even though failure is the unavoidable norm of even the most successful start-up ecosystem . then there 's the broader cultural challenge of rewiring greek minds for the digital age . as warp.ly ceo doxaras explained , most greeks -- even its younger generation -- do n't get ' the idea that greece , if it wants to compete in the 21st century global economy , has any other option but to become a start-up nation like israel . oddly enough , a possible greek exit from the euro is seen by many entrepreneurs as a much a blessing in disguise for their businesses as a catastrophe . if you sell abroad you will get rich overnight , ' fotis evagelou , the cto of joolmaworks , told me . while colab co-founder stavros messinis acknowledges that any start-up with clients overseas would benefit from the inevitable devaluation of the local currency that a greek exit from the euro would trigger . but does greek economic failure really equal entrepreneurial success ? no , it 's not that simple . messinis cautions that the return of the drachma would be superbly negative ' for entrepreneurs in the short-term , with exchange controls , massive layoffs , riots and empty supermarket shelves . john doxaras even warns that a euro exit might result in significant power cuts thereby cutting off local digital companies from their lifeblood -- access to the global network . yet in spite of the danger of a complete economic meltdown , the future remains full of opportunity for greece 's young digital entrepreneurs . it wo n't be easy , of course . but a country best known for its antiquities might turn out to be a key hub for radical innovation in our digital economy . | yet , amidst all the despair , there is a rebirth going on in greece |
greece <tsp> athens ( cnn ) -- most people travel to greece to look at antiquities . but i 've spent the last few days in athens sightseeing the country 's digital future . and what i 've seen is surprisingly encouraging . the future is n't hard to excavate in greece . indeed , immediately upon arrival at athens airport , travelers are confronted by spread of slick advertisements for a global bank . the future is full of opportunity . be part of the future , ' one of these advertisements advises . age will be no barrier to ambition , ' another promises . even the smallest business will be multinational , ' a third guarantees . but today , in a greece wracked by the most serious economic crisis for at least a century , the truth about the country 's economic future is mostly the opposite of these advertisements . in greece today , the future is mostly characterized by fear rather than opportunity . the problem is that this small country does n't appear to be part of anyone 's future . ' increasingly peripheral , even to the euro crisis , greece is in danger of drifting back into its dark 20th century past : back to the self-destructive politics of anti-capitalist violence and ethnic hatred ; back perhaps to the drachma , to economic autarky and perhaps even to a financial apocalypse equivalent to the great depression . euro crisis : in-depth in greece , the smallest businesses ' in an economy still dependent mostly on tourism , are about as multinational as the crumbling remains of the acropolis . in this classic southern european gerontocracy in which at least 50 % of young people are unemployed , age actually mostly represents an impenetrable barrier to ambition . and yet , amidst all the despair , there is a rebirth going on in greece . it 's a digital renaissance and it 's being pioneered by a new generation of talented young internet entrepreneurs who are trying to reinvent not only the greek economy and society , but also greece 's role in today 's global economy . the irony of this nascent greek digital renaissance is that it probably would n't have happened without the economic crisis . in pre-crisis greece , most greeks grew up wanting to be public servants . but now that the old clientist state can not offer lifetime sinecures for university graduates , young greeks coming out of university now have little else to do except invest their labor in start-ups . there 's no other option , ' tasos frantzolas , the founder of soundsnap who splits his time between new york and athens , told me about this entrepreneurial renaissance in greece . people of my generation recognize this . ' john doxaras , the ceo of warp.ly who studied physics at cambridge university and who now divides his time between athens and san francisco , agrees with frantzolas . given the crisis , doxaras -- a young man who is already on his third start-up -- believe that young greeks have nothing to lose ' and are willing to take a risk . ' there 's a big opportunity ' in greece , doxaras told me because -- given the relative insignificance of the local market - start-ups have to be global , both in their organization and their market . warp.ly , for example , which offers big brands tools for mobile marketing , has its biggest client in kuwait and , of its 22 fulltime staff , four are in the u.s. , six in europe and 12 in athens . in the greek digital economy , even the smallest business have to be multinational . europe 's leaders are spinning plates christina plakopita concurs with doxaras . plakopita , a 28-year-old woman who has degrees in economics and real-estate development from london and columbia universities , came back from the us to greece to start-up and run netrobe , an iphone app designed as a virtual closet for young fashionistas which already has 40,000 users . people said i was crazy ' to come back to greece , plakopita , who returned to athens to live with her parents , told me . but it was a great decision , ' she explained , because digital is booming ' in greece and it 's an ideal market to think global and act local . ' like doxaras and frantzolas , plakopita 's confidence in the digital greek rebirth is rooted in the wealth of human talent in greece . i think they are correct . having spent the last few days in the invigorating company of many greek start-up entrepreneurs , i have been struck with their vitality , intelligence and ambition . from early-stage collaborative workspaces like colab and 123p , to entrepreneurs from promising local start-ups like taxibeat , radiojar , parking defenders , dailysecret , joolmaworks , crowdpolicy.org and cookisto , it is self-evident that there is something very promising brewing in this nascent greek digital economy . so what could go wrong with this budding digital greek renaissance ? the biggest problem , of course , remains the oppressively bureaucratic greek state that , in spite of the crisis , continues to be a major obstacle to entrepreneurial innovation . failure in greece in penalized , ' john doxaras told me about a system in which entrepreneurs can end up in jail if they bankrupt their companies . and every greek start-up entrepreneur i met complained bitterly about arcane and ever-changing bureaucratic regulations that make setting up and running a company frustratingly complex and time-consuming . greeks pull money out of country 's banks as stavros messinis , the co-founder of colab told me , greece remains a tough environment ' for entrepreneurs . what 's missing , messinis explained , is a both a legal and social acceptance of the idea of failure . there 's no culture of forgiveness ' for business failure in greece , messinis explained . and thus most greeks remains terrified of failing , even though failure is the unavoidable norm of even the most successful start-up ecosystem . then there 's the broader cultural challenge of rewiring greek minds for the digital age . as warp.ly ceo doxaras explained , most greeks -- even its younger generation -- do n't get ' the idea that greece , if it wants to compete in the 21st century global economy , has any other option but to become a start-up nation like israel . oddly enough , a possible greek exit from the euro is seen by many entrepreneurs as a much a blessing in disguise for their businesses as a catastrophe . if you sell abroad you will get rich overnight , ' fotis evagelou , the cto of joolmaworks , told me . while colab co-founder stavros messinis acknowledges that any start-up with clients overseas would benefit from the inevitable devaluation of the local currency that a greek exit from the euro would trigger . but does greek economic failure really equal entrepreneurial success ? no , it 's not that simple . messinis cautions that the return of the drachma would be superbly negative ' for entrepreneurs in the short-term , with exchange controls , massive layoffs , riots and empty supermarket shelves . john doxaras even warns that a euro exit might result in significant power cuts thereby cutting off local digital companies from their lifeblood -- access to the global network . yet in spite of the danger of a complete economic meltdown , the future remains full of opportunity for greece 's young digital entrepreneurs . it wo n't be easy , of course . but a country best known for its antiquities might turn out to be a key hub for radical innovation in our digital economy . | keen : greece 's digital future is surprisingly encouraging |
grand prix <tsp> ( cnn ) -- michael schumacher has been one of pirelli 's biggest critics this season , but formula one 's tire supplier has backed the seven-time world champion to end his long wait for a victory at sunday 's european grand prix . the 43-year-old , who has not finished on the podium since coming out of retirement in 2010 , told cnn that dealing with the rapidly degrading rubber this year was like driving on raw eggs . ' he has been outshone by mercedes teammate nico rosberg , but pirelli 's motorsport director paul hembery believes the german can perform well in valencia , where he has failed to make the top-10 in two previous attempts . schumacher did , however , top the qualifying times at another street circuit last month in monaco , but started the race sixth due to a penalty and ended up retiring early -- as he did last time out in canada . i think you have to look at someone like , maybe michael , getting the pole position , ' hembery told f1 's official website . he probably would have won monaco if he had n't been penalized , so why not here ? michael for valencia , that 's where the money should go . ' sauber chief : f1 better than ever ' schumacher , who won 91 grands prix between 1992 and 2006 , was penalized in monte carlo due to a collision with bruno senna at the spanish grand prix . the former ferrari driver has endured a miserable start to the 2012 season , collecting just two world championship points and retiring from five of the first seven races . rosberg , meanwhile , is fifth on 67 points and clinched the first race win of his career in china . but schumacher , who has won the european grand prix a record six times at its former homes in jerez and nurburgring , is confident mercedes can overcome the reliability issues which have dogged him . our motto in the last few days has been to roll our sleeves up and focus on the job in hand , ' he said . everybody in the team has taken that approach to heart , so we can travel to valencia in an optimistic mood . ' mercedes team principal ross brawn , who worked with schumacher at ferrari , conceded he has not provided him with an adequate car . the performance of our car and our tire management were generally good in canada , however our competitiveness was compromised by reliability problems and mistakes , ' said brawn . this is a disappointment that is deeply felt by everyone in our team , and we have been working hard to ensure we understand the reasons and deal with them . achieving zero-defect reliability is our highest priority . the opportunities available if we can give both drivers a reliable car and a clean weekend are clear . ' after this weekend 's race in valencia , the world championship will head to silverstone for the british grand prix on july 8 . | michael schumacher tipped for success at sunday 's european grand prix |
hong kong <tsp> the united states has contacted authorities in hong kong to seek the extradition of edward snowden , the man who admitted leaking top-secret details about u.s. surveillance programs , a senior u.s. administration official said saturday . federal prosecutors charged snowden with espionage and theft of government property , according to a criminal complaint unsealed in u.s. district court in virginia on friday . the united states already asked hong kong , where snowden is believed to be in hiding , to detain the former national security agency contract analyst on a provisional arrest warrant , the washington post reported , citing unnamed u.s. officials . if hong kong does n't act soon , it will complicate our bilateral relations and raise questions about hong kong 's commitment to the rule of law , ' the administration official said . the complaint charges snowden with theft of government property , unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person . the latter two allegations amount to espionage under the federal espionage act . snowden , 30 , has admitted in interviews he was the source behind the leak of classified documents about the nsa 's surveillance programs . those leaks were the basis of reports in britain 's guardian newspaper and the washington post this month . the guardian revealed snowden 's identify at his request . the documents revealed the existence of top-secret surveillance programs that collect records of domestic telephone calls in the united states and monitor the internet activity of overseas residents . the revelation rocked the obama administration and u.s. intelligence community , raising questions about secret operations of the nsa and whether the agency was infringing on american civil liberties . obama , top legislators and national security officials defend the surveillance programs as necessary to combat terrorism and argue that some privacy must be sacrificed in a balanced approach . they say the law allows collection of metadata , such as the time and numbers of phone calls , and that a special federal court must approve accessing the content -- listening to the call itself . in interviews earlier this month , snowden said he fled with the classified documents after taking a leave of absence from his job as an intelligence analyst for nsa contractor booz allen hamiliton . the company has since fired him . a series of blog posts this week purportedly by snowden said he leaked classified details about u.s. surveillance programs because president barack obama worsened abusive ' practices , instead of curtailing them as he promised as a candidate . however , obama closed the door on investigating systemic violations of law , deepened and expanded several abusive programs , and refused to spend the political capital to end the kind of human rights violations like we see in guantanamo , where men still sit without charge , ' a blog post said . the guardian newspaper and website identified the author as snowden . snowden said that he had to get out of the united states before the leaks were published by the guardian and the washington post to avoid being targeted by the government . in the interview with the south china morning post , he said he plans to stay in hong kong to fight any attempt to force him to return to the united states because he has faith in hong kong 's rule of law . ' the complaint against him was filed under seal on june 14 in u.s. district court in alexandria , virginia , but it was unclear from the document whether the united states has asked or will be asking hong kong to detain snowden . there have been some preliminary ' discussions with hong kong authorities , a u.s. official with knowledge of the process told cnn . the u.s. signed an extradition treaty with hong kong in 1996 , just seven months before the then british colony was handed back to beijing . hong kong 's extradition laws had previously been governed by the united states-united kingdom extradition treaty . this new treaty established an agreement under hong kong 's one country , two systems ' that allows hong kong autonomy from beijing in all matters apart from defense and foreign policy . | u.s. contacts hong kong to seek snowden 's extradition |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- iranian intelligence officials have detained the sister of nobel laureate shirin ebadi , the iranian lawyer and human rights activist said . ebadi said monday that three men and a woman arrived at the tehran home she shared with her sister , searched the house and seized nushin ebadi , 47 , and her computer . they have detained her so i stop my work , ' shirin ebadi , 62 , told cnn 's reza sayah in a phone call from london . she has done nothing wrong . she 's not involved in human rights work , and she 's never participated in any of the protests . ' nushin ebadi 's arrest came in the middle of a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests that has left at least eight dead , according to the supreme national security council , although the iranian government denies its forces have killed anyone . shirin ebadi , who won the nobel peace prize in 2003 for her human rights work , left iran for a conference in spain the day before june presidential elections that sparked an earlier round of violent protests . friends , she said , warned her not to return to tehran . the nobel laureate said she spoke with her sister monday , a few hours before the 9 p.m. visit by ministry officials while nushin ebadi was at home with her husband and two sons . iranian information ministry officials contacted nushin ebadi several times previously , her sister said , telling her to leave their apartment and warning her not to contact her sister . both women thought those demands were absurd . not only does my sister not do any human rights work , she does n't do any cultural work either , ' shirin ebadi said . they only took her because of me . ' information ministry officials contacted nushin ebadi on wednesday and told her to tell her sister to stop her work and stop saying the things she says , according to her sister . nushin responded , shirin said , that her sister was 15 years older and would not listen . shirin ebadi 's law firm represents seven members of iran 's baha'i community who have been charged with espionage . she said she is certain iranian officials are trying to intimidate her by harassing her sister , but , she said , she will not back down . they want to intimidate me , ' she said . the only thing they want is for me to change my work . ' i am worried . i 'm worried because she [ nushin ebadi ] was detained because of the work i do , ' she said , adding it was that work that made nushin a target . she 's not interested in this kind of work . she 's not involved in this kind of work . ' shirin ebadi said she advised her sister to contact an attorney when information ministry officials first began approaching her and that she did so . nushin ebadi and her husband are professors of dentistry at azad university in tehran , shirin ebadi said , and nushin ebadi 's husband also has a private dental practice . | ebadi left iran for a conference in spain the day before june presidential elections |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- iranian intelligence officials have detained the sister of nobel laureate shirin ebadi , the iranian lawyer and human rights activist said . ebadi said monday that three men and a woman arrived at the tehran home she shared with her sister , searched the house and seized nushin ebadi , 47 , and her computer . they have detained her so i stop my work , ' shirin ebadi , 62 , told cnn 's reza sayah in a phone call from london . she has done nothing wrong . she 's not involved in human rights work , and she 's never participated in any of the protests . ' nushin ebadi 's arrest came in the middle of a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests that has left at least eight dead , according to the supreme national security council , although the iranian government denies its forces have killed anyone . shirin ebadi , who won the nobel peace prize in 2003 for her human rights work , left iran for a conference in spain the day before june presidential elections that sparked an earlier round of violent protests . friends , she said , warned her not to return to tehran . the nobel laureate said she spoke with her sister monday , a few hours before the 9 p.m. visit by ministry officials while nushin ebadi was at home with her husband and two sons . iranian information ministry officials contacted nushin ebadi several times previously , her sister said , telling her to leave their apartment and warning her not to contact her sister . both women thought those demands were absurd . not only does my sister not do any human rights work , she does n't do any cultural work either , ' shirin ebadi said . they only took her because of me . ' information ministry officials contacted nushin ebadi on wednesday and told her to tell her sister to stop her work and stop saying the things she says , according to her sister . nushin responded , shirin said , that her sister was 15 years older and would not listen . shirin ebadi 's law firm represents seven members of iran 's baha'i community who have been charged with espionage . she said she is certain iranian officials are trying to intimidate her by harassing her sister , but , she said , she will not back down . they want to intimidate me , ' she said . the only thing they want is for me to change my work . ' i am worried . i 'm worried because she [ nushin ebadi ] was detained because of the work i do , ' she said , adding it was that work that made nushin a target . she 's not interested in this kind of work . she 's not involved in this kind of work . ' shirin ebadi said she advised her sister to contact an attorney when information ministry officials first began approaching her and that she did so . nushin ebadi and her husband are professors of dentistry at azad university in tehran , shirin ebadi said , and nushin ebadi 's husband also has a private dental practice . | friends warned her not to return to iran , ebadi says |
iowans <tsp> ( cnn ) -- while the visiting national news media focuses on the latest utterances of republican presidential hopefuls in advance of the january 3 caucuses , many iowans have found a bone to pick with a journalism professor -- from the university of iowa , no less -- who wrote : whether a schizophrenic , economically depressed , and some say , culturally challenged state like iowa should host the first grassroots referendum to determine who will be the next president is n't at issue . ... in a perfect world , no way would iowa ever be considered representative of america , or even a small part of it . iowa 's not representative of much . ' iowans are wondering what they did to incur the wrath of stephen g. bloom , who for 20 years has taught journalism at the state 's flagship university and shared his observations in an article for the atlantic magazine titled observations from 20 years of iowa life . ' it may be a good thing that bloom , a native of new jersey , has been away teaching this semester at the university of michigan because in trying to explain in both a real and metaphysical way , what iowa is , ' he has drawn the ire of iowans literally from all corners of the state -- from sibley and keokuk ( whose mayor has invited him to visit and explain the a depressed , crime-infested slum town ' remark ) to decorah to shenandoah . in the interest of full disclosure , many of my childhood vacations ( including winter ) were spent visiting my mother 's parents in iowa . i graduated from a college in iowa , and my first full-time job in journalism was at a newspaper in iowa , so i admit to a certain fondness for the state . and every four years , as the political spotlight shines on iowa , i share with colleagues whatever helpful insights i can muster . blitzer 's blog : turbulence in iowa the state is not one large cornfield , but driving along interstate 80 , it can appear that way for long stretches . visit northeast iowa along the mississippi river for proof that the state is not flat . iowa 's farms not only help feed the united states , but also much of the world , connecting this piece of flyover country ' to a global view . still , economists report that agriculture only accounts for roughly one in five jobs in the state . iowans may be older ( the average age continues to increase ) , whiter and more rural than the united states in general , but its latino population is increasing and more of its residents are moving to urban areas . iowa boasts being among the most literate states in the union ( though some years ago state officials abandoned a plan to make iowa : a state of minds ' its license plate slogan ) . politically , over the years iowans have elected some of the most liberal and some of the most conservative members of congress . critics cite numerous examples of a snide tone in bloom 's writing . consider his assessment of employment prospects in rural iowa : those who stay in rural iowa are often the elderly waiting to die , those too timid ( or lacking in educated ) to peer around the bend for better opportunities , an assortment of waste-toids and meth addicts with pale skin and rotted teeth , or those who quixotically believe , like little orphan annie , that the sun 'll come out tomorrow . ' what makes iowa 's gop caucuses unique and while they wait for that sun to come out , bloom suggests , these iowans spend their days stepping in manure from barnyard animals and stuffing their gullets with meat loaf , pork chops and jell-o molds before heading out to a tractor pull or church . bloom makes nary a mention of the distinguished academics at the state 's universities and colleges , its art museums and orchestras nor even the obvious upgrades to the capital city of des moines during the past 20 years . where he says that iowa is a throwback to yesteryear and , at the same time , a cautionary tale of what lies around the corner , ' critics find many of bloom 's observations to be throwbacks to an iowa that no longer exists . many also say there are factual inaccuracies in the article . sally mason , president of the university of iowa , which employs bloom , objected . i disagree strongly with and was offended by professor bloom 's portrayal of iowa and iowans . please know that he does not speak for the university of iowa . as president of the university , i have the opportunity to travel far and wide across this great state frequently , and the iowa i see is one of strong , hard-working and creative people . in this cynical world that can harden even the greatest optimist , the citizens of iowa continue to believe , ' mason responded to the atlantic . what defines iowans are their deeds and actions and not some caricature . when i travel the state , what i see is a land that is rich not only because of its soil but because of how its people are grounded . iowans are pragmatic and balanced , and they live within their means . this lifestyle , while not glitzy , is humble and true and can weather the most difficult of times , ' mason said . sports editor pete temple of the monticello express newspaper agreed with some parts of bloom 's article , but suggested that rather than having some good-natured fun with the quirks and traditions that make rural iowa life so unique , bloom 's tone is condescending , apparently designed to mock rural iowa in front of the rest of the nation . ' bloom , he wrote , fails to mention one of rural iowa 's greatest qualities , which is its ability to rise up and come together for someone in need . you have farmers completing a harvest for a neighbor , fund-raisers for families of ill or injured residents , and citizens filling sandbags to ward against an impending flood . rural iowans do these things willingly , immediately , and without question . if that 's not representative of our nation as a whole , that 's a shame . ' dean klinkenberg , who writes about life along the mississippi river , offered this scathing assessment : bloom wrote a poorly reasoned article plagued by factual errors and loaded with big-city stereotypes of country folk . his essay was , ultimately , a lazy piece of incendiary rubbish , which i guess is what passes for journalism today . ' bloom shared some of his fan mail ' with media commentator jim romanesko , including this excerpt : first i want to apologize for iowans who may have threatened you . i am a dental student here at the university and grew up in a small iowa town my whole life ( palo ) before coming here . i agree that we have our problems as iowans but one thing we are is fiercely loyal . your article is true ( for the most part ) about rural iowans but anyone from here , esp us city folk , are going to be upset by that stereotype . ' bloom defended his work in a letter to the press-citizen newspaper in iowa city . perhaps my article gave some iowans a moment to refocus their attention elsewhere -- from some of the real issues confronting the state -- walmart taking over the retail-trade sector , empty storefronts , water pollution among the worst in the nation , factories shutting down , the state 's brain drain , undocumented workers taking minimum-wage jobs in the state 's under-regulated slaughterhouses , not to mention the tragedy that anyone can see walking into the state 's casinos . i 'm a proud journalist . i still believe in the adage ,'comfort the afflicted , and afflict the comfortable .'today , much of the state is afflicted by a ravaged economy . iowa 's population growth has flat-lined . but i guess it 's just more comforting to some iowans to condemn me for pointing out these issues and others . ' i 'll give the last word to lydia waddington , a native southerner who was editor of recently closed iowa independent . of her adopted home state , waddington wrote , also in the atlantic , it 's a way of life trying desperately to sustain itself and justify its own existence . it is battling against national stereotypes that no longer apply while facing newer and much more lethal challenges . it 's picturesque scenes of idyllic farms and country roads glimpsed through a car window . it 's everyone believing they know who and what you are before they go fishing with you and the shirt comes off . as professor bloom admits in his own writings , he never took up fishing . bless his heart . ' | university president retorts : iowans are pragmatic and balanced ' |
labor <tsp> princeton , new jersey ( cnn ) -- since the democrats chose to host their convention in charlotte , north carolina , in a state that has not been hospitable to unions , organized labor is going to have a rally to focus attention on its key issues in philadelphia on august 11 . the rally is meant to send a message to the democratic leadership , as well as to republicans , that many workers feel as if they do n't have a voice in the two-party system . as afl-cio president rich trumka said to members , the rally will give us an opportunity to connect the faces of ordinary americans to the basic issues affecting working people in our country while providing an important liftoff to our labor 2012 political program for the fall . ' the rally is indicative of a larger tension that has plagued the democratic coalition for several decades . since the 1960s , organized labor , once the pillar of the democratic party , has often been taken for granted or even treated with hostility . senate republicans block disclose act for 2nd straight day union leaders frequently complain that they have second-class status in the party compared with other groups such as environmentalists or suburban voters . during the battle over public employee unions in wisconsin , most national democrats were noticeably absent from the debate . before the wisconsin gubernatorial election that followed the recall , president obama was willing to tweet his support for gov . scott walker 's opponent , tom barrett , but unwilling to actually visit . this fissure has high costs for the democrats and for liberalism more generally . organized labor has been integral to the organizational strength of liberalism throughout the 20th century , as the most reliable and powerful force to get out the vote in elections and to help build congressional coalitions behind progressive legislation . the alliance , which formed when the afl helped president woodrow wilson during the early stages of world war i , flourished during the new deal . democrats won the support of workers as a result of the surge of legislation that helped working- and middle-class americans find economic security . the wagner act ( 1935 ) cemented this marriage as the federal government legitimated the right of workers to organize in unions . labor leaders like sidney hillman from the amalgamated clothing workers of america , who helped found the cio , established the first political action committee to help fdr win re-election in 1944 . during world war ii , most of the major unions were a key part of the homeland effort , assisting the administration as it moved to convert factories to wartime production . in 1948 , president harry truman would not have won re-election had it not been for organized labor , which in the final weeks of the campaign mobilized its troops to defeat new york gov . thomas dewey . labor did it ! ' cried truman , who won the vote of 89 % of the automobile workers , recounted historian nelson lichtenstein . although a republican was in the white house for most of the 1950s , organized labor helped a growing number of liberal democrats win office in the house and senate . they promoted proposals for civil rights and health insurance for the elderly that gradually gained support in the house and senate . in addition to supporting lyndon 's johnson 's election campaign in 1964 , the afl-cio , which had formed in 1955 when the two major coalitions of unions decided to merge , proved integral to lobbying for johnson 's domestic proposals . george meany , the president of the afl-cio , and walter reuther , the vice president of the afl-cio and the head of the united auto workers , were regular visitors to the white house , helping johnson not only with bills directly related to labor but with other parts of his domestic agenda , ranging from the war on poverty to civil rights . when he feared there were not enough votes among democrats for the war on poverty , lbj relied on organized labor to pressure business in pennsylvania to push liberal republicans in the state to support the bill . even jimmy carter , who in 1976 ran as an outsider and railed against traditional democratic interests , depended on unions to bring out the vote and on unionized workers to vote for him in key industrial states for his victory on election day . the relationship between labor and democrats frayed after the 1970s . one of the reasons was that organized labor simply lost much of its muscle . membership declined dramatically from the highs of 30 % of the work force in the 1950s and the 1960s to a little over 12 % today . with fewer members , more democrats were tempted to look elsewhere to build their electoral muscle . organized labor also suffered as democrats reached out more aggressively to different constituencies , middle class suburbanites , consumer activists , young americans and african-americans , who did n't have as much connection to unions and often saw them as an entrenched interest ' that did n't have the best interest of the party in mind . these tensions started to play out in the 1972 election , when meany endorsed richard nixon rather than democrat george mcgovern . some working-class americans proved to be more conservative on cultural issues and often opposed to civil rights policies that democrats had promoted . and some union leaders felt that democrats were becoming too dovish on foreign policy . the tensions continued to affect the electorate through the 2008 primary , when hillary clinton tried to appeal to working-class democrats who felt that obama favored other factions in the party . finally , the expansion and strengthening of the lobbying world since the 1970s vastly increased the number of interest groups who favored business . these groups provided financial support to members of both parties and often made it difficult for democrats to take a pro-union stand . but democrats ca n't afford to lose the enthusiastic support of organized labor . of all the groups in the democratic coalition , labor remains the one with the greatest ground force and organizational strength -- and which represents a constituency rather than a particular issue ( like the environment ) -- that can help democrats sustain a broad coalition . during obama 's struggle with congress over health care , labor was essential in the final days of the congressional vote to convincing unhappy liberals to support a bill even without a public option . in this election , labor will be integral in the handful of swing states that will determine the outcome . with heightened economic inequality and high rates of unemployment , unions have the ability to have even greater resonance with the electorate . obama and the democratic party will suffer unless the party starts to demonstrate that the concerns of working americans are more than campaign rhetoric but are , in fact , a defining feature of their party . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of julian zelizer . | zelizer : democrats must have labor 's support , with all of its organizational power |
labor <tsp> princeton , new jersey ( cnn ) -- since the democrats chose to host their convention in charlotte , north carolina , in a state that has not been hospitable to unions , organized labor is going to have a rally to focus attention on its key issues in philadelphia on august 11 . the rally is meant to send a message to the democratic leadership , as well as to republicans , that many workers feel as if they do n't have a voice in the two-party system . as afl-cio president rich trumka said to members , the rally will give us an opportunity to connect the faces of ordinary americans to the basic issues affecting working people in our country while providing an important liftoff to our labor 2012 political program for the fall . ' the rally is indicative of a larger tension that has plagued the democratic coalition for several decades . since the 1960s , organized labor , once the pillar of the democratic party , has often been taken for granted or even treated with hostility . senate republicans block disclose act for 2nd straight day union leaders frequently complain that they have second-class status in the party compared with other groups such as environmentalists or suburban voters . during the battle over public employee unions in wisconsin , most national democrats were noticeably absent from the debate . before the wisconsin gubernatorial election that followed the recall , president obama was willing to tweet his support for gov . scott walker 's opponent , tom barrett , but unwilling to actually visit . this fissure has high costs for the democrats and for liberalism more generally . organized labor has been integral to the organizational strength of liberalism throughout the 20th century , as the most reliable and powerful force to get out the vote in elections and to help build congressional coalitions behind progressive legislation . the alliance , which formed when the afl helped president woodrow wilson during the early stages of world war i , flourished during the new deal . democrats won the support of workers as a result of the surge of legislation that helped working- and middle-class americans find economic security . the wagner act ( 1935 ) cemented this marriage as the federal government legitimated the right of workers to organize in unions . labor leaders like sidney hillman from the amalgamated clothing workers of america , who helped found the cio , established the first political action committee to help fdr win re-election in 1944 . during world war ii , most of the major unions were a key part of the homeland effort , assisting the administration as it moved to convert factories to wartime production . in 1948 , president harry truman would not have won re-election had it not been for organized labor , which in the final weeks of the campaign mobilized its troops to defeat new york gov . thomas dewey . labor did it ! ' cried truman , who won the vote of 89 % of the automobile workers , recounted historian nelson lichtenstein . although a republican was in the white house for most of the 1950s , organized labor helped a growing number of liberal democrats win office in the house and senate . they promoted proposals for civil rights and health insurance for the elderly that gradually gained support in the house and senate . in addition to supporting lyndon 's johnson 's election campaign in 1964 , the afl-cio , which had formed in 1955 when the two major coalitions of unions decided to merge , proved integral to lobbying for johnson 's domestic proposals . george meany , the president of the afl-cio , and walter reuther , the vice president of the afl-cio and the head of the united auto workers , were regular visitors to the white house , helping johnson not only with bills directly related to labor but with other parts of his domestic agenda , ranging from the war on poverty to civil rights . when he feared there were not enough votes among democrats for the war on poverty , lbj relied on organized labor to pressure business in pennsylvania to push liberal republicans in the state to support the bill . even jimmy carter , who in 1976 ran as an outsider and railed against traditional democratic interests , depended on unions to bring out the vote and on unionized workers to vote for him in key industrial states for his victory on election day . the relationship between labor and democrats frayed after the 1970s . one of the reasons was that organized labor simply lost much of its muscle . membership declined dramatically from the highs of 30 % of the work force in the 1950s and the 1960s to a little over 12 % today . with fewer members , more democrats were tempted to look elsewhere to build their electoral muscle . organized labor also suffered as democrats reached out more aggressively to different constituencies , middle class suburbanites , consumer activists , young americans and african-americans , who did n't have as much connection to unions and often saw them as an entrenched interest ' that did n't have the best interest of the party in mind . these tensions started to play out in the 1972 election , when meany endorsed richard nixon rather than democrat george mcgovern . some working-class americans proved to be more conservative on cultural issues and often opposed to civil rights policies that democrats had promoted . and some union leaders felt that democrats were becoming too dovish on foreign policy . the tensions continued to affect the electorate through the 2008 primary , when hillary clinton tried to appeal to working-class democrats who felt that obama favored other factions in the party . finally , the expansion and strengthening of the lobbying world since the 1970s vastly increased the number of interest groups who favored business . these groups provided financial support to members of both parties and often made it difficult for democrats to take a pro-union stand . but democrats ca n't afford to lose the enthusiastic support of organized labor . of all the groups in the democratic coalition , labor remains the one with the greatest ground force and organizational strength -- and which represents a constituency rather than a particular issue ( like the environment ) -- that can help democrats sustain a broad coalition . during obama 's struggle with congress over health care , labor was essential in the final days of the congressional vote to convincing unhappy liberals to support a bill even without a public option . in this election , labor will be integral in the handful of swing states that will determine the outcome . with heightened economic inequality and high rates of unemployment , unions have the ability to have even greater resonance with the electorate . obama and the democratic party will suffer unless the party starts to demonstrate that the concerns of working americans are more than campaign rhetoric but are , in fact , a defining feature of their party . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of julian zelizer . | for decades , democrats have had a standoffish attitude to labor unions , he says |
labor <tsp> princeton , new jersey ( cnn ) -- since the democrats chose to host their convention in charlotte , north carolina , in a state that has not been hospitable to unions , organized labor is going to have a rally to focus attention on its key issues in philadelphia on august 11 . the rally is meant to send a message to the democratic leadership , as well as to republicans , that many workers feel as if they do n't have a voice in the two-party system . as afl-cio president rich trumka said to members , the rally will give us an opportunity to connect the faces of ordinary americans to the basic issues affecting working people in our country while providing an important liftoff to our labor 2012 political program for the fall . ' the rally is indicative of a larger tension that has plagued the democratic coalition for several decades . since the 1960s , organized labor , once the pillar of the democratic party , has often been taken for granted or even treated with hostility . senate republicans block disclose act for 2nd straight day union leaders frequently complain that they have second-class status in the party compared with other groups such as environmentalists or suburban voters . during the battle over public employee unions in wisconsin , most national democrats were noticeably absent from the debate . before the wisconsin gubernatorial election that followed the recall , president obama was willing to tweet his support for gov . scott walker 's opponent , tom barrett , but unwilling to actually visit . this fissure has high costs for the democrats and for liberalism more generally . organized labor has been integral to the organizational strength of liberalism throughout the 20th century , as the most reliable and powerful force to get out the vote in elections and to help build congressional coalitions behind progressive legislation . the alliance , which formed when the afl helped president woodrow wilson during the early stages of world war i , flourished during the new deal . democrats won the support of workers as a result of the surge of legislation that helped working- and middle-class americans find economic security . the wagner act ( 1935 ) cemented this marriage as the federal government legitimated the right of workers to organize in unions . labor leaders like sidney hillman from the amalgamated clothing workers of america , who helped found the cio , established the first political action committee to help fdr win re-election in 1944 . during world war ii , most of the major unions were a key part of the homeland effort , assisting the administration as it moved to convert factories to wartime production . in 1948 , president harry truman would not have won re-election had it not been for organized labor , which in the final weeks of the campaign mobilized its troops to defeat new york gov . thomas dewey . labor did it ! ' cried truman , who won the vote of 89 % of the automobile workers , recounted historian nelson lichtenstein . although a republican was in the white house for most of the 1950s , organized labor helped a growing number of liberal democrats win office in the house and senate . they promoted proposals for civil rights and health insurance for the elderly that gradually gained support in the house and senate . in addition to supporting lyndon 's johnson 's election campaign in 1964 , the afl-cio , which had formed in 1955 when the two major coalitions of unions decided to merge , proved integral to lobbying for johnson 's domestic proposals . george meany , the president of the afl-cio , and walter reuther , the vice president of the afl-cio and the head of the united auto workers , were regular visitors to the white house , helping johnson not only with bills directly related to labor but with other parts of his domestic agenda , ranging from the war on poverty to civil rights . when he feared there were not enough votes among democrats for the war on poverty , lbj relied on organized labor to pressure business in pennsylvania to push liberal republicans in the state to support the bill . even jimmy carter , who in 1976 ran as an outsider and railed against traditional democratic interests , depended on unions to bring out the vote and on unionized workers to vote for him in key industrial states for his victory on election day . the relationship between labor and democrats frayed after the 1970s . one of the reasons was that organized labor simply lost much of its muscle . membership declined dramatically from the highs of 30 % of the work force in the 1950s and the 1960s to a little over 12 % today . with fewer members , more democrats were tempted to look elsewhere to build their electoral muscle . organized labor also suffered as democrats reached out more aggressively to different constituencies , middle class suburbanites , consumer activists , young americans and african-americans , who did n't have as much connection to unions and often saw them as an entrenched interest ' that did n't have the best interest of the party in mind . these tensions started to play out in the 1972 election , when meany endorsed richard nixon rather than democrat george mcgovern . some working-class americans proved to be more conservative on cultural issues and often opposed to civil rights policies that democrats had promoted . and some union leaders felt that democrats were becoming too dovish on foreign policy . the tensions continued to affect the electorate through the 2008 primary , when hillary clinton tried to appeal to working-class democrats who felt that obama favored other factions in the party . finally , the expansion and strengthening of the lobbying world since the 1970s vastly increased the number of interest groups who favored business . these groups provided financial support to members of both parties and often made it difficult for democrats to take a pro-union stand . but democrats ca n't afford to lose the enthusiastic support of organized labor . of all the groups in the democratic coalition , labor remains the one with the greatest ground force and organizational strength -- and which represents a constituency rather than a particular issue ( like the environment ) -- that can help democrats sustain a broad coalition . during obama 's struggle with congress over health care , labor was essential in the final days of the congressional vote to convincing unhappy liberals to support a bill even without a public option . in this election , labor will be integral in the handful of swing states that will determine the outcome . with heightened economic inequality and high rates of unemployment , unions have the ability to have even greater resonance with the electorate . obama and the democratic party will suffer unless the party starts to demonstrate that the concerns of working americans are more than campaign rhetoric but are , in fact , a defining feature of their party . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of julian zelizer . | julian zelizer : labor believes neither party has acted with their best interest in mind |
baghdad <tsp> baghdad , iraq ( cnn ) -- more than half the christian population has fled the northern iraqi city of mosul in reaction to a campaign of killings and intimidation , according to the united nations . christian women attend a religious service sunday at a church in baghdad . an estimated 13,000 christians have left because of oppression the u.s. government blames on al qaeda in iraq . mosul , in nineveh province , is one of the last iraqi cities where al qaeda in iraq has a significant presence and routinely carries out attacks . an estimated 2,300 families have fled mosul this month , but the exodus has started to ebb , nineveh province 's deputy gov . khasro goran said tuesday . no christian family has left the city over the past seven days , and at least 100 families returned to their homes in and around mosul during that time , goran said . authorities said they believe christian demonstrations earlier this month may have prompted the attacks . hundreds of christians took to the streets in mosul and surrounding villages and towns demanding adequate representation on provincial councils , whose members will be chosen in local elections in january . the violence that followed those protests left at least 14 iraqi christians dead and prompted the iraqi government to dispatch more security forces to patrol the city . violence has declined as a result , iraqi officials said . last week , u.s. defense department spokesman geoff morrell said the anti-christian attacks and threats are partly due to elements of al qaeda that still enjoy some ability to operate up there . ' this is an attempt , it appears , to try to inflame tensions and fault lines that exist between religious and sectarian groups , ' morrell said . the u.n. high commissioner for refugees is helping many of the displaced families , most of whom have fled to nearby villages in nineveh province . about 400 others have crossed into syria , but many have said they no longer feel safe there , according to the refugee agency . syria already hosts more than 1 million iraqi refugees . the u.n. agency said many of the iraqi christians told stories of intimidation and death threats . one woman said she and her mother left mosul early last week , two days after someone called one of her colleagues at work and said that all christians should leave the city immediately or be killed , ' according to a unhcr news release . she said she was unnerved but decided to leave only after hearing reports that 11 people had been killed at a checkpoint by militiamen dressed as police officers . she and her mother escaped with a couple of bags and all the money that they had in the house -- they did not dare go to the bank to remove their savings . ' a nurse told unhcr that the threats against christians in mosul began months ago with phone calls , letters and messages left on doors . ' in other violence tuesday in mosul , four police officers were killed and four wounded when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle , an iraqi interior ministry official said . gunmen in cars ambushed police as they were on their way to start work in west mosul 's al-amil neighborhood , the official said . also tuesday in baghdad , six civilians died and 23 were hurt in four bombings , the official said . in eastern baghdad , in the shiite al-baladiyat neighborhood , a roadside bomb exploded tuesday afternoon , killing one civilian and wounding five others , the official said . earlier , a parked car exploded near a busy outdoor market in the western al-jihad neighborhood , killing at least five people and wounding 11 others , the interior ministry official said . no other details were available about the blast . two roadside bombs exploded in central baghdad 's al-nahdha commercial area , wounding seven people , the official said . the first blast hurt four civilians , while the second wounded three , the official said . also tuesday , the iraqi army and police discovered 20 decomposed bodies in the basement of an abandoned house in tal afar , a town about 43 miles ( 70 kilometers ) west of mosul . there was no indication of how the victims -- who could not immediately be identified -- were killed , the official said . authorities discovered the bodies after receiving tips from local residents . cnn 's mohammed tawfeeq contributed to this report . | four police , five civilians killed tuesday in mosul and baghdad , ministry says |
brazil <tsp> ( cnn ) -- while following their favorite soccer teams in preparation for the 2014 world cup , fans in brazil may have glimpsed one of the largest public health campaigns ever organized by the country 's ministry of health . dengue mata ' or dengue kills ' is the key message being pushed in print materials and tv commercials . brazilian health officials hope the campaign will encourage local citizens to clean up areas around their homes to reduce mosquito breeding grounds , and that doing so will reduce the risk of the mosquito-transmitted virus that causes dengue fever . the 2014 world cup host country has reported the most cases of dengue in south america over the past 30 years , including four deaths attributable to the disease in january and february . because there is no vaccine or specific treatment , prevention is paramount .'indescribable , crazy pain': surviving dengue fever risks for u.s. travelers ' it 's difficult for anyone to put any number on the level of risk , ' said lt. cmdr . tyler sharp , an epidemiologist at the centers for disease control and prevention 's dengue branch in san juan , puerto rico . the important thing to remember is that all regions of brazil every day , every week and every year have transmission ( of dengue ) . ' most dengue virus infections occur in and around homes , sharp said , so tourists in air-conditioned hotels have a relatively low risk of infection . travelers staying with friends and relatives in their homes are at a higher risk . could the virus make it back to u.s. soil ? sharp said it would be a rare event , but the virus could be spread from an infected traveler to any state with a mosquito presence . dengue fever is not unheard of in the united states . in 2013 , 137 cases were reported in florida . of those cases , 114 involved a person who had traveled to a dengue endemic country ( including brazil ) in the two weeks before onset , according to the florida department of health . u.s. hospitalizations for dengue fever tripled in seven years dengue symptoms include high fever , severe headaches , pain behind the eyes , muscle and joint pain , nausea , vomiting and swollen glands . it is potentially fatal because of fluid accumulation , respiratory distress , severe bleeding or organ impairment . individuals with diabetes , obesity , cardiovascular disease or asthma have a higher risk of developing a more severe illness if infected . people who are older or have had previous exposure to one of the four dengue viruses are also more at risk . for protection , the cdc recommends using a bug repellent at dawn and dusk that includes either deet , picaridin , oil of lemon eucalyptus or ir3535 as the active ingredient . sunscreen should be applied first and insect-repellent second . wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants and sleeping in screened or air-conditioned rooms are other strategies for avoiding infection . dengue at the world cup an analysis published in lancet infectious diseases in may looked at the climate forecast for dengue fever during the 2014 world cup . researchers analyzed past behavior of the virus to determine high-risk areas , which include the cities of recife , fortaleza and natal , where many countries , including the united states , have matches . even though three of the tournament cities pose a higher risk , according to the brazilian federal government , the world cup falls during a time of year that typically sees a 74 % reduction in dengue fever cases across the country . the one thing in our favor is that it is winter in brazil , ' sharp said . the risk of infection and outbreak are based on several factors , including the number of mosquitoes ( based on climate and presence of standing water needed for breeding ) and a susceptible population . the pan american health organization says inadequate sewage disposal and water supply issues in residential areas are part of the reason brazil has a heightened dengue risk . unplanned city growth in the country is also increasing the spread of the disease . thousands hit by brazil outbreak of dengue brazil travelers should also protect themselves against hepatitis a and b , yellow fever , typhoid , meningitis , malaria , rabies and diarrhea , the cdc says . 5 ways to stay healthy while traveling abroad mosquito-borne virus chikungunya worries cdc | brazil has reported the most cases of dengue fever in south america over last 30 years |
google <tsp> ( cnn ) it 's enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck . a sea of yellow and gold stretches as far as the eye can see . the streets of rome are lined with adoring football fans as the team bus winds its way towards the the stadio olimpico for roma 's biggest match of the season against bitter rivals juventus with the prize of the italian championship hanging in the balance . inside the stadium the famous curva sud is alive with passion . as kick-off draws the cacophony of noise grows ever louder ' i 've been to many , many sporting events across the world , ' says sean foley , vice president of sport and media at the raptor group -- which is headed up by roma 's american owner james pallotta . there 's nothing i 've experienced that 's like roma . ' except you 're not sat in the stands . you 're in your living room . you 're not under night sky in the eternal city , ' you 're glaring into an ipad in tokyo . or buenos aires . or new york city . in partnership with google , roma is attempting to transport the match-day experience across the globe , using the latest technology and the power of social media to attract new fans from every corner of the world . in terms of exporting this beautiful brand , the passion of the fans and all that , it 's not just a world where there 's traditional media anymore , ' adds foley , eager to explore new horizons , pallotta is a man as likely to be spotted in california 's tech heartlands as he is dealing with football 's power brokers . and , with his blessing , it 's as if foley has been given free reign to explore football 's final frontier . we know we 're not going to win over many more fans in italy , ' says foley . wif you 're a juventus fan or an ac milan fan , that 's who you are , that 's what you 're born into . ' so back on the sofa , those ipad fans will watch a youtube livestream following the roma team bus as it journeys to the stadium , with drones flying above the crowd to give an altogether different perspective to viewers watching the big game . the innovations do n't end there . fans will be able to view shoeselfies , ' 360-degree photographs of the players'boots which will be posted prior to the 2045 cet kick off time . roma 's google plus page will also display a photosphere , ' an interactive panoramic image which allows users to further explore game night in the italian capital . a similar project was recently conducted with french team paris saint-germain . the raptor group 's involvements in sport , technology and social media , as foley explains , means roma is uniquely positioned to exploit new technologies . the private investment company has interests in the boston celtics , air bnb and twitter , among others . as foley puts it : i do n't think there 's many european football club owners that go to silicon valley on a regular basis . but mr pallotta does . ' it 's not the first time roma and google have joined forces . in may 2014 , rudi garcia donned google glass for the team 's friendly against orlando while the club 's iconic captain francesco totti has taken part in a fan chat in a google hangout . but what 's in for tech giant google ? when people tell you there are 3.5 billion football fans in the world , as a way to engage people on our platforms , it 's certainly something for us to look at , ' says max goldstein , sports partnerships manager for google . it 's definitely an area we 're taking a close look at . ' no wonder google want to wiggle their way into the hearts and minds of the football fan . a grand total of 672 million tweets were sent relating to the 2014 world cup in brazil , while the hosts 7-1 thrashing by germany in the semifinals saw a record 35 million tweets posted . like google , twitter wants to put itself inside the stadium . sunday 's english league cup final between chelsea and tottenham hotspur will see wembley 's iconic arch turn blue or white depending on which team 's hashtag proves most popular . if you look across all social media platforms , there 's a huge amount of interest in football , ' says goldstein . people are going online to check football scores , follow their favorite players , follow their favorite clubs . ' by bringing new tools to the table -- bringing people closer to the game through technology , ' as goldstein puts it -- google is intent on becoming an integral part of the football landscape . if you told any of us 10 years ago that any of this technology would exist , i think all of us would take pause , ' he responds when asked what the future could look like for google and football . i 'm 29 and we were still writing letters to our favorite players when we were growing up . now people are sitting in their living rooms and talking to them directly . ' it 's a far cry from how football looked in the 1970s , the era that paul tomkins , growing up in england , was first entranced by a dominant liverpool team . although not from the city , tomkins fell in love with the club in a way similar to how roma hopes overseas fans will fall for the giallorossi ' ( the yellow-reds . ) tomkins has been involved with football and liverpool as a fan , season ticket holder , journalist and author and has seen social media change how rival supporters interact with each other . and not necessarily for the better . rather than physically clashing on the streets , he suggests fans now trade 140-character blows . it 's about being totally neurotic about your team 's result and then being totally neurotic about what everybody else is doing , ' he said . you see a lot of fans tweeting about their rival 's demise and the whole schadenfreude thing . it 's more about other people 's misfortune . ' with football clubs clamoring to maximize their social media presence and thus increase their corporate appeal , it 's perhaps no surprise to see the odd own goal . dunkin'donuts is one of liverpool 's official sponsors and it recently incurred the wrath of the twitter masses when it altered the club crest as part of a pr campaign . it replaced the phrase you 'll never walk alone ' and the two flames which feature on the badge -- both designed to honor the 96 liverpool fans who died at the infamous hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989 -- with the words america runs on dunkin'' and two coffee cups . it has since apologized for the incident , which tomkins suggests highlights the dangers of involving the glitzy world of pr and advertising with clubs that often have strong links to local communities with deep political convictions . when you look at how clubs have organically grown over the years and now they 're kind of touting for new fans , you have unfortunate things , ' said tomkins , referring to the dunkin'donuts gaffe . replacing the hillsborough flames with a couple of plastic cups , they do n't know what that means . that 's part of the failing of the new social media thing , where not everybody knows what things stand for . ' tomkins also doubts whether increasing a club 's social media popularity necessarily translate into creating true football fans . i just do n't know how much of the true club can come across on social media , ' he says . everything on social media has to be bland and inoffensive . ' tomkins readily accepts that , as a traditional fan brought up in a bygone age , he 's not necessarily the target audience for the latest technological innovations . but he doubts whether or not shoeselfies ' and drones can inspire true passion in the heart of an overseas follower . it 's a whole new style of fan that 's coming through because of the technology , because of the access . i do n't know whether social media is part of gaining true fans or just gaining'likes'on facebook . my sense is that it 's all pretty dull . ' google and roma will be hoping that the football fans of tomorrow disagree . after all , 3.5 billion people is a lot of eyeballs . | the club will publish gifs of 360-degree shoeselfies ' on its google plus page |
google <tsp> ( cnn ) it 's enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck . a sea of yellow and gold stretches as far as the eye can see . the streets of rome are lined with adoring football fans as the team bus winds its way towards the the stadio olimpico for roma 's biggest match of the season against bitter rivals juventus with the prize of the italian championship hanging in the balance . inside the stadium the famous curva sud is alive with passion . as kick-off draws the cacophony of noise grows ever louder ' i 've been to many , many sporting events across the world , ' says sean foley , vice president of sport and media at the raptor group -- which is headed up by roma 's american owner james pallotta . there 's nothing i 've experienced that 's like roma . ' except you 're not sat in the stands . you 're in your living room . you 're not under night sky in the eternal city , ' you 're glaring into an ipad in tokyo . or buenos aires . or new york city . in partnership with google , roma is attempting to transport the match-day experience across the globe , using the latest technology and the power of social media to attract new fans from every corner of the world . in terms of exporting this beautiful brand , the passion of the fans and all that , it 's not just a world where there 's traditional media anymore , ' adds foley , eager to explore new horizons , pallotta is a man as likely to be spotted in california 's tech heartlands as he is dealing with football 's power brokers . and , with his blessing , it 's as if foley has been given free reign to explore football 's final frontier . we know we 're not going to win over many more fans in italy , ' says foley . wif you 're a juventus fan or an ac milan fan , that 's who you are , that 's what you 're born into . ' so back on the sofa , those ipad fans will watch a youtube livestream following the roma team bus as it journeys to the stadium , with drones flying above the crowd to give an altogether different perspective to viewers watching the big game . the innovations do n't end there . fans will be able to view shoeselfies , ' 360-degree photographs of the players'boots which will be posted prior to the 2045 cet kick off time . roma 's google plus page will also display a photosphere , ' an interactive panoramic image which allows users to further explore game night in the italian capital . a similar project was recently conducted with french team paris saint-germain . the raptor group 's involvements in sport , technology and social media , as foley explains , means roma is uniquely positioned to exploit new technologies . the private investment company has interests in the boston celtics , air bnb and twitter , among others . as foley puts it : i do n't think there 's many european football club owners that go to silicon valley on a regular basis . but mr pallotta does . ' it 's not the first time roma and google have joined forces . in may 2014 , rudi garcia donned google glass for the team 's friendly against orlando while the club 's iconic captain francesco totti has taken part in a fan chat in a google hangout . but what 's in for tech giant google ? when people tell you there are 3.5 billion football fans in the world , as a way to engage people on our platforms , it 's certainly something for us to look at , ' says max goldstein , sports partnerships manager for google . it 's definitely an area we 're taking a close look at . ' no wonder google want to wiggle their way into the hearts and minds of the football fan . a grand total of 672 million tweets were sent relating to the 2014 world cup in brazil , while the hosts 7-1 thrashing by germany in the semifinals saw a record 35 million tweets posted . like google , twitter wants to put itself inside the stadium . sunday 's english league cup final between chelsea and tottenham hotspur will see wembley 's iconic arch turn blue or white depending on which team 's hashtag proves most popular . if you look across all social media platforms , there 's a huge amount of interest in football , ' says goldstein . people are going online to check football scores , follow their favorite players , follow their favorite clubs . ' by bringing new tools to the table -- bringing people closer to the game through technology , ' as goldstein puts it -- google is intent on becoming an integral part of the football landscape . if you told any of us 10 years ago that any of this technology would exist , i think all of us would take pause , ' he responds when asked what the future could look like for google and football . i 'm 29 and we were still writing letters to our favorite players when we were growing up . now people are sitting in their living rooms and talking to them directly . ' it 's a far cry from how football looked in the 1970s , the era that paul tomkins , growing up in england , was first entranced by a dominant liverpool team . although not from the city , tomkins fell in love with the club in a way similar to how roma hopes overseas fans will fall for the giallorossi ' ( the yellow-reds . ) tomkins has been involved with football and liverpool as a fan , season ticket holder , journalist and author and has seen social media change how rival supporters interact with each other . and not necessarily for the better . rather than physically clashing on the streets , he suggests fans now trade 140-character blows . it 's about being totally neurotic about your team 's result and then being totally neurotic about what everybody else is doing , ' he said . you see a lot of fans tweeting about their rival 's demise and the whole schadenfreude thing . it 's more about other people 's misfortune . ' with football clubs clamoring to maximize their social media presence and thus increase their corporate appeal , it 's perhaps no surprise to see the odd own goal . dunkin'donuts is one of liverpool 's official sponsors and it recently incurred the wrath of the twitter masses when it altered the club crest as part of a pr campaign . it replaced the phrase you 'll never walk alone ' and the two flames which feature on the badge -- both designed to honor the 96 liverpool fans who died at the infamous hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989 -- with the words america runs on dunkin'' and two coffee cups . it has since apologized for the incident , which tomkins suggests highlights the dangers of involving the glitzy world of pr and advertising with clubs that often have strong links to local communities with deep political convictions . when you look at how clubs have organically grown over the years and now they 're kind of touting for new fans , you have unfortunate things , ' said tomkins , referring to the dunkin'donuts gaffe . replacing the hillsborough flames with a couple of plastic cups , they do n't know what that means . that 's part of the failing of the new social media thing , where not everybody knows what things stand for . ' tomkins also doubts whether increasing a club 's social media popularity necessarily translate into creating true football fans . i just do n't know how much of the true club can come across on social media , ' he says . everything on social media has to be bland and inoffensive . ' tomkins readily accepts that , as a traditional fan brought up in a bygone age , he 's not necessarily the target audience for the latest technological innovations . but he doubts whether or not shoeselfies ' and drones can inspire true passion in the heart of an overseas follower . it 's a whole new style of fan that 's coming through because of the technology , because of the access . i do n't know whether social media is part of gaining true fans or just gaining'likes'on facebook . my sense is that it 's all pretty dull . ' google and roma will be hoping that the football fans of tomorrow disagree . after all , 3.5 billion people is a lot of eyeballs . | google and roma partner to offer fans worldwide a digital match-day experience |
putin <tsp> one of the many disturbing aspects of the nsa spying revelations is how much joy they have brought to the world 's chronic violators of human rights and political freedoms . on thursday in moscow , where former nsa contractor edward snowden awaits his asylum papers , a russian court removed a major critic of russian president vladimir putin from the kremlin 's list of worries , sentencing the charismatic opposition leader alexei navalny to five years in jail on theft charges . amid intense anger at the verdict and fears that it would raise navalny 's profile , the court agreed on friday to release him pending appeal . the trial and the predictable verdict , as the european union foreign affairs chief said , raises serious questions as to the state of the rule of law in russia . ' that 's putting it mildly . navatny is the most prominent , but just one in a long series of politically-motivated prosecutions in a country where the courts seldom make a move that displeases putin . navalny was particularly worrisome to the russian president . he had gained an enormous following by speaking out against corruption and cronyism , labeling putin 's united russia a party of swindlers and thieves ' and using social media to help mobilize the president 's critics . he had just announced he would run for mayor of moscow . but , like other putin opponents with any possible chance to loosen the president 's complete hold on power , he will likely go to prison instead . now that he 's released , navalny is considering whether to stay or withdraw from the race for mayor . meanwhile , putin and his backers are having a field day . they claim it is washington that leads the world in violating human rights , even as dozens of people who dared protest against putin 's rule face trial or languish in jail , in a country where a number of journalists who criticized the president have turned up dead under mysterious circumstances . when mikhail khodorkovsky , once the wealthiest man in russia , decided to turn his attention from business to politics , the tax authorities turned on him . he was sent to prison in siberia , and when he became eligible for parole , the state filed another case , winning another conviction which extended his sentence . then there 's the case of sergei magnitsky . the government auditor was sent to investigate the investment firm heritage capital , which was charged with tax evasion . when magnitsky concluded the tax fraud was actually coming from the government side and became a whistleblower , naming a network of corrupt officials , he was accused of working for heritage and thrown in jail , where he became ill , was denied medical treatment and died in 2009 , when he was just 37 . the united states responded with the magnitsky law , imposing sanctions on those involved in his death . death did n't save magnitsky from russia 's courts , which found him guilty of tax fraud just last week . many others , including the performance group pussy riot , have seen even small scale political activism land them in jail . for putin , having snowden in russia creates many complications , but he has hardly managed to conceal his glee at having america 's top critic under his protection . he has made it clear that he wants snowden to refrain from harming u.s.-russian relations , and as a former kgb spy himself , the russian president would risk ridicule if he ventured too far in criticizing nsa actions . still , putin derived visible satisfaction from having snowden land in russia 's lap , armed with material to discredit the united states . conflicted by the need to preserve a needed relationship with washington while wanting to maximize the benefit of snowden 's presence , putin did his best impression of a protector of human rights . snowden and wikileaks'julian assange , putin said , consider themselves human rights activist ... fighting for the spread information . ' ask yourself , ' he said , affecting the pose of a defender of oppressed activists , should you hand these people over so they will be put in prison ? ' the implied answer was of course not . how could putin possibly help send a human rights activist to prison ? ! the kremlin 's media apparatus , in what is undoubtedly an effort to give america a black eye and take away washington 's power to criticize russia 's abuses , launched a campaign to put snowden on a pedestal with programs that tore apart the united states , while glorifying the former nsa contractor who drew the curtain on u.s. government surveillance . after that carefully crafted media operation , america 's voice in the navalny case lost its edge . after the verdict , the u.s. ambassador wrote a tweet decrying the apparent political motivations in this trial . ' but russian democrats and human rights activists have a weaker supporter in america now . snowden 's days in hong kong brought a similar reaction from china . that was particularly ironic , considering that no country on earth has a more elaborate machine to monitor and manipulate what its citizens do online than does china , where the communist party also has complete control of the political system . china daily , the government mouthpiece , gloated this is not the first time that u.s. government agencies'wrongdoing have aroused widespread public concern . ' this , from a state that , in the words of human rights watch , imposes sharp curbs on freedom of expression , association ... openly rejects judicial independence and press freedom ; arbitrarily restricts and suppresses human rights defenders ... ' even if you agree with snowden that the nsa spying is going too far , as i do , it 's hard to argue with the negative impact snowden 's revelations have had on human rights activists in other countries . today , dictators and authoritarian rulers are basking in a viscous moral relativism , feeling their abuses are somehow justified by criticism of america 's spying . there are , however , many meaningful differences between america 's surveillance excesses and those of russia , china and their ilk . the most important of all is that russia and china 's behavior is motivated by a desire to suppress internal dissent , to protect the people and the organizations in power . nobody believes that is washington 's motivation . the united states may have gone too far , or far adrift , in pursuit of national security , but its spying machine is not built to destroy domestic opposition to the government . when people say , the americans are just as bad , ' they are not only clearly wrong , they are also hurting the cause of political and personal freedom around the globe . snowden 's revelations are a legitimate subject for discussion and criticism . but advocates of internet privacy , free expression and human rights should not allow abusive authoritarian regimes to use american actions as a cover for their egregious misdeeds . | ghitis : putin is basking in moral relativism , feeling his abuses are ok by criticizing u.s. spying |
pistorius <tsp> ( cnn ) -- south african prosecutors will appeal the verdict and the sentence in the oscar pistorius case , a spokesman for the country 's national prosecuting authority told cnn on monday . a judge sentenced pistorius to five years in prison last week after finding the double-amputee track star guilty of culpable homicide , or negligent killing , in the shooting death of his girlfriend , reeva steenkamp . pistorius acknowledged shooting steenkamp in february 2013 . prosecutors claim he wanted to kill her ; pistorius said he mistook her for an intruder and her killing was a tragic accident . the appeal does n't necessarily mean either the verdict or the sentence against pistorius will be thrown out , said cnn legal analyst kelly phelps . and it 's even less likely he will be freed at the end of what 's likely to be a six-month process , she said . there 's no real prospect of his acquittal out of this , ' she said . prosecutors are arguing that judge thokozile masipa misinterpreted a complex south african standard defining a technical form of intent that proved to be a central aspect of the case , phelps said . as a result , prosecutors argue , he should not have been convicted on the culpable homicide charge chosen by the judge . prosecutors originally took pistorius to trial on a murder charge . in explaining her sentence , masipa concluded that pistorius did not intend to kill steenkamp . but critics of the verdict have argued the judge did n't correctly apply the intent standard , which is broader in south african law than what it typically means in casual conversation , phelps said . in their appeal of the sentence , prosecutors would have to prove the five years given by masipa is shockingly inappropriate ' in light of sentencing guidelines and similar cases , according to phelps . prosecutor gerrie nel called for a minimum sentence of 10 years , saying the negligence in pistorius'actions borders on intent . ' if an appeals court finds that five years is shockingly inappropriate , ' the court could set the sentence aside and issue a new one , she said . but appeals courts in south africa are reluctant to get involved in sentencing decisions , phelps said . pistorius'uncle , arnold pistorius , told cnn 's robyn curnow , we take note of the announcement made by the state . the legal process must take its course . ' cnn 's eliott c. mclaughlin and brent swails contributed to this report . | south african prosecutors to appeal verdict and sentence in the oscar pistorius case |
pistorius <tsp> ( cnn ) -- south african prosecutors will appeal the verdict and the sentence in the oscar pistorius case , a spokesman for the country 's national prosecuting authority told cnn on monday . a judge sentenced pistorius to five years in prison last week after finding the double-amputee track star guilty of culpable homicide , or negligent killing , in the shooting death of his girlfriend , reeva steenkamp . pistorius acknowledged shooting steenkamp in february 2013 . prosecutors claim he wanted to kill her ; pistorius said he mistook her for an intruder and her killing was a tragic accident . the appeal does n't necessarily mean either the verdict or the sentence against pistorius will be thrown out , said cnn legal analyst kelly phelps . and it 's even less likely he will be freed at the end of what 's likely to be a six-month process , she said . there 's no real prospect of his acquittal out of this , ' she said . prosecutors are arguing that judge thokozile masipa misinterpreted a complex south african standard defining a technical form of intent that proved to be a central aspect of the case , phelps said . as a result , prosecutors argue , he should not have been convicted on the culpable homicide charge chosen by the judge . prosecutors originally took pistorius to trial on a murder charge . in explaining her sentence , masipa concluded that pistorius did not intend to kill steenkamp . but critics of the verdict have argued the judge did n't correctly apply the intent standard , which is broader in south african law than what it typically means in casual conversation , phelps said . in their appeal of the sentence , prosecutors would have to prove the five years given by masipa is shockingly inappropriate ' in light of sentencing guidelines and similar cases , according to phelps . prosecutor gerrie nel called for a minimum sentence of 10 years , saying the negligence in pistorius'actions borders on intent . ' if an appeals court finds that five years is shockingly inappropriate , ' the court could set the sentence aside and issue a new one , she said . but appeals courts in south africa are reluctant to get involved in sentencing decisions , phelps said . pistorius'uncle , arnold pistorius , told cnn 's robyn curnow , we take note of the announcement made by the state . the legal process must take its course . ' cnn 's eliott c. mclaughlin and brent swails contributed to this report . | appeal does n't mean pistorius is getting out , cnn legal analyst kelly phelps says |
syria <tsp> vatican city ( cnn ) -- pope benedict xvi prayed for peace in syria , reconciliation in myanmar , and comfort in flood-stricken thailand and the philippines in his annual christmas message to the city and the world ' on sunday . addressing a packed st. peter 's square on a glorious sunny day , the pope pleaded with god to bring an end to the violence in syria , where so much blood has already been shed . ' more than 5,000 people have died in syria since president bashar al-assad began a brutal crackdown in mid-march on anti-government protesters calling for his ouster , the united nations said earlier this month . in his christmas morning speech , benedict also urged the international community to help those suffering hunger and insecurity in the horn of africa , a reference to famine and violence in somalia and kenya . the pope 's reference to the philippines came as the death toll from flooding there last week topped 1,000 , with more than 1,000 more missing . he also prayed for peace and reconciliation between israelis and palestinians , and in iraq , afghanistan and south sudan , and wished renewed vigor ' to those striving for the common good across the arab world after this year 's revolutions . the speech , called urbi et orbi ' in latin , came a day after the pope delivered a homily that focused on the essence ' of the holiday rather than the commercial celebration ' it has become . today christmas has become a commercial celebration , whose bright lights hide the mystery of god 's humility , which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity , ' the pope said during mass on christmas eve . let us ask the lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season , and to discover behind it the child in the stable in bethlehem , so as to find true joy and true light . ' the 84-year-old pope , presiding over his seventh mass as pontiff , also conjured up an image of the church of the nativity in bethlehem , explaining that visitors must bend down to enter its low opening , drawing a tie to what followers of christ must do to find their faith . if we want to find the god who appeared as a child , then we must dismount from the high horse of our'enlightened'reason , ' he said . ... in this spirit let us celebrate the liturgy of the holy night , let us strip away our fixation on what is material , on what can be measured and grasped . ' the pope started off saturday 's celebrations by lighting a peace candle in the window of his study during the unveiling of a larger-than-life nativity scene in st. peter 's square . the scene , at 23 feet high and 82 feet wide , is dedicated to the virgin mary , according to the vatican 's news agency . thousands poured into the square and st. peter 's basilica ahead of the midnight mass , which was actually held at 10 p.m. this year . before his homily , the aging pontiff rode down st. peter 's long aisle on a wheeled platform , waving to worshippers . | benedict calls for an end to the violence in syria after more than 5,000 are killed |
st. peter 's square <tsp> vatican city ( cnn ) -- pope benedict xvi prayed for peace in syria , reconciliation in myanmar , and comfort in flood-stricken thailand and the philippines in his annual christmas message to the city and the world ' on sunday . addressing a packed st. peter 's square on a glorious sunny day , the pope pleaded with god to bring an end to the violence in syria , where so much blood has already been shed . ' more than 5,000 people have died in syria since president bashar al-assad began a brutal crackdown in mid-march on anti-government protesters calling for his ouster , the united nations said earlier this month . in his christmas morning speech , benedict also urged the international community to help those suffering hunger and insecurity in the horn of africa , a reference to famine and violence in somalia and kenya . the pope 's reference to the philippines came as the death toll from flooding there last week topped 1,000 , with more than 1,000 more missing . he also prayed for peace and reconciliation between israelis and palestinians , and in iraq , afghanistan and south sudan , and wished renewed vigor ' to those striving for the common good across the arab world after this year 's revolutions . the speech , called urbi et orbi ' in latin , came a day after the pope delivered a homily that focused on the essence ' of the holiday rather than the commercial celebration ' it has become . today christmas has become a commercial celebration , whose bright lights hide the mystery of god 's humility , which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity , ' the pope said during mass on christmas eve . let us ask the lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season , and to discover behind it the child in the stable in bethlehem , so as to find true joy and true light . ' the 84-year-old pope , presiding over his seventh mass as pontiff , also conjured up an image of the church of the nativity in bethlehem , explaining that visitors must bend down to enter its low opening , drawing a tie to what followers of christ must do to find their faith . if we want to find the god who appeared as a child , then we must dismount from the high horse of our'enlightened'reason , ' he said . ... in this spirit let us celebrate the liturgy of the holy night , let us strip away our fixation on what is material , on what can be measured and grasped . ' the pope started off saturday 's celebrations by lighting a peace candle in the window of his study during the unveiling of a larger-than-life nativity scene in st. peter 's square . the scene , at 23 feet high and 82 feet wide , is dedicated to the virgin mary , according to the vatican 's news agency . thousands poured into the square and st. peter 's basilica ahead of the midnight mass , which was actually held at 10 p.m. this year . before his homily , the aging pontiff rode down st. peter 's long aisle on a wheeled platform , waving to worshippers . | the faithful pack st. peter 's square on a glorious sunny day |
st. peter 's square <tsp> vatican city ( cnn ) -- pope benedict xvi prayed for peace in syria , reconciliation in myanmar , and comfort in flood-stricken thailand and the philippines in his annual christmas message to the city and the world ' on sunday . addressing a packed st. peter 's square on a glorious sunny day , the pope pleaded with god to bring an end to the violence in syria , where so much blood has already been shed . ' more than 5,000 people have died in syria since president bashar al-assad began a brutal crackdown in mid-march on anti-government protesters calling for his ouster , the united nations said earlier this month . in his christmas morning speech , benedict also urged the international community to help those suffering hunger and insecurity in the horn of africa , a reference to famine and violence in somalia and kenya . the pope 's reference to the philippines came as the death toll from flooding there last week topped 1,000 , with more than 1,000 more missing . he also prayed for peace and reconciliation between israelis and palestinians , and in iraq , afghanistan and south sudan , and wished renewed vigor ' to those striving for the common good across the arab world after this year 's revolutions . the speech , called urbi et orbi ' in latin , came a day after the pope delivered a homily that focused on the essence ' of the holiday rather than the commercial celebration ' it has become . today christmas has become a commercial celebration , whose bright lights hide the mystery of god 's humility , which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity , ' the pope said during mass on christmas eve . let us ask the lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season , and to discover behind it the child in the stable in bethlehem , so as to find true joy and true light . ' the 84-year-old pope , presiding over his seventh mass as pontiff , also conjured up an image of the church of the nativity in bethlehem , explaining that visitors must bend down to enter its low opening , drawing a tie to what followers of christ must do to find their faith . if we want to find the god who appeared as a child , then we must dismount from the high horse of our'enlightened'reason , ' he said . ... in this spirit let us celebrate the liturgy of the holy night , let us strip away our fixation on what is material , on what can be measured and grasped . ' the pope started off saturday 's celebrations by lighting a peace candle in the window of his study during the unveiling of a larger-than-life nativity scene in st. peter 's square . the scene , at 23 feet high and 82 feet wide , is dedicated to the virgin mary , according to the vatican 's news agency . thousands poured into the square and st. peter 's basilica ahead of the midnight mass , which was actually held at 10 p.m. this year . before his homily , the aging pontiff rode down st. peter 's long aisle on a wheeled platform , waving to worshippers . | a nativity scene is unveiled in st. peter 's square |
palin <tsp> wasilla , alaska ( cnn ) -- the sports complex that alaska gov . sarah palin 's supporters call her most visible legacy as mayor of her hometown left the town paying inflated prices for the land and huge legal bills , according to court records . sarah palin , wasilla , alaska 's former mayor , is under fire for a sports complex she fought hard for . the complex features a soccer field , a running track and an indoor hockey rink with heated seats . palin campaigned for a sales tax increase to finance the $ 14.7 million project , winning approval for the half-cent levy by a margin of 20 votes . palin is now the republican nominee for vice president . her supporters call the arena the crowning achievement of her 1996-2002 tenure as mayor . she really was very , very passionate about this right from the start , ' wasilla recreation manager bruce urban said . but the city never obtained clear property to the title until this year , after a lengthy court battle with developer gary lundgren , who owned part of the land on which the complex sits . watch more on the controversy » ' when they started building , the title to the land was in my name , ' said lundgren , who now lives in panama . diane woodruff , a city council member and longtime palin critic , said that has left palin 's major campaign pitch -- to be a fiscally conservative reformer -- in question . she inherited the city with no debt , and suddenly we have a lot of debt , ' she said . i do n't think that labels her as a true fiscal conservative . ' in 1999 , the nature conservancy was negotiating to sell the land to the city and lundgren , but he says that although he signed a purchase agreement with the group , the city did not . lundgren purchased 325 acres from the nature conservancy , but the city filed a lawsuit claiming ownership of land it believed it owned . in 2002 , a federal court sided with lundgren , finding that the city had never signed the proper papers . but by then , the 80-acre complex was under construction ; palin gave the go-ahead to begin while the issue was still in court . after palin left office , the city sought to obtain the tract it needed for the sports complex through eminent domain , leading to another court battle . i 'm curious as to why somebody in the previous administration did n't make sure that we had clear title before we started building , because certainly once we started building , we were over a barrel , ' woodruff said . wasilla eventually agreed to pay lundgren more than $ 800,000 for the land , along with lundgren 's legal fees and interest : another $ 700,000 . lundgren said he offered to give the city a 20-acre parcel to avoid further lawsuits , but city officials turned him down . they said they needed more than 20 acres , ' he said . they had additional plans to build a softball field . ' attorney kenneth jacobus , who represented the city , said he had no recollection of an acceptable offer from lundgren . the city originally paid $ 145,000 for part of the land . the rest of it was valued at about $ 21,000 . it ended up paying more than $ 1.5 million , not counting its own legal fees . palin 's successor as mayor , diane keller , said the project has brought in more than $ 3 million in revenue for local businesses . i think this was a community dream . it may have been a part of sarah palin 's dream , but it was n't only her dream , ' keller said . the complex is getting a lot of use , but it is not breaking even . its operating costs are about $ 900,000 a year , urban said , and city records show that the city has to pay about $ 100,000 of that . and lundgren is still appealing the eminent domain case before alaska 's supreme court , arguing that wasilla did n't meet the legal requirements for taking the land . | palin campaigned for a sales tax increase to finance the $ 14.7 million project |
palin <tsp> wasilla , alaska ( cnn ) -- the sports complex that alaska gov . sarah palin 's supporters call her most visible legacy as mayor of her hometown left the town paying inflated prices for the land and huge legal bills , according to court records . sarah palin , wasilla , alaska 's former mayor , is under fire for a sports complex she fought hard for . the complex features a soccer field , a running track and an indoor hockey rink with heated seats . palin campaigned for a sales tax increase to finance the $ 14.7 million project , winning approval for the half-cent levy by a margin of 20 votes . palin is now the republican nominee for vice president . her supporters call the arena the crowning achievement of her 1996-2002 tenure as mayor . she really was very , very passionate about this right from the start , ' wasilla recreation manager bruce urban said . but the city never obtained clear property to the title until this year , after a lengthy court battle with developer gary lundgren , who owned part of the land on which the complex sits . watch more on the controversy » ' when they started building , the title to the land was in my name , ' said lundgren , who now lives in panama . diane woodruff , a city council member and longtime palin critic , said that has left palin 's major campaign pitch -- to be a fiscally conservative reformer -- in question . she inherited the city with no debt , and suddenly we have a lot of debt , ' she said . i do n't think that labels her as a true fiscal conservative . ' in 1999 , the nature conservancy was negotiating to sell the land to the city and lundgren , but he says that although he signed a purchase agreement with the group , the city did not . lundgren purchased 325 acres from the nature conservancy , but the city filed a lawsuit claiming ownership of land it believed it owned . in 2002 , a federal court sided with lundgren , finding that the city had never signed the proper papers . but by then , the 80-acre complex was under construction ; palin gave the go-ahead to begin while the issue was still in court . after palin left office , the city sought to obtain the tract it needed for the sports complex through eminent domain , leading to another court battle . i 'm curious as to why somebody in the previous administration did n't make sure that we had clear title before we started building , because certainly once we started building , we were over a barrel , ' woodruff said . wasilla eventually agreed to pay lundgren more than $ 800,000 for the land , along with lundgren 's legal fees and interest : another $ 700,000 . lundgren said he offered to give the city a 20-acre parcel to avoid further lawsuits , but city officials turned him down . they said they needed more than 20 acres , ' he said . they had additional plans to build a softball field . ' attorney kenneth jacobus , who represented the city , said he had no recollection of an acceptable offer from lundgren . the city originally paid $ 145,000 for part of the land . the rest of it was valued at about $ 21,000 . it ended up paying more than $ 1.5 million , not counting its own legal fees . palin 's successor as mayor , diane keller , said the project has brought in more than $ 3 million in revenue for local businesses . i think this was a community dream . it may have been a part of sarah palin 's dream , but it was n't only her dream , ' keller said . the complex is getting a lot of use , but it is not breaking even . its operating costs are about $ 900,000 a year , urban said , and city records show that the city has to pay about $ 100,000 of that . and lundgren is still appealing the eminent domain case before alaska 's supreme court , arguing that wasilla did n't meet the legal requirements for taking the land . | records indicated palin 's wasilla sport complex left city with legal bills |
camp ayandeh <tsp> atlanta , georgia ( cnn ) -- ramin ostadhosseini needed to vent , and this gathering seemed the place to do it . teens at camp ayandeh learn how to blend their parents'history and culture with their contemporary lifestyles . i get raymond , roman and sometimes ramen noodles , ' he told the circle , describing how non-iranians butcher his name . this group felt his pain . here , sprawled out on a manicured lawn at emory university were dozens of youths attending a weeklong summer camp designed to generate discussion on what it means to be iranian-american . like many attending camp ayandeh -- or future ' in farsi -- ramin has parents who were born in tehran and immigrated to the united states after the iranian revolution in 1979 . born in baltimore , maryland , six years after the revolution , ramin grew up with two distinct and , at times conflicting , influences : the american side that met him at school and the iranian one that greeted him at home . it 's a first-generation story as old as the united states . it 's so common that ayandeh counselors said the camp was created three years ago to address both iranian and american parts of a new generation of iranian-american youth -- a community they define as being hyphenated . ' watch campers learn how to accept their backgrounds » ' we 're really becoming mindful of how we define things , ' said natasha sallahi , a first-time counselor and aspiring filmmaker . we realize that sometimes one word does n't cover it all . so we 're trying to create better definitions ... by putting two things [ iranian-american ] together . ' camp ayandeh is sponsored annually by iranian alliances across borders , a largely volunteer organization funded by individual donors and parsa , a california-based philanthropic organization . first established on thompson island off eastern massachusetts , ayandeh began its gradual migration south the second year -- setting up at a campgrounds near fairfax , virginia . iranian-american teens from high schools across the nation now flock to the new georgia address to learn about their heritage and ask questions that range from relationships and college admissions to sexual orientation and discrimination -- issues that can come with distinctly different social parameters than their parents were once accustomed to in iran . camp counselor siavash samei remembers such angst all too well . there was not a single person that i could look at and say ,'he is me ,' samei said , describing an absence of elder iranian-american role models. 'he is what i can do . he can snap and he can dance . and at the same time , he can talk english without an accent .' after two years as a camper , samei returned this summer as counselor to help answer many of the same questions that plagued him a few years earlier . the typical adolescent anxieties and struggles were mixed with another layer of cultural confusion . as a high school student , i had a horrible time , ' he said . one day i would come into school very dressed up thinking ,'i 'm looking iranian .'one day i would be wearing the baggy pants and dressed completely american . and i had no clue which one was right . ' according to the u.s. census bureau , nearly 400,000 iranian-americans live in the united states . the largest wave of iranian immigrants came to the u.s. immediately following the ouster of the shah of iran and the islamic-led revolution in 1979 . nearly three decades later , a new generation of iranian-american youths are struggling to define themselves in these hyphenated ' communities . bobak moazami , a 17-year-old kid from manhattan 's upper west side , said he likes to think of himself equally as part of both communities . i eat american food for lunch , ' he said . every day at school i have a grilled chicken sandwich . then i come home and have chelo kabob or qormeh-sabzi . ' for many of these students , traditional iranian dishes such as qormeh-sabzi -- a stew of herbs and beef or lamb -- are a part of a heritage that at one time could only be preserved by their families . but with campers rediscovering pride in their cultural heritage , these teens are learning how to blend their parents'history and culture with their contemporary lifestyles . put simply , why not appreciate the old-world beats of the tonbak alongside the edgy lyrics of kanye west ? at camp ayandeh , games of vasati , ' or iranian dodgeball , and iranian dancing sessions are scheduled next to public speaking and college prep workshops . and the campers bring their bicultural experiences back home . i read about american literature in the morning [ at school ] , ' moazami said . we talk about great english poets like shakespeare and lord byron , and then i come home and experience another set of great [ iranian ] poets such as hafez and saadi . ' nava behnam , a 17-year-old who 's attended the camp twice , has a story that started out slightly different from most of those at ayandeh . unlike many of the american-born campers , behnam immigrated to the united states at 5 after being born in tehran . she has experienced little in the way of iranian culture and tradition outside her home in rockville , maryland . i was never really surrounded by it too much , ' she said . or if i was , it was persian gatherings with my parents where i 'd sit in the back and be bored and have nothing to do . ' twelve years after arriving in the u.s. , behnam is part of a loyal following that returns to camp ayandeh each year . i come here to find my roots and to come to terms with where i belong and where i come from , ' she said . after going to camp ayandeh , behnam said she now has an appreciation for persian culture and our customs , ' even though she still describes herself as just another teenage girl going to high school in america . ' | camp ayandeh helps iranian-american youth come to terms with both cultures |
obama <tsp> bobak ferdowsi launched into internet superstardom last week for helping guide the rover curiosity in its journey to the surface of mars . well , that and his red-and-black mohawk . president obama even acknowledged ferdowsi , now commonly referred to as the mohawk guy , ' in a congratulatory call to nasa 's jet propulsion laboratory on monday . it does sound like nasa has come a long way from the white-shirt , black dark-rimmed glasses and the pocket protectors , ' obama told the mars curiosity team . you guys are a little cooler than you used to be . ' i , in the past , thought about getting a mohawk myself -- but my team keeps on discouraging me , ' obama joked . stylish despite medical setbacks when it comes to personal style in the workplace , there are no hard and fast rules . what is suitable changes with where you work and what you do . fortunately , some sartorial adventurers are able to reconcile their need to express themselves with their need for a paycheck . dress codes have most certainly relaxed over time , particularly since the introduction of'jeans fridays'and dot-com era casual attire , ' said judah kurtz , of bpi group , a human resources consulting firm in chicago , illinois . what is considered'appropriate'varies by company and culture , as well as what parts of the house are strictly internal versus client/public facing , ' ' dress code policies walk a fine line between portraying a professional image to clients and customers while allowing employees to be comfortable , engaged , and expressive , ' said kevin sheridan , senior vice president of hr optimization at avatar hr solutions , also in chicago . jillian venters , a 43-year-old technical writer from seattle , washington , says it 's crucial to have some personal branding around -- whether it 's funky jewelry , photos of loved ones or favorite movie and music memorabilia -- to keep you sane at work . no matter how great your job and co-workers may be , the corporate world can be very stressful and draining . it 's all too easy to become devoured by your job and to forget that there are things outside of the cubicle and status reports , ' she said . maintaining your own sense of identity helps you stay grounded , and reminds you that you are more than your job . ' known as the goth at the office , ' venters might sport a top hat , knee-length lace coat and a full petticoat skirt on an average workday . she attempts to document each day 's ensemble on her tumblr account . while she has endured her fair share of funny looks and moments when she needed to tone down her appearance , venters says ultimately her sense of style benefits her career . i 've walked into interviews and had the hiring manager say ,'oh right , you 're the goth girl . i 've heard good things about you and you know all our tools . can you start on monday ?'' venters said . once i 've started on a job and met my co-workers , everyone remembers who i am , which is great for gathering information . ' dying careers and thriving careers : the jobs of tomorrow like venters , kristi blicharski , a los angeles-based empowerment coach and business strategist , thinks it 's important to encourage the uniqueness of others without judgment because it emboldens both confidence and creativity . studies have shown that when we look good on the outside , we feel good on the inside , and what 's important to recognize is that everyone has their own unique feelings about what makes them look and feel their best , ' she said . why try to inhibit that ? ' with blue streaks running through her hair , blicharski said expressing yourself in a way that makes you feel like your best self is the new power suit . ' mars rover mission 's'mohawk guy'inspires obama of course , some people believe corporate dress code policy should remain sacred . six flags theme parks came under fire last month after job applicant markeese warner , an engineering student at pennsylvania state university , claimed she was denied a summer job because of her dreadlocks hairstyle . warner started a change.org petition to protest what she claimed were six flags'discriminatory policies against people with dreadlocks . a six flags spokeswoman confirmed that the company does not permit employees to wear dreadlocks . we maintain a grooming code for employees that includes standard uniforms and no visible tattoos , beards , dreadlocks or extreme hairstyles ( such as drastic variations in color or partially shaven heads ) , ' said nancy krejsa , senior vice president of investor relations and corporate communications . many companies have formal dress code policies , including ubs which has a 44-page document with specific stipulations that disallow women from wearing more than seven pieces of jewelry and men from wearing cufflinks . franki brandt-pethtel , the director of operations for bond jewelers in the tampa bay area , thinks maintaining a proper dress code shows respect for your employer , clients and yourself . would you purchase an expensive piece of fine jewelry from a woman with a green mohawk and sleeve full of tats ? that 's why i wear a suit to work every day . my personal expression can wait until my day off , ' she said . while it 's ultimately up to each organization 's culture to deem what is fit , human resource professionals , like sheridan and kurtz , say general dress guidelines are useful as they create some parameters and expectations around what is considered appropriate . at the same time , allowing some freedom of individual expression can have positive impacts on company culture and employee satisfaction . you may be memorable , but make sure you are memorable for the right reasons , ' said kurtz . be yourself , but do n't let your appearance or behaviors detract from your selling points : your intelligence , accomplishments , strengths and experience . ' do you think there should be corporate dress code policies ? how have you worked within the rules to create your personal style ? share your thoughts in the comments section below . | president obama acknowledged ferdowsi 's style in a phone call monday |
wagner <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tom wagner woke up friday night and the plane cabin was dark . and empty . completely empty . he looked around from his window seat near the back of the jet and wondered , what is going on ? ' he tried the jet door . it was locked . not knowing what else to do , he phoned his girlfriend and said , debbie , you got ta call the airlines . i 'm locked in the plane . ' she did n't quite believe him and started laughing . i said i 'm serious , ' wagner explained monday morning on cnn 's new day , ' chuckling about the conversation . she finally hung up and called the airlines . ' about 30 minutes later , the door opened . wagner , from louisiana , was on his way to california to see his sister . the plane had a layover in houston , wagner said , so he took his hat off and took a nap . apparently a very deep sleeper , he did n't wake up when the plane landed . and somehow when airline employees were doing their usual sweep of the plane , they missed him . dozens of passengers left the plane and so did the flight crew . wagner said he walked around the plane in the dark trying to figure out the best thing to do . he said eventually workers opened the plane doors and , startled , asked him what he was doing in there . he tried to explain calmly that he 'd been left behind . after his ordeal , he 's been talking about what happened . i talk to people , ( and they say ) like , man , i 'd have freaked out ! ' wagner stayed in a hotel room , on the airline , before flying to california the next day . he said united gave him a $ 250 voucher . the flight was operated by expressjet , a united partner . expressjet is investigating to determine how this occurred . we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this caused for the passenger , ' the carrier said saturday in a written statement . expressjet told cnn affiliate ktrk there was a post-flight cabin inspection , but the company could n't explain how wagner was overlooked . boy hops plane to vegas , apparently alone and without ticket | wagner was traveling from louisiana to california |
wagner <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tom wagner woke up friday night and the plane cabin was dark . and empty . completely empty . he looked around from his window seat near the back of the jet and wondered , what is going on ? ' he tried the jet door . it was locked . not knowing what else to do , he phoned his girlfriend and said , debbie , you got ta call the airlines . i 'm locked in the plane . ' she did n't quite believe him and started laughing . i said i 'm serious , ' wagner explained monday morning on cnn 's new day , ' chuckling about the conversation . she finally hung up and called the airlines . ' about 30 minutes later , the door opened . wagner , from louisiana , was on his way to california to see his sister . the plane had a layover in houston , wagner said , so he took his hat off and took a nap . apparently a very deep sleeper , he did n't wake up when the plane landed . and somehow when airline employees were doing their usual sweep of the plane , they missed him . dozens of passengers left the plane and so did the flight crew . wagner said he walked around the plane in the dark trying to figure out the best thing to do . he said eventually workers opened the plane doors and , startled , asked him what he was doing in there . he tried to explain calmly that he 'd been left behind . after his ordeal , he 's been talking about what happened . i talk to people , ( and they say ) like , man , i 'd have freaked out ! ' wagner stayed in a hotel room , on the airline , before flying to california the next day . he said united gave him a $ 250 voucher . the flight was operated by expressjet , a united partner . expressjet is investigating to determine how this occurred . we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this caused for the passenger , ' the carrier said saturday in a written statement . expressjet told cnn affiliate ktrk there was a post-flight cabin inspection , but the company could n't explain how wagner was overlooked . boy hops plane to vegas , apparently alone and without ticket | tom wagner , left on plane , calls girlfriend for help ; she initially does n't believe him |
pelosi <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- house speaker nancy pelosi said sunday that she intends to move ahead with a vote on a resolution that labels the deaths of more than a million armenians during world war i as genocide . the resolution has strained u.s. relations with turkey and drawn criticism from the bush administration . this resolution is one that is consistent with what our government has always said about ... what happened at that time , ' pelosi said on abc 's this week . ' when asked about criticism that it could harm relations with turkey -- a key ally in the war in iraq and a fellow member of nato -- pelosi said , there 's never been a good time , ' adding that it is important to pass the resolution now because many of the survivors are very old . ' when i came to congress 20 years ago , it was n't the right time because of the soviet union . then that fell , and then it was n't the right time because of the gulf war one . and then it was n't the right time because of overflights of iraq . and now it 's not the right time because of gulf war two . and , again , the survivors of the armenian genocide are not going to be with us . ' but white house spokesman tony fratto said bringing the resolution to a vote may do grave harm to u.s.-turkish relations and to u.s. interests in europe and the middle east . ' turkey 's top general warned sunday that ties with the united states will be irreversibly damaged if congress passes the resolution , the associated press reported . turkey has recalled its ambassador from washington for consultations and warned of cuts in logistical support to the united states over the issue . the recall is only for a limited period of time , said a u.s. state department official who talked to the ambassador . if this resolution [ that ] passed in the committee passes the house as well , our military ties with the u.s. will never be the same again , ' gen. yasar buyukanit told the daily milliyet newspaper , according to ap the house foreign affairs committee voted 27-21 wednesday to approve the nonbinding measure , which declares the deportation of nearly 2 million armenians from the ottoman empire between 1915 and 1923 was systematic ' and deliberate , ' amounting to genocide . ' the deportations led to the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people . but sunday , pelosi stood by her previous assertion that the measure would be taken to a full vote if it passed the committee . newly installed chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , adm. michael mullen , tried to calm tensions by phoning his turkish counterpart shortly after wednesday 's vote . mullen told gen. yasar buyukanit , turkey 's chief of staff , that the pentagon is working hard to inform congress of what the military implications might be if the turks were to respond by cutting off u.s. access to the air base at incirlik in turkey . seventy percent of u.s. air cargo bound for iraq passes over or through turkey . the armenian government and armenians around the world , including many armenian-americans , have been pressing for international support for their contention that armenians were the victims of genocide at the hands of the ottoman turks . the ottoman empire disintegrated in 1923 , replaced by the modern republic of turkey , where the armenian issue remains sensitive . turks reject the genocide label , insisting there was no organized campaign against the armenians and that many turks also died in the chaos and violence of the period . though predominantly muslim , turkey , which borders both europe and iraq , is secular and pro-western . in addition to its membership in nato , ankara is also seeking to become a member of the european union . speaking later on abc 's this week , ' senate minority leader mitch mcconnell denounced the house committee 's vote -- despite agreeing with the assertion that the killings amounted to genocide . i think it 's a really bad idea for the congress to be condemning what happened 100 years ago , ' the kentucky republican said sunday . we all know it happened . there 's a genocide museum , actually , in armenia to commemorate what happened . but i do n't think the congress passing this resolution is a good idea at any point . but particularly not a good idea when turkey is cooperating with us in many ways , which ensures greater safety for our soldiers . ' republican sen. lindsay graham echoed those comments on cnn 's late edition . i 'm not worried about world war i . ... i 'm worried about what i think is world war iii , a war against extremists , and iraq is the central battle front and turkey has been a very good ally , ' graham said sunday . we 've had problems with turkey , but the problem that turkey has with the northern part of iraq , if you think it is bad now , let the country fail . ' turkey has engaged in ongoing cross-border skirmishes with rebels from the kurdistan workers party , or pkk , which launches raids from northern iraq . the recent killings of turkish soldiers brought the conflict to a boiling point , and turkey 's parliament may consider a motion to approve cross-border incursions into northern iraq as early as this week . watch how the rebels are straining u.s.-turkish relations » the united states and the eu have designated the pkk a terrorist organization . the u.s. state department has urged iraq to crack down on the pkk , though some turkish officials have said washington has failed to take decisive action . e-mail to a friend | pelosi says there has never been a good time ' for this resolution |
california <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- while automakers lay off staff and shut down plants in response to the economic downturn , one automaker announced thursday that it will open a manufacturing plant in the united states , potentially creating hundreds of jobs in the area eventually chosen . tesla unveils its model s sedan , with a base price of $ 57,400 . the manufacturing plant will be in california . tesla motors , maker of a high-end electric sports car , says it will build an all-electric sedan in southern california . thursday 's announcement was made in hawthorne , california , where tesla unveiled the model s sedan at a base price of $ 49,900 , after a federal tax credit of $ 7,500 . that 's less than half the price of its first model , the roadster . started in 2003 and bankrolled by paypal millionaire elon musk , tesla has attracted investments from the silicon valley elite , among them google founder larry page . it is widely believed that the model s sedan will be built near the space exploration technologies corporation facility in hawthorne . that aerospace company , more commonly known as spacex , was founded by musk in 2002 . spacex recently won a nasa contract to deliver cargo to the international space station when the space shuttle program is retired next year . that contract , worth $ 1.6 billion , was won over such industry mainstays as boeing and lockheed . the promise of a high-performance , all-electric vehicle became a reality with the startup 's first model , the tesla roadster , a car with the look , speed and price tag -- a steep $ 109,000 and up -- that rivals other high-end , high-performance vehicles . recently though , the economic downturn has forced tesla to delay production of their would-be flagship model s until 2011 . they 've also had to lay off more than 80 workers , which is about 25 percent of the company 's staff . nonetheless , tesla predicts it will manufacture 20,000 model s vehicles a year . that would make it more of a mass-market vehicle than the roadster ; only 1,200 of which are produced yearly . the company faces many challenges , the foremost of which is convincing consumers to pay almost $ 50,000 for an all-electric sedan when they could pay thousands less for another brand of upmarket sedan or a gas-electric hybrid . | tesla says manufacturing plant will be in california ; hundreds of jobs possible |
thomas paine <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- barack obama , who shot from obscurity to fame based on a single speech and then captured the white house in a campaign marked by soaring rhetoric , delivered a restrained , sober inaugural address tuesday . american patriot thomas paine seems to have informed some of the spirit of president obama 's inaugural speech . gone was the mantra-like yes we can ' chanted by supporters , which obama invoked as a refrain right through his victory speech on election night . largely absent , too , were citations from the two historical figures on whose shoulders obama stood tuesday -- abraham lincoln and martin luther king jr. , both of whom he quoted on the night of his triumph in november . he took his oath of office on lincoln 's 1861 inaugural bible , closing a circle of symbolism that began when he declared his candidacy for president two years ago on the same spot in illinois where lincoln launched his own first campaign . but other than mentioning the lash of the whip , ' an echo of lincoln 's towering second inaugural address , and gathering clouds and raging storms , ' obama did not seem to quote the 16th president . and , perhaps thinking that the simple fact of an african-american being sworn in as president was sufficiently drenched with significance , he made only the most glancing reference to king . we are a nation of christians and muslims , jews and hindus -- and nonbelievers , ' obama said , a contemporary variation on king 's hope that jews and gentiles , protestants and catholics ' would one day join hands and sing . watch president obama 's full speech » in fact , if the speech could be said to have an animating spirit , it was that of thomas paine , the great 18th-century pamphleteer who played a key role in the american and french revolutions . obama referred to the rights of man , ' the title of a book paine wrote in praise of the french revolution . and his speech ended with a long quote from paine that george washington ordered read to his troops when the revolt looked bleak for the colonies : let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter , when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country , alarmed at one common danger , came forth to meet ( it . ) ' the passage comes from paine 's critical 1776 essay the crisis , ' which famously begins : these are the times that try men 's souls . ' indeed , obama used the word crisis ' four times in his speech -- one more time than he used the word perhaps most closely identified with him : hope . that we are in the midst of a crisis is now well-understood , ' obama said , in a speech that warned americans to prepare for a long , hard -- but certain -- slog toward better days . he drew on the touchstones of american civic life , the declaration of independence and the constitution , with phrases such as we the people , ' common defense ' and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness . ' he nodded towards john f. kennedy with a reference to rising tides of prosperity ' and franklin roosevelt in saying americans had chosen hope over fear . ' and he seemed to carry on a bit of an argument with ronald reagan , listing key battlefields in american history ( concord and gettysburg , normandy and khe sahn ' ) , as reagan did in his first inaugural , but rejecting the most famous phrase from that speech . watch cnn 's fareed zakaria discuss writing a memorable speech » ' government is not the solution to the problem , government is the problem , ' reagan declared in 1981 . no , obama seemed to respond 28 years later , the question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small , but whether it works . ... where the answer is yes , we intend to move forward . where the answer is no , programs will end ... because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government . ' he also borrowed a notion associated with reagan , but running through american history right back to the puritans , who in turn took it from the book of isaiah : that american ideals still light the world . ' and his conclusion bookended the two great sources of quotes in the english language , shakespeare and the bible . america , he said , may be experiencing this winter of our hardship ' -- riffing on richard iii 's winter of our discontent ' -- but will prove when we were tested ' -- as abraham was by god -- we refused to let this journey end ... with eyes fixed on the horizon and god 's grace upon us , we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations . ' cnn interns tom boltman and eftehia katsareas contributed to this report . | american patriot thomas paine seems to have been an influence |
congo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the young girl whispered in a hushed tone . she looked down as she spoke , only glancing up from her dark round eyes every now and then . she wanted to tell more , but she was too ashamed . she was just 9 years old when , she says , congolese soldiers gang-raped her on her way to school . the young girl on the right says she was raped by congolese soldiers . she was just 9 when it happened . these two soldiers nabbed her , put a bag over her head and pulled her into the bushes . she explains it as ,'they got me ,' says sherrlyn borkgren , who spent a month in the democratic republic of the congo late last year . borkgren , a wedding photographer and freelance journalist , traveled to the war-torn region of eastern congo after being awarded the shootq grant , a $ 10,000 award to free photographers from everyday life to pursue a project that raises awareness of an important global issue . borkgren pauses when she speaks of meeting the girl . she was obviously very traumatized to repeat this out loud , and i do n't think she had repeated it to anyone . ' the young girl lied to her about her age when they first spoke . she said she was 15 when she was raped , ' borkgren says . i figured she probably wanted to say she was 15 because it 's more acceptable than to say ,'i was 9 when they raped me .' the united nations estimates 200,000 women and girls have been raped in congo over the last 12 years , when war broke out with rwanda and uganda backing congolese rebels seeking to oust then-congo president laurent kabila . rape became a weapon of war , aid groups say . it is one of the worst places in the world to be a woman or girl , ' says anneke van woudenberg , a senior researcher with human rights watch who has spent the last 10 years focusing on congo . these are often soldiers and combatants deliberately targeting women and raping them as a strategy of war , either to punish a community , to terrorize a community or to humiliate them . ' most times , the women are raped by at least two perpetrators . sometimes , that is done in front of the family , in front of the children , ' van woudenberg says . she sighs , what causes men to rape -- i wish i had an answer to that . ' against this backdrop , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton , one of the world 's strongest voices for women 's rights , traveled to congo as part of her whirlwind trip to africa . watch clinton detail expectations for africa » clinton arrived in goma in eastern congo tuesday where she is to meet with rape victims during her visit . i hope that here in the [ congo ] there will be a concerted effort to demand justice for women who are violently attacked , and to make sure that their attackers are punished , ' clinton said monday after a tour of a kinshasa hospital . human rights groups are eager to see if clinton pressures joseph kabila , president of the democratic republic of the congo and the son of laurent kabila , to do more to pursue charges against top army commanders accused of rape . soldiers have committed gang rapes , rapes leading to injury and death , and abductions of girls and women , ' a report released last month by human rights watch says . their crimes are serious violations of international humanitarian law . commanders have frequently failed to stop sexual violence and may themselves be guilty of war crimes or crimes against humanity as a consequence . ' van woudenberg says punishment , unfortunately , is all too rare for sex crimes . if you rape , you get away with it , ' she says . according to the united nations , there were 15,996 new cases of sexual violence registered throughout congo in 2008 . nearly two out of every three rapes were carried out against children , most of them adolescent girls , the human rights watch report says . a paltry 27 soldiers were convicted in military courts last year . under the current court system , the military handles accusations of rape against its soldiers -- something aid groups say must be changed for real accountability . since january of this year , aid organizations say there 's been a surge of violence against civilians as a result of congolese operations against rwandan hutu rebels , some of whom are believed to have participated in 1994 's rwandan genocide . the fighting has left more than 1.8 million people displaced in the volatile region , according to the u.n. high commissioner for refugees . aid groups have started to see an uptick of rapes of men this year , although women and girls remain the primary targets . the brutality has increased on a huge scale , ' van woudenberg says . she says she interviewed one 15-year-old girl who was held in a hole for five months and gang-raped nearly every day . she had gone out shopping when soldiers approached . they asked me to take off my clothes , and i did . there was n't much i could do , ' the girl told her . they took me into the bush . i stayed for five months with these people , and when i came back , i was five months pregnant . ' van woudenberg adds , gosh , the brutality against the women and girls is unimaginable . ' congo has taken some measures to try to curb the sexual violence . in 2006 , its parliament passed a law criminalizing rape , with penalties ranging from five to 20 years . penalties are doubled under certain circumstances , including gang-rape and if the perpetrator is a public official . kabila 's wife , olive lemba kabila , has launched a public campaign speaking out against rapes of the nation 's women and girls . the army has also started a zero-tolerance campaign in which commanders have emphasized to troops that they must respect human rights and protect civilians from harm , according to the u.n . in may , the united nations handed over the names of five top military officers accused of rape . two of the senior officers are now detained in the capital of kinshasa and the three others must report to authorities under close observation . it 's expected that a trial could happen soon , ' said u.n. spokesman yves sorokobi . it certainly is a big development . ... it 's important . it 's significant . ' still more must be done , aid groups say , starting with the establishment of a special court made up of congolese and international judges and prosecutors to investigate rape allegations . borkgren , the photographer from eugene , oregon , says she went to the congo after having a dream in which two women yelled at her to come over here . ' she won the grant and traveled there for four weeks , beginning in november of last year . she hitchhiked her way around the country , something she now admits was a little bit stupid . ' she says she once came face-to-face with soldiers when she was shopping at a market by herself . one of the men said he wanted to take me up to his camp . ' she still ca n't shake the looks of the local women who were there . that was interesting , ' she says . when the soldiers were harassing me , the women looked ashamed of the soldiers . and when they saw me tell them ,'no , go away ,'the women looked at me quite surprised . ' eventually , she found the girl who touched her heart -- the great , great kid . ' borkgren first spoke with her father , who was initially reluctant to introduce her to his daughter . he explained that the family had gone to authorities , only to be ignored . borkgren says that when she met the girl , they got along instantly . at times , the young child did n't know how to describe what happened . she would say ,'i do n't understand what it is , and i do n't know what words to use .' ' it just turned my heart to think that here 's this little girl who does n't even have the words to describe what happened to her , and has to live her life having had this violence put upon her . just this thoughtless violence that she did n't deserve or ask for . it 's so inhumane . ' her images capture a glimpse into that world , of savagery and lost innocence . the soldiers and rebels carrying out the rapes , she says , are misguided people who need help . caught in the middle are the innocents : women , girls and fathers struggling to get justice . | un : 200,000 women , girls raped in democratic republic of congo in last 12 years |
congo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the young girl whispered in a hushed tone . she looked down as she spoke , only glancing up from her dark round eyes every now and then . she wanted to tell more , but she was too ashamed . she was just 9 years old when , she says , congolese soldiers gang-raped her on her way to school . the young girl on the right says she was raped by congolese soldiers . she was just 9 when it happened . these two soldiers nabbed her , put a bag over her head and pulled her into the bushes . she explains it as ,'they got me ,' says sherrlyn borkgren , who spent a month in the democratic republic of the congo late last year . borkgren , a wedding photographer and freelance journalist , traveled to the war-torn region of eastern congo after being awarded the shootq grant , a $ 10,000 award to free photographers from everyday life to pursue a project that raises awareness of an important global issue . borkgren pauses when she speaks of meeting the girl . she was obviously very traumatized to repeat this out loud , and i do n't think she had repeated it to anyone . ' the young girl lied to her about her age when they first spoke . she said she was 15 when she was raped , ' borkgren says . i figured she probably wanted to say she was 15 because it 's more acceptable than to say ,'i was 9 when they raped me .' the united nations estimates 200,000 women and girls have been raped in congo over the last 12 years , when war broke out with rwanda and uganda backing congolese rebels seeking to oust then-congo president laurent kabila . rape became a weapon of war , aid groups say . it is one of the worst places in the world to be a woman or girl , ' says anneke van woudenberg , a senior researcher with human rights watch who has spent the last 10 years focusing on congo . these are often soldiers and combatants deliberately targeting women and raping them as a strategy of war , either to punish a community , to terrorize a community or to humiliate them . ' most times , the women are raped by at least two perpetrators . sometimes , that is done in front of the family , in front of the children , ' van woudenberg says . she sighs , what causes men to rape -- i wish i had an answer to that . ' against this backdrop , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton , one of the world 's strongest voices for women 's rights , traveled to congo as part of her whirlwind trip to africa . watch clinton detail expectations for africa » clinton arrived in goma in eastern congo tuesday where she is to meet with rape victims during her visit . i hope that here in the [ congo ] there will be a concerted effort to demand justice for women who are violently attacked , and to make sure that their attackers are punished , ' clinton said monday after a tour of a kinshasa hospital . human rights groups are eager to see if clinton pressures joseph kabila , president of the democratic republic of the congo and the son of laurent kabila , to do more to pursue charges against top army commanders accused of rape . soldiers have committed gang rapes , rapes leading to injury and death , and abductions of girls and women , ' a report released last month by human rights watch says . their crimes are serious violations of international humanitarian law . commanders have frequently failed to stop sexual violence and may themselves be guilty of war crimes or crimes against humanity as a consequence . ' van woudenberg says punishment , unfortunately , is all too rare for sex crimes . if you rape , you get away with it , ' she says . according to the united nations , there were 15,996 new cases of sexual violence registered throughout congo in 2008 . nearly two out of every three rapes were carried out against children , most of them adolescent girls , the human rights watch report says . a paltry 27 soldiers were convicted in military courts last year . under the current court system , the military handles accusations of rape against its soldiers -- something aid groups say must be changed for real accountability . since january of this year , aid organizations say there 's been a surge of violence against civilians as a result of congolese operations against rwandan hutu rebels , some of whom are believed to have participated in 1994 's rwandan genocide . the fighting has left more than 1.8 million people displaced in the volatile region , according to the u.n. high commissioner for refugees . aid groups have started to see an uptick of rapes of men this year , although women and girls remain the primary targets . the brutality has increased on a huge scale , ' van woudenberg says . she says she interviewed one 15-year-old girl who was held in a hole for five months and gang-raped nearly every day . she had gone out shopping when soldiers approached . they asked me to take off my clothes , and i did . there was n't much i could do , ' the girl told her . they took me into the bush . i stayed for five months with these people , and when i came back , i was five months pregnant . ' van woudenberg adds , gosh , the brutality against the women and girls is unimaginable . ' congo has taken some measures to try to curb the sexual violence . in 2006 , its parliament passed a law criminalizing rape , with penalties ranging from five to 20 years . penalties are doubled under certain circumstances , including gang-rape and if the perpetrator is a public official . kabila 's wife , olive lemba kabila , has launched a public campaign speaking out against rapes of the nation 's women and girls . the army has also started a zero-tolerance campaign in which commanders have emphasized to troops that they must respect human rights and protect civilians from harm , according to the u.n . in may , the united nations handed over the names of five top military officers accused of rape . two of the senior officers are now detained in the capital of kinshasa and the three others must report to authorities under close observation . it 's expected that a trial could happen soon , ' said u.n. spokesman yves sorokobi . it certainly is a big development . ... it 's important . it 's significant . ' still more must be done , aid groups say , starting with the establishment of a special court made up of congolese and international judges and prosecutors to investigate rape allegations . borkgren , the photographer from eugene , oregon , says she went to the congo after having a dream in which two women yelled at her to come over here . ' she won the grant and traveled there for four weeks , beginning in november of last year . she hitchhiked her way around the country , something she now admits was a little bit stupid . ' she says she once came face-to-face with soldiers when she was shopping at a market by herself . one of the men said he wanted to take me up to his camp . ' she still ca n't shake the looks of the local women who were there . that was interesting , ' she says . when the soldiers were harassing me , the women looked ashamed of the soldiers . and when they saw me tell them ,'no , go away ,'the women looked at me quite surprised . ' eventually , she found the girl who touched her heart -- the great , great kid . ' borkgren first spoke with her father , who was initially reluctant to introduce her to his daughter . he explained that the family had gone to authorities , only to be ignored . borkgren says that when she met the girl , they got along instantly . at times , the young child did n't know how to describe what happened . she would say ,'i do n't understand what it is , and i do n't know what words to use .' ' it just turned my heart to think that here 's this little girl who does n't even have the words to describe what happened to her , and has to live her life having had this violence put upon her . just this thoughtless violence that she did n't deserve or ask for . it 's so inhumane . ' her images capture a glimpse into that world , of savagery and lost innocence . the soldiers and rebels carrying out the rapes , she says , are misguided people who need help . caught in the middle are the innocents : women , girls and fathers struggling to get justice . | aid worker : congo is one of the worst places in the world to be a woman or girl ' |
arabic-language <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a new audio tape allegedly from al qaeda leader osama bin laden claims responsibility for an attempt to blow up a plane en route to michigan on christmas day and warns the united states of more attacks . the tape , which aired on the arabic-language news web site al-jazeera on sunday , says the united states will not dream of enjoying safety until we live it in reality in palestine . ' the tape continues : it is not fair to enjoy that kind of life while our brothers in gaza live in the worst of miseries . ' cnn could not independently confirm the authenticity of the message , but the cia has in the past confirmed al-jazeera reports on tapes from the al qaeda leader . president obama 's senior adviser david axelrod told cnn 's state of the union ' on sunday that while there was no immediate confirmation that the message was authentic , it contains the same hollow justification for the slaughter of innocent people . ' in another section of the audio tape that al-jazeera broadcast , the voice says : god willing our attacks will continue as long as you support the israelis and may peace be on those who follow guidance . ' bin laden also claims responsibility for the foiled attack on delta flight 253 in december . the message intended to be sent to you was through the hero fighter omar farouq , may god release him , confirming an earlier message that the [ september ] 11th heroes delivered to you and it was repeated before and after [ that event ] , ' he says . a nigerian man , umar farouk abdulmutallab , has been charged with attempting to blow up the delta airlines plane as it approached detroit from amsterdam , netherlands . al qaeda in the arabian peninsula was behind the failed attack on christmas day . that 's clear , ' a u.s. counterterrorism official -- who is not authorized to speak publicly -- told cnn . so a message like this -- no matter whose voice it may be -- should come as no surprise . al qaeda has , from time to time , tried to build support for its program of murder by talking about the palestinian issue . that line 's never gotten them much in the past , and it 's unlikely to now , either . ' bin laden had six messages in 2009 . the last was on september 25 and was to the european people . ' in that message , he urged the countries to reconsider their involvement in the afghanistan war . today europe is suffering an economic crisis , and its export reputation does n't hold true anymore , while america is bleeding economically because of all the wars it is involved in , ' his last message said . think about how europe will fare when america pulls out of afghanistan . you will be left to suffer alone the rage of the people you oppressed . ' a security expert said there 's a possibility bin laden did not know about the attempted attack in december and al qaeda branches may be using it to prove themselves to the group 's leadership . they were able to get their man on an american plane on an american soil so it is successful by all means , ' said mustafa al-ani at the gulf research center . the strategy is there , outlined by the mother leadership and now we will see the branches doing their best to please their leadership and implement al qaeda vision in their own ways . ' bin laden is thought to be hiding in the pakistan-afghanistan mountain region , according to intelligence experts . | tape aired on the arabic-language news web site al jazeera |
somali <tsp> ( cnn ) -- militants with the islamist group al-shabaab stormed somalia 's presidential palace in mogadishu on tuesday , firing their way onto the grounds after a car bomb blasted the gate , authorities said . somali and african union troops exchanged heavy gunfire with the militants and thwarted the attack , a senior somali security official said . president hassan sheikh mohamud was not harmed and somalia 's government praised the troops . fortunately , the prompt actions of the somali national army , assisted by amisom forces ( african union mission in somalia ) , quickly halted the attack , ' said government spokesman mustafa duhulow . three attackers were killed and one was captured , he said . bomb disposal personnel have rendered safe a number of devices , including a suicide vest that one attacker was wearing that had failed to detonate , ' dhulow said . al-shabaab said it was behind the raid , one of several recent mogadishu attacks for which the al qaeda-linked group has claimed responsibility as it presses its campaign to turn somalia into a fundamentalist islamic state . earlier , al-shabaab spokesman abdulaziz abu musab claimed the group 's militants had captured the offices of the president and the prime minister . terrorists can make as many claims and threats on the internet as they want , ' mohamud said from his office . the attack failed . ' u.s. condemns attack the u.s. state department issued a statement condemning the attack and praising amisom troops , which get u.s. support . incidents such as this further demonstrate that insecurity in mogadishu persists , including very real threats from al-shabaab , ' the statement said . the incident comes after several high-profile attacks in the capital , including a car bombing -- claimed by al-shabaab -- that killed at least six people at the parliament building on saturday . on thursday , gunmen killed one somali lawmaker and wounded another in a drive-by shooting in mogadishu , the third assassination of a parliament member claimed by al-shabaab this year . al-shabaab , designated a foreign terrorist organization by the united states , has a relationship with al qaeda that goes back several years . the two groups effectively merged in 2012 , according to cnn national security analyst peter bergen . the group aims to establish islamic rule in somalia , though it has carried out attacks in other african countries , as well . it allegedly carried out a mall attack in nairobi , kenya , in september that left at 67 people dead . cnn 's nana karikari-apau contributed to this story | somali president was not harmed in assault |
fashion star <tsp> ( cnn ) -- good things come to those who wait . and that 's exactly what viewers will be doing when tv 's best midseason offering , good christian belles , ' aka gcb , ' debuts march 4 on abc . reminiscent of desperate housewives ' in its less desperate heyday , gcb ' follows amanda vaughn ( leslie bibb ) , a woman who ruled in high school but has since been humbled by life when her marriage ends in scandal and she has to return home to dallas . unfortunately for amanda , a mother of two , her former frenemies ' -turned-socialites and their husbands have n't quite evolved , and they do everything they can to make her life miserable . emmy- and tony-winning actress kristin chenoweth stars as one of amanda 's rivals , and annie potts steals scenes as amanda 's meddlesome mother . the show is based on a best-selling book from kim gatlin . while good christian belles ' is the best , it 's not the only show to look forward to this winter . nbc 's 30 rock ' is returning at 8 p.m . et thursday for a sixth season , tnt 's gritty cop drama southland ' will be back at 10 p.m . et january 17 for a fourth season , and the 11th season of american idol ' resumes at 8 p.m . et january 18 and 19 on fox . there are also a slew of new offerings to sort through . for your channel-surfing pleasure , we 've selected the good , the bad and the forgettable : the good • the firm ' ( debuts 9 p.m . et sunday , nbc ) : based on the best-selling novel by john grisham , this intense and sometimes cluttered courtroom drama , follows attorney mitchell mcdeere ( this time played by josh lucas of the lincoln lawyer ' instead of tom cruise ) a decade after he brought down a prestigious memphis law firm . every week , mitch will fight for his clients but with a twist because the mob wants him dead as does a shadowy organization behind one of his controversial cases . do n't worry . it sounds more complicated than it is , and lucas is a treat to watch . • house of lies ' ( debuts 10 p.m . et sunday , showtime ) : don cheadle ( crash ' ) and kristen bell ( veronica mars ' ) have undeniable chemistry in this testosterone heavy , raunchy comedy about a cutthroat business consultant ( cheadle ) . • alcatraz ' ( debuts 8 p.m . et january 16 , fox ) : america 's most infamous prison becomes a time-travel portal in this trippy but fun new sci-fi drama from none other than j.j. abrams ( lost ' and fringe ' ) . alcatraz ' stars sam neill ( jurassic park ' ) and jorge garcia of lost ' fame . • luck ' ( debuts 9 p.m . et january 29 , hbo ) : the latest creation from david milch ( deadwood ' ) , luck ' stars oscar-winning actor dustin hoffman ( rain man , ' kramer vs. kramer ' ) as a gangster of sorts . hoffman leads a stellar cast that includes nick nolte and dennis farina in this methodical and fascinating drama about horse racing and the troubled people who inhabit that world . • smash ' ( debuts 10 p.m . et february 6 , nbc ) : executive producer steven spielberg and nbc hope to steal the spotlight from glee ' with this exciting new music-driven drama . smash ' follows a broadway musical from its planning stages to the big stage and stars debra messing and oscar-winning actress anjelica huston ( prizzi 's honor ' ) . the bad • work it ' ( airs 8:30 p.m . et tuesdays , abc ) : two unemployed men ( ben koldyke and amaury nolasco ) dress as women to get jobs in a sluggish economy . but bosom buddies ' was better when it debuted in 1980 . • are you there , chelsea ? ' ( debuts 8:30 p.m . et wednesday , nbc ) : based on comedic actress chelsea handler 's best-selling and mostly autobiographical books , this mildly funny new comedy follows a 20-something ( laura prepon of that '70s show ' ) who parties as hard as she drinks . what 's even less appealing is that handler stars in the sitcom too but does n't play herself . good luck with that . • rob ' ( debuts 8:30 p.m . et thursday , cbs ) : this new sitcom is n't offensive because of its liberal use of stereotypes . it 's offensive because it is unfunny and unoriginal . rob ' follows a man ( rob schneider ) who marries a latina and fails to fit in with her family . • the river ' ( debuts 9 p.m . et february 7 , abc ) : bruce greenwood ( star trek ' the movie ) stars as an explorer and wildlife tv host who goes missing in the amazon jungle . leslie hope ( 24 ' ) plays his wife , a woman determined to find him who heads to the amazon with a reality tv crew and her son ( joe anderson of the crazies ' ) . instead , she finds lots of ghosts and questions . the forgettable • the finder ' ( debuts 9 p.m . et thursday , fox ) : geoff stults ( happy town ' ) and michael clarke duncan ( the green mile ' ) star in this dull but well-intentioned spinoff of bones . ' • fashion star ' ( debuts 10 p.m . et march 13 , nbc ) : in a lopsided attempt to imitate project runway , ' former supermodel elle macpherson has created this reality competition series that features celebrity mentors jessica simpson and nicole richie . yawn . | jessica simpson and nicole richie will serve as mentors on fashion star ' |
united <tsp> ( cnn ) -- david moyes has been appointed as the new manager of manchester united after agreeing a six-year deal . the 50-year-old , who will replace alex ferguson on july 1 , revealed his desire to leave current club everton earlier thursday . moyes , who has been in charge at goodison park since 2002 , will take charge of the club 's final two premier league games of the season before making the move to old trafford . it 's a great honor to be asked to be the next manager of manchester united , ' moyes told united 's official website . i am delighted that sir alex saw fit to recommend me for the job . i have great respect for everything he has done and for the football club . i know how hard it will be to follow the best manager ever , but the opportunity to manage manchester united is n't something that comes around very often and i 'm really looking forward to taking up the post next season . i have had a terrific job at everton , with a tremendous chairman and board of directors and a great set of players . between now and the end of the season , i will do everything in my power to make sure we finish as high as possible in the table . everton 's fantastic fans have played a big part in making my years at goodison so enjoyable and i thank them wholeheartedly for the support they have given me and the players . everton will be close to me for the rest of my life . ' moyes has been publicly endorsed by ferguson , who says his fellow scot is the perfect man to take over at the helm . when we discussed the candidates that we felt had the right attributes we unanimously agreed on david moyes , ' ferguson told the club 's official website . david is a man of great integrity with a strong work ethic . i 've admired his work for a long time and approached him as far back as 1998 to discuss the position of assistant manager here . he was a young man then at the start of his career and has since gone on to do a magnificent job at everton . there is no question he has all the qualities we expect of a manager at this club . ' delighted the appointment has been met with approval by leading players with defender rio ferdinand claiming the squad was delighted . ' he told the club 's televisions station : i think it was important that the club made a decision quickly and it all got sorted out . i think the club have acted impeccably in that sense . the manager , i 'm sure , thought long and hard about his own decision , he made it and then the club acted swiftly and it 's great to see the new manager coming in . ' another reason i think it 's a good appointment is that david moyes will be very , very open and sympathetic to the traditions of the club and he 'll try to continue that and not come in and make changes in terms of the whole characteristics of the club . ' moyes told everton chairman bill kenwright of his desire to join manchester united and succeed ferguson on wednesday . moyes has never won a major trophy with everton after more than a decade in the english top flight , but has consistently produced competitive teams on a tight budget . the liverpool-based side has finished outside the premier league 's top-10 only three times since he took over in 2002 , and qualified for the european champions league in 2005 . everton can confirm that david moyes will leave the club at the end of the season , ' the merseyside club said in a statement . the manager met chairman bill kenwright on wednesday may 8 and confirmed his desire to join manchester united . ' the statement added : the chairman , on behalf of the club , would like to place on record his thanks to david for the massive contribution he has made to everton since his arrival in march 2002 . he has been an outstanding manager . moyes took charge of everton on over 500 occasions with the club qualifying for europe four times during his time as manager . his final two games as everton manager will be against west ham united and chelsea . everton officials will start the search for a replacement manager immediately , ' added the everton statement . everton 's belgian international marouane fellaini tweeted : many thanks coach . ' moyes will now be in charge of a club that under ferguson twice won europe 's top competition and lifted the english championship 13 times following the 71-year-old 's arrival in 1986 . united is one of the world 's biggest sporting brands , worth a reported $ 3.17 billion , with a fan base of more than 650 million worldwide . moyes arrives with united having sealed a series of lucrative sponsorship deals aimed at maximizing off-pitch revenue in order to be competitive under european football 's financial fair play rules . the club has been repaying large amounts of debt since it was bought by the american glazer family in a highly leveraged £800 million ( $ 1.25 billion ) takeover in 2005 . this month united reported record third-quarter earnings of £91.7 million ( $ 142 million ) but an 18 % increase in operating expenses plus payments on a gross debt that has fallen to £367.6 million ( $ 572 million ) meant a pre-tax loss of £3.15 million ( $ 4.9 million ) for the period . whether moyes will be given significant funds to strengthen the squad for united 's epl title defense remains to be seen -- borussia dortmund 's top scorer robert lewandowski has long been linked with a move to old trafford , but the poland striker would command a hefty fee and wage packet . united did not have to pay everton compensation for moyes , as his contract had been due to expire in july . moyes may need to find a replacement for wayne rooney , who has told the club he wants to leave according to british reports thursday -- but united said he is not for sale . moyes gave rooney his debut as a 16-year-old at everton but they fell out when the england striker left for old trafford in 2004 . moyes later sued the player and his publisher over remarks made in his autobiography , but they settled out of court . rooney handed in a transfer request in late 2010 , but was persuaded to stay by ferguson and rewarded with a lucrative new contract that still has two years to run . | united had put a facebook page inviting fans to send their welcome messages to moyes |
united <tsp> ( cnn ) -- david moyes has been appointed as the new manager of manchester united after agreeing a six-year deal . the 50-year-old , who will replace alex ferguson on july 1 , revealed his desire to leave current club everton earlier thursday . moyes , who has been in charge at goodison park since 2002 , will take charge of the club 's final two premier league games of the season before making the move to old trafford . it 's a great honor to be asked to be the next manager of manchester united , ' moyes told united 's official website . i am delighted that sir alex saw fit to recommend me for the job . i have great respect for everything he has done and for the football club . i know how hard it will be to follow the best manager ever , but the opportunity to manage manchester united is n't something that comes around very often and i 'm really looking forward to taking up the post next season . i have had a terrific job at everton , with a tremendous chairman and board of directors and a great set of players . between now and the end of the season , i will do everything in my power to make sure we finish as high as possible in the table . everton 's fantastic fans have played a big part in making my years at goodison so enjoyable and i thank them wholeheartedly for the support they have given me and the players . everton will be close to me for the rest of my life . ' moyes has been publicly endorsed by ferguson , who says his fellow scot is the perfect man to take over at the helm . when we discussed the candidates that we felt had the right attributes we unanimously agreed on david moyes , ' ferguson told the club 's official website . david is a man of great integrity with a strong work ethic . i 've admired his work for a long time and approached him as far back as 1998 to discuss the position of assistant manager here . he was a young man then at the start of his career and has since gone on to do a magnificent job at everton . there is no question he has all the qualities we expect of a manager at this club . ' delighted the appointment has been met with approval by leading players with defender rio ferdinand claiming the squad was delighted . ' he told the club 's televisions station : i think it was important that the club made a decision quickly and it all got sorted out . i think the club have acted impeccably in that sense . the manager , i 'm sure , thought long and hard about his own decision , he made it and then the club acted swiftly and it 's great to see the new manager coming in . ' another reason i think it 's a good appointment is that david moyes will be very , very open and sympathetic to the traditions of the club and he 'll try to continue that and not come in and make changes in terms of the whole characteristics of the club . ' moyes told everton chairman bill kenwright of his desire to join manchester united and succeed ferguson on wednesday . moyes has never won a major trophy with everton after more than a decade in the english top flight , but has consistently produced competitive teams on a tight budget . the liverpool-based side has finished outside the premier league 's top-10 only three times since he took over in 2002 , and qualified for the european champions league in 2005 . everton can confirm that david moyes will leave the club at the end of the season , ' the merseyside club said in a statement . the manager met chairman bill kenwright on wednesday may 8 and confirmed his desire to join manchester united . ' the statement added : the chairman , on behalf of the club , would like to place on record his thanks to david for the massive contribution he has made to everton since his arrival in march 2002 . he has been an outstanding manager . moyes took charge of everton on over 500 occasions with the club qualifying for europe four times during his time as manager . his final two games as everton manager will be against west ham united and chelsea . everton officials will start the search for a replacement manager immediately , ' added the everton statement . everton 's belgian international marouane fellaini tweeted : many thanks coach . ' moyes will now be in charge of a club that under ferguson twice won europe 's top competition and lifted the english championship 13 times following the 71-year-old 's arrival in 1986 . united is one of the world 's biggest sporting brands , worth a reported $ 3.17 billion , with a fan base of more than 650 million worldwide . moyes arrives with united having sealed a series of lucrative sponsorship deals aimed at maximizing off-pitch revenue in order to be competitive under european football 's financial fair play rules . the club has been repaying large amounts of debt since it was bought by the american glazer family in a highly leveraged £800 million ( $ 1.25 billion ) takeover in 2005 . this month united reported record third-quarter earnings of £91.7 million ( $ 142 million ) but an 18 % increase in operating expenses plus payments on a gross debt that has fallen to £367.6 million ( $ 572 million ) meant a pre-tax loss of £3.15 million ( $ 4.9 million ) for the period . whether moyes will be given significant funds to strengthen the squad for united 's epl title defense remains to be seen -- borussia dortmund 's top scorer robert lewandowski has long been linked with a move to old trafford , but the poland striker would command a hefty fee and wage packet . united did not have to pay everton compensation for moyes , as his contract had been due to expire in july . moyes may need to find a replacement for wayne rooney , who has told the club he wants to leave according to british reports thursday -- but united said he is not for sale . moyes gave rooney his debut as a 16-year-old at everton but they fell out when the england striker left for old trafford in 2004 . moyes later sued the player and his publisher over remarks made in his autobiography , but they settled out of court . rooney handed in a transfer request in late 2010 , but was persuaded to stay by ferguson and rewarded with a lucrative new contract that still has two years to run . | david moyes will take over at manchester united on july 1st |
london <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- london police said thursday they are planning one of the largest and most complex operations in their history as the city gears up to host the g-20 summit next week . police divers carry out security checks near the site of next week 's g-20 summit in london . london 's three police forces are being brought under a single umbrella for the g-20 security plan , dubbed operation glencoe , said cmdr . simon o'brien of london 's metropolitan police . police forces from surrounding counties like essex and sussex are also assisting with security , he said . officers will be protecting the summit venue , delegates , their hotels , their official engagements , as well as monitoring protests around the capital , o'brien said . this is one of the largest , one of the most challenging , and one of the most complicated operations that we 've ever delivered , ' he told reporters thursday . the met police has canceled all staff leave for april 1 and 2 . the summit takes place april 2 . watch security preparations for the g-20 meeting » o'brien would not say how many police officers would be on duty , but he said there were 10,500 police shifts being scheduled between march 24 and april 2 . the total cost of the security operation is £7.2 million ( $ 10.4 million ) , he said . the g-20 summit brings together heads of state and financial leaders from the top 20 industrialized and emerging economies . leaders from non-g-20 nations will also be represented , along with hundreds of other officials including the heads of the international monetary fund and the world bank . the one-day summit is already attracting a significant amount of interest ' from protest groups , o'brien said . old faces on the protest circuit ' have started to reappear ahead of the event , he said , although he gave no names . some see the g-20 as an opportunity to galvanize support ' for their various other causes , he said . the first big protest is expected to take place saturday in central london . police expect some 20,000 people to turn out , o'brien said . though organized by trade unions , some 120 different groups are taking part in the put people first ' march , which will start at victoria station , wind through trafalgar square , and end in a demonstration at hyde park . heavy rain is predicted for saturday . april 1 , the day before the summit , will see various smaller demonstrations in central london . protesters are calling it financial fools day , ' a play on april fools day and the anger surrounding the current economic crisis . an alternative g-20 summit ' will also taking place near the summit venue , the excel convention center in east london . police have been developing intelligence about all the demonstrations and a policing plan for each one , o'brien said . there will be no special laws under which officers can arrest protesters who break the law , he said , and counter-terrorism measures will only be used when they apply . asked about reports that some protesters may be planning violence similar to the recent riots in greece , o'brien said simply that police have well-rehearsed tactics ' and an experienced team on hand to deal with it . we will not tolerate any people breaking the law , attacking buildings , people , or our officers , ' he said . there have also been reports that protesters may be planning to storm important buildings like the bank of england . o'brien said only that police were prepared for a range of instances . ' the excel venue is in east london , 10 minutes from the financial district of canary wharf , and there are concerns that protesters angry about the economy could target workers in the area . the london chamber of commerce said many firms are advising their staff to take precautionary measures , including wearing more casual clothing , hiding any company logos , canceling unnecessary meetings , and keeping movement in and out of the building to a minimum . the vast majority of firms will have robust security arrangements in place , ' said the chamber 's chief executive , colin stanbridge . canceling unnecessary meetings may have to be considered , but people should n't feel as though they ca n't travel in london to conduct important business . ' ubs , which has offices in the financial district , would not confirm any specific measures but said the company was prepared . we are aware of the situation and we 'll have appropriate security measures in place , ' a company spokeswoman told cnn . o'brien called the precautionary measures common sense ' but said police would work to ensure that companies face no disruption next week . this is a very complex operation with some really experienced public order commanders , ' he said . we 're up for it and we 're up to it . ' | london 's 3 police forces under a single umbrella for the g-20 security plan |
clinton <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two u.s. journalists who had been detained by north korea were traveling back to the united states with former president clinton hours after being pardoned , a clinton spokesman said . former president clinton meets tuesday with north korea leader kim jong il . they are en route to los angeles [ california ] where laura and euna will be reunited with their families , ' said spokesman matt mckenna . doug ling , laura 's father , reacted to the news outside his home in carmichael , california , with , one of the best days in my life ... i figured , sooner or later , they 'd be back . ' in los angeles , family friend welly yang said the ling family had done everything they could , while respecting the north korean government , to try and get laura home . ' he predicted that ling would remain a journalist . despite this terrifying experience , i ca n't imagine that laura would give up her passion to tell stories that otherwise would n't be heard . ' their release wednesday came after clinton met with top government officials in pyongyang . clinton expressed words of sincere apology to kim jong il for the hostile acts committed by the two american journalists against the dprk after illegally intruding into it , ' the news agency reported . clinton courteously conveyed to kim jong il an earnest request of the u.s. government to leniently pardon them and send them back home from a humanitarian point of view . the meetings had candid and in-depth discussions on the pending issues between the dprk and the u.s. in a sincere atmosphere and reached a consensus of views on seeking a negotiated settlement of them . ' watch ling 's father welcome his daughter 's pardon » the report said clinton then conveyed a message from president obama expressing profound thanks for this and reflecting views on ways of improving the relations between the two countries . ' but white house spokesman robert gibbs told reporters in washington before the announced agreement that clinton was not carrying any message -- written or oral -- from obama . gibbs added that the former president last spoke with obama during a white house visit in march . he described clinton 's trip as a solely private mission to secure the release of two americans . ' the report from the democratic people 's republic of korea , the nation 's official name , described the agreement to release the journalists as a manifestation of the dprk 's humanitarian and peace-loving policy . the dprk visit of clinton and his party will contribute to deepening the understanding between the dprk and the u.s. and building the bilateral confidence . ' ling and lee are reporters for california-based current tv -- a media venture launched by clinton 's former vice president , al gore . the women were arrested in march while reporting from the border between north korea and china for california-based current media and sentenced in june to 12 years in prison on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign . because the united states has no diplomatic relations with north korea , efforts to resolve the issue had been handled through sweden , which represents u.s. interests in pyongyang . we want to thank the obama administration for its continuous and determined efforts to achieve this outcome , and president clinton for his willingness to undertake this mission , ' current media co-founders gore and joel hyatt said in a written statement . all of us at current are overjoyed at laura and euna 's safe return . our hearts go out to them -- and to their families -- for persevering through this horrible experience . ' the visit by the former president , whose wife , hillary clinton , is the obama administration 's secretary of state , came about three weeks after the united states dropped a request that ling and lee be released on humanitarian grounds . instead , the united states was seeking amnesty for the women , hillary clinton said . watch what may lie behind the pick of bill clinton » clinton 's mission came as the united states and its allies in the region are seeking to persuade north korea to return to nuclear disarmament talks , which have stalled . north korea conducted its second nuclear bomb test in may and has conducted several missile tests since . the united nations has responded to those tests by tightening and expanding sanctions on the nation . north korea and the united states were on opposite sides in the 1950-1953 korean war and had no regular contacts before a 1994 crisis over north korea 's nuclear program . north korea agreed then to halt the development of nuclear weapons but abandoned that accord and withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 2003 . former president clinton had considered visiting north korea in 2000 near the end of his second term as president . his secretary of state , madeleine albright , had gone to pyongyang in early 2000 to meet with kim . the 67-year-old north korean leader is widely reported to have suffered a stroke a year ago and is believed to be grooming his youngest son , kim jon un , as his successor . cnn 's elaine quijano , charlie moore and ninette sosa contributed to this report . | clinton expressed sincere words of apology , ' north korea says |
clinton <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two u.s. journalists who had been detained by north korea were traveling back to the united states with former president clinton hours after being pardoned , a clinton spokesman said . former president clinton meets tuesday with north korea leader kim jong il . they are en route to los angeles [ california ] where laura and euna will be reunited with their families , ' said spokesman matt mckenna . doug ling , laura 's father , reacted to the news outside his home in carmichael , california , with , one of the best days in my life ... i figured , sooner or later , they 'd be back . ' in los angeles , family friend welly yang said the ling family had done everything they could , while respecting the north korean government , to try and get laura home . ' he predicted that ling would remain a journalist . despite this terrifying experience , i ca n't imagine that laura would give up her passion to tell stories that otherwise would n't be heard . ' their release wednesday came after clinton met with top government officials in pyongyang . clinton expressed words of sincere apology to kim jong il for the hostile acts committed by the two american journalists against the dprk after illegally intruding into it , ' the news agency reported . clinton courteously conveyed to kim jong il an earnest request of the u.s. government to leniently pardon them and send them back home from a humanitarian point of view . the meetings had candid and in-depth discussions on the pending issues between the dprk and the u.s. in a sincere atmosphere and reached a consensus of views on seeking a negotiated settlement of them . ' watch ling 's father welcome his daughter 's pardon » the report said clinton then conveyed a message from president obama expressing profound thanks for this and reflecting views on ways of improving the relations between the two countries . ' but white house spokesman robert gibbs told reporters in washington before the announced agreement that clinton was not carrying any message -- written or oral -- from obama . gibbs added that the former president last spoke with obama during a white house visit in march . he described clinton 's trip as a solely private mission to secure the release of two americans . ' the report from the democratic people 's republic of korea , the nation 's official name , described the agreement to release the journalists as a manifestation of the dprk 's humanitarian and peace-loving policy . the dprk visit of clinton and his party will contribute to deepening the understanding between the dprk and the u.s. and building the bilateral confidence . ' ling and lee are reporters for california-based current tv -- a media venture launched by clinton 's former vice president , al gore . the women were arrested in march while reporting from the border between north korea and china for california-based current media and sentenced in june to 12 years in prison on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign . because the united states has no diplomatic relations with north korea , efforts to resolve the issue had been handled through sweden , which represents u.s. interests in pyongyang . we want to thank the obama administration for its continuous and determined efforts to achieve this outcome , and president clinton for his willingness to undertake this mission , ' current media co-founders gore and joel hyatt said in a written statement . all of us at current are overjoyed at laura and euna 's safe return . our hearts go out to them -- and to their families -- for persevering through this horrible experience . ' the visit by the former president , whose wife , hillary clinton , is the obama administration 's secretary of state , came about three weeks after the united states dropped a request that ling and lee be released on humanitarian grounds . instead , the united states was seeking amnesty for the women , hillary clinton said . watch what may lie behind the pick of bill clinton » clinton 's mission came as the united states and its allies in the region are seeking to persuade north korea to return to nuclear disarmament talks , which have stalled . north korea conducted its second nuclear bomb test in may and has conducted several missile tests since . the united nations has responded to those tests by tightening and expanding sanctions on the nation . north korea and the united states were on opposite sides in the 1950-1953 korean war and had no regular contacts before a 1994 crisis over north korea 's nuclear program . north korea agreed then to halt the development of nuclear weapons but abandoned that accord and withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 2003 . former president clinton had considered visiting north korea in 2000 near the end of his second term as president . his secretary of state , madeleine albright , had gone to pyongyang in early 2000 to meet with kim . the 67-year-old north korean leader is widely reported to have suffered a stroke a year ago and is believed to be grooming his youngest son , kim jon un , as his successor . cnn 's elaine quijano , charlie moore and ninette sosa contributed to this report . | laura ling , euna lee pardoned , leave country with bill clinton |
clinton <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two u.s. journalists who had been detained by north korea were traveling back to the united states with former president clinton hours after being pardoned , a clinton spokesman said . former president clinton meets tuesday with north korea leader kim jong il . they are en route to los angeles [ california ] where laura and euna will be reunited with their families , ' said spokesman matt mckenna . doug ling , laura 's father , reacted to the news outside his home in carmichael , california , with , one of the best days in my life ... i figured , sooner or later , they 'd be back . ' in los angeles , family friend welly yang said the ling family had done everything they could , while respecting the north korean government , to try and get laura home . ' he predicted that ling would remain a journalist . despite this terrifying experience , i ca n't imagine that laura would give up her passion to tell stories that otherwise would n't be heard . ' their release wednesday came after clinton met with top government officials in pyongyang . clinton expressed words of sincere apology to kim jong il for the hostile acts committed by the two american journalists against the dprk after illegally intruding into it , ' the news agency reported . clinton courteously conveyed to kim jong il an earnest request of the u.s. government to leniently pardon them and send them back home from a humanitarian point of view . the meetings had candid and in-depth discussions on the pending issues between the dprk and the u.s. in a sincere atmosphere and reached a consensus of views on seeking a negotiated settlement of them . ' watch ling 's father welcome his daughter 's pardon » the report said clinton then conveyed a message from president obama expressing profound thanks for this and reflecting views on ways of improving the relations between the two countries . ' but white house spokesman robert gibbs told reporters in washington before the announced agreement that clinton was not carrying any message -- written or oral -- from obama . gibbs added that the former president last spoke with obama during a white house visit in march . he described clinton 's trip as a solely private mission to secure the release of two americans . ' the report from the democratic people 's republic of korea , the nation 's official name , described the agreement to release the journalists as a manifestation of the dprk 's humanitarian and peace-loving policy . the dprk visit of clinton and his party will contribute to deepening the understanding between the dprk and the u.s. and building the bilateral confidence . ' ling and lee are reporters for california-based current tv -- a media venture launched by clinton 's former vice president , al gore . the women were arrested in march while reporting from the border between north korea and china for california-based current media and sentenced in june to 12 years in prison on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign . because the united states has no diplomatic relations with north korea , efforts to resolve the issue had been handled through sweden , which represents u.s. interests in pyongyang . we want to thank the obama administration for its continuous and determined efforts to achieve this outcome , and president clinton for his willingness to undertake this mission , ' current media co-founders gore and joel hyatt said in a written statement . all of us at current are overjoyed at laura and euna 's safe return . our hearts go out to them -- and to their families -- for persevering through this horrible experience . ' the visit by the former president , whose wife , hillary clinton , is the obama administration 's secretary of state , came about three weeks after the united states dropped a request that ling and lee be released on humanitarian grounds . instead , the united states was seeking amnesty for the women , hillary clinton said . watch what may lie behind the pick of bill clinton » clinton 's mission came as the united states and its allies in the region are seeking to persuade north korea to return to nuclear disarmament talks , which have stalled . north korea conducted its second nuclear bomb test in may and has conducted several missile tests since . the united nations has responded to those tests by tightening and expanding sanctions on the nation . north korea and the united states were on opposite sides in the 1950-1953 korean war and had no regular contacts before a 1994 crisis over north korea 's nuclear program . north korea agreed then to halt the development of nuclear weapons but abandoned that accord and withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 2003 . former president clinton had considered visiting north korea in 2000 near the end of his second term as president . his secretary of state , madeleine albright , had gone to pyongyang in early 2000 to meet with kim . the 67-year-old north korean leader is widely reported to have suffered a stroke a year ago and is believed to be grooming his youngest son , kim jon un , as his successor . cnn 's elaine quijano , charlie moore and ninette sosa contributed to this report . | clinton negotiates pardon with leader kim jong il |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) japanese officials want to talk to isis . but can they get in touch with the militant group ? and if they do , can they do anything to save the lives of two japanese men being held hostage ? time is running out : isis put out a video tuesday giving the japanese government 72 hours to pay $ 200 million , or else kenji goto and haruna yukawa -- like other isis captives before them -- will be killed . japanese chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga said wednesday that his government estimates the deadline will come at 2:50 p.m. friday , tokyo time ( 12:50 a.m . et ) . until then , he said , japanese officials are trying to save them . suga said his government will do its utmost to communicate with isis on the fate of goto and yukawa through a third party , such as another nation 's government or a local tribe . he did n't say whether japan would be willing to pay any ransom . absent such a private back-and-forth , the japanese official voiced his government 's stance publicly , including its defense of a proposed aid package , also tabbed at $ 200 million , to help those who are contending ' with isis , according to prime minister shinzo abe . abe has defended the aid package as needed to build up human capacities , infrastructure and so on , ' yet isis denounced it anyway in its recent video . japan 's measures are absolutely not intending to kill muslim people , unlike what the hostage takers claim , ' suga said wednesday . we strongly urge them not to harm the two japanese nationals and immediately release them . ' q & a : harsh realities of ransom , kidnappings goto and yukawa were last seen months ago , disappearing in the same part of the world . while they had different professions , the two knew and talked to each other , said yukawa 's friend nobuo kimoto . it was january 2014 when kimoto met yukawa , who told him about his dream of providing security for japanese ships in dangerous areas , such as waters off somalia sometimes plagued by pirates . three months later , yukawa headed off to syria to gain combat and survival experience , kimoto said . there , yukawa met the man isis refers to as kenji goto jogo ( who goes by kenji goto on twitter and in a photograph accredited to him ) . goto is a freelance journalist who has worked for various japanese news organizations , including reporting about the northern syrian battleground city of kobani , which for weeks has been under siege by isis , and other areas . goto gave yukawa insights on how to survive there , kimoto said . he also introduced him to rebel fighters -- distinct from isis , even though both were fighting against syrian president bashar al-assad 's forces -- some of whom talked about their need for ambulances to shuttle the injured . that plea spurred yukawa to start raising money for this cause after returning to japan , according to his friend kimoto . i felt a chill when he said , after returning home , ( that ) he felt in syria he was really living a life , ' kimoto said . he seems to have felt satisfaction being there and living together with the locals . ' he went back to syria in july -- a trip that kimoto said he did n't know about at the time . kimoto said he had advised yukawa to focus on building up his private military company , which provided armed security services and posted videos online of his activities in iraq and syria . yukawa , 42 , went missing and was captured sometime after that . goto met the same fate . while it 's not known exactly when he became a hostage , his last twitter post was on october 23 . alaaeddin al zaim worked as a fixer for goto . speaking to cnn in turkey , he said the journalist had reached out to him about going into isis-controlled territory . i am not american , i am not british . i 'm japanese . i can go , ' goto told the fixer . fixers help reporters travel and connect with local contacts . al zaim refused , believing the trip was too dangerous . another fixer agreed to take goto to isis , al zaim said . before he left , goto made a short video -- which cnn saw -- in which he explained his decision to travel was his , and his alone . goto gave al zaim his phones , and a list of numbers . he gave me this and asked me to call japanese wife , his wife in japan , his friends in japan . after one week , if i do n't hear any news of them or any connection , i have to call them , ' said al zaim , who remembers seeing goto for the last time on october 25 . after a week , he said , he had n't heard from goto and so he made the call to his wife . al zaim , who described goto as his brother , praised his reporting work . he is the best journalist i met him , and i work with him because he ( does n't ) like military stories . he covered , every time , civilian and kids stories in syria . and also he is very strong . anytime he want to do his job very well ... sometimes we are going to danger ( ous ) places , he ( is n't ) afraid . he tell ( s ) me :'this is my job . i am journalist . i have to do that .'' cnn could not immediately confirm the details of what al zaim said . what happens next for both men is up to isis . unfortunately , it does n't have a record of showing much mercy . the islamist militant group has been behind mass killings and kidnappings during its years-long campaign to take over vast swaths of iraq and syria , attempting to justify its actions -- like enslaving and having sex with young girls -- as somehow consistent with its extreme , conservative faith . taking hostages from outside countries has been part of its playbook . not only has isis beheaded many of them , but it 's made a show of it by recording their deaths and showing them online as propaganda , something that began in august with the killing of u.s. journalist james foley . those beheaded hostages were american and british , both from countries involved in a military campaign against isis . japan is allies with both , though it is not participating in any airstrikes or the training or outfitting of those fighting the militant group . tokyo 's stance on the conflict , including the $ 200 million pledge that abe made sunday , was apparently enough to draw the ire of the group that calls itself the islamic state . although you are more than 8,500 kilometers away from the islamic state , you willingly volunteered to take part in this crusade , ' said the masked man who stood over goto and yukawa in tuesday 's video , addressing his comments to abe . who is'jihadi john'? abe has responded by defending the proposed aid and blasting isis'threat against two of his nation 's citizens as unacceptable . ' i feel angry about it , ' he said tuesday . i strongly urge them to immediately release the hostages without harming them . ' cnn 's yoko wakatsuki reported from tokyo , and cnn 's greg botelho wrote this report from atlanta . cnn 's will ripley , gul tuysuz , jethro mullen and junko ogura contributed to this report . | japanese official says japan is trying to talk to isis through a third party |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) japanese officials want to talk to isis . but can they get in touch with the militant group ? and if they do , can they do anything to save the lives of two japanese men being held hostage ? time is running out : isis put out a video tuesday giving the japanese government 72 hours to pay $ 200 million , or else kenji goto and haruna yukawa -- like other isis captives before them -- will be killed . japanese chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga said wednesday that his government estimates the deadline will come at 2:50 p.m. friday , tokyo time ( 12:50 a.m . et ) . until then , he said , japanese officials are trying to save them . suga said his government will do its utmost to communicate with isis on the fate of goto and yukawa through a third party , such as another nation 's government or a local tribe . he did n't say whether japan would be willing to pay any ransom . absent such a private back-and-forth , the japanese official voiced his government 's stance publicly , including its defense of a proposed aid package , also tabbed at $ 200 million , to help those who are contending ' with isis , according to prime minister shinzo abe . abe has defended the aid package as needed to build up human capacities , infrastructure and so on , ' yet isis denounced it anyway in its recent video . japan 's measures are absolutely not intending to kill muslim people , unlike what the hostage takers claim , ' suga said wednesday . we strongly urge them not to harm the two japanese nationals and immediately release them . ' q & a : harsh realities of ransom , kidnappings goto and yukawa were last seen months ago , disappearing in the same part of the world . while they had different professions , the two knew and talked to each other , said yukawa 's friend nobuo kimoto . it was january 2014 when kimoto met yukawa , who told him about his dream of providing security for japanese ships in dangerous areas , such as waters off somalia sometimes plagued by pirates . three months later , yukawa headed off to syria to gain combat and survival experience , kimoto said . there , yukawa met the man isis refers to as kenji goto jogo ( who goes by kenji goto on twitter and in a photograph accredited to him ) . goto is a freelance journalist who has worked for various japanese news organizations , including reporting about the northern syrian battleground city of kobani , which for weeks has been under siege by isis , and other areas . goto gave yukawa insights on how to survive there , kimoto said . he also introduced him to rebel fighters -- distinct from isis , even though both were fighting against syrian president bashar al-assad 's forces -- some of whom talked about their need for ambulances to shuttle the injured . that plea spurred yukawa to start raising money for this cause after returning to japan , according to his friend kimoto . i felt a chill when he said , after returning home , ( that ) he felt in syria he was really living a life , ' kimoto said . he seems to have felt satisfaction being there and living together with the locals . ' he went back to syria in july -- a trip that kimoto said he did n't know about at the time . kimoto said he had advised yukawa to focus on building up his private military company , which provided armed security services and posted videos online of his activities in iraq and syria . yukawa , 42 , went missing and was captured sometime after that . goto met the same fate . while it 's not known exactly when he became a hostage , his last twitter post was on october 23 . alaaeddin al zaim worked as a fixer for goto . speaking to cnn in turkey , he said the journalist had reached out to him about going into isis-controlled territory . i am not american , i am not british . i 'm japanese . i can go , ' goto told the fixer . fixers help reporters travel and connect with local contacts . al zaim refused , believing the trip was too dangerous . another fixer agreed to take goto to isis , al zaim said . before he left , goto made a short video -- which cnn saw -- in which he explained his decision to travel was his , and his alone . goto gave al zaim his phones , and a list of numbers . he gave me this and asked me to call japanese wife , his wife in japan , his friends in japan . after one week , if i do n't hear any news of them or any connection , i have to call them , ' said al zaim , who remembers seeing goto for the last time on october 25 . after a week , he said , he had n't heard from goto and so he made the call to his wife . al zaim , who described goto as his brother , praised his reporting work . he is the best journalist i met him , and i work with him because he ( does n't ) like military stories . he covered , every time , civilian and kids stories in syria . and also he is very strong . anytime he want to do his job very well ... sometimes we are going to danger ( ous ) places , he ( is n't ) afraid . he tell ( s ) me :'this is my job . i am journalist . i have to do that .'' cnn could not immediately confirm the details of what al zaim said . what happens next for both men is up to isis . unfortunately , it does n't have a record of showing much mercy . the islamist militant group has been behind mass killings and kidnappings during its years-long campaign to take over vast swaths of iraq and syria , attempting to justify its actions -- like enslaving and having sex with young girls -- as somehow consistent with its extreme , conservative faith . taking hostages from outside countries has been part of its playbook . not only has isis beheaded many of them , but it 's made a show of it by recording their deaths and showing them online as propaganda , something that began in august with the killing of u.s. journalist james foley . those beheaded hostages were american and british , both from countries involved in a military campaign against isis . japan is allies with both , though it is not participating in any airstrikes or the training or outfitting of those fighting the militant group . tokyo 's stance on the conflict , including the $ 200 million pledge that abe made sunday , was apparently enough to draw the ire of the group that calls itself the islamic state . although you are more than 8,500 kilometers away from the islamic state , you willingly volunteered to take part in this crusade , ' said the masked man who stood over goto and yukawa in tuesday 's video , addressing his comments to abe . who is'jihadi john'? abe has responded by defending the proposed aid and blasting isis'threat against two of his nation 's citizens as unacceptable . ' i feel angry about it , ' he said tuesday . i strongly urge them to immediately release the hostages without harming them . ' cnn 's yoko wakatsuki reported from tokyo , and cnn 's greg botelho wrote this report from atlanta . cnn 's will ripley , gul tuysuz , jethro mullen and junko ogura contributed to this report . | hostages were shown in an isis video , with a masked man standing over them |
mexican <tsp> port-au-prince , haiti ( cnn ) -- search-and-rescue efforts at a supermarket in haiti 's capital have ended after teams determined no one else was alive beneath the rubble , an official told cnn wednesday . a french excavation team was working at the caribbean supermarket on tuesday . several haitians had been in the building at the time , looking for survivors or useful items . at least one of these foragers became trapped in the rubble . while the french team was trying to rescue that person , their excavation machine , which resembles a bulldozer , tipped into a hole and caused a further collapse , said lt. col. christophe renou of french civil protection . the french team called in u.s. and mexican teams to help with the rescue . the u.s. team brought more radar and lifting devices to try to extract the known survivor and reach any others , said norman skjelbreia , an incident commander from the u.s. army corps of engineers . but at 11 p.m. tuesday , the teams determined there was no one else alive under the rubble , and they called off the rescue mission , renou told cnn wednesday . he said information gathered from radar and listening equipment detected no signs of life . the rescue was an extremely dangerous one , he said , with pieces of concrete shifting . at one point , he said , a female mexican rescue worker was trapped under the rubble and teams had to work to save her life . it was decided that the safety of the search-and-rescue teams was more important than the search to retrieve bodies from the precarious collapsed building , renou said . more than 212,000 people died in the january 12 earthquake , haitian officials said . caribbean supermarket was the scene of a number of rescues after the earthquake , including the rescue of five people in one weekend . rescuers pulled an apparent survivor of the original quake , evan muncie , 28 , from the rubble of another market on monday . doctors found him suffering from extreme dehydration and malnutrition , but without significant crushing injuries . cnn 's ingrid formanek contributed to this report . | u.s. , mexican teams brought in to help with more radar , lifting devices |
american recovery and reinvestment act <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- president obama , in an effort to stimulate the economy and support critical research , announced $ 5 billion in grants during a visit to the national institutes of health on wednesday . president obama looks at a microscope with dr. marston linehan at the national institutes of health on wednesday . the money comes from economic stimulus funds and is aimed at supporting research projects as well as the jobs related to them to fight cancer and other major diseases , obama said in announcing the grants . cancer has touched the lives of all americans , including my own family 's , ' the president said . we all know the terrible toll on families and the promise of treatments that will allow a mother to be there for her children as they grow up , that will make it possible for a child to reach adulthood , that will allow countless people to survive a disease that 's claimed far too many lives . ' obama , joined by health secretary kathleen sebelius and other top medical experts , toured a laboratory before speaking at the nih campus in bethesda , maryland . the white house says the research grants are part of the recovery act 's overall investment of $ 100 billion in innovative research and advancing science and technology infrastructure . | money will come from american recovery and reinvestment act funds |
geithner <tsp> ( cnn ) -- white house officials and some members of congress reacted strongly sunday to news that insurance giant aig had intended to pay out $ 165 million in bonuses and compensation . the company has received at least $ 170 billion in federal bailout money . in a letter to the white house , aig chairman edward liddy , shown here in december , vows to curb bonuses . under pressure from the treasury , aig scaled back the bonus plans and pledged to reduce 2009 bonuses -- or retention payments ' -- by at least 30 percent . that did little to temper outrage at the initial plan , however . in a letter sunday to treasury secretary timothy geithner , u.s. sen. russ feingold urged the obama administration to explore legal options ' to prevent the millions in aig payouts . i write to ask why any bonuses would be legally required , given the company 's abysmal performance , ' says feingold , d-wisconsin . feingold asked whether the bonuses could be canceled or recouped from recipients , and whether the administration will sue aig executives for breaching their duties to shareholders ' there are a lot of terrible things that have happened in the last 18 months , but what 's happened at aig is the most outrageous , ' lawrence summers , head of the national economic council , told abc 's this week . ' what that company did , the way it was not regulated , the way no one was watching , what 's proved necessary , it is outrageous . ' and on fox news sunday , ' white house economic adviser austan goolsbee said treasury secretary timothy geithner was really upset by the news . ' he stepped in and berated them , got them to reduce the bonuses following every legal means he has to do this , ' goolsbee said . in a letter to geithner , obtained saturday by cnn , aig chairman and ceo edward liddy said his company was taking steps to limit compensation in aig financial products -- the british-based unit responsible for issuing the risky credit default swaps that have brought the company to the brink of collapse . the default swaps amount to insurance against losses from bad loans , which have increased dramatically since the u.s. housing boom peaked . in the letter to geithner , liddy said the unit 's 25 highest-paid contract employees will reduce their salaries to $ 1 this year and all other officers in the unit will reduce their salaries by 10 percent . other non-cash compensation ' will be reduced or eliminated . but he told geithner that some bonus payments are binding legal obligations of the company , and there are serious legal , as well as business consequences for not paying . ' rep. barney frank , the chairman of the house financial services committee , told fox that bailout recipients should have to follow stricter compensation rules , and said congress should look into whether the bonuses are legally recoverable . ' we ca n't just violate legal obligations , i understand that , ' the massachusetts democrat said . but i do want to find out at what point these legal obligations were incurred . who said , and at what point ,'we 're going to give these bonuses no matter what ?'and i do think it 's inappropriate for those people to stay in power at that company . ' frank said that if banks complain that the obama administration has made things too tough , they can give the money back . we made that easy . ' goolsbee said aig was following a policy that 's really not sensible , is obviously going to ignite the ire of millions of people . ' we 've done exactly what we can do to prevent this kind of thing from happening again , ' goolsbee said . summers told abc that the administration was taking every legal step possible to limit those bonuses . ' sen. bob corker , r-tennessee , told fox news sunday ' he believes it 's important to know whether the bonuses are actually commission payments for products sold by brokers , saying he would withhold judgment until that is clarified . however , i do think that these entities that are receiving government money , our money , i do think they have to play by a different set of rules , ' corker said . hopefully , those different rules will discourage companies from accepting bailout funds , he said . liddy , however , makes clear in the letter that he took steps to limit his employees'compensation with trepidation . he said the company will have trouble attracting and retaining the best and the brightest ... if employees believe that their compensation is subject to continued and arbitrary adjustment by the u.s . treasury . ' aig lost a record $ 62 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008 . it has more than 74 million insurance policies issued in 130 countries around the world . cnn 's elaine quijano contributed to this report . | treasury 's geithner said to be really upset ' and has berated ' company execs |
pentagon <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the chinese military continues to increase spending on efforts to break into u.s. military computer systems , expand its navy , and invest in intercontinental nuclear missiles and weapons to destroy satellites , according to the latest u.s report on china 's military power . chinese military officers after a meeting about the people 's liberation army in 2007 . the annual report from the pentagon to congress says china 's total military spending in 2007 was between $ 97 billion and $ 139 billion , but it is hard to tell exactly how much was spent and on what . in comparison , the u.s. military budget request for 2008 is $ 481.4 billion , not including war requests . pentagon officials said a chunk of china 's spending went to cyberwarfare , because 2007 saw several intrusions ' believed to be from the peoples liberation army . in the incidents , unclassified u.s. military computer systems were broken into and information was taken , according to pentagon officials . while the information taken was not classified , pentagon officials said the worry is the chinese hacking required many of the skills and capabilities that would also be required for a computer network attack . last summer , a cyber-attack on department of defense computer systems took down the e-mail capability of hundreds of staffers for weeks , but the pentagon still will not comment on who initiated the attack . it is widely believed among the military to have been the peoples liberation army . china is also investing heavily in and fielding improved nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles and antisatellite missiles , according to the report . the united states expressed its concern last year after china fired a missile at one of its old satellites and destroyed it , sending thousands of dangerous pieces of space debris into orbit . the united states conducted a similar strike last month on a broken u.s. spy satellite before it re-entered the earth 's atmosphere . u.s. officials said the satellite was hit and broke into thousands of small pieces that burned up as they re-entered earth 's atmosphere . the united states is also concerned about the purchase of more submarines by the chinese navy as well as plans for more aircraft carriers . the chinese once had a small navy . now the united states is keeping an eye on the growing service amid concerns over taiwan . the concerns include china 's near-term focus on preparing for contingencies in the taiwan strait , including the possibility of u.s. intervention , which is an important driver of its modernization , ' the report says . additionally , the chinese have placed about 100 more short-range missiles on the shore opposite taiwan in the past year , it says . pentagon officials worry the continued increase in chinese military spending is slowly tipping the balance of power between china and taiwan in china 's favor . the united states has said it would help defend taiwan if china invaded . the report also says the peoples liberation army is pursuing comprehensive transformation from a mass army designed for protracted wars of attrition on its territory to one capable of fighting and winning short-duration , high-intensity conflicts along its periphery against high-tech adversaries . ' such an army , the report says , would have the greatest potential to compete militarily with the united states and field disruptive military technologies that could , over time , offset traditional u.s. military advantages . ' the united states says the lack of transparency by the chinese on its spending poses risks to stability by increasing the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation , ' and that china has yet to explain to the international community the purpose of its military expansion , pentagon officials said . e-mail to a friend | pentagon : chinese military expanding its navy , investing in weapons |
pentagon <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the chinese military continues to increase spending on efforts to break into u.s. military computer systems , expand its navy , and invest in intercontinental nuclear missiles and weapons to destroy satellites , according to the latest u.s report on china 's military power . chinese military officers after a meeting about the people 's liberation army in 2007 . the annual report from the pentagon to congress says china 's total military spending in 2007 was between $ 97 billion and $ 139 billion , but it is hard to tell exactly how much was spent and on what . in comparison , the u.s. military budget request for 2008 is $ 481.4 billion , not including war requests . pentagon officials said a chunk of china 's spending went to cyberwarfare , because 2007 saw several intrusions ' believed to be from the peoples liberation army . in the incidents , unclassified u.s. military computer systems were broken into and information was taken , according to pentagon officials . while the information taken was not classified , pentagon officials said the worry is the chinese hacking required many of the skills and capabilities that would also be required for a computer network attack . last summer , a cyber-attack on department of defense computer systems took down the e-mail capability of hundreds of staffers for weeks , but the pentagon still will not comment on who initiated the attack . it is widely believed among the military to have been the peoples liberation army . china is also investing heavily in and fielding improved nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles and antisatellite missiles , according to the report . the united states expressed its concern last year after china fired a missile at one of its old satellites and destroyed it , sending thousands of dangerous pieces of space debris into orbit . the united states conducted a similar strike last month on a broken u.s. spy satellite before it re-entered the earth 's atmosphere . u.s. officials said the satellite was hit and broke into thousands of small pieces that burned up as they re-entered earth 's atmosphere . the united states is also concerned about the purchase of more submarines by the chinese navy as well as plans for more aircraft carriers . the chinese once had a small navy . now the united states is keeping an eye on the growing service amid concerns over taiwan . the concerns include china 's near-term focus on preparing for contingencies in the taiwan strait , including the possibility of u.s. intervention , which is an important driver of its modernization , ' the report says . additionally , the chinese have placed about 100 more short-range missiles on the shore opposite taiwan in the past year , it says . pentagon officials worry the continued increase in chinese military spending is slowly tipping the balance of power between china and taiwan in china 's favor . the united states has said it would help defend taiwan if china invaded . the report also says the peoples liberation army is pursuing comprehensive transformation from a mass army designed for protracted wars of attrition on its territory to one capable of fighting and winning short-duration , high-intensity conflicts along its periphery against high-tech adversaries . ' such an army , the report says , would have the greatest potential to compete militarily with the united states and field disruptive military technologies that could , over time , offset traditional u.s. military advantages . ' the united states says the lack of transparency by the chinese on its spending poses risks to stability by increasing the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation , ' and that china has yet to explain to the international community the purpose of its military expansion , pentagon officials said . e-mail to a friend | pentagon : china 's lack of transparency makes it hard to know the extent of activity |
rss <tsp> ( cnn ) -- next monday , google is officially shutting down its popular rss feed reader , google reader . the service 's demise after nearly eight years has come as a shock to many who depend on it to collect news into one place from all the websites they love . its end has created something of a gold rush among startups and other tech companies vying to take the tool 's place . instead of just finding the closest thing to reader , maybe it 's time to change how you consume all that news . looking at every single article for a source can be time-consuming , especially if you follow a huge number of sites , and a lot has changed since 2005 . but before trying anything , take a minute to download all your information from google reader now . google takeout bundles up your feeds , folders , followers and other data into a zip file that you can use later with other services . ( many of the tools we mention will import data automatically from google if you sign up before reader closes . ) feedly adds web version in new bid for reader users the replacements change is n't for everyone , and for people who rely on a comprehensive approach to seeing the day 's news , finding the next best reader imitator might be the best interim approach . there is already an overwhelming number of replacements that deliver straight rss feeds . the best bets are feedly , the old reader , newsblur , aol reader and netvibes . some new tools were rushed on to beat the july 1 demise of google reader and are bound to undergo more changes and improvements -- some are still being created such as betaworks'digg reader . however , the weak links could also end up abandoned in time , and you 'll have to search for a home for your carefully organized rss feeds again . think about what 's most important to you . are you primarily checking from a mobile device or from a regular web browser , and do you need something that will sync across devices ( some are only available as apps , others in browsers ) ? is sharing stories important , or is reading the news a solitary activity ? how important are images , cost , search features or the absence of ads ? social suggestions twitter is a killer news source . major news surfaces naturally on the social network ; a chorus of links or commentary about important stories will likely make its way into anyone 's feed , whether they 're following news junkies or just friends . the discover tab shows popular links from your feed as well , but it 's more effective to edit down whom you follow carefully or create custom lists for your various interests . you can follow your favorite news organizations or drill down by finding their twitter accounts for specific sections or topics . if you like specific writers , follow them for their work as well as context on regular news or links to other writers they enjoy . hashtags can be great for following news about a specific event or topic . facebook is a different creature when it comes to news . it is decent for finding recommended links , but the posts and banter are more personal , happy and less about the outside world . people sometimes avoid posting links or talking about major news stories that might lead to uncomfortable clashes with friends and family . ( clashes and the resulting conversations are among the best parts of twitter and flesh out the big news stories . ) fight of the aggregator the rss fire hose of news can be overwhelming for many people . a handful of clever tools do more than just show you feeds . they use your interests and some algorithms to figure out what types of articles and topics you will be most interested in and then serve up content that fits with your patterns . articles are typically grouped by sections , such as sports or the stock market . the tools are big on sharing and use images heavily for a more magazine-like reading experience . flipboard , prismatic , pulse and zite ( which is owned by cnn ) are all popular options . come back for the longer reads rss readers are great because you can scan headlines and the first few sentences of articles and get the gist without having to read them , only going further if it 's a topic about which you want to know more . the meatier content ( feature stories , long and winding narratives , the new yorker ) deserves more than a glance , but deep reads are different from the quick scan . save the things you want to dig into later , even offline , with tools such as instapaper , pocket or readability . apple 's safari browser also offers a read later button . the direct route typing a news site 's url directly into a browser seems so passã© . but when you just need a quick hit , going straight to a trusted local , national or international news organization might satisfy . many organizations have their own stand-alone mobile apps on android , ios and windows phone devices . one advantage of these apps is that you can set up push notifications so you know as soon as something important happens . there is also google news , which looks at all the news sources and arranges the breaking stories by popularity , highlighting the in-depth , opinion and featured stories on the topic . a neat visual take on google news is newsmap.jp , which marcos weskamp created before moving to flipboard to work as a designer . no news is good news the true minimalists can avoid the noise by checking one or two outlets once a day , trusting that the major stories will be featured prominently . news.me sucks in your twitter and facebook feeds and turns them into digestible daily e-mails that summarize the most talked about stories of the day . if you really want to check out , read the harper 's weekly review post , which is also available as a newsletter . every tuesday , it quickly and amusingly runs down the major stories that happened in the past seven days , with links in case you are intrigued and want to find out more . mix and match there is no one-fits-all solution for how to consume news , and many people hack together their own custom systems from various sources . for example , some go directly to their bookmarked must-read sites in the morning , keep up on current news with twitter during the day and soak in longer articles on commutes with tools such as instapaper . some multitaskers keep tv or radio news humming in the background while they go about their daily activities . google reader was a great tool that will be missed , but its death is an opportunity to try new things and play with different apps , sites and tools for reading news online . share your news-reading habits and suggestions in the comments . | the google reader is closing next week , and it 's time to find a replacement rss tool |
jonathan trott <tsp> ( cnn ) -- england batsman jonathan trott has been named the icc 's cricketer of the year for 2011 . the 30-year-old headed off teammate alastair cook , who won the test player award , last year 's winner sachin tendulkar of india and south africa opening batsman hashim amla . he scored 1,042 runs in 12 tests , including four centuries at an average of 65 per innings , as top-ranked england won series against australia , sri lanka , india and pakistan . in 24 one-day internationals , he hit 1,064 runs at an average of 48 . it 's fantastic to be part of a successful team , and i never envisaged winning this award . it 's a brilliant feeling to be recognized , ' the south africa-born trott said at the awards ceremony in london on monday . the awards , in their eighth year , covered the period from august 11 , 2010 to august 3 , 2011 . cook scored 1,302 runs at an average of 51.74 in 12 tests during that period , including 235 not out as england retained the ashes -- winning a five-day series in australia for the first time since 1987 . india captain mahendra singh dhoni won the spirit of cricket award after allowing england batsman ian bell to be reinstated after a controversial run out during the second test at nottingham in july . sri lanka batsman and wicketkeeper kumar sangakkara won both the one-day player award and the people 's choice prize , voted for by the public . new zealand bowler tim southee claimed the award for best twenty20 international performance after taking five wickets and holding a catch during a victory at home to pakistan in december . west indies leg-spinner devendra bishoo was named as emerging player of the year , while 20-year-old compatriot stafanie taylor won the top women 's award for her performances with both bat and ball . pakistan 's aleem dar won the top umpire award for the third year in a row , heading off five-time recipient simon taufel , his fellow australian steve davis and england 's ian gould . | batsman jonathan trott named top overall player by ruling body the icc |
england <tsp> ( cnn ) -- england batsman jonathan trott has been named the icc 's cricketer of the year for 2011 . the 30-year-old headed off teammate alastair cook , who won the test player award , last year 's winner sachin tendulkar of india and south africa opening batsman hashim amla . he scored 1,042 runs in 12 tests , including four centuries at an average of 65 per innings , as top-ranked england won series against australia , sri lanka , india and pakistan . in 24 one-day internationals , he hit 1,064 runs at an average of 48 . it 's fantastic to be part of a successful team , and i never envisaged winning this award . it 's a brilliant feeling to be recognized , ' the south africa-born trott said at the awards ceremony in london on monday . the awards , in their eighth year , covered the period from august 11 , 2010 to august 3 , 2011 . cook scored 1,302 runs at an average of 51.74 in 12 tests during that period , including 235 not out as england retained the ashes -- winning a five-day series in australia for the first time since 1987 . india captain mahendra singh dhoni won the spirit of cricket award after allowing england batsman ian bell to be reinstated after a controversial run out during the second test at nottingham in july . sri lanka batsman and wicketkeeper kumar sangakkara won both the one-day player award and the people 's choice prize , voted for by the public . new zealand bowler tim southee claimed the award for best twenty20 international performance after taking five wickets and holding a catch during a victory at home to pakistan in december . west indies leg-spinner devendra bishoo was named as emerging player of the year , while 20-year-old compatriot stafanie taylor won the top women 's award for her performances with both bat and ball . pakistan 's aleem dar won the top umpire award for the third year in a row , heading off five-time recipient simon taufel , his fellow australian steve davis and england 's ian gould . | england cricketers rewarded after dominating in the past 12 months |
icc <tsp> ( cnn ) -- england batsman jonathan trott has been named the icc 's cricketer of the year for 2011 . the 30-year-old headed off teammate alastair cook , who won the test player award , last year 's winner sachin tendulkar of india and south africa opening batsman hashim amla . he scored 1,042 runs in 12 tests , including four centuries at an average of 65 per innings , as top-ranked england won series against australia , sri lanka , india and pakistan . in 24 one-day internationals , he hit 1,064 runs at an average of 48 . it 's fantastic to be part of a successful team , and i never envisaged winning this award . it 's a brilliant feeling to be recognized , ' the south africa-born trott said at the awards ceremony in london on monday . the awards , in their eighth year , covered the period from august 11 , 2010 to august 3 , 2011 . cook scored 1,302 runs at an average of 51.74 in 12 tests during that period , including 235 not out as england retained the ashes -- winning a five-day series in australia for the first time since 1987 . india captain mahendra singh dhoni won the spirit of cricket award after allowing england batsman ian bell to be reinstated after a controversial run out during the second test at nottingham in july . sri lanka batsman and wicketkeeper kumar sangakkara won both the one-day player award and the people 's choice prize , voted for by the public . new zealand bowler tim southee claimed the award for best twenty20 international performance after taking five wickets and holding a catch during a victory at home to pakistan in december . west indies leg-spinner devendra bishoo was named as emerging player of the year , while 20-year-old compatriot stafanie taylor won the top women 's award for her performances with both bat and ball . pakistan 's aleem dar won the top umpire award for the third year in a row , heading off five-time recipient simon taufel , his fellow australian steve davis and england 's ian gould . | batsman jonathan trott named top overall player by ruling body the icc |
bell <tsp> baton rouge , louisiana ( cnn ) -- the case of mychal bell , a black teenager accused of beating a white classmate in jena , louisiana , will be heard in juvenile court , louisiana 's governor announced wednesday . mychal bell , 17 , is accused with five others of beating justin barker in a school fight . gov . kathleen blanco said that she discussed bell 's case with lasalle parish district attorney reed walters on wednesday , and that walters agreed not to challenge a state appeals court ruling that dismissed bell 's battery and conspiracy convictions . the court ruled that bell , who was 16 at the time of the beating , should have been tried in juvenile court instead of having the case transferred to adult court . blanco made the announcement with civil rights leaders martin luther king iii and al sharpton . last week , they led about 15,000 marchers to jena , a town of 3,000 , to protest how authorities handled the cases of bell and five other black teens accused of beating white high school student justin barker . many said they are angry the students , dubbed the jena 6 , ' are being treated more harshly than three white students who hung nooses from an oak tree on high school property . the white students were suspended from school but did not face criminal charges . the protesters say they should have been charged with a hate crime . prosecutors originally charged all six black students with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy the black students now face charges of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy in the schoolyard beating . the altercation was the culmination of racially tense events in the town , including two fights sparked by the hanging of the nooses . e-mail to a friend cnn 's eric marrapodi contributed to this report . | bell and five other black teens are accused of beating white student justin barker |
bell <tsp> baton rouge , louisiana ( cnn ) -- the case of mychal bell , a black teenager accused of beating a white classmate in jena , louisiana , will be heard in juvenile court , louisiana 's governor announced wednesday . mychal bell , 17 , is accused with five others of beating justin barker in a school fight . gov . kathleen blanco said that she discussed bell 's case with lasalle parish district attorney reed walters on wednesday , and that walters agreed not to challenge a state appeals court ruling that dismissed bell 's battery and conspiracy convictions . the court ruled that bell , who was 16 at the time of the beating , should have been tried in juvenile court instead of having the case transferred to adult court . blanco made the announcement with civil rights leaders martin luther king iii and al sharpton . last week , they led about 15,000 marchers to jena , a town of 3,000 , to protest how authorities handled the cases of bell and five other black teens accused of beating white high school student justin barker . many said they are angry the students , dubbed the jena 6 , ' are being treated more harshly than three white students who hung nooses from an oak tree on high school property . the white students were suspended from school but did not face criminal charges . the protesters say they should have been charged with a hate crime . prosecutors originally charged all six black students with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy the black students now face charges of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy in the schoolyard beating . the altercation was the culmination of racially tense events in the town , including two fights sparked by the hanging of the nooses . e-mail to a friend cnn 's eric marrapodi contributed to this report . | mychal bell 's case will be heard in juvenile court , gov . kathleen blanco says |
arkansas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- hundreds of people were being evacuated from their homes in missouri after a levee was breached monday night . officials in st. charles county near st. louis activated warning sirens after the levee broke , a statement from the county said . earlier monday , a bridge connecting west alton , missouri , and alton , illinois , was shutdown after a temporary flood barricade gave way . forecasters say there could be major flooding tuesday . the mississippi river at st. louis was 10.1 feet above flood stage monday night , according to the u.s. geological survey website . flood warnings and advisories were in effect from counties in northern illinois down to louisiana . as authorities dealt with rising water in missouri and illinois , officials in oklahoma wrapped up another day of looking for people who remained missing after last week 's tornadoes and heavy rain . the fate of the five missing people remains uncertain , officials said . searchers found the body of an 8-year-old girl monday afternoon , oklahoma city deputy fire chief marc woodard said . she drowned in the deep fork river . at least 18 people died in the storm , authorities said monday . among them were four people who died saturday in separate drowning incidents , according to officials . also killed were seven members of an extended family from guatemala -- including four children -- who died when they were swept away by rains after hiding from the approaching weather in a storm drain . one woman remains missing . the flash flooding swept some bodies up to 5 miles downstream , woodard said . the family grew panicked when they saw reports of tornadoes and sought shelter in the storm drain , a 7-foot drop from their property , which , in the end , was not hit by high winds . but suddenly the water in the drain rose quickly . the high , powerful water hurled them through the dark concrete tunnel . the brother of one of the women who died said , i have an emptiness in my heart because i 've lost my sister . ' family and friends searched a muddy creek monday looking for an eighth body . other deaths came in wake of storm in eastern oklahoma county , a 65-year-old man on his way to work was killed early saturday when he drove off a washed out bridge and drowned in a creek . three others who died were storm chasers : timothy samaras , his son paul and carl young . the damage was n't confined to oklahoma . in missouri , a twister left more than 10 miles of significant damage that caused dozens and dozens of houses to be literally blown up , ' gov . jay nixon told cnn affiliate ksdk . no one was killed in that tornado , but three people drowned in missouri , nixon said . and in arkansas , flooding killed at least four people : a sheriff 's deputy , a wildlife officer and two women they were trying to save from a deluged home .'memories just tossed about' but it was oklahoma city and its surrounding areas that sustained most of the damage . the storm system mowed down power lines and uprooted trees , flipped big rigs on their sides and ripped off part of the terminal roof at oklahoma city 's will rogers world airport , where some 1,500 area residents had taken shelter in a tunnel . the twisters tore open brick houses like cartons , sucking out their contents and tossing them out onto lawns . it 's a sombering thing to think about life and to see all your memories just tossed about , ' kris merritt said as he surveyed the damage at his parents'house . everything from your childhood on up . ' though friday 's tornadoes were not as strong as the ef-5 twister that killed 24 people on may 20 , fear drove some people to flee in cars , ignoring warnings not to drive . some drove on the wrong side of the highway . interstates turned into parking lots .'we were overwhelmed' once the tornadoes passed , oklahomans faced a new threat : floods . eight to 11 inches of rain hosed oklahoma city , stranding motorists and hitting apartments in low-lying areas of town hard . we saw flooding in areas that we do n't see flooding , ' said police lt. jay barnett . we were overwhelmed . ' the national weather service said there was a possibility of severe storms in central oklahoma on tuesday night that could bring large hail , damaging wind and localized flooding . cnn 's marlena baldacci , jackie castillo , joe sutton , jake carpenter , janet digiacomo , dave alsup , david ruff , gustavo valdes and catherine shoichet contributed to this report . | three people drowned in missouri , and four people were killed by flooding in arkansas |
love <tsp> ( rollingstone.com ) -- like many authors , courtney love is a victim of writer 's block . for over a year , the hole singer has been penning a memoir with rolling stone writer anthony bozza . the girl with the most cake ' was originally supposed to hit bookshelves in december 2013 before being pushed back to early-2014 . three-quarters of the way through the year and love 's memoir is still nowhere on the release schedule , and as the singer tells paper , do n't expect to be reading her life story anytime soon . as it turns out , not everyone can write a 460-page autobiography as quickly and easily as morrissey . rs : q & a with courtney love on her memoir and'i 'm still alive'tour ' it 's a disaster . a nightmare , ' love told paper ( via billboard ) of her memoir . i never wanted to write a book in my entire life . it just sort of happened . and i have a co-writer , but it 's just not working . ' while love originally told rolling stone the book would cover her life up until 2008 , she 's since subtracted a few years from the tome . what happens from 2006 on in the book is my personal business . i 've been discreet from that time on , and i want to keep it that way , ' love said . rs : courtney love wrote letters of apology over springsteen diss when love first discussed her memoir with rolling stone in june 2013 , she had high hopes for the book , citing patti smith 's just kids ' and russell brand 's my booky wook ' as influences . ( but not keith richards' life , ' since it was just so bloody long , i did n't even finish it . ' ) if and when love 's memoir finally arrives through william morrow at harper collins , she promises it will focus on her battles with drug addiction , her tragic romance ' with kurt cobain , her relationships with billy corgan and trent reznor , and her early years as a stripper . while love wo n't be hosting any book signings soon , you can see her on tv this fall : the 50-year-old rocker will appear in multiple episodes of sons of anarchy 's ' upcoming season , where she 'll play a preschool teacher . love also told paper she hopes to reunite hole 's classic lineup of eric erlandson , patty schemel and melissa auf der maur at some point in 2015 . see the original story at rollingstone.com . copyright © 2011 rolling stone . | love says it 's just not working ' |
england <tsp> ( cnn ) -- england and arsenal midfielder jack wilshere looks set to finally end his nightmare year after making a return to first-team training . the 20-year-old missed the entire of last season after suffering an ankle injury during a pre-season friendly in august 2011 . he then suffered a setback earlier this year and was forced to undergo surgery on his knee in may . wilshere 's agent , si bayliff , tweeted : delighted to say that jack wilshere was back in full 1st team training today . understandably he is a very excited young man . ' however , arsenal manager arsene wenger is unlikely to rush wilshere back into action immediately with his side enjoying an impressive start to the season . spain winger cazorla joins arsenal from malaga the gunners sit third in the premier league after four games and defeated french champions montpellier in their opening champions league fixture on tuesday . wilshere is instead expected to play for the club 's under-21 side against west bromwich albion on october 1 or against reading a week later . it 's been 14 months and that 's a long time for someone at his age , ' wenger told the club 's official website . it 's an eternity , but it 's great news . we have to give him a few training sessions to see how he copes and responds to it . that 's the delicate , sensitive stage -- to choose when to bring him in and out . we 'll have to handle that day by day . ' arsenal has also been encouraged by the news that emmanuel frimpong has returned to training after recovering from an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury he picked up during last season 's loan spell at wolves . wenger said : we also have emmanuel frimpong who has returned to full training this week , which is great news as well . emmanuel has also been out a long time , but is progressing well . ' | wilshere made england debut against hungary in august 2010 |
moschetto <tsp> new york ( cnn ) a suburban new york cardiologist has been charged in connection with a failed scheme to have another physician hurt or killed , according to prosecutors . dr. anthony moschetto , 54 , pleaded not guilty wednesday to criminal solicitation , conspiracy , burglary , arson , criminal prescription sale and weapons charges in connection to what prosecutors called a plot to take out a rival doctor on long island . he was released after posting $ 2 million bond and surrendering his passport . two other men -- identified as james chmela , 43 , and james kalamaras , 41 -- were named as accomplices , according to prosecutors . they pleaded not guilty in nassau county district court , according to authorities . both were released on bail . requests for comment from attorneys representing moschetto and chmela were not returned . it 's unclear whether kalamaras has retained an attorney . moschetto 's attorney , randy zelin , said wednesday that his client will be defending himself vigorously , ' the new york post reported . doctors are supposed to ensure the health and wellbeing of people , but dr. moschetto is alleged to have replaced that responsibility with brazen , callous and criminal acts , ' acting nassau district attorney madeline singas said in a statement . police officers allegedly discovered approximately 100 weapons at moschetto 's home , including hand grenades , high-capacity magazines and knives . many of the weapons were found in a hidden room behind a switch-activated bookshelf , according to prosecutors . the investigation began back in december , when undercover officers began buying heroin and oxycodone pills from moschetto in what was initially a routine investigation into the sale of prescription drugs , officials said . during the course of the undercover operation , however , moschetto also sold the officers two semiautomatic assault weapons as well as ammunition , prosecutors said . moschetto allegedly told officers during one buy that he needed dynamite to blow up a building . ' he later said he no longer needed the dynamite because a friend was setting fire to the building instead . kalamaras and chmela are believed to have taken part in the arson , according to prosecutors . the fire damaged but did not destroy the office of another cardiologist whose relationship with dr. moschetto had soured due to a professional dispute , ' according to the statement from the district attorney 's office . moschetto allegedly gave an informant and undercover detective blank prescriptions and cash for the assault and killing of the fellow cardiologist , according to prosecutors . he also requested that the rival 's wife be assaulted if she happened to be present , authorities said . he was willing to pay $ 5,000 to have him beaten and put in a hospital for a few months , and then he said he would pay $ 20,000 to have him killed , ' said assistant district attorney anne donnelly , reported cnn affiliate wcbs . the three men are to appear in nassau county district court on friday . | dr. anthony moschetto , 54 , arrested for selling drugs and weapons , prosecutors say |
moschetto <tsp> new york ( cnn ) a suburban new york cardiologist has been charged in connection with a failed scheme to have another physician hurt or killed , according to prosecutors . dr. anthony moschetto , 54 , pleaded not guilty wednesday to criminal solicitation , conspiracy , burglary , arson , criminal prescription sale and weapons charges in connection to what prosecutors called a plot to take out a rival doctor on long island . he was released after posting $ 2 million bond and surrendering his passport . two other men -- identified as james chmela , 43 , and james kalamaras , 41 -- were named as accomplices , according to prosecutors . they pleaded not guilty in nassau county district court , according to authorities . both were released on bail . requests for comment from attorneys representing moschetto and chmela were not returned . it 's unclear whether kalamaras has retained an attorney . moschetto 's attorney , randy zelin , said wednesday that his client will be defending himself vigorously , ' the new york post reported . doctors are supposed to ensure the health and wellbeing of people , but dr. moschetto is alleged to have replaced that responsibility with brazen , callous and criminal acts , ' acting nassau district attorney madeline singas said in a statement . police officers allegedly discovered approximately 100 weapons at moschetto 's home , including hand grenades , high-capacity magazines and knives . many of the weapons were found in a hidden room behind a switch-activated bookshelf , according to prosecutors . the investigation began back in december , when undercover officers began buying heroin and oxycodone pills from moschetto in what was initially a routine investigation into the sale of prescription drugs , officials said . during the course of the undercover operation , however , moschetto also sold the officers two semiautomatic assault weapons as well as ammunition , prosecutors said . moschetto allegedly told officers during one buy that he needed dynamite to blow up a building . ' he later said he no longer needed the dynamite because a friend was setting fire to the building instead . kalamaras and chmela are believed to have taken part in the arson , according to prosecutors . the fire damaged but did not destroy the office of another cardiologist whose relationship with dr. moschetto had soured due to a professional dispute , ' according to the statement from the district attorney 's office . moschetto allegedly gave an informant and undercover detective blank prescriptions and cash for the assault and killing of the fellow cardiologist , according to prosecutors . he also requested that the rival 's wife be assaulted if she happened to be present , authorities said . he was willing to pay $ 5,000 to have him beaten and put in a hospital for a few months , and then he said he would pay $ 20,000 to have him killed , ' said assistant district attorney anne donnelly , reported cnn affiliate wcbs . the three men are to appear in nassau county district court on friday . | authorities allege moschetto hired accomplices to burn down the practice of former associate |
congress <tsp> ( cnn ) -- beyond the noise of raucous crowds and angry protesters who have turned town hall meetings into shouting matches is genuine concern from ordinary citizens who are afraid that president obama 's health care proposals would only make things harder for them , experts say . the battle over health care reform has energized people on both sides of the debate . the reason that we see these protests and people asking tough questions at town hall meetings is because they feel like the president is going to take something away from them . that motivates people . that gets them out , ' said michael cannon , director of health policy studies at the cato institute , a libertarian think tank . those fears were heard tuesday at democratic sen. arlen specter 's town hall meeting in lebanon , pennsylvania . this is going to take away my freedom , ' charged one man who wanted assurance from specter that the private option for health insurance would stay viable . specter repeated obama 's pledge , telling the crowd , if you like your policy , you can keep it . ' acknowledging the skepticism at a town hall meeting tuesday , obama tried to alleviate fears that reform would take something away . i recognize there 's an underlying fear here that people somehow wo n't get the care they need . you will have not only the care you need , but also the care that right now is being denied to you , only if we get health care reform . that 's what we 're fighting for , ' he said at the portsmouth , new hampshire , event . since his days on the campaign trail , obama has promised the public that those who like their health insurance plans wo n't have to give them up , but he 's stopped short of saying at what cost . i think that 's the fear , ' said diana owen , an associate professor of political science and the director of american studies at georgetown university . even though they are going to keep the plan , the plan is going to be at a much greater cost . and he 's not been able to really allay that fear . ' watch what happened at specter 's town hall meeting » the themes coming up at town hall meetings across the country are broadly the same as doubts expressed during the campaign . critics are voicing fears about socialism and the dismantling of the government they are used to . and those who have sufficient health care coverage worry they 'll have to foot the bill for reform , echoing concerns heard during the presidential campaign that obama would spread the wealth around . ' that was one of the campaign critiques of obama that seemed to work well , that seemed to resonate well , ' owen said . i really do think that it was an issue , and i think the opponents of the health care plan , by bringing that back up again ... i think that it could be an effective obstacle to what he 's trying to accomplish . ' obama originally asked congress to send him a health care bill before the august recess , but neither chamber met the deadline . as lawmakers spend the break in their home districts , they 've been met with sometimes fierce opposition to obama 's proposals . it 's not anti-reform -- it 's anti-bad reform , ' cannon said . i think the public is reacting to what 's in the legislation . and i think that 's why the president wanted the house and the senate to pass their versions before the august recess , because the president knew that the public would object to a lot of what is in these bills . ' the white house , however , said that obama asked congress to move quickly because we ca n't wait any longer to begin fixing what 's wrong with our system . ' ireport.com : are you attending a town hall ? share photos , video obama 's health care battle has been compared to former president clinton 's failed effort more than 15 years ago , but lawmakers did n't experience the same backlash during the clinton years . part of the reason was because of the calendar , cnn senior political analyst bill schneider said . clinton proposed his plan in september 1993 , and by the time congress went on recess in august 1994 , the plan was dead . people also did n't use the internet the way they use it today , so you did n't have the viral communications that rally people to attend town halls , ' schneider noted . today 's hypersaturated media , where rumor is picked up as fact and disseminated to millions via blogs and discussion boards , has contributed to the misinformation being lobbed at lawmakers , owen said . coming out of one of her town hall meetings monday , sen. claire mccaskill , d-missouri , said that people are just getting information that 's flat wrong . ' but as unfounded as some of the claims may be , such as charges that obama will set up death panels to decide who will live or die , the emotional appeals resonate with the public . i do n't think that this is debate that is going to go away , ' owen said , noting that given the outpouring seen at the town hall meetings , congress ca n't just pick up where it left off when it returns from break . i think the public is going to remain engaged and energized . ' cannon said the debate has stunted the president 's momentum ' and will make it harder for his administration to get through the types of reforms they were hoping for . cannon predicted that obama 's plan will fail , but advocates are going to try more incremental reforms to improve the health care sector . ' the same thing happened after the clinton plan failed . congress passed less sweeping reform like the state children 's health insurance program ( schip ) and the health insurance portability and accountability act ( hipaa ) . ireport.com : share views on health care reform owen said the response to his proposals has likely been a stark awakening to [ obama ] about maybe on this particular issue , he 's going to need a new tactic . ' when congress comes back they 'll have to kind of rethink the plan and rethink particularly how they present it to the public . and that means the obama administration as well , ' she said . | congress will have to rethink the plan ' after recess , diana owen says |
michael cannon <tsp> ( cnn ) -- beyond the noise of raucous crowds and angry protesters who have turned town hall meetings into shouting matches is genuine concern from ordinary citizens who are afraid that president obama 's health care proposals would only make things harder for them , experts say . the battle over health care reform has energized people on both sides of the debate . the reason that we see these protests and people asking tough questions at town hall meetings is because they feel like the president is going to take something away from them . that motivates people . that gets them out , ' said michael cannon , director of health policy studies at the cato institute , a libertarian think tank . those fears were heard tuesday at democratic sen. arlen specter 's town hall meeting in lebanon , pennsylvania . this is going to take away my freedom , ' charged one man who wanted assurance from specter that the private option for health insurance would stay viable . specter repeated obama 's pledge , telling the crowd , if you like your policy , you can keep it . ' acknowledging the skepticism at a town hall meeting tuesday , obama tried to alleviate fears that reform would take something away . i recognize there 's an underlying fear here that people somehow wo n't get the care they need . you will have not only the care you need , but also the care that right now is being denied to you , only if we get health care reform . that 's what we 're fighting for , ' he said at the portsmouth , new hampshire , event . since his days on the campaign trail , obama has promised the public that those who like their health insurance plans wo n't have to give them up , but he 's stopped short of saying at what cost . i think that 's the fear , ' said diana owen , an associate professor of political science and the director of american studies at georgetown university . even though they are going to keep the plan , the plan is going to be at a much greater cost . and he 's not been able to really allay that fear . ' watch what happened at specter 's town hall meeting » the themes coming up at town hall meetings across the country are broadly the same as doubts expressed during the campaign . critics are voicing fears about socialism and the dismantling of the government they are used to . and those who have sufficient health care coverage worry they 'll have to foot the bill for reform , echoing concerns heard during the presidential campaign that obama would spread the wealth around . ' that was one of the campaign critiques of obama that seemed to work well , that seemed to resonate well , ' owen said . i really do think that it was an issue , and i think the opponents of the health care plan , by bringing that back up again ... i think that it could be an effective obstacle to what he 's trying to accomplish . ' obama originally asked congress to send him a health care bill before the august recess , but neither chamber met the deadline . as lawmakers spend the break in their home districts , they 've been met with sometimes fierce opposition to obama 's proposals . it 's not anti-reform -- it 's anti-bad reform , ' cannon said . i think the public is reacting to what 's in the legislation . and i think that 's why the president wanted the house and the senate to pass their versions before the august recess , because the president knew that the public would object to a lot of what is in these bills . ' the white house , however , said that obama asked congress to move quickly because we ca n't wait any longer to begin fixing what 's wrong with our system . ' ireport.com : are you attending a town hall ? share photos , video obama 's health care battle has been compared to former president clinton 's failed effort more than 15 years ago , but lawmakers did n't experience the same backlash during the clinton years . part of the reason was because of the calendar , cnn senior political analyst bill schneider said . clinton proposed his plan in september 1993 , and by the time congress went on recess in august 1994 , the plan was dead . people also did n't use the internet the way they use it today , so you did n't have the viral communications that rally people to attend town halls , ' schneider noted . today 's hypersaturated media , where rumor is picked up as fact and disseminated to millions via blogs and discussion boards , has contributed to the misinformation being lobbed at lawmakers , owen said . coming out of one of her town hall meetings monday , sen. claire mccaskill , d-missouri , said that people are just getting information that 's flat wrong . ' but as unfounded as some of the claims may be , such as charges that obama will set up death panels to decide who will live or die , the emotional appeals resonate with the public . i do n't think that this is debate that is going to go away , ' owen said , noting that given the outpouring seen at the town hall meetings , congress ca n't just pick up where it left off when it returns from break . i think the public is going to remain engaged and energized . ' cannon said the debate has stunted the president 's momentum ' and will make it harder for his administration to get through the types of reforms they were hoping for . cannon predicted that obama 's plan will fail , but advocates are going to try more incremental reforms to improve the health care sector . ' the same thing happened after the clinton plan failed . congress passed less sweeping reform like the state children 's health insurance program ( schip ) and the health insurance portability and accountability act ( hipaa ) . ireport.com : share views on health care reform owen said the response to his proposals has likely been a stark awakening to [ obama ] about maybe on this particular issue , he 's going to need a new tactic . ' when congress comes back they 'll have to kind of rethink the plan and rethink particularly how they present it to the public . and that means the obama administration as well , ' she said . | people fear they 'll have something taken away from them , michael cannon says |
darfur <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- a meningitis outbreak is threatening the lives of tens of thousands of people in darfur , according to an aid agency expelled from the country last week . a doctors without borders medic helps a sick child in a darfur refugee camp . humanitarian organization doctors without borders , also known as médecins sans frontières ( msf ) , says it was preparing to vaccinate around 100,000 people in southern and western darfur against meningitis , when it was told to leave the country . we were in the process of organizing a vaccination campaign . at the moment there 's no one there that can take over those activities , which is really worrying , ' gemma davies of msf told cnn . the country 's ministry of health officially declared a meningitis outbreak on march 2 at the kalma camp , which shelters more than 90,000 refugees in southern darfur . living in such close proximity , the potential for this outbreak to spread quickly is quite high , davies , msf project coordinator for south darfur , told cnn . with no health care providers to give vaccinations , and with no one to manage the meningitis cases when they come , it 's really concerning , ' she added . the vaccination campaign was due to begin on march 7 , but it is now unclear if or when it will resume , as reports of government harassment of aid workers continue . davies told cnn she experienced no harassment , and said government officials had been in contact with only the head of msf 's regional operations . we have n't actually been given any reason on why we were expelled , ' she said . we have absolutely no idea when we 'll be able to return . ' doctors without borders was among 13 aid agencies , including mercy corps and the international rescue committee , that were ordered by the government to shut down their operations in sudan last week . so far the agency has confirmed 32 meningitis cases and four deaths , and has seen dozens of other suspected cases . thousands of unvaccinated refugees and villagers are now exposed to the airborne disease in densely populated camps and villages throughout sudan . one of our priorities is to get another organization to take over our programs there , ' davies added . the medical relief agency says it doubts though that other any other organizations have the capacity to deal with a meningitis epidemic . davies also said she is worried about the cut-off of msf 's feeding and maternal delivery services : we had over 100 patients on our feeding program that now wo n't be receiving any follow up . ' the decision by the sudanese government to throw out the aid groups came a day after the international criminal court at the hague issued an arrest warrant for sudanese president omar hassan al-bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in darfur . however , not all international aid organizations are affected . others including world vision international continues its work , which reaches approximately 500,000 internally displaced people in south sudan . the u.n. has received reports that international staff members of five non-governmental organizations had been detained for up to four hours . speaking on the phone from nairobi , an aid worker , who asked not to be identified for fear of further harassment , told cnn that his colleagues who remained in khartoum were being intimidated and threatened by government agents . in some cases sudanese government representatives had started gathering banking details and confiscating computers , communications equipment and vehicles from the ngos ' , a u.n spokesman said at a news conference last week . last week , the u.n. warned that the loss of ngos in sudan would cause 1.1 million people to go without food aid and health care , and more than 1 million to have no access to water . oxfam , whose work focuses on providing safe drinking water , was one of the aid groups who were told their registration to operate in sudan was no longer valid . ninety percent of their staff are sudanese nationals , who mostly remain in country , unable to continue their relief work under threat of arrest . these agencies are vital implementation partners for the united nations and account for at least half of the humanitarian capacity in darfur , ' said catherine bragg , u.n. deputy emergency relief coordinator at the news conference in new york . | meningitis threatens hundreds of thousands of people in darfur |
iraqi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the united nations condemned an iraqi raid on a camp housing iranian dissidents north of baghdad on sunday , an attack that led to at least 15 deaths and allegations of more . the office of the u.n. high commissioner for refugees said it was still trying to determine exactly what happened at camp ashraf , near baquba . but it appears that deadly force has been used and that a number of people have been killed or wounded , ' the relief agency said . camp ashraf houses members of the iranian exile group mujahedin-e-khalq , whose members fought alongside iraqi leader saddam hussein 's troops during the iran-iraq war in the 1980s . relations between iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki 's shiite-dominated government and the mek have been tense since the 2003 u.s.-led invasion that toppled hussein and his sunni-led government . iraqi health officials in nearby baquba put the death toll from sunday 's raid at 15 , with 30 others wounded . but shahriar kia , a spokesman for the mek , said 44 of its members were killed . the use of violence against a civilian population is unacceptable in any circumstances , ' a unhcr statement said . we call on the iraqi authorities to immediately ensure the security of the residents . it is important that the violence stop and that medical help be urgently provided for the wounded . ' al-maliki 's office has ordered an investigation into the attack , his office announced late sunday . but two officials with iraq 's interior ministry told cnn that security forces raided the camp after their base was hit by mortar rounds . the officials said there were casualties from the raid , but they said they could provide no further details . the leftist mek also opposed the iranian monarchy and targeted american military advisers before the 1979 revolution that ousted shah mohammed pahlavi , leading to its designation as a terrorist organization by the united states . that designation was lifted last year , with the state department citing the group 's renunciation of violence and the passage of a decade without its carrying out any attacks . camp ashraf once housed more than 3,000 people , but nearly all of the residents have been moved to a former u.s. military base outside baghdad in preparation for resettlement to third countries . the u.n. assistance mission in iraq said sunday that only 100 members of the mek remained at camp ashraf . gyorgy busztin , the deputy u.n. special envoy to iraq , said unami would use all possible means ' to conduct its own investigation into the attack . the priority for the iraqi government is to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured and to ensure their security and safety against any violence from any side , ' busztin said in a statement issued sunday . maryam rajavi , the head of the mek 's political arm , called for those remaining at camp ashraf to be transferred to the united states or put under the protection of u.n. peacekeepers . rajavi , the president of the national council of resistance of iran , said the attack was carried out at the order of the religious fascism ruling iran . ' mrs. rajavi urged the u.s. president , the u.n. security council and the secretary-general to immediately dispatch delegations to ashraf in order to stop the ongoing killing and to save the lives of those injured and taken as hostages , ' her office said . the mek 's new site at camp hurriya , the base formerly known as camp liberty , has come under fire as well . rocket attacks killed 10 people from february to june , according to the mek . sunday 's clash at camp ashraf follows news that iraq 's internal strife killed 804 people and wounded more than 2,000 in august , according to the u.n. assistance mission for iraq . the toll was lower than july 's 1,000-plus -- the deadliest month since the peak of iraq 's sectarian warfare in 2006 and 2007 -- but remains disturbingly high , ' according to unami . sunnis have felt politically marginalized under al-maliki , whose government fears that sunni islamists who 've been involved in fighting in neighboring syria are now targeting it . sunni-shiite frictions have escalated since an april incident in hawija , in northern iraq , where iraqi security forces raided a site used by sunni protesters to demonstrate against the shiite-led government . sunni protests against the iraqi government have continued since the hawija incident . | u.n. calls on iraqi authorities to ensure the safety of the camp 's residents |
iraqi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the united nations condemned an iraqi raid on a camp housing iranian dissidents north of baghdad on sunday , an attack that led to at least 15 deaths and allegations of more . the office of the u.n. high commissioner for refugees said it was still trying to determine exactly what happened at camp ashraf , near baquba . but it appears that deadly force has been used and that a number of people have been killed or wounded , ' the relief agency said . camp ashraf houses members of the iranian exile group mujahedin-e-khalq , whose members fought alongside iraqi leader saddam hussein 's troops during the iran-iraq war in the 1980s . relations between iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki 's shiite-dominated government and the mek have been tense since the 2003 u.s.-led invasion that toppled hussein and his sunni-led government . iraqi health officials in nearby baquba put the death toll from sunday 's raid at 15 , with 30 others wounded . but shahriar kia , a spokesman for the mek , said 44 of its members were killed . the use of violence against a civilian population is unacceptable in any circumstances , ' a unhcr statement said . we call on the iraqi authorities to immediately ensure the security of the residents . it is important that the violence stop and that medical help be urgently provided for the wounded . ' al-maliki 's office has ordered an investigation into the attack , his office announced late sunday . but two officials with iraq 's interior ministry told cnn that security forces raided the camp after their base was hit by mortar rounds . the officials said there were casualties from the raid , but they said they could provide no further details . the leftist mek also opposed the iranian monarchy and targeted american military advisers before the 1979 revolution that ousted shah mohammed pahlavi , leading to its designation as a terrorist organization by the united states . that designation was lifted last year , with the state department citing the group 's renunciation of violence and the passage of a decade without its carrying out any attacks . camp ashraf once housed more than 3,000 people , but nearly all of the residents have been moved to a former u.s. military base outside baghdad in preparation for resettlement to third countries . the u.n. assistance mission in iraq said sunday that only 100 members of the mek remained at camp ashraf . gyorgy busztin , the deputy u.n. special envoy to iraq , said unami would use all possible means ' to conduct its own investigation into the attack . the priority for the iraqi government is to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured and to ensure their security and safety against any violence from any side , ' busztin said in a statement issued sunday . maryam rajavi , the head of the mek 's political arm , called for those remaining at camp ashraf to be transferred to the united states or put under the protection of u.n. peacekeepers . rajavi , the president of the national council of resistance of iran , said the attack was carried out at the order of the religious fascism ruling iran . ' mrs. rajavi urged the u.s. president , the u.n. security council and the secretary-general to immediately dispatch delegations to ashraf in order to stop the ongoing killing and to save the lives of those injured and taken as hostages , ' her office said . the mek 's new site at camp hurriya , the base formerly known as camp liberty , has come under fire as well . rocket attacks killed 10 people from february to june , according to the mek . sunday 's clash at camp ashraf follows news that iraq 's internal strife killed 804 people and wounded more than 2,000 in august , according to the u.n. assistance mission for iraq . the toll was lower than july 's 1,000-plus -- the deadliest month since the peak of iraq 's sectarian warfare in 2006 and 2007 -- but remains disturbingly high , ' according to unami . sunnis have felt politically marginalized under al-maliki , whose government fears that sunni islamists who 've been involved in fighting in neighboring syria are now targeting it . sunni-shiite frictions have escalated since an april incident in hawija , in northern iraq , where iraqi security forces raided a site used by sunni protesters to demonstrate against the shiite-led government . sunni protests against the iraqi government have continued since the hawija incident . | iraqi officials say 15 people were killed at camp ashraf ; the exile group says 44 died |
jamaica <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- alleged drug kingpin christopher dudus ' coke , who was extradited to the united states from jamaica , pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges in a new york courtroom friday . he entered a full courtroom at 2:03 p.m. and acknowledged his few family members present with a nod . the judge greeted him with good afternoon , mr. coke , ' to which the seemingly calm coke did n't respond . after entering his plea , coke stood and answered yes sir ' to every question regarding understanding his indictments . the court-assigned attorney told the judge he has not been permanently assigned to case because the coke family hired attorneys frank doddato and steven rosen . doddato is the lead attorney . coke was extradited thursday , two days after he was taken into custody in jamaica and several hours after he had waived his right to an extradition hearing there . coke arrived at white plains-westchester county airport outside new york city around 7 p.m. armed drug enforcement administration agents and u.s. marshals escorted him to a waiting suv . coke was dressed in a blue shirt and black pants with his hands cuffed behind his back . he appeared subdued , a smirk on his face . i love the people of jamaica , ' he said in response to a question from a jamaican reporter . coke , 40 , said in a statement that he decided to waive his right to an extradition hearing of his own free will , and did so even though i am of the belief that my case would have been successfully argued in the courts of jamaica . ' according to a superseding indictment filed in manhattan federal court , coke has led a criminal organization known as the shower posse ' since the early 1990s , with members in the united states , jamaica and other countries . at coke 's direction and under his protection , members of his criminal organization sold marijuana and crack cocaine in the new york area and elsewhere , and sent the narcotics proceeds back to coke and his co-conspirators , ' the u.s. attorney for the southern district of new york said in a news release . coke and his co-conspirators also armed their organization with illegally trafficked firearms , ' the release said . coke is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to illegally traffic in firearms . if convicted on the narcotics charge , he would face a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison , as well as a fine of up to $ 4 million . he would face a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the firearms trafficking charge and a fine of up to $ 250,000 . coke was arrested on tuesday when jamaican police recognized him at a checkpoint . he was wearing a woman 's wig when he was caught , a federal law enforcement source told cnn . last month 's failed attempt to arrest coke sparked four days of gun battles between security forces and his supporters in kingston that left 76 people dead . coke , who is also known as president , ' shortman ' and general , ' said he was deeply upset and saddened by the unnecessary loss of lives ' and said the deaths could have been avoided . ' everyone , the whole country , has been adversely affected by the process that has surrounded my extradition and i hope that my action today will go some way towards healing all who have suffered and will be of benefit to the community of tivoli gardens , ' a neighborhood where violence erupted , he said thursday . cnn 's mark norman , eden pontz and eliott mclaughlin contributed to this report . | coke was extradited thursday from jamaica |
yahoo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for yahoo users who prefer old-school e-mailing , your grace period is over . monday is the first day that users will be required to upgrade to the latest version of of yahoo 's e-mail service , which according to various assessments is either the second or third most popular on the web . this change has been in the works since december , when yahoo , under the guidance of new ceo marissa mayer , announced a major and long-awaited overhaul of e-mail . you 've told us loud and clear that you want fewer distractions when it comes to e-mail , ' mayer said at the time . you want to quickly login , communicate , and get on with your day . and we 've listened . ' the upgrades were made available for web , windows 8 , iphone/ipod touch and android . but as is always the case when faced with change , some folks were more comfortable with older versions , including yahoo classic , ' and were given until monday to switch . in a yahoo help post the company noted that upgrading requires users to agree to terms including automated content scanning . ' that 's technology similar to that used by google with gmail , which uses search algorithms , not real people , to read through the content of people 's messages in order to target relevant advertising -- as well as other features -- to them . users may opt out of that feature by changing their settings . the changes to the latest version of yahoo mail include removing some of the boxes that filled the page in the web version and offering thumbnail images of attachments , presumably to help avoid clicking on scams , spam and other unwanted content . on mail for iphone , users can select multiple messages and swipe to delete , highlight or file them away . the android app was upgraded to , among other things , put less drain on battery life . still do n't like the latest version ? the yahoo help post offers options for disgruntled users , including how to download your content and access it through another client and how to delete your account . | yahoo e-mail users must upgrade to the company 's new version |
yahoo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for yahoo users who prefer old-school e-mailing , your grace period is over . monday is the first day that users will be required to upgrade to the latest version of of yahoo 's e-mail service , which according to various assessments is either the second or third most popular on the web . this change has been in the works since december , when yahoo , under the guidance of new ceo marissa mayer , announced a major and long-awaited overhaul of e-mail . you 've told us loud and clear that you want fewer distractions when it comes to e-mail , ' mayer said at the time . you want to quickly login , communicate , and get on with your day . and we 've listened . ' the upgrades were made available for web , windows 8 , iphone/ipod touch and android . but as is always the case when faced with change , some folks were more comfortable with older versions , including yahoo classic , ' and were given until monday to switch . in a yahoo help post the company noted that upgrading requires users to agree to terms including automated content scanning . ' that 's technology similar to that used by google with gmail , which uses search algorithms , not real people , to read through the content of people 's messages in order to target relevant advertising -- as well as other features -- to them . users may opt out of that feature by changing their settings . the changes to the latest version of yahoo mail include removing some of the boxes that filled the page in the web version and offering thumbnail images of attachments , presumably to help avoid clicking on scams , spam and other unwanted content . on mail for iphone , users can select multiple messages and swipe to delete , highlight or file them away . the android app was upgraded to , among other things , put less drain on battery life . still do n't like the latest version ? the yahoo help post offers options for disgruntled users , including how to download your content and access it through another client and how to delete your account . | yahoo had announced overhaul to its e-mail service in december |
sarkozy <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- if the americans followed the french presidential elections as avidly as the french stare at the poll ratings of mitt romney and barack obama , they would know that sarko l'américain , ' sarkozy the american , may soon have to say good bye ' to the elysée palace . the omens are bad and the possible demise of the most pro-american president in our history raises questions about our long and complex transatlantic relations . how will french election be decided ? not that there is so much to worry about . sarkozy 's potential successor , the socialist françois hollande , may have said that the enemy is finance , ' but he also told the new york times that before attending l'ecole nationale d'administration , the alma mater of our elite public service , he had traveled to the united states and written a report on the american fast food industry that foresaw the triumph of mcdonald 's in france a decade later . the candidate even admitted a personal weakness for hamburgers -- a strategic cliché america is welcome to take as a token of transatlantic loyalty . but it is not always enough . remember jacques chirac ? our former president gained real popularity in the u.s. after telling larry king that in his youth he had worked as a soda jerk at a howard johnson hotel , and even dangerously overextended his vacations to date a southern belle who called him honey chile ' and drove him around in a white cadillac convertible . all this sincere devotion to americana did n't spare him from being reviled later as the commander-in-chief of the cheese-eating surrender monkeys ' , unwilling to risk blood and treasure in the quest of weapons of mass destruction in iraq . tons of freedom fries , ' the creative rants of bill o'reilly and george w. bush , even the sad visit to the white house in 2004 of our then ambassador to check officially on the status of france ( friend or foe ? ' ) are enough proof that our relations can become sour and chaotic overnight . but hateful ? no . it 's just ... complicated . colin powell , the man in the middle in 2004 , sincerely thought america and france could form a bona fide couple , be it in therapy for the last 60 years . ' and if the first rule of therapy is to verbalize , france has been vocal , to say the least . the official french explanation is that we both have strong and radiating ' cultures . the reality is that history has not made us equal . and it is sometimes painful . it was made worse , and personal , by world war ii , when presidents roosevelt and truman did n't embrace charles de gaulle , the only remnant of dignity of a battered country and the only symbolic redemption of a past that included a shaming defeat , a cruel occupation and the moral abyss of collaboration by vichy and french police . sure , america saved us . but it is sometimes hard to be saved , especially when your savior does n't seem to take you very seriously . no wonder the french flirted with grandiosity in the 1960s . the interior conquest made up for the loss of a colonial empire . the social protection , the nuclear show of force , the state-owned companies , the glowing technocratic elite and appeals to the developing world confirmed the victorious march of our third way ' between washington and moscow . it is one of the reasons why , in contrast to most other western countries , the french conservative parties and its establishment never saw the american entrepreneurial way of business as a suitable model . it was even seen as a little vulgar . the change came with sarkozy . his bourgeois but simple upbringing , his father 's foreign origin made him an unlikely candidate for the elite and all the more sensitive to the growth , creativity and class promotion promised by the american capitalism and meritocracy . he was also the first to suggest a system of affirmative action for the young descendants of immigrants locked in ghettos by decades of neglect and racism . but sarko ' became less american after the collapse of the markets in 2008 , less prone to show to france , as a model , a country where citizens actually demonstrate against government-run healthcare , less inclined to diversity when he needed the extreme right vote for his re-election . there was also a disappointment . if our president had gotten along much better than chirac with george w. bush since 2007 , he had great hopes to bask in the world aura of obama , and even to replace the british as the closest ally of the united states . that did not happen . a rational and aloof obama kept the unprecedented french love fest at bay . the most american of the two is not who you would think , ' a diplomat whispered to me after one of their first meetings , strangely mixing admiration , irony and plain old stereotypes . once again , france seemed to need the big mirror across the atlantic to shape its identity and solve its anxieties . a colleague swore to me that jean dujardin 's oscar for the artist ' would offset the loss of our triple-a credit rating . in the middle of the dominique strauss-kahn sex scandal last year , half of the french sneered at the american puritanism ' and its disgusting perp walks . the other half admired a country that would treat a rich and powerful man as badly as the common man . but both sides agreed to buy a magazine cover story that asked : the americans , what do they think of us ? ' the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of philippe coste . | sarkozy had vainly hoped to replace british as closest ally of u.s . |
sarkozy <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- if the americans followed the french presidential elections as avidly as the french stare at the poll ratings of mitt romney and barack obama , they would know that sarko l'américain , ' sarkozy the american , may soon have to say good bye ' to the elysée palace . the omens are bad and the possible demise of the most pro-american president in our history raises questions about our long and complex transatlantic relations . how will french election be decided ? not that there is so much to worry about . sarkozy 's potential successor , the socialist françois hollande , may have said that the enemy is finance , ' but he also told the new york times that before attending l'ecole nationale d'administration , the alma mater of our elite public service , he had traveled to the united states and written a report on the american fast food industry that foresaw the triumph of mcdonald 's in france a decade later . the candidate even admitted a personal weakness for hamburgers -- a strategic cliché america is welcome to take as a token of transatlantic loyalty . but it is not always enough . remember jacques chirac ? our former president gained real popularity in the u.s. after telling larry king that in his youth he had worked as a soda jerk at a howard johnson hotel , and even dangerously overextended his vacations to date a southern belle who called him honey chile ' and drove him around in a white cadillac convertible . all this sincere devotion to americana did n't spare him from being reviled later as the commander-in-chief of the cheese-eating surrender monkeys ' , unwilling to risk blood and treasure in the quest of weapons of mass destruction in iraq . tons of freedom fries , ' the creative rants of bill o'reilly and george w. bush , even the sad visit to the white house in 2004 of our then ambassador to check officially on the status of france ( friend or foe ? ' ) are enough proof that our relations can become sour and chaotic overnight . but hateful ? no . it 's just ... complicated . colin powell , the man in the middle in 2004 , sincerely thought america and france could form a bona fide couple , be it in therapy for the last 60 years . ' and if the first rule of therapy is to verbalize , france has been vocal , to say the least . the official french explanation is that we both have strong and radiating ' cultures . the reality is that history has not made us equal . and it is sometimes painful . it was made worse , and personal , by world war ii , when presidents roosevelt and truman did n't embrace charles de gaulle , the only remnant of dignity of a battered country and the only symbolic redemption of a past that included a shaming defeat , a cruel occupation and the moral abyss of collaboration by vichy and french police . sure , america saved us . but it is sometimes hard to be saved , especially when your savior does n't seem to take you very seriously . no wonder the french flirted with grandiosity in the 1960s . the interior conquest made up for the loss of a colonial empire . the social protection , the nuclear show of force , the state-owned companies , the glowing technocratic elite and appeals to the developing world confirmed the victorious march of our third way ' between washington and moscow . it is one of the reasons why , in contrast to most other western countries , the french conservative parties and its establishment never saw the american entrepreneurial way of business as a suitable model . it was even seen as a little vulgar . the change came with sarkozy . his bourgeois but simple upbringing , his father 's foreign origin made him an unlikely candidate for the elite and all the more sensitive to the growth , creativity and class promotion promised by the american capitalism and meritocracy . he was also the first to suggest a system of affirmative action for the young descendants of immigrants locked in ghettos by decades of neglect and racism . but sarko ' became less american after the collapse of the markets in 2008 , less prone to show to france , as a model , a country where citizens actually demonstrate against government-run healthcare , less inclined to diversity when he needed the extreme right vote for his re-election . there was also a disappointment . if our president had gotten along much better than chirac with george w. bush since 2007 , he had great hopes to bask in the world aura of obama , and even to replace the british as the closest ally of the united states . that did not happen . a rational and aloof obama kept the unprecedented french love fest at bay . the most american of the two is not who you would think , ' a diplomat whispered to me after one of their first meetings , strangely mixing admiration , irony and plain old stereotypes . once again , france seemed to need the big mirror across the atlantic to shape its identity and solve its anxieties . a colleague swore to me that jean dujardin 's oscar for the artist ' would offset the loss of our triple-a credit rating . in the middle of the dominique strauss-kahn sex scandal last year , half of the french sneered at the american puritanism ' and its disgusting perp walks . the other half admired a country that would treat a rich and powerful man as badly as the common man . but both sides agreed to buy a magazine cover story that asked : the americans , what do they think of us ? ' the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of philippe coste . | possible demise of pro-u.s. french president sarkozy raises questions over complex relations |
u.s . <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- if the americans followed the french presidential elections as avidly as the french stare at the poll ratings of mitt romney and barack obama , they would know that sarko l'américain , ' sarkozy the american , may soon have to say good bye ' to the elysée palace . the omens are bad and the possible demise of the most pro-american president in our history raises questions about our long and complex transatlantic relations . how will french election be decided ? not that there is so much to worry about . sarkozy 's potential successor , the socialist françois hollande , may have said that the enemy is finance , ' but he also told the new york times that before attending l'ecole nationale d'administration , the alma mater of our elite public service , he had traveled to the united states and written a report on the american fast food industry that foresaw the triumph of mcdonald 's in france a decade later . the candidate even admitted a personal weakness for hamburgers -- a strategic cliché america is welcome to take as a token of transatlantic loyalty . but it is not always enough . remember jacques chirac ? our former president gained real popularity in the u.s. after telling larry king that in his youth he had worked as a soda jerk at a howard johnson hotel , and even dangerously overextended his vacations to date a southern belle who called him honey chile ' and drove him around in a white cadillac convertible . all this sincere devotion to americana did n't spare him from being reviled later as the commander-in-chief of the cheese-eating surrender monkeys ' , unwilling to risk blood and treasure in the quest of weapons of mass destruction in iraq . tons of freedom fries , ' the creative rants of bill o'reilly and george w. bush , even the sad visit to the white house in 2004 of our then ambassador to check officially on the status of france ( friend or foe ? ' ) are enough proof that our relations can become sour and chaotic overnight . but hateful ? no . it 's just ... complicated . colin powell , the man in the middle in 2004 , sincerely thought america and france could form a bona fide couple , be it in therapy for the last 60 years . ' and if the first rule of therapy is to verbalize , france has been vocal , to say the least . the official french explanation is that we both have strong and radiating ' cultures . the reality is that history has not made us equal . and it is sometimes painful . it was made worse , and personal , by world war ii , when presidents roosevelt and truman did n't embrace charles de gaulle , the only remnant of dignity of a battered country and the only symbolic redemption of a past that included a shaming defeat , a cruel occupation and the moral abyss of collaboration by vichy and french police . sure , america saved us . but it is sometimes hard to be saved , especially when your savior does n't seem to take you very seriously . no wonder the french flirted with grandiosity in the 1960s . the interior conquest made up for the loss of a colonial empire . the social protection , the nuclear show of force , the state-owned companies , the glowing technocratic elite and appeals to the developing world confirmed the victorious march of our third way ' between washington and moscow . it is one of the reasons why , in contrast to most other western countries , the french conservative parties and its establishment never saw the american entrepreneurial way of business as a suitable model . it was even seen as a little vulgar . the change came with sarkozy . his bourgeois but simple upbringing , his father 's foreign origin made him an unlikely candidate for the elite and all the more sensitive to the growth , creativity and class promotion promised by the american capitalism and meritocracy . he was also the first to suggest a system of affirmative action for the young descendants of immigrants locked in ghettos by decades of neglect and racism . but sarko ' became less american after the collapse of the markets in 2008 , less prone to show to france , as a model , a country where citizens actually demonstrate against government-run healthcare , less inclined to diversity when he needed the extreme right vote for his re-election . there was also a disappointment . if our president had gotten along much better than chirac with george w. bush since 2007 , he had great hopes to bask in the world aura of obama , and even to replace the british as the closest ally of the united states . that did not happen . a rational and aloof obama kept the unprecedented french love fest at bay . the most american of the two is not who you would think , ' a diplomat whispered to me after one of their first meetings , strangely mixing admiration , irony and plain old stereotypes . once again , france seemed to need the big mirror across the atlantic to shape its identity and solve its anxieties . a colleague swore to me that jean dujardin 's oscar for the artist ' would offset the loss of our triple-a credit rating . in the middle of the dominique strauss-kahn sex scandal last year , half of the french sneered at the american puritanism ' and its disgusting perp walks . the other half admired a country that would treat a rich and powerful man as badly as the common man . but both sides agreed to buy a magazine cover story that asked : the americans , what do they think of us ? ' the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of philippe coste . | sarkozy had vainly hoped to replace british as closest ally of u.s . |
inter milan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- roma captain francesco totti scored two late goals as his side beat cagliari 2-1 to ensure the serie a title race goes down to the last week . but treble-chasing inter milan edged out chievo 4-3 to hold a two-point lead going into the final round . andrea lazzari gave cagliari the lead with a 73rd minute strike from a free kick but tottie soon had roma level in the stadio olimpico with a neat turn and shot . an 83rd minute penalty from totti wrapped up three points in a dramatic turnaround . inter also lived dangerously at the san siro after a late chievo fightback led to a nervy finish for jose mourinho 's men . thiago motta 's own goal gave the visitors the lead before andrea mantovani also put through his own net to see inter level . esteban cambiasso , diego milito and mario balotelli then scored further goals for inter who were in total command until late strikes from pablo granoche and sergio pellissier for battling chievo . inter must now beat lowly siena in their final match to wrap up the title as they bid for a champions league , italian cup and serie a treble . we have a true final at siena , ' said inter 's top scorer diego milito . we have two days to rest and then we will prepare for this game . ' ac milan 's poor end to the season continued as they were beaten 1-0 at genoa . giuseppe sculli 's 56th-minute goal settled the match while milan , who will finish third , had mathieu flamini sent-off in the closing moments . the battle for the fourth place and final champions league spot will also go to the last weekend after fifth-placed palermo and fourth-placed sampdoria drew 1-1 in sicily . samp went ahead against palermo through a giampaolo pazzini penalty in the second half but fabrizio miccoli equalized from the spot as well with 20 minutes left . like roma , they are two points adrift with a game remaining . in other action on sunday , atalanta 's relegation was confirmed with their 2-0 defeat at napoli with two goals from fabio quagliarella . siena and livorno were already down . juventus 's 3-2 defeat at home to parma continued their poor season with a record 14th serie a defeat and the match was marred by crowd trouble . the defeat ensures juve will finish in seventh place and have to play in the qualifying rounds of the europa league next season . | inter milan beat chievo 4-3 to stay two points clear of as roma in serie a |
serie a <tsp> ( cnn ) -- roma captain francesco totti scored two late goals as his side beat cagliari 2-1 to ensure the serie a title race goes down to the last week . but treble-chasing inter milan edged out chievo 4-3 to hold a two-point lead going into the final round . andrea lazzari gave cagliari the lead with a 73rd minute strike from a free kick but tottie soon had roma level in the stadio olimpico with a neat turn and shot . an 83rd minute penalty from totti wrapped up three points in a dramatic turnaround . inter also lived dangerously at the san siro after a late chievo fightback led to a nervy finish for jose mourinho 's men . thiago motta 's own goal gave the visitors the lead before andrea mantovani also put through his own net to see inter level . esteban cambiasso , diego milito and mario balotelli then scored further goals for inter who were in total command until late strikes from pablo granoche and sergio pellissier for battling chievo . inter must now beat lowly siena in their final match to wrap up the title as they bid for a champions league , italian cup and serie a treble . we have a true final at siena , ' said inter 's top scorer diego milito . we have two days to rest and then we will prepare for this game . ' ac milan 's poor end to the season continued as they were beaten 1-0 at genoa . giuseppe sculli 's 56th-minute goal settled the match while milan , who will finish third , had mathieu flamini sent-off in the closing moments . the battle for the fourth place and final champions league spot will also go to the last weekend after fifth-placed palermo and fourth-placed sampdoria drew 1-1 in sicily . samp went ahead against palermo through a giampaolo pazzini penalty in the second half but fabrizio miccoli equalized from the spot as well with 20 minutes left . like roma , they are two points adrift with a game remaining . in other action on sunday , atalanta 's relegation was confirmed with their 2-0 defeat at napoli with two goals from fabio quagliarella . siena and livorno were already down . juventus 's 3-2 defeat at home to parma continued their poor season with a record 14th serie a defeat and the match was marred by crowd trouble . the defeat ensures juve will finish in seventh place and have to play in the qualifying rounds of the europa league next season . | juventus suffer record 14th defeat in a serie a season |
serie a <tsp> ( cnn ) -- roma captain francesco totti scored two late goals as his side beat cagliari 2-1 to ensure the serie a title race goes down to the last week . but treble-chasing inter milan edged out chievo 4-3 to hold a two-point lead going into the final round . andrea lazzari gave cagliari the lead with a 73rd minute strike from a free kick but tottie soon had roma level in the stadio olimpico with a neat turn and shot . an 83rd minute penalty from totti wrapped up three points in a dramatic turnaround . inter also lived dangerously at the san siro after a late chievo fightback led to a nervy finish for jose mourinho 's men . thiago motta 's own goal gave the visitors the lead before andrea mantovani also put through his own net to see inter level . esteban cambiasso , diego milito and mario balotelli then scored further goals for inter who were in total command until late strikes from pablo granoche and sergio pellissier for battling chievo . inter must now beat lowly siena in their final match to wrap up the title as they bid for a champions league , italian cup and serie a treble . we have a true final at siena , ' said inter 's top scorer diego milito . we have two days to rest and then we will prepare for this game . ' ac milan 's poor end to the season continued as they were beaten 1-0 at genoa . giuseppe sculli 's 56th-minute goal settled the match while milan , who will finish third , had mathieu flamini sent-off in the closing moments . the battle for the fourth place and final champions league spot will also go to the last weekend after fifth-placed palermo and fourth-placed sampdoria drew 1-1 in sicily . samp went ahead against palermo through a giampaolo pazzini penalty in the second half but fabrizio miccoli equalized from the spot as well with 20 minutes left . like roma , they are two points adrift with a game remaining . in other action on sunday , atalanta 's relegation was confirmed with their 2-0 defeat at napoli with two goals from fabio quagliarella . siena and livorno were already down . juventus 's 3-2 defeat at home to parma continued their poor season with a record 14th serie a defeat and the match was marred by crowd trouble . the defeat ensures juve will finish in seventh place and have to play in the qualifying rounds of the europa league next season . | inter milan beat chievo 4-3 to stay two points clear of as roma in serie a |
at & t <tsp> ( cnn ) -- verizon pulled a rabbit out of its corporate hat earlier this month . the wireless giant announced a multibillion-dollar deal to purchase rights to largely unused spectrum , which is like an open lane on the congested wireless internet highway . verizon purchased these rights from comcast and time warner , two large cable-tv companies , and the smaller bright house networks . sound familiar ? at & t made a similarly surprising move in march , declaring its intention to buy t-mobile , in large part to get access to t-mobile 's underused spectrum . the at & t deal drew the wrath of the justice department and the fcc . indeed , it appears the current incarnation of the at & t proposed merger is dying a slow death . u.s. district judge ellen segal huvelle agreed on monday to a request from both sides to delay the merger hearing , and asked at & t to supply information on whether it will pursue a different deal with t-mobile . does a similar fate await verizon ? ah , you say , there 's no real comparison . unlike the proposed at & t/t-mobile merger , verizon 's acquisition does n't involve taking millions of subscribers from a competitor , thereby increasing concentration in the wireless market . but the deals do have one big thing in common : in both , the primary objective is to cope with the looming scarcity of spectrum . for without more of it , neither carrier will be able to deliver on the promise of whizbang wireless services such as high definition movies any time , anywhere . to be sure , the problem here is not precisely a shortage of spectrum , but wasteful allocation of what 's usable with the latest technology . if washington were so inclined , it could free up a ton of spectrum for more valuable uses . that includes spectrum warehoused by government : in many cases , the repositioning of equipment or the purchase of up-to-date equipment would allow tasks ranging from public safety communication to weather forecasting to be done as well with less . not to mention spectrum assigned long ago to local tv stations for old-fashioned analogue broadcasting that is no longer needed since the switch to digital . the process would be pretty simple : auction the spectrum to the highest bidders and then allow it to be traded like any other valuable resource . this is an old , but important , idea first suggested by nobel economics laureate ronald coase back in 1959 . and it 's an idea that has taken on greater urgency in recent years , both because of the proliferation of spectrum-hungry wireless devices -- smartphones and tablets -- and because washington desperately seeks revenue . ( we 're talking tens of billions here . ) but the politics of spectrum allocation remain gridlocked , as competing interests push and shove for preferred access , or just a claim on some of the cash from future spectrum auctions . so at & t and verizon , the no . 1 and 2 players in the american wireless market , have resorted to end-runs around the problem -- that is , buying spectrum from other carriers or merging to make more efficient use of the partners'combined holdings . if the at & t/t-mobile combination survives the legal gantlet , it could , in theory , become the largest u.s. wireless provider , with as much as one-third of the market . but the emphasis here is on the word theory . ' the merger might or might not reverse t-mobile 's sinking fortunes , which is why its parent company , deutsche telekom , has signaled its intent to leave the u.s. market , no matter what the government decides about the merger . the upshot is that it 's far from self-evident that at & t would remain first in subscribers for long in a post-merger market . verizon 's 4g system , the holy grail of mobile excellence , is expected to be available to some 200 million americans by the end of this year , compared with roughly 70 million for at & t . moreover , the proposed verizon deal includes cross-marketing with the cable companies'retail stores , yet another advantage in this most visible of consumer markets . but the merger seems to face implacable opposition from the trust-busters at the justice department and the micromanagers at the fcc . both agencies argue that it would give at & t more latitude to raise prices . and neither apparently puts much weight on at & t 's need for additional spectrum if it is to offer viable competition for verizon in a 4g world . if this were 1951 instead of 2011 , when self-satisfied american megacompanies like gm set the pace for global industrial innovation , we 'd have more sympathy for the government 's tilt against market concentration . but as the verizon gambit makes clear , this is anything but a static contest . at & t and verizon are living in uncertain times in which they must run to stay in place . that does n't mean the risk of monopoly power is as dead as the oldsmobile . but it does mean that discretion in managing markets really has become the better part of valor . as we see it , washington has three options . the first is to limit what firms like verizon and at & t can do to improve their service offerings , slowing the rollout of 4g . the second is to break through interest-group gridlock and stimulate improvements in the wireless market with a lot more spectrum -- the best option , surely , but probably a political nonstarter in the near term because the relevant players seem unable to build the necessary political coalitions . the third option , and probably the best under the circumstances , is to look on the verizon and at & t gambits with sympathy , on the premise that the vitality of innovation means more to consumers than the potential downside of greater market concentration . does that mean giving at & t and verizon free passes ? hardly . but it would mean a change in priorities at justice and the fcc in which the agencies use their legal leverage to minimize concentration in regional wireless markets without undermining the potential for more efficient use of spectrum . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers . | writers : verizon , at & t deals are attempts to get more spectrum for wireless services |
unicef <tsp> ( cnn ) -- spanish football giants barcelona have confirmed they have signed a huge new shirt sponsorship deal with the non-profit qatar foundation -- the first time they have received money to display a logo on their jerseys in the club 's history . revealing the news on their official website , the primera liga champions could be in line to receive up to 170 million euros ( $ 225m ) for the five-and-a-half year deal , which incorporates commercial and image rights as well as various bonuses relating to success on the field . children 's charity unicef has appeared on the club 's shirts in recent seasons and their logo will continue to feature prominently . however , kit manufacturer nike will now redesign the jerseys to accomodate the name of the qatar foundation -- an organization set up in 1995 to improve education and community development in qatar and the surrounding region . following the news , unicef released a statement , saying : the groundbreaking partnership between unicef and fc barcelona advanced the global message on the importance of children 's issues in a unique way . unicef is looking forward to the next stage of the collaboration and is exploring various options . ' barcelona also released a breakdown of how the funds will be received , with the club getting 15m euros ( $ 20m ) for the second half of the season and 30m euros ( $ 40m ) for each of the following five seasons -- with up to 5m euros ( $ 7m ) in bonuses for any titles won . the funds will provide a welcome boost for barcelona , who have struggled financially , despite all their successes on the pitch . the catalan club made a loss of 80m euros ( $ 105m ) last season and are reported to have debts in the region of 440m euros . the announcement also continues qatar 's increasing influence in world football following their recent winning bid to host the 2022 world cup finals . | children 's charity unicef has sponsored the club 's shirts in recent seasons |
mariéme jamme <tsp> ( cnn ) -- i recently left the global forum on innovation & technology entrepreneurship in south africa , inspired , empowered and hopeful , but extremely impatient to see radical changes to help women in africa develop a world-class talent in science , technology , engineering , mathematics and businesses . throughout the event i saw women who were passionate entrepreneurs . they were all seeking new ways of growing their businesses . the women discussed challenges and barriers to success , and how to take their business to the next level . they wanted to grow their network and create global partnerships . women hold the key to africa 's development , from agriculture to technology and entrepreneurship . but they still face massive hurdles in many areas of development and they are still financially disadvantaged and lack confidence in starting up businesses in africa . mid-career dropout is frequent ; cultural and social boundaries also are hurdles women need to overcome every day . gender inequality is also a major issue for women looking to get loans from banks ; often , they are not taken seriously . in most african countries women account for a sizable part of the workforce , but still , there are not many places where women entrepreneurs can go for mentoring and support for their businesses . read this :'african women need a hand-up not a hand-out' ngos and global development organizations have for decades hidden the potential of african women by using them as objects of development and statistics . as chelsey rhodes recently wrote , we should not see african women as objects of compassion , microloan applicants or demeaning factory-job seekers . you rarely see an african woman millionaire mentioned in the media , unless she is the daughter of the leader of angola or an elite oxford/harvard graduate . those women do n't have the time or knowledge to mentor the grassroots of talented young women who are coding and developing apps in dakar , senegal , and kibera in kenya . we need to make changes and start paying attention to these young women entrepreneurs in africa . technology presents new opportunities for african women who want to take their rightful place in society . african women are already using information technology to build networks and partnerships . sophisticated mobile phones owned by women in cities like lagos are being used to pass all sorts of information from factory to factory and village to village , delivering a message of openness and freedom . social media such as twitter and facebook has also helped them spread their stories . read this : 10 african tech voices to follow on twitter technology is also helping women shape the agricultural landscape by breaking down traditional social barriers . women can now get access to information on their land , stocks and even health matters . in kampala and senegal , women are using sms to help plan for a family , with basic information on sex education and birth control being delivered on their cell phone . mobile money is also helping them to receive and send money safely and confidently . read this : fighting cancer with cell phones and women are also contributing to creating technology . recently , we have seen a rise of women coders in senegal , kenya , uganda , ethiopia , tanzania and dr congo . but increasing participation and representation of women across the continent is difficult when in many countries women are held back from full and fair participation in public and technological life . we have to build the pipelines for the next generation of african women leaders , and the only way we can do that is to start finding and creating a good ecosystem for women . with that in mind , africa gathering is this week celebrating five years of sharing positive ideas . the event is being held in london on june 21 and 22 , and the theme is hands-on technology : rise of the makers , the dynamic and the disruptive thinkers in africa . ' over two days , this conference for innovators , investors and those with a passion for our continent , will feature world-class speakers and roundtable sessions to cast a spotlight on change-makers , many of them women . and among other things , the event will demonstrate how african innovators -- especially women -- are taking the lead in developing amazing local technological solutions . for more information go to : http : //africagathering2013london.eventbrite.com/ the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of mariéme jamme . | women entrepreneurs hold key to africa 's development , writes mariéme jamme |
guantanamo <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- the bestselling erotic novel fifty shades of grey ' may have done more than spice up readers'love lives . firefighters in london say it could be to blame for a rise in the emergency calls from people stuck in all kinds of awkward situations -- some involving handcuffs . read more : explaining'fifty shades'wild success the wildly-popular trilogy details the s & m-flavored love story of a recent college grad and a billionaire ceo . it 's also credited with boosting sales of sex toys , driving women to hook-up sites and fueling a craze over sexual domination . so , it 's not surprising there would be a downside . in the past three years , london 's fire crews have been called to 79 incidents involving people trapped in handcuffs . i do n't know whether it 's the fifty shades effect , but the number of incidents involving items like handcuffs seems to have gone up , ' said third officer dave brown . i 'm sure most people will be fifty shades of red by the time our crews arrive to free them . ' such red-faced moments are among more than 1,300 calls involving people being trapped often in everyday household items ' since 2010 , the fire service said . such calls are not just awkward ; they end up costing the taxpayer . london fire brigade puts the cost of these 1,300 calls at â£377,000 ( $ 580,000 . ) but it 's not just london where e l james'erotic fiction has been making an impact . virginia representative jim moran said the trilogy is a hit in a camp housing high-value detainees within the guantanamo bay prison complex . rather than the quran , the book that is requested most by the ( high-value detainees ) is fifty shades of grey . they 've read the entire series in english , but we were willing to translate it , ' he said in an interview with the huffington post . the insight into the prisoners'reading habits was provided by military officials showing a congressional delegation around camp seven , the democrat said . i guess there 's not much going on , these guys are going nowhere , so what the hell , ' he is quoted as saying . the trilogy has sold more than 32 million copies in the united states alone since the first installment was published in 2011 . with a film version due for release next year , london 's firefighters may have to respond to many more calls . so , the fire brigade has a word of advice to offer : use a little common sense . and if you try handcuffs , always keep the keys handy . | a u.s. congressman says prisoners in guantanamo are also fans |
terkel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pulitzer prize-winning author , radio host and activist studs terkel died in his chicago , illinois , home friday at the age of 96 . pulitzer prize-winning author studs terkel died at his home friday at the age of 96 . terkel had grown frail since the publication last year of his memoir , touch and go , ' said gordon mayer , vice president of the community media workshop , which terkel had supported . i 'm still in touch , but i 'm ready to go , ' he said last year at his last public appearance with the workshop , a nonprofit that recognizes chicago reporters who take risks in covering the city . my dad led a long , full , eventful -- sometimes tempestuous -- satisfying life , ' his son dan said in a statement . the last time i saw him , he was up , about , and mad as hell about the cubs , ' workshop president thom clark said in the statement . terkel , known for his portrayal of ordinary people young and old , rich and poor , won a pulitzer prize in 1985 for his remembrances of world war ii , the good war . ' ireport.com : remebering the legacy of studs terkel terkel was born in new york but moved to chicago , where his parents ran a small hotel . terkel would sit in the hotel lobby watching droves of people arguing , fighting , ranting and telling stories . that hotel was far more of an education to me than the university of chicago was , ' studs told cnn in 2000 . it seems that beginning would pave the way for terkel 's love of passing on people 's oral histories . he could often be found behind a tape recorder talking to the people who would eventually become the basis for his books . terkel became famous , if not synonymous with oral histories , for his ability to cast a light on the working class . oral history preceded the written word , ' terkel told cnn in 2000 . oral history is having people tell their own stories and bringing it forth . that 's what history 's about : the oral history of the unknowns that make the wheel go'round . and that 's what i 'm interested in . ' in an interview with lou waters on cnn in 1995 , terkel spoke about his book coming of age , ' which explored the lives of people who have been scrappers ' all of their lives . inside the book are the stories of people between the ages of 70 and 95 , a group he called the truth tellers . ' who are the best historians ? who are the storytellers ? ' terkel asked . who lived through the great depression of the '30s , world war ii that changed the whole psyche and map of the world , a cold war , joe mccarthy , vietnam , the '60s , that 's so often put down today and i think was an exhilarating and hopeful period , and , of course , the computer and technology . who are the best ones to tell the story ? those who 've borne witness to it . and they 're our storytellers . ' after terkel 's wife died in 1999 , he began working on a book about death , eventually called will the circle be unbroken ? reflections on death , rebirth , and hunger for a faith . ' it 's about life , ' terkel said in 2000 when asked about the project . how can one talk about life without saying sometime it 's going to end ? it makes the value of life all the more precious . ' | terkel won pulitzer prize in 1985 for book about world war ii , the good war ' |
terkel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pulitzer prize-winning author , radio host and activist studs terkel died in his chicago , illinois , home friday at the age of 96 . pulitzer prize-winning author studs terkel died at his home friday at the age of 96 . terkel had grown frail since the publication last year of his memoir , touch and go , ' said gordon mayer , vice president of the community media workshop , which terkel had supported . i 'm still in touch , but i 'm ready to go , ' he said last year at his last public appearance with the workshop , a nonprofit that recognizes chicago reporters who take risks in covering the city . my dad led a long , full , eventful -- sometimes tempestuous -- satisfying life , ' his son dan said in a statement . the last time i saw him , he was up , about , and mad as hell about the cubs , ' workshop president thom clark said in the statement . terkel , known for his portrayal of ordinary people young and old , rich and poor , won a pulitzer prize in 1985 for his remembrances of world war ii , the good war . ' ireport.com : remebering the legacy of studs terkel terkel was born in new york but moved to chicago , where his parents ran a small hotel . terkel would sit in the hotel lobby watching droves of people arguing , fighting , ranting and telling stories . that hotel was far more of an education to me than the university of chicago was , ' studs told cnn in 2000 . it seems that beginning would pave the way for terkel 's love of passing on people 's oral histories . he could often be found behind a tape recorder talking to the people who would eventually become the basis for his books . terkel became famous , if not synonymous with oral histories , for his ability to cast a light on the working class . oral history preceded the written word , ' terkel told cnn in 2000 . oral history is having people tell their own stories and bringing it forth . that 's what history 's about : the oral history of the unknowns that make the wheel go'round . and that 's what i 'm interested in . ' in an interview with lou waters on cnn in 1995 , terkel spoke about his book coming of age , ' which explored the lives of people who have been scrappers ' all of their lives . inside the book are the stories of people between the ages of 70 and 95 , a group he called the truth tellers . ' who are the best historians ? who are the storytellers ? ' terkel asked . who lived through the great depression of the '30s , world war ii that changed the whole psyche and map of the world , a cold war , joe mccarthy , vietnam , the '60s , that 's so often put down today and i think was an exhilarating and hopeful period , and , of course , the computer and technology . who are the best ones to tell the story ? those who 've borne witness to it . and they 're our storytellers . ' after terkel 's wife died in 1999 , he began working on a book about death , eventually called will the circle be unbroken ? reflections on death , rebirth , and hunger for a faith . ' it 's about life , ' terkel said in 2000 when asked about the project . how can one talk about life without saying sometime it 's going to end ? it makes the value of life all the more precious . ' | terkel once said death makes the value of life all the more precious ' |
tooth fairy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when pinterest exploded onto the scene , enthusiasts could barely contain their excitement over pages upon pages of pastel , lace-trimmed , sugar-sprinkled diy deliciousness . it was the manifestation of our collective consciousness of intended crafts . we spent hours pinning , as if the action itself were a legitimate replacement for actual creation . who does n't want to know how to make skittles-infused vodka ( vomit the rainbow ' ) or create an anytime jersey dress out of an oversized t-shirt ? again , we were n't exactly creating most of these items , but knowing they were safely tucked away within meticulously organized virtual boards was enough to make us feel like creative maestros . for parents , pinterest took things to a whole ...'nother ... level . one could pass days falling down the rabbit hole of ideas spanning every milestone of child rearing . from the time-lapse pregnancy photo montage to gender-reveal cupcakes to lunchbox hand-pies shaped like baby octopi , pinterest left no familial event untouched . suddenly , a rumbling in the distance . an overwhelming tide began to rise . it 's not that these ideas were overly complicated . there were just so many of them . all demanding attention , crying out for a voyage to the craft store , begging to be manifested into fruition . what 's wrong with using tech to distract kids ? initially , i 'd managed to stay on the shore and watch pinthusiasts sink or swim from a distance . pinterest did n't infect me during any of the traditional gateway holidays like christmas or halloween ( did you know both of these holidays now require wreaths ? ) . it got me with the tooth fairy . when i was kid , the tooth fairy , if the wench remembered to come all , would leave a quarter . maybe 50 cents if she was having a good year . a 2012 survey reported that american parents give their children $ 3 per tooth , so even considering 20 years of inflation , my fairy was obviously from the wrong side of the tracks . when i was a child , my mom was studying to become a dentist . maybe to her , the idea of celebrating calcified structures separating from mouth tissue seemed like overkill . these days , a quick tooth fairy ' search on pinterest will result in thousands of ways to turn what should be a very simple transaction into an event worthy of a disney score . i 'm not sure what it is about this specific milestone that had me feeling all romantic , but i knew pinterest would be the place to go for inspiration . by the time my oldest daughter 's first tooth was threatening to wriggle free , i 'd hyped up the tooth fairy significantly . what do you think she 'll bring ? i hope it 's not money . i do n't like money , ' she said as i pulled her comforter to her chin . me too ? ' my 3-year-old worriedly asked from her bed across the room . i 'm not sure what she 's going to bring . and she never forgets little sisters , ' i explained . eventually , the tooth fell out during breakfast . unfortunately , as the day went on , the business of life combined with my chronic tendency to procrastinate proved more powerful than the pinterest-derived tooth fairy extravaganza i 'd planned . i did n't remember the fairy 's scheduled visit until i woke up with a massive start at 2 a.m. the next day . i 'd dropped the ball . my mind started to race with ideas . perhaps the gas station around the corner had candy ... wait no , the tooth fairy would n't give candy ; that 'd be like a doctor handing out big macs . and do i really want to get on the road at 2 a.m. when the bars are closing ? what if there are drunken drivers ? i do n't want to go down as the first pinterest-related death . i began opening every closet in my home , searching the pantry for something that i could pass off as a gift from an enchanted forest warehouse . i found a few mini candy canes , but no , the tooth fairy would clearly be non-denominational . maybe i could make sandwiches shaped like hearts and keep them in the fridge -- no , the present is supposed to be under their pillow . shaved turkey slices on whole wheat have no place in a child 's bedding ; even i know that . i finally found some snack mix that i was sure my kids had n't seen before . combined with a few chocolate chips ... that 's something the tooth fairy would whip together in her middle-earth kitchen , right ? as i prepared the melange and dumped it into sandwich bags , i got a distinct mental picture of a jury of pinterest moms in cardigans shaking their heads at me while knitting stuffed animals . groceries ? really ? ' their leader said . she was wearing a t-shirt dress . it looked amazing on her . i glanced down sheepishly at my work . the bags looked like something you 'd sneak into a movie theater to save $ 5 . not magical enough . i closed the bags with craft twine and finished the whole debacle with wrapping paper . what about a note ? there are hundreds of pins featuring little notes written with what i can only assume are calligraphy pens . people even make matching miniature envelopes . it was almost 2:30 . no time for that . after i 'd dropped the packages , being careful not to wake the children ( how would that go ? oh i was just seeing the tooth fairy out ... ' ) , i still felt uneasy . you 're only a kid once . it 's fun to believe in this nonsense . i decided to take it up a notch by sprinkling some pink glitter by their bedsides and made a trail all the way to the upstairs bathroom window . no , i had n't been drinking or using recreational drugs . it just felt right at the time . by now , i was so tired that i was having a semi-out-of-body experience and felt like i really was the tooth fairy . glitter clean-up ? i 'd have one of the lesser fairies take care of it the next day . it will be good for their rã©sumã©s . about 3 a.m. , i remembered seeing a website where you can superimpose pictures of a fairy on a photo of your sleeping child . knowing that nothing would traumatize my youngest daughter more than a visual of an otherworldly creature walking on her face while she lay unconscious , i took a photo of a windowsill upstairs instead . for the low price of $ 7 , i added what looked like a crouching barbie doll wearing a cheap prom dress and wings . as i lay in bed , i created an elaborate backstory of how i 'd managed to take the photo with my iphone right before she spit in my face for scaring her . come morning , the children were as excited as could be to find their plastic food bags beside their beds . there is fairy dust everywhere ! ' they shouted from upstairs . the photo was the icing on the cake . i 'm still trying to decide what the tooth fairy will bring the next time she pays a visit . maybe a gift card . | she managed to avoid the holiday pinterest craze but succumbed with the tooth fairy |
pinterest <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when pinterest exploded onto the scene , enthusiasts could barely contain their excitement over pages upon pages of pastel , lace-trimmed , sugar-sprinkled diy deliciousness . it was the manifestation of our collective consciousness of intended crafts . we spent hours pinning , as if the action itself were a legitimate replacement for actual creation . who does n't want to know how to make skittles-infused vodka ( vomit the rainbow ' ) or create an anytime jersey dress out of an oversized t-shirt ? again , we were n't exactly creating most of these items , but knowing they were safely tucked away within meticulously organized virtual boards was enough to make us feel like creative maestros . for parents , pinterest took things to a whole ...'nother ... level . one could pass days falling down the rabbit hole of ideas spanning every milestone of child rearing . from the time-lapse pregnancy photo montage to gender-reveal cupcakes to lunchbox hand-pies shaped like baby octopi , pinterest left no familial event untouched . suddenly , a rumbling in the distance . an overwhelming tide began to rise . it 's not that these ideas were overly complicated . there were just so many of them . all demanding attention , crying out for a voyage to the craft store , begging to be manifested into fruition . what 's wrong with using tech to distract kids ? initially , i 'd managed to stay on the shore and watch pinthusiasts sink or swim from a distance . pinterest did n't infect me during any of the traditional gateway holidays like christmas or halloween ( did you know both of these holidays now require wreaths ? ) . it got me with the tooth fairy . when i was kid , the tooth fairy , if the wench remembered to come all , would leave a quarter . maybe 50 cents if she was having a good year . a 2012 survey reported that american parents give their children $ 3 per tooth , so even considering 20 years of inflation , my fairy was obviously from the wrong side of the tracks . when i was a child , my mom was studying to become a dentist . maybe to her , the idea of celebrating calcified structures separating from mouth tissue seemed like overkill . these days , a quick tooth fairy ' search on pinterest will result in thousands of ways to turn what should be a very simple transaction into an event worthy of a disney score . i 'm not sure what it is about this specific milestone that had me feeling all romantic , but i knew pinterest would be the place to go for inspiration . by the time my oldest daughter 's first tooth was threatening to wriggle free , i 'd hyped up the tooth fairy significantly . what do you think she 'll bring ? i hope it 's not money . i do n't like money , ' she said as i pulled her comforter to her chin . me too ? ' my 3-year-old worriedly asked from her bed across the room . i 'm not sure what she 's going to bring . and she never forgets little sisters , ' i explained . eventually , the tooth fell out during breakfast . unfortunately , as the day went on , the business of life combined with my chronic tendency to procrastinate proved more powerful than the pinterest-derived tooth fairy extravaganza i 'd planned . i did n't remember the fairy 's scheduled visit until i woke up with a massive start at 2 a.m. the next day . i 'd dropped the ball . my mind started to race with ideas . perhaps the gas station around the corner had candy ... wait no , the tooth fairy would n't give candy ; that 'd be like a doctor handing out big macs . and do i really want to get on the road at 2 a.m. when the bars are closing ? what if there are drunken drivers ? i do n't want to go down as the first pinterest-related death . i began opening every closet in my home , searching the pantry for something that i could pass off as a gift from an enchanted forest warehouse . i found a few mini candy canes , but no , the tooth fairy would clearly be non-denominational . maybe i could make sandwiches shaped like hearts and keep them in the fridge -- no , the present is supposed to be under their pillow . shaved turkey slices on whole wheat have no place in a child 's bedding ; even i know that . i finally found some snack mix that i was sure my kids had n't seen before . combined with a few chocolate chips ... that 's something the tooth fairy would whip together in her middle-earth kitchen , right ? as i prepared the melange and dumped it into sandwich bags , i got a distinct mental picture of a jury of pinterest moms in cardigans shaking their heads at me while knitting stuffed animals . groceries ? really ? ' their leader said . she was wearing a t-shirt dress . it looked amazing on her . i glanced down sheepishly at my work . the bags looked like something you 'd sneak into a movie theater to save $ 5 . not magical enough . i closed the bags with craft twine and finished the whole debacle with wrapping paper . what about a note ? there are hundreds of pins featuring little notes written with what i can only assume are calligraphy pens . people even make matching miniature envelopes . it was almost 2:30 . no time for that . after i 'd dropped the packages , being careful not to wake the children ( how would that go ? oh i was just seeing the tooth fairy out ... ' ) , i still felt uneasy . you 're only a kid once . it 's fun to believe in this nonsense . i decided to take it up a notch by sprinkling some pink glitter by their bedsides and made a trail all the way to the upstairs bathroom window . no , i had n't been drinking or using recreational drugs . it just felt right at the time . by now , i was so tired that i was having a semi-out-of-body experience and felt like i really was the tooth fairy . glitter clean-up ? i 'd have one of the lesser fairies take care of it the next day . it will be good for their rã©sumã©s . about 3 a.m. , i remembered seeing a website where you can superimpose pictures of a fairy on a photo of your sleeping child . knowing that nothing would traumatize my youngest daughter more than a visual of an otherworldly creature walking on her face while she lay unconscious , i took a photo of a windowsill upstairs instead . for the low price of $ 7 , i added what looked like a crouching barbie doll wearing a cheap prom dress and wings . as i lay in bed , i created an elaborate backstory of how i 'd managed to take the photo with my iphone right before she spit in my face for scaring her . come morning , the children were as excited as could be to find their plastic food bags beside their beds . there is fairy dust everywhere ! ' they shouted from upstairs . the photo was the icing on the cake . i 'm still trying to decide what the tooth fairy will bring the next time she pays a visit . maybe a gift card . | she managed to avoid the holiday pinterest craze but succumbed with the tooth fairy |
pinterest <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when pinterest exploded onto the scene , enthusiasts could barely contain their excitement over pages upon pages of pastel , lace-trimmed , sugar-sprinkled diy deliciousness . it was the manifestation of our collective consciousness of intended crafts . we spent hours pinning , as if the action itself were a legitimate replacement for actual creation . who does n't want to know how to make skittles-infused vodka ( vomit the rainbow ' ) or create an anytime jersey dress out of an oversized t-shirt ? again , we were n't exactly creating most of these items , but knowing they were safely tucked away within meticulously organized virtual boards was enough to make us feel like creative maestros . for parents , pinterest took things to a whole ...'nother ... level . one could pass days falling down the rabbit hole of ideas spanning every milestone of child rearing . from the time-lapse pregnancy photo montage to gender-reveal cupcakes to lunchbox hand-pies shaped like baby octopi , pinterest left no familial event untouched . suddenly , a rumbling in the distance . an overwhelming tide began to rise . it 's not that these ideas were overly complicated . there were just so many of them . all demanding attention , crying out for a voyage to the craft store , begging to be manifested into fruition . what 's wrong with using tech to distract kids ? initially , i 'd managed to stay on the shore and watch pinthusiasts sink or swim from a distance . pinterest did n't infect me during any of the traditional gateway holidays like christmas or halloween ( did you know both of these holidays now require wreaths ? ) . it got me with the tooth fairy . when i was kid , the tooth fairy , if the wench remembered to come all , would leave a quarter . maybe 50 cents if she was having a good year . a 2012 survey reported that american parents give their children $ 3 per tooth , so even considering 20 years of inflation , my fairy was obviously from the wrong side of the tracks . when i was a child , my mom was studying to become a dentist . maybe to her , the idea of celebrating calcified structures separating from mouth tissue seemed like overkill . these days , a quick tooth fairy ' search on pinterest will result in thousands of ways to turn what should be a very simple transaction into an event worthy of a disney score . i 'm not sure what it is about this specific milestone that had me feeling all romantic , but i knew pinterest would be the place to go for inspiration . by the time my oldest daughter 's first tooth was threatening to wriggle free , i 'd hyped up the tooth fairy significantly . what do you think she 'll bring ? i hope it 's not money . i do n't like money , ' she said as i pulled her comforter to her chin . me too ? ' my 3-year-old worriedly asked from her bed across the room . i 'm not sure what she 's going to bring . and she never forgets little sisters , ' i explained . eventually , the tooth fell out during breakfast . unfortunately , as the day went on , the business of life combined with my chronic tendency to procrastinate proved more powerful than the pinterest-derived tooth fairy extravaganza i 'd planned . i did n't remember the fairy 's scheduled visit until i woke up with a massive start at 2 a.m. the next day . i 'd dropped the ball . my mind started to race with ideas . perhaps the gas station around the corner had candy ... wait no , the tooth fairy would n't give candy ; that 'd be like a doctor handing out big macs . and do i really want to get on the road at 2 a.m. when the bars are closing ? what if there are drunken drivers ? i do n't want to go down as the first pinterest-related death . i began opening every closet in my home , searching the pantry for something that i could pass off as a gift from an enchanted forest warehouse . i found a few mini candy canes , but no , the tooth fairy would clearly be non-denominational . maybe i could make sandwiches shaped like hearts and keep them in the fridge -- no , the present is supposed to be under their pillow . shaved turkey slices on whole wheat have no place in a child 's bedding ; even i know that . i finally found some snack mix that i was sure my kids had n't seen before . combined with a few chocolate chips ... that 's something the tooth fairy would whip together in her middle-earth kitchen , right ? as i prepared the melange and dumped it into sandwich bags , i got a distinct mental picture of a jury of pinterest moms in cardigans shaking their heads at me while knitting stuffed animals . groceries ? really ? ' their leader said . she was wearing a t-shirt dress . it looked amazing on her . i glanced down sheepishly at my work . the bags looked like something you 'd sneak into a movie theater to save $ 5 . not magical enough . i closed the bags with craft twine and finished the whole debacle with wrapping paper . what about a note ? there are hundreds of pins featuring little notes written with what i can only assume are calligraphy pens . people even make matching miniature envelopes . it was almost 2:30 . no time for that . after i 'd dropped the packages , being careful not to wake the children ( how would that go ? oh i was just seeing the tooth fairy out ... ' ) , i still felt uneasy . you 're only a kid once . it 's fun to believe in this nonsense . i decided to take it up a notch by sprinkling some pink glitter by their bedsides and made a trail all the way to the upstairs bathroom window . no , i had n't been drinking or using recreational drugs . it just felt right at the time . by now , i was so tired that i was having a semi-out-of-body experience and felt like i really was the tooth fairy . glitter clean-up ? i 'd have one of the lesser fairies take care of it the next day . it will be good for their rã©sumã©s . about 3 a.m. , i remembered seeing a website where you can superimpose pictures of a fairy on a photo of your sleeping child . knowing that nothing would traumatize my youngest daughter more than a visual of an otherworldly creature walking on her face while she lay unconscious , i took a photo of a windowsill upstairs instead . for the low price of $ 7 , i added what looked like a crouching barbie doll wearing a cheap prom dress and wings . as i lay in bed , i created an elaborate backstory of how i 'd managed to take the photo with my iphone right before she spit in my face for scaring her . come morning , the children were as excited as could be to find their plastic food bags beside their beds . there is fairy dust everywhere ! ' they shouted from upstairs . the photo was the icing on the cake . i 'm still trying to decide what the tooth fairy will bring the next time she pays a visit . maybe a gift card . | honest toddler 's bunmi laditan says pinterest has created unrealistic expectations |
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