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obama <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- jorge munoz is a bus driver in new york city who started feeding the hungry in queens five years ago , using food that would otherwise have been thrown away . and that 's how he discovered a secret -- the power of sharing . people are telling me ,'jorge , you have no money , you do all this and get nothing back .'and i say i have a checking account full of smiles . ' munoz has been recognized as a top ten cnn hero in 2009 and received the u.s. citizens award from president obama . his website is anangelinqueens.org . munoz spoke wednesday with cnn 's elizabeth belanger . here is an edited transcript . cnn : what is it that made you decide to do what you do every day ? jorge munoz : in the beginning it was to try to avoid wasting food in the garbage . but then i realized it was like a mission from god for my family . that 's how we see it . i was working in a summer camp on long island and i was waiting for the kids on the bus , and across the street was a food processing plant . i saw a couple come out with a lot of food , and it was good food . i asked them about it and they said they had to throw it out every friday . but it was good food and i asked them about it , if they could give it to me because i knew someone would want it . so in jackson heights i saw people waiting on the corner , and i asked them what they were doing and they said they had no money for food . so i called my mom and i said i had people to give the food to . at first we brought food for eight guys . and a few days later i saw a few of them on the corner and i asked them about it and they said they sleep under the bridge . that 's when i decided to bring them food [ every day ] . and the first week it was eight guys , and the next week 24 and so on . take the ireport challenge : be an everyday hero cnn : are you out there every day ? what do you provide for people ? munoz : in these 6 ½ years we 've been doing it , i 've missed one day because of a snowstorm . and we 've distributed 121,000 meals over the years , might be more . but every day we make 120 to 140 meals . for the last few months , every piece of bread i get i bring in the morning with soda or water that i buy . besides meals , we provide hot coffee , tea , a piece of cake and sometimes my mom makes chicken soup . and when i have money i provide fruit . when i have a budget , when winter is here , i provide caps , underwear , winter hats , scarves , boots . and this time of the year , on the website , i ask for coat donations . i need about 100 coats because these guys sleep on the street . cnn : why is what you do important today ? munoz : because i have a family at my house and i have a second family out there . and that 's about 130 to 140 guys . and there 's always a line out there . and the economy is not good right now , and those who have a place to stay have to choose between a place to live and food . and when we 're there they have something to eat . at least we provide a little something , and the only thing we ask in return is a smile . if you hand a meal to someone who has n't eaten anything in the last 20 hours and they smile , you know you did something good . cnn : how much food do you cook in the space of a week ? munoz : in a week it 's hard to say , but for example , tomorrow we 're going to cook 22 pounds of rice , 15 pounds of pasta , 10 pounds of frozen vegetables , 10 pounds of onions , 8 to 10 pounds of peppers , 60 pounds of chicken , we do that through the oven . my mom , she 's the one who creates the menu and every day we change the menu . cnn : what was it like to become a cnn hero and what has your life been like since ? munoz : to become a cnn hero , being nominated , it 's a great honor for me , for my family and for my country [ colombia ] . so they know -- i had the chance to be there for almost a month and when i went into a neighborhood and people knew , or even here in new york , people recognize me . and it helped me around the world . one example , there was a teacher in afghanistan and she e-mailed me saying she wanted to start a small meal program in their town because of my story . and there was a little girl in texas , i think she 's 8 , after cnn heroes , she saw the show and the next weekend she went out with her friends and family and sold brownies and lemonade and made $ 25 and sent it to me with a note saying she was touched by my efforts . cnn : are you planning on expanding your efforts beyond queens ? munoz : yeah , we already did . right now , about a month ago , three volunteers they 're doing breakfast in brentwood and two small towns in long island . and in elizabeth , new jersey , they 're starting a meal program and they 're opening one in miami with sandwiches and water . i 'm with them and they 're helping me out . cnn : you received the u.s. citizen 's award from president obama this year -- what was that like and what did that mean to you ? munoz : that was a great honor . a great honor . why , because not that many people have a chance to go to the white house invited by the president of the united states . and he told me i did a great job and to continue doing what i 'm doing . today president barack obama wants to shake your hand and tell you not to give up your mission . cnn : who is your biggest inspiration ? munoz : my mom . i always say my mom is my hero . because she taught me how to share . she told me if you share you 're ok with god . cnn : what would you say to people who are trying to figure out a way that they can give back to their community ? munoz : if you share , share anything you have you 're not using like clothes , toys , share it to make other people happy . people in this country cook more than they need and two days later it goes from the refrigerator to the garbage . if you see someone standing on the corner and have $ 2 , buy them a cup of coffee and a piece of bread . i 'm doing it seven days a week , but just do it once in a while and you 'll feel what i feel . and when that person is smiling at you you 'll know you 're doing something good . do it from the inside . share . sharing is a beautiful thing . think of me , i 'm a regular union worker , bus driver and i 'm trying to change the lives of the hungry . and imagine if everyone around the world got together to change the lives of the hungry . imagine if they helped once in a while , you 'd see a lot of change . so share , it 's a beautiful thing . | munoz has been recognized as a cnn hero , given award by president obama |
munoz <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- jorge munoz is a bus driver in new york city who started feeding the hungry in queens five years ago , using food that would otherwise have been thrown away . and that 's how he discovered a secret -- the power of sharing . people are telling me ,'jorge , you have no money , you do all this and get nothing back .'and i say i have a checking account full of smiles . ' munoz has been recognized as a top ten cnn hero in 2009 and received the u.s. citizens award from president obama . his website is anangelinqueens.org . munoz spoke wednesday with cnn 's elizabeth belanger . here is an edited transcript . cnn : what is it that made you decide to do what you do every day ? jorge munoz : in the beginning it was to try to avoid wasting food in the garbage . but then i realized it was like a mission from god for my family . that 's how we see it . i was working in a summer camp on long island and i was waiting for the kids on the bus , and across the street was a food processing plant . i saw a couple come out with a lot of food , and it was good food . i asked them about it and they said they had to throw it out every friday . but it was good food and i asked them about it , if they could give it to me because i knew someone would want it . so in jackson heights i saw people waiting on the corner , and i asked them what they were doing and they said they had no money for food . so i called my mom and i said i had people to give the food to . at first we brought food for eight guys . and a few days later i saw a few of them on the corner and i asked them about it and they said they sleep under the bridge . that 's when i decided to bring them food [ every day ] . and the first week it was eight guys , and the next week 24 and so on . take the ireport challenge : be an everyday hero cnn : are you out there every day ? what do you provide for people ? munoz : in these 6 ½ years we 've been doing it , i 've missed one day because of a snowstorm . and we 've distributed 121,000 meals over the years , might be more . but every day we make 120 to 140 meals . for the last few months , every piece of bread i get i bring in the morning with soda or water that i buy . besides meals , we provide hot coffee , tea , a piece of cake and sometimes my mom makes chicken soup . and when i have money i provide fruit . when i have a budget , when winter is here , i provide caps , underwear , winter hats , scarves , boots . and this time of the year , on the website , i ask for coat donations . i need about 100 coats because these guys sleep on the street . cnn : why is what you do important today ? munoz : because i have a family at my house and i have a second family out there . and that 's about 130 to 140 guys . and there 's always a line out there . and the economy is not good right now , and those who have a place to stay have to choose between a place to live and food . and when we 're there they have something to eat . at least we provide a little something , and the only thing we ask in return is a smile . if you hand a meal to someone who has n't eaten anything in the last 20 hours and they smile , you know you did something good . cnn : how much food do you cook in the space of a week ? munoz : in a week it 's hard to say , but for example , tomorrow we 're going to cook 22 pounds of rice , 15 pounds of pasta , 10 pounds of frozen vegetables , 10 pounds of onions , 8 to 10 pounds of peppers , 60 pounds of chicken , we do that through the oven . my mom , she 's the one who creates the menu and every day we change the menu . cnn : what was it like to become a cnn hero and what has your life been like since ? munoz : to become a cnn hero , being nominated , it 's a great honor for me , for my family and for my country [ colombia ] . so they know -- i had the chance to be there for almost a month and when i went into a neighborhood and people knew , or even here in new york , people recognize me . and it helped me around the world . one example , there was a teacher in afghanistan and she e-mailed me saying she wanted to start a small meal program in their town because of my story . and there was a little girl in texas , i think she 's 8 , after cnn heroes , she saw the show and the next weekend she went out with her friends and family and sold brownies and lemonade and made $ 25 and sent it to me with a note saying she was touched by my efforts . cnn : are you planning on expanding your efforts beyond queens ? munoz : yeah , we already did . right now , about a month ago , three volunteers they 're doing breakfast in brentwood and two small towns in long island . and in elizabeth , new jersey , they 're starting a meal program and they 're opening one in miami with sandwiches and water . i 'm with them and they 're helping me out . cnn : you received the u.s. citizen 's award from president obama this year -- what was that like and what did that mean to you ? munoz : that was a great honor . a great honor . why , because not that many people have a chance to go to the white house invited by the president of the united states . and he told me i did a great job and to continue doing what i 'm doing . today president barack obama wants to shake your hand and tell you not to give up your mission . cnn : who is your biggest inspiration ? munoz : my mom . i always say my mom is my hero . because she taught me how to share . she told me if you share you 're ok with god . cnn : what would you say to people who are trying to figure out a way that they can give back to their community ? munoz : if you share , share anything you have you 're not using like clothes , toys , share it to make other people happy . people in this country cook more than they need and two days later it goes from the refrigerator to the garbage . if you see someone standing on the corner and have $ 2 , buy them a cup of coffee and a piece of bread . i 'm doing it seven days a week , but just do it once in a while and you 'll feel what i feel . and when that person is smiling at you you 'll know you 're doing something good . do it from the inside . share . sharing is a beautiful thing . think of me , i 'm a regular union worker , bus driver and i 'm trying to change the lives of the hungry . and imagine if everyone around the world got together to change the lives of the hungry . imagine if they helped once in a while , you 'd see a lot of change . so share , it 's a beautiful thing . | munoz has been recognized as a cnn hero , given award by president obama |
munoz <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- jorge munoz is a bus driver in new york city who started feeding the hungry in queens five years ago , using food that would otherwise have been thrown away . and that 's how he discovered a secret -- the power of sharing . people are telling me ,'jorge , you have no money , you do all this and get nothing back .'and i say i have a checking account full of smiles . ' munoz has been recognized as a top ten cnn hero in 2009 and received the u.s. citizens award from president obama . his website is anangelinqueens.org . munoz spoke wednesday with cnn 's elizabeth belanger . here is an edited transcript . cnn : what is it that made you decide to do what you do every day ? jorge munoz : in the beginning it was to try to avoid wasting food in the garbage . but then i realized it was like a mission from god for my family . that 's how we see it . i was working in a summer camp on long island and i was waiting for the kids on the bus , and across the street was a food processing plant . i saw a couple come out with a lot of food , and it was good food . i asked them about it and they said they had to throw it out every friday . but it was good food and i asked them about it , if they could give it to me because i knew someone would want it . so in jackson heights i saw people waiting on the corner , and i asked them what they were doing and they said they had no money for food . so i called my mom and i said i had people to give the food to . at first we brought food for eight guys . and a few days later i saw a few of them on the corner and i asked them about it and they said they sleep under the bridge . that 's when i decided to bring them food [ every day ] . and the first week it was eight guys , and the next week 24 and so on . take the ireport challenge : be an everyday hero cnn : are you out there every day ? what do you provide for people ? munoz : in these 6 ½ years we 've been doing it , i 've missed one day because of a snowstorm . and we 've distributed 121,000 meals over the years , might be more . but every day we make 120 to 140 meals . for the last few months , every piece of bread i get i bring in the morning with soda or water that i buy . besides meals , we provide hot coffee , tea , a piece of cake and sometimes my mom makes chicken soup . and when i have money i provide fruit . when i have a budget , when winter is here , i provide caps , underwear , winter hats , scarves , boots . and this time of the year , on the website , i ask for coat donations . i need about 100 coats because these guys sleep on the street . cnn : why is what you do important today ? munoz : because i have a family at my house and i have a second family out there . and that 's about 130 to 140 guys . and there 's always a line out there . and the economy is not good right now , and those who have a place to stay have to choose between a place to live and food . and when we 're there they have something to eat . at least we provide a little something , and the only thing we ask in return is a smile . if you hand a meal to someone who has n't eaten anything in the last 20 hours and they smile , you know you did something good . cnn : how much food do you cook in the space of a week ? munoz : in a week it 's hard to say , but for example , tomorrow we 're going to cook 22 pounds of rice , 15 pounds of pasta , 10 pounds of frozen vegetables , 10 pounds of onions , 8 to 10 pounds of peppers , 60 pounds of chicken , we do that through the oven . my mom , she 's the one who creates the menu and every day we change the menu . cnn : what was it like to become a cnn hero and what has your life been like since ? munoz : to become a cnn hero , being nominated , it 's a great honor for me , for my family and for my country [ colombia ] . so they know -- i had the chance to be there for almost a month and when i went into a neighborhood and people knew , or even here in new york , people recognize me . and it helped me around the world . one example , there was a teacher in afghanistan and she e-mailed me saying she wanted to start a small meal program in their town because of my story . and there was a little girl in texas , i think she 's 8 , after cnn heroes , she saw the show and the next weekend she went out with her friends and family and sold brownies and lemonade and made $ 25 and sent it to me with a note saying she was touched by my efforts . cnn : are you planning on expanding your efforts beyond queens ? munoz : yeah , we already did . right now , about a month ago , three volunteers they 're doing breakfast in brentwood and two small towns in long island . and in elizabeth , new jersey , they 're starting a meal program and they 're opening one in miami with sandwiches and water . i 'm with them and they 're helping me out . cnn : you received the u.s. citizen 's award from president obama this year -- what was that like and what did that mean to you ? munoz : that was a great honor . a great honor . why , because not that many people have a chance to go to the white house invited by the president of the united states . and he told me i did a great job and to continue doing what i 'm doing . today president barack obama wants to shake your hand and tell you not to give up your mission . cnn : who is your biggest inspiration ? munoz : my mom . i always say my mom is my hero . because she taught me how to share . she told me if you share you 're ok with god . cnn : what would you say to people who are trying to figure out a way that they can give back to their community ? munoz : if you share , share anything you have you 're not using like clothes , toys , share it to make other people happy . people in this country cook more than they need and two days later it goes from the refrigerator to the garbage . if you see someone standing on the corner and have $ 2 , buy them a cup of coffee and a piece of bread . i 'm doing it seven days a week , but just do it once in a while and you 'll feel what i feel . and when that person is smiling at you you 'll know you 're doing something good . do it from the inside . share . sharing is a beautiful thing . think of me , i 'm a regular union worker , bus driver and i 'm trying to change the lives of the hungry . and imagine if everyone around the world got together to change the lives of the hungry . imagine if they helped once in a while , you 'd see a lot of change . so share , it 's a beautiful thing . | jorge munoz is a bus driver who started delivering surplus food to the homeless |
munoz <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- jorge munoz is a bus driver in new york city who started feeding the hungry in queens five years ago , using food that would otherwise have been thrown away . and that 's how he discovered a secret -- the power of sharing . people are telling me ,'jorge , you have no money , you do all this and get nothing back .'and i say i have a checking account full of smiles . ' munoz has been recognized as a top ten cnn hero in 2009 and received the u.s. citizens award from president obama . his website is anangelinqueens.org . munoz spoke wednesday with cnn 's elizabeth belanger . here is an edited transcript . cnn : what is it that made you decide to do what you do every day ? jorge munoz : in the beginning it was to try to avoid wasting food in the garbage . but then i realized it was like a mission from god for my family . that 's how we see it . i was working in a summer camp on long island and i was waiting for the kids on the bus , and across the street was a food processing plant . i saw a couple come out with a lot of food , and it was good food . i asked them about it and they said they had to throw it out every friday . but it was good food and i asked them about it , if they could give it to me because i knew someone would want it . so in jackson heights i saw people waiting on the corner , and i asked them what they were doing and they said they had no money for food . so i called my mom and i said i had people to give the food to . at first we brought food for eight guys . and a few days later i saw a few of them on the corner and i asked them about it and they said they sleep under the bridge . that 's when i decided to bring them food [ every day ] . and the first week it was eight guys , and the next week 24 and so on . take the ireport challenge : be an everyday hero cnn : are you out there every day ? what do you provide for people ? munoz : in these 6 ½ years we 've been doing it , i 've missed one day because of a snowstorm . and we 've distributed 121,000 meals over the years , might be more . but every day we make 120 to 140 meals . for the last few months , every piece of bread i get i bring in the morning with soda or water that i buy . besides meals , we provide hot coffee , tea , a piece of cake and sometimes my mom makes chicken soup . and when i have money i provide fruit . when i have a budget , when winter is here , i provide caps , underwear , winter hats , scarves , boots . and this time of the year , on the website , i ask for coat donations . i need about 100 coats because these guys sleep on the street . cnn : why is what you do important today ? munoz : because i have a family at my house and i have a second family out there . and that 's about 130 to 140 guys . and there 's always a line out there . and the economy is not good right now , and those who have a place to stay have to choose between a place to live and food . and when we 're there they have something to eat . at least we provide a little something , and the only thing we ask in return is a smile . if you hand a meal to someone who has n't eaten anything in the last 20 hours and they smile , you know you did something good . cnn : how much food do you cook in the space of a week ? munoz : in a week it 's hard to say , but for example , tomorrow we 're going to cook 22 pounds of rice , 15 pounds of pasta , 10 pounds of frozen vegetables , 10 pounds of onions , 8 to 10 pounds of peppers , 60 pounds of chicken , we do that through the oven . my mom , she 's the one who creates the menu and every day we change the menu . cnn : what was it like to become a cnn hero and what has your life been like since ? munoz : to become a cnn hero , being nominated , it 's a great honor for me , for my family and for my country [ colombia ] . so they know -- i had the chance to be there for almost a month and when i went into a neighborhood and people knew , or even here in new york , people recognize me . and it helped me around the world . one example , there was a teacher in afghanistan and she e-mailed me saying she wanted to start a small meal program in their town because of my story . and there was a little girl in texas , i think she 's 8 , after cnn heroes , she saw the show and the next weekend she went out with her friends and family and sold brownies and lemonade and made $ 25 and sent it to me with a note saying she was touched by my efforts . cnn : are you planning on expanding your efforts beyond queens ? munoz : yeah , we already did . right now , about a month ago , three volunteers they 're doing breakfast in brentwood and two small towns in long island . and in elizabeth , new jersey , they 're starting a meal program and they 're opening one in miami with sandwiches and water . i 'm with them and they 're helping me out . cnn : you received the u.s. citizen 's award from president obama this year -- what was that like and what did that mean to you ? munoz : that was a great honor . a great honor . why , because not that many people have a chance to go to the white house invited by the president of the united states . and he told me i did a great job and to continue doing what i 'm doing . today president barack obama wants to shake your hand and tell you not to give up your mission . cnn : who is your biggest inspiration ? munoz : my mom . i always say my mom is my hero . because she taught me how to share . she told me if you share you 're ok with god . cnn : what would you say to people who are trying to figure out a way that they can give back to their community ? munoz : if you share , share anything you have you 're not using like clothes , toys , share it to make other people happy . people in this country cook more than they need and two days later it goes from the refrigerator to the garbage . if you see someone standing on the corner and have $ 2 , buy them a cup of coffee and a piece of bread . i 'm doing it seven days a week , but just do it once in a while and you 'll feel what i feel . and when that person is smiling at you you 'll know you 're doing something good . do it from the inside . share . sharing is a beautiful thing . think of me , i 'm a regular union worker , bus driver and i 'm trying to change the lives of the hungry . and imagine if everyone around the world got together to change the lives of the hungry . imagine if they helped once in a while , you 'd see a lot of change . so share , it 's a beautiful thing . | munoz : smiles of those he helps make it worthwhile |
john garamendi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the crisis in crimea , though potentially destabilizing to the global economy , may present a silver lining to the u.s. economy : an opportunity to reinvigorate the american shipbuilding industry and merchant marine . even though russia supplies 30 % of europe 's natural gas , president vladimir putin 's territorial aggression is causing europe to look elsewhere for its energy needs . the u.s. should be prudent in exporting this natural resource , which has led to resurgence in domestic manufacturing , but i believe that the liquefied natural gas we do send overseas should be shipped on u.s.-flagged tankers and crewed by u.s. licensed and unlicensed mariners . i am pursuing this policy , as the ranking member of the coast guard and maritime transportation subcommittee and a member of the house armed services committee , because it will boost the domestic maritime industry and strengthen our national defense and economic security . u.s. natural gas , globally , is abundant and cheap , making it an attractive commodity for other nations that are net importers of energy resources . the department of energy has approved seven liquefied natural gas export applications , and 24 more are pending . to transport gas via the ocean , the world must rely upon two countries to build these tanker vessels : japan and south korea . despite being the early pioneer in gas tanker technology , america is no longer on this list . for decades , the federal government and congress have largely ignored the health of its own shipbuilding industry , especially the capacity to build large oceangoing tankers , bulk carriers and container vessels . in 1951 , we had 1,200 ships in the u.s. foreign trade . today , we have 90 ships . obviously , this is not a good trajectory if we are to maintain our heritage as a great maritime nation . everyone agrees that the u.s. is the greatest naval power in the world . but our naval superiority may not sustain itself if we fail to make the necessary investments to maintain and enhance our technological edge . we can do that by reinvigorating an innovative shipbuilding industrial base , and by requiring that liquefied natural gas exports be carried on american bottoms , we can provide a new long-term market to sustain this revitalization . those who oppose such a policy often point to two criticisms . first , recognizing at present that there are no american shipyards building liquefied natural gas tankers , how can we require such exports to be carried on u.s. ships that are not being built ? they are not being built because in some markets , especially strategic ones like shipbuilding and defense , the government must require that we maintain these capabilities through policies such as the one i am proposing . our shipyards assure me that if we were to adopt such a policy , they could retool their production lines and have liquefied natural gas tankers sliding down the ways within five years , not long after the first export terminal is completed . the other criticism is that it will cost more to use american-built liquefied natural gas tankers than those built in foreign yards and that this cost differential will be an impediment to the growth of the export market . this argument is about the bottom line of energy companies and not the bottom line of america 's shipbuilding industry . our nation 's economic and national security and the well-being of our middle class would benefit from this new source of high-paying jobs , both in the shipyards and in our merchant marine . opportunities must be seized when they become apparent . we have allowed other nations to wrest away from the u.s. its former dominance in this strategically vital industry . we must seize the exportation of natural gas as an opportunity to reinvigorate the domestic maritime industry and bolster our national defense . we are a maritime nation , and we can build liquefied natural gas tankers in america . but in order to do so , we must act now . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of rep. john garamendi . | rep. john garamendi argues that europe may look beyond russia for natural gas |
south korea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the crisis in crimea , though potentially destabilizing to the global economy , may present a silver lining to the u.s. economy : an opportunity to reinvigorate the american shipbuilding industry and merchant marine . even though russia supplies 30 % of europe 's natural gas , president vladimir putin 's territorial aggression is causing europe to look elsewhere for its energy needs . the u.s. should be prudent in exporting this natural resource , which has led to resurgence in domestic manufacturing , but i believe that the liquefied natural gas we do send overseas should be shipped on u.s.-flagged tankers and crewed by u.s. licensed and unlicensed mariners . i am pursuing this policy , as the ranking member of the coast guard and maritime transportation subcommittee and a member of the house armed services committee , because it will boost the domestic maritime industry and strengthen our national defense and economic security . u.s. natural gas , globally , is abundant and cheap , making it an attractive commodity for other nations that are net importers of energy resources . the department of energy has approved seven liquefied natural gas export applications , and 24 more are pending . to transport gas via the ocean , the world must rely upon two countries to build these tanker vessels : japan and south korea . despite being the early pioneer in gas tanker technology , america is no longer on this list . for decades , the federal government and congress have largely ignored the health of its own shipbuilding industry , especially the capacity to build large oceangoing tankers , bulk carriers and container vessels . in 1951 , we had 1,200 ships in the u.s. foreign trade . today , we have 90 ships . obviously , this is not a good trajectory if we are to maintain our heritage as a great maritime nation . everyone agrees that the u.s. is the greatest naval power in the world . but our naval superiority may not sustain itself if we fail to make the necessary investments to maintain and enhance our technological edge . we can do that by reinvigorating an innovative shipbuilding industrial base , and by requiring that liquefied natural gas exports be carried on american bottoms , we can provide a new long-term market to sustain this revitalization . those who oppose such a policy often point to two criticisms . first , recognizing at present that there are no american shipyards building liquefied natural gas tankers , how can we require such exports to be carried on u.s. ships that are not being built ? they are not being built because in some markets , especially strategic ones like shipbuilding and defense , the government must require that we maintain these capabilities through policies such as the one i am proposing . our shipyards assure me that if we were to adopt such a policy , they could retool their production lines and have liquefied natural gas tankers sliding down the ways within five years , not long after the first export terminal is completed . the other criticism is that it will cost more to use american-built liquefied natural gas tankers than those built in foreign yards and that this cost differential will be an impediment to the growth of the export market . this argument is about the bottom line of energy companies and not the bottom line of america 's shipbuilding industry . our nation 's economic and national security and the well-being of our middle class would benefit from this new source of high-paying jobs , both in the shipyards and in our merchant marine . opportunities must be seized when they become apparent . we have allowed other nations to wrest away from the u.s. its former dominance in this strategically vital industry . we must seize the exportation of natural gas as an opportunity to reinvigorate the domestic maritime industry and bolster our national defense . we are a maritime nation , and we can build liquefied natural gas tankers in america . but in order to do so , we must act now . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of rep. john garamendi . | but the u.s. shipbuilding industry has withered as japan and south korea have thrived |
russia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- usually when we talk about the 1936 olympics in berlin we focus on two men -- adolf hitler and jesse owens -- and rightfully so . they are the two with an undeniable impact on history , albeit in vastly different ways . but in light of president barack obama 's recent remarks on the tonight show ' denouncing russia 's new anti-gay laws , laws that have led to bloodshed in the streets , it is important that we remember marty glickman and sam stoller . they too were at those games . they too left a mark . you see , the day before they were scheduled to run in the 400-meter relay , their coach , dean cromwell , replaced them . they were not injured . they did not break any team rules nor were they disqualified for any violations . they were , however , jewish , and this was nazi germany , which had adopted the nuremberg laws limiting jewish citizens'rights a year earlier . apparently , cromwell , along with leaders from the u.s. olympic committee , decided it would be best if glickman and stoller did not compete . at the time i 'm sure it seemed like a decision that would only hurt the two men . after all , the 400 , led by owens , still won gold . today we know better . today we look at that decision and lower our heads in shame , understanding that it made us complicit with something that evolved into a far worse crime than unjustly replacing a pair of sprinters . in the moment when we should have spoken up , we remained silent . and so here we are again : an olympics on the horizon , another host country with recently legislated laws persecuting a group of people , and for a while , we were silent . and then tuesday happened . i 've been very clear that when it comes to universal rights , when it comes to people 's basic freedoms , that whether you are discriminating on the basis of race , religion , gender or sexual orientation , you are violating the basic morality that i think should transcend every country , ' obama said , going on to talk about how russia 's treatment of lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people goes against the spirit of the olympics . he did not call for a boycott . but on wednesday he canceled a one-on-one meeting with russian president vladimir putin planned for september . the white house cited russia 's decision to grant asylum to national security agency leaker edward snowden and lack of progress on issues such as missile defense and arms control ' among other reasons . but it also mentioned human rights issues . recently , u.s. secretary of state john kerry received a letter from 88 members of congress -- republicans and democrats -- urging him to do something to guarantee the safety of lgbt americans visiting russia during that time . that leaves 447 lawmakers we should be asking why they did not sign that letter . last month buzzfeed provided the world photos of lgbt people being violently beaten by anti-gay protesters and police in russia . there are reports of lgbt teens being kidnapped , bullied , tortured and killed . russian officials have said they do n't condone the attacks , but police have stood by while they happened and then arrested the battered victims for being gay . and because it is unclear whether or not the anti-gay laws will be enforced during the olympics , the safety of all americans -- because you can be arrested if police think you look gay or even if you support gays -- is in question . which brings me to : why are n't the names of all 535 members of congress on that letter ? in talking about the 1936 olympics , i do not equate what is happening in russia to what happened to jewish people during world war ii . i just want to remind you that the holocaust did not happen overnight . it was subtle . surgical . in silence . these new anti-gay laws are disturbingly similar to the anti-semitic nuremberg laws hitler passed before the 1936 olympics . and with the pew institute finding 84 % of russians believe society should reject gay people , perhaps some saying they object to gays for fear of arrest , the world should question how far russia intends to go . we should question how far russia , our lukewarm ally , intends to go and what our participation in the 2014 olympic games will look like generations from now . in one of his final interviews before passing away in 2001 , glickman told the san diego jewish press-heritage that there had been some talk of boycotting the 1936 olympics because of hitler , but no one foresaw what would happen to the jews a short time later . there is no way in the world that i would think of going to nazi germany , ' he said . the holocaust and those things around nazi germany which we all loathe were n't in existence in 1936 . ' no one can predict the future . but this week obama showed he learned an important lesson from our olympic past -- offering silence to appease evil is a senseless endeavor because evil will never be satisfied . now it 's our turn to speak up . there are 447 members of congress who have yet to sign that letter to kerry -- we need to be asking why . photos : wrecking homes for an olympic highway the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of lz granderson . | in russia , lgbt teens reportedly being kidnapped , bullied , even killed , he says |
russia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- usually when we talk about the 1936 olympics in berlin we focus on two men -- adolf hitler and jesse owens -- and rightfully so . they are the two with an undeniable impact on history , albeit in vastly different ways . but in light of president barack obama 's recent remarks on the tonight show ' denouncing russia 's new anti-gay laws , laws that have led to bloodshed in the streets , it is important that we remember marty glickman and sam stoller . they too were at those games . they too left a mark . you see , the day before they were scheduled to run in the 400-meter relay , their coach , dean cromwell , replaced them . they were not injured . they did not break any team rules nor were they disqualified for any violations . they were , however , jewish , and this was nazi germany , which had adopted the nuremberg laws limiting jewish citizens'rights a year earlier . apparently , cromwell , along with leaders from the u.s. olympic committee , decided it would be best if glickman and stoller did not compete . at the time i 'm sure it seemed like a decision that would only hurt the two men . after all , the 400 , led by owens , still won gold . today we know better . today we look at that decision and lower our heads in shame , understanding that it made us complicit with something that evolved into a far worse crime than unjustly replacing a pair of sprinters . in the moment when we should have spoken up , we remained silent . and so here we are again : an olympics on the horizon , another host country with recently legislated laws persecuting a group of people , and for a while , we were silent . and then tuesday happened . i 've been very clear that when it comes to universal rights , when it comes to people 's basic freedoms , that whether you are discriminating on the basis of race , religion , gender or sexual orientation , you are violating the basic morality that i think should transcend every country , ' obama said , going on to talk about how russia 's treatment of lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people goes against the spirit of the olympics . he did not call for a boycott . but on wednesday he canceled a one-on-one meeting with russian president vladimir putin planned for september . the white house cited russia 's decision to grant asylum to national security agency leaker edward snowden and lack of progress on issues such as missile defense and arms control ' among other reasons . but it also mentioned human rights issues . recently , u.s. secretary of state john kerry received a letter from 88 members of congress -- republicans and democrats -- urging him to do something to guarantee the safety of lgbt americans visiting russia during that time . that leaves 447 lawmakers we should be asking why they did not sign that letter . last month buzzfeed provided the world photos of lgbt people being violently beaten by anti-gay protesters and police in russia . there are reports of lgbt teens being kidnapped , bullied , tortured and killed . russian officials have said they do n't condone the attacks , but police have stood by while they happened and then arrested the battered victims for being gay . and because it is unclear whether or not the anti-gay laws will be enforced during the olympics , the safety of all americans -- because you can be arrested if police think you look gay or even if you support gays -- is in question . which brings me to : why are n't the names of all 535 members of congress on that letter ? in talking about the 1936 olympics , i do not equate what is happening in russia to what happened to jewish people during world war ii . i just want to remind you that the holocaust did not happen overnight . it was subtle . surgical . in silence . these new anti-gay laws are disturbingly similar to the anti-semitic nuremberg laws hitler passed before the 1936 olympics . and with the pew institute finding 84 % of russians believe society should reject gay people , perhaps some saying they object to gays for fear of arrest , the world should question how far russia intends to go . we should question how far russia , our lukewarm ally , intends to go and what our participation in the 2014 olympic games will look like generations from now . in one of his final interviews before passing away in 2001 , glickman told the san diego jewish press-heritage that there had been some talk of boycotting the 1936 olympics because of hitler , but no one foresaw what would happen to the jews a short time later . there is no way in the world that i would think of going to nazi germany , ' he said . the holocaust and those things around nazi germany which we all loathe were n't in existence in 1936 . ' no one can predict the future . but this week obama showed he learned an important lesson from our olympic past -- offering silence to appease evil is a senseless endeavor because evil will never be satisfied . now it 's our turn to speak up . there are 447 members of congress who have yet to sign that letter to kerry -- we need to be asking why . photos : wrecking homes for an olympic highway the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of lz granderson . | all of congress should sign letter for russia to ensure lgbt americans'safety , he says |
russia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- usually when we talk about the 1936 olympics in berlin we focus on two men -- adolf hitler and jesse owens -- and rightfully so . they are the two with an undeniable impact on history , albeit in vastly different ways . but in light of president barack obama 's recent remarks on the tonight show ' denouncing russia 's new anti-gay laws , laws that have led to bloodshed in the streets , it is important that we remember marty glickman and sam stoller . they too were at those games . they too left a mark . you see , the day before they were scheduled to run in the 400-meter relay , their coach , dean cromwell , replaced them . they were not injured . they did not break any team rules nor were they disqualified for any violations . they were , however , jewish , and this was nazi germany , which had adopted the nuremberg laws limiting jewish citizens'rights a year earlier . apparently , cromwell , along with leaders from the u.s. olympic committee , decided it would be best if glickman and stoller did not compete . at the time i 'm sure it seemed like a decision that would only hurt the two men . after all , the 400 , led by owens , still won gold . today we know better . today we look at that decision and lower our heads in shame , understanding that it made us complicit with something that evolved into a far worse crime than unjustly replacing a pair of sprinters . in the moment when we should have spoken up , we remained silent . and so here we are again : an olympics on the horizon , another host country with recently legislated laws persecuting a group of people , and for a while , we were silent . and then tuesday happened . i 've been very clear that when it comes to universal rights , when it comes to people 's basic freedoms , that whether you are discriminating on the basis of race , religion , gender or sexual orientation , you are violating the basic morality that i think should transcend every country , ' obama said , going on to talk about how russia 's treatment of lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people goes against the spirit of the olympics . he did not call for a boycott . but on wednesday he canceled a one-on-one meeting with russian president vladimir putin planned for september . the white house cited russia 's decision to grant asylum to national security agency leaker edward snowden and lack of progress on issues such as missile defense and arms control ' among other reasons . but it also mentioned human rights issues . recently , u.s. secretary of state john kerry received a letter from 88 members of congress -- republicans and democrats -- urging him to do something to guarantee the safety of lgbt americans visiting russia during that time . that leaves 447 lawmakers we should be asking why they did not sign that letter . last month buzzfeed provided the world photos of lgbt people being violently beaten by anti-gay protesters and police in russia . there are reports of lgbt teens being kidnapped , bullied , tortured and killed . russian officials have said they do n't condone the attacks , but police have stood by while they happened and then arrested the battered victims for being gay . and because it is unclear whether or not the anti-gay laws will be enforced during the olympics , the safety of all americans -- because you can be arrested if police think you look gay or even if you support gays -- is in question . which brings me to : why are n't the names of all 535 members of congress on that letter ? in talking about the 1936 olympics , i do not equate what is happening in russia to what happened to jewish people during world war ii . i just want to remind you that the holocaust did not happen overnight . it was subtle . surgical . in silence . these new anti-gay laws are disturbingly similar to the anti-semitic nuremberg laws hitler passed before the 1936 olympics . and with the pew institute finding 84 % of russians believe society should reject gay people , perhaps some saying they object to gays for fear of arrest , the world should question how far russia intends to go . we should question how far russia , our lukewarm ally , intends to go and what our participation in the 2014 olympic games will look like generations from now . in one of his final interviews before passing away in 2001 , glickman told the san diego jewish press-heritage that there had been some talk of boycotting the 1936 olympics because of hitler , but no one foresaw what would happen to the jews a short time later . there is no way in the world that i would think of going to nazi germany , ' he said . the holocaust and those things around nazi germany which we all loathe were n't in existence in 1936 . ' no one can predict the future . but this week obama showed he learned an important lesson from our olympic past -- offering silence to appease evil is a senseless endeavor because evil will never be satisfied . now it 's our turn to speak up . there are 447 members of congress who have yet to sign that letter to kerry -- we need to be asking why . photos : wrecking homes for an olympic highway the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of lz granderson . | lz granderson : the 2014 olympics taking place in russia with its extreme anti-gay laws |
bergdahl <tsp> the u.s. military has obtained new video apparently made by those holding the lone american prisoner of war , army sgt . bowe bergdahl . a u.s. military official told cnn the clip shows the wood river valley , idaho , native in diminished health from the effects of close to five years in captivity . he was seized in afghanistan in june 2009 and is believed held by the taliban-aligned haqqani network in pakistan , the official said . the so-called proof-of-life video , the first of him in nearly three years , has a reference to december 14 , 2013 . cnn has not seen the video . u.s. efforts to free bergdahl , including negotiating for his release , have so far failed . sgt . bowe bergdahl has been gone far too long , and we continue to call for and work toward his safe and immediate release , ' a pentagon spokesman said . bergdahl strong , well-rounded and easy to talk to , friends say ' we can not discuss all the details of our efforts , but there should be no doubt that on a daily basis -- using our military , intelligence and diplomatic tools -- we work to see sgt . bergdahl returned home safely , ' the spokesman said . his family , who received a letter from him last year via the red cross , issued a statement in response to the latest video . as we have done so many times over the past 4 and a half years , we request his captors to release him safely so that our only son can be reunited with his mother and father , ' the statement reads . bowe - if see this , continue to remain strong through patience . your endurance will carry you to the finish line . breathe ! ' bergdahl was 23 when he was captured after finishing a guard shift at a combat outpost in southeastern paktika province . the u.s. government acknowledged in may 2012 that it was engaged in talks with the taliban to free bergdahl . the discussions moved in fits and starts because of u.s. concerns that any taliban prisoners swapped for bergdahl might be repatriated and allowed to rejoin the fight . later that year , however , the white house announced it was willing to send five taliban prisoners to qatar in exchange for bergdahl . u.s. pow 's dad to taliban :'let there be peace' pow and mia in iraq and afghanistan | first video of bergdahl in nearly three years surfaces |
bergdahl <tsp> the u.s. military has obtained new video apparently made by those holding the lone american prisoner of war , army sgt . bowe bergdahl . a u.s. military official told cnn the clip shows the wood river valley , idaho , native in diminished health from the effects of close to five years in captivity . he was seized in afghanistan in june 2009 and is believed held by the taliban-aligned haqqani network in pakistan , the official said . the so-called proof-of-life video , the first of him in nearly three years , has a reference to december 14 , 2013 . cnn has not seen the video . u.s. efforts to free bergdahl , including negotiating for his release , have so far failed . sgt . bowe bergdahl has been gone far too long , and we continue to call for and work toward his safe and immediate release , ' a pentagon spokesman said . bergdahl strong , well-rounded and easy to talk to , friends say ' we can not discuss all the details of our efforts , but there should be no doubt that on a daily basis -- using our military , intelligence and diplomatic tools -- we work to see sgt . bergdahl returned home safely , ' the spokesman said . his family , who received a letter from him last year via the red cross , issued a statement in response to the latest video . as we have done so many times over the past 4 and a half years , we request his captors to release him safely so that our only son can be reunited with his mother and father , ' the statement reads . bowe - if see this , continue to remain strong through patience . your endurance will carry you to the finish line . breathe ! ' bergdahl was 23 when he was captured after finishing a guard shift at a combat outpost in southeastern paktika province . the u.s. government acknowledged in may 2012 that it was engaged in talks with the taliban to free bergdahl . the discussions moved in fits and starts because of u.s. concerns that any taliban prisoners swapped for bergdahl might be repatriated and allowed to rejoin the fight . later that year , however , the white house announced it was willing to send five taliban prisoners to qatar in exchange for bergdahl . u.s. pow 's dad to taliban :'let there be peace' pow and mia in iraq and afghanistan | u.s. efforts to free bergdahl , including negotiating for his release , have so far failed |
bergdahl <tsp> the u.s. military has obtained new video apparently made by those holding the lone american prisoner of war , army sgt . bowe bergdahl . a u.s. military official told cnn the clip shows the wood river valley , idaho , native in diminished health from the effects of close to five years in captivity . he was seized in afghanistan in june 2009 and is believed held by the taliban-aligned haqqani network in pakistan , the official said . the so-called proof-of-life video , the first of him in nearly three years , has a reference to december 14 , 2013 . cnn has not seen the video . u.s. efforts to free bergdahl , including negotiating for his release , have so far failed . sgt . bowe bergdahl has been gone far too long , and we continue to call for and work toward his safe and immediate release , ' a pentagon spokesman said . bergdahl strong , well-rounded and easy to talk to , friends say ' we can not discuss all the details of our efforts , but there should be no doubt that on a daily basis -- using our military , intelligence and diplomatic tools -- we work to see sgt . bergdahl returned home safely , ' the spokesman said . his family , who received a letter from him last year via the red cross , issued a statement in response to the latest video . as we have done so many times over the past 4 and a half years , we request his captors to release him safely so that our only son can be reunited with his mother and father , ' the statement reads . bowe - if see this , continue to remain strong through patience . your endurance will carry you to the finish line . breathe ! ' bergdahl was 23 when he was captured after finishing a guard shift at a combat outpost in southeastern paktika province . the u.s. government acknowledged in may 2012 that it was engaged in talks with the taliban to free bergdahl . the discussions moved in fits and starts because of u.s. concerns that any taliban prisoners swapped for bergdahl might be repatriated and allowed to rejoin the fight . later that year , however , the white house announced it was willing to send five taliban prisoners to qatar in exchange for bergdahl . u.s. pow 's dad to taliban :'let there be peace' pow and mia in iraq and afghanistan | family asks in statement that captors release bergdahl |
nigeria <tsp> lagos , nigeria ( cnn ) -- nneka and chimezie ononaku unwittingly poisoned their own four-month-old son chinonso . a television image of chinonso ononaku , who died after being given the medicine my pikin . ' giving him what they thought was a baby teething medicine , they were in fact dosing him with anti-freeze . the bottle had been contaminated with a toxic chemical called diethylene glycol . more than 30 nigerian children are thought to have died recently after taking the medicine . nneka is angry . it 's not easy carrying a pregnancy for nine months , [ and ] after that getting a drug from a pharmacy to kill your own child , ' she says . when nigeria 's agency for food and drug administration and control ( nafdac ) tested the medicine , my pikin , ' the results were terrifying . it found the medicine contained almost 90ml of diethylene glycol per 100ml . it 's a bottle of poison , ' the nafdac laboratory said . the my pikin ' factory 's managing director and eight others have been charged with negligence . the company could not be reached for comment . nigeria is on the frontline in the global fight against counterfeit drugs . undercover nafdac officers have taken to the streets in order to combat unregistered and often harmful drugs . hawkers are charged with selling counterfeit drugs and forced to pay a fine . watch more on the poisonings » nafdac claims most of the counterfeit drugs come from india and china . and it 's big business -- america 's centre for medicines in the public interest predicts counterfeit drug sales will reach $ 75 billion in 2010 . nafdac 's director-general dora akunyili warns counterfeiting is not just a nigerian problem . these criminals are cooperating , so we too need to cooperate if we can face them . not only in nigeria but internationally , because drug counterfeiting involves a trans-national criminal network and can only be dismantled through international co-operation . ' | nigeria is on the frontline in the global fight against counterfeit drugs |
hanna <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- hurricane ike grew from a category 1 into a menacing category 4 storm in about six hours wednesday as it fed on the warm waters of atlantic , the national hurricane center said . an infrared image from a noaa satellite shows ike swirling in the atlantic on wednesday night . ike is an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane ' with 135-mph sustained winds , the center said in its 11 p.m . et advisory . although it is likely to lose some strength during the next few days , ike is forecast to regain category 4 status by monday , the center said . it is too early to determine what , if any , land areas might be affected by ike , ' the hurricane center said . but the center 's potential four- to five-day track for ike puts it anywhere from north of jamaica to the coast of south florida on monday . ireport.com : are you in ike 's path ? at 11 p.m . et monday , ike was moving west-northwest through the atlantic ocean . the storm will be over open water for two days , forecasters said . earlier wednesday , ike intensified into the fifth hurricane of the 2008 atlantic season when its winds reached 80 mph . but before ike can reach into the caribbean or threaten florida , tropical storm hanna was getting more organized in the bahamas , according to the hurricane center . at 2 a.m. , hanna was about 325 miles east-southeast of nassau in the bahamas , with winds of 65 mph . hanna was drenching the bahamas and haiti with torrential rains . haitian officials put the nation 's death toll in the wake of hanna and hurricane gustav at 61 , said abel nabaire , the deputy coordinator of the civil protection service . eight of the country 's 10 departments underwater , he said . more rainfall , up to 15 inches in some places , was possible in the caribbean , the hurricane center said . hanna was forecast to return to hurricane strength by friday as it shot up the east coast of the southern u.s. , with landfall predicted on the south carolina or north carolina coast late friday or early saturday . a hurricane watch may be required for a portion of the southeastern united states coast early thursday and interests in this area should monitor the progress of hanna , ' the hurricane center said . florida could begin seeing rainfall from hanna on friday , forecasters said . watch as florida also keeps an eye on hanna » swells from hanna are expected to bolster the number of rip tides along the southeastern u.s. coast this week , the hurricane center said . ireport.com : hanna makes waves in bahamas hanna passed over the northern haitian city of gonaives on tuesday night , leaving water more than 12 feet deep in some places , an official said . see hanna 's impact on haiti » many people were still cut off amid floodwater . it 's a very grim picture , ' dr. jean pierre guiteau of the red cross said wednesday . we ca n't reach those people ; they are standing on rooftops , waiting for help . ' in line behind ike in the atlantic is tropical storm josephine , with top winds near 50 mph , the hurricane center said . josephine was about 425 miles west of the southernmost cape verde islands off western africa . | hanna expected to make u.s. landfall by friday or saturday |
hanna <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- hurricane ike grew from a category 1 into a menacing category 4 storm in about six hours wednesday as it fed on the warm waters of atlantic , the national hurricane center said . an infrared image from a noaa satellite shows ike swirling in the atlantic on wednesday night . ike is an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane ' with 135-mph sustained winds , the center said in its 11 p.m . et advisory . although it is likely to lose some strength during the next few days , ike is forecast to regain category 4 status by monday , the center said . it is too early to determine what , if any , land areas might be affected by ike , ' the hurricane center said . but the center 's potential four- to five-day track for ike puts it anywhere from north of jamaica to the coast of south florida on monday . ireport.com : are you in ike 's path ? at 11 p.m . et monday , ike was moving west-northwest through the atlantic ocean . the storm will be over open water for two days , forecasters said . earlier wednesday , ike intensified into the fifth hurricane of the 2008 atlantic season when its winds reached 80 mph . but before ike can reach into the caribbean or threaten florida , tropical storm hanna was getting more organized in the bahamas , according to the hurricane center . at 2 a.m. , hanna was about 325 miles east-southeast of nassau in the bahamas , with winds of 65 mph . hanna was drenching the bahamas and haiti with torrential rains . haitian officials put the nation 's death toll in the wake of hanna and hurricane gustav at 61 , said abel nabaire , the deputy coordinator of the civil protection service . eight of the country 's 10 departments underwater , he said . more rainfall , up to 15 inches in some places , was possible in the caribbean , the hurricane center said . hanna was forecast to return to hurricane strength by friday as it shot up the east coast of the southern u.s. , with landfall predicted on the south carolina or north carolina coast late friday or early saturday . a hurricane watch may be required for a portion of the southeastern united states coast early thursday and interests in this area should monitor the progress of hanna , ' the hurricane center said . florida could begin seeing rainfall from hanna on friday , forecasters said . watch as florida also keeps an eye on hanna » swells from hanna are expected to bolster the number of rip tides along the southeastern u.s. coast this week , the hurricane center said . ireport.com : hanna makes waves in bahamas hanna passed over the northern haitian city of gonaives on tuesday night , leaving water more than 12 feet deep in some places , an official said . see hanna 's impact on haiti » many people were still cut off amid floodwater . it 's a very grim picture , ' dr. jean pierre guiteau of the red cross said wednesday . we ca n't reach those people ; they are standing on rooftops , waiting for help . ' in line behind ike in the atlantic is tropical storm josephine , with top winds near 50 mph , the hurricane center said . josephine was about 425 miles west of the southernmost cape verde islands off western africa . | hanna to pound bahamas , could regain hurricane strength |
europe <tsp> moscow , russia ( cnn ) -- dozens of gay and lesbian rights activists planning a parade in southwestern moscow saturday have been detained , russia 's interfax news agency reported . gay and lesbian rights activists are detained in moscow saturday ahead of a planned march . the arrests included nikolai alexeyev , a prominent gay activist in russia , and his associate nikolai bayev , interfax said , adding that more people trickling into the location were being arrested without explanation . officials of moscow 's gay community had announced earlier plans to rally at novopushkinsky park in central moscow , interfax said . the arrests came ahead of saturday night 's eurovision song contest , which is being held in moscow . the contest has a strong following among the gay and lesbian community . watch police break up the march » journalists from various countries gathered at the scene , as police barricaded the park with metal bars . trucks with soldiers onboard were parked on nearby streets , interfax said . uk gay human rights campaigner peter tatchell , in a statement on his web site ahead of the march , said it was being held to coincide with the final of the eurovision song contest . this parade is in defense of human rights . we are defending the often violated human rights of lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender russians . they want legal protection against discrimination and hate crimes . i support their cause . not all russians are homophobic , but many are . gay russians suffer queer-bashing attacks , blackmail , verbal abuse and discrimination in education , housing and employment . this shames the great russian nation . ' the eurovision song contest , which began in 1956 , sees singers and groups from a short list of european nations perform a specially written song before telephone votes from each nation decide the winner . in western europe , the contest is regard as a light entertainment spectacular , with a strong following among the gay and lesbian community . many fans dress up , hold parties and gather round the tv to watch the three-hour-plus televised marathon . in recent years , however , eastern european nations , which take the contest much more seriously , have come to dominate . the contest is also known for its political edge , as nations either give zero points to traditional enemies -- or , if they are enjoying good relations , the maximum number of points , as a sign of friendship . the most famous winners of the contest were abba , who came to attention as the swedish entry with waterloo ' in 1974 . in 1988 , celine dion won the contest while singing on behalf of switzerland . the dance show riverdance first came to attention as an interval act when the contest was held in dublin , ireland , in 1994 . the organizers of the contest estimate it is watched by 100 million people worldwide . | contest is traditionally taken more seriously in eastern europe |
oprah <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in her new book 10-10-10 , ' suzy welch advocates a fast and reasoned approach to decision making by asking readers to think about the impact their decisions will have in 10 minutes , 10 months and 10 years . suzy welch , right , developed a decision-making process before marrying former ge ceo jack welch . the business writer , whose work appears in businessweek and o : the oprah magazine , spoke with cnn about whether her method could have prevented the financial crisis , what oprah would think of her mistrust of gut reactions and how to avoid becoming a cliché from a talking heads song . an excerpted version of that interview is below : cnn : could you start off by explaining what 10-10-10 means ? welch : it 's a way of infusing intentionality and deliberateness into your decision making so you are living your life instead of your life living you . it impels you to do a values excavation , where you have a very candid conversation about what really matters to you : who you are , who you want to be . then you take each decision -- each messy decision , each complicated decision ; it 's not about where do we go to dinner ? ' -- and you consider the consequences of your options in the immediate future , 10 minutes , in the foreseeable future -- that 's the 10 months -- and then the distant future -- that 's the 10 years . cnn : how does that compare with other decision-making methods , say , like , going with your gut reaction or flipping a coin ? welch : gut 's got its moment . there 's a story in the book about when gut saved my life . i think gut is no way to live your life . gut is a not-transparent , relatively inconsistent method for building a life of your own making . now , the problem with gut is that good decision-makers are made , not born . if you ask a neuroscientist what gut is , [ he or she would say ] some of our gut reactions are hardwired on the savanna plain at the beginning of humankind . so , paralysis in moments of fear . the sort of selective deafness we have : only listening to people that we like . not breaking from the group . there are hardwired neurological responses that always the best decision options . so i say , listen to your gut . but do a 10-10-10 , and if there 's a gap , figure out why . watch suzy welch talk about decision-making paralysis » cnn : so if these gut reactions have evolved over time , is this sort of decision-making process then going against what we 've evolved to do ? welch : it is a shortcut to wisdom . so , in fact , when you meet somebody who 's really , really wise and you ask them how they make decisions , you often hear them describe a form of 10-10-10 . it takes a lot of courage to turn to your parents or to turn to your spouse and say , actually , this is not my beautiful life . ' i 'm just quoting that talking heads song , but you can wake up when you 're 40 or 35 and say , oh , my god , i lived the last 10 years for someone else . ' this is a way to avoid that . cnn : does this work for everyone ? welch : i 've yet to see it not work . i 've talked to many , many people now who use it . here 's where it falls apart : it falls apart in the execution of it . because people will make a great 10-10-10 decision and then not have the courage to live it . cnn : if everyone used 10-10-10 , do you think we 'd be in the financial crisis we 're in ? welch : the reason we 're in a financial crisis is because some people did things without integrity . 10-10-10 is so based on having good values . if your values hurt other people for your own financial advancement , a good 10-10-10 decision is n't going to undo that . had people been playing to their better angels and used 10-10-10 in the financial crisis , yeah , we probably could have avoided some of it . cnn : what 's the hardest decision you 've ever had to make ? welch : i write about it in the book . it was my divorce ... just technically speaking , the decision to end a marriage , there 's just almost nothing harder . cnn : are there any decisions you regret ? welch : oh , i have a billion of them . that 's why 10-10-10 came to be , because i was regretting too many decisions . since i started using 10-10-10 , i think that i 've gotten my decision making in a great place . i do n't want to say that with any kind of hubris , because i make mistakes all the time , because i 'm human . i 'm all too human , i guess . but , you know , there 's no 10-10-10 decision i regret . ... i do n't regret the marriage that i ended , because i have four fabulous children because of it , but perhaps i should have ended it earlier . cnn : in the long term , do you think there are bad decisions ? because like with that one , you 're saying there are good things that come of it . you learned something . welch : the great thing about the human condition , ok , is that life goes on . and there are good things that come out of bad . but there are bad decisions that stall you for years . and there are decisions that we make way too late . and if anything what 10-10-10 does is that it expedites good decisions . ... if anything , 10-10-10 encourages us to start living our lives sooner . cnn : you write for o magazine , right ? i 've heard oprah talk about gut reactions and trusting yourself . do you think she would agree with you [ on 10-10-10 ] ? welch : you know , i do n't know how she would feel about it . the book says very clearly that gut has its place . gut is pattern recognition . i 'm not going to denigrate gut . sometimes our gut is our inner voice . and i do n't say do n't listen to it . ' what i 'm saying is , backstop it . ' what i 'm saying is , uncheck it . ' what i 'm saying is , unpick it . ' sometimes gut is great , and sometimes gut is just easy . | she says she 's not sure what oprah would think of the 10-10-10 approach |
orlando <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the national transportation safety board said thursday that it is investigating an incident in which a panel separated from the wing of a boeing 757 while it was in flight last week . ireporter and flight 1250 passenger paul shepherd took this photo of the damage through the aircraft 's window . the incident occurred saturday on us airways flight 1250 from orlando , florida , to philadelphia , pennsylvania , the ntsb said in a statement . the separation occurred over maryland . the aircraft landed in philadelphia about 30 minutes later , and none of the 174 passengers or six crew members aboard was injured . the panel , on the trailing edge of the upper side of the left wing , broke loose and struck several windows toward the rear of the aircraft , causing the outer pane of one window to crack , the agency said . pressurization of the cabin was not compromised . the wing panel has not been located . ntsb investigators are using a computer program to pinpoint the area where it might be and will notify local authorities that an aircraft part may be there , the statement said . the plane 's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have arrived at the ntsb laboratory in washington , the agency said , and are being evaluated . e-mail to a friend | plane was en route from orlando , florida , to philadelphia , pennsylvania |
romanian <tsp> ( cnn ) to photographer mihaela noroc , beauty can not be defined by one country , race or ethnicity . that 's why the romanian photographer travels the world for her atlas of beauty project , in search of images of beauty in different countries and cultures . i love the variety of earth , the diversity of people and i try to go beyond their surface , to discover their sincere and authentic side , to photograph it , ' noroc wrote on her website . noroc has spent her savings traveling to 37 countries for her project , and she hopes to raise funding to continue the project . she 's accepting donations through paypal . in my opinion , beauty means to keep alive your origins and your culture . to be natural , sincere , authentic , particular , not necessary fashion or skinny . ' an extensive collection of noroc 's # atlasofbeauty photos can be found at her instagram and facebook accounts . | a romanian photographer looks for beauty around the world |
erdogan <tsp> the scene was somber , sullen and mostly silent outside the turkish coal mine . but every so often , the grief came out loud and clear . enough for the life for me ! ' yelled one woman -- her arms flailing , tears running down her cheeks -- according to video from turkish broadcaster dha . let this mine take my life , too ! ' as she was pulled away , she added , enough is enough . ' sadly , the torment for her and many others is n't over . yes , rescuers did save at least 88 miners in the frantic moments after a power transformer blew up tuesday during shift change at the mine in the western turkish city of soma , sparking a choking fire deep inside . but another 274 are known dead , according to turkey 's natural disaster and emergency coordination directorate . those who underwent autopsies died of carbon monoxide poisoning , energy minister taner yildiz said . there is every expectation that number will grow . prime minister recep tayyip erdogan said wednesday as many as 120 more were trapped inside the mine , though that was before rescue crews grimly hurried a series of stretchers -- at least some clearly carrying corpses -- past the waiting crowd . as helicopters buzzed overheard and flags flew at half-staff , police and rescue workers were everywhere on the scene wednesday night . but for most , there was precious little they could do . the smoke rose from openings in the ground showed the continuing dangers both to those trapped and anyone who dared try to get them . rescue volunteer mustafa gursoy told the cnn team at the mine that conditions inside the mine were abominable -- hot , smoky and filled with carbon monoxide . authorities worked to pump in good air into the mine , so they could get in . however , as davitt mcateer , a former top u.s. mine safety official points out , sending in oxygen likely would increase the likelihood that the fire would grow and continue to put those miners at risk . ' these stiff challenges notwithstanding , rescuers have n't given up hope that some miners reached emergency chambers stocked with gas masks and air . if they could reach those emergency rooms and reach their gas masks and close the doors and protect those emergency areas from the poison gas , then they could survive , ' gursoy said . it 's possible . we are ready for anything . ' but yildiz , speaking earlier , said hopes are diminishing ' of rescuing anyone yet inside the mine . veysel sengul has already given up . the miner knew that four of his friends -- at least -- are dead . it 's too late , ' said sengul . there 's no more hope . ' political fallout the trauma from what already looks like the worst mine disaster in turkish history has left soma and the rest of turkey in shock and , in some cases , in anger . the latest death toll already tops a mining accident in the 1990s that took 260 lives . even as officials in the united states and elsewhere offered their condolences to his people , erdogan found himself on the defensive . opposition politician ozgur ozel from the manisa region had filed a proposal in late april to investigate turkish mines after repeated deadly accidents . in some incidents three people died , in others , five , said opposition spokesman aykut erdogdu . and ozel wanted to get to the bottom of the deaths . several dozen members of opposition parties signed on to his proposal , but the conservative government overturned it . some of its members publicly lampooned it , he said . erdogan questioned ozel 's version , and said the mine had passed safety inspections as recently as march . the mine , owned by soma komur isletmeleri a.s. , underwent regular inspections in the past three years , two of them this march , turkey 's government said . inspectors reported no violation of health and safety laws . the company has taken down its regular website and replaced it with a single web page in all black containing a message of condolence . not everyone in soma , at least , has sided with erdogan , who canceled a trip to albania to tour the rescue effort and speak to relatives of dead and injured miners . he was met by a chorus of jeers as well as chants of resign prime minister ! ' while walking through the city wednesday , according to dha video . video from that network , social media messages and pictures posted to twitter showed hundreds participating in anti-government protests in istanbul and ankara , with police answering in some cases with water cannons and tear gas . while not focused on mine safety , such demonstrations railing against erdogan and his government have been commonplace in turkey in recent months , as has the police responding with water cannons and tear gas . in the nation 's capital of ankara , some called for silent demonstration to stand for humanity . ' others left black coffins in front of the energy ministry and the labor and social security ministry buildings . that grim symbol speaks to the sadness permeating turkey , whatever one 's political bent . for sengul , the miner waiting by the tunnel entrance for more of his friends to emerge , the mourning may go on much longer than the three days ordered by erdogan . after what 's happened , he said , he 'll never work in a mine again . 2 west virginia coal miners killed | protesters lay symbolic coffins at government buildings , rail against erdogan |
martin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if you took a moment during the heat of the presidential race to drop by the mitt romney campaign office , you would have been shocked by the number of white people working to get him elected . about the only color you would have seen were the red and white in the romney-ryan posters . if you met with romney 's senior campaign team -- the decision makers -- you would have said major corporations in america have more diversity on their boards of directors than these guys . at a romney campaign event , followers of mine on twitter always played the do-you-know-that-one-black-person-who-is-always-standing-behind-mitt-with-a-sign ' game . seriously . seeing someone black , hispanic or asian at a romney campaign rally was always a sight to behold . so why in the world is mitt romney now largely blaming minorities for the butt-kicking administered to him by president obama ? politics : jindal slams romney for'gifts'comment about minorities , young voters in a conference call with donors , romney attributed his loss to the president playing santa claus by showering minorities and young voters with gifts ' -- health care , student loans and those things americans clearly do n't need . the obama campaign was following the old playbook of giving a lot of stuff to groups that they hoped they could get to vote for them and be motivated to go out to the polls , specifically the african-american community , the hispanic community and young people , ' romney said during the conference call . in each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups . ' opinion : democrats , do n't get too cocky hey , black people , mitt reveals what you got for your vote ! with regards to african-american voters ,'obamacare'was a huge plus -- and was highly motivational to african-american voters . you can imagine for somebody making $ 25- , or $ 30- , or $ 35,000 a year , being told'you 're now going to get free health care'-- particularly if you do n't have it , getting free health care worth , what , $ 10,000 a family , in perpetuity -- i mean this is huge . likewise with hispanic voters , free health care was a big plus . ' hey , hispanic people , what did obama have for you behind door no . 2 ? the amnesty for the children of illegals -- the so-called dream act kids -- was a huge plus for that voting group . on the negative side , of course , they always characterized us as being anti-immigrant , being tough on illegal immigration , and so forth , so that was very effective with that group . ' jindal : how republicans can win future elections wow , thanks , daddy mitt , for breaking that down for us ! now it 's time for a dose of reality from the black guy to the white guy , mitt romney . mitt , last i checked , the affordable care act is for all americans . the white ones too ! your effort to portray the health care law as nothing more than a freebie to the blacks is a joke . the dream act for kids could largely be seen as helping latinos , but there are some white folks and people of african descent mixed into the pot that makes up those in the country illegally , so you 're again off base . but mitt , you need to check your facts and realize that there were a lot of white people who really did n't like you . opinion : republicans lost the culture war according to exit polls , 72 % of all u.s. voters were white . that 's a super majority . mitt , you got 59 % of those voters . that 's a big number , but you must understand that you might have wanted to appeal to more than just white voters to win . when you give one speech to the naacp and only one interview with a black media outlet , black enterprise -- son , that 's not gon na cut it . but the most hilarious thing to see is how many of the whitest states in america the white guy lost to the black guy . see , if you accept romney 's theory that minorities were a prime reason he lost , then he should have cleaned up in the electoral college in those really , really , really white states . let 's take a look : maine , 94 % white : obama vermont , 94 % white : obama new hampshire , 92 % white : obama west virginia , 93 % white : romney iowa , 88 % white : obama north dakota , 88 % white : romney wyoming , 85 % white : romney idaho , 83 % white : romney nebraska , 82 % white : romney ohio , 81 % white : obama utah , 80 % white : romney that means of 11 really , really , really white states , obama won five and romney won six . so mitt , if it 's just about those minorities , what happened ? this is why mitt romney should n't have been president . he ca n't accept reality , and his judgment on his loss is more than suspect . even louisiana gov . bobby jindal , a fellow republican , had to smack romney for his ignorant comments : i absolutely reject that notion , ' he said . i think that 's absolutely wrong . ' opinion : how republicans can win future elections bottom line , mitt : the black guy beat you because he offered a more inclusive message to a cross section of people than you . you wanted to protect the richest of the rich in this country , and president obama saw that providing a pathway to college to a wider number of americans , as well as confronting the health crisis we have , was vitally important . mitt , your message was arrogant and dismissive . the 47 % ' comment you made at that florida fundraiser , which you later said was completely wrong , ' was clearly meant in earnest . you actually believed what you said . you think that minorities and young people are a bunch of victims who just want free stuff , or as you call them , gifts . well , mitt , america should be thankful minorities and young people rejected your nonsense . we need a president who offers a vision for a more inclusive america , not one who sees health care , college loans and an initiative to deal with immigration reform as gifts . ' gps : did ryan 's ideas doom romney ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roland martin . | martin : america should be thankful minorities and young rejected romney 's nonsense ' |
martin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if you took a moment during the heat of the presidential race to drop by the mitt romney campaign office , you would have been shocked by the number of white people working to get him elected . about the only color you would have seen were the red and white in the romney-ryan posters . if you met with romney 's senior campaign team -- the decision makers -- you would have said major corporations in america have more diversity on their boards of directors than these guys . at a romney campaign event , followers of mine on twitter always played the do-you-know-that-one-black-person-who-is-always-standing-behind-mitt-with-a-sign ' game . seriously . seeing someone black , hispanic or asian at a romney campaign rally was always a sight to behold . so why in the world is mitt romney now largely blaming minorities for the butt-kicking administered to him by president obama ? politics : jindal slams romney for'gifts'comment about minorities , young voters in a conference call with donors , romney attributed his loss to the president playing santa claus by showering minorities and young voters with gifts ' -- health care , student loans and those things americans clearly do n't need . the obama campaign was following the old playbook of giving a lot of stuff to groups that they hoped they could get to vote for them and be motivated to go out to the polls , specifically the african-american community , the hispanic community and young people , ' romney said during the conference call . in each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups . ' opinion : democrats , do n't get too cocky hey , black people , mitt reveals what you got for your vote ! with regards to african-american voters ,'obamacare'was a huge plus -- and was highly motivational to african-american voters . you can imagine for somebody making $ 25- , or $ 30- , or $ 35,000 a year , being told'you 're now going to get free health care'-- particularly if you do n't have it , getting free health care worth , what , $ 10,000 a family , in perpetuity -- i mean this is huge . likewise with hispanic voters , free health care was a big plus . ' hey , hispanic people , what did obama have for you behind door no . 2 ? the amnesty for the children of illegals -- the so-called dream act kids -- was a huge plus for that voting group . on the negative side , of course , they always characterized us as being anti-immigrant , being tough on illegal immigration , and so forth , so that was very effective with that group . ' jindal : how republicans can win future elections wow , thanks , daddy mitt , for breaking that down for us ! now it 's time for a dose of reality from the black guy to the white guy , mitt romney . mitt , last i checked , the affordable care act is for all americans . the white ones too ! your effort to portray the health care law as nothing more than a freebie to the blacks is a joke . the dream act for kids could largely be seen as helping latinos , but there are some white folks and people of african descent mixed into the pot that makes up those in the country illegally , so you 're again off base . but mitt , you need to check your facts and realize that there were a lot of white people who really did n't like you . opinion : republicans lost the culture war according to exit polls , 72 % of all u.s. voters were white . that 's a super majority . mitt , you got 59 % of those voters . that 's a big number , but you must understand that you might have wanted to appeal to more than just white voters to win . when you give one speech to the naacp and only one interview with a black media outlet , black enterprise -- son , that 's not gon na cut it . but the most hilarious thing to see is how many of the whitest states in america the white guy lost to the black guy . see , if you accept romney 's theory that minorities were a prime reason he lost , then he should have cleaned up in the electoral college in those really , really , really white states . let 's take a look : maine , 94 % white : obama vermont , 94 % white : obama new hampshire , 92 % white : obama west virginia , 93 % white : romney iowa , 88 % white : obama north dakota , 88 % white : romney wyoming , 85 % white : romney idaho , 83 % white : romney nebraska , 82 % white : romney ohio , 81 % white : obama utah , 80 % white : romney that means of 11 really , really , really white states , obama won five and romney won six . so mitt , if it 's just about those minorities , what happened ? this is why mitt romney should n't have been president . he ca n't accept reality , and his judgment on his loss is more than suspect . even louisiana gov . bobby jindal , a fellow republican , had to smack romney for his ignorant comments : i absolutely reject that notion , ' he said . i think that 's absolutely wrong . ' opinion : how republicans can win future elections bottom line , mitt : the black guy beat you because he offered a more inclusive message to a cross section of people than you . you wanted to protect the richest of the rich in this country , and president obama saw that providing a pathway to college to a wider number of americans , as well as confronting the health crisis we have , was vitally important . mitt , your message was arrogant and dismissive . the 47 % ' comment you made at that florida fundraiser , which you later said was completely wrong , ' was clearly meant in earnest . you actually believed what you said . you think that minorities and young people are a bunch of victims who just want free stuff , or as you call them , gifts . well , mitt , america should be thankful minorities and young people rejected your nonsense . we need a president who offers a vision for a more inclusive america , not one who sees health care , college loans and an initiative to deal with immigration reform as gifts . ' gps : did ryan 's ideas doom romney ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roland martin . | roland martin : mitt romney is largely blaming minorities for his loss to president obama |
romney <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if you took a moment during the heat of the presidential race to drop by the mitt romney campaign office , you would have been shocked by the number of white people working to get him elected . about the only color you would have seen were the red and white in the romney-ryan posters . if you met with romney 's senior campaign team -- the decision makers -- you would have said major corporations in america have more diversity on their boards of directors than these guys . at a romney campaign event , followers of mine on twitter always played the do-you-know-that-one-black-person-who-is-always-standing-behind-mitt-with-a-sign ' game . seriously . seeing someone black , hispanic or asian at a romney campaign rally was always a sight to behold . so why in the world is mitt romney now largely blaming minorities for the butt-kicking administered to him by president obama ? politics : jindal slams romney for'gifts'comment about minorities , young voters in a conference call with donors , romney attributed his loss to the president playing santa claus by showering minorities and young voters with gifts ' -- health care , student loans and those things americans clearly do n't need . the obama campaign was following the old playbook of giving a lot of stuff to groups that they hoped they could get to vote for them and be motivated to go out to the polls , specifically the african-american community , the hispanic community and young people , ' romney said during the conference call . in each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups . ' opinion : democrats , do n't get too cocky hey , black people , mitt reveals what you got for your vote ! with regards to african-american voters ,'obamacare'was a huge plus -- and was highly motivational to african-american voters . you can imagine for somebody making $ 25- , or $ 30- , or $ 35,000 a year , being told'you 're now going to get free health care'-- particularly if you do n't have it , getting free health care worth , what , $ 10,000 a family , in perpetuity -- i mean this is huge . likewise with hispanic voters , free health care was a big plus . ' hey , hispanic people , what did obama have for you behind door no . 2 ? the amnesty for the children of illegals -- the so-called dream act kids -- was a huge plus for that voting group . on the negative side , of course , they always characterized us as being anti-immigrant , being tough on illegal immigration , and so forth , so that was very effective with that group . ' jindal : how republicans can win future elections wow , thanks , daddy mitt , for breaking that down for us ! now it 's time for a dose of reality from the black guy to the white guy , mitt romney . mitt , last i checked , the affordable care act is for all americans . the white ones too ! your effort to portray the health care law as nothing more than a freebie to the blacks is a joke . the dream act for kids could largely be seen as helping latinos , but there are some white folks and people of african descent mixed into the pot that makes up those in the country illegally , so you 're again off base . but mitt , you need to check your facts and realize that there were a lot of white people who really did n't like you . opinion : republicans lost the culture war according to exit polls , 72 % of all u.s. voters were white . that 's a super majority . mitt , you got 59 % of those voters . that 's a big number , but you must understand that you might have wanted to appeal to more than just white voters to win . when you give one speech to the naacp and only one interview with a black media outlet , black enterprise -- son , that 's not gon na cut it . but the most hilarious thing to see is how many of the whitest states in america the white guy lost to the black guy . see , if you accept romney 's theory that minorities were a prime reason he lost , then he should have cleaned up in the electoral college in those really , really , really white states . let 's take a look : maine , 94 % white : obama vermont , 94 % white : obama new hampshire , 92 % white : obama west virginia , 93 % white : romney iowa , 88 % white : obama north dakota , 88 % white : romney wyoming , 85 % white : romney idaho , 83 % white : romney nebraska , 82 % white : romney ohio , 81 % white : obama utah , 80 % white : romney that means of 11 really , really , really white states , obama won five and romney won six . so mitt , if it 's just about those minorities , what happened ? this is why mitt romney should n't have been president . he ca n't accept reality , and his judgment on his loss is more than suspect . even louisiana gov . bobby jindal , a fellow republican , had to smack romney for his ignorant comments : i absolutely reject that notion , ' he said . i think that 's absolutely wrong . ' opinion : how republicans can win future elections bottom line , mitt : the black guy beat you because he offered a more inclusive message to a cross section of people than you . you wanted to protect the richest of the rich in this country , and president obama saw that providing a pathway to college to a wider number of americans , as well as confronting the health crisis we have , was vitally important . mitt , your message was arrogant and dismissive . the 47 % ' comment you made at that florida fundraiser , which you later said was completely wrong , ' was clearly meant in earnest . you actually believed what you said . you think that minorities and young people are a bunch of victims who just want free stuff , or as you call them , gifts . well , mitt , america should be thankful minorities and young people rejected your nonsense . we need a president who offers a vision for a more inclusive america , not one who sees health care , college loans and an initiative to deal with immigration reform as gifts . ' gps : did ryan 's ideas doom romney ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roland martin . | exit polls say 72 % of all u.s. voters were white , and romney received 59 % of their votes |
romney <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if you took a moment during the heat of the presidential race to drop by the mitt romney campaign office , you would have been shocked by the number of white people working to get him elected . about the only color you would have seen were the red and white in the romney-ryan posters . if you met with romney 's senior campaign team -- the decision makers -- you would have said major corporations in america have more diversity on their boards of directors than these guys . at a romney campaign event , followers of mine on twitter always played the do-you-know-that-one-black-person-who-is-always-standing-behind-mitt-with-a-sign ' game . seriously . seeing someone black , hispanic or asian at a romney campaign rally was always a sight to behold . so why in the world is mitt romney now largely blaming minorities for the butt-kicking administered to him by president obama ? politics : jindal slams romney for'gifts'comment about minorities , young voters in a conference call with donors , romney attributed his loss to the president playing santa claus by showering minorities and young voters with gifts ' -- health care , student loans and those things americans clearly do n't need . the obama campaign was following the old playbook of giving a lot of stuff to groups that they hoped they could get to vote for them and be motivated to go out to the polls , specifically the african-american community , the hispanic community and young people , ' romney said during the conference call . in each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups . ' opinion : democrats , do n't get too cocky hey , black people , mitt reveals what you got for your vote ! with regards to african-american voters ,'obamacare'was a huge plus -- and was highly motivational to african-american voters . you can imagine for somebody making $ 25- , or $ 30- , or $ 35,000 a year , being told'you 're now going to get free health care'-- particularly if you do n't have it , getting free health care worth , what , $ 10,000 a family , in perpetuity -- i mean this is huge . likewise with hispanic voters , free health care was a big plus . ' hey , hispanic people , what did obama have for you behind door no . 2 ? the amnesty for the children of illegals -- the so-called dream act kids -- was a huge plus for that voting group . on the negative side , of course , they always characterized us as being anti-immigrant , being tough on illegal immigration , and so forth , so that was very effective with that group . ' jindal : how republicans can win future elections wow , thanks , daddy mitt , for breaking that down for us ! now it 's time for a dose of reality from the black guy to the white guy , mitt romney . mitt , last i checked , the affordable care act is for all americans . the white ones too ! your effort to portray the health care law as nothing more than a freebie to the blacks is a joke . the dream act for kids could largely be seen as helping latinos , but there are some white folks and people of african descent mixed into the pot that makes up those in the country illegally , so you 're again off base . but mitt , you need to check your facts and realize that there were a lot of white people who really did n't like you . opinion : republicans lost the culture war according to exit polls , 72 % of all u.s. voters were white . that 's a super majority . mitt , you got 59 % of those voters . that 's a big number , but you must understand that you might have wanted to appeal to more than just white voters to win . when you give one speech to the naacp and only one interview with a black media outlet , black enterprise -- son , that 's not gon na cut it . but the most hilarious thing to see is how many of the whitest states in america the white guy lost to the black guy . see , if you accept romney 's theory that minorities were a prime reason he lost , then he should have cleaned up in the electoral college in those really , really , really white states . let 's take a look : maine , 94 % white : obama vermont , 94 % white : obama new hampshire , 92 % white : obama west virginia , 93 % white : romney iowa , 88 % white : obama north dakota , 88 % white : romney wyoming , 85 % white : romney idaho , 83 % white : romney nebraska , 82 % white : romney ohio , 81 % white : obama utah , 80 % white : romney that means of 11 really , really , really white states , obama won five and romney won six . so mitt , if it 's just about those minorities , what happened ? this is why mitt romney should n't have been president . he ca n't accept reality , and his judgment on his loss is more than suspect . even louisiana gov . bobby jindal , a fellow republican , had to smack romney for his ignorant comments : i absolutely reject that notion , ' he said . i think that 's absolutely wrong . ' opinion : how republicans can win future elections bottom line , mitt : the black guy beat you because he offered a more inclusive message to a cross section of people than you . you wanted to protect the richest of the rich in this country , and president obama saw that providing a pathway to college to a wider number of americans , as well as confronting the health crisis we have , was vitally important . mitt , your message was arrogant and dismissive . the 47 % ' comment you made at that florida fundraiser , which you later said was completely wrong , ' was clearly meant in earnest . you actually believed what you said . you think that minorities and young people are a bunch of victims who just want free stuff , or as you call them , gifts . well , mitt , america should be thankful minorities and young people rejected your nonsense . we need a president who offers a vision for a more inclusive america , not one who sees health care , college loans and an initiative to deal with immigration reform as gifts . ' gps : did ryan 's ideas doom romney ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roland martin . | martin : america should be thankful minorities and young rejected romney 's nonsense ' |
romney <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if you took a moment during the heat of the presidential race to drop by the mitt romney campaign office , you would have been shocked by the number of white people working to get him elected . about the only color you would have seen were the red and white in the romney-ryan posters . if you met with romney 's senior campaign team -- the decision makers -- you would have said major corporations in america have more diversity on their boards of directors than these guys . at a romney campaign event , followers of mine on twitter always played the do-you-know-that-one-black-person-who-is-always-standing-behind-mitt-with-a-sign ' game . seriously . seeing someone black , hispanic or asian at a romney campaign rally was always a sight to behold . so why in the world is mitt romney now largely blaming minorities for the butt-kicking administered to him by president obama ? politics : jindal slams romney for'gifts'comment about minorities , young voters in a conference call with donors , romney attributed his loss to the president playing santa claus by showering minorities and young voters with gifts ' -- health care , student loans and those things americans clearly do n't need . the obama campaign was following the old playbook of giving a lot of stuff to groups that they hoped they could get to vote for them and be motivated to go out to the polls , specifically the african-american community , the hispanic community and young people , ' romney said during the conference call . in each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups . ' opinion : democrats , do n't get too cocky hey , black people , mitt reveals what you got for your vote ! with regards to african-american voters ,'obamacare'was a huge plus -- and was highly motivational to african-american voters . you can imagine for somebody making $ 25- , or $ 30- , or $ 35,000 a year , being told'you 're now going to get free health care'-- particularly if you do n't have it , getting free health care worth , what , $ 10,000 a family , in perpetuity -- i mean this is huge . likewise with hispanic voters , free health care was a big plus . ' hey , hispanic people , what did obama have for you behind door no . 2 ? the amnesty for the children of illegals -- the so-called dream act kids -- was a huge plus for that voting group . on the negative side , of course , they always characterized us as being anti-immigrant , being tough on illegal immigration , and so forth , so that was very effective with that group . ' jindal : how republicans can win future elections wow , thanks , daddy mitt , for breaking that down for us ! now it 's time for a dose of reality from the black guy to the white guy , mitt romney . mitt , last i checked , the affordable care act is for all americans . the white ones too ! your effort to portray the health care law as nothing more than a freebie to the blacks is a joke . the dream act for kids could largely be seen as helping latinos , but there are some white folks and people of african descent mixed into the pot that makes up those in the country illegally , so you 're again off base . but mitt , you need to check your facts and realize that there were a lot of white people who really did n't like you . opinion : republicans lost the culture war according to exit polls , 72 % of all u.s. voters were white . that 's a super majority . mitt , you got 59 % of those voters . that 's a big number , but you must understand that you might have wanted to appeal to more than just white voters to win . when you give one speech to the naacp and only one interview with a black media outlet , black enterprise -- son , that 's not gon na cut it . but the most hilarious thing to see is how many of the whitest states in america the white guy lost to the black guy . see , if you accept romney 's theory that minorities were a prime reason he lost , then he should have cleaned up in the electoral college in those really , really , really white states . let 's take a look : maine , 94 % white : obama vermont , 94 % white : obama new hampshire , 92 % white : obama west virginia , 93 % white : romney iowa , 88 % white : obama north dakota , 88 % white : romney wyoming , 85 % white : romney idaho , 83 % white : romney nebraska , 82 % white : romney ohio , 81 % white : obama utah , 80 % white : romney that means of 11 really , really , really white states , obama won five and romney won six . so mitt , if it 's just about those minorities , what happened ? this is why mitt romney should n't have been president . he ca n't accept reality , and his judgment on his loss is more than suspect . even louisiana gov . bobby jindal , a fellow republican , had to smack romney for his ignorant comments : i absolutely reject that notion , ' he said . i think that 's absolutely wrong . ' opinion : how republicans can win future elections bottom line , mitt : the black guy beat you because he offered a more inclusive message to a cross section of people than you . you wanted to protect the richest of the rich in this country , and president obama saw that providing a pathway to college to a wider number of americans , as well as confronting the health crisis we have , was vitally important . mitt , your message was arrogant and dismissive . the 47 % ' comment you made at that florida fundraiser , which you later said was completely wrong , ' was clearly meant in earnest . you actually believed what you said . you think that minorities and young people are a bunch of victims who just want free stuff , or as you call them , gifts . well , mitt , america should be thankful minorities and young people rejected your nonsense . we need a president who offers a vision for a more inclusive america , not one who sees health care , college loans and an initiative to deal with immigration reform as gifts . ' gps : did ryan 's ideas doom romney ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roland martin . | in a talk with donors , romney said obama showered minorities and young voters with gifts ' |
romney <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if you took a moment during the heat of the presidential race to drop by the mitt romney campaign office , you would have been shocked by the number of white people working to get him elected . about the only color you would have seen were the red and white in the romney-ryan posters . if you met with romney 's senior campaign team -- the decision makers -- you would have said major corporations in america have more diversity on their boards of directors than these guys . at a romney campaign event , followers of mine on twitter always played the do-you-know-that-one-black-person-who-is-always-standing-behind-mitt-with-a-sign ' game . seriously . seeing someone black , hispanic or asian at a romney campaign rally was always a sight to behold . so why in the world is mitt romney now largely blaming minorities for the butt-kicking administered to him by president obama ? politics : jindal slams romney for'gifts'comment about minorities , young voters in a conference call with donors , romney attributed his loss to the president playing santa claus by showering minorities and young voters with gifts ' -- health care , student loans and those things americans clearly do n't need . the obama campaign was following the old playbook of giving a lot of stuff to groups that they hoped they could get to vote for them and be motivated to go out to the polls , specifically the african-american community , the hispanic community and young people , ' romney said during the conference call . in each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups . ' opinion : democrats , do n't get too cocky hey , black people , mitt reveals what you got for your vote ! with regards to african-american voters ,'obamacare'was a huge plus -- and was highly motivational to african-american voters . you can imagine for somebody making $ 25- , or $ 30- , or $ 35,000 a year , being told'you 're now going to get free health care'-- particularly if you do n't have it , getting free health care worth , what , $ 10,000 a family , in perpetuity -- i mean this is huge . likewise with hispanic voters , free health care was a big plus . ' hey , hispanic people , what did obama have for you behind door no . 2 ? the amnesty for the children of illegals -- the so-called dream act kids -- was a huge plus for that voting group . on the negative side , of course , they always characterized us as being anti-immigrant , being tough on illegal immigration , and so forth , so that was very effective with that group . ' jindal : how republicans can win future elections wow , thanks , daddy mitt , for breaking that down for us ! now it 's time for a dose of reality from the black guy to the white guy , mitt romney . mitt , last i checked , the affordable care act is for all americans . the white ones too ! your effort to portray the health care law as nothing more than a freebie to the blacks is a joke . the dream act for kids could largely be seen as helping latinos , but there are some white folks and people of african descent mixed into the pot that makes up those in the country illegally , so you 're again off base . but mitt , you need to check your facts and realize that there were a lot of white people who really did n't like you . opinion : republicans lost the culture war according to exit polls , 72 % of all u.s. voters were white . that 's a super majority . mitt , you got 59 % of those voters . that 's a big number , but you must understand that you might have wanted to appeal to more than just white voters to win . when you give one speech to the naacp and only one interview with a black media outlet , black enterprise -- son , that 's not gon na cut it . but the most hilarious thing to see is how many of the whitest states in america the white guy lost to the black guy . see , if you accept romney 's theory that minorities were a prime reason he lost , then he should have cleaned up in the electoral college in those really , really , really white states . let 's take a look : maine , 94 % white : obama vermont , 94 % white : obama new hampshire , 92 % white : obama west virginia , 93 % white : romney iowa , 88 % white : obama north dakota , 88 % white : romney wyoming , 85 % white : romney idaho , 83 % white : romney nebraska , 82 % white : romney ohio , 81 % white : obama utah , 80 % white : romney that means of 11 really , really , really white states , obama won five and romney won six . so mitt , if it 's just about those minorities , what happened ? this is why mitt romney should n't have been president . he ca n't accept reality , and his judgment on his loss is more than suspect . even louisiana gov . bobby jindal , a fellow republican , had to smack romney for his ignorant comments : i absolutely reject that notion , ' he said . i think that 's absolutely wrong . ' opinion : how republicans can win future elections bottom line , mitt : the black guy beat you because he offered a more inclusive message to a cross section of people than you . you wanted to protect the richest of the rich in this country , and president obama saw that providing a pathway to college to a wider number of americans , as well as confronting the health crisis we have , was vitally important . mitt , your message was arrogant and dismissive . the 47 % ' comment you made at that florida fundraiser , which you later said was completely wrong , ' was clearly meant in earnest . you actually believed what you said . you think that minorities and young people are a bunch of victims who just want free stuff , or as you call them , gifts . well , mitt , america should be thankful minorities and young people rejected your nonsense . we need a president who offers a vision for a more inclusive america , not one who sees health care , college loans and an initiative to deal with immigration reform as gifts . ' gps : did ryan 's ideas doom romney ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roland martin . | roland martin : mitt romney is largely blaming minorities for his loss to president obama |
cnn ireport <tsp> it 's the land of pope john paul ii , frederic chopin and really good cheese . to celebrate poland 's 25 years of independence , june 4 , 2014 , we asked readers to share their favorite things about the country . do n't pay attention to the outdated stereotypes . from gorgeous town squares to wise octogenarians to the uniquely polish sense of humor , the list above is bound to make you start planning a trip to poland this year . see all submissions for the best things about poland in english and polish via cnn ireport and polish news network kontakt24 . | add to the list via cnn ireport |
sheen <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- charlie sheen plans to return to work on his hit sitcom two and a half men ' by the end of february , his representative said thursday . cbs placed the show on production hiatus ' after the actor began rehab treatments in the wake of an emergency hospital visit last week . my understanding is that he will be back on the set at the end of february , ' sheen representative stan rosenfield said . the network ordered additional episodes of the sitcom rules of engagement ' to fill any gap in their monday night schedule , but if sheen returns as expected they may not be needed . sheen issued a written statement wednesday thanking his fellow cast members , the show 's crew and network executives for their support . it did not directly address the incident . i have a lot of work to do to be able to return the support i have received from so many people , ' sheen said in a statement ' like errol flynn , who had to put down his sword on occasion , i just want to say ,'thank you ,'' sheen said . sheen was very , very intoxicated , also apparently in a lot of pain ' last thursday morning , according to a 911 call from a doctor who had just talked to the actor . kind of weird , the phone call i received , ' dr. paul nassif told the los angeles fire department dispatcher in the recorded call , which was released by the fire department wednesday . porn actress kacey jordan has told media outlets that a two-day party preceded sheen 's collapse . paramedics went to sheen 's los angeles home and then took him by ambulance to a hospital , where he spent several hours . sheen 's representative later blamed a hernia for sheen 's pain and ambulance ride to cedars-sinai medical center . he did not respond to a cnn request for comment on the 911 call wednesday . sheen 's manager has said the actor is undergoing rehab at home , not in a residential facility . nassif , in an interview tuesday with hln 's showbiz tonight , ' said he could n't tell if sheen , who is his friend , was drunk . what he told the emergency dispatcher last week was different . i got him on the phone and he was very , very intoxicated , also apparently in a lot of pain , ' nassif said on the 911 call . he told the dispatcher that sheen was saying , do n't call 911 . ' nassif is a facial plastic surgeon and is not sheen 's medical doctor , nassif told hln . he later explained to hln that he was protecting his friend by saying in tuesday 's interview that he was n't sure sheen was drunk . sheen and now ex-wife brooke mueller were married in nassif 's beverly hills home , nassif said . nassif 's wife , adrienne maloof-nassif , appears on real housewives of beverly hills . ' they wanted to get married , and a mutual friend introduced all of us , and they said ,'let 's get married , can we get married at your house ?'and that 's how we met and soon after that we became very good friends , ' nassif said . nassif drove sheen home from the hospital , but he declined to provide details of their conversation . there were things he said i do n't feel comfortable ' disclosing , nassif said . at another point in the interview , nassif added : obviously we all want charlie to keep his sobriety . no one can push him into it . ' cnn 's kareen wynter contributed to this report . | sheen 's two and a half men ' is on a production hiatus ' |
david hornsby <tsp> ( people.com ) -- and baby makes three ! bones ' star emily deschanel and her husband , it 's always sunny in philadelphia ' 's david hornsby , welcomed their first child wednesday , a baby boy named henry hornsby , deschanel 's rep confirms to people exclusively . deschanel , 34 , and hornsby were married in 2010 . the actress maintained a vegan diet throughout her pregnancy . the new mom 's bones ' co-star tj thyne took to twitter to share the happy news . congratulations emily d ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ' he tweeted wednesday . yay yay yay ! ! ! : o ) ' but he 's surely not the only one celebrating henry 's arrival . in april , shortly after her sister emily announced her pregnancy , zooey deschanel could hardly contain her excitement , tweeting : i am super excited to be an aunt ! ' see the full article at people.com . © 2011 people and time inc. all rights reserved . | emily deschanel and david hornsby , welcomed their first child wednesday |
gharaibeh <tsp> islamabad ( cnn ) -- the spotlight on so-called honor ' murders in south asia and across the world in recent days has raised awareness about the deaths of countless innocent victims , but condemning the act and its perpetrators does little to end the murders or address the root causes of the problem . i started my career as a gender specialist working in many countries where honor ' murders and other acts of violence against women often found considerable public support . as a naã¯ve and newbie rebellious activist , i never asked why ? ' instead i set out on my activism by loudly condemning the culture of violence against women in these regions as if it were an isolated phenomenon from other longstanding gender-racial-religious injustices i witnessed . british court convicts parents of murder in honor ' murder expressing my horror and repulsion of honor ' murders with like-minded colleagues made me feel righteous and involved . but the more i focused my outrage on the perpetrators , the more i sensed a growing divide between them down below ' and us up above . ' husband issued death sentence after i asked for divorce of course , i was part of the us ' -- the humane , the educated , the egalitarian . today , i am an aid worker in islamabad , pakistan . it 's a job that has exposed me to the dehumanizing effects of war , poverty , economic disasters , and natural calamities . i have seen dehumanizing living conditions breed dehumanized people . the outcome is a nation where tens of millions of people live without their most basic needs being met . every day i see pakistanis robbed of their dignity , their hope , and ultimately their sense of significance . i believe every human being instinctively yearns for a sense of significance -- a reason why their absence or presence matters . in a culture where systematic dehumanization through corruption-fueled poverty makes a sense of self virtually impossible , i have found that it 's useless to merely condemn those seeking it by being an honor ' killer or a protector of the holy book ' or even a suicide bomber . ' instead , i blame the wealthy , powerful and educated elite for failing to humanize the masses . not with charity and altruism -- which are acts that still preserve the us up here ' and them down there ' divide -- but by demanding true political , economic and institutional change . i am well aware of the stakes at hand . a large section of pakistan 's powerful elite is made up of landlords exploiting a deeply rooted feudal system . today , the feudal elite is entrenched in pakistan 's political system . for the feudal elite to eradicate poverty and ignorance , they must conjure the political will to create equality by pushing for land reform . they must pay for education and social welfare programs by enacting new tax laws . and they must demand transparency in government to end corruption . these drastic policy shifts are likely counterintuitive to the power elite 's longstanding views on governance , but a solution to honor ' murders and the many injustices and inequalities in pakistani society starts here . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of dania gharaibeh . | gharaibeh : dehumanizing living conditions breed dehumanized people |
gharaibeh <tsp> islamabad ( cnn ) -- the spotlight on so-called honor ' murders in south asia and across the world in recent days has raised awareness about the deaths of countless innocent victims , but condemning the act and its perpetrators does little to end the murders or address the root causes of the problem . i started my career as a gender specialist working in many countries where honor ' murders and other acts of violence against women often found considerable public support . as a naã¯ve and newbie rebellious activist , i never asked why ? ' instead i set out on my activism by loudly condemning the culture of violence against women in these regions as if it were an isolated phenomenon from other longstanding gender-racial-religious injustices i witnessed . british court convicts parents of murder in honor ' murder expressing my horror and repulsion of honor ' murders with like-minded colleagues made me feel righteous and involved . but the more i focused my outrage on the perpetrators , the more i sensed a growing divide between them down below ' and us up above . ' husband issued death sentence after i asked for divorce of course , i was part of the us ' -- the humane , the educated , the egalitarian . today , i am an aid worker in islamabad , pakistan . it 's a job that has exposed me to the dehumanizing effects of war , poverty , economic disasters , and natural calamities . i have seen dehumanizing living conditions breed dehumanized people . the outcome is a nation where tens of millions of people live without their most basic needs being met . every day i see pakistanis robbed of their dignity , their hope , and ultimately their sense of significance . i believe every human being instinctively yearns for a sense of significance -- a reason why their absence or presence matters . in a culture where systematic dehumanization through corruption-fueled poverty makes a sense of self virtually impossible , i have found that it 's useless to merely condemn those seeking it by being an honor ' killer or a protector of the holy book ' or even a suicide bomber . ' instead , i blame the wealthy , powerful and educated elite for failing to humanize the masses . not with charity and altruism -- which are acts that still preserve the us up here ' and them down there ' divide -- but by demanding true political , economic and institutional change . i am well aware of the stakes at hand . a large section of pakistan 's powerful elite is made up of landlords exploiting a deeply rooted feudal system . today , the feudal elite is entrenched in pakistan 's political system . for the feudal elite to eradicate poverty and ignorance , they must conjure the political will to create equality by pushing for land reform . they must pay for education and social welfare programs by enacting new tax laws . and they must demand transparency in government to end corruption . these drastic policy shifts are likely counterintuitive to the power elite 's longstanding views on governance , but a solution to honor ' murders and the many injustices and inequalities in pakistani society starts here . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of dania gharaibeh . | dania gharaibeh : condemning the act and its perpetrators does little to end the murders |
renisha mcbride <tsp> in stand your ground ' florida , michael dunn said he felt threatened by a car full of teens playing loud music and pumped about 10 rounds from his 9 mm pistol into their suv , killing 17-year-old jordan davis . there were , of course , no return shots , because the teens were unarmed . dunn is white , and all the teens in the car were black . he did n't bother to call the police afterward . dunn , 47 , is on trial , charged with murder . he took the stand monday , detailing how he was pulled up at a gas station when he asked the teens to turn down the music -- rap crap ' he called it . through the teenagers'tinted windows he saw menace , someone reaching for something . you 're not going to kill me , you son of a b * * * h , ' dunn recalled saying as he reached for his loaded gun in his glove box . and he only stopped firing when it appeared the threat was over . ' under florida 's stand your ground ' law , which could be used in this case , you are granted immunity from criminal and civil charges -- even if you did n't first try to retreat -- if you can show you had a reasonable fear of imminent bodily harm or death . and reasonable is up to interpretation . a 2012 study by the urban institute found that in the stand your ground ' states , when white shooters kill black people , 34 % of the resulting homicides are deemed justifiable . only 3 % of deaths are ruled justifiable when the shooter is black and the victim is white . ' and dunn feels justified . i am not a murderer , ' dunn has said . instead , he has taken on the mantle of victimhood and claimed , i am a survivor . ' dunn saw black and dunn saw threat . ' and he still does . he wrote , while awaiting trial , this jail is full of blacks , and they all act like thugs . ... this may sound a bit radical , but if more people would arm themselves and kill these * * * * idiots when they 're threatening you , eventually they may take the hint and change their behavior . ' but it 's not just the vigilantes . in january , philadelphia police determined that a group of african american teens wearing hats and scarves in 13 degree weather looked suspicious . ' the resulting stop and frisk led to the crushed testicles of a straight-a student who was simply on his way to a high school basketball game . he is now in a wheelchair . recently , researchers at stanford university conducted studies where police and others , cued with an image of a black person , quickly deciphered very blurred images often associated with crime , such as a gun . white people see an african american , and they 're immediately looking for something illegal . they almost instantly see a threat . trayvon martin , renisha mcbride , jonathan ferrell and the scores of other unarmed african americans gunned down because the killers felt threatened make that clear . still , there 's another story . the toll that the assumption of white innocence has on public safety is rarely examined . for example , years ago in wisconsin , one of jeffrey dahmer 's young victims ran naked , bleeding and screaming into the arms of milwaukee 's finest . but the serial killer 's blond hair worked like pixie dust : the officers ignored the pleas of several african american women , who begged the police to protect the child and get him to safety . instead , the cops took dahmer 's word that this frail 14-year-old asian american boy was really a consenting adult and handed the child back over to the cannibal . for most americans , danger does n't look like jeffrey dahmer . the second part of the same study at stanford affirmed it . researchers found when they flashed pictures of whites to police and others , subsequent fuzzy images linked to crime remained a blur for a lot longer . in the rorschach psyche of america , the words white ' and crime ' are not synonymous . this means that authorities are slow to recognize the threat even of serial killers and certainly by gun-toting shooters in neighborhoods , malls , schools , and airports -- if they 're white . the ability of white skin to mask a threat was evident in atlanta last year . in october , a white man pulled up to an elementary school and breezed through an elaborate security system while packing multiple guns , including an ak-47 , and nearly 500 rounds of ammunition . eight hundred children scrambled out of the building and a swat team set up outside . then , michael brandon hill pointed his gun out the school window and started shooting . as dramatic as the shootings may be , the assumption of white innocence has a more widespread , corrosive effect on the criminal justice system and society . the new york police department has documented evidence that the relatively small number of whites who were stopped and frisked accounted for nearly twice as many illegal firearms and one-third more contraband than blacks or latinos . still , deputy inspector christopher mccormick instructed his officers to target african americans . i do n't have any trouble telling you this , ' he said , male blacks 14 to 20 , 21 . ' in other words , where the presumption of white innocence is concerned , facts carry much less weight than perception . similarly , whites and hispanics are two-thirds of all crack users in the united states ; yet , the u.s . sentencing commission found that 79 % of sentenced crack offenders in 2009 were black . as journalist saki knafo noted , when it comes to illegal drug use , white america does the crime , black america gets the time . ' law professor jonathan simon wrote about the ways that the american obsession with crime has created a culture of fear . ' yet , any sense of real safety and security will continue to elude this nation as long black is the default threat setting in america . | she names trayvon martin , renisha mcbride , jonathan ferrell -- all gunned down |
colorado <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- a salvadoran national recently added to the fbi 's 10 most wanted fugitives list for allegedly committing a 2011 murder in colorado is under arrest , the fbi announced wednesday . edwin ernesto rivera gracias was in el salvador and after voluntarily agreeing to return to the united states to face charges he was flown to denver on wednesday , according to the fbi . he surrendered to salvadoran authorities and fbi agents on tuesday , said fbi spokesman dave joly . rivera gracias is accused of killing richard limon , 69 , in august 2011 . law enforcement officials alleged that rivera gracias choked , beat and stabbed the man and then dumped his body in the mountains outside of denver . according to the fbi , limon was a long-tme family acquaintance of rivera gracias'teenage girlfriend . rivera gracias was in the united states allegedly illegally at the time of the limon murder . the fbi described the suspect as between the age of 29 and 33 and said he was a member of the mara salvatrucha , or ms-13 gang . he is said to have a number of tattoos including one of ms-13 ' across his back . ms-13 originated in los angeles 20 years ago among salvadoran immigrants fleeing the country 's civil war . the government says it has now grown to about 10,000 members in the united states . in october , the obama administration named the organization a transnational criminal enterprise , with the goal of freezing millions of dollars in profits from drug and sex trafficking operations . rivera gracias was added to the fbi 's top 10 list on march 14 and at that time law enforcement officials said they believed he had fled to his native country . the fbi announced a reward of $ 100,000 for information leading to his arrest . it 's unclear if anyone will be receiving that reward money for tips provided in the case . in wednesday 's announcement the fbi said further reward information will not be made public . ' the fbi 's top 10 most wanted fugitives list was launched in 1950 . the program seeks to publicize terrible crimes and get tips that lead to arrests . rivera gracias was the 498th person to make the roster . al qaeda leader osama bin laden was on the list until he was killed in pakistan during a may 2011 raid by u.s. forces . alleged boston mob figure james whitey ' bulger spent more than a decade on the list and ultimately was captured in june 2011 in santa monica , california . | edwin ernesto rivera gracias is accused of killed a 69-year-old colorado man |
rivera gracias <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- a salvadoran national recently added to the fbi 's 10 most wanted fugitives list for allegedly committing a 2011 murder in colorado is under arrest , the fbi announced wednesday . edwin ernesto rivera gracias was in el salvador and after voluntarily agreeing to return to the united states to face charges he was flown to denver on wednesday , according to the fbi . he surrendered to salvadoran authorities and fbi agents on tuesday , said fbi spokesman dave joly . rivera gracias is accused of killing richard limon , 69 , in august 2011 . law enforcement officials alleged that rivera gracias choked , beat and stabbed the man and then dumped his body in the mountains outside of denver . according to the fbi , limon was a long-tme family acquaintance of rivera gracias'teenage girlfriend . rivera gracias was in the united states allegedly illegally at the time of the limon murder . the fbi described the suspect as between the age of 29 and 33 and said he was a member of the mara salvatrucha , or ms-13 gang . he is said to have a number of tattoos including one of ms-13 ' across his back . ms-13 originated in los angeles 20 years ago among salvadoran immigrants fleeing the country 's civil war . the government says it has now grown to about 10,000 members in the united states . in october , the obama administration named the organization a transnational criminal enterprise , with the goal of freezing millions of dollars in profits from drug and sex trafficking operations . rivera gracias was added to the fbi 's top 10 list on march 14 and at that time law enforcement officials said they believed he had fled to his native country . the fbi announced a reward of $ 100,000 for information leading to his arrest . it 's unclear if anyone will be receiving that reward money for tips provided in the case . in wednesday 's announcement the fbi said further reward information will not be made public . ' the fbi 's top 10 most wanted fugitives list was launched in 1950 . the program seeks to publicize terrible crimes and get tips that lead to arrests . rivera gracias was the 498th person to make the roster . al qaeda leader osama bin laden was on the list until he was killed in pakistan during a may 2011 raid by u.s. forces . alleged boston mob figure james whitey ' bulger spent more than a decade on the list and ultimately was captured in june 2011 in santa monica , california . | edwin ernesto rivera gracias is accused of killed a 69-year-old colorado man |
rivera gracias <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- a salvadoran national recently added to the fbi 's 10 most wanted fugitives list for allegedly committing a 2011 murder in colorado is under arrest , the fbi announced wednesday . edwin ernesto rivera gracias was in el salvador and after voluntarily agreeing to return to the united states to face charges he was flown to denver on wednesday , according to the fbi . he surrendered to salvadoran authorities and fbi agents on tuesday , said fbi spokesman dave joly . rivera gracias is accused of killing richard limon , 69 , in august 2011 . law enforcement officials alleged that rivera gracias choked , beat and stabbed the man and then dumped his body in the mountains outside of denver . according to the fbi , limon was a long-tme family acquaintance of rivera gracias'teenage girlfriend . rivera gracias was in the united states allegedly illegally at the time of the limon murder . the fbi described the suspect as between the age of 29 and 33 and said he was a member of the mara salvatrucha , or ms-13 gang . he is said to have a number of tattoos including one of ms-13 ' across his back . ms-13 originated in los angeles 20 years ago among salvadoran immigrants fleeing the country 's civil war . the government says it has now grown to about 10,000 members in the united states . in october , the obama administration named the organization a transnational criminal enterprise , with the goal of freezing millions of dollars in profits from drug and sex trafficking operations . rivera gracias was added to the fbi 's top 10 list on march 14 and at that time law enforcement officials said they believed he had fled to his native country . the fbi announced a reward of $ 100,000 for information leading to his arrest . it 's unclear if anyone will be receiving that reward money for tips provided in the case . in wednesday 's announcement the fbi said further reward information will not be made public . ' the fbi 's top 10 most wanted fugitives list was launched in 1950 . the program seeks to publicize terrible crimes and get tips that lead to arrests . rivera gracias was the 498th person to make the roster . al qaeda leader osama bin laden was on the list until he was killed in pakistan during a may 2011 raid by u.s. forces . alleged boston mob figure james whitey ' bulger spent more than a decade on the list and ultimately was captured in june 2011 in santa monica , california . | rivera gracias was added to the fbi 's top 10 list on march 14 |
washington <tsp> mexico city ( cnn ) -- telephones are ringing off the hook at this office in mexico 's capital , where a group of well-known activists are planning the final details of a protest on the other side of the mexico-u.s. border . in a month-long caravan of peace across the united states , organizers say they will denounce what they believe are the devastating consequences of the fight against drug trafficking . san diego , california , will be the first stop on sunday for poet javier sicilia and 70 other members of mexico 's movement for peace with justice and dignity on their trek through more than 20 cities in the united states . along the way , 40 people whose family members are among the tens of thousands of dead and disappeared in mexico 's drug war will speak out about their experiences and work to create a new network with more than 70 u.s. nonprofit organizations . we want citizens to confront the blindness of politicians and their interests as much in the united states as in mexico , ' says sicilia , who became one of mexico 's most prominent activists after his son 's slaying in march 2011 . the caravan will stop in sites north of the border that the poet considers key -- including los angeles , phoenix , houston , new orleans , atlanta , chicago and new york -- before arriving in washington on september 10 . it will not be easy to cross the cultural divide to discuss subjects like drug legalization , the illegal production and sale of weapons , trafficking of migrants and money laundering , ' sicilia says . and the protest 's timing is another challenge , sicilia says , noting that his group could struggle to gain attention during a fierce election campaign between incumbent u.s. president barack obama and his presumptive republican challenger mitt romney . still , he says he is confident that host organizations in the united states will help them create a narrative that can sensitize the u.s. population about these problems . ' the tough political climate , the intense waves of heat sweeping the country this summer and the large distance to cover -- more than 5,800 miles ( 9,400 km ) -- have inspired sicilia to describe his upcoming journey across the united states as an odyssey . ' for the mystical poet , who has become a key player criticizing mexican president felipe calderon 's strategy to fight organized crime , the caravan through the united states is the latest leg of a journey that began after his son 's slaying . in march 2011 , 24-year-old juan francisco sicilia 's lifeless body was found with six others , crammed inside a car outside the central mexican city of cuernavaca . masking tape was wrapped around their skulls , faces , wrists and ankles . authorities believe all seven victims suffocated to death , and they have accused local police of working with cartel members in the slayings . after his son 's death , sicilia said he would no longer write poetry . the world is no longer dignified enough for words . they are choking inside of us , ' he said at the time . while sicilia stopped publishing poetry , words remain his weapon . the movement he leads surged to national prominence after thousands joined a three-day protest march culminating in mexico city 's central square in may 2011 . since then , the poet has led a series of high-profile protests uniting people from across mexico to tell the story of the country 's losses and show the faces of those who died , disappeared or were displaced because of the fight against organized crime . i think that our main accomplishment was to put victims in the center of politics , to say ,'these are not collateral damages . these are not statistics . they are human beings ,' sicilia says . while he brought together witness testimonials as thousands joined his caravan marches across mexico , he also garnered attention from the country 's top leaders . the movement has met with congressmen and senators , with calderon and with the candidates who competed to succeed him . these are unprecedented things . they are seeds that are going to produce fruits at another moment , ' sicilia says . but some of sicilia 's behavior -- like demanding the resignation of mexico 's top public security official , then changing his mind -- has raised eyebrows . also , leading up to mexico 's presidential vote last month , sicilia was criticized for saying he planned to cast a blank ballot . and for some , his poetic language has been difficult to interpret . i think that 's because a lot of poetry is misinterpreted or simply is n't heard , ' sicilia says . since the movement began , in addition to protest marches across mexico and meetings with top officials , there have been notable losses . members of the movement protesting violence in mexico have also become victims . in a three-month period last year , three members of the movement were killed . after these cumulative experiences , sicilia says he feels deceived . mexican officials have said that more than 47,500 people have been killed in drug-related violence since president felipe calderon began a crackdown on cartels in december 2006 . but activists like sicilia -- who is sharply critical of calderon 's drug war strategy and the president 's approach to dealing with victims of violence -- say the death toll is far higher than government estimates . the politicians do n't keep their word . they are overwhelmed by reality . on their agendas , the 70,000 dead do not exist . the war does not exist , ' sicilia says . even though sicilia founded the movement and is its most identifiable face -- in 2011 he appeared as one of the protesters featured in time magazine 's person of the year edition -- he says he does not consider himself its leader . the best way to destroy a movement is to focus it on one figure and practically deify him . through my mouth , i speak of the pain of this nation , but i am not ( the nation ) , ' sicilia says . now , after more than a year of protests , sicilia says this caravan could be his last . after the protest through the united states ends , the poet says he is considering returning to a spiritual retreat in france , where he spent time while his children were young . i want to go , look within myself , find my solitude ... and end the pain ( i feel ) for my son . ' | the month-long protest led by a mexican poet starts in san diego and ends in washington |
bolshoi ballet academy <tsp> moscow ( cnn ) joy womack is taking part in her first ballet class of the day at the kremlin ballet theatre , kicking her legs up to her head , jumping and spinning across the room . after class , she eats boiled sweets , one after another -- they are a cheap form of energy . the dancer , raised in california and texas , left her parents and eight brothers and sisters behind when she arrived in russia six years ago , aged 15 , speaking no russian . she studied at the bolshoi ballet academy and was one of the first americans accepted from the school into the company . but in 2013 she left under a cloud -- media reports suggested she had claimed she was asked by an unnamed boshoi official to pay $ 10,000 to dance in even small roles . the bolshoi still stands by comments made at the time by its general director , vladimir urin . he asked the dancer to make an official complaint and defend her position legally , saying the theatre was ready to assist the law enforcement agencies to investigate the case and that if the facts are legally established , those responsible should be punished accordingly . ' the dancer did not pursue a case against the bolshoi . when she left the bolshoi in 2013 , womack joined the kremlin ballet theatre where she still works , aged 20 , as a principal ballerina ; dancing close to the russian president 's office , next to the cathedrals inside the red walls of the kremlin . the surroundings may be opulent but her pay packet is not : for her role as a principal dancer womack says she is paid around $ 240 a month -- which works out at around $ 8 a day . the dancer says the amount of money she makes in dollars each month has fallen as the russian ruble has weakened -- the currency has suffered , in part , from a low oil price and international sanctions imposed on russia over its annexation of crimea last year . womack says a friend helps her with accommodation and she says she has to make the money stretch in order to buy food . for anyone paid a salary in rubles , especially since the crisis , it is extremely difficult . you have to decide what is worth more for you - experience or financial stability . i 'm at a point in my life where experience is worth more . ' sitting in the wings of the stage , chatting in russian to the other dancers and stretching before her rehearsal for swan lake , she says she has to make the $ 185 in her bank account last for the next few weeks . to earn extra money she dances bigger roles or takes part in events abroad . the kremlin ballet theatre says womack 's salary corresponds to her job title as a principal dancer and that , on average , the salary [ principal ] dancers are paid is significantly higher ' than $ 240 a month but that womack could have been paid that equivalent in dollars depending on the exchange rate on the day and depending on how much she danced in productions the previous month . ' as an american , womack says she is paid the same as her contemporaries and is treated just like the russians . but she says that is not always the case offstage . it 's extremely difficult to watch the deteriorating relationships between the united states and russia . the great thing about working for a russian company is that we are focused on creating art but ... outside the ballet world it is difficult for foreigners ; the general tendency tends to be more nationalistic and they unfortunately judge foreigners by their cover . ' although relations between the u.s. and russia have taken a nosedive since russia 's annexation of crimea last march , womack says she is very loyal ' to the kremlin ballet theatre . i love the russian system and i 'm very patriotic in that sense , ' she says . and despite the political situation -- and the money -- she says , russia has a lot to offer , it is a beautiful place that creates stars and that itself is worth investing one 's career in . | joy womack studied at bolshoi ballet academy but left in cloud of controversy |
joy womack <tsp> moscow ( cnn ) joy womack is taking part in her first ballet class of the day at the kremlin ballet theatre , kicking her legs up to her head , jumping and spinning across the room . after class , she eats boiled sweets , one after another -- they are a cheap form of energy . the dancer , raised in california and texas , left her parents and eight brothers and sisters behind when she arrived in russia six years ago , aged 15 , speaking no russian . she studied at the bolshoi ballet academy and was one of the first americans accepted from the school into the company . but in 2013 she left under a cloud -- media reports suggested she had claimed she was asked by an unnamed boshoi official to pay $ 10,000 to dance in even small roles . the bolshoi still stands by comments made at the time by its general director , vladimir urin . he asked the dancer to make an official complaint and defend her position legally , saying the theatre was ready to assist the law enforcement agencies to investigate the case and that if the facts are legally established , those responsible should be punished accordingly . ' the dancer did not pursue a case against the bolshoi . when she left the bolshoi in 2013 , womack joined the kremlin ballet theatre where she still works , aged 20 , as a principal ballerina ; dancing close to the russian president 's office , next to the cathedrals inside the red walls of the kremlin . the surroundings may be opulent but her pay packet is not : for her role as a principal dancer womack says she is paid around $ 240 a month -- which works out at around $ 8 a day . the dancer says the amount of money she makes in dollars each month has fallen as the russian ruble has weakened -- the currency has suffered , in part , from a low oil price and international sanctions imposed on russia over its annexation of crimea last year . womack says a friend helps her with accommodation and she says she has to make the money stretch in order to buy food . for anyone paid a salary in rubles , especially since the crisis , it is extremely difficult . you have to decide what is worth more for you - experience or financial stability . i 'm at a point in my life where experience is worth more . ' sitting in the wings of the stage , chatting in russian to the other dancers and stretching before her rehearsal for swan lake , she says she has to make the $ 185 in her bank account last for the next few weeks . to earn extra money she dances bigger roles or takes part in events abroad . the kremlin ballet theatre says womack 's salary corresponds to her job title as a principal dancer and that , on average , the salary [ principal ] dancers are paid is significantly higher ' than $ 240 a month but that womack could have been paid that equivalent in dollars depending on the exchange rate on the day and depending on how much she danced in productions the previous month . ' as an american , womack says she is paid the same as her contemporaries and is treated just like the russians . but she says that is not always the case offstage . it 's extremely difficult to watch the deteriorating relationships between the united states and russia . the great thing about working for a russian company is that we are focused on creating art but ... outside the ballet world it is difficult for foreigners ; the general tendency tends to be more nationalistic and they unfortunately judge foreigners by their cover . ' although relations between the u.s. and russia have taken a nosedive since russia 's annexation of crimea last march , womack says she is very loyal ' to the kremlin ballet theatre . i love the russian system and i 'm very patriotic in that sense , ' she says . and despite the political situation -- and the money -- she says , russia has a lot to offer , it is a beautiful place that creates stars and that itself is worth investing one 's career in . | joy womack studied at bolshoi ballet academy but left in cloud of controversy |
kremlin ballet theatre <tsp> moscow ( cnn ) joy womack is taking part in her first ballet class of the day at the kremlin ballet theatre , kicking her legs up to her head , jumping and spinning across the room . after class , she eats boiled sweets , one after another -- they are a cheap form of energy . the dancer , raised in california and texas , left her parents and eight brothers and sisters behind when she arrived in russia six years ago , aged 15 , speaking no russian . she studied at the bolshoi ballet academy and was one of the first americans accepted from the school into the company . but in 2013 she left under a cloud -- media reports suggested she had claimed she was asked by an unnamed boshoi official to pay $ 10,000 to dance in even small roles . the bolshoi still stands by comments made at the time by its general director , vladimir urin . he asked the dancer to make an official complaint and defend her position legally , saying the theatre was ready to assist the law enforcement agencies to investigate the case and that if the facts are legally established , those responsible should be punished accordingly . ' the dancer did not pursue a case against the bolshoi . when she left the bolshoi in 2013 , womack joined the kremlin ballet theatre where she still works , aged 20 , as a principal ballerina ; dancing close to the russian president 's office , next to the cathedrals inside the red walls of the kremlin . the surroundings may be opulent but her pay packet is not : for her role as a principal dancer womack says she is paid around $ 240 a month -- which works out at around $ 8 a day . the dancer says the amount of money she makes in dollars each month has fallen as the russian ruble has weakened -- the currency has suffered , in part , from a low oil price and international sanctions imposed on russia over its annexation of crimea last year . womack says a friend helps her with accommodation and she says she has to make the money stretch in order to buy food . for anyone paid a salary in rubles , especially since the crisis , it is extremely difficult . you have to decide what is worth more for you - experience or financial stability . i 'm at a point in my life where experience is worth more . ' sitting in the wings of the stage , chatting in russian to the other dancers and stretching before her rehearsal for swan lake , she says she has to make the $ 185 in her bank account last for the next few weeks . to earn extra money she dances bigger roles or takes part in events abroad . the kremlin ballet theatre says womack 's salary corresponds to her job title as a principal dancer and that , on average , the salary [ principal ] dancers are paid is significantly higher ' than $ 240 a month but that womack could have been paid that equivalent in dollars depending on the exchange rate on the day and depending on how much she danced in productions the previous month . ' as an american , womack says she is paid the same as her contemporaries and is treated just like the russians . but she says that is not always the case offstage . it 's extremely difficult to watch the deteriorating relationships between the united states and russia . the great thing about working for a russian company is that we are focused on creating art but ... outside the ballet world it is difficult for foreigners ; the general tendency tends to be more nationalistic and they unfortunately judge foreigners by their cover . ' although relations between the u.s. and russia have taken a nosedive since russia 's annexation of crimea last march , womack says she is very loyal ' to the kremlin ballet theatre . i love the russian system and i 'm very patriotic in that sense , ' she says . and despite the political situation -- and the money -- she says , russia has a lot to offer , it is a beautiful place that creates stars and that itself is worth investing one 's career in . | 20-year-old american dancer makes $ 240 a month at kremlin ballet theatre |
american <tsp> moscow ( cnn ) joy womack is taking part in her first ballet class of the day at the kremlin ballet theatre , kicking her legs up to her head , jumping and spinning across the room . after class , she eats boiled sweets , one after another -- they are a cheap form of energy . the dancer , raised in california and texas , left her parents and eight brothers and sisters behind when she arrived in russia six years ago , aged 15 , speaking no russian . she studied at the bolshoi ballet academy and was one of the first americans accepted from the school into the company . but in 2013 she left under a cloud -- media reports suggested she had claimed she was asked by an unnamed boshoi official to pay $ 10,000 to dance in even small roles . the bolshoi still stands by comments made at the time by its general director , vladimir urin . he asked the dancer to make an official complaint and defend her position legally , saying the theatre was ready to assist the law enforcement agencies to investigate the case and that if the facts are legally established , those responsible should be punished accordingly . ' the dancer did not pursue a case against the bolshoi . when she left the bolshoi in 2013 , womack joined the kremlin ballet theatre where she still works , aged 20 , as a principal ballerina ; dancing close to the russian president 's office , next to the cathedrals inside the red walls of the kremlin . the surroundings may be opulent but her pay packet is not : for her role as a principal dancer womack says she is paid around $ 240 a month -- which works out at around $ 8 a day . the dancer says the amount of money she makes in dollars each month has fallen as the russian ruble has weakened -- the currency has suffered , in part , from a low oil price and international sanctions imposed on russia over its annexation of crimea last year . womack says a friend helps her with accommodation and she says she has to make the money stretch in order to buy food . for anyone paid a salary in rubles , especially since the crisis , it is extremely difficult . you have to decide what is worth more for you - experience or financial stability . i 'm at a point in my life where experience is worth more . ' sitting in the wings of the stage , chatting in russian to the other dancers and stretching before her rehearsal for swan lake , she says she has to make the $ 185 in her bank account last for the next few weeks . to earn extra money she dances bigger roles or takes part in events abroad . the kremlin ballet theatre says womack 's salary corresponds to her job title as a principal dancer and that , on average , the salary [ principal ] dancers are paid is significantly higher ' than $ 240 a month but that womack could have been paid that equivalent in dollars depending on the exchange rate on the day and depending on how much she danced in productions the previous month . ' as an american , womack says she is paid the same as her contemporaries and is treated just like the russians . but she says that is not always the case offstage . it 's extremely difficult to watch the deteriorating relationships between the united states and russia . the great thing about working for a russian company is that we are focused on creating art but ... outside the ballet world it is difficult for foreigners ; the general tendency tends to be more nationalistic and they unfortunately judge foreigners by their cover . ' although relations between the u.s. and russia have taken a nosedive since russia 's annexation of crimea last march , womack says she is very loyal ' to the kremlin ballet theatre . i love the russian system and i 'm very patriotic in that sense , ' she says . and despite the political situation -- and the money -- she says , russia has a lot to offer , it is a beautiful place that creates stars and that itself is worth investing one 's career in . | 20-year-old american dancer makes $ 240 a month at kremlin ballet theatre |
ferrari <tsp> ( cnn ) -- fernando alonso claimed ferrari 's first formula one victory of the season with a thrilling win in sunday 's british grand prix at silverstone . the spaniard took advantage of a poor pit stop by race leader and world champion sebastian vettel to go clear for the italian manufacturer 's first triumph since last year 's korean grand prix in october -- 11 races ago . vettel held off red bull teammate mark webber to take second place , although team orders on the last lap meant australian webber was deprived of overtaking the german . vettel takes the quiet road to glory lewis hamilton was the best placed briton in fourth , although the 2008 world champion was involved a wheel-to-wheel battle with the other ferrari of felipe massa for that position , with the mclaren sending his rival wide on the final bend to secure that place . heavy showers beforehand made for difficult conditions at the beginning of the race and a brilliant start by vettel saw him overtake the pole position of webber by the first corner . vettel held onto that advantage until the 25th lap when problems in fitting the left-rear tire to his car allowed alonso to snatch the lead in the pit lane , an advantage he held all the way to the finish line . i saw the problem in the pit stop with sebastian and we were in the lead at that moment , but who knows what might have happened after that , ' alonso told reporters . passing judgement : hamilton must stay aggressive ' i knew it was a race to be calm , make no mistakes , to not be off the track , and with that i knew the car had enough for victory and it came . ' it was 29-year-old alonso 's 27th career victory , putting him level with jackie stewart in fifth place in the all-time formula one victory standings . and it proved a perfectly-timed win for ferrari , who were celebrating the 60th anniversary of their maiden success in formula one , also at silverstone . despite his defeat , vettel -- who has finished first or second in every race so far this season -- has actually increased his advantage in the overall standings to an impressive 80 points , lying on 204 . webber is up to second place on 124 points , with alonso now third on 112 . the day 's big loser was 2009 world champion jenson button , who lost second place in the standings after failing to finish , after a wheel nut to his front-right tire was not fixed on properly . | it is ferrari 's first success since their win in last october 's korean grand prix |
ferrari <tsp> ( cnn ) -- fernando alonso claimed ferrari 's first formula one victory of the season with a thrilling win in sunday 's british grand prix at silverstone . the spaniard took advantage of a poor pit stop by race leader and world champion sebastian vettel to go clear for the italian manufacturer 's first triumph since last year 's korean grand prix in october -- 11 races ago . vettel held off red bull teammate mark webber to take second place , although team orders on the last lap meant australian webber was deprived of overtaking the german . vettel takes the quiet road to glory lewis hamilton was the best placed briton in fourth , although the 2008 world champion was involved a wheel-to-wheel battle with the other ferrari of felipe massa for that position , with the mclaren sending his rival wide on the final bend to secure that place . heavy showers beforehand made for difficult conditions at the beginning of the race and a brilliant start by vettel saw him overtake the pole position of webber by the first corner . vettel held onto that advantage until the 25th lap when problems in fitting the left-rear tire to his car allowed alonso to snatch the lead in the pit lane , an advantage he held all the way to the finish line . i saw the problem in the pit stop with sebastian and we were in the lead at that moment , but who knows what might have happened after that , ' alonso told reporters . passing judgement : hamilton must stay aggressive ' i knew it was a race to be calm , make no mistakes , to not be off the track , and with that i knew the car had enough for victory and it came . ' it was 29-year-old alonso 's 27th career victory , putting him level with jackie stewart in fifth place in the all-time formula one victory standings . and it proved a perfectly-timed win for ferrari , who were celebrating the 60th anniversary of their maiden success in formula one , also at silverstone . despite his defeat , vettel -- who has finished first or second in every race so far this season -- has actually increased his advantage in the overall standings to an impressive 80 points , lying on 204 . webber is up to second place on 124 points , with alonso now third on 112 . the day 's big loser was 2009 world champion jenson button , who lost second place in the standings after failing to finish , after a wheel nut to his front-right tire was not fixed on properly . | fernando alonso claims victory for ferrari in sunday 's british grand prix |
ben affleck <tsp> ( cnn ) the much-discussed trailer for batman v. superman : dawn of justice ' just got a makeover . soon after the trailer went up late on friday , youtuber bobby burns got to work on doing his own version using classic superhero footage . instead of ben affleck and henry cavill facing off , this version wonders what it would be like if comics'classic characters adam west and christopher reeve took their places . cnn spoke to 18-year-old burns about what motivated him to make his now-viral video . ( warner bros. pictures , the studio behind batman v. superman , ' is owned by time warner , as is cnn . ) cnn : when did you start making youtube videos like this ? burns : at age 11 . i work for the made in network in nashville , tennessee . cnn : where did this idea come from ? burns : i 'm pretty hyped for batman v . superman . ' as soon as i saw the trailer , my brain immediately went to the classic batman ' [ tv series ] and i thought how funny it would be if this film was made at the time . cnn : what were you looking to accomplish ? burns : i wanted to contrast the old with the new . cnn : what kind of reaction have you received ? burns : within an hour of the trailer going up , i went to work on the edit . within four hours , my edit was finished and up on the internet . the reaction has been great ! it 's awesome to see so many people enjoying what i made . take a look at the fan trailer below : | adam west and christopher reeve replace ben affleck and henry cavill in the re-imagined trailer |
superman <tsp> ( cnn ) the much-discussed trailer for batman v. superman : dawn of justice ' just got a makeover . soon after the trailer went up late on friday , youtuber bobby burns got to work on doing his own version using classic superhero footage . instead of ben affleck and henry cavill facing off , this version wonders what it would be like if comics'classic characters adam west and christopher reeve took their places . cnn spoke to 18-year-old burns about what motivated him to make his now-viral video . ( warner bros. pictures , the studio behind batman v. superman , ' is owned by time warner , as is cnn . ) cnn : when did you start making youtube videos like this ? burns : at age 11 . i work for the made in network in nashville , tennessee . cnn : where did this idea come from ? burns : i 'm pretty hyped for batman v . superman . ' as soon as i saw the trailer , my brain immediately went to the classic batman ' [ tv series ] and i thought how funny it would be if this film was made at the time . cnn : what were you looking to accomplish ? burns : i wanted to contrast the old with the new . cnn : what kind of reaction have you received ? burns : within an hour of the trailer going up , i went to work on the edit . within four hours , my edit was finished and up on the internet . the reaction has been great ! it 's awesome to see so many people enjoying what i made . take a look at the fan trailer below : | a fan re-edited batman v. superman : dawn of justice ' trailer with classic scenes from older batman ' and superman ' tv and film |
henry cavill <tsp> ( cnn ) the much-discussed trailer for batman v. superman : dawn of justice ' just got a makeover . soon after the trailer went up late on friday , youtuber bobby burns got to work on doing his own version using classic superhero footage . instead of ben affleck and henry cavill facing off , this version wonders what it would be like if comics'classic characters adam west and christopher reeve took their places . cnn spoke to 18-year-old burns about what motivated him to make his now-viral video . ( warner bros. pictures , the studio behind batman v. superman , ' is owned by time warner , as is cnn . ) cnn : when did you start making youtube videos like this ? burns : at age 11 . i work for the made in network in nashville , tennessee . cnn : where did this idea come from ? burns : i 'm pretty hyped for batman v . superman . ' as soon as i saw the trailer , my brain immediately went to the classic batman ' [ tv series ] and i thought how funny it would be if this film was made at the time . cnn : what were you looking to accomplish ? burns : i wanted to contrast the old with the new . cnn : what kind of reaction have you received ? burns : within an hour of the trailer going up , i went to work on the edit . within four hours , my edit was finished and up on the internet . the reaction has been great ! it 's awesome to see so many people enjoying what i made . take a look at the fan trailer below : | adam west and christopher reeve replace ben affleck and henry cavill in the re-imagined trailer |
batman <tsp> ( cnn ) the much-discussed trailer for batman v. superman : dawn of justice ' just got a makeover . soon after the trailer went up late on friday , youtuber bobby burns got to work on doing his own version using classic superhero footage . instead of ben affleck and henry cavill facing off , this version wonders what it would be like if comics'classic characters adam west and christopher reeve took their places . cnn spoke to 18-year-old burns about what motivated him to make his now-viral video . ( warner bros. pictures , the studio behind batman v. superman , ' is owned by time warner , as is cnn . ) cnn : when did you start making youtube videos like this ? burns : at age 11 . i work for the made in network in nashville , tennessee . cnn : where did this idea come from ? burns : i 'm pretty hyped for batman v . superman . ' as soon as i saw the trailer , my brain immediately went to the classic batman ' [ tv series ] and i thought how funny it would be if this film was made at the time . cnn : what were you looking to accomplish ? burns : i wanted to contrast the old with the new . cnn : what kind of reaction have you received ? burns : within an hour of the trailer going up , i went to work on the edit . within four hours , my edit was finished and up on the internet . the reaction has been great ! it 's awesome to see so many people enjoying what i made . take a look at the fan trailer below : | a fan re-edited batman v. superman : dawn of justice ' trailer with classic scenes from older batman ' and superman ' tv and film |
dawn of justice <tsp> ( cnn ) the much-discussed trailer for batman v. superman : dawn of justice ' just got a makeover . soon after the trailer went up late on friday , youtuber bobby burns got to work on doing his own version using classic superhero footage . instead of ben affleck and henry cavill facing off , this version wonders what it would be like if comics'classic characters adam west and christopher reeve took their places . cnn spoke to 18-year-old burns about what motivated him to make his now-viral video . ( warner bros. pictures , the studio behind batman v. superman , ' is owned by time warner , as is cnn . ) cnn : when did you start making youtube videos like this ? burns : at age 11 . i work for the made in network in nashville , tennessee . cnn : where did this idea come from ? burns : i 'm pretty hyped for batman v . superman . ' as soon as i saw the trailer , my brain immediately went to the classic batman ' [ tv series ] and i thought how funny it would be if this film was made at the time . cnn : what were you looking to accomplish ? burns : i wanted to contrast the old with the new . cnn : what kind of reaction have you received ? burns : within an hour of the trailer going up , i went to work on the edit . within four hours , my edit was finished and up on the internet . the reaction has been great ! it 's awesome to see so many people enjoying what i made . take a look at the fan trailer below : | a fan re-edited batman v. superman : dawn of justice ' trailer with classic scenes from older batman ' and superman ' tv and film |
adam west <tsp> ( cnn ) the much-discussed trailer for batman v. superman : dawn of justice ' just got a makeover . soon after the trailer went up late on friday , youtuber bobby burns got to work on doing his own version using classic superhero footage . instead of ben affleck and henry cavill facing off , this version wonders what it would be like if comics'classic characters adam west and christopher reeve took their places . cnn spoke to 18-year-old burns about what motivated him to make his now-viral video . ( warner bros. pictures , the studio behind batman v. superman , ' is owned by time warner , as is cnn . ) cnn : when did you start making youtube videos like this ? burns : at age 11 . i work for the made in network in nashville , tennessee . cnn : where did this idea come from ? burns : i 'm pretty hyped for batman v . superman . ' as soon as i saw the trailer , my brain immediately went to the classic batman ' [ tv series ] and i thought how funny it would be if this film was made at the time . cnn : what were you looking to accomplish ? burns : i wanted to contrast the old with the new . cnn : what kind of reaction have you received ? burns : within an hour of the trailer going up , i went to work on the edit . within four hours , my edit was finished and up on the internet . the reaction has been great ! it 's awesome to see so many people enjoying what i made . take a look at the fan trailer below : | adam west and christopher reeve replace ben affleck and henry cavill in the re-imagined trailer |
christopher reeve <tsp> ( cnn ) the much-discussed trailer for batman v. superman : dawn of justice ' just got a makeover . soon after the trailer went up late on friday , youtuber bobby burns got to work on doing his own version using classic superhero footage . instead of ben affleck and henry cavill facing off , this version wonders what it would be like if comics'classic characters adam west and christopher reeve took their places . cnn spoke to 18-year-old burns about what motivated him to make his now-viral video . ( warner bros. pictures , the studio behind batman v. superman , ' is owned by time warner , as is cnn . ) cnn : when did you start making youtube videos like this ? burns : at age 11 . i work for the made in network in nashville , tennessee . cnn : where did this idea come from ? burns : i 'm pretty hyped for batman v . superman . ' as soon as i saw the trailer , my brain immediately went to the classic batman ' [ tv series ] and i thought how funny it would be if this film was made at the time . cnn : what were you looking to accomplish ? burns : i wanted to contrast the old with the new . cnn : what kind of reaction have you received ? burns : within an hour of the trailer going up , i went to work on the edit . within four hours , my edit was finished and up on the internet . the reaction has been great ! it 's awesome to see so many people enjoying what i made . take a look at the fan trailer below : | adam west and christopher reeve replace ben affleck and henry cavill in the re-imagined trailer |
cnn <tsp> ( cnn ) i see signs of a revolution everywhere . i see it in the op-ed pages of the newspapers , and on the state ballots in nearly half the country . i see it in politicians who once preferred to play it safe with this explosive issue but are now willing to stake their political futures on it . i see the revolution in the eyes of sterling scientists , previously reluctant to dip a toe into this heavily stigmatized world , who are diving in head first . i see it in the new surgeon general who cites data showing just how helpful it can be . i see a revolution in the attitudes of everyday americans . for the first time a majority , 53 % , favor its legalization , with 77 % supporting it for medical purposes . support for legalization has risen 11 points in the past few years alone . in 1969 , the first time pew asked the question about legalization , only 12 % of the nation was in favor . i see a revolution that is burning white hot among young people , but also shows up among the parents and grandparents in my kids'school . a police officer i met in michigan is part of the revolution , as are the editors of the medical journal , neurosurgery . i see it in the faces of good parents , uprooting their lives to get medicine for their children -- and in the children themselves , such as charlotte , who went from having 300 seizures a week to just one or two a month . we know it wo n't consistently have such dramatic results ( or any impact at all ) in others , but what medicine does ? i see this medical marijuana revolution in surprising places . girl 's seizures spur medical marijuana legislation in georgia among my colleagues , my patients and my friends . i have even seen the revolution in my own family . a few years ago , when i told my mother i was investigating the topic for a documentary , i was met with a long pause . marijuana ... ? ' she whispered in a half questioning , half disapproving tone . she could barely even say the word and her response filled me with self-doubt . even as a grown man , mom can still make my cheeks turn red and shatter my confidence with a single word . but just last week she suddenly stopped mid-conversation and said , i am proud of you on the whole marijuana thing . ' i waited for the other shoe to drop , but it did n't . instead , she added , you probably helped a lot of people who were suffering . ' i do n't think we had ever had a conversation like that one . at that moment , i saw a revolution that can bring you to tears . the word revolution , comes from the latin revolutio , to turn around . ' i had my own turn around a couple of years ago , and at the time it was a lonely place to hold a supportive position on medical marijuana . hardly any government officials would agree to sit down and be interviewed on the topic . even patients i spoke to were reluctant to share their stories . it can be tricky , i learned , to be on the right side of science but on the wrong side of ideology . when we put the first weed ' documentary on television in august 2013 , i did n't know if anyone would watch our yearlong investigation . even worse , i did n't even know if they would care . is weed legal in your state ? just two years later , in weed 3 , ' we are eyewitnesses to a revolution in full swing . you will ride along with us for the dawn of the first federally approved clinical study on the use of marijuana for ptsd . you will meet patients such as sean kiernan , an accomplished investment banker , and amelia taylor , a stay-at-home mom . they are the remarkable and surprising faces of this revolution -- smart , successful and suffering -- unwilling to accept the fact that commonly prescribed medications often used to treat ptsd can be worse than the underlying disorder itself . sean kiernan nearly died , trying to get better . you will see what weed really does to your brain , in crystal clear images . this time around , you will hear from the heads of government agencies earnestly sharing their point of view , both democratic and republican senators , and even the president of the united states . this is what a revolution looks like . your medical marijuana questions answered when weed 2 : cannabis madness ' aired in march 2014 , boston researcher rick doblin believed the right people were watching . just four days later , doblin received a letter in the mail he had been waiting on for seven years that finally provided federal approval for his marijuana study . the federal farm where doblin would have to obtain his marijuana is on the campus of ole miss in oxford , mississippi . in anticipation of a scientific revolution , the production of research-grade marijuana there has increased 30-fold in just the past year . make no mistake , we have plenty of evidence that the approval and support of the federal government can fast track a revolution at a faster pace than we have yet seen . it was the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases that spearheaded the research into a cure for aids , as well as stopping the spread of west nile virus . they were also responsible for the awesome task of eradicating polio and smallpox . other successful federally backed programs include the human genome project , the brain initiative and the precision medicine initiative . there are no shortage of examples where the federal government has been a guardian of our public health needs , and you could argue that medical marijuana would also qualify as a worthwhile investment . 10 diseases where medical marijuana could have impact there is now promising research into the use of marijuana that could impact tens of thousands of children and adults , including treatment for cancer , epilepsy and alzheimer 's , to name a few . with regard to pain alone , marijuana could greatly reduce the demand for narcotics and simultaneously decrease the number of accidental painkiller overdoses , which are the greatest cause of preventable death in this country . as i sat across from sens . kirsten gillibrand ( d-new york ) and cory booker ( d-new jersey ) , i knew something extraordinary was happening . they were reciting the story of charlotte figi and countless other children . they were quoting back the data we had shared from our earlier investigations . they were extolling the potential virtues of the plant , and all of that was before the interview even started . there was an impatience about them , and they seemed in a hurry to make a large dent in marijuana reform . they want marijuana to be rescheduled . they want it now . they want doctors to be able to prescribe it at va hospitals all over the country . they want it now . they want research dollars freed up to study the plant . they want it now . they want their fellow lawmakers at the state and national level to acknowledge what most of the world , including the citizens of the united states , have known for a long time : marijuana is a medicine , that should be studied and treated like any other medicine . and they want all of it now . i spent much of our interview challenging them . i needed to remind them that people , long before me or them , have been trying to do many of these same things for 40 years , and had been rejected every time . i reminded them that politicians have a hard time winning elections on the issue of marijuana but less difficulty losing them . i challenged them every step of the way . this time will be different , ' booker confidently told me as he walked out of the room . is marijuana as safe as -- or safer than -- alcohol ? i know how easy it is do nothing because i did nothing for too long . take a good look at the data , educate yourself and talk to the patients , who are often out of options and find their hope in the form of a simple plant . journalists should n't take a position . it makes sense . objectivity is king . but , at some point , open questions do get answered . at some point , contentious issues do get resolved . at some point , common sense prevails . so , here it is : we should legalize medical marijuana . we should do it nationally . and , we should do it now . 9 things to know about legal pot | cnn 's dr. sanjay gupta says we should legalize medical marijuana now |
delhi <tsp> new delhi ( cnn ) -- india is in the fast lane . the trillion-plus-dollar economy , asia 's largest after japan and china , is set to host the world 's fastest sport this weekend . the subcontinent 's inaugural grand prix comes barely a year after india earned international scorn for all the chaos and corruption allegations that plagued the 2010 commonwealth games staged in new delhi . that event was marred by a host of problems including athletes'alarm over the shoddy construction and condition of their quarters , while a pedestrian bridge leading to the main jawarhalal nehru stadium collapsed two days before the competitors were due to arrive . in april this year , india 's federal police arrested the games'chief organizer , suresh kalmadi , for suspected corruption . kalmadi , who was involved in bringing f1 to india through his former role at the indian olympic association , was jailed for allegedly buying a time , scoring and result system from a swiss company at inflated costs . he was also suspended by the political party with which he was an mp . but promoters of india 's first f1 race hope their $ 400 million project will repair the damage done to the country 's reputation . the world 's perception of india is going to change after the grand prix and people will forget what happened because of the commonwealth games , ' said jaiprakash gaur , founding chairman of jaypee group that built the buddh international circuit . a few weeks ago , a fleet of mercedes-benz cars whizzed media crews around the 5.125-kilometer circuit , giving them a glimpse of what indian businesses lauded as a stirring example of their competence . corporate india is completely capable , and they are capable of executing projects of world class , which has been demonstrated by the f1 track , which looks certainly as one of the best in the world , ' said ajay sharma , a senior director with the associated chambers of commerce and industry of india . this is great news for the country because the investors are also now excited that this is the country where , you know , all the happening things are happening , ' he told cnn . sharma 's lobby group predicts that investments in the motorsport infrastructure could potentially fuel overall economic prosperity by some $ 10 billion over the next decade . it says the arrival of global sporting bodies -- themselves seeking a foothold in emerging markets -- is an ideal opportunity for international brand-building by indian businesses . however , not everyone is as excited about the event when so many indians live in abject poverty . the contrast between the rich and the poor is very large in india , ' said arun kumar , a professor at the center of economic studies and planning at new delhi 's jawaharlal nehru university . here , about 40 % of our people live in extreme poverty without even basic facilities . in a sense , it sounds very cruel that the nation is spending a large amount of its wealth on such sports . ' the track complex , complete with stands and team enclosures painted in the colors of india 's flag , was built by private developers on land acquired from farmers , who later alleged they were short-changed for their properties . last week , the country 's supreme court froze 25 % of ticket revenue after a litigant challenged government tax waivers on the race . critics are questioning the taste of putting up such high-octane shows in a country where a quarter of its billion-plus people still lives on less than a dollar a day . with organizers struggling to sell out the event , ticket prices for sunday 's race have already been slashed . the most expensive has dropped from $ 715 to about $ 300 , and the cheapest from about $ 120 to $ 60 . but even the lowest amount is equivalent to the monthly wages of tens of thousands of indians . what do we consider to be a nation ? a nation means having a concern for all citizens . in this day and age when advertising has become so large , expectations have risen and these lavish displays only increase discontent , ' kumar said . and the ruling elite in the country is backing such displays , which shows it 's becoming more callous . ' in cricket-crazy india , some also accept that motorsport , though exciting , is too new to them . i do n't think we indians are much into formula racing , ' admits jai sethi , a new delhi resident . and i guess how the race is being done , who wins it , what the rules are and who the teams are have to be known to the indian public . i 'm talking of the masses , not just the elite . ' | india hosts a formula one race for the first time this weekend , near delhi |
bill thompson <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- on the eve of the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks , new york city police commissioner ray kelly is questioning why none of the city 's mayoral candidates has requested a briefing from the nypd about its counterterrorism program , strategies or tactics . he told an audience that even though the threat of terror in new york city is as substantial as ever , mayoral candidates have yet to meet with him about their plans for fighting terrorism in america 's largest city . the threat of terrorism is as great , if not greater , today than it was before the world trade center was destroyed , ' kelly said monday , speaking in front of the association for a better new york and council on foreign relations . yet i can tell you that none of the candidates has requested a briefing from the police department on this topic . i believe the public has a right to ask them some important questions . ' kelly noted that in the past 10 months , at least five terror plots against new york city were foiled , including the potential attack by the boston bombing brothers had they not been captured . what is their understanding of the terrorist threat to new york city and its immediacy ? what is their perspective on the role the nypd should play in protecting new york from global terrorism ? will they expend their political capital and continue to fight in washington , d.c. , for the federal funds we need to maintain our defenses ? ' kelly asked . the city 's primary election for mayor is taking place tuesday . a spokesman for bill de blasio , the mayoral front-runner garnering 39 % of democratic primary voters , according to a quinnipiac poll released monday , told cnn that de blasio requested a counterterrorism briefing on august 29 . bill de blasio believes there is nothing more important than protecting new york city from the threat of terror and keeping new yorkers safe . after the president 's remarks on syria , the office requested a briefing from the nypd on the city 's counter-terror efforts and is working with city hall to schedule it , ' wiley norvell , press secretary for de blasio , told cnn on monday . bill thompson , who is receiving 25 % of the democratic vote , according to the poll , did not respond to cnn 's request for comment . on his campaign website , thompson says he plans to enhance and establish security measures to protect roads , bridges and tunnels from terror . specifically , the plans include strategies from keeping token-booth operators in the stations ' to speeding up the installation of cameras and motion detectors on platforms . ' christine quinn addresses counterterrorism in her platform for mayor . according to the quinnipiac poll , quinn has 18 % of the vote among democrats . christine quinn is the speaker of the city council , and as part of her day-to-day job helping run this city , she has conversations and briefings regularly with the nypd on everything from crime to counterterrorism , ' mike morey , a spokesman for quinn , said monday . in the course of this campaign , she has been advised by and consulted with numerous officials in the nypd and with anti-terrorism experts because she knows the single most important responsibility for the mayor of new york is keeping the public safe . ' quinn has called for more city employees to be trained in counterterrorism tactics , including sanitation and transit workers , making them a bigger part of the surveillance program . she also proposed a review of new york city infrastructure that could be vulnerable to terror attacks , including metal trash cans , and said the new york city police department should be more closely engaged with universities to design curricula to fight crimes of the future . ' in his speech , kelly emphasized the public 's responsibility to inquire about the future of new york city 's safety and push beyond complacency . the public should demand detailed answers from the candidates about their plans to protect new york . we 've come too far and we 've sacrificed too much to leave ourselves vulnerable . ' | campaign site : bill thompson aims to protect roads , bridges and tunnels from terrorism |
life of pi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lincoln , ' director steven spielberg 's film about the 16th president and his battle to end slavery , rounded up plenty of votes for the 85th academy awards , topping all films with 12 nominations , including best picture . spielberg , one of the most successful directors in hollywood history , does n't need the honors -- he has six previous directing nominations , including wins for saving private ryan ' and schindler 's list ' -- but the showing marks a return to dominance for the filmmaker . in the last decade , his films , including war horse ' and munich , ' have received little more than respect at the annual gathering . along with the best picture and best director nominations , the film also earned nods for best actor ( daniel day-lewis ) , best supporting actress ( sally field ) , best supporting actor ( tommy lee jones ) and best adapted screenplay ( tony kushner ) . second in the nomination race was ang lee 's life of pi , ' the story of a spiritually curious boy who survives a shipwreck and travels across the ocean , accompanied by a tiger named richard parker . pi , ' based on the best-selling novel by yann martel , earned 11 nominations , including best picture , best director and best adapted screenplay . les miserables ' and silver linings playbook ' both received eight nominations , including for best picture . other best picture nominees are beasts of the southern wild , ' amour , ' argo , ' django unchained ' and zero dark thirty . ' some notable acting veterans , including robert de niro , denzel washington and field , were back in the academy 's good graces . de niro earned a best supporting actor nomination for silver linings playbook . ' it 's his seventh nod and first since 1991 's cape fear . ' de niro has two wins , for the godfather part ii ' and raging bull . ' i am very pleased that the academy has chosen to honor the many individuals who were a part of'silver linings playbook ,' he said in a statement . washington received his sixth nomination , a best actor pick for flight . ' he 's also won twice , for glory ' and training day . ' and field , of you like me ! you really like me ! ' fame , is up for her third award , though her first in a supporting category . she won for norma rae ' and places in the heart . ' triumphs of youth and age there are also some young names on the list . perhaps none is so youthful as quvenzhane wallis , the star of beasts of the southern wild . ' beasts , ' a magical-realist fable about a little girl and her father surviving the caprices of weather , emotion and civilization off the louisiana coast , received four nominations : best picture , best director ( benh zeitlin ) , best actress ( wallis ) and best adapted screenplay . wallis , the film 's spark plug , was just 6 when filming started . now 9 , she still ranks as the youngest-ever nominee for best actress . everyone who made'beasts'happen is so happy ! ' wallis said in a statement . thank you to all you oscar folks , from me , my mom and my dad . ... beast it ! ' the film was a favorite at sundance and did well at the box office -- especially given its sometimes inscrutable narrative -- but few expected it to do so well at the oscars . wallis was considered too young by some -- sorry , quvenzhane wallis , but best actress oscar nods are for big kids , ' read a headline in the atlantic -- and zeitlin 's directing competition included quentin tarantino ( django unchained ' ) , kathryn bigelow ( zero dark thirty ' ) , ben affleck ( argo ' ) and tom hooper ( les miserables ' ) . but when the nominees were announced , zeitlin , who 's 30 , was on the shortlist . another surprising nominee was amour , ' the austrian film from director michael haneke . haneke is well-known overseas -- his 2009 film the white ribbon ' won the palme d'or at cannes as well as a golden globe -- but if american audiences recognize him at all it 's for funny games , ' a 2007 english-language remake of his brutal 1997 thriller . amour , ' about a husband and wife coping with the effects of a stroke and aging , received five nominations , including nods for picture , director , actress , original screenplay and foreign-language film . amour ' star emmanuelle riva , 85 , is the oldest nominee for best actress in oscar history . other best actress nominees are jessica chastain ( zero dark thirty ' ) , jennifer lawrence ( silver linings playbook ' ) and naomi watts ( the impossible ' ) . the nominees for best actor are day-lewis ( lincoln ' ) , hugh jackman ( les miserables ' ) , washington ( flight ' ) , joaquin phoenix ( the master ' ) and bradley cooper ( silver linings playbook ' ) . more oscar nominations , including best supporting actor , actress surprising snubs the love shown amour ' and beasts ' meant that zero dark thirty , ' django unchained , ' les miserables ' and argo ' all fell short of expectations , particularly in the directing category . zero dark thirty 's ' bigelow , les miserables' hooper and argo 's ' affleck were all nominated for directors guild of america awards , usually a sure sign of an oscar nomination , but all fell short with the academy . bigelow 's snub was particularly surprising , given that she and her film had dominated critics'lists during awards season . the film , about an obsessive cia agent pursuing osama bin laden , may have been affected by controversy surrounding its torture scenes . some detractors suggested the scenes implied that torture contributed to the success of the operation . the film is still raising hackles . after its nomination for best picture , the center for constitutional rights , a legal advocacy organization , released a statement in protest . instead of awards ,'zero dark thirty'should be earning condemnation for falsely suggesting that torture played a role in the capture of osama bin laden , ' the group said . the lack of nominations for affleck was also surprising . when argo ' was released in october , it looked like it was going to be the actor-director 's year . before november , the nominees ( for best picture ) would have been'argo ,' argo ,' argo ,' argo ,' argo'and'argo ,' wrote grantland 's wesley morris . instead , though the film received seven nominations , affleck was left off both the directing and acting lists . he was recognized for the adapted screenplay , and he co-produced the film with george clooney and grant heslov , so he 's on the best picture list -- but he 'll have to wait for the other trophies . tarantino remains a critical and popular favorite -- django ' has grossed more than $ 100 million domestically in three weeks -- but he failed to impress the academy with his directing prowess . the movie , however , picked up best picture and best original screenplay nominations . ( david o. russell , who directed silver linings playbook , ' earned the fifth slot in the directing category . ) tarantino is still better off than wes anderson , whose moonrise kingdom ' picked up just one nomination , for original screenplay . voting rites the overlooked directors and other creative types -- such as the people of skyfall ' ( five nominations , but none in major categories ) , the hobbit : an unexpected journey ' ( three nods ) and the master ' ( three nominations , but no love for the film or writer-director paul thomas anderson ) -- can always blame the system . the academy 's voting process became more difficult this year with the addition of online technology that proved more complex than florida 's infamous butterfly ballot . according to industry news sites , the system contained so many safeguards that academy members found it difficult to cast their ballots . some voters were so frustrated they visited the academy headquarters in person on the last day of voting -- friday , extended one day because of the issues -- to make sure their votes were recorded . next year i 'm signing up for a paper ballot , ' one academy voter told deadline hollywood 's pete hammond . but the system did shine on one unexpected recipient : ted 's ' seth macfarlane , who 's hosting the oscar show and co-hosted thursday 's nomination announcement with emma stone . he got a nomination for co-writing one of the original song nominees , everybody needs a best friend . ' i guess i 'm going to the oscars , ' he cracked . the rest of the nominees might want to take lessons from the nomination leader . after all , it 's no surprise a movie about a politician knows how to count votes . the 85th academy awards are scheduled for february 24 on abc . the show will air from the dolby theatre -- formerly known as the kodak theatre -- in los angeles . backstage at the oscars | lincoln , ' life of pi , argo ' and silver linings playbook ' are among best picture nominees |
gmail <tsp> ( mashable ) -- the new-look gmail that google accidentally told us about last week is now rolling out to all users . the changes , officially announced in a blog post tuesday , allow gmail users much more control over the look of the service . you can drag sidebars around to your preferred size and width , choose from a wider selection of high-resolution background pictures , and decide whether you want lots of email on your screen or more white space between mails . ( your choice of email density is between comfortable , ' cozy ' and compact . ' ) heavy gmail users will also be pleased to learn that there 's a new search function -- that is , you can now access advanced search by clicking on the search bar . conversations have been condensed , and profile pictures added . these are more features than google offered in its sneak peek of the new gmail , which started in july . for now , at least , the new features will be opt-in -- and not all of us will be able to access them immediately . if you like what you see , over the next few days you 'll be able to switch to the new look by clicking on switch to the new look in the bottom-right of gmail , ' writes google user experience designer jason cornwell . see the original on mashable.com © 2011 mashable.com . all rights reserved . | heavy gmail users will be pleased to learn that there 's a new search function |
gmail <tsp> ( mashable ) -- the new-look gmail that google accidentally told us about last week is now rolling out to all users . the changes , officially announced in a blog post tuesday , allow gmail users much more control over the look of the service . you can drag sidebars around to your preferred size and width , choose from a wider selection of high-resolution background pictures , and decide whether you want lots of email on your screen or more white space between mails . ( your choice of email density is between comfortable , ' cozy ' and compact . ' ) heavy gmail users will also be pleased to learn that there 's a new search function -- that is , you can now access advanced search by clicking on the search bar . conversations have been condensed , and profile pictures added . these are more features than google offered in its sneak peek of the new gmail , which started in july . for now , at least , the new features will be opt-in -- and not all of us will be able to access them immediately . if you like what you see , over the next few days you 'll be able to switch to the new look by clicking on switch to the new look in the bottom-right of gmail , ' writes google user experience designer jason cornwell . see the original on mashable.com © 2011 mashable.com . all rights reserved . | new changes to gmail allow users more control over look of the service |
kirkuk <tsp> baghdad ( cnn ) -- a car bomb exploded outside a catholic church in central kirkuk , iraq , early tuesday , wounding at least 20 people , authorities said . the attack took place in kirkuk 's shatterlo neighborhood around 5:30 a.m. ( 10:30 p.m. monday et ) , according to a police official who spoke to cnn on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media . the wounded included staff from the holy family church and people with homes nearby . the interior ministry said 23 people were injured . the explosion damaged the church and a number of nearby houses , police said . kirkuk is an ethnically divided city located about 240 kilometers ( 150 miles ) north of baghdad . in the past years , extremists have carried out major attacks against churches . an october 31 attack on the sayidat al-nejat cathedral , or our lady of salvation church , left 70 people dead and 75 wounded , including 51 congregants and two priests . the islamic state of iraq , an umbrella group that includes a number of sunni muslim extremist organizations and has ties to al qaeda in iraq , claimed responsibility for the baghdad church siege . religious minorities , such as christians and yazidis , make up less than 5 % of iraq 's population , according to the u.n. high commissioner for refugees . since 2003 , attacks against these minorities by insurgents and religious extremists have driven more than half of the minorities out of the country , according to unhcr statistics . | a car bomb targets a church in central kirkuk |
medicare <tsp> ( cnn ) -- walgreens will pay governments $ 7.9 million in a settlement reached amid allegations the drugstore chain illegally paid kickbacks so that prescriptions would be transferred to its pharmacies , the u.s. justice department announced friday . investigators had been looking into whether walgreens had given people enrolled in government-run health programs -- such as medicare , medicaid and tricare ( for military families ) -- $ 25 gift cards if they moved their prescriptions over to walgreens'pharmacies , according to a justice department news release . such inducements violate federal law , the department says . the drugstore chain 's advertisements typically noted that such offers did n't apply to those insured via medicaid , medicare and similar programs . but the government claimed walgreens employees frequently ignored the stated exemptions on the face of the coupons and handed gift cards to customers who were beneficiaries of government health programs . ' the government learned of the allegations in lawsuits filed by two whistle-blowers : cassie bass , a pharmacy technician who worked at walgreens in detroit , and jack chin , an independent pharmacist in florida . federal prosecutors from california and michigan , the u.s. justice department 's commercial litigation branch , the national association of medicaid fraud control units and the u.s. health and human service department 's inspector general participated in the joint investigation . bass and chin will get about $ 1.28 million from the united states for their actions under parts of federal and state false claims acts statutes , according to the u.s. justice department . the federal government will receive just under $ 7.3 million from walgreens as part of the settlement , with participating states also receiving some payment from the drugstore chain . this case represents the government 's strong commitment to pursuing improper practices in the retail pharmacy industry that have the effect of manipulating patient decisions , ' said stuart f. delery , acting assistant attorney general with the u.s. justice department . on its website , illinois-based walgreens describes itself as the nation 's largest drugstore chain with sales last fiscal year of $ 72 billion and 7,847 drugstores in all 50 states , the district of columbia and puerto rico . | it is illegal to give deals , like gift cards , for such switches to those on medicare and medicaid |
vegas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the legendary rock band kiss becomes the next big act to make an extended stop in las vegas . the group , which is in the middle of a summer tour with def leppard , will play nine nights in the joint at the hard rock hotel & casino las vegas in november . what happens in vegas will not stay in vegas , not if we have anything to do with it , ' kiss co-founder gene simmons said . we intend to blow the roof off the hard rock hotel & casino . ' the vegas miniresidency is a first for kiss , which is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a band . extended stays in las vegas are proving profitable for a growing list of music acts , including olivia newton john and britney spears . both singers have filled vegas venues for weeks at a time this year . britney spears kicks off las vegas casino residency kiss , known for its fireworks and over-the-top energy and volume , will unleash its signature elaborate set designs , jam-packed set list , intense pyrotechnics and much more for nine of the biggest shows in kiss performance history , ' the hard rock news release said . while kiss usually plays for tens of thousands of fans in arena and stadium shows , the vegas shows will be much more intimate , with less than 4,000 seats . the schedule includes three shows a week for the first three weeks of november . simmons , 64 , and paul stanley , 62 , have been with the band since it formed . eric singer first joined as drummer in 1991 and lead guitarist tommy thayer was added 12 years ago . emotional night at rock hall of fame induction carlos santana rocks vegas'joint ' | a growing list of acts , including olivia newton john and britney spears , is playing vegas |
vegas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the legendary rock band kiss becomes the next big act to make an extended stop in las vegas . the group , which is in the middle of a summer tour with def leppard , will play nine nights in the joint at the hard rock hotel & casino las vegas in november . what happens in vegas will not stay in vegas , not if we have anything to do with it , ' kiss co-founder gene simmons said . we intend to blow the roof off the hard rock hotel & casino . ' the vegas miniresidency is a first for kiss , which is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a band . extended stays in las vegas are proving profitable for a growing list of music acts , including olivia newton john and britney spears . both singers have filled vegas venues for weeks at a time this year . britney spears kicks off las vegas casino residency kiss , known for its fireworks and over-the-top energy and volume , will unleash its signature elaborate set designs , jam-packed set list , intense pyrotechnics and much more for nine of the biggest shows in kiss performance history , ' the hard rock news release said . while kiss usually plays for tens of thousands of fans in arena and stadium shows , the vegas shows will be much more intimate , with less than 4,000 seats . the schedule includes three shows a week for the first three weeks of november . simmons , 64 , and paul stanley , 62 , have been with the band since it formed . eric singer first joined as drummer in 1991 and lead guitarist tommy thayer was added 12 years ago . emotional night at rock hall of fame induction carlos santana rocks vegas'joint ' | the vegas miniresidency is a first for kiss , which is celebrating its 40th anniversary |
vegas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the legendary rock band kiss becomes the next big act to make an extended stop in las vegas . the group , which is in the middle of a summer tour with def leppard , will play nine nights in the joint at the hard rock hotel & casino las vegas in november . what happens in vegas will not stay in vegas , not if we have anything to do with it , ' kiss co-founder gene simmons said . we intend to blow the roof off the hard rock hotel & casino . ' the vegas miniresidency is a first for kiss , which is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a band . extended stays in las vegas are proving profitable for a growing list of music acts , including olivia newton john and britney spears . both singers have filled vegas venues for weeks at a time this year . britney spears kicks off las vegas casino residency kiss , known for its fireworks and over-the-top energy and volume , will unleash its signature elaborate set designs , jam-packed set list , intense pyrotechnics and much more for nine of the biggest shows in kiss performance history , ' the hard rock news release said . while kiss usually plays for tens of thousands of fans in arena and stadium shows , the vegas shows will be much more intimate , with less than 4,000 seats . the schedule includes three shows a week for the first three weeks of november . simmons , 64 , and paul stanley , 62 , have been with the band since it formed . eric singer first joined as drummer in 1991 and lead guitarist tommy thayer was added 12 years ago . emotional night at rock hall of fame induction carlos santana rocks vegas'joint ' | kiss will play 9 nights in november at the hard rock in vegas |
vegas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the legendary rock band kiss becomes the next big act to make an extended stop in las vegas . the group , which is in the middle of a summer tour with def leppard , will play nine nights in the joint at the hard rock hotel & casino las vegas in november . what happens in vegas will not stay in vegas , not if we have anything to do with it , ' kiss co-founder gene simmons said . we intend to blow the roof off the hard rock hotel & casino . ' the vegas miniresidency is a first for kiss , which is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a band . extended stays in las vegas are proving profitable for a growing list of music acts , including olivia newton john and britney spears . both singers have filled vegas venues for weeks at a time this year . britney spears kicks off las vegas casino residency kiss , known for its fireworks and over-the-top energy and volume , will unleash its signature elaborate set designs , jam-packed set list , intense pyrotechnics and much more for nine of the biggest shows in kiss performance history , ' the hard rock news release said . while kiss usually plays for tens of thousands of fans in arena and stadium shows , the vegas shows will be much more intimate , with less than 4,000 seats . the schedule includes three shows a week for the first three weeks of november . simmons , 64 , and paul stanley , 62 , have been with the band since it formed . eric singer first joined as drummer in 1991 and lead guitarist tommy thayer was added 12 years ago . emotional night at rock hall of fame induction carlos santana rocks vegas'joint ' | what happens in vegas will not stay in vegas , ' kiss co-founder gene simmons says |
massa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- williams has turned to brazilian felipe massa to boost its flagging f1 fortunes , the british based team confirming his signing for the 2014 season monday . williams , once a major force in the constructors'championship , has claimed just a single point in 2013 and has parted company with venezuelan pastor maldonado . in his place comes the 32-year-old massa , surplus to requirements at ferrari after the signing of kimi raikkonen , but with a wealth of grand prix experience . he will partner finland 's valtteri bottas as williams looks to revive its flagging fortunes . we are delighted to be able to confirm our 2014 driver line-up and welcome felipe into the williams family , ' said team principal frank williams . he is an exceptional talent and a real fighter on the race track ; he also brings a wealth of experience as we begin a new chapter in our story . ' massa , runner up to lewis hamilton in the 2008 title race , has 11 wins and 36 podium finishes in his f1 career , but has had to play second fiddle to fernando alonso at ferrari in recent seasons . when i was a kid , i always dreamed about racing for williams , ferrari or mclaren and i 'm glad to be signing with another icon of the sport following my time at ferrari , ' he said . with such a major change of regulations in 2014 , i hope my experience will be useful in helping the team in its effort to move on from a difficult period , ' he added . read : massa 's emotional return to hungary bottas impressed williams with his performance to put their car third on the grid after qualifying for the canadian grand prix in montreal this season , but he was unable to capitalize in the race . maldonado , who gave williams a surprise victory in last season 's spanish grand prix , has been unable to build on that promise and it is unclear if he will secure a seat with another team in 2014 . we wish him well for the future , ' said williams , who has signed massa and bottas to multi-year contracts . his team last won the constructors'title -- the last of nine -- back in 1997 , with jacques villeneuve claiming the drivers'crown . meanwhile , raikkonen will miss the final two races of this season due to a long-term back problem that requires surgery . the injury flared up at september 's race in singapore , and the 34-year-old finn has now decided to have an operation so he is fit for the start of next season . his lotus team may promote third driver davide valsecchi , according to the f1 website , or give reserve jerome d'ambrosio a runout in the gps in austin and sao paulo . | williams signs felipe massa for 2014 f1 season |
massa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- williams has turned to brazilian felipe massa to boost its flagging f1 fortunes , the british based team confirming his signing for the 2014 season monday . williams , once a major force in the constructors'championship , has claimed just a single point in 2013 and has parted company with venezuelan pastor maldonado . in his place comes the 32-year-old massa , surplus to requirements at ferrari after the signing of kimi raikkonen , but with a wealth of grand prix experience . he will partner finland 's valtteri bottas as williams looks to revive its flagging fortunes . we are delighted to be able to confirm our 2014 driver line-up and welcome felipe into the williams family , ' said team principal frank williams . he is an exceptional talent and a real fighter on the race track ; he also brings a wealth of experience as we begin a new chapter in our story . ' massa , runner up to lewis hamilton in the 2008 title race , has 11 wins and 36 podium finishes in his f1 career , but has had to play second fiddle to fernando alonso at ferrari in recent seasons . when i was a kid , i always dreamed about racing for williams , ferrari or mclaren and i 'm glad to be signing with another icon of the sport following my time at ferrari , ' he said . with such a major change of regulations in 2014 , i hope my experience will be useful in helping the team in its effort to move on from a difficult period , ' he added . read : massa 's emotional return to hungary bottas impressed williams with his performance to put their car third on the grid after qualifying for the canadian grand prix in montreal this season , but he was unable to capitalize in the race . maldonado , who gave williams a surprise victory in last season 's spanish grand prix , has been unable to build on that promise and it is unclear if he will secure a seat with another team in 2014 . we wish him well for the future , ' said williams , who has signed massa and bottas to multi-year contracts . his team last won the constructors'title -- the last of nine -- back in 1997 , with jacques villeneuve claiming the drivers'crown . meanwhile , raikkonen will miss the final two races of this season due to a long-term back problem that requires surgery . the injury flared up at september 's race in singapore , and the 34-year-old finn has now decided to have an operation so he is fit for the start of next season . his lotus team may promote third driver davide valsecchi , according to the f1 website , or give reserve jerome d'ambrosio a runout in the gps in austin and sao paulo . | massa will be leaving ferrari at the end of the current season |
daily curriculum <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- december 2 , 2013 cnn student news kicks off our december coverage in thailand , where protesters are calling for the country 's prime minister to step down . we also report on the u.s. government 's work to improve some parts of the obamacare website . plus , we discuss the goals of world aids day , and we hear about the mutual inspiration between a 10-year-old cancer patient and a women 's college basketball team . on this page you will find today 's show transcript , the daily curriculum , maps pertaining to today 's show , and a place for you to leave feedback . transcript click here to access the transcript of today 's cnn student news program . please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published . daily curriculum click here for a printable version of the daily curriculum ( pdf ) . media literacy question of the day : what role do you think the media should play following the sudden death of a celebrity ? what considerations should they make when reporting on it ? key concepts : identify or explain these subjects you heard about in today 's show : 1. constitutional monarchy 2 . world aids day 3 . paul walker fast facts : how well were you listening to today 's program ? 1 . what is known about yesterday 's train derailment in new york city ? 2 . what do the acronyms hiv and aids stand for ? what 's the connection between hiv and aids ? what facts are given in the program about world aids day ? 3 . what different perspectives are given on the current status of the enrollment website for the affordable care act ( obamacare ) ? discussion questions : 1 . in your view , is protesting an effective method of pushing for governmental change ? why or why not ? how might this depend on the political climate of the country in which the protests occur ? in what other ways can citizens express their opinions to their government ? what might be the pros and cons of each of these methods ? 2 . what kinds of evidence do you think investigators look for after a public transportation accident , such as the one involving a train in new york city ? what influence might these investigations have ? 3 . what do people in the report say about the honorary sixth man ' on the warner pacific college women 's basketball team ? in your view , how might her position have an impact on herself , her family and the team ? what was your reaction to this story ? cnn student news is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the common core state standards , national standards in different subject areas , and state standards when producing the show and curriculum . we hope you use our free daily materials along with the program , and we welcome your feedback on them . maps download pdf maps related to today 's show : asia thailand north america new york city ; portland , oregon feedback we 're looking for your feedback about cnn student news . please use this page to leave us comments about today 's program , including what you think about our stories and our resources . also , feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom . the educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well . thank you for using cnn student news ! click here to submit your roll call request . | the daily curriculum offers the media literacy question of the day , key concepts , fast facts and discussion questions |
daily curriculum <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- december 2 , 2013 cnn student news kicks off our december coverage in thailand , where protesters are calling for the country 's prime minister to step down . we also report on the u.s. government 's work to improve some parts of the obamacare website . plus , we discuss the goals of world aids day , and we hear about the mutual inspiration between a 10-year-old cancer patient and a women 's college basketball team . on this page you will find today 's show transcript , the daily curriculum , maps pertaining to today 's show , and a place for you to leave feedback . transcript click here to access the transcript of today 's cnn student news program . please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published . daily curriculum click here for a printable version of the daily curriculum ( pdf ) . media literacy question of the day : what role do you think the media should play following the sudden death of a celebrity ? what considerations should they make when reporting on it ? key concepts : identify or explain these subjects you heard about in today 's show : 1. constitutional monarchy 2 . world aids day 3 . paul walker fast facts : how well were you listening to today 's program ? 1 . what is known about yesterday 's train derailment in new york city ? 2 . what do the acronyms hiv and aids stand for ? what 's the connection between hiv and aids ? what facts are given in the program about world aids day ? 3 . what different perspectives are given on the current status of the enrollment website for the affordable care act ( obamacare ) ? discussion questions : 1 . in your view , is protesting an effective method of pushing for governmental change ? why or why not ? how might this depend on the political climate of the country in which the protests occur ? in what other ways can citizens express their opinions to their government ? what might be the pros and cons of each of these methods ? 2 . what kinds of evidence do you think investigators look for after a public transportation accident , such as the one involving a train in new york city ? what influence might these investigations have ? 3 . what do people in the report say about the honorary sixth man ' on the warner pacific college women 's basketball team ? in your view , how might her position have an impact on herself , her family and the team ? what was your reaction to this story ? cnn student news is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the common core state standards , national standards in different subject areas , and state standards when producing the show and curriculum . we hope you use our free daily materials along with the program , and we welcome your feedback on them . maps download pdf maps related to today 's show : asia thailand north america new york city ; portland , oregon feedback we 're looking for your feedback about cnn student news . please use this page to leave us comments about today 's program , including what you think about our stories and our resources . also , feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom . the educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well . thank you for using cnn student news ! click here to submit your roll call request . | this page includes the show transcript , the daily curriculum , and maps |
hamas <tsp> cairo ( cnn ) an egyptian court has ruled that hamas is a terrorist organization , according to an egyptian state-run media organization . hamas , the islamist group which dominates the gaza strip , has been at odds with the egyptian government since the country 's former president , mohammed morsy , was ousted in a coup in the summer of 2013 . morsy was a member of the muslim brotherhood , an islamist political organization that shares deep ties with hamas . the government formed after morsy 's ouster designated the brotherhood as a terrorist group in december 2013 ; since then , many of its leaders have been charged with supporting terrorism . hamas quickly denounced the decision at a news conference . it is a shocking and dangerous decision that targets the palestinian people , ' fawzi barhoum , a hamas spokesman , said at a news conference . it will directly contaminate the reputation of egypt . ' cnn has attempted to reach mousa abu marzouk , the hamas representative in egypt , for comment . for years egypt has played a major role in peace negotiations between israel and various palestinian factions , with egypt being seen as fairly impartial by both sides . it 's possible the new ruling will affect egypt 's position as a mediator between the two sides . the united states and european union have both designated hamas as a terrorist organization . egypt 's urgent matters court based its ruling on hamas in part on claims the organization had supported insurgents who have staged attacks in the sinai peninsula , a region that has been fraught with instability in recent months . the armed wing of hamas , the al qassam brigades , was designated a terror group by the same court last month . this ruling comes a week after egypt passed the terrorist entities law , which spells out how to declare a group a terrorist organization , according to ahmed ragheb , head of the national group for human rights and law . that new law states that the prosecutor general has to propose declaring a terrorist organization ; that decision has to approved by the appeals court , ragheb said . that means the court that made the decision did not have authority to do so . typically , foreign policy decisions in egypt are left to the executive branch of government . under the law , authorities can also issue travel bans and freeze the assets of terror designees . cnn 's sara mazloumsaki and journalist sarah sirgany contributed to this report . | hamas has been at odds with the egyptian government since the ousting of mohammed morsy as president |
hamas <tsp> cairo ( cnn ) an egyptian court has ruled that hamas is a terrorist organization , according to an egyptian state-run media organization . hamas , the islamist group which dominates the gaza strip , has been at odds with the egyptian government since the country 's former president , mohammed morsy , was ousted in a coup in the summer of 2013 . morsy was a member of the muslim brotherhood , an islamist political organization that shares deep ties with hamas . the government formed after morsy 's ouster designated the brotherhood as a terrorist group in december 2013 ; since then , many of its leaders have been charged with supporting terrorism . hamas quickly denounced the decision at a news conference . it is a shocking and dangerous decision that targets the palestinian people , ' fawzi barhoum , a hamas spokesman , said at a news conference . it will directly contaminate the reputation of egypt . ' cnn has attempted to reach mousa abu marzouk , the hamas representative in egypt , for comment . for years egypt has played a major role in peace negotiations between israel and various palestinian factions , with egypt being seen as fairly impartial by both sides . it 's possible the new ruling will affect egypt 's position as a mediator between the two sides . the united states and european union have both designated hamas as a terrorist organization . egypt 's urgent matters court based its ruling on hamas in part on claims the organization had supported insurgents who have staged attacks in the sinai peninsula , a region that has been fraught with instability in recent months . the armed wing of hamas , the al qassam brigades , was designated a terror group by the same court last month . this ruling comes a week after egypt passed the terrorist entities law , which spells out how to declare a group a terrorist organization , according to ahmed ragheb , head of the national group for human rights and law . that new law states that the prosecutor general has to propose declaring a terrorist organization ; that decision has to approved by the appeals court , ragheb said . that means the court that made the decision did not have authority to do so . typically , foreign policy decisions in egypt are left to the executive branch of government . under the law , authorities can also issue travel bans and freeze the assets of terror designees . cnn 's sara mazloumsaki and journalist sarah sirgany contributed to this report . | hamas spokesman says decision will contaminate the reputation of egypt ' |
mohammed morsy <tsp> cairo ( cnn ) an egyptian court has ruled that hamas is a terrorist organization , according to an egyptian state-run media organization . hamas , the islamist group which dominates the gaza strip , has been at odds with the egyptian government since the country 's former president , mohammed morsy , was ousted in a coup in the summer of 2013 . morsy was a member of the muslim brotherhood , an islamist political organization that shares deep ties with hamas . the government formed after morsy 's ouster designated the brotherhood as a terrorist group in december 2013 ; since then , many of its leaders have been charged with supporting terrorism . hamas quickly denounced the decision at a news conference . it is a shocking and dangerous decision that targets the palestinian people , ' fawzi barhoum , a hamas spokesman , said at a news conference . it will directly contaminate the reputation of egypt . ' cnn has attempted to reach mousa abu marzouk , the hamas representative in egypt , for comment . for years egypt has played a major role in peace negotiations between israel and various palestinian factions , with egypt being seen as fairly impartial by both sides . it 's possible the new ruling will affect egypt 's position as a mediator between the two sides . the united states and european union have both designated hamas as a terrorist organization . egypt 's urgent matters court based its ruling on hamas in part on claims the organization had supported insurgents who have staged attacks in the sinai peninsula , a region that has been fraught with instability in recent months . the armed wing of hamas , the al qassam brigades , was designated a terror group by the same court last month . this ruling comes a week after egypt passed the terrorist entities law , which spells out how to declare a group a terrorist organization , according to ahmed ragheb , head of the national group for human rights and law . that new law states that the prosecutor general has to propose declaring a terrorist organization ; that decision has to approved by the appeals court , ragheb said . that means the court that made the decision did not have authority to do so . typically , foreign policy decisions in egypt are left to the executive branch of government . under the law , authorities can also issue travel bans and freeze the assets of terror designees . cnn 's sara mazloumsaki and journalist sarah sirgany contributed to this report . | hamas has been at odds with the egyptian government since the ousting of mohammed morsy as president |
linkedin <tsp> linkedin , the networking site for professionals , has done what few other foreign online services have achieved -- it has successfully set up its china operations . with the launch of a simplified chinese version of its hugely popular social ' media site for professional contacts , it is set to exploit a gap in this potentially lucrative market . in a blog post , ceo jeff weiner yesterday announced the low-key beta version launch . the new simplified chinese website will broaden our reach to the country 's more than 140 million professionals who currently represent roughly one in five of the world 's knowledge workers , ' he said . with four million chinese users -- according to weiner -- linkedin has a long way to go to catch up with china 's native social media sites and apps , which number in the hundreds of millions . wechat , the chinese social media app of the moment , has a reported 272 million users . chinese cooperation the announcement has come under fire already , with reaction to weiner 's online admission that the company has agreed to cooperate with chinese authorities on data storage and censorship . government restrictions on content will be implemented only when and to the extent required , ' his post read . linkedin will be transparent about how it conducts business in china and will use multiple avenues to notify members about our practices . the company will undertake extensive measures to protect the rights and data of our members . ' internet giants facebook and google have previously pulled out of china due to concerns over censorship and privacy , while yahoo has previously been criticized for apparently handing over data on dissidents to the authorities . | linkedin launches beta version of its simplified chinese site |
africa <tsp> dakar , senegal ( cnn ) -- u.s. president barack obama on thursday called on countries throughout the world to decriminalize homosexuality , a day after the u.s. supreme court handed a major victory to proponents of same-sex marriage . every group of people has a right to its own views , obama said , and that diversity should be respected , but when it comes to how the state treats people -- how the law treats people -- i believe that everybody has to be treated equal . ' he spoke at a news conference with president macky sall of senegal , a country in which homosexuality is illegal . regardless of race , regardless of religion , regardless of gender , regardless of sexual orientation ... people should be treated equally , and that 's a principle that i think applies universally , ' obama said . the remarks came in response to a question from cnn as to whether he was pressing sall on the issue . obama said that the issue did not come up in their talks , but that the question of how gays and lesbians are treated has been coming up in africa in general . sall responded that his country has no plans to decriminalize homosexuality . senegal is a very tolerant country which does not discriminate in terms of inalienable rights of human beings , ' he said , according to an official translation . people are not refused jobs for being gay , he said . but we are still not ready to decriminalize homosexuality . ' but of course this does not mean that we are all homophobic , ' sall insisted . sall then turned to another issue on which the two nations differ : capital punishment . in our country , we have abolished it for many years , ' he said , adding , we do respect the choice of each country . ' obama 's africa visit obama left the united states on wednesday for a trip to senegal , south africa and tanzania -- his second visit to sub-saharan africa since taking office . the trip aims to bolster investment opportunities for u.s. businesses , address development issues such as food security and health , and promote democracy . it comes as china aggressively engages the continent . the asian nation is pouring billions of dollars into africa , running oil and mining firms , and in 2009 replaced the united states as the largest trading partner . at thursday 's news conference , obama was asked to assess the big news at home : the supreme court ruling wednesday striking down a key part of the defense of marriage act . the decision was not simply a victory for the lgbt community , ' he said , referring to lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people . i think it was a victory for american democracy . ' i believe at the root of who we are as a people , as americans , is the basic precept that we are all equal under the law . we believe in basic fairness . and what i think yesterday 's ruling signifies is one more step towards ensuring that those basic principles apply to everybody , ' obama said in response to a question from cnn 's jessica yellin . his administration will now have to comb through every federal statute , he said , to ensure that federal benefits apply to all married couples . ' there are complexities , he noted . since some states recognize same-sex marriages and others do n't , the government will need to determine whether a same-sex couple remains married under federal law after moving to a state that does not recognize the marriage . mandela 's influence obama also spoke of ailing former south african president nelson mandela , who is in critical condition in a pretoria hospital . my first act of political activism was when i was at occidental college as a 19-year-old -- i got involved in the anti-apartheid movement , ' obama said . he said he was inspired by what was taking place at the time in south africa . he had read mandela 's writings and speeches , and understood that this was somebody who believed in that basic principle i just talked about -- treating people equally -- and was willing to sacrifice his life for that belief . ' mandela is a personal hero ' and a hero for the world , ' obama said . and if and when he passes from this place , one thing i think we 'll all know is that his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages . ' obama 's visit to south africa on saturday will include a stop at robben island , where mandela spent a majority of his 27 years in prison . the white house schedule does not include a visit with the anti-apartheid icon . after making his remarks thursday , obama visited goree island , which once served as a strategic post in the transatlantic slave trade . he called the trip a powerful ' reminder that we have to remain vigilant when it comes to the defense of human rights . ... this is a testament to when we 're not vigilant in defense of human rights , what can happen . ' obviously , for an african-american , an african-american president , to be able to visit this site , i think , gives me even greater motivation in terms of human rights around the world , ' obama said . cnn 's faith karimi contributed to this report . | he 's pushing u.s. investment , addressing development issues , promoting democracy in africa |
cnn heroes <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a man who 'd been grazed with a bullet helped subdue a gunman . an intern tended to the wounded congresswoman whose staff he 'd joined just days before . a woman put an extra ammunition clip out of the gunman 's reach , and a doctor who 'd witnessed the shooting performed cpr on the injured . cnn heroes salutes the following people who responded to saturday 's shooting at a political event outside a supermarket in tucson , arizona -- a shooting that killed six people and wounded 14 others , including u.s. rep. gabrielle giffords -- with acts of courage . retired army col. bill badger and roger salzgeber badger and salzgeber were two of the men who helped subdue the gunman during a pause in the shooting , according to witnesses . badger , 74 , was at the event to meet giffords . he hit the ground when the shooting started and felt a sting on the back of his head -- he 'd been grazed by a bullet . when the shooting stopped , badger stood up and found the shooter was right in front of him , he said . one other individual that was there to meet with the congresswoman took one of the chairs that they had been sitting on , folded it , and hit ( the gunman ) ... right on the shoulders , ' badger told cnn 's the situation room ' on monday . it 's not clear who hit the gunman with the chair . badger , bleeding from his wound , grabbed the suspect 's left wrist , and with my right hand i hit him right between the shoulder blades , and he was going down , ' badger said . when the suspect was on the ground , another person took a gun away from him , badger said . salzgeber helped to subdue the gunman , according to media reports , but his exact role is n't clear . various people kept the gunman down for a few minutes until authorities arrived . badger said the real hero is the individual that picked up the chair and hit ( the gunman ) , and the other individual who helped me take this individual down to the ground . ' a man authorities accuse of being the gunman , jared lee loughner , was arrested and has been charged in federal court in connection with the shooting . badger was treated for the bullet graze and released . joe zamudio zamudio was one of the people who helped keep the suspect pinned to the ground after he had been taken down . zamudio was inside a nearby walgreens when he heard the gunfire . he said he ran outside and saw people wrestling with the suspect . i laid on him and held him down , and made sure the gun was down , ' he said . patricia maisch maisch , 61 , is credited with taking an ammunition clip from the suspect after he was wrestled to the ground . maisch said that she dropped to the ground when the shooting started . she was about 20 feet from giffords , who was shot in the head . when the suspect was sent to the ground , the men subduing him shouted for others to get the gun and a clip that had fallen to the ground . the suspect had pulled the clip out of his pocket , maisch said . i was able to kneel up and was able to take the magazine ... before he did , ' maisch said . maisch then knelt on the suspect 's knees a while before realizing that badger needed help with his wound . so i asked another gentleman to kneel on ( the suspect 's ) legs . i went in and got some towels from safeway and made a compress for bill and held it on his head until the police came , ' she said . daniel hernandez hernandez , a 20-year-old university of arizona junior , had just started as an intern with giffords'staff that week . he initially used his bare hands to stop blood gushing from giffords'head after she was shot . hernandez , who trained as a certified nursing assistant , lifted her head to make it easier for her to breathe . eventually workers from the nearby safeway supermarket arrived with clean smocks to cover giffords'wound . hernandez continued to apply pressure to the wound . my main thing was just to keep her as alert as possible and just keep trying to interact with her . ... the entire time i was with the congresswoman , she was still responding , ' hernandez said . she was obviously in a lot of pain , so i let her know to squeeze my hand as hard as she needed to . ' after an ambulance arrived , hernandez rode with her to the hospital . people have been referring to me as a hero . i do n't think that i am . i think the people who are heroes are people like gabby , who have dedicated their lives to public service , ' he said . it just makes me happy to know that i could help her in any way that i could . ' arizona gov . jan brewer acknowledged hernandez in a speech before state lawmakers on monday , saying he showed no fear in the face of gunfire . ' his quick action in going to gabby giffords'aid likely saved her life , ' brewer said . dr. steven rayle rayle was one of the people who helped hold the suspect down after the takedown . he also administered cpr to some of the wounded . rayle said he was at the event to meet giffords at the urging of a friend . he said he was standing at the side of giffords'table when the shooting started . i looked up just as the gunman was firing the shot at congresswoman giffords . ... to be honest i froze for just a second , not quite understanding what was going on . he continued to fire sort of rapidly , really at point blank range , ' rayle said . after the suspect was brought down , rayle helped to restrain him . but the physician soon afterward started tending to the shooting victims . in treating gunshot wound victims , it 's basically stopping the hemorrhage , and getting ems there as soon as possible . that 's basically the treatment ; there 's not much else you can do , ' rayle said . ( for ) those who had actually stopped breathing or had no pulse , cpr was initiated . ' cnn 's wolf blitzer , ted rowlands , jessica yellin , kiran chetry , jason hanna and the cnn wire contributed to this report . | cnn heroes salutes several who jumped into action during saturday 's shooting in arizona |
dhoni <tsp> ( cnn ) -- he is india 's most successful test match captain but mahendra singh dhoni has decided enough is enough . the 33-year-old has retired from test match cricket , bringing down the curtain on an illustrious career in which he thrilled crowds across the world . dhoni , who made his debut in 2005 , captained india in 60 of his 90 test matches but decided to quit on tuesday following the draw with australia in melbourne which meant his side conceded the series . in a statement , the board of control for cricket in india ( bcci ) , said that dhoni made the decision to retire from tests in order to concentrate ' on one-day and twenty20 cricket . one of india 's greatest test captains under whose leadership india became the no . 1 team in the test rankings ms dhoni , has decided to retire from test cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of cricket , ' said the statement . ms dhoni has chosen to retire from test cricket with immediate effect in order to concentrate on odi and t20 formats . bcci while respecting the decision of ms dhoni to retire from test cricket , wishes to thank him for his enormous contribution to test cricket and the laurels that he has brought to india . ' the decision comes following a difficult year for dhoni , who has been hampered by a succession of injuries . the wicket-keeper batsman missed five one-day games against sri lanka in november after suffering a hand injury , the same problem which forced him out of the opening test against australia earlier this month . that should not detract from a stellar career in which dhoni has become india 's highest earning sports star . according to forbes , he is the fourth highest earning sportsman in the world , raking in $ 20 million in 2014 , placing him ahead of cristiano ronaldo , usain bolt , kobe bryant and lionel messi . his decision comes just weeks ahead of the world cup in australia and new zealand where india will defend its one-day crown . dhoni will now start preparing for the tournament while virat kohli , one of the team 's star batsmen , takes charge of the final test match against australia in sydney which starts on january 6 . trailing 2-0 in the four match series , india required victory in melbourne to keep the series alive . the draw meant that it was unable to overturn the deficit and slumped to yet another overseas defeat -- a recurring theme during dhoni 's reign . since 2011 , india has managed to win just two out of 22 away tests and lost 13 . during his 90-match test career , dhoni scored 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09 , while his highest score of 224 came against australia in february 2013 . the wicket-keeper batsman also claimed 256 catches and made 38 stumpings . dhoni replaced anil kumble as captain in 2008 after guiding india to victory in the very first world twenty20 title the previous year . he enjoyed a hugely successful start to his reign , losing just one of 13 test series and winning eight . that run allowed india to top the world rankings towards the end of 2009 , a position in which it remained until 2011 . but india has struggled for success outside of its own country in the test match arena in recent times . this latest defeat by australia comes on the back of similar results in england , new zealand and south africa . last august , dhoni hinted he may leave his role as captain after his side 's 3-1 test series defeat by england . when asked if he had taken his team as far as possible , he said : maybe , yes . you 'll have to wait and watch . if i 'm strong enough or not strong enough , you 'll have to wait and get the news . ' india begins its defense of the world cup title on february 15 against pakistan in adelaide . it will also face south africa , west indies , zimbabwe , ireland and united arab emirates in the group stages . dhoni has excelled in the one-day game having made 250 appearances for india . he has scored 8,192 runs at an average of 52.85 . | dhoni led india to 27 victories in 60 test matches as captain |
dhoni <tsp> ( cnn ) -- he is india 's most successful test match captain but mahendra singh dhoni has decided enough is enough . the 33-year-old has retired from test match cricket , bringing down the curtain on an illustrious career in which he thrilled crowds across the world . dhoni , who made his debut in 2005 , captained india in 60 of his 90 test matches but decided to quit on tuesday following the draw with australia in melbourne which meant his side conceded the series . in a statement , the board of control for cricket in india ( bcci ) , said that dhoni made the decision to retire from tests in order to concentrate ' on one-day and twenty20 cricket . one of india 's greatest test captains under whose leadership india became the no . 1 team in the test rankings ms dhoni , has decided to retire from test cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of cricket , ' said the statement . ms dhoni has chosen to retire from test cricket with immediate effect in order to concentrate on odi and t20 formats . bcci while respecting the decision of ms dhoni to retire from test cricket , wishes to thank him for his enormous contribution to test cricket and the laurels that he has brought to india . ' the decision comes following a difficult year for dhoni , who has been hampered by a succession of injuries . the wicket-keeper batsman missed five one-day games against sri lanka in november after suffering a hand injury , the same problem which forced him out of the opening test against australia earlier this month . that should not detract from a stellar career in which dhoni has become india 's highest earning sports star . according to forbes , he is the fourth highest earning sportsman in the world , raking in $ 20 million in 2014 , placing him ahead of cristiano ronaldo , usain bolt , kobe bryant and lionel messi . his decision comes just weeks ahead of the world cup in australia and new zealand where india will defend its one-day crown . dhoni will now start preparing for the tournament while virat kohli , one of the team 's star batsmen , takes charge of the final test match against australia in sydney which starts on january 6 . trailing 2-0 in the four match series , india required victory in melbourne to keep the series alive . the draw meant that it was unable to overturn the deficit and slumped to yet another overseas defeat -- a recurring theme during dhoni 's reign . since 2011 , india has managed to win just two out of 22 away tests and lost 13 . during his 90-match test career , dhoni scored 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09 , while his highest score of 224 came against australia in february 2013 . the wicket-keeper batsman also claimed 256 catches and made 38 stumpings . dhoni replaced anil kumble as captain in 2008 after guiding india to victory in the very first world twenty20 title the previous year . he enjoyed a hugely successful start to his reign , losing just one of 13 test series and winning eight . that run allowed india to top the world rankings towards the end of 2009 , a position in which it remained until 2011 . but india has struggled for success outside of its own country in the test match arena in recent times . this latest defeat by australia comes on the back of similar results in england , new zealand and south africa . last august , dhoni hinted he may leave his role as captain after his side 's 3-1 test series defeat by england . when asked if he had taken his team as far as possible , he said : maybe , yes . you 'll have to wait and watch . if i 'm strong enough or not strong enough , you 'll have to wait and get the news . ' india begins its defense of the world cup title on february 15 against pakistan in adelaide . it will also face south africa , west indies , zimbabwe , ireland and united arab emirates in the group stages . dhoni has excelled in the one-day game having made 250 appearances for india . he has scored 8,192 runs at an average of 52.85 . | ms dhoni has retired from test cricket |
farc <tsp> bogota , colombia ( cnn ) -- colombian president juan manuel santos officially announced he will seek re-election , a decision that could affect the ongoing peace talks between the government and the farc . you elected me to strengthen the results that we had achieved in security , and we have delivered , ' santos said in a televised speech wednesday night . santos , who was first elected in 2010 on a platform of continuing an offensive against the leftist guerrillas that have been at war with the government for decades , instead followed a different path . the hallmark of his presidency now is the peace process between the government and the largest rebel group , the revolutionary armed forces of colombia , or farc . the peace process has been ongoing for one year , with progress coming slowly . this approach is controversial in colombia , which in the past has been burned by failed negotiation attempts . with a peace agreement unlikely to be in place before next year 's presidential election , its chances of success could be foreshadowed by the vote . one of santos'rivals for the presidency is oscar ivan zuluaga , who has called for an end to the peace talks and is against giving a political space to the rebels . zuluaga 's proposal is backed by former president alvaro uribe , a former ally of santos who now favors someone with a hardline stance against the guerrillas . santos says he wants to be re-elected to finish the peace process he started . we still have big challenges , but i 'm convinced that the way to confront them is not only through blood and fire , ' he said . santos'current approval rating of about 30 % means his incumbency will not guarantee him a second four-year term . he thinks that because of fragmentation among the political parties and that other political leaders also have n't consolidated supporters , he can be re-elected , ' political analyst jaime arango said . santos placed all his political capital on the negotiations with the farc , so it 's natural that he is seeking re-election , another analyst , vicente torrijos , said . seeking a second term was his only option given that the peace process is still underway , he said . so he is going to present himself to colombians and the world as the peacemaker and of course this is his best calling card to aspire to this re-election , ' he said . gps blog : can colombia build on its democratic opening ? journalist fernando ramos reported from bogota . cnn 's mariano castillo reported and wrote the story in atlanta . | santos has put his efforts into a peace process with the farc |
illinois <tsp> two bank employees were killed and a third was critically injured during a bank robbery in illinois , and authorities said a suspect was charged friday -- with a federal firearms offense . authorities would say only that the thursday afternoon holdup of the first national bank was still under investigation a day later . but a suspect , identified by the department of justice as james n. watts , was taken into custody following a high-speed chase after the robbery , and he was charged with a federal offense for possession of a firearm . according to the illinois sex offender registry , watts was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of an 11-year-old in 2006 and is a registered sex offender in the state , which could prohibit his possession of a firearm . watts was arrested after abandoning a car during the chase , then being surrounded by police while he was on a railroad trestle , local authorities said . the car he was driving belonged to one of the bank employees , authorities said , adding that he was armed with a semi-automatic weapon . the injured bank worker remained in critical condition friday with knife wounds , according to illinois state police . | two women were killed in an illinois bank robbery and one was critically injured |
tonight show <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- lindsay lohan , whose career has been derailed by drunken driving convictions , probation violations and a shoplifting charge , admitted in an interview with talk show host jay leno to poor decisions in the past ' -- but predicted an oscar is in her future . lohan , in a tonight show ' interview taped monday and broadcast tuesday , said she 's willing to do the work that i have to do to follow through with being an actress . ' she hopes to be back on leno 's show in a few years with an oscar , lohan said . i 've made a lot of mistakes and i 've recognized that , but i 'm in the clear now and i feel like as long as i stay focused then i will be able to , you know , achieve what i want to be able to achieve , ' lohan told the nbc show 's host . when leno asked what one thing she would like to change about herself , lohan said it would be the public perception of her . i want the public knowledge to be about my work , not about things that i did n't get into this business for , that i 've put myself into positions where that was the bigger story than what i was working on , ' she said . lohan , 24 , said she 's been cast to play mobster john junior ' gotti 's wife in a movie , but a 120-day jail sentence and several months of community service for a probation violation threatens to keep her out of the movie . it starts shooting in october . lohan 's next stop : skid row she is also scheduled to go on trial in june for allegedly stealing a gold and diamond necklace from a venice , california , jewelry store . if convicted , lohan could face up to a year in jail . the 13 days she spent in a los angeles jail last summer was an interesting experience and it was definitely a wake-up call , ' lohan said . and i think when it happened , everything happens for a reason . i do n't know exactly what will happen . ' her latest legal setback came friday when los angeles county superior court judge stephanie sautner ruled that lohan violated her probation on two 2007 drunken driving convictions by being arrested for the necklace theft . lohan said she was kind of numb ' when sautner sentenced her to 120 days in jail and 480 hours of community service . lohan released from jail after posting bond ' i was kind of shocked , i did n't really expect the outcome to be what it was , but i 'm a big girl and i 'm going to do what i 'm told to do , continue on with working in my life and i 'm taking responsibility , ' she said . the actress has admitted a drug addiction in the past , and she 's spent at least eight months in substance abuse rehab in the last four years . she blamed her youth on her bad choices . being young and being in a position that i was in , you do n't really take the time to appreciate what you have , and it 's all kind of a whirlwind and people make decisions for you , ' she said . but i 'm not a kid anymore . ' lohan 's most optimistic statement came when leno asked where she sees herself when she turns 30 -- six years from now . hopefully , sitting here after winning an oscar , ' lohan said . | lohan 's tonight show ' appearance was taped monday and aired tuesday |
south ossetia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shots were fired sunday near a motorcade carrying the presidents of georgia and poland , but the motorcade was not hit and there were no injuries , according to the interior ministry of georgia . georgian president mikheil saakashvili , shown in france on november 13 , called the incident a provocation . the ministry said the motorcade , which carried georgian president mikheil saakashvili and polish president lech kaczynski , was passing a checkpoint near georgia 's south ossetia region when the shots were fired . no other shooting was reported in the area . south ossetia was the site of intense conflict between russian and georgian troops in august . the shots were fired from russian-controlled territory as the motorcade passed , the ministry said . saakashvili later told reporters the incident clearly was intended as a provocation . ' he said that he would not have taken his polish counterpart into danger intentionally and that the incident showed you are dealing with unpredictable people ' in the disputed area . meanwhile , the russian news agency interfax said the command of the russian peacekeeping force in south ossetia denied blame for the gunfire . allegations that russian military personnel were involved in the fire against the motorcade are not true . an attack on the motorcade from our military personnel is out of the question , ' a peacekeeping force spokesman said , according to interfax . the news agency also quoted a senior south ossetian official as saying that south ossetia has nothing to do ' with the incident . the georgian side is once again disseminating misinformation , ' south ossetian deputy defense minister ibragim gasseyev told interfax . tensions have remained high in the area since fighting between russian and georgian troops broke out in august . georgia launched a campaign against south ossetia , a russian-backed separatist territory , on august 7 . the following day , russian tanks , troops and armored vehicles poured into south ossetia and another breakaway georgian territory , abkhazia , advancing into georgian cities across the administrative borders with those regions . the two sides blamed each other for starting the conflict and have accused each other of a variety of offenses leading up to and during the fighting , including ethnic cleansing . | new : russian peacekeepers , south ossetia deny involvement in shooting |
south ossetia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shots were fired sunday near a motorcade carrying the presidents of georgia and poland , but the motorcade was not hit and there were no injuries , according to the interior ministry of georgia . georgian president mikheil saakashvili , shown in france on november 13 , called the incident a provocation . the ministry said the motorcade , which carried georgian president mikheil saakashvili and polish president lech kaczynski , was passing a checkpoint near georgia 's south ossetia region when the shots were fired . no other shooting was reported in the area . south ossetia was the site of intense conflict between russian and georgian troops in august . the shots were fired from russian-controlled territory as the motorcade passed , the ministry said . saakashvili later told reporters the incident clearly was intended as a provocation . ' he said that he would not have taken his polish counterpart into danger intentionally and that the incident showed you are dealing with unpredictable people ' in the disputed area . meanwhile , the russian news agency interfax said the command of the russian peacekeeping force in south ossetia denied blame for the gunfire . allegations that russian military personnel were involved in the fire against the motorcade are not true . an attack on the motorcade from our military personnel is out of the question , ' a peacekeeping force spokesman said , according to interfax . the news agency also quoted a senior south ossetian official as saying that south ossetia has nothing to do ' with the incident . the georgian side is once again disseminating misinformation , ' south ossetian deputy defense minister ibragim gasseyev told interfax . tensions have remained high in the area since fighting between russian and georgian troops broke out in august . georgia launched a campaign against south ossetia , a russian-backed separatist territory , on august 7 . the following day , russian tanks , troops and armored vehicles poured into south ossetia and another breakaway georgian territory , abkhazia , advancing into georgian cities across the administrative borders with those regions . the two sides blamed each other for starting the conflict and have accused each other of a variety of offenses leading up to and during the fighting , including ethnic cleansing . | ministry : motorcade was passing a checkpoint near georgia 's south ossetia |
russian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shots were fired sunday near a motorcade carrying the presidents of georgia and poland , but the motorcade was not hit and there were no injuries , according to the interior ministry of georgia . georgian president mikheil saakashvili , shown in france on november 13 , called the incident a provocation . the ministry said the motorcade , which carried georgian president mikheil saakashvili and polish president lech kaczynski , was passing a checkpoint near georgia 's south ossetia region when the shots were fired . no other shooting was reported in the area . south ossetia was the site of intense conflict between russian and georgian troops in august . the shots were fired from russian-controlled territory as the motorcade passed , the ministry said . saakashvili later told reporters the incident clearly was intended as a provocation . ' he said that he would not have taken his polish counterpart into danger intentionally and that the incident showed you are dealing with unpredictable people ' in the disputed area . meanwhile , the russian news agency interfax said the command of the russian peacekeeping force in south ossetia denied blame for the gunfire . allegations that russian military personnel were involved in the fire against the motorcade are not true . an attack on the motorcade from our military personnel is out of the question , ' a peacekeeping force spokesman said , according to interfax . the news agency also quoted a senior south ossetian official as saying that south ossetia has nothing to do ' with the incident . the georgian side is once again disseminating misinformation , ' south ossetian deputy defense minister ibragim gasseyev told interfax . tensions have remained high in the area since fighting between russian and georgian troops broke out in august . georgia launched a campaign against south ossetia , a russian-backed separatist territory , on august 7 . the following day , russian tanks , troops and armored vehicles poured into south ossetia and another breakaway georgian territory , abkhazia , advancing into georgian cities across the administrative borders with those regions . the two sides blamed each other for starting the conflict and have accused each other of a variety of offenses leading up to and during the fighting , including ethnic cleansing . | new : russian peacekeepers , south ossetia deny involvement in shooting |
tsarnaev <tsp> boston ( cnn ) dzhokhar tsarnaev 's bombs tore through their bodies : singeing flesh , shattering bones , shredding muscles and severing limbs . but on tuesday , jurors also began to hear about the holes his bombs left in the hearts of the survivors and the families of the dead . now that he has been found guilty on every count , the jury must decide whether boston marathon bomber tsarnaev , 21 , should live or die for what he has done . this is the victim impact part of the case , and the testimony was heartbreaking . four young people are gone , and grief fills the spaces they once occupied . a father with a shock of white hair cried for the daughter he called princess . ' krystle was the light of my life . she was extremely smart , hardworking , beautiful , every father 's dream . i miss her a lot , ' said william a. campbell sr. , dabbing at his eyes as he described his daughter , a 29-year-old restaurant manager who was killed in the first blast at the 2013 boston marathon . she was the one who could round up the family and put on big celebrations , he said . nobody fills that boot now . ' others are expected to come and cry for lingzi lu , a jolly soul , ' assistant u.s. attorney nadine pellegrini said , quoting the slain chinese grad student 's father . more tears will be shed for martin richard , who was 8 and looked just like his dad . and for sean collier , who was remembered at his memorial service by these words : big heart , big smiles , big service . all love . ' dzhokhar tsarnaev murdered each one of them in a way that they had time to feel pain , they had time to be scared and frightened , but they had no time to say good-bye , ' pellegrini told the jury . and that is the very essence of terror . ' timeline of bombings , manhunt and aftermath to understand the toll tsarnaev 's bombs took , jurors must know the stories of his victims , the prosecutor said . these young women , this young man and this little boy , all of them were loved and they loved in return , ' pellegrini said . before he murdered them in some of the cruelest ways imaginable , they were sons , they were daughters , they were grandchildren , they were brothers and they were sisters . ' jurors saw photograph after photograph of smiling , happy people with arms around siblings at weddings and birthday parties and family gatherings . there was the photo of campbell as a little girl in a red tap-dancing outfit . and then came the one that made her father smile through his tears . she was a little older and wearing a baseball uniform . she traded that in for a bat , ' campbell said . she was n't really a girly girl , but she loved to whitewater , camp , play baseball . she had a good arm on her . i was very proud of her . ' by contrast , jurors also were left with an indelible image of tsarnaev , taken when he was in a holding cell in the very courthouse where the trial is being held . it is dated july 10 , 2013 -- the day of his arraignment on charges he deliberately set off the deadly bombs at the boston marathon . he glares into the camera defiantly , his middle finger raised in a profane salute . this is dzhokhar tsarnaev , unconcerned , unrepentant and unchanged , ' pellegrini said . without remorse , he remains untouched by the grief and the loss that he caused . ' tsarnaev saw the people he killed as the enemy , ' she said . as a result , two women and a man never reached the age of 30 , and a little boy never made it to the third grade . he knew they were innocents . he even called them that , ' pellegrini added , referring to the message tsarnaev scrawled onto the sides of a boat where he hid from police after the bombings . but it did n't stop him from murdering them . ' the people who were maimed by tsarnaev 's bombs are also testifying during the sentencing phase of the trial as prosecutors try to show the impact on victims of the attacks . the stories they told on the witness stand were even more gripping and horrific than the stories told during the guilt phase of tsarnaev 's trial . when the first of the two bombs went off , gillian reny , a senior in high school , was standing near the woman she came to know was krystle campbell . there was a complete , utter chilling silence and then chaos . chaos like i 'd never seen and never hope to see again , ' she said . the force of the blast knocked her to the ground . when she looked around , she saw blood and muscle everywhere . her shin bone had snapped and was protruding . muscle was everywhere . it was the most horrifying image i could imagine . just seeing that on my own body , ' she said , and began to cry . i remember looking around and it just seemed like there were bodies everywhere , blood everywhere . ' were you bleeding ? she was asked . yes , enormously . looking down at the blood i was just shocked that much blood could come out of someone , ' she said . i was terrified that i was going to die . i did not know that i could be that injured and survive . ' she said she began to scream . her bone-chilling cries could be heard on a video played in court -- the most graphic of many graphic images the jury has been shown . doctors were able to save reny 's leg , but others were n't so lucky . celeste corcoran lost both legs , one below the knee and the other above the knee . an amputation above the knee is the most difficult injury to recover from , jurors have learned at this trial . corcoran was at the finish line , waiting for her sister to cross . and then our whole world just exploded , ' she said . i unfortunately remember every single detail . ' she remembers being knocked to the ground , hearing nothing and then screams , and seeing blood everywhere . it 's kind of hard to explain but i want to get it right for all of you to understand , ' she told the jury . she said it was a surreal , out-of-body experience . ' she remembers thinking , what was that ? ' and wishing she could turn back time by five minutes . her husband bent over her and told her it was a terrorist attack . by then , she began to feel pain worse than anything she had imagined . she wondered if she would die . it hurt too much . i just did n't care , ' she said . i remember thinking i was going to die , that no one could go through that much pain . i knew it was very bad and i was thinking ,'is this it ? am i going to die ?'i remember thinking i wanted to die . the pain was too much . i wanted to die . ' and then , she said , the mom in me ' took over . she remembers telling herself : 'hell no , i do n't want to die . i have too much living to do . do n't let this be the end . this ca n't be the end .'' she remembers feeling relief once she arrived at the hospital , even as she signed the form authorizing doctors to take both her legs . can i get on with my life ? absolutely , ' she said . but she can never forget she 's a double amputee . there 's always a level of discomfort . right now i 'm not comfortable , ' she said from the witness stand . the bottoms of my limbs , there 's this constant numb burning sensation . the only way i can describe it is it 's like you have the worst athlete 's foot in my life . ' sometimes , she feels a stabbing sensation where her toes and calves used to be . you do n't realize until you 're a double amputee how many dips and hills and inclines there are , ' she said . inclines are very hard . ' daily life is literally an uphill battle . opinion : what tsarnaev deserves cnn 's greg botelho contributed to this report . | prosecutor shows pictures of the four victims and tsarnaev flipping his middle finger |
tsarnaev <tsp> boston ( cnn ) dzhokhar tsarnaev 's bombs tore through their bodies : singeing flesh , shattering bones , shredding muscles and severing limbs . but on tuesday , jurors also began to hear about the holes his bombs left in the hearts of the survivors and the families of the dead . now that he has been found guilty on every count , the jury must decide whether boston marathon bomber tsarnaev , 21 , should live or die for what he has done . this is the victim impact part of the case , and the testimony was heartbreaking . four young people are gone , and grief fills the spaces they once occupied . a father with a shock of white hair cried for the daughter he called princess . ' krystle was the light of my life . she was extremely smart , hardworking , beautiful , every father 's dream . i miss her a lot , ' said william a. campbell sr. , dabbing at his eyes as he described his daughter , a 29-year-old restaurant manager who was killed in the first blast at the 2013 boston marathon . she was the one who could round up the family and put on big celebrations , he said . nobody fills that boot now . ' others are expected to come and cry for lingzi lu , a jolly soul , ' assistant u.s. attorney nadine pellegrini said , quoting the slain chinese grad student 's father . more tears will be shed for martin richard , who was 8 and looked just like his dad . and for sean collier , who was remembered at his memorial service by these words : big heart , big smiles , big service . all love . ' dzhokhar tsarnaev murdered each one of them in a way that they had time to feel pain , they had time to be scared and frightened , but they had no time to say good-bye , ' pellegrini told the jury . and that is the very essence of terror . ' timeline of bombings , manhunt and aftermath to understand the toll tsarnaev 's bombs took , jurors must know the stories of his victims , the prosecutor said . these young women , this young man and this little boy , all of them were loved and they loved in return , ' pellegrini said . before he murdered them in some of the cruelest ways imaginable , they were sons , they were daughters , they were grandchildren , they were brothers and they were sisters . ' jurors saw photograph after photograph of smiling , happy people with arms around siblings at weddings and birthday parties and family gatherings . there was the photo of campbell as a little girl in a red tap-dancing outfit . and then came the one that made her father smile through his tears . she was a little older and wearing a baseball uniform . she traded that in for a bat , ' campbell said . she was n't really a girly girl , but she loved to whitewater , camp , play baseball . she had a good arm on her . i was very proud of her . ' by contrast , jurors also were left with an indelible image of tsarnaev , taken when he was in a holding cell in the very courthouse where the trial is being held . it is dated july 10 , 2013 -- the day of his arraignment on charges he deliberately set off the deadly bombs at the boston marathon . he glares into the camera defiantly , his middle finger raised in a profane salute . this is dzhokhar tsarnaev , unconcerned , unrepentant and unchanged , ' pellegrini said . without remorse , he remains untouched by the grief and the loss that he caused . ' tsarnaev saw the people he killed as the enemy , ' she said . as a result , two women and a man never reached the age of 30 , and a little boy never made it to the third grade . he knew they were innocents . he even called them that , ' pellegrini added , referring to the message tsarnaev scrawled onto the sides of a boat where he hid from police after the bombings . but it did n't stop him from murdering them . ' the people who were maimed by tsarnaev 's bombs are also testifying during the sentencing phase of the trial as prosecutors try to show the impact on victims of the attacks . the stories they told on the witness stand were even more gripping and horrific than the stories told during the guilt phase of tsarnaev 's trial . when the first of the two bombs went off , gillian reny , a senior in high school , was standing near the woman she came to know was krystle campbell . there was a complete , utter chilling silence and then chaos . chaos like i 'd never seen and never hope to see again , ' she said . the force of the blast knocked her to the ground . when she looked around , she saw blood and muscle everywhere . her shin bone had snapped and was protruding . muscle was everywhere . it was the most horrifying image i could imagine . just seeing that on my own body , ' she said , and began to cry . i remember looking around and it just seemed like there were bodies everywhere , blood everywhere . ' were you bleeding ? she was asked . yes , enormously . looking down at the blood i was just shocked that much blood could come out of someone , ' she said . i was terrified that i was going to die . i did not know that i could be that injured and survive . ' she said she began to scream . her bone-chilling cries could be heard on a video played in court -- the most graphic of many graphic images the jury has been shown . doctors were able to save reny 's leg , but others were n't so lucky . celeste corcoran lost both legs , one below the knee and the other above the knee . an amputation above the knee is the most difficult injury to recover from , jurors have learned at this trial . corcoran was at the finish line , waiting for her sister to cross . and then our whole world just exploded , ' she said . i unfortunately remember every single detail . ' she remembers being knocked to the ground , hearing nothing and then screams , and seeing blood everywhere . it 's kind of hard to explain but i want to get it right for all of you to understand , ' she told the jury . she said it was a surreal , out-of-body experience . ' she remembers thinking , what was that ? ' and wishing she could turn back time by five minutes . her husband bent over her and told her it was a terrorist attack . by then , she began to feel pain worse than anything she had imagined . she wondered if she would die . it hurt too much . i just did n't care , ' she said . i remember thinking i was going to die , that no one could go through that much pain . i knew it was very bad and i was thinking ,'is this it ? am i going to die ?'i remember thinking i wanted to die . the pain was too much . i wanted to die . ' and then , she said , the mom in me ' took over . she remembers telling herself : 'hell no , i do n't want to die . i have too much living to do . do n't let this be the end . this ca n't be the end .'' she remembers feeling relief once she arrived at the hospital , even as she signed the form authorizing doctors to take both her legs . can i get on with my life ? absolutely , ' she said . but she can never forget she 's a double amputee . there 's always a level of discomfort . right now i 'm not comfortable , ' she said from the witness stand . the bottoms of my limbs , there 's this constant numb burning sensation . the only way i can describe it is it 's like you have the worst athlete 's foot in my life . ' sometimes , she feels a stabbing sensation where her toes and calves used to be . you do n't realize until you 're a double amputee how many dips and hills and inclines there are , ' she said . inclines are very hard . ' daily life is literally an uphill battle . opinion : what tsarnaev deserves cnn 's greg botelho contributed to this report . | the sentencing phase in dzhokhar tsarnaev 's trial begins in a federal court in boston |
boston <tsp> boston ( cnn ) dzhokhar tsarnaev 's bombs tore through their bodies : singeing flesh , shattering bones , shredding muscles and severing limbs . but on tuesday , jurors also began to hear about the holes his bombs left in the hearts of the survivors and the families of the dead . now that he has been found guilty on every count , the jury must decide whether boston marathon bomber tsarnaev , 21 , should live or die for what he has done . this is the victim impact part of the case , and the testimony was heartbreaking . four young people are gone , and grief fills the spaces they once occupied . a father with a shock of white hair cried for the daughter he called princess . ' krystle was the light of my life . she was extremely smart , hardworking , beautiful , every father 's dream . i miss her a lot , ' said william a. campbell sr. , dabbing at his eyes as he described his daughter , a 29-year-old restaurant manager who was killed in the first blast at the 2013 boston marathon . she was the one who could round up the family and put on big celebrations , he said . nobody fills that boot now . ' others are expected to come and cry for lingzi lu , a jolly soul , ' assistant u.s. attorney nadine pellegrini said , quoting the slain chinese grad student 's father . more tears will be shed for martin richard , who was 8 and looked just like his dad . and for sean collier , who was remembered at his memorial service by these words : big heart , big smiles , big service . all love . ' dzhokhar tsarnaev murdered each one of them in a way that they had time to feel pain , they had time to be scared and frightened , but they had no time to say good-bye , ' pellegrini told the jury . and that is the very essence of terror . ' timeline of bombings , manhunt and aftermath to understand the toll tsarnaev 's bombs took , jurors must know the stories of his victims , the prosecutor said . these young women , this young man and this little boy , all of them were loved and they loved in return , ' pellegrini said . before he murdered them in some of the cruelest ways imaginable , they were sons , they were daughters , they were grandchildren , they were brothers and they were sisters . ' jurors saw photograph after photograph of smiling , happy people with arms around siblings at weddings and birthday parties and family gatherings . there was the photo of campbell as a little girl in a red tap-dancing outfit . and then came the one that made her father smile through his tears . she was a little older and wearing a baseball uniform . she traded that in for a bat , ' campbell said . she was n't really a girly girl , but she loved to whitewater , camp , play baseball . she had a good arm on her . i was very proud of her . ' by contrast , jurors also were left with an indelible image of tsarnaev , taken when he was in a holding cell in the very courthouse where the trial is being held . it is dated july 10 , 2013 -- the day of his arraignment on charges he deliberately set off the deadly bombs at the boston marathon . he glares into the camera defiantly , his middle finger raised in a profane salute . this is dzhokhar tsarnaev , unconcerned , unrepentant and unchanged , ' pellegrini said . without remorse , he remains untouched by the grief and the loss that he caused . ' tsarnaev saw the people he killed as the enemy , ' she said . as a result , two women and a man never reached the age of 30 , and a little boy never made it to the third grade . he knew they were innocents . he even called them that , ' pellegrini added , referring to the message tsarnaev scrawled onto the sides of a boat where he hid from police after the bombings . but it did n't stop him from murdering them . ' the people who were maimed by tsarnaev 's bombs are also testifying during the sentencing phase of the trial as prosecutors try to show the impact on victims of the attacks . the stories they told on the witness stand were even more gripping and horrific than the stories told during the guilt phase of tsarnaev 's trial . when the first of the two bombs went off , gillian reny , a senior in high school , was standing near the woman she came to know was krystle campbell . there was a complete , utter chilling silence and then chaos . chaos like i 'd never seen and never hope to see again , ' she said . the force of the blast knocked her to the ground . when she looked around , she saw blood and muscle everywhere . her shin bone had snapped and was protruding . muscle was everywhere . it was the most horrifying image i could imagine . just seeing that on my own body , ' she said , and began to cry . i remember looking around and it just seemed like there were bodies everywhere , blood everywhere . ' were you bleeding ? she was asked . yes , enormously . looking down at the blood i was just shocked that much blood could come out of someone , ' she said . i was terrified that i was going to die . i did not know that i could be that injured and survive . ' she said she began to scream . her bone-chilling cries could be heard on a video played in court -- the most graphic of many graphic images the jury has been shown . doctors were able to save reny 's leg , but others were n't so lucky . celeste corcoran lost both legs , one below the knee and the other above the knee . an amputation above the knee is the most difficult injury to recover from , jurors have learned at this trial . corcoran was at the finish line , waiting for her sister to cross . and then our whole world just exploded , ' she said . i unfortunately remember every single detail . ' she remembers being knocked to the ground , hearing nothing and then screams , and seeing blood everywhere . it 's kind of hard to explain but i want to get it right for all of you to understand , ' she told the jury . she said it was a surreal , out-of-body experience . ' she remembers thinking , what was that ? ' and wishing she could turn back time by five minutes . her husband bent over her and told her it was a terrorist attack . by then , she began to feel pain worse than anything she had imagined . she wondered if she would die . it hurt too much . i just did n't care , ' she said . i remember thinking i was going to die , that no one could go through that much pain . i knew it was very bad and i was thinking ,'is this it ? am i going to die ?'i remember thinking i wanted to die . the pain was too much . i wanted to die . ' and then , she said , the mom in me ' took over . she remembers telling herself : 'hell no , i do n't want to die . i have too much living to do . do n't let this be the end . this ca n't be the end .'' she remembers feeling relief once she arrived at the hospital , even as she signed the form authorizing doctors to take both her legs . can i get on with my life ? absolutely , ' she said . but she can never forget she 's a double amputee . there 's always a level of discomfort . right now i 'm not comfortable , ' she said from the witness stand . the bottoms of my limbs , there 's this constant numb burning sensation . the only way i can describe it is it 's like you have the worst athlete 's foot in my life . ' sometimes , she feels a stabbing sensation where her toes and calves used to be . you do n't realize until you 're a double amputee how many dips and hills and inclines there are , ' she said . inclines are very hard . ' daily life is literally an uphill battle . opinion : what tsarnaev deserves cnn 's greg botelho contributed to this report . | the sentencing phase in dzhokhar tsarnaev 's trial begins in a federal court in boston |
argo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- hotels love to push the aura of movie-star glamor as part of their mystique , listing on their websites hollywood royalty that have stayed in -- and sometimes trashed -- their rooms . at times , though , the hotels play a leading role , providing memorable settings that are characters unto themselves . oscar 's tour of the world naturally , california has many such hotels , but movie star hotels are scattered all over the world . in honor of oscar season , here are a handful of hotels that make for award winning , star-kissed vacations . some like it hot ' hotel del coronado , san diego one of america 's most beloved comedies , 1959 's zany some like it hot , ' starring marilyn monroe and drag-bedecked tony curtis and jack lemmon , used the hotel del coronado as a main location . set in 1929 , the comedy 's plot centers around two musicians escaping from the mob by dressing up as women to join an all-female band . the film was nominated for several oscars , but did n't get a nomination for best picture . the hotel turns 125 this year , and completed an $ 8 million renovation in 2012 . over its long history , the victorian hotel , noted for its wraparound porches ( highlighted in the film where rows of men wait to watch for monroe 's character , sugar , to return to the hotel ) , has been the site of many films , including 1915 's pearl of the pacific ' and 1924 's my husband 's wives . ' 8 getaways we wish we could afford ' the shining ' timberline lodge , oregon stanley hotel , estes park , colorado the timberline lodge was used as the exterior of the overlook hotel for the 1980 stephen king and stanley kubrick movie the shining , ' starring jack nicholson and shelley duvall . the plot centers on a couple and their son , the hotel 's winter caretakers . it turns out the hotel is haunted , driving the father ( nicholson 's character , jack torrance ) insane . many of the outdoor scenes were shot at the timberline , a ski resort in the shadows of mount hood . creepy indoor scenes , including endless hallways , along with the hedge maze scene , were sets created in the united kingdom at elstree studios . the movie is based on the stephen king novel of the same name , inspired by king 's stay at colorado 's stanley hotel . the hotel , just outside rocky mountain national park in estes park , is considered haunted and is routinely surveyed for paranormal activity . the hotel was used in 1994 's dumb and dumber ' and called hotel danbury . lawrence of arabia ' hotel alfonso xiii , seville , spain several scenes from lawrence of arabia , ' the 1962 british film about t.e . lawrence 's world war i exploits , starring peter o'toole , were filmed at this 1929 moorish style seville property . 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the film , which was released in a digitally remastered version . the hotel went through a similar renewal , with a $ 25 million renovation completed in 2012 that included a new restaurant , bar and guest rooms . the decor in the hotel 's rooms captures different eras of spain 's past with andalusian , castilian and moorish elements .'downton'in america : 6 big estates ' argo ' the beverly hilton , beverly hills , california this midcentury beverly hills classic was opened in 1955 by conrad hilton , great grandfather to blond socialite paris hilton . the aqua star pool , the largest heated pool in beverly hills , is surrounded by cabana guest rooms for easy access to the southern california sunshine . some of the hotel 's pool level area , where restaurants circa 55 and trader vic 's lounge are located , have retained the original 1950s mad men ' -style color schemes . the hotel 's eighth-floor stardust room was featured in argo , ' the iran hostage drama that won this year 's oscar for best picture . ben affleck 's character , tony mendez ( based on a real cia operative ) , heads to the hotel to mingle with hollywood 's elite as part of a farfetched rescue scheme for american hostages . the hotel has hosted the golden globe awards for 35 consecutive years ' pretty woman ' beverly wilshire , beverly hills , california another beverly hills hotel featured in movies is the beverly wilshire , just around the corner from rodeo drive . the 1928 italian renaissance style hotel , now part of the four seasons , has a big role in 1990 's pretty woman , ' starring richard gere as a ruthless businessman and julia roberts as a prostitute who softens his heart . roberts'scantily clad character is frowned upon by hotel staff , but eventually wins them over with her personality and wardrobe transformation . the hotel is so associated with the film that many los angelenos simply point it out as the pretty woman ' hotel . the nearly 400-room hotel includes 137 luxury suites and a mediterranean-style pool with cabana packages starting at $ 180 . lost in translation ' park hyatt tokyo , tokyo ' lost in translation , ' a 2003 movie starring bill murray as a fading actor and scarlett johansson as a lonely young american newlywed whose husband is busy working , uses the park hyatt tokyo to tremendous effect . occupying the top 14 floors of the shinjuku park tower , the sleek park hyatt tokyo boasts commanding views and was a hotel of choice for director sofia coppola before the film . the vast , chaotic neon-lit view from the serene hotel emphasizes the loneliness of both main characters . ten years have passed since the film 's release , yet it continues to be a catalyst for people to discover both park hyatt tokyo and the city of tokyo , ' said philippe roux-dessarps , park hyatt tokyo 's general manager . how stella got her groove back ' round hill hotel and villas , montego bay , jamaica get your groove back at the round hill hotel and villas , set on a lush 100-acre peninsula in montego bay , jamaica . the hotel was the setting for 1998 's how stella got her groove back , ' starring angela bassett as workaholic divorcee stella payne , taye diggs as much-younger love interest winston shakespeare and whoopi goldberg as sidekick delilah abraham . the movie uses the hotel 's rooms and views beautifully , with vistas of the verdant landscape and beach . the resort has 36 ralph lauren-designed rooms in its main building , called the pineapple house , along with 27 private villas , the type of room stella stayed in . other highlights are an open-air dining terrace , a double infinity pool , five all-weather tennis courts and a spa housed in a restored 18th century plantation house . on her majesty 's secret service ' hotel palacio , estoril , portugal plenty of hotels have been used as james bond locations , yet few are said to have helped inspire the character . the 1930 hotel palacio reportedly did just that for author ian fleming . as a neutral country during world war ii , portugal played host to spies , deposed royalty , black marketers and many others who came to stay at the hotel and play in the casino on the estoril coast outside lisbon . as a british naval intelligence officer , young fleming rubbed elbows with some of those colorful characters at the hotel . while many remember dramatic swiss alps ski scenes with machine guns setting off avalanches , on her majesty 's secret service ' opens on the beaches of portugal , with james bond staying at the hotel palacio overlooking the bay of cascais . to this day , the hotel 's bar is renowned for its very strong martinis , which you can order shaken , stirred or however you like . | argo , ' this year 's best picture winner , features a scene at the beverly hilton in beverly hills |
ian fleming <tsp> ( cnn ) -- hotels love to push the aura of movie-star glamor as part of their mystique , listing on their websites hollywood royalty that have stayed in -- and sometimes trashed -- their rooms . at times , though , the hotels play a leading role , providing memorable settings that are characters unto themselves . oscar 's tour of the world naturally , california has many such hotels , but movie star hotels are scattered all over the world . in honor of oscar season , here are a handful of hotels that make for award winning , star-kissed vacations . some like it hot ' hotel del coronado , san diego one of america 's most beloved comedies , 1959 's zany some like it hot , ' starring marilyn monroe and drag-bedecked tony curtis and jack lemmon , used the hotel del coronado as a main location . set in 1929 , the comedy 's plot centers around two musicians escaping from the mob by dressing up as women to join an all-female band . the film was nominated for several oscars , but did n't get a nomination for best picture . the hotel turns 125 this year , and completed an $ 8 million renovation in 2012 . over its long history , the victorian hotel , noted for its wraparound porches ( highlighted in the film where rows of men wait to watch for monroe 's character , sugar , to return to the hotel ) , has been the site of many films , including 1915 's pearl of the pacific ' and 1924 's my husband 's wives . ' 8 getaways we wish we could afford ' the shining ' timberline lodge , oregon stanley hotel , estes park , colorado the timberline lodge was used as the exterior of the overlook hotel for the 1980 stephen king and stanley kubrick movie the shining , ' starring jack nicholson and shelley duvall . the plot centers on a couple and their son , the hotel 's winter caretakers . it turns out the hotel is haunted , driving the father ( nicholson 's character , jack torrance ) insane . many of the outdoor scenes were shot at the timberline , a ski resort in the shadows of mount hood . creepy indoor scenes , including endless hallways , along with the hedge maze scene , were sets created in the united kingdom at elstree studios . the movie is based on the stephen king novel of the same name , inspired by king 's stay at colorado 's stanley hotel . the hotel , just outside rocky mountain national park in estes park , is considered haunted and is routinely surveyed for paranormal activity . the hotel was used in 1994 's dumb and dumber ' and called hotel danbury . lawrence of arabia ' hotel alfonso xiii , seville , spain several scenes from lawrence of arabia , ' the 1962 british film about t.e . lawrence 's world war i exploits , starring peter o'toole , were filmed at this 1929 moorish style seville property . 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the film , which was released in a digitally remastered version . the hotel went through a similar renewal , with a $ 25 million renovation completed in 2012 that included a new restaurant , bar and guest rooms . the decor in the hotel 's rooms captures different eras of spain 's past with andalusian , castilian and moorish elements .'downton'in america : 6 big estates ' argo ' the beverly hilton , beverly hills , california this midcentury beverly hills classic was opened in 1955 by conrad hilton , great grandfather to blond socialite paris hilton . the aqua star pool , the largest heated pool in beverly hills , is surrounded by cabana guest rooms for easy access to the southern california sunshine . some of the hotel 's pool level area , where restaurants circa 55 and trader vic 's lounge are located , have retained the original 1950s mad men ' -style color schemes . the hotel 's eighth-floor stardust room was featured in argo , ' the iran hostage drama that won this year 's oscar for best picture . ben affleck 's character , tony mendez ( based on a real cia operative ) , heads to the hotel to mingle with hollywood 's elite as part of a farfetched rescue scheme for american hostages . the hotel has hosted the golden globe awards for 35 consecutive years ' pretty woman ' beverly wilshire , beverly hills , california another beverly hills hotel featured in movies is the beverly wilshire , just around the corner from rodeo drive . the 1928 italian renaissance style hotel , now part of the four seasons , has a big role in 1990 's pretty woman , ' starring richard gere as a ruthless businessman and julia roberts as a prostitute who softens his heart . roberts'scantily clad character is frowned upon by hotel staff , but eventually wins them over with her personality and wardrobe transformation . the hotel is so associated with the film that many los angelenos simply point it out as the pretty woman ' hotel . the nearly 400-room hotel includes 137 luxury suites and a mediterranean-style pool with cabana packages starting at $ 180 . lost in translation ' park hyatt tokyo , tokyo ' lost in translation , ' a 2003 movie starring bill murray as a fading actor and scarlett johansson as a lonely young american newlywed whose husband is busy working , uses the park hyatt tokyo to tremendous effect . occupying the top 14 floors of the shinjuku park tower , the sleek park hyatt tokyo boasts commanding views and was a hotel of choice for director sofia coppola before the film . the vast , chaotic neon-lit view from the serene hotel emphasizes the loneliness of both main characters . ten years have passed since the film 's release , yet it continues to be a catalyst for people to discover both park hyatt tokyo and the city of tokyo , ' said philippe roux-dessarps , park hyatt tokyo 's general manager . how stella got her groove back ' round hill hotel and villas , montego bay , jamaica get your groove back at the round hill hotel and villas , set on a lush 100-acre peninsula in montego bay , jamaica . the hotel was the setting for 1998 's how stella got her groove back , ' starring angela bassett as workaholic divorcee stella payne , taye diggs as much-younger love interest winston shakespeare and whoopi goldberg as sidekick delilah abraham . the movie uses the hotel 's rooms and views beautifully , with vistas of the verdant landscape and beach . the resort has 36 ralph lauren-designed rooms in its main building , called the pineapple house , along with 27 private villas , the type of room stella stayed in . other highlights are an open-air dining terrace , a double infinity pool , five all-weather tennis courts and a spa housed in a restored 18th century plantation house . on her majesty 's secret service ' hotel palacio , estoril , portugal plenty of hotels have been used as james bond locations , yet few are said to have helped inspire the character . the 1930 hotel palacio reportedly did just that for author ian fleming . as a neutral country during world war ii , portugal played host to spies , deposed royalty , black marketers and many others who came to stay at the hotel and play in the casino on the estoril coast outside lisbon . as a british naval intelligence officer , young fleming rubbed elbows with some of those colorful characters at the hotel . while many remember dramatic swiss alps ski scenes with machine guns setting off avalanches , on her majesty 's secret service ' opens on the beaches of portugal , with james bond staying at the hotel palacio overlooking the bay of cascais . to this day , the hotel 's bar is renowned for its very strong martinis , which you can order shaken , stirred or however you like . | hotel palacio in estoril , portugal , served as an inspiration for ian fleming 's james bond character |
israeli <tsp> ( cnn ) -- israel 's military said tuesday it shot down a syrian warplane over the golan heights amid what it described as growing tensions in the border area . according to the israel defense forces , the plane was identified while attempting to infiltrate israeli airspace in the golan heights . ' israel used a patriot anti-aircraft missile to bring it down , the idf said . military spokesman lt. col. peter lerner said the aircraft shot down was a russian-made sukhoi-24 and that both the pilot and co-pilot ejected into syria . the plane penetrated roughly a kilometer ( more than half a mile ) into israeli airspace , he said . syrian state tv also reported that israeli forces had shot down a syrian warplane . defense minister : we will act strongly the syrian observatory for human rights , a london-based activist group , said the syrian fighter jet was targeting the countryside around the syrian town of quneitra , where the only border crossing between israel and syria is located . militants in the area are trying to dislodge syrian government forces from their last two strongholds in the area , the group said . israeli defense minister moshe ya'alon said the syrian fighter jet came close to israeli territory on the golan heights in a threatening manner , and even crossed the border line . ' he said israel would use whatever means were necessary to protect its citizens . we have made it clear , and we are making it clear now as well : we will not allow any factor be it a country or a terror organization , to threaten our security and violate our sovereignty . we will act strongly against all attempts even if it is a mistake or intentional . ' border area called'highly unstable' an idf statement posted online said the israel-syria border had been highly unstable ' in recent months . as the civil war rages in syria , idf forces have experienced combat in the region , both from targeted strikes and errant fire , ' it said . the incident came as the united states and a number of arab allies began bombing isis targets in the syrian town of raqqa , far to the northeast . u.n. forces withdrew last week from the syrian-controlled side of the golan heights , a little more than two weeks after islamic militant fighters took some peacekeepers hostage and besieged others . al-nusra front freed 45 u.n. peacekeepers from fiji in good condition earlier this month , while forces from the philippines escaped after exchanging fire with militant fighters , according to media reports . the incidents occurred after syrian rebel fighters took control of the border crossing in quneitra in late august . golan heights : making wine in the shadow of war cnn 's claudia rebaza , michael schwartz , ian lee and mohammed tawfeeq contributed to this report . | new : the downed syrian plane was a sukhoi-24 , an israeli military spokesman says |
israeli <tsp> ( cnn ) -- israel 's military said tuesday it shot down a syrian warplane over the golan heights amid what it described as growing tensions in the border area . according to the israel defense forces , the plane was identified while attempting to infiltrate israeli airspace in the golan heights . ' israel used a patriot anti-aircraft missile to bring it down , the idf said . military spokesman lt. col. peter lerner said the aircraft shot down was a russian-made sukhoi-24 and that both the pilot and co-pilot ejected into syria . the plane penetrated roughly a kilometer ( more than half a mile ) into israeli airspace , he said . syrian state tv also reported that israeli forces had shot down a syrian warplane . defense minister : we will act strongly the syrian observatory for human rights , a london-based activist group , said the syrian fighter jet was targeting the countryside around the syrian town of quneitra , where the only border crossing between israel and syria is located . militants in the area are trying to dislodge syrian government forces from their last two strongholds in the area , the group said . israeli defense minister moshe ya'alon said the syrian fighter jet came close to israeli territory on the golan heights in a threatening manner , and even crossed the border line . ' he said israel would use whatever means were necessary to protect its citizens . we have made it clear , and we are making it clear now as well : we will not allow any factor be it a country or a terror organization , to threaten our security and violate our sovereignty . we will act strongly against all attempts even if it is a mistake or intentional . ' border area called'highly unstable' an idf statement posted online said the israel-syria border had been highly unstable ' in recent months . as the civil war rages in syria , idf forces have experienced combat in the region , both from targeted strikes and errant fire , ' it said . the incident came as the united states and a number of arab allies began bombing isis targets in the syrian town of raqqa , far to the northeast . u.n. forces withdrew last week from the syrian-controlled side of the golan heights , a little more than two weeks after islamic militant fighters took some peacekeepers hostage and besieged others . al-nusra front freed 45 u.n. peacekeepers from fiji in good condition earlier this month , while forces from the philippines escaped after exchanging fire with militant fighters , according to media reports . the incidents occurred after syrian rebel fighters took control of the border crossing in quneitra in late august . golan heights : making wine in the shadow of war cnn 's claudia rebaza , michael schwartz , ian lee and mohammed tawfeeq contributed to this report . | idf : the plane was attempting to infiltrate israeli airspace in the golan heights |
quneitra <tsp> ( cnn ) -- israel 's military said tuesday it shot down a syrian warplane over the golan heights amid what it described as growing tensions in the border area . according to the israel defense forces , the plane was identified while attempting to infiltrate israeli airspace in the golan heights . ' israel used a patriot anti-aircraft missile to bring it down , the idf said . military spokesman lt. col. peter lerner said the aircraft shot down was a russian-made sukhoi-24 and that both the pilot and co-pilot ejected into syria . the plane penetrated roughly a kilometer ( more than half a mile ) into israeli airspace , he said . syrian state tv also reported that israeli forces had shot down a syrian warplane . defense minister : we will act strongly the syrian observatory for human rights , a london-based activist group , said the syrian fighter jet was targeting the countryside around the syrian town of quneitra , where the only border crossing between israel and syria is located . militants in the area are trying to dislodge syrian government forces from their last two strongholds in the area , the group said . israeli defense minister moshe ya'alon said the syrian fighter jet came close to israeli territory on the golan heights in a threatening manner , and even crossed the border line . ' he said israel would use whatever means were necessary to protect its citizens . we have made it clear , and we are making it clear now as well : we will not allow any factor be it a country or a terror organization , to threaten our security and violate our sovereignty . we will act strongly against all attempts even if it is a mistake or intentional . ' border area called'highly unstable' an idf statement posted online said the israel-syria border had been highly unstable ' in recent months . as the civil war rages in syria , idf forces have experienced combat in the region , both from targeted strikes and errant fire , ' it said . the incident came as the united states and a number of arab allies began bombing isis targets in the syrian town of raqqa , far to the northeast . u.n. forces withdrew last week from the syrian-controlled side of the golan heights , a little more than two weeks after islamic militant fighters took some peacekeepers hostage and besieged others . al-nusra front freed 45 u.n. peacekeepers from fiji in good condition earlier this month , while forces from the philippines escaped after exchanging fire with militant fighters , according to media reports . the incidents occurred after syrian rebel fighters took control of the border crossing in quneitra in late august . golan heights : making wine in the shadow of war cnn 's claudia rebaza , michael schwartz , ian lee and mohammed tawfeeq contributed to this report . | activist group says the plane was targeting sites around the syrian town of quneitra |
el-sisi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- egypt 's presidential elections will take place on may 26 and 27 , egyptian media reported sunday , citing an announcement by the country 's presidential elections commission . army chief abdel fattah el-sisi announced wednesday that he would resign and declared his candidacy in the national polls . el-sisi , 59 , egypt 's defense minister , had to leave the army in order to run for president . el-sisi deposed president mohamed morsy of the muslim brotherhood , egypt 's first freely elected leader , last year following mass protests against the latter 's rule . the officer is popular among egyptians who supported the army 's decision to remove morsy from power a year into his term -- seeing el-sisi as the kind of strong man needed to end the turmoil dogging egypt since a popular uprising in 2011 ended hosni mubarak 's three decades of one-man rule . but el-sisi is reviled by the islamist opposition , which sees him as the mastermind of a coup against an elected leader and the author of a fierce crackdown on dissent . egypt has suffered bloody internal strife since morsy was overthrown . also on sunday , unknown gunmen opened fire on a security personnel carrier in egypt 's sinai region , killing one soldier and injuring three policemen , the state-run al-ahram newspaper reported , citing a military source . the security personnel carrier was traveling on a motorway in the north sinai town of sheikh zuweid , the source told the al-ahram arabic news website , without elaborating . militants based in the sinai peninsula near the israeli border have stepped up attacks on soldiers and policemen since morsy 's ouster . morsy and other brotherhood leaders were rounded up soon after . cnn 's marie-louise gumuchian contributed to this report . | el-sisi deposed president mohamed morsy of the muslim brotherhood last july |
el-sisi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- egypt 's presidential elections will take place on may 26 and 27 , egyptian media reported sunday , citing an announcement by the country 's presidential elections commission . army chief abdel fattah el-sisi announced wednesday that he would resign and declared his candidacy in the national polls . el-sisi , 59 , egypt 's defense minister , had to leave the army in order to run for president . el-sisi deposed president mohamed morsy of the muslim brotherhood , egypt 's first freely elected leader , last year following mass protests against the latter 's rule . the officer is popular among egyptians who supported the army 's decision to remove morsy from power a year into his term -- seeing el-sisi as the kind of strong man needed to end the turmoil dogging egypt since a popular uprising in 2011 ended hosni mubarak 's three decades of one-man rule . but el-sisi is reviled by the islamist opposition , which sees him as the mastermind of a coup against an elected leader and the author of a fierce crackdown on dissent . egypt has suffered bloody internal strife since morsy was overthrown . also on sunday , unknown gunmen opened fire on a security personnel carrier in egypt 's sinai region , killing one soldier and injuring three policemen , the state-run al-ahram newspaper reported , citing a military source . the security personnel carrier was traveling on a motorway in the north sinai town of sheikh zuweid , the source told the al-ahram arabic news website , without elaborating . militants based in the sinai peninsula near the israeli border have stepped up attacks on soldiers and policemen since morsy 's ouster . morsy and other brotherhood leaders were rounded up soon after . cnn 's marie-louise gumuchian contributed to this report . | army chief abdel fattah el-sisi has declared his resignation and candidacy in the national polls |
diane von furstenberg <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- on the surface , the similarities are striking ; they were both princesses born in the 1940s in a foreign land . young and beautiful , the long-haired brunettes soon fell in love and followed their men to the united states where they built a reputation for steely determination and strength . diane von furstenberg 's comic book image appears in the window at the london launch of her wonder woman collection . thirty years later , in the 1970s , one was rewarded with her own fashion empire , the other , her own tv show . the only thing really separating them was the magic lasso . oh , and the invisible plane , and maybe the bracelets that deflect bullets ... belgian-born new york designer diane von furstenberg has used diana prince , aka wonder woman , as inspiration for her latest collection , a brightly-colored clothing range that proves dressing like a cartoon character need n't involve teaming knee-high boots with hot pants . the influence of the american stars and stripes are evident in the collection , but in the star piece , a full-length dress , they blend together in muted tones , hinting only at their origin rather than screaming out superhero . the collection was launched in london last night , a day after barack obama stormed home as the next president of the united states . diane von furstenberg watched the election results from a london hotel room , having lodged an absentee vote from asia . i think it 's amazing -- i think we need him desperately , ' she said . in what could only be a gift from the marketing gods , images of the president-elect dressed as superman started appearing on street corners in the u.s. in the lead-up to the election . obama has insisted he 's no superman , but do the images demonstrate that america is hoping and searching for a superhero ? if not superman , maybe wonder woman ? it 's not about a superhero , ' says diane von furstenberg . it 's just because he 's bright and he 's willing to do the work . and he 's young and he has energy , and that 's it . ' of all of america 's superheroes -- and there are many -- wonder woman is seen as one of the most patriotic . she literally wears the stars and stripes . see images of wonder woman through the ages and the dvf collection » she was created in 1941 during world war ii by william moulton marston as a female alternative to the plethora of male action heroes who were saving the world in comic books of the day . he also invented the lie detector , the early version of wonder woman 's lasso of truth . ' as the story goes , wonder woman was an amazonian princess who left her home on paradise island to fight the axis powers ' in the world of man . by day , she was diana prince who , with a quick spin , transformed into wonder woman , ready to destroy nazi enemies , foil japanese plots and expose international spy rings . in the early 1970s , she became a cover girl for feminism , appearing on the cover of the inaugural ms. ' magazine . fame followed on television when she was immortalized by actress lynda carter . after years of lying low , she starred in a popular exhibition superheroes : fantasy and fashion ' at the metropolitan museum of art in new york earlier this year . curator andrew bolton says , when designers look to wonder woman there are two things they seem to refer to -- her role as amazon woman , this strong powerful amazonian figure -- and her as a symbol of america , a symbol of democracy . ' in 2001 , john galliano for christian dior used wonder woman as inspiration for a rather risque ensemble which included a red and white striped jacket , starry gold bustier and tiny knickers . bolton says the 9/11 attacks in 2001 sparked a resurgence in american patriotism that 's been strengthened this week with the election of a man with a mandate for change . i think that the idea of patriotism has become much more potent , certainly in light of recent events , ' bolton says . it 's a celebration of a new regime , a new democratic regime . ' it 's perfect timing perhaps for the launch of a fashion range that celebrates an all-american , albeit originally amazonian , hero . for diane , the wonder woman collection is more about empowering women than tapping into the zeitgeist : the message is that there 's a wonder woman inside every one of us , ' she says . she 's penned a limited edition comic book to go with the collection , the adventures of diva , viva and fifa , ' which is emblazoned with the message be the wonder woman you can be . ' all proceeds from the sale of the comic books , and a portion of the sales of the collection , go to vital voices , a non-governmental organization that aspires to empower women in developing countries , to address human trafficking and to train future leaders . what diane von furstenberg has done for us , by the wonder woman book , by supporting us in the way she has done has raised the profile of vital voices , ' says baroness mary goudie , one of the group 's directors . and by her example , she 's empowering young women and other women around the world . ' a bit like wonder woman , really . | wonder woman inspired diane von furstenberg 's latest fashion collection |
diane von furstenberg <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- on the surface , the similarities are striking ; they were both princesses born in the 1940s in a foreign land . young and beautiful , the long-haired brunettes soon fell in love and followed their men to the united states where they built a reputation for steely determination and strength . diane von furstenberg 's comic book image appears in the window at the london launch of her wonder woman collection . thirty years later , in the 1970s , one was rewarded with her own fashion empire , the other , her own tv show . the only thing really separating them was the magic lasso . oh , and the invisible plane , and maybe the bracelets that deflect bullets ... belgian-born new york designer diane von furstenberg has used diana prince , aka wonder woman , as inspiration for her latest collection , a brightly-colored clothing range that proves dressing like a cartoon character need n't involve teaming knee-high boots with hot pants . the influence of the american stars and stripes are evident in the collection , but in the star piece , a full-length dress , they blend together in muted tones , hinting only at their origin rather than screaming out superhero . the collection was launched in london last night , a day after barack obama stormed home as the next president of the united states . diane von furstenberg watched the election results from a london hotel room , having lodged an absentee vote from asia . i think it 's amazing -- i think we need him desperately , ' she said . in what could only be a gift from the marketing gods , images of the president-elect dressed as superman started appearing on street corners in the u.s. in the lead-up to the election . obama has insisted he 's no superman , but do the images demonstrate that america is hoping and searching for a superhero ? if not superman , maybe wonder woman ? it 's not about a superhero , ' says diane von furstenberg . it 's just because he 's bright and he 's willing to do the work . and he 's young and he has energy , and that 's it . ' of all of america 's superheroes -- and there are many -- wonder woman is seen as one of the most patriotic . she literally wears the stars and stripes . see images of wonder woman through the ages and the dvf collection » she was created in 1941 during world war ii by william moulton marston as a female alternative to the plethora of male action heroes who were saving the world in comic books of the day . he also invented the lie detector , the early version of wonder woman 's lasso of truth . ' as the story goes , wonder woman was an amazonian princess who left her home on paradise island to fight the axis powers ' in the world of man . by day , she was diana prince who , with a quick spin , transformed into wonder woman , ready to destroy nazi enemies , foil japanese plots and expose international spy rings . in the early 1970s , she became a cover girl for feminism , appearing on the cover of the inaugural ms. ' magazine . fame followed on television when she was immortalized by actress lynda carter . after years of lying low , she starred in a popular exhibition superheroes : fantasy and fashion ' at the metropolitan museum of art in new york earlier this year . curator andrew bolton says , when designers look to wonder woman there are two things they seem to refer to -- her role as amazon woman , this strong powerful amazonian figure -- and her as a symbol of america , a symbol of democracy . ' in 2001 , john galliano for christian dior used wonder woman as inspiration for a rather risque ensemble which included a red and white striped jacket , starry gold bustier and tiny knickers . bolton says the 9/11 attacks in 2001 sparked a resurgence in american patriotism that 's been strengthened this week with the election of a man with a mandate for change . i think that the idea of patriotism has become much more potent , certainly in light of recent events , ' bolton says . it 's a celebration of a new regime , a new democratic regime . ' it 's perfect timing perhaps for the launch of a fashion range that celebrates an all-american , albeit originally amazonian , hero . for diane , the wonder woman collection is more about empowering women than tapping into the zeitgeist : the message is that there 's a wonder woman inside every one of us , ' she says . she 's penned a limited edition comic book to go with the collection , the adventures of diva , viva and fifa , ' which is emblazoned with the message be the wonder woman you can be . ' all proceeds from the sale of the comic books , and a portion of the sales of the collection , go to vital voices , a non-governmental organization that aspires to empower women in developing countries , to address human trafficking and to train future leaders . what diane von furstenberg has done for us , by the wonder woman book , by supporting us in the way she has done has raised the profile of vital voices , ' says baroness mary goudie , one of the group 's directors . and by her example , she 's empowering young women and other women around the world . ' a bit like wonder woman , really . | diane von furstenberg : there 's a wonder woman inside every one of us ' |
yemeni <tsp> sanaa , yemen ( cnn ) -- hurling rocks and brandishing daggers and sticks , supporters of longtime president ali abdullah saleh plunged into a crowd calling for his ouster in sanaa on friday as rising momentum in yemen sprouted similar protests in other towns . reports of excessive force prompted calls for restraint amid intensifying demonstrations . u.s. president barack obama voiced concern about what the u.s. embassy in yemen described as a disturbing rise in the number and violence of attacks against yemeni citizens gathering peacefully to express their views on the current political situation . ' the united states condemns the use of violence by governments against peaceful protestors , ' obama said . wherever they are , people have certain universal rights , including the right of peaceful assembly . ' the embassy statement said the attacks are contrary to the commitments that president saleh has made to protect the right of yemeni citizens to gather peacefully to express their views . ' the violence in yemen and libya on friday stood in sharp contrast to images from cairo 's tahrir square , where egyptians showed up en masse to celebrate the toppling of president hosni mubarak a week ago . saleh 's foes in yemen are trying to score their own victory . after midday prayers concluded , they marched from the gates of sanaa university to the streets , where security forces and riot police tried to stay between rival demonstrators friday . some told amnesty international that they had been surrounded by security forces , aided by thugs ' who fired shots at them and beat them . we are very scared , particularly because there are children with us , ' a protester told the human rights monitoring group . we 've tried to get the children out of the area , but the security forces have not allowed us to do so . ' after mubarak , now it 's ali 's turn , ' chanted the anti-government protesters . the people want the fall of the regime . ' i 'm out here today because we want the president to go and we want to make sure that he and his family do n't stay in power , ' said khalid amer , a student . despite concessions from saleh , a tide of anger is sweeping through yemen 's youths , who say they are simply fed up with the status quo . at least 30 anti-government demonstrators were injured , according to abdul naser al-dumaini , an anti-government protester at a demonstration in sanaa . the day before , at least 20 people were injured in sanaa . opposition lawmaker ahmed hashid said police at the scene did not try to intervene . in taiz , more than 10,000 anti-government demonstrators , including 4,000 women , gathered friday in freedom square in a seventh straight day of protests , witnesses said . an assailant drove by the square and hurled a grenade , killing one person , a police official said . at least 43 others were wounded . and in the coastal city of aden , about 3,000 anti-government demonstrators gathered in the al-mansoura district , witnesses said . five people have been killed in aden since wednesday , hospital and government officials said . aref al-qubati , a participant whose friend was one of the victims , said police fired to disperse protesters . the committee to protect journalists reported that at least four photojournalists were attacked , beaten and had their cameras confiscated ' by government supporters at the protests . the government countered the coverage of discontent in yemen by reporting on sympathetic demonstrations . the state-run saba news agency said a million demonstrators had marched in taiz , hoisting yemeni flags and pictures of saleh . and deputy interior minister hussein al-zawa'ari blamed a southern secessionist movement for the unrest and deaths in aden , saba said . saleh has called for an investigation into the aden violence , and vice president abdu rabo mansour hadi met with the governor thursday , saba said . saleh , in power for 32 years , met earlier in the week with his national defense council to discuss discontent in his nation . the council stressed all should practice their rights according to the constitution , in a peaceful way and without violence , chaos , sabotage and lawbreaking , ' saba said . saleh has been in touch with king hamad of bahrain , which is also mired in unrest . he pointed out that there are schemes aimed at plunging the region into chaos and violence targeting the nation 's security and the stability of its countries , ' saba said . those who commit acts of disorder and vandalism ( are ) simply implementing suspicious foreign agendas ... ' the report did n't suggest who might be behind the agendas . in an attempt to quell growing discontent , saleh , a u.s. ally in the fight against an offshoot of al qaeda in yemen , has announced he wo n't seek another term in 2013 . he also said he would postpone parliamentary elections scheduled for april to allow more time for discussions about reform . yemen 's situation is compounded by the fight against al qaeda , the southern separatist movement in its once-independent south , a shiite uprising and a looming shortage of water . | yemeni president ali abdullah saleh has been in power for 32 years |
supreme court <tsp> ( cnn ) -- on sunday , i will have the honor of serving as grand marshal in the new york city pride parade . i have marched in the parade for the last several years carrying a huge rainbow flag . last year , i was so elated that i danced my way down the street for the entire route . before that , my late wife thea and i , she in her wheelchair , would watch the parade together every year . if someone had told me 50 years ago that i would be the marshal of the new york city gay pride parade in 2013 at the age of 84 , i never would have believed it . over the past couple of years , many people have asked me , why did you decide to sue the united states over a tax bill ? ' because the answer is complex , let me give you some of the background . i lived with and loved my late spouse , thea spyer , for more than four decades in love and joy , and in sickness and health , until death did us part . when thea died in 2009 from a heart condition two years after we were finally married , i was heartbroken . on a deeply personal level , i felt distressed and anguished that in the eyes of my own government , the woman i had loved and cared for and shared my life with was not my legal spouse , but was considered to be a stranger with no relationship to me . on a practical level , because of the so-called defense of marriage act , or doma , i was taxed $ 363,000 in federal estate tax that i would not have had to pay if i had been married to a man named theo instead of a woman named thea . even if i had just met theo , married him and never even lived with him before he died , the tax would have been zero . so , overwhelmed with a sense of injustice and unfairness , i decided to file a lawsuit to get my money back . i lucked out when robbie kaplan , a litigation partner at the law firm of paul weiss , walked into my life . at a time when the gay organizations that i approached responded with , it 's the wrong time for the movement , ' robbie kaplan said -- as did the rev . martin luther king jr. before her -- there is no wrong time ' to seek justice . she answered my plea , and took me on . robbie argued my case in the supreme court on march 27 this year . when she argued against doma , she was cool and calm and informed and reasoned -- all of which was sustained by her deeply felt passion for equality in all of our lives . and we won -- all the way . i have been so honored and humbled to represent not only the thousands of americans whose lives have been adversely impacted by doma , but those whose hopes and dreams have been constricted by that same discriminatory law . because of the historic supreme court ruling in my case , the federal government can no longer discriminate against the marriages of gay and lesbian americans . children born today will grow up in a world without doma . and those same children who happen to be gay will be free to love and get married -- as thea and i did -- but with the same federal benefits , protections and dignity as everyone else . to all the gay people and their supporters who have cheered me on , thank you . i 'm sure that thea is thanking you , too . not only does a much larger portion of the straight ' world see us differently -- as just people who live and love and play with their kids -- but also our own community has come out and seen each other , and loved each other , in a way that makes me courageous and proud and joyous every day . if i had to survive thea , what a glorious way to do it . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of edith windsor . | edith windsor won the supreme court case that overturned doma |
pulitzer prize <tsp> two news organizations'stories about national security agency surveillance , based upon documents leaked by edward snowden , have been awarded the pulitzer prize for public service , often described as the highest prize in american journalism . the washington post and united states arm of the guardian each received the prize on monday . the pulitzers are administered by columbia university . more than a dozen prizes were announced on monday , but the recognition of the nsa reporting was most significant because of the questions raised by snowden 's leaks and the reaction to them . the pulitzer board 's decision is bound to be controversial ; then again , snubbing the nsa coverage would have been controversial , too . snowden , who has been living in russia while seeking asylum from u.s. prosecution , said in a statement that the pulitzer board 's recognition of the coverage was vindication for everyone who believes that the public has a role in government . ' we owe it to the efforts of the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation , including the forced destruction of journalistic materials , the inappropriate use of terrorism laws , and so many other means of pressure to get them to stop what the world now recognizes was work of vital public importance . ' while snowden provided a trove of documents , reporters including glenn greenwald , working for the guardian ; barton gellman , working for the post ; and laura poitras , who worked with both , pored over the raw information , decided with their editors what parts were ethical to publish , and turned the information into stories that stunned readers around the world . on monday the staffs of the guardian and the post celebrated the prize , ten full months after the first nsa stories were published . we 're extremely proud and gratified to have been honoured by the pulitzer board , ' janine gibson , editor-in-chief of guardian us , said in a statement published on the british-based news organization 's website . it 's been an intense , exhaustive and sometimes chilling year working on this story and we 're grateful for the acknowledgment by our peers that the revelations made by edward snowden and the work by the journalists involved represent a high achievement in public service , ' gibson added . marty baron , editor of the washington post , told his newsroom that without snowden , there would have been no public debate about the proper balance between privacy and national security . as even the president has acknowledged this is a conversation we need to have . ' other pulitzer prize winners included the staff of the boston globe , for breaking news reporting in the aftermath of the boston marathon bombings ; chris hamby of the center for public integrity for investigative reporting ; eli saslow of the washington post for explanatory reporting ; and two new york times photographers , tyler hicks and josh haner . | the pulitzer prize for public service is among journalism 's highest awards |
manchester city <tsp> ( cnn ) -- forget christmas . december is all about defense for manchester city . the reigning english premier league champions maintained their eight-match unbeaten run in all competitions with a 3-0 victory over crystal palace , saturday . city drew level on points with table toppers chelsea , who will be eager to put daylight between themselves and the defending champions against stoke city , monday . december is a key month to be in the fight for the title , ' city manager manuel pellegrini told reporters after his side 's home win . if you want to be involved you must be very near the top of the table . i hope we continue playing like this . it was a very good win , a very good performance . ' crystal palace had frustrated city during the first half , coming close to scoring themselves , before mercurial forward david silva sparked into life after the break . the spaniard broke the deadlock for city -- who are missing key strikers sergio aguero and edin dzeko -- when his shot deflected off scott dan and past palace keeper julian peroni . silva swept in a second soon afterwards before yaya toure drilled in at the near post to make sure of the victory for man city . their north of england neighbors and rivals , manchester united , had to settle for a point from their away trip to aston villa . united had been on a six-match winning streak and would have expected more from their trip to villa park where they had not lost in 18 matches . villa 's talismanic striker christian benteke hit a curler into the corner to give the home side the lead after 18 minutes and deny united a magnificent seventh win . on-loan colombian striker radamel falcao -- who played his first full 90 minutes after being given a place in the starting xi -- scored the equalizer in the second half when he headed in from close range . villa were reduced to 10 men when gabriel agbonlahor was sent off with 25 minutes still to play but the advantage did little for united . i 'm very frustrated , ' summed up manchester united manager louis van gaal , whose side are third in the table and seven points off the leaders . barcelona said christmas had come early as luis suarez scored his first goal for the spanish la liga giants , saturday . the uruguayan ace , who joined barca from liverpool in a tasty $ 127m deal , had to wait until october to make his debut following his four-month biting ban . suarez finally got off the mark for his new employers in a 5-0 thrashing of cordoba , slotting in from close range to end his seven-game goal drought . pedro rodriguez opened the scoring at the nou camp , gerard pique headed in a third before lionel messi polished off the five-star performance with a brace . the victory saw barcelona draw to within one point of league leaders real madrid -- who are playing in the club world cup final this weekend -- before the winter break . there was a nightmare before christmas for borussia dortmund in the bundesliga . the german side slid to their 10th league defeat of the season , losing 2-1 to fellow strugglers werder bremen , and dropped to second from bottom in the table . jurgen klopp 's side , who face juventus in the last 16 of the champions league in february , will have to wait until the end of january to try to contain their dismal domestic run . bayern munich head into the extended winter break sitting pretty at the top after a 2-1 victory against mainz , friday . pep guardiola 's side broke another bundesliga record for the fewest goals conceded in the first half of the season . bayern have conceded a miserly four goals so far . in the french ligue 1 , champions paris saint-germain succumbed to the pressure again as they played out a goalless draw with mid-table montpellier . marseille can consolidate their place at the top of the table if they beat lille , sunday . psg had made an impressive unbeaten start to the season but are on a downward spiral after losing to barcelona in the champions league and then lowly guingamp in the league . at least footballers playing in france can put their feet up over the festive period and enjoy a 12-day break from competition before the french cup swings into action . | manchester city draw level on points with premier league leaders chelsea after 3-0 win over crystal palace |
south korea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the grief of any parent who loses a child is unimaginable . but that pain is amplified now in south korea , due to the uncertainty over the fate of hundreds -- many of them children on a school field trip -- on a sunken ferry and how this east asian nation 's culture copes with such heartache . for proof , one need look no further than hospital beds where some parents are hooked up to ivs because their sorrow is so great that they have refused to eat . some say they do n't want to live . families'frustration :'nothing is changing' ' if i do n't have my younger child , i want to jump in the sea , ' one woman said . thinking about my child in the sea , how can i , as a parent , eat or drink . i hate myself for this . ' in south korea , suicide is a real threat . it has the highest suicide rate among the 34 countries in the organisation for economic co-operation and development . some point to south korea 's ultra-competitive society or an unwillingness to accept failure as factors that contribute to this reality . kin give out dna it is a culture where shame carries a heavy burden , and where there is simply a societal acceptance of suicide . officials have made mental health workers available to the families , but despite the enormity of the tragedy , they find themselves not busy . no one came to us for counseling . the families do n't care about their safety or well-being , ' said han kee rae , a psychology volunteer . counselors hope more people will come for help , especially in light of the high number of suicides in the country . there are fears that some may follow the example of kang min kyu , the vice principal of seoul 's ansan danwon high school . the 52-year-old kyu was among the first to be rescued from the sinking ship . then , two days later , he was found hanging from a tree . police said he used a belt to apparently hang himself from a tree near a gymnasium in jindo , where the distraught relatives of missing passengers have been camping out . in a note , kang wrote that the field trip had been his idea and that the deaths of the students were his fault . his suicide is hardly the first , nor the most high-profile , in recent memory in south korea . former president roh moo hyun jumped to his death in 2009 in the wake of a financial scandal . and hyundai group chairman chung mong hun leaped from a building in the midst of a corruption investigation in 2003 , ending his life . wherever it leads , the despair was palpable at the site where grieving family members of the capsized ferry 's passengers have been gathering . for some , the sadness is mixed with anger . and desperation abounds . as one woman , during a briefing by maritime officials , shouted : how are we going to live now ? ' families protest over rescue operation | south korea has a high suicide rate compared to other countries |
syrian <tsp> a syrian jihadist group appears to have pledged allegiance to al qaeda 's leader -- but also stressed it can achieve a syrian islamic state only by working with other rebels , including secularists . the group , al-nusra front , also denies an earlier claim that it has merged with iraq 's al qaeda affiliate , according to an audio message purported to be from al-nusra general commander abu muhammad al-joulani . the message was posted on various radical islamist websites known for posting similar statements by al qaeda figures . al-joulani 's message comes after the leader of the al qaeda-affiliated islamic state of iraq purportedly claimed this week in an audio statement that al-nusra front is part of its network . opinion : syria rebel group 's dangerous tie to al qaeda a speaker identifying himself as islamic state of iraq leader abu bakr al-baghdadi had said -- in a message posted to online jihadist forums -- that the two groups would combine their names and be known as the islamic state of iraq and the levant ( syria ) . ' but al-joulani distanced himself from al-baghdadi 's message , saying it took al-nusra off guard . we would like to inform the public that we were not informed or consulted of the content of the announcement , ' al-joulani said . despite denying a merger , al-joulani said that he is raising the bar higher by pledging allegiance to al qaeda leader ayman al-zawahiri . still , such a pledge will not change the policies of nusra front on the ground , ' al-joulani said . read more : syrian rebels issue warning to hezbollah he said the group 's goal of achieving an islamic state in syria can only be built with the help of everyone -- without excluding any of the main parties who bled and fought with us and waged jihad in syria . ' al-joulani said that includes all the other rebel factions . ' al-joulani , acknowledging that al-nusra front fought with jihadists in iraq before turning its attention to the syrian civil war , said he would delay consideration of a merger with al qaeda in iraq in part so his group can consult with various supporting groups . the u.s. state department labeled al-nusra front a foreign terror organization linked to al qaeda in iraq back in december . moaz al-khatib , president of the main syrian opposition alliance , said this week on his official facebook page that al qaeda 's way of thinking does not suit us . ' al-khatib heads the national coalition for syrian revolutionary and opposition forces , which has leadership largely consisting of expatriates . he said that there are those who want to impose themselves even on al-nusra front . ' we reject ownership of any of the rebel factions inside syria , ' he said . al-joulani 's message comes a week after the white house , according to u.s. officials , signed off on new nonlethal aid for syrian rebels . officials said it is expected to include equipment such as body armor , night vision goggles and other military equipment that is defensive in nature , but could be used to aid in combat by syrian rebels battling forces loyal to president bashar al-assad . read more : al-assad warns of domino effect syrian opposition leaders asked for more aid , including lethal aid , at a meeting with u.s. secretary of state john kerry in london on wednesday , according to two senior state department officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity . but the requests were n't specific , and kerry did n't make any promises , the officials said . kerry urged the opposition to work together and organize more effectively , the officials said . opposition officials said they were in the process of doing that . meanwhile , kerry , who also discussed syria with russian foreign minister sergei lavrov , will head to turkey on april 20 for more talks with european and persian gulf states on the crisis , the officials said . read more : syrian war is everybody 's problem president barack obama agreed last month to send food and medicine to the rebels , the first direct u.s. support for the armed opposition . but the package falls short of the heavy weapons and high-tech equipment sought by the rebels . the decision also comes as britain and france are leading efforts to lift a european union arms embargo on syria . both have suggested they are prepared to join nations like qatar in providing the rebels with weapons and are urging the united states to do the same . the united nations says more than 70,000 people have been killed in syria 's two-year civil war . opposition activists reported at least 75 more deaths on wednesday amid heavy fighting in and around damascus and daraa . | abu muhammad al-joulani : syrian islamic state can be built only with all rebel groups'help |
syrian <tsp> a syrian jihadist group appears to have pledged allegiance to al qaeda 's leader -- but also stressed it can achieve a syrian islamic state only by working with other rebels , including secularists . the group , al-nusra front , also denies an earlier claim that it has merged with iraq 's al qaeda affiliate , according to an audio message purported to be from al-nusra general commander abu muhammad al-joulani . the message was posted on various radical islamist websites known for posting similar statements by al qaeda figures . al-joulani 's message comes after the leader of the al qaeda-affiliated islamic state of iraq purportedly claimed this week in an audio statement that al-nusra front is part of its network . opinion : syria rebel group 's dangerous tie to al qaeda a speaker identifying himself as islamic state of iraq leader abu bakr al-baghdadi had said -- in a message posted to online jihadist forums -- that the two groups would combine their names and be known as the islamic state of iraq and the levant ( syria ) . ' but al-joulani distanced himself from al-baghdadi 's message , saying it took al-nusra off guard . we would like to inform the public that we were not informed or consulted of the content of the announcement , ' al-joulani said . despite denying a merger , al-joulani said that he is raising the bar higher by pledging allegiance to al qaeda leader ayman al-zawahiri . still , such a pledge will not change the policies of nusra front on the ground , ' al-joulani said . read more : syrian rebels issue warning to hezbollah he said the group 's goal of achieving an islamic state in syria can only be built with the help of everyone -- without excluding any of the main parties who bled and fought with us and waged jihad in syria . ' al-joulani said that includes all the other rebel factions . ' al-joulani , acknowledging that al-nusra front fought with jihadists in iraq before turning its attention to the syrian civil war , said he would delay consideration of a merger with al qaeda in iraq in part so his group can consult with various supporting groups . the u.s. state department labeled al-nusra front a foreign terror organization linked to al qaeda in iraq back in december . moaz al-khatib , president of the main syrian opposition alliance , said this week on his official facebook page that al qaeda 's way of thinking does not suit us . ' al-khatib heads the national coalition for syrian revolutionary and opposition forces , which has leadership largely consisting of expatriates . he said that there are those who want to impose themselves even on al-nusra front . ' we reject ownership of any of the rebel factions inside syria , ' he said . al-joulani 's message comes a week after the white house , according to u.s. officials , signed off on new nonlethal aid for syrian rebels . officials said it is expected to include equipment such as body armor , night vision goggles and other military equipment that is defensive in nature , but could be used to aid in combat by syrian rebels battling forces loyal to president bashar al-assad . read more : al-assad warns of domino effect syrian opposition leaders asked for more aid , including lethal aid , at a meeting with u.s. secretary of state john kerry in london on wednesday , according to two senior state department officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity . but the requests were n't specific , and kerry did n't make any promises , the officials said . kerry urged the opposition to work together and organize more effectively , the officials said . opposition officials said they were in the process of doing that . meanwhile , kerry , who also discussed syria with russian foreign minister sergei lavrov , will head to turkey on april 20 for more talks with european and persian gulf states on the crisis , the officials said . read more : syrian war is everybody 's problem president barack obama agreed last month to send food and medicine to the rebels , the first direct u.s. support for the armed opposition . but the package falls short of the heavy weapons and high-tech equipment sought by the rebels . the decision also comes as britain and france are leading efforts to lift a european union arms embargo on syria . both have suggested they are prepared to join nations like qatar in providing the rebels with weapons and are urging the united states to do the same . the united nations says more than 70,000 people have been killed in syria 's two-year civil war . opposition activists reported at least 75 more deaths on wednesday amid heavy fighting in and around damascus and daraa . | syrian opposition coalition leader : we reject ownership of any of the rebel factions |
british <tsp> buenos aires , argentina ( cnn ) -- authorities in argentina 's tierra del fuego province denied entry monday to two cruise liners that were seeking to dock in the southern port of ushuaia , in incidents linked to the political dispute over the falkland islands . the government was applying a provincial law barring ships traveling under british colony flags from docking at the port , said the state-run telam news agency . both ships were registered in bermuda , a british territory . one of the ships -- the star princess -- departed rio de janeiro , brazil , on february 18 on a 14-night south america cruise . because the ship had previously called at stanley , it was denied entry to ushuaia , ' said julie benson , a spokeswoman for carnival corp. she was referring to the port city in the falkland islands , which are referred to in argentina as las malvinas . we are extremely disappointed about this alteration of the cruise itinerary , and are refunding the cost of shore excursions purchased by our passengers , ' she said in an e-mail . the ship is continuing to its next scheduled port of call , punta arenas , chile . the 289-meter ( nearly 950-foot ) luxury liner , which has a capacity of 2,600 passengers , had docked in ushuaia several times in recent years , she said . the p & o cruise liner adonia , which is on a south american tour from southampton , england , with an almost entirely british contingent of passengers , got a similar reception on monday . the ship was this morning refused permission for its scheduled docking in the argentinian port of ushuaia by the local mayor on the grounds that it had visited the falklands islands two days before , ' said cnn contributor robin oakley , who was aboard the adonis as a lecturer . both p & o cruises and princess cruises are carnival corporation cruise brands . the law cited was passed last august and refers to ships that carry out work related to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources , or to military vessels , within the ambit of the basin of the malvinas islands on the argentinean continental platform , ' telam reported . the head of the province 's port authority , alejandro berola , said that the decision to turn away the ships was made following express instructions ' from gov . fabiana rios , the news agency said . ship authorities were informed of the decision monday morning as they sailed through the beagle canal in front of the chilean city of port williams . last month , the star princess was denied entry into the port of stanley when 74 passengers and crew out of a total of 3,652 had gotten sick after the liner stopped in ushuaia . the falklands'authorities cited the illnesses as the reason for the denial . the president of the tourism board of usuaia , marcelo lieti , said monday 's incident had nothing to do with the malvinas subject , ' according to telam . it 's necessary to treat the question with much care , ' he said . we all defend malvinas , but the tourist ships have nothing to do with the request for sovereignty , ' he told radio provincia of ushuaia . in 1982 , after argentina invaded the islands , it fought -- and lost -- a two-month undeclared war with britain . still , argentina continues to press its claim to the islands , which are home to more than 3,000 people , most of them of british descent . in buenos aires , a group of intellectuals expressed unhappiness with the way the argentine government is handling the matter of the sovereignty of the malvinas . the policy that the government is carrying out , in reality , is distancing us from the malvinas instead of getting us nearer , ' said jorge latana , a journalist who has proposed greater cultural integration with the islands'inhabitants . return to before 1982 . in argentina , it is very odd the way one thinks about malvinas , because the public thinks of it as if no one lived there . it is like a thing of magical thought ; that one day we take it and it will be ours . and that is not real . ' santiago kovadloff , a philosopher , said the incident has nothing to do with sweeping away the british culture that is pervasive in the falklands . they have the right to determine what they want to be . it 's not for us to impose a culture they do n't want . ' latana said that argentina was being inconsistent . the country contains a mountain of english businesses ' that are exploiting the country 's natural resources . and they are sending money out of the country . in that sense , the government is speaking out both sides of its mouth . on one hand it is attacking england through the malvinas and on the other it is favoring some businesses to exploit minerals . it 's a policy that is half schizophrenic . ' cnn 's tom watkins and jose manuel rodriguez contributed to this report . | report : argentina cites law barring ships sailing under british colony flags |
washington post <tsp> ( cnn ) my son jason rezaian and his wife were taken at gunpoint from their apartment in iran more than 200 days ago . since then , he has been languishing in a jail with no firm trial date in sight . our patience has been exhausted . it is time to release my son or let him face a fair trial . jason rezaian , the washington post 's tehran bureau chief , was taken with his wife , yeganeh , from their apartment on july 22 . jason , a dual iranian-american citizen , has been at evin prison , held on suspicion of somehow posing a security risk to iran . yeganeh was released in early october , and through november she was permitted three phone calls and two visits each week . but last month , she was only permitted one brief visit . in a meeting december 22 with two members of jason and yeganeh 's interrogation team , i was informed : the west has an unfair view of us ( the iranian revolutionary guard ) . we do not rape , we do not torture ; we do not waterboard . we are not guantanamo . ... we do everything by islamic , true islamic law . ' when i visited my son in evin on christmas day , he told me : i will be a model prisoner if i am granted my rights under islamic law . rights attributed to imam ali , a fair and just man . and i do n't believe i 've been granted any of them : the right to meet with my attorney , my trial scheduled in a timely manner , and visitation rights with my wife . ' following my trip , iranian newspapers -- moderate and hard-line alike -- highlighted that i had met with jason twice . last weekend , in munich , germany , iranian foreign minister javad zarif commented on his role in that process . but while i sincerely appreciate zarif 's humanitarian ' efforts , as well as the orchestrating of jason 's one telephone call to me for thanksgiving day , the fact is that as a dual citizen and therefore iranian mother , it is my right to visit my son in prison . in fact , in the early months , i was told the iranians were asking jason , where is your mother ? ' when i was n't there all the time because they are so accustomed to seeing mothers waiting outside the prison gates . yet in january , i was given no assurances of permission for further visits . iran 's ways are often inscrutable . there are apparently three separate security apparatuses , and jason seems now to have been handed off to a legal branch ( the judiciary ) that appears to be taking its time scheduling his trial . iran 's constitution spells out that once a prisoner 's file is completed , the prisoner is to be moved to a public ward , where he can interact with others and have access to a telephone . furthermore , once assigned to a court , a trial date must be set within 60 days . as his file was sent in early january , the case should be heard in early march . and yet there are rumblings that jason 's case will not be heard until after nowruz , the persian new year , which is on the first day of spring , march 21 . anyone with knowledge of iran knows that nothing happens during the two weeks following nowruz , a period when even newspapers do n't publish , so it can only be assumed his trial date might not be set before april 6 . all this is taking a huge toll on jason . it weighs heavily on him knowing how much his wife , his brother , their families and our relatives in the united states and iran are worrying about him . and it deeply pains him to know that this situation has come about because of suspicions -- no matter how baseless -- about his contacts and associations . all this frustration is compounded by the knowledge that the length of his detention far exceeds that of other american journalists in iran . this week , iran is celebrating the anniversary of the islamic revolution . it is traditionally a time when pardons are granted and prisoners are released on bail to visit with their families . jason is fully aware of this . whatever the unknown charges against him may be , surely jason is at the least entitled to regular visits from his wife and phone calls with his mother ? our family has been exceedingly patient during these seven months . we have been respectful of iran , of its laws and its procedures . but our patience ran out some time ago , and it is difficult , nearly impossible , to maintain respect for a system under which someone who was born and raised american is being detained as an iranian ' even as his rights under iran 's own laws are being so flagrantly violated . i am calling on iranian human rights minister mohammad javad larijani , javad zarif , president hassan rouhani and the supreme leader , ayatollah ali khamenei , to ensure that jason 's rights are observed . please review the evidence and release my son or ensure that he receives a fair trial immediately . it is long past time . | the washington post 's jason rezaian has been detained in iran since july |
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