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middle east <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when the biggest united nations ( u.n. ) climate change talks of the year , cop18 , get underway in doha , the capital of qatar , this week , it will be the first time that the meeting has been hosted by a middle eastern country . as such , the talks provide the perfect opportunity for the countries in the region to prove that they have started to take climate change seriously . the best way to start proving that is to first pledge targets to reduce their carbon emissions . the middle east has been through a lot of change lately , but the region is often eerily quiet on climate change , not to mention that some countries of the region have been considered obstructionist ' in the process . this has been making a lot of countries coming to the negotiations very nervous . the u.n. climate summit offers the opportunity for the obstructionist ' reputation to change , if the arab communities play it right . putting forward pledges to the international community is one step that countries of the region can take in the right direction , but also regional civil society should start a strong arab climate movement . read : greenhouse gases reach record highs this has already started , and one only needs to look at the launch of the arab youth climate movement in a dozen countries earlier this month to see that the region 's young citizens , who were so instrumental in the arab spring , are calling for their leaders to step up when it comes to the biggest environmental problem facing the middle east and north africa . of course , cop18 is not only about what the arab world will do , but about what the rest of the world will do . cop18 is a key transition conference , where old negotiations tracks need to be finalized , and new ones started . one key tough issue that parties need to crack is when global carbon emissions need to peak and start declining rapidly . according to science , emissions should peak by 2015 , if , we want to have a chance of keeping global warming within two degrees celsius . while a two degrees temperature rise is not without risks -- as this year 's already worsening weather events such as hurricane sandy and the droughts in russia and the u.s. have shown -- it is a target which can be realistically achieved by our leaders . agreeing to this peak will also mean that countries which have been big polluters historically , like the u.s. , canada , europe , japan and australia , will have to increase their commitments on carbon emission reductions . the kyoto protocol is currently our only binding climate deal and it is up for renewal here at doha . this should happen only after closing all the gaps that make this protocol weaker . read : chasing down the world 's vanishing glaciers while all this might seem difficult to achieve , failing to make progress at doha would constitute a huge cost to society . a peer reviewed report , called beyond dangerous climate change : emission scenarios for a new world , ' written by kevin anderson and alice bows in 2011 , pointed out that there is a widespread understanding among scientists that an increase of four degrees celsius in global temperatures is incompatible with an organized global community . this means that if we do n't start reducing our greenhouse gas emissions urgently , it could lead to the collapse of human civilization . our current emission patterns are leading us to a 2.5 to five degrees increase before the end of this century . so far the world has only warmed 0.8 degrees celsius , and we are already witnessing severe weather phenomena . with the latest estimates saying hurricane sandy killed over 100 people and will end up costing $ 50 billion in the u.s. alone , it makes sense on economic and humanitarian fronts to fund stringent responses to climate change . nevertheless , there is real hope building around the potential of the doha meeting . compared to last year 's negotiations , the political climate change leadership in china and the u.s. -- both major emitters with big pull at these talks -- is now certain . newly reelected president obama called for climate action in his victory speech and china 's new leader xi jiping called for a better environment ' in his acceptance . civil society is expecting these leaders to stand up where it matters -- inside the negotiating rooms of the u.n. climate talks and push toward a fair , ambitious and binding deal that will preserve the future of the planet for generations to come . the views expressed in this article are solely those of wael hmaidan . | youth activists instrumental in arab spring now calling for strong lead on climate from middle east leaders |
hmaidan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when the biggest united nations ( u.n. ) climate change talks of the year , cop18 , get underway in doha , the capital of qatar , this week , it will be the first time that the meeting has been hosted by a middle eastern country . as such , the talks provide the perfect opportunity for the countries in the region to prove that they have started to take climate change seriously . the best way to start proving that is to first pledge targets to reduce their carbon emissions . the middle east has been through a lot of change lately , but the region is often eerily quiet on climate change , not to mention that some countries of the region have been considered obstructionist ' in the process . this has been making a lot of countries coming to the negotiations very nervous . the u.n. climate summit offers the opportunity for the obstructionist ' reputation to change , if the arab communities play it right . putting forward pledges to the international community is one step that countries of the region can take in the right direction , but also regional civil society should start a strong arab climate movement . read : greenhouse gases reach record highs this has already started , and one only needs to look at the launch of the arab youth climate movement in a dozen countries earlier this month to see that the region 's young citizens , who were so instrumental in the arab spring , are calling for their leaders to step up when it comes to the biggest environmental problem facing the middle east and north africa . of course , cop18 is not only about what the arab world will do , but about what the rest of the world will do . cop18 is a key transition conference , where old negotiations tracks need to be finalized , and new ones started . one key tough issue that parties need to crack is when global carbon emissions need to peak and start declining rapidly . according to science , emissions should peak by 2015 , if , we want to have a chance of keeping global warming within two degrees celsius . while a two degrees temperature rise is not without risks -- as this year 's already worsening weather events such as hurricane sandy and the droughts in russia and the u.s. have shown -- it is a target which can be realistically achieved by our leaders . agreeing to this peak will also mean that countries which have been big polluters historically , like the u.s. , canada , europe , japan and australia , will have to increase their commitments on carbon emission reductions . the kyoto protocol is currently our only binding climate deal and it is up for renewal here at doha . this should happen only after closing all the gaps that make this protocol weaker . read : chasing down the world 's vanishing glaciers while all this might seem difficult to achieve , failing to make progress at doha would constitute a huge cost to society . a peer reviewed report , called beyond dangerous climate change : emission scenarios for a new world , ' written by kevin anderson and alice bows in 2011 , pointed out that there is a widespread understanding among scientists that an increase of four degrees celsius in global temperatures is incompatible with an organized global community . this means that if we do n't start reducing our greenhouse gas emissions urgently , it could lead to the collapse of human civilization . our current emission patterns are leading us to a 2.5 to five degrees increase before the end of this century . so far the world has only warmed 0.8 degrees celsius , and we are already witnessing severe weather phenomena . with the latest estimates saying hurricane sandy killed over 100 people and will end up costing $ 50 billion in the u.s. alone , it makes sense on economic and humanitarian fronts to fund stringent responses to climate change . nevertheless , there is real hope building around the potential of the doha meeting . compared to last year 's negotiations , the political climate change leadership in china and the u.s. -- both major emitters with big pull at these talks -- is now certain . newly reelected president obama called for climate action in his victory speech and china 's new leader xi jiping called for a better environment ' in his acceptance . civil society is expecting these leaders to stand up where it matters -- inside the negotiating rooms of the u.n. climate talks and push toward a fair , ambitious and binding deal that will preserve the future of the planet for generations to come . the views expressed in this article are solely those of wael hmaidan . | civil society expect political leadership to stand up to push for a fair , ambitious and binding climate deal , hmaidan says |
hmaidan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when the biggest united nations ( u.n. ) climate change talks of the year , cop18 , get underway in doha , the capital of qatar , this week , it will be the first time that the meeting has been hosted by a middle eastern country . as such , the talks provide the perfect opportunity for the countries in the region to prove that they have started to take climate change seriously . the best way to start proving that is to first pledge targets to reduce their carbon emissions . the middle east has been through a lot of change lately , but the region is often eerily quiet on climate change , not to mention that some countries of the region have been considered obstructionist ' in the process . this has been making a lot of countries coming to the negotiations very nervous . the u.n. climate summit offers the opportunity for the obstructionist ' reputation to change , if the arab communities play it right . putting forward pledges to the international community is one step that countries of the region can take in the right direction , but also regional civil society should start a strong arab climate movement . read : greenhouse gases reach record highs this has already started , and one only needs to look at the launch of the arab youth climate movement in a dozen countries earlier this month to see that the region 's young citizens , who were so instrumental in the arab spring , are calling for their leaders to step up when it comes to the biggest environmental problem facing the middle east and north africa . of course , cop18 is not only about what the arab world will do , but about what the rest of the world will do . cop18 is a key transition conference , where old negotiations tracks need to be finalized , and new ones started . one key tough issue that parties need to crack is when global carbon emissions need to peak and start declining rapidly . according to science , emissions should peak by 2015 , if , we want to have a chance of keeping global warming within two degrees celsius . while a two degrees temperature rise is not without risks -- as this year 's already worsening weather events such as hurricane sandy and the droughts in russia and the u.s. have shown -- it is a target which can be realistically achieved by our leaders . agreeing to this peak will also mean that countries which have been big polluters historically , like the u.s. , canada , europe , japan and australia , will have to increase their commitments on carbon emission reductions . the kyoto protocol is currently our only binding climate deal and it is up for renewal here at doha . this should happen only after closing all the gaps that make this protocol weaker . read : chasing down the world 's vanishing glaciers while all this might seem difficult to achieve , failing to make progress at doha would constitute a huge cost to society . a peer reviewed report , called beyond dangerous climate change : emission scenarios for a new world , ' written by kevin anderson and alice bows in 2011 , pointed out that there is a widespread understanding among scientists that an increase of four degrees celsius in global temperatures is incompatible with an organized global community . this means that if we do n't start reducing our greenhouse gas emissions urgently , it could lead to the collapse of human civilization . our current emission patterns are leading us to a 2.5 to five degrees increase before the end of this century . so far the world has only warmed 0.8 degrees celsius , and we are already witnessing severe weather phenomena . with the latest estimates saying hurricane sandy killed over 100 people and will end up costing $ 50 billion in the u.s. alone , it makes sense on economic and humanitarian fronts to fund stringent responses to climate change . nevertheless , there is real hope building around the potential of the doha meeting . compared to last year 's negotiations , the political climate change leadership in china and the u.s. -- both major emitters with big pull at these talks -- is now certain . newly reelected president obama called for climate action in his victory speech and china 's new leader xi jiping called for a better environment ' in his acceptance . civil society is expecting these leaders to stand up where it matters -- inside the negotiating rooms of the u.n. climate talks and push toward a fair , ambitious and binding deal that will preserve the future of the planet for generations to come . the views expressed in this article are solely those of wael hmaidan . | lebanese environmental activist , wael hmaidan calls for middle eastern countries to pledge support for climate action |
south africa <tsp> johannesburg ( cnn ) -- a stampede on a university campus in johannesburg tuesday left one woman dead and several people injured , according to eyewitness reports . the victim was the mother of one of many prospective students who had gathered in the early hours to enroll in the university of johannesburg , according to the african national congress youth league , the youth wing of the governing anc party . local media reported that 17 people were also injured . thousands of young people and their relatives had gathered outside the campus gates hoping to secure some of the last remaining university places or admission slots for students . some chose to sleep outside overnight , desperate to sign up . one eyewitness told cnn how the stampede began . there was a girl who tried to jump over the fence but unfortunately she tripped and the fence went through her from her back area so when the police came the people saw the police van as an excuse to jump over it to use it to go over . the first lady went over and i think that broke everything off because we were all looking at her , we never thought she would jump over . she jumped over , everybody screamed , clapped and started pushing their way through and that is when the commotion started happening . ' another witness recounted how a gate was opened and then people started fighting and running towards the gate , and then there was a stampede . people were stepping on each other , and i was also there by the gate , but i was able to survive . ' sitting among the debris of shoes , id cards and blankets -- all discarded during the stampede -- june moloro told cnn how she was accompanying her grandson to the university when they also got caught up in the chaos . so we came here very early in the morning . we found that there was a stampede . we had to run back , we could n't go in , ' said moloro , who is retired . after it was a bit tense and we saw a woman lying there , a dead woman . she was lying there . so it is a scary situation . ' she told cnn that this was the second time she and her grandson had been waiting outside the campus trying to secure him a place . in a statement , the anc youth league called on the government to urgently put in place measures that will remedy the situation of many prospective students and fewer admission spaces in institutions of higher learning not only in u.j . ( university of johannesburg ) , but across institutions of higher learning in south africa . ' the situation is reaching crisis level , with the number of places available for higher education students now far less than the number of people qualified to take them , the statement said . the youth league will work with the south african students'congress and education ministers to try to find a sustainable solution , it added . some experts agree that there is an education crisis in south africa . the crisis is one of young people who want opportunities and struggle to get them . there are not enough jobs , places at university , or alternatives like vocational colleges , nor enough money to pay for it all , ' said graeme bloch , visiting adjunct professor for the school of public and development management at wits university , another johannesburg university . the country also suffers from high levels of unemployment , particularly among young people . even after the ambulances had left the scene of the stampede , hundreds of people were still lining up behind the university 's closed gates , hoping to be admitted . | south africa 's young people are struggling to find opportunities , an expert says |
cnn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- one of the most powerful experiences in life is to have deep , meaningful connection . without it we are empty . each message i received about my struggle with psoriasis was a new connection that brought with it a tapestry of fulfillment , gratitude and inspiration for me . thank you . many of you have asked me about diet . for me , it was , the most long-term solution to heal my severe psoriasis then , requiring the toughest self-discipline and a team of cheerleaders . here 's what i did , with what i learned at the clinic in south africa , and my mother , yasmin 's help . mum and i also used the book healing psoriasis : the natural alternative ' by dr. john o.a . pagano to help explain diet in more detail and the science of natural healing . stuff i did not eat : sugar , coffee , tea , soda , red meat ( except for lamb ) , shellfish , oranges ( i had very little citrus at all ) , hot ' spices , pumpkin , onions , garlic , tomato , mushrooms , eggplant , peppers , chili , paprika , cheese , white rice , white flour , bread , eggs , butter , cookies , chocolate , alcohol , tobacco , cranberries , blueberries , plums , strawberries , cream , lentils , peas , white potatoes , yeast . stuff i could eat : brown rice or wild rice , plain chicken or lamb , honey , apple , melon , banana , leafy green salads ( no dressing ) , plain low-fat yogurt , celery , spinach , broccoli , corn , sweet potato pear , papaya , apricot , grilled fish , turkey , wholegrain muffin or bagel , bran , almonds , low-fat milk , wholegrain pasta . loads of water . mum and i devised some menus like this : breakfast : lemon in hot water , high fiber cereals/bran and milk , papaya , low fat yogurt , chamomile tea , occasional eggs . lunch and dinner : stir-fry vegetables ( celery , carrots , french beans , corn , cabbage , broccoli ) in one desert spoon of olive oil along with fresh herbs , like basil , rosemary , oregano and fresh coriander , salt and pepper to taste . chopped nuts . apricots , honey ; grilled lamb with salt , pepper and honey -- white sauce over it , ( made with wholewheat flour , milk and seasoning ) . plain grilled chicken with olive oil , salt and pepper plus honey ; fresh chicken soup ; grilled turkey breast ; roasted duck ( white meat only ) ; wholegrain pasta in white sauce ; grilled fish ( trout or sole or mackerel ) ; vegetable lasagna . all foods served with leafy green salads and with vegetable sides such as asparagus with low fat margarine , steamed cauliflower with beans , broccoli and carrots , corn or sweet potato . sweet tooth : baked bananas , stewed apple or pear , plain low fat yogurt with fruit , pomegranate , dates , cantaloupe , fruit salad , whole grain , apricots and prunes . drinks : diluted apple juice , melon juice , low fat milk , and water . munchies : carrots , salad , pear , apple , avocado , sunflower seeds , barvita biscuits , snack bars that are oatmeal ( no preservatives or coloring or flavoring ) . vitamins : b12 , coq10 , folic acid , zinc , vitamin a , vitamin d exercise : i worked out for at least 1-2 hours a day . steam : i drank two liters of cooled american yellow saffron tea while sweating in the steam room for at least 30-60 minutes a day . i would go in and out repeatedly so-as not to overheat . i would rest and eat bananas afterwards ( which contain potassium ) . meditation : at the clinic in south africa , i learned how to do deep relaxation and creative visualization . three times a day i lay on the floor of my bedroom for at least 30 minutes and meditated . i imagined myself windsurfing in a bikini with the naked sun on my clear skin . i imagined making a deal with my psoriasis , i would maintain the diet , and it , in turn would go away . i visualized that all the time . i used naturally based topical creams from the meyer zall clinic to help sooth my skin . the clinic is now closed . remission this worked for me back then and put me in remission for about 10 years , where i could eat anything i wanted and live completely normally . i have suffered recently from significant flare-ups that are stress induced ( need to handle stress better ... ) . i needed a quick fix ' and first was on enbrel injections , then methotrexate and now humira , a biologic drug , which is currently helping . there is clearly a place for medication like this in healing , but my experience with diet forces me to believe that is a longer term , side effect-free solution . there is much debate in the value of food : which are immune boosters , what is more or less acidic , what is toxic for certain illnesses , is gluten-free the way to go ; can food only provide cures ? there is no one size fits all . the only universal truth in all this , for me , is maintaining a positive attitude no matter how hard it is , with the love and support of friends and family . once again , thank you . for more information on psoriasis , verjee suggests visiting the national psoriasis foundation ( u.s ) , psoriasis association ( uk ) or africa psoriasis organization ( kenya ) . medical advice is that sufferers work with their doctors to establish a treatment plan . this article is about zain verjee 's personal experience only and is not an endorsement of the method of treatment she describes . | earlier this month , cnn anchor zain verjee wrote about her battle with psoriasis |
fort hood <tsp> fort hood , texas ( cnn ) -- people who knew and studied maj. nidal hasan say he was a loner who had no luck finding a wife , and a criminal profiler said the fort hood shooting suspect fits the profile of a mass murderer better than that of a terrorist . investigators are searching for any missed red flags ' that might have prevented last week 's fatal shooting , which left 12 soldiers and one civilian dead and 40 other people wounded . however , the fbi has said its investigations indicate the alleged gunman acted alone and was not part of a broader terrorist plot . ' a lot of people are jumping to the conclusion because this man spouted violent islamic ideology that this is a terrorist attack , ' criminologist pat brown said . brown , who profiles killers , said hasan 's profile is that of a loner . he was simply a lone guy who had issues , problems , psychopathic behaviors that escalated to the point where he wanted to get back at society , and he took it out on his workmates like most of them do , ' he said . a cleric at the dar al-hijrah islamic center in falls church , virginia , where hasan attended when he lived in the area , said hasan seemed to become somewhat withdrawn ' after the death of his mother in 2001 . some individuals said that their experience with him , that he changed after his mother passed away , ' imam johari abdul-malik said . another cleric there , shaikh shaker elsayed , said efforts to find a wife for hasan were unsuccessful . well , we were not successful in matching him with somebody , ' he said . hasan , a 39-year-old psychiatrist , came under investigation last year when his communications with radical cleric anwar al-awlaki were intercepted by terrorism investigators who were monitoring al-awlaki , a federal law enforcement official told cnn . but an employee of the defense department 's criminal investigative services , assigned to the joint terrorism task force , decided to drop the investigation after reviewing the intercepted communications and hasan 's personnel files . a senior defense department official said the task force 's ground rules prevented that information from being transmitted outside the task force , although others disputed that . i find it hard to believe that they would just say ,'ok , we 're not going to share any of this information with the military ,' hln law enforcement analyst mike brooks said . i mean , that 's why you have a person from the military , from different military branches , on the task force to be the liaison . ' a former counterterrorism official said the information about hasan 's communications with the imam should have been shared with the military unless the fbi specifically forbade it . still , one source familiar with the investigation said hasan 's communications with al-awlaki appeared innocent in nature . another federal source familiar with the investigation said hasan 's actions give no indication he was following the guidance in al qaeda 's terrorist handbook in the weeks before thursday 's attack . that handbook directs jihadists to conceal their religion , mask their beliefs and blend in . instead , hasan frequently appeared in public in traditional muslim clothing and prayed daily at the local mosque , making no attempt to hide his religion or conservative beliefs , the source said . hasan remained hospitalized wednesday in stable condition and has not been formally charged with any of the 13 deaths in last week 's shooting . his civilian attorney , retired army col. john galligan , said he has spoken with his client , but that he was heavily sedated . i think the closest thing that indicates that there 's a court-martial in the works is last night about 8 i did receive an e-mail from the prosecutor at fort hood indicating to me that the pass privileges and leave privileges of maj. hasan had been revoked , ' galligan said . cnn 's drew griffin , elaine quijano , carol cratty and brian todd contributed to this report . | maj. nidal hasan accused of fatally shooting 13 , wounding 40 at fort hood |
hasan <tsp> fort hood , texas ( cnn ) -- people who knew and studied maj. nidal hasan say he was a loner who had no luck finding a wife , and a criminal profiler said the fort hood shooting suspect fits the profile of a mass murderer better than that of a terrorist . investigators are searching for any missed red flags ' that might have prevented last week 's fatal shooting , which left 12 soldiers and one civilian dead and 40 other people wounded . however , the fbi has said its investigations indicate the alleged gunman acted alone and was not part of a broader terrorist plot . ' a lot of people are jumping to the conclusion because this man spouted violent islamic ideology that this is a terrorist attack , ' criminologist pat brown said . brown , who profiles killers , said hasan 's profile is that of a loner . he was simply a lone guy who had issues , problems , psychopathic behaviors that escalated to the point where he wanted to get back at society , and he took it out on his workmates like most of them do , ' he said . a cleric at the dar al-hijrah islamic center in falls church , virginia , where hasan attended when he lived in the area , said hasan seemed to become somewhat withdrawn ' after the death of his mother in 2001 . some individuals said that their experience with him , that he changed after his mother passed away , ' imam johari abdul-malik said . another cleric there , shaikh shaker elsayed , said efforts to find a wife for hasan were unsuccessful . well , we were not successful in matching him with somebody , ' he said . hasan , a 39-year-old psychiatrist , came under investigation last year when his communications with radical cleric anwar al-awlaki were intercepted by terrorism investigators who were monitoring al-awlaki , a federal law enforcement official told cnn . but an employee of the defense department 's criminal investigative services , assigned to the joint terrorism task force , decided to drop the investigation after reviewing the intercepted communications and hasan 's personnel files . a senior defense department official said the task force 's ground rules prevented that information from being transmitted outside the task force , although others disputed that . i find it hard to believe that they would just say ,'ok , we 're not going to share any of this information with the military ,' hln law enforcement analyst mike brooks said . i mean , that 's why you have a person from the military , from different military branches , on the task force to be the liaison . ' a former counterterrorism official said the information about hasan 's communications with the imam should have been shared with the military unless the fbi specifically forbade it . still , one source familiar with the investigation said hasan 's communications with al-awlaki appeared innocent in nature . another federal source familiar with the investigation said hasan 's actions give no indication he was following the guidance in al qaeda 's terrorist handbook in the weeks before thursday 's attack . that handbook directs jihadists to conceal their religion , mask their beliefs and blend in . instead , hasan frequently appeared in public in traditional muslim clothing and prayed daily at the local mosque , making no attempt to hide his religion or conservative beliefs , the source said . hasan remained hospitalized wednesday in stable condition and has not been formally charged with any of the 13 deaths in last week 's shooting . his civilian attorney , retired army col. john galligan , said he has spoken with his client , but that he was heavily sedated . i think the closest thing that indicates that there 's a court-martial in the works is last night about 8 i did receive an e-mail from the prosecutor at fort hood indicating to me that the pass privileges and leave privileges of maj. hasan had been revoked , ' galligan said . cnn 's drew griffin , elaine quijano , carol cratty and brian todd contributed to this report . | maj. nidal hasan accused of fatally shooting 13 , wounding 40 at fort hood |
hasan <tsp> fort hood , texas ( cnn ) -- people who knew and studied maj. nidal hasan say he was a loner who had no luck finding a wife , and a criminal profiler said the fort hood shooting suspect fits the profile of a mass murderer better than that of a terrorist . investigators are searching for any missed red flags ' that might have prevented last week 's fatal shooting , which left 12 soldiers and one civilian dead and 40 other people wounded . however , the fbi has said its investigations indicate the alleged gunman acted alone and was not part of a broader terrorist plot . ' a lot of people are jumping to the conclusion because this man spouted violent islamic ideology that this is a terrorist attack , ' criminologist pat brown said . brown , who profiles killers , said hasan 's profile is that of a loner . he was simply a lone guy who had issues , problems , psychopathic behaviors that escalated to the point where he wanted to get back at society , and he took it out on his workmates like most of them do , ' he said . a cleric at the dar al-hijrah islamic center in falls church , virginia , where hasan attended when he lived in the area , said hasan seemed to become somewhat withdrawn ' after the death of his mother in 2001 . some individuals said that their experience with him , that he changed after his mother passed away , ' imam johari abdul-malik said . another cleric there , shaikh shaker elsayed , said efforts to find a wife for hasan were unsuccessful . well , we were not successful in matching him with somebody , ' he said . hasan , a 39-year-old psychiatrist , came under investigation last year when his communications with radical cleric anwar al-awlaki were intercepted by terrorism investigators who were monitoring al-awlaki , a federal law enforcement official told cnn . but an employee of the defense department 's criminal investigative services , assigned to the joint terrorism task force , decided to drop the investigation after reviewing the intercepted communications and hasan 's personnel files . a senior defense department official said the task force 's ground rules prevented that information from being transmitted outside the task force , although others disputed that . i find it hard to believe that they would just say ,'ok , we 're not going to share any of this information with the military ,' hln law enforcement analyst mike brooks said . i mean , that 's why you have a person from the military , from different military branches , on the task force to be the liaison . ' a former counterterrorism official said the information about hasan 's communications with the imam should have been shared with the military unless the fbi specifically forbade it . still , one source familiar with the investigation said hasan 's communications with al-awlaki appeared innocent in nature . another federal source familiar with the investigation said hasan 's actions give no indication he was following the guidance in al qaeda 's terrorist handbook in the weeks before thursday 's attack . that handbook directs jihadists to conceal their religion , mask their beliefs and blend in . instead , hasan frequently appeared in public in traditional muslim clothing and prayed daily at the local mosque , making no attempt to hide his religion or conservative beliefs , the source said . hasan remained hospitalized wednesday in stable condition and has not been formally charged with any of the 13 deaths in last week 's shooting . his civilian attorney , retired army col. john galligan , said he has spoken with his client , but that he was heavily sedated . i think the closest thing that indicates that there 's a court-martial in the works is last night about 8 i did receive an e-mail from the prosecutor at fort hood indicating to me that the pass privileges and leave privileges of maj. hasan had been revoked , ' galligan said . cnn 's drew griffin , elaine quijano , carol cratty and brian todd contributed to this report . | cleric at mosque hasan once attended : he was withdrawn after mother 's 2001 death |
hasan <tsp> fort hood , texas ( cnn ) -- people who knew and studied maj. nidal hasan say he was a loner who had no luck finding a wife , and a criminal profiler said the fort hood shooting suspect fits the profile of a mass murderer better than that of a terrorist . investigators are searching for any missed red flags ' that might have prevented last week 's fatal shooting , which left 12 soldiers and one civilian dead and 40 other people wounded . however , the fbi has said its investigations indicate the alleged gunman acted alone and was not part of a broader terrorist plot . ' a lot of people are jumping to the conclusion because this man spouted violent islamic ideology that this is a terrorist attack , ' criminologist pat brown said . brown , who profiles killers , said hasan 's profile is that of a loner . he was simply a lone guy who had issues , problems , psychopathic behaviors that escalated to the point where he wanted to get back at society , and he took it out on his workmates like most of them do , ' he said . a cleric at the dar al-hijrah islamic center in falls church , virginia , where hasan attended when he lived in the area , said hasan seemed to become somewhat withdrawn ' after the death of his mother in 2001 . some individuals said that their experience with him , that he changed after his mother passed away , ' imam johari abdul-malik said . another cleric there , shaikh shaker elsayed , said efforts to find a wife for hasan were unsuccessful . well , we were not successful in matching him with somebody , ' he said . hasan , a 39-year-old psychiatrist , came under investigation last year when his communications with radical cleric anwar al-awlaki were intercepted by terrorism investigators who were monitoring al-awlaki , a federal law enforcement official told cnn . but an employee of the defense department 's criminal investigative services , assigned to the joint terrorism task force , decided to drop the investigation after reviewing the intercepted communications and hasan 's personnel files . a senior defense department official said the task force 's ground rules prevented that information from being transmitted outside the task force , although others disputed that . i find it hard to believe that they would just say ,'ok , we 're not going to share any of this information with the military ,' hln law enforcement analyst mike brooks said . i mean , that 's why you have a person from the military , from different military branches , on the task force to be the liaison . ' a former counterterrorism official said the information about hasan 's communications with the imam should have been shared with the military unless the fbi specifically forbade it . still , one source familiar with the investigation said hasan 's communications with al-awlaki appeared innocent in nature . another federal source familiar with the investigation said hasan 's actions give no indication he was following the guidance in al qaeda 's terrorist handbook in the weeks before thursday 's attack . that handbook directs jihadists to conceal their religion , mask their beliefs and blend in . instead , hasan frequently appeared in public in traditional muslim clothing and prayed daily at the local mosque , making no attempt to hide his religion or conservative beliefs , the source said . hasan remained hospitalized wednesday in stable condition and has not been formally charged with any of the 13 deaths in last week 's shooting . his civilian attorney , retired army col. john galligan , said he has spoken with his client , but that he was heavily sedated . i think the closest thing that indicates that there 's a court-martial in the works is last night about 8 i did receive an e-mail from the prosecutor at fort hood indicating to me that the pass privileges and leave privileges of maj. hasan had been revoked , ' galligan said . cnn 's drew griffin , elaine quijano , carol cratty and brian todd contributed to this report . | profiler : hasan fits profile of mass murderer better than that of terrorist |
medvedev <tsp> ( cnn ) -- scores of people died thursday in and around the restive syrian city of hama , activists said , corroborating reports of widespread casualties a day after the start of a new military clampdown targeting protesters . at least 109 people died in and around hama , said avaaz , a global activist group , citing a medical source . the local coordination committees of syria said 30 people were killed wednesday . the brutality continues in hama on the fourth day of ramadan . communication with the city and surrounding area is very difficult as the electricity supply has been cut off , ' avaaz said . the activist group , citing the medical source , said scores more were wounded . bodies are lying in the streets as ambulances and private vehicles are unable to get through , ' the group said . the western syrian city is the center of the country 's anti-government movement , whose efforts have prompted a crackdown by security personnel on the huge demonstrations there in an effort to secure the city . citing the medical source , avaaz said bodies taken to al hourani hospital had been shot at close range , most of them in the head . the geographic breakdown was 48 dead in the town of hai al hadyr , 31 in the town of janoub al manaab , and 30 in the northern part of hama and the hamidia area , it said . one resident who spoke to cnn by satellite phone said some of the casualties who were taken to hospitals died there because the facilities were without electricity . there were reports of a breakdown and cutoff in communications and electricity accompanying the siege , and of the military bombing the city . the resident said entrances of the city were blocked , with no one getting in or out , and snipers were stationed across the city . people who tried to leave , he said , were being shot . the man said about 10 people had been killed and dozens more were wounded . hama , which has seen massive demonstrations by anti-government protesters , was the site of the 1982 bloody crackdown by the alawite-dominated government against a muslim brotherhood uprising . memories of that siege , carried out by late president hafez al-assad , the father of president bashar al-assad , have reverberated during the nearly five-month uprising , and the ongoing violence in hama has prompted international anger against the al-assad regime . reports of violence also emanated from the capital . four people who were at al-rifai mosque in kafr sousa square in the suburbs of damascus offered separate but similar accounts . one of the sources is a representative of the syrian revolution coordination union , an opposition group . two of the others were among the protesters . after prayers , worshipers exited the rear of the mosque to join an anti-government demonstration , but were met by about 24 thugs -- men in civilian clothes armed with guns and batons , the sources told cnn in telephone interviews . the men fired into the air and beat some of the worshipers as they left the buildings , the sources said . upon reaching kafr sousa square , where they chanted for freedom and the fall of the regime , they were set upon by gunmen and others who threw rocks at them . at that point , the demonstrators returned to the mosque and closed themselves inside , the sources said . a few militia members entered the front yard of the mosque carrying batons and stun guns and attacked the protesters who were there , the sources said . the protesters were allowed safe passage out of the mosque after they promised to end their protests , the sources said . but the protesters were expected to resume friday , when rebels said the theme would be god is with us . ' cnn is unable to independently confirm death tolls or events in syria , which has restricted access to the country by international journalists , including cnn 's . the move came a day after the u.n. security council issued a presidential statement condemning the syrian government 's crackdown on protesters and calling for an immediate end to violence by all parties . but amnesty international on thursday slammed the council 's response as completely inadequate ' and limp ' because it failed to take action . the council issued a presidential statement , which carries no enforcement weight . it 's crucial that a u.n. human rights council fact-finding mission to syria is able to investigate the situation as soon as possible , ' said jose luis diaz , amnesty international 's representative to the united nations . unfortunately , the security council has also failed to provide support for such a mission . ' he noted that syrian authorities have not permitted a u.n. fact-finding delegation into the country to investigate the situation . the u.n. must act now , with a firm and legally binding position . at the very least , its position must include imposing an arms embargo , freezing the assets of president al-assad and other officials suspected of responsibility for crimes against humanity , and referring the situation to the icc prosecutor , ' he said , in reference to the international criminal court . two permanent members of the security council weighed in on how to proceed . the russian foreign ministry said syria 's citizens should solve their problems themselves , state-run ria novosti said . the settlement in this country should be carried out by the syrians themselves without outside interference and should be based on an all-syria dialogue , which is the only way to resolve the conflict , ' the ministry said in a statement . but later thursday , ria novosti said that russian president dmitry medvedev told reporters that he had told al-assad during meetings and in letters that it is necessary to hold a referendum , put up with the opposition , restore peace and create a modern state . ' medvedev added that if al-assad were to fail , he would be destined to a sad fate , and ultimately we will also have to make some kind of decisions . ' french foreign minister alain juppe said thursday that the security council may take a tougher stance on syria if nothing changes on the syrian side . ' the syrian observatory for human rights , an activist group , issued on thursday an update about deir ezzor , a city in the country 's northeastern region . it said an opposition leader in the city reported that the government had launched a series of measures to punish residents . they include not paying government employees , halting wheat deliveries to bakeries , preventing hospitals from rescuing wounded protesters , and asking governmental medical staff to leave their posts . some pharmacists have closed their shops over fears that they will be detained for giving medications to wounded protesters . meanwhile , al-assad has issued a decree authorizing a multiple-party political system , state media reported thursday . syrian lawmakers had already passed a law granting citizens the right to establish political parties with the aim of contributing to political life through peaceful and democratic means , ' the state-run syrian arab news agency reported . however , the syrian opposition has argued the decrees are intended for show and will not effect real change . that 's because it is questionable whether the move , absent constitutional reform , could end decades of single-party baathist rule . one of the articles of the syrian constitution guarantees supremacy for the ruling baath party . cnn 's kamal ghattas and jack maddox contributed to this story | medvedev calls for reform or we also will have to make some kind of decisions ' |
armenia <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- with the recent headlines emerging from azerbaijan , you could be forgiven for assuming something more dramatic than a singing competition was about to descend on the country . in recent weeks , the eurovision song contest finals , which take place saturday , have inspired clashes on the streets of the capital , baku , between azerbaijani police and opposition activists , and accusations by state-controlled media in azerbaijan that a german conspiracy ' was waging an information war ' against the hosts . that followed a boycott of the contest announced by neighboring armenia in march , after the shooting of a soldier on their shared border . explainer : what is eurovision ? it 's all a far cry from american idol . but eurovision has always carried higher stakes than its sequins and songs in made-up languages would suggest . a forum for geopolitics a frothy , kitsch spectacle to some , eurovision has long been a forum for heated geopolitical grandstanding , with allegations of bloc voting and political skulduggery dogging the contest for years . documentarian montse fernandez villa has alleged that , as early as 1968 , spanish dictator francisco franco orchestrated a campaign of vote-buying that handed victory -- and an important public relations coup -- to spain , over the favorite , british entry , cliff richard . despite the organizers'efforts to keep the contest apolitical -- the rules state that no lyrics , speeches , or gestures of a political or similar nature shall be permitted ' -- european political tensions have often been played out on its stage , says eurovision researcher dr karen fricker . how can it not be ? it 's a competition of nations , ' said fricker , a contemporary theater lecturer at royal holloway , university of london , and co-director of the eurovision research network . if it was just a song pageant , it would have disappeared after a few years . but the notion there 's something being worked out there that 's bigger than song is what gives the contest its interest . ' armenia 's withdrawal from this year 's competition is the result of tensions that have festered since a war with azerbaijan over the disputed region of nagorno-karabakh in the 1990s , which left between 20,000 and 30,000 people dead . but it is not the first boycott to hit the contest . eurovision 's rules hold that the country the winning artist represents has the option of hosting the following year 's contest , and the year after franco is alleged to have snatched victory from cliff richard , austria refused to compete in madrid as a protest against his regime . more recently , lebanon pulled out of its scheduled eurovision debut in 2005 in a spat over its refusal to broadcast the israeli performance . lebanese tv channel , tele liban , told the european broadcasting union , which broadcasts eurovision , that lebanon 's legislation made it almost impossible to broadcast israeli content , putting tele-liban in breach of contest rules . and in 2009 , a year after russian-georgian tensions had reached a flashpoint in south ossetia , georgia withdrew its entry for the moscow contest , when their arguments that their entry we do n't wan na put in ' had nothing to do with the russian premier fell flat with the organizers . a stage to'perform'european-ness' why do states care about a contest that , even in the eyes of its admirers , is of dubious musical merit ? fricker says that , much like the avowedly apolitical olympic games , the contest has become an important political forum because of its competitive nature , and the huge television audience it commands . it is a unique moment of'live-ness ,'where everybody in europe is doing the same thing at the same time , ' she said . there 's a really compelling sense of a shared television space . it 's a conduit for unity , but also a way to play out european tensions . ' the lure of winning a little of that limelight has seen the contest expand , even as some of eurovision 's founding western european nations question its relevance . since the fall of the berlin wall in 1989 , the number of participating countries has almost doubled to 42 , with former eastern bloc nations joining the fray and , on many occasions , winning . since 2001 , wins for estonia , latvia , turkey , ukraine , serbia , russia and azerbaijan have seen the new europe ' dominate the contest . their success , says warwick university 's dr milija gluhovic , co-director of the eurovision research network , was largely down to the fact that they took it fairly seriously ; as an opportunity to demonstrate their credentials as modern , independent european states to the rest of the continent . they started to realize they can use the contest as a platform to reclaim their european heritage , and show themselves in the best possible light , ' he said . eurovision victory brought not only a moment of prestige , but more importantly , a rare opportunity to showcase their country to a huge audience when they hosted the following year , said fricker . host nations typically use the intermission between performances and the results announcement as an opportunity to perform their'european-ness'to one of the biggest television audiences of the year , ' she added . fricker cited popular 2001 winner estonia as an example of a country that used its win , and subsequent host status , to project a positive image and engender goodwill ahead of joining the european union in 2004 . it 's soft politics , but it 's politics , ' she said . the emergence of voting blocs the new arrivals have not been welcomed by everybody . their success has fueled suspicion among eurovision 's old guard that the contest has become plagued with tactical bloc voting ' -- where groups of countries vote tactically , essentially rigging the voting . in 2008 , british broadcaster sir terry wogan quit his eurovision duties after 35 years , saying the event was no longer a music contest . ' research published by a british academic in 2006 would appear to support his position . dr derek gatherer 's analysis of eurovision voting patterns between 1999 and 2005 concluded that bloc voting in the contest had increased . he identified three major voting blocs from which a winner was usually produced : the balkan bloc ( croatia , macedonia , slovenia , greece , cyprus , serbia and montenegro , turkey , bosnia and herzegovina , albania and romania ) , the warsaw pact ( russia , ukraine , belarus , poland , georgia and moldova ) and the viking empire ( norway , sweden , denmark , finland , iceland , estonia , latvia and lithuania ) . by contrast , france , the uk , germany , spain and italy -- the so-called big five who make the biggest financial contributions to the contest , and are given an automatic place in the final -- -- did not belong to a bloc , and so had not won since the uk 's victory in 1997 , according to gatherer . at the time the paper was published , gatherer successfully predicted that serbia would win in 2007 . however since then , big five member germany has also been successful . many eurovision pundits reject the notion that voting patterns are a reflection of something untoward . fricker says it is natural for countries to vote for neighbors with whom they may share cultural affinities , as the votes reflect public tastes . they like each other 's music and in fact are a musical community in terms of the artists and producers that circulate , ' she said . john kennedy o'connor , author of the eurovision song contest : the official history ' said he did not believe any organized tactical or political voting occurred , as the contest 's current judging format -- a mixture of public televoting and national judging panels -- made it virtually impossible ' to rig results . sour grapes ? an englishman based in the u.s. , o'connor said he saw the allegations of tactical voting as sour grapes toward the successful newcomers . he said in 2003 , the first time a british entry had been awarded the dreaded nul points , ' one of the singers from the duo jemini suggested their low score could have been politically motivated in response to the uk 's involvement in the iraq war . the view was echoed by many in the uk media . but o'connor said that , viewing the performance today , he believed the singers were clearly off key . nobody wants to put up their hand and say ,'actually , that was a rotten song , and it was horribly performed .'' he said the reason the big five countries tended to fare less successfully was because , from the viewing public through to the organizers , they treated the contest as a bit of a joke . ' by contrast , the impression i get is the former eastern bloc countries take it very seriously , ' he said . but gluhovic said this was only partly true , as it was a bit of a myth ' that the average eastern european was much more invested in the competition than their western european counterparts . gluhovic , who hails from bosnia and herzegovina , said it was clear that organizers in new europe were serious about sending their best acts . ' but as for the viewers ? in true spirit of the contest , viewers -- wherever they hailed from across the continent -- tended to share one of three common responses to the show . just like in the uk , some people love it , some people hate it and some people love to hate it , ' he said . in this respect , i do n't think we have any huge differences . ' | armenia 's boycott of host azerbaijan is far from the first politically motivated withdrawal |
serena <tsp> ( cnn ) -- serena williams will return to competitive tennis after nearly a year on the sidelines in the wta tournament at eastbourne , which starts saturday . the former world number one has endured a torrid time since being sidelined with a foot injury after winning her fourth wimbledon crown last july . several aborted attempts at a comeback were followed by a major health scare in february as she suffered a blood clot on her lung . it led to speculation that her glittering career could be over , but williams has recovered to take her place as a wild card in the grass court event at the south coast of england resort . i am so excited to be healthy enough to compete again , ' she told the tournament 's official website . these past twelve months have been extremely tough and character building . i have so much to be grateful for . i 'm thankful to my family , friends , and fans for all of their support . serena 's back ! ' serena will be joined in the traditional pre-wimbledon warm-up tournament by her older sister venus , who is also returning to action after an extended injury layoff . venus has been sidelined since injuring her hip at the australian open in january . they will take their place in a top-class line-up which has 13 of the top 20 players in the wta world rankings , including new french open champion li na of china . 13-time grand slam champion serena returned to practice in april , but decided against returning for the second grand slam season of the season in paris . eastbourne tournament director gavin fletcher said she would be guaranteed a warm welcome at their event . eastbourne has always had a huge soft spot for serena , and people here will be absolutely thrilled that she 's back playing world class tennis , ' he said . the 29-year-old has slipped to no.25 in the world rankings in her absence but should she come through eastbourne unscathed , wimbledon organizers could seed her higher due to previous performances on grass . meanwhile , top seed roger federer has pulled out of this week 's grass court tournament in halle , germany . federer , beaten in the final of the french open sunday by rafael nadal , was due to play australian lleyton hewitt in the first round but did not want to risk a groin injury ahead of his wimbledon challenge . hewitt , who beat federer in last year 's final at halle , will now play a lucky loser in the first round . | serena 's sister venus also returns to action in same tournament |
serena <tsp> ( cnn ) -- serena williams will return to competitive tennis after nearly a year on the sidelines in the wta tournament at eastbourne , which starts saturday . the former world number one has endured a torrid time since being sidelined with a foot injury after winning her fourth wimbledon crown last july . several aborted attempts at a comeback were followed by a major health scare in february as she suffered a blood clot on her lung . it led to speculation that her glittering career could be over , but williams has recovered to take her place as a wild card in the grass court event at the south coast of england resort . i am so excited to be healthy enough to compete again , ' she told the tournament 's official website . these past twelve months have been extremely tough and character building . i have so much to be grateful for . i 'm thankful to my family , friends , and fans for all of their support . serena 's back ! ' serena will be joined in the traditional pre-wimbledon warm-up tournament by her older sister venus , who is also returning to action after an extended injury layoff . venus has been sidelined since injuring her hip at the australian open in january . they will take their place in a top-class line-up which has 13 of the top 20 players in the wta world rankings , including new french open champion li na of china . 13-time grand slam champion serena returned to practice in april , but decided against returning for the second grand slam season of the season in paris . eastbourne tournament director gavin fletcher said she would be guaranteed a warm welcome at their event . eastbourne has always had a huge soft spot for serena , and people here will be absolutely thrilled that she 's back playing world class tennis , ' he said . the 29-year-old has slipped to no.25 in the world rankings in her absence but should she come through eastbourne unscathed , wimbledon organizers could seed her higher due to previous performances on grass . meanwhile , top seed roger federer has pulled out of this week 's grass court tournament in halle , germany . federer , beaten in the final of the french open sunday by rafael nadal , was due to play australian lleyton hewitt in the first round but did not want to risk a groin injury ahead of his wimbledon challenge . hewitt , who beat federer in last year 's final at halle , will now play a lucky loser in the first round . | serena williams to return to competitive tennis at eastbourne tournament |
roger federer <tsp> ( cnn ) -- serena williams will return to competitive tennis after nearly a year on the sidelines in the wta tournament at eastbourne , which starts saturday . the former world number one has endured a torrid time since being sidelined with a foot injury after winning her fourth wimbledon crown last july . several aborted attempts at a comeback were followed by a major health scare in february as she suffered a blood clot on her lung . it led to speculation that her glittering career could be over , but williams has recovered to take her place as a wild card in the grass court event at the south coast of england resort . i am so excited to be healthy enough to compete again , ' she told the tournament 's official website . these past twelve months have been extremely tough and character building . i have so much to be grateful for . i 'm thankful to my family , friends , and fans for all of their support . serena 's back ! ' serena will be joined in the traditional pre-wimbledon warm-up tournament by her older sister venus , who is also returning to action after an extended injury layoff . venus has been sidelined since injuring her hip at the australian open in january . they will take their place in a top-class line-up which has 13 of the top 20 players in the wta world rankings , including new french open champion li na of china . 13-time grand slam champion serena returned to practice in april , but decided against returning for the second grand slam season of the season in paris . eastbourne tournament director gavin fletcher said she would be guaranteed a warm welcome at their event . eastbourne has always had a huge soft spot for serena , and people here will be absolutely thrilled that she 's back playing world class tennis , ' he said . the 29-year-old has slipped to no.25 in the world rankings in her absence but should she come through eastbourne unscathed , wimbledon organizers could seed her higher due to previous performances on grass . meanwhile , top seed roger federer has pulled out of this week 's grass court tournament in halle , germany . federer , beaten in the final of the french open sunday by rafael nadal , was due to play australian lleyton hewitt in the first round but did not want to risk a groin injury ahead of his wimbledon challenge . hewitt , who beat federer in last year 's final at halle , will now play a lucky loser in the first round . | roger federer pulls out of grass court tournament in halle |
eastbourne <tsp> ( cnn ) -- serena williams will return to competitive tennis after nearly a year on the sidelines in the wta tournament at eastbourne , which starts saturday . the former world number one has endured a torrid time since being sidelined with a foot injury after winning her fourth wimbledon crown last july . several aborted attempts at a comeback were followed by a major health scare in february as she suffered a blood clot on her lung . it led to speculation that her glittering career could be over , but williams has recovered to take her place as a wild card in the grass court event at the south coast of england resort . i am so excited to be healthy enough to compete again , ' she told the tournament 's official website . these past twelve months have been extremely tough and character building . i have so much to be grateful for . i 'm thankful to my family , friends , and fans for all of their support . serena 's back ! ' serena will be joined in the traditional pre-wimbledon warm-up tournament by her older sister venus , who is also returning to action after an extended injury layoff . venus has been sidelined since injuring her hip at the australian open in january . they will take their place in a top-class line-up which has 13 of the top 20 players in the wta world rankings , including new french open champion li na of china . 13-time grand slam champion serena returned to practice in april , but decided against returning for the second grand slam season of the season in paris . eastbourne tournament director gavin fletcher said she would be guaranteed a warm welcome at their event . eastbourne has always had a huge soft spot for serena , and people here will be absolutely thrilled that she 's back playing world class tennis , ' he said . the 29-year-old has slipped to no.25 in the world rankings in her absence but should she come through eastbourne unscathed , wimbledon organizers could seed her higher due to previous performances on grass . meanwhile , top seed roger federer has pulled out of this week 's grass court tournament in halle , germany . federer , beaten in the final of the french open sunday by rafael nadal , was due to play australian lleyton hewitt in the first round but did not want to risk a groin injury ahead of his wimbledon challenge . hewitt , who beat federer in last year 's final at halle , will now play a lucky loser in the first round . | serena williams to return to competitive tennis at eastbourne tournament |
tom steyer <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) hours after california attorney general kamala harris began raising money for a bid to replace barbara boxer in the u.s. senate , billionaire environmentalist tom steyer outlined the case for his own run tuesday and said he would decide soon -- setting up the likelihood of an exorbitantly expensive contest that could have two democrats facing off in november of 2016 . california 's two senate seats have been locked down by boxer and u.s. sen. dianne feinstein since 1992 , closing off statewide opportunities for the next generation of politicians . under california 's new top-two primary system , the top two candidates in the first round will advance to the general election , regardless of their party . in a column on the huffington post website , steyer said he was intrigued by the opportunity of taking on interests in washington that oppose recognizing global warming and fight against the rights and futures of average americans . ' washington needs to be shaken up and we need climate champions who will fight for the next generation , ' steyer said . california democrats are blessed to have a deep bench of talent , and i will decide soon based on what i think is the best way to continue the hard work we have already started together to prevent climate disaster and preserve american prosperity . ' steyer and harris would be among the most formidable contenders for boxer 's seat , along with former los angeles mayor antonio villaraigosa , who has said he is seriously considering ' a run . several members of the california congressional delegation and of the state leadership have signaled interest , including rep. loretta sanchez , rep. john garamendi , and state treasurer john chiang . in a facebook post on tuesday , sanchez touted her focus on working families , immigration reform and affordable healthcare : i have advocated for policies that give all families the same access to the american dream , ' she said . californians deserve a strong voice in washington and i have never been afraid to speak up , which is why i am seriously considering running for the united states senate in 2016 . ' but lesser-known candidates could face great difficulty raising the money needed to run . boxer raised some $ 35 million in conjunction with party committees for her 2010 race against former hewlett-packard chief executive carly fiorina . steyer , a former hedge fund manager from san francisco whose net worth has been estimated at $ 1.6 billion by forbes , has pledged to give away the bulk of his fortune to public interest and philanthropic causes during his lifetime . he has been a vocal opponent of the keystone xl pipeline and a free-spending advocate for california environmental causes . his nextgen climate action committee spent more than $ 74 million in the midterm elections -- much of it steyer 's money -- trying to defeat candidates who had expressed doubt about climate change , but they had little demonstrable success in a republican wave year . as a candidate , steyer 's investments throughout his business career are also likely to come under uncomfortable scrutiny . last year , for example , the new york times examined lucrative investments by steyer 's former fund , farallon capital management in companies across the globe that own coal-fired power plants . harris , the former district attorney of san francisco who was just re-elected to her second term as attorney general , was the first to formally declare her candidacy since boxer announced last week that she would not run for re-election in 2016 . while villaraigosa could build a strong southern california base , and draw on his support from california 's growing latino community , harris also has a solid fundraising base in california from her two statewide runs and her close alliance with president barack obama . she has won praise as attorney general for pursuing banks that did not follow proper procedures when they foreclosed on the properties of california homeowners and she has kept a steady focus on reducing recidivism and truancy . from my first days as a prosecutor in alameda county , to my work as san francisco district attorney to my current service as california attorney general , i have worked to bring smart , innovative and effective approaches to fighting crime , fighting for consumers and fighting for equal rights for all , ' harris said in a statement on her new campaign web page tuesday . i will be a fighter for the next generation on the critical issues facing our country . i will be a fighter for middle class families who are feeling the pinch of stagnant wages and diminishing opportunity , ' she continued . i will be a fighter for our children who deserve a world-class education , and for students burdened by predatory lenders and skyrocketing tuition . and i will fight relentlessly to protect our coast , our immigrant communities and our seniors . ' gavin newsom passes on bid for boxer 's seat harris'position was strengthened on monday when lt. gov . gavin newsom bowed out of contention . speculation had swirled around the possibility of a heated race between harris , 50 , and newsom , 47 , who could have potentially split the northern california vote , clearing the way for a southern california candidate like villaraigosa . newsom has told many confidantes that he is interested in running for governor when jerry brown faces term limits in 2018 , and he and harris share the same political consultants . in a statement on his facebook page , newsom said it was better to be candid than be coy ' and noted that it would be better for his three children , montana , hunter and brooklynn , if he stayed in california . while i am humbled by the widespread encouragement of so many and hold in the highest esteem those who serve us in federal office , i know that my head and my heart , my young family 's future and our unfinished work all remain firmly in the state of california -- not washington , d.c . therefore i will not seek election to the u.s. senate in 2016 , ' newsom said . hinting at his potential alliance with harris , he added that in the months to come , he looked forward to doing whatever i can to help elect california 's next great democratic senator -- one worthy of succeeding barbara boxer and serving this remarkable state of dreamers and doers in the united states senate . ' shortly after boxer announced that she would retire from the senate in 2016 , los angeles mayor eric garcetti said he would not run for the seat . | billionaire tom steyer exploring run for barbara boxer 's seat |
aca <tsp> i met a woman named yvonne in greenville , south carolina , where the cnn express was reporting on the rollout of obamacare . yvonne had a big smile and was very excited -- you could n't miss her . i first noticed her standing in line , waiting patiently to ask a few questions about health care . most of the questions i had been asked up until that time revolved around the logistics of signing up , whether they could pick a particular doctor and how much all this was going to cost . yvonne , who did n't give her last name , started by telling me that she had been able to get off medicaid in the past year . before that , she had been living in her car , intermittently staying with friends . now she has a place to live , and she 's excited about the prospect of finally being able to get private health care insurance for the first time in her life . yvonne , 35 , told me she works part-time as a hairstylist assistant . she said she makes $ 9 an hour , which at 20 hours a week works out to about $ 9,360 a year . she is still impoverished , but considers herself lucky because she 's never had a major illness . as we spoke about south carolina 's sign-up process , i realized i was explaining some unwelcome news : yvonne is not eligible for any assistance toward buying health insurance . let me try to explain : in a state that has chosen not to expand medicaid , yvonne is in the staggering position of now making too much money to qualify for medicaid , and too little to obtain subsidies through the affordable care act . this was n't how it was supposed to go down for yvonne and others like her all over the country . when you imagine the people likely to benefit the most from the affordable care act , you probably think of someone just like her . by obtaining a real job with enough income , yvonne has disqualified herself from her state 's medicaid program . but in order to qualify for subsidies in south carolina , she needs to get above the poverty line , and she is not quite there . yvonne and an estimated 7 million others now find themselves in a coverage gap . the tax subsidies available through the health exchanges were intended to make private insurance coverage affordable for those between the poverty line and four times as much -- people who now shoulder the responsibility , by law , of purchasing their own coverage . last year , in its landmark ruling that left most of the aca in place , the u.s. supreme court ruled that the medicaid expansion is optional for states . south carolina , and 25 other states , turned it down . as a result , a big swath of the uninsured will stay that way when new coverage options kick in january 1 . i asked kentucky senate hopeful matt bevin , a republican , who was against the expansion in his state , about this . democratic gov . steve beshear has been a proponent of the law , and kentucky has expanded medicaid to cover anyone making up to 138 % of the poverty line . when i described yvonne 's situation to bevin , he was sympathetic but immediately replied , where is the money going to come from ? ' his is a common sentiment among leaders of states that have refused medicaid dollars from the federal government . for the time being , the money comes from the federal government . in the states that accepted medicaid expansion , the federal government will pick up 100 % of the tab for four years . for the next three years , it will pay for slightly less . beyond 2020 it will cover 90 % of the cost . the man who oversees the health insurance expansion in maryland , dr joshua sharfstein , was stunned that so many states turned the money down . according to the analysis in maryland , the economic benefits of medicaid expansion would be in the billions . as i walked with him , i asked if he could give a single reason -- medically or financially -- for a state not to accept the medicaid dollars . he thought about it for a moment , and said none . ' this is just politics , ' he added . yvonne does n't have many options . she ca n't get subsidies , medicaid or health insurance . one small solace is that she wo n't be forced to pay any tax penalty for not having insurance . oh well , i guess that is good , ' yvonne replied when i told her . she had worked so hard to come off medicaid , but asked me at the end of the day for a list of states where she might move to get back on the medicaid program once again . | some earn too much money to qualify for medicaid , but not enough to obtain aca subsidies |
farc <tsp> ( cnn ) -- farc rebels in colombia say they will release french journalist romeo langlois on wednesday , according to a statement posted on a website linked to the armed leftist insurgent group . the france 24 journalist was seized last month in a farc attack on a colombian army unit engaged in counter-narcotics operations . his capture came almost exactly two years to the day after he did a special report on whether the guerrillas could keep fighting after their leader and a top military commander were killed . langlois , a correspondent with more than 10 years experience in the country , appears to have spent several days with a mobile farc unit to prepare the april 2010 report . he described them as in a weak position ' and said they were tired of fighting for 40 years in the jungle . ' he was reporting alongside soldiers when the rebel group attacked and captured him on april 28 , the colombian government said . four people were killed and six were wounded in the attack , according to the ministry of national defense . langlois was lightly wounded in the arm when he was captured , but was treated and is out of danger , according to a man who claimed to represent the rebels . the man in military garb referred to langlois as a prisoner of war in a video posted on the france 24 website on may 7 . farc announced a week later that it was prepared to release the frenchman and called for negotiations involving the international committee of the red cross and others . colombian president juan manuel santos said his government would do whatever was necessary to guarantee langlois'release . the colombian government is willing to provide all the facilities so the release occurs as quickly as possible , but if you really want to be viewed well by the world , release him now and simply tell us where he is and we will go get him , ' he said earlier this month . kidnapping government forces and civilians has been a key strategy of the rebel group . dramatic rescues , escapes and hostage handovers have revealed harsh conditions in jungle camps , including stories of prisoners chained to trees , grueling marches between hideouts , torrential rain and blistering sun . while severely weakened in recent years , the rebels have continued to carry out kidnappings and attack security forces . cnn 's marilia brocchetto contributed to this report . | farc has been weakened in recent years , but continues to carry out kidnappings |
farc <tsp> ( cnn ) -- farc rebels in colombia say they will release french journalist romeo langlois on wednesday , according to a statement posted on a website linked to the armed leftist insurgent group . the france 24 journalist was seized last month in a farc attack on a colombian army unit engaged in counter-narcotics operations . his capture came almost exactly two years to the day after he did a special report on whether the guerrillas could keep fighting after their leader and a top military commander were killed . langlois , a correspondent with more than 10 years experience in the country , appears to have spent several days with a mobile farc unit to prepare the april 2010 report . he described them as in a weak position ' and said they were tired of fighting for 40 years in the jungle . ' he was reporting alongside soldiers when the rebel group attacked and captured him on april 28 , the colombian government said . four people were killed and six were wounded in the attack , according to the ministry of national defense . langlois was lightly wounded in the arm when he was captured , but was treated and is out of danger , according to a man who claimed to represent the rebels . the man in military garb referred to langlois as a prisoner of war in a video posted on the france 24 website on may 7 . farc announced a week later that it was prepared to release the frenchman and called for negotiations involving the international committee of the red cross and others . colombian president juan manuel santos said his government would do whatever was necessary to guarantee langlois'release . the colombian government is willing to provide all the facilities so the release occurs as quickly as possible , but if you really want to be viewed well by the world , release him now and simply tell us where he is and we will go get him , ' he said earlier this month . kidnapping government forces and civilians has been a key strategy of the rebel group . dramatic rescues , escapes and hostage handovers have revealed harsh conditions in jungle camps , including stories of prisoners chained to trees , grueling marches between hideouts , torrential rain and blistering sun . while severely weakened in recent years , the rebels have continued to carry out kidnappings and attack security forces . cnn 's marilia brocchetto contributed to this report . | new : the war reporter was seized 2 years after he filed a special report on the farc |
census <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a reporter last week asked me if many people cared about the release of individual records from the 1940 census . are they just a historic relic ? ' was the followup from someone else unimpressed that the general public would finally have access to more than 100 million census records locked away for 72 years . americans answered those questions loud and clear . the national archives and records administration website housing 1940 census records registered over 60 million hits in just three hours on tuesday , april 3 , 2012 , the second day they were open . the outpouring of demand for such information calls on us to examine what is driving it . the individual records help americans gain a greater sense of who our ancestors were and with it an understanding of the blood that runs through our own veins . each image from the 1940 census is a lined page called a population schedule , containing the records of up to 40 individuals . they might not look like much -- the penmanship of 123,000 census takers varied , the cursive may be hard to read , ink from fountain pens ran too light on some letters . one line on a 1940 census record , however , has the power to confirm a family legend we have heard for years , or it can make us confront a troubling truth buried long ago . the national archives'innovative move of putting scans of these 3.9 million pages online has democratized genealogy . we might have expected that the first wave of retirees from the nation 's nearly 77 million baby boomers would pause to reflect on the world their parents inhabited . we might have expected the too-rapidly dwindling ranks of world war ii veterans to look for a glimpse of home life in the months before 15 million of them entered the services . when the 1930 census records and those from earlier decades were released , searches largely were confined to people able to trek to national archives facilities and depository libraries to work through microfilms produced by the census bureau in the 1930s and 40s . now the 1940 census records are available for free , and millions of people are accessing them . the fascination with the snapshot of the united states provided by the 1940 census runs beyond any one individual 's search for her or his own past . the statistics available online now from the census bureau can deepen people 's understanding of the towns and times their ancestors inhabited . las vegas , nevada , had exploded in size with construction of the hoover dam.â its population stood at 8,422 . around 9 million u.s. households used ice boxes to preserve their food . family members finding their grandmother had completed four years of college by 1940 will learn that her accomplishment put her among the top 5 % of u.s. residents in terms of education . genealogists have been looking forward to this release as they would a national holiday , as have thousands of historians , economists and demographers . the release of the 1940 census records will allow them to shed a light on a united states very different from how we live now . community profiles of smaller population groups of the type so commonly released now by the census bureau with data from the american community survey were not published from the 1940 census during days of world war ii . when it is released , the minnesota population center 's database of digitized 1940 census records will allow researchers to build such profiles . they will be able to aggregate individual items into their own tables and run analyses . to get an idea of the diversity of nationalities in the united states at the time , president franklin d. roosevelt 's census proclamation , urging americans to participate , was translated into 23 languages , including slovak , greek , lithuanian , russian , dutch , hebrew , serbo-croatian , french , italian , spanish , german . because residents in 1940 answered census takers'questions , the records released last week will provide a glimpse of navajo tribal lands on the eve of the uranium boom , which transformed the landscape . economists will be able to analyze how people in specific occupations or smaller geographic areas fared during the great depression . the possibilities are vast . the 1940 census gave the country in 1940 a snapshot , one moment frozen in time . that portrait attracts us because it was taken on the edge of momentous change -- a time when americans began developing many of the tools we now take for granted . the united states instituted its first peacetime draft in september 1940 ; and the ranks of the armed forces mushroomed . unemployment fell from around 15 % for the week before census day 1940 to around 4.7 % by 1942 . citing unprecedented movements of the population to areas with heavy concentrations of armaments manufacturing and responding to the administration 's orders , the census bureau unveiled a 1941 plan to conduct an annual sample census . when that plan faltered for lack of funding , more than 200 communities paid the census bureau to conduct censuses within their jurisdictions between 1941 and 1946 alone . today those communities base much of their decision-making on data from the descendant of those plans , the american community survey . because americans opened their doors to census takers in 1940 and the survey interviewers who followed them , the united states had the information president franklin roosevelt assured them was necessary to guide us intelligently into the future . ' the census bureau thanked the millions of respondents in 1940 and the thousands of households responding to surveys each month since then ; we their heirs should thank them now . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of michael s. snow . | census shows u.s. during vast change , he says : coming war , receding depression |
rubens barrichello <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it may not be high noon , ' but the red bull team are facing a shanghai showdown when their two drivers resume rivalries at this weekend 's chinese grand prix . sebastian vettel has been vilified for ignoring team orders and passing his red bull teammate mark webber in malaysia to whisk the win from under the australian 's nose . directly behind the dueling red bulls , the opposite scenario was playing out as nico rosberg reluctantly obeyed team orders not to overtake his mercedes teammate lewis hamilton for third place , even though the german appeared to have a quicker car . the controversial issue of team orders in formula 1 has once again tested respect between teammates -- and ahead of sunday 's race vettel said he would probably do it again given he felt webber had not supported him in the past -- and raised question marks over the purity of the sport 's racing . the willingness to accept team orders often relies on a tacit understanding between the drivers , on their status within the team and how the race will be run . former honda , brawn and williams driver rubens barrichello -- who spent six years as michael schumacher 's deputy at ferrari -- explained : in the team meeting before the race you have to talk about various situations . obviously there is an interest in doing the best for the team , ' barrichello told cnn . all the team wants to see is if one driver has a problem he will not make it difficult for his teammate . if it was agreed before by both drivers that they needed to go lower on revs -- and if that is a code for no overtaking -- then that is what they had agreed . ' webber was told to turn down his engine revs after taking the lead in malaysia . he understood that instruction meant -- as barrichello suggested -- he would not be passed by his teammate . but the fact that vettel chose to ignore this instruction and run his own race has left serious , unanswered questions over his respect for webber . taking the low road ' i do n't think there 's the same respect now for other drivers , ' british racing legend stirling moss told cnn . during his f1 career between 1951-60 , moss would only sign contracts that named him as the team 's number one driver . in his era of racing , that meant if there was a problem with his speed machine , he could simply call in his teammate and take over his car . there was , however , one exception to moss'rule when , in 1955 , he signed for mercedes alongside argentine great juan manuel fangio . the pair shared a mutual respect on and off track , says moss , even though it was el maestro ' who would capture his third world title at the end of the season . when i was at mercedes with fangio there were no pit orders at all until we had a 30-second lead over the rest of the field , ' moss recalled . when a team had the lead , the number one driver would hold position and not pass him , says moss . i respected fangio so much that i was just as happy to be number two . i was quite happy to sit right behind him . it did n't worry me , ' he said . we were known as the train because i was only about two yards behind him the whole race ! ' it 's all different now though , says moss . because ( red bull ) had specifically said to ( vettel ) let webber have it , that made him a naughty boy but he felt ,'well dammit , why should n't i win ?'i do n't think he 'll ever repair that damage because he probably thinks'well , that 's the way i race .'' career-defining moments on the other side of the garage , the malaysia team orders drama may have more emotional , career-defining consequences for webber , whose red bull contract expires at the end of the season . barrichello can empathize with webber 's position as he considers his perpetual role as red bull 's number two ' driver . the brazilian was famously forced to cede first place to schumacher by ferrari in the controversial 2002 austrian grand prix . it was the start of a long period of reflection for barrichello . in my case in austria there were eight laps of conversation because they told me that i should do something that was not agreed , ' he explained . because of what happened in austria , people think there was something that was written in his contract . but there was n't , says barrichello . the year before in austria i had let michael by when i was second and he was third and i had that conversation with the team afterwards when i said :'listen , what would happen if i was first ?'and they said :'we would never ask you that if you were first ,'' he explains . and then it was exactly the case the following year in 2002 . i refused to do it until the penultimate corner because it was not agreed . it was very hard , it was absolutely very , very hard . i really tried to give my very best to see if the team would ultimately change the philosophy . ' it was the reason why the brazilian quit his ferrari contract one year early in 2005 . i saw that there was no winning scenario , the case was lost , ' he said . that career-defining moment for barrichello also led to a decision by the sport 's governing body , the fia , to ban team orders that directly affected the outcome of a race . ironically , it was another infamous incident between two ferrari drivers in 2010 -- when felipe massa was told to surrender the lead to teammate fernando alonso -- that led to a ban on team orders being stripped from the rulebook in 2011 . there was simply no point trying to police something that has always been an intrinsic part of the sport . teams before drivers team orders have always existed in f1 because , in simple terms , teams also want to be happy -- and that often means making money . it is , after all , the teams who finance the drivers'fun and it is their brand and sponsors who they are protecting . when the top teams are spending $ 1m a day it makes business sense to protect that investment by not allowing drivers to race freely if there is a danger that in the heat of the moment both cars could take each other out of the race . the team has always been the most important thing , ' said moss . i drove for teams like mercedes and maserati and at one time i drove my own car which meant i could do what the hell i liked ! ' he said . but once you 're with a company you really have to do what they tell you to . it 's a professional business with very big money , which it was n't ( when i drove ) . drivers are being paid like film stars now . ' this constant clamor of commercial team interests means the men at the wheel of the world 's fastest cars often have to suppress their racing instincts . that is exactly what rosberg did in malaysia and exactly what vettel chose not to do . do f1 drivers simply have to accept that when it comes to racing it is the team who ultimately decides how a race is run ? i do n't think drivers accept that , ' says barrichello . there are racetracks when one driver can do better than another and there should be freedom for them to decide that . they should be allowed to fight . ' moss , meanwhile , understands vettel 's racing instincts . i suppose he was a naughty boy , ' moss says , but he is a racing driver who 's paid to go fast . i 'm glad i raced when i did and not now because the pleasure was so much more then and the racing certainly was purer . ' few of f1 's global television audience of half-a-billion fans would disagree with moss . who wants to watch races that have been massaged and manipulated by team orders ? but the furore across global media outlets and social media sites following the malaysian gp also proved f1 fans balked at the unsporting flavor of vettel 's victory -- - even if he was doing what a triple world champion is supposed to do , race . there appears to be a thin divide between team orders that protect a worthy longtime leader and instructions that see him denied the taste of champagne from the top step of the podium . vettel , webber and red bull will begin to find out how much crossing that line in malaysia has hurt them when they reunite in shanghai . | rubens barrichello , a deputy to michael schumacher at ferrari , empathizes with webber |
nollywood <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with her glamorous looks and exceptional talent , nigerian movie star genevieve nnaji is one of africa 's most successful actresses . the screen diva -- dubbed the julia roberts of africa -- has starred in dozens of films , enchanting millions of movie fans across the continent . the 31-year-old actress is considered to be a poster girl for nollywood , the booming nigerian movie industry , which according to unesco , is the world 's second-largest film producer after india 's bollywood . nnaji has been performing in front of the camera from the age of 8 . she is now one of africa 's most instantly recognizable faces and has won several accolades , including the 2005 african academy movie award for best actress . cnn 's pedro pinto caught up with nnaji before her latest movie premiere in london to discuss fame and her passion for nigeria . an edited version of the interview follows . cnn : do you see yourself as an ambassador for your country ? genevieve nnaji : as long as you are a celebrity and in the public eye , you are an ambassador because you are the person they see -- they ca n't see the whole continent , they ca n't see the whole country . cnn : how would you describe nigeria to people who 've never been there ? gn : nigeria is a unique and a peculiar country , and as the people , we are too . cnn : why peculiar ? gn : because everything , every aspect of human nature is in every nigerian -- the good , the bad , the ugly , it 's just like another new york . nigeria is fun , to be honest . but when ... all we have people talking about when it comes to nigeria is crime and fraud and things ... that 's just a very very minute number of people . nigerians on the whole are very confident people . i believe we are confident , i believe we are very resourceful and we are very hospitable when it comes to visitors in the country . cnn : when you look at your country , what are some of the things that you love about it ? gn : i like that as nigerians we have some sort of neighborly love that we do n't understand . we have a way of coming to the rescue of complete strangers . we do have that bond and i think it has to do with our background and how we are raised .... i would never live anywhere else to be honest , no . cnn : really ? gn : no , i grew up in lagos , i was born and bred there and i do n't see myself leaving that town any time soon . i can work anywhere else but in terms of living , i 'm used to lagos . cnn : how does it make you feel when people are screaming your name constantly ? gn : you never get completely used to it , like the last time i was here for the other premiere -- bursting out ' -- it was pretty overwhelming . i just thought , is this my life , all these people actually loving and appreciating me for who i am ? it 's very humbling to be honest , i must say i 'm blessed . cnn : when did you realize that maybe this could be your future , this could be your career ? gn : i do n't think i ever realized that , for a long time i kept thinking , ok , this is just temporary , definitely i 'm going to go back to school and read law , english or something that i wanted to do . so i never fully accepted acting as my profession . i do n't think i saw myself there but somehow ... here we are , i am an actor . cnn : do you ever get the feeling when you wake up in the morning one day that you wish you were n't famous ? gn : oh yes , i do n't even need to wake up , just sitting down sometimes i 'm like , god , sometimes i hate my life . but i ca n't complain . cnn : you have been referred to as the african julia roberts . when you hear that , what do you feel ? gn : thanks to oprah ( winfrey ) , it 's very , very flattering , i mean not just because i 'm compared to ( roberts ) but because of who compared me to her . so it 's an honor to be honest but i think it 's probably the vein we have on the forehead , i think that 's what we have in common . cnn : what do you wish for your future , where do you see yourself ? gn : i want to be further challenged in my career , i do n't think i have reached my peak necessarily so i hope for other opportunities , greater opportunities to express myself . mostly because there is still something inside of me that i just feel i have n't let out and it 's really trying to come out and trying to burst loose so i 'm hoping for that opportunity ... i just want that story , that story that challenges me even further . | the nollywood star says nigeria is just like another new york ' |
china <tsp> beijing ( cnn ) -- please excuse me , i ca n't talk about this . ' clunk ! the phone line goes dead . we had tried to get this british businessman to talk about the mysterious death of neil heywood . heywood has emerged from the shadows to be a key link in a story of intrigue , mystery and betrayal that goes all the way to the inner sanctum of china 's secretive communist party . heywood was found dead last november in his hotel room in the sprawling southwestern chinese city of chongqing . according to media reports , local authorities quickly ruled his cause of death as excessive alcohol use . ' an autopsy was not performed , media reports said , and his body was cremated . slowly , however , media reports are raising more uncomfortable questions about heywood 's death . he was married to a chinese woman and had business interests in the country . he moved in the orbit of a company known as hakluyt and co. , a british strategic information consultancy formed by former officers of the uk 's spy agency mi6 . hakluyt has released a statement on heywood , saying , we had a long history of advising western companies on china and we are among those who sought ( heywood 's ) advice . we are greatly saddened by his death . ' now , the british government is asking china to investigate heywood 's death . our embassy in beijing and consulate general in chongqing provided consular assistance to the family , as we would in any case involving a british national overseas , ' the foreign and commonwealth office said . we recently asked the chinese authorities to investigate the case further after we heard suggestions that there were suspicious circumstances . ' heywood 's family has denied comment . cnn has spoken to a man who says he knew heywood , but who would not speak publicly because he was worried about his safety . he confirmed the dead man had business in china and said that for someone who supposedly died from an alcohol binge , in his experience heywood was not a heavy drinker . heywood 's death on its own -- a man linked to former spies , a light drinker dead from apparent alcohol poisoning -- would be suspicious enough . but this case has more -- much more . heywood has been linked to the scandal and sacking of a man once seemingly destined for the heights of power in china . the rise and fall of china 's bo xilai bo xilai is what is known as a princeling , ' the son of a maoist-era revolutionary hero . bo rose through china 's political ranks and was appointed communist party secretary of chongqing , a city of more than 30 million people . he quickly became known as an anti-crime crusader . bo smashed criminal gangs and locked up corrupt businessmen . he won praise from locals , especially the poor . migrant workers flocked to chongqing seeking , and often finding , a better life . but bo also made enemies . he relied heavily on maoist slogans and revived cultural revolutionary songs . in a country embracing capitalism , bo cultivated an image as redder than red . ' just last month , however , bo 's career started to unravel . his right-hand man and former top cop wang lijun spectacularly sought refuge in an american consulate . china axes bo xilai from chongqing after scandal wang wanted asylum , apparently fearing for his life and allegedly holding incriminating information on his old boss . this is where heywood re-enters the picture . the wall street journal , quoting anonymous diplomatic sources close to the case , reports wang clashed with bo after raising his suspicions that heywood had been poisoned . after leaving the u.s. consulate , wang was taken away by state police and has not seen or heard from since . less than two weeks ago , bo was fired from his position , his career and ambitions to enter the politburo standing committee -- the nine men who run china -- shattered . bo has not been seen in public since . in a year of political transition in china , with a new generation of leaders poised to inherit power , the bo case has captivated the country . in the rowdy back streets of chongqing locals gamble , drink and discuss bo 's downfall . on a recent visit by cnn , they praised their former party boss . some of them openly mocked vice president xi jinping , the man likely to be china 's next supreme leader . this is a battle of the gods , not ordinary people , ' said one old man , who has seen leaders and revolution come and go . but the gods who made the law in chongqing are now themselves under investigation . bo , the man who ran the criminals out of town , now finds himself ousted . and heywood , found dead in a chongqing hotel room , may still yet have a tale to tell . | the mystery is part of a story that goes to the inner sanctum of china 's communist party |
china <tsp> beijing ( cnn ) -- please excuse me , i ca n't talk about this . ' clunk ! the phone line goes dead . we had tried to get this british businessman to talk about the mysterious death of neil heywood . heywood has emerged from the shadows to be a key link in a story of intrigue , mystery and betrayal that goes all the way to the inner sanctum of china 's secretive communist party . heywood was found dead last november in his hotel room in the sprawling southwestern chinese city of chongqing . according to media reports , local authorities quickly ruled his cause of death as excessive alcohol use . ' an autopsy was not performed , media reports said , and his body was cremated . slowly , however , media reports are raising more uncomfortable questions about heywood 's death . he was married to a chinese woman and had business interests in the country . he moved in the orbit of a company known as hakluyt and co. , a british strategic information consultancy formed by former officers of the uk 's spy agency mi6 . hakluyt has released a statement on heywood , saying , we had a long history of advising western companies on china and we are among those who sought ( heywood 's ) advice . we are greatly saddened by his death . ' now , the british government is asking china to investigate heywood 's death . our embassy in beijing and consulate general in chongqing provided consular assistance to the family , as we would in any case involving a british national overseas , ' the foreign and commonwealth office said . we recently asked the chinese authorities to investigate the case further after we heard suggestions that there were suspicious circumstances . ' heywood 's family has denied comment . cnn has spoken to a man who says he knew heywood , but who would not speak publicly because he was worried about his safety . he confirmed the dead man had business in china and said that for someone who supposedly died from an alcohol binge , in his experience heywood was not a heavy drinker . heywood 's death on its own -- a man linked to former spies , a light drinker dead from apparent alcohol poisoning -- would be suspicious enough . but this case has more -- much more . heywood has been linked to the scandal and sacking of a man once seemingly destined for the heights of power in china . the rise and fall of china 's bo xilai bo xilai is what is known as a princeling , ' the son of a maoist-era revolutionary hero . bo rose through china 's political ranks and was appointed communist party secretary of chongqing , a city of more than 30 million people . he quickly became known as an anti-crime crusader . bo smashed criminal gangs and locked up corrupt businessmen . he won praise from locals , especially the poor . migrant workers flocked to chongqing seeking , and often finding , a better life . but bo also made enemies . he relied heavily on maoist slogans and revived cultural revolutionary songs . in a country embracing capitalism , bo cultivated an image as redder than red . ' just last month , however , bo 's career started to unravel . his right-hand man and former top cop wang lijun spectacularly sought refuge in an american consulate . china axes bo xilai from chongqing after scandal wang wanted asylum , apparently fearing for his life and allegedly holding incriminating information on his old boss . this is where heywood re-enters the picture . the wall street journal , quoting anonymous diplomatic sources close to the case , reports wang clashed with bo after raising his suspicions that heywood had been poisoned . after leaving the u.s. consulate , wang was taken away by state police and has not seen or heard from since . less than two weeks ago , bo was fired from his position , his career and ambitions to enter the politburo standing committee -- the nine men who run china -- shattered . bo has not been seen in public since . in a year of political transition in china , with a new generation of leaders poised to inherit power , the bo case has captivated the country . in the rowdy back streets of chongqing locals gamble , drink and discuss bo 's downfall . on a recent visit by cnn , they praised their former party boss . some of them openly mocked vice president xi jinping , the man likely to be china 's next supreme leader . this is a battle of the gods , not ordinary people , ' said one old man , who has seen leaders and revolution come and go . but the gods who made the law in chongqing are now themselves under investigation . bo , the man who ran the criminals out of town , now finds himself ousted . and heywood , found dead in a chongqing hotel room , may still yet have a tale to tell . | britain asks china to investigate the mysterious death of a businessman |
syrian <tsp> the united states warned syria in no uncertain terms monday not to use chemical weapons amid intelligence reports indicating president bashar al-assad 's regime could be preparing to take that step as it escalates its fight against rebel forces . i want to make it absolutely clear to assad and those under his command -- the world is watching , ' president barack obama said during a speech at the national defense university in washington . the use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable . and if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons , there will be consequences and you will be held accountable , ' he said . obama has previously warned that any use of chemical weapons by syria in its civil war would be crossing a red line ' that would prompt a swift u.s. response . earlier on monday , secretary of state hillary clinton issued a similar warning . i 'm not going to telegraph in any specifics what we would do in the event of credible evidence that the assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people , ' she said . but suffice it to say , we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur . ' u.s. officials are concerned that with fighting closing in on damascus , forcing the temporary closure of the airport there , the regime may be feeling desperate and toying with the idea that chemical weapons could finally crush the persistent rebellion . official :'worrying signs'regarding syria 's chemical weapons ' we believe that with the regime 's grip on power loosening with its failure to put down the opposition through conventional means , we have an increased concern about the possibility of the regime taking the desperate act of using its chemical weapons , ' white house spokesman jay carney said monday . the syrian foreign ministry denied that the country had any plans to use chemical weapons , state tv reported . citing a source at the ministry , state tv said syria has repeatedly stressed it will not use such weapons , if they exist , against its people no matter the circumstances . but u.s. officials say worrying signs ' suggest otherwise . according to one u.s. official , syrian forces have begun combining chemicals that would be used to make deadly sarin gas for use in weapons to attack rebel and civilian populations . the united states obtained intelligence over the weekend indicating this development , according to the official who had direct knowledge of the latest information . the intelligence , the official said , came from multiple sources but the official declined to provide any more details about how the united states learned of it . sarin gas , the source said , could most readily be used to fill artillery shells . this is n't just about movement , but about potential intent to make certain chemical weapons ready for use , ' said a separate source , another u.s. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter . read more : opposition accuses syria of'mental war'after internet blackout that source declined to describe the intelligence and acknowledged that the united states is n't entirely sure what the syrian government is up to , or who ordered the moves . meanwhile , the united nations said monday that it is immediately pulling all nonessential employees out of syria . it was unclear how many people were involved or what role they have been playing in syria . the united nations removed cease-fire monitors from the country in august . at least 239 people were killed in violence across syria on monday , according to the local coordination committees of syria , a network of opposition activists . the attacks included the bombing by syrian warplanes of a town within sight of the turkish border , which killed 10 people . thick black smoke rose from the border town of ras al-ain , where witnesses said warplanes dropped two bombs . one appeared to strike a three-story building where opposition forces were staying , neighborhood mayor mehmet saitavci said . the strike sent panicked civilians running to the fence that separates the two countries , witnesses told cnn . saitavci said the wounded were making their way to the border , where they were being picked up by ambulances . there are people with arms and legs missing coming across , ' he said . read more : turkish town on syrian border deals with fighting , ethnic differences in damascus , apparent fighting around the airport forced egypt 's national airline to cancel flights to syria , including recalling one flight that had taken off , after syrian authorities contacted the airline to say the security situation was bad at the airport and its vicinity , ' airline spokesman dina el-fouly said . the airport had been closed for three days because of fierce fighting , and egypt air had planned to resume flights monday . they are now canceled indefinitely , el-fouly said . elsewhere , government forces bombed , shelled and rained rocket fire on cities across the country in the latest efforts by al-assad 's forces to drive back rebel advances , opposition activists said . the airstrikes signal a sharp escalation in the fighting by forces loyal to al-assad and rebels seeking his ouster , raising concerns among syria 's neighbors that the 21-month-old civil war could spill across the borders . neighboring countries have reported deadly border skirmishes with either syrian forces or rebels . in june , syrian anti-aircraft defenses shot down a turkish military reconnaissance jet , killing two pilots , after it briefly crossed into syrian airspace in the eastern mediterranean sea . months later , errant syrian artillery shells hit the border town of akcakale , killing five turkish civilians . as a result , turkey has asked nato for patriot missiles to bolster its air defenses , a request nato is expected to approve on tuesday . read more : young syrian amputee makes dangerous journey to find help the united states , germany and the netherlands , which all have patriot capabilities , have signaled they may be willing to contribute missiles should nato approve the deployment to turkey . nato secretary general anders fogh rasmussen stressed to cnn 's christiane amanpour on monday that the possible deployment of patriot missiles is purely defensive , ' and not aimed at preparing a no-fly zone . we have no intention to intervene militarily in syria . we will do what it takes to protect our ally turkey , ' he said . however , russia reiterated its opposition . we do n't consider that this will lead to the improvement of security in the current situation . ' president vladimir putin 's spokesman , dimitri pesvok , said monday . in photos : the syrian conflict through children 's eyes | syrian forces are mixing chemical warfare agents , says a u.s. official |
syrian <tsp> the united states warned syria in no uncertain terms monday not to use chemical weapons amid intelligence reports indicating president bashar al-assad 's regime could be preparing to take that step as it escalates its fight against rebel forces . i want to make it absolutely clear to assad and those under his command -- the world is watching , ' president barack obama said during a speech at the national defense university in washington . the use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable . and if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons , there will be consequences and you will be held accountable , ' he said . obama has previously warned that any use of chemical weapons by syria in its civil war would be crossing a red line ' that would prompt a swift u.s. response . earlier on monday , secretary of state hillary clinton issued a similar warning . i 'm not going to telegraph in any specifics what we would do in the event of credible evidence that the assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people , ' she said . but suffice it to say , we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur . ' u.s. officials are concerned that with fighting closing in on damascus , forcing the temporary closure of the airport there , the regime may be feeling desperate and toying with the idea that chemical weapons could finally crush the persistent rebellion . official :'worrying signs'regarding syria 's chemical weapons ' we believe that with the regime 's grip on power loosening with its failure to put down the opposition through conventional means , we have an increased concern about the possibility of the regime taking the desperate act of using its chemical weapons , ' white house spokesman jay carney said monday . the syrian foreign ministry denied that the country had any plans to use chemical weapons , state tv reported . citing a source at the ministry , state tv said syria has repeatedly stressed it will not use such weapons , if they exist , against its people no matter the circumstances . but u.s. officials say worrying signs ' suggest otherwise . according to one u.s. official , syrian forces have begun combining chemicals that would be used to make deadly sarin gas for use in weapons to attack rebel and civilian populations . the united states obtained intelligence over the weekend indicating this development , according to the official who had direct knowledge of the latest information . the intelligence , the official said , came from multiple sources but the official declined to provide any more details about how the united states learned of it . sarin gas , the source said , could most readily be used to fill artillery shells . this is n't just about movement , but about potential intent to make certain chemical weapons ready for use , ' said a separate source , another u.s. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter . read more : opposition accuses syria of'mental war'after internet blackout that source declined to describe the intelligence and acknowledged that the united states is n't entirely sure what the syrian government is up to , or who ordered the moves . meanwhile , the united nations said monday that it is immediately pulling all nonessential employees out of syria . it was unclear how many people were involved or what role they have been playing in syria . the united nations removed cease-fire monitors from the country in august . at least 239 people were killed in violence across syria on monday , according to the local coordination committees of syria , a network of opposition activists . the attacks included the bombing by syrian warplanes of a town within sight of the turkish border , which killed 10 people . thick black smoke rose from the border town of ras al-ain , where witnesses said warplanes dropped two bombs . one appeared to strike a three-story building where opposition forces were staying , neighborhood mayor mehmet saitavci said . the strike sent panicked civilians running to the fence that separates the two countries , witnesses told cnn . saitavci said the wounded were making their way to the border , where they were being picked up by ambulances . there are people with arms and legs missing coming across , ' he said . read more : turkish town on syrian border deals with fighting , ethnic differences in damascus , apparent fighting around the airport forced egypt 's national airline to cancel flights to syria , including recalling one flight that had taken off , after syrian authorities contacted the airline to say the security situation was bad at the airport and its vicinity , ' airline spokesman dina el-fouly said . the airport had been closed for three days because of fierce fighting , and egypt air had planned to resume flights monday . they are now canceled indefinitely , el-fouly said . elsewhere , government forces bombed , shelled and rained rocket fire on cities across the country in the latest efforts by al-assad 's forces to drive back rebel advances , opposition activists said . the airstrikes signal a sharp escalation in the fighting by forces loyal to al-assad and rebels seeking his ouster , raising concerns among syria 's neighbors that the 21-month-old civil war could spill across the borders . neighboring countries have reported deadly border skirmishes with either syrian forces or rebels . in june , syrian anti-aircraft defenses shot down a turkish military reconnaissance jet , killing two pilots , after it briefly crossed into syrian airspace in the eastern mediterranean sea . months later , errant syrian artillery shells hit the border town of akcakale , killing five turkish civilians . as a result , turkey has asked nato for patriot missiles to bolster its air defenses , a request nato is expected to approve on tuesday . read more : young syrian amputee makes dangerous journey to find help the united states , germany and the netherlands , which all have patriot capabilities , have signaled they may be willing to contribute missiles should nato approve the deployment to turkey . nato secretary general anders fogh rasmussen stressed to cnn 's christiane amanpour on monday that the possible deployment of patriot missiles is purely defensive , ' and not aimed at preparing a no-fly zone . we have no intention to intervene militarily in syria . we will do what it takes to protect our ally turkey , ' he said . however , russia reiterated its opposition . we do n't consider that this will lead to the improvement of security in the current situation . ' president vladimir putin 's spokesman , dimitri pesvok , said monday . in photos : the syrian conflict through children 's eyes | the syrian foreign ministry denies plans to use such weapons |
syrian <tsp> the united states warned syria in no uncertain terms monday not to use chemical weapons amid intelligence reports indicating president bashar al-assad 's regime could be preparing to take that step as it escalates its fight against rebel forces . i want to make it absolutely clear to assad and those under his command -- the world is watching , ' president barack obama said during a speech at the national defense university in washington . the use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable . and if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons , there will be consequences and you will be held accountable , ' he said . obama has previously warned that any use of chemical weapons by syria in its civil war would be crossing a red line ' that would prompt a swift u.s. response . earlier on monday , secretary of state hillary clinton issued a similar warning . i 'm not going to telegraph in any specifics what we would do in the event of credible evidence that the assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people , ' she said . but suffice it to say , we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur . ' u.s. officials are concerned that with fighting closing in on damascus , forcing the temporary closure of the airport there , the regime may be feeling desperate and toying with the idea that chemical weapons could finally crush the persistent rebellion . official :'worrying signs'regarding syria 's chemical weapons ' we believe that with the regime 's grip on power loosening with its failure to put down the opposition through conventional means , we have an increased concern about the possibility of the regime taking the desperate act of using its chemical weapons , ' white house spokesman jay carney said monday . the syrian foreign ministry denied that the country had any plans to use chemical weapons , state tv reported . citing a source at the ministry , state tv said syria has repeatedly stressed it will not use such weapons , if they exist , against its people no matter the circumstances . but u.s. officials say worrying signs ' suggest otherwise . according to one u.s. official , syrian forces have begun combining chemicals that would be used to make deadly sarin gas for use in weapons to attack rebel and civilian populations . the united states obtained intelligence over the weekend indicating this development , according to the official who had direct knowledge of the latest information . the intelligence , the official said , came from multiple sources but the official declined to provide any more details about how the united states learned of it . sarin gas , the source said , could most readily be used to fill artillery shells . this is n't just about movement , but about potential intent to make certain chemical weapons ready for use , ' said a separate source , another u.s. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter . read more : opposition accuses syria of'mental war'after internet blackout that source declined to describe the intelligence and acknowledged that the united states is n't entirely sure what the syrian government is up to , or who ordered the moves . meanwhile , the united nations said monday that it is immediately pulling all nonessential employees out of syria . it was unclear how many people were involved or what role they have been playing in syria . the united nations removed cease-fire monitors from the country in august . at least 239 people were killed in violence across syria on monday , according to the local coordination committees of syria , a network of opposition activists . the attacks included the bombing by syrian warplanes of a town within sight of the turkish border , which killed 10 people . thick black smoke rose from the border town of ras al-ain , where witnesses said warplanes dropped two bombs . one appeared to strike a three-story building where opposition forces were staying , neighborhood mayor mehmet saitavci said . the strike sent panicked civilians running to the fence that separates the two countries , witnesses told cnn . saitavci said the wounded were making their way to the border , where they were being picked up by ambulances . there are people with arms and legs missing coming across , ' he said . read more : turkish town on syrian border deals with fighting , ethnic differences in damascus , apparent fighting around the airport forced egypt 's national airline to cancel flights to syria , including recalling one flight that had taken off , after syrian authorities contacted the airline to say the security situation was bad at the airport and its vicinity , ' airline spokesman dina el-fouly said . the airport had been closed for three days because of fierce fighting , and egypt air had planned to resume flights monday . they are now canceled indefinitely , el-fouly said . elsewhere , government forces bombed , shelled and rained rocket fire on cities across the country in the latest efforts by al-assad 's forces to drive back rebel advances , opposition activists said . the airstrikes signal a sharp escalation in the fighting by forces loyal to al-assad and rebels seeking his ouster , raising concerns among syria 's neighbors that the 21-month-old civil war could spill across the borders . neighboring countries have reported deadly border skirmishes with either syrian forces or rebels . in june , syrian anti-aircraft defenses shot down a turkish military reconnaissance jet , killing two pilots , after it briefly crossed into syrian airspace in the eastern mediterranean sea . months later , errant syrian artillery shells hit the border town of akcakale , killing five turkish civilians . as a result , turkey has asked nato for patriot missiles to bolster its air defenses , a request nato is expected to approve on tuesday . read more : young syrian amputee makes dangerous journey to find help the united states , germany and the netherlands , which all have patriot capabilities , have signaled they may be willing to contribute missiles should nato approve the deployment to turkey . nato secretary general anders fogh rasmussen stressed to cnn 's christiane amanpour on monday that the possible deployment of patriot missiles is purely defensive , ' and not aimed at preparing a no-fly zone . we have no intention to intervene militarily in syria . we will do what it takes to protect our ally turkey , ' he said . however , russia reiterated its opposition . we do n't consider that this will lead to the improvement of security in the current situation . ' president vladimir putin 's spokesman , dimitri pesvok , said monday . in photos : the syrian conflict through children 's eyes | president obama issues a direct warning to syrian president bashar al-assad |
american <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's vital that young americans learn the history of our amazing nation . being an american requires knowing what it means to be an american . it 's the fabric that binds us together and helps us understand who we are . today , unfortunately , many of our students are failing to learn american history , including our founding principles and values . and they 're failing to learn why america remains an exceptional nation . for two generations , we 've watched our nation 's memory of the past slip away . the problem of historic amnesia is widespread , as evidenced by alarming results from the national assessment of educational progress , which tests students in grades four , eight and 12 in several broad subject areas every few years . among the survey 's most frightening findings is our students'lack of knowledge in u.s. history . just 20 % of fourth-graders , 17 % of eighth-graders and 12 % of 12th-graders were at grade-level proficiency in american history in the 2010 exams . this lack of knowledge goes to the very basics . only one in three fourth-graders could identify the purpose of the declaration of independence . less than half understood why george washington was an important american leader . and a majority of fourth-graders did n't know why the pilgrims left england . these are frightening statistics , indicating that our children lack an understanding of our nation 's history and the traits that have made america great . as the author of three children 's books on american history , i 've visited many classrooms across the country to share the adventures of ellis the elephant , my time-traveling pachyderm , with children ages 4 to 8 . i 've found most young students to be energetic , enthusiastic and eager to learn . we can get children engaged in learning at an early age if we as adults have enthusiasm for learning as well . our history includes wonderful role models . in writing yankee doodle dandy ' ( published this week , in which ellis the elephant discovers the american revolution ) , i was reminded that the brave men and women who fought to win our freedom were surprisingly young . thomas jefferson was 33 . james madison was 25 . james monroe was just 18 , barely older than a high-school graduate . and yet these patriotic heroes were engaged in profound , often dangerous work . they were models of sacrifice , civic-mindedness and determination . with education surveys showing dismal results , we must find creative ways to teach our children american history . in yankee doodle dandy ' and the ellis the elephant series , my goal is to highlight the wonderful achievements of our country , to arouse a love for america and to communicate why america is indeed a special nation . like children 's books , educational video games , too , have enormous potential to make history come alive . and we are only beginning to see the potential of online systems like khan academy to revolutionize learning . there are many ways to improve the challenged state of education , but parents , teachers and mentors must pursue them eagerly . it was 232 years ago this month , on october 19 , 1781 , that the british surrendered to george washington 's continental army at yorktown . this pivotal moment concluded an eight-year war in which thousands of brave men and women gave their lives to win the freedom we enjoy today . yet we are for the first time in our history beginning to lose sight of our founders'sacrifice and wisdom . we must fight historical amnesia to ensure that future generations continue to appreciate the greatness of our nation . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of callista gingrich . | callista gingrich : tests show a failure to teach students american history |
nba <tsp> ( cnn ) -- los angeles clippers co-owner shelly sterling is moving quickly ' to sell the embattled nba franchise , with a source familiar with the situation saying she and her representatives would like to make a deal this week . the recent activity includes talks with several high-profile potential suitors for the team , and nba commissioner adam silver is very much involved ' in shelly sterling 's dealings with potential buyers , according to the source . but as bidders make their pitches for his team , donald sterling -- shelly 's estranged husband and the team 's other owner -- accused the nba of violating his constitutional rights in trying to end his ownership of the franchise based on what he says was an illegally recorded conversation during a lovers'quarrel , according to a document provided by donald sterling 's attorney . the document , sterling 's 26-page response to charges of violating the league 's bylaws , adhered to the nba 's tuesday deadline for the billionaire businessman 's reply . the nba has said the next step will be a special board of governors meeting on june 3 , when the league 's 30 ownership groups -- someone else will represent the clippers -- will meet to hear evidence on donald sterling 's behavior , then vote on terminating the sterlings'ownership rights . sterling has been prejudged and wo n't get a fair hearing , the document says , citing comments from 10 other teams . about one month ago , silver banned sterling from nba facilities and functions and ordered him to pay a record fine after racist remarks by the clippers'owner to former companion v. stiviano surfaced online . a source close to the situation said roughly two weeks ago that donald sterling -- who repeatedly denied he 's a racist in a cnn interview -- would n't pay the fine , would reject the ban and might sue the nba . the document says sterling faces a never-before-issued and unjust punishment . in reality , mr. sterling is being banned for life , fined $ 2.5 million , and stripped of his ownership rights for a purely private conversation with his lover that he did not know was being recorded and that he never intended to see the light of day , ' the document says . other nba figures have made bigoted or racially insensitive remarks and were n't punished as harshly , sterling argues . his remarks were made in the heat of an argument , and while they were not justified , they were not meant to harm the nba , the response says . and while sterling 's remarks were viewed as racist , he says in his response that he was instrumental in fostering the diverse body of players , coaches , general managers , employees and fans on which the nba prides itself . ' the document also says sterling was active in the african-american community and that there was only one court case -- which he won -- of discrimination brought against him as owner of the clippers in more than 30 years . sterling asks that the nba 's charges be denied and that his ownership rights not be terminated . the nba acknowledged receiving a response from sterling and reaffirmed the june 3 meeting , saying it will start at 1 p.m . et to hear and vote upon this matter . ' donald sterling 's attorney , maxwell blecher , had no comment . stiviano has said sterling knew she was recording him and that the two were never intimate . cnn senior legal analyst jeffrey toobin said it appeared the sterlings were taking a two-track strategy . by filing the document , donald sterling is protecting his legal options but , at the same time , he realizes selling the team is the most likely outcome . i do n't think it 's a winning argument , but it is a very impressive document , ' toobin said . possible bidders cnn 's source on the potential sale said it was a busy memorial day weekend for shelly sterling . the source indicated she met sunday with a group led by former nba star grant hill to discuss the sale of the clippers . in addition , the source familiar with the situation said she met over the weekend at her malibu , california , home with ex-microsoft ceo steve ballmer , who made an aggressive offer for the franchise . shelly sterling is interested in fielding offers from billionaire businessman patrick soon-shiong , hill 's group , entertainment mogul david geffen and oracle founder larry ellison , and entrepreneur magic johnson and his guggenheim partners , who two years ago teamed up to buy baseball 's los angeles dodgers . johnson has been at the center of the story from the outset because of controversial banter between 80-year-old donald sterling and stiviano . after tmz first reported those comments , donald sterling lashed out at johnson in a cnn interview , questioning whether someone who contracted hiv should be considered a role model and asking rhetorically what has he done ' for the african-american community . johnson called the whole situation sad in his own interview with cnn , in which he urged sterling to sell the team . the former los angeles laker said if that happens -- and if his guggenheim partners are interested -- we 'll make a run for it . ' one person who apparently wo n't be the nba franchise 's next owner is media tycoon oprah winfrey . despite much buzz in recent weeks , the source familiar with the situation says that winfrey is out of the running . ' the same source said shelly sterling will accept offers this week for the clippers . shelly sterling 's attorney , pierce o'donnell , said no formal offers have been made for the team , which has risen in recent years from a last-place laughingstock to a playoff team with two superstars in forward blake griffin and guard chris paul . shelly and the nba are working cooperatively on the transaction , ' o'donnell said . the sterlings have been publicly defiant since the story broke , challenging the nba and its right to force the clippers'sale . but late last week , the sterlings agreed that shelly would try to sell the nba franchise voluntarily even as the league prepares a vote on terminating their franchise rights . the couple own the team through a trust . shelly sterling previously had said she wanted to own at least part of the franchise , but does n't want to be a controlling partner . but if it sold -- likely for between $ 1.5 billion and $ 2 billion , according to the well-placed source -- the nba does n't want either sterling to have any ownership stake . still , they could take solace in the dizzying profit they 'd make from such a deal ; donald sterling reportedly bought the franchise in 1981 for about $ 12 million . his response , though , laments that a forced sale would mean the sterlings would incur several hundred million dollars ' in taxes they could avoid if they were allowed to keep the franchise and leave the team to their heirs . sterling 's wife , shelly : we 're just business partners cnn 's rosalina nieves , jill martin and michael martinez contributed to this report . | the longtime owner still fighting nba to keep his team |
nba <tsp> ( cnn ) -- los angeles clippers co-owner shelly sterling is moving quickly ' to sell the embattled nba franchise , with a source familiar with the situation saying she and her representatives would like to make a deal this week . the recent activity includes talks with several high-profile potential suitors for the team , and nba commissioner adam silver is very much involved ' in shelly sterling 's dealings with potential buyers , according to the source . but as bidders make their pitches for his team , donald sterling -- shelly 's estranged husband and the team 's other owner -- accused the nba of violating his constitutional rights in trying to end his ownership of the franchise based on what he says was an illegally recorded conversation during a lovers'quarrel , according to a document provided by donald sterling 's attorney . the document , sterling 's 26-page response to charges of violating the league 's bylaws , adhered to the nba 's tuesday deadline for the billionaire businessman 's reply . the nba has said the next step will be a special board of governors meeting on june 3 , when the league 's 30 ownership groups -- someone else will represent the clippers -- will meet to hear evidence on donald sterling 's behavior , then vote on terminating the sterlings'ownership rights . sterling has been prejudged and wo n't get a fair hearing , the document says , citing comments from 10 other teams . about one month ago , silver banned sterling from nba facilities and functions and ordered him to pay a record fine after racist remarks by the clippers'owner to former companion v. stiviano surfaced online . a source close to the situation said roughly two weeks ago that donald sterling -- who repeatedly denied he 's a racist in a cnn interview -- would n't pay the fine , would reject the ban and might sue the nba . the document says sterling faces a never-before-issued and unjust punishment . in reality , mr. sterling is being banned for life , fined $ 2.5 million , and stripped of his ownership rights for a purely private conversation with his lover that he did not know was being recorded and that he never intended to see the light of day , ' the document says . other nba figures have made bigoted or racially insensitive remarks and were n't punished as harshly , sterling argues . his remarks were made in the heat of an argument , and while they were not justified , they were not meant to harm the nba , the response says . and while sterling 's remarks were viewed as racist , he says in his response that he was instrumental in fostering the diverse body of players , coaches , general managers , employees and fans on which the nba prides itself . ' the document also says sterling was active in the african-american community and that there was only one court case -- which he won -- of discrimination brought against him as owner of the clippers in more than 30 years . sterling asks that the nba 's charges be denied and that his ownership rights not be terminated . the nba acknowledged receiving a response from sterling and reaffirmed the june 3 meeting , saying it will start at 1 p.m . et to hear and vote upon this matter . ' donald sterling 's attorney , maxwell blecher , had no comment . stiviano has said sterling knew she was recording him and that the two were never intimate . cnn senior legal analyst jeffrey toobin said it appeared the sterlings were taking a two-track strategy . by filing the document , donald sterling is protecting his legal options but , at the same time , he realizes selling the team is the most likely outcome . i do n't think it 's a winning argument , but it is a very impressive document , ' toobin said . possible bidders cnn 's source on the potential sale said it was a busy memorial day weekend for shelly sterling . the source indicated she met sunday with a group led by former nba star grant hill to discuss the sale of the clippers . in addition , the source familiar with the situation said she met over the weekend at her malibu , california , home with ex-microsoft ceo steve ballmer , who made an aggressive offer for the franchise . shelly sterling is interested in fielding offers from billionaire businessman patrick soon-shiong , hill 's group , entertainment mogul david geffen and oracle founder larry ellison , and entrepreneur magic johnson and his guggenheim partners , who two years ago teamed up to buy baseball 's los angeles dodgers . johnson has been at the center of the story from the outset because of controversial banter between 80-year-old donald sterling and stiviano . after tmz first reported those comments , donald sterling lashed out at johnson in a cnn interview , questioning whether someone who contracted hiv should be considered a role model and asking rhetorically what has he done ' for the african-american community . johnson called the whole situation sad in his own interview with cnn , in which he urged sterling to sell the team . the former los angeles laker said if that happens -- and if his guggenheim partners are interested -- we 'll make a run for it . ' one person who apparently wo n't be the nba franchise 's next owner is media tycoon oprah winfrey . despite much buzz in recent weeks , the source familiar with the situation says that winfrey is out of the running . ' the same source said shelly sterling will accept offers this week for the clippers . shelly sterling 's attorney , pierce o'donnell , said no formal offers have been made for the team , which has risen in recent years from a last-place laughingstock to a playoff team with two superstars in forward blake griffin and guard chris paul . shelly and the nba are working cooperatively on the transaction , ' o'donnell said . the sterlings have been publicly defiant since the story broke , challenging the nba and its right to force the clippers'sale . but late last week , the sterlings agreed that shelly would try to sell the nba franchise voluntarily even as the league prepares a vote on terminating their franchise rights . the couple own the team through a trust . shelly sterling previously had said she wanted to own at least part of the franchise , but does n't want to be a controlling partner . but if it sold -- likely for between $ 1.5 billion and $ 2 billion , according to the well-placed source -- the nba does n't want either sterling to have any ownership stake . still , they could take solace in the dizzying profit they 'd make from such a deal ; donald sterling reportedly bought the franchise in 1981 for about $ 12 million . his response , though , laments that a forced sale would mean the sterlings would incur several hundred million dollars ' in taxes they could avoid if they were allowed to keep the franchise and leave the team to their heirs . sterling 's wife , shelly : we 're just business partners cnn 's rosalina nieves , jill martin and michael martinez contributed to this report . | donald sterling says he has helped nba become more diverse |
nba <tsp> ( cnn ) -- los angeles clippers co-owner shelly sterling is moving quickly ' to sell the embattled nba franchise , with a source familiar with the situation saying she and her representatives would like to make a deal this week . the recent activity includes talks with several high-profile potential suitors for the team , and nba commissioner adam silver is very much involved ' in shelly sterling 's dealings with potential buyers , according to the source . but as bidders make their pitches for his team , donald sterling -- shelly 's estranged husband and the team 's other owner -- accused the nba of violating his constitutional rights in trying to end his ownership of the franchise based on what he says was an illegally recorded conversation during a lovers'quarrel , according to a document provided by donald sterling 's attorney . the document , sterling 's 26-page response to charges of violating the league 's bylaws , adhered to the nba 's tuesday deadline for the billionaire businessman 's reply . the nba has said the next step will be a special board of governors meeting on june 3 , when the league 's 30 ownership groups -- someone else will represent the clippers -- will meet to hear evidence on donald sterling 's behavior , then vote on terminating the sterlings'ownership rights . sterling has been prejudged and wo n't get a fair hearing , the document says , citing comments from 10 other teams . about one month ago , silver banned sterling from nba facilities and functions and ordered him to pay a record fine after racist remarks by the clippers'owner to former companion v. stiviano surfaced online . a source close to the situation said roughly two weeks ago that donald sterling -- who repeatedly denied he 's a racist in a cnn interview -- would n't pay the fine , would reject the ban and might sue the nba . the document says sterling faces a never-before-issued and unjust punishment . in reality , mr. sterling is being banned for life , fined $ 2.5 million , and stripped of his ownership rights for a purely private conversation with his lover that he did not know was being recorded and that he never intended to see the light of day , ' the document says . other nba figures have made bigoted or racially insensitive remarks and were n't punished as harshly , sterling argues . his remarks were made in the heat of an argument , and while they were not justified , they were not meant to harm the nba , the response says . and while sterling 's remarks were viewed as racist , he says in his response that he was instrumental in fostering the diverse body of players , coaches , general managers , employees and fans on which the nba prides itself . ' the document also says sterling was active in the african-american community and that there was only one court case -- which he won -- of discrimination brought against him as owner of the clippers in more than 30 years . sterling asks that the nba 's charges be denied and that his ownership rights not be terminated . the nba acknowledged receiving a response from sterling and reaffirmed the june 3 meeting , saying it will start at 1 p.m . et to hear and vote upon this matter . ' donald sterling 's attorney , maxwell blecher , had no comment . stiviano has said sterling knew she was recording him and that the two were never intimate . cnn senior legal analyst jeffrey toobin said it appeared the sterlings were taking a two-track strategy . by filing the document , donald sterling is protecting his legal options but , at the same time , he realizes selling the team is the most likely outcome . i do n't think it 's a winning argument , but it is a very impressive document , ' toobin said . possible bidders cnn 's source on the potential sale said it was a busy memorial day weekend for shelly sterling . the source indicated she met sunday with a group led by former nba star grant hill to discuss the sale of the clippers . in addition , the source familiar with the situation said she met over the weekend at her malibu , california , home with ex-microsoft ceo steve ballmer , who made an aggressive offer for the franchise . shelly sterling is interested in fielding offers from billionaire businessman patrick soon-shiong , hill 's group , entertainment mogul david geffen and oracle founder larry ellison , and entrepreneur magic johnson and his guggenheim partners , who two years ago teamed up to buy baseball 's los angeles dodgers . johnson has been at the center of the story from the outset because of controversial banter between 80-year-old donald sterling and stiviano . after tmz first reported those comments , donald sterling lashed out at johnson in a cnn interview , questioning whether someone who contracted hiv should be considered a role model and asking rhetorically what has he done ' for the african-american community . johnson called the whole situation sad in his own interview with cnn , in which he urged sterling to sell the team . the former los angeles laker said if that happens -- and if his guggenheim partners are interested -- we 'll make a run for it . ' one person who apparently wo n't be the nba franchise 's next owner is media tycoon oprah winfrey . despite much buzz in recent weeks , the source familiar with the situation says that winfrey is out of the running . ' the same source said shelly sterling will accept offers this week for the clippers . shelly sterling 's attorney , pierce o'donnell , said no formal offers have been made for the team , which has risen in recent years from a last-place laughingstock to a playoff team with two superstars in forward blake griffin and guard chris paul . shelly and the nba are working cooperatively on the transaction , ' o'donnell said . the sterlings have been publicly defiant since the story broke , challenging the nba and its right to force the clippers'sale . but late last week , the sterlings agreed that shelly would try to sell the nba franchise voluntarily even as the league prepares a vote on terminating their franchise rights . the couple own the team through a trust . shelly sterling previously had said she wanted to own at least part of the franchise , but does n't want to be a controlling partner . but if it sold -- likely for between $ 1.5 billion and $ 2 billion , according to the well-placed source -- the nba does n't want either sterling to have any ownership stake . still , they could take solace in the dizzying profit they 'd make from such a deal ; donald sterling reportedly bought the franchise in 1981 for about $ 12 million . his response , though , laments that a forced sale would mean the sterlings would incur several hundred million dollars ' in taxes they could avoid if they were allowed to keep the franchise and leave the team to their heirs . sterling 's wife , shelly : we 're just business partners cnn 's rosalina nieves , jill martin and michael martinez contributed to this report . | source : nba commissioner adam silver is very much involved ' in process |
bundesliga <tsp> ( cnn ) -- eintracht frankfurt 's fairy tale return to the bundesliga has had the old romantics yearning for yesteryear . once a feared and respected name in german and european football , the club has been in the shadow ever since it reached the european cup final some 52 years ago . back in the big time , frankfurt has made a blistering start to its season , winning its first four games before being held to a 3-3 tie by champion borussia dortmund . promotion last season promised a bright future for the club and recent weeks have not disappointed . just two defeats from its first nine games had fans dreaming of the old days when their side was a force in european football . champions dortmund held as eintracht frankfurt set early bundesliga pace in 1959 , eintracht won its one and only bundesliga title and went on to reach the european cup final the following year . just a mention of the 1960 european cup final will have the older supporters recollecting memories of how real madrid , inspired by alfredo di stefano and ferenc puskas , put the germans to the sword that night . puskas , arguably one of the greatest players of his generation , scored four times , while di stefano netted a hat-trick as real ran out 7-3 winners in one of the finest football matches in the competition 's history . while the two clubs may have reached the pinnacle on that night in glasgow , they soon took very different paths as real continued to conquer , while frankfurt began to fade . while frankfurt did reach the 1980 uefa cup , where it lost out to german rivals borussia monchengladbach , success has eluded the club in recent history . the club has struggled to compete with the giants of bayern munich , dortmund and schalke , instead spending its time moving between the top two divisions . not since 2006 has the club appeared in europe , where it competed in the now defunct uefa cup following its appearance in the german cup final . bayern set new record as dortmund slip up against schalke while manager armin veh has performed miracles , there have been signs that life at the top is beginning to catch up with frankfurt . last weekend 's defeat by stuttgart , its second of the campaign , brought the players back down to earth . its home game against greuther fürth , a team sitting bottom of the bundesliga at the start of the weekend , was supposed to provide the opportunity to get back on track frankfurt made the perfect start when alex meier scored with an 18-yard drive after just 20 seconds to claim his fifth goal in as many games . but while many expected greuther fürth to capitulate , it was quite the opposite as frankfurt were forced on to the back foot for much of the contest . fürth , who was promoted from the second division alongside frankfurt last year , has struggled so far this term . but it refused to give up the fight and zoltan stieber fired home a 53rd minute equalizer to claim a point a lift the club off the bottom of the table . bayern unbeaten run in bundesliga halted by bayer leverkusen the result means frankfurt has 20 points from its ten games so far this season and sits in third ahead of the rest of this weekend 's games . and what next for veh 's side ? well , that would be the small question of a trip to the allianz arena to face bayern munich side which reached last season 's champions league final and has won eight of its nine league games this season . if frankfurt was unsure whether it was back in the big time , then next week will certainly provide a healthy dose of reality . | frankfurt sit third in bundesliga with four point advantage over borussia dortmund |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- it 's arguably the most important poll number for any president : his approval rating . as president barack obama gets ready to give the first state of the union address of his second term , his approval rating stands at 50 % , with 43 % saying they disapprove of his performance in the white house , according to a new cnn poll of polls , which averages the latest non-partisan , live operator national surveys . five things to watch here 's where the president stands as he prepares to lay out his second-term agenda : obama vs. obama the president 's 50 % -43 % approval/disapproval rating is down just a bit from a 52 % -43 % approval/disapproval numbers in a cnn poll of polls in mid-january , just before his second inauguration . historically speaking , it 's not a surprise for a second-term president to lose a couple of points in the aftermath of his second inauguration , ' cnn polling director keating holland said . obama approval rating edging down obama vs. predecessors how does obama stack up against the most recent two-term presidents as they gave the first state of the union address of their second term ? george w. bush stood at 51 % in january 2005 and bill clinton was at 62 % in january 1997 , according to cnn/gallup/usa today polling . ronald reagan had a 64 % approval rating in january 1985 and two-thirds of americans approved of richard nixon in january 1973 , according to gallup surveys . nixon 's high rating came just as he announced the end to the vietnam war . 8 memorable state of the union moments obama vs. congress while the president 's approval rating is down slightly from last month and is lower than his immediate predecessors at the start of their second terms , his numbers are still far above both democrats and republicans in congress . according to a quinnipiac university national poll conducted earlier this month , 33 % approved of the job democrats in congress were doing . while that does n't look very good , it 's better than congressional republicans -- their approval rating in the survey stood at 19 % . clint eastwood is n't satisfied with congress priorities , priorities , priorities so what do americans want to hear from the president in his state of the union address ? according to that same quinnipiac poll , 35 % said obama should focus on the economy , with 20 % saying the federal budget deficit is most important to them . gun policy came in third at 15 % , followed by health care at 12 % , foreign policy and immigration each at 5 % and the environment at 3 % . as for the top concern , 53 % of those questioned said the economy is still in a recession , even though the recession technically ended 3â½ years ago . democrats , republicans suggest priorities ahead of state of the union who will be watching ? two-thirds of those surveyed in the quinnipiac poll said they were very or somewhat likely to watch the state of the union -- that includes 86 % of democrats , 64 % of independents and 46 % of republicans . besides the expected partisan divide , there 's a slight gender gap , with 71 % of women and 59 % of men saying they are very or somewhat likely to watch the prime-time speech . the new cnn poll of polls , compiled and released on monday , averages the three nonpartisan , live-operator national surveys conducted in the past two weeks : gallup 's daily tracking poll ( from february 8 to 10 ) ; fox news ( february 4 to 6 ) , and quinnipiac university ( january 30 to february 4 ) . since the poll of polls is an average of multiple surveys , it does not have a sampling error . | obama 's approval rating has dropped a few points in polls since his inauguration |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- it 's arguably the most important poll number for any president : his approval rating . as president barack obama gets ready to give the first state of the union address of his second term , his approval rating stands at 50 % , with 43 % saying they disapprove of his performance in the white house , according to a new cnn poll of polls , which averages the latest non-partisan , live operator national surveys . five things to watch here 's where the president stands as he prepares to lay out his second-term agenda : obama vs. obama the president 's 50 % -43 % approval/disapproval rating is down just a bit from a 52 % -43 % approval/disapproval numbers in a cnn poll of polls in mid-january , just before his second inauguration . historically speaking , it 's not a surprise for a second-term president to lose a couple of points in the aftermath of his second inauguration , ' cnn polling director keating holland said . obama approval rating edging down obama vs. predecessors how does obama stack up against the most recent two-term presidents as they gave the first state of the union address of their second term ? george w. bush stood at 51 % in january 2005 and bill clinton was at 62 % in january 1997 , according to cnn/gallup/usa today polling . ronald reagan had a 64 % approval rating in january 1985 and two-thirds of americans approved of richard nixon in january 1973 , according to gallup surveys . nixon 's high rating came just as he announced the end to the vietnam war . 8 memorable state of the union moments obama vs. congress while the president 's approval rating is down slightly from last month and is lower than his immediate predecessors at the start of their second terms , his numbers are still far above both democrats and republicans in congress . according to a quinnipiac university national poll conducted earlier this month , 33 % approved of the job democrats in congress were doing . while that does n't look very good , it 's better than congressional republicans -- their approval rating in the survey stood at 19 % . clint eastwood is n't satisfied with congress priorities , priorities , priorities so what do americans want to hear from the president in his state of the union address ? according to that same quinnipiac poll , 35 % said obama should focus on the economy , with 20 % saying the federal budget deficit is most important to them . gun policy came in third at 15 % , followed by health care at 12 % , foreign policy and immigration each at 5 % and the environment at 3 % . as for the top concern , 53 % of those questioned said the economy is still in a recession , even though the recession technically ended 3â½ years ago . democrats , republicans suggest priorities ahead of state of the union who will be watching ? two-thirds of those surveyed in the quinnipiac poll said they were very or somewhat likely to watch the state of the union -- that includes 86 % of democrats , 64 % of independents and 46 % of republicans . besides the expected partisan divide , there 's a slight gender gap , with 71 % of women and 59 % of men saying they are very or somewhat likely to watch the prime-time speech . the new cnn poll of polls , compiled and released on monday , averages the three nonpartisan , live-operator national surveys conducted in the past two weeks : gallup 's daily tracking poll ( from february 8 to 10 ) ; fox news ( february 4 to 6 ) , and quinnipiac university ( january 30 to february 4 ) . since the poll of polls is an average of multiple surveys , it does not have a sampling error . | while obama 's numbers have slipped , they 're still well above those of congress |
fbi <tsp> after three days of poring over photos and video , investigators appealed to the public to help them identify two men now considered suspects in the boston marathon bombings . the men were photographed walking down boylston street , one behind the other , near the finish line of monday 's race . suspect 1 was seen wearing a light-colored , collarless shirt underneath a dark-colored jacket and wearing a dark baseball cap . the man identified as suspect 2 was seen setting down a backpack at the site of the second explosion within minutes ' of the blasts that killed three people and wounded nearly 180 , said special agent rick deslauriers , the head of the fbi 's boston office . he was wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt , a black jacket and a white baseball cap turned backward . in particular , deslauriers asked for help from anyone standing in front of the forum restaurant , where the second bombing happened . somebody out there knows these individuals as friends , neighbors , co-workers or family members of the suspects , ' deslauriers said . and though it may be difficult , the nation is counting on those with information to come forward and provide it to us . ' people with possible information on the two men were urged to go to the fbi 's website , https : //bostonmarathontips.fbi.gov , or call 800-call-fbi ( 800-225-5324 ) . by thursday evening , authorities already had received a large volume of calls ... as a result of the photos , ' an fbi official said . the fbi 's website , moreover , had been inundated with record traffic . it was n't immediately known then whether any of the tips had led to the suspects . deslauriers cautioned that anyone who think they know their identities should be careful , and consider them armed and extremely dangerous . ' no one should approach them , ' he said . no one should attempt to apprehend them except law enforcement . ''they acted differently than everyone else' other footage , still unreleased , shows that the two suspects stayed at the scene to watch the carnage unfold , a federal law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation told cnn 's susan candiotti . when the bombs blow up , when most people are running away and victims were lying on the ground , the two suspects walk away pretty casually , ' said the official , who has seen the unreleased video . they acted differently than everyone else . ' while video of at least one suspect planting the bomb exists , the fbi had chosen not to release it , according to the official . one reason , according to the official , is that were the media to repeatedly show the suspects leaving the bomb , it might cause some people to overreact if they came into contact with them . deslauriers said intelligence had been developed on the first suspect within the last day or so . ' the official who spoke with cnn said images of the second suspect were isolated wednesday . flood of digital evidence a blessing and a curse the investigation also turned toward the possibility that the bombs had been detonated by remote control , a federal law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said thursday . investigators contacted the maker of a battery found in the debris of the blasts , said benjamin mull , a vice president at tenergy corporation . one of the firm 's batteries , typically used in remote-controlled hobby cars , was found in the aftermath of the attack , connected to some wires and a piece of plastic . in the early hours of the investigation , a law enforcement official told cnn that the bombs were probably detonated by timers . the fbi has said details of the detonating system were unknown . while the latest clues moved the investigation forward , it is still unclear whether the attack was an act of domestic or foreign terrorism . bombers'picked the wrong city ,'obama says thursday evening 's fbi announcement capped a day in which president barack obama brought a mixture of reassurance and defiance to an interfaith memorial service in the city 's cathedral of the holy cross . whoever planted the bombs picked the wrong city ' to attack , he said . every one of us stands with you , ' obama told the crowd . boston may be your hometown -- but we claim it , too . ... for millions of us , what happened on monday is personal . ' addressing the still-unknown perpetrators , obama added : yes , we will find you . and yes , you will face justice . we will hold you accountable . ' and he looked ahead to next year 's race , predicting that the world will return to this great american city to run even harder and to cheer even louder for the 118th boston marathon . bet on it . ' how we 're affected as a nation by the bombing , other incidents among the crowd of about 2,000 were first lady michelle obama ; the president 's republican challenger last november , former massachusetts gov . mitt romney ; the state 's current governor , deval patrick ; and boston mayor thomas menino . during an interlude , attendees were soothed by a performance by famed cellist yo-yo ma . menino praised each of the three bystanders who were killed in the blasts -- martin richard , described as a young boy with a big heart ' ; krystle campbell , whose spirit brought her to the marathon year after year ' ; and lingzu lu , who came to the city in search of an education . ' the audience also included scores of police officers and other first responders . crowds erupted in cheers as the cathedral emptied out at the end of the service , while others sang the national anthem . how to help obama also stopped at a high school to thank a group of first responders and volunteers and met with patients recovering from the attacks at massachusetts general hospital . it was extremely uplifting for them , ' said dr. david king , a trauma surgeon at the hospital . i think it 's incredibly inspiring that he would take time out and visit them and have a sincere interaction with all of these folks that have been hurt . ' obama was humbled by the patients'bravery and their fortitude and their drive to continue , ' he added . the first lady met with patients , families and hospital staff at boston children 's hospital and brigham and women 's hospital , the white house said . the wounded : 59 still hospitalized investigators say the bombs , which exploded 12 seconds apart , were designed to deliver the most vicious suffering . a total of 59 people remained hospitalized on thursday , six of them in critical condition , according to boston-area hospitals . at least 13 people lost limbs as a result of the bombing . one device was housed in a pressure cooker hidden inside a backpack , the fbi said . the device also had fragments that may have included nails , bbs and ball bearings , the agency said . the second bomb was in a metal container , but it was unclear whether it was in a pressure cooker as well , the fbi said . photos obtained by cnn show the remains of a pressure cooker found at the scene , along with a shredded black backpack and what appear to be metal pellets or ball bearings . they were sent to the fbi 's national laboratory in virginia , where technicians will try to reconstruct the devices . in the past , the u.s. government has warned federal agencies that terrorists could turn pressure cookers into bombs by packing them with explosives and shrapnel and detonating them with blasting caps . family and friends , meanwhile , were mourning the three dead : • richard , the 8-year-old boy with a gap-tooth grin and bright eyes . he loved to run and play in his yard . • campbell , a 29-year-old freckle-faced woman described by her mother as having a heart of gold . ' • lu , the chinese graduate student at boston university who had moved to the city last fall , making friends and soaking up new experiences . the u.s. state department has been in contact with her family and the chinese foreign ministry , secretary of state john kerry said in a statement released thursday . we stand ready to provide whatever appropriate assistance we can to the family members of foreign nationals in the aftermath of this despicable act of terror , ' kerry said . | the fbi gets a large volume ' of calls after releasing photos of suspects , official says |
fbi <tsp> after three days of poring over photos and video , investigators appealed to the public to help them identify two men now considered suspects in the boston marathon bombings . the men were photographed walking down boylston street , one behind the other , near the finish line of monday 's race . suspect 1 was seen wearing a light-colored , collarless shirt underneath a dark-colored jacket and wearing a dark baseball cap . the man identified as suspect 2 was seen setting down a backpack at the site of the second explosion within minutes ' of the blasts that killed three people and wounded nearly 180 , said special agent rick deslauriers , the head of the fbi 's boston office . he was wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt , a black jacket and a white baseball cap turned backward . in particular , deslauriers asked for help from anyone standing in front of the forum restaurant , where the second bombing happened . somebody out there knows these individuals as friends , neighbors , co-workers or family members of the suspects , ' deslauriers said . and though it may be difficult , the nation is counting on those with information to come forward and provide it to us . ' people with possible information on the two men were urged to go to the fbi 's website , https : //bostonmarathontips.fbi.gov , or call 800-call-fbi ( 800-225-5324 ) . by thursday evening , authorities already had received a large volume of calls ... as a result of the photos , ' an fbi official said . the fbi 's website , moreover , had been inundated with record traffic . it was n't immediately known then whether any of the tips had led to the suspects . deslauriers cautioned that anyone who think they know their identities should be careful , and consider them armed and extremely dangerous . ' no one should approach them , ' he said . no one should attempt to apprehend them except law enforcement . ''they acted differently than everyone else' other footage , still unreleased , shows that the two suspects stayed at the scene to watch the carnage unfold , a federal law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation told cnn 's susan candiotti . when the bombs blow up , when most people are running away and victims were lying on the ground , the two suspects walk away pretty casually , ' said the official , who has seen the unreleased video . they acted differently than everyone else . ' while video of at least one suspect planting the bomb exists , the fbi had chosen not to release it , according to the official . one reason , according to the official , is that were the media to repeatedly show the suspects leaving the bomb , it might cause some people to overreact if they came into contact with them . deslauriers said intelligence had been developed on the first suspect within the last day or so . ' the official who spoke with cnn said images of the second suspect were isolated wednesday . flood of digital evidence a blessing and a curse the investigation also turned toward the possibility that the bombs had been detonated by remote control , a federal law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said thursday . investigators contacted the maker of a battery found in the debris of the blasts , said benjamin mull , a vice president at tenergy corporation . one of the firm 's batteries , typically used in remote-controlled hobby cars , was found in the aftermath of the attack , connected to some wires and a piece of plastic . in the early hours of the investigation , a law enforcement official told cnn that the bombs were probably detonated by timers . the fbi has said details of the detonating system were unknown . while the latest clues moved the investigation forward , it is still unclear whether the attack was an act of domestic or foreign terrorism . bombers'picked the wrong city ,'obama says thursday evening 's fbi announcement capped a day in which president barack obama brought a mixture of reassurance and defiance to an interfaith memorial service in the city 's cathedral of the holy cross . whoever planted the bombs picked the wrong city ' to attack , he said . every one of us stands with you , ' obama told the crowd . boston may be your hometown -- but we claim it , too . ... for millions of us , what happened on monday is personal . ' addressing the still-unknown perpetrators , obama added : yes , we will find you . and yes , you will face justice . we will hold you accountable . ' and he looked ahead to next year 's race , predicting that the world will return to this great american city to run even harder and to cheer even louder for the 118th boston marathon . bet on it . ' how we 're affected as a nation by the bombing , other incidents among the crowd of about 2,000 were first lady michelle obama ; the president 's republican challenger last november , former massachusetts gov . mitt romney ; the state 's current governor , deval patrick ; and boston mayor thomas menino . during an interlude , attendees were soothed by a performance by famed cellist yo-yo ma . menino praised each of the three bystanders who were killed in the blasts -- martin richard , described as a young boy with a big heart ' ; krystle campbell , whose spirit brought her to the marathon year after year ' ; and lingzu lu , who came to the city in search of an education . ' the audience also included scores of police officers and other first responders . crowds erupted in cheers as the cathedral emptied out at the end of the service , while others sang the national anthem . how to help obama also stopped at a high school to thank a group of first responders and volunteers and met with patients recovering from the attacks at massachusetts general hospital . it was extremely uplifting for them , ' said dr. david king , a trauma surgeon at the hospital . i think it 's incredibly inspiring that he would take time out and visit them and have a sincere interaction with all of these folks that have been hurt . ' obama was humbled by the patients'bravery and their fortitude and their drive to continue , ' he added . the first lady met with patients , families and hospital staff at boston children 's hospital and brigham and women 's hospital , the white house said . the wounded : 59 still hospitalized investigators say the bombs , which exploded 12 seconds apart , were designed to deliver the most vicious suffering . a total of 59 people remained hospitalized on thursday , six of them in critical condition , according to boston-area hospitals . at least 13 people lost limbs as a result of the bombing . one device was housed in a pressure cooker hidden inside a backpack , the fbi said . the device also had fragments that may have included nails , bbs and ball bearings , the agency said . the second bomb was in a metal container , but it was unclear whether it was in a pressure cooker as well , the fbi said . photos obtained by cnn show the remains of a pressure cooker found at the scene , along with a shredded black backpack and what appear to be metal pellets or ball bearings . they were sent to the fbi 's national laboratory in virginia , where technicians will try to reconstruct the devices . in the past , the u.s. government has warned federal agencies that terrorists could turn pressure cookers into bombs by packing them with explosives and shrapnel and detonating them with blasting caps . family and friends , meanwhile , were mourning the three dead : • richard , the 8-year-old boy with a gap-tooth grin and bright eyes . he loved to run and play in his yard . • campbell , a 29-year-old freckle-faced woman described by her mother as having a heart of gold . ' • lu , the chinese graduate student at boston university who had moved to the city last fall , making friends and soaking up new experiences . the u.s. state department has been in contact with her family and the chinese foreign ministry , secretary of state john kerry said in a statement released thursday . we stand ready to provide whatever appropriate assistance we can to the family members of foreign nationals in the aftermath of this despicable act of terror , ' kerry said . | somebody out there knows ' the 2 suspects in the case , an fbi agent says |
getafe <tsp> ( cnn ) -- barcelona failed to keep pace in the la liga title race with record breaking real madrid saturday after being held goalless at getafe . with the pressure on after real 's 4-1 win at almeria , its 20th straight , barca just could not find the way past the home defense . it trails its arch-rival by four points with real headed to morocco sunday to play in fifa 's club world cup . the draw is n't a great result , ' barcelona captain xavi hernandez told afp . there 's still a long way to go in the league , but admittedly it 's a step backwards , ' he added . the catalan giant was missing brazilian star neymar through an ankle injury but otherwise fielded a strong side in the coliseum alfonso perez luis suarez -- still searching for his first la liga goal for his new club -- went close in the first half after turning an effort just wide , while both sides had penalty appeals for handball turned down . lionel messi almost broke the deadlock after the break but saw a free kick rattle the crossbar and he also headed over from a good position . it was a rare failure to register on the score sheet for messi , all the more galling after his scoring rival cristiano ronaldo scored a late double in real 's victory the previous evening . ronaldo had been a largely peripheral figure for 80 minutes until adding two fine late strikes to earlier goals from isco and gareth bale for the european champions . it took his tally in la liga to 25 for the season . garcia rabasco had given almeria hope with a thumping strike to level isco 's opener and real also had iker casillas to thank for saving a second half penalty to keep his side in front . chelsea continues to set a hot pace in the english premier league , bouncing back after a 2-1 defeat to newcastle last weekend to beat 10-man hull 2-0 at stamford bridge saturday . eden hazard put jose mourinho 's men ahead early , but the home side was helped by the controversial dismissal of hull 's tom huddlestone 's for a challenge on filipe luis on the hour mark . diego costa wrapped up the three points with his 12th of the season soon afterwards . it left chelsea three points clear of reigning champion manchester city , who continued its fine recent form with a 1-0 victory at bottom side leicester city . former chelsea star frank lampard scored the winning goal for city , his 175th in the epl , in the first half . but the visitors lost edin dzeko and vincent kompany to worrying injuries ahead of the busy christmas program in england . third-placed manchester united is now eight points behind its city rival ahead of a crunch home match against liverpool sunday . bayern munich 's march to yet another bundesliga title continues unchecked , thrashing augsburg 4-0 . it left bayern 10 points clear of wolfsburg , the second-placed side playing paderborn sunday in an attempt to close the gap . after a goalless first-half , visitors bayern dominated after the break as dutch ace arjen robben netted twice while medhi benatia and robert lewandowski were also on target . meanwhile , bayern 's traditional rival borussia dortmund slipped back into the relegation zone with a 1-0 defeat at fellow struggler hertha berlin . former dortmund player julian schieber scored the only goal of the match against his old club , who slip to 16th with only four wins from 15 bundesliga games this season . | barcelona held to 0-0 draw at getafe |
karen matthews <tsp> a woman was jailed for eight years by a british court friday for her part in the kidnap of her own daughter . karen matthews and michael donovan were both involved in the plot to kidnap shannon . nine-year-old shannon matthews was locked in an apartment for 24 days after going missing from her home in february last year . after a massive police investigation , karen matthews , 33 , was found guilty last month of kidnap , false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice . she was sentenced at leeds crown court in west yorkshire , northern england , the british press association reported . her former partner 's uncle , michael donovan , 40 , was also convicted of the same offences and received an eight-year jail term , pa said . prosecutors say donovan abducted shannon as she was on her way home from school in dewsbury , west yorkshire . they claim he gave her temazepam -- a type of sleeping tablet -- and travel sickness pills and kept her tethered to an elasticated strap attached to a roof beam through a loft hatch when he went out . meanwhile matthews kept up a wicked and dishonest lie ' as her daughter became the subject of a massive police search operation and a reward fund offered by a local newspaper grew to $ 50,000 , jurors were told . donovan planned to release shannon and then discover ' her , prosecutors said . according to pa , matthews told five versions of what happened to shannon , ranging from being a distraught mother whose daughter had gone missing to blaming the crime on her former partner craig meehan and other members of his family . it also emerged in court that donovan abducted one of his own daughters after he became involved in a custody battle with his former wife , pa said . | karen matthews , 33 , and michael donovan , 40 , jailed for 8 years |
nick denton <tsp> austin , texas ( cnn ) -- in the early days of the internet , there was hope that the unprecedented tool for global communication would lead to thoughtful sharing and discussion on its most popular sites . a decade and a half later , the very idea is laughable , says gawker media founder nick denton . it did n't happen , ' said denton , whose properties include the blogs gawker , jezebel , gizmodo , io9 and lifehacker . it 's a promise that has so not happened that people do n't even have that ambition anymore . the idea of capturing the intelligence of the readership -- that 's a joke . ' denton was speaking at south by southwest interactive , the annual festival here devoted to web and digital culture . he said that commenting on his own sites ( which he 's seen make reporters cry ) has gotten so bad that he does n't engage . i do n't like going into the comments . ... for every two comments that are interesting -- even if they 're critical , you want to engage with them -- there will be eight that are off-topic or just toxic , ' he said . and as sites get more popular , it 's harder to control the comments , which inevitably get nastier . what you can manage on a small site ... the level of discussion you can have on those is not the level you 're able to have on a newspaper site or one of our sites . our smaller blogs have 2 million unique ( visitors per month ) . ... it 's hard to have that intimacy . ' so , what 's the solution ? when it comes to improving open discussion threads , denton , during an interview-style discussion with blogger and expert labs director anil dash , seemed quicker to shoot down ideas that others are trying than to provide proposals of his own . having editors and reporters engage their readers in the comments ? the writer of the piece has to move on to the next piece . they do n't have time to moderate all those comments . ' require readers to post using their real names ? my own view is that anonymity is at the heart of the internet . ' give other commenters more power to up-vote ' or down-vote ' posts ? we do n't really believe in the democratic process of decision-making when it comes to discussion , ' denton said . for example , he said , jezebel has made lots of hay off of sexual harassment accusations against american apparel chief executive officer dov charney . denton said he 'd love to see charney come into the comments section to defend himself . if you put it to a vote , 90 % would vote to ban him . they hate that guy , ' denton said . if dov charney went into the jezebel comments , he 'd be torn limb from limb ; his limbs are n't all that would be torn off . ' the answer ? denton said his sites are planning to post some stories that allow only a hand-picked , pre-approved group of people to comment on them . that , he said , would make the comment section an extension of the story and allow people , like charney in the above example , to have their say without fear of being piled onto by others . i think it 's part of the answer , ' he said . what i want is , i want the sources -- i want the experts to be able to comment in these discussions . ' when he took questions , denton had to do a little answering about the responsibility the tone of a site itself has in guiding its comments section . many of gawker 's sites are n't known for being particularly delicate ( one of today 's top gawker headlines : arnold schwarzenegger 's son injures ass skiing , tweets photo ' ) . it 's certainly true that nice sites run by nice people ... that encourages good behavior , ' denton said . but it 's not as if it 's entirely the writer setting the tone for the comments . sometimes , it 's the comments setting the tone for the writer . ' | nick denton speaks at the south by southwest interactive festival |
democrats <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- health care reform backers won a key victory saturday night as the senate voted to move ahead with a floor debate on a sweeping $ 848 billion bill . the 60-39 vote to prevent a republican filibuster against the start of debate on senate majority leader harry reid 's legislation broke down along strict party lines . all 58 senate democrats -- along with independent sens . joe lieberman of connecticut and bernie sanders of vermont -- supported bringing the measure to the floor . thirty-nine of the 40 senate republicans opposed the motion . sen. george voinovich , r-ohio , did n't vote . tonight 's historic vote brings us one step closer to ending insurance company abuses , reining in spiraling health care costs , providing stability and security to those with health insurance and extending quality health coverage to those who lack it , ' white house press secretary robert gibbs said in a statement . the polarized vote set the table for a holiday season now virtually certain to be marked by acrimonious deliberations on president obama 's top domestic priority . top senate democrats , who are trying to pass a bill before the end of the year , spent much of the day tarring their republican colleagues as defenders of a broken status quo benefitting rich insurance companies at the expense of ordinary american families . republicans , in turn , slammed democrats for pushing a bill that conservatives insist will force millions of americans to drop insurance plans they like while boosting premiums , raising taxes and leading to government rationing of care . read the health care bill ( pdf ) ' today we [ decide ] whether to even discuss one of the greatest issues of our generation , ' reid , a nevada democrat , said shortly before the vote . whether this nation will finally guarantee its people the right to live free from fear of illness and death , which can be prevented by decent health care for all . ' the republicans are frightening people , ' said sen. tom harkin , d-iowa . now is not the time to go wobbly in the knees . now is the time to stand strong ... and move this country forward . ' this bill ... is a massive monument to bureaucracy and spending , ' replied senate minority leader mitch mcconnell , r-kentucky . it imposes punishing taxes on almost everyone . ... a vote in favor of proceeding to this bill is a vote in favor of adding to the tax burden of the american people in the midst of double digit unemployment . ' the bill does worse than nothing , ' said sen. chuck grassley , r-iowa . it threatens the economic recovery . ... changes to the health care system must be responsible and not break the backs of the taxpayers . ' the procedural vote represented another milestone in what has become an epic battle over the future of america 's health care system . the house of representatives narrowly passed a more than $ 1 trillion bill this month . if the senate also manages to pass a bill , a congressional conference committee will then need to merge the house and senate proposals into a consensus version requiring final approval from each chamber before moving to obama 's desk to be signed into law . the nonpartisan congressional budget office has projected that reid 's 2,074-page bill would extend health insurance coverage to 31 million additional americans . the agency estimates that the proposal would reduce the federal deficit by $ 130 billion over the next 10 years , through 2019 . any effect on the deficit in the following decade would be subject to substantial uncertainty , ' but probably would result in small reductions in federal budget deficits , ' according to budget office analysts . a minimum of 60 votes is required to break a filibuster in the 100-member senate . the outcome of the senate vote was unclear before saturday afternoon , when sen. blanche lincoln , d-arkansas , announced her intention to back a floor debate on the measure . lincoln , a key moderate probably facing a tough re-election campaign in 2010 , said the issue deserved further debate and consideration . she made clear , however , that she opposes several aspects of reid 's bill , including a controversial government-run public option . although i do n't agree with everything in this bill , i believe it is important to begin debate , ' lincoln said . the issue is very complex . there is no easy fix . ' republicans wasted no time tearing into lincoln 's vote , issuing a news release while she was still announcing her decision , proclaiming that she had caved to pressure from the left wing of her party . ' there 's no doubt that this vote will be a critical issue for sen. lincoln as she embarks on her uphill re-election bid , ' said amber wilkerson marchand , a gop spokeswoman . the people of arkansas will have an opportunity to hold her accountable when they cast their ballots next november . ' two other democratic moderates whose support was considered to be in doubt -- nebraska 's ben nelson and louisiana 's mary landrieu -- also announced their decision to back a full debate shortly before the vote . reid 's bill , projected to ensure coverage for 94 percent of americans , includes a range of tax increases and new fees . the medicare payroll tax on individuals earning $ 200,000 a year and couples earning $ 250,000 a year would increase by half a percentage point , from the current 1.45 percent to 1.95 percent . in addition , insurers providing costly health coverage -- known as cadillac plans -- would face a 40 percent tax on policies worth more than $ 8,500 for individuals and $ 23,000 for families . the bill also includes a 5 percent tax on the cost of elective cosmetic surgery , as well as new fees for insurers and pharmaceutical manufacturers . the total projected revenue raised by all the taxes and fees would exceed $ 200 billion . the bill would require individuals to buy health insurance , with a fine for non-compliance of $ 95 in the first year that would escalate to $ 750 by 2016 . unlike the plan recently passed by the house , the senate bill does not mandate that all employers offer health care . businesses with more than 50 workers , where at least one employee qualifies for government subsidies , would face a penalty of $ 750 for every full-time employee if it does not offer health care coverage . reid 's bill also would expand government-run medicaid coverage for the poor to everyone making less than 133 percent of the national poverty level . democratic leaders in both chambers have been wrestling with the most contentious issues , including abortion and immigration , as well as how to pay for reform . the house bill has more restrictive abortion language and includes a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge on individuals making more than $ 500,000 and couples earning more than $ 1 million . both bills include a government-run public option , but the senate version allows states to opt out before the national program would go into effect in 2014 . the two bills are virtually identical on a broad range of changes , including creating health insurance exchanges , expanding medicaid , subsidizing insurance for low- and some middle-income families , and capping out-of-pocket medical expenses while preventing insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions . insurers under both plans would be barred from charging higher premiums based on a person 's gender or medical history . | all 58 democrats , two independents clinch vote |
democrats <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- health care reform backers won a key victory saturday night as the senate voted to move ahead with a floor debate on a sweeping $ 848 billion bill . the 60-39 vote to prevent a republican filibuster against the start of debate on senate majority leader harry reid 's legislation broke down along strict party lines . all 58 senate democrats -- along with independent sens . joe lieberman of connecticut and bernie sanders of vermont -- supported bringing the measure to the floor . thirty-nine of the 40 senate republicans opposed the motion . sen. george voinovich , r-ohio , did n't vote . tonight 's historic vote brings us one step closer to ending insurance company abuses , reining in spiraling health care costs , providing stability and security to those with health insurance and extending quality health coverage to those who lack it , ' white house press secretary robert gibbs said in a statement . the polarized vote set the table for a holiday season now virtually certain to be marked by acrimonious deliberations on president obama 's top domestic priority . top senate democrats , who are trying to pass a bill before the end of the year , spent much of the day tarring their republican colleagues as defenders of a broken status quo benefitting rich insurance companies at the expense of ordinary american families . republicans , in turn , slammed democrats for pushing a bill that conservatives insist will force millions of americans to drop insurance plans they like while boosting premiums , raising taxes and leading to government rationing of care . read the health care bill ( pdf ) ' today we [ decide ] whether to even discuss one of the greatest issues of our generation , ' reid , a nevada democrat , said shortly before the vote . whether this nation will finally guarantee its people the right to live free from fear of illness and death , which can be prevented by decent health care for all . ' the republicans are frightening people , ' said sen. tom harkin , d-iowa . now is not the time to go wobbly in the knees . now is the time to stand strong ... and move this country forward . ' this bill ... is a massive monument to bureaucracy and spending , ' replied senate minority leader mitch mcconnell , r-kentucky . it imposes punishing taxes on almost everyone . ... a vote in favor of proceeding to this bill is a vote in favor of adding to the tax burden of the american people in the midst of double digit unemployment . ' the bill does worse than nothing , ' said sen. chuck grassley , r-iowa . it threatens the economic recovery . ... changes to the health care system must be responsible and not break the backs of the taxpayers . ' the procedural vote represented another milestone in what has become an epic battle over the future of america 's health care system . the house of representatives narrowly passed a more than $ 1 trillion bill this month . if the senate also manages to pass a bill , a congressional conference committee will then need to merge the house and senate proposals into a consensus version requiring final approval from each chamber before moving to obama 's desk to be signed into law . the nonpartisan congressional budget office has projected that reid 's 2,074-page bill would extend health insurance coverage to 31 million additional americans . the agency estimates that the proposal would reduce the federal deficit by $ 130 billion over the next 10 years , through 2019 . any effect on the deficit in the following decade would be subject to substantial uncertainty , ' but probably would result in small reductions in federal budget deficits , ' according to budget office analysts . a minimum of 60 votes is required to break a filibuster in the 100-member senate . the outcome of the senate vote was unclear before saturday afternoon , when sen. blanche lincoln , d-arkansas , announced her intention to back a floor debate on the measure . lincoln , a key moderate probably facing a tough re-election campaign in 2010 , said the issue deserved further debate and consideration . she made clear , however , that she opposes several aspects of reid 's bill , including a controversial government-run public option . although i do n't agree with everything in this bill , i believe it is important to begin debate , ' lincoln said . the issue is very complex . there is no easy fix . ' republicans wasted no time tearing into lincoln 's vote , issuing a news release while she was still announcing her decision , proclaiming that she had caved to pressure from the left wing of her party . ' there 's no doubt that this vote will be a critical issue for sen. lincoln as she embarks on her uphill re-election bid , ' said amber wilkerson marchand , a gop spokeswoman . the people of arkansas will have an opportunity to hold her accountable when they cast their ballots next november . ' two other democratic moderates whose support was considered to be in doubt -- nebraska 's ben nelson and louisiana 's mary landrieu -- also announced their decision to back a full debate shortly before the vote . reid 's bill , projected to ensure coverage for 94 percent of americans , includes a range of tax increases and new fees . the medicare payroll tax on individuals earning $ 200,000 a year and couples earning $ 250,000 a year would increase by half a percentage point , from the current 1.45 percent to 1.95 percent . in addition , insurers providing costly health coverage -- known as cadillac plans -- would face a 40 percent tax on policies worth more than $ 8,500 for individuals and $ 23,000 for families . the bill also includes a 5 percent tax on the cost of elective cosmetic surgery , as well as new fees for insurers and pharmaceutical manufacturers . the total projected revenue raised by all the taxes and fees would exceed $ 200 billion . the bill would require individuals to buy health insurance , with a fine for non-compliance of $ 95 in the first year that would escalate to $ 750 by 2016 . unlike the plan recently passed by the house , the senate bill does not mandate that all employers offer health care . businesses with more than 50 workers , where at least one employee qualifies for government subsidies , would face a penalty of $ 750 for every full-time employee if it does not offer health care coverage . reid 's bill also would expand government-run medicaid coverage for the poor to everyone making less than 133 percent of the national poverty level . democratic leaders in both chambers have been wrestling with the most contentious issues , including abortion and immigration , as well as how to pay for reform . the house bill has more restrictive abortion language and includes a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge on individuals making more than $ 500,000 and couples earning more than $ 1 million . both bills include a government-run public option , but the senate version allows states to opt out before the national program would go into effect in 2014 . the two bills are virtually identical on a broad range of changes , including creating health insurance exchanges , expanding medicaid , subsidizing insurance for low- and some middle-income families , and capping out-of-pocket medical expenses while preventing insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions . insurers under both plans would be barred from charging higher premiums based on a person 's gender or medical history . | democrats rip into republicans as defenders of status quo |
hillary <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there has been a lot of talk by the right wing recently about the success of hillary and bill clinton since they left the white house . republicans are denouncing her personal wealth . they 're attacking someone for achieving the american dream . they 're upset that bill clinton is buying american-made watches , manufactured in detroit , to give to his friends . but here 's the thing about these petty attacks : bottom line , that dog just wo n't hunt . americans know it because they know the clintons . we all know hillary clinton never stops looking to the future and never stops putting people first . opinion : it 's about opportunity , stupid : why clinton 's comments matter it does n't take much to see these attacks for what they are . republicans are emphasizing the financial success of the clintons to diminish hillary clinton 's greatest strengths -- particularly her lifelong record fighting for working people and middle-class families . republicans want us to think , somehow , that hillary clinton has not been fighting for all of us for the past four decades . we know better . hillary clinton 's entire being -- her lifetime history -- reflects her commitment to ensuring that the ability to get ahead should be determined by hard work , ambition and goals , not by circumstances . in the '70s , hillary took her first job at the children 's defense fund to advocate for better education and health for children . she worked to expand health care in rural arkansas , where it was not readily available to all . in the '80s , hillary co-founded arkansas advocates for children and families and helped found arkansas'first rape hotline . in the '90s , hillary helped create the state children 's health insurance program and she helped expand head start for low-income working families and provide after-school opportunities for older children . in the early 2000s , hillary led the charge in the senate for equal pay for equal work ; she fought to expand health care for national guard members and reservists ; she secured funding for 9/11 first responders . as secretary of state , hillary clinton tirelessly engaged in diplomacy abroad in an effort to bring jobs to the united states . that 's four decades'worth of work on behalf of the american people -- a record that should deflate any smoke and mirrors attack by the right wing . yes , the clintons have become financially successful -- and they 've used their success to do even more good . between 2000 and 2007 alone , the clintons donated over $ 10 million to charity . hillary clinton has , on multiple occasions , raised more money for charity in one night than most people do in a lifetime . while the right wing remains focused on making sure the top 1 % of income earners can keep their bush tax cuts , hillary clinton continues her work today to make sure that other people get the chance to live the american dream that she has experienced . working hard , reaching for the stars , and then giving back are profoundly american values . the clintons embody this in all that they do , and republican attempts to distract from that do n't even cut butter . americans know -- hands down -- that hillary clinton will continue looking to the future , fighting for the middle class , and putting first the lives of all americans . how hillary clinton flubbed the wealth question opinion : it 's about opportunity , stupid : why clinton 's comments matter join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . | that 's in contrast to hillary 's lifelong work championing the middle class , he says |
daily curriculum <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- september 13 , 2013 with u.s. and russian officials meeting in geneva , switzerland , cnn student news shares the city 's history as a site for diplomatic negotiations . we also report on severe flooding in colorado , and we explore a connection between detroit 's financial struggles and thousands of stray dogs . plus , we explain the most significant day on the jewish calendar . 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 could be the potential benefits and drawbacks of a world leader sending a message to another country through the news media ? weekly newsquiz : the following questions relate to events that were covered this week on cnn student news . write your answers in the space provided . 1 . what city was chosen to host the 2020 olympic games ? 2 . in which country did the u.s. secretary of state and the russian foreign minister recently meet to discuss syria ? 3 . what u.s. state has the highest mean elevation of all 50 states ? 4 . what jewish holiday is known as the day of atonement ' ? 5 . what international cause does malala yousafzai champion : conditions in refugee camps , education rights , or women 's equality in sports ? 6 . what european country did a recent survey rank as the happiest nation on earth ? 7 . in what city is one world trade center being constructed ? 8 . what is the largest u.s. city to file for bankruptcy ? 9. who painted the recently discovered artwork sunset at montmajour ' ? 10 . in what ocean did scientists find the largest volcano on earth ? 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 : europe geneva , switzerland north america detroit , michigan ; colorado 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 ) -- september 13 , 2013 with u.s. and russian officials meeting in geneva , switzerland , cnn student news shares the city 's history as a site for diplomatic negotiations . we also report on severe flooding in colorado , and we explore a connection between detroit 's financial struggles and thousands of stray dogs . plus , we explain the most significant day on the jewish calendar . 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 could be the potential benefits and drawbacks of a world leader sending a message to another country through the news media ? weekly newsquiz : the following questions relate to events that were covered this week on cnn student news . write your answers in the space provided . 1 . what city was chosen to host the 2020 olympic games ? 2 . in which country did the u.s. secretary of state and the russian foreign minister recently meet to discuss syria ? 3 . what u.s. state has the highest mean elevation of all 50 states ? 4 . what jewish holiday is known as the day of atonement ' ? 5 . what international cause does malala yousafzai champion : conditions in refugee camps , education rights , or women 's equality in sports ? 6 . what european country did a recent survey rank as the happiest nation on earth ? 7 . in what city is one world trade center being constructed ? 8 . what is the largest u.s. city to file for bankruptcy ? 9. who painted the recently discovered artwork sunset at montmajour ' ? 10 . in what ocean did scientists find the largest volcano on earth ? 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 : europe geneva , switzerland north america detroit , michigan ; colorado 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 's newsquiz tests students'knowledge of events in the news |
daily curriculum <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- september 13 , 2013 with u.s. and russian officials meeting in geneva , switzerland , cnn student news shares the city 's history as a site for diplomatic negotiations . we also report on severe flooding in colorado , and we explore a connection between detroit 's financial struggles and thousands of stray dogs . plus , we explain the most significant day on the jewish calendar . 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 could be the potential benefits and drawbacks of a world leader sending a message to another country through the news media ? weekly newsquiz : the following questions relate to events that were covered this week on cnn student news . write your answers in the space provided . 1 . what city was chosen to host the 2020 olympic games ? 2 . in which country did the u.s. secretary of state and the russian foreign minister recently meet to discuss syria ? 3 . what u.s. state has the highest mean elevation of all 50 states ? 4 . what jewish holiday is known as the day of atonement ' ? 5 . what international cause does malala yousafzai champion : conditions in refugee camps , education rights , or women 's equality in sports ? 6 . what european country did a recent survey rank as the happiest nation on earth ? 7 . in what city is one world trade center being constructed ? 8 . what is the largest u.s. city to file for bankruptcy ? 9. who painted the recently discovered artwork sunset at montmajour ' ? 10 . in what ocean did scientists find the largest volcano on earth ? 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 : europe geneva , switzerland north america detroit , michigan ; colorado 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 |
nfl <tsp> ( cnn ) -- george steinbrenner was a cracker who made a lot of african-american millionaires , ' conservative radio host rush limbaugh said tuesday of the new york yankees owner who died earlier in the day from a heart attack . he fired a bunch of white guys as managers left and right , ' limbaugh said . the comments prompted civil rights activist rev . al sharpton to rebuke the radio talker , calling his comments repugnant and offensive whether they were intended to be facetious or tongue and cheek . ' for the last 20 years i have known george steinbrenner , and we have quarrelled over diversity and community programs , but i always found him fair , direct , and genuinely prone to do what he felt was right , ' sharpton said , adding that limbaugh owed the steinbrenner family an apology that the first day of their mourning to have to be subjected to this type of rhetoric . ' premiere radio networks , which broadcast limbaugh 's show , has not responded to requests for comment . it 's not the first time limbaugh , sports and race have caused a stir . he resigned from espn in 2003 after saying on air that the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well . ' they 're interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well , ' he said during a discussion of philadelphia eagles quarterback donovan mcnabb . i think there 's a little hope invested in mcnabb , and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really did n't deserve . ' that comment came back to haunt him last year when he joined a consortium that sought to buy the st. louis rams . he was ultimately dropped from the group after a firestorm of criticism swarmed around his presence . limbaugh has frequently lambasted celebratory dances performed by national football league players after scoring touchdowns ( a cultural problem ... that has resulted in a total lack of class ' ) and assailed the game itself for its aggressive nature . look , let me put it to you this way : the nfl all too often looks like a game between the bloods and the crips without any weapons . there , i said it , ' he said in 2007 . limbaugh denies any of his comments are racist . | limbaugh : nfl is like street gangs with no weapons |
ryder cup <tsp> gleneagles , scotland ( cnn ) -- if you 're a u.s. golf fan , or tom watson , look away now . after a heavy defeat to europe in the ryder cup , it 's time for soul searching and reflection . with the next competition taking place at hazeltine in minnesota in 2016 , here are five lessons for all involved to ponder over the coming two years . 1 . fergie time there are n't many better figures in the world of sport to impart a few words of wisdom , or the hairdryer treatment when necessary , than former manchester united manager alex ferguson . european captain paul mcginley 's decision to harness the mind of english soccer 's most successful coach was a stroke of genius . | europe retained the ryder cup after a resounding win over the u.s. in scotland |
sports illustrated <tsp> west vancouver , british columbia ( cnn ) -- it 's more than two hours before snowboard practice begins , two hours before robert beck will take his first picture , and he is trudging up the steep icy slope that is one lip of the halfpipe . temperatures are just above freezing on cypress mountain , and beck , a sports illustrated photographer for 24 years , is steadily ambling up the hill to stake out his position near the top . the climb is just 160 meters , but try doing it with a 50- or 60-pound pack on your back and a bad knee repaired just three weeks ago . it 's going to be worth it ; beck knows precisely where he needs to be to get the perfect picture when the overwhelming gold medal favorite shaun white performs . for the next nine hours beck wo n't leave his spot -- he 's not allowed to come back down until the competition is over -- so he has a bag full of equipment and provisions . he carries three camera bodies , four lenses , several radios to remotely trigger cameras and a bunch of cliff bars . ( mcdonald 's might sponsor these games , but there 's no golden arches on the hill ) . see 19 of robert beck 's amazing si photos from the winter games he knows where to be to get the shot he wants because beck and his assistant , kohjiro kojo ' kinno have been photographing white for months , learning his every move and tendency . for instance , beck knows the best time to shoot a close-up of white is during his first practice run because the snowboarder does n't go as high then . they went to three world cup events and the x games , shooting white and his competitors in preparation for the olympics . then once in vancouver it was off to every practice to test out different angles to shoot . we 're trying to frame it just right , ' beck said on the drive from his hotel to the venue . on their tricks , snowboarders are spinning so fast . sometimes you never see their faces . you do n't want to get pictures of rear ends or the bottom of the board . we want to get their faces if we can . ' beck , who has more than 50 sports illustrated covers to his credit , is frustrated even before he climbs the hill . kinno is an important part of the we ' he talks about . kinno has been there for him for nearly seven years , handing him the right equipment , fixing things when they go wonky , running cards back to the work area and often being the voice of reason . but that wo n't happen today because officials would n't give kinno a photographer 's armband . he 's not even allowed to shoot pictures from a lower area of the venue . it 's almost like a pitcher without his catcher , though the understated kinno often is the one who shakes beck off . and then there 's the eye roll . they have this way of disagreeing that only longtime friends can have . there 's often disagreement , kinno says , but they always come to an understanding . on this wednesday at the halfpipe , kinno will have to stay in front of a laptop all day , trying patiently to wait for runners to bring him the cards from the cameras . at least he has company . john birk , photographer al tielemans'assistant , ca n't go with his photographer either . tielemans will spot up on the other side of the pipe while photographer bob martin will be positioned at the bottom . just before setting off for the hill , beck gets a call from steve fine , si 's director of photography . fine has a request for beck to get white at a certain angle . beck 's sure he ca n't and tells fine that he has a great shot in mind , looking up the pipe as white soars into action . fine likes that but wants to have one with the crowd in the background . beck and kinno agree ; it 's not a clean shot from where beck will be , but they can try and see what fine says . you 'd think that beck can call the shots , so to speak , and send in his favorites from the 1,400 images he will take this day , but that 's not the way it works . he lets the photo editors pick the ones they want . i do n't suggest anything to those guys , ' beck said . i ca n't control it . i make the best pictures i can , send them , in and it 's out of my hands .'he seems cool with that . he 's much more concerned with getting a shot that is different from other photogs . it 's difficult -- well , almost impossible really -- to be inventive with this assignment , though . there are going to be several other photographers in the same area , and dozens all over the pipe . he 'll try to nail it the best he can by using a different lens than others near him ( maybe a 35 mm while lying down in the snow ) and also through the use of a camera on a 12-foot stick he 'll hold up . there 's one big issue , though , with white . beck says when he has used a remote-fired camera , he 's able to get other snowboarders in the frame perfectly , but white soars so high that much of the time he 's at the top of the frame , if he 's even in the picture . beck 's assignment is not solely white ; it 's just that the 23-year-old budding legend is such a prohibitive favorite it makes sense to beck that 's his main target . he 's shooting for the magazine , but he also hopes the web site can use his photos . in fact , the web is much more of a sure thing this time . sports illustrated 's deadlines are n't until the weekend , and the magazine wo n't arrive at subscribers'homes until a week after the event , so beck figures it 's unlikely this gig has cover potential . and with lindsey vonn such a compelling story , too , he 's not sure that he 'll even get one image in the magazine . celebration photos always play well , but only the photographers at the bottom will have white right in front of them . beck halfway wishes he could shoot those photos instead of martin . we 're all basically competitive , ' he says wistfully . but you ca n't be both places . ' si.com : photos of white 's winning run white did the expected and easily won gold . back in the work area , beck says not everything went well . counting practice , each rider who made the final made nine runs . beck says he solved a problem with one of the remote cameras in time to shoot the first practice session , but at some point he accidentally hit the focus . everything looked like mr. magoo [ took them ] , ' he said . at least 75 percent of photography is problem solving , he said . ( two-and-half percent of photography is skill , he joked ) . it 's knowing where to set up , knowing your equipment and knowing how to fix that equipment when it breaks . but while you 're fixing things , you 're missing pictures , and it 's frustrating . and then there 's just plain bad luck . beck says that during one practice run a tv cameraman ran in front of him , snapping pictures on his phone . but these are the things you deal with , he says . he 's a little down at dinner afterward because he caught a glimpse of the some of the other photographers'pictures . as he had predicted , a bunch of shots with white , his face one big smile , holding the u.s. flag . but later his mood changes when back at the hotel suite he logs onto the si.com web site . there is a picture , looking up the pipe of white , cast against a clear night sky , soaring through the air , on his way to a gold medal . as for the magazine , he 'll be waiting , just like the rest of us | robert beck has been a photographer with sports illustrated for 24 years |
times square <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- the suspect in the times square bombing attempt was caught as he was seeking to flee to pakistan , a nation that analyst fareed zakaria calls the epicenter of islamic terrorism . ' it 's worth noting that even the terrorism that 's often attributed to the war in afghanistan tends to come out of pakistan , to be planned by pakistanis , to be funded from pakistan or in some other way to be traced to pakistan , ' said zakaria . he added that pakistan 's connection with terrorist groups goes back decades and has often been encouraged by that nation 's military for strategic reasons . faisal shahzad , a 30-year-old naturalized citizen of pakistani descent , had recently been trained in bomb making in pakistan 's waziristan province , according to a federal complaint filed in court tuesday . cnn reported tuesday that faisal shahzad 's father is a retired vice-marshal in the pakistani air force . shahzad was arrested around 11:45 p.m . et monday at new york 's john f. kennedy international airport just before he was to fly to islamabad , pakistan , by way of dubai . zakaria , author and host of cnn 's fareed zakaria gps , ' spoke to cnn on tuesday . here is an edited transcript : cnn : based on what we know so far , what lessons can be learned from this incident ? fareed zakaria : this does not seem to be part of a larger and more organized effort to penetrate the united states . that does n't mean such efforts are not under way .... it does make you realize just how open we are as a country and how open we are as a society . there is always a level of vulnerability that comes from being an open society and this guy , mr. shahzad obviously took advantage of that openness . cnn : apparently he traveled to pakistan on a number of occasions . does that signal that pakistan is n't vigilant enough about terrorism ? zakaria : well it certainly signals something that we have known for a while , which is that pakistan is the epicenter of islamic terrorism . ... the british government has estimated that something like 80 percent of the terror threats that they receive have a pakistani connection . so there 's no question that pakistan has a terrorism problem . it has radical groups within the country that have the ability to recruit people and have access to resources that makes for a very combustible mixture . it should remind us that even when looking at the war in afghanistan , ultimately the most important place where jihadis are being trained and recruited is not in afghanistan but in pakistan . and there 's no other part of the world where you have quite the same concentration of manpower , resources and ideology all feeding on each other . cnn : what feeds the ideology that drives the terror effort ? zakaria : pakistan has been conducive to this kind of jihadis for a number of reasons . for the last three or four decades , the pakistani government , the pakistani military has supported , funded many of these groups in a bid to maintain influence in afghanistan , in a bid to maintain an asymmetrical capacity against india -- in other words , to try to destabilize india rather cheaply through these militant groups rather than frontally through its army . so it has found it useful to have these militant groups and to support them . it has always assumed that these groups will not attack pakistanis and therefore was not a threat to pakistan itself . and to a large extent that 's true , these groups by and large have attacked people in afghanistan , india , in the west but not in pakistan . but that is changing , because these groups are so intermingled and often sufficiently ideological , and also because the pakistani military is beginning to take them on . but fundamentally the reason this has gone on is that there has been a policy of the pakistani state and particularly the pakistani military , to encourage these groups , to fund them , to ignore their most pernicious activities . and some of it goes back even further than four decades . in the 1965 war against india , the pakistanis used islamic jihadis ... and the great hope now is that finally the pakistani government is getting serious about this . frankly it remains a hope . cnn : why do you say that it 's only a hope ? zakaria : over the last few years , it appears that the pakistani government has begun to understand that these groups all meld together , that they are a threat to a stable and viable modern pakistani state . but when i talk about the pakistani government you have to realize that there are different elements in it . the pakistani civilian government really does understand the danger that islamic terrorism poses to pakistan , but the civilian government in pakistan appears quite powerless . most power lies with the military . the military in pakistan has a somewhat more complex attitude . it does believe that these militants have gone too far . it does believe that it has to take on the militants . and it has actually battled them quite bravely over the last few years . cnn : so what 's the reason for thinking the military supports militant groups ? zakaria : it still holds within it the view that at the end of the day , the united states will leave the region and that they will have to live in a neighborhood which will have a very powerful india and an afghanistan that is potentially a client state of india 's -- and that in order to combat this indian domination , they need to maintain their asymmetrical capabilities , their militant groups . it is interesting to note that ahmed rashid , who may be the most respected pakistani journalist , has reported on the way in which pakistani government has thwarted and put obstacles in the way of any kind of talks between the afghan government and the taliban . the message it has sent to the afghan government is very clear . if you want to have any negotiations with the taliban , you have to understand that since we are the critical intermediary -- since the taliban leadership all lives in pakistan -- the pakistani military 's terms to the afghan government are , we want you to push back on indian influence in afghanistan , we want you to shut down indian consulates in various afghan cities . in other words , the pakistani government is still obsessed with the idea of an indian domination of the region , and they 're using their influence with the taliban to try to counter indian influence . this is the old game that the pakistanis have played . that 's what makes me skeptical that there 's been a true strategic revolution in pakistan ... there are still people who believe that there are good terrorists and bad terrorists , and some you can work with to further pakistan 's goals . cnn : in the attempted car bombing in times square and the christmas day attempted bombing , you have two failed plots that do n't appear to be highly sophisticated . does that tell us anything about the terror groups ? zakaria : at some level , that tells you about the weakness of the terror groups . you do not have highly organized terrorist groups with great resources and capacity that are able to plan spectacular acts of terrorism the way they were in the 1990s and on 9/11 . what you have now are more isolated , disorganized lone rangers and while they 're obviously very worrying and one has to be extremely vigilant , it is also at some level a sign of the weakness of an organization like al qaeda that it is not able to do the kind of terrorist attacks it used to . to be sure , it 's important to be very vigilant and make sure you have groups like al qaeda on the run . but i do n't know that in a free society , you will ever be able to prevent an individual with no background in terrorism who 's broken no laws and is radicalized from attempting to make some kind of trouble . | naturalized u.s. citizen of pakistani descent charged in times square bomb probe |
google <tsp> ( mashable ) -- demand for google 's 7-inch nexus 7 tablet seems to have well exceeded the tech giant 's expectations . last week , google posted a message to its online store saying that shipments of the 16gb model were delayed one to two weeks . now , the store has stopped taking orders altogether . those who want to purchase the $ 249 version of the tablet are told to sign up to be notified by e-mail when it is back in stock . the 16gb version is also sold out at gamestop , kmart , sam 's club , office depot , staples , b & h , best buy in canada and , according to the guardian , tesco in the uk . the only place to get the device online at this point may be ebay . google is still accepting orders for the 8gb version however , which costs $ 199 . the 7-inch , asus-built tablet , which began shipping earlier this month , is the first to run the latest version of android , codename jelly bean . it has a 1280ã—800 hd display ( 216 ppi ) and a quad-core processor . it has received widely positive reviews from the press †” our own peter pachal called it the android media tablet the kindle fire was supposed to be . ' are you in the market for a nexus 7 ? how are you planning on getting your hands on one ? more from cnn tech : opinion : meritocracy in silicon valley a goal , not re google buys sparrow for'new gmail project' grum takedown :'50 % of worldwide spam is gone' microsoft could owe billions in another antitrust battle © 2011 mashable.com . all rights reserved . | the google store has stopped taking orders altogether for the tablet |
google <tsp> ( mashable ) -- demand for google 's 7-inch nexus 7 tablet seems to have well exceeded the tech giant 's expectations . last week , google posted a message to its online store saying that shipments of the 16gb model were delayed one to two weeks . now , the store has stopped taking orders altogether . those who want to purchase the $ 249 version of the tablet are told to sign up to be notified by e-mail when it is back in stock . the 16gb version is also sold out at gamestop , kmart , sam 's club , office depot , staples , b & h , best buy in canada and , according to the guardian , tesco in the uk . the only place to get the device online at this point may be ebay . google is still accepting orders for the 8gb version however , which costs $ 199 . the 7-inch , asus-built tablet , which began shipping earlier this month , is the first to run the latest version of android , codename jelly bean . it has a 1280ã—800 hd display ( 216 ppi ) and a quad-core processor . it has received widely positive reviews from the press †” our own peter pachal called it the android media tablet the kindle fire was supposed to be . ' are you in the market for a nexus 7 ? how are you planning on getting your hands on one ? more from cnn tech : opinion : meritocracy in silicon valley a goal , not re google buys sparrow for'new gmail project' grum takedown :'50 % of worldwide spam is gone' microsoft could owe billions in another antitrust battle © 2011 mashable.com . all rights reserved . | google is still accepting orders for the 8gb version , which costs $ 199 |
jackson <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- fans of michael jackson lined the streets outside harlem 's apollo theater on tuesday for a chance to pay their respects to the late king of pop ' at the hall that helped launch his career . a hat and glittery glove represent michael jackson at the apollo theater tribute . the crowd stood eight to 10 abreast in the sun and 80-degree weather for 10 blocks , waiting for hours for a chance to enter the theater . fans were allowed in 600 at a time , where they lay flowers and other mementos at the foot of the stage and danced to jackson 's music as it played over the sound system . we left our house at 4 o'clock in the morning and got here at 9 , and we were lucky to get here , ' said angela staples , who came to new york from pennsylvania with her daughter jasmine . i 'm so happy about the outpouring of love and the crowd and the people . it 's so respectful to michael . ' those in the hall observed a moment of silence at 5:26 p.m. -- the time jackson was pronounced dead thursday in los angeles , california . the cause of the 50-year-old singer 's death has not yet been determined . an autopsy on the 50-year-old singer was was inconclusive , leaving authorities waiting on the results of toxicology tests to determine what killed him . fans have been gathering outside the theater since last week to remember jackson , who at age 9 won a 1967 apollo amateur night showcase with his brothers in the group the jackson 5 . while he went on from the apollo stage to achieve international fame on an unprecedented level , to us and all of you , he 's family because he started out here , ' said jonelle procope , the legendary venue 's ceo . jackson became an idol of both black and white fans and was among the first african-american artists to get widespread play on the music-video channel mtv . but in later years , he was known more for a roller-coaster personal life , including extensive plastic surgery , financial woes and a 1995 trial and acquittal on child-molestation charges . the rev . al sharpton , the new york civil rights activist who became a friend of the jackson family , urged jackson 's fans not to let critics scandalize ' a groundbreaking performer . michael was n't no freak , ' sharpton said . michael was a genius . michael was an innovator . you ca n't take someone with extraordinary skills , extraordinary talent , and make him an ordinary person . he was extraordinary . he lived extraordinarily , and we love him with an extraordinary passion . ' the apollo had been one of the top venues for jazz , gospel and soul artists for decades before the jacksons'breakthrough . sharpton said the theater was home to the best and the baddest . ' you 've got to come from the stage of the apollo and go all over the world to understand michael , ' sharpton said . we understand his journey , because we were with him every step of the way . ' the jackson brothers'amateur night win led to a $ 1,000 deal for 31 shows at the apollo , said bobby schiffman , whose family owned the theater . shortly after their appearance , diana ross took them on an nbc special that she did , and there was no looking back after that . they just skyrocketed , ' schiffman said . jackson at the time was a sweet little boy , ' he said . he was extremely talented , extremely easy to get along with , ' schiffman said . he always had a smile on his face , and it was a pleasure to see him working in the theater . ' cnn 's aspen steib contributed to this report . | jackson 5 won amateur night contest at apollo in 1967 |
jackson <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- fans of michael jackson lined the streets outside harlem 's apollo theater on tuesday for a chance to pay their respects to the late king of pop ' at the hall that helped launch his career . a hat and glittery glove represent michael jackson at the apollo theater tribute . the crowd stood eight to 10 abreast in the sun and 80-degree weather for 10 blocks , waiting for hours for a chance to enter the theater . fans were allowed in 600 at a time , where they lay flowers and other mementos at the foot of the stage and danced to jackson 's music as it played over the sound system . we left our house at 4 o'clock in the morning and got here at 9 , and we were lucky to get here , ' said angela staples , who came to new york from pennsylvania with her daughter jasmine . i 'm so happy about the outpouring of love and the crowd and the people . it 's so respectful to michael . ' those in the hall observed a moment of silence at 5:26 p.m. -- the time jackson was pronounced dead thursday in los angeles , california . the cause of the 50-year-old singer 's death has not yet been determined . an autopsy on the 50-year-old singer was was inconclusive , leaving authorities waiting on the results of toxicology tests to determine what killed him . fans have been gathering outside the theater since last week to remember jackson , who at age 9 won a 1967 apollo amateur night showcase with his brothers in the group the jackson 5 . while he went on from the apollo stage to achieve international fame on an unprecedented level , to us and all of you , he 's family because he started out here , ' said jonelle procope , the legendary venue 's ceo . jackson became an idol of both black and white fans and was among the first african-american artists to get widespread play on the music-video channel mtv . but in later years , he was known more for a roller-coaster personal life , including extensive plastic surgery , financial woes and a 1995 trial and acquittal on child-molestation charges . the rev . al sharpton , the new york civil rights activist who became a friend of the jackson family , urged jackson 's fans not to let critics scandalize ' a groundbreaking performer . michael was n't no freak , ' sharpton said . michael was a genius . michael was an innovator . you ca n't take someone with extraordinary skills , extraordinary talent , and make him an ordinary person . he was extraordinary . he lived extraordinarily , and we love him with an extraordinary passion . ' the apollo had been one of the top venues for jazz , gospel and soul artists for decades before the jacksons'breakthrough . sharpton said the theater was home to the best and the baddest . ' you 've got to come from the stage of the apollo and go all over the world to understand michael , ' sharpton said . we understand his journey , because we were with him every step of the way . ' the jackson brothers'amateur night win led to a $ 1,000 deal for 31 shows at the apollo , said bobby schiffman , whose family owned the theater . shortly after their appearance , diana ross took them on an nbc special that she did , and there was no looking back after that . they just skyrocketed , ' schiffman said . jackson at the time was a sweet little boy , ' he said . he was extremely talented , extremely easy to get along with , ' schiffman said . he always had a smile on his face , and it was a pleasure to see him working in the theater . ' cnn 's aspen steib contributed to this report . | fans lay flowers , mementos at the foot of the stage , dance to jackson 's music |
jackson <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- fans of michael jackson lined the streets outside harlem 's apollo theater on tuesday for a chance to pay their respects to the late king of pop ' at the hall that helped launch his career . a hat and glittery glove represent michael jackson at the apollo theater tribute . the crowd stood eight to 10 abreast in the sun and 80-degree weather for 10 blocks , waiting for hours for a chance to enter the theater . fans were allowed in 600 at a time , where they lay flowers and other mementos at the foot of the stage and danced to jackson 's music as it played over the sound system . we left our house at 4 o'clock in the morning and got here at 9 , and we were lucky to get here , ' said angela staples , who came to new york from pennsylvania with her daughter jasmine . i 'm so happy about the outpouring of love and the crowd and the people . it 's so respectful to michael . ' those in the hall observed a moment of silence at 5:26 p.m. -- the time jackson was pronounced dead thursday in los angeles , california . the cause of the 50-year-old singer 's death has not yet been determined . an autopsy on the 50-year-old singer was was inconclusive , leaving authorities waiting on the results of toxicology tests to determine what killed him . fans have been gathering outside the theater since last week to remember jackson , who at age 9 won a 1967 apollo amateur night showcase with his brothers in the group the jackson 5 . while he went on from the apollo stage to achieve international fame on an unprecedented level , to us and all of you , he 's family because he started out here , ' said jonelle procope , the legendary venue 's ceo . jackson became an idol of both black and white fans and was among the first african-american artists to get widespread play on the music-video channel mtv . but in later years , he was known more for a roller-coaster personal life , including extensive plastic surgery , financial woes and a 1995 trial and acquittal on child-molestation charges . the rev . al sharpton , the new york civil rights activist who became a friend of the jackson family , urged jackson 's fans not to let critics scandalize ' a groundbreaking performer . michael was n't no freak , ' sharpton said . michael was a genius . michael was an innovator . you ca n't take someone with extraordinary skills , extraordinary talent , and make him an ordinary person . he was extraordinary . he lived extraordinarily , and we love him with an extraordinary passion . ' the apollo had been one of the top venues for jazz , gospel and soul artists for decades before the jacksons'breakthrough . sharpton said the theater was home to the best and the baddest . ' you 've got to come from the stage of the apollo and go all over the world to understand michael , ' sharpton said . we understand his journey , because we were with him every step of the way . ' the jackson brothers'amateur night win led to a $ 1,000 deal for 31 shows at the apollo , said bobby schiffman , whose family owned the theater . shortly after their appearance , diana ross took them on an nbc special that she did , and there was no looking back after that . they just skyrocketed , ' schiffman said . jackson at the time was a sweet little boy , ' he said . he was extremely talented , extremely easy to get along with , ' schiffman said . he always had a smile on his face , and it was a pleasure to see him working in the theater . ' cnn 's aspen steib contributed to this report . | fans line streets for blocks to pay tribute to michael jackson at apollo theater |
hezbollah <tsp> the steady drumbeat of preparations for some sort of a u.s. strike in syria is stirring up old anxieties . americans have no appetite for another military campaign in a foreign land . syria feels far away ; a tragedy , no doubt , but to many who strongly oppose any kind of intervention , it is simply too removed , too complicated , too foreign to view as an american problem . military action , the skeptics rightly say , has consequences , often unpredictable ones . but so does inaction . inaction is more dangerous -- potentially riskier and costlier -- than smart , limited intervention . syria may seem far away , but every passing day , every calamitous , explosive , hate-infused day , makes it more america 's -- and the world 's -- problem . here are five reasons why : 1 ) other dictators are watching : when the president of the united states says the use of chemical weapons is a red line , ' other dangerous regimes pay very close attention to see what he means . if that line is crossed -- as is gruesomely visible in syria -- and nothing happens , it sends a clear signal to current and future powers that may threaten american interests and fundamental international norms . the message that america 's warnings can be ignored , that the international community 's warnings can be disregarded , is most welcome in places like iran and north korea , whose pursuits of weapons are a threat not just to the united states but to the entire world . syria : chemical weapons -- how did we get here ? 2 ) chemical weapons will be used in future battlegrounds : more than 100,000 people have been killed in syria . that alone should stir the conscience of humanity . but there is something uniquely dangerous about the introduction of chemical weapons . horrified by the effects of chemical weapons in the battlefield , nations have come together over the years to develop international bans on nerve gases , blister agents , blood agents and choking agents . the syrian government , by all appearances , used nerve gas to kill hundreds of its own citizens . if it passes without a response , this will not be the last time we see these weapons in use -- and not just in a distant battlefield . chemical weapons are not only appealing to dictators refusing to relinquish power , but they also could make an appearance in other wars , and they are ideal for terrorist groups seeking to inflict maximum fear . gingrich : stay out of syria 's civil war 3 ) the war is spreading , the choices are worsening : the united states has largely kept its distance in the syrian civil war . two years ago , president obama declared that president bashar al-assad must go . a year ago , he drew his famous red line . but any hope that the situation would somehow resolve itself has only produced the worst possible outcome . the u.s. should have provided material and logistical help to the more moderate among the rebels early on . failure to do so resulted in today 's terrible dearth of good choices , in which america wants al-assad to fall , but the opposition is dominated by extremist jihadists , some of them affiliated with al qaeda . in the meantime , the war is bursting beyond syrian borders . millions of syrians have fled their homes , straining resources and occasionally raining fire into jordan , lebanon , turkey , iraq and even israel . the war threatens to engulf the region . the middle east remains the most explosive region of the world . it produces a big portion of oil supplies and it lies at the crossroads of global commerce . this is the last place to allow a wildfire to spread before trying to affect its direction and ultimately extinguish it . opinion : why western intervention in syria will leave chaos 4 ) inaction will hand a victory to al-assad , iran and hezbollah : the obama administration is telegraphing an attack against syria aimed at punishing al-assad and sending a message to the world , rather than seeking to change the course of this civil war . but the course of the war matters . without forceful american action , al-assad 's latest maneuvers constitute a victory for his regime and its top allies , iran and hezbollah . giving a boost to this alliance runs counter to regional and global peace and stability . iran and hezbollah have a nefarious track record . they have carried out a wave of terrorist attacks in asia , europe and latin america . just last week a judge in thailand sentenced an iranian man to life in prison for his role in a terrorist plot against israeli diplomats in bangkok . iranian and hezbollah agents have been implicated in terrorist plots in argentina , cyprus , bulgaria , india and elsewhere . even if you do n't care about syria or the middle east , handing a victory to this dangerous threesome should worry everyone .'red line'debate : chemical weapons worse than attacks ? 5 ) a new generation of hatred will perpetuate this tragedy : the war in syria has raged for 2½ years . during that time , it has descended into ever greater levels of brutality and carnage . it has also become increasingly sectarian . it all started as a peaceful uprising demanding a dictator step down and allow a democratic government representing the different religions and ethnicities in syria . it is now a hate-filled maelstrom of sunnis , shiites , allawites , christians , kurds and others . people are being killed based on their community of origin . this is how you create hatreds that burn through the ages , enduring for generations of revenge-seeking , and triggering new wars . the longer this fire rages , the more likely its sparks will start new fires , far into the future . the united states and its friends should strike al-assad in a way that shows the world will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons , and prove that america 's threats and international commitments have meaning and muscle . beyond that , washington should do what it should have done long ago . without sending any u.s. troops into syria , the united states and its allies should find and strengthen the more moderate members of the opposition so they will gain the upper hand against extremists within opposition ranks . then they can remove al-assad from power by wining what is , most assuredly , their war , the syrians'war , but one that is of great consequence to america and to the rest of the world . | ghitis : war is spreading , and u.s. must not let assad , iran and hezbollah win |
hollande <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- when french president francois hollande flew to washington this week for a state visit , he brought along a lot of baggage -- and it 's not his country 's famous louis vuitton . hollande left france amid sinking popularity ratings and swirling reports that he cheated on his partner of seven years with a younger movie actress †” making this week 's trip something of an escape for the embattled president . the former french first lady valerie trierweiler -- whom obama said in november he was looking forward to hosting -- is n't coming to the white house now that hollande has announced their split . french president 's alleged lover nominated for acting award he says his private life is private , but hollande 's not denying the affair . now he 's in america solo for one of washington 's most tradition-bound events , where protocol dictates nearly everything and a slip-up , however unlikely , could wind up offending a top ally . obama and hollande : a strong alliance ' the protocol that dictates how state visits are handled is something that 's steeped in hundreds of years of history , ' said anita mcbride , a former chief of staff to laura bush who helped plan state dinners . over time , formal arrival ceremonies and high profile press conferences have become a part of the multi-day affair . finding ways to accommodate foreign leaders , even those with it 's complicated ' relationship statuses , is just another aspect of the highly choreographed state visit , said people with experience organizing them . it 's not the first time a french president has come to washington alone . hollande 's predecessor , nicolas sarkozy , attended a formal dinner at the white house shortly after announcing his split from his wife . and at least hollande is showing up ; when brazil 's president dilma rousseff caught wind of national security agency spying , she canceled altogether . there are so many changes that take place , some that are more prominent in the news than others , ' said capricia marshall , who until august was the u.s. chief of protocol . you have to be flexible , you have to be prepared , and you just sort of change course . ' but questions such as who will sit next to obama are still up in the air . typically the partner of the visiting head of state gets the chair next to america 's president . when that position is vacant , u.s. officials must consult their counterparts and even have the president himself weigh in . it 's not necessarily a hard task , said mcbride , because plenty of people would jump at the chance to sit next to obama . the designee does n't have to be french , though it would n't be unexpected if he or she is . it 's just another piece of planning that requires painstaking attention to detail . i 'm sure that they will have an imaginative way of doing their seating that 's absolutely appropriate , ' said marshall . it may seem antiquated to treat a guest so gingerly , but state dinners have always been about formality and gentle manners . they 've grown so much that they no longer fit in the state dining room . instead a sturdy white tent on the south lawn holds the hundreds of invited guests , who usually include some top donors and key allies in congress . this year they 'll take trolleys from the white house east wing down to the structure . no detail spared for french president 's arrival at the white house once there they 'll dine on four courses of american-grown haute cuisine †” osetra caviar and quail eggs , a winter salad served in a wonderful glass bowl to make it look like a terrarium , ' colorado-raised beef , and a chocolate dessert sourced from obama 's native hawaii . on monday the white house released the names and vintages of the wines poured at each course †” a change from the last few state dinners , which listed only american ' bottles lest the price tag shock taxpayers . reds from california and washington state , and a sparking wine from virginia , are the selections . none retail for over $ 50 a bottle . it 's a much-sought-after invitation -- so much so that a virginia couple faked one to attend obama 's event honoring the indian prime minister , monmohan singh , in 2009 . michaele salahi 's red-and-gold sari is likely forever imprinted in the mind of desiree rogers , the former white house social secretary who stepped down shortly after the incident . that kind of glaring fissure in the evening 's decorum is n't typical , said mcbride , who did recall an incident during a visit by the chinese premier she said was marred when a journalist shouted a question at the formal arrival ceremony . and while the details still matter for staunch allies like france , a slip-up on protocol is n't likely to throw the united states'now-solid relationship with the country into jeopardy . france , to the obama administration 's pleasure , has taken a more interventionist stance in global conflicts , a turnaround from the days when americans responded to france 's opposition to the iraq invasion with boycotts of french ( or just french-sounding ) products . let 's just say that we 've come a long way from freedom fries , ' was how one senior administration official described the relationship monday . in libya france took a leading role in the mission that ended with moammar gadhafi 's death . and in mali , french troops are working to prevent islamists from taking over in the northern part of the country . france was ready in september to launch air strikes in syria as obama was trying to rally support , making the country one of a few foreign allies to back the u.s. plan after britain 's parliament voted against it . obama eventually went to congress for approval , but the issue never came to a vote . while hollande , like most other european leaders , has expressed outrage at allegations of nsa spying , the dust-up is n't likely to make any major dent in french-american relations . the same can be said for what hollande calls tax evasion ' by u.s.-based tech firms ( after washington , the french president heads to silicon valley ) . hollande , a socialist elected in 2012 , is more closely aligned in policy with obama than the center-right sarkozy . his fluency in english might make him an easier dinner companion than his predecessor , as well as a more conversant travel buddy on the trip to jefferson 's monticello the pair took monday . not up for discussion ? his love life . opinion : why the french president needs michelle obama french president says it 's over ; first lady leaves residence french president meets with pope francis amid scandal cnn white house producer matthew hoye contributed to this report . | hollande and former first lady split after reports of his affair surface |
hollande <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- when french president francois hollande flew to washington this week for a state visit , he brought along a lot of baggage -- and it 's not his country 's famous louis vuitton . hollande left france amid sinking popularity ratings and swirling reports that he cheated on his partner of seven years with a younger movie actress †” making this week 's trip something of an escape for the embattled president . the former french first lady valerie trierweiler -- whom obama said in november he was looking forward to hosting -- is n't coming to the white house now that hollande has announced their split . french president 's alleged lover nominated for acting award he says his private life is private , but hollande 's not denying the affair . now he 's in america solo for one of washington 's most tradition-bound events , where protocol dictates nearly everything and a slip-up , however unlikely , could wind up offending a top ally . obama and hollande : a strong alliance ' the protocol that dictates how state visits are handled is something that 's steeped in hundreds of years of history , ' said anita mcbride , a former chief of staff to laura bush who helped plan state dinners . over time , formal arrival ceremonies and high profile press conferences have become a part of the multi-day affair . finding ways to accommodate foreign leaders , even those with it 's complicated ' relationship statuses , is just another aspect of the highly choreographed state visit , said people with experience organizing them . it 's not the first time a french president has come to washington alone . hollande 's predecessor , nicolas sarkozy , attended a formal dinner at the white house shortly after announcing his split from his wife . and at least hollande is showing up ; when brazil 's president dilma rousseff caught wind of national security agency spying , she canceled altogether . there are so many changes that take place , some that are more prominent in the news than others , ' said capricia marshall , who until august was the u.s. chief of protocol . you have to be flexible , you have to be prepared , and you just sort of change course . ' but questions such as who will sit next to obama are still up in the air . typically the partner of the visiting head of state gets the chair next to america 's president . when that position is vacant , u.s. officials must consult their counterparts and even have the president himself weigh in . it 's not necessarily a hard task , said mcbride , because plenty of people would jump at the chance to sit next to obama . the designee does n't have to be french , though it would n't be unexpected if he or she is . it 's just another piece of planning that requires painstaking attention to detail . i 'm sure that they will have an imaginative way of doing their seating that 's absolutely appropriate , ' said marshall . it may seem antiquated to treat a guest so gingerly , but state dinners have always been about formality and gentle manners . they 've grown so much that they no longer fit in the state dining room . instead a sturdy white tent on the south lawn holds the hundreds of invited guests , who usually include some top donors and key allies in congress . this year they 'll take trolleys from the white house east wing down to the structure . no detail spared for french president 's arrival at the white house once there they 'll dine on four courses of american-grown haute cuisine †” osetra caviar and quail eggs , a winter salad served in a wonderful glass bowl to make it look like a terrarium , ' colorado-raised beef , and a chocolate dessert sourced from obama 's native hawaii . on monday the white house released the names and vintages of the wines poured at each course †” a change from the last few state dinners , which listed only american ' bottles lest the price tag shock taxpayers . reds from california and washington state , and a sparking wine from virginia , are the selections . none retail for over $ 50 a bottle . it 's a much-sought-after invitation -- so much so that a virginia couple faked one to attend obama 's event honoring the indian prime minister , monmohan singh , in 2009 . michaele salahi 's red-and-gold sari is likely forever imprinted in the mind of desiree rogers , the former white house social secretary who stepped down shortly after the incident . that kind of glaring fissure in the evening 's decorum is n't typical , said mcbride , who did recall an incident during a visit by the chinese premier she said was marred when a journalist shouted a question at the formal arrival ceremony . and while the details still matter for staunch allies like france , a slip-up on protocol is n't likely to throw the united states'now-solid relationship with the country into jeopardy . france , to the obama administration 's pleasure , has taken a more interventionist stance in global conflicts , a turnaround from the days when americans responded to france 's opposition to the iraq invasion with boycotts of french ( or just french-sounding ) products . let 's just say that we 've come a long way from freedom fries , ' was how one senior administration official described the relationship monday . in libya france took a leading role in the mission that ended with moammar gadhafi 's death . and in mali , french troops are working to prevent islamists from taking over in the northern part of the country . france was ready in september to launch air strikes in syria as obama was trying to rally support , making the country one of a few foreign allies to back the u.s. plan after britain 's parliament voted against it . obama eventually went to congress for approval , but the issue never came to a vote . while hollande , like most other european leaders , has expressed outrage at allegations of nsa spying , the dust-up is n't likely to make any major dent in french-american relations . the same can be said for what hollande calls tax evasion ' by u.s.-based tech firms ( after washington , the french president heads to silicon valley ) . hollande , a socialist elected in 2012 , is more closely aligned in policy with obama than the center-right sarkozy . his fluency in english might make him an easier dinner companion than his predecessor , as well as a more conversant travel buddy on the trip to jefferson 's monticello the pair took monday . not up for discussion ? his love life . opinion : why the french president needs michelle obama french president says it 's over ; first lady leaves residence french president meets with pope francis amid scandal cnn white house producer matthew hoye contributed to this report . | french president francois hollande 's visit comes amid troubles at home |
chittagong <tsp> ( cnn ) -- india blew bangladesh away with a strong display in the field , wrapping up a 113-run victory over the hosts on the final day of the first test in chittagong . ishant sharma gave india early breakthroughs in the morning , virender sehwag and zaheer khan chipped in with vital wickets and amit mishra completed a four-wicket haul as india cantered to victory with a session to spare . mushfiqur rahim delayed the end with a stroke-filled 101 after opener tamim iqbal bolstered the innings with 52 , but the home side -- 67 for two at the start of play -- were bowled out for 301 . a diligent approach was required of the home side if they were to save the game , but instead their batsmen played into india 's hands with an aggressive approach . but that attacking intent was nipped in the bud when batsman mohammad ashraful attempted to drive ishant on the up , only for an edge to be neatly snapped up by rahul dravid at second slip . victory for india then seemed a foregone conclusion when raqibul hasan , who suffered a painful rap on the elbow , was trapped in front by ishant with a delivery that nipped in . tamim helped bangladesh recover somewhat from those early blows , the opener hammering a wayward shanthakumaran sreesanth for two boundaries in one over and reaching his third test half-century with a reverse sweep of mishra . but sehwag brought himself on just before the lunch interval and struck in his second over , luring tamim into a wild slash and inducing the edge , dravid completing the dismissal with a sharp catch at slip . shakib al hasan was mishra 's first victim of the day and mahmudullah went shortly after , losing out to zaheer . shahadat hossain and mushfiqur held up the end with a 60-run stand for the eighth wicket , but mishra ended that stand , boring through shahadat 's defensives and bowling him through the gate . mishra should have had another wicket but yuvraj dropped a simple catch from shafiul islam , extending the tailenders stay . but that reprieve hardly proved costly as mishra held a low return catch from shafiul in the next over to send back the batsman . the home side had slipped to 258 for nine by then and the session was extended and the tea interval delayed . with an attacking field in place , runs were there for the taking and mushfiqur cashed in , reaching his maiden century with a straight-driven boundary off mishra , his 17th boundary . he had already smashed a six by then and had reached the milestone off only 112 deliveries , the fastest-ever century by a bangladesh batsman . mishra , however , brought up victory by prising out mushfiqur , the wicketkeeper-batsman lofting the bowler over the top , but only finding the fielder at long-off . | the tourists wrapped up a 113-run win in chittagong to take an early lead in the series |
winter games <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the international olympic committee chose pyeongchang , south korea , wednesday to host the 2018 olympic winter games . the other two bid cities were munich , germany , and annecy , france . pyeongchang narrowly failed in its bids for 2010 and 2014 , losing by three votes to vancouver , canada , for last year 's event and by four votes to sochi , russia , for the 2014 event . south korea has never hosted the winter games , though the capital city of seoul hosted the 1988 summer games . france has hosted three editions of the winter olympics , most recently in 1992 in albertville . munich would have been the first city to host both the summer and winter olympics . the city attracted the summer games in 1972 . representatives from the three cities made their cases to committee members in durban , south africa wednesday . the proposed date for the festival of sport to begin is february 9 , 2018 . the games will take place across 13 venues , with six of those to be constructed of the next seven years . pyeongchang will become the first asian city outside of japan to play host to the winter games and hopes to become a center for winter sports once the event is over . the delegation representing pyeongchang included lee myung-bak , president of south korea , 2010 figure skating gold medalist kim yu-na and the former governor of gangwon province -- where the city is located -- kim jin-seun . | pyeongchang narrowly failed in bids to host the winter games in 2010 and 2014 |
france <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the international olympic committee chose pyeongchang , south korea , wednesday to host the 2018 olympic winter games . the other two bid cities were munich , germany , and annecy , france . pyeongchang narrowly failed in its bids for 2010 and 2014 , losing by three votes to vancouver , canada , for last year 's event and by four votes to sochi , russia , for the 2014 event . south korea has never hosted the winter games , though the capital city of seoul hosted the 1988 summer games . france has hosted three editions of the winter olympics , most recently in 1992 in albertville . munich would have been the first city to host both the summer and winter olympics . the city attracted the summer games in 1972 . representatives from the three cities made their cases to committee members in durban , south africa wednesday . the proposed date for the festival of sport to begin is february 9 , 2018 . the games will take place across 13 venues , with six of those to be constructed of the next seven years . pyeongchang will become the first asian city outside of japan to play host to the winter games and hopes to become a center for winter sports once the event is over . the delegation representing pyeongchang included lee myung-bak , president of south korea , 2010 figure skating gold medalist kim yu-na and the former governor of gangwon province -- where the city is located -- kim jin-seun . | the south korean city was chosen ahead of munich in germany and annecy in france |
wider circle <tsp> rita taylor 's heart used to break every time she put her two young daughters to bed . for five years , taylor and her children were homeless , sometimes sleeping in abandoned houses or cars . when they finally moved into a home of their own , they had nothing to put in it , and taylor 's girls were sleeping on the floor . as a mother , i felt like i let my kids down , and that bothered me , ' taylor said . i felt like i was failing my kids . ' when a friend referred taylor to an organization called a wider circle , all that changed . the d.c.-area nonprofit helps furnish the homes of impoverished families -- for free . there 's no stability and there 's no dignity when you live in apartments that have nothing in them , ' said mark bergel , the organization 's founder . since 2001 , bergel and his group have assisted more than 125,000 people throughout washington by providing furniture , household goods and life skills workshops . thanks to a wider circle , taylor now tucks her daughters , genora , 7 , and anna , 1 , into beds of their own each night . genora has a desk where she does her homework , and the girls have a cabinet full of books for taylor to read to them . once we get their homes furnished they have a chance to just take a breath and start to create a different life , ' said bergel , 51 . despair in the shadows behind the stately monuments and pristine capitol hill , washington is plagued by hardship and despair . more than 18 % of the city 's residents live in poverty . bergel witnessed the need firsthand 13 years ago as a volunteer distributing food to families around the city . most apartments had nothing but a chair . people were storing their clothes in plastic garbage bags . there was nowhere for them to eat their meals . there was nothing that would give these people a sense of hope , a sense of dignity , ' he said . today , bergel 's group operates two warehouses stocked with furniture , linens , clothing and toys , where families can pick out the items they need . we can be a family again , have a home again , come together again , ' taylor said . now my kids can pursue their dreams , their goals . ' from poverty to possibility for families like taylor 's , a wider circle also provides long-term assistance through workshops on topics such as job readiness , financial planning and nutrition . most people are in poverty because they were born into it , ' bergel said . the best way for them to get out of poverty is through support . ' do you know a hero ? nominations are open for 2014 cnn heroes the group 's well mother , well baby program helps low-income teen mothers learn about newborn care , positive parenting and financial management . they are also paired with mentors . in addition , the program equips new mothers with cribs , changing tables , strollers and other items to help them raise healthy children . my goal is to help people find the hope that was missing in their lives , and to see the opportunities that are before them , ' bergel said . the power of a bed for bergel , it 's personal . after donating his bed to a wider circle six years ago , he has slept most nights on his couch . he vows to sleep without a bed until every person in the united states has one of their own . i 'm able to tell the hundreds of people who reach out to us for assistance each day -- and have been sleeping on the bare floor for years -- that i know how hard it is and mean it , ' he said . bergel would like to expand his services nationwide and says he wo n't feel satisfied until his group has helped all families in need . he works 15-hour days , seven days a week . i want to help create the change that will enable people to rise out of poverty and enjoy the freedom and independence afforded to others , ' he said . poverty is a human problem , and human beings will solve it . ' want to get involved ? check out the a wider circle website at www.awidercircle.org and see how to help . | mark bergel founded a wider circle , which provides furniture and household goods |
wider circle <tsp> rita taylor 's heart used to break every time she put her two young daughters to bed . for five years , taylor and her children were homeless , sometimes sleeping in abandoned houses or cars . when they finally moved into a home of their own , they had nothing to put in it , and taylor 's girls were sleeping on the floor . as a mother , i felt like i let my kids down , and that bothered me , ' taylor said . i felt like i was failing my kids . ' when a friend referred taylor to an organization called a wider circle , all that changed . the d.c.-area nonprofit helps furnish the homes of impoverished families -- for free . there 's no stability and there 's no dignity when you live in apartments that have nothing in them , ' said mark bergel , the organization 's founder . since 2001 , bergel and his group have assisted more than 125,000 people throughout washington by providing furniture , household goods and life skills workshops . thanks to a wider circle , taylor now tucks her daughters , genora , 7 , and anna , 1 , into beds of their own each night . genora has a desk where she does her homework , and the girls have a cabinet full of books for taylor to read to them . once we get their homes furnished they have a chance to just take a breath and start to create a different life , ' said bergel , 51 . despair in the shadows behind the stately monuments and pristine capitol hill , washington is plagued by hardship and despair . more than 18 % of the city 's residents live in poverty . bergel witnessed the need firsthand 13 years ago as a volunteer distributing food to families around the city . most apartments had nothing but a chair . people were storing their clothes in plastic garbage bags . there was nowhere for them to eat their meals . there was nothing that would give these people a sense of hope , a sense of dignity , ' he said . today , bergel 's group operates two warehouses stocked with furniture , linens , clothing and toys , where families can pick out the items they need . we can be a family again , have a home again , come together again , ' taylor said . now my kids can pursue their dreams , their goals . ' from poverty to possibility for families like taylor 's , a wider circle also provides long-term assistance through workshops on topics such as job readiness , financial planning and nutrition . most people are in poverty because they were born into it , ' bergel said . the best way for them to get out of poverty is through support . ' do you know a hero ? nominations are open for 2014 cnn heroes the group 's well mother , well baby program helps low-income teen mothers learn about newborn care , positive parenting and financial management . they are also paired with mentors . in addition , the program equips new mothers with cribs , changing tables , strollers and other items to help them raise healthy children . my goal is to help people find the hope that was missing in their lives , and to see the opportunities that are before them , ' bergel said . the power of a bed for bergel , it 's personal . after donating his bed to a wider circle six years ago , he has slept most nights on his couch . he vows to sleep without a bed until every person in the united states has one of their own . i 'm able to tell the hundreds of people who reach out to us for assistance each day -- and have been sleeping on the bare floor for years -- that i know how hard it is and mean it , ' he said . bergel would like to expand his services nationwide and says he wo n't feel satisfied until his group has helped all families in need . he works 15-hour days , seven days a week . i want to help create the change that will enable people to rise out of poverty and enjoy the freedom and independence afforded to others , ' he said . poverty is a human problem , and human beings will solve it . ' want to get involved ? check out the a wider circle website at www.awidercircle.org and see how to help . | a friend referred taylor to a wider circle , a d.c.-area nonprofit |
lazio <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ac milan missed the chance to leapfrog city rivals inter at the summit of serie a after being held to a 1-1 draw by napoli in the san siro on sunday . a victory would have seen milan go top for the first time this season but it was napoli who went ahead after 13 minutes through hugo canpagnaro before filippo inzaghi headed the equalizer 13 minutes later . the draw sees milan stay in second spot , one point behind champions inter , who were held to a 1-1 draw at palermo on saturday . third-placed roma are three points adrift but meet inter next saturday in a decisive clash . milan are bidding for their first italian championship since 2004 , but have lost david beckham and aleessandro nesta to serious injuries in the past week . milan coach leonardo gambled on the fitness of brazilian striker pato , but he limped off shortly after campagnaro had taken advantage of laughable home defending as christian abbiati and massimo oddo collided to leave him a simple chance . but pato 's fellow brazilian ronaldinho set up inzaghi for a simple headed goal after a clever piece of play and fine cross . napoli , who are still chasing a champions league place , had chances to reclaim the lead and home keeper abbiati had to show his mettle either side of the break . milan also had opportunities in an entertaining game and inzaghi and mancini were denied by fine saves by morgan de sanctis . it 's never easy playing napoli . we had a few chances after the goal but it was n't to be , ' ronaldinho told afp . there are ten games left to give it our all . we need to take the positives from the game and keep our feet on the ground . if we do , the scudetto is a real possibility . in other key results on sunday , first-half strikes from tommaso rocchi and sergio floccari gave lazio a 2-0 win at cagliari , to boost their battle against relegation . bari and parma shared the spoils with a 1-1 draw to stay in mid-table with chievo and catania also ending 1-1 . sampdoria later completed a miserable week for juventus with a 1-0 home win in the battle for the final champions league spot . juve , shocked by fulham in the europa league , were beaten by a superb long range strong from antonio cassano for samp , who go fifth . | lazio win 2-0 at cagliari to pull clear of relegation zone |
american <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- olympics fans will revel in track and field 's most anticipated event sunday , and the men 's 100 meters will not lack for drama as jamaican sprinter usain bolt attempts to defend his title against his fellow countryman . bolt became a household name with his gold medal win in the 2008 beijing games . his compatriot , yohan blake , is proving to be his main competition as they face off sunday evening . americans tyson gay , justin gatlin and ryan bailey will also be in the men 's 100 final . among the first events of the day is the women 's marathon , which will pit favorites mary keitany from kenya against russian liliya shobukhova . noticeably absent from the race will be world record holder paula radcliffe , from great britain , who withdrew citing a recent injury . in one of tennis'most anticipated showdowns , world no . 1 roger federer faces hometown favorite andy murray , whom he defeated at wimbledon last month . federer , who has 17 grand slam titles under his belt , is hoping to complete a career golden grand slam . only andre agassi and rafael nadal have achieved the feat of claiming a full set of grand slam titles and backed it it with olympic gold in the singles . sunday 's events follow an action-packed saturday that saw the host nation rake in six wins , bringing its gold medal count to 14 . only china and the united states have more . jessica ennis earned the heptathlon gold , greg rutherford scored a long jump win and mo farah 's sprint to victory made him the first british runner ever to do so in the 10,000 meter competition . meanwhile , the u.s. leads the gold medal count with 26 among its 54 total medals . china is second with 25 golds and 53 overall . but history on saturday also favored the leaders , as the most decorated olympian of all time tallied another win with his american teammates in the 4 x 100-meter medley relay , handing michael phelps his 18th gold medal in the last race of his storied swimming career . the u.s. win put an already unsurpassed phelps at 22 total medals over three olympic games : 18 gold , two silver and two bronze . japan placed second in saturday 's race , while australia finished third . in the last day of london 's swimming competition , the american women won the 4x100-meter medley relay race , setting a new world record with a time of 3:52.05 . australia netted silver . sun yang also added to china 's growing gold tally with a win in the men 's 1500-meter freestyle . ryan cochrane of canada finished second , while oussama mellouli of tunisia took bronze . but on the hardwood saturday , u.s. olympic command seemed far less convincing . team usa squeaked past lithuania in a preliminary round basketball contest , winning by just five points after trailing by two in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter -- the first scare for the favored american squad after a series of dominating performances that had bolstered an aura of invincibility . elsewhere in london , serena williams completed a career golden slam ' at the 2012 games , adding for the united states an olympic women 's singles tennis gold medal to her four tennis major titles . also on the track , double-amputee sprinter oscar pistorius , who runs on special carbon fiber blades and is nicknamed the blade runner , ' came in an impressive second in his heat of the men 's individual 400-meter race , thus qualifying for sunday 's semifinals . he is the first person to compete in the able-bodied olympics using prosthetic legs -- and he will also compete in the paralympics later this summer . cnn 's steve almasy and dominque van heerden contributed to this report . | american michael phelps earns his 18th gold medal in what 's expected to be his last race |
adam scott <tsp> ( cnn ) -- golf 's governing bodies have ruled that the use of controversial anchored putters will be banned from 2016 , following several months of consultation that drew strong u.s. opposition to the planned change . the united states golf association ( usga ) and the r & a on tuesday ratified the decision by changing golf 's rulebook , despite formal complaints from the u.s. pga tour and the pga of america . professional golfers now have until january 1 , 2016 to adapt their putting style to comply with the new regulations . adam scott was the latest major winner to use an anchored putter -- where the top of the club rests on the belly or another body part -- on his way to a sensational playoff victory at the masters in april . american keegan bradley was the first player to capture a major using a long putter at the 2011 pga championship , with compatriot webb simpson , winner of the 2012 u.s. open , and last year 's british open victor ernie els of south africa following suit . golf 's global rule-makers explained in a statement : rule 14-1b , which was proposed on november 28 2012 , has now been given final approval by the usga and the r & a following an extensive review by both organizations . in adopting rule 14-1b , the usga and the r & a have concluded that freely swinging the entire club is integral to maintaining the traditions of the game and preserving golf as an enjoyable game of skill and challenge . the essence of the traditional method of golf stroke involves the player swinging the club with both the club and the gripping hands being held away from the body . the concept of intentionally immobilizing one end of the golf club against the body ... is a substantial departure from that traditional understanding of the golf swing . ' before introducing the ban , the usga and the r & a first wanted a three-month period for comments to be made amid strong opposition from the u.s. pga tour and the pga of america . in response to the ban , the u.s. pga tour said it acknowledged the decision and thanked the usga for hearing its voice during the long discussions . it added that it would now consider whether to implement the ruling during competitions under its jurisdictions on u.s. soil . the pga of america said it was disappointed with this outcome ' but acknowledged the openness of the forum . we do not believe 14-1b is in the best interest of recreational golfers and we are concerned about the negative impact it may have on both the enjoyment and growth of the game , ' it said in a statement , adding that its board will meet in late june to decide how best to proceed . ' the european tour , the lpga and the ladies european tour have all supported the new regulation . world no . 1 tiger woods had also backed the ban , with the 14-time major winner calling for the ruling to be implemented as soon as possible . ' the use of belly ' or long-handled ' putters fixed to the body has sparked debate in golf for the last two seasons . the sport 's governing bodies accepted that their decision wo n't please every player who takes to the green using such a club . the anchored method of stroke has been a subject of controversy within the golf community for quite some time , ' the joint statement said . many individuals and organizations feel strongly about the anchoring issue , and there is no single outcome that will please all . ' meanwhile , europe 's ryder cup captain paul mcginley announced tuesday that he will have three wildcard selections for next year 's match against the united states at gleneagles , scotland . that will mean nine automatic places are on offer through qualifying results , as opposed to the 10 under his predecessor jose maria olazabal last year . u.s. captain tom watson reduced his wildcard selections from four to three earlier this year . | adam scott used such a club to win the 2013 masters , continuing a trend |
broadway <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- catherine zeta-jones is limbering up for her broadway debut . catherine zeta-jones will make her broadway debut in stephen sondheim 's a little night music . ' the oscar-winning star of chicago ' will appear alongside angela lansbury in a revival of the stephen sondheim musical a little night music , ' according to an announcement from the show 's producers . the production is set to open december 13 at the walter kerr theater in new york 's theater district . previews begin november 24 . zeta-jones will play the lead role of desiree armfeldt in the production directed by trevor nunn , with lansbury cast as her mother , madame armfeldt . i 'm honored that trevor nunn and stephen sondheim asked me to make my broadway debut in this beautiful production , ' zeta-jones said in a statement . i look forward to starting rehearsal with this extraordinary group of people and working with the incomparable angela lansbury , whose work i 've long admired . ' lansbury returned the compliment , describing zeta-jones in a statement as a lovely young actress . ' the 83-year-old lansbury first appeared on broadway more than 40 years ago and has claimed five tonys during her stage career . her most recent tony came this year for her work in the revival of the noel coward play blithe spirit . ' a little night music , ' with music and lyrics by sondheim and book by hugh wheeler , debuted on broadway in 1973 . it 's based on the 1955 ingmar bergman film smiles of a summer night . ' the 1973 production ran for 601 performances and won six tonys , including best musical . the score features send in the clowns , ' one of sondheim 's best-known songs , as well as a weekend in the country , ' liaisons ' and every day a little death . ' the producers have not announced ticket prices for the revival . tickets go on sale october 17 for the general public . | broadway show will be zeta-jones'first on the main stem ; lansbury a veteran |
send in the clowns <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- catherine zeta-jones is limbering up for her broadway debut . catherine zeta-jones will make her broadway debut in stephen sondheim 's a little night music . ' the oscar-winning star of chicago ' will appear alongside angela lansbury in a revival of the stephen sondheim musical a little night music , ' according to an announcement from the show 's producers . the production is set to open december 13 at the walter kerr theater in new york 's theater district . previews begin november 24 . zeta-jones will play the lead role of desiree armfeldt in the production directed by trevor nunn , with lansbury cast as her mother , madame armfeldt . i 'm honored that trevor nunn and stephen sondheim asked me to make my broadway debut in this beautiful production , ' zeta-jones said in a statement . i look forward to starting rehearsal with this extraordinary group of people and working with the incomparable angela lansbury , whose work i 've long admired . ' lansbury returned the compliment , describing zeta-jones in a statement as a lovely young actress . ' the 83-year-old lansbury first appeared on broadway more than 40 years ago and has claimed five tonys during her stage career . her most recent tony came this year for her work in the revival of the noel coward play blithe spirit . ' a little night music , ' with music and lyrics by sondheim and book by hugh wheeler , debuted on broadway in 1973 . it 's based on the 1955 ingmar bergman film smiles of a summer night . ' the 1973 production ran for 601 performances and won six tonys , including best musical . the score features send in the clowns , ' one of sondheim 's best-known songs , as well as a weekend in the country , ' liaisons ' and every day a little death . ' the producers have not announced ticket prices for the revival . tickets go on sale october 17 for the general public . | stephen sondheim show is famous as source of send in the clowns ' |
daytona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nascar has a new king . it 's not enough that the daytona 500 champion turned 20 years old the day before the race , making him the youngest driver ever to win ; he is also the first rookie ever to win it . i never thought in a million years we were gon na win our first one , ' trevor bayne told cnn monday morning , it 's incredible . ' bayne was n't the only one who did n't think he would win . he came into the race a complete underdog , according to some nascar writers , and even into the last lap , it was anyone 's guess who would take the checkered flag . read about trevor bayne 's race for faith bayne said that after he saw the white flag signaling the final lap , i thought we were in the worst position possible . ' less than a minute later , he got an unobstructed view of the checkered flag , and there was a collective gasp at the track , ' said motorsports writer jeff gluck . it was probably the most memorable race i 've ever been to , ' said gluck , who is starting his eighth season covering nascar . bayne , less than a full day into his historic win in nascar 's most prestigious race , has been thrust into sudden fame . it has n't sunk in to me yet just how big a deal this is , ' said the knoxville , tennessee , native . this is just , ah , incredible . ' sunday 's race provided a record-setting start for nascar 's premier sprint cup series , and a fresh new face for fans . it 's great for the sport , ' gluck says , fans have been clamoring for a new personality . ' nobody does n't like him , ' gluck said of bayne . he 's someone everyone can get behind . ' i ca n't thank everybody enough , ' bayne said . in only his second sprint cup race , the young driver spoke reverently of veteran drivers on the track who took that leap of faith seeing our yellow rookie stripes on the back bumper , and still worked with us anyway . ' those guys are the ones that laid the foundation . ' bayne said he almost felt bad about his win because he was coming in and spoiling the fun for everybody . ' bayne , who is not yet 21 and ca n't drink alcohol , had to have a different celebratory drink . i think they had gatorade instead of whatever else they use in the victory lanes , ' he said . gluck said bayne is outspoken about his faith . he is also active in back2back ministries , a christian organization that works with orphaned children and needy people in mexico , nigeria and india . bayne 's car was inducted into the daytona 500 museum monday morning , where it will remain until next year 's winning car claims the spot . according to gluck , drivers divided up a purse worth $ 18.7 million , with bayne 's team , the wood brothers racing , taking in $ 1.4 million . he said bayne is expected to get about one-third of that . | trevor bayne never thought in a million years ' he 'd win his first time out at daytona |
nigeria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- will they really finally go free ? the nigerian government says that more than 200 girls abducted by boko haram in april are to be released as early as monday , after it signed a ceasefire agreement with the islamists . people around the world are hoping the girls will be set free , but there are skeptics -- and bad signs coming from boko haram . after the girls were kidnapped from the village of chibok , the hashtag mantra # bringbackourgirls kicked off an avalanches of posts . celebrities like first lady michelle obama , teen nobel laureate malala yousafzai , and actor sean penn joined in . even pope francis took to twitter to call for their release . now , after the government made the announcement of their possible release , the hashtag has reawakened with messages of hope and anticipation . i am desperate for their return . i must sing a new song of joy , ' one poster wrote . another wrote , i hope and pray this 189th day of the abduction of # ourgirls will be the last day we 'll say # bringbackourgirls . i fervently pray so ! ' he never stopped fighting for nigeria 's missing girls islamists remain silent but boko haram remains silent on the deal the government says it signed with the islamists in neighboring chad last week . instead , the group may be letting its weapons do the talking , continuing five years of war . over the weekend , gunmen believed to be boko haram fighters attacked two villages and a town , killing at least eight and kidnapping others . david cook , who studies jihad , has doubts about the deal going through . it remains to be seen whether this truce will actually materialize , whether it is merely an election ploy for nigeria 's embattled president , goodluck jonathan , and most crucially whether it will bring about the release of numerous captives taken by boko haram during the past year , ' he wrote in an analysis for cnn . president needs a success the islamists have employed particularly bloody tactics this year , killing thousands . boko haram has gone after christians , foreigners and educated people , driving them out of the country 's northeast . and they have continued kidnapping . they have often sidelined nigeria 's army . and government soldiers have at times mutinied , complaining of lacking support from the government . jonathan needs some good news going into february 's polls . analyst richard joseph from the brookings institution shares cook 's doubts . this is a case when we will actually need to see the girls emerging from their six-month confinement before we can truly believe , ' he wrote after the government 's announcement . he fears that after so much war , the group may be disjointed and any ceasefire deals made with some members may not be heeded by others . and like isis , boko haram has ambitions for a caliphate or religious state , which would mean it has long-term ambitions to keep fighting , cook said . but he believes that a deal could still be in boko haram 's interest . they could use it to rest and regroup . the kidnapping lookback on april 14 , boko haram militants raided the village of chibok and kidnapped an estimated 276 teenage girls from a boarding school . officials there say some of the girls were able to escape . it is believed that the islamist militants were able to hold on to more than 200 of them . three weeks later , a man claiming to be a boko haram leader threatened to sell the girls into slavery . allah says i should sell . he commands me to sell . i will sell women . i sell women , ' he said . more than a month after their abduction , the white house announced it had sent 80 u.s. troops to chad to help search for the kidnapped schoolgirls . in spite of many promises to find and free them , the girls have remained in the terrorists'hands . | nigeria 's government said the deal to release the girls was part of a ceasefire agreement |
nokia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- from the continuing rise of tablet devices to the daily-deals craze and the return of the internet ipo , 2011 has been a transformative year for technology . the pace of change has become blisteringly fast , with traditional industries -- bookstores , video-rental chains , newspapers -- crumbling more quickly than we could have imagined . predicting what will happen in 2012 , therefore , is a shot in the dark : a year is virtually a lifetime in the digital era . and yet we can at least make a guess at what will happen in the early part of next year simply by looking at the trends that are shaping the latter half of this year . here 's my best estimate of some of the innovation we 'll see in 2012 : 1 . touch computing new input methods will be the dominant trend of 2012 . tablet computers such as the ipad might seem like a nice alternative to desktop and laptop computers , but i believe they 're more than that : they 're replacements . just as the command line ( remember that ? ) gave way to graphical user interfaces , so the mouse will be superseded by touchscreens . the signs are obvious : windows 8 and mac os x lion , the latest desktop operating systems , borrow heavy from their mobile counterparts . these new interfaces essentially impose a touchscreen-inspired interface over the traditional desktop environment . over time , this half-step will become a whole one , and mobile operating systems will dominate . the transition wo n't be complete by the end of 2012 , but we 'll be much further down the path , and using computer mice much less often . 2 . social gestures in the social media realm , social gestures appear to be the leading trend of 2012 . launched by facebook in september , this so-called frictionless sharing ' functionality removes the need to click a button to share media with your friends . instead , everything you listen to , read or watch is automatically posted to your profile once you approve the relevant app . if you 've seen apps such as spotify or social reader in your facebook news feed , you 're already aware of these features . the trend makes sense for social networks : with 800 million people already on facebook , its growth is bound to slow . but if sharing becomes automatic , the volume of content on facebook will grow at an accelerated pace . there 's a big problem , however : users may be creeped out ' by all this automated sharing of their web activity and grow suspicious of the apps using it . 3 . nfc and mobile payments next year is likely to be the year when mobile payments blossom . while we 've seen a great deal of innovation in mobile payments technology this year -- including the success of square 's iphone dongle , allowing anyone to accept credit card payments -- 2012 is the year of nfc . what 's that , you ask ? near field communication essentially lets you replace your credit cards with your phone : wave an nfc-enabled phone near the credit card reader in a store ( or taxi cab ) , and the money is deducted from your account . by 2013 , 1 in 5 cellphones are expected to be nfc-equipped . early contenders include google wallet , visa wallet , serve ( by american express ) and isis . 4 . beyond the ipad if touch computing is the future , then the ipad is surely king . and yet the ipad came up against serious competition in the latter part of 2011 : as i wrote previously , i expect the new amazon kindle fire to outsell the ipad in 2012 . why ? simply put , the ipad costs $ 499 while the fire costs $ 199 . amazon 's advantages do n't stop at the price point , however : the company owns an entire content store of movies , e-books , tv shows and other media . with tablet devices , the hardware is somewhat important but the content available for the device is absolutely critical : with plenty of media available for the fire right away , it 's an appealing proposition . why does one device constitute an entire trend ? well , as a true competitor to the ipad emerges , content producers , distributors and even app developers may have an entirely new platform on which to push their wares . ( and yes , the kindle fire does indeed run google 's android operating system , but amazon 's version is so unlike other android tablets that neither users nor app developers will perceive it as yet another android device ' -- it 's a whole new platform . ) 5 . tv everywhere so you thought you 'd be able to watch all your favorite shows online and get rid of your cable subscription for good ? not so fast ! the cable companies have a cunning plan : they 'll let you watch live tv , plus on-demand movies and tv shows , on your connected devices if you keep your cable subscription . dish network , time warner and comcast are among those offering the service . tv everywhere has been buzzed about since 2010 , of course , and could be a dud -- but the rise of tablet devices would seem to create increased demand for a tv in your hands . ' 6 . voice control here 's another trend that 's got a moderate chance of taking off in 2012 : voice control . the novelty of siri on the iphone 4s -- which allows you to send texts , create reminders , search the web and much more using just your voice -- may be the start of a new trend in voice controlled devices . surely voice control has been around for years ? yes , but it was n't very accurate . siri and its ilk define a new era in which we talk , and our devices understand -- often on the first attempt . other device makers will likely follow suit . what 's more , apple may use voice control to replace the tv remote . 7 . spatial gestures other input methods are gaining traction too : microsoft 's kinect , for instance , has given rise to interfaces that use spatial gestures . just like in minority report , ' your devices can be controlled simply by waving your hands in the air . thanks to the many innovators who have hacked kinect to work with other platforms , we may see more devices using this input method next year . 8 . second-screen experiences ' second-screen experiences ' is a buzz-phase among tv and movie execs these days . it refers to apps ( mainly on the ipad ) that listen to the audio output of your tv and display content related to the show or movie you 're watching . the chances are that you already use your tablet computer or phone while watching tv , so there 's ample opportunity to make the viewing experience a more interactive one . disney already has second-screen apps for movies such as the lion king ' and bambi , ' while multiple tv networks have similar offerings : we can expect many , many more to be released in 2012 . 9 . flexible screens personally , i just ca n't wait for flexible screens : these awesome new bendable interfaces will let you zoom in , zoom out and scroll around a page simply by twisting your phone or tablet . nokia and samsung have both hinted they may release phones with bendable displays in 2012 . the really exciting stuff , however -- like paper-thin devices that roll up to fit in your pocket -- is still years away . 10 . html5 can i squeeze in one more trend ? it 's html5 -- the fifth iteration of the html standard -- and it lets developers create richer , more interactive applications than ever . why does this matter ? as developers tire of building applications for every operating system out there -- from android to ios to windows phone and beyond -- html5 offers the opportunity to build an app once and have it work everywhere . the rise of html5 is bound to be accelerated by a recent revelation : adobe is killing off flash for mobile devices , meaning one of the primary methods of serving videos and rich applications on mobile phones is about to disappear . html5 will fill that gap . for us as consumers , that means richer applications and experiences on all our devices . in short , 2012 is all about new ways to interact with our devices through touch and voice control , new lightweight ways to share content , a revolution in mobile payments and a plethora of rich web applications -- not to mention the hundreds of new innovations that we 've yet to dream up . i ca n't wait . | nokia and samsung may release phones with bendable displays in 2012 |
romney <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- before tuesday night 's debate , polls showed mitt romney had gained ground with women voters . but his comments about using whole binders full of women ' as a hiring aid while governor , whiffing on an equal pay law question , and alluding to helping women get home to cook dinner has landed the gop presidential hopeful in verbal quicksand with some female voters . he 'll have to do some serious repair to regain traction , political experts say . online erupts over'binders full of women' that 's because tuesday night 's debate made clear that both presidential campaigns are focusing on female voters †” a group that makes up the majority of the electorate . some of the spiciest exchanges between the candidates in their second debate were over so-called women 's issues . ' romney 's discussion of his promotion of women in his gubernatorial administration was ... problematic , ' said andra gillespie , an associate professor of political science at emory university in atlanta . first , romney 's description of how he found female appointees sounded an awful lot like affirmative action , and someone will bring this up again . accusations , interruptions define bruising debate also , the twitterverse exploded with links to articles about how bain capital under romney 's leadership did n't have a female partner . ' the highest-ranking woman in his gubernatorial administration was his no . 2 , lieutenant gov . kerry healey . beth myers has long held senior positions in romney 's political campaign . president barack obama was quick to use the binders ' line against romney on the campaign trail wednesday . we do n't have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified , talented , driven young women ready to learn and teach in these fields right now , ' obama told supporters in mount vernon , iowa . vice president joe biden at a campaign event wednesday in greeley , colorado , questioned where romney 's comments were coming from . what i ca n't understand is how he has gotten in this sort of 1950s time warp in terms of women , ' he said . romney responded on twitter : @ mittromney i understand the challenges women face and want to make it easier for them in the workplace . ''romney just ca n't connect with working women' during the debate at hofstra university in new york , romney , who worked in business before serving as governor of massachusetts , said he learned a great deal ' about the inequalities between men and women in the workplace when leading his state . when he and his staff ran into problems finding qualified female applicants to fill cabinet posts , romney said he went to a number of women 's groups and said ,'can you help us find folks ,'and they brought us whole binders full of women . ' undecided women voters who were watching the debate and participating in a focus group in ohio reacted positively to romney 's anecdote during dial-testing for cnn . the responses from the women jumped sharply on-screen when romney spoke about workplace flexibility . 25 funniest debate tweets the tweets , posts and pictures quickly exploded on the internet . before the debate ended , there were twitter hashtags and handles , a series of memes on tumblr , and a facebook page with over 100,000 fans . the binders full of women ' phrase was the third-fastest rising search on google during the debate . romney 's comments'extremely offensive to women' not to be outdone or out-messaged , the romney campaign put out an ad as the debate wrapped up , clarifying the gop nominee 's support for contraception and belief that in some cases abortion should be legal . but there is a lingering perception behind the comedic internet takes on romney 's binders full of women ' response and pre-emptive advertising aimed at women that he is disconnected from the day-to-day issues facing that critical group of voters . and in a close election , that type of narrative could be a problem for romney as he fights to woo a narrow pool of voters . 5 things we learned from the debate ' the gap between obama and romney was declining and i 'm not sure ... if the governor made significant headway ( with women voters ) , ' said meena bose , director of the peter s. kalikow center for the study of the american presidency at hofstra . a usa today/gallup poll conducted last week showed romney had closed the gap with women and was within one point among women who are likely voters , 48 % for romney and 49 % for obama . throughout the debate , obama and democrats sought to reverse that trend and widen that gap . obama tried to draw a distinction between himself and romney on a number of women 's issues , tying equal pay , contraceptives and health care to the economy . obama said his administration 's affordable care act gives insured women free contraception coverage and asserted that romney feels comfortable having politicians in washington decide the health care choices that women are making . ' romney reacts to frenzy over'binders'comment romney pushed back , calling the president 's statement completely and totally wrong . ' while not opposing the availability of contraception , romney opposes the contraception rule , arguing it forces some religious institutions to go against their faith . after the debate , democratic pundits criticized romney 's efforts to hire women . what it demonstrates here and why these debates are important because they 're a window into what people are really thinking and how they operate , ' former clinton adviser and democratic analyst richard socarides said on cnn 's early start . here 's a situation where , you know , it should have been readily apparent to anyone that there were plenty of qualified women but they had to make this special effort . ' socarides gave romney points for trying to hire women but said in doing so , romney demonstrates that he 's living in another world . ' qualified women should be apparent to everyone , ' added socarides . he said he did n't understand why romney has to go out and make this special effort to find women . ' and though romney sought to highlight his support of flexible work schedules for women , his reference to women who need such schedules to race home to make dinner for their families may have ruffled some female voters the wrong way . opinion : romney 's empty'binders full of women' ' his discussion of work-life balance appeared condescending to some because of the reference to women cooking dinner , ' gillespie said . romney will now have to rebuff the obama campaign 's attempts to define him as someone who is anti-woman , political experts say . romney campaign surrogate rep. marsha blackburn , r-tennessee , said one reason more women may be looking to vote for romney is because of his economic message . the number one issue with women is jobs and the economy , ' blackburn said on cnn 's early start recently . the former governor will have to do more of this type of messaging if he wants to sway this group , bose said . romney , she said , will have to hammer home the message what 's good for women is good for the country . ' roundup : 10 takes on the second presidential debate cnn 's wire staff , political unit and emily smith contributed . | obama and democrats rush to paint romney as someone who does n't have the best interests of women in mind |
romney <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- before tuesday night 's debate , polls showed mitt romney had gained ground with women voters . but his comments about using whole binders full of women ' as a hiring aid while governor , whiffing on an equal pay law question , and alluding to helping women get home to cook dinner has landed the gop presidential hopeful in verbal quicksand with some female voters . he 'll have to do some serious repair to regain traction , political experts say . online erupts over'binders full of women' that 's because tuesday night 's debate made clear that both presidential campaigns are focusing on female voters †” a group that makes up the majority of the electorate . some of the spiciest exchanges between the candidates in their second debate were over so-called women 's issues . ' romney 's discussion of his promotion of women in his gubernatorial administration was ... problematic , ' said andra gillespie , an associate professor of political science at emory university in atlanta . first , romney 's description of how he found female appointees sounded an awful lot like affirmative action , and someone will bring this up again . accusations , interruptions define bruising debate also , the twitterverse exploded with links to articles about how bain capital under romney 's leadership did n't have a female partner . ' the highest-ranking woman in his gubernatorial administration was his no . 2 , lieutenant gov . kerry healey . beth myers has long held senior positions in romney 's political campaign . president barack obama was quick to use the binders ' line against romney on the campaign trail wednesday . we do n't have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified , talented , driven young women ready to learn and teach in these fields right now , ' obama told supporters in mount vernon , iowa . vice president joe biden at a campaign event wednesday in greeley , colorado , questioned where romney 's comments were coming from . what i ca n't understand is how he has gotten in this sort of 1950s time warp in terms of women , ' he said . romney responded on twitter : @ mittromney i understand the challenges women face and want to make it easier for them in the workplace . ''romney just ca n't connect with working women' during the debate at hofstra university in new york , romney , who worked in business before serving as governor of massachusetts , said he learned a great deal ' about the inequalities between men and women in the workplace when leading his state . when he and his staff ran into problems finding qualified female applicants to fill cabinet posts , romney said he went to a number of women 's groups and said ,'can you help us find folks ,'and they brought us whole binders full of women . ' undecided women voters who were watching the debate and participating in a focus group in ohio reacted positively to romney 's anecdote during dial-testing for cnn . the responses from the women jumped sharply on-screen when romney spoke about workplace flexibility . 25 funniest debate tweets the tweets , posts and pictures quickly exploded on the internet . before the debate ended , there were twitter hashtags and handles , a series of memes on tumblr , and a facebook page with over 100,000 fans . the binders full of women ' phrase was the third-fastest rising search on google during the debate . romney 's comments'extremely offensive to women' not to be outdone or out-messaged , the romney campaign put out an ad as the debate wrapped up , clarifying the gop nominee 's support for contraception and belief that in some cases abortion should be legal . but there is a lingering perception behind the comedic internet takes on romney 's binders full of women ' response and pre-emptive advertising aimed at women that he is disconnected from the day-to-day issues facing that critical group of voters . and in a close election , that type of narrative could be a problem for romney as he fights to woo a narrow pool of voters . 5 things we learned from the debate ' the gap between obama and romney was declining and i 'm not sure ... if the governor made significant headway ( with women voters ) , ' said meena bose , director of the peter s. kalikow center for the study of the american presidency at hofstra . a usa today/gallup poll conducted last week showed romney had closed the gap with women and was within one point among women who are likely voters , 48 % for romney and 49 % for obama . throughout the debate , obama and democrats sought to reverse that trend and widen that gap . obama tried to draw a distinction between himself and romney on a number of women 's issues , tying equal pay , contraceptives and health care to the economy . obama said his administration 's affordable care act gives insured women free contraception coverage and asserted that romney feels comfortable having politicians in washington decide the health care choices that women are making . ' romney reacts to frenzy over'binders'comment romney pushed back , calling the president 's statement completely and totally wrong . ' while not opposing the availability of contraception , romney opposes the contraception rule , arguing it forces some religious institutions to go against their faith . after the debate , democratic pundits criticized romney 's efforts to hire women . what it demonstrates here and why these debates are important because they 're a window into what people are really thinking and how they operate , ' former clinton adviser and democratic analyst richard socarides said on cnn 's early start . here 's a situation where , you know , it should have been readily apparent to anyone that there were plenty of qualified women but they had to make this special effort . ' socarides gave romney points for trying to hire women but said in doing so , romney demonstrates that he 's living in another world . ' qualified women should be apparent to everyone , ' added socarides . he said he did n't understand why romney has to go out and make this special effort to find women . ' and though romney sought to highlight his support of flexible work schedules for women , his reference to women who need such schedules to race home to make dinner for their families may have ruffled some female voters the wrong way . opinion : romney 's empty'binders full of women' ' his discussion of work-life balance appeared condescending to some because of the reference to women cooking dinner , ' gillespie said . romney will now have to rebuff the obama campaign 's attempts to define him as someone who is anti-woman , political experts say . romney campaign surrogate rep. marsha blackburn , r-tennessee , said one reason more women may be looking to vote for romney is because of his economic message . the number one issue with women is jobs and the economy , ' blackburn said on cnn 's early start recently . the former governor will have to do more of this type of messaging if he wants to sway this group , bose said . romney , she said , will have to hammer home the message what 's good for women is good for the country . ' roundup : 10 takes on the second presidential debate cnn 's wire staff , political unit and emily smith contributed . | new : barack obama , joe biden take on mitt romney 's'binders'comments on campaign trail ; romney responds on twitter |
romney <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- before tuesday night 's debate , polls showed mitt romney had gained ground with women voters . but his comments about using whole binders full of women ' as a hiring aid while governor , whiffing on an equal pay law question , and alluding to helping women get home to cook dinner has landed the gop presidential hopeful in verbal quicksand with some female voters . he 'll have to do some serious repair to regain traction , political experts say . online erupts over'binders full of women' that 's because tuesday night 's debate made clear that both presidential campaigns are focusing on female voters †” a group that makes up the majority of the electorate . some of the spiciest exchanges between the candidates in their second debate were over so-called women 's issues . ' romney 's discussion of his promotion of women in his gubernatorial administration was ... problematic , ' said andra gillespie , an associate professor of political science at emory university in atlanta . first , romney 's description of how he found female appointees sounded an awful lot like affirmative action , and someone will bring this up again . accusations , interruptions define bruising debate also , the twitterverse exploded with links to articles about how bain capital under romney 's leadership did n't have a female partner . ' the highest-ranking woman in his gubernatorial administration was his no . 2 , lieutenant gov . kerry healey . beth myers has long held senior positions in romney 's political campaign . president barack obama was quick to use the binders ' line against romney on the campaign trail wednesday . we do n't have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified , talented , driven young women ready to learn and teach in these fields right now , ' obama told supporters in mount vernon , iowa . vice president joe biden at a campaign event wednesday in greeley , colorado , questioned where romney 's comments were coming from . what i ca n't understand is how he has gotten in this sort of 1950s time warp in terms of women , ' he said . romney responded on twitter : @ mittromney i understand the challenges women face and want to make it easier for them in the workplace . ''romney just ca n't connect with working women' during the debate at hofstra university in new york , romney , who worked in business before serving as governor of massachusetts , said he learned a great deal ' about the inequalities between men and women in the workplace when leading his state . when he and his staff ran into problems finding qualified female applicants to fill cabinet posts , romney said he went to a number of women 's groups and said ,'can you help us find folks ,'and they brought us whole binders full of women . ' undecided women voters who were watching the debate and participating in a focus group in ohio reacted positively to romney 's anecdote during dial-testing for cnn . the responses from the women jumped sharply on-screen when romney spoke about workplace flexibility . 25 funniest debate tweets the tweets , posts and pictures quickly exploded on the internet . before the debate ended , there were twitter hashtags and handles , a series of memes on tumblr , and a facebook page with over 100,000 fans . the binders full of women ' phrase was the third-fastest rising search on google during the debate . romney 's comments'extremely offensive to women' not to be outdone or out-messaged , the romney campaign put out an ad as the debate wrapped up , clarifying the gop nominee 's support for contraception and belief that in some cases abortion should be legal . but there is a lingering perception behind the comedic internet takes on romney 's binders full of women ' response and pre-emptive advertising aimed at women that he is disconnected from the day-to-day issues facing that critical group of voters . and in a close election , that type of narrative could be a problem for romney as he fights to woo a narrow pool of voters . 5 things we learned from the debate ' the gap between obama and romney was declining and i 'm not sure ... if the governor made significant headway ( with women voters ) , ' said meena bose , director of the peter s. kalikow center for the study of the american presidency at hofstra . a usa today/gallup poll conducted last week showed romney had closed the gap with women and was within one point among women who are likely voters , 48 % for romney and 49 % for obama . throughout the debate , obama and democrats sought to reverse that trend and widen that gap . obama tried to draw a distinction between himself and romney on a number of women 's issues , tying equal pay , contraceptives and health care to the economy . obama said his administration 's affordable care act gives insured women free contraception coverage and asserted that romney feels comfortable having politicians in washington decide the health care choices that women are making . ' romney reacts to frenzy over'binders'comment romney pushed back , calling the president 's statement completely and totally wrong . ' while not opposing the availability of contraception , romney opposes the contraception rule , arguing it forces some religious institutions to go against their faith . after the debate , democratic pundits criticized romney 's efforts to hire women . what it demonstrates here and why these debates are important because they 're a window into what people are really thinking and how they operate , ' former clinton adviser and democratic analyst richard socarides said on cnn 's early start . here 's a situation where , you know , it should have been readily apparent to anyone that there were plenty of qualified women but they had to make this special effort . ' socarides gave romney points for trying to hire women but said in doing so , romney demonstrates that he 's living in another world . ' qualified women should be apparent to everyone , ' added socarides . he said he did n't understand why romney has to go out and make this special effort to find women . ' and though romney sought to highlight his support of flexible work schedules for women , his reference to women who need such schedules to race home to make dinner for their families may have ruffled some female voters the wrong way . opinion : romney 's empty'binders full of women' ' his discussion of work-life balance appeared condescending to some because of the reference to women cooking dinner , ' gillespie said . romney will now have to rebuff the obama campaign 's attempts to define him as someone who is anti-woman , political experts say . romney campaign surrogate rep. marsha blackburn , r-tennessee , said one reason more women may be looking to vote for romney is because of his economic message . the number one issue with women is jobs and the economy , ' blackburn said on cnn 's early start recently . the former governor will have to do more of this type of messaging if he wants to sway this group , bose said . romney , she said , will have to hammer home the message what 's good for women is good for the country . ' roundup : 10 takes on the second presidential debate cnn 's wire staff , political unit and emily smith contributed . | romney 's comments on using binders full of women ' in hiring ; contraception could hurt his standing with some women |
romney <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- before tuesday night 's debate , polls showed mitt romney had gained ground with women voters . but his comments about using whole binders full of women ' as a hiring aid while governor , whiffing on an equal pay law question , and alluding to helping women get home to cook dinner has landed the gop presidential hopeful in verbal quicksand with some female voters . he 'll have to do some serious repair to regain traction , political experts say . online erupts over'binders full of women' that 's because tuesday night 's debate made clear that both presidential campaigns are focusing on female voters †” a group that makes up the majority of the electorate . some of the spiciest exchanges between the candidates in their second debate were over so-called women 's issues . ' romney 's discussion of his promotion of women in his gubernatorial administration was ... problematic , ' said andra gillespie , an associate professor of political science at emory university in atlanta . first , romney 's description of how he found female appointees sounded an awful lot like affirmative action , and someone will bring this up again . accusations , interruptions define bruising debate also , the twitterverse exploded with links to articles about how bain capital under romney 's leadership did n't have a female partner . ' the highest-ranking woman in his gubernatorial administration was his no . 2 , lieutenant gov . kerry healey . beth myers has long held senior positions in romney 's political campaign . president barack obama was quick to use the binders ' line against romney on the campaign trail wednesday . we do n't have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified , talented , driven young women ready to learn and teach in these fields right now , ' obama told supporters in mount vernon , iowa . vice president joe biden at a campaign event wednesday in greeley , colorado , questioned where romney 's comments were coming from . what i ca n't understand is how he has gotten in this sort of 1950s time warp in terms of women , ' he said . romney responded on twitter : @ mittromney i understand the challenges women face and want to make it easier for them in the workplace . ''romney just ca n't connect with working women' during the debate at hofstra university in new york , romney , who worked in business before serving as governor of massachusetts , said he learned a great deal ' about the inequalities between men and women in the workplace when leading his state . when he and his staff ran into problems finding qualified female applicants to fill cabinet posts , romney said he went to a number of women 's groups and said ,'can you help us find folks ,'and they brought us whole binders full of women . ' undecided women voters who were watching the debate and participating in a focus group in ohio reacted positively to romney 's anecdote during dial-testing for cnn . the responses from the women jumped sharply on-screen when romney spoke about workplace flexibility . 25 funniest debate tweets the tweets , posts and pictures quickly exploded on the internet . before the debate ended , there were twitter hashtags and handles , a series of memes on tumblr , and a facebook page with over 100,000 fans . the binders full of women ' phrase was the third-fastest rising search on google during the debate . romney 's comments'extremely offensive to women' not to be outdone or out-messaged , the romney campaign put out an ad as the debate wrapped up , clarifying the gop nominee 's support for contraception and belief that in some cases abortion should be legal . but there is a lingering perception behind the comedic internet takes on romney 's binders full of women ' response and pre-emptive advertising aimed at women that he is disconnected from the day-to-day issues facing that critical group of voters . and in a close election , that type of narrative could be a problem for romney as he fights to woo a narrow pool of voters . 5 things we learned from the debate ' the gap between obama and romney was declining and i 'm not sure ... if the governor made significant headway ( with women voters ) , ' said meena bose , director of the peter s. kalikow center for the study of the american presidency at hofstra . a usa today/gallup poll conducted last week showed romney had closed the gap with women and was within one point among women who are likely voters , 48 % for romney and 49 % for obama . throughout the debate , obama and democrats sought to reverse that trend and widen that gap . obama tried to draw a distinction between himself and romney on a number of women 's issues , tying equal pay , contraceptives and health care to the economy . obama said his administration 's affordable care act gives insured women free contraception coverage and asserted that romney feels comfortable having politicians in washington decide the health care choices that women are making . ' romney reacts to frenzy over'binders'comment romney pushed back , calling the president 's statement completely and totally wrong . ' while not opposing the availability of contraception , romney opposes the contraception rule , arguing it forces some religious institutions to go against their faith . after the debate , democratic pundits criticized romney 's efforts to hire women . what it demonstrates here and why these debates are important because they 're a window into what people are really thinking and how they operate , ' former clinton adviser and democratic analyst richard socarides said on cnn 's early start . here 's a situation where , you know , it should have been readily apparent to anyone that there were plenty of qualified women but they had to make this special effort . ' socarides gave romney points for trying to hire women but said in doing so , romney demonstrates that he 's living in another world . ' qualified women should be apparent to everyone , ' added socarides . he said he did n't understand why romney has to go out and make this special effort to find women . ' and though romney sought to highlight his support of flexible work schedules for women , his reference to women who need such schedules to race home to make dinner for their families may have ruffled some female voters the wrong way . opinion : romney 's empty'binders full of women' ' his discussion of work-life balance appeared condescending to some because of the reference to women cooking dinner , ' gillespie said . romney will now have to rebuff the obama campaign 's attempts to define him as someone who is anti-woman , political experts say . romney campaign surrogate rep. marsha blackburn , r-tennessee , said one reason more women may be looking to vote for romney is because of his economic message . the number one issue with women is jobs and the economy , ' blackburn said on cnn 's early start recently . the former governor will have to do more of this type of messaging if he wants to sway this group , bose said . romney , she said , will have to hammer home the message what 's good for women is good for the country . ' roundup : 10 takes on the second presidential debate cnn 's wire staff , political unit and emily smith contributed . | romney will now have to score messaging points on the economy while clarifying stance on women 's health issues |
ballen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in practical terms , it might seem that the recent arrests of key taliban members and the success of the u.s. offensive in southern afghanistan might indicate a new phase in the war against the taliban . but how the taliban respond will be based on a world view and beliefs far different from the american perspective and that of the western-educated afghan and pakistani elites , whom we rely on for strategic advice and partnership . on tuesday , pakistani authorities confirmed the capture of mullah abdul kabir , a member of the taliban 's inner circle and a leading military commander against the americans in eastern afghanistan . kabir 's arrest by the pakistanis closely follows that of mullah abdul ghani baradar , the taliban 's operational commander and likely second-in-command to mullah muhammad omar . with the u.s. offensive based in marjah going well , u.s. officials are privately hopeful that the latest developments will push the taliban to the negotiating table . could the taliban be nearing a point where they would consider a negotiated end to the war , severing their more than decade-long alliance with osama bin laden and al qaeda ? having interviewed taliban fighters and leaders , including two who are close to omar , it seems likely that the taliban themselves do not know the answer to this question . in the world of omar and the taliban leaders , many are driven by the power of religious visions and dreams . each true night dream ' is nothing less than a prophecy of god . and their leaders'authority comes from god . according to the taliban members i interviewed over the past two years , omar and his top followers retreated to quetta , a pakistani border city , after the initial american victory in afghanistan at the end of 2001 . as recounted to me , omar was devastated by the taliban 's defeat . paralyzed with inaction , omar could not decide what to do , waiting patiently for a true night dream ' from god to tell him or at least one of his trusted followers . it was not until a taliban deputy recounted a dream , in the spring of 2002 , in which he saw omar 's beard turn a blinding white -- for it was now made of the threads of the holy prophet 's very cloak ' that omar decided to lead the fight again against the americans inside afghanistan . i was told that it was omar 's own true night dream ' -- where a mountain was about to fall on him when allah appeared in the shape of a man -- that led him first to wear the holy relic of the cloak of the prophet mohammed . the seminal event in sealing omar 's authority as the taliban 's unquestioned leader happened when omar donned , from a religious shrine in kandahar , prophet mohammed 's cloak . simply by standing in the holy cloak 's presence , the mute have walked out speaking , the blind seeing , but only when a true leader from god stands before it , will the holy cloak come out , ' a taliban leader told me . in the past 100 years , the cloak only came out ' when the legendary king amanullah wore it to save afghanistan in 1929 and in efforts to stop a cholera epidemic in 1935 . the prophet 's cloak can be opened only when touched by a true leader of the faithful , ' another taliban official told me . mullah omar had the right touch . so , allah almighty opened the locked chests for him to wear the very cloak worn by the prophet mohammed , and be proclaimed leader of the faithful . ' omar 's authority among his followers has continued to be based on true night dreams , ' or ruya , that he and those in his closest circle receive . and we know , ' the taliban official told me , that whoever sees allah in a dream surely has seen him , since satan can not impersonate him in a true dream . ' whether the american offensive against the taliban is successful , we would be wrong to assume that the taliban 's actions will rationally follow battlefield realities . omar and the taliban leadership may be willing to negotiate with the u.s. , or they may simply fight to the last man . the recent arrests of key leaders of the taliban will undoubtedly put pressure on them . but omar and many around him see the world in less practical terms . ultimately , it may simply be that unless omar has another dream that tells him to sever his alliance with bin laden , the taliban will remain al qaeda 's steadfast ally and never surrender or negotiate . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of ken ballen . | ballen : how taliban react to arrests of key leaders ca n't be predicted |
ballen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in practical terms , it might seem that the recent arrests of key taliban members and the success of the u.s. offensive in southern afghanistan might indicate a new phase in the war against the taliban . but how the taliban respond will be based on a world view and beliefs far different from the american perspective and that of the western-educated afghan and pakistani elites , whom we rely on for strategic advice and partnership . on tuesday , pakistani authorities confirmed the capture of mullah abdul kabir , a member of the taliban 's inner circle and a leading military commander against the americans in eastern afghanistan . kabir 's arrest by the pakistanis closely follows that of mullah abdul ghani baradar , the taliban 's operational commander and likely second-in-command to mullah muhammad omar . with the u.s. offensive based in marjah going well , u.s. officials are privately hopeful that the latest developments will push the taliban to the negotiating table . could the taliban be nearing a point where they would consider a negotiated end to the war , severing their more than decade-long alliance with osama bin laden and al qaeda ? having interviewed taliban fighters and leaders , including two who are close to omar , it seems likely that the taliban themselves do not know the answer to this question . in the world of omar and the taliban leaders , many are driven by the power of religious visions and dreams . each true night dream ' is nothing less than a prophecy of god . and their leaders'authority comes from god . according to the taliban members i interviewed over the past two years , omar and his top followers retreated to quetta , a pakistani border city , after the initial american victory in afghanistan at the end of 2001 . as recounted to me , omar was devastated by the taliban 's defeat . paralyzed with inaction , omar could not decide what to do , waiting patiently for a true night dream ' from god to tell him or at least one of his trusted followers . it was not until a taliban deputy recounted a dream , in the spring of 2002 , in which he saw omar 's beard turn a blinding white -- for it was now made of the threads of the holy prophet 's very cloak ' that omar decided to lead the fight again against the americans inside afghanistan . i was told that it was omar 's own true night dream ' -- where a mountain was about to fall on him when allah appeared in the shape of a man -- that led him first to wear the holy relic of the cloak of the prophet mohammed . the seminal event in sealing omar 's authority as the taliban 's unquestioned leader happened when omar donned , from a religious shrine in kandahar , prophet mohammed 's cloak . simply by standing in the holy cloak 's presence , the mute have walked out speaking , the blind seeing , but only when a true leader from god stands before it , will the holy cloak come out , ' a taliban leader told me . in the past 100 years , the cloak only came out ' when the legendary king amanullah wore it to save afghanistan in 1929 and in efforts to stop a cholera epidemic in 1935 . the prophet 's cloak can be opened only when touched by a true leader of the faithful , ' another taliban official told me . mullah omar had the right touch . so , allah almighty opened the locked chests for him to wear the very cloak worn by the prophet mohammed , and be proclaimed leader of the faithful . ' omar 's authority among his followers has continued to be based on true night dreams , ' or ruya , that he and those in his closest circle receive . and we know , ' the taliban official told me , that whoever sees allah in a dream surely has seen him , since satan can not impersonate him in a true dream . ' whether the american offensive against the taliban is successful , we would be wrong to assume that the taliban 's actions will rationally follow battlefield realities . omar and the taliban leadership may be willing to negotiate with the u.s. , or they may simply fight to the last man . the recent arrests of key leaders of the taliban will undoubtedly put pressure on them . but omar and many around him see the world in less practical terms . ultimately , it may simply be that unless omar has another dream that tells him to sever his alliance with bin laden , the taliban will remain al qaeda 's steadfast ally and never surrender or negotiate . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of ken ballen . | ken ballen interviewed taliban leaders and fighters over two years |
ballen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in practical terms , it might seem that the recent arrests of key taliban members and the success of the u.s. offensive in southern afghanistan might indicate a new phase in the war against the taliban . but how the taliban respond will be based on a world view and beliefs far different from the american perspective and that of the western-educated afghan and pakistani elites , whom we rely on for strategic advice and partnership . on tuesday , pakistani authorities confirmed the capture of mullah abdul kabir , a member of the taliban 's inner circle and a leading military commander against the americans in eastern afghanistan . kabir 's arrest by the pakistanis closely follows that of mullah abdul ghani baradar , the taliban 's operational commander and likely second-in-command to mullah muhammad omar . with the u.s. offensive based in marjah going well , u.s. officials are privately hopeful that the latest developments will push the taliban to the negotiating table . could the taliban be nearing a point where they would consider a negotiated end to the war , severing their more than decade-long alliance with osama bin laden and al qaeda ? having interviewed taliban fighters and leaders , including two who are close to omar , it seems likely that the taliban themselves do not know the answer to this question . in the world of omar and the taliban leaders , many are driven by the power of religious visions and dreams . each true night dream ' is nothing less than a prophecy of god . and their leaders'authority comes from god . according to the taliban members i interviewed over the past two years , omar and his top followers retreated to quetta , a pakistani border city , after the initial american victory in afghanistan at the end of 2001 . as recounted to me , omar was devastated by the taliban 's defeat . paralyzed with inaction , omar could not decide what to do , waiting patiently for a true night dream ' from god to tell him or at least one of his trusted followers . it was not until a taliban deputy recounted a dream , in the spring of 2002 , in which he saw omar 's beard turn a blinding white -- for it was now made of the threads of the holy prophet 's very cloak ' that omar decided to lead the fight again against the americans inside afghanistan . i was told that it was omar 's own true night dream ' -- where a mountain was about to fall on him when allah appeared in the shape of a man -- that led him first to wear the holy relic of the cloak of the prophet mohammed . the seminal event in sealing omar 's authority as the taliban 's unquestioned leader happened when omar donned , from a religious shrine in kandahar , prophet mohammed 's cloak . simply by standing in the holy cloak 's presence , the mute have walked out speaking , the blind seeing , but only when a true leader from god stands before it , will the holy cloak come out , ' a taliban leader told me . in the past 100 years , the cloak only came out ' when the legendary king amanullah wore it to save afghanistan in 1929 and in efforts to stop a cholera epidemic in 1935 . the prophet 's cloak can be opened only when touched by a true leader of the faithful , ' another taliban official told me . mullah omar had the right touch . so , allah almighty opened the locked chests for him to wear the very cloak worn by the prophet mohammed , and be proclaimed leader of the faithful . ' omar 's authority among his followers has continued to be based on true night dreams , ' or ruya , that he and those in his closest circle receive . and we know , ' the taliban official told me , that whoever sees allah in a dream surely has seen him , since satan can not impersonate him in a true dream . ' whether the american offensive against the taliban is successful , we would be wrong to assume that the taliban 's actions will rationally follow battlefield realities . omar and the taliban leadership may be willing to negotiate with the u.s. , or they may simply fight to the last man . the recent arrests of key leaders of the taliban will undoubtedly put pressure on them . but omar and many around him see the world in less practical terms . ultimately , it may simply be that unless omar has another dream that tells him to sever his alliance with bin laden , the taliban will remain al qaeda 's steadfast ally and never surrender or negotiate . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of ken ballen . | ballen found taliban leaders rely on true night dreams ' to guide them |
taliban <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in practical terms , it might seem that the recent arrests of key taliban members and the success of the u.s. offensive in southern afghanistan might indicate a new phase in the war against the taliban . but how the taliban respond will be based on a world view and beliefs far different from the american perspective and that of the western-educated afghan and pakistani elites , whom we rely on for strategic advice and partnership . on tuesday , pakistani authorities confirmed the capture of mullah abdul kabir , a member of the taliban 's inner circle and a leading military commander against the americans in eastern afghanistan . kabir 's arrest by the pakistanis closely follows that of mullah abdul ghani baradar , the taliban 's operational commander and likely second-in-command to mullah muhammad omar . with the u.s. offensive based in marjah going well , u.s. officials are privately hopeful that the latest developments will push the taliban to the negotiating table . could the taliban be nearing a point where they would consider a negotiated end to the war , severing their more than decade-long alliance with osama bin laden and al qaeda ? having interviewed taliban fighters and leaders , including two who are close to omar , it seems likely that the taliban themselves do not know the answer to this question . in the world of omar and the taliban leaders , many are driven by the power of religious visions and dreams . each true night dream ' is nothing less than a prophecy of god . and their leaders'authority comes from god . according to the taliban members i interviewed over the past two years , omar and his top followers retreated to quetta , a pakistani border city , after the initial american victory in afghanistan at the end of 2001 . as recounted to me , omar was devastated by the taliban 's defeat . paralyzed with inaction , omar could not decide what to do , waiting patiently for a true night dream ' from god to tell him or at least one of his trusted followers . it was not until a taliban deputy recounted a dream , in the spring of 2002 , in which he saw omar 's beard turn a blinding white -- for it was now made of the threads of the holy prophet 's very cloak ' that omar decided to lead the fight again against the americans inside afghanistan . i was told that it was omar 's own true night dream ' -- where a mountain was about to fall on him when allah appeared in the shape of a man -- that led him first to wear the holy relic of the cloak of the prophet mohammed . the seminal event in sealing omar 's authority as the taliban 's unquestioned leader happened when omar donned , from a religious shrine in kandahar , prophet mohammed 's cloak . simply by standing in the holy cloak 's presence , the mute have walked out speaking , the blind seeing , but only when a true leader from god stands before it , will the holy cloak come out , ' a taliban leader told me . in the past 100 years , the cloak only came out ' when the legendary king amanullah wore it to save afghanistan in 1929 and in efforts to stop a cholera epidemic in 1935 . the prophet 's cloak can be opened only when touched by a true leader of the faithful , ' another taliban official told me . mullah omar had the right touch . so , allah almighty opened the locked chests for him to wear the very cloak worn by the prophet mohammed , and be proclaimed leader of the faithful . ' omar 's authority among his followers has continued to be based on true night dreams , ' or ruya , that he and those in his closest circle receive . and we know , ' the taliban official told me , that whoever sees allah in a dream surely has seen him , since satan can not impersonate him in a true dream . ' whether the american offensive against the taliban is successful , we would be wrong to assume that the taliban 's actions will rationally follow battlefield realities . omar and the taliban leadership may be willing to negotiate with the u.s. , or they may simply fight to the last man . the recent arrests of key leaders of the taliban will undoubtedly put pressure on them . but omar and many around him see the world in less practical terms . ultimately , it may simply be that unless omar has another dream that tells him to sever his alliance with bin laden , the taliban will remain al qaeda 's steadfast ally and never surrender or negotiate . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of ken ballen . | ballen : how taliban react to arrests of key leaders ca n't be predicted |
taliban <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in practical terms , it might seem that the recent arrests of key taliban members and the success of the u.s. offensive in southern afghanistan might indicate a new phase in the war against the taliban . but how the taliban respond will be based on a world view and beliefs far different from the american perspective and that of the western-educated afghan and pakistani elites , whom we rely on for strategic advice and partnership . on tuesday , pakistani authorities confirmed the capture of mullah abdul kabir , a member of the taliban 's inner circle and a leading military commander against the americans in eastern afghanistan . kabir 's arrest by the pakistanis closely follows that of mullah abdul ghani baradar , the taliban 's operational commander and likely second-in-command to mullah muhammad omar . with the u.s. offensive based in marjah going well , u.s. officials are privately hopeful that the latest developments will push the taliban to the negotiating table . could the taliban be nearing a point where they would consider a negotiated end to the war , severing their more than decade-long alliance with osama bin laden and al qaeda ? having interviewed taliban fighters and leaders , including two who are close to omar , it seems likely that the taliban themselves do not know the answer to this question . in the world of omar and the taliban leaders , many are driven by the power of religious visions and dreams . each true night dream ' is nothing less than a prophecy of god . and their leaders'authority comes from god . according to the taliban members i interviewed over the past two years , omar and his top followers retreated to quetta , a pakistani border city , after the initial american victory in afghanistan at the end of 2001 . as recounted to me , omar was devastated by the taliban 's defeat . paralyzed with inaction , omar could not decide what to do , waiting patiently for a true night dream ' from god to tell him or at least one of his trusted followers . it was not until a taliban deputy recounted a dream , in the spring of 2002 , in which he saw omar 's beard turn a blinding white -- for it was now made of the threads of the holy prophet 's very cloak ' that omar decided to lead the fight again against the americans inside afghanistan . i was told that it was omar 's own true night dream ' -- where a mountain was about to fall on him when allah appeared in the shape of a man -- that led him first to wear the holy relic of the cloak of the prophet mohammed . the seminal event in sealing omar 's authority as the taliban 's unquestioned leader happened when omar donned , from a religious shrine in kandahar , prophet mohammed 's cloak . simply by standing in the holy cloak 's presence , the mute have walked out speaking , the blind seeing , but only when a true leader from god stands before it , will the holy cloak come out , ' a taliban leader told me . in the past 100 years , the cloak only came out ' when the legendary king amanullah wore it to save afghanistan in 1929 and in efforts to stop a cholera epidemic in 1935 . the prophet 's cloak can be opened only when touched by a true leader of the faithful , ' another taliban official told me . mullah omar had the right touch . so , allah almighty opened the locked chests for him to wear the very cloak worn by the prophet mohammed , and be proclaimed leader of the faithful . ' omar 's authority among his followers has continued to be based on true night dreams , ' or ruya , that he and those in his closest circle receive . and we know , ' the taliban official told me , that whoever sees allah in a dream surely has seen him , since satan can not impersonate him in a true dream . ' whether the american offensive against the taliban is successful , we would be wrong to assume that the taliban 's actions will rationally follow battlefield realities . omar and the taliban leadership may be willing to negotiate with the u.s. , or they may simply fight to the last man . the recent arrests of key leaders of the taliban will undoubtedly put pressure on them . but omar and many around him see the world in less practical terms . ultimately , it may simply be that unless omar has another dream that tells him to sever his alliance with bin laden , the taliban will remain al qaeda 's steadfast ally and never surrender or negotiate . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of ken ballen . | ken ballen interviewed taliban leaders and fighters over two years |
taliban <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in practical terms , it might seem that the recent arrests of key taliban members and the success of the u.s. offensive in southern afghanistan might indicate a new phase in the war against the taliban . but how the taliban respond will be based on a world view and beliefs far different from the american perspective and that of the western-educated afghan and pakistani elites , whom we rely on for strategic advice and partnership . on tuesday , pakistani authorities confirmed the capture of mullah abdul kabir , a member of the taliban 's inner circle and a leading military commander against the americans in eastern afghanistan . kabir 's arrest by the pakistanis closely follows that of mullah abdul ghani baradar , the taliban 's operational commander and likely second-in-command to mullah muhammad omar . with the u.s. offensive based in marjah going well , u.s. officials are privately hopeful that the latest developments will push the taliban to the negotiating table . could the taliban be nearing a point where they would consider a negotiated end to the war , severing their more than decade-long alliance with osama bin laden and al qaeda ? having interviewed taliban fighters and leaders , including two who are close to omar , it seems likely that the taliban themselves do not know the answer to this question . in the world of omar and the taliban leaders , many are driven by the power of religious visions and dreams . each true night dream ' is nothing less than a prophecy of god . and their leaders'authority comes from god . according to the taliban members i interviewed over the past two years , omar and his top followers retreated to quetta , a pakistani border city , after the initial american victory in afghanistan at the end of 2001 . as recounted to me , omar was devastated by the taliban 's defeat . paralyzed with inaction , omar could not decide what to do , waiting patiently for a true night dream ' from god to tell him or at least one of his trusted followers . it was not until a taliban deputy recounted a dream , in the spring of 2002 , in which he saw omar 's beard turn a blinding white -- for it was now made of the threads of the holy prophet 's very cloak ' that omar decided to lead the fight again against the americans inside afghanistan . i was told that it was omar 's own true night dream ' -- where a mountain was about to fall on him when allah appeared in the shape of a man -- that led him first to wear the holy relic of the cloak of the prophet mohammed . the seminal event in sealing omar 's authority as the taliban 's unquestioned leader happened when omar donned , from a religious shrine in kandahar , prophet mohammed 's cloak . simply by standing in the holy cloak 's presence , the mute have walked out speaking , the blind seeing , but only when a true leader from god stands before it , will the holy cloak come out , ' a taliban leader told me . in the past 100 years , the cloak only came out ' when the legendary king amanullah wore it to save afghanistan in 1929 and in efforts to stop a cholera epidemic in 1935 . the prophet 's cloak can be opened only when touched by a true leader of the faithful , ' another taliban official told me . mullah omar had the right touch . so , allah almighty opened the locked chests for him to wear the very cloak worn by the prophet mohammed , and be proclaimed leader of the faithful . ' omar 's authority among his followers has continued to be based on true night dreams , ' or ruya , that he and those in his closest circle receive . and we know , ' the taliban official told me , that whoever sees allah in a dream surely has seen him , since satan can not impersonate him in a true dream . ' whether the american offensive against the taliban is successful , we would be wrong to assume that the taliban 's actions will rationally follow battlefield realities . omar and the taliban leadership may be willing to negotiate with the u.s. , or they may simply fight to the last man . the recent arrests of key leaders of the taliban will undoubtedly put pressure on them . but omar and many around him see the world in less practical terms . ultimately , it may simply be that unless omar has another dream that tells him to sever his alliance with bin laden , the taliban will remain al qaeda 's steadfast ally and never surrender or negotiate . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of ken ballen . | whether taliban cut ties with al qaeda may depend on dream to mullah omar , he writes |
taliban <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in practical terms , it might seem that the recent arrests of key taliban members and the success of the u.s. offensive in southern afghanistan might indicate a new phase in the war against the taliban . but how the taliban respond will be based on a world view and beliefs far different from the american perspective and that of the western-educated afghan and pakistani elites , whom we rely on for strategic advice and partnership . on tuesday , pakistani authorities confirmed the capture of mullah abdul kabir , a member of the taliban 's inner circle and a leading military commander against the americans in eastern afghanistan . kabir 's arrest by the pakistanis closely follows that of mullah abdul ghani baradar , the taliban 's operational commander and likely second-in-command to mullah muhammad omar . with the u.s. offensive based in marjah going well , u.s. officials are privately hopeful that the latest developments will push the taliban to the negotiating table . could the taliban be nearing a point where they would consider a negotiated end to the war , severing their more than decade-long alliance with osama bin laden and al qaeda ? having interviewed taliban fighters and leaders , including two who are close to omar , it seems likely that the taliban themselves do not know the answer to this question . in the world of omar and the taliban leaders , many are driven by the power of religious visions and dreams . each true night dream ' is nothing less than a prophecy of god . and their leaders'authority comes from god . according to the taliban members i interviewed over the past two years , omar and his top followers retreated to quetta , a pakistani border city , after the initial american victory in afghanistan at the end of 2001 . as recounted to me , omar was devastated by the taliban 's defeat . paralyzed with inaction , omar could not decide what to do , waiting patiently for a true night dream ' from god to tell him or at least one of his trusted followers . it was not until a taliban deputy recounted a dream , in the spring of 2002 , in which he saw omar 's beard turn a blinding white -- for it was now made of the threads of the holy prophet 's very cloak ' that omar decided to lead the fight again against the americans inside afghanistan . i was told that it was omar 's own true night dream ' -- where a mountain was about to fall on him when allah appeared in the shape of a man -- that led him first to wear the holy relic of the cloak of the prophet mohammed . the seminal event in sealing omar 's authority as the taliban 's unquestioned leader happened when omar donned , from a religious shrine in kandahar , prophet mohammed 's cloak . simply by standing in the holy cloak 's presence , the mute have walked out speaking , the blind seeing , but only when a true leader from god stands before it , will the holy cloak come out , ' a taliban leader told me . in the past 100 years , the cloak only came out ' when the legendary king amanullah wore it to save afghanistan in 1929 and in efforts to stop a cholera epidemic in 1935 . the prophet 's cloak can be opened only when touched by a true leader of the faithful , ' another taliban official told me . mullah omar had the right touch . so , allah almighty opened the locked chests for him to wear the very cloak worn by the prophet mohammed , and be proclaimed leader of the faithful . ' omar 's authority among his followers has continued to be based on true night dreams , ' or ruya , that he and those in his closest circle receive . and we know , ' the taliban official told me , that whoever sees allah in a dream surely has seen him , since satan can not impersonate him in a true dream . ' whether the american offensive against the taliban is successful , we would be wrong to assume that the taliban 's actions will rationally follow battlefield realities . omar and the taliban leadership may be willing to negotiate with the u.s. , or they may simply fight to the last man . the recent arrests of key leaders of the taliban will undoubtedly put pressure on them . but omar and many around him see the world in less practical terms . ultimately , it may simply be that unless omar has another dream that tells him to sever his alliance with bin laden , the taliban will remain al qaeda 's steadfast ally and never surrender or negotiate . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of ken ballen . | ballen found taliban leaders rely on true night dreams ' to guide them |
southern command <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- weeks after the u.s. southern command began investigating reports that 12 troops engaged in misconduct during president obama 's visit to cartagena , colombia , the entire matter is still being reviewed to see if the evidence is strong enough for the military to take disciplinary action against those alleged to have been involved . military lawyers at u.s. southern command are evaluating evidence obtained during the investigation to determine admissibility and strength of the evidence , ' the u.s. southern command said in a statement updating the status of the investigation . the individual military services have reviewed the evidence against the 12 individuals and made their recommendations to gen. douglas fraser , the commanding general of southern command . it is now up to him , pending advice from his legal team , to make the decision on how to proceed . there are three options if there is a decision to take action . one is adverse administrative action , which could include a letter of reprimand or admonishment . generally these types of actions end careers . a second is nonjudicial punishment , which could include withholding pay , reduction in ranks or confinement . these actions can be appealed by a service member , who can challenge the evidence and call witnesses . the third is military court-martial , which can lead to trial and conviction . gen. fraser is also carefully reviewing the information and is required by law to consider numerous factors to include the nature of the offenses , any mitigating or extenuating circumstances , the character and military service of the suspects and the recommendations of subordinate commanders . the goal is a disposition that is warranted , based on admissible evidence , just , appropriate and fair , ' the southern command statement said . | gen. douglas fraser , the commanding general of southern command , will decide |
colombia <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- weeks after the u.s. southern command began investigating reports that 12 troops engaged in misconduct during president obama 's visit to cartagena , colombia , the entire matter is still being reviewed to see if the evidence is strong enough for the military to take disciplinary action against those alleged to have been involved . military lawyers at u.s. southern command are evaluating evidence obtained during the investigation to determine admissibility and strength of the evidence , ' the u.s. southern command said in a statement updating the status of the investigation . the individual military services have reviewed the evidence against the 12 individuals and made their recommendations to gen. douglas fraser , the commanding general of southern command . it is now up to him , pending advice from his legal team , to make the decision on how to proceed . there are three options if there is a decision to take action . one is adverse administrative action , which could include a letter of reprimand or admonishment . generally these types of actions end careers . a second is nonjudicial punishment , which could include withholding pay , reduction in ranks or confinement . these actions can be appealed by a service member , who can challenge the evidence and call witnesses . the third is military court-martial , which can lead to trial and conviction . gen. fraser is also carefully reviewing the information and is required by law to consider numerous factors to include the nature of the offenses , any mitigating or extenuating circumstances , the character and military service of the suspects and the recommendations of subordinate commanders . the goal is a disposition that is warranted , based on admissible evidence , just , appropriate and fair , ' the southern command statement said . | 12 troops investigated for their conduct on obama colombia trip |
frank ocean <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after adele 's ( rightly deserved ) sweep at the grammys last year , this year 's show is poised to be a bit less predictable . it 'll be a boys'club on cbs sunday with a six-way tie among mumford & sons , frank ocean , fun. , kanye west , jay-z and the black keys'dan auerbach for lead nominee , each receiving six nods apiece . 55th annual grammy awards : the nominees list in between acceptance speeches , the three-and-a-half hour ceremony will be filled with performances from justin timberlake , rihanna , bruno mars and sting , the black keys , taylor swift , frank ocean , the lumineers , fun. , mumford & sons , dierks bentley and miranda lambert , and jack white . but when it comes down to it , there are only four categories that count as the big fish . check out some predictions below . who do you think will win big this weekend ? best new artist this category is tough to call because it 's crowded with possibilities , from industry favorite frank ocean to don't-count-'em-out contenders the lumineers and fun . the alabama shakes and hunter hayes also scored nods here , but the prevailing sentiment is that they 're in the it 's just an honor to be nominated ' part of the group . both the lumineers and fun . have a mainstream commercial advantage over ocean , but the channel orange ' artist is beloved by critics and has had a meteoric rise this year . it 'll be a tight race , but it looks like it 's ocean 's prize to take . record of the year remember that this honor extends to the production team in addition to the artist . the contenders here had some of the hottest tracks of the past year : taylor swift 's we are never ever getting back together , ' the black keys' lonely boy , ' kelly clarkson 's stronger ( what does n't kill you ) , ' gotye 's somebody that i used to know , ' fun . 's we are young ' and frank ocean 's thinkin'bout you . ' ocean and fun . are again two acts that we 'd like to think are frontrunners , but the dominating prediction is that this is really a race between gotye and the black keys . if you go with what 's most popular with the listeners of spotify , gotye 's somebody that i used to know ' will be crowned record of the year on sunday . still , we 're going with lonely boy . ' song of the year here 's where the recording academy zeroes in on songwriters , which in this case often overlap with performers . we 're looking at the a team ' from ed sheeran , adorn ' from miguel , call me maybe ' from carly rae jepsen , stronger ( what does n't kill you ) ' from kelly clarkson and we are young ' from fun. , with a feature spot from janelle monã¡e . it 's an interesting mix because , as both hitfix and mtv critique , it 's a less competitive category than some of the others . miguel 's adorn ' deserves the attention , and there 's no denying what a juggernaut of a single call me maybe ' continues to be . but from the lay of the land , this is fun . 's title to lose . album of the year it 's the biggest honor of the night , and each nominee this year would be a solid choice to win the grammy . in competition are the black keys' el camino , ' fun . 's some nights , ' mumford & sons' babel , ' frank ocean 's channel orange ' and jack white 's blunderbuss . ' while white 's album was a welcomed surprise to this category , the odds are n't in his favor . among critics , it 's coming down to frank ocean , the black keys and mumford , with fun . being somewhat of an outlier . one theory is that with all of the rockers in competition , they 'll cancel each other out and clear a path for ocean . but with mumford being the safer bet and a fantastic album to boot , all eyes are on them to win . opinion : do n't try to be sexy at the grammys | frank ocean , fun . and mumford & sons are expected to win top prizes |
david cameron <tsp> ( cnn ) -- is the music festival as scene of warm beer , ear-drum-shattering amplification and mud-splattered mayhem under threat ? with britain 's eton-educated conservative prime minister , david cameron , spotted at cornbury -- aka poshstock -- this year , glastonbury tickets costing upward of $ 300 and yurts and hempseed smoothies present at even the most ordinary events , all the evidence is there . at these popular upscale music and culture fests in britain ( the country seems to specialize in them ) and europe , guests are as well-bred as the organic cows minced up for the burgers , the music avoids topics of social revolution and the booze may be bubbly , but it also tends to be french . cornbury music festival , oxfordshire , uk ' a homespun melting pot where music-lovers share pies and a glass of champagne with superstars , toffs , rockers , crooners [ and ] morris dancers . ' that 's how cornbury describes itself . known as poshstock , ' especially since british prime minister david cameron was spotted there this year ( albeit apparently hiding behind a pair of fake ray-ban sunglasses ) , the festival places great emphasis on comfort . with accommodation options including yurts ( yes , the surprise accommodation hit of the decade has even made it to this bastion of the british establishment ) and fully furnished cabins , you feel as if you 're checking into a charming little boutique hotel here , rather than attending a three-day open-air music festival . yoga workshops are available , should you suffer any back strain catching a glimpse of acts including van morrison and the proclaimers . the vip tent has plush sofas and a hair salon if you get too out of sorts . cornbury music festival ; every july ; day tickets from £15 ( $ 23 ) ; +44 ( 0 ) 844 581 0777 festival no 6 , portmeirion , wales ' your weekend will be spent in the most stylish ... setting imaginable , ' declares festival no 6 -- without modesty , true , but also without too much exaggeration . held in the achingly ( literally , to some ) quaint welsh village of portmeirion , a purpose-built resort modeled on an italian village , venues include a ballroom and a piazza . ' accommodation ranges from portmeirion castle ( now , a castle really is n't glastonbury 1978 ) to , inevitably , luxury yurts . ' among performance highlights at this year 's intimate , bespoke banquet of music , arts and culture , ' to quote the giddy festival organizers again , are the brythoniaid male voice choir , travel writer jan morris and harpist georgia ruth . festival no 6 ; every september ( 13-15 in 2013 ) ; tickets from £170 ( $ 265 ) aphrodite festival , paphos , cyprus held in the grounds of the city 's medieval castle , aphrodite is a global highlight on the opera lover 's calendar . singers might hit the high notes but you should n't get carried away by all the extravagant emotion depicted in the opera performances -- the prevailing mood here is genteel , just in the way it is n't at , say , the bloodstock open air heavy metal festival in derbyshire , uk . highlight of this year 's aphrodite lineup is the donizetti opera l'elisir d'amore , performed by the opera future verona . pafos aphrodite festival ; every september ( 6-8 in 2013 ) ; tickets from €25 ( $ 33 ) galtres festival , north yorkshire , uk ' we british love our stately homes , ' says the 45-year-old director of this yorkshire event , james houston . give us a fine tune , a glass of something nice to drink and a posh house , and we 're the happiest folk in the world . ' thus is the posh-festival ethos perfectly articulated . apart from the venue , duncombe park stately home , the culinary approach here is about as starkly different from the lukewarm beer and equally lukewarm food of what some would regard as a properly grimy festival . everything is resolutely local , seasonal , artisan ' and fairtrade , from the tea and cakes from the deliciousness tea shop , to the full of beans coffee and the really rather annoyingly titled boogie breakfasts . galtres festival ; every august ( 23-25 in 2013 ) ; tickets from £20 ( $ 31 ) øya festival , oslo , norway the festival outlook website calls øya boutique , ' which sounds about right . you wo n't find soggy burgers , or even organic ones . all forest herbs and fungi , scandinavian grub is front of the queue for discerning foodies at the moment , and øya shows it off with pretentious elan . head chef at oslo 's michelin-starred maaemo restaurant , esben holmboe bang is one of the culinary crew keeping hungry -- but picky -- festival-goers happy . the festival venue is a historic oslo park containing the ruins of a medieval church . true , there 's a camping ground -- but it has a pool and wi-fi . with a nod to pre-organic-certified festivals of old , this year 's lineup included graying rockers blur and kraftwerk . øya festival ; every august ; day tickets from 725 kroner ( $ 130 ) tomorrow land , boom , belgium held in the aptly named belgian town of boom , tomorrow land is a three-day dance festival with a difference . no doubt other substances will be consumed to augment the electronic beats , but the food is hugely different from the greasy takeaways that so often accompany a clubbing night out . the pop-up onsite restaurant maison bru serves food by the eponymous michelin-starred belgian chef wout bru ; there 's a festival bakery ; and gluten-free food can be ordered in advance for those sensitive types . tomorrow land ; every july ; tickets from €82 ( $ 110 ) henley festival , henley , uk ' black ties . sharp suits . designer dresses . generous servings of decadence , garnished with sophistication . ' thus the henley festival sets the scene for festival-goers in the know . ' or , to put it another way , well off festival-goers . this posh oxfordshire bash completes the henley royal regatta every year , a rowing race whose entrants and spectators share a good concentration of blue blood . you can spear moules frites and other french delicacies prepared by celebrated father and son chefs albert and michel roux while listening to madness and the beach boys , among other acts . henley festival ; every july ; tickets from £52 ( $ 80 ) verbier festival , verbier , switzerland all pretty evening gowns and penguin suits , this elite classical music event takes place every summer in a little alpine town in that home of all things pricey , switzerland . big ticket performers have included julian lloyd webber , bryn terfel and the young russian classical star evgeny kissin . tapas on slate platters are among the superior servings at two pop-up restaurants . interval chat could cover limited-edition time pieces and travel -- to other tax havens around the world , that is . you wo n't find many camping enthusiasts here -- where would one hang one 's designer gown ? -- but there are plenty of upscale chalets to rent in the village and around . verbier festival ; from july to august each year ; tickets from 50 francs ( $ 55 ) port eliot festival , cornwall , uk the word twee ' inevitably suggests itself when describing this festival of music and the arts set in and around yet another stately home . a sample of the non-headbanging performances on show include the poet luke wright , gentle satirist of yummy mummies and inbred aristocratic politicians , and a capella versions of pop songs from the 50 degrees choir . exhibits , when you tire of all that noise , have included a collection of dolls owned by various legendary fashion designers . metallica , watch out ! port eliot festival ; every july ; tickets from £20 ( $ 31 ) | eton-educated british pm david cameron spotted at poshstock ' festival |
united nations <tsp> kabul , afghanistan ( cnn ) -- afghanistan 's reputation as the world 's leading narcotics supplier is well-known , but in a squalid ruin in kabul , the country hides a darker secret -- a huge home grown drug addiction problem now on the brink of fueling an hiv/aids epidemic . junkies smoking heroin can get high for $ 4 . here junkies lie in their own filth , wasted limbs poking out of blood-spattered clothing as they blank out the abject misery of their surroundings . in one room , a veritable narcotics bazaar offers pills and drug paraphernalia -- with hits retailing at less than $ 4 . one user claims he has been an addict for 22 years , although it is difficult to talk to any of the dazed and ragged occupants of the drug rooms . the atmosphere is edgy and -- as thick clouds of burning opium fill the air -- dizzyingly toxic . the kabul den is just the tip of the iceberg in a country awash with narcotics . the government estimates the number of addicts in afghanistan could be as many as five percent of its 25 million people . watch nic robertson 's report from the'house of hopelessness'» and though nascent efforts are being made to tackle the problem , chronic funding shortfalls have prompted the united nations to warn that drug use will escalate , potentially driving an hiv/aids crisis as junkies move from smoking to high risk needle-sharing . afghanistan has always been a major narcotics supplier -- responsible for 95 percent of the world 's heroin -- although this was scaled back under the rule of the taliban , which outlawed poppy cultivation and imposed strict penalties for drug users . since 2001 , when the extremist regime was ousted by a u.s.-led invasion that installed president hamid karzai , production has doubled . and for many in the country still mired in poverty and conflict , these cheap drugs offer a tempting escape . the last united nations survey of afghanistan 's drug problem four years ago estimated the country 's addicts to number about 200,000 . according to afghan counter narcotics minister khodaidad , the figure is now far greater . more than 1.2 million people in afghanistan are addicts . it 's a very huge number and every year it increases , ' he told cnn . khodaidad says the afghan government is largely powerless to control the production of opium while taliban extremists , who now control and draw funding from drug crops , control cultivation areas despite major international military efforts to push them back . we did very little due to weakness of governors , due to insurgents , due to pressure of terrorism in the area , ' he added . we do n't have sufficient law enforcement agencies -- the police , the border security force , and other special forces to control this area -- so it will take time . ' but , says jean-luc lemahieu , head of the un 's office on drugs and crime ( unodc ) in kabul , time is something afghanistan does not have . as intravenous drug use takes hold , raising the prospect of needle sharing , he says hiv/aids will follow quickly . the little data we have at the moment are very alarming , ' he told cnn . they tell us that we should not wait longer and if not , this country will be saddled with another burden it just can not afford . i think it is already happening today . we have seen , now , a few hiv/aids cases . hopefully we can contain the problem , although it is unlikely given the problems with the health structures . ' the u.n. has begun a program to detox users willing to get off drugs in afghanistan . a renovated warehouse in kabul offers hope to 100 addicts in the biggest facility of its kind in the country . watch robertson go inside the detox clinic » in the center 's clean , bare rooms , shaven-headed junkies tremble under blankets as they go through the agonizing cold turkey of weaning their ravaged bodies off drug dependency . therapy sessions also help motivate them to kick their deadly habit . here we deal with the problem from a humanitarian perspective , not from an addiction perspective , to save lives , ' says jehan zeb khan , unodc program manager . but says khan , with what little funding there is now dwindling fast , the salvation offered to these lucky few may be short lived -- they will be forced back out on the streets , where more opium dens will flourish , bringing yet more misery for afghanistan . | united nations says growing drug use could lead to hiv/aids crisis |
ww ii <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the aging veterans gingerly walk from the plane in the nation 's capital . some get pushed in wheelchairs . a brass band strikes up world war ii era tunes . strangers rise to their feet and clap their hands . why are they doing this ? ' says frank bales , 86 , a co-pilot on a b-24 during world war ii . i feel as humbled as a mouse . ' walter victor was overwhelmed as he made his way through the crowd . the chills came over me . very seldom do you see something like that , ' says the 92-year-old army veteran . these world war ii veterans have traveled here to visit the national world war ii memorial , which honors the 16 million u.s. armed forces who served and the more than 400,000 who died in battle . the vets made the trip thanks to a former employee at the department of veterans affairs . a physician 's assistant at the va in springfield , ohio , earl morse was struck by the wwii vets he treated and how few made the journey to see the memorial that honors them . they dedicated the wwii memorial in may of 2004 , 60 years after the war had ended . that was a cause of celebration in my clinic . all of the veterans wanted to see it but they were in poor health or did n't have the means to visit it . ' reality set in , ' morse says , they were never going to see their memorial . ' morse was determined to change that , because he so admired the quiet grit and heroism of the unassuming men he treated every day . he took his cause to a local air club . i stood before 150 pilots and told them i was going to start flying wwii veterans to washington . i said if you want to help me , the wwii veteran does n't pay a penny . you 'll have to rent an airplane and cover all the travel costs . ' honor flight ' took to the skies in may of 2005 . six planes flew 12 veterans . the next month , eight planes flew 16 veterans . today , it operates like a volunteer airline , with 86 hubs in 33 states . instead of renting small planes , they charter boeing jets , thanks to donations that keep the planes in the sky . so far , more than 30,000 veterans have experienced a visit to the memorial , courtesy of honor flight . witnessing their emotions is what fuels our cause . when you see wwii veterans break down in tears because they had no idea how much this nation reveres , cherishes and loves them for what they 've done , it really overwhelms them , ' morse says . in the days and weeks before each honor flight , an army of ground volunteers coordinates every detail of each trip -- from the buses that pick them up to the meals they eat . shortly after bales and his group arrived in washington this day , they were taken by bus to the memorial . many said they were stunned by its size and scope . inscriptions carved in granite recognize specific battles that were fought in europe and across the pacific . a wall of stars marks the high price of freedom . they paused to remember the 448,000 who died in the war -- and their fellow survivors who did n't live to see this moment . each of those stars represents 100 men and women who died in wwii , and i realized that my division has almost 39 stars on that wall , ' said tom rone , 85 , who stormed the bullet-ridden beaches on guadalcanal as a platoon sergeant with the marines . morse says the trip often provides closure for the vets who visit . many veterans open up at the memorial and speak in detail for the first time about what they went through . i 've had exchanges with veterans that are jaw dropping , ' morse says . you ca n't fathom what it 's like to have experienced what they went through fighting for their lives . ' the same honor flight ' that transported the veterans to washington returns them back home , landing just 12 hours after it took off . the elderly warriors seem renewed rather than exhausted by their whirlwind trip . i will never forget this , ' say 86-year-old marcus lee long , who served in the pacific on the uss ellet . everybody is so happy and treating us so nice . ' allen pittard , 88 , added , i feel so fortunate to be here . so many did n't make it . ' for morse , the founder of honor flight , the end of each flight is a bittersweet experience . his mission continues with an air of urgency , because less than 10 percent of the americans who served in world war ii are still alive . an estimated 1,200 wwii veterans die every day . in another five to seven years , our efforts will be a moot point because they will be gone or too infirm to participate in a mission like this , ' he says . | ww ii vet on the trip : i feel as humbled as a mouse ' |
miami heat <tsp> ( cnn ) -- no doubt , the miami heat 's current 27-game win streak is impressive . but the team still has a few games to go to top the 1971-1972 los angeles lakers'run of 33 straight consecutive victories . and the heat would need a few lifetimes to surpass jahangir khan . khan might not be a household name in nba circles , but in pakistan and the world of squash he 's huge . forget lebron james . when it comes to impressive winning streaks , khan is king by virtue of his taking 555 straight matches between 1981 and 1986 . the squash star 's momentous mark is proof that there are record streaks everywhere . that includes in sports , yes , but also politics , business and more . here 's a short list of 10 long-term milestones that might surprise you : 1 . the heat is on , and on , and on death valley , california , has that name for a reason . on july 10 , 1913 , the thermostat in a community called furnace creek topped out at 134 degrees fahrenheit -- making it the hottest day ever recorded , anywhere . but the heat in this desert area is not only intense , it also endures . take summer 2001 , when the high temperature met or exceeded 100 degrees for 154 consecutive days , according to the death valley national park website . for those keeping score at home , that means every day for more than five months . depends on your heat-warped perspective if you think summer 1996 was worse . in that time , the high temps soared to or past 110 degrees for 105 straight days -- and exceeded 120 degrees for 40 consecutive days . 2 . a really long shot on the court if the heat cruise past the lakers , they 'll have made nba history . but not necessarily basketball history . in the late 1960s and 1970s , the pinnacle of perfection in the sport was coach john wooden 's ucla men 's basketball team . amid a run of 11 straight ncaa titles , the bruins reeled off 88 straight wins between 1971 and 1974 . that mark stood until late 2010 , when the university of connecticut 's women 's hoops program under coach geno auriemma notched 90 straight wins . to put it in perspective for miami , they 'd need to roughly triple their amount of victories to top that . 3 .'one sweet'16 weeks since the 1950s , the billboard hot 100 chart has been home to the biggest names in the music biz : elvis presley . michael jackson . the beatles . so , who was the biggest of them all , when it came to consecutive weeks as the no . 1 song ? none other than boyz ii men and mariah carey , together singing one sweet day . ' the song held the hot 100 's top spot for 16 weeks , beating out whitney houston 's i will always love you ' and boyz ii men 's i 'll make love to you ' by two weeks . macarena ' and elton john 's candle in the wind , ' among others , later made a run at the top honor only to fall short . for a single , topping the charts for basically four months is a stellar feat . still , it 's one that falls well short of billboard 's most consecutive weeks for a chart-topping album . that record belongs to the west side story ' soundtrack , which was first on the billboard 200 for 54 weeks in 1962 and 1963 , an accomplishment not even jackson 's thriller ' could match . 4 . up for 21 years running , down under for the past few years , a recession has gripped much of the world . in the early 2000s , the united states and some other economies dipped in the months and years after the september 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks . before that , the tech bubble burst . basically , there 's been a roller-coaster of bad and good news . except in australia , where it 's been all good . according to the australian treasurer wayne swan , australia has notched 21 straight years of annual economic growth . among other advanced economies , the next closest competitor , israel , is n't even halfway there . in other words , no developed country comes close . this streak is n't over . so there 's no telling if australia will turn things upside down even more , by hurdling or skirting economic obstacles to grow for another 21 years straight . 5 . most famous for being a loser ? by most any measure , susan lucci has had an extraordinary career : as a long-running soap opera standout , a reality show star , an author and an entrepreneur . still , the measure that many most affiliate lucci with is how many times she lost . eighteen , to be exact . that 's the number of times the all my children ' star had been nominated for a daytime emmy award , and also how many times she went home empty-handed . her bad luck ended in 1999 , when she finally broke through on her 19th try with a best actress award . it was a win for her , but also the moment she lost hold of one of her biggest claims to fame . 6 . the democratic bastion of alabama follow current presidential politics , and the states do n't get much more republican red than alabama . in 2012 , gop nominee mitt romney crushed president barack obama with 61 % of the vote . sen. john mccain , the republicans'standard bearer , got the same percentage four years earlier . but what some outside the south may not realize is that , when mccain ran , democrats still had power in montgomery -- just as , seemingly , they always had . while it may seem the opposite holds true now , the south was once as staunchly democratic as they come . but that started to change , especially in national politics , in the 1970s and 1980s . alabama was part of that tide , having last voted for a democratic presidential candidate -- by the name of jimmy carter , the governor of neighboring georgia -- in 1976 . but state politics was an entirely different story . it was n't until the november 2010 election that republicans were able to win a majority of seats in both chambers of the alabama state legislature . 7 . american juggernaut talent shows are nothing new , being found in most every town and seemingly most every television network nowadays . in this clutter , especially with so many entertainment options , it 's hard to break through and remain in front year after year after year . then how do you explain american idol ' ? there have been popular shows for generations , but none have had the success of american idol . ' for eight years running , the fox network show topped the nielsen charts as the nation 's most watched program , year in and year out . in 2011 -- more than a year after cnn and others reported on the program 's ratings slide ' -- the american idol ' wednesday night show still topped the nielsen yearly chart . no . 2 ? american idol 's ' thursday program . the streak ended in 2012 , when nbc 's sunday night football ' took nielsen 's top spot . still , american idol ' could take solace having already left other legendary tv shows -- seinfeld , ' all in the family ' and m * a * s * h ' among them -- in its wake . 8 . newspapers that keep rolling some have said newspapers are dying . then again , sometimes that happens when you 're hundreds of years old . but while many have gone out of print , some publications are still going -- under the same name , and just as ready to grab and read as they were centuries ago . while the international honor for longest continuous published newspaper is subject to some debate , one title in contention is italy 's la gazzetta di mantova . that paper was founded in 1664 and is still around , website included . there 's less dispute in the united states , albeit two newspapers do boast the oldest newspaper ' title . one is the new hampshire gazette , a bi-weekly paper that first rolled off the presses in 1756 , some 20 years before the birth of the united states . the other is the hartford courant ( originally the connecticut courant ) , a daily that bills itself as the country 's oldest newspaper in continuous publication ' by virtue of its founding in 1764 . 9 . mexico 's party of record -- for 71 years mexico gained independence from its colonial rulers in 1821 , experiencing periods of stability and tumult in the subsequent decades . but for most of the 20th century , political stasis dominated the country , under the guise of the ruling institutional revolutionary party . the party also known as pri began in 1929 , 19 years after the launch of the revolution aimed at unseating dictator porfirio diaz . despite or , perhaps , because of criticisms that it was authoritarian and corrupt , the party won 12 consecutive national elections , which occurred roughly every six years . it was n't just mexico city the party controlled : the pri held most top local and state positions as well , at least until the 1990s . but its 12-election , 71-year winning streak ended in 2000 , when the right-wing national action party broke through and vicente fox became mexico 's president . its ouster from power , however , was n't permanent . in 2012 , pri unseated its rival party and regained the presidency under enrique pena nieto . 10 . where have you gone , joe dimaggio ? 56 . in american sports lore , that number speaks for itself . it is forever attached to legendary new york yankees slugger joe dimaggio and his magical run during the 1941 baseball season . during his career , which was interrupted about halfway by his service in world war ii , dimaggio compiled 361 home runs and a career .325 batting average . that was enough to win him a place in the national baseball hall of fame and , in 1969 , the distinction as the sport 's greatest living player . but it 's the streak , it seems , that may be his most enduring legacy . every season , it seems , a player makes a run at the 56-game hitting streak . and every season , he falls woefully short . cnn 's julie in contributed to this report . | the miami heat have won 27 straight games and are aiming for an nba record 33 |
khloe kardashian <tsp> ( cnn ) call it the war of the rose . ' amber rose and khloe kardashian had it out on social media monday , and it was something to behold . it all appears to have started when model rose appeared on new york 's power 105.1 morning show and was asked about a reported relationship between reality star kardashian 's younger sister kylie jenner and rapper tyga . rose , who is the ex-girlfriend of kardashian 's now-brother-in-law kanye west , said she believes jenner , 17 , is too young for the 25-year-old rapper . she 's a baby . she needs to go to bed at 7 o'clock and relax , ' said rose , who is also good friends with the mother of tyga 's infant son . that 's ridiculous . ( tyga ) should be ashamed of himself . ' rose added that while she does n't respect the kardashian/jenner clan , she does n't hate them , either . kardashian then took to twitter to point out that rose said during the interview that she started stripping at the age of 15 and to request that rose stop talking about her family . that 's when rose unleashed the shade by pointing out that although she may have stripped , west 's wife , kim kardashian , is well-known for having a sex tape . she also showed the clan what can happen when you mess with a girl from south philly . kardashian then spoke out to say that rose 's response just proved her point . but rose had the last word , posting a screen shot of what appeared to be kardashian liking a post of a leaked nude photo of rose . rose captioned it yo @ khloekardashian i 'm really happy for u and i 'm gon na let u finish but i have the best leaked nude pics of all time ! # stopsweatinmehoe . ' | khloe kardashian responded |
sustersic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- slovenia will be able to stave off a bailout by driving through changes including bank restructurings , privatizations , pension and labor reforms , the country 's finance minister janez sustersic told cnn . sustersic 's comments come as european policy makers meet in brussels to debate the latest tranche of aid for greece , which has pushed through harsh austerity measures in return for access to a financial lifeline . eurozone 's reluctant leader fears slovenia may also need a bailout have been heightened by the european commission autumn european economic forecast noting the country was suffering strongly negative growth , ' with the downturn likely to continue well into 2013 . however , sustersic said slovenia was drafting legislation and drawing up a new budget which would assist in pulling the country out of its recession . eurozone risks prolonged recession ' there is some political deadlock , some political maneuvering , we also have some referendums announced , but regardless of that i think we can find ways to implement the measures that are necessary , ' he told cnn . and while countries were unhappy with the situation in greece , there was recognition of the greek government 's efforts in driving through austerity measures , and the country would get some leeway , he noted . greece : when anger turns to despair ' it will be a hard debate because a lot of countries are quite unhappy with the way things have evolved in the past , in greece , ' he said . however , i think finally there will be an agreement on the extension of the targets ... and a lot of debate about how to finance this extension . ' sustersic added he was glad slovenia was part of the troubled eurozone , the 17-country common currency bloc which has been immersed in a financial crisis more than two years . we were hit by the financial crisis very strongly , but that was mainly due to our own uncompetitiveness , and the lack of structure , ' he said . he added : it was not due to the euro . ' | slovenia will be able to stave off a bailout , the country 's finance minister janez sustersic says |
sustersic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- slovenia will be able to stave off a bailout by driving through changes including bank restructurings , privatizations , pension and labor reforms , the country 's finance minister janez sustersic told cnn . sustersic 's comments come as european policy makers meet in brussels to debate the latest tranche of aid for greece , which has pushed through harsh austerity measures in return for access to a financial lifeline . eurozone 's reluctant leader fears slovenia may also need a bailout have been heightened by the european commission autumn european economic forecast noting the country was suffering strongly negative growth , ' with the downturn likely to continue well into 2013 . however , sustersic said slovenia was drafting legislation and drawing up a new budget which would assist in pulling the country out of its recession . eurozone risks prolonged recession ' there is some political deadlock , some political maneuvering , we also have some referendums announced , but regardless of that i think we can find ways to implement the measures that are necessary , ' he told cnn . and while countries were unhappy with the situation in greece , there was recognition of the greek government 's efforts in driving through austerity measures , and the country would get some leeway , he noted . greece : when anger turns to despair ' it will be a hard debate because a lot of countries are quite unhappy with the way things have evolved in the past , in greece , ' he said . however , i think finally there will be an agreement on the extension of the targets ... and a lot of debate about how to finance this extension . ' sustersic added he was glad slovenia was part of the troubled eurozone , the 17-country common currency bloc which has been immersed in a financial crisis more than two years . we were hit by the financial crisis very strongly , but that was mainly due to our own uncompetitiveness , and the lack of structure , ' he said . he added : it was not due to the euro . ' | sustersic said the country was better off being in the euro , despite the financial crisis |
greeks <tsp> ( cnn ) -- florida has become known for the weird . highly charged court cases , nudist colonies and a bounty of tanning salons seem to arise in the sunshine state . and unfortunately , cut-off jeans and flip-flops are not in short supply here . but in the midst of the humidity and sunburned tourists , you 'll find tampa . yes , you will still find humidity and sunburned tourists , but also a diverse tampa bay area community that includes greeks , cubans and scientologists . the area consists of the cities surrounding tampa bay . four bridges cross this large expanse of water linking the bay area together . as the signs warn you , check for gas before you drive across the three-mile howard frankland bridge . with miles of open water on both sides and pelicans flying by , it 's hard to find a better commute . ireport : share photos and tips for the tampa bay area in the summer of'97 , i moved with my family to the tampa bay area from georgia . we live where people vacation , ' my mom loved to say . my parents bought a house with a pool in which we swam every day after school . we met dad at the beach after work for dinner where we lost a sandwich here and there to a few daring seagulls . tampa 's great weather made all of this possible . as i 've traveled around america 's peninsula , i 've noticed that compared with other sunshine state destinations , tampa 's climate is superior . the breeze coming off the bay cools everything down . yes , it 's hot , but the light wind makes it bearable , and in the winter , there are never more than three weeks of uncomfortable cold . many winters you 'll find yourself on the beach and even in the water as late as october . ( take that , landlocked charlotte ) . ireport : share photos and tips for charlotte in downtown tampa , the hillsborough river carries diverse creatures from manatees to rowers through a collection of old factories and new office buildings . along the winding river , the onion dome-topped buildings at the university of tampa add to the unusual skyline . the campus was originally a grand hotel built by the railroad mogul henry b . plant , who saw an opportunity in tampa with its central location in florida and scenic landscapes . follow the hillsborough river out of the city , and you 'll quickly find tampa 's natural beauty . the placid waters make for an extremely relaxing canoe trip . the low hanging trees create a beautiful canopy along the river , and the surrounding trails offer perfect weekend escapes for hikers . the river is just the beginning of tampa 's aquatic allure . tampa is less than 20 minutes from some of the best beaches in the country . whether you spend the day sipping daiquiris on the more commercialized beaches in clearwater or travel south to the quieter fort de soto beach , you 'll be blown away by the white sandy shores and warm water . just do n't forget to do the stingray shuffle as you wade into the surf . city smackdown : new york vs. los angeles back on shore , the gasparilla pirate festival is an annual event not to be missed . at the end of january , locals and tourists take out their finest eyepatches and polish their hooks in an event named after the swashbuckling pirate jose gaspar , who prowled the waters off the state 's western coast during the late 18th and early 19th centuries . while hundreds of boats clog the waterways surrounding downtown tampa , thousands of people enjoy a parade on land . i hear a little drinking goes on too . there 's no need to drive all the way to orlando for disney when tampa is home to one of florida 's greatest theme parks . busch gardens has a large variety of roller coasters and other stomach-churning rides . for those less-daring patrons , this african-themed park has a multitude of exotic animals . my favorite stop is always the giraffes on the serengeti . destination usa : miami beyond the beaches the tampa bay area is home to many diverse communities . in ybor ( that 's pronounced e-bor ) , an old cigar factory community with spanish , cuban and italian roots , you can watch cigar rollers'tobacco-stained hands quickly assemble cigar after cigar . more importantly , you may sample a cuban sandwich . the popular columbia restaurant , founded in 1905 by a cuban immigrant , attracts locals and tourists with flamenco dancers and authentic spanish food . traveling west , you 'll find tarpon springs , where you can watch divers unload natural sea sponges from their boats and enjoy the greek pastries and cuisine first brought to town by the community 's early residents . or head south and stroll through charming downtown dunedin , a small town with a rich scottish background where you might catch a bagpipe performance by dunedin high school 's band . even tom cruise finds himself in the tampa bay area , as downtown clearwater is the spiritual headquarters of scientology . for a peek at surrealism , head to the dali museum in neighboring st. petersburg to see the largest collection of spanish artist salvador dali 's work outside of spain . tampa 's interesting mix of people has not gone unnoticed . while the majority of florida votes republican , tampa , along with miami and orlando , is going to be one of florida 's few deciding factors in this year 's election . the entire area is buzzing with anticipation for those days in august when the republican national convention will draw america 's attention to tampa . tampa or charlotte ? cast your vote above and share photos and support for your city on ireport.com . | greeks , cubans , scots have deep ties to tampa bay area |
sarah murnaghan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- milagros martinez endured losing one of her sons to cystic fibrosis before he could get a lung transplant . now she 's hoping her younger boy , javier acosta , 11 , will get such an operation in time . this is like watching movie that you 've seen before and you want a different ending , ' martinez told cnn on saturday . it 's hard for me to tell my son'you have to have faith and be hopeful , you know this is going to happen for you ,'and inside knowing that chances are slim . ' a judge on thursday made javier , from bronx , new york , more quickly eligible for adult lungs . the boy is hospitalized at children 's hospital of philadelphia . judge michael baylson granted a temporary injunction and ordered u.s. health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius to direct the organ procurement and transplantation network to waive in javier 's case a policy that keeps children younger than 12 from being prioritized for available adult lung transplants . martinez'son , jovan , died in 2009 at 11 . javier also has cystic fibrosis . the ruling came the same day the judge granted an injunction for 10-year-old sarah murnaghan , whose parents'push for an organ transplant policy change has thrust the issue of who gets donated organs into the national spotlight . sarah also needs a lung transplant . martinez said she was excited ' after hearing the news of the the ruling in javier 's case . i felt it was a triumph on our side because it allows these children to have an opportunity to be considered for adult lungs , which they need badly , instead of just waiting it out , ' she said . we do n't know what tomorrow brings . ' according to murnaghan and martinez 's attorney , stephen harvey , the organ procurement and transplantation network is expected to consider monday evening the families'requests that the under 12 ' rule -- which places children under age 12 at the bottom of the organ allocation list -- be struck down . currently , it is estimated that 16 or fewer children nationwide are in the same position as sarah and javier , harvey said . if the rule is not struck down , a formal court hearing on the matter is scheduled for june 14 . if javi does not receive this transplant , he will die , ' martinez said . like any parent , i 'm inclined to do whatever it takes , to help javier have a normal life , whatever that may be . ' | ruling comes a day after a similar ruling for 10-year-old sarah murnaghan |
japan <tsp> the japan aerospace exploration agency ( jaxa ) has launched a space probe on a mission to collect a sample from a distant asteroid . the launch of the hayabusa-2 probe took place early wednesday local time from japan 's tanegashima space center , jaxa said on its website . the agency said its target was an asteroid called 1999 ju3 . ' the mission was to land on the asteroid and use instruments to draw samples from it that could shed light on the origin and evolution of the solar system , ' the agency said . the mission is a successor to the hayabusa probe , which was launched in 2003 and returned to earth in 2010 , but failed to successfully drop a lander on its target asteroid . 1999 ju3 ' was a c-type ' asteroid , a more primordial body ' than the asteroid targeted by the hayabusa 2 's predecessor , said jaxa , and as such it was expected to contain more organic or hydrated material for study . we expect to clarify the origin of life by analyzing samples acquired from a primordial celestial body such as a c-type asteroid to study organic matter and water in the solar system , ' jaxa said in a statement . | japan 's space agency has launched a probe to a distant asteroid |
england <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with ticket sales closing in on $ 100 million , the surprise hit of the year is the best exotic marigold hotel , ' a film about seven english retirees who travel to india to take up residence at the rundown marigold hotel , which , according to its misleading brochures , will provide them with inexpensive comfort in their remaining years . but what makes marigold hotel , ' which is directed by john madden of shakespeare in love ' fame , far more interesting than its box-office success is how it has defied the patronizing reviews of critics -- including those of the times of india and the telegraph in england -- who have categorized it as little more than entertainment for people in their 50s starring actors in their 70s . indeed , how patronizing the critics have been is reflected in the fact that review after review , starting with marigold hotel ' stars , maggie smith and judi dench ( both of whom are 77 ) , has made a point of dwelling on the ages of the ensemble cast . the popularity of marigold hotel ' tells us that unlike the critics , today 's audiences do n't find the struggles of the old and middle-aged less worthy of their attention than those of the young . but the charm of the film is n't confined to its depiction of the elderly trying to make the most of the rest of their lives . at the heart of marigold hotel ' lies a compassion that contrasts starkly with the coldness the film 's retirees experienced in the england they left behind . the youthful manager of the marigold hotel , played with comic brilliance by dev patel ( the lead in slumdog millionaire ' ) , may have misled his retirees about the quality of his hotel , but he has underplayed his own decency and enthusiasm . there is a long tradition in english literature of pointing up the failures of british society by contrasting life at home with life abroad . e. m. forester 's 1908 novel , a room with a view , ' which in 1985 was successfully adapted for the screen , provided a searing critique of the stuffiness of edwardian life by allowing its young heroine to find romance in italy . marigold hotel , ' which is based on deborah moggach 's 2004 novel , these foolish things , ' follows this same tradition , as it captures the english fascination with warm climates . in this case , however , the forester novel with which marigold hotel ' has the most in common is his 1924 masterpiece , passage to india . ' in forester 's story it is the indians , over whom the british then ruled , who show the greatest capacity for love and friendship . in marigold hotel , ' the english retirees find a gentleness in the city of jaipur that was not present in their homeland . in contrast to the british of the 19th century , the retirees of marigold hotel ' are not out to extract fortunes from their new land . they are instead out to preserve dwindling incomes and make peace with their past . not all of them succeed , but enough of them do to suggest modern india , even with its traffic jams and elephants and camels in the streets , is a land of opportunity : muriel donnelly ( maggie smith ) , a housekeeper who after years of service was fired from her job by the family she worked for , finds that in india she can get the hip replacement surgery she needs without waiting and , despite herself , she slowly loses the racial bigotry she brought with her . evelyn greenslade ( judi dench ) , a widow whose husband has died , saddling her with debt that forces her to sell her home , gets employment helping out at an indian call center and in the process frees herself from the condescending pity of her children . graham dashwood ( tom wilkinson ) , a gay high court judge , who left india full of shame when he brought his young indian lover into disgrace , finds that he is welcomed back as an old friend . douglas ainslie ( bill nighy ) , who has fled to india with his quarrelsome wife jean ( penelope wilton ) because their daughter lost most of their savings in a failed start-up , realizes that he is better off when his wife leaves him and returns to england . the randy madge hardcastle ( celia imrie ) and the even randier norman cousins ( ronald pickup ) learn that in india age is not the barrier it was in england to the sexual adventure they are seeking . can these happy endings last ? marigold hotel ' never provides a final answer just as it rarely allows tragedy to creep in . but the marigold hotel ' does not need to offer they-lived-happily-ever-after reassurance to succeed . it is enough that , thanks to their change in scenery , the film 's central characters have refused to resign themselves to ending their lives in quiet despair . what in 1947 on the eve of independence india 's first prime minister , jawaharial nehru , called his nation 's tryst with destiny ' has become for the retirees of the marigold hotel ' a tryst with old age as a result of their new country and its people . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of nicolaus mills . | marigold hotel ' reveals the compassion in india that was lacking in life in england |
cranfield university <tsp> ( cnn ) -- cardiff university may be struck by lightning every day , but it 's nothing to do with the miserable british weather . deep within the welsh university 's department of engineering is a state-of-the-art lightning-lab ' where bolts of electricity are shot onto aircraft components . the idea is to recreate the conditions present when lightning strikes a plane at 35,000 feet , testing the fortitude of composite materials and conductor strips found on modern planes . there is a lightning strike every second around the world ( and ) every single aircraft is hit by lightning once a year , ' said professor manu hadad of cardiff university 's institute of energy . displaying the charred remains of two recently zapped plane panels , hadad explains that a thin layer of copper mesh on an aircraft 's exterior can drastically reduce the damage caused when lightning strikes . with support from the government and aerospace manufacturer , eads , the ultimate aim of the $ 2 million project is to further refine and increase the working knowledge of how aircraft cope with these elements at altitude . explore more : how airports beat bad weather but while of particular interest to the electrical storm specialists at cardiff university , lightning is just one of the many extreme weather phenomena encountered by planes when in the air . the build up of ice and strong winds in particular can also be issues and a host of academic institutions are applying hi-tech techniques to study the impact these conditions can have . watch this : superjumbo visits in tiny french village at cranfield university just outside london a team of engineers specialize in analyzing the formation of ice around engines and on aeroplane wings . here , sub-zero temperatures are created and tests carried out in a specially designed icing-tunnel ' with the aim of understanding ice and its aerodynamic qualities . according to dr david hammond of cranfield 's school of engineering , a large build up of ice can alter the shape and performance of vital aircraft components . pointing to a freshly tested model wing , hammond explains how the ice that forms ( during flight ) ... can have a big spike that reverses the curvature of the leading ( wing ) edge and creates unsteadiness . ' in an aircraft we work out which parts are most critical and make sure they 're protected one way or another , ' he added . researchers at cranfield are currently investigating how a wire mesh can act as an effective method of preventing ice build up near fuel tanks . but hammond is hopeful that other discoveries on how planes react to extreme weather will arise during the process of the group 's studies . we 're really trying to support the people who design and test aircraft , ' hammond said . there 's always a little bit of efficiencies that we can build in or maybe we can design slightly more efficiently to get performance for the passengers and for the environment . ' | an ice-tunnel experiment at cranfield university analyzes the build up of ice on engines and wings |
moore <tsp> ( cnn ) -- join me in a thought experiment . take two individuals , a and b . a is a naturally gifted professional immersed in a hyper-competitive field where performance is publicly scrutinized and frequently re-evaluated . continuous pressure makes a seek any advantage to excel . he takes medications to gain a physical advantage over competitors while risking chronic health problems . b is a talented and motivated employee who has made innumerable sacrifices to get ahead at work . she is stressed by the knowledge that her productivity is always being analyzed and feels pressured to use any possible advantage to be the best . she takes a medication that makes her mentally sharper but could endanger her health . a is maligned baseball star alex rodriguez . b is your co-worker with the newly acquired job title who seems to work 90 hours per week , escaping fatigue by inexplicable means . opinion : how a-rod let us down is there really a significant difference between a and b , other than how much a has been publicly criticized ? not really . their actions stem from the same premise : in competitive professional environments , winners do whatever is necessary to triumph . your new vp may lack a-rod 's bulk and salary , but they share a common style . rodriguez was recently suspended for 211 games for an alleged connection to a florida clinic that has been accused of supplying professional athletes with performance-enhancing drugs . even casual fans realize this action is the equivalent of a guilty verdict for doping . your enthusiastically efficient , work-obsessed colleague with the new job title and beautifully renovated office down the hall shares a similar philosophy as athletes accused of doping : take advantage of any available mechanism to succeed . consequently , person b pursues the controversial advantage conferred by neuroenhancement ' medications . in theory , these act as steroids for the mind . they include mixed amphetamine salts and other medications approved to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder , or adhd . whether or not the medications objectively enhance cognitive performance is still under investigation . there are theorized risks of increased rates of hypertension , heart failure and psychosis with their use , but there is no definitive evidence that the use of neuroenhancement medications imposes these risks . nonetheless , some researchers are documenting that u.s. college students and professionals are increasingly using neuroenhancement medications for nonprescription use , ' which may include the use of the medication in healthy adults seeking a cognitive advantage . as contentious as the research on neuroenhancement may be , there is even less controlled research looking at the objective results and adverse effects of performance-enhancing drugs in athletics . regardless of the outcomes that these medications achieve , the motivations of their consumers are the same . whether doping for physical or cognitive enhancement , both parties are using medications with indeterminate efficacy and risk to obtain an advantage . the only difference is the level of regulation and scrutiny of the abusers and who is more likely to be punished for the abuse . fear of public shaming and prosecution should not drive decision-making when it comes to the illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs . a-rod has a large number of critics ; at least one of them must have tried neuroenhancement to dominate in the office . this person may label a-rod as a doper ' and question the validity of his achievements without acknowledging that his or her motivations may stem from similar desires . fans who are critical of athletes need to apply the same standards to themselves and to the people in their lives . a pharmacologically derived professional advantage in the office should not be seen as more appropriate than a similar advantage gained in a stadium . a-rod could potentially sit for hundreds of games as a consequence of the accusations against him . maybe your new vp should forfeit that fancy new office for 211 days to maintain a moral norm . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of bryan moore . | bryan moore : people who take neuroenhancement drugs to be sharper similar to a-rod case |
moore <tsp> ( cnn ) -- join me in a thought experiment . take two individuals , a and b . a is a naturally gifted professional immersed in a hyper-competitive field where performance is publicly scrutinized and frequently re-evaluated . continuous pressure makes a seek any advantage to excel . he takes medications to gain a physical advantage over competitors while risking chronic health problems . b is a talented and motivated employee who has made innumerable sacrifices to get ahead at work . she is stressed by the knowledge that her productivity is always being analyzed and feels pressured to use any possible advantage to be the best . she takes a medication that makes her mentally sharper but could endanger her health . a is maligned baseball star alex rodriguez . b is your co-worker with the newly acquired job title who seems to work 90 hours per week , escaping fatigue by inexplicable means . opinion : how a-rod let us down is there really a significant difference between a and b , other than how much a has been publicly criticized ? not really . their actions stem from the same premise : in competitive professional environments , winners do whatever is necessary to triumph . your new vp may lack a-rod 's bulk and salary , but they share a common style . rodriguez was recently suspended for 211 games for an alleged connection to a florida clinic that has been accused of supplying professional athletes with performance-enhancing drugs . even casual fans realize this action is the equivalent of a guilty verdict for doping . your enthusiastically efficient , work-obsessed colleague with the new job title and beautifully renovated office down the hall shares a similar philosophy as athletes accused of doping : take advantage of any available mechanism to succeed . consequently , person b pursues the controversial advantage conferred by neuroenhancement ' medications . in theory , these act as steroids for the mind . they include mixed amphetamine salts and other medications approved to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder , or adhd . whether or not the medications objectively enhance cognitive performance is still under investigation . there are theorized risks of increased rates of hypertension , heart failure and psychosis with their use , but there is no definitive evidence that the use of neuroenhancement medications imposes these risks . nonetheless , some researchers are documenting that u.s. college students and professionals are increasingly using neuroenhancement medications for nonprescription use , ' which may include the use of the medication in healthy adults seeking a cognitive advantage . as contentious as the research on neuroenhancement may be , there is even less controlled research looking at the objective results and adverse effects of performance-enhancing drugs in athletics . regardless of the outcomes that these medications achieve , the motivations of their consumers are the same . whether doping for physical or cognitive enhancement , both parties are using medications with indeterminate efficacy and risk to obtain an advantage . the only difference is the level of regulation and scrutiny of the abusers and who is more likely to be punished for the abuse . fear of public shaming and prosecution should not drive decision-making when it comes to the illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs . a-rod has a large number of critics ; at least one of them must have tried neuroenhancement to dominate in the office . this person may label a-rod as a doper ' and question the validity of his achievements without acknowledging that his or her motivations may stem from similar desires . fans who are critical of athletes need to apply the same standards to themselves and to the people in their lives . a pharmacologically derived professional advantage in the office should not be seen as more appropriate than a similar advantage gained in a stadium . a-rod could potentially sit for hundreds of games as a consequence of the accusations against him . maybe your new vp should forfeit that fancy new office for 211 days to maintain a moral norm . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of bryan moore . | moore says some may take mixed amphetamine salts , used to treat adhd , to gain advantage |
moore <tsp> ( cnn ) -- join me in a thought experiment . take two individuals , a and b . a is a naturally gifted professional immersed in a hyper-competitive field where performance is publicly scrutinized and frequently re-evaluated . continuous pressure makes a seek any advantage to excel . he takes medications to gain a physical advantage over competitors while risking chronic health problems . b is a talented and motivated employee who has made innumerable sacrifices to get ahead at work . she is stressed by the knowledge that her productivity is always being analyzed and feels pressured to use any possible advantage to be the best . she takes a medication that makes her mentally sharper but could endanger her health . a is maligned baseball star alex rodriguez . b is your co-worker with the newly acquired job title who seems to work 90 hours per week , escaping fatigue by inexplicable means . opinion : how a-rod let us down is there really a significant difference between a and b , other than how much a has been publicly criticized ? not really . their actions stem from the same premise : in competitive professional environments , winners do whatever is necessary to triumph . your new vp may lack a-rod 's bulk and salary , but they share a common style . rodriguez was recently suspended for 211 games for an alleged connection to a florida clinic that has been accused of supplying professional athletes with performance-enhancing drugs . even casual fans realize this action is the equivalent of a guilty verdict for doping . your enthusiastically efficient , work-obsessed colleague with the new job title and beautifully renovated office down the hall shares a similar philosophy as athletes accused of doping : take advantage of any available mechanism to succeed . consequently , person b pursues the controversial advantage conferred by neuroenhancement ' medications . in theory , these act as steroids for the mind . they include mixed amphetamine salts and other medications approved to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder , or adhd . whether or not the medications objectively enhance cognitive performance is still under investigation . there are theorized risks of increased rates of hypertension , heart failure and psychosis with their use , but there is no definitive evidence that the use of neuroenhancement medications imposes these risks . nonetheless , some researchers are documenting that u.s. college students and professionals are increasingly using neuroenhancement medications for nonprescription use , ' which may include the use of the medication in healthy adults seeking a cognitive advantage . as contentious as the research on neuroenhancement may be , there is even less controlled research looking at the objective results and adverse effects of performance-enhancing drugs in athletics . regardless of the outcomes that these medications achieve , the motivations of their consumers are the same . whether doping for physical or cognitive enhancement , both parties are using medications with indeterminate efficacy and risk to obtain an advantage . the only difference is the level of regulation and scrutiny of the abusers and who is more likely to be punished for the abuse . fear of public shaming and prosecution should not drive decision-making when it comes to the illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs . a-rod has a large number of critics ; at least one of them must have tried neuroenhancement to dominate in the office . this person may label a-rod as a doper ' and question the validity of his achievements without acknowledging that his or her motivations may stem from similar desires . fans who are critical of athletes need to apply the same standards to themselves and to the people in their lives . a pharmacologically derived professional advantage in the office should not be seen as more appropriate than a similar advantage gained in a stadium . a-rod could potentially sit for hundreds of games as a consequence of the accusations against him . maybe your new vp should forfeit that fancy new office for 211 days to maintain a moral norm . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of bryan moore . | moore : perhaps professionals should face same scrutiny as athletes such as a-rod |
cubans <tsp> havana , cuba ( cnn ) -- cuban president raul castro is taking over leadership of a country whose government believes its citizens are not working hard enough . raul castro was chosen sunday to take over cuba 's presidency from his brother , fidel castro . the state-run newspaper recently ran an article headlined work : option or necessity ? ' the writer pointed out that , judging by the number of people in the streets during the day , many cubans do n't seem to be on the job . they have few motivations to buckle down : salaries average about $ 15 per month on the island , and cubans get monthly food rations even if they do n't work . watch a report on the realities in cuba » ' there is a strong desire to protect and to gradually increase the incomes and savings of the population , particularly of those least favored , ' said raul castro , 76 . the black market is so widespread that cubans have coined a special term for breaking the law to make ends meet : resolver ' -- literally , to resolve . ' see cuba through i-reporters'eyes » the new president , who took the reins of power sunday from his ailing brother , fidel , 81 , has said the country must become more productive . the country 's priority will be to meet the basic needs of the population , both material and spiritual , based on the sustained strengthening of the national economy and its productive basis without which , i 'll say it again , development would be impossible , ' raul castro said in a speech sunday . cubans , too , are calling for reforms , though not all of them related to productivity . in a recent video that has made the rounds on the internet , a student poses tough questions to the president of cuba 's national assembly , asking why cubans can not travel freely to resorts -- a practice derided by critics as tourist apartheid . ' though such a public display of discontent is rare , the video echoed sentiments often voiced in private for years , particularly since the fall of the soviet empire in 1991 and , with it , the loss of billions of dollars in subsidies . cuban officials counter that cubans are not granted access to the nation 's most luxurious spots because they do not have the foreign exchange brought by the tourists and needed to run the country 's social programs , such as free health care and education . with a new president steering the island nation for the first time in 49 years , some cubans have allowed their expectations to rise . i think those expectations are really very large indeed and it 'll be the achilles heel , potentially , of this new government if it does n't attack them with some vigor , ' said hal klepak , a professor of history and warfare studies at the royal military college of canada in kingston , ontario . indeed , castro has promised to move within a few weeks to improve efficiency by cutting some of the red tape that can frustrate the most fervent of revolutionaries . but wayne s. smith , a senior fellow at the center for international policy in washington and chief of the u.s . interests section in havana from 1979 to 1982 , predicted sunday in an editorial in the atlanta journal-constitution that raul castro will not break strongly from his brother 's policies . rather , we will see a peaceful transition and the existing system remain largely intact , ' smith predicted . still , changes are inevitable , he said . raul castro has called for a nationwide debate on the country 's economic future and for cubans to propose reforms in group discussions . he has also called for new proposals to raise productivity , including discussion of more private ownership of land . the cuban people want change , want reforms that will bring about a better way of life . ' smith credited the younger castro 's leadership over the past 1½ years , while serving as acting president , with having already resulted in a greater openness , and open criticism of certain government programs . ' but the degree of change remains uncertain , as does the possibility that even from the shadow fidel will try to discourage reforms , ' he said , adding the prognosis , nonetheless , is hopeful . ' see a timeline of castro 's rise to power » the u.s. government 's former man in havana recommended current politicians exert pressure on the island with a light touch . we could accomplish far more by reducing tensions and beginning a meaningful dialogue , ' he said . raul castro has several times suggested such a dialogue . why not take him up on it ? we have disagreements , yes , but how do we resolve them without talking ? ' e-mail to a friend cnn 's morgan neill contributed to this story . | rare public displays of discontent show frustrations faced by cubans |
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