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rwandan <tsp> ( cnn ) romance . suspense . good versus evil . on the surface , rwandan radio soap opera musekeweya , ' or new dawn , ' feels familiar . like a rwandan romeo and juliet , ' it tells the story of lovers from two different villages at odds with each other . but listen closely . burrowed in the narrative of musekeweya ' is a metaphor for the genocide that took place in rwanda over the course of 100 days in 1994 , when hutu extremists massacred over 800,000 tutsis and moderate hutus . musekeweya ' conveys a message of healing and reconciliation . dutch photographer anoek steketee and filmmaker eefje blankevoort were in rwanda in 2008 when they first heard musekeweya . ' we were intrigued by this radio soap , its background and its popularity in rwanda , ' steketee said . almost everyone we spoke to on the streets knows the program and can name at least five characters . ' launched in 2004 by radio la benevolencija , a dutch nongovernmental organization , musekeweya ' is broadcast on the same frequency that was used in 1994 to incite murder . when they heard the show , steketee and blankevoort were immediately interested in its effect on rwandan society . it shows people how to resist manipulation by charismatic leaders , how to prevent outbursts of group violence and how to deal with trauma , ' steketee said . the radio drama raised important questions for steketee and blankevoort , and they wanted to explore the way this fiction could contribute to real reconciliation . is this positive programming simply a veneer in a country still grappling with deep trauma ? ' steketee asked . steketee and blankevoort began exploring this issue first through photography . the story , however , proved to be more complex . we came to the conclusion that we needed to provide a context , use the audio of the soap and find a form to tell a layered , nuanced story of the relation between the fictional story of the radio soap and the daily reality of contemporary rwanda , ' steketee said . a web documentary was for us the ultimate way to tell this story . ' steketee and blankevoort 's documentary , love radio , ' combines the story from musekeweya ' with behind-the-scenes insights from everyday rwandans and people involved in the making of the radio drama . this is where we ask critical questions about the positive image portrayed and reveal what is not said on air , ' steketee said . actors and audience have their say , thereby painting a picture of contemporary rwanda . ' just as musekeweya ' balances between fact and fiction , steketee 's photographs are not pure documentary . they serve , rather , as a tool for the imagination , ' steketee said . they are moody and evocative and reflect the struggle rwandans face as they come to terms with the horror of two decades past . i photographed listeners in their homes , on the streets , during the broadcast of musekeweya ,' steketee wrote in an e-mail . these photographs are combined with poetic , gloomy photographs of ( guilty ) landscapes and well-paved empty streets . i have tried to capture the veneer that covers the complex and tense social fabric of rwanda today . ' the popularity of musekeweya ' is evident in the amount of fan mail its makers receive each week . listeners identify with the characters and have opinions about their actions . rutaganira and zaninka , stop spoiling rwandan society , ' one listener wrote . enough is enough with your divisive thoughts . ' social media follow @ cnnphotos on twitter to join the conversation about photography . steketee says it is difficult to understand what rwandans really feel because of an authoritarian political system . there is rather a climate of control than dialogue , ' she said . resentments and distrust persist . inequality and hardships are still there . ' underneath the tension , however , lies the desire to heal . rwanda is doing remarkably well , ' steketee said . there is a lot of goodwill from everybody to restore the community . there have been good examples of restoration of trust and reconciliation . ' anoek steketee is a dutch photographer . she is represented by gallery gabriel rolt . | dutch photographer anoek steketee explored the show 's effect on rwandan society |
russia <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- inside a tall , red-brick building in alexandria , virginia , there is a federal courtroom just waiting for admitted intelligence leaker edward snowden to show up . but if he ever gets there , and it may be a while , the record of trials in the eastern district of virginia suggests justice could be swift and certain . the modern , high-security facility just south of the nation 's capital was the original home of what has come to be known as the rocket docket ' -- a place where many cases proceed at lightning speed relative to legal proceedings elsewhere . high profile national security cases are tried there . it also is where the government 's criminal complaint against snowden alleging violations of the espionage act was filed . there has been no indictment yet . while snowden 's case is unusual and entangled in secrets that it could drag out for years , the eastern district undeniably is one of the places that puts a premium on the concept of a speedy trial . ' that 's why a guy in snowden 's position -- now a world away in russia with a grant of temporary asylum -- has to think about his next move . so what 's an nsa leaker to do ? opinion : former spy : u.s. gains with snowden in russia while it is not always wise to speak with certainty about matters of international intrigue , here are five possible moves snowden could make . option 1 : find a way to get to a place of relative long term ' refuge . in a major victory , snowden won temporary political asylum in russia . it 's a very significant achievement for snowden . it gives him an entire year for him to figure out his options , to see if he can manage to get to one of the countries that has offered him asylum in south america . it takes him out of the discomfort of the transit zone and into russia itself , where he presumably has to be with friends and associates and it just gives him a tremendous amount of time , ' said international extradition lawyer jacques semmelman . the down side for snowden is that his asylum is limited . it creates the possibility that there has to be something new that will come up in a year , ' said cnn consultant and former fbi official tom fuentes . option 2 : negotiate a solution and return to the united states . edward snowden 's father , lon snowden , hoped at first that there might be a way to arrange for his son to return to the united states . but as of last week , he had changed his opinion dramatically after hearing commentary on the issue from congress and the obama administration . in this climate , i do n't believe that 's possible . so yes , i think russia is the best place for him . russia has the strength and conviction to protect my son . ' but experts do n't think the department of justice is itching to strike a deal that would clear the way for snowden 's return . the u.s. will not negotiate with fugitives as a matter of policy , ' semmelman said . option 3 : extradition . it 's the least of snowden 's worries now . the united states has no extradition treaty with russia . why ? because certain senators fought it out of fear russia might ask the united states to hand over russian dissidents and other defectors . the chances of the united states quickly ratifying an extradition treaty are unlikely . option 4 : the no passport ' play . this could be a problem for snowden . when he was indicted , the state department also revoked his passport . according to fuentes , international agreements allow governments to deport people without valid passports to the country from which they entered or to the nation of their citizenship . so in this case , the russians could at any time -- they could have done it already , they could do it now -- they could stick him back on a nonstop flight to u.s. and say goodbye ... or to hong kong where snowden was last . ' hong kong has an extradition agreement with the united states . option 5 : head to a nation 's embassy that will keep him . experts say it is always a possibility to camp at a foreign embassy in moscow or elsewhere . wikileaks founder julian assange is inside the ecuadorian embassy in london . and snowden is traveling with a representative of wikileaks . once he is in an embassy , in the sovereignty of another country there is nothing the u.s. could do , ' semmelman said . opinion : how putin 's move could help snowden and u.s. what is not likely , we are told , is a scenario involving u.s. operatives grabbing snowden off the streets of moscow and delivering him to the eastern district courtroom . that , say experts , only happens in hollywood . | granted temporary asylum , edward snowden has few options while in russia |
queen 's university <tsp> ( cnn ) -- new research suggests that crabs not only suffer pain but that they retain a memory of it . no thanks for the memories : the scientific study applied mild electric shocks to hermit crabs to determine if they could'feel'pain . the study , which was carried out by professor bob elwood and mirjam appel from the school of biological sciences at queen 's university , belfast , looked at the reactions of hermit crabs to small electric shocks . it was published in the journal animal behaviour . ' professor elwood , whose previous work showed that prawns endure pain , said his research highlighted the need to investigate the treatment of crustaceans used in food industries . hermit crabs have no shell of their own so inhabit other structures , usually empty mollusc shells . in the research , wires were attached to shells to deliver the small shocks to the abdomen of some of the crabs within the shells . the only crabs to get out of their shells were those which had received shocks , indicating that the experience is unpleasant for them . the research suggests that this response is not just a reflex , but that central neuronal processing takes place . hermit crabs are known to prefer some species of shells to others and it was found that that they were more likely to come out of the shells they least preferred . the main aim of the experiment was to deliver a shock just under the threshold that causes crabs to move out of the shell , to see what happened when a new shell was then offered . crabs that had been shocked but had remained in their shell appeared to remember the experience of the shock because they quickly moved towards the new shell , investigated it briefly and were more likely to change to the new shell compared to those that had not been shocked . there has been a long debate about whether crustaceans including crabs , prawns and lobsters feel pain , ' said professor elwood in a press statement . we know from previous research that they can detect harmful stimuli and withdraw from the source of the stimuli but that could be a simple reflex without the inner'feeling'of unpleasantness that we associate with pain . this research demonstrates that it is not a simple reflex but that crabs trade-off their need for a quality shell with the need to avoid the harmful stimulus . such trade-offs are seen in vertebrates in which the response to pain is controlled with respect to other requirements . humans , for example , may hold onto a hot plate that contains food whereas they may drop an empty plate , showing that we take into account differing motivational requirements when responding to pain . trade-offs of this type have not been previously demonstrated in crustaceans . the results are consistent with the idea of pain being experienced by these animals . ' previous work at queen 's university found that prawns show prolonged rubbing when an antenna was treated with weak acetic acid but this rubbing was reduced by local anesthetic . according to queen 's university the findings from both studies are consistent with observations of pain in mammals . but professor elwood says that in contrast to mammals , little protection is given to the millions of crustaceans that are used in the fishing and food industries each day . more research is needed in this area where a potentially very large problem is being ignored , ' said elwood . legislation to protect crustaceans has been proposed but it is likely to cover only scientific research . millions of crustacean are caught or reared in aquaculture for the food industry . there is no protection for these animals ( with the possible exception of certain states in australia ) as the presumption is that they can not experience pain . with vertebrates we are asked to err on the side of caution and i believe this is the approach to take with these crustaceans . ' | new research from queen 's university says crabs feel and remember pain |
ivan marquez <tsp> colombia 's top rebel group , farc , announced monday it will temporarily halt its decades-old battle against government forces starting at midnight as a goodwill gesture amid peace talks with the colombia government . farc commander ivan marquez announced the unilateral cease-fire and called on the the colombian government to do the same as he arrived for peace talks at cuba 's convention palace in havana monday . heeding the overwhelming demand for peace from diverse sectors of the country , the farc secretariat orders guerrilla units across the country to cease military operations and acts of sabotage , ' marquez said the rebel cease-fire is scheduled to start monday night and last until january 20 , the rebel group said . it 's unlikely the colombian government will take part in the two-month truce : bogota has said previously that it will not consider a cease-fire until after a final agreement is reached . farc had signaled that it would pursue a cease-fire , even before peace talks , now being held in havana , began in mid-october in norway . critics of the move believe it 's just an attempt by the rebel group to rebuild its forces . the leftist farc , or revolutionary armed forces of colombia , has been at war with the government since the 1960s , making it the longest-running insurgency in latin america . the u.s. state department , which has listed farc as a terror group , posted a $ 5 million reward for the capture of marquez , whose real name is luciano marin arango . farc child soldiers on the rise there have been sporadic attempts at peace since the 1980s . the last attempt fell apart in 2002 . then-president andres pastrana ceded an area the size of switzerland to the guerrilla group but ended negotiations after rebels launched a series of attacks across the country in an apparent bid to strengthen their position . but this time , both sides say , they have a more ambitious agenda . the end of the armed conflict is the precursor to peace . to achieve it , we have to go deep into the transformation of society , ' said humberto de la calle , a representative for the colombian government . five facts about the farc rebels the end of hostilities -- the kidnappings and bombings by the farc and military operations by the government -- will not usher in peace without a true transformation within the country , he said . ivan marquez , a farc representative , agreed . we are not the guerrillas that some media make us out to be , ' he said . we come to the table with proposals and projects to achieve a definitive peace , a peace that implies a demilitarization of the state and radical socioeconomic reforms that are the foundation of democracy , justice and freedom . ' the farc continues to carry out kidnappings and attack security forces , though it has been severely weakened in recent years . two days after peace talks began in norway , an apparent farc rebel attack killed five colombian soldiers . farc rebels release french journalist a large distance remains between the sides . while the colombian government has said that the farc could continue to advocate for its positions as a political force , it does not want to negotiate all the group 's demands during the peace talks . this is about creating an agenda for the end of the conflict that allows the farc to put forth its ideas unaccompanied by weapons , and with guarantees for its transformation to an unarmed political force , ' de la calle said . | farc commander ivan marquez calls on the colombian government to join the cease-fire |
colombia <tsp> colombia 's top rebel group , farc , announced monday it will temporarily halt its decades-old battle against government forces starting at midnight as a goodwill gesture amid peace talks with the colombia government . farc commander ivan marquez announced the unilateral cease-fire and called on the the colombian government to do the same as he arrived for peace talks at cuba 's convention palace in havana monday . heeding the overwhelming demand for peace from diverse sectors of the country , the farc secretariat orders guerrilla units across the country to cease military operations and acts of sabotage , ' marquez said the rebel cease-fire is scheduled to start monday night and last until january 20 , the rebel group said . it 's unlikely the colombian government will take part in the two-month truce : bogota has said previously that it will not consider a cease-fire until after a final agreement is reached . farc had signaled that it would pursue a cease-fire , even before peace talks , now being held in havana , began in mid-october in norway . critics of the move believe it 's just an attempt by the rebel group to rebuild its forces . the leftist farc , or revolutionary armed forces of colombia , has been at war with the government since the 1960s , making it the longest-running insurgency in latin america . the u.s. state department , which has listed farc as a terror group , posted a $ 5 million reward for the capture of marquez , whose real name is luciano marin arango . farc child soldiers on the rise there have been sporadic attempts at peace since the 1980s . the last attempt fell apart in 2002 . then-president andres pastrana ceded an area the size of switzerland to the guerrilla group but ended negotiations after rebels launched a series of attacks across the country in an apparent bid to strengthen their position . but this time , both sides say , they have a more ambitious agenda . the end of the armed conflict is the precursor to peace . to achieve it , we have to go deep into the transformation of society , ' said humberto de la calle , a representative for the colombian government . five facts about the farc rebels the end of hostilities -- the kidnappings and bombings by the farc and military operations by the government -- will not usher in peace without a true transformation within the country , he said . ivan marquez , a farc representative , agreed . we are not the guerrillas that some media make us out to be , ' he said . we come to the table with proposals and projects to achieve a definitive peace , a peace that implies a demilitarization of the state and radical socioeconomic reforms that are the foundation of democracy , justice and freedom . ' the farc continues to carry out kidnappings and attack security forces , though it has been severely weakened in recent years . two days after peace talks began in norway , an apparent farc rebel attack killed five colombian soldiers . farc rebels release french journalist a large distance remains between the sides . while the colombian government has said that the farc could continue to advocate for its positions as a political force , it does not want to negotiate all the group 's demands during the peace talks . this is about creating an agenda for the end of the conflict that allows the farc to put forth its ideas unaccompanied by weapons , and with guarantees for its transformation to an unarmed political force , ' de la calle said . | farc is taking part in peace talks with colombia 's government |
colombia <tsp> colombia 's top rebel group , farc , announced monday it will temporarily halt its decades-old battle against government forces starting at midnight as a goodwill gesture amid peace talks with the colombia government . farc commander ivan marquez announced the unilateral cease-fire and called on the the colombian government to do the same as he arrived for peace talks at cuba 's convention palace in havana monday . heeding the overwhelming demand for peace from diverse sectors of the country , the farc secretariat orders guerrilla units across the country to cease military operations and acts of sabotage , ' marquez said the rebel cease-fire is scheduled to start monday night and last until january 20 , the rebel group said . it 's unlikely the colombian government will take part in the two-month truce : bogota has said previously that it will not consider a cease-fire until after a final agreement is reached . farc had signaled that it would pursue a cease-fire , even before peace talks , now being held in havana , began in mid-october in norway . critics of the move believe it 's just an attempt by the rebel group to rebuild its forces . the leftist farc , or revolutionary armed forces of colombia , has been at war with the government since the 1960s , making it the longest-running insurgency in latin america . the u.s. state department , which has listed farc as a terror group , posted a $ 5 million reward for the capture of marquez , whose real name is luciano marin arango . farc child soldiers on the rise there have been sporadic attempts at peace since the 1980s . the last attempt fell apart in 2002 . then-president andres pastrana ceded an area the size of switzerland to the guerrilla group but ended negotiations after rebels launched a series of attacks across the country in an apparent bid to strengthen their position . but this time , both sides say , they have a more ambitious agenda . the end of the armed conflict is the precursor to peace . to achieve it , we have to go deep into the transformation of society , ' said humberto de la calle , a representative for the colombian government . five facts about the farc rebels the end of hostilities -- the kidnappings and bombings by the farc and military operations by the government -- will not usher in peace without a true transformation within the country , he said . ivan marquez , a farc representative , agreed . we are not the guerrillas that some media make us out to be , ' he said . we come to the table with proposals and projects to achieve a definitive peace , a peace that implies a demilitarization of the state and radical socioeconomic reforms that are the foundation of democracy , justice and freedom . ' the farc continues to carry out kidnappings and attack security forces , though it has been severely weakened in recent years . two days after peace talks began in norway , an apparent farc rebel attack killed five colombian soldiers . farc rebels release french journalist a large distance remains between the sides . while the colombian government has said that the farc could continue to advocate for its positions as a political force , it does not want to negotiate all the group 's demands during the peace talks . this is about creating an agenda for the end of the conflict that allows the farc to put forth its ideas unaccompanied by weapons , and with guarantees for its transformation to an unarmed political force , ' de la calle said . | colombia 's farc rebels announce one-sided truce as goodwill gesture |
brazilians <tsp> ( cnn ) -- brazilian footballer neymar has given the thumbs up to political protests during this summer 's world cup in brazil -- as long as they are peaceful . demonstrations -- some violent -- have been taking place all over brazil since last summer 's confederations cup , raising concerns about security at the upcoming tournament . they were originally organized to protest against increases in travel fares , but have since gone on to include demonstrations against staging the world cup in brazil , corruption in government and a lack of social spending . my opinion is that protesting , there 's no problem with it , as long as it is peaceful without violence , without vandalism , ' said neymar , who was talking to cnn at a castrol footkhana event . if it 's for brazil getting better , they have to protest , ' added the brazilian , who plays for spanish club barcelona . smaller scale protests are still continuing , with many people earlier this month showing their disapproval following the death of a young man allegedly beaten by police , as city authorities attempt to drive armed gangs away from communities and restore authority ahead of the world cup . to make matters worse for fifa and organizers of the tournament , three of the 12 stadiums to be used this summer have yet to be finished . coach luiz felipe scolari has also spoken about the political backdrop in brazil , arguing that any demonstrations taking place during the competition would have a negative impact on his squad . i do n't know if it 's the right time , ' scolari said in an interview on tv show fantastico . it could [ affect my players ] , big time . ' winning the world cup for the five-time winners would help brazil banish the memories of the nation 's darkest sporting hour -- letting a lead slip to allow uruguay to become world champions in 1950 , the last time the tournament was held on home soil . my advice is that they cheer for the national team until the end because they are important and we need them so that we can put more pressure in the game which will help us , ' added neymar . | neymar supports brazilians right to protest during 2014 world cup |
mccain <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- during his 2000 presidential run , a new hampshire voter asked republican sen. john mccain who he might choose as secretary of defense . mccain responded by tossing out the name of a dear old friend and colleague , the very man who would be nominated to that post by a democrat and frequent mccain target 13 years later . there 's a lot of people that could do that , ' he told voters at a january town hall in nashua , new hampshire . one of 'em , i think , is sen. chuck hagel . ' now hagel has been nominated for that same job , by mccain 's 2008 campaign rival , president barack obama . but when the senate armed services committee meets on thursday to discuss the nomination , mccain will be one of hagel 's biggest skeptics . what hagel will say thursday ' my biggest concern is his overall attitude about the united states , our role in the world -- particularly in the middle east and whether we should reduce the pentagon further -- but mainly his general overall world view , ' mccain told cnn 's wolf blitzer about his former colleague . to understand the depth of the fallout between the two men one needs to understand how close the senators once were . mccain loaned his star power to hagel 's first senate campaign in 1996 , traveling to appear with him in nebraska . when hagel was elected to the senate , the two men shared a bond over their service in vietnam . in 1997 they attended a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the vietnam veterans memorial . speaking about his comrades in arms , mccain mentioned the unique bond that exists between us of which i am eternally proud . ' when i see them on the floor of the senate or somewhere in the capitol , i feel a little lift , ' he said . hagel spoke of mccain 's service , declaring no one during this entire time ever gave more , or showed more courage , than john mccain . ' five things hagel may be asked about their friendship led to a close working relationship during the 2000 presidential campaign , when hagel served as a loyal surrogate and campaign co-chair for mccain . then , hagel said his friend felt he owed the country his service . his life has been committed to something larger than he is , ' hagel said after mccain suspended his campaign effort to make way for an ascendent george w. bush . he 's a selfless person who 's given much to his country . ' later that year , hagel introduced mccain on the stage of the party 's convention with a giant embrace . back in the senate , the long-time friends and combat veterans both voiced early concerns about the handling of the iraq war . but their views diverged as mccain came to support president bush 's proposed troop surge in 2007 , a military decision that drew hagel 's scorn . he famously called the proposal the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since vietnam if it is carried out . ' why some conservatives are still going after hagel a source close to mccain said the friends just drifted apart as friends sometimes do , not because of policy differences . but even mccain acknowledged the change . i 've noticed over the years that our views on the united states of america and what we should be doing in the world have diverged rather dramatically , ' he said earlier this month . by mccain 's 2008 presidential run , hagel was more in line with mccain 's anti-iraq war opponent barack obama . the two traveled together on a middle east senate trip obama used to beef up his foreign policy chops , and hagel was never seen on mccain 's iconic straight talk express campaign bus . avlon : reality check for hagel bashers hagel and mccain spoke after the former senator 's nomination to the defense department . afterward , mccain said he had concerns about hagel 's positions on iran , iraq and afghanistan . but citing their long friendship , mccain said he would not oppose hagel before the hearing . sen. hagel and i are , are old friends and we had a very frank and candid conversation and i 'll be looking forward to the hearing and asking questions , ' mccain said on january 22 . i think that he should be given the opportunity of a hearing before any of us make a judgment . ' hagel 's other war | the views of the onetime friends have diverged dramatically , ' mccain says |
mccain <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- during his 2000 presidential run , a new hampshire voter asked republican sen. john mccain who he might choose as secretary of defense . mccain responded by tossing out the name of a dear old friend and colleague , the very man who would be nominated to that post by a democrat and frequent mccain target 13 years later . there 's a lot of people that could do that , ' he told voters at a january town hall in nashua , new hampshire . one of 'em , i think , is sen. chuck hagel . ' now hagel has been nominated for that same job , by mccain 's 2008 campaign rival , president barack obama . but when the senate armed services committee meets on thursday to discuss the nomination , mccain will be one of hagel 's biggest skeptics . what hagel will say thursday ' my biggest concern is his overall attitude about the united states , our role in the world -- particularly in the middle east and whether we should reduce the pentagon further -- but mainly his general overall world view , ' mccain told cnn 's wolf blitzer about his former colleague . to understand the depth of the fallout between the two men one needs to understand how close the senators once were . mccain loaned his star power to hagel 's first senate campaign in 1996 , traveling to appear with him in nebraska . when hagel was elected to the senate , the two men shared a bond over their service in vietnam . in 1997 they attended a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the vietnam veterans memorial . speaking about his comrades in arms , mccain mentioned the unique bond that exists between us of which i am eternally proud . ' when i see them on the floor of the senate or somewhere in the capitol , i feel a little lift , ' he said . hagel spoke of mccain 's service , declaring no one during this entire time ever gave more , or showed more courage , than john mccain . ' five things hagel may be asked about their friendship led to a close working relationship during the 2000 presidential campaign , when hagel served as a loyal surrogate and campaign co-chair for mccain . then , hagel said his friend felt he owed the country his service . his life has been committed to something larger than he is , ' hagel said after mccain suspended his campaign effort to make way for an ascendent george w. bush . he 's a selfless person who 's given much to his country . ' later that year , hagel introduced mccain on the stage of the party 's convention with a giant embrace . back in the senate , the long-time friends and combat veterans both voiced early concerns about the handling of the iraq war . but their views diverged as mccain came to support president bush 's proposed troop surge in 2007 , a military decision that drew hagel 's scorn . he famously called the proposal the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since vietnam if it is carried out . ' why some conservatives are still going after hagel a source close to mccain said the friends just drifted apart as friends sometimes do , not because of policy differences . but even mccain acknowledged the change . i 've noticed over the years that our views on the united states of america and what we should be doing in the world have diverged rather dramatically , ' he said earlier this month . by mccain 's 2008 presidential run , hagel was more in line with mccain 's anti-iraq war opponent barack obama . the two traveled together on a middle east senate trip obama used to beef up his foreign policy chops , and hagel was never seen on mccain 's iconic straight talk express campaign bus . avlon : reality check for hagel bashers hagel and mccain spoke after the former senator 's nomination to the defense department . afterward , mccain said he had concerns about hagel 's positions on iran , iraq and afghanistan . but citing their long friendship , mccain said he would not oppose hagel before the hearing . sen. hagel and i are , are old friends and we had a very frank and candid conversation and i 'll be looking forward to the hearing and asking questions , ' mccain said on january 22 . i think that he should be given the opportunity of a hearing before any of us make a judgment . ' hagel 's other war | in 2013 , mccain says he has concerns over hagel 's nomination to the post |
mccain <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- during his 2000 presidential run , a new hampshire voter asked republican sen. john mccain who he might choose as secretary of defense . mccain responded by tossing out the name of a dear old friend and colleague , the very man who would be nominated to that post by a democrat and frequent mccain target 13 years later . there 's a lot of people that could do that , ' he told voters at a january town hall in nashua , new hampshire . one of 'em , i think , is sen. chuck hagel . ' now hagel has been nominated for that same job , by mccain 's 2008 campaign rival , president barack obama . but when the senate armed services committee meets on thursday to discuss the nomination , mccain will be one of hagel 's biggest skeptics . what hagel will say thursday ' my biggest concern is his overall attitude about the united states , our role in the world -- particularly in the middle east and whether we should reduce the pentagon further -- but mainly his general overall world view , ' mccain told cnn 's wolf blitzer about his former colleague . to understand the depth of the fallout between the two men one needs to understand how close the senators once were . mccain loaned his star power to hagel 's first senate campaign in 1996 , traveling to appear with him in nebraska . when hagel was elected to the senate , the two men shared a bond over their service in vietnam . in 1997 they attended a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the vietnam veterans memorial . speaking about his comrades in arms , mccain mentioned the unique bond that exists between us of which i am eternally proud . ' when i see them on the floor of the senate or somewhere in the capitol , i feel a little lift , ' he said . hagel spoke of mccain 's service , declaring no one during this entire time ever gave more , or showed more courage , than john mccain . ' five things hagel may be asked about their friendship led to a close working relationship during the 2000 presidential campaign , when hagel served as a loyal surrogate and campaign co-chair for mccain . then , hagel said his friend felt he owed the country his service . his life has been committed to something larger than he is , ' hagel said after mccain suspended his campaign effort to make way for an ascendent george w. bush . he 's a selfless person who 's given much to his country . ' later that year , hagel introduced mccain on the stage of the party 's convention with a giant embrace . back in the senate , the long-time friends and combat veterans both voiced early concerns about the handling of the iraq war . but their views diverged as mccain came to support president bush 's proposed troop surge in 2007 , a military decision that drew hagel 's scorn . he famously called the proposal the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since vietnam if it is carried out . ' why some conservatives are still going after hagel a source close to mccain said the friends just drifted apart as friends sometimes do , not because of policy differences . but even mccain acknowledged the change . i 've noticed over the years that our views on the united states of america and what we should be doing in the world have diverged rather dramatically , ' he said earlier this month . by mccain 's 2008 presidential run , hagel was more in line with mccain 's anti-iraq war opponent barack obama . the two traveled together on a middle east senate trip obama used to beef up his foreign policy chops , and hagel was never seen on mccain 's iconic straight talk express campaign bus . avlon : reality check for hagel bashers hagel and mccain spoke after the former senator 's nomination to the defense department . afterward , mccain said he had concerns about hagel 's positions on iran , iraq and afghanistan . but citing their long friendship , mccain said he would not oppose hagel before the hearing . sen. hagel and i are , are old friends and we had a very frank and candid conversation and i 'll be looking forward to the hearing and asking questions , ' mccain said on january 22 . i think that he should be given the opportunity of a hearing before any of us make a judgment . ' hagel 's other war | in 2000 , candidate mccain says hagel would make a great defense secretary |
real madrid <tsp> barcelona may have made the headlines for lionel messi 's record breaking exploits over the course of the last week , but the catalan club 's arch rivals responded by making their own little piece of history saturday . real madrid notched up a club record 16th consecutive victory in all competitions -- a run that stretches all the way back to the middle of september -- by overcoming a gallant malaga 2-1 away from home despite having midfield-star isco sent off late on . karim benzema stretched to tuck home cristiano ronaldo 's cut-back after 18 minutes to put the reigning european champions on their way . gareth bale sealed the points late in the second half by racing clear of the malaga defense and lofting the ball beyond carlos kameni . isco was then sent for an early bath after earning a second booking for tripping up samu castillejo before roque santa criz grabbed an injury-time consolation for malaga with a looping header . the result stretches real 's lead atop of the la liga table to five points , although barcelona , atletico madrid and valencia will be looking to reduce that deficit when they play tomorrow . all the focus after the game , however , was on the new club record . we have achieved a record that demonstrates the work we have been doing , ' said midfielder marcello in comments carried by the real madrid website . but the goal we set ourselves is to win every game with humility , work and struggle . ' real will now look to extend the record when they face u.e . cornella in the copa del rey on tuesday . in the day 's early la liga fixtures , athletic bilbao ran out 2-1 winners away to mid-table getafe while espanyol had too much for levante , running out 2-1 winners . bundesliga bayern munich 's seemingly unstoppable march to a third straight bundesliga title continued apace saturday with a 1-0 victory away to hertha berlin . arjen robben 's first half goal was enough to stretch pep guardiola 's men lead atop the table to 10 points , although that could be reduced back to seven if second place wolfsburg overcome borussia monchengladbach on sunday . elsewhere , bayer leverkusen moved up to third with a 5-1 hammering of fc cologne while unfancied augsburg rose to fourth by overcoming struggling giants hamburg 3-1 . fifth placed schalke made up for their humiliating midweek loss to chelsea by defeating mainz 4-1 in gelsenkirchen . in what was perhaps the game of the day in germany , though , hoffenheim edged out hannover 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller . ligue 1 zlatan ibrahimovic struck early on at the parc de princes to give paris saint germain a narrow 1-0 win over mid-table nice . the swedish striker lashed home from the penalty spot after 15 minutes and despite coming under pressure in the second half the parisians held on for the win . the hard-earned result means reigning french champions have closed the gap on league leaders marseille to a single point . elsewhere in france saturday , monaco 's stuttering start to the season continued with a 2-0 loss away to fourth placed rennes . goals from aymen abdennour and ola toivanen were enough to ensure leonardo jardim 's side could n't follow up their impressive champions league victory over bayer leverkusen earlier in the week . further down the table lens defeated metz 2-0 while caen and montpellier drew 1-1 . | real madrid set new club record of 16 consecutive victories |
mme <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in focus : iran 's economy iran hosts a group of 120 developing countries this week , bringing together nations of the non-aligned movement . the movement was set up in 1961 as a counter-weight to the dominating cold war powers . iran currently holds the three-year presidency , and at the top of the agenda are the western sanctions imposed on iran . this week mme takes a look at the impact of sanctions on the country and whether nations that pride themselves on non-alignment , able to trade among themselves . in focus : kibbutz caviar iran , azerbaijan and russia may be the global leaders in caviar production , but sturgeon populations in the caspian sea have been dropping and commercial fishing has been banned . now a new player is emerging . kibbutz dan in northern israel is raising around 70,000 of the fish , with each producing thousands of dollars worth of caviar . this week mme visits the production line . | across the region , mme visits a a new player in caviar production in israel |
mme <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in focus : iran 's economy iran hosts a group of 120 developing countries this week , bringing together nations of the non-aligned movement . the movement was set up in 1961 as a counter-weight to the dominating cold war powers . iran currently holds the three-year presidency , and at the top of the agenda are the western sanctions imposed on iran . this week mme takes a look at the impact of sanctions on the country and whether nations that pride themselves on non-alignment , able to trade among themselves . in focus : kibbutz caviar iran , azerbaijan and russia may be the global leaders in caviar production , but sturgeon populations in the caspian sea have been dropping and commercial fishing has been banned . now a new player is emerging . kibbutz dan in northern israel is raising around 70,000 of the fish , with each producing thousands of dollars worth of caviar . this week mme visits the production line . | mme takes a look at the impact of sanctions and the trade between the non-alignment countries |
philip seymour hoffman <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the media got it wrong when it came to reporting about actor philip seymour hoffman 's death , the late oscar winner 's friend said wednesday in an exclusive broadcast interview on cnn 's new day . ' not only did the reporting inaccurately depict hoffman as a man in a death spiral , playwright david bar katz said the press also was lax when it came to a national enquirer story claiming he and hoffman were lovers . the report , since debunked , was cited in mainstream outlets . i do n't know why they did it , ' he said of the enquirer . i know that it 's lousy journalism . ' katz sued the enquirer over the story , reaching a settlement in which the tabloid agreed to fund an award for unpublished playwrights in hoffman 's memory . hoffman died of apparent drug overdose february 2 . katz found his body . on wednesday , the national enquirer took out a full-page ad in the new york times saying it made a good faith error by publishing an interview with a person who falsely and convincingly claimed to be mr . katz . ' the real katz told new day 's ' chris cuomo he believes the enquirer was misled but he was still stunned the publication ran with the story without cross-checking it with other sources -- and that other media outlets picked it up . i always knew they made stuff up , but i never knew they made up even having an interview with someone that they never had , and then the degree of seeing how everyone picks it up and , as you just said , treats it like news , ' katz told cuomo . more broadly , katz said the media had gotten the narrative wrong when it came to hoffman 's life and death , saying the well-respected actor was not in a destructive death spiral the night he died . i can just say that i think a lot of it has been totally overblown , ' he said . it gives a false picture of him because he was focused , he was working , he was focused on his family , he was not a partyer , he was not someone that was in a spiral , he was not self-destructive in any way . ' it 's a clichã© that makes it very easy and that people like , but phil was not that guy , ' katz said . when police were called to the actor 's fourth-floor manhattan apartment , they found him lying on the bathroom floor with a syringe in his left arm . investigators discovered close to 50 envelopes of what they believed was heroin in the apartment , law enforcement sources said . they also found used syringes , prescription drugs and empty plastic bags of a type commonly used to hold drugs , the sources said . katz declined to talk about what police found in hoffman 's apartment . but he said the actor had been sober most of his adult life ' and suffered an unfortunate relapse . he said he hoped hoffman would be pleased by his efforts to set the story straight but said his friend would as likely have other things on his mind . he would more be amused that i spilled ink on my pants and i was on national television and giving me a hard time about that , ' katz said . hoffman 's will guides son away from hollywood | tabloid claimed playwright was actor philip seymour hoffman 's lover |
nato <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nato 's chief urged russia on friday to pull back its troops from its border with ukraine . russia should contribute to a de-escalation of the situation ' and engage in a direct dialogue with the ukrainian government , nato secretary general anders fogh rasmussen said during a visit to sofia , bulgaria . nato is not discussing military actions ' but is focused on protecting its allies , and it will take all steps necessary to make sure that this collective defense is effective , ' rasmussen said . meanwhile , the organization is reinforcing support to its allies , from the baltic to the black sea , ' to deal with the instability created by russia , rasmussen said via twitter . nato released additional satellite images friday purportedly showing the russian military buildup and rebutted russian claims that other satellite photos released a day earlier were outdated . nato said the photos were recent , gathered between late march and earlier this month . it is clear that the military buildup of forces occurred in early march 2014 , ' nato said . meanwhile , the destroyer uss donald cook has entered the black sea on a mission to demonstrate the u.s. commitment to our allies and to enhance security readiness in the region , ' navy spokesman lt. shawn p. eklund said friday . russia has called the u.s. military move , however , part of a systemic nato buildup in the black sea . an international crisis arose in ukraine after russia annexed its crimean peninsula in march under a pact signed by russian president vladimir putin with the prime minister of crimea and the mayor of the city of sevastopol . earlier , in a crimean referendum , 96.7 % of ballots favored crimea leaving ukraine and being annexed by russia . the united states now estimates there are up to 40,000 russian troops near the border , based on classified and commercial satellite imagery . russia has no intention to additionally annex the southeastern regions of ukraine , foreign minister sergey lavrov said friday in a televised interview on russian state television , the state-run itar-tass news agency reported . this would run counter to the vital interests of russia , ' lavrov said , while adding that there is no need to deploy peacekeepers in ukraine nor any need for united nations security council decisions on the matter . lavrov went on to say that there are no russian troops or russian secret services agents in southeastern ukraine . cnn 's michael martinez and pierre meilhan contributed to this report . | nato 's secretary general says russia should de-escalate border buildup |
nato <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nato 's chief urged russia on friday to pull back its troops from its border with ukraine . russia should contribute to a de-escalation of the situation ' and engage in a direct dialogue with the ukrainian government , nato secretary general anders fogh rasmussen said during a visit to sofia , bulgaria . nato is not discussing military actions ' but is focused on protecting its allies , and it will take all steps necessary to make sure that this collective defense is effective , ' rasmussen said . meanwhile , the organization is reinforcing support to its allies , from the baltic to the black sea , ' to deal with the instability created by russia , rasmussen said via twitter . nato released additional satellite images friday purportedly showing the russian military buildup and rebutted russian claims that other satellite photos released a day earlier were outdated . nato said the photos were recent , gathered between late march and earlier this month . it is clear that the military buildup of forces occurred in early march 2014 , ' nato said . meanwhile , the destroyer uss donald cook has entered the black sea on a mission to demonstrate the u.s. commitment to our allies and to enhance security readiness in the region , ' navy spokesman lt. shawn p. eklund said friday . russia has called the u.s. military move , however , part of a systemic nato buildup in the black sea . an international crisis arose in ukraine after russia annexed its crimean peninsula in march under a pact signed by russian president vladimir putin with the prime minister of crimea and the mayor of the city of sevastopol . earlier , in a crimean referendum , 96.7 % of ballots favored crimea leaving ukraine and being annexed by russia . the united states now estimates there are up to 40,000 russian troops near the border , based on classified and commercial satellite imagery . russia has no intention to additionally annex the southeastern regions of ukraine , foreign minister sergey lavrov said friday in a televised interview on russian state television , the state-run itar-tass news agency reported . this would run counter to the vital interests of russia , ' lavrov said , while adding that there is no need to deploy peacekeepers in ukraine nor any need for united nations security council decisions on the matter . lavrov went on to say that there are no russian troops or russian secret services agents in southeastern ukraine . cnn 's michael martinez and pierre meilhan contributed to this report . | nato releases more photos that it says shows buildup to rebut russia 's denials |
darrah <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when i first joined the navy , i had no idea that i was gay . i was well into my career when i realized this fact , but i was doing well as evidenced by the awards and promotions i was receiving . in addition , i really enjoyed what i was doing and felt i was making a difference . so i opted to continue to serve , even though i knew that i would have to hide my true identity . for most of my career in the navy , i lived two lives and went to work each day wondering if that would be my last . whenever the admiral would call me to his office , 99.9 percent of me was certain that it was to discuss an operational issue . but there was always that fear in the back of my mind that somehow i had been outed , ' and he was calling me to his office to tell me that i was fired . so many simple things that straight people take for granted could have ended my career , even a comment such as my partner and i went to the movies last night . ' do you think do n't ask , do n't tell ' should be reversed ? in spite of the stress of living under do n't ask , do n't tell ' and the constant fear of losing my job , somehow my partner , lynne kennedy , an openly gay reference librarian at the library of congress , and i had learned to deal with the policy and make the requisite sacrifices . i had pretended to be straight and played the games most gays in the military are all too familiar with -- not daring to have a picture of lynne on my desk , being reluctant to go out to dinner with her , telling her not to call me at work except in a real emergency , not going to church together , avoiding shopping for groceries together and generally staying out of sight of anyone i knew when we were together . i did n't want to have to lie about who lynne was or have someone conclude that we were more than casual friends . but it was the events of september 11 , 2001 , that caused me to appreciate fully the true impact of do n't ask , do n't tell ' on our lives . at 8:30 a.m. on september 11 , i went to a meeting in the pentagon . at 9:30 a.m . i left that meeting . at 9:37 a.m. , american airlines flight no . 77 slammed into the pentagon and destroyed the exact space i had left less than eight minutes earlier , killing seven of my colleagues . in the days and weeks that followed , i went to several funerals and memorial services for shipmates who had been killed . most of my co-workers attended these services with their spouses whose support was critical at this difficult time , yet i was forced to go alone . as the numbness began to wear off , it hit me how incredibly alone lynne would have been had i been killed . the military is known for how it pulls together and helps people ; we talk of the military family , ' which is a way of saying we always look after each other , especially in times of need . but none of that support would have been available for lynne , because under do n't ask , do n't tell , ' she could n't exist . in fact , lynne would have been one of the last people to know had i been killed , because nowhere in my paperwork or emergency contact information had i dared to list her name . this realization caused us to stop and reassess exactly what was most important in our lives . during that process , we realized that the do n't ask , do n't tell ' policy was causing us to make a much bigger sacrifice than either of us had ever admitted . eight months later , in june 2002 , i retired after more than 29 years in the u.s. navy , an organization i will always love and respect . we are now committed to doing everything we possibly can to get rid of do n't ask , do n't tell ' so that our military can finally be open to all qualified and motivated individuals who want to serve their country . as a retired naval officer , i am especially pleased with the leadership that navy adm. michael mullen , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , has demonstrated on repeal of do n't ask , do n't tell . ' i believe that the end of the policy is in sight . i have every confidence that our military will easily adjust to this change and that with strong leadership , we will ultimately be stronger and better for it . ironically , it was in the military that i learned to work with people of different backgrounds , different religions , different ethnicities and different skin colors and to focus on getting the mission accomplished . i learned the importance of respecting everyone and judging people on their performance and abilities , not on a preconceived prejudice . twenty-six countries allow gays to serve openly in their militaries , and from all reports , things are going just fine . this is the right step for our country , our military and for gay people both currently serving and those who would like to be part of the world 's finest military . i have great love and respect for our country , but i know we can do better than do n't ask , do n't tell . ' the opinions in this commentary are solely those of joan e. darrah . | darrah says she pretended her partner did n't exist , that she was straight , avoided people |
darrah <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when i first joined the navy , i had no idea that i was gay . i was well into my career when i realized this fact , but i was doing well as evidenced by the awards and promotions i was receiving . in addition , i really enjoyed what i was doing and felt i was making a difference . so i opted to continue to serve , even though i knew that i would have to hide my true identity . for most of my career in the navy , i lived two lives and went to work each day wondering if that would be my last . whenever the admiral would call me to his office , 99.9 percent of me was certain that it was to discuss an operational issue . but there was always that fear in the back of my mind that somehow i had been outed , ' and he was calling me to his office to tell me that i was fired . so many simple things that straight people take for granted could have ended my career , even a comment such as my partner and i went to the movies last night . ' do you think do n't ask , do n't tell ' should be reversed ? in spite of the stress of living under do n't ask , do n't tell ' and the constant fear of losing my job , somehow my partner , lynne kennedy , an openly gay reference librarian at the library of congress , and i had learned to deal with the policy and make the requisite sacrifices . i had pretended to be straight and played the games most gays in the military are all too familiar with -- not daring to have a picture of lynne on my desk , being reluctant to go out to dinner with her , telling her not to call me at work except in a real emergency , not going to church together , avoiding shopping for groceries together and generally staying out of sight of anyone i knew when we were together . i did n't want to have to lie about who lynne was or have someone conclude that we were more than casual friends . but it was the events of september 11 , 2001 , that caused me to appreciate fully the true impact of do n't ask , do n't tell ' on our lives . at 8:30 a.m. on september 11 , i went to a meeting in the pentagon . at 9:30 a.m . i left that meeting . at 9:37 a.m. , american airlines flight no . 77 slammed into the pentagon and destroyed the exact space i had left less than eight minutes earlier , killing seven of my colleagues . in the days and weeks that followed , i went to several funerals and memorial services for shipmates who had been killed . most of my co-workers attended these services with their spouses whose support was critical at this difficult time , yet i was forced to go alone . as the numbness began to wear off , it hit me how incredibly alone lynne would have been had i been killed . the military is known for how it pulls together and helps people ; we talk of the military family , ' which is a way of saying we always look after each other , especially in times of need . but none of that support would have been available for lynne , because under do n't ask , do n't tell , ' she could n't exist . in fact , lynne would have been one of the last people to know had i been killed , because nowhere in my paperwork or emergency contact information had i dared to list her name . this realization caused us to stop and reassess exactly what was most important in our lives . during that process , we realized that the do n't ask , do n't tell ' policy was causing us to make a much bigger sacrifice than either of us had ever admitted . eight months later , in june 2002 , i retired after more than 29 years in the u.s. navy , an organization i will always love and respect . we are now committed to doing everything we possibly can to get rid of do n't ask , do n't tell ' so that our military can finally be open to all qualified and motivated individuals who want to serve their country . as a retired naval officer , i am especially pleased with the leadership that navy adm. michael mullen , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , has demonstrated on repeal of do n't ask , do n't tell . ' i believe that the end of the policy is in sight . i have every confidence that our military will easily adjust to this change and that with strong leadership , we will ultimately be stronger and better for it . ironically , it was in the military that i learned to work with people of different backgrounds , different religions , different ethnicities and different skin colors and to focus on getting the mission accomplished . i learned the importance of respecting everyone and judging people on their performance and abilities , not on a preconceived prejudice . twenty-six countries allow gays to serve openly in their militaries , and from all reports , things are going just fine . this is the right step for our country , our military and for gay people both currently serving and those who would like to be part of the world 's finest military . i have great love and respect for our country , but i know we can do better than do n't ask , do n't tell . ' the opinions in this commentary are solely those of joan e. darrah . | darrah : i know we can do better than'do n't ask , do n't tell' |
darrah <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when i first joined the navy , i had no idea that i was gay . i was well into my career when i realized this fact , but i was doing well as evidenced by the awards and promotions i was receiving . in addition , i really enjoyed what i was doing and felt i was making a difference . so i opted to continue to serve , even though i knew that i would have to hide my true identity . for most of my career in the navy , i lived two lives and went to work each day wondering if that would be my last . whenever the admiral would call me to his office , 99.9 percent of me was certain that it was to discuss an operational issue . but there was always that fear in the back of my mind that somehow i had been outed , ' and he was calling me to his office to tell me that i was fired . so many simple things that straight people take for granted could have ended my career , even a comment such as my partner and i went to the movies last night . ' do you think do n't ask , do n't tell ' should be reversed ? in spite of the stress of living under do n't ask , do n't tell ' and the constant fear of losing my job , somehow my partner , lynne kennedy , an openly gay reference librarian at the library of congress , and i had learned to deal with the policy and make the requisite sacrifices . i had pretended to be straight and played the games most gays in the military are all too familiar with -- not daring to have a picture of lynne on my desk , being reluctant to go out to dinner with her , telling her not to call me at work except in a real emergency , not going to church together , avoiding shopping for groceries together and generally staying out of sight of anyone i knew when we were together . i did n't want to have to lie about who lynne was or have someone conclude that we were more than casual friends . but it was the events of september 11 , 2001 , that caused me to appreciate fully the true impact of do n't ask , do n't tell ' on our lives . at 8:30 a.m. on september 11 , i went to a meeting in the pentagon . at 9:30 a.m . i left that meeting . at 9:37 a.m. , american airlines flight no . 77 slammed into the pentagon and destroyed the exact space i had left less than eight minutes earlier , killing seven of my colleagues . in the days and weeks that followed , i went to several funerals and memorial services for shipmates who had been killed . most of my co-workers attended these services with their spouses whose support was critical at this difficult time , yet i was forced to go alone . as the numbness began to wear off , it hit me how incredibly alone lynne would have been had i been killed . the military is known for how it pulls together and helps people ; we talk of the military family , ' which is a way of saying we always look after each other , especially in times of need . but none of that support would have been available for lynne , because under do n't ask , do n't tell , ' she could n't exist . in fact , lynne would have been one of the last people to know had i been killed , because nowhere in my paperwork or emergency contact information had i dared to list her name . this realization caused us to stop and reassess exactly what was most important in our lives . during that process , we realized that the do n't ask , do n't tell ' policy was causing us to make a much bigger sacrifice than either of us had ever admitted . eight months later , in june 2002 , i retired after more than 29 years in the u.s. navy , an organization i will always love and respect . we are now committed to doing everything we possibly can to get rid of do n't ask , do n't tell ' so that our military can finally be open to all qualified and motivated individuals who want to serve their country . as a retired naval officer , i am especially pleased with the leadership that navy adm. michael mullen , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , has demonstrated on repeal of do n't ask , do n't tell . ' i believe that the end of the policy is in sight . i have every confidence that our military will easily adjust to this change and that with strong leadership , we will ultimately be stronger and better for it . ironically , it was in the military that i learned to work with people of different backgrounds , different religions , different ethnicities and different skin colors and to focus on getting the mission accomplished . i learned the importance of respecting everyone and judging people on their performance and abilities , not on a preconceived prejudice . twenty-six countries allow gays to serve openly in their militaries , and from all reports , things are going just fine . this is the right step for our country , our military and for gay people both currently serving and those who would like to be part of the world 's finest military . i have great love and respect for our country , but i know we can do better than do n't ask , do n't tell . ' the opinions in this commentary are solely those of joan e. darrah . | joan e. darrah says she lived two lives in the navy , wondering if each day was the last |
daily curriculum <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- march 21 , 2014 covered this friday on cnn student news : a brain drain threatens china , scientists discover a glint of truth behind the 5-second rule ' involving food and germs , a hacker uses a drone to expose cell phone insecurities , and technology is used to help victims of south sudan 's civil wars . on this page you will find today 's show transcript , the daily curriculum , 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 : how might you go verifying the facts of a study you heard about in the news ? 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 country was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami three years ago this week ? 2 . what western european republic celebrated its national holiday on monday ? 3 . what country 's leader signed a treaty to annex crimea ? 4 . what city was the scheduled destination of malaysia airlines flight 370 ? 5 . mary barra is the ceo of what major american automaker ? 6 . andromeda , whirlpool and sombrero are all examples of what astronomic feature ? 7 . what is the oldest currency still in use ? 8 . what kind of vehicle is the u.s. navy 's p-8 poseidon , which is being used to hunt for the missing malaysia airlines passenger plane ? 9 . what scientist found a link between germs and disease in the 1860s ? 10 . what honor , the united states'highest military decoration , was awarded to 24 individuals at the white house this week ? 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 . 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 and the daily curriculum |
daily curriculum <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- march 21 , 2014 covered this friday on cnn student news : a brain drain threatens china , scientists discover a glint of truth behind the 5-second rule ' involving food and germs , a hacker uses a drone to expose cell phone insecurities , and technology is used to help victims of south sudan 's civil wars . on this page you will find today 's show transcript , the daily curriculum , 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 : how might you go verifying the facts of a study you heard about in the news ? 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 country was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami three years ago this week ? 2 . what western european republic celebrated its national holiday on monday ? 3 . what country 's leader signed a treaty to annex crimea ? 4 . what city was the scheduled destination of malaysia airlines flight 370 ? 5 . mary barra is the ceo of what major american automaker ? 6 . andromeda , whirlpool and sombrero are all examples of what astronomic feature ? 7 . what is the oldest currency still in use ? 8 . what kind of vehicle is the u.s. navy 's p-8 poseidon , which is being used to hunt for the missing malaysia airlines passenger plane ? 9 . what scientist found a link between germs and disease in the 1860s ? 10 . what honor , the united states'highest military decoration , was awarded to 24 individuals at the white house this week ? 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 . 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 |
south australia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- authorities are asking residents in some some parts of south australia to evacuate their homes as an impending heat wave prompted the nation to issue its first catastrophic ' brush fire warning . the warning system was put in place to better alert residents after a devastating brush fire ravaged the southeastern state of victoria in february , killing more than 170 people and destroying 2,000 homes . during that fire , many residents stayed to defend their property . though authorities still can not mandate that people leave , the new warning system urges people to flee . the code red catastrophic ' warning was issued for the eastern eyre peninsula and west coast districts in the state of south australia . are you there ? send your pictures , video such a rating means that even well-constructed and defended homes might not be safe from the blaze , the south australian fire service said . in addition , three other districts -- flinders , north west pastoral and lower eyre peninsula -- were placed under an extreme ' watch . such a rating means that only well-constructed homes can withstand the flames . an intense heat wave -- with temperatures climbing to 104 f ( 40 c ) -- is expected to hit the areas until the weekend . the region is already in the midst of a severe drought . coupled with low humidity and strong winds , the soaring temperatures will make it ripe for fires to ignite . any fire that breaks out will be uncontrollable , the fire service said . people in their path will likely die , it added . | an intense heat wave -- with temperatures climbing to 104 f ( 40 c ) -- is expected to hit south australia until weekend |
tom brady <tsp> ( cnn ) it 's obvious that tom brady 's love for his wife , model gisele bundchen , will never go out of fashion . bundchen walked the runway for the last time wednesday , and the new england patriots quarterback was n't just there to support her in person , he expressed his emotions to the world on facebook . congratulations love of my life , ' brady wrote . you inspire me every day to be a better person . i am so proud of you and everything you have accomplished on the runway . i have never met someone with more of a will to succeed and determination to overcome any obstacle in the way . you never cease to amaze me . nobody loves life more than you and your beauty runs much deeper than what the eye can see . i ca n't wait to see what 's next . i love you . ' he followed the text with two hashtags , # goat ( greatest of all time ' ) and # thebestisyettocome . bundchen , 34 , announced her retirement from the catwalk last weekend . i am grateful that at 14 , i was given the opportunity to start this journey . today after 20 years in the industry , it is a privilege to be doing my last fashion show by choice and yet still be working in other facets of the business , ' the brazilian-born model wrote on instagram . supermodel gisele bundchen struts her stuff a final time bundchen was the highest-paid model in 2014 , according to forbes magazine , with a total $ 47 million in contracts . she is the face of chanel and carolina herrera and has her own line of lingerie . bundchen and brady have been married since 2009 . the couple has two children . what 's next for bundchen ? based on an interview she did with brazil 's estado de s. paulo newspaper , sounds like more quality time with brady and their children . i want to be with my family more and focus on special projects , ' she said . cnn 's shasta darlington contributed to this story . | tom brady to gisele bundchen : you inspire me every day ' |
bundchen <tsp> ( cnn ) it 's obvious that tom brady 's love for his wife , model gisele bundchen , will never go out of fashion . bundchen walked the runway for the last time wednesday , and the new england patriots quarterback was n't just there to support her in person , he expressed his emotions to the world on facebook . congratulations love of my life , ' brady wrote . you inspire me every day to be a better person . i am so proud of you and everything you have accomplished on the runway . i have never met someone with more of a will to succeed and determination to overcome any obstacle in the way . you never cease to amaze me . nobody loves life more than you and your beauty runs much deeper than what the eye can see . i ca n't wait to see what 's next . i love you . ' he followed the text with two hashtags , # goat ( greatest of all time ' ) and # thebestisyettocome . bundchen , 34 , announced her retirement from the catwalk last weekend . i am grateful that at 14 , i was given the opportunity to start this journey . today after 20 years in the industry , it is a privilege to be doing my last fashion show by choice and yet still be working in other facets of the business , ' the brazilian-born model wrote on instagram . supermodel gisele bundchen struts her stuff a final time bundchen was the highest-paid model in 2014 , according to forbes magazine , with a total $ 47 million in contracts . she is the face of chanel and carolina herrera and has her own line of lingerie . bundchen and brady have been married since 2009 . the couple has two children . what 's next for bundchen ? based on an interview she did with brazil 's estado de s. paulo newspaper , sounds like more quality time with brady and their children . i want to be with my family more and focus on special projects , ' she said . cnn 's shasta darlington contributed to this story . | bundchen had last runway show wednesday |
bundchen <tsp> ( cnn ) it 's obvious that tom brady 's love for his wife , model gisele bundchen , will never go out of fashion . bundchen walked the runway for the last time wednesday , and the new england patriots quarterback was n't just there to support her in person , he expressed his emotions to the world on facebook . congratulations love of my life , ' brady wrote . you inspire me every day to be a better person . i am so proud of you and everything you have accomplished on the runway . i have never met someone with more of a will to succeed and determination to overcome any obstacle in the way . you never cease to amaze me . nobody loves life more than you and your beauty runs much deeper than what the eye can see . i ca n't wait to see what 's next . i love you . ' he followed the text with two hashtags , # goat ( greatest of all time ' ) and # thebestisyettocome . bundchen , 34 , announced her retirement from the catwalk last weekend . i am grateful that at 14 , i was given the opportunity to start this journey . today after 20 years in the industry , it is a privilege to be doing my last fashion show by choice and yet still be working in other facets of the business , ' the brazilian-born model wrote on instagram . supermodel gisele bundchen struts her stuff a final time bundchen was the highest-paid model in 2014 , according to forbes magazine , with a total $ 47 million in contracts . she is the face of chanel and carolina herrera and has her own line of lingerie . bundchen and brady have been married since 2009 . the couple has two children . what 's next for bundchen ? based on an interview she did with brazil 's estado de s. paulo newspaper , sounds like more quality time with brady and their children . i want to be with my family more and focus on special projects , ' she said . cnn 's shasta darlington contributed to this story . | tom brady to gisele bundchen : you inspire me every day ' |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- before this week , most americans had likely never heard of kyrgyzstan and even fewer could place it on a map . but the central asian nation , which is about the size of south dakota , is important to u.s. foreign policy for one simple reason : a vital military base through which tens of thousands of troops pass every month on their way in and out of afghanistan . the fate of the manas transit center was thrown into question wednesday when kyrgyz president kurmanbek bakiev was forced to flee the capital after angry mobs seized government headquarters . fighting between police and protesters left 75 people dead and hundreds injured , authorities said thursday . the protesters say they are in control of the government , but bakiev sent word thursday from southern kyrgyzstan that he is not abandoning his duties . the united states likely will retain use of the manas facility even if bakiev 's opponents secure control of the government , said alexander cooley , a central asia expert at barnard college . latest news out of kyrgyzstan ' it 's going to survive , but it 's going to generate a lot of noise , uncomfortable negotiations and a lot of hard bargaining , ' said cooley , author of base politics . ' the manas base plays a major role in internal kyrgyzstan policy on several levels . for starters , it is a major source of income in the small nation , which has a gross domestic product of less than $ 12 billion a year , according to the cia world factbook . the nation ranks 143rd in the world in terms of its gdp . in exchange for use of the base , the united states provides about $ 180 million in aid to kyrgyzstan each year , cooley said . although the united states does not pay rent for use of any bases in the world , cooley said , about $ 60 million of the kyrgyzstan aid is considered payment for access to the manas facility . in addition , cooley said , bakiev 's political opponents say the united states pays about $ 160 million a year to buy fuel for american aircraft using the base . the base is as much an economic investment as much as it is a security investment , ' cooley told cnn . kyrgyzstan does not have a lot of economic assets . that 's why the base is important . ' but the base also has deep significance to bakiev 's opponents , who see it as a symbol of the deposed president 's corruption and u.s. complicity in his abuse of power . the united states stayed silent as bakiev built a criminal state , ' cooley said . ireport : are you there ? share photos , video political opponents believe that aid paid for use of the base went into bakiev 's pockets , not the country 's coffers . that money went to companies and shady off-shore enterprises controlled by the family , ' said cooley . it 's the actual site of tacit deals and corruption . ' the new government has said it will address citizens'concerns . kyrgyzstan has had a troubled history since shortly after gaining independence when the soviet union collapsed in 1991 . also gaining independence that year were the three other stans , ' as some people commonly refer to the region : kazakhstan , tajikistan and uzbekistan . kyrgyzstan seemed to be in the 1990s the one bright spot , ' cooley said . askar akaev , who had been president since 1990 , started off as a good leader , cooley said , and politics were pretty pluralistic . then , he started regressing . ' akaev increasingly turned to repression . as they do , he stayed a few years too many , ' said cooley . bakiev was bad , but akaev was a real thug . ' as happened this week , opponents took to the streets in 2005 and drove akaev from power . bakiev won election as president in july 2005 . but he , too , soon started to maneuver to increase his power and consolidate control . demonstrations by political opponents in april , may and november 2006 led to the adoption of a new constitution that gave some of the president 's powers to parliament and the government . a year later , the parliament voted to restore some of those powers to the presidency . in september 2007 , the new constitution was declared illegal , and bakiev resumed having the presidential powers he had inherited when taking office . the president then dissolved parliament , called for early elections and gained control of the new parliament through his newly created political party , ak jol , in december 2007 elections , ' the cia world factbook says . in july 2009 , after months of harassment against his opponents and media critics , bakiev won re-election in a presidential campaign that the international community deemed flawed . just a few months later in october , bakiev engineered changes in the government structure that further consolidated his already considerable hold on power . ' the cia world factbook says concerns about bakiev 's rule , included privatization of state-owned enterprises , negative trends in democracy and political freedoms , endemic corruption , improving interethnic relations , electricity generation and combating terrorism . ' that such turmoil should fall upon such a country seems incongruous to some . kyrgyz are great , ' cooley said . they are very hospitable . very mild-mannered . ' the cia world factbook describes kyrgyzstan as a land of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions . ' with an estimated 2009 population of about 5.4 million , kyrgyzstan ranks no . 111 among nations . it is a landlocked country and entirely mountainous , with 94 percent of the nation 3,280 feet ( 1,000 meters ) above sea level and an average elevation of 9,000 feet ( 2,750 meters ) , the cia world factbook says . the topography includes many tall peaks , glaciers and high-altitude lakes . nearly two-thirds of the nation 's citizens belong to the kyrgyz ethnic group , while nearly 14 percent are uzbek and more than 12 percent are russian , the cia world factbook says . likewise , nearly 65 percent of the people speak kyrgyz , which is the official language . nearly 14 percent speak uzbek and russian is the language for more than 12 percent . three of every four citizens are muslim and one in five are russian orthodox . although kyrgyzstan shares a 533-mile ( 858-kilometer ) border with china , most people identify with mother-nation russia . kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to russia in 1876 and became a soviet republic in 1936 . there 's a strong cultural affinity to russia due to media , education and the soviet legacy , ' cooley said . still , china is knocking at the door . china has moved in , but it 's been a very recent development , ' said cooley . last year , china did a lot more trade there than russia did . but there 's very little cultural affiliation with china . ' there is no seeming affinity for the united states , a distant nation tied in the minds and hearts of many kyrgyz to corruption at home . the question that remained unanswered this week was whether millions of dollars in u.s. aid would provide enough affiliation to allow continued use of the manas transit center . | china is beginning to make economic inroads with the landlocked nation |
nfl <tsp> i fell in love on a monday night . now , many may say a teenage girl ca n't know about such things . but that night as i watched dallas cowboys running back tony dorsett roll downfield 99 yards for a touchdown , i fell head-over-heels in love with the nfl . it was january 3 , 1983 -- monday night football , dallas vs. minnesota . i 'd never seen anything so inspiring . dorsett was so free , so graceful and so powerful to me . he was focused and determined . watching him break free of his competitors , those who wanted to bring him down and stop him from reaching his goal , i was in awe . and i knew then that his run capsulized all that i wanted to accomplish in my life . that football game is one of my most cherished childhood memories . i have been a passionate nfl fan since that moment -- though i switched my loyalties to the philadelphia eagles , my hometown team . my family has never understood my love affair with the league . they have balked as play dates , family events , even church services have been rearranged or skipped to fit my football calendar . i ended up spending much of my career in sports journalism , a dream job if ever there was one . but after 30 years , my love and respect for the game is fading . and i 'm seriously considering giving up football completely . i do n't want to , but i am left with little choice . i 've come to this pass because of a recent airing of league of denial , the nfl 's concussion crisis , ' the pbs documentary that details the hidden story of the nfl and brain injuries . based on a book by journalists mark fainaru-wada and steve fainaru , the program examines the nfl 's attempt to cover up medical science that has linked chronic traumatic encephalopathy , called cte , to concussions in nfl players . players with cte have battled depression , memory loss , and in some cases dementia . the nfl consistently has denied any connection . but many of the men who play the game feel differently . i think i 'm just paranoid . but ... from their standpoint , i think they are looking forward to covering their own ( butt ) more than anything , more than player safety , ' baltimore ravens super bowl champion terrell suggs told the baltimore sun . hall of famer troy aikman , whose concussion in 1994 was featured in the documentary , told pbs : ' i do not have a son ; if i had a son , i would n't necessarily discourage him from playing football , but i do n't know that i would encourage him to play , either . ... i do n't know what the data show , but i have n't sensed there 's been a reduction in head injuries . with that in mind , that 's concerning . as long as we 're having contact and as long as there are collisions , there 's going to be head injuries . ' the nfl , which did not participate in the documentary , agreed in late august to a $ 765 million settlement in a concussion lawsuit with more than 4,500 players and their families . the proposed settlement allows the nfl to avoid a public trial to fight accusations that the league concealed what it knew about the dangers of head injuries . under the terms of the pending settlement , which is still awaiting approval by a judge , the nfl likely wo n't have to disclose internal files about what it knew , or when it knew of any links between concussions and permanent brain injury . when i watch the games today , the awe is gone . instead , i thank god that my son never wanted to play football , that it was basketball that stole his heart . and i find it ironic and a bit disingenuous that the nfl , in an effort to make the game more attractive to its 44 % female audience , adorns the players and the field in breast cancer pink . imagine where breast cancer research would be today if the science around the cause of the disease was rejected , or covered up . imagine if women were told to ignore the warning signs of this killer disease , or if we were denied access to lifesaving treatment . today , instead of telling kids how football helped to inspire me to go after what i want in life , i advise them and their parents to avoid the game at all costs . it 's not safe at any level . play other sports . i 'm not alone . the hall of fame giants linebacker harry carson , who was a leading voice in the documentary , does n't believe the game is safe for children today . i pray parents understand all they 're getting into when they allow their kids to play football , ' he said . my oldest son luckily gravitated to basketball , and as a doctor he understands what concussions are about . my younger son did n't play , and to this day i 'm grateful , ' said carson , who begs his daughter not to let his grandson play . because concussions happen all the time on every level of football , the long-term damage is terrible , and we 're seeing evidence of it all the time . ' i agree . i 've worked with former nflers who suffer blackouts in midsentence , after being diagnosed with numerous concussions over their careers . and many of us knew junior seau and other football players who have taken their own lives . too many of us in the sports industry stood by and watched yesterday 's heroes implode , or fall into depression in retirement . it 's easy to sit back and pontificate about why so many players are violent , both on and off the field , or how they ended up with ruined lives . we often blamed the players themselves . they were irresponsible men , or had bad agents , girlfriends , wives who took advantage of them , ' we explained . we blamed everything but the game itself for so many ruined lives and serious psychological problems . now i see that i have been an enabler , blindly protecting the game -- the game that afforded me a lucrative career at espn . how could i criticize any nfl commissioner for doing the same ? we have all made a very comfortable living off the game and the backs of men like harry carson , tony dorsett and junior seau . i want to save my relationship with the league , but it needs to own up about cte . stop endlessly denying the findings of medical science that say playing football can cause permanent brain damage . end the lies . just admit we have a problem . that is the first step . stop the slick marketing campaigns to keep telling our children all they need is to learn a safe way to hit in football , ' while denying each hit comes with a dire consequence . this relationship is toxic . if my beloved nfl continues to lie and deny while men and boys are suffering and dying , then it 's time for this fan to say good-bye . | she says new book and pbs documentary show nfl denied terrible effects of brain injury |
nfl <tsp> i fell in love on a monday night . now , many may say a teenage girl ca n't know about such things . but that night as i watched dallas cowboys running back tony dorsett roll downfield 99 yards for a touchdown , i fell head-over-heels in love with the nfl . it was january 3 , 1983 -- monday night football , dallas vs. minnesota . i 'd never seen anything so inspiring . dorsett was so free , so graceful and so powerful to me . he was focused and determined . watching him break free of his competitors , those who wanted to bring him down and stop him from reaching his goal , i was in awe . and i knew then that his run capsulized all that i wanted to accomplish in my life . that football game is one of my most cherished childhood memories . i have been a passionate nfl fan since that moment -- though i switched my loyalties to the philadelphia eagles , my hometown team . my family has never understood my love affair with the league . they have balked as play dates , family events , even church services have been rearranged or skipped to fit my football calendar . i ended up spending much of my career in sports journalism , a dream job if ever there was one . but after 30 years , my love and respect for the game is fading . and i 'm seriously considering giving up football completely . i do n't want to , but i am left with little choice . i 've come to this pass because of a recent airing of league of denial , the nfl 's concussion crisis , ' the pbs documentary that details the hidden story of the nfl and brain injuries . based on a book by journalists mark fainaru-wada and steve fainaru , the program examines the nfl 's attempt to cover up medical science that has linked chronic traumatic encephalopathy , called cte , to concussions in nfl players . players with cte have battled depression , memory loss , and in some cases dementia . the nfl consistently has denied any connection . but many of the men who play the game feel differently . i think i 'm just paranoid . but ... from their standpoint , i think they are looking forward to covering their own ( butt ) more than anything , more than player safety , ' baltimore ravens super bowl champion terrell suggs told the baltimore sun . hall of famer troy aikman , whose concussion in 1994 was featured in the documentary , told pbs : ' i do not have a son ; if i had a son , i would n't necessarily discourage him from playing football , but i do n't know that i would encourage him to play , either . ... i do n't know what the data show , but i have n't sensed there 's been a reduction in head injuries . with that in mind , that 's concerning . as long as we 're having contact and as long as there are collisions , there 's going to be head injuries . ' the nfl , which did not participate in the documentary , agreed in late august to a $ 765 million settlement in a concussion lawsuit with more than 4,500 players and their families . the proposed settlement allows the nfl to avoid a public trial to fight accusations that the league concealed what it knew about the dangers of head injuries . under the terms of the pending settlement , which is still awaiting approval by a judge , the nfl likely wo n't have to disclose internal files about what it knew , or when it knew of any links between concussions and permanent brain injury . when i watch the games today , the awe is gone . instead , i thank god that my son never wanted to play football , that it was basketball that stole his heart . and i find it ironic and a bit disingenuous that the nfl , in an effort to make the game more attractive to its 44 % female audience , adorns the players and the field in breast cancer pink . imagine where breast cancer research would be today if the science around the cause of the disease was rejected , or covered up . imagine if women were told to ignore the warning signs of this killer disease , or if we were denied access to lifesaving treatment . today , instead of telling kids how football helped to inspire me to go after what i want in life , i advise them and their parents to avoid the game at all costs . it 's not safe at any level . play other sports . i 'm not alone . the hall of fame giants linebacker harry carson , who was a leading voice in the documentary , does n't believe the game is safe for children today . i pray parents understand all they 're getting into when they allow their kids to play football , ' he said . my oldest son luckily gravitated to basketball , and as a doctor he understands what concussions are about . my younger son did n't play , and to this day i 'm grateful , ' said carson , who begs his daughter not to let his grandson play . because concussions happen all the time on every level of football , the long-term damage is terrible , and we 're seeing evidence of it all the time . ' i agree . i 've worked with former nflers who suffer blackouts in midsentence , after being diagnosed with numerous concussions over their careers . and many of us knew junior seau and other football players who have taken their own lives . too many of us in the sports industry stood by and watched yesterday 's heroes implode , or fall into depression in retirement . it 's easy to sit back and pontificate about why so many players are violent , both on and off the field , or how they ended up with ruined lives . we often blamed the players themselves . they were irresponsible men , or had bad agents , girlfriends , wives who took advantage of them , ' we explained . we blamed everything but the game itself for so many ruined lives and serious psychological problems . now i see that i have been an enabler , blindly protecting the game -- the game that afforded me a lucrative career at espn . how could i criticize any nfl commissioner for doing the same ? we have all made a very comfortable living off the game and the backs of men like harry carson , tony dorsett and junior seau . i want to save my relationship with the league , but it needs to own up about cte . stop endlessly denying the findings of medical science that say playing football can cause permanent brain damage . end the lies . just admit we have a problem . that is the first step . stop the slick marketing campaigns to keep telling our children all they need is to learn a safe way to hit in football , ' while denying each hit comes with a dire consequence . this relationship is toxic . if my beloved nfl continues to lie and deny while men and boys are suffering and dying , then it 's time for this fan to say good-bye . | jones : too many have enabled this deception . nfl must own up to cte caused by football |
ryanair <tsp> ( cnn ) -- irish low-cost airline ryanair posted a €169 million ( $ 240 million ) loss in the last year after being hit with higher fuel costs and a writedown in its investment in rival carrier aer lingus . ryanair has forecast a rise in passenger numbers this year . ryanair 's boss michael o'leary said though that he hoped to see a recovery this year , forecasting profits to at least double ' thanks to anticipated lower fuel costs . the loss compares with a profit of €390 million the previous year . the company said that with the writedown on the aer lingus stake stripped out , its figures showed a more robust ' net profit of €105 million . the number of passengers travelling on ryanair planes increased by 15 percent in 2008/09 to 58 million and the airline said it hoped to increase that number to 67 million this year by cutting average fares by upt to 20 percent . richard hunter , head of uk equities at hargreaves lansdown stockbrokers , said the aer lingus stake was an albatross around the company 's neck . ' he told the press association : there are , however , also a number of positives , not least of which is the determination of ryanair to continue to make life uncomfortable for its competitors . growth in passenger numbers and a focus on costs were proof that the company has a close eye on strategic wins , while further reductions in fares could well tempt travellers who are currently deserting other legacy carriers . ' | irish low-cost airline ryanair posts €169 million ( $ 240 million ) loss in last year |
ryanair <tsp> ( cnn ) -- irish low-cost airline ryanair posted a €169 million ( $ 240 million ) loss in the last year after being hit with higher fuel costs and a writedown in its investment in rival carrier aer lingus . ryanair has forecast a rise in passenger numbers this year . ryanair 's boss michael o'leary said though that he hoped to see a recovery this year , forecasting profits to at least double ' thanks to anticipated lower fuel costs . the loss compares with a profit of €390 million the previous year . the company said that with the writedown on the aer lingus stake stripped out , its figures showed a more robust ' net profit of €105 million . the number of passengers travelling on ryanair planes increased by 15 percent in 2008/09 to 58 million and the airline said it hoped to increase that number to 67 million this year by cutting average fares by upt to 20 percent . richard hunter , head of uk equities at hargreaves lansdown stockbrokers , said the aer lingus stake was an albatross around the company 's neck . ' he told the press association : there are , however , also a number of positives , not least of which is the determination of ryanair to continue to make life uncomfortable for its competitors . growth in passenger numbers and a focus on costs were proof that the company has a close eye on strategic wins , while further reductions in fares could well tempt travellers who are currently deserting other legacy carriers . ' | ryanair 's boss michael o'leary said he hoped to see recovery this year |
charlie crist <tsp> ( cnn ) -- once more , as i often do , i find myself wishing for the late , great dr. hunter s. thompson . it was he who said , when the going gets weird , the weird turn pro . ' but it was florida gov . rick scott who brought thompson 's maxim to life wednesday . in fact , gov . scott brought it to the stage of a televised debate . to begin with , scott has all the telegenic appeal of a garden slug : lean and hairless and slick and creepy . but then again , i 've been a friend and business partner of james carville for 30 years , so who am i to judge ? what gov . scott demonstrated to the world is that , beneath that creepy exterior is an even more creepy psyche . a guy who is so deeply weird , so twisted and nutty that he would boycott a debate at the last second because his opponent had a small electric fan beneath his podium to keep him cool . granted , the fan was a violation of the rules , but who cares ? a human being would have sent minions out after the debate to note that his opponent , former gov . charlie crist , broke the rules . a politician with even a dash of personality might even have used it to mock crist : i suspect charlie was worried his face would melt ' -- a sly shot at crist 's perma-tan . i have seen and done a lot of crazy stuff in political debates . in 1992 , my compadres and i stole the stools bill clinton rehearsed on from a williamsburg , virginia , hotel and put them on the stage of the bush-perot-clinton town hall debate in richmond , so gov . clinton would have the home-butt advantage . i made one client so angry before a debate that he rhetorically bludgeoned his opponent until the poor man wept onstage . i know a politician who whispered the name of his opponent 's mistress to him in the opening handshake of a debate . i even saw the governor of texas forget how to count to three in a nationally televised debate . but i ai n't never seen nothin'like rick scott 's fan dance . scott refused to come on the stage for seven excruciating minutes . the moderators were flummoxed . crist could not conceal his glee . he had the same expression on his face that i had when i was an 18-year old pizza delivery boy called to bring lunch to the lovely dancers at the doll house in austin . i can not believe my luck . this is not really happening . ' everything since that magical moment for me has been anticlimactic , and i 'm sure everything from now on will be for crist . no matter . crist will become governor again , and rick scott will slink back under the rock from whence he emerged . but even there , in the gritty grime of the fetid florida sand , he will be recognized and remembered as the guy who blew it because of a fan . when dr. thompson removed himself from this earth he had his ashes shot out of a cannon . a spectacular explosion of fireworks scattered hunter 's earthly remains over colorado . rick scott 's political demise was considerably less spectacular ; the remains of his career as a politician were blown all across florida by a one-foot-wide electric fan . | scott held up debate seven minutes when rival for governor , charlie crist , had fan in his podium |
yemen <tsp> washington ( cnn ) the u.s. said tuesday that deploying warships to yemen to monitor nearby iranian vessels has given america options ' for how it could react to iran 's behavior in the region . the warships are being deployed to monitor ships traveling from iran that could be trafficking arms to houthi rebels in yemen , u.s. officials told cnn , saying the move was also meant to reassure allies in the region . by having american sea power in the region , we have created options for ourselves , ' said pentagon spokesman col. steve warren . he noted that the nine ships in the iranian convoy were cargo ships , but he declined to specify what they were carrying beyond containers . ' international officials are concerned that iran could surreptitiously attempt to transfer weaponry to the houthis . president barack obama told msnbc that the united states has been clear in its messages to tehran on sending weapons to houthi rebels inside yemen . what we 've said to them is if there are weapons delivered to factions within yemen that could threaten navigation , that 's a problem , ' obama said in the interview , a clip of which aired on nbc nightly news . we 're not sending them obscure messages , we send them very direct messages about it , ' obama said . while the iranian ships remain in international waters , the u.s. and other partner nations can keep an eye on the iranian ships to see if they move toward yemeni territorial waters . but it would be an extraordinary step and certainly not a foregone conclusion that the u.s. would attempt to board an iranian ship if it entered yemeni waters , u.s. officials said . i want to be very clear just so that no one has the wrong impression . they are not there to intercept iranian ships , ' state department spokeswoman marie harf told reporters tuesday . the purpose of moving them is only to ensure that the shipping lanes remain open and safe . ' warren too added that he was unaware of any direct contact between the american and iranian vessels at this point . the obama administration and u.s. defense officials maintain the primary purpose of positioning additional u.s. warships in the region is to ensure the free flow of commerce through established international shipping lanes and to ensure maritime security in the region . there is a message for iran as well . a u.s. military official told cnn that aircraft from aboard the uss theodore roosevelt are also conducting manned reconnaissance ' to monitor all maritime traffic moving through the area the roosevelt is operating in to determine what is going on there in order to assist in making informed decisions . this official stressed that the repositioning of u.s. ships in the region was taken in order to assure the freedom of navigation through established international shipping lanes and ensuring maritime security and not to interdict iranian ships . the roosevelt aircraft carrier and the guided missile cruiser uss normandy were the two ships the navy moved into the waters off the coast of yemen on sunday . at this stage , there are nine u.s. naval ships operating off the coast in yemen . the united states alongside the international community , including the united nations , is serious about the iranians not providing weapons to the houthis , ' white house press secretary josh earnest told reporters tuesday . providing weapons to the houthis only exacerbates the violence and instability in this region in a way that will have continued terrible impact on the humanitarian situation in the country . ' the heightened tensions could have broader consequences for the relationship between the u.s. and iran , coming weeks after the announcement of a framework agreement to limit iran 's nuclear program . officials on capitol hill and elsewhere pointed out that the situation in yemen adds an additional challenge when it comes to reaching a final deal . i do n't think this changes something directly , but it does highlight that iran has a number of activities around the region and around the world that are problematic , ' texas rep. mac thornberry , the republican chairman of the house armed services committee , told cnn tuesday . it includes their missile program , it includes their growing influence in iraq , it includes their propping up of ( president bashar al- ) assad in syria and their fueling this war in yemen . ' u.s. warships from the carrier group of the roosevelt are joining allied vessels from saudi arabia , egypt and other partner nations prepared to intercept a convoy of seven to nine iranian vessels believed headed for yemen . we are closely monitoring all maritime activity in the arabian sea and gulf of aden , ' cmdr . kevin stephens of the fifth fleet told cnn . we not going discuss the number and types of vessels we are monitoring or speculate about the possible destination or cargo of those vessels . ' when asked about warnings from saudi arabia and the u.s. to keep iranian navy ships away from yemen , the commander of iran 's regular navy , flotilla adm. habibollah sayyari , said his fleet was operating legally . we do n't let anyone give us warnings and threats , because we are working according to international law and regulations , ' he said . and we work for the security of our country and other countries . ' sayyari added that iranian navy ships in the area were there to combat piracy and secure the safe transfer of goods through the waters . u.s. ships do not have authority to forcibly board iranian-flagged ships . earlier this month , a u.s. navy ship consensually boarded a panamanian-flagged vessel suspected of trafficking people , drugs or weapons . nothing was found . the u.s. warships come to a region seeing a good deal of u.s. military activity . the roosevelt in particular only recently arrived in the theater and had been in the arabian gulf supporting operation inherent resolve in iraq and syria , according to stephens . sen. john mccain , r-arizona , told cnn 's wolf blitzer on the situation room ' that he would only endorse u.s. air power against yemen if it was the only option . it is a very serious escalatory step , ' he said on monday . if you 're going to use u.s. air power , what else is going to happen to make sure you stop the houthis ? ' mccain blamed president barack obama 's foreign policy for the deteriorating situation . it was very obvious to many of us that this did not have to happen , ' mccain said . we did not take care of the regime that was in place , the president that was in there . it is a symptom of our failure throughout the middle east . ' cnn 's jim acosta , frederik pleitgen , theodore schleifer and deirdre walsh contributed to this report . | u.s. navy moves aircraft carrier , cruiser to waters near yemen |
yemen <tsp> washington ( cnn ) the u.s. said tuesday that deploying warships to yemen to monitor nearby iranian vessels has given america options ' for how it could react to iran 's behavior in the region . the warships are being deployed to monitor ships traveling from iran that could be trafficking arms to houthi rebels in yemen , u.s. officials told cnn , saying the move was also meant to reassure allies in the region . by having american sea power in the region , we have created options for ourselves , ' said pentagon spokesman col. steve warren . he noted that the nine ships in the iranian convoy were cargo ships , but he declined to specify what they were carrying beyond containers . ' international officials are concerned that iran could surreptitiously attempt to transfer weaponry to the houthis . president barack obama told msnbc that the united states has been clear in its messages to tehran on sending weapons to houthi rebels inside yemen . what we 've said to them is if there are weapons delivered to factions within yemen that could threaten navigation , that 's a problem , ' obama said in the interview , a clip of which aired on nbc nightly news . we 're not sending them obscure messages , we send them very direct messages about it , ' obama said . while the iranian ships remain in international waters , the u.s. and other partner nations can keep an eye on the iranian ships to see if they move toward yemeni territorial waters . but it would be an extraordinary step and certainly not a foregone conclusion that the u.s. would attempt to board an iranian ship if it entered yemeni waters , u.s. officials said . i want to be very clear just so that no one has the wrong impression . they are not there to intercept iranian ships , ' state department spokeswoman marie harf told reporters tuesday . the purpose of moving them is only to ensure that the shipping lanes remain open and safe . ' warren too added that he was unaware of any direct contact between the american and iranian vessels at this point . the obama administration and u.s. defense officials maintain the primary purpose of positioning additional u.s. warships in the region is to ensure the free flow of commerce through established international shipping lanes and to ensure maritime security in the region . there is a message for iran as well . a u.s. military official told cnn that aircraft from aboard the uss theodore roosevelt are also conducting manned reconnaissance ' to monitor all maritime traffic moving through the area the roosevelt is operating in to determine what is going on there in order to assist in making informed decisions . this official stressed that the repositioning of u.s. ships in the region was taken in order to assure the freedom of navigation through established international shipping lanes and ensuring maritime security and not to interdict iranian ships . the roosevelt aircraft carrier and the guided missile cruiser uss normandy were the two ships the navy moved into the waters off the coast of yemen on sunday . at this stage , there are nine u.s. naval ships operating off the coast in yemen . the united states alongside the international community , including the united nations , is serious about the iranians not providing weapons to the houthis , ' white house press secretary josh earnest told reporters tuesday . providing weapons to the houthis only exacerbates the violence and instability in this region in a way that will have continued terrible impact on the humanitarian situation in the country . ' the heightened tensions could have broader consequences for the relationship between the u.s. and iran , coming weeks after the announcement of a framework agreement to limit iran 's nuclear program . officials on capitol hill and elsewhere pointed out that the situation in yemen adds an additional challenge when it comes to reaching a final deal . i do n't think this changes something directly , but it does highlight that iran has a number of activities around the region and around the world that are problematic , ' texas rep. mac thornberry , the republican chairman of the house armed services committee , told cnn tuesday . it includes their missile program , it includes their growing influence in iraq , it includes their propping up of ( president bashar al- ) assad in syria and their fueling this war in yemen . ' u.s. warships from the carrier group of the roosevelt are joining allied vessels from saudi arabia , egypt and other partner nations prepared to intercept a convoy of seven to nine iranian vessels believed headed for yemen . we are closely monitoring all maritime activity in the arabian sea and gulf of aden , ' cmdr . kevin stephens of the fifth fleet told cnn . we not going discuss the number and types of vessels we are monitoring or speculate about the possible destination or cargo of those vessels . ' when asked about warnings from saudi arabia and the u.s. to keep iranian navy ships away from yemen , the commander of iran 's regular navy , flotilla adm. habibollah sayyari , said his fleet was operating legally . we do n't let anyone give us warnings and threats , because we are working according to international law and regulations , ' he said . and we work for the security of our country and other countries . ' sayyari added that iranian navy ships in the area were there to combat piracy and secure the safe transfer of goods through the waters . u.s. ships do not have authority to forcibly board iranian-flagged ships . earlier this month , a u.s. navy ship consensually boarded a panamanian-flagged vessel suspected of trafficking people , drugs or weapons . nothing was found . the u.s. warships come to a region seeing a good deal of u.s. military activity . the roosevelt in particular only recently arrived in the theater and had been in the arabian gulf supporting operation inherent resolve in iraq and syria , according to stephens . sen. john mccain , r-arizona , told cnn 's wolf blitzer on the situation room ' that he would only endorse u.s. air power against yemen if it was the only option . it is a very serious escalatory step , ' he said on monday . if you 're going to use u.s. air power , what else is going to happen to make sure you stop the houthis ? ' mccain blamed president barack obama 's foreign policy for the deteriorating situation . it was very obvious to many of us that this did not have to happen , ' mccain said . we did not take care of the regime that was in place , the president that was in there . it is a symptom of our failure throughout the middle east . ' cnn 's jim acosta , frederik pleitgen , theodore schleifer and deirdre walsh contributed to this report . | u.s. , allied ships prepared to intercept iranian vessel if they enter yemen 's waters |
iranian <tsp> washington ( cnn ) the u.s. said tuesday that deploying warships to yemen to monitor nearby iranian vessels has given america options ' for how it could react to iran 's behavior in the region . the warships are being deployed to monitor ships traveling from iran that could be trafficking arms to houthi rebels in yemen , u.s. officials told cnn , saying the move was also meant to reassure allies in the region . by having american sea power in the region , we have created options for ourselves , ' said pentagon spokesman col. steve warren . he noted that the nine ships in the iranian convoy were cargo ships , but he declined to specify what they were carrying beyond containers . ' international officials are concerned that iran could surreptitiously attempt to transfer weaponry to the houthis . president barack obama told msnbc that the united states has been clear in its messages to tehran on sending weapons to houthi rebels inside yemen . what we 've said to them is if there are weapons delivered to factions within yemen that could threaten navigation , that 's a problem , ' obama said in the interview , a clip of which aired on nbc nightly news . we 're not sending them obscure messages , we send them very direct messages about it , ' obama said . while the iranian ships remain in international waters , the u.s. and other partner nations can keep an eye on the iranian ships to see if they move toward yemeni territorial waters . but it would be an extraordinary step and certainly not a foregone conclusion that the u.s. would attempt to board an iranian ship if it entered yemeni waters , u.s. officials said . i want to be very clear just so that no one has the wrong impression . they are not there to intercept iranian ships , ' state department spokeswoman marie harf told reporters tuesday . the purpose of moving them is only to ensure that the shipping lanes remain open and safe . ' warren too added that he was unaware of any direct contact between the american and iranian vessels at this point . the obama administration and u.s. defense officials maintain the primary purpose of positioning additional u.s. warships in the region is to ensure the free flow of commerce through established international shipping lanes and to ensure maritime security in the region . there is a message for iran as well . a u.s. military official told cnn that aircraft from aboard the uss theodore roosevelt are also conducting manned reconnaissance ' to monitor all maritime traffic moving through the area the roosevelt is operating in to determine what is going on there in order to assist in making informed decisions . this official stressed that the repositioning of u.s. ships in the region was taken in order to assure the freedom of navigation through established international shipping lanes and ensuring maritime security and not to interdict iranian ships . the roosevelt aircraft carrier and the guided missile cruiser uss normandy were the two ships the navy moved into the waters off the coast of yemen on sunday . at this stage , there are nine u.s. naval ships operating off the coast in yemen . the united states alongside the international community , including the united nations , is serious about the iranians not providing weapons to the houthis , ' white house press secretary josh earnest told reporters tuesday . providing weapons to the houthis only exacerbates the violence and instability in this region in a way that will have continued terrible impact on the humanitarian situation in the country . ' the heightened tensions could have broader consequences for the relationship between the u.s. and iran , coming weeks after the announcement of a framework agreement to limit iran 's nuclear program . officials on capitol hill and elsewhere pointed out that the situation in yemen adds an additional challenge when it comes to reaching a final deal . i do n't think this changes something directly , but it does highlight that iran has a number of activities around the region and around the world that are problematic , ' texas rep. mac thornberry , the republican chairman of the house armed services committee , told cnn tuesday . it includes their missile program , it includes their growing influence in iraq , it includes their propping up of ( president bashar al- ) assad in syria and their fueling this war in yemen . ' u.s. warships from the carrier group of the roosevelt are joining allied vessels from saudi arabia , egypt and other partner nations prepared to intercept a convoy of seven to nine iranian vessels believed headed for yemen . we are closely monitoring all maritime activity in the arabian sea and gulf of aden , ' cmdr . kevin stephens of the fifth fleet told cnn . we not going discuss the number and types of vessels we are monitoring or speculate about the possible destination or cargo of those vessels . ' when asked about warnings from saudi arabia and the u.s. to keep iranian navy ships away from yemen , the commander of iran 's regular navy , flotilla adm. habibollah sayyari , said his fleet was operating legally . we do n't let anyone give us warnings and threats , because we are working according to international law and regulations , ' he said . and we work for the security of our country and other countries . ' sayyari added that iranian navy ships in the area were there to combat piracy and secure the safe transfer of goods through the waters . u.s. ships do not have authority to forcibly board iranian-flagged ships . earlier this month , a u.s. navy ship consensually boarded a panamanian-flagged vessel suspected of trafficking people , drugs or weapons . nothing was found . the u.s. warships come to a region seeing a good deal of u.s. military activity . the roosevelt in particular only recently arrived in the theater and had been in the arabian gulf supporting operation inherent resolve in iraq and syria , according to stephens . sen. john mccain , r-arizona , told cnn 's wolf blitzer on the situation room ' that he would only endorse u.s. air power against yemen if it was the only option . it is a very serious escalatory step , ' he said on monday . if you 're going to use u.s. air power , what else is going to happen to make sure you stop the houthis ? ' mccain blamed president barack obama 's foreign policy for the deteriorating situation . it was very obvious to many of us that this did not have to happen , ' mccain said . we did not take care of the regime that was in place , the president that was in there . it is a symptom of our failure throughout the middle east . ' cnn 's jim acosta , frederik pleitgen , theodore schleifer and deirdre walsh contributed to this report . | u.s. , allied ships prepared to intercept iranian vessel if they enter yemen 's waters |
iranian <tsp> washington ( cnn ) the u.s. said tuesday that deploying warships to yemen to monitor nearby iranian vessels has given america options ' for how it could react to iran 's behavior in the region . the warships are being deployed to monitor ships traveling from iran that could be trafficking arms to houthi rebels in yemen , u.s. officials told cnn , saying the move was also meant to reassure allies in the region . by having american sea power in the region , we have created options for ourselves , ' said pentagon spokesman col. steve warren . he noted that the nine ships in the iranian convoy were cargo ships , but he declined to specify what they were carrying beyond containers . ' international officials are concerned that iran could surreptitiously attempt to transfer weaponry to the houthis . president barack obama told msnbc that the united states has been clear in its messages to tehran on sending weapons to houthi rebels inside yemen . what we 've said to them is if there are weapons delivered to factions within yemen that could threaten navigation , that 's a problem , ' obama said in the interview , a clip of which aired on nbc nightly news . we 're not sending them obscure messages , we send them very direct messages about it , ' obama said . while the iranian ships remain in international waters , the u.s. and other partner nations can keep an eye on the iranian ships to see if they move toward yemeni territorial waters . but it would be an extraordinary step and certainly not a foregone conclusion that the u.s. would attempt to board an iranian ship if it entered yemeni waters , u.s. officials said . i want to be very clear just so that no one has the wrong impression . they are not there to intercept iranian ships , ' state department spokeswoman marie harf told reporters tuesday . the purpose of moving them is only to ensure that the shipping lanes remain open and safe . ' warren too added that he was unaware of any direct contact between the american and iranian vessels at this point . the obama administration and u.s. defense officials maintain the primary purpose of positioning additional u.s. warships in the region is to ensure the free flow of commerce through established international shipping lanes and to ensure maritime security in the region . there is a message for iran as well . a u.s. military official told cnn that aircraft from aboard the uss theodore roosevelt are also conducting manned reconnaissance ' to monitor all maritime traffic moving through the area the roosevelt is operating in to determine what is going on there in order to assist in making informed decisions . this official stressed that the repositioning of u.s. ships in the region was taken in order to assure the freedom of navigation through established international shipping lanes and ensuring maritime security and not to interdict iranian ships . the roosevelt aircraft carrier and the guided missile cruiser uss normandy were the two ships the navy moved into the waters off the coast of yemen on sunday . at this stage , there are nine u.s. naval ships operating off the coast in yemen . the united states alongside the international community , including the united nations , is serious about the iranians not providing weapons to the houthis , ' white house press secretary josh earnest told reporters tuesday . providing weapons to the houthis only exacerbates the violence and instability in this region in a way that will have continued terrible impact on the humanitarian situation in the country . ' the heightened tensions could have broader consequences for the relationship between the u.s. and iran , coming weeks after the announcement of a framework agreement to limit iran 's nuclear program . officials on capitol hill and elsewhere pointed out that the situation in yemen adds an additional challenge when it comes to reaching a final deal . i do n't think this changes something directly , but it does highlight that iran has a number of activities around the region and around the world that are problematic , ' texas rep. mac thornberry , the republican chairman of the house armed services committee , told cnn tuesday . it includes their missile program , it includes their growing influence in iraq , it includes their propping up of ( president bashar al- ) assad in syria and their fueling this war in yemen . ' u.s. warships from the carrier group of the roosevelt are joining allied vessels from saudi arabia , egypt and other partner nations prepared to intercept a convoy of seven to nine iranian vessels believed headed for yemen . we are closely monitoring all maritime activity in the arabian sea and gulf of aden , ' cmdr . kevin stephens of the fifth fleet told cnn . we not going discuss the number and types of vessels we are monitoring or speculate about the possible destination or cargo of those vessels . ' when asked about warnings from saudi arabia and the u.s. to keep iranian navy ships away from yemen , the commander of iran 's regular navy , flotilla adm. habibollah sayyari , said his fleet was operating legally . we do n't let anyone give us warnings and threats , because we are working according to international law and regulations , ' he said . and we work for the security of our country and other countries . ' sayyari added that iranian navy ships in the area were there to combat piracy and secure the safe transfer of goods through the waters . u.s. ships do not have authority to forcibly board iranian-flagged ships . earlier this month , a u.s. navy ship consensually boarded a panamanian-flagged vessel suspected of trafficking people , drugs or weapons . nothing was found . the u.s. warships come to a region seeing a good deal of u.s. military activity . the roosevelt in particular only recently arrived in the theater and had been in the arabian gulf supporting operation inherent resolve in iraq and syria , according to stephens . sen. john mccain , r-arizona , told cnn 's wolf blitzer on the situation room ' that he would only endorse u.s. air power against yemen if it was the only option . it is a very serious escalatory step , ' he said on monday . if you 're going to use u.s. air power , what else is going to happen to make sure you stop the houthis ? ' mccain blamed president barack obama 's foreign policy for the deteriorating situation . it was very obvious to many of us that this did not have to happen , ' mccain said . we did not take care of the regime that was in place , the president that was in there . it is a symptom of our failure throughout the middle east . ' cnn 's jim acosta , frederik pleitgen , theodore schleifer and deirdre walsh contributed to this report . | iranian admiral says his country 's ships operating legally |
u.s. navy <tsp> washington ( cnn ) the u.s. said tuesday that deploying warships to yemen to monitor nearby iranian vessels has given america options ' for how it could react to iran 's behavior in the region . the warships are being deployed to monitor ships traveling from iran that could be trafficking arms to houthi rebels in yemen , u.s. officials told cnn , saying the move was also meant to reassure allies in the region . by having american sea power in the region , we have created options for ourselves , ' said pentagon spokesman col. steve warren . he noted that the nine ships in the iranian convoy were cargo ships , but he declined to specify what they were carrying beyond containers . ' international officials are concerned that iran could surreptitiously attempt to transfer weaponry to the houthis . president barack obama told msnbc that the united states has been clear in its messages to tehran on sending weapons to houthi rebels inside yemen . what we 've said to them is if there are weapons delivered to factions within yemen that could threaten navigation , that 's a problem , ' obama said in the interview , a clip of which aired on nbc nightly news . we 're not sending them obscure messages , we send them very direct messages about it , ' obama said . while the iranian ships remain in international waters , the u.s. and other partner nations can keep an eye on the iranian ships to see if they move toward yemeni territorial waters . but it would be an extraordinary step and certainly not a foregone conclusion that the u.s. would attempt to board an iranian ship if it entered yemeni waters , u.s. officials said . i want to be very clear just so that no one has the wrong impression . they are not there to intercept iranian ships , ' state department spokeswoman marie harf told reporters tuesday . the purpose of moving them is only to ensure that the shipping lanes remain open and safe . ' warren too added that he was unaware of any direct contact between the american and iranian vessels at this point . the obama administration and u.s. defense officials maintain the primary purpose of positioning additional u.s. warships in the region is to ensure the free flow of commerce through established international shipping lanes and to ensure maritime security in the region . there is a message for iran as well . a u.s. military official told cnn that aircraft from aboard the uss theodore roosevelt are also conducting manned reconnaissance ' to monitor all maritime traffic moving through the area the roosevelt is operating in to determine what is going on there in order to assist in making informed decisions . this official stressed that the repositioning of u.s. ships in the region was taken in order to assure the freedom of navigation through established international shipping lanes and ensuring maritime security and not to interdict iranian ships . the roosevelt aircraft carrier and the guided missile cruiser uss normandy were the two ships the navy moved into the waters off the coast of yemen on sunday . at this stage , there are nine u.s. naval ships operating off the coast in yemen . the united states alongside the international community , including the united nations , is serious about the iranians not providing weapons to the houthis , ' white house press secretary josh earnest told reporters tuesday . providing weapons to the houthis only exacerbates the violence and instability in this region in a way that will have continued terrible impact on the humanitarian situation in the country . ' the heightened tensions could have broader consequences for the relationship between the u.s. and iran , coming weeks after the announcement of a framework agreement to limit iran 's nuclear program . officials on capitol hill and elsewhere pointed out that the situation in yemen adds an additional challenge when it comes to reaching a final deal . i do n't think this changes something directly , but it does highlight that iran has a number of activities around the region and around the world that are problematic , ' texas rep. mac thornberry , the republican chairman of the house armed services committee , told cnn tuesday . it includes their missile program , it includes their growing influence in iraq , it includes their propping up of ( president bashar al- ) assad in syria and their fueling this war in yemen . ' u.s. warships from the carrier group of the roosevelt are joining allied vessels from saudi arabia , egypt and other partner nations prepared to intercept a convoy of seven to nine iranian vessels believed headed for yemen . we are closely monitoring all maritime activity in the arabian sea and gulf of aden , ' cmdr . kevin stephens of the fifth fleet told cnn . we not going discuss the number and types of vessels we are monitoring or speculate about the possible destination or cargo of those vessels . ' when asked about warnings from saudi arabia and the u.s. to keep iranian navy ships away from yemen , the commander of iran 's regular navy , flotilla adm. habibollah sayyari , said his fleet was operating legally . we do n't let anyone give us warnings and threats , because we are working according to international law and regulations , ' he said . and we work for the security of our country and other countries . ' sayyari added that iranian navy ships in the area were there to combat piracy and secure the safe transfer of goods through the waters . u.s. ships do not have authority to forcibly board iranian-flagged ships . earlier this month , a u.s. navy ship consensually boarded a panamanian-flagged vessel suspected of trafficking people , drugs or weapons . nothing was found . the u.s. warships come to a region seeing a good deal of u.s. military activity . the roosevelt in particular only recently arrived in the theater and had been in the arabian gulf supporting operation inherent resolve in iraq and syria , according to stephens . sen. john mccain , r-arizona , told cnn 's wolf blitzer on the situation room ' that he would only endorse u.s. air power against yemen if it was the only option . it is a very serious escalatory step , ' he said on monday . if you 're going to use u.s. air power , what else is going to happen to make sure you stop the houthis ? ' mccain blamed president barack obama 's foreign policy for the deteriorating situation . it was very obvious to many of us that this did not have to happen , ' mccain said . we did not take care of the regime that was in place , the president that was in there . it is a symptom of our failure throughout the middle east . ' cnn 's jim acosta , frederik pleitgen , theodore schleifer and deirdre walsh contributed to this report . | u.s. navy moves aircraft carrier , cruiser to waters near yemen |
bradley smith <tsp> ( cnn ) -- reigning world champion marc marquez may not be 100 % fit for the motogp 2014 season opener in qatar but that does n't seem to matter . a broken fibula in his right leg sustained while dirt-bike riding last month did n't appear to slow the 21-year-old spaniard down at all in saturday 's qualifying session as he stormed to pole for sunday 's race . he left it late though , waiting until the last lap to put in the fastest qualifying time of one minute , 54.507 seconds , edging out compatriot alvaro bautista . britain 's bradley smith , who was riding a yamaha tech3 , finished third . ducati 's andrea dovizioso finished fourth while 2012 world champion jorge lorenzo was fifth fastest on his yamaha . honda 's dani pedrosa will start sunday 's race from sixth . nine-time world champion valentino rossi starts on the fourth row . i 'm very happy , after the injury and the loss of half the pre-season , ' marquez said . it 's very important to be here on the front row . but the pole position makes me happy . tomorrow is the most important ; it will be very hard as there are many riders on the same pace , ' he added . physical condition will also be difficult for me , as i do n't have full power in my leg so i have to use more arms and this is quite hard over long a distance . ' marquez prevailed over compatriot lorenzo in last year 's championship , clinching the title at the final race of the season in valencia . a total of six wins and podium finishes in every race he completed in 2013 saw marquez crowned the youngest motogp world champion ever -- and all in his rookie year . read more : drama and intrigue : curtain rises on motogp season | spain 's alvaro bautista starts sunday 's race in second ; britain 's bradley smith starts third |
spaniard <tsp> ( cnn ) -- reigning world champion marc marquez may not be 100 % fit for the motogp 2014 season opener in qatar but that does n't seem to matter . a broken fibula in his right leg sustained while dirt-bike riding last month did n't appear to slow the 21-year-old spaniard down at all in saturday 's qualifying session as he stormed to pole for sunday 's race . he left it late though , waiting until the last lap to put in the fastest qualifying time of one minute , 54.507 seconds , edging out compatriot alvaro bautista . britain 's bradley smith , who was riding a yamaha tech3 , finished third . ducati 's andrea dovizioso finished fourth while 2012 world champion jorge lorenzo was fifth fastest on his yamaha . honda 's dani pedrosa will start sunday 's race from sixth . nine-time world champion valentino rossi starts on the fourth row . i 'm very happy , after the injury and the loss of half the pre-season , ' marquez said . it 's very important to be here on the front row . but the pole position makes me happy . tomorrow is the most important ; it will be very hard as there are many riders on the same pace , ' he added . physical condition will also be difficult for me , as i do n't have full power in my leg so i have to use more arms and this is quite hard over long a distance . ' marquez prevailed over compatriot lorenzo in last year 's championship , clinching the title at the final race of the season in valencia . a total of six wins and podium finishes in every race he completed in 2013 saw marquez crowned the youngest motogp world champion ever -- and all in his rookie year . read more : drama and intrigue : curtain rises on motogp season | spaniard marquez recovering from a broken leg sustained last month |
hillary clinton <tsp> ( cnn ) hillary clinton 's campaign-in-waiting met on saturday in its brooklyn headquarters , a day before the former secretary of state officially announces her campaign for president , according to a democrat who attended the meeting . robby mook , clinton 's soon-to-be campaign manager , distributed a values statement ' at the meeting that outlined what the campaign will stand for , what their goals are and how they plan to win -- something clinton failed to do in 2008 . the campaign 's purpose , the document states , is to give every family , every small business , and every american a path to lasting prosperity by electing hillary clinton the next president of the united states . ' the document makes clear that the campaign will try to avoid mistakes that plagued clinton 's failed 2008 run . many of the guiding principles ' in the memo mention issues that sunk clinton 's first campaign . the document , according to the source , includes the ideas from mook , along with a wide array of clinton 's soon-to-be staffers and advisers . the memo maintains that the campaign must remain humble , disciplined and united , something voters in iowa and others states have said clinton did not do in 2008 . this campaign is not about hillary clinton and not about us , ' reads the document that was obtained by cnn . in the section about the campaign 's guiding principles , the document reads , we are humble : we take nothing for granted , we are never afraid to lose , we always outcompete and fight for every vote we can win . we know this campaign will be won on the ground , in states . ' it also calls on campaign staffers to remain disciplined ' and open to a diverse range of views . ' when we disagree , it 's never personal . once a decision is made , we execute it -- together , ' reads the memo . we know there will be tough days , but we will bounce back and get back to work . ' the document also appears to telegraph the name to clinton 's campaign : hillary for america . ' clinton is planning to launch her presidential candidacy on sunday through a video message on social media , according to democratic sources . shortly after her announcement , clinton will travel iowa and new hampshire , critical early caucus primary and caucus states . | robby mook , hillary clinton 's soon-to-be campaign manager , distributes a values statement ' |
robby mook <tsp> ( cnn ) hillary clinton 's campaign-in-waiting met on saturday in its brooklyn headquarters , a day before the former secretary of state officially announces her campaign for president , according to a democrat who attended the meeting . robby mook , clinton 's soon-to-be campaign manager , distributed a values statement ' at the meeting that outlined what the campaign will stand for , what their goals are and how they plan to win -- something clinton failed to do in 2008 . the campaign 's purpose , the document states , is to give every family , every small business , and every american a path to lasting prosperity by electing hillary clinton the next president of the united states . ' the document makes clear that the campaign will try to avoid mistakes that plagued clinton 's failed 2008 run . many of the guiding principles ' in the memo mention issues that sunk clinton 's first campaign . the document , according to the source , includes the ideas from mook , along with a wide array of clinton 's soon-to-be staffers and advisers . the memo maintains that the campaign must remain humble , disciplined and united , something voters in iowa and others states have said clinton did not do in 2008 . this campaign is not about hillary clinton and not about us , ' reads the document that was obtained by cnn . in the section about the campaign 's guiding principles , the document reads , we are humble : we take nothing for granted , we are never afraid to lose , we always outcompete and fight for every vote we can win . we know this campaign will be won on the ground , in states . ' it also calls on campaign staffers to remain disciplined ' and open to a diverse range of views . ' when we disagree , it 's never personal . once a decision is made , we execute it -- together , ' reads the memo . we know there will be tough days , but we will bounce back and get back to work . ' the document also appears to telegraph the name to clinton 's campaign : hillary for america . ' clinton is planning to launch her presidential candidacy on sunday through a video message on social media , according to democratic sources . shortly after her announcement , clinton will travel iowa and new hampshire , critical early caucus primary and caucus states . | robby mook , hillary clinton 's soon-to-be campaign manager , distributes a values statement ' |
inter milan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- barcelona will be without influential midfielder andres iniesta for most of the decisive run-in to the end of this season as the catalan side seek to retain their spanish and european titles . iniesta had only just returned to josep guardiola 's team last week as a substitute for the second leg of the champions league quarterfinal against arsenal , and then also came on in the 2-0 win at real madrid , but has suffered another injury blow in training after tearing a calf muscle . the 25-year-old spain international could be out for up to a month , barcelona 's web site reported on tuesday , meaning he may not be fit to return until the club 's final domestic league match against real valladolid on may 16 . andres iniesta suffered the injury during training and doctors have diagnosed a total rupture of the right femoral biceps muscle , ' the club 's web site said . iniesta is set to miss the champions league semifinals against italian champions inter milan on april 20 and 28 , but may return for the final on may 22 in madrid if barca progress that far . barcelona lead real by three points with seven matches to play ahead of wednesday 's home clash with deportivo la coruna , while their title rivals travel to almeria on thursday . barca will again be without injured striker zlatan ibrahimovic , but the sweden international is expected to return to training before saturday 's local derby at espanyol , the club 's web site reported . meanwhile , sevilla 's hopes of qualifying for next season 's champions league suffered another blow with a 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened valladolid on tuesday night . sevilla stayed in fourth place on goal difference from mallorca , who travel to struggling zaragoza on wednesday . valladolid remained second from bottom despite giving former spain coach javier clemente victory in his first home match . clemente has earned four points from two games since taking over as diego costa headed the opening goal four minutes before halftime and fellow striker manucho scored the second eight minutes after the break . juan cala pulled one back from long range with seven minutes left , but sevilla fell to a ninth defeat from 16 away games this season . getafe claimed seventh place from fellow europa league villarreal with a 3-0 victory in tuesday 's late match . on-loan striker miku netted twice , scoring either side of a free-kick from mane as all three goals came in the second half . goalkeeper diego lopez gifted miku the 56th-minute opener , and he pushed mane 's 25-yard strike onto the post and slowly over the line with 18 minutes left . tenerife stayed in the third relegation place , one point above valladolid , despite registering a first away win this season , 2-0 at mid-table sporting gijon . roman martinez and alejandro alfaro scored in the final 20 minutes to put the islanders just two points behind malaga , who travel to osasuna on wednesday . | he will miss both legs of champions league semifinal against inter milan this month |
olivier rochus <tsp> ( cnn ) -- argentina 's juan martin del potro made a disappointing comeback from injury at the thailand open in bangkok on tuesday , where he was defeated 7-6 6-4 by olivier rochus of belgium in the opening round . the 22-year-old has not played on the atp tour since losing in the fourth round of the australian open in january , after sustaining a wrist injury which has seen the former world number four slip to 36 in the world rankings . but despite serving 16 aces during the match , the 2009 u.s. open champion 's return to the game was cut short by world number 78 rochus in just under two hours . a foot shorter than his two-meter , rochus came through a close first set and a break down in the second to book his place in the second round of south-east asian tournament where he will play kazakhstani mikhail kukushkin . after the match fifth seed del potro was full of praise for his victor and said he was just happy to be playing again despite the loss . i played a good match , ' del potro told the official atp website . i had my chances in the first-set tie-break and he played some great points . he served very good , which was important on this kind of surface . he played very well today . i 'm just happy to be back on the circuit and i hope i get better and better . ' the result opens up the draw for world number one rafael nadal , who would have faced del potro in the quarterfinal . the spaniard will be playing in the tournament for the first time , after arriving in the thai capital on tuesday . the newly crowned u.s. open champion will face belgian qualifier ruben bemelmans in a second round match on wednesday . meanwhile in tuesday 's other first round matches , germany 's rainer schuttler defeated brazil 's ricardo mello , guillermo garcia-lopez of spain beat german michael berrer , and world number 13 jarkko nieminen saw off home favorite danai udomchoke . | belgium 's olivier rochus beats del potro in straight sets in thailand |
european <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the united states and other western powers have exacerbated somalia 's downward spiral ' and must revise their policies in the east african country , a human rights watch report has warned . recent image of islamist fighters at a camp in the northern outskirts of mogadishu the report , released monday , blames the policies under president george w. bush for breeding the very extremism that it is supposed to defeat . ' the new administration of u.s. president barack obama should urgently review u.s. policy in somalia and the broader horn of africa and break with the failed approach of his predecessor , ' the report said . it also cites key european governments for failing to address the human rights dimensions of the crisis , with many officials hoping that somehow unfettered support to abusive tfg ( somali transitional government ) forces will improve stability . ' somalia 's weak transitional government , backed by ethiopian forces , continues to battle islamic militias with the fighting concentrated in the capital , mogadishu . ethiopian forces have not withdrawn from the country , as required under a recent cease-fire agreement . ethiopia invaded somalia two years ago and successfully routed the islamic militia that seized control of the capital . the hrw report states that the united states directly backed ethiopia 's intervention . ' since the 2006 overthrow of the islamic courts union , somalia has suffered from unconstrained warfare and violent rights abuses ' by all warring parties . all sides have used indiscriminate force as a matter of routine , and in 2008 violence has taken on a new dimension with the targeted murders of aid workers and civil society activists , ' the report states . the human rights and humanitarian catastrophe facing somalia today threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions of somalis on a scale not witnessed since the early 1990s . ' heavy fighting in mogadishu and across somalia has driven more than a million people from their homes . the lawlessness has also spilled onto the seas off the horn of africa , where international vessels are routinely hijacked by suspected somali pirates who demand large ransoms . human rights watch offers specific recommendations to the somali and ethiopian governments , the main militias , and the international community to address the human rights abuses . it calls on the west to insist upon an end to the impunity that has fueled the worst abuses - and the right place to start is by moving the u.n. security council to establish a commission of inquiry to document abuses and lay the groundwork for accountability . ' journalist abdinasir mohamed guled contributed to this report . | report : european govts failed to address human rights dimensions of the crisis ' |
tootsie <tsp> ( cnn ) -- writer and producer larry gelbart , most known for his work on the hit television series m * a * s * h , ' died friday morning in his beverly hills , california , home , his wife said . he was 81 . larry gelbart said , before m * a * s * h , ' a tv set only produced feeling if you touched it while you were wet . ' gelbart died of cancer , pat gelbart said . the family will hold a private memorial service . throughout his career , gelbart developed a portfolio of more than 40 works spanning radio , television , theater and film . his fascination with radio as a child inspired him and influenced his evolving career . i never had any aspirations of [ a ] literary career , but writing for radio seemed to be a natural extension of being such a radio fan , ' gelbart told cnn in 1999 . so when i got my chance , that 's what i did . ' barely out of high school , gelbart began as a comedy writer for radio in the 1940s . he wrote for various programs , including the fanny brice show and duffy 's tavern . ' while in the army , he wrote for armed forces radio . later , he joined the staff of bob hope 's show and jump-started his own television career as a tv writer for the star . gelbart went on to write skits for the live comedy your show of shows ' in 1953 , winning two emmys for his work . 'your show of shows'was successful , was wildly successful . not just because it got there first , but because it got there first with so much , ' gelbart said . the 90-minute variety program was one of the first televised sketch comedy shows . gelbart took his work to another stage , winning two 1963 tony awards for his broadway musical hit , a funny thing happened on the way to the forum . ' in 1972 , gelbart helped create the korean war comedy drama m * a * s * h. ' the show went on for another 11 years , although gelbart only wrote and produced m * a * s * h ' for the first four seasons . m * a * s * h ' won 50 awards , including eight golden globes . m * a * s * h ' was so popular it lasted much longer than the korean war itself , and was seen as a commentary on american involvement in the vietnam war . gelbart also was involved in the short-lived sequel , after mash . ' for gelbart , m * a * s * h ' mixed a bit of comedy with drama , allowing viewers to connect more with the story . i said once that the only way before 'm * a * s * h'you would get any feeling out of your television set is if you touched it while you were wet , ' gelbart said . he added : we gave the audience permission to feel bad . because america was feeling pretty rotten then , we were at war in vietnam . and once the war stopped we did n't start feeling really terrific right away , if we ever will again about that situation . ' gelbart continued steamrolling through the industry , with works including the 1982 hit film tootsie , ' oh , god ! ' in 1977 and the 2003 film and starring pancho villa as himself , ' which starred antonio banderas . tootsie ' earned gelbart an oscar nomination for best writing . | gelbart 's film-writing credits include tootsie ' and oh , god ! ' |
obama <tsp> president barack obama says his feelings are n't hurt by democrats who do n't want to campaign side-by-side with him because those candidates are strong allies and supporters of me ' when casting votes in congress . the bottom line is , though , these are all folks who vote with me . they have supported my agenda in congress , ' obama said on al sharpton 's radio show monday , ticking off measures like a minimum wage increase , equal pay , investments in infrastructure and early childhood education . so , this is n't about my feelings being hurt , ' he said . these are folks who are strong allies and supporters of me . and i tell them , i said ,'you know what , you do what you need to win . i will be responsible for making sure that our voters turn up .'' his comments were similar to ones he made at northwestern university earlier this month -- which republicans immediately plugged into campaign ads . those comments , former white house adviser david axelrod said , were a political mistake . obama 's remarks could harm endangered red-state democrats and offer a boost to republicans who need to capture six seats to gain control of the senate for the president 's final two years in office . | obama says these are all folks who vote with me ' |
al-bashir <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sudanese president omar al-bashir asked arab leaders meeting in qatar on monday to strongly reject an arrest warrant issued against him by the international criminal court for war crimes . omar al-bashir is the subject of an icc arrest warrant over allaged war crimes in darfur . al-bashir landed in qatar on sunday and met with qatar 's emir , sheikh hamad bin khalifa al-thani . on monday , he expressed his gratitude to the arab league summit . we appreciate your support for sudan in many areas , ' al-bashir said . this support will , god willing , lead to issuing clear and unequivocal decisions -- rejecting the decision [ the icc arrest warrant ] . ' u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon also attended the meeting but avoided any confrontation with al-bashir . the u.n. leader focused instead on efforts to have humanitarian aid workers allowed back into sudan . sudan expelled 13 international aid agencies from the darfur region after the icc issued the arrest warrant . the march 4 arrest warrant is the first issued for a sitting head of state by the world 's only permanent war crimes tribunal , based at the hague in the netherlands . but the icc has no arrest powers and depends on its 106 member states to take suspects into custody . qatar , site of the summit , is not a member of the tribunal . sudan refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the icc , and has made no efforts to hand over two other officials indicted by the court . al-bashir has called the charges an attempt by western powers to recolonize sudan . the international criminal court accuses al-bashir of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in his government 's campaign against rebels in darfur , in western sudan . the united nations estimates that 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million have been forced to flee their homes because of the conflict . qatar had been mediating talks between sudanese officials and representatives of one of the rebel factions , who signed a confidence-building agreement in february . at the state department , deputy spokesman gordon duguid said leaders at the summit should deal with the situation in darfur . we would hope that while [ al-bashir ] is in doha that the arab league would focus on the immediate and urgent needs of the people on the ground in sudan and address the humanitarian situation in darfur and meet the priorities of the comprehensive peace agreement , ' he said . the discussions should be on how to stop the violence and support the people . the presence of bashir at this conference should be used as an opportunity to bring forth the international concern to what is happening in darfur and southern sudan . ' in another development , libyan leader moammar gadhafi walked out of the summit after a dispute over whether he would be allowed to talk . i am an international leader , ' gadhafi said before leaving . the dean of arab rulers . the king of kings in africa . the imam to muslims . my international position does not allow me to be reduced . thank you . ' state department spokesman duguid declined to comment . cnn 's stan grant contributed to this report . | al-bashir accused of crimes against humanity in his campaign against darfur rebels |
al-bashir <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sudanese president omar al-bashir asked arab leaders meeting in qatar on monday to strongly reject an arrest warrant issued against him by the international criminal court for war crimes . omar al-bashir is the subject of an icc arrest warrant over allaged war crimes in darfur . al-bashir landed in qatar on sunday and met with qatar 's emir , sheikh hamad bin khalifa al-thani . on monday , he expressed his gratitude to the arab league summit . we appreciate your support for sudan in many areas , ' al-bashir said . this support will , god willing , lead to issuing clear and unequivocal decisions -- rejecting the decision [ the icc arrest warrant ] . ' u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon also attended the meeting but avoided any confrontation with al-bashir . the u.n. leader focused instead on efforts to have humanitarian aid workers allowed back into sudan . sudan expelled 13 international aid agencies from the darfur region after the icc issued the arrest warrant . the march 4 arrest warrant is the first issued for a sitting head of state by the world 's only permanent war crimes tribunal , based at the hague in the netherlands . but the icc has no arrest powers and depends on its 106 member states to take suspects into custody . qatar , site of the summit , is not a member of the tribunal . sudan refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the icc , and has made no efforts to hand over two other officials indicted by the court . al-bashir has called the charges an attempt by western powers to recolonize sudan . the international criminal court accuses al-bashir of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in his government 's campaign against rebels in darfur , in western sudan . the united nations estimates that 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million have been forced to flee their homes because of the conflict . qatar had been mediating talks between sudanese officials and representatives of one of the rebel factions , who signed a confidence-building agreement in february . at the state department , deputy spokesman gordon duguid said leaders at the summit should deal with the situation in darfur . we would hope that while [ al-bashir ] is in doha that the arab league would focus on the immediate and urgent needs of the people on the ground in sudan and address the humanitarian situation in darfur and meet the priorities of the comprehensive peace agreement , ' he said . the discussions should be on how to stop the violence and support the people . the presence of bashir at this conference should be used as an opportunity to bring forth the international concern to what is happening in darfur and southern sudan . ' in another development , libyan leader moammar gadhafi walked out of the summit after a dispute over whether he would be allowed to talk . i am an international leader , ' gadhafi said before leaving . the dean of arab rulers . the king of kings in africa . the imam to muslims . my international position does not allow me to be reduced . thank you . ' state department spokesman duguid declined to comment . cnn 's stan grant contributed to this report . | omar al-bashir is charged with war crimes by the international criminal court |
al-bashir <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sudanese president omar al-bashir asked arab leaders meeting in qatar on monday to strongly reject an arrest warrant issued against him by the international criminal court for war crimes . omar al-bashir is the subject of an icc arrest warrant over allaged war crimes in darfur . al-bashir landed in qatar on sunday and met with qatar 's emir , sheikh hamad bin khalifa al-thani . on monday , he expressed his gratitude to the arab league summit . we appreciate your support for sudan in many areas , ' al-bashir said . this support will , god willing , lead to issuing clear and unequivocal decisions -- rejecting the decision [ the icc arrest warrant ] . ' u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon also attended the meeting but avoided any confrontation with al-bashir . the u.n. leader focused instead on efforts to have humanitarian aid workers allowed back into sudan . sudan expelled 13 international aid agencies from the darfur region after the icc issued the arrest warrant . the march 4 arrest warrant is the first issued for a sitting head of state by the world 's only permanent war crimes tribunal , based at the hague in the netherlands . but the icc has no arrest powers and depends on its 106 member states to take suspects into custody . qatar , site of the summit , is not a member of the tribunal . sudan refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the icc , and has made no efforts to hand over two other officials indicted by the court . al-bashir has called the charges an attempt by western powers to recolonize sudan . the international criminal court accuses al-bashir of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in his government 's campaign against rebels in darfur , in western sudan . the united nations estimates that 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million have been forced to flee their homes because of the conflict . qatar had been mediating talks between sudanese officials and representatives of one of the rebel factions , who signed a confidence-building agreement in february . at the state department , deputy spokesman gordon duguid said leaders at the summit should deal with the situation in darfur . we would hope that while [ al-bashir ] is in doha that the arab league would focus on the immediate and urgent needs of the people on the ground in sudan and address the humanitarian situation in darfur and meet the priorities of the comprehensive peace agreement , ' he said . the discussions should be on how to stop the violence and support the people . the presence of bashir at this conference should be used as an opportunity to bring forth the international concern to what is happening in darfur and southern sudan . ' in another development , libyan leader moammar gadhafi walked out of the summit after a dispute over whether he would be allowed to talk . i am an international leader , ' gadhafi said before leaving . the dean of arab rulers . the king of kings in africa . the imam to muslims . my international position does not allow me to be reduced . thank you . ' state department spokesman duguid declined to comment . cnn 's stan grant contributed to this report . | u.n. secretary general attends summit , but avoids any confrontation with al-bashir |
turkey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- syrian security forces were commanded to shoot unarmed protesters , according to military and security agency defectors interviewed by a human rights watchdog . human rights watch said saturday that they described receiving , and following , orders to shoot on protesters to disperse them . ' efforts to reach the syrian government for comment were not immediately successful . the group said they interviewed eight soldiers and four members of the security agencies in lebanon , turkey and jordan who defected over the last four months of anti-government protests . the testimony of these defectors provides further evidence that the killing of protesters was no accident but a result of a deliberate policy by senior figures in syria to use deadly force to disperse protesters , ' sarah leah whitson , middle east director at human rights watch , quoted in the report . syrian soldiers and officials should know that they too have not just a right but a duty to refuse such unlawful orders , and that those who deliberately kill or injure peaceful protesters will be subject to prosecution . ' the claims coincide with ongoing assertions by syrian activists that security personnel have assaulted unarmed protesters . the syrian regime claims armed groups are responsible for the violence at the demonstrations , which erupted nationwide in mid-march . there was a flurry of deaths on friday during nationwide protests . the syrian observatory for human rights , an activist group , said 1,410 civilian and 348 members of army and security forces have been killed over the last four months . the people interviewed participated in the government crackdown in daraa , izraa , baniyas , homs , jisr al-shugur , aleppo , and damascus ' and witnessed the shooting and injury of dozens of protesters , and the arbitrary arrest and detention of hundreds . ' all of those interviewed defectors said their superiors had told them that they were fighting infiltrators ( mundaseen ) , salafists , and terrorists . the defectors said they were surprised to encounter unarmed protesters instead , but still were ordered to fire on them in a number of instances , ' a human rights watch report said . the defectors also reported that those who refused orders to shoot on protesters ran the risk of being shot themselves . one of the defectors reported seeing a military officer shoot and kill two soldiers in daraa for refusing orders . ' the united states and other countries have denounced syria 's tough crackdown on peaceful protests , and a visit to the restive city of hama by the u.s. ambassador to syria this week has drawn sharp criticism from the bashar al-assad regime . government officials said ambassador robert ford incited protest in hama , a claim called absolute rubbish ' by state department 's spokeswoman victoria nuland . syrian officials also claimed he did n't get proper permission to travel , an assertion also disputed by the united states . hama has been the scene of large anti-government demonstrations and a crackdown this week by government forces . syria 's minister of islamic endowments was the latest to denounce ford 's presence in hama , saying it was without prior permission considering that it was primarily intended to incite bloodshed and ruin the contacts designed to stop bloodshed and eliminate sedition , ' according to the state-run syrian arab news agency . citing remarks of abdul-sattar al-sayyed , sana said the u.s. ambassador wants jerusalem to be an eternal capital of israel , adding that the u.s. has always been against arabism , islam and values . ' cnn 's yousuf basil and jomana karadsheh contributed to this report | those interviewed were in lebanon , turkey and jordan |
china <tsp> shanghai , china ( cnn ) when china 's biggest auto show opens in shanghai this week , the only models on display will be the ones with four wheels . gone , show organizers hope , will be the scantily-clad car babes ' that in previous years have posed provocatively on car hoods and sashayed through the aisles to draw crowds to the 9-day event . the focus , instead , will be the latest offerings from an array of global car manufacturers , which -- models or not -- are pulling out all the stops to compete for chinese customers in what since 2009 has been the world 's largest car market . it 's a major industry event for us , ' said andrew boyle , global product communications manager at rolls royce . it sells several hundred of its super-luxury vehicles in china each year , and in shanghai this week will launch its latest model , the phantom limelight . vehicle sales in china totaled 23.5 million units last year , almost a third more than in the united states . however , the show comes at a turning point for china 's auto market , which is facing a second year of slower growth in 2015 after a decade-long sales and production frenzy . intense competition for china 's drivers means that car manufacturers are increasingly developing vehicles that cater to chinese preferences . nissan will use auto shanghai 2015 to unveil the lannia mid-size sedan , which it says has been specially created for the rising young chinese generation . ' the country 's gearheads have embraced the suv or sport utility vehicle , sales of which jumped a third last year , and many will feature in the displays planned by dozens of european , japanese u.s. , south korea and chinese automakers . this year mg , once known for its sleek sports cars and now owned by shanghai automotive industries corp , enters the fray with its first suv , the gs , while ford will give two new luxury suvs their china market debut -- the lincoln mkx and lincoln navigator , the latter favored by hip hop stars . the suv is popular as a first car , ' said raymond tsang , a shanghai-based partner at consultancy bain & company . if you only have one , you want one that you can commute in and take on a road trip . ' foreign brands have dominated sales in the past two years , but as they improve product quality and design , local rivals like geely , which also owns sweden 's volvo , and great wall motor are clawing back market share , especially when it comes to suvs . geely , which already exports to russia , the middle east and africa , is also stepping up its efforts to crack more developed markets . it is preparing to export the volvo s60 inscription to the united states from a factory in the southwestern city of chengdu . it would be the first car made in china to hit u.s showrooms and may pave the way for chinese brands to shake up the u.s. market like japanese and korean car manufacturers did decades earlier . with car ownership still at much lower levels than the u.s. and europe , china is likely to remain the industry 's most important market for decades . however , the breakneck growth may be a thing of the past . in 2014 , growth in sales halved to 7 % and according to the china association of automobile manufacturers , the slowdown continued in the first three months of this year when sales rose just 3.9 % . it comes as the wider economy slows and a prolonged campaign against corruption has hit sales of luxury vehicles , especially brands like audi that have been the ride of choice for chinese officials . on top of that , the hassles of car ownership are deterring some potential buyers , as is an awareness of the environmental costs . congested and chaotic roads , restrictions on the number of new vehicle license plates and a shortage of residential parking space may trigger a backlash against car ownership , according to a recent report from bain & company . the car was seen as a status symbol , ' says pierre-henri boutot , a partner at bain and co-author of the report . but now in larger cities they see the hassle and some of these people are thinking of giving up their car . ' just maybe , china will need those car babes to boost sales after all . | cars are no longer the status symbol they once were in china |
shanghai auto show <tsp> shanghai , china ( cnn ) when china 's biggest auto show opens in shanghai this week , the only models on display will be the ones with four wheels . gone , show organizers hope , will be the scantily-clad car babes ' that in previous years have posed provocatively on car hoods and sashayed through the aisles to draw crowds to the 9-day event . the focus , instead , will be the latest offerings from an array of global car manufacturers , which -- models or not -- are pulling out all the stops to compete for chinese customers in what since 2009 has been the world 's largest car market . it 's a major industry event for us , ' said andrew boyle , global product communications manager at rolls royce . it sells several hundred of its super-luxury vehicles in china each year , and in shanghai this week will launch its latest model , the phantom limelight . vehicle sales in china totaled 23.5 million units last year , almost a third more than in the united states . however , the show comes at a turning point for china 's auto market , which is facing a second year of slower growth in 2015 after a decade-long sales and production frenzy . intense competition for china 's drivers means that car manufacturers are increasingly developing vehicles that cater to chinese preferences . nissan will use auto shanghai 2015 to unveil the lannia mid-size sedan , which it says has been specially created for the rising young chinese generation . ' the country 's gearheads have embraced the suv or sport utility vehicle , sales of which jumped a third last year , and many will feature in the displays planned by dozens of european , japanese u.s. , south korea and chinese automakers . this year mg , once known for its sleek sports cars and now owned by shanghai automotive industries corp , enters the fray with its first suv , the gs , while ford will give two new luxury suvs their china market debut -- the lincoln mkx and lincoln navigator , the latter favored by hip hop stars . the suv is popular as a first car , ' said raymond tsang , a shanghai-based partner at consultancy bain & company . if you only have one , you want one that you can commute in and take on a road trip . ' foreign brands have dominated sales in the past two years , but as they improve product quality and design , local rivals like geely , which also owns sweden 's volvo , and great wall motor are clawing back market share , especially when it comes to suvs . geely , which already exports to russia , the middle east and africa , is also stepping up its efforts to crack more developed markets . it is preparing to export the volvo s60 inscription to the united states from a factory in the southwestern city of chengdu . it would be the first car made in china to hit u.s showrooms and may pave the way for chinese brands to shake up the u.s. market like japanese and korean car manufacturers did decades earlier . with car ownership still at much lower levels than the u.s. and europe , china is likely to remain the industry 's most important market for decades . however , the breakneck growth may be a thing of the past . in 2014 , growth in sales halved to 7 % and according to the china association of automobile manufacturers , the slowdown continued in the first three months of this year when sales rose just 3.9 % . it comes as the wider economy slows and a prolonged campaign against corruption has hit sales of luxury vehicles , especially brands like audi that have been the ride of choice for chinese officials . on top of that , the hassles of car ownership are deterring some potential buyers , as is an awareness of the environmental costs . congested and chaotic roads , restrictions on the number of new vehicle license plates and a shortage of residential parking space may trigger a backlash against car ownership , according to a recent report from bain & company . the car was seen as a status symbol , ' says pierre-henri boutot , a partner at bain and co-author of the report . but now in larger cities they see the hassle and some of these people are thinking of giving up their car . ' just maybe , china will need those car babes to boost sales after all . | the shanghai auto show is a key event for global automakers |
chicago <tsp> ( cnn ) -- hip-hop artist common wants to create a supportive community for youths on chicago 's south side . the grammy award winner started the common ground foundation to help underserved youth develop leadership and life skills . common also performed at cnn heroes : an all-star tribute ' last year . cnn 's allie torgan recently spoke with him about cnn heroes and his philanthropy . below are excerpts : allie torgan : what inspired you to start the common ground foundation ? common : i started ( the foundation ) with some of my team members because we wanted to give back to the youth who did n't have some of the opportunities we had . the programs are really about building holistic people , children . we want them to be together and get educated on everything from health issues to just being allowed to be creative . everything that 's necessary to build a complete human being , we try to issue in with the common ground foundation . the kids get to do creative cooking , creative writing and then also get assisted in some of their academic work in school . torgan : why is this cause important to you ? common : i grew up on the south side of chicago with my mother and my stepfather , and i was provided a nice home , a home with love in it . and i felt a lot of my friends did n't have some of the opportunities i had . also , they had loved ones who they had lost . my whole life growing up , i was doing the little things that i could do ( to help people ) . i would watch my mother do the things that she does . as a teacher , she 's an educator and also would just go the extra mile to help people . those are the traits that i picked up that made me say , hey , i want to do this because i have seen , throughout my life , people i love that did n't have the chance , that did n't have the opportunities i had . ' torgan : what 's your goal for the kids ? common : i want to empower the kids because there is a lot of gang violence and there is a lot of lack of love in the neighborhoods , and that starts in the home . i want to empower them first by letting them know that they are loved and people do care . they might not have the parent , or one parent might be missing , or one parent might not be sufficient in raising them . but they have other people that do care . and somewhere within this village is somebody that 's going to reach out and help give them a chance to pursue their dream . so we empower them first by instilling some love in them and being their support system . and then we help to develop whatever their skills are . we want to prepare them to be able to go out into the world and do things for themselves so they can be leaders . it 's about being their leader . you got to lead yourself first . torgan : what was it like performing at cnn heroes : an all-star tribute ' last year ? common : ( it ) was an incredible experience . i felt distinguished being there , because there were so many people who really cared about things . my mother told me before going there : getting invited there , that is an important place to be because that is where a lot of people that do the real work are . these are people who do work for real in the world helping people . and it was super-inspiring to me . i have to step up more , because you see people who dedicate their lives to helping others . being able to perform with john legend and melanie fiona was a great experience . i was like , i want to go back , i need to get invited back . ' but more than anything , i was grateful to be there and observe people and honor the people that were selected to be cnn heroes , because it was well deserved and they inspired us all . torgan : what is a hero to you ? common : a hero to me is someone who is able to take whatever talent , gift , personality , quality and utilize it to help build others . and obviously a hero has done it to build themselves to a certain level . but you use the plateau you reached and you say , hey , i can do something for other people to help them to get to the same place i got to . ' so i look at a hero as somebody who is willing to sacrifice that and go back and reach out for others . | grammy award winner common is reaching out to kids on chicago 's south side |
tolokonnikova <tsp> mordovia , russia ( cnn ) -- it takes a seven-hour drive east from moscow to get to the prison camps of mordovia . convicted criminals fear the place . it is grim , decaying and intimidating . nadezhda tolokonnikova , a member of the russian punk rock collective pussy riot , was sent to mordovia last year for her part in a performance of a punk prayer ' critical of vladimir putin -- then the prime minister , now the president -- at a russian orthodox cathedral . found guilty of hooliganism , tolokonnikova , 23 , was sentenced to two years in the penal colony . she has less than six months left on her sentence . but on september 23 , she declared the conditions at the prison to be intolerable and began a hunger strike .'slave labor' in a lengthy letter to the news site lenta ( a translated version was published in london 's the guardian ) , tolokonnikova described slave labor ' and unsanitary conditions in which women work through sickness and injury up to 17 hours a day and are beaten -- or worse -- for failing to complete their duties . after several days without water , she became so weak that doctors ordered that she be placed in the penal colony 's medical ward on friday . four days later , she ended the hunger strike , said pyotr verzilov , her husband . but tolokonnikova will resume her protest if conditions at the prison camp do n't improve , he said . she had started developing complications because of the length of the hunger strike , verzilov said . prison authorities have denied tolokonnikova 's allegations about the situation at the penal colony , accusing her of lying . a similar experience but svetlana bakhmina believes every word because she says she lived through a similar experience . bakhmina was convicted of embezzlement and served three years in a mordovia prison camp . it 's like torture , ' she said . the system between the administration and the convicts is not just based on subordination , but humiliation , fear , intimidation and physical force . ' bakhmina said she also went on a hunger strike after authorities said she could no longer phone her children . she said the psychological pressure applied to make her quit was harder than the hunger . maria alyokhina , another convicted member of pussy riot , went on a hunger strike earlier this year , protesting conditions in a different remote prison camp . she drew attention and won concessions . tolokonnikova is waiting to discover if she has done the same . | tolokonnikova began her hunger strike to protest prison conditions |
pennsylvania <tsp> ( cnn ) -- community organization acorn is fighting back after allegations that it is trying to register voters fraudulently and to swing the presidential election for democrat barack obama . acorn executive director steve kest announces the group 's lawsuits and television spot wednesday . the group this week released a 30-second tv ad calling on republican candidate john mccain to stop attempts at voter suppression across the country . ' it also said it was filing several lawsuits around the country to halt the alleged suppression . republicans have challenged election officials , and they 've filed lawsuits in an effort to thwart these new voters -- our citizens -- from casting their votes on tuesday . this effort must be stopped , ' delaware acorn board member hugh alleyne said during a news conference wednesday . watch acorn , conservatives spar » acorn contends it tried to help authorities head off election fraud . in nearly every case that has been reported , it was acorn that discovered the bad forms and called them to the attention of election authorities , putting the forms in a package that identified them in writing as suspicious , encouraging election officials to investigate , and offering to help with prosecutions , ' acorn said in an october 9 news release . on friday , a pennsylvania judge rejected state republican party demands to obtain lists of voters registered by acorn . the judge , robert simpson , said the pennsylvania republicans failed to convince him of the need for a preliminary injunction that would have required immediate action in the final days before the election . the state gop accuses acorn of widespread fraud in helping register some 140,000 voters in pennsylvania . this kind of manufactured crisis is masking [ republican ] efforts to keep voters from voting , ' acorn spokeswoman ali kronley told cnn . the top lawyer representing the pennsylvania republicans said they were disappointed . ' but , heather heidelbaugh added , the wording of the court order indicates the judge thinks acorn has problems . simpson said he would favor expedited discovery ' should someone want to pursue evidence that in pennsylvania practices of acorn outreach workers can encourage duplicate voter registration . ' in lake county , indiana , nearly half of the 5,000 registrations acorn submitted in early october were not good . indiana 's republican secretary of state todd rokita has requested a criminal investigation , and federal law enforcement officials are considering whether to open a federal investigation based on state reports . during the october 15 presidential debate , mccain said acorn may be destroying the fabric of american democracy . ' officials for acorn -- which stands for association of community organizations for reform now -- calls such statements hysteria , but acknowledge that some of their hires have turned in improper voter registrations . on its web site , the group contends that those employees were lazy and did n't want to work for their pay , making acorn , not the public , the victim . those workers have been fired and some even prosecuted , and the false registrations have not led to voter fraud , the group contends . even the general counsel of the rnc [ republican national committee ] has acknowledged that he can not cite a single example of an improper vote having been cast as a result of alleged voter registration fraud , ' acorn executive director steve kest said . former ohio secretary of state ken blackwell , who headed up president bush 's 2004 campaign in ohio , has said that obama once was an organizer and trainer for acorn . obama 's campaign says that 's not true . as an attorney , obama represented acorn alongside the u.s. justice department in suing the state of illinois to force state compliance with a federal voting access law , the campaign 's web site says . and acorn was not involved in project vote , a voter registration drive that obama ran in illinois in 1992 , according to the web site . acorn , founded in 1970 , calls itself the nation 's largest grassroots community organization of low- and moderate-income people . ' it says it has more than 400,000 member families organized into more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in 110 cities . besides voter registration , the group focuses on issues such as predatory lending , minimum wage and funding for public schools , according to the web site . it also provides free tax-return preparation for low-income people and screening for state and federal benefit programs . republican hostility for acorn goes back a long way . former u.s. attorney david iglesias said the bush administration fired him and eight other federal prosecutors in 2006 for political reasons , among them his refusal to pursue election fraud charges against organizations like acorn . it 's easy to make accusations , but ultimately a prosecutor has to prove that case beyond a reasonable doubt in federal court , ' iglesias said . officials with the mccain campaign maintain that the dumping of thousands of phony registrations on local election boards makes it harder for those boards to do their job , opening the door to voter fraud on election day . cnn 's carol costello and paul courson contributed to this report . | new : judge denies pennsylvania gop request for acorn voter list |
levy <tsp> atlanta , georgia ( cnn ) -- for more than a year , the criminal justice students jotted details of chandra levy 's final movements onto a huge timeline taped to a classroom wall , culled the internet and public records for scraps of information , and pored over the model skeleton laid out on a table in their lab at bauder college in atlanta , georgia . antonio wilson , from left clockwise , lashaun bates , jennifer gosdin and charna-marie dixon . they spent hours with the slain intern 's mother , susan levy , who flew from her home in california to atlanta just to talk to them . chandra levy had studied criminal justice in college , too . they began with a list of five suspects , then narrowed it down to one . on december 28 , they mailed their findings to the police chief in washington , d.c . they never heard back . but on saturday , the text and phone messages began to fly . there 's a suspect , they told each other with excitement . an arrest is imminent . it completely validates 15 months of work , ' their teacher , sheryl mccollum , said that saturday morning . we knew this case was solvable . there was no reason for it not to be solved . ' meet the members of the campus crime club » a week ago , the police chief in washington , d.c. , called levy 's parents and told them a suspect in the 2001 slaying soon would be arrested . i got a call from the washington police department , just to give me a heads up that there 's a warrant out for the arrest , ' said susan levy , the victim 's mother . she added that police did not provide a name , but sources later identified him to cnn as ingmar guandique . guandique is serving a 10-year prison sentence for two assaults in washington 's rock creek park that occurred around the time of levy 's disappearance . levy 's remains were found in the park . for the bauder college students , the break in the case was no cause for self-congratulations . they ca n't disclose their findings to the public . it 's part of the deal they make at the start of each investigation . even though they could n't name their suspect , or even discuss details of what they found , they did n't carry themselves like people who had missed the mark when they met with cnn on monday . there were big smiles and , in more reflective moments , small tears . antonio wilson and jennifer gosdin , two students who last year shared logs of their progress with cnn , said they hoped levy 's mother , father and brother can now find some comfort and peace . if they were able to help the levys in some way , they are glad . wilson , who hopes to be a probation officer , said he got more out of the experience than he ever expected . it 's not my area , but i loved it , ' he said . once you get involved in it , it becomes personal , ' gosdin agreed . for naomi barkley and la-shawn bates , the case got personal when they met susan levy . you could see the hurt in her face , ' bates recalled . you ca n't help but want to make it right for her . mccollum was in florida with her family when the news of a suspect broke . she was on the phone with susan levy before the sun came up in california . yes , levy said , it 's true , adding that she was grateful to the students for keeping people focused on her daughter 's case , mccollum recalled . mccollum worked as a victims'advocate in the criminal justice system in fulton county , georgia , for 25 years before taking a teaching job at bauder college . in 2005 , she launched the cold case investigations research institute . it 's a fancy name for a campus crime club . the students are n't graded , and they do n't receive class credits . but the payoff for the hours they invest includes hands-on experience working real cases and access to experts and criminal justice professionals . using real-life cases is the best way to groom the next generation of crime-solvers , mccollum believes . many of the 850 students at bauder college juggle full-time jobs and families with their course work . about 80 of them are members of the crime club . they are joined by students at two other campuses : auburn university-montgomery and faulkner university in alabama . auburn students examined crime scene and geographic details , while faulkner students delved into the victim 's profile . the bauder students focused on the suspects . past cases include tupac shakur , the hip-hop artist gunned down in las vegas , nevada , and wayne williams , the man convicted in the atlanta child murders case . students found the williams case solvable , but shakur 's slaying was ruled undetermined . ' the levy investigation was deemed solvable . ' it seemed to carry special meaning for the students . with chandra , she was a criminal justice major at one time , and she had aspirations of going into the federal government ; a lot of our students do as well , ' mccollum said at the outset of the project . the students became completely dedicated once they met the family members of the victims , ' mccollum said . the victims are real people , the cases are real cases , and the research is real investigative work . ' | professor recalls levy 's mother being grateful that students kept spotlight on case |
levy <tsp> atlanta , georgia ( cnn ) -- for more than a year , the criminal justice students jotted details of chandra levy 's final movements onto a huge timeline taped to a classroom wall , culled the internet and public records for scraps of information , and pored over the model skeleton laid out on a table in their lab at bauder college in atlanta , georgia . antonio wilson , from left clockwise , lashaun bates , jennifer gosdin and charna-marie dixon . they spent hours with the slain intern 's mother , susan levy , who flew from her home in california to atlanta just to talk to them . chandra levy had studied criminal justice in college , too . they began with a list of five suspects , then narrowed it down to one . on december 28 , they mailed their findings to the police chief in washington , d.c . they never heard back . but on saturday , the text and phone messages began to fly . there 's a suspect , they told each other with excitement . an arrest is imminent . it completely validates 15 months of work , ' their teacher , sheryl mccollum , said that saturday morning . we knew this case was solvable . there was no reason for it not to be solved . ' meet the members of the campus crime club » a week ago , the police chief in washington , d.c. , called levy 's parents and told them a suspect in the 2001 slaying soon would be arrested . i got a call from the washington police department , just to give me a heads up that there 's a warrant out for the arrest , ' said susan levy , the victim 's mother . she added that police did not provide a name , but sources later identified him to cnn as ingmar guandique . guandique is serving a 10-year prison sentence for two assaults in washington 's rock creek park that occurred around the time of levy 's disappearance . levy 's remains were found in the park . for the bauder college students , the break in the case was no cause for self-congratulations . they ca n't disclose their findings to the public . it 's part of the deal they make at the start of each investigation . even though they could n't name their suspect , or even discuss details of what they found , they did n't carry themselves like people who had missed the mark when they met with cnn on monday . there were big smiles and , in more reflective moments , small tears . antonio wilson and jennifer gosdin , two students who last year shared logs of their progress with cnn , said they hoped levy 's mother , father and brother can now find some comfort and peace . if they were able to help the levys in some way , they are glad . wilson , who hopes to be a probation officer , said he got more out of the experience than he ever expected . it 's not my area , but i loved it , ' he said . once you get involved in it , it becomes personal , ' gosdin agreed . for naomi barkley and la-shawn bates , the case got personal when they met susan levy . you could see the hurt in her face , ' bates recalled . you ca n't help but want to make it right for her . mccollum was in florida with her family when the news of a suspect broke . she was on the phone with susan levy before the sun came up in california . yes , levy said , it 's true , adding that she was grateful to the students for keeping people focused on her daughter 's case , mccollum recalled . mccollum worked as a victims'advocate in the criminal justice system in fulton county , georgia , for 25 years before taking a teaching job at bauder college . in 2005 , she launched the cold case investigations research institute . it 's a fancy name for a campus crime club . the students are n't graded , and they do n't receive class credits . but the payoff for the hours they invest includes hands-on experience working real cases and access to experts and criminal justice professionals . using real-life cases is the best way to groom the next generation of crime-solvers , mccollum believes . many of the 850 students at bauder college juggle full-time jobs and families with their course work . about 80 of them are members of the crime club . they are joined by students at two other campuses : auburn university-montgomery and faulkner university in alabama . auburn students examined crime scene and geographic details , while faulkner students delved into the victim 's profile . the bauder students focused on the suspects . past cases include tupac shakur , the hip-hop artist gunned down in las vegas , nevada , and wayne williams , the man convicted in the atlanta child murders case . students found the williams case solvable , but shakur 's slaying was ruled undetermined . ' the levy investigation was deemed solvable . ' it seemed to carry special meaning for the students . with chandra , she was a criminal justice major at one time , and she had aspirations of going into the federal government ; a lot of our students do as well , ' mccollum said at the outset of the project . the students became completely dedicated once they met the family members of the victims , ' mccollum said . the victims are real people , the cases are real cases , and the research is real investigative work . ' | group ca n't divulge whom it named as a suspect in chandra levy case |
thanksgiving <tsp> president barack obama pardoned the national thanksgiving turkey with a smile on wednesday , but he admitted before saving the bird from it 's likely demise that he found the decades-old tradition somewhat puzzling . ' it is a little puzzling that i do this every year , but i will say that i enjoy it because with all the tough stuff that swirls around in this office it 's nice once in a while just to say ,'happy thanksgiving ,'' he said . and with a wink and a nod , the president also made joking reference to the controversy dogging his administration over his unilateral move to offer protection from deportation to some 5 million immigrants in the u.s. illegally . i am here to announce what i 'm sure will be the most talked about executive action this month . today i am taking an action that is fully within my legal authority , ' he said to laughter from the crowd , in reference not to the immigration move , but the turkey pardon . joined by his teenage daughters , obama went on to pardon cheese , the turkey chosen by americans as this year 's national thanksgiving turkey via twitter . the nearly 50-pound snow-white turkey calmly accepted the president 's pardon as flashbulbs burst and officials looked on . cheese and his alternate turkey , mac , were both raised by national turkey federation chairman gary cooper 's son cole , both of whom were in attendance at the ceremony wednesday . the two 20-week-old turkeys will enjoy a much more tranquil thanksgiving than many of their fellow fowl , as they 're headed to turkey hill ' the historic turkey farm at morven park , the leesburg , va. , home of former virginia gov . westmoreland davis , according to the white house . there , they 'll be on display for visitors seeking a second-degree brush with the president . though the event is meant as an opportunity for the president to express a bit of thanksgiving cheer , it 's not without controversy . earlier this month , the people for the ethical treatment of animals called on obama 's daughters to encourage their father to end the offensive turkey pardon ' and go vegan for the holiday . but the tradition , which the national turkey federation says has been around since president harry truman , went on . obama will also volunteer with his family on wednesday , another longstanding presidential thanksgiving tradition . other elected officials got in the spirit of the holiday on wednesday , tweeting out their favorite thanksgiving recipes . house speaker john boehner revealed the details of his special boehner brine , ' while democratic leader nancy pelosi tweeted her family 's chocolate mousse recipe . | president barack obama pardons cheese , this year 's national thanksgiving turkey |
leesburg <tsp> president barack obama pardoned the national thanksgiving turkey with a smile on wednesday , but he admitted before saving the bird from it 's likely demise that he found the decades-old tradition somewhat puzzling . ' it is a little puzzling that i do this every year , but i will say that i enjoy it because with all the tough stuff that swirls around in this office it 's nice once in a while just to say ,'happy thanksgiving ,'' he said . and with a wink and a nod , the president also made joking reference to the controversy dogging his administration over his unilateral move to offer protection from deportation to some 5 million immigrants in the u.s. illegally . i am here to announce what i 'm sure will be the most talked about executive action this month . today i am taking an action that is fully within my legal authority , ' he said to laughter from the crowd , in reference not to the immigration move , but the turkey pardon . joined by his teenage daughters , obama went on to pardon cheese , the turkey chosen by americans as this year 's national thanksgiving turkey via twitter . the nearly 50-pound snow-white turkey calmly accepted the president 's pardon as flashbulbs burst and officials looked on . cheese and his alternate turkey , mac , were both raised by national turkey federation chairman gary cooper 's son cole , both of whom were in attendance at the ceremony wednesday . the two 20-week-old turkeys will enjoy a much more tranquil thanksgiving than many of their fellow fowl , as they 're headed to turkey hill ' the historic turkey farm at morven park , the leesburg , va. , home of former virginia gov . westmoreland davis , according to the white house . there , they 'll be on display for visitors seeking a second-degree brush with the president . though the event is meant as an opportunity for the president to express a bit of thanksgiving cheer , it 's not without controversy . earlier this month , the people for the ethical treatment of animals called on obama 's daughters to encourage their father to end the offensive turkey pardon ' and go vegan for the holiday . but the tradition , which the national turkey federation says has been around since president harry truman , went on . obama will also volunteer with his family on wednesday , another longstanding presidential thanksgiving tradition . other elected officials got in the spirit of the holiday on wednesday , tweeting out their favorite thanksgiving recipes . house speaker john boehner revealed the details of his special boehner brine , ' while democratic leader nancy pelosi tweeted her family 's chocolate mousse recipe . | the turkey will be sent to turkey hill ' at morven park in leesburg , va. , to spend the rest of its life |
china <tsp> rising wages in china may be squeezing the profits of many manufacturers -- but they are also feeding a boom in the robotics industry . wages in china 's cities rose 12.4 % last year , while in rural areas they were boosted by 21.9 % , according to figures from china 's national bureau of statistics . while that may be good for workers , manufacturers are softening the blow to their balance sheets by turning to robotics -- which are cheaper , faster and deliver high quality . china is the fastest growing market in robotics , and by 2014 it will top the global market , according to the international federation of robotics . one company seeking to tap this demand is german-based kuka robotics , which is setting up a regional hub in the country . with the increase in the wages we can see a big automation wave coming , ' said till reuter , chief executive of kuka robotics . china is the market that is still growing , and growing at a fast pace compared to europe and the u.s. , he said . china will be the biggest robotic market , so it is important to be here . ' the auto industry , for example , is becoming increasingly reliant on robotics . china is the world 's largest auto market and european car manufacturers are setting up facilities in the region , all of which will be reliant on robotics . bmw opened a new plant in shenyang last month and volkswagen plans to double its capacity to four million cars by 2018 , by investing in three new plants in yizheng , foshan and ningbo and upgrading existing ones in changchun , nanjing and chengdu . china 's robotics industry still lags that in other countries . in japan , for example , there are 306 robots working per 10,000 people while in china there are currently only 15 . kuka plans to capture the potential by producing more efficient models that will continue to drive down costs for manufacturers . our advantage is innovation , ' said reuter , we need to keep it alive and work towards the next generation . it gives us an advantage in china , but also in the rest of the world . ' as china 's robotics industry catches up with others , the country 's manufacturers are also looking at other ways to bring in income . investment in branding and marketing is one way to boost profits , according to alistair thornton , a senior analyst at ihs global insight . manufacturers will think -- - hold on , if we put money into branding and charge more for products , we can retain our margin , ' said thornton . | china 's rising wages are squeezing the profits of many manufacturers |
nra <tsp> ( cnn ) sarah brady , who with her husband , james brady , pushed for stricter gun control laws , including the brady handgun violence prevention act , died friday , her family said . brady , 73 , died of pneumonia , the family said . sarah courageously stepped up after jim was shot to prevent others from enduring what our family has gone through , and her work has saved countless lives , ' their statement said . james brady , president ronald reagan 's press secretary , was shot in the head by john hinckley jr. during his attempt to assassinate reagan in 1981 . brady spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair , advocating against gun violence . he died in august . sarah brady was also involved in gun violence prevention for the past 30 years . she was the chairwoman of the brady campaign to prevent gun violence and the brady center to prevent gun violence from 2000 until she died . the national rifle association said its thoughts and prayers were with the brady family . although we disagreed on public policy , sarah brady was an honorable american who we always respected , ' the gun rights organization said . people we 've lost in 2015 on the brady campaign 's website , she said she got involved in gun control after her young son picked up what she thought was a toy gun on the seat of a friend 's pickup . her son started to wave it around and she took it from him . it was not a toy , she said , and she fumed over what she imagined could have happened . the loaded gun was much like the one used to shoot her husband . it just hit me like a ton of bricks , ' she told cnn in 2013 . so i asked jim if he felt comfortable with me speaking out , and he said ,'of course .'' after that , the bradys made it their business to be gun control activists . despite budgets that were just a fraction of the gun lobby 's , the bradys and their colleagues helped pass federal and state laws , including maryland 's 1988 ban on cheap handguns known as saturday night specials , 1993 's brady law requiring background checks on certain kinds of gun purchases and a ban on manufacturing and future sales of some military-style firearms , which lasted from 1994 to 2004 . read sarah brady 's 2014 op-ed for cnn.com former president bill clinton , who signed the brady bill in 1993 , and former secretary of state hillary clinton said in a joint statement saturday that the bradys were fierce champions of sensible gun legislation . ' sarah brady transformed tragedy into a courageous campaign , and because of her work and her remarkable life , american families are safer today , ' the clintons said . brady campaign and center president dan gross said in a written statement that few people are responsible for saving as many lives as sarah and james brady . our nation has lost a great hero , and i have lost a dear friend , ' he said . i am certain that she would want nothing more than to know we are carrying on her and jim 's legacy with the same fiery compassion and dedication that made her so remarkable . ' sen charles schumer , a new york democrat who helped write the brady bill , concurred . she was strong and forceful , sweet and kind , and someone i considered a friend and patriot for decades , ' he said . she was a true hero and will be missed by america . ' james brady was one of four people wounded in reagan 's shooting outside a washington hotel . suffering a head wound , it was erroneously reported at one point that brady had died . he was , however , left partially paralyzed . reagan , severely wounded as well , also survived the attack and served two terms as president . hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting and has spent the ensuing years in a psychiatric hospital . the brady bill was fiercely fought over for seven years before congress approved it and president bill clinton signed it into law in 1993 . cnn 's kevin bohn and thom patterson contributed to this story . | nra says although it disagreed with sarah brady , she was an honorable and respected woman |
sarah brady <tsp> ( cnn ) sarah brady , who with her husband , james brady , pushed for stricter gun control laws , including the brady handgun violence prevention act , died friday , her family said . brady , 73 , died of pneumonia , the family said . sarah courageously stepped up after jim was shot to prevent others from enduring what our family has gone through , and her work has saved countless lives , ' their statement said . james brady , president ronald reagan 's press secretary , was shot in the head by john hinckley jr. during his attempt to assassinate reagan in 1981 . brady spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair , advocating against gun violence . he died in august . sarah brady was also involved in gun violence prevention for the past 30 years . she was the chairwoman of the brady campaign to prevent gun violence and the brady center to prevent gun violence from 2000 until she died . the national rifle association said its thoughts and prayers were with the brady family . although we disagreed on public policy , sarah brady was an honorable american who we always respected , ' the gun rights organization said . people we 've lost in 2015 on the brady campaign 's website , she said she got involved in gun control after her young son picked up what she thought was a toy gun on the seat of a friend 's pickup . her son started to wave it around and she took it from him . it was not a toy , she said , and she fumed over what she imagined could have happened . the loaded gun was much like the one used to shoot her husband . it just hit me like a ton of bricks , ' she told cnn in 2013 . so i asked jim if he felt comfortable with me speaking out , and he said ,'of course .'' after that , the bradys made it their business to be gun control activists . despite budgets that were just a fraction of the gun lobby 's , the bradys and their colleagues helped pass federal and state laws , including maryland 's 1988 ban on cheap handguns known as saturday night specials , 1993 's brady law requiring background checks on certain kinds of gun purchases and a ban on manufacturing and future sales of some military-style firearms , which lasted from 1994 to 2004 . read sarah brady 's 2014 op-ed for cnn.com former president bill clinton , who signed the brady bill in 1993 , and former secretary of state hillary clinton said in a joint statement saturday that the bradys were fierce champions of sensible gun legislation . ' sarah brady transformed tragedy into a courageous campaign , and because of her work and her remarkable life , american families are safer today , ' the clintons said . brady campaign and center president dan gross said in a written statement that few people are responsible for saving as many lives as sarah and james brady . our nation has lost a great hero , and i have lost a dear friend , ' he said . i am certain that she would want nothing more than to know we are carrying on her and jim 's legacy with the same fiery compassion and dedication that made her so remarkable . ' sen charles schumer , a new york democrat who helped write the brady bill , concurred . she was strong and forceful , sweet and kind , and someone i considered a friend and patriot for decades , ' he said . she was a true hero and will be missed by america . ' james brady was one of four people wounded in reagan 's shooting outside a washington hotel . suffering a head wound , it was erroneously reported at one point that brady had died . he was , however , left partially paralyzed . reagan , severely wounded as well , also survived the attack and served two terms as president . hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting and has spent the ensuing years in a psychiatric hospital . the brady bill was fiercely fought over for seven years before congress approved it and president bill clinton signed it into law in 1993 . cnn 's kevin bohn and thom patterson contributed to this story . | sarah brady became involved in campaigns against gun violence after her son to picked up a loaded gun |
sarah brady <tsp> ( cnn ) sarah brady , who with her husband , james brady , pushed for stricter gun control laws , including the brady handgun violence prevention act , died friday , her family said . brady , 73 , died of pneumonia , the family said . sarah courageously stepped up after jim was shot to prevent others from enduring what our family has gone through , and her work has saved countless lives , ' their statement said . james brady , president ronald reagan 's press secretary , was shot in the head by john hinckley jr. during his attempt to assassinate reagan in 1981 . brady spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair , advocating against gun violence . he died in august . sarah brady was also involved in gun violence prevention for the past 30 years . she was the chairwoman of the brady campaign to prevent gun violence and the brady center to prevent gun violence from 2000 until she died . the national rifle association said its thoughts and prayers were with the brady family . although we disagreed on public policy , sarah brady was an honorable american who we always respected , ' the gun rights organization said . people we 've lost in 2015 on the brady campaign 's website , she said she got involved in gun control after her young son picked up what she thought was a toy gun on the seat of a friend 's pickup . her son started to wave it around and she took it from him . it was not a toy , she said , and she fumed over what she imagined could have happened . the loaded gun was much like the one used to shoot her husband . it just hit me like a ton of bricks , ' she told cnn in 2013 . so i asked jim if he felt comfortable with me speaking out , and he said ,'of course .'' after that , the bradys made it their business to be gun control activists . despite budgets that were just a fraction of the gun lobby 's , the bradys and their colleagues helped pass federal and state laws , including maryland 's 1988 ban on cheap handguns known as saturday night specials , 1993 's brady law requiring background checks on certain kinds of gun purchases and a ban on manufacturing and future sales of some military-style firearms , which lasted from 1994 to 2004 . read sarah brady 's 2014 op-ed for cnn.com former president bill clinton , who signed the brady bill in 1993 , and former secretary of state hillary clinton said in a joint statement saturday that the bradys were fierce champions of sensible gun legislation . ' sarah brady transformed tragedy into a courageous campaign , and because of her work and her remarkable life , american families are safer today , ' the clintons said . brady campaign and center president dan gross said in a written statement that few people are responsible for saving as many lives as sarah and james brady . our nation has lost a great hero , and i have lost a dear friend , ' he said . i am certain that she would want nothing more than to know we are carrying on her and jim 's legacy with the same fiery compassion and dedication that made her so remarkable . ' sen charles schumer , a new york democrat who helped write the brady bill , concurred . she was strong and forceful , sweet and kind , and someone i considered a friend and patriot for decades , ' he said . she was a true hero and will be missed by america . ' james brady was one of four people wounded in reagan 's shooting outside a washington hotel . suffering a head wound , it was erroneously reported at one point that brady had died . he was , however , left partially paralyzed . reagan , severely wounded as well , also survived the attack and served two terms as president . hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting and has spent the ensuing years in a psychiatric hospital . the brady bill was fiercely fought over for seven years before congress approved it and president bill clinton signed it into law in 1993 . cnn 's kevin bohn and thom patterson contributed to this story . | nra says although it disagreed with sarah brady , she was an honorable and respected woman |
starbucks <tsp> ( people.com ) -- rosie o'donnell was attracted to michelle rounds the moment she saw her in a starbucks this summer . but she never thought it would be reciprocated . i thought she was a 28-year-old heterosexual girl , because that 's what she looked like to me . and she 's a 40-year-old gay woman , ' o'donnell , 49 , tells abc 's nightline ' in an interview airing monday night . she adds with a laugh : my gaydar was way off ! ' related : rosie o'donnell :'i 've stopped being so angry' but o'donnell , who recently said she 's in love , thinks maybe it 's a good thing she thought rounds was straight . i think if i had known that she was gay , i would n't have been brave enough to talk to her , ' she says . o'donnell 's new nightly talk show , the rosie show , ' debuts monday on the own network . see full article at people.com . © 2011 people and time inc. all rights reserved . | o'donnell was attracted to rounds the moment she saw her in a starbucks |
microsoft <tsp> ( cnn ) -- does the web have room for one more social network ? microsoft thinks so . with facebook hogging the spotlight last week and google working to stay in the game with google+ , microsoft has quietly launched so.cl , which it describes as a social-search tool to share information and meet people with common interests . what it 's not , microsoft says , is a rival to facebook . so.cl is an experimental research project focused on the future of social experiences and learning , especially among younger people , ' microsoft said monday in an e-mail . the tool was launched late last year for students at a handful of colleges and universities . last week , the company quietly made it available to anyone for a public beta test period . among the features of so.cl ( pronounced , of course , social ' ) is a bookmarklet ' feature similar to facebook 's like ' button . that lets users share sites or pages they find interesting with other users . you can share , comment on or tag other people 's posts . so.cl also has a video party ' feature that lets users chat with others and incorporate videos into those chats . the tool comes from microsoft 's fuse labs , which works with product research and development teams on new web and social tools . the initial focus on students still shines through . with so.cl , users can build posts with many elements -- such as photos , video and text -- and share them . it also lets them find other users with similar interests and build communities around specific goals , educational or otherwise . the researchers behind so.cl deliberately sought to collaborate with a student audience that is more holistic -- encompassing representation from the sciences as well as the humanities -- rather than simply technical , says lili cheng , general manager of fuse labs . just do n't call it microsoft 's answer to facebook . google and smaller rivals have struggled to gain a foothold in a social-media landscape that facebook dominates . on so.cl 's faq page , microsoft makes it clear that their new tool is designed as a layer on top of existing networks . we expect students to continue using products such as facebook , twitter , linkedin and other existing social networks , as well as bing , google and other search tools , ' it says . we hope to encourage students to reimagine how our everyday communication and learning tools can be improved by researching , learning and sharing in their everyday lives . ' | microsoft 's social search tool , so.cl , is now available to the public |
north korean <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- bucking tradition , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton will bypass europe and travel to asia on her maiden voyage overseas , diplomats familiar with the planning said tuesday . bill clinton looks at his wife secretary of state hillary clinton as she is sworn in on february 2 . clinton is expected to visit china , japan and south korea on her first trip overseas . the diplomats said she may also add other stops , including one in southeast asia . the diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because clinton 's schedule was still being finalized . the state department has not commented on her travel plans . making asia clinton 's first overseas destination illustrates the obama administration 's desire for a broader partnership with china and its commitment to resolving the north korean nuclear issue , as well as strengthening ties with tokyo and seoul , the diplomats said . the white house said president barack obama told chinese president hu jintao in a friday phone call that he looked forward to to early contacts and exchanges between senior officials of our two countries . ' clinton told the senate foreign relations committee last month she hoped to make an early trip to southeast asia , in particular indonesia , the world 's most populous muslim-majority nation where obama spent part of his childhood . clinton said she wanted to restart peace corps programs there , which were suspended in the 1960s . traditionally u.s. secretaries of state make europe or the middle east their first official trip overseas . but given that vice president joseph biden is headed to europe this week for a security conference in germany , and special envoy george mitchell is currently in the middle east , clinton is free to break with tradition . however british foreign secretary david miliband and german foreign secretary walter steinmeier will be clinton 's first foreign guests to the state department on tuesday . clinton was sworn in as america 's 67th secretary of state on monday -- for a second time . watch clinton being sworn in » biden administered the oath to clinton in a ceremonial star-studded gathering at the state department , with actor chevy chase and designer oscar de la renta among those on hand . it is an overwhelming honor ... to assume this position , ' clinton said . we have a lot of work to do [ to ensure that ] america 's future can be even brighter than our storied past . ' | trip also highlights commitment to resolving the north korean nuclear issue |
united states <tsp> ( cnn ) four cases of measles have been linked to a restaurant at the mgm grand hotel & casino in las vegas , the southern nevada health district reported friday . a patron and two staff members of emeril 's new orleans fish house probably contracted measles from a contagious staff member , the health agency said friday in a press release , bringing to nine the total number of people diagnosed with measles this year in clark county , nevada . an infant too young to have received the immunization may have transmitted measles to the initial emeril 's staff member , the health district said . one-hundred fifty-four cases of measles were discovered in the united states from january 1 to february 20 , the centers for disease control and prevention said on its website . the cdc said 118 cases were part of an ongoing , multistate outbreak linked to disneyland in california . a record number of u.s. measles cases -- 644 cases from 27 states -- were reported in 2014 . that 's the greatest number since measles elimination was documented in the united states in 2000 . the southern nevada health district said no measles cases had been reported in its district since 2011 . measles is a highly communicable respiratory disease caused by a virus and spread through the air , according to the cdc . measles starts with a fever , runny nose , cough , red eyes and sore throat , the cdc said . emeril 's put out a press release friday , saying , one of our team members was potentially contagious while working shifts beginning at 4 p.m. on wednesday , february 18 , thursday , february 19 , friday , february 20 , and saturday , february 21 . the affected employee has not been on site since then . ... in addition to the ongoing education of our staff , we are engaging in a cooperative effort with the health district to provide immunizations to all of our employees who believe they might be at risk . ' people who dined at the restaurant on those days , as well as people who dined after 4 p.m. on february 4-7 , should review their immunization status and contact their doctors if they are not fully immunized or have n't already had measles , the health district said . the health district said a person with one of the newly identified cases visited two other las vegas businesses , a walgreens and a chili 's grill & bar , on february 22 . bart , the transit system in the san francisco area , on wednesday said some riders may have been exposed last week after a san mateo county resident with measles commuted . bart said the risk of contracting measles via bart is negligible . ' cnn 's amanda watts contributed to this report . | cdc : 154 measles cases discovered in united states from january 1 to february 20 |
iraq <tsp> eight people were killed on thursday in shootings and bombings across iraq , police in tikrit said . two car bombs exploded in tuz khurmatu , an ethnically tense city in the northern province of salaheddin , and killed three people . the bombs , which exploded in a turkmen residential area , also wounded 27 people . the city also has significant kurdish and arab populations . gunmen in baghdad shot dead three people , baghdad police said . two men were shot and killed in the northern city of mosul , police there said . suicide bombings claim more lives in iraq violence has been on the upswing in iraq since spring as tensions have grown , particularly between the country 's shiite majority and its sunni minority . more than 6,000 people have been killed this year , including more than 350 this month . iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki , who is shiite , touched on the violence in a new york times op-ed column this week . imagine how americans would react if you had a terrorist organization operating on your own soil that killed dozens and maimed hundreds every week . for iraqis , that is n't a hypothetical question ; al qaeda in iraq and its affiliates are conducting a terrorist campaign against our people , ' he wrote . al-maliki is in the united states for a meeting with president barack obama to plan a deeper security relationship ' with washington to fight terrorism and deal with regional security issues . car bombs rattle baghdad , mosul ; 44 dead | iraq has been beset by violence in recent months |
syria <tsp> istanbul ( cnn ) -- the turkish prime minister huddled wednesday with a special syrian envoy in an effort to help stem the growing tide of refugees racing into turkey from conflict-wracked syria . the number of syrians who have crossed the border stood at 8,421 wednesday morning , according to turkey 's disaster and emergency management directorate . their flight has been spurred by violence and a military offensive in the country , and turkish officials are worried that the border crisis could deteriorate and destabilize the region . world powers have been outraged at the violence , and at least 54 countries are backing a tough resolution on syria that was to be issued wednesday at the u.n. human rights council in geneva , switzerland . it is impossible for us to remain indifferent to the developments there , ' turkish foreign minister ahmet davutoglu said . for us , the syrians are people who have common future and destiny with us . therefore , it is out of question to close the door to our syrian brothers or the ( refugee numbers ) to stop after 10,000 . however , when this turns into a big wave , it also has the potential to become a regional and an international matter . ' syrian security personnel have been carrying out a fierce crackdown against anti-government demonstrators over the past three months . in its draft joint statement about syria , the u.n. human rights council noted that more than 1,000 people peacefully protesting for democracy ' have been killed . the continued violence , multiday curfews and military lockdowns are restricting access to basic goods and services , such as health care , medicines and food , causing great concern for the situation of children , the elderly , the sick and wounded , as well as refugees and other vulnerable groups . injured and wounded people must be allowed to seek treatment without fear of reprisals , ' it said . turkish prime minister recep tayyip erdogan met for nearly three hours with the envoy , who was expected to provide an assessment of the refugee situation and the wider political unrest in syria , according to an official from erdogan 's office . the envoy represented syrian president bashar al-assad , and the meeting followed a telephone conversation erdogan and al-assad had tuesday . davutoglu , who spoke at the airport in ankara before flying to hatay for a visit with the refugees , said turkey hopes to initiate reforms that would alleviate the volatile conditions leading to the flight of ordinary citizens . he planned to attend the meeting between erdogan and the syrian envoy after his visit to hatay . davutoglu said that escalating violence can increase the refugee wave ' and that turkey is working on ways to prevent escalation of violence . ' his government touts a foreign policy dubbed no problems , ' a strategy intended to promote good relations with its neighbors . that policy has been challenged by the syrian situation . turkey fears a repeat of the enormous kurdish refugee exodus from northern iraq in 1991 , and the country has spent the past decade promoting warm relations and lucrative economic ties with syria 's al-assad . but over the past month , erdogan began calling for reform in damascus in a bid to curb the escalating violence . we hope that syria changes its attitude toward the civilians to a more tolerant one and realize its steps for reform in a more convincing way for the civilians , ' erdogan said last week , according to the semi-official anatolia news agency . davutoglu said turkey 's wish and effort is for a process to begin at once that can prevent such a wave to continue increasingly . ' he pointed to reforms to be made as soon as possible , conditions to be eliminated that bring security forces and people against each other and to have a more peaceful approach , beyond focusing on security , in the attitude towards the civilian people . if all these were provided , the refugee wave would lessen . ' of the refugees , 4,368 are children , and 73 syrians are now being treated in turkish hospitals , the emergency directorate said . more than 1,230 tents have been set up in a number of locations . turkish foreign ministry officials confirmed that they accepted an application for actress angelina jolie to visit the syrian refugees in hatay . the actress , a goodwill ambassador for the u.n. refugee agency , is expected to arrive in istanbul and then head friday to hatay . many displaced syrians have fled toward the border but have not made it over . cnn 's arwa damon met with some of them at a makeshift campsite tuesday in syria , where they described primitive conditions at the site and frightening and deadly violence in the towns that they left . many of the refugees have fled from a region that includes the northwestern town of jisr al-shugur , seized by the syrian military over the weekend , a network of human rights activists said . the syrian government insists that it is stopping armed terrorist groups ' who carried out a massacre ' in the city : the killing 120 members of the security forces . the state-run syrian arab news agency said wednesday that one of its correspondents is reporting a new mass grave ' in jisr al-shugur containing bodies belonging to police and security forces ' slain by armed terrorist groups . ' opposition activists say the government 's claims are a ruse to justify a crackdown on demonstrators demanding government reform , in keeping with the wave of political protests across the middle east and north africa this year . but syrian refugees who have fled to turkey said some syrian soldiers rebelled after being ordered to fire on unarmed protesters and instead started fighting among themselves . syria 's cabinet on tuesday hailed efforts by the army and security forces to restore calm in the jisr al-shugur area and surrounding villages , according to the sana . adnan mahmoud , the information minister , said the cabinet urged citizens who were forced to leave their homes to come back after calm and security were restored in the area , ' sana said . sana later reported that thousands of jisr al-shugur residents had returned to their houses after the army restored security and tranquility to the city . ' the minister said the cabinet assigned the syrian arab red crescent to contact the turkish red crescent for cooperation to facilitate the syrian citizens'return to their homes , noting that all necessary needs will be provided to secure the return , including medical aid for the patients and the injured . ' wissam tarif , a human rights activist based outside syria , said he had not received reports of people returning to their homes . his contacts told him that military deployments were in villages around the city of jisr al-shugur , and army vehicles nearby in the village of al-jandouwiye . tarif said he had received no report that the people of jisr al-shugur were returning to their homes . as many as 800 people were detained in the past few days in the towns of douma , saqba and daraya , either in raids on homes or at military checkpoints , tarif said . he also reported the defection of an unspecified number of syrian troops in homs . in its joint draft joint statement on syria , the human rights council called on syria to implement reforms and end censorship and restrictions on media . arbitrary arrests , detention and torture , including of protestors , of human rights defenders , of representatives of the media , political dissidents , and young children must cease immediately , ' the statement said . cnn 's nada husseini contributed to this report . | a human rights activist is reporting hundreds of arrests in syria |
syria <tsp> istanbul ( cnn ) -- the turkish prime minister huddled wednesday with a special syrian envoy in an effort to help stem the growing tide of refugees racing into turkey from conflict-wracked syria . the number of syrians who have crossed the border stood at 8,421 wednesday morning , according to turkey 's disaster and emergency management directorate . their flight has been spurred by violence and a military offensive in the country , and turkish officials are worried that the border crisis could deteriorate and destabilize the region . world powers have been outraged at the violence , and at least 54 countries are backing a tough resolution on syria that was to be issued wednesday at the u.n. human rights council in geneva , switzerland . it is impossible for us to remain indifferent to the developments there , ' turkish foreign minister ahmet davutoglu said . for us , the syrians are people who have common future and destiny with us . therefore , it is out of question to close the door to our syrian brothers or the ( refugee numbers ) to stop after 10,000 . however , when this turns into a big wave , it also has the potential to become a regional and an international matter . ' syrian security personnel have been carrying out a fierce crackdown against anti-government demonstrators over the past three months . in its draft joint statement about syria , the u.n. human rights council noted that more than 1,000 people peacefully protesting for democracy ' have been killed . the continued violence , multiday curfews and military lockdowns are restricting access to basic goods and services , such as health care , medicines and food , causing great concern for the situation of children , the elderly , the sick and wounded , as well as refugees and other vulnerable groups . injured and wounded people must be allowed to seek treatment without fear of reprisals , ' it said . turkish prime minister recep tayyip erdogan met for nearly three hours with the envoy , who was expected to provide an assessment of the refugee situation and the wider political unrest in syria , according to an official from erdogan 's office . the envoy represented syrian president bashar al-assad , and the meeting followed a telephone conversation erdogan and al-assad had tuesday . davutoglu , who spoke at the airport in ankara before flying to hatay for a visit with the refugees , said turkey hopes to initiate reforms that would alleviate the volatile conditions leading to the flight of ordinary citizens . he planned to attend the meeting between erdogan and the syrian envoy after his visit to hatay . davutoglu said that escalating violence can increase the refugee wave ' and that turkey is working on ways to prevent escalation of violence . ' his government touts a foreign policy dubbed no problems , ' a strategy intended to promote good relations with its neighbors . that policy has been challenged by the syrian situation . turkey fears a repeat of the enormous kurdish refugee exodus from northern iraq in 1991 , and the country has spent the past decade promoting warm relations and lucrative economic ties with syria 's al-assad . but over the past month , erdogan began calling for reform in damascus in a bid to curb the escalating violence . we hope that syria changes its attitude toward the civilians to a more tolerant one and realize its steps for reform in a more convincing way for the civilians , ' erdogan said last week , according to the semi-official anatolia news agency . davutoglu said turkey 's wish and effort is for a process to begin at once that can prevent such a wave to continue increasingly . ' he pointed to reforms to be made as soon as possible , conditions to be eliminated that bring security forces and people against each other and to have a more peaceful approach , beyond focusing on security , in the attitude towards the civilian people . if all these were provided , the refugee wave would lessen . ' of the refugees , 4,368 are children , and 73 syrians are now being treated in turkish hospitals , the emergency directorate said . more than 1,230 tents have been set up in a number of locations . turkish foreign ministry officials confirmed that they accepted an application for actress angelina jolie to visit the syrian refugees in hatay . the actress , a goodwill ambassador for the u.n. refugee agency , is expected to arrive in istanbul and then head friday to hatay . many displaced syrians have fled toward the border but have not made it over . cnn 's arwa damon met with some of them at a makeshift campsite tuesday in syria , where they described primitive conditions at the site and frightening and deadly violence in the towns that they left . many of the refugees have fled from a region that includes the northwestern town of jisr al-shugur , seized by the syrian military over the weekend , a network of human rights activists said . the syrian government insists that it is stopping armed terrorist groups ' who carried out a massacre ' in the city : the killing 120 members of the security forces . the state-run syrian arab news agency said wednesday that one of its correspondents is reporting a new mass grave ' in jisr al-shugur containing bodies belonging to police and security forces ' slain by armed terrorist groups . ' opposition activists say the government 's claims are a ruse to justify a crackdown on demonstrators demanding government reform , in keeping with the wave of political protests across the middle east and north africa this year . but syrian refugees who have fled to turkey said some syrian soldiers rebelled after being ordered to fire on unarmed protesters and instead started fighting among themselves . syria 's cabinet on tuesday hailed efforts by the army and security forces to restore calm in the jisr al-shugur area and surrounding villages , according to the sana . adnan mahmoud , the information minister , said the cabinet urged citizens who were forced to leave their homes to come back after calm and security were restored in the area , ' sana said . sana later reported that thousands of jisr al-shugur residents had returned to their houses after the army restored security and tranquility to the city . ' the minister said the cabinet assigned the syrian arab red crescent to contact the turkish red crescent for cooperation to facilitate the syrian citizens'return to their homes , noting that all necessary needs will be provided to secure the return , including medical aid for the patients and the injured . ' wissam tarif , a human rights activist based outside syria , said he had not received reports of people returning to their homes . his contacts told him that military deployments were in villages around the city of jisr al-shugur , and army vehicles nearby in the village of al-jandouwiye . tarif said he had received no report that the people of jisr al-shugur were returning to their homes . as many as 800 people were detained in the past few days in the towns of douma , saqba and daraya , either in raids on homes or at military checkpoints , tarif said . he also reported the defection of an unspecified number of syrian troops in homs . in its joint draft joint statement on syria , the human rights council called on syria to implement reforms and end censorship and restrictions on media . arbitrary arrests , detention and torture , including of protestors , of human rights defenders , of representatives of the media , political dissidents , and young children must cease immediately , ' the statement said . cnn 's nada husseini contributed to this report . | angelina jolie is to visit refugees in syria this week |
michael phelps <tsp> ( cnn ) -- olympic hero michael phelps was suspended from competitive swimming for three months on thursday -- just hours after one of his sponsors announced it would not renew his contract after a photo surfaced of him smoking from a bong . michael phelps admitted regrettable behavior ' after a photo of him smoking from a bong was published . usa swimming , the nation 's governing body for competitive swimming , said it was withdrawing financial support for phelps and barring him from competition during the period of his reprimand . ' this is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated , but we decided to send a strong message to michael because he disappointed so many people , particularly the hundreds of thousands of usa swimming-member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero , ' they said in a statement . michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust , ' the statement continued . earlier thursday , kellogg co. said it will not renew phelps'advertising contract . michael 's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of kellogg , ' company spokeswoman susanne norwitz said . his contract expires at the end of february , and we have made a decision not to extend his contract . ' norwitz said kellogg 's relationship with phelps began with the company 's support of the u.s. olympic team . kellogg did not renew its sponsorship of the team when it expired in december , she said . phelps admitted regrettable behavior ' on sunday after a british newspaper published the photograph . the tabloid news of the world showed phelps using the bong during what it said was a november party at the university of south carolina in columbia . the richland county , south carolina , sheriff 's office said tuesday it was investigating whether phelps smoked marijuana on the school campus , adding it would file criminal charges if it determined he did . both university police and columbia , south carolina , police said they would not pursue charges , according to the state newspaper in columbia . it was unclear where the party took place , the paper said , or whether it was on campus . on thursday , before the decisions by usa swimming and kellogg were announced , phelps told cnn affiliate wbal that the incident was a result of bad judgment . ' watch phelps'comments to wbal » ' i can learn from it and try to make my life better than it has been in the past , ' he told wbal . i think it 's hard to really be ready for any of this . but i 've actually been able to talk to a lot of people , and lot of people that have been in my shoes in other sports , and i 've been able to get their perspective and just talk to them a little bit , and that 's been helpful over the last few days , ' phelps said . in a statement released sunday , phelps , who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 olympic games in beijing , china , said : i engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment . ' i 'm 23 years old , and despite the successes i have had in the pool , i acted in a youthful and inappropriate way , not in a manner that people have come to expect from me , ' he said . for this , i am sorry . i promise my fans and the public -- it will not happen again . ' ireport.com : should phelps have been suspended ? the u.s. olympic committee also issued a statement that said in part : michael has acknowledged that he made a mistake and apologized for his actions . we are confident that , going forward , michael will consistently set the kind of example we all expect from a great olympic champion . ' in 2004 , phelps was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in salisbury , maryland . he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months probation . he also issued an apology after that incident . phelps is one of 12 olympic athletes who pledged to my victory , ' an initiative launched last year by the u.s. anti-doping agency aimed at keeping competitive sports clean . | usa swimming suspends michael phelps from competition for three months |
east london <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the circus has come to town and the villagers are in a frenzy . the light fantastic opening , the displays of super-human strength , the heroes born under the united roar of the crowd . who can deny the intoxicating beat of the olympic drum ? well , quite a few actually . was it really wise spending $ 14 billion in these times of austerity ? surely it was heavy-handed to install missiles on residents'rooftops ? the recruitment shambles involving security company g4s suggested embarrassing unpreparedness ? yet it seems from the moment danny boyle took us on a whimsical journey through british history in the opening ceremony , that cynicism has melted away . opposing voices , which a year ago appeared the norm , are now labeled killjoys and whingers . even london mayor boris johnson told them to put a sock in it ' and support the greatest sporting show on earth . but those skeptical voices continue to murmur , with not everyone falling under the olympic spell . this charming man ' has england ever been so foul with patriotism ? ' former smiths front man morrissey asked during the games . the flags draped over the shoulders of sobbing medalists were nothing short of blustering jingoism ' in the british rocker 's eyes . those moments that had us gathered in fervor around the water cooler -- michael phelps'record medal haul , usain bolt 's historic 100m and 200m runs , gold after gold for team gb -- were positively perverse , according to the 1980s rock icon . it is lethal to witness . as london is suddenly promoted as a super-wealth brand , the england outside london shivers beneath cutbacks , tight circumstances and economic disasters , ' he said . meanwhile the british media present 24-hour coverage of the dazzling royals ' , laughing as they lavishly spend , as if such coverage is certain to make british society feel fully whole . ' the other olympics part of the reasoning behind the olympic torch route was to make britons feel part of the games . but as it made its way from athens to the stadium in stratford , another very different flame was winding across london . the counter olympics torch , passed on from protesters at the vancouver winter games , arrived at leyton marsh in hackney to a small gathering of demonstrators . the homemade cone bore the banner end poverty ' and represented hope for all those for whom the olympics has become a symbol of repression , eviction , greed and arrogance , ' according to organizers the counter olympic network . this was not the flame accompanied by david beckham on a speed boat and sprinted into the roaring olympic stadium before a television audience of 900 million . i 'm sure there will be a lot of euphoria during the games . but when the tv is n't showing images of people winning medals it will be a very different story . ' julian cheyne , spokesman for the counter olympics network told cnn . it claims to deliver lots of things such as tourists , inspiring people to take up sport , regenerating east london . but that 's not the case . people have lost their homes , others have gone to jail , local businesses are n't going to get anything out of this . ' cheyne has reason to be angry . in 2007 he was moved out of his home on the clays lane estate in newham , east london , to make way for the site of the olympics . a tenant for 16 years , julian now lives in social housing in neighboring borough tower hamlets . some people did n't mind moving . but i 'd been living there since 1991 . i was happy there , ' he said . jailhouse rock now the impressive olympic park is finally built , it is easy to forget what was on the site before . but the compulsory use of land has been a sore point for some east londoners . in april protesters camped for four weeks outside the building site of a temporary basketball court in nearby leyton marshes , hackney . the demonstration finally ended in a standoff with police , with four of the protesters arrested and jailed for five days . one of them , 29-year-old simon moore , was handed an anti social behavior order ( asbo ) and ordered to not to go within 100m of any olympic venue or activity . the local people were n't consulted about a site that 's very important to them , ' said moore . people walk their dogs there , run there , picnic there . it was almost like the olympic juggernaut created this thing that just had to be done at any cost . ' despite his anger , moore makes an important distinction between the athletes competing and the management of the olympics . there are moments i 've been caught up in the atmosphere . but let 's have an olympics that respects the community and leaves a lasting legacy . let 's have an equitable games that 's more than just a television experience , ' he added . brand london 2012 it is a sentiment shared by former olympics sustainability commissioner , meredith alexander , who quit her role earlier this year after dow chemicals was awarded a major sponsorship deal -- including a fabric wrap around the stadium . campaigners argue dow holds responsibility for the 1984 bhopal disaster in india , in which at least 15,000 people died in a gas leak -- a claim which the company denies . dow bought union carbide -- the company which ran the pesticide plant -- 16 years after the disaster and argues it has no responsibility for bhopal . but for meredith , the evidence was too damming to ignore . i think the olympics belong to all of us -- it 's supposed to be about celebrating our common humanity . but when you look at the sponsors , i find it impossible to see how the international olympic committee can square that with the ethics of these companies , ' she said . shot down away from the park , chris nineham 's looks out his kitchen window in east london to see anti-terrorist missiles perched on neighbors'rooftops . perhaps unsurprisingly , olympic skepticism is still rife for people living beneath these constant reminders of diabolical terror . the way the media is presenting the olympics as a success just is n't reflective , ' said nineham , spokesman for stop the olympic missiles . when they change the concierge they consult you . but when they place weapons of mass destruction on top of your house there 's zero consultation . ' boom times ? before the games started , londoners had been told to prepare back-up plans for getting into work , lest they be swallowed by the swarms of tourists clogging peak-hour tubes . likewise , businesses were assured of a recession-busting boom . but the capital has been eerily quiet as londoners fled on holiday and tourists appeared to side-step the olympic town . there will be a slight boost from the games -- the economy is expected to grow by 0.6 % immediately afterwards -- but the glow will fade . once the games are over , the problems facing the uk economy will still be there , ' said howard archer , ihs global insight 's chief uk and european economist . he predicted ticket sales and a spurt in temporary work would help nudge the economy , but gdp is likely to be only flat at best overall in 2012 , ' added archer . and the economy could even take an extra hit from everyone watching the olympics on tv instead of working , he warned . well , not quite everyone . | east london residents moved from their homes , others gone to jail |
dunga <tsp> ( cnn ) -- brazil coach dunga has been sacked after their shock world cup quarterfinal exit to the netherlands . his side were beaten 2-1 on friday after taking a first half lead and looking set to secure a place in the last four . the cycle of work started in 2006 and which culminated with the elimination of brazil in the world cup in south africa is finished , ' said a statement on the official website of brazilian football confederation ( cbf ) . the cbf announces the dismissal of the technical commission of the brazilian team . the new commission will be announced at the end of july . ' dunga , 46 , who skippered brazil to the 1994 world cup , had been national team coach since 2006 and led them to a copa america triumph the following year . despite his successful record , they also topped south american qualifying for the world cup , dunga had come under criticism at home for his side 's alleged lack of attacking flair . and after the port elizabeth defeat to the dutch , he indicated he would be standing down . however , on his arrival home on sunday , dunga did not rule out staying in the job . i am going to rest before meeting , in one or two weeks'time , the president of the cbf , ricardo teixeira to talk about it ( extending his stay in charge ) , ' dunga told a news conference , but his optimism was misplaced . with brazil hosting the world cup in 2014 , dunga 's successor is obviously key and local media have already made luiz felipe scolari the favorite . scolari guided brazil to their fifth world cup triumph in 2002 , but was less successful in his spell with english premier league chelsea where he was sacked . he is currently coaching at brazilian club side palmeiras . the brazilian team received a hostile reception on their return home , with much of the fans'anger directed at felipe melo , who scored an own goal against the dutch and was also sent off . | brazil coach dunga sacked after their world cup exit to netherlands |
dunga <tsp> ( cnn ) -- brazil coach dunga has been sacked after their shock world cup quarterfinal exit to the netherlands . his side were beaten 2-1 on friday after taking a first half lead and looking set to secure a place in the last four . the cycle of work started in 2006 and which culminated with the elimination of brazil in the world cup in south africa is finished , ' said a statement on the official website of brazilian football confederation ( cbf ) . the cbf announces the dismissal of the technical commission of the brazilian team . the new commission will be announced at the end of july . ' dunga , 46 , who skippered brazil to the 1994 world cup , had been national team coach since 2006 and led them to a copa america triumph the following year . despite his successful record , they also topped south american qualifying for the world cup , dunga had come under criticism at home for his side 's alleged lack of attacking flair . and after the port elizabeth defeat to the dutch , he indicated he would be standing down . however , on his arrival home on sunday , dunga did not rule out staying in the job . i am going to rest before meeting , in one or two weeks'time , the president of the cbf , ricardo teixeira to talk about it ( extending his stay in charge ) , ' dunga told a news conference , but his optimism was misplaced . with brazil hosting the world cup in 2014 , dunga 's successor is obviously key and local media have already made luiz felipe scolari the favorite . scolari guided brazil to their fifth world cup triumph in 2002 , but was less successful in his spell with english premier league chelsea where he was sacked . he is currently coaching at brazilian club side palmeiras . the brazilian team received a hostile reception on their return home , with much of the fans'anger directed at felipe melo , who scored an own goal against the dutch and was also sent off . | dunga heard the news shortly after he returned with team from south africa |
lewis hamilton <tsp> ( cnn ) -- former formula one world champion jenson button has told cnn that he believes the sport 's decision to switch to pirelli tires for 2011 will suit his style of racing . the italian manufacturer are producing tires that are more bio-degradable than previous years , meaning drivers need to place a greater emphasis on the way they handle their cars -- something that button feels plays to his strengths . with the new formula one season about to start in melbourne , button told cnn sport 's don riddell : i am good to my tires , it is something i have worked on for many years . will new tires decide the formula one title ? for me it is important to be precise with everything i do , the steering , the throttle , the breaks , ' added the briton . and with these new tires there will be more stability , which is something i really look for in a car , so hopefully it will really help me . ' button is taller than mclaren teammate lewis hamilton and the cockpit of the mp4-26 has been moulded to his specifications , in sharp contrast to last season when the 2010 mclaren was built around hamilton 's specifications . button said : last year was a little bit tricky for me to get into the car . it was built for lewis , who is shorter than me . this new car is fitted around me so i feel a lot more at home . i have got my own steering wheel with buttons fitted exactly where i want them , which is a nice feeling . if you do n't feel at home in a car , you do n't feel part of it -- and you need to feel part of it to drive it well . ' button has already won one world title but believes he has the ability to add to that 2009 success and has not lost the desire to become champion again . racing in formula one , and trying to win , is the most important thing in my life at the moment and to win the world title again would be a great feeling , ' said button . but i really do n't know if that would be enough for me . you always want more and , at this moment in time , one more world title would be enough for me . but if i do win the world title this year , i think it would be very difficult for me to walk away from the sport . ' | the briton confirms that last year 's mclaren was built to suit the smaller lewis hamilton |
westboro <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the father of a marine whose funeral was picketed by the westboro baptist church says an order to pay the protesters'legal costs in a civil claim is nothing less than a slap in the face . ' by the court making this decision , they 're not only telling me that they 're taking their side , but i have to pay them money to do this to more soldiers and their families , ' said albert snyder , whose son , lance cpl . matthew snyder , was killed in action in iraq in 2006 . members of the fundamentalist church based in topeka , kansas , appeared outside snyder 's funeral in 2006 in westminster , maryland , carrying signs reading you 're going to hell , ' god hates you ' and thank god for dead soldiers . ' among the teachings of the church , which was founded in 1955 by pastor fred phelps , is the belief that god is punishing the united states for the sin of homosexuality ' through events such as soldiers'deaths . margie phelps , the daughter of fred phelps and the attorney representing the church in its appeals , also said the money that the church receives from snyder will be used to finance demonstrations . but she also said that the order was a consequence of his decision to sue the church over the demonstration . mr. snyder and his attorneys have engaged the legal system ; there are some rules to that legal engagement , ' said phelps , a member of westboro who says she has participated in more than 150 protests of military funerals . they wanted to shut down the picketing so now they 're going to finance it , ' she said . the 4th circuit court of appeals on friday ordered that snyder pay more than $ 16,000 in costs requested by westboro for copies of motions , briefs and appendices , according to court documents . in a motion filed in october , snyder 's lawyer , who is representing him for free , asked the court to dismiss the bill of costs , or , alternatively , reduce the 50-cent fee per page or charge snyder only for copies that were necessary to make their arguments on appeal . we objected based upon ability to pay and the fairness of the situation , ' sean summers said . the mostly pro-forma ruling is the latest chapter in an ongoing legal saga that pits privacy rights of grieving families against the free speech rights of demonstrators , however disturbing and provocative their message . snyder 's family sued the church and went to trial in 2007 alleging privacy invasion , intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy . a jury awarded the family $ 2.9 million in compensatory damages plus $ 8 million in punitive damages , which were reduced to $ 5 million . westboro in 2008 appealed the case to the 4th district , which reversed the judgments a year later , siding with the church 's claims that its first amendment rights had been violated . the protest was confined to a public area under supervision and regulation of local law enforcement and did not disrupt the church service , ' the circuit court opinion said . although reasonable people may disagree about the appropriateness of the phelps'protest , this conduct simply does not satisfy the heavy burden required for the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress under maryland law . ' the u.s. supreme court has agreed to hear the case to address issues of laws designed to protect the sanctity and dignity of memorial and funeral services ' as well as the privacy of family and friends of the deceased . the justices will be asked to address how far states and private entities such as cemeteries and churches can go to justify picket-free zones and the use of floating buffers ' to silence or restrict speech or movements of demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights in a funeral setting . both phelps and snyder 's attorney said they were surprised that the 4th district chose to weigh in on the issue of legal costs when they could have waited until after the supreme court hearing . phelps believes the ruling bodes well for her side . it is a good harbinger of the fact that the supreme court will remind this nation that you do n't have mob rule . the fact that so many people hate these words does not mean you can silence or penalize them . that 's supposed to be the great liberty that we congratulate ourselves on protecting in this nation . we strut all around the world forcing people to give all the liberties we supposedly have , ' she said . phelps anticipated that a supreme court ruling in the church 's favor would be unpopular , but she said westboro 's members viewed the potential outcome in biblical terms . when the supreme court unanimously upholds the 4th circuit , it 's going to put this country in a rage , and we will be expelled , ' she said . but whenever it was time for an epic event in the bible , the thing that happened right before is the prophets were removed from the land , and that 's what 's going to happen to us . ... we 're going to sprint to the end of this race . ' snyder claims he is unable to pay any legal costs in the case and is attempting to raise funds on his son 's site , http : //www.matthewsnyder.org/ . he is equally optimistic that he will prevail before the supreme court . the american people keep my spirits lifted a lot and give me hope . i think most of the country is on my side on this issue , ' he said . too many people have died to protect our rights and freedoms to have them degraded and spit upon like this church does . ' cnn 's bill mears contributed to this report . | westboro lawyer says order consequence of lawsuit , says money will fund protests |
westboro <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the father of a marine whose funeral was picketed by the westboro baptist church says an order to pay the protesters'legal costs in a civil claim is nothing less than a slap in the face . ' by the court making this decision , they 're not only telling me that they 're taking their side , but i have to pay them money to do this to more soldiers and their families , ' said albert snyder , whose son , lance cpl . matthew snyder , was killed in action in iraq in 2006 . members of the fundamentalist church based in topeka , kansas , appeared outside snyder 's funeral in 2006 in westminster , maryland , carrying signs reading you 're going to hell , ' god hates you ' and thank god for dead soldiers . ' among the teachings of the church , which was founded in 1955 by pastor fred phelps , is the belief that god is punishing the united states for the sin of homosexuality ' through events such as soldiers'deaths . margie phelps , the daughter of fred phelps and the attorney representing the church in its appeals , also said the money that the church receives from snyder will be used to finance demonstrations . but she also said that the order was a consequence of his decision to sue the church over the demonstration . mr. snyder and his attorneys have engaged the legal system ; there are some rules to that legal engagement , ' said phelps , a member of westboro who says she has participated in more than 150 protests of military funerals . they wanted to shut down the picketing so now they 're going to finance it , ' she said . the 4th circuit court of appeals on friday ordered that snyder pay more than $ 16,000 in costs requested by westboro for copies of motions , briefs and appendices , according to court documents . in a motion filed in october , snyder 's lawyer , who is representing him for free , asked the court to dismiss the bill of costs , or , alternatively , reduce the 50-cent fee per page or charge snyder only for copies that were necessary to make their arguments on appeal . we objected based upon ability to pay and the fairness of the situation , ' sean summers said . the mostly pro-forma ruling is the latest chapter in an ongoing legal saga that pits privacy rights of grieving families against the free speech rights of demonstrators , however disturbing and provocative their message . snyder 's family sued the church and went to trial in 2007 alleging privacy invasion , intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy . a jury awarded the family $ 2.9 million in compensatory damages plus $ 8 million in punitive damages , which were reduced to $ 5 million . westboro in 2008 appealed the case to the 4th district , which reversed the judgments a year later , siding with the church 's claims that its first amendment rights had been violated . the protest was confined to a public area under supervision and regulation of local law enforcement and did not disrupt the church service , ' the circuit court opinion said . although reasonable people may disagree about the appropriateness of the phelps'protest , this conduct simply does not satisfy the heavy burden required for the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress under maryland law . ' the u.s. supreme court has agreed to hear the case to address issues of laws designed to protect the sanctity and dignity of memorial and funeral services ' as well as the privacy of family and friends of the deceased . the justices will be asked to address how far states and private entities such as cemeteries and churches can go to justify picket-free zones and the use of floating buffers ' to silence or restrict speech or movements of demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights in a funeral setting . both phelps and snyder 's attorney said they were surprised that the 4th district chose to weigh in on the issue of legal costs when they could have waited until after the supreme court hearing . phelps believes the ruling bodes well for her side . it is a good harbinger of the fact that the supreme court will remind this nation that you do n't have mob rule . the fact that so many people hate these words does not mean you can silence or penalize them . that 's supposed to be the great liberty that we congratulate ourselves on protecting in this nation . we strut all around the world forcing people to give all the liberties we supposedly have , ' she said . phelps anticipated that a supreme court ruling in the church 's favor would be unpopular , but she said westboro 's members viewed the potential outcome in biblical terms . when the supreme court unanimously upholds the 4th circuit , it 's going to put this country in a rage , and we will be expelled , ' she said . but whenever it was time for an epic event in the bible , the thing that happened right before is the prophets were removed from the land , and that 's what 's going to happen to us . ... we 're going to sprint to the end of this race . ' snyder claims he is unable to pay any legal costs in the case and is attempting to raise funds on his son 's site , http : //www.matthewsnyder.org/ . he is equally optimistic that he will prevail before the supreme court . the american people keep my spirits lifted a lot and give me hope . i think most of the country is on my side on this issue , ' he said . too many people have died to protect our rights and freedoms to have them degraded and spit upon like this church does . ' cnn 's bill mears contributed to this report . | 4th circuit reversed judgments against westboro in'09 ; high court will hear case |
westboro <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the father of a marine whose funeral was picketed by the westboro baptist church says an order to pay the protesters'legal costs in a civil claim is nothing less than a slap in the face . ' by the court making this decision , they 're not only telling me that they 're taking their side , but i have to pay them money to do this to more soldiers and their families , ' said albert snyder , whose son , lance cpl . matthew snyder , was killed in action in iraq in 2006 . members of the fundamentalist church based in topeka , kansas , appeared outside snyder 's funeral in 2006 in westminster , maryland , carrying signs reading you 're going to hell , ' god hates you ' and thank god for dead soldiers . ' among the teachings of the church , which was founded in 1955 by pastor fred phelps , is the belief that god is punishing the united states for the sin of homosexuality ' through events such as soldiers'deaths . margie phelps , the daughter of fred phelps and the attorney representing the church in its appeals , also said the money that the church receives from snyder will be used to finance demonstrations . but she also said that the order was a consequence of his decision to sue the church over the demonstration . mr. snyder and his attorneys have engaged the legal system ; there are some rules to that legal engagement , ' said phelps , a member of westboro who says she has participated in more than 150 protests of military funerals . they wanted to shut down the picketing so now they 're going to finance it , ' she said . the 4th circuit court of appeals on friday ordered that snyder pay more than $ 16,000 in costs requested by westboro for copies of motions , briefs and appendices , according to court documents . in a motion filed in october , snyder 's lawyer , who is representing him for free , asked the court to dismiss the bill of costs , or , alternatively , reduce the 50-cent fee per page or charge snyder only for copies that were necessary to make their arguments on appeal . we objected based upon ability to pay and the fairness of the situation , ' sean summers said . the mostly pro-forma ruling is the latest chapter in an ongoing legal saga that pits privacy rights of grieving families against the free speech rights of demonstrators , however disturbing and provocative their message . snyder 's family sued the church and went to trial in 2007 alleging privacy invasion , intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy . a jury awarded the family $ 2.9 million in compensatory damages plus $ 8 million in punitive damages , which were reduced to $ 5 million . westboro in 2008 appealed the case to the 4th district , which reversed the judgments a year later , siding with the church 's claims that its first amendment rights had been violated . the protest was confined to a public area under supervision and regulation of local law enforcement and did not disrupt the church service , ' the circuit court opinion said . although reasonable people may disagree about the appropriateness of the phelps'protest , this conduct simply does not satisfy the heavy burden required for the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress under maryland law . ' the u.s. supreme court has agreed to hear the case to address issues of laws designed to protect the sanctity and dignity of memorial and funeral services ' as well as the privacy of family and friends of the deceased . the justices will be asked to address how far states and private entities such as cemeteries and churches can go to justify picket-free zones and the use of floating buffers ' to silence or restrict speech or movements of demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights in a funeral setting . both phelps and snyder 's attorney said they were surprised that the 4th district chose to weigh in on the issue of legal costs when they could have waited until after the supreme court hearing . phelps believes the ruling bodes well for her side . it is a good harbinger of the fact that the supreme court will remind this nation that you do n't have mob rule . the fact that so many people hate these words does not mean you can silence or penalize them . that 's supposed to be the great liberty that we congratulate ourselves on protecting in this nation . we strut all around the world forcing people to give all the liberties we supposedly have , ' she said . phelps anticipated that a supreme court ruling in the church 's favor would be unpopular , but she said westboro 's members viewed the potential outcome in biblical terms . when the supreme court unanimously upholds the 4th circuit , it 's going to put this country in a rage , and we will be expelled , ' she said . but whenever it was time for an epic event in the bible , the thing that happened right before is the prophets were removed from the land , and that 's what 's going to happen to us . ... we 're going to sprint to the end of this race . ' snyder claims he is unable to pay any legal costs in the case and is attempting to raise funds on his son 's site , http : //www.matthewsnyder.org/ . he is equally optimistic that he will prevail before the supreme court . the american people keep my spirits lifted a lot and give me hope . i think most of the country is on my side on this issue , ' he said . too many people have died to protect our rights and freedoms to have them degraded and spit upon like this church does . ' cnn 's bill mears contributed to this report . | snyder 's family sued westboro baptist church for protesting marine 's funeral in 2006 |
pew <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for all the complexity of our national complexion , americans still too often think that white makes right . consider a new study of census returns reported on by the pew research center . it showed , apparently , that significant numbers of hispanics are now identifying as white . the research was presented at the recent population association of america meeting . some news reports suggested that hispanics , rather than solidifying a distinct ethnic identity and becoming the driving force of a majority-minority ' future , might instead try to be just the latest group of immigrants , such as italians or jews , to become white . ' such a shift , if it 's real , has potentially big implications . think about national politics , where the republican party plays to a shrinking , aging and increasingly anxious base of white voters . if large numbers of hispanics were to start thinking of themselves as white , that could alter the calculations and rhetoric of the gop . but it turns out such scenarios are at best premature . what the new research really appears to reveal is just how confused we continue to be about race -- and how , even amidst this confusion , whiteness remains a dangerously malleable idea that americans must deal with more candidly . let 's start with the three points of confusion that pew 's report on the new research revealed . first , and most basic , is a statement that has been repeated yet ignored so often that it 's like the fine print in an ad : hispanics can be of any race . ' that means there are black , white , even asian hispanics . the label hispanic ' -- meaning , with origins or heritage in spanish-speaking countries ' -- was intended by the census to be a category of linguistic and ethnic heritage , not an official race ' of its own . yet in recent decades , hispanics or latinos have indeed begun to forge a cross-cutting identity that can feel like a racial category ( shorthanded as brown ' ) and is sometimes set beside the other major blocs of america 's racial color grid . so hispanics can be at once a race and not a race . it 's no wonder that media coverage of hispanics can be muddled . the second point of confusion is that the new research did not in fact find a hispanic flight to whiteness . what it found was that growing numbers of hispanics , when told by government forms that they were not a race unto themselves and that they had to choose a race , chose the category called white . ' as the study authors noted , this reflected the convolutions and limits of the census forms ( which are to change in 2020 ) at least as much any underlying yearning among hispanics to be white . but this brings us to the third point of confusion , which is that to the extent that some hispanics did in fact want to be seen as white rather than hispanic , they were using the clumsy language of color to express the subtle reality of class . an earlier pew report indicated that the longer their families had been in america , the more likely hispanics were to check the white ' box . this suggests that the way americans say upward mobility for immigrants ' or mainstream integration ' is still too often becoming white . ' indeed , sometimes our national discourse on race proceeds as if it were all about groups of color vying to be acknowledged , while white people sit back and watch . the invention of panethnic categories such as latino ' or asian american , ' categories that take on a racial life of their own , is in part a reaction to the white-norming of politics and pop culture . but it 's also a time-tested , all-american tradition . for proof , look no further than the invention of the white race itself . the great waves of immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries -- to say nothing of the baroque rules of racial categorization in the slaveholding south -- showed that americans have always been deviously flexible about deciding who gets to be white . at first the irish were n't , then they were . same with the italians and jews . in more recent times , asian americans who 've achieved in visible ways have been granted honorary white ' status ( wanted or not ) , while some people of color seeking middle-class success have been accused by their co-ethnics of acting white ' ( whether they thought of it that way or not ) . the great risk , underscored by the reactions to the new research , is that we go on unthinkingly treating whiteness as the ideal and social baseline of american life . that 's harmful because it subordinates people whose backgrounds are n't white ' and because it stunts the capacity of all people -- not least poor and working-class whites -- to name and reckon with class divides and inequality . i propose a better way of talking about what third- or fourth-generation hispanics , or ambitious new arrivals in chinatown , or resilient african american first-in-the-family college students are all doing . they 're not becoming white . they 're becoming american . and to become american is now a more colorful , complex and class-bound undertaking than it has ever been . let 's learn to see it that way . correction : an earlier version of this article misidentified the source of the new research reported on by pew . it was presented at the annual population association of america meeting . share your stories of your modern family | eric liu : pew study of census data shows many hispanics now identifying as white |
merry christmas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's now a week after new years day . can we please stop saying , happy new year ? ' telling people happy new year ' more than a week after the first of the year is like keeping your christmas lights up until february . it 's tacky . and i grew up in new jersey ; i know a thing or two about tacky . plus it 's bad new year 's etiquette . that 's not just me talking , that 's the opinion of etiquette expert crystal seamon-primas , founder of the south jersey school of etiquette . ( stop laughing . we are not all jersey shore . ' ) seamon-primas told me : in my opinion , after the first week , i stop wishing others a happy new year , the new year is well on its way . ' the biggest reason we need to stop new year 's wishes weeks into the year is that it sounds so insincere . hollow , not heartfelt , like something you say to a co-worker you really do n't know well to fill an awkward silence , a small step up from , that 's some weather we 're having , huh ? ' the same goes for the insincerity you detect when people greet you a few days after january 1 with the question : so how 's your new year been so far ? ' really ? you are actually asking if i have survived the first grueling ' 48 hours of the year ? if you really care about how my year is going , ask me in october . look : no one says happy thanksgiving ' on december 1 . i never heard anyone offer a happy fourth of july ' on july 6 . and when is the last time you heard a happy st. patrick 's day ' on march 19 ? even with the big religious holidays , well wishing starts before the holiday and stops with its occurrence . go ahead and joyfully exchange wishes of have a merry christmas ' the week before the holiday through christmas day , but not on december 29 . happy hanukah greetings are fine throughout the eight-day holiday but not after . and ramadan wishes are contained within the 30 days of the holy month and stop with the eid celebration at the month 's end . tech : losing new year 's resolve ? google wants to help sure , i get it : it 's a wish for a full year , not just a day . but among the vast array of omens that predict good fortune for the coming year , not one involves saying happy new year 's for weeks on end . believe me , there are some odd superstitions out there that will supposedly bring you luck for the year , from kissing a loved one as the clock strikes midnight to writing your new year 's wishes on a piece of paper and planting it in the ground to eating lentils or black-eyed peas on new year 's day . there are even admonitions to avoid certain activities on new year 's day because they portend bad luck for the coming year . one such superstition tells us that eating poultry on new year 's day means you will financially struggle for the coming year , which i really wish i had known before i ate chicken with mixed vegetables on january 1 . if even one custom instructed us that extended new year 's wishes would increase the chances the year would indeed be a good one , i 'd be saying happy new year 's every day until april . but none do . consequently , i propose that from here out we need to come together in a bipartisan fashion -- as a lesson to our dysfunctional congress -- and stop with new year 's wishes after the first seven days of the year . if someone does offer you such a greeting two or three weeks into the new year , do n't be rude , simply explain that it 's like wishing someone happy valentines day on february 18 in time , hopefully we 'll all be on the same page on this issue . however , even if you are reading this after january 7 , i still sincerely wish you , and your family , a very happy and healthy new year . but this is the very last time i will say that in 2013 . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of dean obeidallah . | he says we do n't say merry christmas or happy hanukah when those holidays are over |
obeidallah <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's now a week after new years day . can we please stop saying , happy new year ? ' telling people happy new year ' more than a week after the first of the year is like keeping your christmas lights up until february . it 's tacky . and i grew up in new jersey ; i know a thing or two about tacky . plus it 's bad new year 's etiquette . that 's not just me talking , that 's the opinion of etiquette expert crystal seamon-primas , founder of the south jersey school of etiquette . ( stop laughing . we are not all jersey shore . ' ) seamon-primas told me : in my opinion , after the first week , i stop wishing others a happy new year , the new year is well on its way . ' the biggest reason we need to stop new year 's wishes weeks into the year is that it sounds so insincere . hollow , not heartfelt , like something you say to a co-worker you really do n't know well to fill an awkward silence , a small step up from , that 's some weather we 're having , huh ? ' the same goes for the insincerity you detect when people greet you a few days after january 1 with the question : so how 's your new year been so far ? ' really ? you are actually asking if i have survived the first grueling ' 48 hours of the year ? if you really care about how my year is going , ask me in october . look : no one says happy thanksgiving ' on december 1 . i never heard anyone offer a happy fourth of july ' on july 6 . and when is the last time you heard a happy st. patrick 's day ' on march 19 ? even with the big religious holidays , well wishing starts before the holiday and stops with its occurrence . go ahead and joyfully exchange wishes of have a merry christmas ' the week before the holiday through christmas day , but not on december 29 . happy hanukah greetings are fine throughout the eight-day holiday but not after . and ramadan wishes are contained within the 30 days of the holy month and stop with the eid celebration at the month 's end . tech : losing new year 's resolve ? google wants to help sure , i get it : it 's a wish for a full year , not just a day . but among the vast array of omens that predict good fortune for the coming year , not one involves saying happy new year 's for weeks on end . believe me , there are some odd superstitions out there that will supposedly bring you luck for the year , from kissing a loved one as the clock strikes midnight to writing your new year 's wishes on a piece of paper and planting it in the ground to eating lentils or black-eyed peas on new year 's day . there are even admonitions to avoid certain activities on new year 's day because they portend bad luck for the coming year . one such superstition tells us that eating poultry on new year 's day means you will financially struggle for the coming year , which i really wish i had known before i ate chicken with mixed vegetables on january 1 . if even one custom instructed us that extended new year 's wishes would increase the chances the year would indeed be a good one , i 'd be saying happy new year 's every day until april . but none do . consequently , i propose that from here out we need to come together in a bipartisan fashion -- as a lesson to our dysfunctional congress -- and stop with new year 's wishes after the first seven days of the year . if someone does offer you such a greeting two or three weeks into the new year , do n't be rude , simply explain that it 's like wishing someone happy valentines day on february 18 in time , hopefully we 'll all be on the same page on this issue . however , even if you are reading this after january 7 , i still sincerely wish you , and your family , a very happy and healthy new year . but this is the very last time i will say that in 2013 . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of dean obeidallah . | dean obeidallah : you can stop saying happy new year now . it 's tacky and too late |
obeidallah <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's now a week after new years day . can we please stop saying , happy new year ? ' telling people happy new year ' more than a week after the first of the year is like keeping your christmas lights up until february . it 's tacky . and i grew up in new jersey ; i know a thing or two about tacky . plus it 's bad new year 's etiquette . that 's not just me talking , that 's the opinion of etiquette expert crystal seamon-primas , founder of the south jersey school of etiquette . ( stop laughing . we are not all jersey shore . ' ) seamon-primas told me : in my opinion , after the first week , i stop wishing others a happy new year , the new year is well on its way . ' the biggest reason we need to stop new year 's wishes weeks into the year is that it sounds so insincere . hollow , not heartfelt , like something you say to a co-worker you really do n't know well to fill an awkward silence , a small step up from , that 's some weather we 're having , huh ? ' the same goes for the insincerity you detect when people greet you a few days after january 1 with the question : so how 's your new year been so far ? ' really ? you are actually asking if i have survived the first grueling ' 48 hours of the year ? if you really care about how my year is going , ask me in october . look : no one says happy thanksgiving ' on december 1 . i never heard anyone offer a happy fourth of july ' on july 6 . and when is the last time you heard a happy st. patrick 's day ' on march 19 ? even with the big religious holidays , well wishing starts before the holiday and stops with its occurrence . go ahead and joyfully exchange wishes of have a merry christmas ' the week before the holiday through christmas day , but not on december 29 . happy hanukah greetings are fine throughout the eight-day holiday but not after . and ramadan wishes are contained within the 30 days of the holy month and stop with the eid celebration at the month 's end . tech : losing new year 's resolve ? google wants to help sure , i get it : it 's a wish for a full year , not just a day . but among the vast array of omens that predict good fortune for the coming year , not one involves saying happy new year 's for weeks on end . believe me , there are some odd superstitions out there that will supposedly bring you luck for the year , from kissing a loved one as the clock strikes midnight to writing your new year 's wishes on a piece of paper and planting it in the ground to eating lentils or black-eyed peas on new year 's day . there are even admonitions to avoid certain activities on new year 's day because they portend bad luck for the coming year . one such superstition tells us that eating poultry on new year 's day means you will financially struggle for the coming year , which i really wish i had known before i ate chicken with mixed vegetables on january 1 . if even one custom instructed us that extended new year 's wishes would increase the chances the year would indeed be a good one , i 'd be saying happy new year 's every day until april . but none do . consequently , i propose that from here out we need to come together in a bipartisan fashion -- as a lesson to our dysfunctional congress -- and stop with new year 's wishes after the first seven days of the year . if someone does offer you such a greeting two or three weeks into the new year , do n't be rude , simply explain that it 's like wishing someone happy valentines day on february 18 in time , hopefully we 'll all be on the same page on this issue . however , even if you are reading this after january 7 , i still sincerely wish you , and your family , a very happy and healthy new year . but this is the very last time i will say that in 2013 . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of dean obeidallah . | obeidallah : it gets progressively more insincere . lets agree to cut off the greeting at 7 days |
jackson <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- a top aeg executive referred to michael jackson as the freak ' and another called him creepy ' just hours before their company signed the pop icon to a huge concert deal . the revelation brought an audible gasp in the los angeles courtroom at the wrongful death trial wednesday and left fans crying . jackson 's mother and children are suing aeg live for what they say was the negligent hiring , retention or supervision of dr. conrad murray , the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the singer 's death . katherine jackson watched from the front row as her lawyer questioned aeg live senior vice president and general counsel shawn trell about an e-mail exchange with his boss at parent company aeg . the jackson family matriarch began weeping when trell returned to the witness stand thursday morning . she left the courtroom and did not return . sweet controversy at death trial ' is it the policy of aeg to talk in derogatory terms about the artist you 're going to do business with ? ' jackson lawyer brian panish asked . no , ' trell answered . panish then showed jurors an e-mail trell sent on january 28 , 2009 , to ted fikre , aeg 's chief legal officer , letting him know he was about to go to jackson 's home for the signing of the contract for his this is it ' concert tour . does that mean you get to meet the freak ? ' fikre replied . trell responded : apparently . not sure how i feel about that . interesting for sure , but kind of creepy . ' the e-mail exchange happened less than four hours before trell and other aeg executives visited jackson 's los angeles home . aeg execs face questions about jackson 's death ' this is a man you hoped to make millions and millions of dollars from ? ' panish asked trell . did n't your mom ever say if you do n't have anything good to to say about someone , do n't say anything ? ' trell earlier testified that he was excited to meet jackson for the first time and was impressed with his good , firm handshake . ' i may not have necessarily agreed with some of the life choices michael jackson made , but i certainly had enormous respect for him as an entertainer . ' manager 's e-mails found , could be key a dry review most of wednesday 's session was a dry review of jackson and murray 's contracts as aeg live 's defense team worked to convince jurors that murray was not hired by the concert promoter . jackson chose , hired and supervised the doctor , they contend . murray signed his contract the day before jackson 's june 25 , 2009 , death , but aeg executives and jackson never put their signatures on it . jackson lawyers , however , argue he had been already working for two months based on an oral contract . the jackson lawsuit contends that aeg live executives ignored red flags that should have warned them that jackson was in danger from murray 's treatment . the coroner ruled that jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol , which murray told police he was using to treat the singer 's insomnia . panish -- the jackson family 's lead lawyer -- questioned trell thursday about his previous testimony that there were no red flags ' to alert aeg executives about jackson 's declining health . he showed jurors an e-mail sent to aeg live president randy phillips and co-ceo paul gongaware by this is it ' stage manager john bugzee ' houghdahl on june 19 , 2009 -- six days before jackson died . i have watched him deteriorate in front of my eyes over the last 8 weeks , ' houghdahl wrote . he was able to do multiple 360 spins back in april . he 'd fall on his ass if he tried now . ' another prince the name of prince rogers nelson -- the artist commonly known as prince -- came up when trell acknowledged that while aeg live had promoted about 100 tours , it had produced only one other concert tour the size of jackson 's shows . when panish suggested prince had not had a very favorable experience ' with aeg , trell said he 'd not spoken to him about it . panish : did you ever try to get a doctor for $ 150,000 a month for prince ? ' trell : no . ' panish : and is mr. nelson is still alive today ? ' trell : yes . ' witness :'everybody was lying'after jackson died | jackson 's mother and children claim the concert promoter is liable in his death |
jackson <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- a top aeg executive referred to michael jackson as the freak ' and another called him creepy ' just hours before their company signed the pop icon to a huge concert deal . the revelation brought an audible gasp in the los angeles courtroom at the wrongful death trial wednesday and left fans crying . jackson 's mother and children are suing aeg live for what they say was the negligent hiring , retention or supervision of dr. conrad murray , the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the singer 's death . katherine jackson watched from the front row as her lawyer questioned aeg live senior vice president and general counsel shawn trell about an e-mail exchange with his boss at parent company aeg . the jackson family matriarch began weeping when trell returned to the witness stand thursday morning . she left the courtroom and did not return . sweet controversy at death trial ' is it the policy of aeg to talk in derogatory terms about the artist you 're going to do business with ? ' jackson lawyer brian panish asked . no , ' trell answered . panish then showed jurors an e-mail trell sent on january 28 , 2009 , to ted fikre , aeg 's chief legal officer , letting him know he was about to go to jackson 's home for the signing of the contract for his this is it ' concert tour . does that mean you get to meet the freak ? ' fikre replied . trell responded : apparently . not sure how i feel about that . interesting for sure , but kind of creepy . ' the e-mail exchange happened less than four hours before trell and other aeg executives visited jackson 's los angeles home . aeg execs face questions about jackson 's death ' this is a man you hoped to make millions and millions of dollars from ? ' panish asked trell . did n't your mom ever say if you do n't have anything good to to say about someone , do n't say anything ? ' trell earlier testified that he was excited to meet jackson for the first time and was impressed with his good , firm handshake . ' i may not have necessarily agreed with some of the life choices michael jackson made , but i certainly had enormous respect for him as an entertainer . ' manager 's e-mails found , could be key a dry review most of wednesday 's session was a dry review of jackson and murray 's contracts as aeg live 's defense team worked to convince jurors that murray was not hired by the concert promoter . jackson chose , hired and supervised the doctor , they contend . murray signed his contract the day before jackson 's june 25 , 2009 , death , but aeg executives and jackson never put their signatures on it . jackson lawyers , however , argue he had been already working for two months based on an oral contract . the jackson lawsuit contends that aeg live executives ignored red flags that should have warned them that jackson was in danger from murray 's treatment . the coroner ruled that jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol , which murray told police he was using to treat the singer 's insomnia . panish -- the jackson family 's lead lawyer -- questioned trell thursday about his previous testimony that there were no red flags ' to alert aeg executives about jackson 's declining health . he showed jurors an e-mail sent to aeg live president randy phillips and co-ceo paul gongaware by this is it ' stage manager john bugzee ' houghdahl on june 19 , 2009 -- six days before jackson died . i have watched him deteriorate in front of my eyes over the last 8 weeks , ' houghdahl wrote . he was able to do multiple 360 spins back in april . he 'd fall on his ass if he tried now . ' another prince the name of prince rogers nelson -- the artist commonly known as prince -- came up when trell acknowledged that while aeg live had promoted about 100 tours , it had produced only one other concert tour the size of jackson 's shows . when panish suggested prince had not had a very favorable experience ' with aeg , trell said he 'd not spoken to him about it . panish : did you ever try to get a doctor for $ 150,000 a month for prince ? ' trell : no . ' panish : and is mr. nelson is still alive today ? ' trell : yes . ' witness :'everybody was lying'after jackson died | aeg live contends jackson , not it , chose the doctor convicted in his death |
jackson <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- a top aeg executive referred to michael jackson as the freak ' and another called him creepy ' just hours before their company signed the pop icon to a huge concert deal . the revelation brought an audible gasp in the los angeles courtroom at the wrongful death trial wednesday and left fans crying . jackson 's mother and children are suing aeg live for what they say was the negligent hiring , retention or supervision of dr. conrad murray , the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the singer 's death . katherine jackson watched from the front row as her lawyer questioned aeg live senior vice president and general counsel shawn trell about an e-mail exchange with his boss at parent company aeg . the jackson family matriarch began weeping when trell returned to the witness stand thursday morning . she left the courtroom and did not return . sweet controversy at death trial ' is it the policy of aeg to talk in derogatory terms about the artist you 're going to do business with ? ' jackson lawyer brian panish asked . no , ' trell answered . panish then showed jurors an e-mail trell sent on january 28 , 2009 , to ted fikre , aeg 's chief legal officer , letting him know he was about to go to jackson 's home for the signing of the contract for his this is it ' concert tour . does that mean you get to meet the freak ? ' fikre replied . trell responded : apparently . not sure how i feel about that . interesting for sure , but kind of creepy . ' the e-mail exchange happened less than four hours before trell and other aeg executives visited jackson 's los angeles home . aeg execs face questions about jackson 's death ' this is a man you hoped to make millions and millions of dollars from ? ' panish asked trell . did n't your mom ever say if you do n't have anything good to to say about someone , do n't say anything ? ' trell earlier testified that he was excited to meet jackson for the first time and was impressed with his good , firm handshake . ' i may not have necessarily agreed with some of the life choices michael jackson made , but i certainly had enormous respect for him as an entertainer . ' manager 's e-mails found , could be key a dry review most of wednesday 's session was a dry review of jackson and murray 's contracts as aeg live 's defense team worked to convince jurors that murray was not hired by the concert promoter . jackson chose , hired and supervised the doctor , they contend . murray signed his contract the day before jackson 's june 25 , 2009 , death , but aeg executives and jackson never put their signatures on it . jackson lawyers , however , argue he had been already working for two months based on an oral contract . the jackson lawsuit contends that aeg live executives ignored red flags that should have warned them that jackson was in danger from murray 's treatment . the coroner ruled that jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol , which murray told police he was using to treat the singer 's insomnia . panish -- the jackson family 's lead lawyer -- questioned trell thursday about his previous testimony that there were no red flags ' to alert aeg executives about jackson 's declining health . he showed jurors an e-mail sent to aeg live president randy phillips and co-ceo paul gongaware by this is it ' stage manager john bugzee ' houghdahl on june 19 , 2009 -- six days before jackson died . i have watched him deteriorate in front of my eyes over the last 8 weeks , ' houghdahl wrote . he was able to do multiple 360 spins back in april . he 'd fall on his ass if he tried now . ' another prince the name of prince rogers nelson -- the artist commonly known as prince -- came up when trell acknowledged that while aeg live had promoted about 100 tours , it had produced only one other concert tour the size of jackson 's shows . when panish suggested prince had not had a very favorable experience ' with aeg , trell said he 'd not spoken to him about it . panish : did you ever try to get a doctor for $ 150,000 a month for prince ? ' trell : no . ' panish : and is mr. nelson is still alive today ? ' trell : yes . ' witness :'everybody was lying'after jackson died | new : katherine jackson leaves court weeping thursday |
jackson <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- a top aeg executive referred to michael jackson as the freak ' and another called him creepy ' just hours before their company signed the pop icon to a huge concert deal . the revelation brought an audible gasp in the los angeles courtroom at the wrongful death trial wednesday and left fans crying . jackson 's mother and children are suing aeg live for what they say was the negligent hiring , retention or supervision of dr. conrad murray , the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the singer 's death . katherine jackson watched from the front row as her lawyer questioned aeg live senior vice president and general counsel shawn trell about an e-mail exchange with his boss at parent company aeg . the jackson family matriarch began weeping when trell returned to the witness stand thursday morning . she left the courtroom and did not return . sweet controversy at death trial ' is it the policy of aeg to talk in derogatory terms about the artist you 're going to do business with ? ' jackson lawyer brian panish asked . no , ' trell answered . panish then showed jurors an e-mail trell sent on january 28 , 2009 , to ted fikre , aeg 's chief legal officer , letting him know he was about to go to jackson 's home for the signing of the contract for his this is it ' concert tour . does that mean you get to meet the freak ? ' fikre replied . trell responded : apparently . not sure how i feel about that . interesting for sure , but kind of creepy . ' the e-mail exchange happened less than four hours before trell and other aeg executives visited jackson 's los angeles home . aeg execs face questions about jackson 's death ' this is a man you hoped to make millions and millions of dollars from ? ' panish asked trell . did n't your mom ever say if you do n't have anything good to to say about someone , do n't say anything ? ' trell earlier testified that he was excited to meet jackson for the first time and was impressed with his good , firm handshake . ' i may not have necessarily agreed with some of the life choices michael jackson made , but i certainly had enormous respect for him as an entertainer . ' manager 's e-mails found , could be key a dry review most of wednesday 's session was a dry review of jackson and murray 's contracts as aeg live 's defense team worked to convince jurors that murray was not hired by the concert promoter . jackson chose , hired and supervised the doctor , they contend . murray signed his contract the day before jackson 's june 25 , 2009 , death , but aeg executives and jackson never put their signatures on it . jackson lawyers , however , argue he had been already working for two months based on an oral contract . the jackson lawsuit contends that aeg live executives ignored red flags that should have warned them that jackson was in danger from murray 's treatment . the coroner ruled that jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol , which murray told police he was using to treat the singer 's insomnia . panish -- the jackson family 's lead lawyer -- questioned trell thursday about his previous testimony that there were no red flags ' to alert aeg executives about jackson 's declining health . he showed jurors an e-mail sent to aeg live president randy phillips and co-ceo paul gongaware by this is it ' stage manager john bugzee ' houghdahl on june 19 , 2009 -- six days before jackson died . i have watched him deteriorate in front of my eyes over the last 8 weeks , ' houghdahl wrote . he was able to do multiple 360 spins back in april . he 'd fall on his ass if he tried now . ' another prince the name of prince rogers nelson -- the artist commonly known as prince -- came up when trell acknowledged that while aeg live had promoted about 100 tours , it had produced only one other concert tour the size of jackson 's shows . when panish suggested prince had not had a very favorable experience ' with aeg , trell said he 'd not spoken to him about it . panish : did you ever try to get a doctor for $ 150,000 a month for prince ? ' trell : no . ' panish : and is mr. nelson is still alive today ? ' trell : yes . ' witness :'everybody was lying'after jackson died | aeg live lawyer tells boss idea of meeting jackson is kind of creepy ' |
syria <tsp> paris ( cnn ) -- u.s. secretary of state john kerry said sunday that saudi arabia will support military intervention in syria by the united states and its partners . they have supported the strike and they support taking action , ' kerry said after a long meeting of arab league ministers originally called to discuss the mideast peace initiative . they believe that it 's very important to do that . ' kerry told reporters he had a very good side meeting with saudi foreign minister saud al-faisal , and saudi arabia was one of the countries to sign on to a statement condemning the reported use of chemical weapons last month by the syrian military against rebels . saudi arabia is a diplomatic heavyweight in the arab world but has n't publicly called for an international military reprisal after the incident . with its vast air force and bases , saudi arabia could offer a lot of resources to western militaries . but it 's not expected to participate directly in any attack on syria , because that would be likely to inflame a widespread arabian peninsula antipathy against western military forces intruding into arab affairs . kerry also said the arab league ministers unanimously condemned the august 21 incident . as we discussed today , all of us agreed -- not one dissenter -- that ( syrian president bashar ) al-assad 's deplorable use of chemical weapons -- which we know killed hundreds of innocent people , including at least 426 children on this occasion , this one occasion -- this crosses an international , global red line , ' he said . he said the foreign ministers discussed the possible and necessary measures ' needed to deter al-assad from using chemical weapons again . kerry said a number of countries immediately signed on ' to an agreement reached by 12 countries on the side at the recent g20 summit . and while he named saudi arabia as one of those nations , he said the others that had agreed to help would make their announcements in the next day . the statement called for a strong international response ' and supports efforts undertaken by the united states and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons . ' it did not expressly endorse military action , although u.s. officials said the nations who signed it interpreted the statement as tacit support for strikes . the syrian government has denied being behind chemical weapons attacks , which it blames on rebels . al-assad on sunday denied again he had anything to do with the use of chemical agents , u.s. journalist charlie rose reported . the pbs anchor and cbs this morning ' co-host said al-assad told him during an interview to be broadcast monday that syria was prepared to retaliate if there was a military strike by the united states and its partners . it does n't surprise us that someone who would kill thousands of his own people , including hundreds of children , with poison gas would also lie about it , ' a spokeswoman for the national security council , bernadette meehan , said . al-assad 's rare interview with u.s. media comes as u.s. president barack obama lobbies congress and the country to support military action . congress officially returns to washington monday after a monthlong summer recess to debate and vote on a resolution giving obama the authorization to take military action . the president will go to capitol hill on tuesday and make his case to senate democrats , a senate leadership aide said sunday . obama will also address the nation on syria tuesday at 9 p.m . et from the white house . videos that purport to show the results of a chemical weapons attack are part of a white house campaign to inform congress about the nature of the incident , kerry said . the reason for this is to make sure everybody understands what is at stake , ' he said . those videos make it clear to people that these are real human beings , real children , parents being affected in ways that are unacceptable to anybody , anywhere , by any standard . ' he said a vast majority of the members are undecided as to how they will vote on authorizing force against syria . qatari foreign minister khalid bin mohamed al-attiyah appeared at the news conference with kerry . qatar is currently studying with its friends and the united nations what it could provide in order to protect the syrian people , ' he said , according to a translator . kerry met later with uk foreign secretary william hague in london on sunday . britain 's parliament has ruled out getting militarily involved in syria , but prime minister david cameron has pledged to continue to push for a tough response against the al-assad regime . kerry 's efforts with european allies paralleled those of his boss , obama , who tried to rally members of the g20 in st. petersburg , russia , last week . obama met with his russian counterpart , president vladimir putin , on the sidelines of the st. petersburg summit friday . but despite both saying the talks were constructive , there was no sign of consensus . cnn 's elise labott reported from paris . cnn 's steve almasy reported and wrote from atlanta . cnn 's nic robertson , nick paton walsh and kevin liptak contributed to this story . | syria crossed'international , global red line ,'he says |
syria <tsp> paris ( cnn ) -- u.s. secretary of state john kerry said sunday that saudi arabia will support military intervention in syria by the united states and its partners . they have supported the strike and they support taking action , ' kerry said after a long meeting of arab league ministers originally called to discuss the mideast peace initiative . they believe that it 's very important to do that . ' kerry told reporters he had a very good side meeting with saudi foreign minister saud al-faisal , and saudi arabia was one of the countries to sign on to a statement condemning the reported use of chemical weapons last month by the syrian military against rebels . saudi arabia is a diplomatic heavyweight in the arab world but has n't publicly called for an international military reprisal after the incident . with its vast air force and bases , saudi arabia could offer a lot of resources to western militaries . but it 's not expected to participate directly in any attack on syria , because that would be likely to inflame a widespread arabian peninsula antipathy against western military forces intruding into arab affairs . kerry also said the arab league ministers unanimously condemned the august 21 incident . as we discussed today , all of us agreed -- not one dissenter -- that ( syrian president bashar ) al-assad 's deplorable use of chemical weapons -- which we know killed hundreds of innocent people , including at least 426 children on this occasion , this one occasion -- this crosses an international , global red line , ' he said . he said the foreign ministers discussed the possible and necessary measures ' needed to deter al-assad from using chemical weapons again . kerry said a number of countries immediately signed on ' to an agreement reached by 12 countries on the side at the recent g20 summit . and while he named saudi arabia as one of those nations , he said the others that had agreed to help would make their announcements in the next day . the statement called for a strong international response ' and supports efforts undertaken by the united states and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons . ' it did not expressly endorse military action , although u.s. officials said the nations who signed it interpreted the statement as tacit support for strikes . the syrian government has denied being behind chemical weapons attacks , which it blames on rebels . al-assad on sunday denied again he had anything to do with the use of chemical agents , u.s. journalist charlie rose reported . the pbs anchor and cbs this morning ' co-host said al-assad told him during an interview to be broadcast monday that syria was prepared to retaliate if there was a military strike by the united states and its partners . it does n't surprise us that someone who would kill thousands of his own people , including hundreds of children , with poison gas would also lie about it , ' a spokeswoman for the national security council , bernadette meehan , said . al-assad 's rare interview with u.s. media comes as u.s. president barack obama lobbies congress and the country to support military action . congress officially returns to washington monday after a monthlong summer recess to debate and vote on a resolution giving obama the authorization to take military action . the president will go to capitol hill on tuesday and make his case to senate democrats , a senate leadership aide said sunday . obama will also address the nation on syria tuesday at 9 p.m . et from the white house . videos that purport to show the results of a chemical weapons attack are part of a white house campaign to inform congress about the nature of the incident , kerry said . the reason for this is to make sure everybody understands what is at stake , ' he said . those videos make it clear to people that these are real human beings , real children , parents being affected in ways that are unacceptable to anybody , anywhere , by any standard . ' he said a vast majority of the members are undecided as to how they will vote on authorizing force against syria . qatari foreign minister khalid bin mohamed al-attiyah appeared at the news conference with kerry . qatar is currently studying with its friends and the united nations what it could provide in order to protect the syrian people , ' he said , according to a translator . kerry met later with uk foreign secretary william hague in london on sunday . britain 's parliament has ruled out getting militarily involved in syria , but prime minister david cameron has pledged to continue to push for a tough response against the al-assad regime . kerry 's efforts with european allies paralleled those of his boss , obama , who tried to rally members of the g20 in st. petersburg , russia , last week . obama met with his russian counterpart , president vladimir putin , on the sidelines of the st. petersburg summit friday . but despite both saying the talks were constructive , there was no sign of consensus . cnn 's elise labott reported from paris . cnn 's steve almasy reported and wrote from atlanta . cnn 's nic robertson , nick paton walsh and kevin liptak contributed to this story . | qatar says it is examining options on how to deal with syria |
syria <tsp> paris ( cnn ) -- u.s. secretary of state john kerry said sunday that saudi arabia will support military intervention in syria by the united states and its partners . they have supported the strike and they support taking action , ' kerry said after a long meeting of arab league ministers originally called to discuss the mideast peace initiative . they believe that it 's very important to do that . ' kerry told reporters he had a very good side meeting with saudi foreign minister saud al-faisal , and saudi arabia was one of the countries to sign on to a statement condemning the reported use of chemical weapons last month by the syrian military against rebels . saudi arabia is a diplomatic heavyweight in the arab world but has n't publicly called for an international military reprisal after the incident . with its vast air force and bases , saudi arabia could offer a lot of resources to western militaries . but it 's not expected to participate directly in any attack on syria , because that would be likely to inflame a widespread arabian peninsula antipathy against western military forces intruding into arab affairs . kerry also said the arab league ministers unanimously condemned the august 21 incident . as we discussed today , all of us agreed -- not one dissenter -- that ( syrian president bashar ) al-assad 's deplorable use of chemical weapons -- which we know killed hundreds of innocent people , including at least 426 children on this occasion , this one occasion -- this crosses an international , global red line , ' he said . he said the foreign ministers discussed the possible and necessary measures ' needed to deter al-assad from using chemical weapons again . kerry said a number of countries immediately signed on ' to an agreement reached by 12 countries on the side at the recent g20 summit . and while he named saudi arabia as one of those nations , he said the others that had agreed to help would make their announcements in the next day . the statement called for a strong international response ' and supports efforts undertaken by the united states and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons . ' it did not expressly endorse military action , although u.s. officials said the nations who signed it interpreted the statement as tacit support for strikes . the syrian government has denied being behind chemical weapons attacks , which it blames on rebels . al-assad on sunday denied again he had anything to do with the use of chemical agents , u.s. journalist charlie rose reported . the pbs anchor and cbs this morning ' co-host said al-assad told him during an interview to be broadcast monday that syria was prepared to retaliate if there was a military strike by the united states and its partners . it does n't surprise us that someone who would kill thousands of his own people , including hundreds of children , with poison gas would also lie about it , ' a spokeswoman for the national security council , bernadette meehan , said . al-assad 's rare interview with u.s. media comes as u.s. president barack obama lobbies congress and the country to support military action . congress officially returns to washington monday after a monthlong summer recess to debate and vote on a resolution giving obama the authorization to take military action . the president will go to capitol hill on tuesday and make his case to senate democrats , a senate leadership aide said sunday . obama will also address the nation on syria tuesday at 9 p.m . et from the white house . videos that purport to show the results of a chemical weapons attack are part of a white house campaign to inform congress about the nature of the incident , kerry said . the reason for this is to make sure everybody understands what is at stake , ' he said . those videos make it clear to people that these are real human beings , real children , parents being affected in ways that are unacceptable to anybody , anywhere , by any standard . ' he said a vast majority of the members are undecided as to how they will vote on authorizing force against syria . qatari foreign minister khalid bin mohamed al-attiyah appeared at the news conference with kerry . qatar is currently studying with its friends and the united nations what it could provide in order to protect the syrian people , ' he said , according to a translator . kerry met later with uk foreign secretary william hague in london on sunday . britain 's parliament has ruled out getting militarily involved in syria , but prime minister david cameron has pledged to continue to push for a tough response against the al-assad regime . kerry 's efforts with european allies paralleled those of his boss , obama , who tried to rally members of the g20 in st. petersburg , russia , last week . obama met with his russian counterpart , president vladimir putin , on the sidelines of the st. petersburg summit friday . but despite both saying the talks were constructive , there was no sign of consensus . cnn 's elise labott reported from paris . cnn 's steve almasy reported and wrote from atlanta . cnn 's nic robertson , nick paton walsh and kevin liptak contributed to this story . | syrian president tells u.s. journalist that syria is prepared to retaliate if u.s. attacks |
syria <tsp> paris ( cnn ) -- u.s. secretary of state john kerry said sunday that saudi arabia will support military intervention in syria by the united states and its partners . they have supported the strike and they support taking action , ' kerry said after a long meeting of arab league ministers originally called to discuss the mideast peace initiative . they believe that it 's very important to do that . ' kerry told reporters he had a very good side meeting with saudi foreign minister saud al-faisal , and saudi arabia was one of the countries to sign on to a statement condemning the reported use of chemical weapons last month by the syrian military against rebels . saudi arabia is a diplomatic heavyweight in the arab world but has n't publicly called for an international military reprisal after the incident . with its vast air force and bases , saudi arabia could offer a lot of resources to western militaries . but it 's not expected to participate directly in any attack on syria , because that would be likely to inflame a widespread arabian peninsula antipathy against western military forces intruding into arab affairs . kerry also said the arab league ministers unanimously condemned the august 21 incident . as we discussed today , all of us agreed -- not one dissenter -- that ( syrian president bashar ) al-assad 's deplorable use of chemical weapons -- which we know killed hundreds of innocent people , including at least 426 children on this occasion , this one occasion -- this crosses an international , global red line , ' he said . he said the foreign ministers discussed the possible and necessary measures ' needed to deter al-assad from using chemical weapons again . kerry said a number of countries immediately signed on ' to an agreement reached by 12 countries on the side at the recent g20 summit . and while he named saudi arabia as one of those nations , he said the others that had agreed to help would make their announcements in the next day . the statement called for a strong international response ' and supports efforts undertaken by the united states and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons . ' it did not expressly endorse military action , although u.s. officials said the nations who signed it interpreted the statement as tacit support for strikes . the syrian government has denied being behind chemical weapons attacks , which it blames on rebels . al-assad on sunday denied again he had anything to do with the use of chemical agents , u.s. journalist charlie rose reported . the pbs anchor and cbs this morning ' co-host said al-assad told him during an interview to be broadcast monday that syria was prepared to retaliate if there was a military strike by the united states and its partners . it does n't surprise us that someone who would kill thousands of his own people , including hundreds of children , with poison gas would also lie about it , ' a spokeswoman for the national security council , bernadette meehan , said . al-assad 's rare interview with u.s. media comes as u.s. president barack obama lobbies congress and the country to support military action . congress officially returns to washington monday after a monthlong summer recess to debate and vote on a resolution giving obama the authorization to take military action . the president will go to capitol hill on tuesday and make his case to senate democrats , a senate leadership aide said sunday . obama will also address the nation on syria tuesday at 9 p.m . et from the white house . videos that purport to show the results of a chemical weapons attack are part of a white house campaign to inform congress about the nature of the incident , kerry said . the reason for this is to make sure everybody understands what is at stake , ' he said . those videos make it clear to people that these are real human beings , real children , parents being affected in ways that are unacceptable to anybody , anywhere , by any standard . ' he said a vast majority of the members are undecided as to how they will vote on authorizing force against syria . qatari foreign minister khalid bin mohamed al-attiyah appeared at the news conference with kerry . qatar is currently studying with its friends and the united nations what it could provide in order to protect the syrian people , ' he said , according to a translator . kerry met later with uk foreign secretary william hague in london on sunday . britain 's parliament has ruled out getting militarily involved in syria , but prime minister david cameron has pledged to continue to push for a tough response against the al-assad regime . kerry 's efforts with european allies paralleled those of his boss , obama , who tried to rally members of the g20 in st. petersburg , russia , last week . obama met with his russian counterpart , president vladimir putin , on the sidelines of the st. petersburg summit friday . but despite both saying the talks were constructive , there was no sign of consensus . cnn 's elise labott reported from paris . cnn 's steve almasy reported and wrote from atlanta . cnn 's nic robertson , nick paton walsh and kevin liptak contributed to this story . | new : president obama to talk syria on capitol hill on tuesday |
parente <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a new york man who police believe killed his wife and daughters in a maryland hotel room may have been involved in questionable financial dealings , ' authorities said wednesday . stephanie parente , 19 , was found dead along with her sister and parents in a baltimore hotel monday . the bodies of william parente , 59 ; his wife , betty , 58 ; and their daughters stephanie , 19 , and catherine , 11 , were found monday in a room at the sheraton hotel in towson , maryland , a baltimore suburb . evidence indicates betty parente and the two daughters died from blunt-force trauma and asphyxiation , said baltimore county police chief jim johnson . william parente committed suicide by cutting himself , he said . baltimore county police has learned of allegations that william parente may be involved in questionable financial dealings , ' johnson said . authorities previously have said parente was an attorney . the family was from garden city , new york , but stephanie parente was a student at loyola college in baltimore , and police said the family visited her there occasionally . william parente , his wife and their younger daughter had checked into the sheraton on april 15 . they were due to check out monday , johnson said , but failed to do so . one of stephanie parente 's roommates called the hotel room around midnight , hill said . cnn affiliate wmar reported that the roommate was calling to see if stephanie parente was coming back to campus . william parente answered the phone and told the roommate his daughter would be staying with her family for the night . authorities believe the three females were dead at the time of the phone call , hill said . the bodies were found monday after a housekeeper told hotel management about 3 p.m. that the door to the room was locked and there had been no response from inside , county police spokesman bill toohey said monday . the bodies of betty parente and the two daughters were found on a king-size bed in the hotel room , while william parente 's body was found in the bathroom , police said . evidence indicates betty parente and catherine parente were killed sometime on sunday , with stephanie parente 's death occurring later the same day . police spokesman cpl . michael hill said the older daughter might have been killed after she returned to the room and found her mother and sister dead . police had no information regarding how the deaths took place or what other family members were doing at the time . there was no evidence they were restrained , johnson said . in addition , an autopsy showed no evidence they were drugged , hill said , although conclusive toxicology test results are weeks away . authorities are still investigating the timeline and details , johnson said . police have not specified the murder weapon , although several objects in the room are being investigated , he said . no note or communication was found with the bodies . hill said police believe the family was together sunday morning for breakfast , and they know what time the card key was last used to unlock the room . loyola college spokeswoman courtney jolley said stephanie parente was a sophomore majoring in speech-language pathology with a natural-sciences minor . she was a former member of the women 's crew team and coxswain for the men 's crew , jolley said . she also volunteered through the college 's center for community service and justice . she had planned to study in newcastle , england , next year , jolley said . johnson urged people having emotional and mental health difficulties to reach out for help . there 's a safety net in place , ' he said . | police say parente , an attorney , fatally cut himself |
parente <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a new york man who police believe killed his wife and daughters in a maryland hotel room may have been involved in questionable financial dealings , ' authorities said wednesday . stephanie parente , 19 , was found dead along with her sister and parents in a baltimore hotel monday . the bodies of william parente , 59 ; his wife , betty , 58 ; and their daughters stephanie , 19 , and catherine , 11 , were found monday in a room at the sheraton hotel in towson , maryland , a baltimore suburb . evidence indicates betty parente and the two daughters died from blunt-force trauma and asphyxiation , said baltimore county police chief jim johnson . william parente committed suicide by cutting himself , he said . baltimore county police has learned of allegations that william parente may be involved in questionable financial dealings , ' johnson said . authorities previously have said parente was an attorney . the family was from garden city , new york , but stephanie parente was a student at loyola college in baltimore , and police said the family visited her there occasionally . william parente , his wife and their younger daughter had checked into the sheraton on april 15 . they were due to check out monday , johnson said , but failed to do so . one of stephanie parente 's roommates called the hotel room around midnight , hill said . cnn affiliate wmar reported that the roommate was calling to see if stephanie parente was coming back to campus . william parente answered the phone and told the roommate his daughter would be staying with her family for the night . authorities believe the three females were dead at the time of the phone call , hill said . the bodies were found monday after a housekeeper told hotel management about 3 p.m. that the door to the room was locked and there had been no response from inside , county police spokesman bill toohey said monday . the bodies of betty parente and the two daughters were found on a king-size bed in the hotel room , while william parente 's body was found in the bathroom , police said . evidence indicates betty parente and catherine parente were killed sometime on sunday , with stephanie parente 's death occurring later the same day . police spokesman cpl . michael hill said the older daughter might have been killed after she returned to the room and found her mother and sister dead . police had no information regarding how the deaths took place or what other family members were doing at the time . there was no evidence they were restrained , johnson said . in addition , an autopsy showed no evidence they were drugged , hill said , although conclusive toxicology test results are weeks away . authorities are still investigating the timeline and details , johnson said . police have not specified the murder weapon , although several objects in the room are being investigated , he said . no note or communication was found with the bodies . hill said police believe the family was together sunday morning for breakfast , and they know what time the card key was last used to unlock the room . loyola college spokeswoman courtney jolley said stephanie parente was a sophomore majoring in speech-language pathology with a natural-sciences minor . she was a former member of the women 's crew team and coxswain for the men 's crew , jolley said . she also volunteered through the college 's center for community service and justice . she had planned to study in newcastle , england , next year , jolley said . johnson urged people having emotional and mental health difficulties to reach out for help . there 's a safety net in place , ' he said . | police are looking into parente 's possibly'questionable'financial dealings |
parente <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a new york man who police believe killed his wife and daughters in a maryland hotel room may have been involved in questionable financial dealings , ' authorities said wednesday . stephanie parente , 19 , was found dead along with her sister and parents in a baltimore hotel monday . the bodies of william parente , 59 ; his wife , betty , 58 ; and their daughters stephanie , 19 , and catherine , 11 , were found monday in a room at the sheraton hotel in towson , maryland , a baltimore suburb . evidence indicates betty parente and the two daughters died from blunt-force trauma and asphyxiation , said baltimore county police chief jim johnson . william parente committed suicide by cutting himself , he said . baltimore county police has learned of allegations that william parente may be involved in questionable financial dealings , ' johnson said . authorities previously have said parente was an attorney . the family was from garden city , new york , but stephanie parente was a student at loyola college in baltimore , and police said the family visited her there occasionally . william parente , his wife and their younger daughter had checked into the sheraton on april 15 . they were due to check out monday , johnson said , but failed to do so . one of stephanie parente 's roommates called the hotel room around midnight , hill said . cnn affiliate wmar reported that the roommate was calling to see if stephanie parente was coming back to campus . william parente answered the phone and told the roommate his daughter would be staying with her family for the night . authorities believe the three females were dead at the time of the phone call , hill said . the bodies were found monday after a housekeeper told hotel management about 3 p.m. that the door to the room was locked and there had been no response from inside , county police spokesman bill toohey said monday . the bodies of betty parente and the two daughters were found on a king-size bed in the hotel room , while william parente 's body was found in the bathroom , police said . evidence indicates betty parente and catherine parente were killed sometime on sunday , with stephanie parente 's death occurring later the same day . police spokesman cpl . michael hill said the older daughter might have been killed after she returned to the room and found her mother and sister dead . police had no information regarding how the deaths took place or what other family members were doing at the time . there was no evidence they were restrained , johnson said . in addition , an autopsy showed no evidence they were drugged , hill said , although conclusive toxicology test results are weeks away . authorities are still investigating the timeline and details , johnson said . police have not specified the murder weapon , although several objects in the room are being investigated , he said . no note or communication was found with the bodies . hill said police believe the family was together sunday morning for breakfast , and they know what time the card key was last used to unlock the room . loyola college spokeswoman courtney jolley said stephanie parente was a sophomore majoring in speech-language pathology with a natural-sciences minor . she was a former member of the women 's crew team and coxswain for the men 's crew , jolley said . she also volunteered through the college 's center for community service and justice . she had planned to study in newcastle , england , next year , jolley said . johnson urged people having emotional and mental health difficulties to reach out for help . there 's a safety net in place , ' he said . | police say william parente killed wife , two daughters in hotel room |
armstrong <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a federal court jury in detroit has awarded a $ 4.5 million judgment to the university of michigan 's first openly gay student body president in his suit against a former michigan assistant attorney general who had written disparagingly about him on the internet , the student 's lawyer said . the jury came back with the award late thursday against andrew shirvell , said deborah gordon , a lawyer representing the plaintiff , chris armstrong , 22 , who graduated last year . a u.s. district court jury found in armstrong 's favor on four counts -- defamation , stalking , intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy , gordon told cnn in a telephone interview . shirvell was fired from his job in the attorney general 's office in 2010 after targeting the student leader online and in person -- then lying about his actions to investigators , state attorney general mike cox said at the time . targeted student :'it 's hard not to say something' shirvell repeatedly violated office policies , engaged in borderline stalking behavior and inappropriately used state resources , ' cox said , referring to shirvell 's activities during his work day . asked for specifics about shirvell 's conduct , armstrong lawyer gordon said , he said ( armstrong ) had an orgy in a dorm room and sex in a park and that he had liquored up underage freshmen to recruit them to the'homosexual lifestyle .'' shirvell also referred to armstrong as satan 's representative ' on the michigan student assembly , she said . he 's a little out there , ' gordon continued . shirvell , himself a university of michigan alumnus , told cnn that he is 100 % confident that the verdict will be overturned on appeal . ' i think the jury award is grossly excessive , ' he said . it 's absolutely outrageous . the jury 's verdict was a complete trampling of my first amendment rights . ' he told cnn in 2010 that armstrong is a radical homosexual activist who got elected ... to promote a very deep , radical agenda at the university of michigan . ' from the archives : assistant attorney general blogs against gay student body president shirvell cited armstrong 's push for gender-neutral campus housing as something he opposed . what we 're talking about is any man or woman wanting to choose to live together , ' he said at the time . that 's a radical redefinition of gender norms . ' gordon said that shirvell 's claim is without merit . it 's really simple , ' she said . defamation refers to statements that are false that you say about another person . if you say my neighbor is having sex in a park with children , which is literally kind of what he said here , that is defamation . that is not first amendment-protected . it 's not opinion . it 's provable as false . you can be held responsible financially . he wants to put all his crap -- which is nothing but a bunch of fabricated lies -- under the umbrella of the first amendment . shame on him . ' gordon said the multimillion-dollar judgment is probably not collectable ' at this time , since shirvell has no job . but she said that had never been the point of the lawsuit . we 've only always wanted chris'name cleared , ' she said . all he ( shirvell ) had to do was retract his lies ' and armstrong would have dropped the case . she said armstrong has graduated and is currently employed , but did not want to divulge for whom he is working . | jury finds in armstrong 's favor on four counts , including defamation |
armstrong <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a federal court jury in detroit has awarded a $ 4.5 million judgment to the university of michigan 's first openly gay student body president in his suit against a former michigan assistant attorney general who had written disparagingly about him on the internet , the student 's lawyer said . the jury came back with the award late thursday against andrew shirvell , said deborah gordon , a lawyer representing the plaintiff , chris armstrong , 22 , who graduated last year . a u.s. district court jury found in armstrong 's favor on four counts -- defamation , stalking , intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy , gordon told cnn in a telephone interview . shirvell was fired from his job in the attorney general 's office in 2010 after targeting the student leader online and in person -- then lying about his actions to investigators , state attorney general mike cox said at the time . targeted student :'it 's hard not to say something' shirvell repeatedly violated office policies , engaged in borderline stalking behavior and inappropriately used state resources , ' cox said , referring to shirvell 's activities during his work day . asked for specifics about shirvell 's conduct , armstrong lawyer gordon said , he said ( armstrong ) had an orgy in a dorm room and sex in a park and that he had liquored up underage freshmen to recruit them to the'homosexual lifestyle .'' shirvell also referred to armstrong as satan 's representative ' on the michigan student assembly , she said . he 's a little out there , ' gordon continued . shirvell , himself a university of michigan alumnus , told cnn that he is 100 % confident that the verdict will be overturned on appeal . ' i think the jury award is grossly excessive , ' he said . it 's absolutely outrageous . the jury 's verdict was a complete trampling of my first amendment rights . ' he told cnn in 2010 that armstrong is a radical homosexual activist who got elected ... to promote a very deep , radical agenda at the university of michigan . ' from the archives : assistant attorney general blogs against gay student body president shirvell cited armstrong 's push for gender-neutral campus housing as something he opposed . what we 're talking about is any man or woman wanting to choose to live together , ' he said at the time . that 's a radical redefinition of gender norms . ' gordon said that shirvell 's claim is without merit . it 's really simple , ' she said . defamation refers to statements that are false that you say about another person . if you say my neighbor is having sex in a park with children , which is literally kind of what he said here , that is defamation . that is not first amendment-protected . it 's not opinion . it 's provable as false . you can be held responsible financially . he wants to put all his crap -- which is nothing but a bunch of fabricated lies -- under the umbrella of the first amendment . shame on him . ' gordon said the multimillion-dollar judgment is probably not collectable ' at this time , since shirvell has no job . but she said that had never been the point of the lawsuit . we 've only always wanted chris'name cleared , ' she said . all he ( shirvell ) had to do was retract his lies ' and armstrong would have dropped the case . she said armstrong has graduated and is currently employed , but did not want to divulge for whom he is working . | shirvell accused armstrong of promoting a radical agenda ' |
osbourne <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- ozzy osbourne , the former front man of rock group black sabbath , says that after decades of living a life of drugs and sex , he 's lucky to be alive today . speaking to cnn 's max foster , osbourne described in detail how he often played a dangerous game when it came to using drugs and having promiscuous sex . with the sexually transmitted disease , what i was doing is playing russian roulette with sex , ' says osbourne . with the drugs , it nearly killed me on a daily basis -- i did a lot of heavy drug taking for a long time and i survived it by the grace of god . you might not be as lucky as me -- i 'm living on borrowed time . ' in his autobiography , i am ozzy , ' osbourne discusses his past , his family and his time with black sabbath . answering a viewer 's question on whether he realized his power to change people 's lives , osbourne replied with shock . when you 're on the inside looking , you do n't see it that way , ' osbourne said . but i suppose you 're right . i do -- i do have the power to change people 's lives . ' what does he remember about black sabbath ? we were just four kids from aston in birmingham who had a good idea and it worked out fine . ' osbourne also discussed the current state of the music industry and the manufacturing ' of artists today . it 's completely different -- they 're manufactured people now ... like ice cream . every now and then somebody comes out and i really like them -- i really like this lady gaga . ' | during a cnn interview , osbourne says he played russian roulette with sex |
osbourne <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- ozzy osbourne , the former front man of rock group black sabbath , says that after decades of living a life of drugs and sex , he 's lucky to be alive today . speaking to cnn 's max foster , osbourne described in detail how he often played a dangerous game when it came to using drugs and having promiscuous sex . with the sexually transmitted disease , what i was doing is playing russian roulette with sex , ' says osbourne . with the drugs , it nearly killed me on a daily basis -- i did a lot of heavy drug taking for a long time and i survived it by the grace of god . you might not be as lucky as me -- i 'm living on borrowed time . ' in his autobiography , i am ozzy , ' osbourne discusses his past , his family and his time with black sabbath . answering a viewer 's question on whether he realized his power to change people 's lives , osbourne replied with shock . when you 're on the inside looking , you do n't see it that way , ' osbourne said . but i suppose you 're right . i do -- i do have the power to change people 's lives . ' what does he remember about black sabbath ? we were just four kids from aston in birmingham who had a good idea and it worked out fine . ' osbourne also discussed the current state of the music industry and the manufacturing ' of artists today . it 's completely different -- they 're manufactured people now ... like ice cream . every now and then somebody comes out and i really like them -- i really like this lady gaga . ' | osbourne was the former front man for black sabbath |
osbourne <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- ozzy osbourne , the former front man of rock group black sabbath , says that after decades of living a life of drugs and sex , he 's lucky to be alive today . speaking to cnn 's max foster , osbourne described in detail how he often played a dangerous game when it came to using drugs and having promiscuous sex . with the sexually transmitted disease , what i was doing is playing russian roulette with sex , ' says osbourne . with the drugs , it nearly killed me on a daily basis -- i did a lot of heavy drug taking for a long time and i survived it by the grace of god . you might not be as lucky as me -- i 'm living on borrowed time . ' in his autobiography , i am ozzy , ' osbourne discusses his past , his family and his time with black sabbath . answering a viewer 's question on whether he realized his power to change people 's lives , osbourne replied with shock . when you 're on the inside looking , you do n't see it that way , ' osbourne said . but i suppose you 're right . i do -- i do have the power to change people 's lives . ' what does he remember about black sabbath ? we were just four kids from aston in birmingham who had a good idea and it worked out fine . ' osbourne also discussed the current state of the music industry and the manufacturing ' of artists today . it 's completely different -- they 're manufactured people now ... like ice cream . every now and then somebody comes out and i really like them -- i really like this lady gaga . ' | osbourne has a new autobiography out called i am ozzy ' |
osbourne <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- ozzy osbourne , the former front man of rock group black sabbath , says that after decades of living a life of drugs and sex , he 's lucky to be alive today . speaking to cnn 's max foster , osbourne described in detail how he often played a dangerous game when it came to using drugs and having promiscuous sex . with the sexually transmitted disease , what i was doing is playing russian roulette with sex , ' says osbourne . with the drugs , it nearly killed me on a daily basis -- i did a lot of heavy drug taking for a long time and i survived it by the grace of god . you might not be as lucky as me -- i 'm living on borrowed time . ' in his autobiography , i am ozzy , ' osbourne discusses his past , his family and his time with black sabbath . answering a viewer 's question on whether he realized his power to change people 's lives , osbourne replied with shock . when you 're on the inside looking , you do n't see it that way , ' osbourne said . but i suppose you 're right . i do -- i do have the power to change people 's lives . ' what does he remember about black sabbath ? we were just four kids from aston in birmingham who had a good idea and it worked out fine . ' osbourne also discussed the current state of the music industry and the manufacturing ' of artists today . it 's completely different -- they 're manufactured people now ... like ice cream . every now and then somebody comes out and i really like them -- i really like this lady gaga . ' | ozzy osbourne says he is lucky to be alive after years of drug and alcohol abuse |
mikulski <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- on the walls of barbara mikulski 's capitol hideaway are some of her most prized possessions -- portraits taken every two years of all the women in the senate . the first picture from 1988 is mikulski , a democrat , and one other female senator , republican nancy kassebaum of kansas . the hemline 's a little different , the hair color , ' mikulski mused , staring at the photograph . that 's when there were two . ' the two forged a bond across party lines . the most recent picture , taken last year , features 17 female senators -- five republicans and 12 democrats . mikulski remarks that there are more women in that photograph than had served in the senate in all of american history when she arrived some three decades ago . the maryland senator knows a lot about the history of female lawmakers , and she should . she has made a lot of it herself : the first democratic woman ever elected to the senate in her own right ; the first woman in the senate democratic leadership ; and in late 2010 she became the longest-serving woman ever in the senate . on saturday she will top that , becoming the longest-serving woman ever in the history of the u.s. congress , surpassing rep. edith norse rogers of massachusetts , who represented massachusetts from 1925 to 1960 . to mark the milestone , she invited three other women senators who span parties and generations , to talk about what senate women call their zone of civility . ' democrat kirsten gillibrand of new york and republicans olympia snowe of maine and lisa murkowski of alaska joined mikulski to sit at a table that came from her childhood home and explained how hard the women of the senate work to maintain a lost dynamic in congress these days : comity . ironically , it is a relic of the old boys network that does n't really exist anymore in today 's era of partisanship : get to know each other personally , so they can work better together professionally . regular dinners across party lines it starts with regular dinners organized by mikulski , whom some call the dean , ' others call coach barb . ' when the day 's over , let 's kick back and put our lipstick on and have a glass of wine , and keep the institution and america going , ' mikulski said . though the dinners are strictly off the record , the senators spilled a few details . we talk about our families , our concerns in our lives . sometimes we talk about what we are working on but it 's a very collegial setting where we are trying to cultivate friendship first and foremost , ' said gillibrand , who jokes they rarely get nights off anyway , so that 's our big night out . ' snowe , a moderate republican who recently made a surprise announcement that she is retiring because she is fed up with the polarization in congress , said , we made the commitment to do it on a monthly basis , and to get together because it 's critical , and we naturally bond , and we have an opportunity to let our hair down . ' murkowski said when her husband sees one of the senate women dinners on the calendar , he knows it 's non-negotiable . he does n't say ,'my gosh , why are you at work so late tonight ?'he knows that that is a time that i value because i derive so much from the conversation , from the camaraderie that we have in the hour and a half at the end of a very long day , so i make it a priority when the dinners are scheduled to be there and enjoy that conversation with friends , ' murkowski said . mikulski notes that the senate can be a lonely place , ' so the dinners are a refuge with no agenda , nothing to prove [ except ] finding common ground where we 're going to talk about what we 're going to work on in other committees or circumstances . ' i think it 's a place that gives us energy , gives us a sense of our own community and we all really do know we can count on each other if something comes up we would be the first there , ' mikulski said . a bipartisan sisterhood but does this bipartisan sisterhood translate into bipartisan legislative action ? murkowski replied that just this past week she was able to work out differences in the highway bill with barbara boxer , the democrat overseeing it , primarily because of their personal friendship . gillibrand recalled getting tremendous help from snowe and murkowski on the 9/11 first responders legislation . i remember when i was trying to so hard to pass the 9/11 health bill , both lisa and olympia were encouraging me . they said we 're not going to be name sponsors in the bill for instance , but we believe in what you are doing , and i think that if you approach it a , b and c , you 'll be more effective , ' gillbrand remembered . i think we 're just natural allies and we trust each other . it 's almost instinctive , ' snowe said , turning to gillibrand , i can remember the conversations that we had . she was eliciting ideas about how to advance the bill , and so we trust another to give solid advice and to take that advice . ' we are all a team as women . we may not agree on every issue but that 's not the point , ' snowe continued . we know how to work together in the give and take of it and achieve results . ' murkowski offered another explanation for what makes senate women different from the men : ego . i do n't think that we have as much ego attached with who 's getting the credit , ' said murkowski , who noted that oftentimes with the men , it 's my way or the highway . ' we 're all pretty competitive or we would n't have gotten here in the first place , but in order to achieve the results that we are looking for , i think there is less personal ego on the line , ' she said . there is also another female trait that factors in here . they all say they instinctively know how to listen . i think it is how we communicate the message and how we listen to what is being communicated . and i think that the listening part of it is an important part of how we get the results , ' murkowski said . four generally agree on women 's issues though they differ on everything from taxes to energy policy , they generally agree on women 's issues . but lisa murkowski recently voted with fellow republicans against free access to contraception . women back home in alaska got upset , and she said she regretted her vote . asked if any of her female colleagues went to her and urged her not to side with her party on this one , murkowski made clear the answer was no . i wish that we had had that discussion , i can honestly tell you that , ' she said , and then ripped into the gop on the issue . i think that my party is in an unfortunate place right now as viewed by many women in this country who are feeling very anxious about what they believe to be attacks on women 's health , ' she said . in a bitterly partisan era , senate women cherish this cross-party sisterhood . columnist margaret carlson wrote recently in the daily beast that senate men complain they no longer have time to forge such relationships . she joked that senate women somehow do it , and it 's certainly not like they get more time in the day from their extra x chromosome . if anything , these women have more demands upon them , ' said mikulski , who notes gillibrand has two young sons and murkowski is the mother of teenagers . i had to make school lunch this morning , ' gillibrand chimed in , laughing . they talk surrounded by mikulski 's female-oriented memorabilia adorning her walls : a poster of geraldine ferraro , the first female vice presidential candidate ; a photograph with madeleine albright before she was appointed the first female secretary of state ; even a picture of the girl scouts . mikulski 's female colleagues credit her with cultivating and maintaining these relationships , and say she starts by mentoring new senate arrivals . i remember when i first got appointed , she was one of the first to ask me to visit her , gave me guidance on how things work , how to pass legislation , ' gillibrand recalled . after 12,858 days of service , that makes her the longest-serving woman in congressional history , it 's abundantly clear that creating a collegial oasis for women inside the intensely partisan atmosphere is one of her proudest accomplishments . i wo n't always be here , but i hope the legacy of civility , that i 've worked with the other women to create will remain , ' she said . cnn producers laurie ure and ted barrett contributed to this report | mikulski will become the longest-serving female member of congress on saturday |
mikulski <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- on the walls of barbara mikulski 's capitol hideaway are some of her most prized possessions -- portraits taken every two years of all the women in the senate . the first picture from 1988 is mikulski , a democrat , and one other female senator , republican nancy kassebaum of kansas . the hemline 's a little different , the hair color , ' mikulski mused , staring at the photograph . that 's when there were two . ' the two forged a bond across party lines . the most recent picture , taken last year , features 17 female senators -- five republicans and 12 democrats . mikulski remarks that there are more women in that photograph than had served in the senate in all of american history when she arrived some three decades ago . the maryland senator knows a lot about the history of female lawmakers , and she should . she has made a lot of it herself : the first democratic woman ever elected to the senate in her own right ; the first woman in the senate democratic leadership ; and in late 2010 she became the longest-serving woman ever in the senate . on saturday she will top that , becoming the longest-serving woman ever in the history of the u.s. congress , surpassing rep. edith norse rogers of massachusetts , who represented massachusetts from 1925 to 1960 . to mark the milestone , she invited three other women senators who span parties and generations , to talk about what senate women call their zone of civility . ' democrat kirsten gillibrand of new york and republicans olympia snowe of maine and lisa murkowski of alaska joined mikulski to sit at a table that came from her childhood home and explained how hard the women of the senate work to maintain a lost dynamic in congress these days : comity . ironically , it is a relic of the old boys network that does n't really exist anymore in today 's era of partisanship : get to know each other personally , so they can work better together professionally . regular dinners across party lines it starts with regular dinners organized by mikulski , whom some call the dean , ' others call coach barb . ' when the day 's over , let 's kick back and put our lipstick on and have a glass of wine , and keep the institution and america going , ' mikulski said . though the dinners are strictly off the record , the senators spilled a few details . we talk about our families , our concerns in our lives . sometimes we talk about what we are working on but it 's a very collegial setting where we are trying to cultivate friendship first and foremost , ' said gillibrand , who jokes they rarely get nights off anyway , so that 's our big night out . ' snowe , a moderate republican who recently made a surprise announcement that she is retiring because she is fed up with the polarization in congress , said , we made the commitment to do it on a monthly basis , and to get together because it 's critical , and we naturally bond , and we have an opportunity to let our hair down . ' murkowski said when her husband sees one of the senate women dinners on the calendar , he knows it 's non-negotiable . he does n't say ,'my gosh , why are you at work so late tonight ?'he knows that that is a time that i value because i derive so much from the conversation , from the camaraderie that we have in the hour and a half at the end of a very long day , so i make it a priority when the dinners are scheduled to be there and enjoy that conversation with friends , ' murkowski said . mikulski notes that the senate can be a lonely place , ' so the dinners are a refuge with no agenda , nothing to prove [ except ] finding common ground where we 're going to talk about what we 're going to work on in other committees or circumstances . ' i think it 's a place that gives us energy , gives us a sense of our own community and we all really do know we can count on each other if something comes up we would be the first there , ' mikulski said . a bipartisan sisterhood but does this bipartisan sisterhood translate into bipartisan legislative action ? murkowski replied that just this past week she was able to work out differences in the highway bill with barbara boxer , the democrat overseeing it , primarily because of their personal friendship . gillibrand recalled getting tremendous help from snowe and murkowski on the 9/11 first responders legislation . i remember when i was trying to so hard to pass the 9/11 health bill , both lisa and olympia were encouraging me . they said we 're not going to be name sponsors in the bill for instance , but we believe in what you are doing , and i think that if you approach it a , b and c , you 'll be more effective , ' gillbrand remembered . i think we 're just natural allies and we trust each other . it 's almost instinctive , ' snowe said , turning to gillibrand , i can remember the conversations that we had . she was eliciting ideas about how to advance the bill , and so we trust another to give solid advice and to take that advice . ' we are all a team as women . we may not agree on every issue but that 's not the point , ' snowe continued . we know how to work together in the give and take of it and achieve results . ' murkowski offered another explanation for what makes senate women different from the men : ego . i do n't think that we have as much ego attached with who 's getting the credit , ' said murkowski , who noted that oftentimes with the men , it 's my way or the highway . ' we 're all pretty competitive or we would n't have gotten here in the first place , but in order to achieve the results that we are looking for , i think there is less personal ego on the line , ' she said . there is also another female trait that factors in here . they all say they instinctively know how to listen . i think it is how we communicate the message and how we listen to what is being communicated . and i think that the listening part of it is an important part of how we get the results , ' murkowski said . four generally agree on women 's issues though they differ on everything from taxes to energy policy , they generally agree on women 's issues . but lisa murkowski recently voted with fellow republicans against free access to contraception . women back home in alaska got upset , and she said she regretted her vote . asked if any of her female colleagues went to her and urged her not to side with her party on this one , murkowski made clear the answer was no . i wish that we had had that discussion , i can honestly tell you that , ' she said , and then ripped into the gop on the issue . i think that my party is in an unfortunate place right now as viewed by many women in this country who are feeling very anxious about what they believe to be attacks on women 's health , ' she said . in a bitterly partisan era , senate women cherish this cross-party sisterhood . columnist margaret carlson wrote recently in the daily beast that senate men complain they no longer have time to forge such relationships . she joked that senate women somehow do it , and it 's certainly not like they get more time in the day from their extra x chromosome . if anything , these women have more demands upon them , ' said mikulski , who notes gillibrand has two young sons and murkowski is the mother of teenagers . i had to make school lunch this morning , ' gillibrand chimed in , laughing . they talk surrounded by mikulski 's female-oriented memorabilia adorning her walls : a poster of geraldine ferraro , the first female vice presidential candidate ; a photograph with madeleine albright before she was appointed the first female secretary of state ; even a picture of the girl scouts . mikulski 's female colleagues credit her with cultivating and maintaining these relationships , and say she starts by mentoring new senate arrivals . i remember when i first got appointed , she was one of the first to ask me to visit her , gave me guidance on how things work , how to pass legislation , ' gillibrand recalled . after 12,858 days of service , that makes her the longest-serving woman in congressional history , it 's abundantly clear that creating a collegial oasis for women inside the intensely partisan atmosphere is one of her proudest accomplishments . i wo n't always be here , but i hope the legacy of civility , that i 've worked with the other women to create will remain , ' she said . cnn producers laurie ure and ted barrett contributed to this report | mikulski credited with cultivating relationships among women in congress |
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