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abdulnasser gharem <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if facebook is the ultimate popularity test , then the most famous art institute on the planet is not in paris , new york or london . it 's a tiny gallery hidden on the fifth floor of a nondescript building in amsterdam . measuring a meager 750 square feet , the greenbox museum is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to saudi contemporary art , and with over a million facebook likes ' , it is more loved than the tate , the metropolitan museum of art , or the louvre . when i started , people thought , it ca n't be true , it 's a joke , its april fools , ' recalls aarnout helb , the museum 's founder . helb started collecting saudi art in 2008 , after accidently stumbling upon a work by leading saudi artist ahmed mater online . a year later , he opened greenbox . helb does n't find the museum 's online popularity unusual . a lot of the fans are basically young muslims that perceive saudi as a country relevant to their culture , because of the historical and ritual position of mecca , ' he says . saudi art has also become trendy in western art circles . last year , tate modern director chris dercon made a special visit to saudi for jeddah art week . michael jeha , the managing director of christie 's middle east , who last year sold a piece by abdulnasser gharem for $ 842,500 ( the highest grossing work by a saudi artist ever ) , says that much of the demand is coming from europe and america . for saudi artists themselves , foreign influence can be a mixed blessing . on the one hand , art shown outside the country is less censored . read more : saudi artists push the limits soraya darwish , a young artist who also blogs about her country 's art scene , notes that often , artists will feel more comfortable showcasing sensitive materials abroad . in saudi , all exhibits have to pass review by the ministry of culture and information before they are opened to the public . overseas , there are no such measures . if an artwork is too culturally sensitive , it could get banned from being shown in saudi , ' she says . it has n't happened to me , but i 've known artists it has happened to . usually , they 'll just be asked not to show a work . i guess in the worst-case scenario , a show could be shut down . ' manal al dowayan , the country 's highest grossing female artist , disagrees that censorship is problematic within saudi . al dowayan has exhibited at both the v & a and british museum , and at solo and group shows within saudi . at alaan artspace , a newly opened gallery in riyadh , she showed a sculpture entitled esmi ' or my name ' , which depicting giant prayer beads bearing female names ( it was made in response to a conservative trend forbidding men to use a woman 's name in public ) . my art is very critical of social attitudes toward women , and i have never been censored in saudi , ' she says . the obvious untouchables are insulting religion and the royal family ; everything else is open . ' saudi has n't traditionally championed its artists . the majority of greenbox 's online love , for instance , does n't come from saudi , which ranks ninth on the list , but from indonesia , pakistan and egypt . yet as art becomes more accepted ( and lucrative ) outside the saudi arabia , those inside the country are starting to take note . one of the first institutions inside the country to champion saudi art was athr , which launched in jeddah in 2009 . only recently have other institutions started to join the fray . last october , alaan artspace opened , with the added mission of establishing an art curriculum in the country . art and design have always been a part of saudi culture . it is art education that has been overlooked , ' says neama al sudairy , alaan 's founding director . the art scene has picked up to such an extent that last march also witnessed the launch of the country 's first art guide ( appropriately titled saudi art guide ' ) , available online and in app form . in jeddah and riyadh , there are more galleries opening -- maybe one or two a year . it 's kind of a trend , where someone sees the market potential and opens up a gallery , ' says darwish , the guide 's co-founder . for some artists , the development of art within the country is a reaction against the adverse effect foreign influence has had on the scene . recently , ahmed mater sent out a brief stating his longing to return to his roots , partly because the growing middle eastern art market treats our practices as a means to a resulting commodity , our visual languages and aesthetics being transformed into identifiable and inflexible brands . ' helb also worries about the effects of commercialization . you have censorship ( of saudi art ) in london . not a little , but a lot , ' notes helb . galleries want to make things glossier for the art market , so it sells and fits in your house and is interesting , and saudi artists lose the spontaneity of their voices . they turn artists into race horses . ' | abdulnasser gharem broke the record for highest grossing work by a saudi artists when a piece of his sold for $ 842,500 |
saudi arabia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if facebook is the ultimate popularity test , then the most famous art institute on the planet is not in paris , new york or london . it 's a tiny gallery hidden on the fifth floor of a nondescript building in amsterdam . measuring a meager 750 square feet , the greenbox museum is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to saudi contemporary art , and with over a million facebook likes ' , it is more loved than the tate , the metropolitan museum of art , or the louvre . when i started , people thought , it ca n't be true , it 's a joke , its april fools , ' recalls aarnout helb , the museum 's founder . helb started collecting saudi art in 2008 , after accidently stumbling upon a work by leading saudi artist ahmed mater online . a year later , he opened greenbox . helb does n't find the museum 's online popularity unusual . a lot of the fans are basically young muslims that perceive saudi as a country relevant to their culture , because of the historical and ritual position of mecca , ' he says . saudi art has also become trendy in western art circles . last year , tate modern director chris dercon made a special visit to saudi for jeddah art week . michael jeha , the managing director of christie 's middle east , who last year sold a piece by abdulnasser gharem for $ 842,500 ( the highest grossing work by a saudi artist ever ) , says that much of the demand is coming from europe and america . for saudi artists themselves , foreign influence can be a mixed blessing . on the one hand , art shown outside the country is less censored . read more : saudi artists push the limits soraya darwish , a young artist who also blogs about her country 's art scene , notes that often , artists will feel more comfortable showcasing sensitive materials abroad . in saudi , all exhibits have to pass review by the ministry of culture and information before they are opened to the public . overseas , there are no such measures . if an artwork is too culturally sensitive , it could get banned from being shown in saudi , ' she says . it has n't happened to me , but i 've known artists it has happened to . usually , they 'll just be asked not to show a work . i guess in the worst-case scenario , a show could be shut down . ' manal al dowayan , the country 's highest grossing female artist , disagrees that censorship is problematic within saudi . al dowayan has exhibited at both the v & a and british museum , and at solo and group shows within saudi . at alaan artspace , a newly opened gallery in riyadh , she showed a sculpture entitled esmi ' or my name ' , which depicting giant prayer beads bearing female names ( it was made in response to a conservative trend forbidding men to use a woman 's name in public ) . my art is very critical of social attitudes toward women , and i have never been censored in saudi , ' she says . the obvious untouchables are insulting religion and the royal family ; everything else is open . ' saudi has n't traditionally championed its artists . the majority of greenbox 's online love , for instance , does n't come from saudi , which ranks ninth on the list , but from indonesia , pakistan and egypt . yet as art becomes more accepted ( and lucrative ) outside the saudi arabia , those inside the country are starting to take note . one of the first institutions inside the country to champion saudi art was athr , which launched in jeddah in 2009 . only recently have other institutions started to join the fray . last october , alaan artspace opened , with the added mission of establishing an art curriculum in the country . art and design have always been a part of saudi culture . it is art education that has been overlooked , ' says neama al sudairy , alaan 's founding director . the art scene has picked up to such an extent that last march also witnessed the launch of the country 's first art guide ( appropriately titled saudi art guide ' ) , available online and in app form . in jeddah and riyadh , there are more galleries opening -- maybe one or two a year . it 's kind of a trend , where someone sees the market potential and opens up a gallery , ' says darwish , the guide 's co-founder . for some artists , the development of art within the country is a reaction against the adverse effect foreign influence has had on the scene . recently , ahmed mater sent out a brief stating his longing to return to his roots , partly because the growing middle eastern art market treats our practices as a means to a resulting commodity , our visual languages and aesthetics being transformed into identifiable and inflexible brands . ' helb also worries about the effects of commercialization . you have censorship ( of saudi art ) in london . not a little , but a lot , ' notes helb . galleries want to make things glossier for the art market , so it sells and fits in your house and is interesting , and saudi artists lose the spontaneity of their voices . they turn artists into race horses . ' | the landscape is changing as more galleries are opening up inside saudi arabia |
russia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- forbes'list of the world 's wealthy has named warren buffett the richest person on the planet , surpassing his friend and philanthropic partner bill gates who had held the title for 13 consecutive years . american investor warren buffett has been named world 's richest person . the american investor and philanthropist is worth an estimated $ 62 billion , up $ 10 billion from a year ago thanks to surging prices of berkshire hathaway stock , according to forbes magazine 's annual ranking of the world 's billionaires . gates , the co-founder of microsoft , is now ranked as the world 's third richest person . at $ 58 billion , his net worth is up $ 2 billion from a year ago . mexican telecom tycoon carlos slim helu was named the world 's second richest man , with a net worth of around $ 60 billion , up $ 11 billion since last march . for the first time , forbes'rich list named more than 1,000 billionaires from around the world , with 226 newcomers . the total net worth of the group is $ 4.4 trillion , up $ 900 billion from 2007 . watch who 's up and who 's down » this year 's survey finds an increasing number of the world 's richest coming from emerging markets , including china , india and russia . two years ago , 10 of the top 20 billionaires were from the united states . this year , there are only four . india is now home to four of the 10 richest people in the world , the highest number for a single country . but the united states still holds the top spot as the country with the most billionaires -- americans account for 42 percent of the world 's billionaires and 37 percent of the total wealth , according to forbes . with 87 billionaires , russia is now in second place , overtaking germany , with 59 billionaires , which had held that position for six years . it is also a record-breaking year for young billionaires , with forbes listing 50 billionaires under the age of 40 . check out the youngest billionaires » over half of them are self-starters , including google co-founders sergey brin and larry page , and india 's sameer gehlaut , who started online brokerage indiabulls . facebook founder mark zuckerberg , age 23 , was called quite possibly the world 's youngest self-made billionaire ever . ' e-mail to a friend | russia replaces germany as no . 2 country with 87 billionaires |
noah <tsp> ( cnn ) -- noah and connor barthe , the two boys apparently killed by a 100-pound african rock python in canada , died from asphyxiation , according to preliminary autopsy results . while we now have some preliminary information , investigators still have to wait for other test results to come back and for the final report , ' sgt . alain tremblay of the new brunswick royal canadian mounted police said wednesday . we recognize that this has touched the hearts of people across the world and that people want to know how this could have happened . our investigators are looking at all aspects of this tragic incident , and that will take some time , ' he said . noah , 4 , and connor , 6 , were found dead monday morning . sometime before dawn , the snake came crashing through the ceiling of the apartment where they were spending the night . the apartment was the home of jean-claude savoie , a family friend whose campbellton , new brunswick pet store was downstairs . tremblay said the python was kept upstairs in a custom-built glass enclosure similar to an aquarium . the cage reached the ceiling , and the snake was somehow able to crawl through a vent into the building 's ductwork . it was above the living room , where the boys were sleeping , when the ceiling fell in . the snake was found in the same room as the boys , tremblay said . he would provide no further details . he said the rcmp is conducting a criminal investigation but would n't discuss possible charges . obviously , it 's not a standard or regular case , ' he said . it 's very traumatic for the family that this happened . but for the police , this is an investigation where there 's a loss of life , and our approach to analyze a scene is almost identical , although here we 're dealing with a reptile . ' canadian broadcaster cbc reported that the python was between 11 and nearly 15 feet long and weighed more than 99 pounds . it was euthanized . the necropsy showed the snake was in good overall health , tremblay said . deaths caused by large constrictor snakes like pythons are fairly rare . the humane society documents 17 people who have died in incidents in the united states related to the snakes since 1978 , 12 of them since 1990 . cnn 's matt smith , jethro mullen , dana ford and kevin conlon contributed to this report . | noah and connor barthe , aged 4 and 6 , were found dead monday morning |
atlanta <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when ann arbor , michigan , advertising executive al mcwilliams finished high school in the late 1990s , he made a vow . he swore he would never , ever again ' commute to work by car , no matter what i was doing in life . ' most of his teen friends were getting their first cars and feeling free , but mcwilliams did n't see it like that . for him , freedom was being able to spend three hours a day doing something other than driving to and from private school . driving was oppressive , ' and his vw gti felt like a ball and chain . ' flash-forward to the present . mcwilliams , now 32 , either walks or rides the bus to his office every day , making his way to the back of the route 5 bus , where he 'll find a window seat and maybe enjoy a nice book . i feel more free when i take the bus , ' mcwilliams said . i do n't have to worry about a car , where it 's parked , gas or maintenance . ' he 's secure knowing that , just outside his door , a bus is going to come by every 15 minutes and and take me where i want to go . ' mcwilliams represents a growing segment of america that has embraced public transit from coast to coast in communities like seattle , dallas , nashville and los angeles . and the numbers are bearing that out . statistics released monday from the american public transportation association show that 2012 ranks as the second-highest transit ridership year since 1957 . only 2008 was higher . trips in 2012 on u.s. subways , commuter trains , light rail , trolleys and buses beat the previous year by 1.5 % -- or about 154.3 million rides . that despite damage from one of the worst east coast storms in decades . last fall , superstorm sandy shut down some of america 's largest transit systems , resulting , according to the transportation association , in a loss of an estimated 74 million trips . in boston , the storm closed subways for several hours . the annual traffic increased 2.8 % despite a 25 % fare increase earlier in the year . nationwide , ridership still increased . what 's going on here ? well , several things , say experts . for one , the price of gas spiked north of $ 4 a gallon in 2008 . that year , a lot of commuters who economized by using transit got a surprise : they liked it . they liked it because they could work on their laptops or phones . they could call friends , read books , chat with other commuters . take naps . it was all so much more enjoyable than crawling in rush-hour traffic on washington 's beltway , atlanta 's connector or even in ann arbor at the intersection of washtenaw avenue and platt road . so they kept on riding , even as gas prices dropped . another reason : cities that did n't have many public transportation options in the '80s and '90s have been getting on board . places like salt lake city and phoenix , which fostered rail transit during the past decade , are now seeing community benefits like lower traffic congestion and increased economic activity . the ballot box revealed another signal of support . last year , voters approved nearly 80 % of the nation 's local and state transit funding initiatives , the american public transportation association said , allowing their tax money to go toward public transportation systems . some of the winners in monday 's public transit report include : • new york city mta subways , up 1.82 % • los angeles mta heavy rail , up 3.70 % • chicago elevated trains , up 4.32 % • ann arbor , michigan , buses , up 6.6 % • canton , ohio , overall , up 9 % • lewisville , texas ( northwest of dallas ) , overall up by 11 % • nashville , tennessee , overall up 6.8 % • phoenix light rail , up 6.7 % • riverside , california , overall up 8 % • seattle , overall up 12 % • utah commuter rail up 14.74 % ; light rail up 14.73 % cities that reported fewer trips included : • washington metro subway , down 3.2 % • atlanta marta subway/elevated rail , down 5.02 % riders as customers less than 5 years old , phoenix 's light rail line gained nearly 7 % in riders last year . experts credit the increase to the train 's convenient access to the city convention center , schools , shopping and nighttime entertainment . we look at riders as customers and try to design the experience from a customer 's point of view , ' said valley metro 's susan tierney . a special phone number offers riders real-time updates on arrival times . managers are considering adding wi-fi to the trains . plans call for phoenix light rail to expand to 57 miles by 2026 at the earliest , depending on the economy . linking up utah utah 's young rail system showed a nearly 15 % gain on both its light rail and commuter rail lines in the salt lake city area . a commuter railroad linking the city with provo opened in 2012 , helping commuters avoid annoying vehicle traffic on i-15 . utah 's light rail debuted in 2001 and commuter rail in 2008 . this year , two more light rail lines are expected to open for business . lawmakers are considering using public transit to battle the region 's smog problem . a proposal would offer free access to light rail during january and july , utah 's worst months for smog . generations and something else : the shift to embrace public transit appears to have a generational component . younger people are waiting longer to get their driver 's licenses , studies show . many of these folks are using public transit . millennials , age 18 to 34 , like mcwilliams are more likely to use public transit than older americans , according to surveys . our parents moved to'burbs where we grew up riding around in cars , ' mcwilliams said . my generation is going the other way . it may be as simple as that . ' | cities with dropping subway ridership include atlanta and washington |
nashville <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when ann arbor , michigan , advertising executive al mcwilliams finished high school in the late 1990s , he made a vow . he swore he would never , ever again ' commute to work by car , no matter what i was doing in life . ' most of his teen friends were getting their first cars and feeling free , but mcwilliams did n't see it like that . for him , freedom was being able to spend three hours a day doing something other than driving to and from private school . driving was oppressive , ' and his vw gti felt like a ball and chain . ' flash-forward to the present . mcwilliams , now 32 , either walks or rides the bus to his office every day , making his way to the back of the route 5 bus , where he 'll find a window seat and maybe enjoy a nice book . i feel more free when i take the bus , ' mcwilliams said . i do n't have to worry about a car , where it 's parked , gas or maintenance . ' he 's secure knowing that , just outside his door , a bus is going to come by every 15 minutes and and take me where i want to go . ' mcwilliams represents a growing segment of america that has embraced public transit from coast to coast in communities like seattle , dallas , nashville and los angeles . and the numbers are bearing that out . statistics released monday from the american public transportation association show that 2012 ranks as the second-highest transit ridership year since 1957 . only 2008 was higher . trips in 2012 on u.s. subways , commuter trains , light rail , trolleys and buses beat the previous year by 1.5 % -- or about 154.3 million rides . that despite damage from one of the worst east coast storms in decades . last fall , superstorm sandy shut down some of america 's largest transit systems , resulting , according to the transportation association , in a loss of an estimated 74 million trips . in boston , the storm closed subways for several hours . the annual traffic increased 2.8 % despite a 25 % fare increase earlier in the year . nationwide , ridership still increased . what 's going on here ? well , several things , say experts . for one , the price of gas spiked north of $ 4 a gallon in 2008 . that year , a lot of commuters who economized by using transit got a surprise : they liked it . they liked it because they could work on their laptops or phones . they could call friends , read books , chat with other commuters . take naps . it was all so much more enjoyable than crawling in rush-hour traffic on washington 's beltway , atlanta 's connector or even in ann arbor at the intersection of washtenaw avenue and platt road . so they kept on riding , even as gas prices dropped . another reason : cities that did n't have many public transportation options in the '80s and '90s have been getting on board . places like salt lake city and phoenix , which fostered rail transit during the past decade , are now seeing community benefits like lower traffic congestion and increased economic activity . the ballot box revealed another signal of support . last year , voters approved nearly 80 % of the nation 's local and state transit funding initiatives , the american public transportation association said , allowing their tax money to go toward public transportation systems . some of the winners in monday 's public transit report include : • new york city mta subways , up 1.82 % • los angeles mta heavy rail , up 3.70 % • chicago elevated trains , up 4.32 % • ann arbor , michigan , buses , up 6.6 % • canton , ohio , overall , up 9 % • lewisville , texas ( northwest of dallas ) , overall up by 11 % • nashville , tennessee , overall up 6.8 % • phoenix light rail , up 6.7 % • riverside , california , overall up 8 % • seattle , overall up 12 % • utah commuter rail up 14.74 % ; light rail up 14.73 % cities that reported fewer trips included : • washington metro subway , down 3.2 % • atlanta marta subway/elevated rail , down 5.02 % riders as customers less than 5 years old , phoenix 's light rail line gained nearly 7 % in riders last year . experts credit the increase to the train 's convenient access to the city convention center , schools , shopping and nighttime entertainment . we look at riders as customers and try to design the experience from a customer 's point of view , ' said valley metro 's susan tierney . a special phone number offers riders real-time updates on arrival times . managers are considering adding wi-fi to the trains . plans call for phoenix light rail to expand to 57 miles by 2026 at the earliest , depending on the economy . linking up utah utah 's young rail system showed a nearly 15 % gain on both its light rail and commuter rail lines in the salt lake city area . a commuter railroad linking the city with provo opened in 2012 , helping commuters avoid annoying vehicle traffic on i-15 . utah 's light rail debuted in 2001 and commuter rail in 2008 . this year , two more light rail lines are expected to open for business . lawmakers are considering using public transit to battle the region 's smog problem . a proposal would offer free access to light rail during january and july , utah 's worst months for smog . generations and something else : the shift to embrace public transit appears to have a generational component . younger people are waiting longer to get their driver 's licenses , studies show . many of these folks are using public transit . millennials , age 18 to 34 , like mcwilliams are more likely to use public transit than older americans , according to surveys . our parents moved to'burbs where we grew up riding around in cars , ' mcwilliams said . my generation is going the other way . it may be as simple as that . ' | big increases in ann arbor , michigan ; nashville ; los angeles , boston , new york |
sandra bullock <tsp> ( cnn ) people magazine has anointed sandra bullock the world 's most beautiful woman of 2015 , the publication revealed on wednesday . bullock , 50 , joins a long line of actresses to receive the honor , including last year 's cover girl , lupita nyong'o , and gwyneth paltrow in 2013 . she seems to be taking it all in stride , calling the whole thing ridiculous . ' real beauty is quiet . especially in this town , it 's just so hard not to say ,'oh , i need to look like that ,' she told people . no , be a good person ; be a good mom ; do a good job with the lunch ; let someone cut in front of you who looks like they 're in a bigger hurry . the people i find most beautiful are the ones who are n't trying . ' the cover story focuses on bullock 's home life with her son , louis , 5 , and her efforts to stay healthy and fit past her 40s . i was putting him to bed and told him that even when i 'm old and gray and more wrinkly than i am now , i 'll still love him and want to tuck him in , ' she said . and he asked why i have wrinkles , and i said ,'well , i hope some of them are from laughing so much .'and he touched my face and said ,'you 're not old , you 're just happy .' the oscar-winning star of movies including gravity , ' the blind side ' and crash ' said she 's happy with who she is . as long as i 'm healthy and strong and i do n't let this mind of mine run amok with insecurities about what i am not , i can look in the mirror and like who i see . ' the selection of bullock , the oldest woman to receive top honors in the history of the list , is a sign that beauty knows no age , say some . great choice ! gorgeous , talented , over 50 and fabulous ! that 's the way it 's done ! ' wrote one fan on people 's facebook page . also making the most beautiful ' cut this year : gabrielle union , ariana grande and laverne cox . the issue hits newsstands friday . | people magazine has named actress sandra bullock the most beautiful woman in the world |
kennedy <tsp> cesar chavez is something of a national icon . his face is on a u.s. postage stamp . countless statues , murals , libraries , schools , parks and streets are named after him -- he even has his own national monument . he was on the cover of time magazine in 1969 . a naval ship was named after him . the man even has his own google doodle and apple ad . yet his footprint in american history is widely unknown and that 's exactly the reason why actor-turned-director diego luna decided to produce a movie about his life . i was really surprised that there was n't already a film out about chavez 's life , so that 's why i spent the past four years making this and hope the country will join me in celebrating his life and work , ' diego luna said during tuesday 's screening of cesar chavez : an american hero ' in new york . the movie opens nationwide on friday . after seeing farm workers harvesting the country 's food unable to afford feeding their own families -- let alone the deplorable working conditions they faced -- chavez decided to act . he and dolores huerta co-founded what 's now known as the united farm workers . they became the first to successfully organize farm workers while being completely committed to nonviolence . without chavez , california 's farm workers would n't have fair wages , lunch breaks and access to toilets or clean water in the fields . not to mention public awareness about the dangers of pesticides to farm workers and helping outlaw the short-handled hoe . despite widespread knowledge of its dangers , this tool damaged farm workers'backs . his civil rights activism has been compared to that of martin luther king jr. and mahatma gandhi . difficult conditions in america 's fields but as the film successfully highlights chavez 's accomplishments , viewers will also be confronted with an uncomfortable truth about who picks their food and under what conditions . unfortunately , chavez 's successes do n't cross state lines . states such as new york , where farm workers face long hours without any overtime pay or a day of rest , are of concern for human rights activist kerry kennedy , president of the robert f. kennedy center for justice and human rights . the kennedys have been supporters of the ufw since sen. robert kennedy broke bread with chavez during the last day of his fast against violence in 1968 . new york is 37 years behind california . farm workers here can be fired if they tried collective bargaining , ' kennedy said after the cesar chavez ' screening . we need a cesar chavez . ' opinion : why i did n't eat for 22 days california is still the only state where farm workers have the right to organize . kennedy is urging the passing of the farmworkers fair labor practices act , which would give farm workers the right to one day of rest each week , time-and-a-half pay for work past an eight-hour day , as well as unemployment , workers'compensation and disability insurance . it 's not just new york . farm workers across the country face hardship . in michigan 's blueberry fields , there 's a great deal of child labor , rodriguez said . because they 're paid by piece-rate , it puts a lot of stress on all family members to chip in . plus , families work under one social security number because about 80 % of the farm worker population is undocumented , ' rodriguez added . that 's why the ufw and major grower associations worked closely with the senate 's immigration reform bill to include special provisions that would give farm workers legal status if they continued to work in agriculture . farm workers should n't struggle so much to feed their own families , and we can be part of that change , ' luna said . a national holiday in honor chavez ? to help facilitate that change , luna and the film 's cast -- michael peña as chavez , america ferrera as his wife , helen , and rosario dawson as labor leader dolores huerta -- have been trekking all over the country promoting the film and a petition to make chavez 's birthday on march 31 a national holiday . we are n't pushing cesar chavez day just to give people a day off . it 's to give people a'day on'because we have a responsibility to provide service to our communities , ' united farm workers president arturo rodriguez told cnn . in 2008 , president barack obama showed his support for the national holiday and even borrowed the united farm workers famous chant si se puede !'-- coined by dolores huerta -- during his first presidential campaign . obama endorsed it again in 2012 , when he created a national monument to honor chavez , but the resolution still has to be passed by congress to be recognized as a national holiday . right now , cesar chavez day is recognized only in california , texas and colorado . huerta , 83 , is still going strong in her activism and has also helped promote the film . she said she wishes the film could have included more history , but she knows it 's impossible . there were so many important lessons in the film . all the sacrifices cesar and his wife , helen , had to make and the obstacles we had to face against the police and judges . we even had people that were killed in the movement but we were still able to organize , ' huerta said . actor tony plana , who attending the new york screening , knew the late chavez and credited him with the launch of his acting career . plana , known for his role as the father on abc 's ugly betty ' tv series , said his first acting gig was in the ufw 's theatrical troupe educating and helping raising farm workers'awareness about their work conditions . i 've waited more than 35 years for this film to be made , and i ca n't tell you how honored i am to finally see it happen , ' plana told cnn . cesar chavez an inspiration to obama campaign it 's not that there was n't interest in making the biopic before : hollywood studios and directors have approached the chavez family in the past , but the family kept turning them down , mainly for two reasons . well , first cesar did n't want to spend the time making the film because there was so much work to do , and he was hesitant on being singled out because there were so many others that contributed to the ufw 's success , ' said rodriguez . it was n't until luna came around and asked the chavez family how they felt the movie should be made that the green light was given . but when it came time to getting the funding to produce the film , hollywood was not willing . hopefully this film will send a message to hollywood that our [ latino ] stories need to be portrayed in cinema , ' luna added . latinos go to the movies more than anyone else , but we 're the least represented on screen . it does n't make any sense , ' dawson told cnn . in 2012 , hispanics represented 18 % of the movie-going population but accounted for 25 % of all movies seen , according to nielsen national research group . i hope young people use the power of social media to help spread the word about social change , ' dawson said . there is power in being a consumer and boycotting . if we want more as a community , we need to speak up . ' | kennedy : new york is 37 years behind california . we need a cesar chavez . ' |
ufw <tsp> cesar chavez is something of a national icon . his face is on a u.s. postage stamp . countless statues , murals , libraries , schools , parks and streets are named after him -- he even has his own national monument . he was on the cover of time magazine in 1969 . a naval ship was named after him . the man even has his own google doodle and apple ad . yet his footprint in american history is widely unknown and that 's exactly the reason why actor-turned-director diego luna decided to produce a movie about his life . i was really surprised that there was n't already a film out about chavez 's life , so that 's why i spent the past four years making this and hope the country will join me in celebrating his life and work , ' diego luna said during tuesday 's screening of cesar chavez : an american hero ' in new york . the movie opens nationwide on friday . after seeing farm workers harvesting the country 's food unable to afford feeding their own families -- let alone the deplorable working conditions they faced -- chavez decided to act . he and dolores huerta co-founded what 's now known as the united farm workers . they became the first to successfully organize farm workers while being completely committed to nonviolence . without chavez , california 's farm workers would n't have fair wages , lunch breaks and access to toilets or clean water in the fields . not to mention public awareness about the dangers of pesticides to farm workers and helping outlaw the short-handled hoe . despite widespread knowledge of its dangers , this tool damaged farm workers'backs . his civil rights activism has been compared to that of martin luther king jr. and mahatma gandhi . difficult conditions in america 's fields but as the film successfully highlights chavez 's accomplishments , viewers will also be confronted with an uncomfortable truth about who picks their food and under what conditions . unfortunately , chavez 's successes do n't cross state lines . states such as new york , where farm workers face long hours without any overtime pay or a day of rest , are of concern for human rights activist kerry kennedy , president of the robert f. kennedy center for justice and human rights . the kennedys have been supporters of the ufw since sen. robert kennedy broke bread with chavez during the last day of his fast against violence in 1968 . new york is 37 years behind california . farm workers here can be fired if they tried collective bargaining , ' kennedy said after the cesar chavez ' screening . we need a cesar chavez . ' opinion : why i did n't eat for 22 days california is still the only state where farm workers have the right to organize . kennedy is urging the passing of the farmworkers fair labor practices act , which would give farm workers the right to one day of rest each week , time-and-a-half pay for work past an eight-hour day , as well as unemployment , workers'compensation and disability insurance . it 's not just new york . farm workers across the country face hardship . in michigan 's blueberry fields , there 's a great deal of child labor , rodriguez said . because they 're paid by piece-rate , it puts a lot of stress on all family members to chip in . plus , families work under one social security number because about 80 % of the farm worker population is undocumented , ' rodriguez added . that 's why the ufw and major grower associations worked closely with the senate 's immigration reform bill to include special provisions that would give farm workers legal status if they continued to work in agriculture . farm workers should n't struggle so much to feed their own families , and we can be part of that change , ' luna said . a national holiday in honor chavez ? to help facilitate that change , luna and the film 's cast -- michael peña as chavez , america ferrera as his wife , helen , and rosario dawson as labor leader dolores huerta -- have been trekking all over the country promoting the film and a petition to make chavez 's birthday on march 31 a national holiday . we are n't pushing cesar chavez day just to give people a day off . it 's to give people a'day on'because we have a responsibility to provide service to our communities , ' united farm workers president arturo rodriguez told cnn . in 2008 , president barack obama showed his support for the national holiday and even borrowed the united farm workers famous chant si se puede !'-- coined by dolores huerta -- during his first presidential campaign . obama endorsed it again in 2012 , when he created a national monument to honor chavez , but the resolution still has to be passed by congress to be recognized as a national holiday . right now , cesar chavez day is recognized only in california , texas and colorado . huerta , 83 , is still going strong in her activism and has also helped promote the film . she said she wishes the film could have included more history , but she knows it 's impossible . there were so many important lessons in the film . all the sacrifices cesar and his wife , helen , had to make and the obstacles we had to face against the police and judges . we even had people that were killed in the movement but we were still able to organize , ' huerta said . actor tony plana , who attending the new york screening , knew the late chavez and credited him with the launch of his acting career . plana , known for his role as the father on abc 's ugly betty ' tv series , said his first acting gig was in the ufw 's theatrical troupe educating and helping raising farm workers'awareness about their work conditions . i 've waited more than 35 years for this film to be made , and i ca n't tell you how honored i am to finally see it happen , ' plana told cnn . cesar chavez an inspiration to obama campaign it 's not that there was n't interest in making the biopic before : hollywood studios and directors have approached the chavez family in the past , but the family kept turning them down , mainly for two reasons . well , first cesar did n't want to spend the time making the film because there was so much work to do , and he was hesitant on being singled out because there were so many others that contributed to the ufw 's success , ' said rodriguez . it was n't until luna came around and asked the chavez family how they felt the movie should be made that the green light was given . but when it came time to getting the funding to produce the film , hollywood was not willing . hopefully this film will send a message to hollywood that our [ latino ] stories need to be portrayed in cinema , ' luna added . latinos go to the movies more than anyone else , but we 're the least represented on screen . it does n't make any sense , ' dawson told cnn . in 2012 , hispanics represented 18 % of the movie-going population but accounted for 25 % of all movies seen , according to nielsen national research group . i hope young people use the power of social media to help spread the word about social change , ' dawson said . there is power in being a consumer and boycotting . if we want more as a community , we need to speak up . ' | film depicts chavez and ufw 's success , but there is still more work to be done |
new york <tsp> cesar chavez is something of a national icon . his face is on a u.s. postage stamp . countless statues , murals , libraries , schools , parks and streets are named after him -- he even has his own national monument . he was on the cover of time magazine in 1969 . a naval ship was named after him . the man even has his own google doodle and apple ad . yet his footprint in american history is widely unknown and that 's exactly the reason why actor-turned-director diego luna decided to produce a movie about his life . i was really surprised that there was n't already a film out about chavez 's life , so that 's why i spent the past four years making this and hope the country will join me in celebrating his life and work , ' diego luna said during tuesday 's screening of cesar chavez : an american hero ' in new york . the movie opens nationwide on friday . after seeing farm workers harvesting the country 's food unable to afford feeding their own families -- let alone the deplorable working conditions they faced -- chavez decided to act . he and dolores huerta co-founded what 's now known as the united farm workers . they became the first to successfully organize farm workers while being completely committed to nonviolence . without chavez , california 's farm workers would n't have fair wages , lunch breaks and access to toilets or clean water in the fields . not to mention public awareness about the dangers of pesticides to farm workers and helping outlaw the short-handled hoe . despite widespread knowledge of its dangers , this tool damaged farm workers'backs . his civil rights activism has been compared to that of martin luther king jr. and mahatma gandhi . difficult conditions in america 's fields but as the film successfully highlights chavez 's accomplishments , viewers will also be confronted with an uncomfortable truth about who picks their food and under what conditions . unfortunately , chavez 's successes do n't cross state lines . states such as new york , where farm workers face long hours without any overtime pay or a day of rest , are of concern for human rights activist kerry kennedy , president of the robert f. kennedy center for justice and human rights . the kennedys have been supporters of the ufw since sen. robert kennedy broke bread with chavez during the last day of his fast against violence in 1968 . new york is 37 years behind california . farm workers here can be fired if they tried collective bargaining , ' kennedy said after the cesar chavez ' screening . we need a cesar chavez . ' opinion : why i did n't eat for 22 days california is still the only state where farm workers have the right to organize . kennedy is urging the passing of the farmworkers fair labor practices act , which would give farm workers the right to one day of rest each week , time-and-a-half pay for work past an eight-hour day , as well as unemployment , workers'compensation and disability insurance . it 's not just new york . farm workers across the country face hardship . in michigan 's blueberry fields , there 's a great deal of child labor , rodriguez said . because they 're paid by piece-rate , it puts a lot of stress on all family members to chip in . plus , families work under one social security number because about 80 % of the farm worker population is undocumented , ' rodriguez added . that 's why the ufw and major grower associations worked closely with the senate 's immigration reform bill to include special provisions that would give farm workers legal status if they continued to work in agriculture . farm workers should n't struggle so much to feed their own families , and we can be part of that change , ' luna said . a national holiday in honor chavez ? to help facilitate that change , luna and the film 's cast -- michael peña as chavez , america ferrera as his wife , helen , and rosario dawson as labor leader dolores huerta -- have been trekking all over the country promoting the film and a petition to make chavez 's birthday on march 31 a national holiday . we are n't pushing cesar chavez day just to give people a day off . it 's to give people a'day on'because we have a responsibility to provide service to our communities , ' united farm workers president arturo rodriguez told cnn . in 2008 , president barack obama showed his support for the national holiday and even borrowed the united farm workers famous chant si se puede !'-- coined by dolores huerta -- during his first presidential campaign . obama endorsed it again in 2012 , when he created a national monument to honor chavez , but the resolution still has to be passed by congress to be recognized as a national holiday . right now , cesar chavez day is recognized only in california , texas and colorado . huerta , 83 , is still going strong in her activism and has also helped promote the film . she said she wishes the film could have included more history , but she knows it 's impossible . there were so many important lessons in the film . all the sacrifices cesar and his wife , helen , had to make and the obstacles we had to face against the police and judges . we even had people that were killed in the movement but we were still able to organize , ' huerta said . actor tony plana , who attending the new york screening , knew the late chavez and credited him with the launch of his acting career . plana , known for his role as the father on abc 's ugly betty ' tv series , said his first acting gig was in the ufw 's theatrical troupe educating and helping raising farm workers'awareness about their work conditions . i 've waited more than 35 years for this film to be made , and i ca n't tell you how honored i am to finally see it happen , ' plana told cnn . cesar chavez an inspiration to obama campaign it 's not that there was n't interest in making the biopic before : hollywood studios and directors have approached the chavez family in the past , but the family kept turning them down , mainly for two reasons . well , first cesar did n't want to spend the time making the film because there was so much work to do , and he was hesitant on being singled out because there were so many others that contributed to the ufw 's success , ' said rodriguez . it was n't until luna came around and asked the chavez family how they felt the movie should be made that the green light was given . but when it came time to getting the funding to produce the film , hollywood was not willing . hopefully this film will send a message to hollywood that our [ latino ] stories need to be portrayed in cinema , ' luna added . latinos go to the movies more than anyone else , but we 're the least represented on screen . it does n't make any sense , ' dawson told cnn . in 2012 , hispanics represented 18 % of the movie-going population but accounted for 25 % of all movies seen , according to nielsen national research group . i hope young people use the power of social media to help spread the word about social change , ' dawson said . there is power in being a consumer and boycotting . if we want more as a community , we need to speak up . ' | kennedy : new york is 37 years behind california . we need a cesar chavez . ' |
iran <tsp> ( tribune media services ) -- two young iranian parents smiled at me , showing mock desperation as their little boy and girl eagerly dragged them into a shop famous for its pistachio ice cream sandwiches . around the corner , filling the side of a 15-story building , a government-sponsored propaganda mural showed a perverted american flag , with skulls for stars and falling bombs for stripes . iranian women must wear a scarf , but many leave a tuft of hair showing at the forehead . that bizarre mixture -- of saber-rattling politics alongside the personal warmth of individual locals -- is what struck me on my recent 12-day trip to iran to film a public-television show . i found iran to be perhaps the most misunderstood and fascinating land i 've ever visited . and i learned a lot . the country is not free . it seems that people -- motivated by fear of western influences and love of their children -- have forgone democracy for their theocracy . parents told me , we do not want our girls to grow up to be britney spears , ' and they are willing to sacrifice some freedom to achieve that goal . they feel their revolution of values ' provides an environment where they can raise their children free from the cheap sex , drug abuse and crass materialism of the west . iranian women must wear a scarf , but many leave a tuft of hair showing at the forehead . after several days , that provocative tuft attracted my eye like cleavage . making sure that what they can show is as beautiful as possible , iranian women , per capita , lead the world in nose jobs . faces are beautifully made up , and -- when so much else is covered -- can be particularly expressive and mysterious . eye contact is riveting . before arriving in iran , i was so afraid of anti-americanism that we had nearly left our big expensive tv camera in athens and considered flying in with a less obtrusive model . but once there , i found people curious , courteous and quick to smile -- especially when they learned we were american . i 've never had such fun with people or found them so chatty than on the streets of iran . tehran is modern and bustling , with thriving shopping malls , cars clogging the streets and most people wearing western-style clothes . unlike many muslim capitals , minarets do not dot the skyline , and i barely heard a call to prayer . and yet it 's clearly a theocracy . multiple tv stations broadcast religious programming ( along with bbc and cnn ) that 's perfect for praying -- images of the sun setting on the sea , or the pilgrimage center in mecca in real-time . in the united states , billboards and ads encourage us to consume , but in iran , government-sponsored billboards , muzak and tv programming is all about the teachings of great holy men . i asked my guide if it 's okay to be non-muslim in iran . yes , ' he said , we have religious freedom , as long as it is not offensive to islam . ' christian ? sure . ' jewish ? sure . ' bahai ? no . we believe that mohammed -- who came in the 7th century -- was the last prophet , so the bahai prophet ( 19th century ) is offensive to islam . ' i asked , what if you want to get somewhere in the military or government ? ' my guide answered , then you better be a muslim -- a practicing , shiite muslim . ' every film crew stops at the former u.s. embassy . it was here in 1979 that a gang of revolutionary students stormed what they called the den of spies ' and held 52 americans hostage for 444 days . for iranians back then , it was a proud moment of triumph against the nation that had meddled in their affairs for years . the embassy wall is still covered with anti-american murals painted at that time . but the hostage crisis was 30 years ago . most iranians were n't even born then . it 's ancient history to our young guide . with our work done , we hurried to catch our flight home . as we crawled through tehran 's traffic , our driver cursed , death to traffic . ' shocked , i said , what ? i thought it was death to america . ' he said , here in iran , when something frustrates us and is out of our control , we say'death'to that . ' then i thought , when people in my society say , damn those teenagers , ' they do n't mean they wish them to die and burn in hell for eternity ... they just want the kids to turn down the music . boarding our plane , the air france flight attendants -- so stylish with hair flowing freely -- seemed to welcome us as if onto a life raft . women pulled off their scarves , wine was poured , and we flew west with the raw footage of a program we hoped would humanize a proud country of 70 million people . rick steves writes european travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio . e-mail him at rick @ ricksteves.com , or write to him c/o p.o . box 2009 , edmonds , wash. 98020 . copyright 2009 rick steves , distributed by tribune media services , inc . | recently steves has been working on a series on iran |
muhammadu buhari <tsp> at least 40 people in northern nigeria were killed wednesday in two suicide blasts targeting a renowned muslim cleric and an opposition politician , prompting a round-the-clock curfew to prevent chaos . we have recorded two suicide blasts today in the city , which have killed 40 people , ' kaduna state police commissioner umar shehu said of the blasts that also injured scores of people . twenty-five people were killed in the first blast , which targeted the motorcade of sheikh dahiru bauchi , the revered leader of the tijjaniyya sufi order in nigeria , after he left the finale of an annual koranic conference . the second blast occurred about two hours later and killed at least 15 people , officials said . it targeted muhammadu buhari , the former military ruler and opposition presidential candidate in the 2007 and 2011 elections . both targeted figures escaped unhurt . nigerian president goodluck ebele jonathan condemned the bombings and commiserates with all those who were injured in the twin bombings in this holy month of ramadan , which defy the tenets of islam , ' adviser reuben abati said . u.s. state department spokeswoman marie harf said america deplores today 's twin bombings in kaduna , nigeria , which targeted shaykh dahiru usman bauchi , one of the country 's most respected muslim scholars , during the month of ramadan . ' she added that reports cited how former head of state buhari may have also been targeted . kaduna gov . mukhtar ramalan yero imposed a 24-hour curfew on the city of kuduna to enable security agencies ( to ) restore normalcy , ' spokesman ahmed maiyaki said . opinion : nigeria 's kidnapped girls not forgotten 15,000 flee after boko haram overtakes nigerian town nigeria arrests suspect in april bus station bombing | another targets muhammadu buhari , the former military ruler |
china <tsp> beijing , china ( cnn ) the son of kung fu movie star jackie chan was convicted on a drug charge and sentenced to six months in prison in a beijing court on friday . jaycee chan , who pleaded guilty to hosting others to take drugs , ' was also fined 2,000 yuan ( $ 320 ) , announced the dongcheng district people 's court . wearing a black sweatshirt and blue pants , the 32-year-old chan -- who is an actor like his father -- bowed to the judge and prosecutor after the 90-minute trial . i committed a crime and deserve to be punished , ' the court 's official microblog quoted him as saying . it does n't mean i have received mercy and forgiveness -- i hope to earn them with my future actions . ' reminding him to return to the right path ' and establish a healthy public image , ' the prosecutor cited chan 's cooperation with police as a basis for leniency , according to the court . the hong kong native was arrested in beijing last summer along with a taiwanese actor , amid a government crackdown on celebrity drug offenders . after both men tested positive for marijuana , police found more than 100 grams of the drug after searching chan 's apartment . although he did not attend the trial , jackie chan -- who has starred in hollywood blockbusters like rush hour ' and was named an anti-drugs ambassador in china in 2009 -- had expressed anger and disappointment in his son in media interviews . i failed to discipline him -- now the state is helping me discipline him and make him get rid all the bad habits , ' the elder chan , 60 , told the state-run xinhua news agency last month , while denying his son had received special treatment in jail . the younger chan 's case has put a spotlight on the chinese capital 's intensifying anti-drugs campaign . by mid-november , the authorities had detained almost 10,000 people for using drugs , nearly double the previous year 's figure . announcing the numbers , a top anti-narcotics official in beijing emphasized the government 's zero-tolerance ' stance on celebrity offenders due to the impact of their behavior on the youth . last august , dozens of management agencies representing actors and singers signed an agreement with beijing authorities , banning drug use from the entertainment industry and pledging to fire any artists who break the law . cnn 's vivian kam contributed to this report from hong kong . | son of jackie chan convicted on drug charge in china |
china <tsp> beijing , china ( cnn ) the son of kung fu movie star jackie chan was convicted on a drug charge and sentenced to six months in prison in a beijing court on friday . jaycee chan , who pleaded guilty to hosting others to take drugs , ' was also fined 2,000 yuan ( $ 320 ) , announced the dongcheng district people 's court . wearing a black sweatshirt and blue pants , the 32-year-old chan -- who is an actor like his father -- bowed to the judge and prosecutor after the 90-minute trial . i committed a crime and deserve to be punished , ' the court 's official microblog quoted him as saying . it does n't mean i have received mercy and forgiveness -- i hope to earn them with my future actions . ' reminding him to return to the right path ' and establish a healthy public image , ' the prosecutor cited chan 's cooperation with police as a basis for leniency , according to the court . the hong kong native was arrested in beijing last summer along with a taiwanese actor , amid a government crackdown on celebrity drug offenders . after both men tested positive for marijuana , police found more than 100 grams of the drug after searching chan 's apartment . although he did not attend the trial , jackie chan -- who has starred in hollywood blockbusters like rush hour ' and was named an anti-drugs ambassador in china in 2009 -- had expressed anger and disappointment in his son in media interviews . i failed to discipline him -- now the state is helping me discipline him and make him get rid all the bad habits , ' the elder chan , 60 , told the state-run xinhua news agency last month , while denying his son had received special treatment in jail . the younger chan 's case has put a spotlight on the chinese capital 's intensifying anti-drugs campaign . by mid-november , the authorities had detained almost 10,000 people for using drugs , nearly double the previous year 's figure . announcing the numbers , a top anti-narcotics official in beijing emphasized the government 's zero-tolerance ' stance on celebrity offenders due to the impact of their behavior on the youth . last august , dozens of management agencies representing actors and singers signed an agreement with beijing authorities , banning drug use from the entertainment industry and pledging to fire any artists who break the law . cnn 's vivian kam contributed to this report from hong kong . | his father was named anti-drugs ambassador in china in 2009 |
jaycee chan <tsp> beijing , china ( cnn ) the son of kung fu movie star jackie chan was convicted on a drug charge and sentenced to six months in prison in a beijing court on friday . jaycee chan , who pleaded guilty to hosting others to take drugs , ' was also fined 2,000 yuan ( $ 320 ) , announced the dongcheng district people 's court . wearing a black sweatshirt and blue pants , the 32-year-old chan -- who is an actor like his father -- bowed to the judge and prosecutor after the 90-minute trial . i committed a crime and deserve to be punished , ' the court 's official microblog quoted him as saying . it does n't mean i have received mercy and forgiveness -- i hope to earn them with my future actions . ' reminding him to return to the right path ' and establish a healthy public image , ' the prosecutor cited chan 's cooperation with police as a basis for leniency , according to the court . the hong kong native was arrested in beijing last summer along with a taiwanese actor , amid a government crackdown on celebrity drug offenders . after both men tested positive for marijuana , police found more than 100 grams of the drug after searching chan 's apartment . although he did not attend the trial , jackie chan -- who has starred in hollywood blockbusters like rush hour ' and was named an anti-drugs ambassador in china in 2009 -- had expressed anger and disappointment in his son in media interviews . i failed to discipline him -- now the state is helping me discipline him and make him get rid all the bad habits , ' the elder chan , 60 , told the state-run xinhua news agency last month , while denying his son had received special treatment in jail . the younger chan 's case has put a spotlight on the chinese capital 's intensifying anti-drugs campaign . by mid-november , the authorities had detained almost 10,000 people for using drugs , nearly double the previous year 's figure . announcing the numbers , a top anti-narcotics official in beijing emphasized the government 's zero-tolerance ' stance on celebrity offenders due to the impact of their behavior on the youth . last august , dozens of management agencies representing actors and singers signed an agreement with beijing authorities , banning drug use from the entertainment industry and pledging to fire any artists who break the law . cnn 's vivian kam contributed to this report from hong kong . | jaycee chan tested positive for marijuana in august |
hyundai <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's a south korean car crash that has been viewed online 2 million times over the past week and has sparked a government-led investigation . a couple in their 60s were driving to a department store in daegu , 238 kilometers ( 148 miles ) south of seoul , when their car suddenly accelerated . their son , who wants to be identified only by his surname , kwon , posted the video from may 6 onto an internet forum , he says to prove his father was not at fault . kwon told cnn , my father said he heard an odd noise from the car . he thought there was something wrong , then felt the vehicle suddenly accelerating . he twisted the car wheel to the left as he was trying to avoid the cars in front of him , and that is when the vehicle accelerated at a crazy speed . he continued to avoid traffic and people but in the end , there was nowhere else to dodge , and he crashed into a car . ' the footage from a camera attached to the rearview mirror -- a common practice in south korea -- shows that the car also drove through two red lights before it crashed into the stationary car at a speed believed to be 80 mph ( 129 kph ) . you can hear the couple saying , oh my god , what is happening , what is wrong ? ' the wife screams oh no ' just before impact . kwon says his mother , 63 , had an operation for internal bleeding and is awaiting a second operation on her back . his father , 65 , suffered a fractured finger and fractured ribs . the ministry of land , transport and maritime affairs says it is investigating the claim of sudden unintended acceleration . sohn young-sam , an official at the ministry , told cnn that 80 claims of such acceleration have been investigated since 2003 . hyundai declined a cnn interview request but sent a statement saying , the vehicle is being investigated by the korean national forensic service . there is no time estimate for the conclusion of the investigation . ' cnn 's k.j . kwon contributed to this report . | hyundai declines interview request , says national forensic service also is investigating |
man utd <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester city 's misfiring start to the english premier league season continued on saturday with a 2-1 loss to west ham united at upton park . the disappointing league result comes off the back of another lackluster display in the champions league in midweek which saw manuel pellegrini 's side squander a 2-0 lead against cska moscow to eventually draw the match 2-2 . on saturday , it was city who found themselves two goals down after west ham 's french midfielder morgan amalfitano opened the scoring in the 21st minute before diafra sakho netted again with 15 minutes remaining . the senegalese striker 's sixth goal in as many league games ultimately sank city who managed to pull one back through david silva but could n't find an equalizer . we had a lot of chances to score but it is difficult to win if you do n't take them , ' city boss , pellegrini said . i do n't think it was a fault of our team for the performance in the first half , it was more about the intensity of west ham and you must credit them for that . we are just starting the season , we have 80 points left to play for . so it is early . we will continue fighting because there is no title being handed out at the moment . ' the win keeps west ham in fourth place with 16 points , one point behind city who failed to make up ground on league leaders chelsea . jose mourniho 's side will extend their advantage to eight points over city if they beat manchester united at old trafford on sunday . elsewhere , there were wins for southampton who rise to second place thanks to a 1-0 win over stoke city . ronald koeman 's side kept the winning habit with their sixth victory in seven league matches and now have 19 points from nine matches . alexis sanchez scored a brace to give arsenal all three points against sunderland -- the black cats have now conceded 10 goals in two matches after shipping eight last weekend . the win gave arsene wenger a first league win in four matches and lifts the gunners up to fifth with swansea city one place behind following a 2-0 win at leicester city . liverpool could only draw 0-0 at home to hull city -- a result which sees brendan rodgers'side slip to seventh in the table . west bromwich albion and crystal palace also shared the points in a 2-2 draw at the hawthorns . dortmund slump continues borussia dortmund 's nightmare start to the bundesliga season continued with a fourth straight league defeat on saturday against hannover 96 . hiroshi kiyotake 's 62nd-minute winner consigned jurgen klopp 's team to a third home defeat of the league season and a sixth loss in all . their spectacular lack of league victories -- the latest defeat leaves dortmund hovering above the relegation places in 15th -- is in stark contrast to the club 's champions league form where they are riding high in group d with three wins from three matches . compare that to a league run that has yielded one point in the last six games . we ca n't do more , but we can do things better , klopp said following the latest setback . we are n't in a good situation in the bundesliga and that 's something we have n't come to terms with until now . we 'll continue to fight , the opponent made a lot out of little , we made nothing out of a lot . ' there was little to lift the gloom at werder bremen either as their manager roger dutt was shown the door on saturday following friday 's 1-0 loss to fc cologne . bremen are without a win this season and are currently anchored to the foot of the table with four points from nine matches . the club has appointed under-23 coach viktor skripnik as caretaker manager until a full time replacement can be found . there was joy , however , for stuttgart who claimed all three points in a 5-4 win at frankfurt . martin harnik and christian gentner both scored braces as the visitors leapfrogged dortmund into 14th place . there were also wins for augsburg who rise to ninth and hertha berlin who move up to 11th . at the business end , hoffenheim move up to second after a 1-0 win over paderborn while leverkusen 's 1-0 victory over schalke lifts roger schmidt 's side to fourth . bayern munich will go six points clear at the top of the table if they beat borussia monchengladbach on sunday . read more : was it wrong to ban luis suarez ? | leaders chelsea can extend gap over city to eight points with win against man utd |
chelsea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester city 's misfiring start to the english premier league season continued on saturday with a 2-1 loss to west ham united at upton park . the disappointing league result comes off the back of another lackluster display in the champions league in midweek which saw manuel pellegrini 's side squander a 2-0 lead against cska moscow to eventually draw the match 2-2 . on saturday , it was city who found themselves two goals down after west ham 's french midfielder morgan amalfitano opened the scoring in the 21st minute before diafra sakho netted again with 15 minutes remaining . the senegalese striker 's sixth goal in as many league games ultimately sank city who managed to pull one back through david silva but could n't find an equalizer . we had a lot of chances to score but it is difficult to win if you do n't take them , ' city boss , pellegrini said . i do n't think it was a fault of our team for the performance in the first half , it was more about the intensity of west ham and you must credit them for that . we are just starting the season , we have 80 points left to play for . so it is early . we will continue fighting because there is no title being handed out at the moment . ' the win keeps west ham in fourth place with 16 points , one point behind city who failed to make up ground on league leaders chelsea . jose mourniho 's side will extend their advantage to eight points over city if they beat manchester united at old trafford on sunday . elsewhere , there were wins for southampton who rise to second place thanks to a 1-0 win over stoke city . ronald koeman 's side kept the winning habit with their sixth victory in seven league matches and now have 19 points from nine matches . alexis sanchez scored a brace to give arsenal all three points against sunderland -- the black cats have now conceded 10 goals in two matches after shipping eight last weekend . the win gave arsene wenger a first league win in four matches and lifts the gunners up to fifth with swansea city one place behind following a 2-0 win at leicester city . liverpool could only draw 0-0 at home to hull city -- a result which sees brendan rodgers'side slip to seventh in the table . west bromwich albion and crystal palace also shared the points in a 2-2 draw at the hawthorns . dortmund slump continues borussia dortmund 's nightmare start to the bundesliga season continued with a fourth straight league defeat on saturday against hannover 96 . hiroshi kiyotake 's 62nd-minute winner consigned jurgen klopp 's team to a third home defeat of the league season and a sixth loss in all . their spectacular lack of league victories -- the latest defeat leaves dortmund hovering above the relegation places in 15th -- is in stark contrast to the club 's champions league form where they are riding high in group d with three wins from three matches . compare that to a league run that has yielded one point in the last six games . we ca n't do more , but we can do things better , klopp said following the latest setback . we are n't in a good situation in the bundesliga and that 's something we have n't come to terms with until now . we 'll continue to fight , the opponent made a lot out of little , we made nothing out of a lot . ' there was little to lift the gloom at werder bremen either as their manager roger dutt was shown the door on saturday following friday 's 1-0 loss to fc cologne . bremen are without a win this season and are currently anchored to the foot of the table with four points from nine matches . the club has appointed under-23 coach viktor skripnik as caretaker manager until a full time replacement can be found . there was joy , however , for stuttgart who claimed all three points in a 5-4 win at frankfurt . martin harnik and christian gentner both scored braces as the visitors leapfrogged dortmund into 14th place . there were also wins for augsburg who rise to ninth and hertha berlin who move up to 11th . at the business end , hoffenheim move up to second after a 1-0 win over paderborn while leverkusen 's 1-0 victory over schalke lifts roger schmidt 's side to fourth . bayern munich will go six points clear at the top of the table if they beat borussia monchengladbach on sunday . read more : was it wrong to ban luis suarez ? | leaders chelsea can extend gap over city to eight points with win against man utd |
diafra sakho <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester city 's misfiring start to the english premier league season continued on saturday with a 2-1 loss to west ham united at upton park . the disappointing league result comes off the back of another lackluster display in the champions league in midweek which saw manuel pellegrini 's side squander a 2-0 lead against cska moscow to eventually draw the match 2-2 . on saturday , it was city who found themselves two goals down after west ham 's french midfielder morgan amalfitano opened the scoring in the 21st minute before diafra sakho netted again with 15 minutes remaining . the senegalese striker 's sixth goal in as many league games ultimately sank city who managed to pull one back through david silva but could n't find an equalizer . we had a lot of chances to score but it is difficult to win if you do n't take them , ' city boss , pellegrini said . i do n't think it was a fault of our team for the performance in the first half , it was more about the intensity of west ham and you must credit them for that . we are just starting the season , we have 80 points left to play for . so it is early . we will continue fighting because there is no title being handed out at the moment . ' the win keeps west ham in fourth place with 16 points , one point behind city who failed to make up ground on league leaders chelsea . jose mourniho 's side will extend their advantage to eight points over city if they beat manchester united at old trafford on sunday . elsewhere , there were wins for southampton who rise to second place thanks to a 1-0 win over stoke city . ronald koeman 's side kept the winning habit with their sixth victory in seven league matches and now have 19 points from nine matches . alexis sanchez scored a brace to give arsenal all three points against sunderland -- the black cats have now conceded 10 goals in two matches after shipping eight last weekend . the win gave arsene wenger a first league win in four matches and lifts the gunners up to fifth with swansea city one place behind following a 2-0 win at leicester city . liverpool could only draw 0-0 at home to hull city -- a result which sees brendan rodgers'side slip to seventh in the table . west bromwich albion and crystal palace also shared the points in a 2-2 draw at the hawthorns . dortmund slump continues borussia dortmund 's nightmare start to the bundesliga season continued with a fourth straight league defeat on saturday against hannover 96 . hiroshi kiyotake 's 62nd-minute winner consigned jurgen klopp 's team to a third home defeat of the league season and a sixth loss in all . their spectacular lack of league victories -- the latest defeat leaves dortmund hovering above the relegation places in 15th -- is in stark contrast to the club 's champions league form where they are riding high in group d with three wins from three matches . compare that to a league run that has yielded one point in the last six games . we ca n't do more , but we can do things better , klopp said following the latest setback . we are n't in a good situation in the bundesliga and that 's something we have n't come to terms with until now . we 'll continue to fight , the opponent made a lot out of little , we made nothing out of a lot . ' there was little to lift the gloom at werder bremen either as their manager roger dutt was shown the door on saturday following friday 's 1-0 loss to fc cologne . bremen are without a win this season and are currently anchored to the foot of the table with four points from nine matches . the club has appointed under-23 coach viktor skripnik as caretaker manager until a full time replacement can be found . there was joy , however , for stuttgart who claimed all three points in a 5-4 win at frankfurt . martin harnik and christian gentner both scored braces as the visitors leapfrogged dortmund into 14th place . there were also wins for augsburg who rise to ninth and hertha berlin who move up to 11th . at the business end , hoffenheim move up to second after a 1-0 win over paderborn while leverkusen 's 1-0 victory over schalke lifts roger schmidt 's side to fourth . bayern munich will go six points clear at the top of the table if they beat borussia monchengladbach on sunday . read more : was it wrong to ban luis suarez ? | senegalese striker diafra sakho nets for sixth consecutive game to down blues |
luca moneta <tsp> ( cnn ) carrots have long been credited with helping you see in the dark -- now one rider believes they can help win olympic gold . italian luca moneta is one of the world 's leading show jumpers but has been labeled by his peers the carrot man ' for his novel approach to training horses . last year he won the puissance ' event at the prestigious olympia horse show feeding his horse quova de vains a carrot after every successful jump . and this year , he will return to the london event , which gets under way on december 16 , in a bid to defend his title with the same methods he 's honed in recent years . of his alternative approach , moneta admits the reaction was mixed : when you want to change something and you 're too far from what they 're doing you make people scared . and they were like'this is silly , stupid , crazy . he does n't know what he 's doing . it does n't work'. people were complaining . i think 99 % of people were'oh , oh , this is not good .'' so what exactly is the 46-year-old 's approach to the animals he rides ? it is based on parelli natural horsemanship , a program designed by american horseman pat parelli that used natural equine behaviors to communicate with and , hence , train horses . this , in itself , is based on ethology , the scientific and objective study of animal behavior . for moneta , the first sighting of this more novel approach to riding and training horses came from watching an unnamed british rider on a clip jumping a barrel without a bridle . the italian himself has likened his own program to teaching humans a new language . and rather than treating the horse as a beast , he treats them as equals and gets them to take the lead . if you make me cook spaghetti for you with a gun , ' he says by way of an analogy , you put a gun here and say'if you do n't cook spaghetti for me , i will kill you .' for sure you will have spaghetti but the quality is different than when i become your best friend and say'i really want to cook spaghetti for you because this is my favorite dinner and we will enjoy spaghetti with a good bottle of red wine .'this is the difference . ' he appreciates his attitude seems little short of insanity on the surface but his on-going results speak for themselves . moneta fully accepts he was ridiculed for a time but , as his success continues , he expects others to follow suit . when they [ the horses ] choose to do the right thing , i will use a lot of positive enforce ( sic ) . they were calling me the carrot man , it 's not because i have a sponsor that sells carrots but because the horses love it . i think it 's time [ for this approach ] because it 's like with kids . you remember 40 or 50 years ago they gave you a cane on the hands when you did something wrong . when i started with horses , people were just hard with them .'this is the animal , it must listen , i must be the leader , it must follow what i say , the big man that dominates the horse'. now it 's totally different . ' olympic spirit he modestly downplays himself as a less capable horseman than many of his peers , instead crediting his results in the saddle to his approach in training . despite his humble attitude , is an olympic gold at rio 2016 attainable ? why not ? ' he says . there 's always one that wins . it 's not so difficult , you just need to beat all the others . i am a dreamer , always in my life , and i never quit dreaming . ' on a personal level , this horse whisperer of sorts has recaptured his love for all things equine with his techniques when previously it had been on the wane . for him , it is simple horse play with or without the results in competition . | luca moneta is known as the carrot man ' |
justin bieber <tsp> ( cnn ) -- five days ago , justin bieber was n't worried about a thing . and it was n't because he did n't have a reason to be . the pop star has been under investigation for alleged involvement in a january 9 egg attack on a neighbor 's home -- one that caused an estimated $ 20,000 in damages -- but you would n't know it from his tweets . after police raided his calabasas , california , home and seized his security footage and iphone , bieber was on instagram sharing photos of a snowy vacation with friends . his carefree attitude was emphasized in an instagram post he captioned , worried about nothing .'' while the media has been running in circles over allegations ranging from drug abuse to public urination , bieber 's social life -- at least as depicted on his social media accounts -- never faltered . here 's a breakdown of how bieber 's been spending his free time in the days leading up to his arrest : getting new ink biebs has gotten so many tattoos that they can make up their own guide . on january 12 he shared a photo of a freshly inked compass -- maybe he was feeling a little lost . snowboarding for the past week , we 've heard little from bieber that did n't include him hanging out with friends . word has it that the star has been thoroughly enjoying his break from concerts and work commitments . lounging ( sometimes shirtless , because why not ? ) nothing says wealth like a near-empty chest of drawers and a selfie taken in slippers -- at least , that 's how we 're interpreting this instagram post from five days ago . or maybe he 's trying to signal that his shorts were hanging a little low because of all the cash in his pockets ? the prior shirtless snapshot is a little easier to figure out -- the kid is always thinking of his fans . pranking friends no one knows whether it 's bieber 's butt that 's mooning a snoozing lil za -- one of bieb 's regular pals -- or someone else 's , but he did feel comfortable sharing the bro prank with the world . smoking cuban cigars and shooting hoops we know that bieber flew down to miami on a monday , and the reports of what he 's being doing there -- aside from his recent arrest -- include spending $ 75,000 in a strip club . bieber has n't confirmed that bit of gossip , but we do know he 's recently lit up at least one cuban cigar and been to lil wayne 's miami-area skate park . tagging justin bieber 's love for graffiti art has only increased in recent years -- and sometimes it gets him into trouble . yet it was n't tagging his initials that got him popped by the cops in miami ... cruising in a lamborghini we all know how this turned out . but before the police arrived , bieber and his car companion -- who 's been identified as model chantel jeffries -- were captured enjoying a night drive , an image shared on bieber 's friend khalil 's instagram account . all of which leads up to the early hours of january 23 , when bieber was arrested on charges of drunken driving , resisting arrest and driving without a valid license . obviously , given the circumstances , we can imagine that the star wo n't be sharing any twitter updates for a while . | justin bieber was arrested in miami , florida , on january 23 |
kali hardig <tsp> ( cnn ) -- while 12-year-old zachary reyna fights for his life against a brain-eating parasite , the florida department of health has issued a warning for swimmers . high water temperatures and low water levels provide the perfect breeding ground for this rare amoeba , called naegleria fowleri , officials said . they warned the public to be wary when swimming , jumping or diving in freshwater ' with these conditions . zachary 's family told cnn affiliate wbbh-tv that the boy was kneeboarding with friends in a water-filled ditch by his house on august 3 . he slept the entire next day . zachary is an active seventh-grader , his family said , so sleeping that much was unusual . his mother took him to the hospital immediately . he had brain surgery , and doctors diagnosed him with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis , according to wbbh . the family said he is currently in the intensive care unit at the miami children 's hospital . the centers for disease control and prevention said it has been in touch with zachary 's doctors and has released the same experimental anti-amoeba drug used to treat 12-year-old kali hardig recently in arkansas . the arkansas girl is only the third person in the last 50 years to survive this deadly parasite . kali was infected with the same parasite a couple of weeks ago and was at arkansas children 's hospital in little rock . the cases are nearly always deadly , but kali 's condition is giving the reyna family some hope . we continue to be amazed by kali 's progress , ' her family said in a statement thursday . today she 's able to sit up on her own , write some words on a white board and stand with assistance for very brief stretches . she 's even able to throw and catch a ball with her therapists . we are grateful for the continued prayers from kali 's supporters , which no doubt drive her recovery . ' her attending physician , dr. vikki stefans at arkansas children 's hospital 's progressive rehab unit , said in a statement thursday : kali 's progress is definitely a credit to her wonderful family and support system , ' stefans said . there is no longer a question of whether she 'll survive and do well , but just how well . ' zachary 's family is hoping he becomes survivor no . 4 . he 's strong , ' his brother , brandon villarreal , told wbbh . he 's really , really strong . ' getting naegleria fowleri is extremely rare ; between 2001 and 2010 , there were only 32 reported cases in the united states , according to the cdc . most of the cases have been in the southeast . naegleria fowleri is found in hot springs and warm freshwater , most often in the southeastern united states . the amoeba enters the body through the nose and travels to the brain . there is no danger of infection from drinking contaminated water , the cdc said . this infection is one of the most severe infections that we know of , ' dr. dirk haselow of the arkansas department of health told cnn affiliate wmc-tv about kali 's case . ninety-nine percent of people who get it die . ' why'nightmare bacteria'on the rise dr. sanjiv pasala , one of kali 's attending physicians , said doctors immediately started treating the girl with impavido , an experimental anti-amoeba drug they received directly from the cdc . they also reduced the girl 's feverish body temperature to 93 degrees . doctors have used that technique in some brain injury cases as a way to preserve undamaged brain tissue . several weeks ago , doctors checked the girl 's cerebral spinal fluid and could not find any presence of the amoeba . willow springs water park in little rock is the most likely source of kali 's infection , the arkansas department of health said . another case of the same parasite was reported in 2010 and was possibly linked to willow springs , a three-acre sand-bottom , spring-fed lake . based on the occurrence of two cases of this rare infection in association with the same body of water and the unique features of the park , the adh has asked the owner of willow springs to voluntarily close the water park to ensure the health and safety of the public , ' the health department said . willow springs'website says its water is ph-balanced , chemically treated , chlorinated and routinely monitored by the health department . what 's in your pool water ? the first symptoms of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis appear one to seven days after infection , including headache , fever , nausea , vomiting and a stiff neck , according to the cdc . later symptoms include confusion , lack of attention to people and surroundings , loss of balance , seizures and hallucinations , ' the agency website says . after the start of symptoms , the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within one to 12 days . ' here are some tips from the cdc to help lower the risk of infection : • avoid swimming in freshwater when the water temperature is high and the water level is low . • hold your nose shut or use nose clips . • avoid stirring up the sediment while wading in shallow , warm freshwater areas . • if you are irrigating , flushing or rinsing your sinuses ( for example , by using a neti pot ) , use water that has been distilled or sterilized . cnn 's john bonifield and caleb hellerman contributed to this report . | family says zachary reyna is receiving same drugs as kali hardig |
venezuela <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- his compound in tripoli has been overrun , rebels control the closest international airport and world leaders including president barack obama are declaring his 42-year rule over . one major question that remains unanswered is : where is moammar gadhafi ? rebel fighters who searched the sprawling bab al-aziziya compound in the libyan capital on tuesday found boxes of weapons and ammunition , but no gadhafi . with the fighters of the national transitional council also in control of tripoli 's international airport , the options for an escape narrowed . mukhtar al-ahmar , who led the rebels in the takeover of the airport , said there had been fierce clashes there wednesday , and speculated that gadhafi loyalists were trying to to secure a route for gadhafi to escape from tripoli . ' he said he saw an official convoy after sunset tuesday , and said it was possible ' gadhafi was inside . he does n't seem to have much control of anything , ' u.s. state department spokeswoman victoria nuland told reporters tuesday . it 's interesting that he still has n't been seen . ' so where could gadhafi be ? professor abubaker saad , a former gadhafi aide , on tuesday described to cnn a system of bunkers under the gadhafi compound in tripoli that could serve as a hideout . however , saad noted that nato and the united states have fired anti-bunker bombs at the compound , so he doubted gadhafi would hide out there . you have to remember that he is a military man , ' saad said . he knows they have weapons that could penetrate those bunkers . that 's why i 'm dismissing the idea that he 's still in there . ' there has been speculation that tunnels might lead from gadhafi 's now-overrun bunker to the rixos hotel , where about 35 journalists are being held against their will by low-ranking gadhafi loyalists . but cnn 's matthew chance , who is among the reporters trapped there , said journalists had scoured the hotel from top to bottom and seen no evidence of secret passages . saad also noted that gadhafi 's recent public communications , such as a statement broadcast on radio and a reported telephone call to russia , were audio messages to avoid detection of his whereabouts . the quality of the audio has deteriorated , and that 's an indication that he is speaking from a distance , ' saad said . that 's why i am not really convinced that he is in the compound right now . ' u.s. officials called for gadhafi to make clear that , regardless of where he may be , he knows he 's out as the nation 's leader . the united states wants gadhafi to issue a reliable , affirmative statement ' to the international community and his loyalists still fighting in tripoli that he understands ... his leadership is over , so everyone can move on , ' nuland said . while no sightings of gadhafi have been reported , at least one source outside libya -- the head of the world chess federation -- told russia 's interfax news agency that he spoke by telephone with him on tuesday . according to kirsan ilyumzhinov , as reported by interfax , gadhafi said in the phone call to him at around 10 a.m . et that he is alive and well in tripoli and not going to leave libya . ' a u.s. official , speaking on condition of not being identified , said gadhafi is most likely still in tripoli . there has been nothing to confirm some reports or speculation that the longtime leader has gone to his hometown of sirte , the official said . observers cite three likely scenarios for gadhafi 's immediate future -- his death at the hands of rebel forces , his capture , or his escape or exile to another country . gadhafi and his second-eldest son , saif al-islam gadhafi , are under indictment for alleged crimes against humanity by the international criminal court in the hague , netherlands . officials at the icc have made clear they want the gadhafis to stand trial in the hague , if possible . countries considered possible exile homes for gadhafi include venezuela , a rumored destination for months . gadhafi and venezuelan president hugo chavez have a close relationship forged in part by shared opposition to u.s. influence around the globe . in 2009 , chavez was one of three world leaders to attend a lavish celebration of gadhafi 's 40 years of rule in tripoli , along with robert mugabe of zimbabwe and king abdullah of jordan . that same year a new football stadium in the now rebel-held town of benghazi was named after the venezuelan leader . on tuesday , chavez said his country would only recognize a libyan government led by gadhafi , state media reported . from here we confirm our solidarity with the libyan people , our brother that is being assaulted and bombed ... as part of the imperial insanity , ' chavez said during a meeting of government ministers in caracas , the state-run avn news agency reported . zimbabwe also is considered a possible exile destination , due to common interests between gadhafi and president mugabe -- an interest in pan-african solidarity , a disdain for colonial influence and the ignominy of being largely shunned by the international community . saudi arabia is considered a desert nation that might be more to gadhafi 's bedouin liking . the saudis accepted the deposed leader of tunisia , zine el abidine ben ali , after the uprising there that helped touch off protests across the middle east and north africa , including libya , this year . however , gadhafi 's relationship with saudi arabia has cooled since the saudis accused libyans of trying to kill their king several years ago , and it would be unlikely for the desert kingdom to accept an exiled gadhafi now , according to christopher boucek , a saudi arabia expert at the carnegie endowment for international peace . other nations mentioned as possible destinations for gadhafi include cuba , syria and sudan . cnn 's tom cohen and mike pearson contributed to this report . | venezuela is considered a possible exile destination |
fleming <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- renée fleming 's new album dark hope ' has found the light , having earned the operatic soprano a spot on the billboard top 200 chart for the first time . while debuting at no . 151 might not put her up there with justin bieber and lady gaga , a place on the pop charts is a feat for any artist whose album success has mostly been measured on the classical chart ( which fleming has topped five times ) . the new territory could be attributed to fleming 's radical departure from diva to rocker . on the album she trades velvet gowns and soaring arias for freshly cut bangs and covers of songs like indie-rock band muse 's endlessly ' and death cab for cutie 's soul meets body . ' and why not ? i 've devoted my life to classical music , ' says fleming , 51 . it 's my passion in life and where i 've put all of my effort for decades . but i 've always listened to other things and enjoyed other things . ' with the exception of peter gabriel 's in your eyes ' and leonard cohen 's hallelujah , ' fleming was n't familiar with any of the songs she interprets on dark hope ' ( decca ) . they were introduced to her by metallica and the red hot chili peppers managers cliff burnstein and peter mensch . after listening to the compilation of indie and pop songs they felt would suit her rich , lower register , fleming was intrigued . i was absolutely delighted to see how much talent exists in this world . [ the music is ] so quirky and eccentric and edgy and sophisticated . then there 's the spirit of it : the passion , the anger , the sense of social consciousness . ' and while eyebrows have risen over one of america 's most beloved sopranos stepping into rock 'n'roll turf , fleming points out that cross-genre admiration is a two-way street : muse frontman matt belamy recently attended one of fleming 's performances in rossini 's armida ' at the metropolitan opera in new york . rock image aside , recording dark hope ' was a family affair for fleming . her teenage daughters , who were at first appalled to learn their mother was going to take on the likes of arcade fire and duffy ( they said ...'mom , there 's no way !' ) warmed to the project when fleming invited them to sing backup on some of the songs . fleming 's sister rachelle also joined in . in fact you can see the whole family in the endlessly ' music video . we had a wonderful time together , ' says fleming . it was so great . they have great taste -- eclectic taste -- in music . ' | fleming covers indie-rock band muse 's endlessly ' on the album |
fleming <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- renée fleming 's new album dark hope ' has found the light , having earned the operatic soprano a spot on the billboard top 200 chart for the first time . while debuting at no . 151 might not put her up there with justin bieber and lady gaga , a place on the pop charts is a feat for any artist whose album success has mostly been measured on the classical chart ( which fleming has topped five times ) . the new territory could be attributed to fleming 's radical departure from diva to rocker . on the album she trades velvet gowns and soaring arias for freshly cut bangs and covers of songs like indie-rock band muse 's endlessly ' and death cab for cutie 's soul meets body . ' and why not ? i 've devoted my life to classical music , ' says fleming , 51 . it 's my passion in life and where i 've put all of my effort for decades . but i 've always listened to other things and enjoyed other things . ' with the exception of peter gabriel 's in your eyes ' and leonard cohen 's hallelujah , ' fleming was n't familiar with any of the songs she interprets on dark hope ' ( decca ) . they were introduced to her by metallica and the red hot chili peppers managers cliff burnstein and peter mensch . after listening to the compilation of indie and pop songs they felt would suit her rich , lower register , fleming was intrigued . i was absolutely delighted to see how much talent exists in this world . [ the music is ] so quirky and eccentric and edgy and sophisticated . then there 's the spirit of it : the passion , the anger , the sense of social consciousness . ' and while eyebrows have risen over one of america 's most beloved sopranos stepping into rock 'n'roll turf , fleming points out that cross-genre admiration is a two-way street : muse frontman matt belamy recently attended one of fleming 's performances in rossini 's armida ' at the metropolitan opera in new york . rock image aside , recording dark hope ' was a family affair for fleming . her teenage daughters , who were at first appalled to learn their mother was going to take on the likes of arcade fire and duffy ( they said ...'mom , there 's no way !' ) warmed to the project when fleming invited them to sing backup on some of the songs . fleming 's sister rachelle also joined in . in fact you can see the whole family in the endlessly ' music video . we had a wonderful time together , ' says fleming . it was so great . they have great taste -- eclectic taste -- in music . ' | renée fleming 's new album dark hope ' debuted at no . 151 |
fleming <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- renée fleming 's new album dark hope ' has found the light , having earned the operatic soprano a spot on the billboard top 200 chart for the first time . while debuting at no . 151 might not put her up there with justin bieber and lady gaga , a place on the pop charts is a feat for any artist whose album success has mostly been measured on the classical chart ( which fleming has topped five times ) . the new territory could be attributed to fleming 's radical departure from diva to rocker . on the album she trades velvet gowns and soaring arias for freshly cut bangs and covers of songs like indie-rock band muse 's endlessly ' and death cab for cutie 's soul meets body . ' and why not ? i 've devoted my life to classical music , ' says fleming , 51 . it 's my passion in life and where i 've put all of my effort for decades . but i 've always listened to other things and enjoyed other things . ' with the exception of peter gabriel 's in your eyes ' and leonard cohen 's hallelujah , ' fleming was n't familiar with any of the songs she interprets on dark hope ' ( decca ) . they were introduced to her by metallica and the red hot chili peppers managers cliff burnstein and peter mensch . after listening to the compilation of indie and pop songs they felt would suit her rich , lower register , fleming was intrigued . i was absolutely delighted to see how much talent exists in this world . [ the music is ] so quirky and eccentric and edgy and sophisticated . then there 's the spirit of it : the passion , the anger , the sense of social consciousness . ' and while eyebrows have risen over one of america 's most beloved sopranos stepping into rock 'n'roll turf , fleming points out that cross-genre admiration is a two-way street : muse frontman matt belamy recently attended one of fleming 's performances in rossini 's armida ' at the metropolitan opera in new york . rock image aside , recording dark hope ' was a family affair for fleming . her teenage daughters , who were at first appalled to learn their mother was going to take on the likes of arcade fire and duffy ( they said ...'mom , there 's no way !' ) warmed to the project when fleming invited them to sing backup on some of the songs . fleming 's sister rachelle also joined in . in fact you can see the whole family in the endlessly ' music video . we had a wonderful time together , ' says fleming . it was so great . they have great taste -- eclectic taste -- in music . ' | this is a departure for fleming , who says she devoted her life to classical music |
ted nugent <tsp> grand rapids , michigan ( cnn ) -- ted nugent should be arrested . not because he does n't like barack obama but because he got up in front of a group of people and insinuated he would attempt to assassinate obama if he 's re-elected . or let 's put it this way : a man with a truckload of guns has threatened the life of our president while the country 's at war . nugent 's words were : if barack obama is elected , i 'll either be dead or in jail this time next year , ' which sounds to me like he 's open to directing his disapproval of obama in a way that is violent and unlawful . when you see that statement next to nugent comparing obama and his colleagues to coyotes that needed to be shot , as well as the need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in november , ' i do n't see how that rant can not be looked upon as a threat on the president 's life . ireport : opinion - i want to live in a world where you can speak your mind ' i do n't care how you feel about nugent 's music or obama 's policies , it seems that if there were a first amendment line to cross , that would be it . and yet , the reality is the secret service will spend a little time investigating nugent , determine he 's not a true threat , and move on . if the supreme court can rule in favor of an 18-year-old man who , in voicing his opposition to being drafted for the vietnam war , said : if they ever make me carry a rifle the first man i want to get in my sights is lbj , ' then it 's doubtful anything is going to happen to nugent . at least anything involving jail time . people are still free to organize boycotts and express disapproval . the first amendment protects freedom of speech but it can not insulate folks against the social and cultural repercussions that come from saying something offensive . nugent should be in jail . but he 's just a piece of low-hanging fruit . we already know he 's a wild man who makes inflammatory remarks to stay relevant . we also know he 's not the only media figure who shocks for a living . the bigger question is why is it ok to say you 're going to kill the president , and by ok , i mean legal ? true , because president obama is black he has attracted a unique breed of critics , such as walter bagdasarian , who in 2008 was arrested but later set free after posting re : obama fk the n * * * * r , he will a .50 cal in the head soon ' on a yahoo message board . he also posted shoot the n * g. ' obama is hardly the only president to have a u.s. citizen publicly threaten his life . and yet , like bagdasarian , the people issuing the threats are protected under a law that yanks the teeth out of another law , one that makes it a felony to threaten a president or major presidential candidate with death or bodily harm . in order to get a jail sentence to stick , prosecutors must prove the individual has made plans to carry out such a threat . so even though law enforcement found a .50 caliber muzzle-loading rifle in bagdasarian 's home -- the kind of bullet he said would soon be in obama 's head -- that was n't enough to keep him in jail . i do n't know about you , but i find that to be a bit unsettling , especially nowadays , when we have almost as many guns in the u.s. as we do people -- the highest rate of any country in the world of civilian gun ownership . forty-nine states allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons outside of their home for protection , including in some cases , bars . who needs a plan when you can be ticked off , get liquored up and then go attend a rally ? i 'm not anti-gun . i 'm pro- america . allowing people to threaten the life of a president , particularly during time of war , is not protecting free speech as much as it is dangerously close to treason as it is defined in article iii of the constitution . we have an agreed-upon system to replace elected officials we do n't like . it 's called democracy . if people do n't like the president , they can say that . they can vote against them . they can run . they can leave . but they should n't be allowed to go on the internet or radio and threaten his or her life . i felt that way about george w. bush , i feel that way about president obama , and i will feel that way if mitt romney gets elected . that 's because this conversation is n't about them or the parties they represent . it 's about maintaining some level of respect for the office . how can we begin to talk seriously about restoring america ' -- whatever that means -- when we openly threaten the life of our chief ambassador ? u.s. presidents lincoln , garfield , mckinley , and kennedy were all assassinated . six u.s. presidents survived assassination attempts . i 'm not surprised to hear such comments from nugent . but i am surprised that in a country with 106 million handguns , 105 million rifles , 83 million shotguns and four assassinated presidents , we do n't take such talk more seriously . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of lz granderson . | lz granderson : ted nugent should be tried and go to jail for insinuating he 'd kill obama |
san francisco <tsp> ( cnn ) -- chief clerk walter dimmick was convicted of stealing six bags of gold coins -- worth $ 30,000 -- from the u.s. mint in san francisco in 1901 . more than 100 years later , a california couple unearthed a secret stash of coins , with a combined face value of about $ 28,000 . most were minted in san francisco . coincidence ? sure is , said adam stump , spokesman for the u.s. mint . we do not have any information linking the saddle ridge hoard coins to any thefts at any united states mint facility , ' he told cnn . the spokesman was responding to the latest wave of speculation that kicked off after the san francisco chronicle published a report monday , suggesting a turn-of-the-century heist could explain the possible provenance of the coins . separately , stump told the newspaper : we 've done quite a bit of research , and we 've got a crack team of lawyers , and trust me , if this was u.s. government property we 'd be going after it . ' the coins from the 1901 heist were never found . the so-called saddle ridge hoard was discovered by a husband and wife in february 2013 on their property in northern california . though the coins have a face value of approximately $ 28,000 , experts believe they could fetch in excess of $ 10 million . the treasure is known as the saddle ridge hoard because it was discovered near a hill the couple called saddle ridge . a golden mystery the husband and wife were walking their dog when they spotted something metal on the ground . they dug and eventually discovered eight metal cans , containing more than 1,400 gold coins . restoring and cleaning the coins has taken months . no one knows how they got there , or whom the coins might have belonged to . don kagin , of kagin 's , inc. , is assisting the owners , who wish to remain anonymous . the best theory is that -- and this is collaborated somewhat with doing some research , title searches , etc . from back in 1800s -- that someone in the mining business , as he got his remuneration , his bonuses , whatever , he would take the gold from the banks and put it into the ground in these cans , ' he told cnn . back then , they did n't always trust the banks . ' kagin dismissed the idea that the coins could be connected to the turn-of-the-century heist . if you had robbed the u.s. mint in 1901 , you 'd have 1901 , 1900 , 1899 coins . but instead what you have here are coins from 1894 and before , ' he said . we vetted this long time ago . we know the story of dimmick . the only thing that is remotely similar is the amount of value . ' the coins , in $ 5 , $ 10 and $ 20 denominations , date from 1847 to 1894 . many are in pristine condition , including at least 14 coins that are considered the finest known for their date and mint mark . a highlight from the hoard is an 1866-s no motto double eagle , valued at close to $ 1 million . nothing resonates like buried treasure , ' kagin said , as a smile broke across his face . these are not just coins , but they are artifacts . they tell a story ... they speak to us . it 's like holding history in your hands . ' the couple is planning to sell most of the collection . some will be sold on kagin 's website , but most on amazon , probably in may . unlike other hoards and treasures , this one includes a great variety of coins struck over many different years , and many of the coins are still in pristine condition , ' kagin said . and add to that a wonderful human interest story : this family literally found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow . ' these coins could change history rare coin collection set to make a mint bought for $ 3 at yard sale , bowl sells for $ 2.2 million fisherman hooks statue of ancient greek god apollo cnn 's dan simon and steve forrest contributed to this report . | in 1901 , gold coins worth some $ 30,000 were stolen from the u.s. mint in san francisco |
barnhart <tsp> ( cnn ) -- inside moore medical center 's emergency room , dr. stephanie barnhart had been monitoring the weather all afternoon . a tornado watch was in effect , but that was almost commonplace for this time of year in oklahoma . the first code black ' emergency alert came shortly before 3 p.m. on monday . the second notified the staff a tornado had touched down in the nearby town of newcastle . barnhart and her team jumped into action . the doctors quickly moved all 30 hospital patients to a clinic in the center of the hospital . they used mattresses and blankets from gurneys in the hallway to cover themselves in hopes of preventing head injuries . for 15 to 20 minutes , they waited anxiously , watching on tv as the massive tornado moved within 2 miles of their location . then the power went out . we were hearing it , and we knew that it was coming for us , ' barnhart remembers . the tornado ripped through 17 miles of central oklahoma . at least 24 people , including nine children , were killed , according to the state medical examiner 's office . see the storm 's path the second floor of the medical center was reduced to rubble . lampposts and other items from the streets were hurled through the walls of the ground floor . cars , including barnhart 's , are now piled upside down and sideways in the parking lot . it looks a lot like a junkyard . it 's pretty amazing that we even walked out alive , ' barnhart told cnn 's dr. sanjay gupta . one of the biggest concerns in a tornado is shrapnel , gupta says . a loose object or anything that 's broken by the force of the storm 's winds can cause a penetrating , and potentially deadly , injury . looking at the destruction , it 's hard to believe some patients walked out of the medical center without a scratch . the mattresses and blankets helped protect them from the worst of the storm . inside a tornado-ravaged school huddled inside the hospital , barnhart says she did n't realize how much damage the tornado had caused until she walked outside and saw the bowling alley across the street -- or saw where the bowling alley used to be . barnhart , 34 , is a tiny blonde bundle of faith . she called her husband as soon as she could get cell reception after the tornado passed to tell him she loved him . she says she was n't really concerned about her own safety during the storm , but worried about friends and family -- who all thankfully made it through ok. remembering the victims ' we 've been blessed by that . i know there are lots of families that have been devastated by this , and we are definitely praying for them , ' she says . barnhart went back to work monday night at one of the area 's other hospitals , where patients at moore medical center were evacuated after the tornado passed . she 's received many thanks for her quick thinking , but says it 's difficult to take credit . i was just doing my job , and i knew what i had to do , ' she says . it 's jesus that helped us and saved us , and i know that he was with us . ' mayor : new law needed to keep people safe cnn 's danielle dellorto contributed to this story . | all of the hospital patients survived thanks to dr. stephanie barnhart 's plan |
barnhart <tsp> ( cnn ) -- inside moore medical center 's emergency room , dr. stephanie barnhart had been monitoring the weather all afternoon . a tornado watch was in effect , but that was almost commonplace for this time of year in oklahoma . the first code black ' emergency alert came shortly before 3 p.m. on monday . the second notified the staff a tornado had touched down in the nearby town of newcastle . barnhart and her team jumped into action . the doctors quickly moved all 30 hospital patients to a clinic in the center of the hospital . they used mattresses and blankets from gurneys in the hallway to cover themselves in hopes of preventing head injuries . for 15 to 20 minutes , they waited anxiously , watching on tv as the massive tornado moved within 2 miles of their location . then the power went out . we were hearing it , and we knew that it was coming for us , ' barnhart remembers . the tornado ripped through 17 miles of central oklahoma . at least 24 people , including nine children , were killed , according to the state medical examiner 's office . see the storm 's path the second floor of the medical center was reduced to rubble . lampposts and other items from the streets were hurled through the walls of the ground floor . cars , including barnhart 's , are now piled upside down and sideways in the parking lot . it looks a lot like a junkyard . it 's pretty amazing that we even walked out alive , ' barnhart told cnn 's dr. sanjay gupta . one of the biggest concerns in a tornado is shrapnel , gupta says . a loose object or anything that 's broken by the force of the storm 's winds can cause a penetrating , and potentially deadly , injury . looking at the destruction , it 's hard to believe some patients walked out of the medical center without a scratch . the mattresses and blankets helped protect them from the worst of the storm . inside a tornado-ravaged school huddled inside the hospital , barnhart says she did n't realize how much damage the tornado had caused until she walked outside and saw the bowling alley across the street -- or saw where the bowling alley used to be . barnhart , 34 , is a tiny blonde bundle of faith . she called her husband as soon as she could get cell reception after the tornado passed to tell him she loved him . she says she was n't really concerned about her own safety during the storm , but worried about friends and family -- who all thankfully made it through ok. remembering the victims ' we 've been blessed by that . i know there are lots of families that have been devastated by this , and we are definitely praying for them , ' she says . barnhart went back to work monday night at one of the area 's other hospitals , where patients at moore medical center were evacuated after the tornado passed . she 's received many thanks for her quick thinking , but says it 's difficult to take credit . i was just doing my job , and i knew what i had to do , ' she says . it 's jesus that helped us and saved us , and i know that he was with us . ' mayor : new law needed to keep people safe cnn 's danielle dellorto contributed to this story . | barnhart and her team covered the patients with mattresses and blankets |
jetblue <tsp> ( cnn ) -- want to read that e-book or play candy crush while taxiing to the runway ? add southwest airlines to the list of u.s. airlines that have received federal aviation administration approval to allow passengers to use many portable electronic devices in all phases of flight . southwest airlines'move wednesday came three weeks after the faa announced the loosening of electronics rules aboard aircraft . under the new rules , passengers may use certain electronic devices in airplane mode ' during taxiing , takeoff and landing . each airline has to prove to the faa that devices are safe to use in airplane mode on its aircraft . jetblue airways and delta air lines moved quickly to get faa approval to allow devices on board on november 1 . american airlines implemented the policy change november 4 . united airlines unveiled its policy change november 6 , and us airways announced its change november 7 . other airlines are moving to get faa approval to allow greater electronic use . virgin america said it hopes to allow devices in all phases of flight this month . we 're in the process of applying through the new process and hope to implement the changes as soon as possible , with the goal of having the change live in november -- in time for the holidays , ' virgin america spokeswoman abby lunardini wrote in an e-mail . spirit airlines was less specific about its time frame . we are in the process of coordinating with the faa . i do n't have a specific implementation date at this time , ' spirit spokeswoman misty pinson wrote in an e-mail . with such a new policy , some confusion exists about what 's still permitted on board . us airways reminded passengers of some restrictions that remain in place . the airline noted that the eased restrictions apply only to domestic flights flown by its mainline ' aircraft , which means partner airline flights ( such as us airways express flights ) are not included . those airlines have to get their own faa approval . smartphones and other devices must be operated in airplane mode or with cellular services disabled . the new expanded use of electronics does not apply to making or taking calls , which are still prohibited in flight . phone calls are not allowed after the main cabin door is closed or before a crew member makes an announcement allowing calls upon arrival , us airways said . customers should not use their devices during safety announcements . for takeoff and landing , laptops and other electronic devices that weigh more than 2 pounds must be secured in an overhead bin or under the seat in front of passengers . some folks had a sense of humor about the device debate . earlier this month , @ realmediamedusa tweeted that portable electronics on airplanes policy too late for alec baldwin , ' referring to the 2011 incident in which the actor refused to turn off his electronic device at the gate and got booted from a flight . | jetblue , delta , united , us airways have changed their policies |
alastair cook <tsp> cnn ) -- australian paceman peter siddle took six wickets including a hat-trick as england were skittled for 260 on the first day of the ashes series at the gabba in brisbane . the home side were 25 without loss in reply at the close with simon katich 15 not out and shane watson on nine , the openers having survived a testing half hour to round off a superb day for ricky ponting 's men . but it was the heroics of birthday boy siddle , 26 today , which put them in a strong position with his hat-trick the 11th by an australian in test cricket history . england were 197 for four wickets when he struck , removing alastair cook for 67 then matt prior and stuart broad for ducks in successive balls . it was amazing , but i hope it 's just the start of a great series for us . i was just trying to bowl fast , pitch it up and get it straight and they were three good players to get out , ' siddle told sky sports . it 's a good list to join , australian hat-tricks in test cricket . ' a battling 76 by ian bell until he was the ninth man out to test debutant xavier doherty lifted england to some respectability . journeyman left-arm spinner doherty , a surprise inclusion in the australian team , wrapped up the england innings in the same over as he bowled james anderson to finish with two wickets for 41 . england had begun their previous series in australia , which resulted in a 5-0 thrashing , in disastrous fashion with paceman steve harmison 's well-chronicled wide . this time around , it was scarcely better as captain andrew strauss was dismissed for a duck to the third ball of the morning , edging ben hilfenhaus to mike hussey at gully . blog : england 's ashes hopes could turn to dust cook and jonathan trott set about repairing the damage on a wicket with a green tinge and helpful to the bowlers , but with the score on 41 , all-rounder watson bowled trott for 29 . kevin pietersen played well for his 43 , but siddle accounted for him and paul collingwood for just 4 in his second spell as he found the right length to bowl on the slow surface . bell and cook looked to be lifting england into a strong position , but siddle , returning again to the fray , then struck in devastating fashion and also later accounted for graeme swann to finish with six wickets for 54 . bell , who had been in fine form in the warm-up game in tasmania , continued where he left off , but attempting to up the scoring rate only chipped a doherty delivery to watson in the covers . england , who hold the ashes having beaten australia on home soil in 2009 , have gone into the series as narrow favorites but will have work to do on the second day of the first test , if they are to prevent the home side from building up a sizeable first innings lead . | ian bell top scores for england with 76 and alastair cook makes 67 |
pakistan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. defense chief called on president hamid karzai to thank americans for the sacrifices of those who fought and died in afghanistan rather than level criticism at the united states . secretary of defense leon panetta 's comments friday followed accusations by karzai that the united states is not doing enough to fight terror in neighboring pakistan . karzai also said the united states is failing to supply afghan forces with weapons it needs to fight insurgents . look , we have made progress in afghanistan because there are men and women in uniform who have been willing to fight and die for afghanistan 's sovereignty , ' panetta told reporters shortly after landing in lima , peru , for a meeting with latin american defense officials . latest afghan attack : a troubling first ? those lives were lost fighting the right enemy not the wrong enemy , and i think it would be helpful if the president , every once in a while , expressed his thanks for the sacrifices that have been made by those who have fought and died for afghanistan , rather than criticizing them . ' the sharp reaction from panetta , a rare public dressing down of the head of a country , came a day after karzai accused the united states and nato of attacking insurgents in afghanistan rather than targeting the support they receive from pakistan . the u.s. and nato should go to the places where the roots of terrorism exist . they are saying one thing but acting contrary to that , ' karzai said at a news conference in kabul , according to cnn affiliate tolo tv . karzai also threatened to turn to russia and china among others if the united states did not supply afghanistan with equipment needed to fight the insurgency . i asked the u.s. government to equip our air force with weapons , intelligence and transport planes -- we still have n't received a response from them , ' he said . our discussions will continue next week as well , and if they show no interest in this , we will decide whether to purchase from russia , china , india or any other country . ' 5 ways to help fix afghanistan karzai 's criticism of the united states come as relations between kabul and washington have steadily eroded in recent months , pushed in part by the accidental killing of civilians and the u.s. military 's refusal to surrender a number of prisoners to afghan control . tensions have been further exacerbated by attacks against coalition troops by afghan troops or insurgents disguised in security uniforms that have left dozens dead . the timing of karzai 's criticism comes as the united states surpassed a military casualty milestone last month , with more than 2,000 u.s. troops killed in the 11-year war . karzai laid some of the blame on the united states for the shelling of afghanistan 's eastern border provinces by insurgents inside pakistan , saying his forces were not sufficiently equipped to respond and the united states should have stepped up . according to the afghan-u.s. strategic pact , the u.s. is committed to defend afghanistan against any such foreign threat until the afghan forces find the ability , ' he said . we asked them several time but they never accepted that these attacks were occurring . ' panetta said the united states remains committed to timetable to withdraw american combat troops from afghanistan by the end of 2014 . frida ghitis : a war is raging against free speech | the united states is not doing enough to fight terror in pakistan , karzai says |
panetta <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. defense chief called on president hamid karzai to thank americans for the sacrifices of those who fought and died in afghanistan rather than level criticism at the united states . secretary of defense leon panetta 's comments friday followed accusations by karzai that the united states is not doing enough to fight terror in neighboring pakistan . karzai also said the united states is failing to supply afghan forces with weapons it needs to fight insurgents . look , we have made progress in afghanistan because there are men and women in uniform who have been willing to fight and die for afghanistan 's sovereignty , ' panetta told reporters shortly after landing in lima , peru , for a meeting with latin american defense officials . latest afghan attack : a troubling first ? those lives were lost fighting the right enemy not the wrong enemy , and i think it would be helpful if the president , every once in a while , expressed his thanks for the sacrifices that have been made by those who have fought and died for afghanistan , rather than criticizing them . ' the sharp reaction from panetta , a rare public dressing down of the head of a country , came a day after karzai accused the united states and nato of attacking insurgents in afghanistan rather than targeting the support they receive from pakistan . the u.s. and nato should go to the places where the roots of terrorism exist . they are saying one thing but acting contrary to that , ' karzai said at a news conference in kabul , according to cnn affiliate tolo tv . karzai also threatened to turn to russia and china among others if the united states did not supply afghanistan with equipment needed to fight the insurgency . i asked the u.s. government to equip our air force with weapons , intelligence and transport planes -- we still have n't received a response from them , ' he said . our discussions will continue next week as well , and if they show no interest in this , we will decide whether to purchase from russia , china , india or any other country . ' 5 ways to help fix afghanistan karzai 's criticism of the united states come as relations between kabul and washington have steadily eroded in recent months , pushed in part by the accidental killing of civilians and the u.s. military 's refusal to surrender a number of prisoners to afghan control . tensions have been further exacerbated by attacks against coalition troops by afghan troops or insurgents disguised in security uniforms that have left dozens dead . the timing of karzai 's criticism comes as the united states surpassed a military casualty milestone last month , with more than 2,000 u.s. troops killed in the 11-year war . karzai laid some of the blame on the united states for the shelling of afghanistan 's eastern border provinces by insurgents inside pakistan , saying his forces were not sufficiently equipped to respond and the united states should have stepped up . according to the afghan-u.s. strategic pact , the u.s. is committed to defend afghanistan against any such foreign threat until the afghan forces find the ability , ' he said . we asked them several time but they never accepted that these attacks were occurring . ' panetta said the united states remains committed to timetable to withdraw american combat troops from afghanistan by the end of 2014 . frida ghitis : a war is raging against free speech | panetta says hamid karzai should express his thanks for the sacrifices ' |
panetta <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. defense chief called on president hamid karzai to thank americans for the sacrifices of those who fought and died in afghanistan rather than level criticism at the united states . secretary of defense leon panetta 's comments friday followed accusations by karzai that the united states is not doing enough to fight terror in neighboring pakistan . karzai also said the united states is failing to supply afghan forces with weapons it needs to fight insurgents . look , we have made progress in afghanistan because there are men and women in uniform who have been willing to fight and die for afghanistan 's sovereignty , ' panetta told reporters shortly after landing in lima , peru , for a meeting with latin american defense officials . latest afghan attack : a troubling first ? those lives were lost fighting the right enemy not the wrong enemy , and i think it would be helpful if the president , every once in a while , expressed his thanks for the sacrifices that have been made by those who have fought and died for afghanistan , rather than criticizing them . ' the sharp reaction from panetta , a rare public dressing down of the head of a country , came a day after karzai accused the united states and nato of attacking insurgents in afghanistan rather than targeting the support they receive from pakistan . the u.s. and nato should go to the places where the roots of terrorism exist . they are saying one thing but acting contrary to that , ' karzai said at a news conference in kabul , according to cnn affiliate tolo tv . karzai also threatened to turn to russia and china among others if the united states did not supply afghanistan with equipment needed to fight the insurgency . i asked the u.s. government to equip our air force with weapons , intelligence and transport planes -- we still have n't received a response from them , ' he said . our discussions will continue next week as well , and if they show no interest in this , we will decide whether to purchase from russia , china , india or any other country . ' 5 ways to help fix afghanistan karzai 's criticism of the united states come as relations between kabul and washington have steadily eroded in recent months , pushed in part by the accidental killing of civilians and the u.s. military 's refusal to surrender a number of prisoners to afghan control . tensions have been further exacerbated by attacks against coalition troops by afghan troops or insurgents disguised in security uniforms that have left dozens dead . the timing of karzai 's criticism comes as the united states surpassed a military casualty milestone last month , with more than 2,000 u.s. troops killed in the 11-year war . karzai laid some of the blame on the united states for the shelling of afghanistan 's eastern border provinces by insurgents inside pakistan , saying his forces were not sufficiently equipped to respond and the united states should have stepped up . according to the afghan-u.s. strategic pact , the u.s. is committed to defend afghanistan against any such foreign threat until the afghan forces find the ability , ' he said . we asked them several time but they never accepted that these attacks were occurring . ' panetta said the united states remains committed to timetable to withdraw american combat troops from afghanistan by the end of 2014 . frida ghitis : a war is raging against free speech | karzai drew the ire of panetta with complaints about the u.s. fight on terror |
panetta <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. defense chief called on president hamid karzai to thank americans for the sacrifices of those who fought and died in afghanistan rather than level criticism at the united states . secretary of defense leon panetta 's comments friday followed accusations by karzai that the united states is not doing enough to fight terror in neighboring pakistan . karzai also said the united states is failing to supply afghan forces with weapons it needs to fight insurgents . look , we have made progress in afghanistan because there are men and women in uniform who have been willing to fight and die for afghanistan 's sovereignty , ' panetta told reporters shortly after landing in lima , peru , for a meeting with latin american defense officials . latest afghan attack : a troubling first ? those lives were lost fighting the right enemy not the wrong enemy , and i think it would be helpful if the president , every once in a while , expressed his thanks for the sacrifices that have been made by those who have fought and died for afghanistan , rather than criticizing them . ' the sharp reaction from panetta , a rare public dressing down of the head of a country , came a day after karzai accused the united states and nato of attacking insurgents in afghanistan rather than targeting the support they receive from pakistan . the u.s. and nato should go to the places where the roots of terrorism exist . they are saying one thing but acting contrary to that , ' karzai said at a news conference in kabul , according to cnn affiliate tolo tv . karzai also threatened to turn to russia and china among others if the united states did not supply afghanistan with equipment needed to fight the insurgency . i asked the u.s. government to equip our air force with weapons , intelligence and transport planes -- we still have n't received a response from them , ' he said . our discussions will continue next week as well , and if they show no interest in this , we will decide whether to purchase from russia , china , india or any other country . ' 5 ways to help fix afghanistan karzai 's criticism of the united states come as relations between kabul and washington have steadily eroded in recent months , pushed in part by the accidental killing of civilians and the u.s. military 's refusal to surrender a number of prisoners to afghan control . tensions have been further exacerbated by attacks against coalition troops by afghan troops or insurgents disguised in security uniforms that have left dozens dead . the timing of karzai 's criticism comes as the united states surpassed a military casualty milestone last month , with more than 2,000 u.s. troops killed in the 11-year war . karzai laid some of the blame on the united states for the shelling of afghanistan 's eastern border provinces by insurgents inside pakistan , saying his forces were not sufficiently equipped to respond and the united states should have stepped up . according to the afghan-u.s. strategic pact , the u.s. is committed to defend afghanistan against any such foreign threat until the afghan forces find the ability , ' he said . we asked them several time but they never accepted that these attacks were occurring . ' panetta said the united states remains committed to timetable to withdraw american combat troops from afghanistan by the end of 2014 . frida ghitis : a war is raging against free speech | defense secretary leon panetta says afghan progress is due to u.s. sacrifices |
tsarnaev <tsp> ( cnn ) so now the real trial is underway : what does the surviving boston marathon bomber , dzhokhar tsarnaev , deserve and why ? what 's he likely to get and why ? let 's start where the penalty phase starts , with the prosecution 's case . prosecutors have listed , as they must , the aggravating circumstances that make this horrific mass murderer deserve the harshest punishment . the killing was heinous , cruel and depraved . ' he placed a bomb in a crowd , set it to kill and maim children and adults indiscriminately -- if that 's not heinous , cruel and depraved , what is ? cruelty classically consists of a desire to cause pain and suffering in innocent victims , or , at the opposite extreme , it reflects a cold , callous indifference . tsarnaev displayed both . cruelty really provides us a lens into the worst of the worst of the worst . the number of dead from the bombing ( three ) and injured ( 260 ) , including dozens maimed , also elevate these murders . the victims were vulnerable -- no one more so than 8-year-old martin richard . for 2,500 years , we have proclaimed that all human beings are equally valuable , yet we identify certain victims as especially worthy , and those who prey on them as especially culpable . the prosecution 's emphasis : the killings involved substantial planning and premeditation ' and a betrayal of the united states -- the very country that gave tsarnaev shelter and citizenship . and then there 's the selection of the site , the boston marathon , an iconic ' event . and then there 's tsarnaev 's lack of remorse -- opening day , the prosecutor 's final shot of tsarnaev locked up , giving the security camera the finger . from his blood-scrawled justification in the boat after the bombing to this day , the message has been : screw you , society . tsarnaev may take the stand to beg for mercy , but only if he now feels or at least can fake remorse . and do n't confuse regret with remorse . no doubt tsarnaev regrets his present predicament , regrets the negative publicity he 's brought his friends and family and most poignantly regrets running over and killing his older brother while trying to escape . but that 's a far cry from genuine remorse for the victims he 's killed and maimed . dzhokhar tsarnaev was the lesser of two evils , the defense will insist over and over . tamerlan was the source of his younger brother 's malicious intent . as the prisoners inside washington d.c. 's now defunct lorton central prison once described the street code to me : no snitching , but if someone dies , then the dead guy did everything . ' so the defense will claim that dzhokhar was not fully responsible because he could not be . after all , he was only 19 . biologists teach us our brains do n't fully develop until we 're 25 . thus , their argument goes , a 19-year-old simply ca n't be the worst of the worst . in 2005 , the u.s. supreme court struck down the death penalty for those younger than 18 when they killed , repeatedly quoting an article by psychologists laurence steinberg and elizabeth scott . but in the same article , these leading developmental psychologists themselves characterized it as an open question whether under real-world conditions the decision making of mid-adolescents is truly comparable with that of adults . ' and they were talking about 17-year-olds . to the best of my knowledge , science has not and can not establish a definitive connection between organic brain development and moral responsibility . think about it : when a 19-year-old bravely dashes into a burning building , risking his life to save children inside , we celebrate this heroism . we do not , nor should we , dismiss this bravery as the product of an impulsive not-yet-fully-formed personality . if we can fully celebrate good character and heroic acts of our best young adults , why ca n't we fully condemn the cowardly viciousness of our worst ? what outcome would i predict in the tsarnaev case ? confronted by surviving victims and images of their dead loved ones , hearing offsetting pleas to move on , ' balancing the real suffering in the courtroom against the imagined punishment of life that awaits tsarnaev , i expect the jury will vote 10-2 ( or 9-3 ) for death . but they must be unanimous for death ; a lopsided but divided jury would result in a life sentence . worse , the historical record and headlines in the next day 's anti-death penalty news organizations will probably proclaim : jury chooses life for the marathon bomber ' -- even if overwhelmingly the people 's representatives were to vote for death as the more appropriate punishment . requiring a unanimous verdict for death gives the defense an enormous advantage -- one of many . why ? because in the end , we would much prefer that 1 or 10 or 20 convicted murderers who deserve to die instead live out their lives in the relatively nonpunitive condition of prison than one person who deserves to live be wrongly killed at the hands of the people . and yet , if we really commit ourselves to having the punishment fit the crime , if we rightly reserve the death penalty for the most heinous crimes and criminals , surely the boston marathon bomber stands among the worst of the worst . | robert blecker : in sentencing phase , the prosecution lays out wealth of evidence that dzhokhar tsarnaev deserves penalty reserved for the worst of the worst |
tsarnaev <tsp> ( cnn ) so now the real trial is underway : what does the surviving boston marathon bomber , dzhokhar tsarnaev , deserve and why ? what 's he likely to get and why ? let 's start where the penalty phase starts , with the prosecution 's case . prosecutors have listed , as they must , the aggravating circumstances that make this horrific mass murderer deserve the harshest punishment . the killing was heinous , cruel and depraved . ' he placed a bomb in a crowd , set it to kill and maim children and adults indiscriminately -- if that 's not heinous , cruel and depraved , what is ? cruelty classically consists of a desire to cause pain and suffering in innocent victims , or , at the opposite extreme , it reflects a cold , callous indifference . tsarnaev displayed both . cruelty really provides us a lens into the worst of the worst of the worst . the number of dead from the bombing ( three ) and injured ( 260 ) , including dozens maimed , also elevate these murders . the victims were vulnerable -- no one more so than 8-year-old martin richard . for 2,500 years , we have proclaimed that all human beings are equally valuable , yet we identify certain victims as especially worthy , and those who prey on them as especially culpable . the prosecution 's emphasis : the killings involved substantial planning and premeditation ' and a betrayal of the united states -- the very country that gave tsarnaev shelter and citizenship . and then there 's the selection of the site , the boston marathon , an iconic ' event . and then there 's tsarnaev 's lack of remorse -- opening day , the prosecutor 's final shot of tsarnaev locked up , giving the security camera the finger . from his blood-scrawled justification in the boat after the bombing to this day , the message has been : screw you , society . tsarnaev may take the stand to beg for mercy , but only if he now feels or at least can fake remorse . and do n't confuse regret with remorse . no doubt tsarnaev regrets his present predicament , regrets the negative publicity he 's brought his friends and family and most poignantly regrets running over and killing his older brother while trying to escape . but that 's a far cry from genuine remorse for the victims he 's killed and maimed . dzhokhar tsarnaev was the lesser of two evils , the defense will insist over and over . tamerlan was the source of his younger brother 's malicious intent . as the prisoners inside washington d.c. 's now defunct lorton central prison once described the street code to me : no snitching , but if someone dies , then the dead guy did everything . ' so the defense will claim that dzhokhar was not fully responsible because he could not be . after all , he was only 19 . biologists teach us our brains do n't fully develop until we 're 25 . thus , their argument goes , a 19-year-old simply ca n't be the worst of the worst . in 2005 , the u.s. supreme court struck down the death penalty for those younger than 18 when they killed , repeatedly quoting an article by psychologists laurence steinberg and elizabeth scott . but in the same article , these leading developmental psychologists themselves characterized it as an open question whether under real-world conditions the decision making of mid-adolescents is truly comparable with that of adults . ' and they were talking about 17-year-olds . to the best of my knowledge , science has not and can not establish a definitive connection between organic brain development and moral responsibility . think about it : when a 19-year-old bravely dashes into a burning building , risking his life to save children inside , we celebrate this heroism . we do not , nor should we , dismiss this bravery as the product of an impulsive not-yet-fully-formed personality . if we can fully celebrate good character and heroic acts of our best young adults , why ca n't we fully condemn the cowardly viciousness of our worst ? what outcome would i predict in the tsarnaev case ? confronted by surviving victims and images of their dead loved ones , hearing offsetting pleas to move on , ' balancing the real suffering in the courtroom against the imagined punishment of life that awaits tsarnaev , i expect the jury will vote 10-2 ( or 9-3 ) for death . but they must be unanimous for death ; a lopsided but divided jury would result in a life sentence . worse , the historical record and headlines in the next day 's anti-death penalty news organizations will probably proclaim : jury chooses life for the marathon bomber ' -- even if overwhelmingly the people 's representatives were to vote for death as the more appropriate punishment . requiring a unanimous verdict for death gives the defense an enormous advantage -- one of many . why ? because in the end , we would much prefer that 1 or 10 or 20 convicted murderers who deserve to die instead live out their lives in the relatively nonpunitive condition of prison than one person who deserves to live be wrongly killed at the hands of the people . and yet , if we really commit ourselves to having the punishment fit the crime , if we rightly reserve the death penalty for the most heinous crimes and criminals , surely the boston marathon bomber stands among the worst of the worst . | he predicts most of the jury will vote for a death sentence , but it must be unanimous ; therefore , tsarnaev will most likely get life in prison |
syria <tsp> horrific images of dozens of mutilated children 's corpses in the village of houla prompted a rare moment of unity on sunday from the united nations security council . children shot , knifed , axed to death in syria 's houla massacre , reports say even russia , the staunchest defender of the syrian regime on the council , signed on to a statement that condemned the syrian government for its outrageous use of force against ( the ) civilian population . ' what is shaam news network ? but few middle east watchers predict the atrocities in houla will break the diplomatic deadlock that has cemented itself around syria for the last 15 months . nobody can see these images and not react , ' said rami khouri , a veteran analyst of the arab world who lectures at the american university of beirut in lebanon . the problem is no one has figured out an effective way to get involved and bring this conflict to an end . ' as part of a ruthless campaign to crush what started out as a peaceful protest movement , president bashar al-assad 's security forces shelled cities , carried out systematic torture in prisons , and opened fire on opposition demonstrations and funerals . the united nations human rights commissioner has repeatedly accused al-assad 's regime of carrying out crimes against humanity . annan meets syrian president al-assad as crisis reaches'turning point' it did not take long for western governments to call for al-assad 's ouster . but nearly 15 months after the uprising began , opponents have been unable to formulate a plan to dislodge the family that has ruled syria for more than 40 years . we do n't have any idea how to make these guys go away , ' conceded a high-ranking western diplomat based in the region , who spoke to cnn on condition of anonymity . read between the lines , ' the diplomat added . in the immediate future , there is not going to be a western intervention in syria . ' as the body count in syria mounted over the last year to more than 9,000 killed , many syrian opposition members began calling for military intervention along the lines of the nato bombing campaign against libya 's now-deceased strongman moammar gadhafi . al-assad 's reign defined by violence but analysts agree the american public has little appetite for involvement in another middle eastern conflict , as washington has struggled to wind down lengthy wars in iraq and afghanistan . unlike libya , where a number of high-level officials abandoned gadhafi 's regime , the syrian government has succeeded in maintaining discipline at the highest government levels , even as it has been forced to cede entire towns and villages to the rebels . partly it 's allawite solidarity , ' said khouri , who was referring to al-assad 's allawite minority sect , which holds a disproportionately large number of positions in the security forces and in government . partly , these people all have blood on their hands and they sink or swim together . if they try to break away , their families will get killed or shot . it 's a combination of terrorism and solidarity . ' the biggest problem is the regime in syria is not that weak , ' argued omer taspinar , a washington-based analyst with the brookings institution . they still have a critical mass supporting them : the sunni merchants , who see the world is not doing anything and that bashar al-assad can get away with murder . ' should the u.s.'airdrop'millions of phones into syria ? while the rebellion has roiled through second-tier cities as well as broad swaths of countryside , syria 's economic powerhouse cities -- aleppo and damascus -- have largely remained under government control . also , unlike gadhafi , al-assad has powerful regional allies in his corner : iran , russia , and , to an extent , china . exploring the russia-syria link ' the obama administration does n't really want a clash with russia , china , or iran in syria . that would negatively impact oil prices ( in an election year ) , ' said taspinar . overall , the strategy coming from the white house is procrastinate , try to emphasize the diplomatic initiative , talk about helping the opposition , but do not really ratchet up rhetoric into full confrontation with russia and iran . ' after initially rejecting armed rebellion against the government , the syrian opposition has morphed into a patchwork of loosely coordinated rebel groups determined to bring down the syrian president . but they have been woefully under-funded and poorly armed . for months , demonstrators across syria have chanted , arm the free syrian army ' at protests that are filmed and then distributed around the world via youtube . over the past month , there have been signs that the rebels have gotten their hands on new sources of weapons , though no government will publicly admit to arming the fighters . recently , the leader of a rebel band called the green idlib battalion in northern syria confirmed to cnn that the prices for rifles and ammunition had dropped in half . timeline : syria -- how a year of horror unfolded early monday morning , the green idlib battalion 's commander , who goes by the nom-de-guerre akil , ' claimed to have carried out an attack in coordination with other rebel groups against the town of atareb near the northern city of aleppo . we burned the town 's police station and the city hall in order to force the security and armed forces out of this area , ' akil said in a phone interview from the battlefield , as gunshots and explosions could be heard in the background . but rebel fighters and residents said the government retaliated with armored vehicles , artillery and rocket fire from helicopter gunships . as always , civilians paid the greatest price . as the regime 's artillery was shelling our town , our home was destroyed and me and my brother were seriously injured , ' said mohamed haj taha . he spoke to cnn by telephone from a hospital in turkey , where he fled with his brother and five other wounded atareb residents early monday morning . hours later , haj taha said doctors pronounced his brother abdo dead . now i 'm in the hospital filling out paperwork after my brother 's death , ' haj taha said . the growing specter of a civil war in syria clearly has policymakers worried . there 's genuine concern about it turning into a huge-scale civil war with no way to influence the outcome or pick the winner , ' said the western diplomat . opinion : only russia , china can stop the carnage the syrian government blames al qaeda-linked groups for a series of devastating suicide bombings targeting the headquarters of security forces in damascus and aleppo . recently , even some of the secular activists who participated in the first waves of protests against damascus expressed concern about islamist elements cropping up within the armed opposition . last week i was driving out of the city and two armed guys with long beards stopped me and asked me whether or not i pray , ' said mamoon , a teacher from the southern city of dera'a , who asked only to reveal his first name for security reasons . we do n't want our revolution to transform into armed gangs that are out of control . ' i 'm scared of those who say they are rebels and then start to appear alongside the protesters , but then start dirty business like kidnapping people for ransom , ' a female student from hama recently told cnn , on condition of anonymity . opposition groups are clearly concerned about damage to their international image . at a recent weekly protest in the northern town of binnish , demonstrators performed a choreographed demonstration holding up letters from the english alphabet that spelled out the sentence : we are not terrorists . ' one of the only measures that rival members of the u.n. security council have been able to come to agreement on was the deployment of hundreds of u.n.military observers to syria . the mission was denounced from the start by opposition groups . they accused u.n. special envoy kofi annan of brokering a cease-fire that gave the syrian government diplomatic cover for more killing . the plan had a lot of deficiencies , but it was the only plan that the syrians and the russians would agree to , ' said rami khouri , of the american university of beirut . the monitors are just monitors , they are not peacekeepers . they have been an easy but i think unfair target . ' kofi annan calls for accountability the much-maligned monitoring mission does not have the numbers or the weapons to force syrian combatants to stop fighting . it did , however , play a vital role revealing the terrifying scale of the houla massacre , which left at least 49 children under the age of 10 dead . the syrian government routinely prevents international news organizations like cnn from reporting in syria and thereby being able to verify accounts of fighting and casualties . and as the syrian government and rebels accused each other of killing the children , the u.n. observers visited houla and swiftly published a report that concluded the syrian army fired artillery and tanks into the town . syria 's ambassador to the u.n. later responded by accusing some security council members of launching a tsunami of lies ' against damascus . there appears to be no immediate end in sight for syria 's grinding war of attrition . neither al-assad nor his allies show any signs of backing down , and al-assad 's opponents are unwilling to risk direct intervention . some analysts argue the current bloody stalemate is better than allowing syria to become the battleground in a regional proxy war . this idea that somehow if the west intervenes , it will stop things from getting worse seems naive , ' said taspinar , the director of the turkey project at the brookings institution . it 's a bad situation , but its not as bad as it would be if you had a proxy war erupt between iran and saudi arabia in syria , or between iran and turkey in syria . that would be a full-bore sunni-shia confrontation . ' america 's regional allies turkey and saudi arabia are majority sunni muslim countries that increasingly find themselves at odds with shiite muslim iran throughout the middle east . the western diplomat was left hoping for what he called a game-changer ' -- a coup or an assassin 's bullet that would bring down the syrian president . but , he conceded , that 's what we hoped would happen for more than 10 years to saddam hussein . ' | in the immediate future , ' he adds , there is not going to be a western intervention in syria ' |
syria <tsp> horrific images of dozens of mutilated children 's corpses in the village of houla prompted a rare moment of unity on sunday from the united nations security council . children shot , knifed , axed to death in syria 's houla massacre , reports say even russia , the staunchest defender of the syrian regime on the council , signed on to a statement that condemned the syrian government for its outrageous use of force against ( the ) civilian population . ' what is shaam news network ? but few middle east watchers predict the atrocities in houla will break the diplomatic deadlock that has cemented itself around syria for the last 15 months . nobody can see these images and not react , ' said rami khouri , a veteran analyst of the arab world who lectures at the american university of beirut in lebanon . the problem is no one has figured out an effective way to get involved and bring this conflict to an end . ' as part of a ruthless campaign to crush what started out as a peaceful protest movement , president bashar al-assad 's security forces shelled cities , carried out systematic torture in prisons , and opened fire on opposition demonstrations and funerals . the united nations human rights commissioner has repeatedly accused al-assad 's regime of carrying out crimes against humanity . annan meets syrian president al-assad as crisis reaches'turning point' it did not take long for western governments to call for al-assad 's ouster . but nearly 15 months after the uprising began , opponents have been unable to formulate a plan to dislodge the family that has ruled syria for more than 40 years . we do n't have any idea how to make these guys go away , ' conceded a high-ranking western diplomat based in the region , who spoke to cnn on condition of anonymity . read between the lines , ' the diplomat added . in the immediate future , there is not going to be a western intervention in syria . ' as the body count in syria mounted over the last year to more than 9,000 killed , many syrian opposition members began calling for military intervention along the lines of the nato bombing campaign against libya 's now-deceased strongman moammar gadhafi . al-assad 's reign defined by violence but analysts agree the american public has little appetite for involvement in another middle eastern conflict , as washington has struggled to wind down lengthy wars in iraq and afghanistan . unlike libya , where a number of high-level officials abandoned gadhafi 's regime , the syrian government has succeeded in maintaining discipline at the highest government levels , even as it has been forced to cede entire towns and villages to the rebels . partly it 's allawite solidarity , ' said khouri , who was referring to al-assad 's allawite minority sect , which holds a disproportionately large number of positions in the security forces and in government . partly , these people all have blood on their hands and they sink or swim together . if they try to break away , their families will get killed or shot . it 's a combination of terrorism and solidarity . ' the biggest problem is the regime in syria is not that weak , ' argued omer taspinar , a washington-based analyst with the brookings institution . they still have a critical mass supporting them : the sunni merchants , who see the world is not doing anything and that bashar al-assad can get away with murder . ' should the u.s.'airdrop'millions of phones into syria ? while the rebellion has roiled through second-tier cities as well as broad swaths of countryside , syria 's economic powerhouse cities -- aleppo and damascus -- have largely remained under government control . also , unlike gadhafi , al-assad has powerful regional allies in his corner : iran , russia , and , to an extent , china . exploring the russia-syria link ' the obama administration does n't really want a clash with russia , china , or iran in syria . that would negatively impact oil prices ( in an election year ) , ' said taspinar . overall , the strategy coming from the white house is procrastinate , try to emphasize the diplomatic initiative , talk about helping the opposition , but do not really ratchet up rhetoric into full confrontation with russia and iran . ' after initially rejecting armed rebellion against the government , the syrian opposition has morphed into a patchwork of loosely coordinated rebel groups determined to bring down the syrian president . but they have been woefully under-funded and poorly armed . for months , demonstrators across syria have chanted , arm the free syrian army ' at protests that are filmed and then distributed around the world via youtube . over the past month , there have been signs that the rebels have gotten their hands on new sources of weapons , though no government will publicly admit to arming the fighters . recently , the leader of a rebel band called the green idlib battalion in northern syria confirmed to cnn that the prices for rifles and ammunition had dropped in half . timeline : syria -- how a year of horror unfolded early monday morning , the green idlib battalion 's commander , who goes by the nom-de-guerre akil , ' claimed to have carried out an attack in coordination with other rebel groups against the town of atareb near the northern city of aleppo . we burned the town 's police station and the city hall in order to force the security and armed forces out of this area , ' akil said in a phone interview from the battlefield , as gunshots and explosions could be heard in the background . but rebel fighters and residents said the government retaliated with armored vehicles , artillery and rocket fire from helicopter gunships . as always , civilians paid the greatest price . as the regime 's artillery was shelling our town , our home was destroyed and me and my brother were seriously injured , ' said mohamed haj taha . he spoke to cnn by telephone from a hospital in turkey , where he fled with his brother and five other wounded atareb residents early monday morning . hours later , haj taha said doctors pronounced his brother abdo dead . now i 'm in the hospital filling out paperwork after my brother 's death , ' haj taha said . the growing specter of a civil war in syria clearly has policymakers worried . there 's genuine concern about it turning into a huge-scale civil war with no way to influence the outcome or pick the winner , ' said the western diplomat . opinion : only russia , china can stop the carnage the syrian government blames al qaeda-linked groups for a series of devastating suicide bombings targeting the headquarters of security forces in damascus and aleppo . recently , even some of the secular activists who participated in the first waves of protests against damascus expressed concern about islamist elements cropping up within the armed opposition . last week i was driving out of the city and two armed guys with long beards stopped me and asked me whether or not i pray , ' said mamoon , a teacher from the southern city of dera'a , who asked only to reveal his first name for security reasons . we do n't want our revolution to transform into armed gangs that are out of control . ' i 'm scared of those who say they are rebels and then start to appear alongside the protesters , but then start dirty business like kidnapping people for ransom , ' a female student from hama recently told cnn , on condition of anonymity . opposition groups are clearly concerned about damage to their international image . at a recent weekly protest in the northern town of binnish , demonstrators performed a choreographed demonstration holding up letters from the english alphabet that spelled out the sentence : we are not terrorists . ' one of the only measures that rival members of the u.n. security council have been able to come to agreement on was the deployment of hundreds of u.n.military observers to syria . the mission was denounced from the start by opposition groups . they accused u.n. special envoy kofi annan of brokering a cease-fire that gave the syrian government diplomatic cover for more killing . the plan had a lot of deficiencies , but it was the only plan that the syrians and the russians would agree to , ' said rami khouri , of the american university of beirut . the monitors are just monitors , they are not peacekeepers . they have been an easy but i think unfair target . ' kofi annan calls for accountability the much-maligned monitoring mission does not have the numbers or the weapons to force syrian combatants to stop fighting . it did , however , play a vital role revealing the terrifying scale of the houla massacre , which left at least 49 children under the age of 10 dead . the syrian government routinely prevents international news organizations like cnn from reporting in syria and thereby being able to verify accounts of fighting and casualties . and as the syrian government and rebels accused each other of killing the children , the u.n. observers visited houla and swiftly published a report that concluded the syrian army fired artillery and tanks into the town . syria 's ambassador to the u.n. later responded by accusing some security council members of launching a tsunami of lies ' against damascus . there appears to be no immediate end in sight for syria 's grinding war of attrition . neither al-assad nor his allies show any signs of backing down , and al-assad 's opponents are unwilling to risk direct intervention . some analysts argue the current bloody stalemate is better than allowing syria to become the battleground in a regional proxy war . this idea that somehow if the west intervenes , it will stop things from getting worse seems naive , ' said taspinar , the director of the turkey project at the brookings institution . it 's a bad situation , but its not as bad as it would be if you had a proxy war erupt between iran and saudi arabia in syria , or between iran and turkey in syria . that would be a full-bore sunni-shia confrontation . ' america 's regional allies turkey and saudi arabia are majority sunni muslim countries that increasingly find themselves at odds with shiite muslim iran throughout the middle east . the western diplomat was left hoping for what he called a game-changer ' -- a coup or an assassin 's bullet that would bring down the syrian president . but , he conceded , that 's what we hoped would happen for more than 10 years to saddam hussein . ' | the growing specter of a civil war in syria has policymakers worried |
american <tsp> horrific images of dozens of mutilated children 's corpses in the village of houla prompted a rare moment of unity on sunday from the united nations security council . children shot , knifed , axed to death in syria 's houla massacre , reports say even russia , the staunchest defender of the syrian regime on the council , signed on to a statement that condemned the syrian government for its outrageous use of force against ( the ) civilian population . ' what is shaam news network ? but few middle east watchers predict the atrocities in houla will break the diplomatic deadlock that has cemented itself around syria for the last 15 months . nobody can see these images and not react , ' said rami khouri , a veteran analyst of the arab world who lectures at the american university of beirut in lebanon . the problem is no one has figured out an effective way to get involved and bring this conflict to an end . ' as part of a ruthless campaign to crush what started out as a peaceful protest movement , president bashar al-assad 's security forces shelled cities , carried out systematic torture in prisons , and opened fire on opposition demonstrations and funerals . the united nations human rights commissioner has repeatedly accused al-assad 's regime of carrying out crimes against humanity . annan meets syrian president al-assad as crisis reaches'turning point' it did not take long for western governments to call for al-assad 's ouster . but nearly 15 months after the uprising began , opponents have been unable to formulate a plan to dislodge the family that has ruled syria for more than 40 years . we do n't have any idea how to make these guys go away , ' conceded a high-ranking western diplomat based in the region , who spoke to cnn on condition of anonymity . read between the lines , ' the diplomat added . in the immediate future , there is not going to be a western intervention in syria . ' as the body count in syria mounted over the last year to more than 9,000 killed , many syrian opposition members began calling for military intervention along the lines of the nato bombing campaign against libya 's now-deceased strongman moammar gadhafi . al-assad 's reign defined by violence but analysts agree the american public has little appetite for involvement in another middle eastern conflict , as washington has struggled to wind down lengthy wars in iraq and afghanistan . unlike libya , where a number of high-level officials abandoned gadhafi 's regime , the syrian government has succeeded in maintaining discipline at the highest government levels , even as it has been forced to cede entire towns and villages to the rebels . partly it 's allawite solidarity , ' said khouri , who was referring to al-assad 's allawite minority sect , which holds a disproportionately large number of positions in the security forces and in government . partly , these people all have blood on their hands and they sink or swim together . if they try to break away , their families will get killed or shot . it 's a combination of terrorism and solidarity . ' the biggest problem is the regime in syria is not that weak , ' argued omer taspinar , a washington-based analyst with the brookings institution . they still have a critical mass supporting them : the sunni merchants , who see the world is not doing anything and that bashar al-assad can get away with murder . ' should the u.s.'airdrop'millions of phones into syria ? while the rebellion has roiled through second-tier cities as well as broad swaths of countryside , syria 's economic powerhouse cities -- aleppo and damascus -- have largely remained under government control . also , unlike gadhafi , al-assad has powerful regional allies in his corner : iran , russia , and , to an extent , china . exploring the russia-syria link ' the obama administration does n't really want a clash with russia , china , or iran in syria . that would negatively impact oil prices ( in an election year ) , ' said taspinar . overall , the strategy coming from the white house is procrastinate , try to emphasize the diplomatic initiative , talk about helping the opposition , but do not really ratchet up rhetoric into full confrontation with russia and iran . ' after initially rejecting armed rebellion against the government , the syrian opposition has morphed into a patchwork of loosely coordinated rebel groups determined to bring down the syrian president . but they have been woefully under-funded and poorly armed . for months , demonstrators across syria have chanted , arm the free syrian army ' at protests that are filmed and then distributed around the world via youtube . over the past month , there have been signs that the rebels have gotten their hands on new sources of weapons , though no government will publicly admit to arming the fighters . recently , the leader of a rebel band called the green idlib battalion in northern syria confirmed to cnn that the prices for rifles and ammunition had dropped in half . timeline : syria -- how a year of horror unfolded early monday morning , the green idlib battalion 's commander , who goes by the nom-de-guerre akil , ' claimed to have carried out an attack in coordination with other rebel groups against the town of atareb near the northern city of aleppo . we burned the town 's police station and the city hall in order to force the security and armed forces out of this area , ' akil said in a phone interview from the battlefield , as gunshots and explosions could be heard in the background . but rebel fighters and residents said the government retaliated with armored vehicles , artillery and rocket fire from helicopter gunships . as always , civilians paid the greatest price . as the regime 's artillery was shelling our town , our home was destroyed and me and my brother were seriously injured , ' said mohamed haj taha . he spoke to cnn by telephone from a hospital in turkey , where he fled with his brother and five other wounded atareb residents early monday morning . hours later , haj taha said doctors pronounced his brother abdo dead . now i 'm in the hospital filling out paperwork after my brother 's death , ' haj taha said . the growing specter of a civil war in syria clearly has policymakers worried . there 's genuine concern about it turning into a huge-scale civil war with no way to influence the outcome or pick the winner , ' said the western diplomat . opinion : only russia , china can stop the carnage the syrian government blames al qaeda-linked groups for a series of devastating suicide bombings targeting the headquarters of security forces in damascus and aleppo . recently , even some of the secular activists who participated in the first waves of protests against damascus expressed concern about islamist elements cropping up within the armed opposition . last week i was driving out of the city and two armed guys with long beards stopped me and asked me whether or not i pray , ' said mamoon , a teacher from the southern city of dera'a , who asked only to reveal his first name for security reasons . we do n't want our revolution to transform into armed gangs that are out of control . ' i 'm scared of those who say they are rebels and then start to appear alongside the protesters , but then start dirty business like kidnapping people for ransom , ' a female student from hama recently told cnn , on condition of anonymity . opposition groups are clearly concerned about damage to their international image . at a recent weekly protest in the northern town of binnish , demonstrators performed a choreographed demonstration holding up letters from the english alphabet that spelled out the sentence : we are not terrorists . ' one of the only measures that rival members of the u.n. security council have been able to come to agreement on was the deployment of hundreds of u.n.military observers to syria . the mission was denounced from the start by opposition groups . they accused u.n. special envoy kofi annan of brokering a cease-fire that gave the syrian government diplomatic cover for more killing . the plan had a lot of deficiencies , but it was the only plan that the syrians and the russians would agree to , ' said rami khouri , of the american university of beirut . the monitors are just monitors , they are not peacekeepers . they have been an easy but i think unfair target . ' kofi annan calls for accountability the much-maligned monitoring mission does not have the numbers or the weapons to force syrian combatants to stop fighting . it did , however , play a vital role revealing the terrifying scale of the houla massacre , which left at least 49 children under the age of 10 dead . the syrian government routinely prevents international news organizations like cnn from reporting in syria and thereby being able to verify accounts of fighting and casualties . and as the syrian government and rebels accused each other of killing the children , the u.n. observers visited houla and swiftly published a report that concluded the syrian army fired artillery and tanks into the town . syria 's ambassador to the u.n. later responded by accusing some security council members of launching a tsunami of lies ' against damascus . there appears to be no immediate end in sight for syria 's grinding war of attrition . neither al-assad nor his allies show any signs of backing down , and al-assad 's opponents are unwilling to risk direct intervention . some analysts argue the current bloody stalemate is better than allowing syria to become the battleground in a regional proxy war . this idea that somehow if the west intervenes , it will stop things from getting worse seems naive , ' said taspinar , the director of the turkey project at the brookings institution . it 's a bad situation , but its not as bad as it would be if you had a proxy war erupt between iran and saudi arabia in syria , or between iran and turkey in syria . that would be a full-bore sunni-shia confrontation . ' america 's regional allies turkey and saudi arabia are majority sunni muslim countries that increasingly find themselves at odds with shiite muslim iran throughout the middle east . the western diplomat was left hoping for what he called a game-changer ' -- a coup or an assassin 's bullet that would bring down the syrian president . but , he conceded , that 's what we hoped would happen for more than 10 years to saddam hussein . ' | analysts : the american public has little appetite for involvement in another middle eastern conflict |
anthony sideri <tsp> ( cnn ) anthony sideri hit rock bottom while wrapped in a dirty blanket on the floor of a jail infirmary bathroom in middleton , massachusetts . he was 25 , shivering , sweating , throwing up and going through the full withdrawals of heroin . he had just robbed a bank after shooting up heroin all day . that was july 22 , 2007 , the day his life changed forever . it was the last time he used drugs , the first and only time he was arrested , and the first and only time to fully withdrawal from heroin . i knew that my whole world was over , and i thought i was going to die because i never had been so sick , ' sideri said . i had nothing to my name , and i did n't know if anyone else in the world even knew i was there . ' nearly eight years later , sideri looks back on his drug-using days like it was another person 's life . sideri was your average student in high school playing on the hockey team , occasionally drinking and smoking weed until he began using drugs on a daily basis . he ca n't pinpoint exactly when it started or how or why , but it got to the point where he was smoking marijuana before , during and after school , and experimenting with mushrooms and acid . anything else that i saw , i would have tried , ' he says now . his grades dropped , he lost his eligibility to play sports , but when he was drunk or high , none of that mattered . i did n't have to worry about what anyone thought , i could just go to a fantasy land and not have worries , ' sideri said . after graduating from high school in 2000 , sideri began abusing percocet and oxycontin , opium-containing painkillers . as his tolerance to the pills built up , he began snorting the drugs to feel the effects faster . then he moved on to snorting heroin . i was n't getting the strong effects of oxycontin anymore , and i was already sniffing something else , so it did n't seem like a leap , ' he said . it did n't seem like the heroin i grew up knowing about . ' by 2005 , he had been snorting heroin daily for two years . even as he was doing more and more drugs , he was in denial about his addiction since he had a job with his family 's wholesale snack supply business and a second job as a nightclub bouncer , worked out at the gym and had his own car and a place to live . on the outside , i had it all , ' sideri said . that all changed the day he stuck out his arm and had someone put in a needle . once sideri started shooting up heroin , his life spiraled downward in only four months . he was hiding from his loved ones and his drug problem was obvious to everyone around him . he still thought he could control his drug use and quit on his own . i really thought i could stop the next day , but i always had an excuse , ' sideri said . i was closed off from the rest of the world . ... i was n't even a part of it anymore . ' by july 2007 , he had no more money to fuel his addiction . out of pure desperation , ' he robbed a bank in danvers , massachusetts , with another addict . robbing a bank seemed like a way to get a lot of money fast , which equaled a lot of heroin , ' said sideri . that would hold me over for a long time ... i thought . ' as sideri describes it , his partner entered the bank and handed the teller a cell phone . sideri was on the other end , claiming to have a hostage . the men left with the money and were caught after a brief chase . getting caught never even crossed my mind , ' he said . i was instead planning what i was going to do after : get drugs . ' that was the last day he ever used . sideri spent the next couple of weeks curled up on the floor of a jail cell withdrawing , cold turkey , from his years of heroin abuse . he describes the withdrawals as like having food poisoning for three days straight , ' combined with a burning , tingling sensation in his bones . i would flex and punch the floor to try to make it go away . i could n't stop it , and i could n't sit still , ' he said . boiling hot showers were the only thing that felt better . burning , burning , burning . ' he was convicted of larceny , conspiracy and threatening to steal from a depository for his part in the robbery . he spent a year in court-ordered rehab and another 22 months in jail . jail was the catapult for me , ' sideri said . it finally made me say ,'it 's over .' once released in 2010 , sideri vowed to never let drugs influence his life again . he will be celebrating eight years sober this july and has made tremendous strides to repair his life . he is working full time as a salesman for his family 's business and is attending school to become a substance abuse counselor . he is married with a 1-year-old daughter . and he completed probation last month . i live a life of honesty and integrity , even when no one is looking , ' sideri said . i have a daughter who adores me and thinks i am her hero . and i can be , now . ' it 's been a long journey . he spent nearly eight years rebuilding his relationships with his family , paying off debts , fixing his bad credit and rebuilding his reputation in his small town of north andover . he wants others to know him as the hardworking family man he is now and not judge him by his past . he acknowledges that it 's always going to be an uphill battle for others to not to have a preconceived image of him . many people only know about my robbery , addiction and jail time , ' he said . they have no idea about who or what i am now . ' sideri says he hopes the ripple effects of being true to myself will eventually drown out the bad . ' he already sees that happening when he googles his name and the robbery is no longer the first story that comes up . he visits high school groups to help encourage students to not fall down the path he took and to encourage others to get help . anthony was a great kid growing up , but he lost his way , said rick gorman , executive director of north andover youth and recreation services . gorman has known sideri since he was in middle school , and tried to help him in high school . he is a perfect example that addiction does n't mean the end of the world . ' to those trying to recover from drugs , sideri offers two pieces of advice : 1 . tell everybody . a lot of families and individuals tend to think or say ,'do n't tell anyone ,'or'no one has to know .'the first step in recovery is honesty . when you hide any part of your mistakes or indiscretions , you are blocking yourself from being free from it . ' 2 . surround yourself with people who make you want to be a better person . if you hang out in a barber shop long enough , you 're gon na get a haircut . you have to honestly re-evaluate who you spend time with and remove people who are still using and making other bad choices . ' sideri has many new goals in life . one is to be an example of what recovery looks like and how an addict can truly change . the bottom line , he says : recovery and long-term sobriety is possible . | strung out on heroin , anthony sideri robbed a bank |
pistorius <tsp> ( cnn ) -- oscar pistorius faced another day of relentless cross-examination friday as the prosecution challenged his account of the killing of his girlfriend , reeva steenkamp . prosecutor gerrie nel has accused the athlete of hiding the truth about the death of steenkamp , whom he shot last year through a closed toilet door in his home in pretoria , south africa . his questions again sought to undermine pistorius'reliability and credibility and to portray the olympic athlete as someone who was inventing his version of events and tailoring ' evidence to suit his story . as nel turned once again to the early hours of valentine 's day 2013 , he repeatedly challenged pistorius over his actions in the moments leading up to steenkamp 's death . the prosecution 's argument is that pistorius shot steenkamp intentionally after a heated argument . pistorius does not deny shooting her but insists that he mistook her for an intruder . pistorius said he thought he heard the toilet door opening before he fired . i did n't intend to shoot . my firearm was pointed at the door because that 's where i believed that somebody was , ' he said . when i heard a noise , i did n't have to think , and i fired -- i fired my weapon . it was an accident . ' nel , known in south african legal circles for his bulldog-like approach to cross-examination , responded to pistorius'testimony almost with scorn . your version is so improbable that nobody would ever think that it was reasonably , possibly true , ' he said . nel then hammered pistorius on whether he had known steenkamp was in the toilet when he fired . you knew reeva was behind the door , and you shot at her , ' nel said more than once . that 's not true , ' pistorius replied in a low tone . that dramatic moment was when nel asked for the trial to be adjourned until monday morning . prosecutor : you wanted to shoot pistorius earlier denied being ready to shoot ' as he made his way to the bathroom where he says he heard what he thought was an intruder . but he agreed that he had taken off the safety catch so he could fire if needed . i did n't want to take anybody 's life . i screamed for the intruders to get out of my home , ' he said . you wanted to shoot , ' contended nel , who on thursday sought to build a picture of pistorius as an arrogant hothead who is reckless with guns . pistorius replied that there is a massive difference ' between being ready for something and wanting to do it . asked by the prosecutor why he approached the apparent threat rather than seeking to move out of harm 's way , the athlete said it was his in his nature to respond that way . i wanted to put myself between the perceived danger and reeva , ' he said . i wish i did all these other things put to me . ' nel also argued that it was not possible ' that steenkamp would not have responded when pistorius screamed to her about what he thought was an intruder in the house , as he has said happened . steenkamp was only 3 meters from pistorius at the time , behind the toilet door , the prosecutor said . she would 've been terrified , but i do n't think that would 've led her to call out , ' pistorius said , arguing that steenkamp would have assumed the danger was getting closer . she was n't scared of anything except you . she was n't scared of an intruder . she was scared of you , ' replied nel . the prosecutor also pressed pistorius over whether he heard a woman screaming during the shots he fired , as some witnesses have said they heard . pistorius said he did not . pistorius : i was fixated on the threat as nel went through the events leading up to the point of the shooting , pistorius said that after getting up to close a balcony door and move fans inside , he heard the bathroom window sliding open and slamming into the frame . nel repeatedly asked him why he had n't at that point asked steenkamp whether she too had heard the noise . pistorius replied that he did n't because he was sure about what he had heard . he said he whispered to steenkamp to get down and call police . nel asked whether he had waited for a response , as he said would have been reasonable , pointing out that his ex-girlfriend samantha taylor had testified he had done that on a previous occasion when he 'd heard a noise . i never waited for a response . ... my whole body was fixated on the threat , ' pistorius answered . nel 's questions then focused on the position of certain items in the bedroom , including a duvet , the fans and a pair of jeans , all of which pistorius says were moved by police . nel sought to argue that they do not support pistorius'version of events . at one point , the judge reprimanded nel for calling pistorius a liar and told him to mind his language . more than once , nel suggested that pistorius had difficulty remembering what happened because he had made things up . pistorius became emotional as the cross-examination continued , prompting nel to ask him why . this is the night i lost the person that i cared about . i do n't know why people do n't understand that , ' pistorius responded . as he broke down in tears , the judge ordered a short break to allow him time to gather himself . nel has previously accused pistorius of becoming emotional when the questions get difficult . pistorius quizzed about mistakes during cross-examination earlier friday , pistorius made mistakes in answering questions about repair work and his alarm system . he attributed the mistakes to fatigue , prompting nel to ask whether he was too tired to continue in the stand . pistorius , becoming emotional , replied , i do n't need time . i am tired ; that 's not going to change . ' with respect , mr. pistorius , i 'm not convinced . ... i think you 're trying to cover up for lies , ' nel said . after judge thokozile masipa pressed pistorius on the question , the athlete said he was n't making mistakes because he was tired -- prompting nel to ask why , in that case , he was making mistakes . a little later , nel made a mistake while questioning pistorius , who pointed it out . the prosecutor said pistorius was n't too tired to highlight the mistakes the prosecutor himself was making in his questioning . nel also focused on security on the gated silverwoods estate where pistorius lived , pointing out that despite his claimed fear of burglary , the athlete left his cars outside and had not immediately fixed a broken window in his house . pistorius'message exchanges with steenkamp a day earlier , the athlete denied that he acted selfishly toward steenkamp . in a bid to paint their relationship as rocky , he ripped apart message exchanges between the couple thursday . nel also sought to paint him as selfish and demanded to know why the athlete did not respond to his girlfriend 's declaration of love . but pistorius said he preferred to talk to his girlfriend over the phone rather than messaging . he acknowledged he never got a chance to tell her that he loved her . because it was all about mr. pistorius , ' nel said . the runner has admitted to the killing but said he mistook steenkamp for an intruder in the bathroom when he fired through the toilet door and killed her . the prosecution alleges that pistorius killed his girlfriend after they argued . several witnesses have testified to hearing a man 's shouts coming from the house , although they have also spoken of the terrified screams of a woman leading up to and during a volley of shots . the trial has gripped south africa , where pistorius is considered a symbol of triumph over physical adversity . his disabled lower legs were amputated when he was a baby , but he went on to achieve global fame as the blade runner , ' winning numerous paralympic gold medals on the steel blades fitted to his prostheses . only those in the courtroom can see pistorius because he has chosen not to testify on camera . his testimony can be heard on an audio feed . the trial is scheduled to continue until the middle of may . masipa will decide the verdict in collaboration with two experts called assessors . south africa does not have jury trials . cnn 's marie-louise gumuchian and emily smith contributed to this report . | prosecutor gerrie nel questions why pistorius did n't ask his girlfriend about noise |
pistorius <tsp> ( cnn ) -- oscar pistorius faced another day of relentless cross-examination friday as the prosecution challenged his account of the killing of his girlfriend , reeva steenkamp . prosecutor gerrie nel has accused the athlete of hiding the truth about the death of steenkamp , whom he shot last year through a closed toilet door in his home in pretoria , south africa . his questions again sought to undermine pistorius'reliability and credibility and to portray the olympic athlete as someone who was inventing his version of events and tailoring ' evidence to suit his story . as nel turned once again to the early hours of valentine 's day 2013 , he repeatedly challenged pistorius over his actions in the moments leading up to steenkamp 's death . the prosecution 's argument is that pistorius shot steenkamp intentionally after a heated argument . pistorius does not deny shooting her but insists that he mistook her for an intruder . pistorius said he thought he heard the toilet door opening before he fired . i did n't intend to shoot . my firearm was pointed at the door because that 's where i believed that somebody was , ' he said . when i heard a noise , i did n't have to think , and i fired -- i fired my weapon . it was an accident . ' nel , known in south african legal circles for his bulldog-like approach to cross-examination , responded to pistorius'testimony almost with scorn . your version is so improbable that nobody would ever think that it was reasonably , possibly true , ' he said . nel then hammered pistorius on whether he had known steenkamp was in the toilet when he fired . you knew reeva was behind the door , and you shot at her , ' nel said more than once . that 's not true , ' pistorius replied in a low tone . that dramatic moment was when nel asked for the trial to be adjourned until monday morning . prosecutor : you wanted to shoot pistorius earlier denied being ready to shoot ' as he made his way to the bathroom where he says he heard what he thought was an intruder . but he agreed that he had taken off the safety catch so he could fire if needed . i did n't want to take anybody 's life . i screamed for the intruders to get out of my home , ' he said . you wanted to shoot , ' contended nel , who on thursday sought to build a picture of pistorius as an arrogant hothead who is reckless with guns . pistorius replied that there is a massive difference ' between being ready for something and wanting to do it . asked by the prosecutor why he approached the apparent threat rather than seeking to move out of harm 's way , the athlete said it was his in his nature to respond that way . i wanted to put myself between the perceived danger and reeva , ' he said . i wish i did all these other things put to me . ' nel also argued that it was not possible ' that steenkamp would not have responded when pistorius screamed to her about what he thought was an intruder in the house , as he has said happened . steenkamp was only 3 meters from pistorius at the time , behind the toilet door , the prosecutor said . she would 've been terrified , but i do n't think that would 've led her to call out , ' pistorius said , arguing that steenkamp would have assumed the danger was getting closer . she was n't scared of anything except you . she was n't scared of an intruder . she was scared of you , ' replied nel . the prosecutor also pressed pistorius over whether he heard a woman screaming during the shots he fired , as some witnesses have said they heard . pistorius said he did not . pistorius : i was fixated on the threat as nel went through the events leading up to the point of the shooting , pistorius said that after getting up to close a balcony door and move fans inside , he heard the bathroom window sliding open and slamming into the frame . nel repeatedly asked him why he had n't at that point asked steenkamp whether she too had heard the noise . pistorius replied that he did n't because he was sure about what he had heard . he said he whispered to steenkamp to get down and call police . nel asked whether he had waited for a response , as he said would have been reasonable , pointing out that his ex-girlfriend samantha taylor had testified he had done that on a previous occasion when he 'd heard a noise . i never waited for a response . ... my whole body was fixated on the threat , ' pistorius answered . nel 's questions then focused on the position of certain items in the bedroom , including a duvet , the fans and a pair of jeans , all of which pistorius says were moved by police . nel sought to argue that they do not support pistorius'version of events . at one point , the judge reprimanded nel for calling pistorius a liar and told him to mind his language . more than once , nel suggested that pistorius had difficulty remembering what happened because he had made things up . pistorius became emotional as the cross-examination continued , prompting nel to ask him why . this is the night i lost the person that i cared about . i do n't know why people do n't understand that , ' pistorius responded . as he broke down in tears , the judge ordered a short break to allow him time to gather himself . nel has previously accused pistorius of becoming emotional when the questions get difficult . pistorius quizzed about mistakes during cross-examination earlier friday , pistorius made mistakes in answering questions about repair work and his alarm system . he attributed the mistakes to fatigue , prompting nel to ask whether he was too tired to continue in the stand . pistorius , becoming emotional , replied , i do n't need time . i am tired ; that 's not going to change . ' with respect , mr. pistorius , i 'm not convinced . ... i think you 're trying to cover up for lies , ' nel said . after judge thokozile masipa pressed pistorius on the question , the athlete said he was n't making mistakes because he was tired -- prompting nel to ask why , in that case , he was making mistakes . a little later , nel made a mistake while questioning pistorius , who pointed it out . the prosecutor said pistorius was n't too tired to highlight the mistakes the prosecutor himself was making in his questioning . nel also focused on security on the gated silverwoods estate where pistorius lived , pointing out that despite his claimed fear of burglary , the athlete left his cars outside and had not immediately fixed a broken window in his house . pistorius'message exchanges with steenkamp a day earlier , the athlete denied that he acted selfishly toward steenkamp . in a bid to paint their relationship as rocky , he ripped apart message exchanges between the couple thursday . nel also sought to paint him as selfish and demanded to know why the athlete did not respond to his girlfriend 's declaration of love . but pistorius said he preferred to talk to his girlfriend over the phone rather than messaging . he acknowledged he never got a chance to tell her that he loved her . because it was all about mr. pistorius , ' nel said . the runner has admitted to the killing but said he mistook steenkamp for an intruder in the bathroom when he fired through the toilet door and killed her . the prosecution alleges that pistorius killed his girlfriend after they argued . several witnesses have testified to hearing a man 's shouts coming from the house , although they have also spoken of the terrified screams of a woman leading up to and during a volley of shots . the trial has gripped south africa , where pistorius is considered a symbol of triumph over physical adversity . his disabled lower legs were amputated when he was a baby , but he went on to achieve global fame as the blade runner , ' winning numerous paralympic gold medals on the steel blades fitted to his prostheses . only those in the courtroom can see pistorius because he has chosen not to testify on camera . his testimony can be heard on an audio feed . the trial is scheduled to continue until the middle of may . masipa will decide the verdict in collaboration with two experts called assessors . south africa does not have jury trials . cnn 's marie-louise gumuchian and emily smith contributed to this report . | oscar pistorius denies knowing that reeva steenkamp was behind door when he fired |
pistorius <tsp> ( cnn ) -- oscar pistorius faced another day of relentless cross-examination friday as the prosecution challenged his account of the killing of his girlfriend , reeva steenkamp . prosecutor gerrie nel has accused the athlete of hiding the truth about the death of steenkamp , whom he shot last year through a closed toilet door in his home in pretoria , south africa . his questions again sought to undermine pistorius'reliability and credibility and to portray the olympic athlete as someone who was inventing his version of events and tailoring ' evidence to suit his story . as nel turned once again to the early hours of valentine 's day 2013 , he repeatedly challenged pistorius over his actions in the moments leading up to steenkamp 's death . the prosecution 's argument is that pistorius shot steenkamp intentionally after a heated argument . pistorius does not deny shooting her but insists that he mistook her for an intruder . pistorius said he thought he heard the toilet door opening before he fired . i did n't intend to shoot . my firearm was pointed at the door because that 's where i believed that somebody was , ' he said . when i heard a noise , i did n't have to think , and i fired -- i fired my weapon . it was an accident . ' nel , known in south african legal circles for his bulldog-like approach to cross-examination , responded to pistorius'testimony almost with scorn . your version is so improbable that nobody would ever think that it was reasonably , possibly true , ' he said . nel then hammered pistorius on whether he had known steenkamp was in the toilet when he fired . you knew reeva was behind the door , and you shot at her , ' nel said more than once . that 's not true , ' pistorius replied in a low tone . that dramatic moment was when nel asked for the trial to be adjourned until monday morning . prosecutor : you wanted to shoot pistorius earlier denied being ready to shoot ' as he made his way to the bathroom where he says he heard what he thought was an intruder . but he agreed that he had taken off the safety catch so he could fire if needed . i did n't want to take anybody 's life . i screamed for the intruders to get out of my home , ' he said . you wanted to shoot , ' contended nel , who on thursday sought to build a picture of pistorius as an arrogant hothead who is reckless with guns . pistorius replied that there is a massive difference ' between being ready for something and wanting to do it . asked by the prosecutor why he approached the apparent threat rather than seeking to move out of harm 's way , the athlete said it was his in his nature to respond that way . i wanted to put myself between the perceived danger and reeva , ' he said . i wish i did all these other things put to me . ' nel also argued that it was not possible ' that steenkamp would not have responded when pistorius screamed to her about what he thought was an intruder in the house , as he has said happened . steenkamp was only 3 meters from pistorius at the time , behind the toilet door , the prosecutor said . she would 've been terrified , but i do n't think that would 've led her to call out , ' pistorius said , arguing that steenkamp would have assumed the danger was getting closer . she was n't scared of anything except you . she was n't scared of an intruder . she was scared of you , ' replied nel . the prosecutor also pressed pistorius over whether he heard a woman screaming during the shots he fired , as some witnesses have said they heard . pistorius said he did not . pistorius : i was fixated on the threat as nel went through the events leading up to the point of the shooting , pistorius said that after getting up to close a balcony door and move fans inside , he heard the bathroom window sliding open and slamming into the frame . nel repeatedly asked him why he had n't at that point asked steenkamp whether she too had heard the noise . pistorius replied that he did n't because he was sure about what he had heard . he said he whispered to steenkamp to get down and call police . nel asked whether he had waited for a response , as he said would have been reasonable , pointing out that his ex-girlfriend samantha taylor had testified he had done that on a previous occasion when he 'd heard a noise . i never waited for a response . ... my whole body was fixated on the threat , ' pistorius answered . nel 's questions then focused on the position of certain items in the bedroom , including a duvet , the fans and a pair of jeans , all of which pistorius says were moved by police . nel sought to argue that they do not support pistorius'version of events . at one point , the judge reprimanded nel for calling pistorius a liar and told him to mind his language . more than once , nel suggested that pistorius had difficulty remembering what happened because he had made things up . pistorius became emotional as the cross-examination continued , prompting nel to ask him why . this is the night i lost the person that i cared about . i do n't know why people do n't understand that , ' pistorius responded . as he broke down in tears , the judge ordered a short break to allow him time to gather himself . nel has previously accused pistorius of becoming emotional when the questions get difficult . pistorius quizzed about mistakes during cross-examination earlier friday , pistorius made mistakes in answering questions about repair work and his alarm system . he attributed the mistakes to fatigue , prompting nel to ask whether he was too tired to continue in the stand . pistorius , becoming emotional , replied , i do n't need time . i am tired ; that 's not going to change . ' with respect , mr. pistorius , i 'm not convinced . ... i think you 're trying to cover up for lies , ' nel said . after judge thokozile masipa pressed pistorius on the question , the athlete said he was n't making mistakes because he was tired -- prompting nel to ask why , in that case , he was making mistakes . a little later , nel made a mistake while questioning pistorius , who pointed it out . the prosecutor said pistorius was n't too tired to highlight the mistakes the prosecutor himself was making in his questioning . nel also focused on security on the gated silverwoods estate where pistorius lived , pointing out that despite his claimed fear of burglary , the athlete left his cars outside and had not immediately fixed a broken window in his house . pistorius'message exchanges with steenkamp a day earlier , the athlete denied that he acted selfishly toward steenkamp . in a bid to paint their relationship as rocky , he ripped apart message exchanges between the couple thursday . nel also sought to paint him as selfish and demanded to know why the athlete did not respond to his girlfriend 's declaration of love . but pistorius said he preferred to talk to his girlfriend over the phone rather than messaging . he acknowledged he never got a chance to tell her that he loved her . because it was all about mr. pistorius , ' nel said . the runner has admitted to the killing but said he mistook steenkamp for an intruder in the bathroom when he fired through the toilet door and killed her . the prosecution alleges that pistorius killed his girlfriend after they argued . several witnesses have testified to hearing a man 's shouts coming from the house , although they have also spoken of the terrified screams of a woman leading up to and during a volley of shots . the trial has gripped south africa , where pistorius is considered a symbol of triumph over physical adversity . his disabled lower legs were amputated when he was a baby , but he went on to achieve global fame as the blade runner , ' winning numerous paralympic gold medals on the steel blades fitted to his prostheses . only those in the courtroom can see pistorius because he has chosen not to testify on camera . his testimony can be heard on an audio feed . the trial is scheduled to continue until the middle of may . masipa will decide the verdict in collaboration with two experts called assessors . south africa does not have jury trials . cnn 's marie-louise gumuchian and emily smith contributed to this report . | the prosecution is trying to prove beyond reasonable doubt pistorius killed her intentionally |
winter olympics <tsp> ( cnn ) -- jamaica , we have a bobsled team , ' cried the hollywood film that immortalized an unlikely quartet of winter olympians who became the story of the 1988 games . the novelty of four jamaicans swapping their tropical caribbean homeland for the freezing slopes of canada to become the first team from their country to compete in the bobsleigh was a story that resonated around the world . it also planted a seed in the brain of another jamaican who , 22 years later , began his quest to ski at the 2014 winter olympics in sochi . now 42 , michael williams is hoping he 'll be the next pioneer from the great antilles to blaze a trail in sport -- though perhaps not quite to the same extent as the world 's fastest man usain bolt . i actually watched'cool runnings'and the bobsleigh team from 1988 and was inspired , ' williams , who refers to himself as the dream chaser , ' told cnn 's alpine edge show . i just thought it was the coolest thing -- jamaica in the winter olympics and they did well . i watched a lot of skiing during those olympics , alberto tomba ( italian who won two golds in calgary ) was the king of the games and i thought ,'wow , it 's incredible what these guys can do .' i thought i 'd love to combine the two , represent jamaica and ski for jamaica some time in my life . jamaica is really proud there 's another guy trying to do what the bobsleigh guys did in 1988 . ' but it was n't until the 2010 installment of the games in vancouver that williams , who was born and raised by his west indian mother in canada , was spurred on to transform his pipe dream into a reality , as another pair of underdogs took on the establishment . kwame nkrumah-acheampong , known as the snow leopard , ' was the first person from ghana to qualify for the winter olympics . he skied in the slalom and made quite an impression with his eccentric outfits . jamaican errol kerr also made an impact , securing ninth place in the skicross event -- the highest finish ever by a caribbean athlete at the winter games . williams was now a man on a mission . i saw a report on cnn with the snow leopard who qualified from ghana for the winter olympics in 2010 , ' he explained . i was on my couch and when i saw that , that just put a click in my head and i said ,'if this guy can do it , i can do it .' i knew we had a jamaican ski federation because i heard about errol kerr , but the snow leopard really inspired me to get off my butt and call them . ' there was just one problem : williams had no idea how to ski . he drove straight to an indoor ski slope near his home in frankfurt , germany , and threw himself at the mercy of its resident coach , who quickly realized the scale of his task . i met one of my instructors , andre , and he took me skiing a couple of times in the indoor hall and said'you ca n't ski at all , but i like your attitude and i 'll definitely work with you .' i actually picked up the phone and called errol kerr 's mum and said ,'listen , i know your son skis for jamaica , how did he get in the team ?'she gave me some tips and the rest is history . ' the task facing williams is a tough one . he needs to bring his points average down to 140 by january 2014 to have a shot at qualifying for sochi -- it is currently 763 . his best finish this season is 43rd out of 45 finishers at an event in schladming in austria back in february . in the actual world championships event the following day he was 63rd , but did not qualify for the final race . williams has had many obstacles to overcome , not just in sporting terms , but also with the image of him held by the seasoned professionals on the skiing circuit , who offered him a somewhat frosty reception to begin with . in the beginning i went to a race , my first race , in a blue ski jacket , black pants , a helmet that was n't regulation , i borrowed the boots from the actual hill where we had the race . i just wanted to try it and i looked like a vacationer going skiing ! ' he said . these guys were just looking at me at the top of the hill going'what are you doing here ?'but i did n't care , i just sort of went about my ways , closed my eyes and air planed down the hill and managed to make it . ' williams has dedicated his life to fulfilling his dream , training for eight hours a day -- four on the slopes and the rest taken up with work on technique and conditioning . his mum beams with pride whenever he competes on the international stage under the jamaican flag , so what would it be like if he realized his dream and made it to sochi ? it would be incredible , ' he said . i think the moment you walk into the stadium with all the other athletes and you 're holding up your flag ... to me , it 's incredible . i 've played a lot of sports in my life -- i 've played professional american football , and i know what it 's like to achieve something in sports , but i think the olympics , summer or winter , is the pinnacle of any sporting achievement . i 'd be really proud , it would be awesome . ' | michael williams aiming to qualify for 2014 winter olympics with jamaica |
jamaica <tsp> ( cnn ) -- jamaica , we have a bobsled team , ' cried the hollywood film that immortalized an unlikely quartet of winter olympians who became the story of the 1988 games . the novelty of four jamaicans swapping their tropical caribbean homeland for the freezing slopes of canada to become the first team from their country to compete in the bobsleigh was a story that resonated around the world . it also planted a seed in the brain of another jamaican who , 22 years later , began his quest to ski at the 2014 winter olympics in sochi . now 42 , michael williams is hoping he 'll be the next pioneer from the great antilles to blaze a trail in sport -- though perhaps not quite to the same extent as the world 's fastest man usain bolt . i actually watched'cool runnings'and the bobsleigh team from 1988 and was inspired , ' williams , who refers to himself as the dream chaser , ' told cnn 's alpine edge show . i just thought it was the coolest thing -- jamaica in the winter olympics and they did well . i watched a lot of skiing during those olympics , alberto tomba ( italian who won two golds in calgary ) was the king of the games and i thought ,'wow , it 's incredible what these guys can do .' i thought i 'd love to combine the two , represent jamaica and ski for jamaica some time in my life . jamaica is really proud there 's another guy trying to do what the bobsleigh guys did in 1988 . ' but it was n't until the 2010 installment of the games in vancouver that williams , who was born and raised by his west indian mother in canada , was spurred on to transform his pipe dream into a reality , as another pair of underdogs took on the establishment . kwame nkrumah-acheampong , known as the snow leopard , ' was the first person from ghana to qualify for the winter olympics . he skied in the slalom and made quite an impression with his eccentric outfits . jamaican errol kerr also made an impact , securing ninth place in the skicross event -- the highest finish ever by a caribbean athlete at the winter games . williams was now a man on a mission . i saw a report on cnn with the snow leopard who qualified from ghana for the winter olympics in 2010 , ' he explained . i was on my couch and when i saw that , that just put a click in my head and i said ,'if this guy can do it , i can do it .' i knew we had a jamaican ski federation because i heard about errol kerr , but the snow leopard really inspired me to get off my butt and call them . ' there was just one problem : williams had no idea how to ski . he drove straight to an indoor ski slope near his home in frankfurt , germany , and threw himself at the mercy of its resident coach , who quickly realized the scale of his task . i met one of my instructors , andre , and he took me skiing a couple of times in the indoor hall and said'you ca n't ski at all , but i like your attitude and i 'll definitely work with you .' i actually picked up the phone and called errol kerr 's mum and said ,'listen , i know your son skis for jamaica , how did he get in the team ?'she gave me some tips and the rest is history . ' the task facing williams is a tough one . he needs to bring his points average down to 140 by january 2014 to have a shot at qualifying for sochi -- it is currently 763 . his best finish this season is 43rd out of 45 finishers at an event in schladming in austria back in february . in the actual world championships event the following day he was 63rd , but did not qualify for the final race . williams has had many obstacles to overcome , not just in sporting terms , but also with the image of him held by the seasoned professionals on the skiing circuit , who offered him a somewhat frosty reception to begin with . in the beginning i went to a race , my first race , in a blue ski jacket , black pants , a helmet that was n't regulation , i borrowed the boots from the actual hill where we had the race . i just wanted to try it and i looked like a vacationer going skiing ! ' he said . these guys were just looking at me at the top of the hill going'what are you doing here ?'but i did n't care , i just sort of went about my ways , closed my eyes and air planed down the hill and managed to make it . ' williams has dedicated his life to fulfilling his dream , training for eight hours a day -- four on the slopes and the rest taken up with work on technique and conditioning . his mum beams with pride whenever he competes on the international stage under the jamaican flag , so what would it be like if he realized his dream and made it to sochi ? it would be incredible , ' he said . i think the moment you walk into the stadium with all the other athletes and you 're holding up your flag ... to me , it 's incredible . i 've played a lot of sports in my life -- i 've played professional american football , and i know what it 's like to achieve something in sports , but i think the olympics , summer or winter , is the pinnacle of any sporting achievement . i 'd be really proud , it would be awesome . ' | michael williams aiming to qualify for 2014 winter olympics with jamaica |
cool runnings <tsp> ( cnn ) -- jamaica , we have a bobsled team , ' cried the hollywood film that immortalized an unlikely quartet of winter olympians who became the story of the 1988 games . the novelty of four jamaicans swapping their tropical caribbean homeland for the freezing slopes of canada to become the first team from their country to compete in the bobsleigh was a story that resonated around the world . it also planted a seed in the brain of another jamaican who , 22 years later , began his quest to ski at the 2014 winter olympics in sochi . now 42 , michael williams is hoping he 'll be the next pioneer from the great antilles to blaze a trail in sport -- though perhaps not quite to the same extent as the world 's fastest man usain bolt . i actually watched'cool runnings'and the bobsleigh team from 1988 and was inspired , ' williams , who refers to himself as the dream chaser , ' told cnn 's alpine edge show . i just thought it was the coolest thing -- jamaica in the winter olympics and they did well . i watched a lot of skiing during those olympics , alberto tomba ( italian who won two golds in calgary ) was the king of the games and i thought ,'wow , it 's incredible what these guys can do .' i thought i 'd love to combine the two , represent jamaica and ski for jamaica some time in my life . jamaica is really proud there 's another guy trying to do what the bobsleigh guys did in 1988 . ' but it was n't until the 2010 installment of the games in vancouver that williams , who was born and raised by his west indian mother in canada , was spurred on to transform his pipe dream into a reality , as another pair of underdogs took on the establishment . kwame nkrumah-acheampong , known as the snow leopard , ' was the first person from ghana to qualify for the winter olympics . he skied in the slalom and made quite an impression with his eccentric outfits . jamaican errol kerr also made an impact , securing ninth place in the skicross event -- the highest finish ever by a caribbean athlete at the winter games . williams was now a man on a mission . i saw a report on cnn with the snow leopard who qualified from ghana for the winter olympics in 2010 , ' he explained . i was on my couch and when i saw that , that just put a click in my head and i said ,'if this guy can do it , i can do it .' i knew we had a jamaican ski federation because i heard about errol kerr , but the snow leopard really inspired me to get off my butt and call them . ' there was just one problem : williams had no idea how to ski . he drove straight to an indoor ski slope near his home in frankfurt , germany , and threw himself at the mercy of its resident coach , who quickly realized the scale of his task . i met one of my instructors , andre , and he took me skiing a couple of times in the indoor hall and said'you ca n't ski at all , but i like your attitude and i 'll definitely work with you .' i actually picked up the phone and called errol kerr 's mum and said ,'listen , i know your son skis for jamaica , how did he get in the team ?'she gave me some tips and the rest is history . ' the task facing williams is a tough one . he needs to bring his points average down to 140 by january 2014 to have a shot at qualifying for sochi -- it is currently 763 . his best finish this season is 43rd out of 45 finishers at an event in schladming in austria back in february . in the actual world championships event the following day he was 63rd , but did not qualify for the final race . williams has had many obstacles to overcome , not just in sporting terms , but also with the image of him held by the seasoned professionals on the skiing circuit , who offered him a somewhat frosty reception to begin with . in the beginning i went to a race , my first race , in a blue ski jacket , black pants , a helmet that was n't regulation , i borrowed the boots from the actual hill where we had the race . i just wanted to try it and i looked like a vacationer going skiing ! ' he said . these guys were just looking at me at the top of the hill going'what are you doing here ?'but i did n't care , i just sort of went about my ways , closed my eyes and air planed down the hill and managed to make it . ' williams has dedicated his life to fulfilling his dream , training for eight hours a day -- four on the slopes and the rest taken up with work on technique and conditioning . his mum beams with pride whenever he competes on the international stage under the jamaican flag , so what would it be like if he realized his dream and made it to sochi ? it would be incredible , ' he said . i think the moment you walk into the stadium with all the other athletes and you 're holding up your flag ... to me , it 's incredible . i 've played a lot of sports in my life -- i 've played professional american football , and i know what it 's like to achieve something in sports , but i think the olympics , summer or winter , is the pinnacle of any sporting achievement . i 'd be really proud , it would be awesome . ' | the 42-year-old skier was inspired by hollywood movie cool runnings ' |
israel defense forces <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) -- five israeli right-wing extremists have been indicted by an israeli court which accused them of attempting to prevent the demolition of illegal settlements in the west bank , organizing a break-in at a military base and planning riots . the extremists are also suspected of masterminding an attack on an israel defense forces base in the west bank on december 13 . in that incident , about 50 extremists infiltrated and attacked the ephraim regional division headquarters . the activists entered the base , damaged property , set tires on fire , threw stones and damaged vehicles , according to an idf statement at the time . a commander 's car was attacked , and he sustained minor injuries . israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said the incident crossed all lines . ' and matan vilnai , deputy defense minister , called the perpetrators jewish terrorists ' in an interview on army radio . israeli media reported in december that the attack came in response to rumors that israeli security forces were about to demolish two illegal outposts in the west bank . the indictment alleges the extremists operated from an apartment in jerusalem , where they gathered intelligence information through surveillance , lookouts and patrols of israeli troops . the intelligence was aimed at preventing the evacuation of outposts by illegal means ' and to prevent idf operations , said the indictment , which was presented in court sunday . the indictment exposes the true and ugly face of the prosecution that proves once again the blatant discrimination against the settlers , ' said adi keidar , an attorney representing three of the five . the suspects are also being questioned about price tag ' attacks against palestinians in the west bank and jerusalem , according to israeli police . price tag ' is a term used to describe attacks by israeli extremists against palestinians and israeli security forces in retaliation for any action taken against settlers . | they are suspected in a december 13 attack on an israel defense forces base |
prague <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the united states are tied 1-1 with france after the first day of the davis cup world group quarterfinal at the monte carlo country club in roquebrune , france . france 's jo-wilfried tsonga gave the hosts the initiative with a four-set 7-5 6-2 2-6 6-2 win over ryan harrison in the opening rubber . but the united states hit back to level the tie as big-serving john isner fired nine aces in a straight-set 6-3 6-2 7-5 win over gilles simon . i took the court very confident , ' isner said , daviscup.com reported . to me no matter who i was going to play today , i was going to feel confident no matter what . so that was the case today , ' he added . i went out there and i played very well , simple as that . i was very happy with how i played and i am happy that i was able to help the team out . ' the u.s. , who are without andy roddick or mardy fish , will look to the bryan brothers ( bob and mike ) to edge them into the lead tomorrow as they face michael llodra and julien benneteau . meanwhile in castellon , spain took a firm hold on their tie against austria as nicolas almagro and david ferrer recorded straight set wins over jurgen melzer and andreas haider-maurer respectively . the five-time champions , who are without the services of an injured rafael nadal , can now clinch the tie on saturday with victory in the doubles . almagro was on court for just under two hours in his 6-2 6-2 6-4 win over melzer while world no.5 ferrer demolished haider-maurer 6-1 6-3 6-1 to continue his unbeaten status in davis cup singles matches . i won relatively easily and am happy with my game . maybe the opponent played a little bit bad and made many mistakes but i played very solid and consistent , ' ferrer said , daviscup.com reported . over in prague , serbia , who are without the services of world no.1novak djokovic , got off to a bad start against the czech republic as tomas berdych cruised to a straight-set win over victor troicki 6-2 6-1 6-2 . but janko tipsarevic overcame radek stepanek in a five-set thriller 5-7 6-4 6-4 4-6 9-7 to level the tie . the winners will face either argentina or croatia who are battling it out in buenos aires . that tie is nicely poised after croatian no.1 marin cilic beat david nalbandian 5-7 6-4 4-6 7-6 6-3 before juan martin del potro hit back leveling the match with a straight sets victory over ivo karlovic 6-2 7-6 6-1 . | spain take 2-0 lead in tie against austria ; serbia tied 1-1 with czech republic in prague |
australia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- france beat heroic 14-man wales 9-8 in auckland saturday to reach the final of the rugby world cup . the match was overshadowed by the 18th minute dismissal of wales captain sam warburton for a dangerous tackle . it looked to be a harsh decision by irish referee alain rolland and tipped the match in france 's favor although they had to withstand a late welsh onslaught to maintain their slender lead . wales had led 3-0 through a james hook penalty before losing their skipper , but a pair of morgan parra penalties put france 6-3 ahead at the interval . he increased that lead to 9-3 with his third penalty early in the second half only for wales to hit back through a clever solo try by scrum half mike phillips . stephen jones , a second half replacement for hook , missed the conversion as it hit the post before wales had a second chance to take the lead in the closing moments . fortunate to win a penalty on the halfway line , leigh halfpenny 's kick was accurate but dipped just under the posts . wales spent the remainder of the match with the bulk of possession but were unable to work an opening to leave the french to contemplate a final against either hosts new zealand or australia who play the second semifinal sunday on the same ground . but at the end , the main talking point was the crucial red card for warburton , whose tackle on vincent clerc lifted the french wing off his feet as he released a pass . blog : why new zealand must win the world cup rolland believed the infringement merited dismissal rather than a sin-bin offense or warning but former world cup winning captain francois pienaar of south africa thought otherwise . it was a dangerous tackle , yes . never a red card , ' he told itv sport . it killed the game , ' he added . warburton , who could miss next friday 's third place playoff match , was also amazed to have been sent off . i 'm gutted . there was no malicious intent . i thought it was a normal tackle , the next thing i was walking off into the stands . ' wales have made only one previous appearance in the world cup semifinals , losing 49-6 to new zealand in brisbane in 1987 , but also had a man , huw richards , sent off in the defeat . french coach marc lievremont praised the amazingly brave ' wales , but believed rolland , the 2007 world cup final referee , had little choice but to dismiss warburton . i do n't care at all whether it was a good match or not , whether the welsh deserve to be in the final , we have qualified for the final and that 's all that counts . ' interest in the opening semifinal was intense and 60,000 fans crammed into the millennium stadium in cardiff to watch their welsh heroes on giant big screens . they trailed away disappointed , but the intensity is set to step up a gear for the clash between tasman rivals new zealand and australia at eden park . all blacks coach graham henry believes the match his side 's biggest in 10 years ' as they bid to win the world cup for only the second time after a series of near misses . australia have improved after an opening pool defeat to ireland , but will be without full-back kurtley beale , who has lost his race to be fit for the last four clash . | hosts new zealand play australia in second semifinal sunday |
wales <tsp> ( cnn ) -- france beat heroic 14-man wales 9-8 in auckland saturday to reach the final of the rugby world cup . the match was overshadowed by the 18th minute dismissal of wales captain sam warburton for a dangerous tackle . it looked to be a harsh decision by irish referee alain rolland and tipped the match in france 's favor although they had to withstand a late welsh onslaught to maintain their slender lead . wales had led 3-0 through a james hook penalty before losing their skipper , but a pair of morgan parra penalties put france 6-3 ahead at the interval . he increased that lead to 9-3 with his third penalty early in the second half only for wales to hit back through a clever solo try by scrum half mike phillips . stephen jones , a second half replacement for hook , missed the conversion as it hit the post before wales had a second chance to take the lead in the closing moments . fortunate to win a penalty on the halfway line , leigh halfpenny 's kick was accurate but dipped just under the posts . wales spent the remainder of the match with the bulk of possession but were unable to work an opening to leave the french to contemplate a final against either hosts new zealand or australia who play the second semifinal sunday on the same ground . but at the end , the main talking point was the crucial red card for warburton , whose tackle on vincent clerc lifted the french wing off his feet as he released a pass . blog : why new zealand must win the world cup rolland believed the infringement merited dismissal rather than a sin-bin offense or warning but former world cup winning captain francois pienaar of south africa thought otherwise . it was a dangerous tackle , yes . never a red card , ' he told itv sport . it killed the game , ' he added . warburton , who could miss next friday 's third place playoff match , was also amazed to have been sent off . i 'm gutted . there was no malicious intent . i thought it was a normal tackle , the next thing i was walking off into the stands . ' wales have made only one previous appearance in the world cup semifinals , losing 49-6 to new zealand in brisbane in 1987 , but also had a man , huw richards , sent off in the defeat . french coach marc lievremont praised the amazingly brave ' wales , but believed rolland , the 2007 world cup final referee , had little choice but to dismiss warburton . i do n't care at all whether it was a good match or not , whether the welsh deserve to be in the final , we have qualified for the final and that 's all that counts . ' interest in the opening semifinal was intense and 60,000 fans crammed into the millennium stadium in cardiff to watch their welsh heroes on giant big screens . they trailed away disappointed , but the intensity is set to step up a gear for the clash between tasman rivals new zealand and australia at eden park . all blacks coach graham henry believes the match his side 's biggest in 10 years ' as they bid to win the world cup for only the second time after a series of near misses . australia have improved after an opening pool defeat to ireland , but will be without full-back kurtley beale , who has lost his race to be fit for the last four clash . | wales captain sam warburton sent off in 18th minute for dangerous tackle |
wales <tsp> ( cnn ) -- france beat heroic 14-man wales 9-8 in auckland saturday to reach the final of the rugby world cup . the match was overshadowed by the 18th minute dismissal of wales captain sam warburton for a dangerous tackle . it looked to be a harsh decision by irish referee alain rolland and tipped the match in france 's favor although they had to withstand a late welsh onslaught to maintain their slender lead . wales had led 3-0 through a james hook penalty before losing their skipper , but a pair of morgan parra penalties put france 6-3 ahead at the interval . he increased that lead to 9-3 with his third penalty early in the second half only for wales to hit back through a clever solo try by scrum half mike phillips . stephen jones , a second half replacement for hook , missed the conversion as it hit the post before wales had a second chance to take the lead in the closing moments . fortunate to win a penalty on the halfway line , leigh halfpenny 's kick was accurate but dipped just under the posts . wales spent the remainder of the match with the bulk of possession but were unable to work an opening to leave the french to contemplate a final against either hosts new zealand or australia who play the second semifinal sunday on the same ground . but at the end , the main talking point was the crucial red card for warburton , whose tackle on vincent clerc lifted the french wing off his feet as he released a pass . blog : why new zealand must win the world cup rolland believed the infringement merited dismissal rather than a sin-bin offense or warning but former world cup winning captain francois pienaar of south africa thought otherwise . it was a dangerous tackle , yes . never a red card , ' he told itv sport . it killed the game , ' he added . warburton , who could miss next friday 's third place playoff match , was also amazed to have been sent off . i 'm gutted . there was no malicious intent . i thought it was a normal tackle , the next thing i was walking off into the stands . ' wales have made only one previous appearance in the world cup semifinals , losing 49-6 to new zealand in brisbane in 1987 , but also had a man , huw richards , sent off in the defeat . french coach marc lievremont praised the amazingly brave ' wales , but believed rolland , the 2007 world cup final referee , had little choice but to dismiss warburton . i do n't care at all whether it was a good match or not , whether the welsh deserve to be in the final , we have qualified for the final and that 's all that counts . ' interest in the opening semifinal was intense and 60,000 fans crammed into the millennium stadium in cardiff to watch their welsh heroes on giant big screens . they trailed away disappointed , but the intensity is set to step up a gear for the clash between tasman rivals new zealand and australia at eden park . all blacks coach graham henry believes the match his side 's biggest in 10 years ' as they bid to win the world cup for only the second time after a series of near misses . australia have improved after an opening pool defeat to ireland , but will be without full-back kurtley beale , who has lost his race to be fit for the last four clash . | wales score only try of the match through mike phillips in second half |
wales <tsp> ( cnn ) -- france beat heroic 14-man wales 9-8 in auckland saturday to reach the final of the rugby world cup . the match was overshadowed by the 18th minute dismissal of wales captain sam warburton for a dangerous tackle . it looked to be a harsh decision by irish referee alain rolland and tipped the match in france 's favor although they had to withstand a late welsh onslaught to maintain their slender lead . wales had led 3-0 through a james hook penalty before losing their skipper , but a pair of morgan parra penalties put france 6-3 ahead at the interval . he increased that lead to 9-3 with his third penalty early in the second half only for wales to hit back through a clever solo try by scrum half mike phillips . stephen jones , a second half replacement for hook , missed the conversion as it hit the post before wales had a second chance to take the lead in the closing moments . fortunate to win a penalty on the halfway line , leigh halfpenny 's kick was accurate but dipped just under the posts . wales spent the remainder of the match with the bulk of possession but were unable to work an opening to leave the french to contemplate a final against either hosts new zealand or australia who play the second semifinal sunday on the same ground . but at the end , the main talking point was the crucial red card for warburton , whose tackle on vincent clerc lifted the french wing off his feet as he released a pass . blog : why new zealand must win the world cup rolland believed the infringement merited dismissal rather than a sin-bin offense or warning but former world cup winning captain francois pienaar of south africa thought otherwise . it was a dangerous tackle , yes . never a red card , ' he told itv sport . it killed the game , ' he added . warburton , who could miss next friday 's third place playoff match , was also amazed to have been sent off . i 'm gutted . there was no malicious intent . i thought it was a normal tackle , the next thing i was walking off into the stands . ' wales have made only one previous appearance in the world cup semifinals , losing 49-6 to new zealand in brisbane in 1987 , but also had a man , huw richards , sent off in the defeat . french coach marc lievremont praised the amazingly brave ' wales , but believed rolland , the 2007 world cup final referee , had little choice but to dismiss warburton . i do n't care at all whether it was a good match or not , whether the welsh deserve to be in the final , we have qualified for the final and that 's all that counts . ' interest in the opening semifinal was intense and 60,000 fans crammed into the millennium stadium in cardiff to watch their welsh heroes on giant big screens . they trailed away disappointed , but the intensity is set to step up a gear for the clash between tasman rivals new zealand and australia at eden park . all blacks coach graham henry believes the match his side 's biggest in 10 years ' as they bid to win the world cup for only the second time after a series of near misses . australia have improved after an opening pool defeat to ireland , but will be without full-back kurtley beale , who has lost his race to be fit for the last four clash . | france beat wales 9-8 in semifinal of rugby world cup in auckland |
cnn ireport <tsp> ( cnn ) -- chris mcbee can now call himself a swarm chaser . ' the storm-chasing tour guide and car dealership employee in norman , oklahoma , is used to tornadoes and wicked weather . but on tuesday , he found himself rushing after chirping hordes of crickets in store parking lots near his home . the crickets have been thick for a couple of days now , ' he said wednesday . it 's worst at night where there are large lights , but they seem to be everywhere . there are carcasses everywhere in the morning too . it 's pretty gross . ' he had stopped by local businesses to collect video of the cricket explosion in western norman when the bright lights of parking lots were like a beacon in the night for the creatures . mcbee , 32 , said he has lived in oklahoma all his life and never seen anything like this . he remembers seeing large numbers of crickets at a train station in dallas about 10 to 15 years ago , but that 's about it . there are always a few crickets around in the summertime , but never a swarm like this , ' he said . pictures of oklahoma 's crickets have been all over social media this week , dotting instagram feeds and hopping around twitter . mcbee 's own video became popular on cnn ireport . got crickets ? share your story on cnn ireport he noted that numbers were dwindling a bit by friday . now , he said , he occasionally catches a whiff of their rotting carcasses , which are leaving a lingering , rotten smell in the brightly lit areas where the crickets were congregating -- like outside grocery stores . you can definitely smell dead crickets if there 's enough of them in the parking lot , ' he said , describing the stench as unpleasant , but not quite as intense as a rotting animal . rick grantham , an entomologist at oklahoma state university , said a similar swarm of crickets occurred last year . although the situation is reminiscent of a biblical plague , it 's hard to define the so-called invasion of crickets as a plague , per se . i suppose if you have 10,000 dead crickets staring at you , they might seem like a plague , ' he said . this year , grantham said , a weather pattern of prolonged dryness followed by rainfall in july and august may be to blame . similar patterns were observed in dallas and the southern great plains . thus , the region provides good egg-laying conditions , shelter , safety and plenty of food . since they have short lifespans , the crickets tend to rush to reproduce when the conditions are right in the air -- and on the ground . the wetter and looser the soil , the easier it is for them to lay those eggs , ' he said . boom , you just go into a huge mating frenzy . ' while the crickets are not considered an agricultural pest , grantham said they are definitely a problem when they swarm , especially in commercial areas with bright security lights . you have the nuisance call and the high numbers and the dead bodies , ' he said . they might dive bomb you at a football game . ' to get rid of them , grantham recommends cleaning out trash dumps , checking window and door seals , and removing nighttime light sources at home , if possible . sprays or aerosols applied to hiding places are another possibility . the chirping bugs may have appeared a few weeks earlier this year than last , said brian jervis , tulsa county extension horticulturalist . he knows because he has personally observed them . we were shopping sunday and underneath the storefront , there would be hundreds of them , ' he said . people would have to go under them . ' in 2012 , jervis noticed them arriving at the end of september , which coincided with the tulsa state fair . with all the lights around , people were having to dodge them , ' he said . that was a frenzy . ' jervis said he is seeing an increase in calls from people wanting to know what to do about crickets . he suggests vacuuming loose crickets and varying the times that lights are on . stomping on the bugs may seem like a good idea , but jervis said that can backfire and cause the population to grow . we want to kill them to keep them from moving , but when you kill them , the other ones are going to come in and eat the dead ones , ' he said . grantham said crickets will eat just about anything , including plant material and each other . sometimes when they 're younger , they do practice cannibalism , and when they get older , they do eat dead crickets , ' he noted . when will they be gone ? grantham said to give it another week , but some oklahomans would say the sooner , the better . | storm chaser chris mcbee became a swarm chaser after sending video to cnn ireport |
oklahoma <tsp> ( cnn ) -- chris mcbee can now call himself a swarm chaser . ' the storm-chasing tour guide and car dealership employee in norman , oklahoma , is used to tornadoes and wicked weather . but on tuesday , he found himself rushing after chirping hordes of crickets in store parking lots near his home . the crickets have been thick for a couple of days now , ' he said wednesday . it 's worst at night where there are large lights , but they seem to be everywhere . there are carcasses everywhere in the morning too . it 's pretty gross . ' he had stopped by local businesses to collect video of the cricket explosion in western norman when the bright lights of parking lots were like a beacon in the night for the creatures . mcbee , 32 , said he has lived in oklahoma all his life and never seen anything like this . he remembers seeing large numbers of crickets at a train station in dallas about 10 to 15 years ago , but that 's about it . there are always a few crickets around in the summertime , but never a swarm like this , ' he said . pictures of oklahoma 's crickets have been all over social media this week , dotting instagram feeds and hopping around twitter . mcbee 's own video became popular on cnn ireport . got crickets ? share your story on cnn ireport he noted that numbers were dwindling a bit by friday . now , he said , he occasionally catches a whiff of their rotting carcasses , which are leaving a lingering , rotten smell in the brightly lit areas where the crickets were congregating -- like outside grocery stores . you can definitely smell dead crickets if there 's enough of them in the parking lot , ' he said , describing the stench as unpleasant , but not quite as intense as a rotting animal . rick grantham , an entomologist at oklahoma state university , said a similar swarm of crickets occurred last year . although the situation is reminiscent of a biblical plague , it 's hard to define the so-called invasion of crickets as a plague , per se . i suppose if you have 10,000 dead crickets staring at you , they might seem like a plague , ' he said . this year , grantham said , a weather pattern of prolonged dryness followed by rainfall in july and august may be to blame . similar patterns were observed in dallas and the southern great plains . thus , the region provides good egg-laying conditions , shelter , safety and plenty of food . since they have short lifespans , the crickets tend to rush to reproduce when the conditions are right in the air -- and on the ground . the wetter and looser the soil , the easier it is for them to lay those eggs , ' he said . boom , you just go into a huge mating frenzy . ' while the crickets are not considered an agricultural pest , grantham said they are definitely a problem when they swarm , especially in commercial areas with bright security lights . you have the nuisance call and the high numbers and the dead bodies , ' he said . they might dive bomb you at a football game . ' to get rid of them , grantham recommends cleaning out trash dumps , checking window and door seals , and removing nighttime light sources at home , if possible . sprays or aerosols applied to hiding places are another possibility . the chirping bugs may have appeared a few weeks earlier this year than last , said brian jervis , tulsa county extension horticulturalist . he knows because he has personally observed them . we were shopping sunday and underneath the storefront , there would be hundreds of them , ' he said . people would have to go under them . ' in 2012 , jervis noticed them arriving at the end of september , which coincided with the tulsa state fair . with all the lights around , people were having to dodge them , ' he said . that was a frenzy . ' jervis said he is seeing an increase in calls from people wanting to know what to do about crickets . he suggests vacuuming loose crickets and varying the times that lights are on . stomping on the bugs may seem like a good idea , but jervis said that can backfire and cause the population to grow . we want to kill them to keep them from moving , but when you kill them , the other ones are going to come in and eat the dead ones , ' he said . grantham said crickets will eat just about anything , including plant material and each other . sometimes when they 're younger , they do practice cannibalism , and when they get older , they do eat dead crickets , ' he noted . when will they be gone ? grantham said to give it another week , but some oklahomans would say the sooner , the better . | huge swarms of crickets have been springing up in oklahoma , and on social media |
nasa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the human imagination is an amazing thing . take for example the story of how a simple father-and-son chat led to a prototype spacecraft for landing on other planets . one friday evening in 2009 , nasa engineer stephen altemus arrived home from work feeling , well , kind of frustrated . altemus , who was chief engineer at nasa 's johnson space center in houston , believed the agency was under incredible pressure and scrutiny ' for allegedly high budget costs . nasa 's ambitious constellation program to develop a next-generation rocket was about to be canceled . the environment was a sense of uncertainty and chaos and redirection , ' altemus told cnn last week on the phone . engineering , he believed , was n't being used to contribute to nasa 's future . that responsibility to make sure every dollar is spent exactly right within the agency sometimes causes a stifling of innovation , ' altemus said . what nasa needed was an innovative fire that made it ok to try and fail and learn from mistakes . ' altemus'15-year-old son noticed something was wrong. ''you never talk bad about nasa , dad ,' altemus recalled his son saying . the conversation that followed , the engineer said , was a moment of inspiration -- instigated by my son . ' they sat down at the family dinner table and talked about how to put nasa back on the map with a bold mission that seemed nearly impossible . ' a short time later , altemus created a few charts and his son put together an illustrative youtube video . monday morning at his office , altemus made his pitch to his nasa leadership team . i said ,'what if we unleashed the power of engineering , and did things our way , and were not deterred ? what could we do together ?' it was a radical idea : build an unmanned spacecraft with a robotic explorer and send it to the moon within 1,000 days . its engines would be powered by liquid oxygen and methane fuel . the vehicle would also have a self-guided laser landing system that avoided coming down on big boulders and other hazards . altemus'fellow team members said , yes . ' they were in . altemus then took his crusade to a higher level , briefing officials at nasa headquarters . we told them ,'we 've got an idea that 's going to change the agency .'they were like :'yeah , yeah , this is really good but politically this may not fly .' nonetheless , project m was born . we had no money we had no endorsement from leadership , we had no authority to proceed , we had nothing . all we had was this commitment to do engineering in a lean , affordable way . ' despite a shoestring budget , altemus'team cobbled together the parts and technology they needed . they bartered . they traded . at first , a whole lot of political fallout came trying to squash the project , ' altemus said . nonetheless , project m gained momentum . it was nothing like what nasa was used to . ' eventually , the whole attitude changed . ' by june 2010 , project m ended without making it to the moon . but it resulted in an offshoot project called the morpheus planetary lander . an unmanned spacecraft that can haul 1,100 pounds of cargo , morpheus looks like a four-legged metallic spider on steroids . given what this thing can do without risking human lives , the four-year program was a steal at $ 14 million . compare that to the approximate $ 1.7 billion cost of one space shuttle . that 's billion , with a b . ' mainly morpheus serves as a testing platform for new technologies that could take both unmanned and manned spacecraft to other worlds . it 's the first nasa prototype spacecraft to be propelled using liquid oxygen and liquid methane . it 's also the first to use a suite of laser-based sensors as a kind of autopilot for dangerous landing situations . the technologies demonstrated on morpheus are directly applicable to future robotic , and eventually human missions , ' morpheus project manager jon olansen told cnn via e-mail . that includes landing on asteroids , the moon , mars , or even jupiter 's moon , europa . u.s. president barack obama has called for astronauts to orbit mars by the mid-2030s . but its development was n't exactly smooth sailing . in 2012 , during an engine test of a morpheus prototype , the lander rose a short distance , rolled over and slammed into the ground . it caught fire immediately and exploded about 30 seconds later . thankfully there were no injuries , but the crash was a huge setback for the team , ' altemus said . nasa quickly picked itself up ' and figured out how to fix the problem . read more about the crash today , the latest version of the morpheus lander is a centerpiece for the agency to show what a fantastic team it is , and what incredible things can be done with just sheer willpower to imagine , ' said altemus , who in 2013 ended a 25-year career at nasa to start an engineering products business based on space technology . the sophisticated self-guided system that prevents morpheus from setting down in hazardous landing zones could be used on a lander that could safely put astronauts on another planet . the auto-pilot could greatly reduce astronaut workload during the critical phase of a manned mission , olansen said . it opens up areas for exploration that were once considered too dangerous even for robotic landings -- like the north and south poles of the moon , which are riddled with craters . in fact , during the next decade , nasa plans an unprecedented mission to send astronauts to an asteroid . accomplishing that feat would be historic . training has already begun . on may 9 , two astronauts performed a simulated asteroid space walk at the houston facility 's 40-foot-deep low-gravity simulation pool . they practiced on a mockup of an orion , nasa 's manned spacecraft which is still being developed . read more about the asteroid mission amazingly , nasa planners hope to design a robot spacecraft that would capture an asteroid and haul it into a stable orbit near the moon . next , astronauts aboard an orion would spacewalk to the asteroid and collect rock samples that would help scientists learn more about the components of asteroids . it 's possible that morpheus'fuel -- liquid oxygen and methane -- could be found on mars or other planets . this opens the door to the idea that a morpheus-like lander could refuel there . here 's how it might work : an unmanned fuel-making spacecraft would travel to mars ahead of the lander . the fuel-making spacecraft would then harvest methane from the atmosphere , said altemus . if there 's water in the soil you would harvest the water and break down the water into oxygen and hydrogen . then the lander sets down near the fuel-making spacecraft and uses the oxygen and methane to refuel for another flight . how amazing would it be if that father-son talk across a houston dinner table back in 2009 had even the smallest connection to a journey to another world ? human space exploration is part of our dna , ' said altemus . it 's as simple as that . we as human beings will find a way to strive to create , to invent . as long as there are planets in the sky that are unreachable , somebody 's going to try to reach them . ' | ideas for nasa 's unmanned morpheus spacecraft started with a father-son talk |
down syndrome <tsp> ( cnn ) he 's a blue chip college basketball recruit . she 's a high school freshman with down syndrome . at first glance trey moses and ellie meredith could n't be more different . but all that changed thursday when trey asked ellie to be his prom date . trey -- a star on eastern high school 's basketball team in louisville , kentucky , who 's headed to play college ball next year at ball state -- was originally going to take his girlfriend to eastern 's prom . so why is he taking ellie instead ? she 's great ... she listens and she 's easy to talk to ' he said . trey made the prom-posal ( yes , that 's what they are calling invites to prom these days ) in the gym during ellie 's p.e . class . trina helson , a teacher at eastern , alerted the school 's newspaper staff to the prom-posal and posted photos of trey and ellie on twitter that have gone viral . she was n't surpristed by trey 's actions . that 's the kind of person trey is , ' she said . to help make sure she said yes , trey entered the gym armed with flowers and a poster that read let 's party like it 's 1989 , ' a reference to the latest album by taylor swift , ellie 's favorite singer . trey also got the ok from ellie 's parents the night before via text . they were thrilled . you just feel numb to those moments raising a special needs child , ' said darla meredith , ellie 's mom . you first feel the need to protect and then to overprotect . ' darla meredith said ellie has struggled with friendships since elementary school , but a special program at eastern called best buddies had made things easier for her . she said best buddies cultivates friendships between students with and without developmental disabilities and prevents students like ellie from feeling isolated and left out of social functions . i guess around middle school is when kids started to care about what others thought , ' she said , but this school , this year has been a relief . ' trey 's future coach at ball state , james whitford , said he felt great about the prom-posal , noting that trey , whom he 's known for a long time , often works with other kids trey 's mother , shelly moses , was also proud of her son . it 's exciting to bring awareness to a good cause , ' she said . trey has worked pretty hard , and he 's a good son . ' both trey and ellie have a lot of planning to do . trey is looking to take up special education as a college major , in addition to playing basketball in the fall . as for ellie , she ca n't stop thinking about prom . ellie ca n't wait to go dress shopping ' her mother said . because i 've only told about a million people ! ' ellie interjected . | college-bound basketball star asks girl with down syndrome to high school prom |
california <tsp> ( cnn ) -- soon after the great white shark chomped into his torso , steven robles thought everything was over . i really thought that that might be it . i thought i might be dying , ' he said . instead , the long-distance swimmer is recovering from the wounds -- but might never return to the water . the trauma of the attack is still too vivid . on saturday , a 7-foot-long shark near manhattan beach , california , became agitated by a fisherman 's hook . it apparently took out its frustration on robles , who was swimming nearby . we saw each other . it did a sharp left turn and then it lunged right at me , did n't even hesitate , ' robles said . i could feel the vibration of this entire shark gnawing into my skin , ' he said . you could feel the whole body shaking as it 's digging into my torso . ' the burning sensation of the bite is hard to forget . the bite mark 's like a jellyfish sting that just keeps penetrating deeper and deeper into the bone , ' robles said . it was terrifying . ' he grabbed the shark 's nose with his hand and tried to pry him off . fortunately , the shark left on his own and darted away . a witness 's cell phone video posted by cnn affiliate ktla showed robles screaming loudly as fellow swimmers tried to help him to shore . witnesses on the pier screamed that the shark was still close by . all the swimmers in the water made it to shore safely . human remains found in search for woman'taken'by large shark police closed down the manhattan beach pier , and it will remain closed until tuesday . while shark attacks are rare , they have increased at a steady rate since 1900 with each decade having more attacks than the previous , ' according to the international shark attack file based in gainesville , florida . but the isaf says there were 72 unprovoked shark attacks on humans in 2013 -- the lowest number of global attacks since 2009 , when 67 attacks occurred . the group emphasized that an increasing number of shark attacks does n't mean the rate of attacks is increasing . isaf research shows people are spending more time at sea , which increases the interactions between humans and sharks . robles said even though he thought he might be dying , his survival instincts kicked in . my life was just a half a second from ending , and i had to fight for my life , ' he said . just before the attack , robles said he was planning another long-distance swim . but now he says he might never swim in the open water again . one-ton shark headed to texas coast what devoured this great white shark ? rare goblin shark was n't the only thing that surfaced cnn 's shelby lin erdman contributed to this report | a great white shark bit steven robles near manhattan beach , california |
bolivia <tsp> la paz , bolivia ( cnn ) -- an air of anxiety clutches bolivia this weekend amid high-stakes talks designed to end bloodshed and keep the country whole . bolivian president evo morales says opposition leaders are trying to overthrow the government . the central government of leftist president evo morales , bolivia 's first leader from an indian majority centered in the western highlands , is conducting talks with governors of largely white provinces in the east who want autonomy . tension between the two sides erupted into violence that killed at least 30 people in september . in addition , differences about the country 's future have threatened to split the country . julian torrico , a peasant leader , said he and other morales supporters will storm the eastern city of santa cruz if the talks , which started thursday , do not yield progress . we will go into santa cruz and respond with force because they have ( marginalized ) us and massacred us , so we will massacre them and we will take their land away from them , ' he said . watch protesters march in santa cruz » ' the fight here is between poor and rich . the government of evo morales took power by a majority and now these opposition governors do n't want to let him govern , ' torrico said . anyelo cespedes , president of the santa cruz youth union , which opposes morales , said they do n't want a dictatorship or a communist regime . we have our way of life and we do n't want that changed , ' he said . the central government and eastern governors are discussing topics that include the distribution of natural-gas revenues , autonomy for several eastern provinces and the president 's plan for a new constitution . those negotiations may offer one of the final chances to reverse bolivia 's slide toward violent instability , according to gonzalo chavez , an analyst . this is probably one of the few opportunities that we 're going to have to solve the problems of the country , ' he said . four of nine provinces in bolivia have declared autonomy from the central government in referendums this year . morales , an ally of venezuelan president hugo chavez and former cuban president fidel castro , said the moves could cause bolivia to disintegrate . the eastern opposition leaders have long opposed a decision of the morales government to divert some revenue from oil and gas produced in the region to pay for government programs for the elderly . they have also opposed his plans to revise the constitution to give greater rights to the indigenous majority . the differences flared into violence with opposition protesters occupying government buildings and energy installations . morales has said the opposition leaders are trying to overthrow the government . he expelled u.s . ambassador to bolivia philip goldberg on the grounds that he urged anti-government protesters to get violent , an assertion the united states has denied . this is a coup in the past few days by the leaders of some provinces , with the takeover of some institutions , the sacking and robbery of some government institutions and attempts to assault the national police and the armed forces , ' morales has said . opposition leaders said they merely want their demands met . secretary general jose miguel insulza of the organization of american states arrived in bolivia on friday to encourage dialogue . he expressed optimism based on the preliminary results ' from the talks . representatives of the organization of american states and the 12-nation union of south american countries are among a group of international observers that has come to bolivia for the negotiations . ivan canelas , a government spokesman , said the talks provide a critical opportunity to break an impasse that has split the country for months . we understand that making peace requires the suspension of all forms of pressure , ' he said . gov . mario cossio of the eastern tarija state said he and other opposition leaders hope to reach a final agreement . he said they hope to build a national agreement that bolivia needs , that the bolivians want . ' he said the goal is to give peace back to our country and give certainty to bolivia . ' cnn 's karl penhaul and gloria carrasco contributed to this story . | four provinces in bolivia have declared autonomy from the central government |
doctors without borders <tsp> global health experts on friday declared the ebola epidemic ravaging west africa an international health emergency that requires a coordinated global approach . guinea , liberia and sierra leone are battling the ebola virus , which has also spread to nigeria . the virus has killed 961 people from the start of the outbreak this year through wednesday , the world health organization said . the possible consequences of further international spread are particularly serious in view of the virulence of the virus , the intensive community and health facility transmission patterns , and the weak health systems in the currently affected and most at-risk countries , ' who said friday after two days of emergency meetings . the u.n. health agency described it as the worst outbreak in the four-decade history of tracking the disease . a coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of ebola , ' who said . ebola virus : 9 things to know about the killer disease medical aid groups applauded the designation but said that it alone wo n't reduce fatalities . declaring ebola an international public health emergency shows how seriously who is taking the current outbreak , but statements wo n't save lives , ' said dr. bart janssens , director of operations for doctors without borders , a humanitarian organization . now we need this statement to translate into immediate action on the ground . for weeks , msf has been repeating that a massive medical , epidemiological and public health response is desperately needed to save lives and reverse the course of the epidemic , ' said janssens , using the initials for his organization 's french name , medecins sans frontieres . lives are being lost because the response is too slow . ' the agency said it has nearly 700 staff responding to the crisis in the affected countries . all our ebola experts are mobilized , we simply can not do more , ' janseens said . american patients improving two americans who contracted ebola while supporting efforts to fight the disease in liberia are showing improvement at emory university hospital in atlanta . dr. kent brantly and aid worker nancy writebol are getting treatment at one of four u.s. institutions capable of providing such treatment . who warns of bogus information meanwhile , a who official said bogus information is adding to the rapid spread of the disease . perhaps one of the most important factors contributing to this is fear and misinformation , ' said dr. keiji fukuda , assistant director for health security . this is critical to understand , because what it is doing is that it helps foster suspicion and anxiety in communities , and when that happens we see a situation where people are reluctant to go to health facilities or maybe reluctant to bring their family members there . ' though infectious , ebola is not mysterious ' and can be contained , fukuda said . liberian president ellen johnson sirleaf said the fast-spreading disease has overwhelmed her nation 's health care system . the scope and scale of the epidemic ... now exceed the capacity and statutory responsibility of any one government agency or ministry , ' she said . the liberian leader declared a 90-day state of emergency this week , which will allow her government to set up a series of measures to prevent the spread of the disease . 9 questions about this new ebola drug while liberia struggles to contain the epidemic , the united states ordered relatives of its embassy employees to leave the country . the u.s. embassy is in the capital of monrovia , one of the areas hardest-hit by the epidemic . washington said it 's sending experts to liberia , including 12 specialists from the centers for disease control and prevention , and a 13-member disaster assistance response team from the u.s. agency for international development . ebola is here : 5 reasons not to panic the ebola virus causes hemorrhagic fever that affects multiple organ systems in the body . early symptoms include weakness , muscle pain , headaches and a sore throat . they later progress to vomiting , diarrhea , impaired kidney and liver function -- and sometimes internal and external bleeding . ebola spreads through contact with organs and bodily fluids such as blood , saliva , urine and other secretions of infected people . it has no known cure . the most common treatment requires supporting organ functions and maintaining bodily fluids such as blood and water long enough for the body to fight off the infection . what 's the risk of catching ebola on a plane ? | doctors without borders applauds designation but says statements wo n't save lives ' |
holder <tsp> ( cnn ) -- new junior federal prosecutors literally started in the basement of the u.s. courthouse in downtown brooklyn . i moved into my subterranean office in january 1990 . a few weeks later , loretta lynch moved into her new digs down the hall . we were assistant u.s. attorneys in the eastern district of new york , which covers brooklyn , queens , staten island and long island . the work of this u.s. attorney 's office is unglamorous , especially for new hires . our jurisdiction included john f. international kennedy airport in queens , so our introductory cases often involved low-level drug smuggling , especially the swallowers ' who ingested condoms full of cocaine or heroin . lynch thrived in that chaotic environment . and now , two-plus decades later , it looks like she will be the next attorney general of the united states . she has been u.s. attorney twice in the courthouse where she came up -- first under president bill clinton and currently under president barack obama . she is not a well-known figure , even in new york . she is a workhorse , not a show horse , and she has flourished doing the hard , ordinary work of federal prosecution -- narcotics cases , organized crime ( always big in brooklyn ) , public corruption ( ditto ) and civil rights violations . lynch has showed her strengths more as an administrator than as a courtroom performer . she always had good relations with the u.s. attorney 's clients ' -- the fbi , drug enforcement administration and other law enforcement agencies . still , against heavy pressure from the new york police , she led a full investigation and prosecution of the horrible assault of abner louima by nypd officers in 1997 . she is a tough and successful new yorker , but she has also never forgotten her north carolina roots . there is a southern graciousness about her ( and her accent ) , and it will certainly be on display in any confirmation hearings . two major questions loom over her prospective tenure as attorney general . first , will she continue the emphasis on voting rights that eric holder displayed ? the answer is almost certainly yes . like holder , she comes from the generation after the civil rights movement , but it is part of her dna , and that will come through in her priorities . the more interesting question involves drugs . holder moved carefully but steadily to reduce federal prosecutions of low-level narcotics offenses , especially marijuana . in addition , he started plans to lower the sentences of federal inmates who were convicted under those laws . will lynch continue these efforts ? she has no public track record on these policy issues , though she has aggressively prosecuted narcotics offenders in brooklyn . this area offers a possible route for cooperation with some republicans , like sen. rand paul , who were sympathetic to holder on this issue . in any event , one verdict is clear : lynch has come a long way from that basement we shared . | he asks if she will keep eric holder 's voting rights'emphasis if tapped as attorney general |
holder <tsp> ( cnn ) -- new junior federal prosecutors literally started in the basement of the u.s. courthouse in downtown brooklyn . i moved into my subterranean office in january 1990 . a few weeks later , loretta lynch moved into her new digs down the hall . we were assistant u.s. attorneys in the eastern district of new york , which covers brooklyn , queens , staten island and long island . the work of this u.s. attorney 's office is unglamorous , especially for new hires . our jurisdiction included john f. international kennedy airport in queens , so our introductory cases often involved low-level drug smuggling , especially the swallowers ' who ingested condoms full of cocaine or heroin . lynch thrived in that chaotic environment . and now , two-plus decades later , it looks like she will be the next attorney general of the united states . she has been u.s. attorney twice in the courthouse where she came up -- first under president bill clinton and currently under president barack obama . she is not a well-known figure , even in new york . she is a workhorse , not a show horse , and she has flourished doing the hard , ordinary work of federal prosecution -- narcotics cases , organized crime ( always big in brooklyn ) , public corruption ( ditto ) and civil rights violations . lynch has showed her strengths more as an administrator than as a courtroom performer . she always had good relations with the u.s. attorney 's clients ' -- the fbi , drug enforcement administration and other law enforcement agencies . still , against heavy pressure from the new york police , she led a full investigation and prosecution of the horrible assault of abner louima by nypd officers in 1997 . she is a tough and successful new yorker , but she has also never forgotten her north carolina roots . there is a southern graciousness about her ( and her accent ) , and it will certainly be on display in any confirmation hearings . two major questions loom over her prospective tenure as attorney general . first , will she continue the emphasis on voting rights that eric holder displayed ? the answer is almost certainly yes . like holder , she comes from the generation after the civil rights movement , but it is part of her dna , and that will come through in her priorities . the more interesting question involves drugs . holder moved carefully but steadily to reduce federal prosecutions of low-level narcotics offenses , especially marijuana . in addition , he started plans to lower the sentences of federal inmates who were convicted under those laws . will lynch continue these efforts ? she has no public track record on these policy issues , though she has aggressively prosecuted narcotics offenders in brooklyn . this area offers a possible route for cooperation with some republicans , like sen. rand paul , who were sympathetic to holder on this issue . in any event , one verdict is clear : lynch has come a long way from that basement we shared . | toobin : and will she continue holder 's efforts on reducing drug penalties ? |
au <tsp> african union soldiers stationed in somalia have raped and sexually exploited women and girls on their military bases , human rights watch says in a new report . the report released monday accuses soldiers of working through somali go-betweens to use a variety of ploys , such as humanitarian aid , to force women and girls to have sex as well as to sexually assault women who came to the bases seeking medical help or water . some african union soldiers have misused their positions of power to exploit somalia 's most vulnerable women and girls , ' said liesl gerntholtz , executive director of the women 's rights division at human rights watch . the rights group said it interviewed 21 women and girls who recounted being raped or sexually exploited by ugandan or burundian troops serving with the african union mission in somalia since 2013 . among the cases described in the report is a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by a burundian soldier after she went to a military base to try to get medicine for her sick mother . african union challenges report the african union said it was concerned ' by the report and would thoroughly ' investigate the allegations . but it took issue with much of the content of the document , accusing it of imbalance , inaccuracies and partial view . ' the regional body said the portrayal of the au mission and the broad conclusions in the report constitute a misrepresentation of the sacrifices , achievements and genuine commitment ' of the mission . au troops are in somalia to support somali forces cracking down on al-shabaab , a group fighting the government in hopes of turning the country into a fundamentalist islamic state . the mission 's mandate includes helping with humanitarian assistance in somalia , which is plagued by war , poverty and famine . scale of problem unclear the au said the human rights watch report uses a small number of cases to arrive at a generalized conclusion . ' the rights group said it did n't assess the scale or prevalence of the abuse ' because of the sensitivity of the subject and the profound reluctance ' of victims and witnesses to speak out . nonetheless , the findings raise serious concerns about abuses by amisom soldiers against somali women and girls that suggest a much larger problem , ' the report said . it called on the countries who contribute troops , the au and donors to the mission to urgently address these abuses and strengthen procedures inside somalia to seek justice . ' the au said in its statement it had developed mechanisms to prevent and respond to issues of misconduct and abuse in peace support operations , in accordance with the au 's zero-tolerance policy on this matter . ' contacted for comment , a spokesman for the mission referred cnn to the au statement . somali government to launch investigation the somali prime minister 's office issued a statement tuesday expressing concern over the grave allegations ' in the human rights watch report . the government condemns all forms of abuse against the somali people and remains committed to ensuring perpetrators of any crime against its civilians are brought to justice , ' the office said . the government will lead a rigorous and prompt investigation into the allegations with all stakeholders and necessary action will be taken as required . ' | the au says the report contains imbalance , inaccuracies and partial view ' |
ntsb <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a commuter airliner that crashed thursday in upstate new york , killing 50 people , underwent violent pitching and rolling seconds before impact , with passengers experiencing twice the normal force of gravity , a federal investigator said sunday . only a few pieces of the continental connection dash 8 turboprop were recognizable after the crash . the plane 's final 800-foot fall took five seconds , steve chealander of the national transportation safety board said . the aircraft crashed into a home in clarence center , new york , near buffalo , on thursday night , killing all 49 people aboard . a 61-year-old man in the house died also , but his wife and daughter survived . final motions of the aircraft were so drastic that the plane 's autopilot automatically disengaged and warnings sounded , chealander said , citing information from the plane 's flight data and cockpit voice recorders . also , a stick-shaker ' device , which noisily vibrates an airplane 's controls to warn the pilot of imminent stall , kicked in , he said . the flight crew of continental connection flight 3407 , operated by colgan air , discussed significant ' ice buildup on the aircraft 's windshield and wings before the crash , and icing has become a focus as a possible cause . follow the plane 's path » chealander said the plane 's de-icing system was turned on 11 minutes after the flight left newark , new jersey , for buffalo , and remained on for the entire flight . he said the pilots were told before departure from newark that there was light to moderate icing ' in the buffalo area but that no other pilots had reported problems with their landings at the buffalo airport . it was really not a bad-weather day , and they chose to launch [ from newark ] , ' chealander said of the pilot and the first officer . the plane was on autopilot during its approach to the buffalo airport , chealander said . as to questions about whether the autopilot should have been turned off , chealander said using it even in bad weather situations is normal . ' watch chealander discuss autopilot options » ' you 're encouraged to use the autopilot to help you with the workloads of these high intense weather situations that we fly into all the time , ' he said . he said the ntsb in the past has recommended to the federal aviation administration , which oversees civil aviation including commercial airlines , that in severe icing conditions , it might be best to disconnect autopilot so that the pilot might have a better feel ' for the aircraft 's conditions . however , severe icing is not what we saw here , ' chealander said , adding that the faa has no such disengagement rule in effect . to say that they should not have been flying on autopilot is not correct , ' chealander said . the pilots'recorded remarks about significant ' icing did not indicate severe ' icing , he said . the ntsb has said problems for the 74-seat bombardier dash 8 q400 occurred when the pilots lowered the landing gear and tried to set the wing flaps to slow the aircraft for landing . offering more details , chealander said sunday that the plane 's nose pitched up 31 degrees , then down 45 degrees . the aircraft rolled left 46 degrees then right 105 degrees , or past the 90-degree vertical point , he said . inside the cabin , he said , conditions went from lower than normal gravitational force to twice the normal force as the plane rocked through the sky . ireport.com : send your photos , videos from the scene chealander said the ntsb 's investigation of the crash site indicated that the two propellers on the turboprop aircraft were in place when the crash occurred . the airplane had n't lost anything prior to impact . it came down intact , ' he said . meanwhile , local authorities working to recover remains of the victims said sunday that a federal team of more than 40 people using some $ 2.8 million worth of scientific equipment would begin on monday to help establish positive identification of the victims . but because of the intensity of the crash and a subsequent fire , whether we can identify everybody or not remains to be seen , ' erie county health commission anthony billittier said . authorities had recovered 15 bodies as of saturday night , but billittier announced sunday that numbers of recovered bodies will no longer be released out of respect for the families . ' | plane rolled past the vertical point before it crashed into home , ntsb official says |
ntsb <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a commuter airliner that crashed thursday in upstate new york , killing 50 people , underwent violent pitching and rolling seconds before impact , with passengers experiencing twice the normal force of gravity , a federal investigator said sunday . only a few pieces of the continental connection dash 8 turboprop were recognizable after the crash . the plane 's final 800-foot fall took five seconds , steve chealander of the national transportation safety board said . the aircraft crashed into a home in clarence center , new york , near buffalo , on thursday night , killing all 49 people aboard . a 61-year-old man in the house died also , but his wife and daughter survived . final motions of the aircraft were so drastic that the plane 's autopilot automatically disengaged and warnings sounded , chealander said , citing information from the plane 's flight data and cockpit voice recorders . also , a stick-shaker ' device , which noisily vibrates an airplane 's controls to warn the pilot of imminent stall , kicked in , he said . the flight crew of continental connection flight 3407 , operated by colgan air , discussed significant ' ice buildup on the aircraft 's windshield and wings before the crash , and icing has become a focus as a possible cause . follow the plane 's path » chealander said the plane 's de-icing system was turned on 11 minutes after the flight left newark , new jersey , for buffalo , and remained on for the entire flight . he said the pilots were told before departure from newark that there was light to moderate icing ' in the buffalo area but that no other pilots had reported problems with their landings at the buffalo airport . it was really not a bad-weather day , and they chose to launch [ from newark ] , ' chealander said of the pilot and the first officer . the plane was on autopilot during its approach to the buffalo airport , chealander said . as to questions about whether the autopilot should have been turned off , chealander said using it even in bad weather situations is normal . ' watch chealander discuss autopilot options » ' you 're encouraged to use the autopilot to help you with the workloads of these high intense weather situations that we fly into all the time , ' he said . he said the ntsb in the past has recommended to the federal aviation administration , which oversees civil aviation including commercial airlines , that in severe icing conditions , it might be best to disconnect autopilot so that the pilot might have a better feel ' for the aircraft 's conditions . however , severe icing is not what we saw here , ' chealander said , adding that the faa has no such disengagement rule in effect . to say that they should not have been flying on autopilot is not correct , ' chealander said . the pilots'recorded remarks about significant ' icing did not indicate severe ' icing , he said . the ntsb has said problems for the 74-seat bombardier dash 8 q400 occurred when the pilots lowered the landing gear and tried to set the wing flaps to slow the aircraft for landing . offering more details , chealander said sunday that the plane 's nose pitched up 31 degrees , then down 45 degrees . the aircraft rolled left 46 degrees then right 105 degrees , or past the 90-degree vertical point , he said . inside the cabin , he said , conditions went from lower than normal gravitational force to twice the normal force as the plane rocked through the sky . ireport.com : send your photos , videos from the scene chealander said the ntsb 's investigation of the crash site indicated that the two propellers on the turboprop aircraft were in place when the crash occurred . the airplane had n't lost anything prior to impact . it came down intact , ' he said . meanwhile , local authorities working to recover remains of the victims said sunday that a federal team of more than 40 people using some $ 2.8 million worth of scientific equipment would begin on monday to help establish positive identification of the victims . but because of the intensity of the crash and a subsequent fire , whether we can identify everybody or not remains to be seen , ' erie county health commission anthony billittier said . authorities had recovered 15 bodies as of saturday night , but billittier announced sunday that numbers of recovered bodies will no longer be released out of respect for the families . ' | ntsb : people aboard experienced twice the normal gravitational force before crash |
ntsb <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a commuter airliner that crashed thursday in upstate new york , killing 50 people , underwent violent pitching and rolling seconds before impact , with passengers experiencing twice the normal force of gravity , a federal investigator said sunday . only a few pieces of the continental connection dash 8 turboprop were recognizable after the crash . the plane 's final 800-foot fall took five seconds , steve chealander of the national transportation safety board said . the aircraft crashed into a home in clarence center , new york , near buffalo , on thursday night , killing all 49 people aboard . a 61-year-old man in the house died also , but his wife and daughter survived . final motions of the aircraft were so drastic that the plane 's autopilot automatically disengaged and warnings sounded , chealander said , citing information from the plane 's flight data and cockpit voice recorders . also , a stick-shaker ' device , which noisily vibrates an airplane 's controls to warn the pilot of imminent stall , kicked in , he said . the flight crew of continental connection flight 3407 , operated by colgan air , discussed significant ' ice buildup on the aircraft 's windshield and wings before the crash , and icing has become a focus as a possible cause . follow the plane 's path » chealander said the plane 's de-icing system was turned on 11 minutes after the flight left newark , new jersey , for buffalo , and remained on for the entire flight . he said the pilots were told before departure from newark that there was light to moderate icing ' in the buffalo area but that no other pilots had reported problems with their landings at the buffalo airport . it was really not a bad-weather day , and they chose to launch [ from newark ] , ' chealander said of the pilot and the first officer . the plane was on autopilot during its approach to the buffalo airport , chealander said . as to questions about whether the autopilot should have been turned off , chealander said using it even in bad weather situations is normal . ' watch chealander discuss autopilot options » ' you 're encouraged to use the autopilot to help you with the workloads of these high intense weather situations that we fly into all the time , ' he said . he said the ntsb in the past has recommended to the federal aviation administration , which oversees civil aviation including commercial airlines , that in severe icing conditions , it might be best to disconnect autopilot so that the pilot might have a better feel ' for the aircraft 's conditions . however , severe icing is not what we saw here , ' chealander said , adding that the faa has no such disengagement rule in effect . to say that they should not have been flying on autopilot is not correct , ' chealander said . the pilots'recorded remarks about significant ' icing did not indicate severe ' icing , he said . the ntsb has said problems for the 74-seat bombardier dash 8 q400 occurred when the pilots lowered the landing gear and tried to set the wing flaps to slow the aircraft for landing . offering more details , chealander said sunday that the plane 's nose pitched up 31 degrees , then down 45 degrees . the aircraft rolled left 46 degrees then right 105 degrees , or past the 90-degree vertical point , he said . inside the cabin , he said , conditions went from lower than normal gravitational force to twice the normal force as the plane rocked through the sky . ireport.com : send your photos , videos from the scene chealander said the ntsb 's investigation of the crash site indicated that the two propellers on the turboprop aircraft were in place when the crash occurred . the airplane had n't lost anything prior to impact . it came down intact , ' he said . meanwhile , local authorities working to recover remains of the victims said sunday that a federal team of more than 40 people using some $ 2.8 million worth of scientific equipment would begin on monday to help establish positive identification of the victims . but because of the intensity of the crash and a subsequent fire , whether we can identify everybody or not remains to be seen , ' erie county health commission anthony billittier said . authorities had recovered 15 bodies as of saturday night , but billittier announced sunday that numbers of recovered bodies will no longer be released out of respect for the families . ' | plane 's de-icing system was turned on 11 minutes after takeoff , ntsb says |
upstate new york <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a commuter airliner that crashed thursday in upstate new york , killing 50 people , underwent violent pitching and rolling seconds before impact , with passengers experiencing twice the normal force of gravity , a federal investigator said sunday . only a few pieces of the continental connection dash 8 turboprop were recognizable after the crash . the plane 's final 800-foot fall took five seconds , steve chealander of the national transportation safety board said . the aircraft crashed into a home in clarence center , new york , near buffalo , on thursday night , killing all 49 people aboard . a 61-year-old man in the house died also , but his wife and daughter survived . final motions of the aircraft were so drastic that the plane 's autopilot automatically disengaged and warnings sounded , chealander said , citing information from the plane 's flight data and cockpit voice recorders . also , a stick-shaker ' device , which noisily vibrates an airplane 's controls to warn the pilot of imminent stall , kicked in , he said . the flight crew of continental connection flight 3407 , operated by colgan air , discussed significant ' ice buildup on the aircraft 's windshield and wings before the crash , and icing has become a focus as a possible cause . follow the plane 's path » chealander said the plane 's de-icing system was turned on 11 minutes after the flight left newark , new jersey , for buffalo , and remained on for the entire flight . he said the pilots were told before departure from newark that there was light to moderate icing ' in the buffalo area but that no other pilots had reported problems with their landings at the buffalo airport . it was really not a bad-weather day , and they chose to launch [ from newark ] , ' chealander said of the pilot and the first officer . the plane was on autopilot during its approach to the buffalo airport , chealander said . as to questions about whether the autopilot should have been turned off , chealander said using it even in bad weather situations is normal . ' watch chealander discuss autopilot options » ' you 're encouraged to use the autopilot to help you with the workloads of these high intense weather situations that we fly into all the time , ' he said . he said the ntsb in the past has recommended to the federal aviation administration , which oversees civil aviation including commercial airlines , that in severe icing conditions , it might be best to disconnect autopilot so that the pilot might have a better feel ' for the aircraft 's conditions . however , severe icing is not what we saw here , ' chealander said , adding that the faa has no such disengagement rule in effect . to say that they should not have been flying on autopilot is not correct , ' chealander said . the pilots'recorded remarks about significant ' icing did not indicate severe ' icing , he said . the ntsb has said problems for the 74-seat bombardier dash 8 q400 occurred when the pilots lowered the landing gear and tried to set the wing flaps to slow the aircraft for landing . offering more details , chealander said sunday that the plane 's nose pitched up 31 degrees , then down 45 degrees . the aircraft rolled left 46 degrees then right 105 degrees , or past the 90-degree vertical point , he said . inside the cabin , he said , conditions went from lower than normal gravitational force to twice the normal force as the plane rocked through the sky . ireport.com : send your photos , videos from the scene chealander said the ntsb 's investigation of the crash site indicated that the two propellers on the turboprop aircraft were in place when the crash occurred . the airplane had n't lost anything prior to impact . it came down intact , ' he said . meanwhile , local authorities working to recover remains of the victims said sunday that a federal team of more than 40 people using some $ 2.8 million worth of scientific equipment would begin on monday to help establish positive identification of the victims . but because of the intensity of the crash and a subsequent fire , whether we can identify everybody or not remains to be seen , ' erie county health commission anthony billittier said . authorities had recovered 15 bodies as of saturday night , but billittier announced sunday that numbers of recovered bodies will no longer be released out of respect for the families . ' | thursday 's crash in upstate new york killed all 49 aboard plane , one in house |
noelle velentzas <tsp> ( cnn ) noelle velentzas , 28 , could n't understand why u.s. citizens like herself were traveling overseas to wage jihad when they could simply make history ' at home by unleashing terrorist attacks , according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed thursday . velentzas and her former roommate , 31-year-old asia siddiqui , were arrested and accused of planning to build an explosive device for attacks in the united states , federal prosecutors said . siddiqui is also a u.s. citizen . the complaint paints a picture of a disturbing trend in homegrown violent extremism . siddiqui had repeated contact with members of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula , published jihad-themed poems in magazines affiliated with the terror group and possessed propane gas tanks along with instructions on turning them into explosive devices , the complaint said . one day , velentzas pulled a knife from her bra and showed siddiqui what do with it if attacked , according to the complaint . why ca n't we be some real bad bitches ? ' asked velentzas , adding that people needed to refer to them as citizens of the islamic state . ' velentzas and siddiqui did not enter pleas when they appeared in federal court in brooklyn on thursday . they were held without bond and ordered to appear on may 4 . thomas dunn , attorney for siddiqui , said outside court that his client intends to plead not guilty . she and i will address everything in court , ' he said . we 're going to fight it out in court . ' if convicted , the women face a maximum sentence of life in prison . in the past 18 months , the justice department 's national security division has prosecuted or is prosecuting more than 30 cases of people attempting to travel abroad to join or provide support to terrorist groups . of those cases , 18 allegedly involve support to isis . given how the terrorist threat to the world is evolving , how the potential terrorist threat to our nation is evolving , homeland security is becoming a matter of'hometown security ,'' homeland security secretary jeh johnson told reporters thursday . the terrorist threat is more decentralized , more diffuse , more complicated . it involves the potential lone wolf actor , it involves the effective use of social media , the internet . ' in december , velentzas and an undercover agent discussed the shooting deaths of two new york city police officers who were ambushed in brooklyn . the shootings demonstrated how easy it is to kill a cop , she said . killing a police officer is easier than buying food , ' she is quoted as saying in the complaint , because sometimes one has to wait in line to buy food . ' when the undercover agent later pointed out that more than 25,000 officers had gathered for the funeral of one of the cops , officer rafael ramos , velentzas complimented the agent for coming up with an attractive potential target ' for a terror attack , the complaint said . velentzas and siddiqui repeatedly expressed support for violent jihad , the complaint said . they praised successful and unsuccessful terror attempts against americans . as alleged , the defendants in this case carefully studied how to construct an explosive device to launch an attack on the homeland , ' loretta lynch , u.s. attorney for the eastern district of new york , said in a statement . we remain firm in our resolve to hold accountable anyone who would seek to terrorize the american people , whether by traveling abroad to commit attacks overseas or by plotting here at home . ' in 2009 , siddiqui wrote a poem in a magazine published by al qaeda in the arabian peninsula that urged readers to wage jihad . she declared there is no excuse to sit back and wait -- for the skies rain martyrdom . ' prosecutors said the women researched and acquired ' components for a car bomb such as the one used in the 1993 world trade center bombing , a fertilizer bomb such as the one used in the 1995 bombing of the federal building in oklahoma city and a pressure cooker device such as the one used in the 2013 boston marathon bombing . velentzas described the late al qaeda founder osama bin laden as one of her heroes . she kept a photo of bin laden holding an ak-47 as the background image on her cellphone , the complaint said . there were more opportunities of pleasing allah ' by engaging in jihad on american soil , she said . in february , velentzas and the undercover agent drove past a home depot in queens . velentzas laughed about once having told a home depot employee that she was having a barbecue when she was looking for propane . some women like to look at clothes , ' the complaint quotes her as saying . i like to look at electric equipment . ' in a statement , islamic circle of north america said velentzas was formerly homeless and provided shelter by the relief organization . she stayed for a short period of time between 2008 and 2009 , ' the statement said . while she was staying in our shelter , our staff helped her get on her feet . during this time she successfully completed studies to become a home health care provider after which she became gainfully employed . she left the facility when she married . ' velentzas appeared to have experienced hardship in her life but was working towards self-development and long-term stability , ' the statement said . she also appeared to be someone who had greatly benefited from the assistance icna relief provides through our shelter system , so we asked her to speak about the experience of our shelter . she appeared at several fundraisers and was the subject of videos as well . ' ashley chung , a neighbor in queens , said velentzas had a young daughter and lived with her husband . she 's a very friendly woman and i would never even expect that at all , ' chung said when asked about the allegations . they 're very lovely people . ... it 's so crazy how you live next to someone and you have no idea what they 're up to . ' thursday 's arrests are part of a series of cases being built by the federal government . last month , an army national guard member and his cousin were arrested in illinois and accused of conspiring to provide material support to isis , federal prosecutors said . the alleged plot included a plan to attack a u.s. military installation in illinois . spc . hasan edmonds , 22 , was arrested last week at chicago midway international airport while attempting to travel to egypt to eventually join isis , according to assistant attorney general for national security john p. carlin and other federal officials . his cousin , jonas yunus ' edmonds , 29 , was arrested at his home in aurora , illinois , in connection with an alleged plot to carry out an armed attack on an unspecified u.s. military facility in northern illinois where hasan edmonds had been training . the two u.s. citizens were charged in criminal complaints filed in u.s. district court of the northern district of illinois with one count each of conspiring to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization . in february , three new york men were arrested and accused of a failed attempt to join isis in syria , prosecutors said . abror habibov , 30 , who operated kiosks at malls along the east coast , was arrested along with akhror saidakhmetov , 19 , and abdurasul juraboev , 24 , in connection with an alleged failed attempt by the two younger men to join isis in syria . | noelle velentzas and asia siddiqui are arrested in connection with a plot inspired by isis |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) noelle velentzas , 28 , could n't understand why u.s. citizens like herself were traveling overseas to wage jihad when they could simply make history ' at home by unleashing terrorist attacks , according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed thursday . velentzas and her former roommate , 31-year-old asia siddiqui , were arrested and accused of planning to build an explosive device for attacks in the united states , federal prosecutors said . siddiqui is also a u.s. citizen . the complaint paints a picture of a disturbing trend in homegrown violent extremism . siddiqui had repeated contact with members of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula , published jihad-themed poems in magazines affiliated with the terror group and possessed propane gas tanks along with instructions on turning them into explosive devices , the complaint said . one day , velentzas pulled a knife from her bra and showed siddiqui what do with it if attacked , according to the complaint . why ca n't we be some real bad bitches ? ' asked velentzas , adding that people needed to refer to them as citizens of the islamic state . ' velentzas and siddiqui did not enter pleas when they appeared in federal court in brooklyn on thursday . they were held without bond and ordered to appear on may 4 . thomas dunn , attorney for siddiqui , said outside court that his client intends to plead not guilty . she and i will address everything in court , ' he said . we 're going to fight it out in court . ' if convicted , the women face a maximum sentence of life in prison . in the past 18 months , the justice department 's national security division has prosecuted or is prosecuting more than 30 cases of people attempting to travel abroad to join or provide support to terrorist groups . of those cases , 18 allegedly involve support to isis . given how the terrorist threat to the world is evolving , how the potential terrorist threat to our nation is evolving , homeland security is becoming a matter of'hometown security ,'' homeland security secretary jeh johnson told reporters thursday . the terrorist threat is more decentralized , more diffuse , more complicated . it involves the potential lone wolf actor , it involves the effective use of social media , the internet . ' in december , velentzas and an undercover agent discussed the shooting deaths of two new york city police officers who were ambushed in brooklyn . the shootings demonstrated how easy it is to kill a cop , she said . killing a police officer is easier than buying food , ' she is quoted as saying in the complaint , because sometimes one has to wait in line to buy food . ' when the undercover agent later pointed out that more than 25,000 officers had gathered for the funeral of one of the cops , officer rafael ramos , velentzas complimented the agent for coming up with an attractive potential target ' for a terror attack , the complaint said . velentzas and siddiqui repeatedly expressed support for violent jihad , the complaint said . they praised successful and unsuccessful terror attempts against americans . as alleged , the defendants in this case carefully studied how to construct an explosive device to launch an attack on the homeland , ' loretta lynch , u.s. attorney for the eastern district of new york , said in a statement . we remain firm in our resolve to hold accountable anyone who would seek to terrorize the american people , whether by traveling abroad to commit attacks overseas or by plotting here at home . ' in 2009 , siddiqui wrote a poem in a magazine published by al qaeda in the arabian peninsula that urged readers to wage jihad . she declared there is no excuse to sit back and wait -- for the skies rain martyrdom . ' prosecutors said the women researched and acquired ' components for a car bomb such as the one used in the 1993 world trade center bombing , a fertilizer bomb such as the one used in the 1995 bombing of the federal building in oklahoma city and a pressure cooker device such as the one used in the 2013 boston marathon bombing . velentzas described the late al qaeda founder osama bin laden as one of her heroes . she kept a photo of bin laden holding an ak-47 as the background image on her cellphone , the complaint said . there were more opportunities of pleasing allah ' by engaging in jihad on american soil , she said . in february , velentzas and the undercover agent drove past a home depot in queens . velentzas laughed about once having told a home depot employee that she was having a barbecue when she was looking for propane . some women like to look at clothes , ' the complaint quotes her as saying . i like to look at electric equipment . ' in a statement , islamic circle of north america said velentzas was formerly homeless and provided shelter by the relief organization . she stayed for a short period of time between 2008 and 2009 , ' the statement said . while she was staying in our shelter , our staff helped her get on her feet . during this time she successfully completed studies to become a home health care provider after which she became gainfully employed . she left the facility when she married . ' velentzas appeared to have experienced hardship in her life but was working towards self-development and long-term stability , ' the statement said . she also appeared to be someone who had greatly benefited from the assistance icna relief provides through our shelter system , so we asked her to speak about the experience of our shelter . she appeared at several fundraisers and was the subject of videos as well . ' ashley chung , a neighbor in queens , said velentzas had a young daughter and lived with her husband . she 's a very friendly woman and i would never even expect that at all , ' chung said when asked about the allegations . they 're very lovely people . ... it 's so crazy how you live next to someone and you have no idea what they 're up to . ' thursday 's arrests are part of a series of cases being built by the federal government . last month , an army national guard member and his cousin were arrested in illinois and accused of conspiring to provide material support to isis , federal prosecutors said . the alleged plot included a plan to attack a u.s. military installation in illinois . spc . hasan edmonds , 22 , was arrested last week at chicago midway international airport while attempting to travel to egypt to eventually join isis , according to assistant attorney general for national security john p. carlin and other federal officials . his cousin , jonas yunus ' edmonds , 29 , was arrested at his home in aurora , illinois , in connection with an alleged plot to carry out an armed attack on an unspecified u.s. military facility in northern illinois where hasan edmonds had been training . the two u.s. citizens were charged in criminal complaints filed in u.s. district court of the northern district of illinois with one count each of conspiring to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization . in february , three new york men were arrested and accused of a failed attempt to join isis in syria , prosecutors said . abror habibov , 30 , who operated kiosks at malls along the east coast , was arrested along with akhror saidakhmetov , 19 , and abdurasul juraboev , 24 , in connection with an alleged failed attempt by the two younger men to join isis in syria . | noelle velentzas and asia siddiqui are arrested in connection with a plot inspired by isis |
asia siddiqui <tsp> ( cnn ) noelle velentzas , 28 , could n't understand why u.s. citizens like herself were traveling overseas to wage jihad when they could simply make history ' at home by unleashing terrorist attacks , according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed thursday . velentzas and her former roommate , 31-year-old asia siddiqui , were arrested and accused of planning to build an explosive device for attacks in the united states , federal prosecutors said . siddiqui is also a u.s. citizen . the complaint paints a picture of a disturbing trend in homegrown violent extremism . siddiqui had repeated contact with members of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula , published jihad-themed poems in magazines affiliated with the terror group and possessed propane gas tanks along with instructions on turning them into explosive devices , the complaint said . one day , velentzas pulled a knife from her bra and showed siddiqui what do with it if attacked , according to the complaint . why ca n't we be some real bad bitches ? ' asked velentzas , adding that people needed to refer to them as citizens of the islamic state . ' velentzas and siddiqui did not enter pleas when they appeared in federal court in brooklyn on thursday . they were held without bond and ordered to appear on may 4 . thomas dunn , attorney for siddiqui , said outside court that his client intends to plead not guilty . she and i will address everything in court , ' he said . we 're going to fight it out in court . ' if convicted , the women face a maximum sentence of life in prison . in the past 18 months , the justice department 's national security division has prosecuted or is prosecuting more than 30 cases of people attempting to travel abroad to join or provide support to terrorist groups . of those cases , 18 allegedly involve support to isis . given how the terrorist threat to the world is evolving , how the potential terrorist threat to our nation is evolving , homeland security is becoming a matter of'hometown security ,'' homeland security secretary jeh johnson told reporters thursday . the terrorist threat is more decentralized , more diffuse , more complicated . it involves the potential lone wolf actor , it involves the effective use of social media , the internet . ' in december , velentzas and an undercover agent discussed the shooting deaths of two new york city police officers who were ambushed in brooklyn . the shootings demonstrated how easy it is to kill a cop , she said . killing a police officer is easier than buying food , ' she is quoted as saying in the complaint , because sometimes one has to wait in line to buy food . ' when the undercover agent later pointed out that more than 25,000 officers had gathered for the funeral of one of the cops , officer rafael ramos , velentzas complimented the agent for coming up with an attractive potential target ' for a terror attack , the complaint said . velentzas and siddiqui repeatedly expressed support for violent jihad , the complaint said . they praised successful and unsuccessful terror attempts against americans . as alleged , the defendants in this case carefully studied how to construct an explosive device to launch an attack on the homeland , ' loretta lynch , u.s. attorney for the eastern district of new york , said in a statement . we remain firm in our resolve to hold accountable anyone who would seek to terrorize the american people , whether by traveling abroad to commit attacks overseas or by plotting here at home . ' in 2009 , siddiqui wrote a poem in a magazine published by al qaeda in the arabian peninsula that urged readers to wage jihad . she declared there is no excuse to sit back and wait -- for the skies rain martyrdom . ' prosecutors said the women researched and acquired ' components for a car bomb such as the one used in the 1993 world trade center bombing , a fertilizer bomb such as the one used in the 1995 bombing of the federal building in oklahoma city and a pressure cooker device such as the one used in the 2013 boston marathon bombing . velentzas described the late al qaeda founder osama bin laden as one of her heroes . she kept a photo of bin laden holding an ak-47 as the background image on her cellphone , the complaint said . there were more opportunities of pleasing allah ' by engaging in jihad on american soil , she said . in february , velentzas and the undercover agent drove past a home depot in queens . velentzas laughed about once having told a home depot employee that she was having a barbecue when she was looking for propane . some women like to look at clothes , ' the complaint quotes her as saying . i like to look at electric equipment . ' in a statement , islamic circle of north america said velentzas was formerly homeless and provided shelter by the relief organization . she stayed for a short period of time between 2008 and 2009 , ' the statement said . while she was staying in our shelter , our staff helped her get on her feet . during this time she successfully completed studies to become a home health care provider after which she became gainfully employed . she left the facility when she married . ' velentzas appeared to have experienced hardship in her life but was working towards self-development and long-term stability , ' the statement said . she also appeared to be someone who had greatly benefited from the assistance icna relief provides through our shelter system , so we asked her to speak about the experience of our shelter . she appeared at several fundraisers and was the subject of videos as well . ' ashley chung , a neighbor in queens , said velentzas had a young daughter and lived with her husband . she 's a very friendly woman and i would never even expect that at all , ' chung said when asked about the allegations . they 're very lovely people . ... it 's so crazy how you live next to someone and you have no idea what they 're up to . ' thursday 's arrests are part of a series of cases being built by the federal government . last month , an army national guard member and his cousin were arrested in illinois and accused of conspiring to provide material support to isis , federal prosecutors said . the alleged plot included a plan to attack a u.s. military installation in illinois . spc . hasan edmonds , 22 , was arrested last week at chicago midway international airport while attempting to travel to egypt to eventually join isis , according to assistant attorney general for national security john p. carlin and other federal officials . his cousin , jonas yunus ' edmonds , 29 , was arrested at his home in aurora , illinois , in connection with an alleged plot to carry out an armed attack on an unspecified u.s. military facility in northern illinois where hasan edmonds had been training . the two u.s. citizens were charged in criminal complaints filed in u.s. district court of the northern district of illinois with one count each of conspiring to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization . in february , three new york men were arrested and accused of a failed attempt to join isis in syria , prosecutors said . abror habibov , 30 , who operated kiosks at malls along the east coast , was arrested along with akhror saidakhmetov , 19 , and abdurasul juraboev , 24 , in connection with an alleged failed attempt by the two younger men to join isis in syria . | noelle velentzas and asia siddiqui are arrested in connection with a plot inspired by isis |
house of commons <tsp> legislation to allow same-sex marriage in england and wales won passage tuesday in the house of commons . the vote was 366 for , 161 against . the bill now goes to the house of lords , where it will face further opposition . a rebellion within prime minister david cameron 's conservative party threatened to derail the bill . tuesday brought the second day of discussions on the legislation . members of parliament voted monday on a series of amendments to the marriage ( same sex couples ) bill . cameron backs the bill but his commitment to it has put him at odds with many in his own party and its grassroots supporters . the conservatives govern in coalition with the liberal democrats . the bill was kept on track monday thanks to the support of members of the opposition labour party , who voted to oppose an amendment that many conservative rebels backed . same-sex marriage : who will legalize it next ? the amendment , which was put forward by mp tim loughton , proposed extending civil partnerships to heterosexual couples as well as same-sex couples . minister for women and equalities maria miller , the sponsor of the same-sex marriage bill , argued that this would result in significant expense and delay , thus derailing the whole bill . labour leader ed miliband tweeted monday : david cameron 's inability to control his party must not be allowed to wreck the equal marriage bill . labour 's commitment unwavering . ' a law recognizing civil partnerships in england and wales was passed in 2004 . the church of england is among the religious bodies opposed to the new legislation . the issue of same-sex marriage has exposed painful divisions within cameron 's party , with many lawmakers already fractious over his position on europe . under pressure , cameron 's government last week published a draft bill promising a referendum by 2017 on britain 's membership of the european union . the conservative party faces a political threat from the uk independence party , which has vowed to take britain out of europe . controversy has also blown up following weekend uk media reports that quoted a senior ally of cameron describing party activists as swivel-eyed loons . ' in an effort to dampen the flames , cameron sent an e-mail late monday to party supporters , according to uk media reports , saying he was proud of their work and would never have around me those who sneered ' at them . same-sex marriage around the world the issue of same-sex marriage has also prompted wide disagreement elsewhere . on saturday , french president francois hollande signed into law a bill allowing marriage and adoption for same-sex couples despite vocal opposition from many conservatives and the catholic church . the step made france the ninth country in europe to allow same-sex marriage . if uruguay and new zealand enact legislation approved by their lawmakers as expected , the count of nations worldwide allowing same-sex marriage will rise to 14 . the first same-sex couples walked down the aisle in the netherlands in 2001 , with others following suit in canada , south africa , belgium and spain . argentina was the first latin american nation to legalize such marriages , in 2010 . other countries on the list are denmark , iceland , norway , portugal and sweden . many countries remain split over the issue . a brazilian court this week issued a directive removing a barrier that had limited same-sex marriage , but no bill has made it through congress . in the united states , the question went before the supreme court and justices are deliberating over the matter . twelve u.s. states and the district of columbia have legalized same-sex marriage . on the other side , many states have specific laws blocking same-sex couples from legally marrying . uk lawmakers approve same-sex marriage in first vote new zealand 's parliament votes to legalize same-sex marriage | house of commons approves same-sex marriage |
bonnie powers <tsp> ( cnn ) -- do you like you ? perhaps you ought to put a ring on your delightful self . mention self-marriage ' in any given group , and many people will likely chuckle over the notion of a sad , slump-shouldered bachelor who 's given up on the idea of ever finding love , or a gift-grubbing girl just in it for the gravy boat and stand mixer . jewelry designer jeffrey levin and branding and consulting expert bonnie powers are hoping to march in and alter that perception with their new i married me self-wedding in a box . ' the husband and wife team raised $ 6,116 in a recent indiegogo campaign to produce and market the kit , which contains a handmade ring , ceremony instructions , three promises to me ' and an affirmation card for each day of the week . it 's not about giving up , they say , but rather about lifting up and celebrating the singular awesomeness of yourself . cnn spoke with howard about the importance of saying i do ! ' to you and why the couple is so wedded to the notion of self-marriage . an edited transcript of the conversation is below . cnn : if you make a public declaration that you 're marrying yourself , does that mean you 've resigned yourself to being alone forever ? bonnie powers : this is n't about waiting for the right one . well , i have n't met the right one , so i 'm just going to marry myself . ' it 's so not about that . we reframe it to say that when you love yourself , increase moments of positivity , and can amplify your own sense of awareness about your emotional state , it increases your health . happiness is contagious . let 's say you 're an individual person who does this on your own and you tell your family , hey , i just married myself , you should do it ! ' people might say , whaaat ? ' but when they understand that it 's about affirming that you have all this love and importance , they get it . and when you do this in front of or as part of a group , being socially connected and supporting each other and creating community around it definitely amplifies the experience . at our own wedding , after we said our vows , we had our guests marry themselves . we had 120 people there and after each vow when we had people say that they promised to do it , and they together said , i promise ! ' there was joy and elation on their faces . people had their fists in the air . the energy of that was pretty incredible . cnn : what if someone feels shy about doing this in front of people ? powers : it 's not crucial , but it does enhance . for an individual person , this can be incredibly powerful . some people might feel self-conscious in a group . and if doing this alone is a way they can reflect and come to the same place at the end , i support that . the kit is written for an individual but does have some alternate copy for a group . cnn : have people worried that this could be seen as a selfish act ? powers : there have been questions around the idea that our society has become very me , me , me ' focused , and people wonder if this ritual is just about that . they 're not necessarily seeing the deep meaning behind it . part of it is being able to relate to the notion that this ceremony is a very authentic and loving thing that is symbolic , and not meaning to replace the idea of marriage -- if that is your thing . some people are in committed relationships and they 're not actually married . it does n't have to be about that . cnn : what exactly is the goal of marrying yourself ? powers : there 's a lot about self-wedding that is symbolic . it 's about acknowledging that you are a lovable , adorable , amazing person with all these fabulous qualities , and sometimes that 's really hard to stick with . when we have experienced the ritual with people , we see that it centers and focuses them on themselves and gives them some guidelines . some of us have done a lot of work on ourselves . i studied yoga to deepen my understanding of various philosophies and take my yoga off the mat and into the world . some people have done a lot of therapy or gone to a lot of groups . not everybody has and some people do n't know how to find that place within . we wanted to give anybody the opportunity , whether they are totally evolved and have been on that path for a long time and know how to get there or if they have n't entered that path to self-actualization and awareness . this can offer a road map . cnn : what happens in the ceremony ? powers : what we created is reflective of what we went through , asking ourselves , what are the things that you want to do ? what is the place that brings you joy ? ' it may be a memory or something sensory . maybe you just love the beach and want to do this there . if you want to bring food and drink and wine or do something celebratory with champagne , think about that . you can bring music . in the preparation , you get to think about the qualities you really admire about yourself , that build you up and make you feel lovable . we also ask people to think about the things that trip you up . do you need to work on your self-esteem ? maybe you 've made some mistakes and continue to judge yourself . part of the path to loving yourself is forgiveness . we wanted that to be a very strong part of that process , and the ceremony takes you through as a way to get started and ground yourself . it talks about the symbolism of the ring and takes you through each of the three different vows . cnn : how important is the ring ? powers : there 's a notion about these micromoments of positivity and that those add up . you need reminders sometimes that you can have positive moments in your life . some people might carry around a piece of beach glass that they found , and it gives them a feeling of being connected to nature . people might hold in their hand , or touch an object that has some kind of symbolism . the idea of the ring is the same thing . you have something that you are wearing that reminds you to come back to yourself and focus on the present and what makes you loveable and brings you happiness and joy . we have a lot of discussions about the ring . jeffrey did n't want it to be a throwaway object , something people would n't think is important . we wanted it to be sterling silver , and we also know that some people really like to wear gold . we find that people are adding it to the engagement and wedding bands that they already wear . cnn : where do you see this going ? is it a movement ? powers : certainly we would love the idea of people looking within themselves and recognizing their awesomeness -- because we all have awesomeness inside us , and we get tripped up and forget . part of what jeffrey and i want is for more people to focus on that in the most selfless way , so happiness and joy can spread . what do you think about self-marriage ? is it something you would ever consider ? weigh in via the comments below . | self-wedding is n't about not finding the right one or giving up , says bonnie powers |
aaron hernandez <tsp> ( cnn ) did former new england patriot aaron hernandez kill odin lloyd , a man who was dating the sister of hernandez 's fiancee and might have become his future brother-in-law ? hernandez has pleaded not guilty to murder and two weapons charges , setting the stage for his trial in fall river , massachusetts , that began in january . he 's accused of orchestrating the shooting death of lloyd . during closing arguments , prosecutor william mccauley called the football player the trigger man . jury deliberations began tuesday . even after closing arguments , the motive is still unclear but not legally required to get a conviction . still , jurors like to know a motive . evidence collected in lloyd 's death led to two more murder charges against hernandez in a separate case in boston . it 's scheduled to begin in may , but officials say it will be pushed back . the trial has involved a complicated cast of characters , including two sisters who played important roles in the lives of hernandez and lloyd here is a primer : inside the case against aaron hernandez odin lloyd odin lloyd was a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the boston bandits . he was found dead on june 17 , 2013 , less than a mile from hernandez 's home in north attleboro , massachusetts . he had been shot six times . lloyd met hernandez while dating shaneah jenkins , the sister of hernandez 's fiancee , shayanna jenkins . hernandez is charged with orchestrating lloyd 's execution . daniel de abreu and safiro furtado daniel de abreu and safiro furtado were killed outside a boston nightclub on july 16 , 2012 . earlier that evening , prosecutors say , de abreu accidentally bumped into hernandez , spilling a drink . later that night , hernandez was driving an suv and allegedly pulled up alongside de abreu and furtado 's car near the nightclub and fired a .38-caliber revolver at them , killing them . the trial judge in the lloyd case barred any mention of the boston deaths , ruling it would be prejudicial . alexander bradley authorities say alexander bradley is hernandez 's former right hand man who was allegedly with hernandez on the night de abreu and furtado were killed . he is not facing any charges in that case , but he is jailed on unrelated charges . he is suing hernandez for allegedly shooting him in the face in february 2013 , four months before lloyd 's death . bradley says hernandez accused him of disrespecting him ' over a cell phone left in a miami strip club . bradley testified against hernandez in lloyd 's death , telling jurors he saw hernandez handling what appeared to be a glock semi-automatic pistol during a trip to florida . the trial barred him from saying he accused hernandez of shooting him in the face . carlos ortiz carlos ortiz , nicknamed charlie boy , is also charged with murder in the death of lloyd and has pleaded not guilty . a law enforcement source says he cooperated with police and described the night of lloyd 's death . ernest wallace ernest wallace is also charged with murder in the death of lloyd . he has pleaded not guilty and is being tried separately . prosecutors call him the muscle man ' for hernandez . they say he was in the car with hernandez , lloyd , and carlos ortiz an hour before the car is seen on video heading to the industrial park where lloyd was killed . shayanna jenkins shayanna jenkins is hernandez 's fiancee and the mother of their daughter . she is charged with perjury , accused of lying to a grand jury about guns in their home . she has pleaded not guilty . her sister , shaneah , was dating lloyd at the time of his death . shaneah jenkins shaneah jenkins is the girlfriend of lloyd . her sister is hernandez 's fiancée . in court , the two sisters sit on opposite sides , shayanna with the defense and shaneah with the prosecution . tanya cummings-singleton tanya cummings-singleton is a cousin of hernandez . in her garage , police found the suv allegedly driven by hernandez and linked to the 2012 boston double homicide . she was twice charged with contempt of court for refusing to testify before two grand juries despite immunity offers . she has pleaded guilty to obstruction in the lloyd case . she is also suffering from cancer . thaddeus singleton thaddeus singleton , husband of tanya cummings-singleton , was killed in a car accident after lloyd 's slaying . police say his speeding car went airborne and crashed . a source says police planned to interview him about his relationship with hernandez . shaquilla thibou shaquilla thibou is the sister of lloyd . at trial she testified she saw her brother get into a car with three men who turned out to be hernandez , wallace and ortiz before he was killed . prosecutors say she received a final text from her brother that night minutes before he was shot telling her he was with nfl , ' adding , just so u know . ' the judge has ruled that text inadmissible at trial , saying there is no proof it meant lloyd feared for his life . terri hernandez terri hernandez is aaron hernandez 's mother . she is a school secretary . dennis hernandez dennis hernandez was aaron hernandez 's father . he had a close relationship with his sons and was deeply involved in their sports training . he died unexpectedly after hernia surgery when hernandez was 16 . dj hernandez dj hernandez is aaron hernandez 's older brother . he was a star high school athlete . he also was a standout athlete at the university of connecticut and is an assistant coach at the university of iowa . the prosecution district attorney samuel sutter , who had been leading the prosecution against hernandez , is the newly elected mayor of fall river , where the trial is being held . assistant district attorneys william mccauley and patrick bomberg are on the team leading the case against hernandez . probably my career ... will be defined more by this case than all of the other things we 've done , ' sutter has said . the defense attorneys james sultan , michael fee and charles rankin are handling hernandez 's defense . in opening statements , fee said hernandez was planning a future , not a murder . ' before trial , rankin said he is confident hernandez will be exonerated . | jury selection for the aaron hernandez trial started back in january |
indian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- theatre of dreams ' reads the plaque on the classroom door of manchester united soccer school in mumbai . nutritional advice and tactics are scribbled on the whiteboard and a wayne rooney portrait hangs on the wall . but if the future of the domestic sport lies at the feet of new talent , youngsters are dreaming of playing in stadiums abroad , not at home . endemic problems over the last four decades have slumped the nation to a low 149 out of 209 in fifa 's world rankings , moving fifa president sepp blatter to describe indian football as a sleeping giant . ' however , the arrival of dutch coach robert baan as the nation 's first technical director signals a possible revival of a country with a 1.2 billion population . appointed in october 2011 , baan was previously the technical director in the netherlands and caretaker coach for the australia under 23 team . in india , he says he had spotted about five boys aged below 10 whose skills were on par with european youngsters of that age group . qualifying for the world cup it is still early days , but baan believes with continued development of india 's grassroots , the country might be ready to participate in the 2022 world cup . or more realistically , 2026 or 2030 , ' he adds . as india has just started to implement grassroots football it will take 10 years or more to get these players to the same level as in japan , korea , or europe and south america . ' this grassroots project involves the all india football federation ( aiff ) opening residential academies all over the country , free to athletes and providing education alongside football training . these are different to the academies run by overseas clubs such as english premier league champion manchester united , which require fees and are non-residential . the first aiff academy opened in navi , mumbai in may 2012 , the second in september 2012 in pailan , another recently in goa , with a fourth coming soon in bangalore . we already have our under-19 boys in goa and that will now be our elite academy , possibly moving to pune in the coming months , ' said baan . sunando dhar , ceo of the aiff 's domestic i-league , has high hopes for this new development . i think this is the first positive step that indian football and the aiff have taken in the last 30 years , ' he said . up until the 1970s , india , which has long been one of the world 's top sides at cricket , was among the best sides in asian football and the national team was even invited by fifa to play in the 1950 world cup in brazil . in the end india failed to make it to brazil . according to football historian and statistician gautam roy , the journey by ship was too expensive and the players were unable to fulfill the compulsory requirement to wear football boots , as they usually played with bare feet . the aiff has governed football in india for 75 years and was responsible for appointing baan . located in dwarka in southwest delhi , the aiff 's headquarters is an impressive building crowned with a huge football . is india a sporting country ? despite that bold architectural statement , dhar is more downbeat in his assessment of the country 's competence : india lacks sporting passion and is not really a sporting country . ' that surprising admission provoked astonishment from two indian football experts . india has been playing football , as well as cricket , for over 100 years , ' roy told cnn . there are so many individuals in cricket , football , athletics and hockey . we 've won gold medals and been world champions , despite being amateur players . if india is not a sporting nation , then why are there so many people playing sport on the ground ? ' former indian soccer star baichung bhutia , who briefly played for english lower division team bury fc in 1999 , added : if the aiff says india 's not a sporting nation , then what are they doing there ? you have to make it a sporting nation ! ' dhar defends his view and says india does not have a strong presence at the olympics . referring to how interest in cricket soared after the first world cup win in that sport in 1983 , he says : if the national team does well , it suddenly changes the equation completely . ' india 's national captain sunil chhetri believes the aiff 's criticism of the team dampens their confidence and argues everyone should be working together . chhetri gave india a sign of hope when he joined the reserve side of portuguese club sporting lisbon in july last year , with indian football pundit arunava chaudhuri describing the move as the biggest ever transfer of an indian footballer . ' but the main goal should be for indians to renew national pride in their home game , which currently rejoices in its past . beating the british british soldiers introduced the sport to the country in the 19th century and an indian team even beat them at their own game to win a domestic tournament in 1911 . roy says this victory gave india the confidence to make the move towards independence , which finally happened 36 years later . however the influence of england -- or rather the english premier league -- still hangs heavy over indian football . at bhutia 's academy in delhi , 14-year-old somil , vansh and tannay say they stay awake until the early hours to keep up with the european championships and the world cup . and they all wish to go to europe to play professionally . in the english premier league , i support chelsea . and for la liga , it 's barcelona , ' says somil , without hesitation . but i do n't really know much about indian football . ' in december 2010 , aiff signed a 15-year lucrative seven billion rupee ( $ 1.3 million ) marketing deal with india 's img reliance -- - a world-leading sports management company -- to boost the promotion of domestic football . dhar says revamping the i-league is a priority . but that was over two years ago and experts say little improvement has been made since . the indian football association ( ifa ) , which manages football in west bengal , organized the country 's first international friendly between the hugely popular venezuela and argentina in 2011 . crowds packed out the 120,000-capacity salt lake stadium in kolkata for a glimpse of argentina 's superstar lionel messi . but while tickets were in short supply to watch arguably the world 's best player , local matches remain abandoned on unpopular television channels and without effective promotion . last year , private company celebrity management group organized a premier league soccer , spending almost $ 7 million bidding for retired world cup players , including former france international robert pires . however , the stadiums were not ready in time , which led to an indefinite postponement and players left in limbo without their wages . again , these efforts , independent of the aiff , did not make noticeable improvements to the home game . kolkata-based mohun bagan a.c. and east bengal f.c . are the biggest indian clubs with a historical 86-year long rivalry , comparable to the scottish clubs celtics and rangers . in fact , a derby match can attract a crowd of 100,000 people . these clubs do n't know how lucky they are because they did absolutely nothing to get this kind of commitment from fans , ' says hindustan times sports journalist dhiman sarkar . anjan mitra , general secretary of mohun bagan a.c. , boasts about the club 's worldwide ' following . but when asked about the lack of merchandise available for fans , he says they have run out and will re-order soon . sarkar says : mismanagement is a huge part of the problem . ' bhutia now co-owns the united sikkim club , which has risen to the i-league 's top division just five years after its formation . he argues that aiff should be working with and advising clubs on management , attracting investors and developing players . the aiff does n't help club owners who are n't as knowledgeable as me , ' he said . football has n't changed ; it 's still the same from the '60s and '70s . it has n't caught up with world football and where it 's gone . that 's the story of india itself . ''unclaimed territory' however roy feels worldwide perceptions are changing . everyone 's looking towards india , ' he said . here you have over one billion people ; if you can make football popular , it will be one of the most popular things . ' the scope for development is also being keenly monitored by some of europe 's leading clubs . along with manchester united , liverpool and barcelona have also opened football academies in the country . dhar describes india as unclaimed territory . ' former liverpool player steve mcmahon began the steve mcmahon football academy in october 2011 in new delhi . anshuman tripath , supportive father of 12-year-old utkarsh who attends the school , says it has the best facilities and training , much better than government facilities ' and that british coaches also bring a completely different perspective . ' education , education , education but these initiatives still have to overcome the emphasis indians place on education , which has traditionally overshadowed sports . shaji prabhakaran -- fifa 's south asia development officer -- says schools in india should give sport as much importance as math and promote its health benefits . baan says children aged between six and 12 years old need to be offered a weekly program of fitness and sports run by quality coaches at all schools . let the child learn to play all kinds of sport and find out for which he has most talent . ' according to baan , indian children are increasingly able to tell their parents what they want . ' in addition , attractive salaries , and the opportunities to become a coach or a physio , are incentives for parents to allow their children to pursue football . in fact , roy says i-league players earn more than cricketers : the prize money is low at five million rupees ( $ 93,000 ) but the clubs are paying a lot because they 're sponsored . ' last year , india placed a bid to host the fifa under-17 world cup tournament in 2017 , and would be given automatic participation if it is successful . das points out that this would be the first time that india would play in a world cup . but fifa is demanding certain guarantees from the indian government , such as security , tax and foreign exchange inflow , and acceptance of the bid is uncertain . however , baan is hopeful : it will give indian football a big boost . ' ultimately , heroes are made , not born . the messis of the world only come through if we create the right kind of environment , ' prabhakaran argues . if messi was growing up here , he may not have been so successful . ' . | fifa president sepp blatter describes indian football as a sleeping giant ' |
robin williams <tsp> ( cnn ) -- will it be a bad ' night -- or a true ' one ? the 66th primetime emmy awards will be handed out monday night , and what was expected to be a coronation honoring the final season of amc 's breaking bad ' has emerged as something a little more competitive , thanks to hbo 's true detective , ' the moody crime series starring matthew mcconaughey and woody harrelson . though bad ' still has a decided edge for best drama series -- the handicappers at goldderby.com , for example , are unanimous in their support of the bryan cranston-led show -- the onrush of mcconaughey love earlier this year , when the actor was hailed for his performances in mud , ' the wolf of wall street ' and an oscar-winning turn in dallas buyers club , ' may turn the tide in favor of detective . ' it certainly received a good start . at the creative arts emmys , which were given out august 16 , detective ' won four awards , including trophies for its cinematography and casting . breaking bad ' won just one , for its editing . hbo ,'snl ,' orange'win emmys here are some things to watch for as tv gets ready for its biggest night : 1 . all right , all right , all right , b * tch . breaking bad ' finished its run with acclaim as one of the best shows in tv history . even the internet liked the finale -- and the internet does n't like anything . certainly that will be enough to earn it best drama , right ? but watch out for true detective . ' even if breaking bad ' wins best drama , detective ' might take other major categories . for all the praise he 's received , bryan cranston has come up empty for best actor the last two years , losing to jeff daniels ( the newsroom ' ) last year and damian lewis ( homeland ' ) in 2012 . this time he 's facing both mcconaughey and harrelson , not to mention daniels , perennial bridesmaid jon hamm ( mad men ' ) and the wily kevin spacey ( house of cards ' ) . and what about game of thrones ' ? sure , the series got stiffed in the lead acting categories , but it 's up in supporting slots -- for peter dinklage and lena headey -- as well as best drama . moreover , it led all programs with 19 nominations . moreover , they would do things for their family you could n't imagine . ' emmy nominations 2014 : complete list 2 . living is easy , comedy is hard . the comedy categories are incredibly competitive this year . last year 's winner , modern family , ' is nominated once again , but this time there 's a sense that it 's ripe for a fall . any ( of the other nominees ) would be better than yet another win for'modern family ,' wrote new york magazine 's margaret lyons and denise martin . but what will take its place ? orange is the new black , ' netflix 's most popular show , could notch a win . so could veep , ' which has the benefit of last year 's lead actress winner , julia louis-dreyfus . and , lurking in the corner , there 's louie , ' which finished perhaps its most talked-about season -- one that had audiences wondering if they were , indeed , actually watching a comedy . the performers'trophies are even more uncertain . will best comedy actor go to big bang 's ' jim parsons again -- he 's won three of the last five -- or louis c.k. ? will best comedy actress go to louis-dreyfus , parks and recreation 's ' amy poehler or orange 's ' taylor schilling ? can allison janney , who won an emmy at the creative arts event for her guest spot in masters of sex , ' win another for mom ' ? it 's enough to make you long for the certainty of parks and recreation 's ' ron swanson ( nick offerman ) -- who 's not , incidentally , up for an emmy . not that he would sweat over it . 3 . remembering robin williams . the famed comedian and actor , who died august 11 , will be remembered during the in memoriam ' section in a tribute presented by billy crystal . regardless of how tasteful , thoughtful or warmhearted the segment is , you can bet that someone will complain about it . 4 . race ' for the top . once upon a time , there was essentially no competition in the reality-competition category : the winner was almost always the amazing race . ' the popular series -- part travelogue , part game , all fun -- won nine out of 10 years from 2003 to 2012 , except for 2010 , when top chef ' took the title . but last year the voice ' took home the trophy , and the battle is n't getting any easier . the voice ' is up again , so is top chef , ' and the other nominees include dancing with the stars , ' so you think you can dance ' and project runway . ' 5 . rating seth meyers . this is the first time the late night ' host and former snl ' newsman is hosting the emmys , and no doubt some critics will have their knives out . meyers admits he 's nervous . i think it would be weird if there were no nerves , ' he said . it 's a big undertaking and you want to make sure you treat it with the proper respect , and i think nerves constantly remind you to do that . ' he 's certainly hoping to do a good job , and he emphasizes : he will not sing . i ca n't ! i wish i could ! ' he said . do it well , seth , and maybe you 'll get a shot . the emmys will air monday on nbc . the show begins at 8 p.m . et and airs from los angeles'nokia theatre . | tribute to robin williams scheduled for in memoriam ' |
china <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- whether in the form of personal history or political biography , jung chang has spent her writerly life telling the story of china 's tumultuous recent past . the best-selling author of wild swans , ' an account of three generations of women in her family , chang gained a following for her frank portrait of life in china in the 20th century . more recently , she 's made waves with mao : the unknown story ' -- the scathing , 800-plus page biography of the chinese leader that she wrote with her husband , historian jon halliday . born in 1952 in sichuan , a province in china 's southwest , chang came of age during the height of the cultural revolution . she served briefly as a red guard and worked a variety of odd jobs in the countryside before turning to studying english . she left china for britain in 1978 to further her studies and earned a doctorate in linguistics . she rose to literary fame after wild swans ' was published in 1991 . mao : the unknown story , ' which took a decade to research , was released in 2005 . cnn caught up with chang , who currently lives in london , and asked her about china and why it 's so important to remember the past . cnn : your memoir and biography of mao use different means to tell a story about china 's recent history . why is it so important to tell this story ? jung chang : well , it 's very important to me . wild swans ' is the story of my family -- my grandmother , my mother and myself . i started writing the book after my mother told me the stories of her life and my grandmother 's life . so those things are written primarily for myself . and then with mao , there is still a lot of myth about him perpetuated in china today . i feel the chinese do n't know about the real man and the world still knows relatively little about him . i , myself , when i started writing the book in the early 1990s felt i did n't know all that much . i wanted to find out more , then tell the story to the world . cnn : your books are banned in china . how does that make you feel ? jc : i feel frustrated and very unhappy of course . the chinese should be allowed to remember . what happened under mao affected so many people 's lives , and that sort of agony and that terrifying past has not been properly processed in people 's memories . i think that 's not healthy . but my books are published in hong kong . hong kong is still largely separate from mainland china , which is wonderful from my point of view as a writer . it means many copies have gone into mainland china from hong kong . cnn : china is such a rapidly changing country . what changes stand out most to you ? jc : i think particularly in the initial years what stuck me most was the dramatic diminishment of fear . when i was growing up , we lived in fear all the time . people are n't living like that any longer . people are under the impression that china is what it is today because mao had laid the foundation . far from it . mao held the country back . the dramatic change that happened after mao died was because he had died . the force and the terror that held the chinese back , was suddenly removed . of course now there is a dramatic improvement in people 's lives , in all aspects , not only material but in terms of personal freedom , the freedom of travel and lots of other personal freedoms . of course , having said all that , there are still many things that frustrate me . there is still no freedom of expression in the public arena . books are banned , including my books , which is intensely frustrating . cnn : what future do you see for the country and what do you hope for ? jc : if there is n't anything dramatic happening , i think the country will probably go on as it is for a very long time . people 's lives will probably continue to improve slowly but there will still be repression in many ways . i hope , of course , for the obvious and the best -- i want people to enjoy the kind of freedom they do in britain for example . from my point of view as a writer , i hope the country will find a way to talk about the past in an honest way -- to debate about the past without inhibition . cnn : what do you miss most about china ? jc : i sometimes ask myself this question , but i realize i do n't miss any particular thing . what i miss is something intangible . china -- as a culture , as a people -- is something that i care about . it is under my skin . but exactly what it is that makes me feel restless , i 'm not sure . i guess i miss the whole place , the people who have been through so much and the country , which is so old and yet so young and energetic . it has experienced so much tragedy and yet remains so optimistic and upbeat . all these things make tears come to my eyes . | she says she feels frustrated by china 's repression of expression |
china <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- whether in the form of personal history or political biography , jung chang has spent her writerly life telling the story of china 's tumultuous recent past . the best-selling author of wild swans , ' an account of three generations of women in her family , chang gained a following for her frank portrait of life in china in the 20th century . more recently , she 's made waves with mao : the unknown story ' -- the scathing , 800-plus page biography of the chinese leader that she wrote with her husband , historian jon halliday . born in 1952 in sichuan , a province in china 's southwest , chang came of age during the height of the cultural revolution . she served briefly as a red guard and worked a variety of odd jobs in the countryside before turning to studying english . she left china for britain in 1978 to further her studies and earned a doctorate in linguistics . she rose to literary fame after wild swans ' was published in 1991 . mao : the unknown story , ' which took a decade to research , was released in 2005 . cnn caught up with chang , who currently lives in london , and asked her about china and why it 's so important to remember the past . cnn : your memoir and biography of mao use different means to tell a story about china 's recent history . why is it so important to tell this story ? jung chang : well , it 's very important to me . wild swans ' is the story of my family -- my grandmother , my mother and myself . i started writing the book after my mother told me the stories of her life and my grandmother 's life . so those things are written primarily for myself . and then with mao , there is still a lot of myth about him perpetuated in china today . i feel the chinese do n't know about the real man and the world still knows relatively little about him . i , myself , when i started writing the book in the early 1990s felt i did n't know all that much . i wanted to find out more , then tell the story to the world . cnn : your books are banned in china . how does that make you feel ? jc : i feel frustrated and very unhappy of course . the chinese should be allowed to remember . what happened under mao affected so many people 's lives , and that sort of agony and that terrifying past has not been properly processed in people 's memories . i think that 's not healthy . but my books are published in hong kong . hong kong is still largely separate from mainland china , which is wonderful from my point of view as a writer . it means many copies have gone into mainland china from hong kong . cnn : china is such a rapidly changing country . what changes stand out most to you ? jc : i think particularly in the initial years what stuck me most was the dramatic diminishment of fear . when i was growing up , we lived in fear all the time . people are n't living like that any longer . people are under the impression that china is what it is today because mao had laid the foundation . far from it . mao held the country back . the dramatic change that happened after mao died was because he had died . the force and the terror that held the chinese back , was suddenly removed . of course now there is a dramatic improvement in people 's lives , in all aspects , not only material but in terms of personal freedom , the freedom of travel and lots of other personal freedoms . of course , having said all that , there are still many things that frustrate me . there is still no freedom of expression in the public arena . books are banned , including my books , which is intensely frustrating . cnn : what future do you see for the country and what do you hope for ? jc : if there is n't anything dramatic happening , i think the country will probably go on as it is for a very long time . people 's lives will probably continue to improve slowly but there will still be repression in many ways . i hope , of course , for the obvious and the best -- i want people to enjoy the kind of freedom they do in britain for example . from my point of view as a writer , i hope the country will find a way to talk about the past in an honest way -- to debate about the past without inhibition . cnn : what do you miss most about china ? jc : i sometimes ask myself this question , but i realize i do n't miss any particular thing . what i miss is something intangible . china -- as a culture , as a people -- is something that i care about . it is under my skin . but exactly what it is that makes me feel restless , i 'm not sure . i guess i miss the whole place , the people who have been through so much and the country , which is so old and yet so young and energetic . it has experienced so much tragedy and yet remains so optimistic and upbeat . all these things make tears come to my eyes . | her books wild swans ' and mao : the unknown story ' are banned in mainland china |
china <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- whether in the form of personal history or political biography , jung chang has spent her writerly life telling the story of china 's tumultuous recent past . the best-selling author of wild swans , ' an account of three generations of women in her family , chang gained a following for her frank portrait of life in china in the 20th century . more recently , she 's made waves with mao : the unknown story ' -- the scathing , 800-plus page biography of the chinese leader that she wrote with her husband , historian jon halliday . born in 1952 in sichuan , a province in china 's southwest , chang came of age during the height of the cultural revolution . she served briefly as a red guard and worked a variety of odd jobs in the countryside before turning to studying english . she left china for britain in 1978 to further her studies and earned a doctorate in linguistics . she rose to literary fame after wild swans ' was published in 1991 . mao : the unknown story , ' which took a decade to research , was released in 2005 . cnn caught up with chang , who currently lives in london , and asked her about china and why it 's so important to remember the past . cnn : your memoir and biography of mao use different means to tell a story about china 's recent history . why is it so important to tell this story ? jung chang : well , it 's very important to me . wild swans ' is the story of my family -- my grandmother , my mother and myself . i started writing the book after my mother told me the stories of her life and my grandmother 's life . so those things are written primarily for myself . and then with mao , there is still a lot of myth about him perpetuated in china today . i feel the chinese do n't know about the real man and the world still knows relatively little about him . i , myself , when i started writing the book in the early 1990s felt i did n't know all that much . i wanted to find out more , then tell the story to the world . cnn : your books are banned in china . how does that make you feel ? jc : i feel frustrated and very unhappy of course . the chinese should be allowed to remember . what happened under mao affected so many people 's lives , and that sort of agony and that terrifying past has not been properly processed in people 's memories . i think that 's not healthy . but my books are published in hong kong . hong kong is still largely separate from mainland china , which is wonderful from my point of view as a writer . it means many copies have gone into mainland china from hong kong . cnn : china is such a rapidly changing country . what changes stand out most to you ? jc : i think particularly in the initial years what stuck me most was the dramatic diminishment of fear . when i was growing up , we lived in fear all the time . people are n't living like that any longer . people are under the impression that china is what it is today because mao had laid the foundation . far from it . mao held the country back . the dramatic change that happened after mao died was because he had died . the force and the terror that held the chinese back , was suddenly removed . of course now there is a dramatic improvement in people 's lives , in all aspects , not only material but in terms of personal freedom , the freedom of travel and lots of other personal freedoms . of course , having said all that , there are still many things that frustrate me . there is still no freedom of expression in the public arena . books are banned , including my books , which is intensely frustrating . cnn : what future do you see for the country and what do you hope for ? jc : if there is n't anything dramatic happening , i think the country will probably go on as it is for a very long time . people 's lives will probably continue to improve slowly but there will still be repression in many ways . i hope , of course , for the obvious and the best -- i want people to enjoy the kind of freedom they do in britain for example . from my point of view as a writer , i hope the country will find a way to talk about the past in an honest way -- to debate about the past without inhibition . cnn : what do you miss most about china ? jc : i sometimes ask myself this question , but i realize i do n't miss any particular thing . what i miss is something intangible . china -- as a culture , as a people -- is something that i care about . it is under my skin . but exactly what it is that makes me feel restless , i 'm not sure . i guess i miss the whole place , the people who have been through so much and the country , which is so old and yet so young and energetic . it has experienced so much tragedy and yet remains so optimistic and upbeat . all these things make tears come to my eyes . | jung chang came to fame in 1991 for her account of life in communist china |
turkish airlines flight 1951 <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a faulty ' flight instrument contributed to the crash of a turkish plane last month in the netherlands , an accident that killed nine people and injured more than 60 others , dutch safety authorities said on wednesday . turkish airlines workers carry the coffins of four staff who died in the crash . on february 25 , turkish airlines flight 1951 from istanbul to amsterdam dropped from the sky on approach to the landing strip at schiphol airport , shattering into three pieces in a muddy field . pieter van vollenhoven , head of the dutch safety board , said the instrument was one of the plane 's two altimeters , which measure altitude . because of the faulty ' left altimeter , the plane on automatic pilot reacted as if it were lower than it was and started to behave as if it was touching down . the plane was at 700 meters but the instrument indicated that it was at ground level . this caused the automatic throttles to slow the plane down , leading to a loss of speed . the plane was on automatic pilot when it crashed . van vollenhoven said there had been misty weather and if it were clearer then the pilots might have noticed how far up they were . he said that if such instruments do n't function , automatic pilots should not be used for landings . investigators said there had been faulty meter readings on two other flights but the pilots were able to land . van vollenhoven said that the pilots realized the problem but failed to appreciate what had been happening until it was too late . in the immediate aftermath of the crash investigators said the plane fell almost vertically to the ground indicating the aircraft did not have enough forward speed . the plane crash less than 500 yards short of the runway . passengers described feeling the plane suddenly drop before impact , and at least one passenger said he heard the pilot trying to give more power to the engines before it went down . four of the crew and three boeing employees were among the nine people killed in the crash . turkey 's flagship airline is well-rated internationally for its overall safety record and the boeing 737-800 has a good safety record . the last previous fatal incident at the amsterdam airport happened in april 1994 when a klm aircraft crashed as it tried to return to schiphol shortly after takeoff . | turkish airlines flight 1951 crashed at amsterdam 's schiphol airport killing nine |
schiphol airport <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a faulty ' flight instrument contributed to the crash of a turkish plane last month in the netherlands , an accident that killed nine people and injured more than 60 others , dutch safety authorities said on wednesday . turkish airlines workers carry the coffins of four staff who died in the crash . on february 25 , turkish airlines flight 1951 from istanbul to amsterdam dropped from the sky on approach to the landing strip at schiphol airport , shattering into three pieces in a muddy field . pieter van vollenhoven , head of the dutch safety board , said the instrument was one of the plane 's two altimeters , which measure altitude . because of the faulty ' left altimeter , the plane on automatic pilot reacted as if it were lower than it was and started to behave as if it was touching down . the plane was at 700 meters but the instrument indicated that it was at ground level . this caused the automatic throttles to slow the plane down , leading to a loss of speed . the plane was on automatic pilot when it crashed . van vollenhoven said there had been misty weather and if it were clearer then the pilots might have noticed how far up they were . he said that if such instruments do n't function , automatic pilots should not be used for landings . investigators said there had been faulty meter readings on two other flights but the pilots were able to land . van vollenhoven said that the pilots realized the problem but failed to appreciate what had been happening until it was too late . in the immediate aftermath of the crash investigators said the plane fell almost vertically to the ground indicating the aircraft did not have enough forward speed . the plane crash less than 500 yards short of the runway . passengers described feeling the plane suddenly drop before impact , and at least one passenger said he heard the pilot trying to give more power to the engines before it went down . four of the crew and three boeing employees were among the nine people killed in the crash . turkey 's flagship airline is well-rated internationally for its overall safety record and the boeing 737-800 has a good safety record . the last previous fatal incident at the amsterdam airport happened in april 1994 when a klm aircraft crashed as it tried to return to schiphol shortly after takeoff . | turkish airlines flight 1951 crashed at amsterdam 's schiphol airport killing nine |
pakistanis <tsp> islamabad , pakistan ( cnn ) -- intense rain and gushing flood waters threatened wednesday to cause more misery in monsoon-bloated pakistan , where 3 million people are already suffering . u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton urged americans to donate to relief efforts , saying that experience in post-earthquake haiti showed that small donations can make a big difference . pakistani prime minister yousuf raza gilani appealed to residents to curtail expenditures for ramadan feasts and upcoming independence day celebrations and contribute instead to help their desperate compatriots . as many as 1,500 people have died in pakistan 's worst flooding in 70 years . relief agencies were struggling to reach people who have lost everything to walls of water . many were cut off after roads and bridges washed away . thousands of others were people already displaced by violence in pakistan and neighboring afghanistan , according to the united nations refugee agency . the flooding also washed away tens of thousands of homes , devastated livestock and swept away farm land . the united nations high commissioner for refugees said it has distributed 10,000 tents so far , along with other relief supplies which have assisted some 50,000 people in khyber pakhtunkhwa and balochistan provinces . speaking to reporters in washington , clinton stressed the importance of u.s. assistance to pakistan , a strategically important country whose relationship with washington continues to be a work on progress . the obama administration is looking to turn the natural disaster into opportunity , hoping a robust response to the crisis will help improve its poor image among a skeptical pakistani public . a senior pakistani military official told cnn that six u.s. helicopters landed at ghazi airbase wednesday near the village of tarbela ghazi , just north of islamabad , to participate in the rescue and relief work . the united states has already committed $ 10 million in aid , and u.s. helicopters have airlifted flood victims and helped deliver critical supplies including temporary bridges and 300,000 halal meals , food that meets islamic dietary law . we 've been working hard over the past year to build a partnership with the people of pakistan , and this is an essential element of that partnership -- reaching out and helping each other in times of need , ' clinton said . she urged americans to use their cell phones to text the word swat ' to the number 50555 to make a $ 10 contribution to the u.n. refugee agency . the pakistan meteorological department predicted more misery in the days ahead . as much as 2 inches of rain is forecast over the next two days for central pakistan while scattered showers will continue to fall in the north . rushing river waters could cause more flooding in downstream areas by this weekend , meteorologists said . in some areas , pakistanis complained the government has been sluggish to respond . in a special emergency meeting wednesday , gilani said the government was doing all it could to address the crisis . people stranded in tonsa sharif and dera ghazi khan were still waiting for government relief , reported cnn affiliate geo tv . meanwhile , limited access to clean water and poor hygienic conditions raised the threat of widespread acute respiratory infections , diarrhea and skin infections , said the medical group medecins sans frontieres ( also known as doctors without borders ) , which is supporting health units in mandrakhel , wadpaga , and gulbela in the peshawar district , and the paddi hospital in the nowshera district . collapsed bridges meant the medical teams were unable to reach the badly hit north swat region . a case of cholera has been confirmed in swat . cnn 's reza sayah and elise labott contributed to this report | some pakistanis say their government has been slow to respond |
nike <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tiger woods'personal life went off the rails . lance armstrong 's sporting image crashed in drugs . both were sponsored by nike in multi-million dollar deals . now nike is being reminded again that pinning your company reputation on star names is a risky business . this time it 's oscar pistorius whose life has moved from sports headlines to the news pages to cause headaches at nike headquarters . pistorius , known as the'blade runner ,'is the man nike called a bullet and who is now charged with shooting his girlfriend , reeva steenkamp . with pistorius , nike had a star able to attract supporters to disabled athletics and who was so fast he could compete against able-bodied runners . and nike knew how to market that appeal -- with an ad in 2011 that showed the sprinter starting from blocks and the caption i am the bullet in the chamber ' together with nike 's just do it ' slogan and logo . robbie vorhaus , founder of vorhaus & company , which advises companies on maintaining their reputations , said there was a deep conversation taking place in marketing about how to avoid such advertising ricochets with forward thinking and less clichã© . he said : double entendres , sexual references and phrases that include violence are being looked at for exactly this reason . a bullet in the chamber still represents a gun and a gun represents a weapon . ' vorhaus said a brand hit by a scandal surrounding a sponsor approach should aim to move on . the problem is that so much money is pinned on human beings who in a moment of passion or intoxication , can ruin their reputation in an instant . it is not the responsibility of nike to be a parent or rescue a person if they break the law . these athletes have certain qualities that a brand emulates but at the moment they are harming the brand ... they have to cut the association quickly and move on . ' he added that there would be clauses in the pistorius-nike contract that make clear when the athlete 's behavior can allow the company to cut its ties -- and law-breaking would often be among the reasons . opinion : pistorius case and the plague of violence against women many companies look at widening a campaign beyond the pulling power of the celebrity but so far playing out , in the planning stages of a campaign , what if ' a worst-case scenario happens is not common practice . another industry executive said celebrities should not be used as the focus of a campaign but as a way of introducing a wider campaign issue . that way , if the star derails , the wider campaign can continue . nike issued a statement soon after steenkamp 's death expressing sympathy and condolences to the families concerned following this tragic incident . ' on sunday , pistorius'management company announced that pistorius had pulled out of five contracted race meets , but that his sponsors were standing by him . i can confirm that at this point in time , all parties are supportive and their contractual commitments are maintained . they have said they are happy to let the legal process takes its course before making any change in their position , ' said his agent peet van zyl in a statement . the 26-year-old south african double amputee sprinter was officially charged with killing reeva steenkamp on friday . prosecutors said they plan to argue that the attack was premeditated . pistorius rejects the murder allegation in the strongest terms , ' van zuyl said . it is not the first time nike has sponsored a scandal-hit star . tiger woods was a nike man when details of his numerous affairs became public . he still is . nike stood with lance armstrong throughout his career until the u.s. anti-doping agency came up with enough evidence to convince the world of his cheating . he was then dropped . marketing specialist adam handt said nike should do something immediately such as suspending its relationship with pistorius because of the severity of the accusations against him . vorhaus said a brand used to like having just one person represent it , but those days are gone , and deals are struck with many athletes -- from both sexes , from across races and from across national regions and from different countries . in this marketing world , vorhaus said , with many athletes sponsored by and representing nike , it is also easier to shake off the bad publicity when a star falls . | nike carried ad calling oscar pistorius a bullet |
nike <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tiger woods'personal life went off the rails . lance armstrong 's sporting image crashed in drugs . both were sponsored by nike in multi-million dollar deals . now nike is being reminded again that pinning your company reputation on star names is a risky business . this time it 's oscar pistorius whose life has moved from sports headlines to the news pages to cause headaches at nike headquarters . pistorius , known as the'blade runner ,'is the man nike called a bullet and who is now charged with shooting his girlfriend , reeva steenkamp . with pistorius , nike had a star able to attract supporters to disabled athletics and who was so fast he could compete against able-bodied runners . and nike knew how to market that appeal -- with an ad in 2011 that showed the sprinter starting from blocks and the caption i am the bullet in the chamber ' together with nike 's just do it ' slogan and logo . robbie vorhaus , founder of vorhaus & company , which advises companies on maintaining their reputations , said there was a deep conversation taking place in marketing about how to avoid such advertising ricochets with forward thinking and less clichã© . he said : double entendres , sexual references and phrases that include violence are being looked at for exactly this reason . a bullet in the chamber still represents a gun and a gun represents a weapon . ' vorhaus said a brand hit by a scandal surrounding a sponsor approach should aim to move on . the problem is that so much money is pinned on human beings who in a moment of passion or intoxication , can ruin their reputation in an instant . it is not the responsibility of nike to be a parent or rescue a person if they break the law . these athletes have certain qualities that a brand emulates but at the moment they are harming the brand ... they have to cut the association quickly and move on . ' he added that there would be clauses in the pistorius-nike contract that make clear when the athlete 's behavior can allow the company to cut its ties -- and law-breaking would often be among the reasons . opinion : pistorius case and the plague of violence against women many companies look at widening a campaign beyond the pulling power of the celebrity but so far playing out , in the planning stages of a campaign , what if ' a worst-case scenario happens is not common practice . another industry executive said celebrities should not be used as the focus of a campaign but as a way of introducing a wider campaign issue . that way , if the star derails , the wider campaign can continue . nike issued a statement soon after steenkamp 's death expressing sympathy and condolences to the families concerned following this tragic incident . ' on sunday , pistorius'management company announced that pistorius had pulled out of five contracted race meets , but that his sponsors were standing by him . i can confirm that at this point in time , all parties are supportive and their contractual commitments are maintained . they have said they are happy to let the legal process takes its course before making any change in their position , ' said his agent peet van zyl in a statement . the 26-year-old south african double amputee sprinter was officially charged with killing reeva steenkamp on friday . prosecutors said they plan to argue that the attack was premeditated . pistorius rejects the murder allegation in the strongest terms , ' van zuyl said . it is not the first time nike has sponsored a scandal-hit star . tiger woods was a nike man when details of his numerous affairs became public . he still is . nike stood with lance armstrong throughout his career until the u.s. anti-doping agency came up with enough evidence to convince the world of his cheating . he was then dropped . marketing specialist adam handt said nike should do something immediately such as suspending its relationship with pistorius because of the severity of the accusations against him . vorhaus said a brand used to like having just one person represent it , but those days are gone , and deals are struck with many athletes -- from both sexes , from across races and from across national regions and from different countries . in this marketing world , vorhaus said , with many athletes sponsored by and representing nike , it is also easier to shake off the bad publicity when a star falls . | nike has sponsored other stars who have fallen from grace |
hannah anderson <tsp> may 20 : massachusetts , a brother and sister are snatched . a truck driver sees a vehicle that the suspected kidnapper is driving and calls police , who find the kids inside , under blankets and pillows . they 're safe . the children 's father is arrested . may 22 : a car with a 1-year-old girl inside is stolen near a georgia day care . a security camera image shows a suspect getting into a vehicle and driving away . police get a call from a resident because the suspect 's car has been parked on a nearby street all night . the child is rescued . july 1 : an ohio boy is believed to have been abducted by his father , who has a troubled history , and law enforcement officials are afraid the boy will be harmed . a group of friends at a diner spot the car driven by the alleged abductor and call 911 . the man is arrested and the kid is safe . the national center for missing & exploited children , which documents these success stories , ' says they would never have happened without amber alerts being issued in each instance . a closer look at the amber alert system and though these cases did n't get the same national attention as the search for san diego teenager hannah anderson , they are among hundreds that demonstrate why the program is critical to saving children 's lives , said robert hoever , a director of special operations for the center . between the program 's inception in 1996 and july of this year , at least 656 children have been rescued because citizens saw or heard an amber alert , according to the center , which works with law enforcement , broadcasters and federal authorities on the nationwide program . hoever defined success stories ' as verified abduction reports in which children are recovered safely . of the 2,064 children who were the focus of amber alerts between 2005 and 2012 ( the years for which the center has complete figures on the number of alerts ) 394 were rescued . the vast majority of those cases -- 2,030 -- were resolved , though resolved ' can have different meanings . it could be that a case , once investigated , is determined to be falsely reported to police . and , some cases are still ongoing . but investigating a case takes time , and actions taken in the first hours after a child disappears are crucial , experts say . why hannah 's case was unusual reports : father of hannah anderson 's abductor had violent past ' hannah 's case stood out because it has other tragedies -- the killing of her mother and brother , the nationwide manhunt . but it 's also very important because it was just textbook how this program should be used , ' hoever said . you had the combination of a new technology , with very careful moves by investigators to broaden the sending of the amber alerts as new leads came in . ' on august 4 , a 10-second , high-pitched tone rang on thousands of mobile phones across the west coast -- the first use of a new wireless alert system . learn more about the wireless emergency alerts system the alert announced that authorities in southern california were looking for 16-year-old hannah anderson and her 8-year-old brother ethan . the children 's grandmother had reported them missing , the same day that james dimaggio 's home burned down . the children 's father , who gave television interviews in the hope of keeping his daughter 's case in the spotlight , would later describe dimaggio as a onetime family friend . inside dimaggio 's charred house were found the remains of the children 's mother , christina anderson , and a body that would later be identified as ethan 's . hannah had last been seen at cheerleading practice near her san diego home august 3 . when authorities heard that dimaggio might be heading into nevada , the alerts were expanded to that state , hoever said . when new clues suggested dimaggio might be entering oregon and washington state , the alerts were activated there . ultimately , when idaho became a possible landing spot for the suspected criminal , cell phones buzzed there , too . the teenager 's abduction was the first time the new , federally administered wireless emergency alerts program was issued statewide , california highway patrol spokesman erin komatsubara told hln . the wireless program was also used in five states at one time , ' hoever said . that is the largest use of the program i 've seen . ' key moments in james dimaggio manhunt riders who made a difference the idaho horseback riders who spotted hannah and dimaggio in rugged terrain sensed something was wrong . the teenager and the man were inappropriately dressed for the wilderness and their tent was pitched on a mountain like someone inexperienced in camping might do . but the horseback riders were cautious , exchanging a few words with dimaggio . but when they got home , they saw hannah 's amber alert on television . trail riders say dimaggio and anderson'just did n't fit' that made all the difference , they believe . people need to be aware and observant , ' rider mary young said on cnn this week . otherwise we would have missed turning in that information . ' the riders contacted idaho state police , and their tip over the weekend sent fbi agents swarming to the camping spot outside cascade , in central idaho . hannah was rescued . dimaggio died in a confrontation with an fbi agent . who was amber ? amber stands for america 's missing : broadcast emergency response , ' but its namesake was amber hagerman , a 9-year-old texas girl who was last seen alive riding her bike in a parking lot in january 1996 , according to the national center for missing & exploited children . a witness said a man with a black , flatbed truck was talking to the girl and snatched her bicycle . four days later , hagerman 's body was found in a creek eight miles from her home , according to the national center for missing & exploited children . dallas and fort worth residents were heartbroken . one resident wrote a letter to a radio station suggesting that the emergency alert system be used to notify the public when a child is reported abducted . read the letter the first success of the program came after a november 1998 kidnapping , hoever said . a motorist heard an amber alert on the radio after an infant was abducted from an arlington , texas , apartment complex . the motorist called into law enforcement saying ,'i 'm riding next to the car that you 're looking for !'he was almost ecstatic , saying'i can see the baby next to her !'' hoever said . the police tracked down the vehicle and rescued the baby . healing , answers may be slow in kidnapping | hannah anderson 's case was unusual for several reasons , expert says |
texas <tsp> may 20 : massachusetts , a brother and sister are snatched . a truck driver sees a vehicle that the suspected kidnapper is driving and calls police , who find the kids inside , under blankets and pillows . they 're safe . the children 's father is arrested . may 22 : a car with a 1-year-old girl inside is stolen near a georgia day care . a security camera image shows a suspect getting into a vehicle and driving away . police get a call from a resident because the suspect 's car has been parked on a nearby street all night . the child is rescued . july 1 : an ohio boy is believed to have been abducted by his father , who has a troubled history , and law enforcement officials are afraid the boy will be harmed . a group of friends at a diner spot the car driven by the alleged abductor and call 911 . the man is arrested and the kid is safe . the national center for missing & exploited children , which documents these success stories , ' says they would never have happened without amber alerts being issued in each instance . a closer look at the amber alert system and though these cases did n't get the same national attention as the search for san diego teenager hannah anderson , they are among hundreds that demonstrate why the program is critical to saving children 's lives , said robert hoever , a director of special operations for the center . between the program 's inception in 1996 and july of this year , at least 656 children have been rescued because citizens saw or heard an amber alert , according to the center , which works with law enforcement , broadcasters and federal authorities on the nationwide program . hoever defined success stories ' as verified abduction reports in which children are recovered safely . of the 2,064 children who were the focus of amber alerts between 2005 and 2012 ( the years for which the center has complete figures on the number of alerts ) 394 were rescued . the vast majority of those cases -- 2,030 -- were resolved , though resolved ' can have different meanings . it could be that a case , once investigated , is determined to be falsely reported to police . and , some cases are still ongoing . but investigating a case takes time , and actions taken in the first hours after a child disappears are crucial , experts say . why hannah 's case was unusual reports : father of hannah anderson 's abductor had violent past ' hannah 's case stood out because it has other tragedies -- the killing of her mother and brother , the nationwide manhunt . but it 's also very important because it was just textbook how this program should be used , ' hoever said . you had the combination of a new technology , with very careful moves by investigators to broaden the sending of the amber alerts as new leads came in . ' on august 4 , a 10-second , high-pitched tone rang on thousands of mobile phones across the west coast -- the first use of a new wireless alert system . learn more about the wireless emergency alerts system the alert announced that authorities in southern california were looking for 16-year-old hannah anderson and her 8-year-old brother ethan . the children 's grandmother had reported them missing , the same day that james dimaggio 's home burned down . the children 's father , who gave television interviews in the hope of keeping his daughter 's case in the spotlight , would later describe dimaggio as a onetime family friend . inside dimaggio 's charred house were found the remains of the children 's mother , christina anderson , and a body that would later be identified as ethan 's . hannah had last been seen at cheerleading practice near her san diego home august 3 . when authorities heard that dimaggio might be heading into nevada , the alerts were expanded to that state , hoever said . when new clues suggested dimaggio might be entering oregon and washington state , the alerts were activated there . ultimately , when idaho became a possible landing spot for the suspected criminal , cell phones buzzed there , too . the teenager 's abduction was the first time the new , federally administered wireless emergency alerts program was issued statewide , california highway patrol spokesman erin komatsubara told hln . the wireless program was also used in five states at one time , ' hoever said . that is the largest use of the program i 've seen . ' key moments in james dimaggio manhunt riders who made a difference the idaho horseback riders who spotted hannah and dimaggio in rugged terrain sensed something was wrong . the teenager and the man were inappropriately dressed for the wilderness and their tent was pitched on a mountain like someone inexperienced in camping might do . but the horseback riders were cautious , exchanging a few words with dimaggio . but when they got home , they saw hannah 's amber alert on television . trail riders say dimaggio and anderson'just did n't fit' that made all the difference , they believe . people need to be aware and observant , ' rider mary young said on cnn this week . otherwise we would have missed turning in that information . ' the riders contacted idaho state police , and their tip over the weekend sent fbi agents swarming to the camping spot outside cascade , in central idaho . hannah was rescued . dimaggio died in a confrontation with an fbi agent . who was amber ? amber stands for america 's missing : broadcast emergency response , ' but its namesake was amber hagerman , a 9-year-old texas girl who was last seen alive riding her bike in a parking lot in january 1996 , according to the national center for missing & exploited children . a witness said a man with a black , flatbed truck was talking to the girl and snatched her bicycle . four days later , hagerman 's body was found in a creek eight miles from her home , according to the national center for missing & exploited children . dallas and fort worth residents were heartbroken . one resident wrote a letter to a radio station suggesting that the emergency alert system be used to notify the public when a child is reported abducted . read the letter the first success of the program came after a november 1998 kidnapping , hoever said . a motorist heard an amber alert on the radio after an infant was abducted from an arlington , texas , apartment complex . the motorist called into law enforcement saying ,'i 'm riding next to the car that you 're looking for !'he was almost ecstatic , saying'i can see the baby next to her !'' hoever said . the police tracked down the vehicle and rescued the baby . healing , answers may be slow in kidnapping | amber alert program named after child taken in texas in 1996 |
japan <tsp> tokyo , japan -- three-time grand prix winner norifumi abe of japan has been killed in a street crash when his 500cc scooter collided with a truck making an illegal u-turn , police have revealed on monday . abe won two grand prix in japan and another in brazil during the 1990s . the 32-year-old ploughed into the truck while it was turning in the tokyo suburb of kawasaki . in 1994 , while racing in his home championship , abe had a chance to race at the 1994 japanese grand prix as a'wild card'. he was challenging strongly for a remarkable victory until three corners from the finish when he fell off . his impressed kenny roberts'yamaha team sufficiently to be offered two more rides in the 500cc championship that year . abe finished sixth in both and was given a full-time 500cc ride for the 1995 season . he took his first podium finish in 1995 , and his first win and fifth overall a year later . he moved to the d'antin team in 1999 , won at rio that year , and won again at suzuka a year later , amidst two seasons on less competitive machinery , in which his solid finishing ensured that his 100 per cent record of top 10 championship finishes continued . abe was less happy under motogp regulations but when he was moved to yamaha 's returning world superbike squad for 2005 , despite having less support than noriyuki haga and andrew pitt , he finished in the championship top 10 . in 2006 he did not make a podium and this year he competed in the all-japan superbike championship , again on a yamaha . e-mail to a friend | abe won two grand prix races in his native japan and another one in brazil |
japan <tsp> tokyo , japan -- three-time grand prix winner norifumi abe of japan has been killed in a street crash when his 500cc scooter collided with a truck making an illegal u-turn , police have revealed on monday . abe won two grand prix in japan and another in brazil during the 1990s . the 32-year-old ploughed into the truck while it was turning in the tokyo suburb of kawasaki . in 1994 , while racing in his home championship , abe had a chance to race at the 1994 japanese grand prix as a'wild card'. he was challenging strongly for a remarkable victory until three corners from the finish when he fell off . his impressed kenny roberts'yamaha team sufficiently to be offered two more rides in the 500cc championship that year . abe finished sixth in both and was given a full-time 500cc ride for the 1995 season . he took his first podium finish in 1995 , and his first win and fifth overall a year later . he moved to the d'antin team in 1999 , won at rio that year , and won again at suzuka a year later , amidst two seasons on less competitive machinery , in which his solid finishing ensured that his 100 per cent record of top 10 championship finishes continued . abe was less happy under motogp regulations but when he was moved to yamaha 's returning world superbike squad for 2005 , despite having less support than noriyuki haga and andrew pitt , he finished in the championship top 10 . in 2006 he did not make a podium and this year he competed in the all-japan superbike championship , again on a yamaha . e-mail to a friend | the 32-year-old 's scooter was in collision with a truck in kawasaki , japan |
hannah mohn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a child throwing a ball . on the face of it , a simple act , but for four-year old hannah mohn this is a milestone . hannah was born with the neuromuscular disease arthrogryposis , which makes her joints curve and muscles extremely weak . she ca n't lift her arms very high without help . we knew about five months into the pregnancy that something was not right , ' says hannah 's mother , jennifer mohn . we were told that they did not believe that she would survive birth and that we should really think about what we wanted done and make arrangements for the day that she were to be born . ' hannah survived , but with severe challenges and a long road ahead . jennifer explains : when we saw my pediatrician ... for one of her first visits , she said even if her legs do n't work well enough for her to walk , the biggest thing that we need to work on is making sure that her hands and arms are working to the fullest extent , because if she has use of her hands and arms , she will be able to care for herself . if she does n't have the ability to use her legs , she can at least use a wheelchair . and that stuck with me . ' hannah 's chance at a normal life came aged 18 months , when she visited the dupont hospital for children in wilmington , delaware -- a leading hospital in the united states . she began using a device the hospital designed , called the wrex ' -- robotic arms made from 3-d printing . wrex stands for wilmington robotic exoskeleton , ' explains whitney sample , a research design engineer at the hospital . most of the kids that we deal with have neuromuscular issues that affect their ability to raise their arms . so they have a lot of difficulty getting their hand to their mouth , doing typical activities of daily living -- combing their hair , scratching their nose ... so it allows their arm to pretty much float . ' the wrex uses special elastic bands to give a child 's arm a weightless feeling . the mechanism is similar to how a luxo lamp works to make it'effortless'to move and position the head of the lamp , ' says sample . it 's a life-changing device , and one that 's benefitted hugely from 3-d printing . producing components on site by printing them layer by layer greatly reduces the time it takes to create a wrex . we can print a full set of plastic parts for one pair of wrexs for one patient overnight , and by the end of the next work day we can clean the parts and have the wrex fully assembled , ' says sample , adding that metal components must also be made by traditional methods prior to assembly . read more : how 3d printing will reshape the world even after 25 years designing devices for those with disabilities , sample still gets emotional when children he has helped thank him for the difference he 's making . when one child was given a school assignment to write a story about their personal hero , they chose to write about sample . it 's really nice to have that recognition when the families come back and say'hey , this has been wonderful for us ,'' he says . arthrogryposis is a condition that affects one in 3,000 children born in the united states , according to the american association of neuromuscular and electrodiagnostic medicine . the dupont hospital for children says it sees a little more than 30 new cases each year . we treat all spectrums of orthopedic disease , ' says dr. william mackenzie , chair of the hospital 's orthopedics department . 3-d printing is allowing us to build devices very precisely -- to build a device that can be attached and be closely adapted to that individual person 's physique and improve function . the next step , we think , is when we could put small motors in these joints that the child would control with either a twitch of the muscle or perhaps a laser . we do n't know quite how might it be controlled , but we see that that is the future of the wrex . ' read more :'the night i invented 3d printing' the device has helped improve hannah 's movements , even when she is not using it . the biggest change that we 've seen is the ability for her to reach up higher and the ability to sustain that , ' says jennifer . her elbows are typically stuck at her sides and that 's where she 's been limited to raising her arms and reaching for things . she 's gaining muscle strength in her arms that she has n't had . it definitely teaches her about things with different textures and colors , shapes and where things go and how things work . ' teaching her , and opening up a future that knows no limits . my hope is that she grows up to be as independent as she can , ' says jennifer . i 'd love to see her go to college . as sassy as she is and as much as she likes to be in charge , she might run for president someday -- who knows ? up to this point there has n't been much that she has let stop her . whatever it is , she 's going to achieve it . ' read more : how a 3-d printed arm gave hope to boy maimed by bomb mark tutton also contributed to this report . | hannah mohn was born with a disease that makes her muscles weak |
cruz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- we had a process . congress proposed , and the president disposed with his signature . a law then went on the books . courts might be asked to test its constitutionality , but by surviving legal challenges , a measure became the settled law of the land , which was the case with obamacare . the american legislative system was , in spite of the disturbing influence of big money , actually quite elegant . but now it is broken . we have entered into an era of gunpoint government . americans have discovered that a tiny , radical minority can immobilize their entire country and hold it as still as a robbery victim staring at the barrel of a pointed gun . and regardless of how this might anger the majority , they must live with the fact that it can happen again . and it likely will . political accommodation for the common good is not even a consideration . shutting the country down is the only objective , with no purpose beyond political destruction and personal ambition . any argument that the temporary closing of the u.s. federal government did not accomplish anything , in this scheme , therefore , is wrong . sen. ted cruz of texas and his acolytes of extremism have cracked the republican party into two dissimilar parts . the corpus of the moderate version survives with frailties and reduced numbers that make its national leadership improbable in the foreseeable future , while the tea party offspring of the gop remain vital , as they have felt the blood rush of being a bully . but neither part of the republican party won a thing . except for the disdain of most americans , and , possibly , much of the world . global leaders undoubtedly wonder why the united states thinks exporting its version of democracy is sane . political recalcitrance over the american debt ceiling threatened to toss international markets into chaos simply because a small cabal of conservatives did not like a new law to provide health care to millions of people who can not otherwise afford premiums . politics or petulance ? the anger of the few in the minority was never supposed to be able to stop the will of the majority . the founders would be confounded . exasperation , however , has to be tempered by the painful knowledge that we the people elected these people . cruz of texas , who has become the de facto leader of the national gop and appears to be shepherding his party into a burning building , won office by defeating his state 's lieutenant governor in a july runoff . the texas tea party is made joyful by cruz 's exhortations , and in the obscure runoff 15 months ago , during the 100-plus-degree-burn of summer , they voted for him in big numbers , while moderates were hesitant to venture outdoors to even buy cold beer -- or vote . the defeated david dewhurst , his rival , who is still in office , clearly envies the network tv lights cast upon the neophyte texas senator and has begun a rank imitation with calls for the president 's impeachment . a reason hardly seems to matter . the inflammatory quote is what counts . but if we live in a democracy , do n't we deserve what we have ? politics now is the art of screaming louder than the other person and claiming principles that are so profound they are more important than the preservation of the union . the streak of anarchy that runs through the politics of cruz and the tea party ought to frighten sober americans . his ideological strain thrives on the notion that government should do little more than protect the borders , pave the roads and then get the hell out of our way . cruz is wrong , of course , and the obligations of liberty are considerably more complex . we might die to preserve our nation 's principles but most of us wo n't kill our country to win an argument . if cruz knew from the outset he was in an unwinnable fight , what was he really doing ? what did he want ? the obvious conclusion was that he lusted for attention to build a reputation among the tea party activists , whom he wants to begin thinking of him as their presidential candidate for 2016 . they voted in disproportionate numbers to get him into the u.s. senate and he hopes to animate that political base across the country and ride their cheers to the gop nomination . whether that happens is of considerably less importance to note than the fact that he was willing to jeopardize the lives and incomes of millions of americans , along with global economies , simply to get cameras pointed in his direction . is there any other conclusion ? cruz thinks he can speak directly to the voters and rise without the help of the political infrastructure of his party . such an unconventional strategy may be his only hope , because there are few left in the gop who will offer him any respect . the public has watched in abject horror as one office holder has pressed history 's greatest democracy into a sausage grinder . and what has come out the other end is not immediately recognizable . our deliberative government was not designed to be hijacked by a few dissidents . but fanatics have found a way to pry open the cockpit door and demand course corrections that put everyone on board at risk . because of this , we may have no choice but to rethink the very mechanics of how we create law and run the nation . cruz has at least done us the benefit of showing us that our system functions best as a platform for campaigning and getting re-elected and not for conducting the people 's business ; not even the disgraced richard nixon created such jeopardy with his betrayal . but it 's our fault . we cast the ballots and gave office to cruz and his compatriots . the politically craven have taken up arms to stop the peoples'business and the attention is intoxicating . they have no reason to put down their weapons . they like this game because now it only takes one person to storm the battlements that protect american democracy . teddy got his gun the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of james moore . | moore : cruz and company have broken gop in two , shown how our system can be hijacked |
cruz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- we had a process . congress proposed , and the president disposed with his signature . a law then went on the books . courts might be asked to test its constitutionality , but by surviving legal challenges , a measure became the settled law of the land , which was the case with obamacare . the american legislative system was , in spite of the disturbing influence of big money , actually quite elegant . but now it is broken . we have entered into an era of gunpoint government . americans have discovered that a tiny , radical minority can immobilize their entire country and hold it as still as a robbery victim staring at the barrel of a pointed gun . and regardless of how this might anger the majority , they must live with the fact that it can happen again . and it likely will . political accommodation for the common good is not even a consideration . shutting the country down is the only objective , with no purpose beyond political destruction and personal ambition . any argument that the temporary closing of the u.s. federal government did not accomplish anything , in this scheme , therefore , is wrong . sen. ted cruz of texas and his acolytes of extremism have cracked the republican party into two dissimilar parts . the corpus of the moderate version survives with frailties and reduced numbers that make its national leadership improbable in the foreseeable future , while the tea party offspring of the gop remain vital , as they have felt the blood rush of being a bully . but neither part of the republican party won a thing . except for the disdain of most americans , and , possibly , much of the world . global leaders undoubtedly wonder why the united states thinks exporting its version of democracy is sane . political recalcitrance over the american debt ceiling threatened to toss international markets into chaos simply because a small cabal of conservatives did not like a new law to provide health care to millions of people who can not otherwise afford premiums . politics or petulance ? the anger of the few in the minority was never supposed to be able to stop the will of the majority . the founders would be confounded . exasperation , however , has to be tempered by the painful knowledge that we the people elected these people . cruz of texas , who has become the de facto leader of the national gop and appears to be shepherding his party into a burning building , won office by defeating his state 's lieutenant governor in a july runoff . the texas tea party is made joyful by cruz 's exhortations , and in the obscure runoff 15 months ago , during the 100-plus-degree-burn of summer , they voted for him in big numbers , while moderates were hesitant to venture outdoors to even buy cold beer -- or vote . the defeated david dewhurst , his rival , who is still in office , clearly envies the network tv lights cast upon the neophyte texas senator and has begun a rank imitation with calls for the president 's impeachment . a reason hardly seems to matter . the inflammatory quote is what counts . but if we live in a democracy , do n't we deserve what we have ? politics now is the art of screaming louder than the other person and claiming principles that are so profound they are more important than the preservation of the union . the streak of anarchy that runs through the politics of cruz and the tea party ought to frighten sober americans . his ideological strain thrives on the notion that government should do little more than protect the borders , pave the roads and then get the hell out of our way . cruz is wrong , of course , and the obligations of liberty are considerably more complex . we might die to preserve our nation 's principles but most of us wo n't kill our country to win an argument . if cruz knew from the outset he was in an unwinnable fight , what was he really doing ? what did he want ? the obvious conclusion was that he lusted for attention to build a reputation among the tea party activists , whom he wants to begin thinking of him as their presidential candidate for 2016 . they voted in disproportionate numbers to get him into the u.s. senate and he hopes to animate that political base across the country and ride their cheers to the gop nomination . whether that happens is of considerably less importance to note than the fact that he was willing to jeopardize the lives and incomes of millions of americans , along with global economies , simply to get cameras pointed in his direction . is there any other conclusion ? cruz thinks he can speak directly to the voters and rise without the help of the political infrastructure of his party . such an unconventional strategy may be his only hope , because there are few left in the gop who will offer him any respect . the public has watched in abject horror as one office holder has pressed history 's greatest democracy into a sausage grinder . and what has come out the other end is not immediately recognizable . our deliberative government was not designed to be hijacked by a few dissidents . but fanatics have found a way to pry open the cockpit door and demand course corrections that put everyone on board at risk . because of this , we may have no choice but to rethink the very mechanics of how we create law and run the nation . cruz has at least done us the benefit of showing us that our system functions best as a platform for campaigning and getting re-elected and not for conducting the people 's business ; not even the disgraced richard nixon created such jeopardy with his betrayal . but it 's our fault . we cast the ballots and gave office to cruz and his compatriots . the politically craven have taken up arms to stop the peoples'business and the attention is intoxicating . they have no reason to put down their weapons . they like this game because now it only takes one person to storm the battlements that protect american democracy . teddy got his gun the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of james moore . | he says willingness to halt government until one man 's goals met is cruz 's point |
cruz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- we had a process . congress proposed , and the president disposed with his signature . a law then went on the books . courts might be asked to test its constitutionality , but by surviving legal challenges , a measure became the settled law of the land , which was the case with obamacare . the american legislative system was , in spite of the disturbing influence of big money , actually quite elegant . but now it is broken . we have entered into an era of gunpoint government . americans have discovered that a tiny , radical minority can immobilize their entire country and hold it as still as a robbery victim staring at the barrel of a pointed gun . and regardless of how this might anger the majority , they must live with the fact that it can happen again . and it likely will . political accommodation for the common good is not even a consideration . shutting the country down is the only objective , with no purpose beyond political destruction and personal ambition . any argument that the temporary closing of the u.s. federal government did not accomplish anything , in this scheme , therefore , is wrong . sen. ted cruz of texas and his acolytes of extremism have cracked the republican party into two dissimilar parts . the corpus of the moderate version survives with frailties and reduced numbers that make its national leadership improbable in the foreseeable future , while the tea party offspring of the gop remain vital , as they have felt the blood rush of being a bully . but neither part of the republican party won a thing . except for the disdain of most americans , and , possibly , much of the world . global leaders undoubtedly wonder why the united states thinks exporting its version of democracy is sane . political recalcitrance over the american debt ceiling threatened to toss international markets into chaos simply because a small cabal of conservatives did not like a new law to provide health care to millions of people who can not otherwise afford premiums . politics or petulance ? the anger of the few in the minority was never supposed to be able to stop the will of the majority . the founders would be confounded . exasperation , however , has to be tempered by the painful knowledge that we the people elected these people . cruz of texas , who has become the de facto leader of the national gop and appears to be shepherding his party into a burning building , won office by defeating his state 's lieutenant governor in a july runoff . the texas tea party is made joyful by cruz 's exhortations , and in the obscure runoff 15 months ago , during the 100-plus-degree-burn of summer , they voted for him in big numbers , while moderates were hesitant to venture outdoors to even buy cold beer -- or vote . the defeated david dewhurst , his rival , who is still in office , clearly envies the network tv lights cast upon the neophyte texas senator and has begun a rank imitation with calls for the president 's impeachment . a reason hardly seems to matter . the inflammatory quote is what counts . but if we live in a democracy , do n't we deserve what we have ? politics now is the art of screaming louder than the other person and claiming principles that are so profound they are more important than the preservation of the union . the streak of anarchy that runs through the politics of cruz and the tea party ought to frighten sober americans . his ideological strain thrives on the notion that government should do little more than protect the borders , pave the roads and then get the hell out of our way . cruz is wrong , of course , and the obligations of liberty are considerably more complex . we might die to preserve our nation 's principles but most of us wo n't kill our country to win an argument . if cruz knew from the outset he was in an unwinnable fight , what was he really doing ? what did he want ? the obvious conclusion was that he lusted for attention to build a reputation among the tea party activists , whom he wants to begin thinking of him as their presidential candidate for 2016 . they voted in disproportionate numbers to get him into the u.s. senate and he hopes to animate that political base across the country and ride their cheers to the gop nomination . whether that happens is of considerably less importance to note than the fact that he was willing to jeopardize the lives and incomes of millions of americans , along with global economies , simply to get cameras pointed in his direction . is there any other conclusion ? cruz thinks he can speak directly to the voters and rise without the help of the political infrastructure of his party . such an unconventional strategy may be his only hope , because there are few left in the gop who will offer him any respect . the public has watched in abject horror as one office holder has pressed history 's greatest democracy into a sausage grinder . and what has come out the other end is not immediately recognizable . our deliberative government was not designed to be hijacked by a few dissidents . but fanatics have found a way to pry open the cockpit door and demand course corrections that put everyone on board at risk . because of this , we may have no choice but to rethink the very mechanics of how we create law and run the nation . cruz has at least done us the benefit of showing us that our system functions best as a platform for campaigning and getting re-elected and not for conducting the people 's business ; not even the disgraced richard nixon created such jeopardy with his betrayal . but it 's our fault . we cast the ballots and gave office to cruz and his compatriots . the politically craven have taken up arms to stop the peoples'business and the attention is intoxicating . they have no reason to put down their weapons . they like this game because now it only takes one person to storm the battlements that protect american democracy . teddy got his gun the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of james moore . | he says ted cruz and tea party , with minority ruling majority , flout democratic ideal |
moore <tsp> ( cnn ) -- we had a process . congress proposed , and the president disposed with his signature . a law then went on the books . courts might be asked to test its constitutionality , but by surviving legal challenges , a measure became the settled law of the land , which was the case with obamacare . the american legislative system was , in spite of the disturbing influence of big money , actually quite elegant . but now it is broken . we have entered into an era of gunpoint government . americans have discovered that a tiny , radical minority can immobilize their entire country and hold it as still as a robbery victim staring at the barrel of a pointed gun . and regardless of how this might anger the majority , they must live with the fact that it can happen again . and it likely will . political accommodation for the common good is not even a consideration . shutting the country down is the only objective , with no purpose beyond political destruction and personal ambition . any argument that the temporary closing of the u.s. federal government did not accomplish anything , in this scheme , therefore , is wrong . sen. ted cruz of texas and his acolytes of extremism have cracked the republican party into two dissimilar parts . the corpus of the moderate version survives with frailties and reduced numbers that make its national leadership improbable in the foreseeable future , while the tea party offspring of the gop remain vital , as they have felt the blood rush of being a bully . but neither part of the republican party won a thing . except for the disdain of most americans , and , possibly , much of the world . global leaders undoubtedly wonder why the united states thinks exporting its version of democracy is sane . political recalcitrance over the american debt ceiling threatened to toss international markets into chaos simply because a small cabal of conservatives did not like a new law to provide health care to millions of people who can not otherwise afford premiums . politics or petulance ? the anger of the few in the minority was never supposed to be able to stop the will of the majority . the founders would be confounded . exasperation , however , has to be tempered by the painful knowledge that we the people elected these people . cruz of texas , who has become the de facto leader of the national gop and appears to be shepherding his party into a burning building , won office by defeating his state 's lieutenant governor in a july runoff . the texas tea party is made joyful by cruz 's exhortations , and in the obscure runoff 15 months ago , during the 100-plus-degree-burn of summer , they voted for him in big numbers , while moderates were hesitant to venture outdoors to even buy cold beer -- or vote . the defeated david dewhurst , his rival , who is still in office , clearly envies the network tv lights cast upon the neophyte texas senator and has begun a rank imitation with calls for the president 's impeachment . a reason hardly seems to matter . the inflammatory quote is what counts . but if we live in a democracy , do n't we deserve what we have ? politics now is the art of screaming louder than the other person and claiming principles that are so profound they are more important than the preservation of the union . the streak of anarchy that runs through the politics of cruz and the tea party ought to frighten sober americans . his ideological strain thrives on the notion that government should do little more than protect the borders , pave the roads and then get the hell out of our way . cruz is wrong , of course , and the obligations of liberty are considerably more complex . we might die to preserve our nation 's principles but most of us wo n't kill our country to win an argument . if cruz knew from the outset he was in an unwinnable fight , what was he really doing ? what did he want ? the obvious conclusion was that he lusted for attention to build a reputation among the tea party activists , whom he wants to begin thinking of him as their presidential candidate for 2016 . they voted in disproportionate numbers to get him into the u.s. senate and he hopes to animate that political base across the country and ride their cheers to the gop nomination . whether that happens is of considerably less importance to note than the fact that he was willing to jeopardize the lives and incomes of millions of americans , along with global economies , simply to get cameras pointed in his direction . is there any other conclusion ? cruz thinks he can speak directly to the voters and rise without the help of the political infrastructure of his party . such an unconventional strategy may be his only hope , because there are few left in the gop who will offer him any respect . the public has watched in abject horror as one office holder has pressed history 's greatest democracy into a sausage grinder . and what has come out the other end is not immediately recognizable . our deliberative government was not designed to be hijacked by a few dissidents . but fanatics have found a way to pry open the cockpit door and demand course corrections that put everyone on board at risk . because of this , we may have no choice but to rethink the very mechanics of how we create law and run the nation . cruz has at least done us the benefit of showing us that our system functions best as a platform for campaigning and getting re-elected and not for conducting the people 's business ; not even the disgraced richard nixon created such jeopardy with his betrayal . but it 's our fault . we cast the ballots and gave office to cruz and his compatriots . the politically craven have taken up arms to stop the peoples'business and the attention is intoxicating . they have no reason to put down their weapons . they like this game because now it only takes one person to storm the battlements that protect american democracy . teddy got his gun the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of james moore . | moore : cruz and company have broken gop in two , shown how our system can be hijacked |
moore <tsp> ( cnn ) -- we had a process . congress proposed , and the president disposed with his signature . a law then went on the books . courts might be asked to test its constitutionality , but by surviving legal challenges , a measure became the settled law of the land , which was the case with obamacare . the american legislative system was , in spite of the disturbing influence of big money , actually quite elegant . but now it is broken . we have entered into an era of gunpoint government . americans have discovered that a tiny , radical minority can immobilize their entire country and hold it as still as a robbery victim staring at the barrel of a pointed gun . and regardless of how this might anger the majority , they must live with the fact that it can happen again . and it likely will . political accommodation for the common good is not even a consideration . shutting the country down is the only objective , with no purpose beyond political destruction and personal ambition . any argument that the temporary closing of the u.s. federal government did not accomplish anything , in this scheme , therefore , is wrong . sen. ted cruz of texas and his acolytes of extremism have cracked the republican party into two dissimilar parts . the corpus of the moderate version survives with frailties and reduced numbers that make its national leadership improbable in the foreseeable future , while the tea party offspring of the gop remain vital , as they have felt the blood rush of being a bully . but neither part of the republican party won a thing . except for the disdain of most americans , and , possibly , much of the world . global leaders undoubtedly wonder why the united states thinks exporting its version of democracy is sane . political recalcitrance over the american debt ceiling threatened to toss international markets into chaos simply because a small cabal of conservatives did not like a new law to provide health care to millions of people who can not otherwise afford premiums . politics or petulance ? the anger of the few in the minority was never supposed to be able to stop the will of the majority . the founders would be confounded . exasperation , however , has to be tempered by the painful knowledge that we the people elected these people . cruz of texas , who has become the de facto leader of the national gop and appears to be shepherding his party into a burning building , won office by defeating his state 's lieutenant governor in a july runoff . the texas tea party is made joyful by cruz 's exhortations , and in the obscure runoff 15 months ago , during the 100-plus-degree-burn of summer , they voted for him in big numbers , while moderates were hesitant to venture outdoors to even buy cold beer -- or vote . the defeated david dewhurst , his rival , who is still in office , clearly envies the network tv lights cast upon the neophyte texas senator and has begun a rank imitation with calls for the president 's impeachment . a reason hardly seems to matter . the inflammatory quote is what counts . but if we live in a democracy , do n't we deserve what we have ? politics now is the art of screaming louder than the other person and claiming principles that are so profound they are more important than the preservation of the union . the streak of anarchy that runs through the politics of cruz and the tea party ought to frighten sober americans . his ideological strain thrives on the notion that government should do little more than protect the borders , pave the roads and then get the hell out of our way . cruz is wrong , of course , and the obligations of liberty are considerably more complex . we might die to preserve our nation 's principles but most of us wo n't kill our country to win an argument . if cruz knew from the outset he was in an unwinnable fight , what was he really doing ? what did he want ? the obvious conclusion was that he lusted for attention to build a reputation among the tea party activists , whom he wants to begin thinking of him as their presidential candidate for 2016 . they voted in disproportionate numbers to get him into the u.s. senate and he hopes to animate that political base across the country and ride their cheers to the gop nomination . whether that happens is of considerably less importance to note than the fact that he was willing to jeopardize the lives and incomes of millions of americans , along with global economies , simply to get cameras pointed in his direction . is there any other conclusion ? cruz thinks he can speak directly to the voters and rise without the help of the political infrastructure of his party . such an unconventional strategy may be his only hope , because there are few left in the gop who will offer him any respect . the public has watched in abject horror as one office holder has pressed history 's greatest democracy into a sausage grinder . and what has come out the other end is not immediately recognizable . our deliberative government was not designed to be hijacked by a few dissidents . but fanatics have found a way to pry open the cockpit door and demand course corrections that put everyone on board at risk . because of this , we may have no choice but to rethink the very mechanics of how we create law and run the nation . cruz has at least done us the benefit of showing us that our system functions best as a platform for campaigning and getting re-elected and not for conducting the people 's business ; not even the disgraced richard nixon created such jeopardy with his betrayal . but it 's our fault . we cast the ballots and gave office to cruz and his compatriots . the politically craven have taken up arms to stop the peoples'business and the attention is intoxicating . they have no reason to put down their weapons . they like this game because now it only takes one person to storm the battlements that protect american democracy . teddy got his gun the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of james moore . | james moore : once elegant u.s. democracy now in era of gunpoint government |
orion <tsp> nasa will have to wait at least one more day to see how its new orion spacecraft flies . the space agency scrubbed thursday morning 's test launch in florida after a series of delays , the last of which happened because some liquid-oxygen fuel and drain valves failed to open during the countdown , nasa said . the launch tentatively has been rescheduled for 7:05 a.m . et friday . the launch of orion -- a craft designed to eventually explore deep space -- is to be one of nasa 's biggest moments since the shuttle era ended in 2011 . nasa spent most of thursday morning 's nearly 2½-hour launch window trying to work out various obstacles and kinks before scrubbing the launch around 9:40 a.m . et . the first delay involved a boat that came too close to the launch area ; more delays came because of wind gusts . when the countdown resumed , valves failed to open in the boosters , eventually leading to the scrubbing . a new beginning nasa hopes orion will usher in a new era : eventual human exploration of deep space . we have n't had this feeling in awhile , since the end of the shuttle program , ' mike sarafin , orion flight director at johnson space center , said in a preflight briefing on wednesday . orion looks like a throwback to the apollo era , but it is roomier and designed to go far beyond the moon : to an asteroid and eventually to mars . it is , i think , consistent with those -- the beginning of shuttle and beginning of apollo , ' said mark geyer , nasa orion program manager . i think it 's in the same category . ' when it becomes fully operational , orion 's crew module will be able to carry four people on a 21-day mission into deep space or six astronauts for shorter missions . by comparison , the apollo crew modules held three astronauts and were in space for six to 12 days . orion 's crew module is 16.5 feet in diameter and apollo was 12.8 feet in diameter , nasa said . orion is expected to take up its first crew in 2021 . during this test flight , orion will climb to an altitude of 3,600 miles ( 15 times higher than the international space station ) and will orbit earth twice . four and half hours later , it will splash down in the pacific ocean about 600 miles off the coast of baja california . two u.s. navy ships , the amphibious transport dock ship uss anchorage and the military sealift command rescue and salvage ship usns salvor , will help nasa recover the capsule . charles bolden op ed : nasa 's mars milestone once in orbit , orion should send back some amazing pictures of earth , nasa said . if the weather cooperates , nasa said a drone will provide a live video feed of the splashdown . though orion 's first flight wo n't have people on it , it wo n't go up empty . it will carry the names of more than a million people packed on a dime-sized microchip . sesame street ' is sending up some mementos to inspire students about spaceflight , including cookie monster 's cookie and ernie 's rubber ducky . also going up : an oxygen hose from an apollo 11 lunar spacesuit and a small sample of lunar soil . a tyrannosaurus rex fossil from the denver science museum will be on board and lockers will be filled with flags , coins , patches , poetry and music . | orion would orbit earth twice and will splash down in the pacific |
orion <tsp> nasa will have to wait at least one more day to see how its new orion spacecraft flies . the space agency scrubbed thursday morning 's test launch in florida after a series of delays , the last of which happened because some liquid-oxygen fuel and drain valves failed to open during the countdown , nasa said . the launch tentatively has been rescheduled for 7:05 a.m . et friday . the launch of orion -- a craft designed to eventually explore deep space -- is to be one of nasa 's biggest moments since the shuttle era ended in 2011 . nasa spent most of thursday morning 's nearly 2½-hour launch window trying to work out various obstacles and kinks before scrubbing the launch around 9:40 a.m . et . the first delay involved a boat that came too close to the launch area ; more delays came because of wind gusts . when the countdown resumed , valves failed to open in the boosters , eventually leading to the scrubbing . a new beginning nasa hopes orion will usher in a new era : eventual human exploration of deep space . we have n't had this feeling in awhile , since the end of the shuttle program , ' mike sarafin , orion flight director at johnson space center , said in a preflight briefing on wednesday . orion looks like a throwback to the apollo era , but it is roomier and designed to go far beyond the moon : to an asteroid and eventually to mars . it is , i think , consistent with those -- the beginning of shuttle and beginning of apollo , ' said mark geyer , nasa orion program manager . i think it 's in the same category . ' when it becomes fully operational , orion 's crew module will be able to carry four people on a 21-day mission into deep space or six astronauts for shorter missions . by comparison , the apollo crew modules held three astronauts and were in space for six to 12 days . orion 's crew module is 16.5 feet in diameter and apollo was 12.8 feet in diameter , nasa said . orion is expected to take up its first crew in 2021 . during this test flight , orion will climb to an altitude of 3,600 miles ( 15 times higher than the international space station ) and will orbit earth twice . four and half hours later , it will splash down in the pacific ocean about 600 miles off the coast of baja california . two u.s. navy ships , the amphibious transport dock ship uss anchorage and the military sealift command rescue and salvage ship usns salvor , will help nasa recover the capsule . charles bolden op ed : nasa 's mars milestone once in orbit , orion should send back some amazing pictures of earth , nasa said . if the weather cooperates , nasa said a drone will provide a live video feed of the splashdown . though orion 's first flight wo n't have people on it , it wo n't go up empty . it will carry the names of more than a million people packed on a dime-sized microchip . sesame street ' is sending up some mementos to inspire students about spaceflight , including cookie monster 's cookie and ernie 's rubber ducky . also going up : an oxygen hose from an apollo 11 lunar spacesuit and a small sample of lunar soil . a tyrannosaurus rex fossil from the denver science museum will be on board and lockers will be filled with flags , coins , patches , poetry and music . | nasa now hopes to launch orion on friday |
orion <tsp> nasa will have to wait at least one more day to see how its new orion spacecraft flies . the space agency scrubbed thursday morning 's test launch in florida after a series of delays , the last of which happened because some liquid-oxygen fuel and drain valves failed to open during the countdown , nasa said . the launch tentatively has been rescheduled for 7:05 a.m . et friday . the launch of orion -- a craft designed to eventually explore deep space -- is to be one of nasa 's biggest moments since the shuttle era ended in 2011 . nasa spent most of thursday morning 's nearly 2½-hour launch window trying to work out various obstacles and kinks before scrubbing the launch around 9:40 a.m . et . the first delay involved a boat that came too close to the launch area ; more delays came because of wind gusts . when the countdown resumed , valves failed to open in the boosters , eventually leading to the scrubbing . a new beginning nasa hopes orion will usher in a new era : eventual human exploration of deep space . we have n't had this feeling in awhile , since the end of the shuttle program , ' mike sarafin , orion flight director at johnson space center , said in a preflight briefing on wednesday . orion looks like a throwback to the apollo era , but it is roomier and designed to go far beyond the moon : to an asteroid and eventually to mars . it is , i think , consistent with those -- the beginning of shuttle and beginning of apollo , ' said mark geyer , nasa orion program manager . i think it 's in the same category . ' when it becomes fully operational , orion 's crew module will be able to carry four people on a 21-day mission into deep space or six astronauts for shorter missions . by comparison , the apollo crew modules held three astronauts and were in space for six to 12 days . orion 's crew module is 16.5 feet in diameter and apollo was 12.8 feet in diameter , nasa said . orion is expected to take up its first crew in 2021 . during this test flight , orion will climb to an altitude of 3,600 miles ( 15 times higher than the international space station ) and will orbit earth twice . four and half hours later , it will splash down in the pacific ocean about 600 miles off the coast of baja california . two u.s. navy ships , the amphibious transport dock ship uss anchorage and the military sealift command rescue and salvage ship usns salvor , will help nasa recover the capsule . charles bolden op ed : nasa 's mars milestone once in orbit , orion should send back some amazing pictures of earth , nasa said . if the weather cooperates , nasa said a drone will provide a live video feed of the splashdown . though orion 's first flight wo n't have people on it , it wo n't go up empty . it will carry the names of more than a million people packed on a dime-sized microchip . sesame street ' is sending up some mementos to inspire students about spaceflight , including cookie monster 's cookie and ernie 's rubber ducky . also going up : an oxygen hose from an apollo 11 lunar spacesuit and a small sample of lunar soil . a tyrannosaurus rex fossil from the denver science museum will be on board and lockers will be filled with flags , coins , patches , poetry and music . | valve problems leads to scrubbing of orion test launch |
florida <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after a night rife with primaries in the far-flung four corners of the united states , plus one in the nation 's breadbasket , one race in the far northwest is still up for grabs . in alaska , incumbent sen. lisa murkowski is trailing a political unknown . joe miller , who has the support of the tea party and former gov . sarah palin , is leading by 51 percent to 49 percent , according to election tabulations . the numbers , which show miller clinging to a less-than-2,000-vote lead , are based on a count of roughly 86 percent of the total expected vote . with as many as 16,000 absentee ballots expected to be received over the next couple of weeks , the contest is not likely to be resolved quickly . among tuesday 's big winners was arizona gop sen. john mccain , who fought off former congressman j.d . hayworth . down in florida , democratic rep. kendrick meek 's organizational support trumped political newcomer jeff greene 's billion-dollar bank account in a hard-fought senate primary . miller -- on the cusp of one of the biggest upsets of the year so far -- said on cnn 's american morning ' wednesday that high-profile endorsements helped his campaign , which reflects one central concern , and that is the out-of-control nature of d.c. ' ' bankruptcy is crashing down on this country , ' miller said . unless we end that entitlement mentality , no level of seniority is going to save us from that . ' miller added the problem is a result of a bipartisan crisis of leadership . ' alaska voters also went to the polls tuesday to pick their gubernatorial nominees . gov . sean parnell , who replaced palin when she resigned last year , faced two challengers in the gop primary . with 86 percent of the expected vote in , parnell had almost 50 percent of the vote , according to the unofficial election count . his nearest challenger , bill walker , had 34 percent . on the democratic side , ethan berkowitz led with 49 percent of the vote , while hollis french had 39 percent . in the southeastern corner of the country , two wealthy candidates in florida spent a lot of their own money on campaigns . rick scott 's investment paid off . greene 's did n't . scott , a millionaire political newcomer , defeated state attorney general bill mccollum in the republican primary for governor , cnn projected . scott spent $ 50 million of his fortune since joining the race in april . he claimed victory in front of supporters and alluded to the divisive nature of his fight against mccollum , the party-establishment favorite and former congressman . some of you may have noticed this was a hard-fought race . we talked a lot about our differences , but tonight it 's time to remember those things that bring us together -- to recall our core beliefs and recommit ourselves to fighting for our principles , ' scott said . the republican party will come together , and the reason we will come together is our shared devotion to the values that make america great . ' scott was ahead of mccollum , 47 percent to 43 percent , with 92 percent of precincts reporting , according to election tabulations . scott will face a november general election against alex sink , florida 's chief financial officer , who cnn projected will win the state 's democratic primary for governor . in a different race featuring a political veteran against a self-funded candidate with deep pockets , meek declared victory over greene in florida 's democratic primary for u.s. senate . meek led greene 56 percent to 32 percent , with 78 percent of precincts reporting , according to election tabulations . meek will take on marco rubio -- who cnn projected will win the republican primary for senate -- and gov . charlie crist , a republican turned independent , in the general election . rubio has cast himself as the outsider in the race , painting crist and meek as two people who support the direction that washington is taking our country . ' he said on cnn 's american morning ' on wednesday that washington 's agenda is destructive for america 's future . ' i 'm very proud of my association with the tea party , ' rubio said . but people misunderstand what the tea party movement is in america . it is not a centralized organization or a political party . it 's the sentiment of everyday americans who think that washington has it wrong -- they 're taking our country in the wrong direction . and they are looking for voices in american politics that will stand up to that and offer a clear alternative . ' in northern florida 's 2nd congressional district , blue dog democrat allen boyd faced a tough challenge from his left from al lawson . the associated press projects that boyd won that race by a slim margin . meanwhile , in the southwest , hayworth conceded the gop senate primary tuesday night in arizona after a bitter campaign against mccain . mccain -- seeking a fifth term as senator -- was ahead , 59 percent to 30 percent , with 50 percent of precincts reporting , according to election tabulations . the race between mccain -- the 2008 gop presidential nominee -- and conservative talk show host hayworth started off nasty and did n't get any friendlier down the home stretch . mccain spent $ 20 million to fight off the intraparty challenge , unusual for a four-term incumbent . mccain is expected to easily beat any of the four democratic primary candidates in the solidly red state . a 10-way republican primary in the arizona 3rd congressional district race to replace retiring rep. john shadegg has attracted national attention because ben quayle , son of former vice president dan quayle , is one of the candidates . the associated press projected that quayle has won the primary . quayle would face democrat jon hulburd in the fall in the heavily red district . in the northeast , longtime republican gov . jim douglas is retiring in vermont , giving democrats hope of competing for the seat . five democrats are running in what is considered a tight race . with 89 percent of the precincts reporting , four of those candidates each have more than 20 percent of the vote . the winner will face gop lt. gov . brian dubie . in oklahoma , two u.s. house republican nominations were decided in runoff elections . charles thompson and james lankford trounced their opponents tuesday night . in thompson 's 2nd district , republicans think they have a chance for a pickup this fall against conservative democrat dan boren . lankford will likely replace rep. mary fallin , who 's running for governor . cnn 's peter hamby , steve brusk , rachel streitfeld , jeff simon and mark preston contributed to this report . | rick scott , who spent $ 50 million on his campaign , wins florida gop primary for governor |
florida <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after a night rife with primaries in the far-flung four corners of the united states , plus one in the nation 's breadbasket , one race in the far northwest is still up for grabs . in alaska , incumbent sen. lisa murkowski is trailing a political unknown . joe miller , who has the support of the tea party and former gov . sarah palin , is leading by 51 percent to 49 percent , according to election tabulations . the numbers , which show miller clinging to a less-than-2,000-vote lead , are based on a count of roughly 86 percent of the total expected vote . with as many as 16,000 absentee ballots expected to be received over the next couple of weeks , the contest is not likely to be resolved quickly . among tuesday 's big winners was arizona gop sen. john mccain , who fought off former congressman j.d . hayworth . down in florida , democratic rep. kendrick meek 's organizational support trumped political newcomer jeff greene 's billion-dollar bank account in a hard-fought senate primary . miller -- on the cusp of one of the biggest upsets of the year so far -- said on cnn 's american morning ' wednesday that high-profile endorsements helped his campaign , which reflects one central concern , and that is the out-of-control nature of d.c. ' ' bankruptcy is crashing down on this country , ' miller said . unless we end that entitlement mentality , no level of seniority is going to save us from that . ' miller added the problem is a result of a bipartisan crisis of leadership . ' alaska voters also went to the polls tuesday to pick their gubernatorial nominees . gov . sean parnell , who replaced palin when she resigned last year , faced two challengers in the gop primary . with 86 percent of the expected vote in , parnell had almost 50 percent of the vote , according to the unofficial election count . his nearest challenger , bill walker , had 34 percent . on the democratic side , ethan berkowitz led with 49 percent of the vote , while hollis french had 39 percent . in the southeastern corner of the country , two wealthy candidates in florida spent a lot of their own money on campaigns . rick scott 's investment paid off . greene 's did n't . scott , a millionaire political newcomer , defeated state attorney general bill mccollum in the republican primary for governor , cnn projected . scott spent $ 50 million of his fortune since joining the race in april . he claimed victory in front of supporters and alluded to the divisive nature of his fight against mccollum , the party-establishment favorite and former congressman . some of you may have noticed this was a hard-fought race . we talked a lot about our differences , but tonight it 's time to remember those things that bring us together -- to recall our core beliefs and recommit ourselves to fighting for our principles , ' scott said . the republican party will come together , and the reason we will come together is our shared devotion to the values that make america great . ' scott was ahead of mccollum , 47 percent to 43 percent , with 92 percent of precincts reporting , according to election tabulations . scott will face a november general election against alex sink , florida 's chief financial officer , who cnn projected will win the state 's democratic primary for governor . in a different race featuring a political veteran against a self-funded candidate with deep pockets , meek declared victory over greene in florida 's democratic primary for u.s. senate . meek led greene 56 percent to 32 percent , with 78 percent of precincts reporting , according to election tabulations . meek will take on marco rubio -- who cnn projected will win the republican primary for senate -- and gov . charlie crist , a republican turned independent , in the general election . rubio has cast himself as the outsider in the race , painting crist and meek as two people who support the direction that washington is taking our country . ' he said on cnn 's american morning ' on wednesday that washington 's agenda is destructive for america 's future . ' i 'm very proud of my association with the tea party , ' rubio said . but people misunderstand what the tea party movement is in america . it is not a centralized organization or a political party . it 's the sentiment of everyday americans who think that washington has it wrong -- they 're taking our country in the wrong direction . and they are looking for voices in american politics that will stand up to that and offer a clear alternative . ' in northern florida 's 2nd congressional district , blue dog democrat allen boyd faced a tough challenge from his left from al lawson . the associated press projects that boyd won that race by a slim margin . meanwhile , in the southwest , hayworth conceded the gop senate primary tuesday night in arizona after a bitter campaign against mccain . mccain -- seeking a fifth term as senator -- was ahead , 59 percent to 30 percent , with 50 percent of precincts reporting , according to election tabulations . the race between mccain -- the 2008 gop presidential nominee -- and conservative talk show host hayworth started off nasty and did n't get any friendlier down the home stretch . mccain spent $ 20 million to fight off the intraparty challenge , unusual for a four-term incumbent . mccain is expected to easily beat any of the four democratic primary candidates in the solidly red state . a 10-way republican primary in the arizona 3rd congressional district race to replace retiring rep. john shadegg has attracted national attention because ben quayle , son of former vice president dan quayle , is one of the candidates . the associated press projected that quayle has won the primary . quayle would face democrat jon hulburd in the fall in the heavily red district . in the northeast , longtime republican gov . jim douglas is retiring in vermont , giving democrats hope of competing for the seat . five democrats are running in what is considered a tight race . with 89 percent of the precincts reporting , four of those candidates each have more than 20 percent of the vote . the winner will face gop lt. gov . brian dubie . in oklahoma , two u.s. house republican nominations were decided in runoff elections . charles thompson and james lankford trounced their opponents tuesday night . in thompson 's 2nd district , republicans think they have a chance for a pickup this fall against conservative democrat dan boren . lankford will likely replace rep. mary fallin , who 's running for governor . cnn 's peter hamby , steve brusk , rachel streitfeld , jeff simon and mark preston contributed to this report . | florida gop senate nominee says american voters are looking for alternatives |
senate <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after a night rife with primaries in the far-flung four corners of the united states , plus one in the nation 's breadbasket , one race in the far northwest is still up for grabs . in alaska , incumbent sen. lisa murkowski is trailing a political unknown . joe miller , who has the support of the tea party and former gov . sarah palin , is leading by 51 percent to 49 percent , according to election tabulations . the numbers , which show miller clinging to a less-than-2,000-vote lead , are based on a count of roughly 86 percent of the total expected vote . with as many as 16,000 absentee ballots expected to be received over the next couple of weeks , the contest is not likely to be resolved quickly . among tuesday 's big winners was arizona gop sen. john mccain , who fought off former congressman j.d . hayworth . down in florida , democratic rep. kendrick meek 's organizational support trumped political newcomer jeff greene 's billion-dollar bank account in a hard-fought senate primary . miller -- on the cusp of one of the biggest upsets of the year so far -- said on cnn 's american morning ' wednesday that high-profile endorsements helped his campaign , which reflects one central concern , and that is the out-of-control nature of d.c. ' ' bankruptcy is crashing down on this country , ' miller said . unless we end that entitlement mentality , no level of seniority is going to save us from that . ' miller added the problem is a result of a bipartisan crisis of leadership . ' alaska voters also went to the polls tuesday to pick their gubernatorial nominees . gov . sean parnell , who replaced palin when she resigned last year , faced two challengers in the gop primary . with 86 percent of the expected vote in , parnell had almost 50 percent of the vote , according to the unofficial election count . his nearest challenger , bill walker , had 34 percent . on the democratic side , ethan berkowitz led with 49 percent of the vote , while hollis french had 39 percent . in the southeastern corner of the country , two wealthy candidates in florida spent a lot of their own money on campaigns . rick scott 's investment paid off . greene 's did n't . scott , a millionaire political newcomer , defeated state attorney general bill mccollum in the republican primary for governor , cnn projected . scott spent $ 50 million of his fortune since joining the race in april . he claimed victory in front of supporters and alluded to the divisive nature of his fight against mccollum , the party-establishment favorite and former congressman . some of you may have noticed this was a hard-fought race . we talked a lot about our differences , but tonight it 's time to remember those things that bring us together -- to recall our core beliefs and recommit ourselves to fighting for our principles , ' scott said . the republican party will come together , and the reason we will come together is our shared devotion to the values that make america great . ' scott was ahead of mccollum , 47 percent to 43 percent , with 92 percent of precincts reporting , according to election tabulations . scott will face a november general election against alex sink , florida 's chief financial officer , who cnn projected will win the state 's democratic primary for governor . in a different race featuring a political veteran against a self-funded candidate with deep pockets , meek declared victory over greene in florida 's democratic primary for u.s. senate . meek led greene 56 percent to 32 percent , with 78 percent of precincts reporting , according to election tabulations . meek will take on marco rubio -- who cnn projected will win the republican primary for senate -- and gov . charlie crist , a republican turned independent , in the general election . rubio has cast himself as the outsider in the race , painting crist and meek as two people who support the direction that washington is taking our country . ' he said on cnn 's american morning ' on wednesday that washington 's agenda is destructive for america 's future . ' i 'm very proud of my association with the tea party , ' rubio said . but people misunderstand what the tea party movement is in america . it is not a centralized organization or a political party . it 's the sentiment of everyday americans who think that washington has it wrong -- they 're taking our country in the wrong direction . and they are looking for voices in american politics that will stand up to that and offer a clear alternative . ' in northern florida 's 2nd congressional district , blue dog democrat allen boyd faced a tough challenge from his left from al lawson . the associated press projects that boyd won that race by a slim margin . meanwhile , in the southwest , hayworth conceded the gop senate primary tuesday night in arizona after a bitter campaign against mccain . mccain -- seeking a fifth term as senator -- was ahead , 59 percent to 30 percent , with 50 percent of precincts reporting , according to election tabulations . the race between mccain -- the 2008 gop presidential nominee -- and conservative talk show host hayworth started off nasty and did n't get any friendlier down the home stretch . mccain spent $ 20 million to fight off the intraparty challenge , unusual for a four-term incumbent . mccain is expected to easily beat any of the four democratic primary candidates in the solidly red state . a 10-way republican primary in the arizona 3rd congressional district race to replace retiring rep. john shadegg has attracted national attention because ben quayle , son of former vice president dan quayle , is one of the candidates . the associated press projected that quayle has won the primary . quayle would face democrat jon hulburd in the fall in the heavily red district . in the northeast , longtime republican gov . jim douglas is retiring in vermont , giving democrats hope of competing for the seat . five democrats are running in what is considered a tight race . with 89 percent of the precincts reporting , four of those candidates each have more than 20 percent of the vote . the winner will face gop lt. gov . brian dubie . in oklahoma , two u.s. house republican nominations were decided in runoff elections . charles thompson and james lankford trounced their opponents tuesday night . in thompson 's 2nd district , republicans think they have a chance for a pickup this fall against conservative democrat dan boren . lankford will likely replace rep. mary fallin , who 's running for governor . cnn 's peter hamby , steve brusk , rachel streitfeld , jeff simon and mark preston contributed to this report . | the alaskan gop senate nomination is still up for grabs |
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