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iraq <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in a quiet ceremony friday at arlington national cemetery , a marine killed three years ago in iraq was reburied to be next to his close friend , a navy seal who was recently killed in afghanistan and who will be laid to rest alongside the marine on monday . the two casualties , lt. travis manion and lt. brendan looney , met a decade ago while attending the united states naval academy . they became close friends and lived together from sophomore year until their graduation in 2004 , travis'sister , ryan manion-borek , told cnn . their friendship was cut short in april 2007 , when manion was killed in iraq during an ambush on the final patrol of his second tour of duty , according to the department of defense . he was 27 . according to the defense department 's website , manion 's actions ultimately saved the lives of every member of his patrol , ' and he was posthumously awarded the silver star and the bronze star with valor . the iraqis named their new headquarters combat outpost manion . ' though manion-borek told cnn that her brother had hoped to be buried in arlington if anything happened to him , ' his family -- grief-stricken by the sudden loss -- chose to lay him to rest at a cemetery near his pennsylvania home . when looney heard the news of his friend 's death , he was in navy seal training and unable to leave . the situation almost drove him to quit the program . however , manion-borek said that after a phone call with manion 's mother looney chose to stay , telling her he was , finishing this for travis . ' looney went on to finish first in his seal class , a position known as honor man . ' following manion 's death , his family founded the travis manion foundation , which helps soldiers who are returning home after deployments and veterans . in the foundation 's first appearance at the marine corps marathon as team travis , ' looney was a teary-eyed guest speaker . even through training and deployment , looney continued to stay close to the manion family and the foundation . but last week the looney family got word that brendan had died on september 21 in a black hawk helicopter crash in afghanistan . he was 29 . brendan had told his brother that he would want to be buried next to travis , ' manion-borek said . when looney 's wife amy first heard the news , the first thing that came out of her mouth was ,'well then he has to be buried next to travis ,' manion-borek said . the manion family immediately set to work with arlington national cemetery to try to transfer travis'body . his body was exhumed and transported to arlington , where it was laid to rest friday during a ceremony attended by both families . looney 's body will join him on monday . describing the looney family 's presence at friday 's burial ceremony , manion-borek said that every single one of them came up to me and said thank you . ' if anything can bring them comfort at this time , it 's knowing that brendan and travis can be next to each other , ' she said . manion 's sister said that the looney family will be attending the marine corps marathon this year , like usual . this year , however , team travis ' will be dedicated to lt. looney . | the body of a marine killed 3 years ago in iraq was exhumed to be buried next to a close friend |
tennessee <tsp> panama city beach , florida ( cnn ) a third person has been arrested in the case of an alleged spring break gang rape that was videotaped on a crowded stretch of panama city beach , the bay county , florida , sheriff 's office said wednesday . police arrested the suspect at 11 p.m. tuesday . after developing information that george davon kennedy was the third suspect seen in the video of the gang rape , bcso investigators obtained a warrant for his arrest , ' according to a news release . investigators discovered that kennedy had family in dekalb county , georgia , and reached out to the sheriff 's office there . deputies in dekalb , in the atlanta area , tracked down kennedy and arrested him on a charge of sexual assault by multiple perpetrators , the bay county sheriff 's office said . kennedy is from murfreesboro , tennessee , and has been a student at middle tennessee state university , the sheriff 's office said . previously , ryan calhoun and delonte martistee were arrested and charged with sexual battery by multiple perpetrators , the sheriff 's office said . calhoun was released saturday after posting $ 50,000 bond ; martistee remains in bay county jail , a county deputy said . troy university in alabama said the two are students and have been placed on temporary suspension from school per the university 's standards of conduct and disciplinary procedures . martistee , a member of the track and field team , has also been removed from the team . ' martistee is represented by a public defender . calhoun 's legal representation is unclear . no public statement has been made on either 's behalf . the arrests come after a woman told police she may have been drugged and gang-raped on a beach behind a popular club in broad daylight as bystanders watched . the woman did n't recall the assault , police say , but she saw the video of her alleged assault on the news , and though the footage had to be blurred , she recognized her tattoos and contacted authorities . it 's not the first time this has happened to a young woman in panama city beach , authorities say . four young men were involved in the assault , bay county sheriff frank mckeithen said , and while he previously said federal marshals were trying to track down a third suspect and investigators were seeking a possible witness , it 's unclear if the person arrested tuesday was someone the police had been looking for . there 's hundreds , hundreds of people standing there -- watching , looking , seeing , hearing what 's going on , ' mckeithen said . and yet our culture and our society and our young people have got to the point where obviously this is acceptable somewhere . i will tell you it is not acceptable in bay county . ' authorities have said they plan to interview the woman and show her the full video to see whether she knows the attackers and can help identify other suspects , said ruth corley , spokeswoman for the sheriff 's office . authorities are pressing charges , and the woman plans to cooperate , corley said . investigators were to meet with her this week . after interviewing witnesses , bay county investigators determined the alleged rape took place between march 10 and march 12 , behind spinnaker beach club , a popular bar and dance club for spring breakers . she does not remember the assault at all , ' corley said . she remembers taking a drink from a camelbak and there is a strong possibility she was drugged . ' ( camelbak sells various products for transporting water or other drinks . ) she was visiting panama city beach at the time of the assault , and is now home , authorities said . the troy , alabama , police department found the video during the course of an investigation into an unrelated shooting and turned it over to the bay county sheriff 's office . the video shows suspects pushing the victim 's hand aside and holding her legs down , corley said . you can see in the video there are people two feet away . they were assaulting her , and we believe the people around her knew she was being assaulted . ' the suspects can be heard commenting about what they are doing to her , corley said . authorities have three sworn statements from witnesses stating that the assault happened , corley said . the sheriff 's office released part of the video to local tv stations , which blurred portions of it before airing . cnn is showing part of what was released . while the video is one of the most disgusting , repulsive , sickening things that i 've seen this year on panama city beach , ' it 's not an isolated incident , mckeithen said . this is not the first video we 've recovered . it 's not the second video . it 's not the third video . there 's a number of videos we 've recovered with things similar to this , and i can only imagine how many things we have n't recovered . ' corley said that through social media , we have been able to find video of girls , incoherent and passed out , and almost like they are drugged , being assaulted on the beaches of panama city in front of a bunch of people standing around . ' about 100,000 spring break revelers come to the beach community every year . this year , the bay county sheriff 's office made more than 1,000 arrests for various crimes -- about triple the number of arrests made in the same period last year . cnn 's anneclaire stapleton , josh levs and alexandra field contributed to this report . | third suspect identified as george davon kennedy of murfreesboro , tennessee |
murfreesboro <tsp> panama city beach , florida ( cnn ) a third person has been arrested in the case of an alleged spring break gang rape that was videotaped on a crowded stretch of panama city beach , the bay county , florida , sheriff 's office said wednesday . police arrested the suspect at 11 p.m. tuesday . after developing information that george davon kennedy was the third suspect seen in the video of the gang rape , bcso investigators obtained a warrant for his arrest , ' according to a news release . investigators discovered that kennedy had family in dekalb county , georgia , and reached out to the sheriff 's office there . deputies in dekalb , in the atlanta area , tracked down kennedy and arrested him on a charge of sexual assault by multiple perpetrators , the bay county sheriff 's office said . kennedy is from murfreesboro , tennessee , and has been a student at middle tennessee state university , the sheriff 's office said . previously , ryan calhoun and delonte martistee were arrested and charged with sexual battery by multiple perpetrators , the sheriff 's office said . calhoun was released saturday after posting $ 50,000 bond ; martistee remains in bay county jail , a county deputy said . troy university in alabama said the two are students and have been placed on temporary suspension from school per the university 's standards of conduct and disciplinary procedures . martistee , a member of the track and field team , has also been removed from the team . ' martistee is represented by a public defender . calhoun 's legal representation is unclear . no public statement has been made on either 's behalf . the arrests come after a woman told police she may have been drugged and gang-raped on a beach behind a popular club in broad daylight as bystanders watched . the woman did n't recall the assault , police say , but she saw the video of her alleged assault on the news , and though the footage had to be blurred , she recognized her tattoos and contacted authorities . it 's not the first time this has happened to a young woman in panama city beach , authorities say . four young men were involved in the assault , bay county sheriff frank mckeithen said , and while he previously said federal marshals were trying to track down a third suspect and investigators were seeking a possible witness , it 's unclear if the person arrested tuesday was someone the police had been looking for . there 's hundreds , hundreds of people standing there -- watching , looking , seeing , hearing what 's going on , ' mckeithen said . and yet our culture and our society and our young people have got to the point where obviously this is acceptable somewhere . i will tell you it is not acceptable in bay county . ' authorities have said they plan to interview the woman and show her the full video to see whether she knows the attackers and can help identify other suspects , said ruth corley , spokeswoman for the sheriff 's office . authorities are pressing charges , and the woman plans to cooperate , corley said . investigators were to meet with her this week . after interviewing witnesses , bay county investigators determined the alleged rape took place between march 10 and march 12 , behind spinnaker beach club , a popular bar and dance club for spring breakers . she does not remember the assault at all , ' corley said . she remembers taking a drink from a camelbak and there is a strong possibility she was drugged . ' ( camelbak sells various products for transporting water or other drinks . ) she was visiting panama city beach at the time of the assault , and is now home , authorities said . the troy , alabama , police department found the video during the course of an investigation into an unrelated shooting and turned it over to the bay county sheriff 's office . the video shows suspects pushing the victim 's hand aside and holding her legs down , corley said . you can see in the video there are people two feet away . they were assaulting her , and we believe the people around her knew she was being assaulted . ' the suspects can be heard commenting about what they are doing to her , corley said . authorities have three sworn statements from witnesses stating that the assault happened , corley said . the sheriff 's office released part of the video to local tv stations , which blurred portions of it before airing . cnn is showing part of what was released . while the video is one of the most disgusting , repulsive , sickening things that i 've seen this year on panama city beach , ' it 's not an isolated incident , mckeithen said . this is not the first video we 've recovered . it 's not the second video . it 's not the third video . there 's a number of videos we 've recovered with things similar to this , and i can only imagine how many things we have n't recovered . ' corley said that through social media , we have been able to find video of girls , incoherent and passed out , and almost like they are drugged , being assaulted on the beaches of panama city in front of a bunch of people standing around . ' about 100,000 spring break revelers come to the beach community every year . this year , the bay county sheriff 's office made more than 1,000 arrests for various crimes -- about triple the number of arrests made in the same period last year . cnn 's anneclaire stapleton , josh levs and alexandra field contributed to this report . | third suspect identified as george davon kennedy of murfreesboro , tennessee |
george davon kennedy <tsp> panama city beach , florida ( cnn ) a third person has been arrested in the case of an alleged spring break gang rape that was videotaped on a crowded stretch of panama city beach , the bay county , florida , sheriff 's office said wednesday . police arrested the suspect at 11 p.m. tuesday . after developing information that george davon kennedy was the third suspect seen in the video of the gang rape , bcso investigators obtained a warrant for his arrest , ' according to a news release . investigators discovered that kennedy had family in dekalb county , georgia , and reached out to the sheriff 's office there . deputies in dekalb , in the atlanta area , tracked down kennedy and arrested him on a charge of sexual assault by multiple perpetrators , the bay county sheriff 's office said . kennedy is from murfreesboro , tennessee , and has been a student at middle tennessee state university , the sheriff 's office said . previously , ryan calhoun and delonte martistee were arrested and charged with sexual battery by multiple perpetrators , the sheriff 's office said . calhoun was released saturday after posting $ 50,000 bond ; martistee remains in bay county jail , a county deputy said . troy university in alabama said the two are students and have been placed on temporary suspension from school per the university 's standards of conduct and disciplinary procedures . martistee , a member of the track and field team , has also been removed from the team . ' martistee is represented by a public defender . calhoun 's legal representation is unclear . no public statement has been made on either 's behalf . the arrests come after a woman told police she may have been drugged and gang-raped on a beach behind a popular club in broad daylight as bystanders watched . the woman did n't recall the assault , police say , but she saw the video of her alleged assault on the news , and though the footage had to be blurred , she recognized her tattoos and contacted authorities . it 's not the first time this has happened to a young woman in panama city beach , authorities say . four young men were involved in the assault , bay county sheriff frank mckeithen said , and while he previously said federal marshals were trying to track down a third suspect and investigators were seeking a possible witness , it 's unclear if the person arrested tuesday was someone the police had been looking for . there 's hundreds , hundreds of people standing there -- watching , looking , seeing , hearing what 's going on , ' mckeithen said . and yet our culture and our society and our young people have got to the point where obviously this is acceptable somewhere . i will tell you it is not acceptable in bay county . ' authorities have said they plan to interview the woman and show her the full video to see whether she knows the attackers and can help identify other suspects , said ruth corley , spokeswoman for the sheriff 's office . authorities are pressing charges , and the woman plans to cooperate , corley said . investigators were to meet with her this week . after interviewing witnesses , bay county investigators determined the alleged rape took place between march 10 and march 12 , behind spinnaker beach club , a popular bar and dance club for spring breakers . she does not remember the assault at all , ' corley said . she remembers taking a drink from a camelbak and there is a strong possibility she was drugged . ' ( camelbak sells various products for transporting water or other drinks . ) she was visiting panama city beach at the time of the assault , and is now home , authorities said . the troy , alabama , police department found the video during the course of an investigation into an unrelated shooting and turned it over to the bay county sheriff 's office . the video shows suspects pushing the victim 's hand aside and holding her legs down , corley said . you can see in the video there are people two feet away . they were assaulting her , and we believe the people around her knew she was being assaulted . ' the suspects can be heard commenting about what they are doing to her , corley said . authorities have three sworn statements from witnesses stating that the assault happened , corley said . the sheriff 's office released part of the video to local tv stations , which blurred portions of it before airing . cnn is showing part of what was released . while the video is one of the most disgusting , repulsive , sickening things that i 've seen this year on panama city beach , ' it 's not an isolated incident , mckeithen said . this is not the first video we 've recovered . it 's not the second video . it 's not the third video . there 's a number of videos we 've recovered with things similar to this , and i can only imagine how many things we have n't recovered . ' corley said that through social media , we have been able to find video of girls , incoherent and passed out , and almost like they are drugged , being assaulted on the beaches of panama city in front of a bunch of people standing around . ' about 100,000 spring break revelers come to the beach community every year . this year , the bay county sheriff 's office made more than 1,000 arrests for various crimes -- about triple the number of arrests made in the same period last year . cnn 's anneclaire stapleton , josh levs and alexandra field contributed to this report . | third suspect identified as george davon kennedy of murfreesboro , tennessee |
benghazi <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- how much do republicans fear hillary clinton as the likely democratic presidential nominee in 2016 ? so much that karl rove has her in his sights . the conservative political mastermind credited with orchestrating george w. bush 's two winning presidential campaigns insinuated in a fact-challenged attack last week that clinton was brain damaged . condemnation from democrats and some republicans came quickly , but rove achieved his goal of inserting the question of clinton 's health into the national discussion before she has declared if she will run in an election more than two years away . on wednesday , former president bill clinton came to his wife 's defense , joking during a public appearance that if hillary had brain damage , then i must be in really tough shape because she 's still quicker than i am . ' it 's just the beginning ' ' it 's just the beginning , ' he said of rove 's attack , adding that republicans will still get better at it . ' when it comes to playing a political card , few deal better than rove , who specializes in undermining the perceived strengths of opposing candidates . recall the 2004 swift-boating ' of john kerry , who saw one of his biggest potential advantages -- his military service in vietnam compared to bush 's non-participation -- turned into a liability by questions about what he did there . now rove takes on a former u.s. senator and secretary of state who is the overwhelming favorite for the democratic nomination , if she decides to run . clinton also polls strongly against all the known potential republican contenders , a situation that likely prompted rove to go after her . in comments at a may 8 conference reported by the new york post 's page six gossip column , rove said clinton spent 30 days in the hospital in 2012 and wore glasses that are only for people who have traumatic brain injury ' when she returned to public life . both assertions were false -- she spent a few days in the hospital and the glasses help deal with double vision rather than traumatic brain damage . nevertheless , the comments generated headlines and political chatter , including repeated discussions on cnn programs . echo chamber nick merrill , a spokesman for clinton , said rove lied about clinton 's health but he does n't care , because all he wants to do is inject the issue into the echo chamber , and he 's succeeding . ' it 's flagrant and thinly veiled , ' merrill said , adding that republicans are scared of what she has achieved and what she has to offer . ' as for clinton , he said she is 100 % , period . ' even former house speaker newt gingrich , a gop political adversary of the clintons in the 1990s , blasted rove 's comments as typical of what he called a republican consulting class that wants to be negative , narrow , personal , avoid ideas and not have to wrestle with the big issue . ' rove 's tactic not only drew attention , it linked the controversy he started to the dominant republican attack line against clinton so far -- her management of the september 11 , 2012 , attack on a u.s. diplomatic compound in benghazi , libya , that killed ambassador christopher stevens and three other americans . house republicans have formed a select committee on benghazi , a step intended to keep the issue in the public eye , while democrats oppose the move and have yet to decide if they will take part . benghazi link two months after the benghazi terror attack , clinton suffered a blood clot following a fall . she underwent testing in a hospital , then later was admitted for a three-day stay . the health issue prevented her from testifying to congress about the attack , and some republicans questioned the validity of her health problem at the time . rove brought up all that history on tuesday when he backed away from his factual errors but stressed the overall issue of clinton 's health . i did n't say she had brain damage . she had a serious health episode , ' rove told fox news before reciting a chronology of what happened in december 2012 and january 2013 . first she had apparently a serious virus , ' he said . they announced then on the 15th of december that she had at some period in the past week fallen . they did n't say when , they did n't say where . she was recovering at home . ' later in december , rove continued , she goes in and turns out to have had a blood clot ' but they wo n't say where . ' the next day , they say it is between her skull and her brain behind her right ear , ' he noted . when she testified before congress on benghazi on january 25 , clinton wore special glasses that allow her to deal with the double vision that this episode caused , ' rove added . in response , bill clinton ridiculed republican efforts to politicize the entire benghazi issue . first they say she faked her concussion , ' he noted wednesday , and now they have her auditioning for a part on the walking dead . ' if elected in 2016 , clinton would be 69 when she becomes president -- the same age as ronald reagan when he moved into the white house in january 1981 . age a campaign issue ? republican commentators repeatedly made that point wednesday , saying democrats defending clinton had questioned the age of republicans such as reagan , vice president dick cheney and sen. john mccain when they ran for higher office . gop strategist kevin madden called rove 's erroneous ' remarks an acknowledgment of reality rather than a strategic ploy . i think it was a very awkward attempt at making a pretty obvious point , which is that non-candidates , which hillary clinton technically is , they do n't get a level of scrutiny that official candidates in a 2016 race might get , ' said madden , a cnn contributor . shenanigans , responded democrats . it 's the mccarthyism of the internet age where you can put anything out there , make a big lie , make this thing up about 30 days in the hospital , which was patently not true , make this thing up about sunglasses , ' said richard socarides , a former adviser to bill clinton . it was totally fabricated . then he pulls it back . now we 're having this whole segment on it . ' tracy sefl , a senior adviser for ready for hillary , one of the super pacs formed to back a clinton candidacy , said rove 's tactic would backfire on republicans because it boosted support for clinton . madden responded that vilifying rove amounted to a democratic counter-strategy . the reason that we 're talking about this today has less to do with whether or not some of the facts related to hillary clinton 's health , ' he said . it has to do with the fact that now while hillary clinton is not an official candidate , her organization and her supporters , they 're acting like one . they seized on this as an opportunity to drive a contrast with someone like karl rove , to express some outrage and maybe engender some sympathy for hillary clinton . ' cnn 's paul steinhauser contributed to this report . | rove succeeds in linking the issue to another gop attack line -- benghazi |
benghazi <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- how much do republicans fear hillary clinton as the likely democratic presidential nominee in 2016 ? so much that karl rove has her in his sights . the conservative political mastermind credited with orchestrating george w. bush 's two winning presidential campaigns insinuated in a fact-challenged attack last week that clinton was brain damaged . condemnation from democrats and some republicans came quickly , but rove achieved his goal of inserting the question of clinton 's health into the national discussion before she has declared if she will run in an election more than two years away . on wednesday , former president bill clinton came to his wife 's defense , joking during a public appearance that if hillary had brain damage , then i must be in really tough shape because she 's still quicker than i am . ' it 's just the beginning ' ' it 's just the beginning , ' he said of rove 's attack , adding that republicans will still get better at it . ' when it comes to playing a political card , few deal better than rove , who specializes in undermining the perceived strengths of opposing candidates . recall the 2004 swift-boating ' of john kerry , who saw one of his biggest potential advantages -- his military service in vietnam compared to bush 's non-participation -- turned into a liability by questions about what he did there . now rove takes on a former u.s. senator and secretary of state who is the overwhelming favorite for the democratic nomination , if she decides to run . clinton also polls strongly against all the known potential republican contenders , a situation that likely prompted rove to go after her . in comments at a may 8 conference reported by the new york post 's page six gossip column , rove said clinton spent 30 days in the hospital in 2012 and wore glasses that are only for people who have traumatic brain injury ' when she returned to public life . both assertions were false -- she spent a few days in the hospital and the glasses help deal with double vision rather than traumatic brain damage . nevertheless , the comments generated headlines and political chatter , including repeated discussions on cnn programs . echo chamber nick merrill , a spokesman for clinton , said rove lied about clinton 's health but he does n't care , because all he wants to do is inject the issue into the echo chamber , and he 's succeeding . ' it 's flagrant and thinly veiled , ' merrill said , adding that republicans are scared of what she has achieved and what she has to offer . ' as for clinton , he said she is 100 % , period . ' even former house speaker newt gingrich , a gop political adversary of the clintons in the 1990s , blasted rove 's comments as typical of what he called a republican consulting class that wants to be negative , narrow , personal , avoid ideas and not have to wrestle with the big issue . ' rove 's tactic not only drew attention , it linked the controversy he started to the dominant republican attack line against clinton so far -- her management of the september 11 , 2012 , attack on a u.s. diplomatic compound in benghazi , libya , that killed ambassador christopher stevens and three other americans . house republicans have formed a select committee on benghazi , a step intended to keep the issue in the public eye , while democrats oppose the move and have yet to decide if they will take part . benghazi link two months after the benghazi terror attack , clinton suffered a blood clot following a fall . she underwent testing in a hospital , then later was admitted for a three-day stay . the health issue prevented her from testifying to congress about the attack , and some republicans questioned the validity of her health problem at the time . rove brought up all that history on tuesday when he backed away from his factual errors but stressed the overall issue of clinton 's health . i did n't say she had brain damage . she had a serious health episode , ' rove told fox news before reciting a chronology of what happened in december 2012 and january 2013 . first she had apparently a serious virus , ' he said . they announced then on the 15th of december that she had at some period in the past week fallen . they did n't say when , they did n't say where . she was recovering at home . ' later in december , rove continued , she goes in and turns out to have had a blood clot ' but they wo n't say where . ' the next day , they say it is between her skull and her brain behind her right ear , ' he noted . when she testified before congress on benghazi on january 25 , clinton wore special glasses that allow her to deal with the double vision that this episode caused , ' rove added . in response , bill clinton ridiculed republican efforts to politicize the entire benghazi issue . first they say she faked her concussion , ' he noted wednesday , and now they have her auditioning for a part on the walking dead . ' if elected in 2016 , clinton would be 69 when she becomes president -- the same age as ronald reagan when he moved into the white house in january 1981 . age a campaign issue ? republican commentators repeatedly made that point wednesday , saying democrats defending clinton had questioned the age of republicans such as reagan , vice president dick cheney and sen. john mccain when they ran for higher office . gop strategist kevin madden called rove 's erroneous ' remarks an acknowledgment of reality rather than a strategic ploy . i think it was a very awkward attempt at making a pretty obvious point , which is that non-candidates , which hillary clinton technically is , they do n't get a level of scrutiny that official candidates in a 2016 race might get , ' said madden , a cnn contributor . shenanigans , responded democrats . it 's the mccarthyism of the internet age where you can put anything out there , make a big lie , make this thing up about 30 days in the hospital , which was patently not true , make this thing up about sunglasses , ' said richard socarides , a former adviser to bill clinton . it was totally fabricated . then he pulls it back . now we 're having this whole segment on it . ' tracy sefl , a senior adviser for ready for hillary , one of the super pacs formed to back a clinton candidacy , said rove 's tactic would backfire on republicans because it boosted support for clinton . madden responded that vilifying rove amounted to a democratic counter-strategy . the reason that we 're talking about this today has less to do with whether or not some of the facts related to hillary clinton 's health , ' he said . it has to do with the fact that now while hillary clinton is not an official candidate , her organization and her supporters , they 're acting like one . they seized on this as an opportunity to drive a contrast with someone like karl rove , to express some outrage and maybe engender some sympathy for hillary clinton . ' cnn 's paul steinhauser contributed to this report . | new : bill clinton accuses rove , republicans of politicizing the benghazi attack |
maldonado <tsp> nogales , mexico ( cnn ) -- an american woman who was released from a mexican jail cried out for joy when she crossed the border into arizona . i 'm home ! finally ! ' yanira maldonado exclaimed . mexican authorities detained her last week and put her behind bars over allegations she tried to smuggle 12 pounds of marijuana under a bus seat . she and her husband , gary , were traveling from mexico back to the united states when their bus was stopped and searched . yanira maldonado allegedly was sitting above the illegal stash . maldonado 's case sparked widespread media coverage and attention from u.s. lawmakers as family members pushed for her freedom . at a press conference early friday in nogales , arizona , she thanked journalists , crediting them for her expedited release . the quality of her conditions in jail also improved as the media coverage increased , she told cnn affiliate kpnx-tv in phoenix . a court official delivered the good news to her in jail thursday . i screamed , ' maldonado said . the arizonan and mother of seven had consistently denied the charges against her , and the court determined that the prosecutors did not provide evidence . her husband , gary , tearfully embraced his wife after her release . though the court released her back to the united states , legal proceedings are not completely over , gary maldonado said . but his wife 's attorney in mexico will take care of them in her absence . opinion : shakedown'justice'in mexico security footage revealed security camera footage revealed in court thursday shows maldonado and her husband boarding a bus in mexico last week . they are carrying a purse , two blankets and two bottles of water . it 's an everyday scene that plays out at bus stations around the world . but in this case , defense attorney francisco benitez argued that the images were a crucial piece of evidence . why ? because nothing they 're carrying , he said , could hold the amount of marijuana that maldonado was accused of smuggling . video footage suggests that someone else brought the marijuana aboard the bus , the lawyer said . packages of the illegal substance allegedly recovered from under maldonado 's seat would not have fit in her purse , benitez said . big relief her attorneys also presented documents that show that she and her husband have no criminal records in the united states , benitez said . word that the surveillance video had been shown in court was a big relief , her husband said . that was the key that would help us prove her innocence , ' he said . it showed right on the film clear as day there 's no way you could carry 12 pounds or 5.7 kilos with one arm , ' he said . the mexican military officials who arrested maldonado did n't make their case in court . the soldiers were scheduled to appear wednesday but did n't show . opinion : americans still captive in global power games official : she was framed mexican authorities arrested maldonado , a u.s. citizen , on may 22 as she and her husband were on their way back to arizona . gary maldonado said he believes mexican soldiers at the checkpoint wanted a bribe . a mexican state official also told cnn it appears that maldonado was framed . yanira maldonado does not necessarily think she was directly targeted . someone smuggled those in there , and i probably sat in the wrong seat , ' she said . nonetheless , she called on those who arrested her to repent , ' find respectable work ' and stop making people suffer . a regional office of mexico 's defense ministry said troops conducting a routine investigation stopped the bus maldonado was riding in and found 12.5 pounds ( 5.7 kilograms ) of a substance that appeared to be marijuana under her seat . troops turned the case over to the mexican attorney general 's office , the defense ministry said . maldonado was held in a women 's prison in nogales , mexico . tearful pleas in an interview wednesday with cnn , maldonado , a mormon , said she turned to scripture to survive the ordeal . reading the scriptures , reading the book of mormon , praying , fasting , ' maldonado said . and all the support that i 've been getting from my family , my husband , my children and everybody out there reaching out to help . ' family members'tearful pleas for her release drew widespread media attention and caught the attention of u.s. officials . u.s. rep. matt salmon , r-arizona , said he had spoken about the case with the u.s. ambassador to mexico and mexico 's ambassador in washington . state department officials said consular officials met with maldonado on wednesday and may 24 . u.s. diplomats did the same things they would when a u.s. citizen is arrested in a foreign country , but maybe to a higher degree because of the high-profile nature of the case , a senior administration official said . cnn 's catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | maldonado 's attorney cites security camera footage as crucial evidence |
maldonado <tsp> nogales , mexico ( cnn ) -- an american woman who was released from a mexican jail cried out for joy when she crossed the border into arizona . i 'm home ! finally ! ' yanira maldonado exclaimed . mexican authorities detained her last week and put her behind bars over allegations she tried to smuggle 12 pounds of marijuana under a bus seat . she and her husband , gary , were traveling from mexico back to the united states when their bus was stopped and searched . yanira maldonado allegedly was sitting above the illegal stash . maldonado 's case sparked widespread media coverage and attention from u.s. lawmakers as family members pushed for her freedom . at a press conference early friday in nogales , arizona , she thanked journalists , crediting them for her expedited release . the quality of her conditions in jail also improved as the media coverage increased , she told cnn affiliate kpnx-tv in phoenix . a court official delivered the good news to her in jail thursday . i screamed , ' maldonado said . the arizonan and mother of seven had consistently denied the charges against her , and the court determined that the prosecutors did not provide evidence . her husband , gary , tearfully embraced his wife after her release . though the court released her back to the united states , legal proceedings are not completely over , gary maldonado said . but his wife 's attorney in mexico will take care of them in her absence . opinion : shakedown'justice'in mexico security footage revealed security camera footage revealed in court thursday shows maldonado and her husband boarding a bus in mexico last week . they are carrying a purse , two blankets and two bottles of water . it 's an everyday scene that plays out at bus stations around the world . but in this case , defense attorney francisco benitez argued that the images were a crucial piece of evidence . why ? because nothing they 're carrying , he said , could hold the amount of marijuana that maldonado was accused of smuggling . video footage suggests that someone else brought the marijuana aboard the bus , the lawyer said . packages of the illegal substance allegedly recovered from under maldonado 's seat would not have fit in her purse , benitez said . big relief her attorneys also presented documents that show that she and her husband have no criminal records in the united states , benitez said . word that the surveillance video had been shown in court was a big relief , her husband said . that was the key that would help us prove her innocence , ' he said . it showed right on the film clear as day there 's no way you could carry 12 pounds or 5.7 kilos with one arm , ' he said . the mexican military officials who arrested maldonado did n't make their case in court . the soldiers were scheduled to appear wednesday but did n't show . opinion : americans still captive in global power games official : she was framed mexican authorities arrested maldonado , a u.s. citizen , on may 22 as she and her husband were on their way back to arizona . gary maldonado said he believes mexican soldiers at the checkpoint wanted a bribe . a mexican state official also told cnn it appears that maldonado was framed . yanira maldonado does not necessarily think she was directly targeted . someone smuggled those in there , and i probably sat in the wrong seat , ' she said . nonetheless , she called on those who arrested her to repent , ' find respectable work ' and stop making people suffer . a regional office of mexico 's defense ministry said troops conducting a routine investigation stopped the bus maldonado was riding in and found 12.5 pounds ( 5.7 kilograms ) of a substance that appeared to be marijuana under her seat . troops turned the case over to the mexican attorney general 's office , the defense ministry said . maldonado was held in a women 's prison in nogales , mexico . tearful pleas in an interview wednesday with cnn , maldonado , a mormon , said she turned to scripture to survive the ordeal . reading the scriptures , reading the book of mormon , praying , fasting , ' maldonado said . and all the support that i 've been getting from my family , my husband , my children and everybody out there reaching out to help . ' family members'tearful pleas for her release drew widespread media attention and caught the attention of u.s. officials . u.s. rep. matt salmon , r-arizona , said he had spoken about the case with the u.s. ambassador to mexico and mexico 's ambassador in washington . state department officials said consular officials met with maldonado on wednesday and may 24 . u.s. diplomats did the same things they would when a u.s. citizen is arrested in a foreign country , but maybe to a higher degree because of the high-profile nature of the case , a senior administration official said . cnn 's catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | maldonado was accused of smuggling drugs on a bus |
maldonado <tsp> nogales , mexico ( cnn ) -- an american woman who was released from a mexican jail cried out for joy when she crossed the border into arizona . i 'm home ! finally ! ' yanira maldonado exclaimed . mexican authorities detained her last week and put her behind bars over allegations she tried to smuggle 12 pounds of marijuana under a bus seat . she and her husband , gary , were traveling from mexico back to the united states when their bus was stopped and searched . yanira maldonado allegedly was sitting above the illegal stash . maldonado 's case sparked widespread media coverage and attention from u.s. lawmakers as family members pushed for her freedom . at a press conference early friday in nogales , arizona , she thanked journalists , crediting them for her expedited release . the quality of her conditions in jail also improved as the media coverage increased , she told cnn affiliate kpnx-tv in phoenix . a court official delivered the good news to her in jail thursday . i screamed , ' maldonado said . the arizonan and mother of seven had consistently denied the charges against her , and the court determined that the prosecutors did not provide evidence . her husband , gary , tearfully embraced his wife after her release . though the court released her back to the united states , legal proceedings are not completely over , gary maldonado said . but his wife 's attorney in mexico will take care of them in her absence . opinion : shakedown'justice'in mexico security footage revealed security camera footage revealed in court thursday shows maldonado and her husband boarding a bus in mexico last week . they are carrying a purse , two blankets and two bottles of water . it 's an everyday scene that plays out at bus stations around the world . but in this case , defense attorney francisco benitez argued that the images were a crucial piece of evidence . why ? because nothing they 're carrying , he said , could hold the amount of marijuana that maldonado was accused of smuggling . video footage suggests that someone else brought the marijuana aboard the bus , the lawyer said . packages of the illegal substance allegedly recovered from under maldonado 's seat would not have fit in her purse , benitez said . big relief her attorneys also presented documents that show that she and her husband have no criminal records in the united states , benitez said . word that the surveillance video had been shown in court was a big relief , her husband said . that was the key that would help us prove her innocence , ' he said . it showed right on the film clear as day there 's no way you could carry 12 pounds or 5.7 kilos with one arm , ' he said . the mexican military officials who arrested maldonado did n't make their case in court . the soldiers were scheduled to appear wednesday but did n't show . opinion : americans still captive in global power games official : she was framed mexican authorities arrested maldonado , a u.s. citizen , on may 22 as she and her husband were on their way back to arizona . gary maldonado said he believes mexican soldiers at the checkpoint wanted a bribe . a mexican state official also told cnn it appears that maldonado was framed . yanira maldonado does not necessarily think she was directly targeted . someone smuggled those in there , and i probably sat in the wrong seat , ' she said . nonetheless , she called on those who arrested her to repent , ' find respectable work ' and stop making people suffer . a regional office of mexico 's defense ministry said troops conducting a routine investigation stopped the bus maldonado was riding in and found 12.5 pounds ( 5.7 kilograms ) of a substance that appeared to be marijuana under her seat . troops turned the case over to the mexican attorney general 's office , the defense ministry said . maldonado was held in a women 's prison in nogales , mexico . tearful pleas in an interview wednesday with cnn , maldonado , a mormon , said she turned to scripture to survive the ordeal . reading the scriptures , reading the book of mormon , praying , fasting , ' maldonado said . and all the support that i 've been getting from my family , my husband , my children and everybody out there reaching out to help . ' family members'tearful pleas for her release drew widespread media attention and caught the attention of u.s. officials . u.s. rep. matt salmon , r-arizona , said he had spoken about the case with the u.s. ambassador to mexico and mexico 's ambassador in washington . state department officials said consular officials met with maldonado on wednesday and may 24 . u.s. diplomats did the same things they would when a u.s. citizen is arrested in a foreign country , but maybe to a higher degree because of the high-profile nature of the case , a senior administration official said . cnn 's catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | new : yanira maldonado calls for those who arrested her to repent ' |
lincoln <tsp> ( cnn ) -- abbey lincoln , a jazz singer , songwriter , actor and activist , died on saturday at age 80 in new york city , a friend of hers told cnn . carol friedman , who has been working on a documentary about the singer for some 20 years , said lincoln died of natural causes saturday morning in manhattan . she declined to provide further details . lincoln started performing in the 1950s when she released her first album , abbey lincoln 's affair ... a story of a girl in love . ' often said to have been heavily influenced by the legendary jazz singer billie holiday , lincoln continued to write and perform for six decades . she was also well-known as an actress . she co-starred with sidney poitier in the 1968 film , for love of ivy , ' for which she received a golden globe nomination . during the 1960s , lincoln became active in the civil rights movement . she sang on the album , we insist ! -- max roach 's freedom now suite . ' she was married to the jazz musician max roach during the 1960s . they divorced in 1970 . speaking to national public radio before her death , lincoln reflected on her life and art . you know , when everything is finished in a world , the people go to look for what the artists leave , ' she said . it 's the only thing that we have really in this world -- is an ability to express ourselves and say i was here , ' she said . | lincoln was a prominent civil rights activist during the 1960s |
lincoln <tsp> ( cnn ) -- abbey lincoln , a jazz singer , songwriter , actor and activist , died on saturday at age 80 in new york city , a friend of hers told cnn . carol friedman , who has been working on a documentary about the singer for some 20 years , said lincoln died of natural causes saturday morning in manhattan . she declined to provide further details . lincoln started performing in the 1950s when she released her first album , abbey lincoln 's affair ... a story of a girl in love . ' often said to have been heavily influenced by the legendary jazz singer billie holiday , lincoln continued to write and perform for six decades . she was also well-known as an actress . she co-starred with sidney poitier in the 1968 film , for love of ivy , ' for which she received a golden globe nomination . during the 1960s , lincoln became active in the civil rights movement . she sang on the album , we insist ! -- max roach 's freedom now suite . ' she was married to the jazz musician max roach during the 1960s . they divorced in 1970 . speaking to national public radio before her death , lincoln reflected on her life and art . you know , when everything is finished in a world , the people go to look for what the artists leave , ' she said . it 's the only thing that we have really in this world -- is an ability to express ourselves and say i was here , ' she said . | lincoln was also well known as an actress |
filner <tsp> ( cnn ) -- san diego mayor bob filner , accused of sexually harassing women , will resign if the san diego city council accepts a proposed mediation agreement , local tv stations reported thursday . the resignation would be effective friday , according to the stations , including cnn affiliate kgtv . it is still our understanding that his resignation is part of the deal that the san diego city council needs to sign off on during tomorrow 's closed session , ' an official familiar with the negotiations told cnn 's lindy hall . the source emphasized that until that happens , i do n't believe you will see an official resignation . ' city councilman scott sherman said he had not seen the agreement , but is hopeful it includes a resignation , kgtv reported . the quicker he 's out of office , the quicker it is to get back into city business , ' sherman told the station . filner has been under intense pressure to resign in the wake of allegations of serial sexual harassment of women , including inappropriate touching , kissing and comments . he has acknowledged improper conduct and recently underwent therapy . but he has previously resisted the resignation demands , saying his conduct was not enough to force him from office . he even has been locked out of his city hall office , though filner indicated in a statement that he returned to work as mayor in that very office on wednesday . that was the same day that , according to filner and others involved , three days of mediation talks yielded a tentative agreement . city councilors and others have been reluctant publicly to divulge details on the deal , given the guidelines set by the judge overseeing the mediation talks . filner , for example , said in a statement thursday , due to the confidential nature of mediation and settlement discussions , we are unable to comment or make statements about any of the terms . ' city council president todd gloria , who is among the nine city council members calling for a resignation , was similarly tight-lipped . but that should change sometime after the city council meets -- after a public comment period -- in a closed session around 1 p.m. ( 4 p.m . et ) friday to decide on whatever pact is on the table . the business of the city of san diego is being pushed forward as best we can , ' councilman kevin faulconer said , adding that the last seven weeks have been very difficult ' but have n't stopped the city government from functioning . we love our city . ' whatever the final deal is , lawyer gloria allred -- who represents filner 's former communications chief irene mccormack jackson , who has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against her former boss , and who has spoken alongside several other accusers -- said thursday that she hopes it includes not only his resignation , but no future payments to him for legal fees or otherwise . there should be no payoff for mayor filner , ' allred told reporters thursday . his parting gift should be good riddance instead of a handout . ' allred said that while she took part in the mediation talks , neither she nor her client signed off on any deal , nor did she have details on it . she stressed that jackson has not dropped her case against filner , saying , our lawsuit is not settled . ' out of rehab , locked out of the office news of the reported mediation agreement comes after yet another woman came forward to accuse filner . businesswoman dianne york told cnn that filner put his hands on her buttocks during a photo opportunity that followed a meeting three months ago . york said there were witnesses to what happened . she said both her advisers and filner 's were in the room at the time . did mayor target victims of military sexual assault ? york is the 18th woman to accuse filner of improper conduct . jackson quit her job and sued the mayor in july , saying he subjected women to crude and disgusting ' comments and inappropriate touching . other women have accused him of touching their buttocks and putting them in a headlock and trying to kiss them , among other allegations . and amid the storm of allegations , bronwyn ingram ended her engagement to filner . she had campaigned alongside him during his run for mayor , and was known -- even though the two were n't married -- as the first lady ' of san diego before ending their relationship . but speaking thursday alongside allred in her first public comments since the scandal broke , ingram said she now wants filner to resign as mayor . i 'm hopeful that tomorrow will begin a healing process , ' ingram told reporters , and that attention will return to the needs of the people . ' opinion : will'mayor naughty'please step down ? cnn 's casey wian and greg botelho contributed to this report . | mayor bob filner could resign over sexual harassment , local media reports |
filner <tsp> ( cnn ) -- san diego mayor bob filner , accused of sexually harassing women , will resign if the san diego city council accepts a proposed mediation agreement , local tv stations reported thursday . the resignation would be effective friday , according to the stations , including cnn affiliate kgtv . it is still our understanding that his resignation is part of the deal that the san diego city council needs to sign off on during tomorrow 's closed session , ' an official familiar with the negotiations told cnn 's lindy hall . the source emphasized that until that happens , i do n't believe you will see an official resignation . ' city councilman scott sherman said he had not seen the agreement , but is hopeful it includes a resignation , kgtv reported . the quicker he 's out of office , the quicker it is to get back into city business , ' sherman told the station . filner has been under intense pressure to resign in the wake of allegations of serial sexual harassment of women , including inappropriate touching , kissing and comments . he has acknowledged improper conduct and recently underwent therapy . but he has previously resisted the resignation demands , saying his conduct was not enough to force him from office . he even has been locked out of his city hall office , though filner indicated in a statement that he returned to work as mayor in that very office on wednesday . that was the same day that , according to filner and others involved , three days of mediation talks yielded a tentative agreement . city councilors and others have been reluctant publicly to divulge details on the deal , given the guidelines set by the judge overseeing the mediation talks . filner , for example , said in a statement thursday , due to the confidential nature of mediation and settlement discussions , we are unable to comment or make statements about any of the terms . ' city council president todd gloria , who is among the nine city council members calling for a resignation , was similarly tight-lipped . but that should change sometime after the city council meets -- after a public comment period -- in a closed session around 1 p.m. ( 4 p.m . et ) friday to decide on whatever pact is on the table . the business of the city of san diego is being pushed forward as best we can , ' councilman kevin faulconer said , adding that the last seven weeks have been very difficult ' but have n't stopped the city government from functioning . we love our city . ' whatever the final deal is , lawyer gloria allred -- who represents filner 's former communications chief irene mccormack jackson , who has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against her former boss , and who has spoken alongside several other accusers -- said thursday that she hopes it includes not only his resignation , but no future payments to him for legal fees or otherwise . there should be no payoff for mayor filner , ' allred told reporters thursday . his parting gift should be good riddance instead of a handout . ' allred said that while she took part in the mediation talks , neither she nor her client signed off on any deal , nor did she have details on it . she stressed that jackson has not dropped her case against filner , saying , our lawsuit is not settled . ' out of rehab , locked out of the office news of the reported mediation agreement comes after yet another woman came forward to accuse filner . businesswoman dianne york told cnn that filner put his hands on her buttocks during a photo opportunity that followed a meeting three months ago . york said there were witnesses to what happened . she said both her advisers and filner 's were in the room at the time . did mayor target victims of military sexual assault ? york is the 18th woman to accuse filner of improper conduct . jackson quit her job and sued the mayor in july , saying he subjected women to crude and disgusting ' comments and inappropriate touching . other women have accused him of touching their buttocks and putting them in a headlock and trying to kiss them , among other allegations . and amid the storm of allegations , bronwyn ingram ended her engagement to filner . she had campaigned alongside him during his run for mayor , and was known -- even though the two were n't married -- as the first lady ' of san diego before ending their relationship . but speaking thursday alongside allred in her first public comments since the scandal broke , ingram said she now wants filner to resign as mayor . i 'm hopeful that tomorrow will begin a healing process , ' ingram told reporters , and that attention will return to the needs of the people . ' opinion : will'mayor naughty'please step down ? cnn 's casey wian and greg botelho contributed to this report . | 18 women publicly have accused filner of sexual harassment |
benjamin <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- president obama announced monday his choice for surgeon general -- dr. regina benjamin , a 52-year-old family practice doctor who has spent most of her career tending to the needs of poor patients in a gulf coast clinic in alabama . dr. regina benjamin holds advanced degrees in medicine and business administration . when people could n't pay , she did n't charge them , ' obama said . when the clinic was n't making money , she did n't take a salary for herself . ' he called benjamin a relentless promoter ' of programs to fight preventable illness . benjamin cited the toll of preventable illness as the reason her family was not with her at the announcement : her father died with diabetes and high blood pressure ; her older brother and only sibling died at age 44 of an hiv-related illness ; her mother died of lung cancer after taking up smoking as a girl ; her mother 's twin brother could not attend because he is at home struggling for each breath ' after a lifetime of smoking . i can not change my family 's past , but i can be a voice to improve our nation 's health for the future , ' she said . watch for more on benjamin » benjamin received a bachelor 's degree in 1979 from xavier university of louisiana , attended morehouse school of medicine from 1980 to 1982 , and received a doctor of medicine degree from the university of alabama at birmingham in 1984 . she completed her residency in family practice at the medical center of central georgia in 1987 . her medical training was paid for by a federal program , the national health service corps , under which medical students promise to work in areas with few doctors in exchange for free tuition , one year of service for every year of paid tuition . benjamin founded the bayou la batre rural health clinic in 1990 in the fishing village of bayou la batre , alabama , and has served as its ceo since . like many of her patients , the clinic has suffered its own life-threatening challenges . it was heavily damaged by hurricane georges in 1998 and hurricane katrina in 2005 . it also burned to the ground several years ago . but benjamin rebuilt it after each setback and has continued to offer medical care to the village 's 2,500 residents . her commitment to them has meant making house calls during the rebuilding , mortgaging her house and maxing out her credit cards , obama said . regina benjamin has refused to give up ; her patients have refused to give up , ' he said . many of her family practice patients are immigrants from vietnam , cambodia and laos who make up a third of bayou la batre 's population , and many of them are uninsured . benjamin 's expertise goes beyond medicine ; she earned a master 's in business administration in 1991 from tulane university . but her focus has not been on making money for herself , she said . my priority has always been the needs of my patients , ' she said . i decided to treat patients regardless of their ability to pay . ' benjamin said she has worked for years to scrape together the resources needed to keep the clinic doors open and found it has not been an easy road . ... it should not be this hard for doctors and other health care providers to care for their patients . ' she praised obama for putting health care reform at the top of your domestic agenda , ' and said she hopes , if confirmed by the senate , to be america 's doctor , america 's family physician . ' as we work toward a solution to this health care crisis , i promise to communicate directly to the american people , to help guide them through whatever changes come with health care reform . i want to make sure that no one falls through the cracks , ' she said . a call to the clinic , where benjamin was working last week , found it in full swing . we are just packed in with patients right now , and i 'm the only one at the front office , ' said a breathless woman who then hung up . benjamin has served as the associate dean for rural health at the university of south alabama 's college of medicine and as president of the state of alabama medical association , from 2002-2003 . she was the first african-american woman board member of the american medical association , and she just served a term as chairwoman of the group 's council on ethical and judicial affairs . the position of surgeon general , whose effectiveness is largely in its use as a bully pulpit , requires senate confirmation . | benjamin received a genius grant ' from the macarthur foundation |
benjamin <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- president obama announced monday his choice for surgeon general -- dr. regina benjamin , a 52-year-old family practice doctor who has spent most of her career tending to the needs of poor patients in a gulf coast clinic in alabama . dr. regina benjamin holds advanced degrees in medicine and business administration . when people could n't pay , she did n't charge them , ' obama said . when the clinic was n't making money , she did n't take a salary for herself . ' he called benjamin a relentless promoter ' of programs to fight preventable illness . benjamin cited the toll of preventable illness as the reason her family was not with her at the announcement : her father died with diabetes and high blood pressure ; her older brother and only sibling died at age 44 of an hiv-related illness ; her mother died of lung cancer after taking up smoking as a girl ; her mother 's twin brother could not attend because he is at home struggling for each breath ' after a lifetime of smoking . i can not change my family 's past , but i can be a voice to improve our nation 's health for the future , ' she said . watch for more on benjamin » benjamin received a bachelor 's degree in 1979 from xavier university of louisiana , attended morehouse school of medicine from 1980 to 1982 , and received a doctor of medicine degree from the university of alabama at birmingham in 1984 . she completed her residency in family practice at the medical center of central georgia in 1987 . her medical training was paid for by a federal program , the national health service corps , under which medical students promise to work in areas with few doctors in exchange for free tuition , one year of service for every year of paid tuition . benjamin founded the bayou la batre rural health clinic in 1990 in the fishing village of bayou la batre , alabama , and has served as its ceo since . like many of her patients , the clinic has suffered its own life-threatening challenges . it was heavily damaged by hurricane georges in 1998 and hurricane katrina in 2005 . it also burned to the ground several years ago . but benjamin rebuilt it after each setback and has continued to offer medical care to the village 's 2,500 residents . her commitment to them has meant making house calls during the rebuilding , mortgaging her house and maxing out her credit cards , obama said . regina benjamin has refused to give up ; her patients have refused to give up , ' he said . many of her family practice patients are immigrants from vietnam , cambodia and laos who make up a third of bayou la batre 's population , and many of them are uninsured . benjamin 's expertise goes beyond medicine ; she earned a master 's in business administration in 1991 from tulane university . but her focus has not been on making money for herself , she said . my priority has always been the needs of my patients , ' she said . i decided to treat patients regardless of their ability to pay . ' benjamin said she has worked for years to scrape together the resources needed to keep the clinic doors open and found it has not been an easy road . ... it should not be this hard for doctors and other health care providers to care for their patients . ' she praised obama for putting health care reform at the top of your domestic agenda , ' and said she hopes , if confirmed by the senate , to be america 's doctor , america 's family physician . ' as we work toward a solution to this health care crisis , i promise to communicate directly to the american people , to help guide them through whatever changes come with health care reform . i want to make sure that no one falls through the cracks , ' she said . a call to the clinic , where benjamin was working last week , found it in full swing . we are just packed in with patients right now , and i 'm the only one at the front office , ' said a breathless woman who then hung up . benjamin has served as the associate dean for rural health at the university of south alabama 's college of medicine and as president of the state of alabama medical association , from 2002-2003 . she was the first african-american woman board member of the american medical association , and she just served a term as chairwoman of the group 's council on ethical and judicial affairs . the position of surgeon general , whose effectiveness is largely in its use as a bully pulpit , requires senate confirmation . | dr. regina benjamin is a rural family physician |
my so-called life <tsp> ( the frisky ) -- i know you are really , really upset -- but can you stop crying for a second so we can talk about the fact that katherine heigl is finally leaving grey 's anatomy ? ' long overdue , as far as i 'm concerned . she has been annoying me since day one . how bad can the job really be ? hmmm , let 's see . you get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to show up on set for 12 episodes -- then you get half the year off . yeah , i think i 'd quit too . her publicist claims she 's out of there because she wants to spend more time with her newly adopted daughter , and that becoming a mother has changed [ her ] desire to work full-time . ' that 's sounds like sunshine and moonbeams and all , but the truth is that she 's been petitioning to get dr. izzie stevens written off for the last three years . since her bff t.r . knight left , i suspect . at least we can have some fun imagining how they might get rid of her . drug overdose ? amnesia ? doctors without borders ? sex tape ? fun ! anyway , considering her last few movies were ludicrous rom-coms and she has a rep for biting the hand that feeds her , i 'm thinking she may not be too popular in hollywood after this . plenty of other celebs have left cushy tv jobs for bigger and better things . let 's see how nine of them fared . the frisky - sandra bullock and other celebs who ditched the dead weight 1 . amanda seyfried thinks she 's too big for the filming schedule of big love . ' that 's why she 's leaving the show -- to move back to new york city , pursue her film career , and live life to the fullest by eating spinach and seeds and popping pills . mazel tov , amanda ! but we 're not sure how this is going to go for you . 2 . fans went crazy when abc announced that it was canceling my so-called life ' after just one season . but then it came out that claire danes was the one who wanted the show to end -- she was ready to move on to a film career . she 's had some hits , romeo & juliet ' and shopgirl , ' but she will always and forever be angela chase . 3 . she 's never confirmed it , but when the o.c . ' killed off marissa cooper in the season finale of season three , most people assumed it was because mischa barton wanted to move on . the show trucked on without her -- for a season . mischa 's career , on the other hand : as dead as marissa after the car wreck . frisky - 8 female stars who dated their managers 4 . rose mcgowan replaced shannen doherty when good witch prue halliwell was killed off ' of charmed . ' now she 's working her magic on the judges of dancing with the stars . ' abracadabra ! save my career ! 5 . never thought i 'd say this , but i 'm actually glad that tina fey left snl ' to go on to write , produce , and star in 30 rock . ' yeah , she 's pretty much taking over the industry and making money with much more than her looks . the frisky -- britney and j . lo did it : how a how i met your mother ' cameo can turn a career around 6 . hunky george clooney left er ' in its fifth season to become the a-list movie star in the front row at the oscars . a winning move ? i 'd say yes . 7 . nicollette sheridan was so desperate to be polished like the jewel that she believed she was that she left desperate housewives . ' she called the show complacent , ' but creator mark cherry said her time was up because she had already slept with everyone on the show . rumor has it that she has a new tv show coming out . let 's see if that jewel shines . the frisky - 10 stars whose relationships went sour after they found fame 8 . viewers cried and stuff when kal penn 's character on house ' committed suicide only to stop crying when they found out he 'd accepted a position at the white house . because it 's nobler to actually help people than to play someone who does it on tv . 9 . while kal penn joined the real white house , rob lowe left the fictional one on the west wing ' because he did n't think there was a place for his character , democrat sam seaborn , anymore . and then he went on to play republican politico robert mccallister on brothers & sisters . ' politics will eat you alive , man . tm & © 2010 tmv , inc. | all rights reserved | claire danes was the one who wanted my so-called life ' to end |
inter milan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- jose mourinho has extended his contract at serie a champions inter milan by 12 months until june 2012 , killing off speculation that he could be on his way to real madrid . coach mourinho has signed an extended deal ending fears he could wave goodbye to inter milan . former chelsea supremo mourinho took charge at italian giants inter a year ago following the departure of roberto mancini and has just guided the club to their fourth straight scudetto . they also won the italian super cup , but were eliminated by defending champions manchester united in the first knockout round of the champions league . a statement on the inter web site read : in response to the wish of the coach to continue the project started together a year ago , a wish welcomed with pleasure by the club as a sign of attachment and winning spirit , fc internazionale announces the extension of jose mourinho 's contract until 30 june 2012 . ' mourinho had promised the fans more titles would be on the after lifting his first italian title , but the eal issue refused to go away until monday 's statement . when asked about the chance he could leave inter , mourinho had earlier told the club web site : there is still a 0.01 % ( chance ) . but for me this is not an important number , it just means that i am closer to inter than to real . i am satisfied with the relationship with the fans and with my players . i repeat , i am closer to staying at inter than going elsewhere . ' those comments failed to impress inter president massimo moratti , but the extended contract has settled any differences . mourinho made his mark at porto in 2004 when he led the portuguese team to the champions league title , beating monaco 3-0 in the final , before moving to chelsea . at stamford bridge he claimed the premier league title in each of his first two seasons and the fa cup the following campaign , but left the club in september 2007 . not all inter fans have warmed to the portuguese since his arrival in milan last summer . he has been involved in several disagreements with the italian media and his style of play has has not endeared him to parts of the nerazzurri faithful . | jose mourinho has extended his contract with serie a champions inter milan |
schwartz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there are up to 7 billion geniuses in this world -- are you one of them ? how can we nurture the world 's many talented people so they most effectively contribute to the world 's economic health ? start by figuring out what they need to flourish and how to overcome the barriers that stand in their way . i 'm not talking about silicon valley software geniuses or corporate business tycoons . i 'm talking about the geniuses who are all around us -- maybe even the one staring at you in the mirror : individuals who have solid ideas for developing or marketing products or services that benefit consumers . they could be immigrants who travel the globe searching for better opportunities for themselves and their families , entrepreneurs-to-be who could be breathing life into communities ripe for revitalization , or social entrepreneurs who find innovative solutions to social challenges and change the world for the better . there 's a lot of promise out there , ' senegal-born entrepreneur magatte wade said at a united nations conference last month . there are millions of issues that can be addressed by billions of geniuses -- and they can be addressing millions of opportunities to co-create solutions . ' wade is a successful businesswoman who moved from france to the united states to live out her dreams in a more conducive environment that celebrates—rather than discourages—risk , innovation and enterprise . opinion : solving'the google problem'key to ensuring the internet 's success she spoke from heart and experience as she told the audience about the obstacles she faced while developing her former beverage company based on indigenous hibiscus flower ingredients , and her skin care company based on ancient senegalese recipes . the condescending attitude of developed and developing countries toward african businesses and the lack of respect for african culture and vision —both within her own country and worldwide—continue to be impediments to her and africans like her who dare to dream big . her experiences turned into practical recommendations as she advised the assembly on how to make life better for entrepreneurs in their respective countries . wade was speaking at an event to promote the u.n. draft resolution entrepreneurship for development . ' sponsored by israel 's mission to the u.n. , the unprecedented resolution encourages countries to remove potential licensing , financial and legal barriers that prevent local businesses from stimulating widespread economic and social growth . it also emphasizes the value of teaching entrepreneurial skills at all levels of education , so that everyone—including youth and women—can turn their creativity , energy and ideas into business opportunities . the resolution had already garnered the support of 74 countries in advance of the discussion . it is scheduled for a vote on friday . support for this resolution is a no-brainer . entrepreneurship is a powerful engine that can propel the global agenda forward . it is a major tool for reducing poverty , improving social conditions and confronting environmental challenges . it empowers people and generates solutions that help communities overcome old problems with new ways of thinking . it is an important driver of economic development , job creation and expanding opportunities for women and youth . indeed , eight years ago , the commission on private sector development of the united nations development program stated in a report that , it is about realizing that the poor entrepreneurs are as important a part of the private sector as the multinational corporation . ... it is about unleashing the power of the local entrepreneur to reduce poverty in their communities and nations . ' but the benefits of entrepreneurship go beyond pure economics . as individuals become more self-sufficient and empowered , they are more likely to seek higher levels of education and better living conditions for themselves and their children . as president paul kagame of rwanda put it , entrepreneurship is the surest way for a nation to meet its goals and to develop prosperity for the greatest number of people . ' those of us who work with social entrepreneurs know this statement to be spot on . their projects involve an ever expanding amount of people from their community and as they replicate and scale their innovations , they cast an ever widening global net that involves hundreds , thousands and even millions more . their goal is not so much to attract consumers of products but to attract change makers -- people they can empower to embrace social change and give themselves the means to become full economic citizens . albina ruiz , the founder of lima-based ciudad saludable , is a poster child for the economic benefits of entrepreneurship that creates immense social value . she built a community-based waste management system that plays an increasingly important role in improving sanitation and health conditions in peru and other latin american countries . albina developed an innovative chain of job- and income-generating micro-enterprises . every stage of the waste management system , from the hiring of former garbage pickers ( now recyclers ) , to the encouragement of a culture of paid garbage collection , and the transformation of garbage into saleable items that are sold in high-end stores creates a virtuous cycle of change that positively impacts her city . started just 10 years ago , ciudad saludable now serves more than 3 million residents in the slums of lima alone . the organization has spread across peru and other countries in latin america , employing hundreds of people , improving public health and the environment and contributing to the economic vitality of the communities and cities in which ciudad saludable and its many micro-enterprises operates . there is no better argument for supporting entrepreneurship worldwide . israel 's delegation deserves credit for engaging their fellow member countries in dialogue to encourage a global approach to promote entrepreneurship . the success of the resolution will provide a necessary pathway for stimulating future entrepreneurs and help equip world leaders to be better able to solve complex and fast-changing economic and social problems . to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation everywhere - it will take a global village . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of beverly schwartz . | schwartz : entrepreneurship reduces poverty , helps environment , spurs growth |
schwartz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there are up to 7 billion geniuses in this world -- are you one of them ? how can we nurture the world 's many talented people so they most effectively contribute to the world 's economic health ? start by figuring out what they need to flourish and how to overcome the barriers that stand in their way . i 'm not talking about silicon valley software geniuses or corporate business tycoons . i 'm talking about the geniuses who are all around us -- maybe even the one staring at you in the mirror : individuals who have solid ideas for developing or marketing products or services that benefit consumers . they could be immigrants who travel the globe searching for better opportunities for themselves and their families , entrepreneurs-to-be who could be breathing life into communities ripe for revitalization , or social entrepreneurs who find innovative solutions to social challenges and change the world for the better . there 's a lot of promise out there , ' senegal-born entrepreneur magatte wade said at a united nations conference last month . there are millions of issues that can be addressed by billions of geniuses -- and they can be addressing millions of opportunities to co-create solutions . ' wade is a successful businesswoman who moved from france to the united states to live out her dreams in a more conducive environment that celebrates—rather than discourages—risk , innovation and enterprise . opinion : solving'the google problem'key to ensuring the internet 's success she spoke from heart and experience as she told the audience about the obstacles she faced while developing her former beverage company based on indigenous hibiscus flower ingredients , and her skin care company based on ancient senegalese recipes . the condescending attitude of developed and developing countries toward african businesses and the lack of respect for african culture and vision —both within her own country and worldwide—continue to be impediments to her and africans like her who dare to dream big . her experiences turned into practical recommendations as she advised the assembly on how to make life better for entrepreneurs in their respective countries . wade was speaking at an event to promote the u.n. draft resolution entrepreneurship for development . ' sponsored by israel 's mission to the u.n. , the unprecedented resolution encourages countries to remove potential licensing , financial and legal barriers that prevent local businesses from stimulating widespread economic and social growth . it also emphasizes the value of teaching entrepreneurial skills at all levels of education , so that everyone—including youth and women—can turn their creativity , energy and ideas into business opportunities . the resolution had already garnered the support of 74 countries in advance of the discussion . it is scheduled for a vote on friday . support for this resolution is a no-brainer . entrepreneurship is a powerful engine that can propel the global agenda forward . it is a major tool for reducing poverty , improving social conditions and confronting environmental challenges . it empowers people and generates solutions that help communities overcome old problems with new ways of thinking . it is an important driver of economic development , job creation and expanding opportunities for women and youth . indeed , eight years ago , the commission on private sector development of the united nations development program stated in a report that , it is about realizing that the poor entrepreneurs are as important a part of the private sector as the multinational corporation . ... it is about unleashing the power of the local entrepreneur to reduce poverty in their communities and nations . ' but the benefits of entrepreneurship go beyond pure economics . as individuals become more self-sufficient and empowered , they are more likely to seek higher levels of education and better living conditions for themselves and their children . as president paul kagame of rwanda put it , entrepreneurship is the surest way for a nation to meet its goals and to develop prosperity for the greatest number of people . ' those of us who work with social entrepreneurs know this statement to be spot on . their projects involve an ever expanding amount of people from their community and as they replicate and scale their innovations , they cast an ever widening global net that involves hundreds , thousands and even millions more . their goal is not so much to attract consumers of products but to attract change makers -- people they can empower to embrace social change and give themselves the means to become full economic citizens . albina ruiz , the founder of lima-based ciudad saludable , is a poster child for the economic benefits of entrepreneurship that creates immense social value . she built a community-based waste management system that plays an increasingly important role in improving sanitation and health conditions in peru and other latin american countries . albina developed an innovative chain of job- and income-generating micro-enterprises . every stage of the waste management system , from the hiring of former garbage pickers ( now recyclers ) , to the encouragement of a culture of paid garbage collection , and the transformation of garbage into saleable items that are sold in high-end stores creates a virtuous cycle of change that positively impacts her city . started just 10 years ago , ciudad saludable now serves more than 3 million residents in the slums of lima alone . the organization has spread across peru and other countries in latin america , employing hundreds of people , improving public health and the environment and contributing to the economic vitality of the communities and cities in which ciudad saludable and its many micro-enterprises operates . there is no better argument for supporting entrepreneurship worldwide . israel 's delegation deserves credit for engaging their fellow member countries in dialogue to encourage a global approach to promote entrepreneurship . the success of the resolution will provide a necessary pathway for stimulating future entrepreneurs and help equip world leaders to be better able to solve complex and fast-changing economic and social problems . to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation everywhere - it will take a global village . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of beverly schwartz . | beverly schwartz : entrepreneurship is an important key to the world 's economies |
icelanders <tsp> ( cnn ) -- voters in iceland on saturday appear poised to reject a deal to pay billions of dollars to the netherlands and the united kingdom , which helped savers who were their own nationals who 'd lost money in a failed icelandic internet bank . according to preliminary results , about 93 percent of voters rejected the deal , which would pay the united kingdom and the netherlands more than $ 5 billion for bailing out people who lost money in icesave -- an online retail bank branch of landsbanki . that icelandic bank failed in october 2008 , along with two other banks . under a european union directive , iceland now owes compensation to britain and the netherlands . the icelandic government has said it will honor its international obligations . only 1.6 percent of the 74,000 ballots tallied so far were in favor of the deal , the country 's foreign ministry said saturday . another 5.2 percent of the votes were empty ballots , the ministry said . about 200,000 people were registered to vote , it said . iceland 's parliament passed a bill authorizing a state guarantee for repayment of the funds , but president olafur ragnar grímsson declined to sign it in january . he cited public disapproval , and in particular , an internet petition signed by up to one-quarter of the electorate , as a reason for not signing the bill . he said there needed to be a national consensus in addressing the issue . that prompted saturday 's national referendum on the law . the icelandic public widely disapproved of the deal , the government said in a fact sheet on the deal . there is widespread frustration over the claim on ordinary citizens in iceland to pay the price for the irresponsible behavior of reckless bankers , ' it said . magnus arni skulason , who campaigned against the bill , called the terms of the loan repayment unacceptable . of course we feel empathy for those people that lost money , ' he said . we just want to get a more reasonable agreement , ' he told cnn . there are sovereign issues that ... would not be acceptable to any country , ' he said . also there is a staggering interest rate ... equal to running the national health care system for six months here in iceland . ' he called the collapse of the icelandic banks during the world financial crisis of 2008-09 a shared responsibility of iceland , the uk and the netherlands , ' blaming financial regulators ' in the countries . it is not clear what will happen if voters say no to the loan guarantees . the icelandic government said it has clearly stated its intention to honor its international obligations and remains fully committed to implementing the bilateral loan agreements with the uk and the netherlands ... ' the international monetary fund loaned iceland $ 2.1 billion in november , and said repaying the money to the british and dutch governments was a requirement of the loan . dutch finance minister wouter bos told cnn in january that nonrepayment of the funds would affect the long-term interest of the iceland economy and the iceland people . ' britain 's treasury expects iceland to live up to its obligations , it said in a statement in january . iceland has begun moves toward applying for european union membership , which britain and the netherlands could block . britain spent 2.3 billion pounds ( $ 3.69 billion ) last year to cover the losses that british savers incurred when icelandic banks collapsed . the dutch government spent 1.3 billion euros ( $ 1.87 billion ) to cover bank losses in the country . the government of iceland has for the past three weeks been engaged in a dialogue with the governments of the netherlands and the united kingdom , hoping for a resolution , iceland 's foreign ministry said friday . iceland called the talks constructive , ' adding that iceland is confident that a mutually acceptable solution can be reached .... and is hopeful that discussions will resume as early as next week . ' despite his refusal to sign the bill , grímsson told cnn in january that iceland recognizes its obligations under this agreement . ' resolving the issue , he added , is a key to our recovery and our harmonious relations with these countries . ' the law on which icelanders voted saturday would compensate britain and the netherlands by 2024 . a simple majority is needed for the bill to pass . about 300,000 people live in iceland . | some icelanders say that the current repayment terms are unacceptable |
uk <tsp> ( cnn ) -- voters in iceland on saturday appear poised to reject a deal to pay billions of dollars to the netherlands and the united kingdom , which helped savers who were their own nationals who 'd lost money in a failed icelandic internet bank . according to preliminary results , about 93 percent of voters rejected the deal , which would pay the united kingdom and the netherlands more than $ 5 billion for bailing out people who lost money in icesave -- an online retail bank branch of landsbanki . that icelandic bank failed in october 2008 , along with two other banks . under a european union directive , iceland now owes compensation to britain and the netherlands . the icelandic government has said it will honor its international obligations . only 1.6 percent of the 74,000 ballots tallied so far were in favor of the deal , the country 's foreign ministry said saturday . another 5.2 percent of the votes were empty ballots , the ministry said . about 200,000 people were registered to vote , it said . iceland 's parliament passed a bill authorizing a state guarantee for repayment of the funds , but president olafur ragnar grímsson declined to sign it in january . he cited public disapproval , and in particular , an internet petition signed by up to one-quarter of the electorate , as a reason for not signing the bill . he said there needed to be a national consensus in addressing the issue . that prompted saturday 's national referendum on the law . the icelandic public widely disapproved of the deal , the government said in a fact sheet on the deal . there is widespread frustration over the claim on ordinary citizens in iceland to pay the price for the irresponsible behavior of reckless bankers , ' it said . magnus arni skulason , who campaigned against the bill , called the terms of the loan repayment unacceptable . of course we feel empathy for those people that lost money , ' he said . we just want to get a more reasonable agreement , ' he told cnn . there are sovereign issues that ... would not be acceptable to any country , ' he said . also there is a staggering interest rate ... equal to running the national health care system for six months here in iceland . ' he called the collapse of the icelandic banks during the world financial crisis of 2008-09 a shared responsibility of iceland , the uk and the netherlands , ' blaming financial regulators ' in the countries . it is not clear what will happen if voters say no to the loan guarantees . the icelandic government said it has clearly stated its intention to honor its international obligations and remains fully committed to implementing the bilateral loan agreements with the uk and the netherlands ... ' the international monetary fund loaned iceland $ 2.1 billion in november , and said repaying the money to the british and dutch governments was a requirement of the loan . dutch finance minister wouter bos told cnn in january that nonrepayment of the funds would affect the long-term interest of the iceland economy and the iceland people . ' britain 's treasury expects iceland to live up to its obligations , it said in a statement in january . iceland has begun moves toward applying for european union membership , which britain and the netherlands could block . britain spent 2.3 billion pounds ( $ 3.69 billion ) last year to cover the losses that british savers incurred when icelandic banks collapsed . the dutch government spent 1.3 billion euros ( $ 1.87 billion ) to cover bank losses in the country . the government of iceland has for the past three weeks been engaged in a dialogue with the governments of the netherlands and the united kingdom , hoping for a resolution , iceland 's foreign ministry said friday . iceland called the talks constructive , ' adding that iceland is confident that a mutually acceptable solution can be reached .... and is hopeful that discussions will resume as early as next week . ' despite his refusal to sign the bill , grímsson told cnn in january that iceland recognizes its obligations under this agreement . ' resolving the issue , he added , is a key to our recovery and our harmonious relations with these countries . ' the law on which icelanders voted saturday would compensate britain and the netherlands by 2024 . a simple majority is needed for the bill to pass . about 300,000 people live in iceland . | uk , dutch governments bailed out savers hit by the collapse of icelandic banks |
uk <tsp> ( cnn ) -- voters in iceland on saturday appear poised to reject a deal to pay billions of dollars to the netherlands and the united kingdom , which helped savers who were their own nationals who 'd lost money in a failed icelandic internet bank . according to preliminary results , about 93 percent of voters rejected the deal , which would pay the united kingdom and the netherlands more than $ 5 billion for bailing out people who lost money in icesave -- an online retail bank branch of landsbanki . that icelandic bank failed in october 2008 , along with two other banks . under a european union directive , iceland now owes compensation to britain and the netherlands . the icelandic government has said it will honor its international obligations . only 1.6 percent of the 74,000 ballots tallied so far were in favor of the deal , the country 's foreign ministry said saturday . another 5.2 percent of the votes were empty ballots , the ministry said . about 200,000 people were registered to vote , it said . iceland 's parliament passed a bill authorizing a state guarantee for repayment of the funds , but president olafur ragnar grímsson declined to sign it in january . he cited public disapproval , and in particular , an internet petition signed by up to one-quarter of the electorate , as a reason for not signing the bill . he said there needed to be a national consensus in addressing the issue . that prompted saturday 's national referendum on the law . the icelandic public widely disapproved of the deal , the government said in a fact sheet on the deal . there is widespread frustration over the claim on ordinary citizens in iceland to pay the price for the irresponsible behavior of reckless bankers , ' it said . magnus arni skulason , who campaigned against the bill , called the terms of the loan repayment unacceptable . of course we feel empathy for those people that lost money , ' he said . we just want to get a more reasonable agreement , ' he told cnn . there are sovereign issues that ... would not be acceptable to any country , ' he said . also there is a staggering interest rate ... equal to running the national health care system for six months here in iceland . ' he called the collapse of the icelandic banks during the world financial crisis of 2008-09 a shared responsibility of iceland , the uk and the netherlands , ' blaming financial regulators ' in the countries . it is not clear what will happen if voters say no to the loan guarantees . the icelandic government said it has clearly stated its intention to honor its international obligations and remains fully committed to implementing the bilateral loan agreements with the uk and the netherlands ... ' the international monetary fund loaned iceland $ 2.1 billion in november , and said repaying the money to the british and dutch governments was a requirement of the loan . dutch finance minister wouter bos told cnn in january that nonrepayment of the funds would affect the long-term interest of the iceland economy and the iceland people . ' britain 's treasury expects iceland to live up to its obligations , it said in a statement in january . iceland has begun moves toward applying for european union membership , which britain and the netherlands could block . britain spent 2.3 billion pounds ( $ 3.69 billion ) last year to cover the losses that british savers incurred when icelandic banks collapsed . the dutch government spent 1.3 billion euros ( $ 1.87 billion ) to cover bank losses in the country . the government of iceland has for the past three weeks been engaged in a dialogue with the governments of the netherlands and the united kingdom , hoping for a resolution , iceland 's foreign ministry said friday . iceland called the talks constructive , ' adding that iceland is confident that a mutually acceptable solution can be reached .... and is hopeful that discussions will resume as early as next week . ' despite his refusal to sign the bill , grímsson told cnn in january that iceland recognizes its obligations under this agreement . ' resolving the issue , he added , is a key to our recovery and our harmonious relations with these countries . ' the law on which icelanders voted saturday would compensate britain and the netherlands by 2024 . a simple majority is needed for the bill to pass . about 300,000 people live in iceland . | under an eu directive , iceland owes compensation to the uk , the netherlands |
los angeles <tsp> ( cnn ) the tuskegee airmen -- the proud , pioneering group of world war ii african-american fighter pilots and service personnel -- lost two more members last week . clarence huntley jr. and joseph shambrey both died in los angeles on january 5 . their deaths were confirmed by craig huntly , clarence huntley 's nephew . the two men , who were lifelong friends and born within six weeks of one another , were 91 . they were friends before they joined the army , ' said huntly . ( the different spelling is deliberate , he said , a product of family tinkering . ) they did n't go to school together , but in the black community in los angeles , mostly everybody knew everybody . ' there are no concise numbers for the total number of tuskegee airmen , the first african-american military aviators in the u.s. service corps . the group is generally said to consist of anybody who went through the tuskegee experience , ' the army air corps program established to train african-americans for the war effort , according to tuskegee airmen inc. , a group devoted to the history of the airmen . tuskegee 's historic love story ' the tuskegee airmen included pilots , navigators , bombardiers , maintenance and support staff , instructors , and all the personnel who kept the planes in the air , ' the group 's website states . famous airmen include benjamin o. davis jr. , who became the air force 's first black general . their story was told in the 2012 george lucas-produced film red tails . ' ron brewington , a historian of the airmen , estimates that there are 200 known survivors left of the tuskegee experience , though the number may be higher . there are just 20 left in the los angeles chapter ; three have died in the past three months , said brewington . given that trainees went through the program from 1941 to 1949 , it 's a safe assumption that any survivors are in their 80s or older today -- and like other world war ii veterans , their numbers are dwindling . as of july , about 1 million world war ii veterans were still alive , of the 16 million who served . according to the veterans administration ( pdf ) , about 400 die every day . these guys and gals are in their 90s , ' observed brad lang , a leader of the caf red tail squadron , another organization devoted to spreading the word about the airmen . brewington said that one airman he knows of is 105 , the oldest known living airman . clarence huntley trained as a mechanic and was crew chief of a plane called skipper 's darlin'iii . in 2011 , he had a chance to sit in the p-51 red-tailed mustang that the caf red tail squadron takes across the country , the first time he 'd sat in the cockpit of a mustang in decades , caf red tail 's newsletter observed back then . what 's more , he was wearing the same jacket he wore ' in a 1944 photograph of himself in the plane , the newsletter said . lang recalls that huntley had a spring in his step , hopping into the cockpit like a much younger man . lang flew the plane in to california , where uncle buddy , ' as huntley was called , was one of many who visited it . huntly , the nephew , said his uncle was proud of his service , though he did n't talk about it much . ' just 19 when he enlisted , huntley saw the brutal segregation of alabama -- much different than the culture he left in los angeles -- and the bombing of an italian airfield where he was stationed . he also saw the 1944 eruption of mount vesuvius , the last time that famed volcano blew . he spent his post-military career as a skycap at los angeles international and burbank airports . shambrey was a supervisor for the los angeles county department of parks and recreation . a call to his son , timothy , had n't been returned at publication time . their example , and that of so many others , is important to acknowledge , said brewington , who served 22 years in the navy . they made it easier for me , and i 'm trying to make it easier for others , ' he said . the passing of the airmen makes our mission all the more important to carry on so their story is not lost but continues to serve as a legacy of inspiration , ' said caf red tail administrator lavone kay . in 2012 : former tuskegee airman dies | two tuskegee airmen died in los angeles last week |
tanzania <tsp> tanzania is far more than just a spot to climb the world 's tallest freestanding mountain . the east african country 's stunning wildlife , expansive volcanic crater and intriguing islands all set it apart as a unique destination . massive mount kilimanjaro just adds to its allure . the indian ocean laps tanzania 's eastern edge between kenya and mozambique , and the spice island ' of zanzibar is 22 miles off the mainland . tanzania 's sprawling plains are sparsely populated , by people , at least . about half the world 's dwindling lion population lives in east africa , estimates indicate . here are five ways to experience tanzania 's splendor . instagram : following bourdain around the world roam the ngorongoro crater sometimes called africa 's garden of eden , ' some 25,000 large animals live in the ngorongoro conservation area , which stretches across 3,200 square miles of the southeastern serengeti plains adjacent to serengeti national park . the 12-mile-wide ngorongoro crater is the area 's crown jewel . the largest unbroken caldera in the world , it is thought to have formed after an active volcano collapsed about 2.5 million years ago . well over a million wildebeest pass through the area during the annual great migration , one of the planet 's most remarkable natural spectacles . from december to march each year , wildebeest , zebras and other animals gather near lake ndutu on the edge of the conservation area . from there they move north , eventually ending up in the northern serengeti and kenya 's maasai mara in the fall . beyond the huge wildebeest herds , black rhinos , leopards , gazelles and birds thrive here -- as does that most powerful crowd-pleaser , the lion .'parts unknown': 14 things to know about paraguay get to know the lions you 're bound to be on the lookout for lions in the serengeti and their conservation deserves a special mention . the tawny lion prides dominating the ndutu area of the southeastern serengeti are not your lion king ' variety of big fuzzy kittens . these giant creatures are respected among locals because of their history of asserting dominance when challenged by aggressive hunters . in an attempt to discourage the trend of stalking and killing lions in the amboseli ecosystem , conservation organization lion guardians recruits young maasai warriors to instead protect the regal creatures . by naming the lions and developing relationships by tracking them , members of the guardian program recognize that animals like local lioness selenkay can live in peace with their human neighbors . safaris throughout the vast serengeti give visitors the rare opportunity to see these majestic cats in their native territory . the ndutu safari lodge features 34 cottages with porches facing lake ndutu . learn about maasai culture for the maasai , one of the last warrior tribes in the world , cattle are integral to day-to-day life . besides providing sustenance in the form of milk , and sometimes meat and blood , cows are also currency in the region . the tribes move with their livestock across northern tanzania and southern kenya , constructing villages as they go . the settlements generally consist of a ring fence that encloses a group of families , their herds and a collection of mud and dung houses . where livestock gathers , so do big cats hunting for meals . relations between the maasai and the lions that lure tourists by the truckload are tense but evolving . the maasai are formidable opponents strengthened by a nearly 100 % protein diet . a staple is amasi , a lumpy , yogurt-like drink made from fermented milk . sample the spice islands the semi-autonomous islands off the coast of tanzania exhibit the rich and varied influences that arrived on their shores . on the island of zanzibar , african , arab , indian and european flavors emerge in the cuisine , the homes , the people and the famous carved doors . today , 99 % of the population is muslim , compared with about a third of the mainland population . tourism has replaced the spice and slave trades that shaped the island 's history , and delicious street food is part of the local island experience . every night in stone town 's forodhani gardens , vendors set up stalls selling seafood snacks and the famous zanzibar pizza . zanzibar pizza is revered as one of the most delicious foods in the region . with toppings ranging from fresh meats to juicy mango , the crepe-like pizza carries its flavorful toppings on the inside almost akin to a burrito . unlike traditional pizza crust , zanzibar 's variety has the texture of a pancake . and who does n't love pancakes ? the various carts are piled with fresh seafood skewers , african doughnuts called mandazi ' and fried breads . to wash down all the yumminess , try some honey beer or a mixture of sugar cane water , ginger and lime juice . nearby pemba island , also part of the zanzibar archipelago , offers a quieter , unspoiled experience . known as the green island ' for its lush vegetation , the delicately sweet fragrance of cloves permeates the air , underlining the spice island ' moniker . the rolling hills also produce other fragrant crops like mangoes and coconuts . pemba 's coast is home to some of east africa 's best diving . go snorkeling or diving in the translucent waters to admire graceful manta rays , stunning live coral and schools of jewel-toned fish . conquer kilimanjaro the tallest freestanding mountain in the world , northeastern tanzania 's mount kilimanjaro draws tourists because of its relatively accessible trails . while other towering summits require spiderman-like agility and climbing skills , conquering kilimanjaro primarily demands training , determination and a sturdy walking stick . kilimanjaro is africa 's highest peak at 19,340 feet . allot a minimum of five or six days of climbing to reach the top . as climbers ascend the mountain , they experience each of africa 's climates , from the tropical heat at the bottom to the clear iciness at the top of africa . the view at the summit , uhuru point , presents a breathtaking picture of the sprawling country below . | tanzania is home to the wildlife-rich ngorongoro crater , formed by a volcanic collapse |
tanzania <tsp> tanzania is far more than just a spot to climb the world 's tallest freestanding mountain . the east african country 's stunning wildlife , expansive volcanic crater and intriguing islands all set it apart as a unique destination . massive mount kilimanjaro just adds to its allure . the indian ocean laps tanzania 's eastern edge between kenya and mozambique , and the spice island ' of zanzibar is 22 miles off the mainland . tanzania 's sprawling plains are sparsely populated , by people , at least . about half the world 's dwindling lion population lives in east africa , estimates indicate . here are five ways to experience tanzania 's splendor . instagram : following bourdain around the world roam the ngorongoro crater sometimes called africa 's garden of eden , ' some 25,000 large animals live in the ngorongoro conservation area , which stretches across 3,200 square miles of the southeastern serengeti plains adjacent to serengeti national park . the 12-mile-wide ngorongoro crater is the area 's crown jewel . the largest unbroken caldera in the world , it is thought to have formed after an active volcano collapsed about 2.5 million years ago . well over a million wildebeest pass through the area during the annual great migration , one of the planet 's most remarkable natural spectacles . from december to march each year , wildebeest , zebras and other animals gather near lake ndutu on the edge of the conservation area . from there they move north , eventually ending up in the northern serengeti and kenya 's maasai mara in the fall . beyond the huge wildebeest herds , black rhinos , leopards , gazelles and birds thrive here -- as does that most powerful crowd-pleaser , the lion .'parts unknown': 14 things to know about paraguay get to know the lions you 're bound to be on the lookout for lions in the serengeti and their conservation deserves a special mention . the tawny lion prides dominating the ndutu area of the southeastern serengeti are not your lion king ' variety of big fuzzy kittens . these giant creatures are respected among locals because of their history of asserting dominance when challenged by aggressive hunters . in an attempt to discourage the trend of stalking and killing lions in the amboseli ecosystem , conservation organization lion guardians recruits young maasai warriors to instead protect the regal creatures . by naming the lions and developing relationships by tracking them , members of the guardian program recognize that animals like local lioness selenkay can live in peace with their human neighbors . safaris throughout the vast serengeti give visitors the rare opportunity to see these majestic cats in their native territory . the ndutu safari lodge features 34 cottages with porches facing lake ndutu . learn about maasai culture for the maasai , one of the last warrior tribes in the world , cattle are integral to day-to-day life . besides providing sustenance in the form of milk , and sometimes meat and blood , cows are also currency in the region . the tribes move with their livestock across northern tanzania and southern kenya , constructing villages as they go . the settlements generally consist of a ring fence that encloses a group of families , their herds and a collection of mud and dung houses . where livestock gathers , so do big cats hunting for meals . relations between the maasai and the lions that lure tourists by the truckload are tense but evolving . the maasai are formidable opponents strengthened by a nearly 100 % protein diet . a staple is amasi , a lumpy , yogurt-like drink made from fermented milk . sample the spice islands the semi-autonomous islands off the coast of tanzania exhibit the rich and varied influences that arrived on their shores . on the island of zanzibar , african , arab , indian and european flavors emerge in the cuisine , the homes , the people and the famous carved doors . today , 99 % of the population is muslim , compared with about a third of the mainland population . tourism has replaced the spice and slave trades that shaped the island 's history , and delicious street food is part of the local island experience . every night in stone town 's forodhani gardens , vendors set up stalls selling seafood snacks and the famous zanzibar pizza . zanzibar pizza is revered as one of the most delicious foods in the region . with toppings ranging from fresh meats to juicy mango , the crepe-like pizza carries its flavorful toppings on the inside almost akin to a burrito . unlike traditional pizza crust , zanzibar 's variety has the texture of a pancake . and who does n't love pancakes ? the various carts are piled with fresh seafood skewers , african doughnuts called mandazi ' and fried breads . to wash down all the yumminess , try some honey beer or a mixture of sugar cane water , ginger and lime juice . nearby pemba island , also part of the zanzibar archipelago , offers a quieter , unspoiled experience . known as the green island ' for its lush vegetation , the delicately sweet fragrance of cloves permeates the air , underlining the spice island ' moniker . the rolling hills also produce other fragrant crops like mangoes and coconuts . pemba 's coast is home to some of east africa 's best diving . go snorkeling or diving in the translucent waters to admire graceful manta rays , stunning live coral and schools of jewel-toned fish . conquer kilimanjaro the tallest freestanding mountain in the world , northeastern tanzania 's mount kilimanjaro draws tourists because of its relatively accessible trails . while other towering summits require spiderman-like agility and climbing skills , conquering kilimanjaro primarily demands training , determination and a sturdy walking stick . kilimanjaro is africa 's highest peak at 19,340 feet . allot a minimum of five or six days of climbing to reach the top . as climbers ascend the mountain , they experience each of africa 's climates , from the tropical heat at the bottom to the clear iciness at the top of africa . the view at the summit , uhuru point , presents a breathtaking picture of the sprawling country below . | zanzibar and pemba islands offer visitors a totally different slice of tanzania |
leggett <tsp> ( cnn ) -- comedian jay leggett , who produced a documentary about the joys of deer hunting , died of natural causes at the end of a deer hunt saturday . leggett , 50 , collapsed and died next to his all-terrain vehicle at the end of a hunt on the first day of gun deer season in his native tomahawk , wisconsin , according to lincoln county sheriff 's spokesman mike caylor . a deer that leggett had killed was strapped to the atv . leggett 's 2011 film to the hunt : deer season in tomahawk , wisconsin ' documented deer camp life and the fun , family and fraternity of the hunt , ' according to promotional materials . the victim had returned to the cabin from his deer stand on an atv , ' the sheriff 's statement said . when he got off the machine he collapsed and was found unresponsive by family members who immediately started cpr . ' paramedics were unable to revive leggett and the coroner pronounced him dead at the scene , caylor said . comedian , hunter , teacher leggett , who grew up in tomahawk , performed with the improv olympic in chicago , a company that included mike meyers , chris farley and andy richter . he left the company to join the cast of in living color ' for the tv sketch comedy series'1993 season . he acted in many other tv shows after moving to los angeles , but he also became a screenwriter . he wrote , produced and acted in the 2004 comedy film employee of the month , ' starring matt dillon . at the time of his death , leggett was the lead instructor at comedy now l.a. , teaching improv , acting and writing . adam devine , the co-creator and star of comedy central 's workaholics , ' called leggett his guru . ' rip my friend , teacher and mentor jay leggett . you will be missed , ' devine tweeted sunday . devine is quoted on the school 's website calling hm by far the best teacher i 've ever had . ' he gave me the comedy chops i needed to become successful , ' devine said . it 's simple : he 'll make you the best you can be . he eats and sleeps comedy . andâ also real food and real sleep -- because he 's not crazy . he also gave me my first paying comedy job which proves just how smart and insightful he really is . ' people we lost in 2013 cnn 's jane caffrey contributed to this report . | leggett collapsed and died at the end of a hunt on the first day of wisconsin 's gun deer season |
leggett <tsp> ( cnn ) -- comedian jay leggett , who produced a documentary about the joys of deer hunting , died of natural causes at the end of a deer hunt saturday . leggett , 50 , collapsed and died next to his all-terrain vehicle at the end of a hunt on the first day of gun deer season in his native tomahawk , wisconsin , according to lincoln county sheriff 's spokesman mike caylor . a deer that leggett had killed was strapped to the atv . leggett 's 2011 film to the hunt : deer season in tomahawk , wisconsin ' documented deer camp life and the fun , family and fraternity of the hunt , ' according to promotional materials . the victim had returned to the cabin from his deer stand on an atv , ' the sheriff 's statement said . when he got off the machine he collapsed and was found unresponsive by family members who immediately started cpr . ' paramedics were unable to revive leggett and the coroner pronounced him dead at the scene , caylor said . comedian , hunter , teacher leggett , who grew up in tomahawk , performed with the improv olympic in chicago , a company that included mike meyers , chris farley and andy richter . he left the company to join the cast of in living color ' for the tv sketch comedy series'1993 season . he acted in many other tv shows after moving to los angeles , but he also became a screenwriter . he wrote , produced and acted in the 2004 comedy film employee of the month , ' starring matt dillon . at the time of his death , leggett was the lead instructor at comedy now l.a. , teaching improv , acting and writing . adam devine , the co-creator and star of comedy central 's workaholics , ' called leggett his guru . ' rip my friend , teacher and mentor jay leggett . you will be missed , ' devine tweeted sunday . devine is quoted on the school 's website calling hm by far the best teacher i 've ever had . ' he gave me the comedy chops i needed to become successful , ' devine said . it 's simple : he 'll make you the best you can be . he eats and sleeps comedy . andâ also real food and real sleep -- because he 's not crazy . he also gave me my first paying comedy job which proves just how smart and insightful he really is . ' people we lost in 2013 cnn 's jane caffrey contributed to this report . | leggett 's film to the hunt ' documented the fun , family and fraternity of the hunt ' |
leggett <tsp> ( cnn ) -- comedian jay leggett , who produced a documentary about the joys of deer hunting , died of natural causes at the end of a deer hunt saturday . leggett , 50 , collapsed and died next to his all-terrain vehicle at the end of a hunt on the first day of gun deer season in his native tomahawk , wisconsin , according to lincoln county sheriff 's spokesman mike caylor . a deer that leggett had killed was strapped to the atv . leggett 's 2011 film to the hunt : deer season in tomahawk , wisconsin ' documented deer camp life and the fun , family and fraternity of the hunt , ' according to promotional materials . the victim had returned to the cabin from his deer stand on an atv , ' the sheriff 's statement said . when he got off the machine he collapsed and was found unresponsive by family members who immediately started cpr . ' paramedics were unable to revive leggett and the coroner pronounced him dead at the scene , caylor said . comedian , hunter , teacher leggett , who grew up in tomahawk , performed with the improv olympic in chicago , a company that included mike meyers , chris farley and andy richter . he left the company to join the cast of in living color ' for the tv sketch comedy series'1993 season . he acted in many other tv shows after moving to los angeles , but he also became a screenwriter . he wrote , produced and acted in the 2004 comedy film employee of the month , ' starring matt dillon . at the time of his death , leggett was the lead instructor at comedy now l.a. , teaching improv , acting and writing . adam devine , the co-creator and star of comedy central 's workaholics , ' called leggett his guru . ' rip my friend , teacher and mentor jay leggett . you will be missed , ' devine tweeted sunday . devine is quoted on the school 's website calling hm by far the best teacher i 've ever had . ' he gave me the comedy chops i needed to become successful , ' devine said . it 's simple : he 'll make you the best you can be . he eats and sleeps comedy . andâ also real food and real sleep -- because he 's not crazy . he also gave me my first paying comedy job which proves just how smart and insightful he really is . ' people we lost in 2013 cnn 's jane caffrey contributed to this report . | a deer leggett killed was strapped to the atv where he died |
south lake tahoe <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an 11-year-old california girl snatched from the street in front of her house in 1991 had two children with the man accused of taking her and was forced along with the children to live in backyard sheds , police said thursday . jaycee lee dugard as she looked in 1991 and an age-progression image of what she might look like as an adult . from what they have both said , he fathered both of those children with jaycee [ dugard ] , ' el dorado county undersheriff fred kollar told reporters . the girls , now 11 and 15 , had been living with their mother , now 29 , in a series of sheds behind phillip garrido 's house in antioch , california , until they were discovered on wednesday , kollar said . none of the children had ever gone to school , they had never been to a doctor , they were kept in complete isolation in this compound , if you will , at the rear of the house , ' he said . they were born there . ' in a rambling telephone interview from jail , garrido told cnn affiliate kcra of sacramento he was relieved at being caught . i feel much better now , ' he said . this is a process that needed to take place . ' kollar said garrido 's wife , nancy , was with her husband when dugard was abducted from the street in front of her house in south lake tahoe . garrido was already a registered sex offender at the time . watch police talk about why they arrested garrido » ' there was nothing then nor is there anything now to indicate that this was anything other than a stranger abduction of an 11-year-old , ' kollar said . the investigation went years without apparent progress until tuesday , when garrido showed up on the campus of the university of california at berkeley with his two daughters and attempted to get permission to hand out literature and speak , kollar said . he did not know the subject of either the literature or the planned talk . police officers thought the interaction between the older male and the two young females was rather suspicious , ' so she confronted them and performed a background check on him , kollar said . that check revealed that garrido was on federal parole for a 1971 conviction for rape and kidnapping , for which he had served time in the federal penitentiary at leavenworth , kansas . a school spokesman identified the officers as allison jacobs and lisa campbell , and said the two became suspicious of subtle behavior ' garrido exhibited . they passed on the information to garrido 's parole officer , who requested that the 58-year-old man appear wednesday at the parole office . garrido did just that , accompanied by his wife , nancy , and a female named allissa , ' kollar said . the presence of allissa ' and the two children surprised the parole officer , who had never seen them during visits to garrido 's house , kollar said . ultimately , allissa was identified as dugard , ' kollar said . dna confirmation is being sought to confirm her identity , but dugard revealed information during an interview that only she could have known , kollar said . the two minor children turned out to be children of jaycee and the male suspect , garrido , ' he said . scott kernan , undersecretary of the california department of corrections and rehabilitation , told reporters that garrido admitted to having abducted dugard . el dorado county sheriff 's office online records showed that phillip and nancy garrido were in the county jail , held on suspicion of offenses including conspiracy to commit a crime and kidnapping with the intent to commit robbery and rape . dugard had been living behind garrido 's home since she was kidnapped , kollar said . but her presence there apparently went unnoticed by others in the residential neighborhood , where homes on one-fourth to one-half-acre lots typically sell for less than $ 200,000 , said kathy russo , whose father has lived two houses away from the garridos for 33 years . my dad said he never saw a young woman , ' said russo , who added that her father , 94-year-old dante confetti , considered garrido to be a kind of strange , reclusive , kind of an angry kind of guy . ' she said the one-story house 's backyard was obscured by trees and ringed by a wooden fence . her family 's last contact with garrido was last fall , she said . he was burning something in the backyard and my home health aide called the fire department , ' russo said . he was really pissed off , ' she said . came over to the house and started yelling . ' garrido told kcra that he left documents three days ago with the fbi in san francisco , california , that would shed light on the case . they 're going to be a part of the trial , ' he said . a call from cnn to the fbi 's san francisco bureau was not immediately returned . garrido said he could not go into detail about why he chose to abduct dugard . i have n't talked to a lawyer yet , so i ca n't do that , ' he said . but garrido said he had completely turned my life around ' in the past several years . you 're going to find the most powerful story coming from the witness , from the victim , ' he said . if you take this a step at a time , you 're going to fall over backward and in the end you 're going to find the most powerful , heartwarming story . ' he added , wait 'til you hear the story of what took place at this house . you 're going to be absolutely impressed . it 's a disgusting thing that took place with me in the beginning , but i turned my life completely around . ' describing the two daughters , he said , those two girls slept in my arms every single night from birth ; i never kissed them . ' but in a later comment , he said that , from the time the youngest was born , everything turned around . ' asked about the fact that they had not seen doctors , he said , we just did n't have the finances and so forth . ' kollar said a search of garrido 's property revealed a hidden backyard within a backyard , ' he said . it included several sheds no higher than 6 feet tall , two tents and several outbuildings where jaycee and the girls spent most of their lives . ' the secondary ' backyard was inside the first and was screened from view . ' one of the sheds was soundproof , he said . the way the backyard is set up you could walk through the backyard , walk through the house and never know that there was another set of living circumstances in that backyard . ' at the end of the backyard is a 6-foot fence lined with shrubs , tall trees , garbage bags and a tarp , all of which obscured views of what was there , he said . extension cords provided electricity to the sheds and tents , and an outhouse and rudimentary shower as if you were camping ' were there , too , he said . dugard was in good health , but living in a backyard for the past 18 years does take its toll , ' kollar said . he described her as relatively cooperative , relatively forthcoming ' in discussions with detectives . he said dugard was in relatively good condition , ' neither obviously abused nor malnourished . he added , there are no known attempts by her to outreach to anybody . ' the mother and her two daughters were staying at a motel in the area , he said . family reunification has begun and will be a long and ongoing process , ' he said , presumably referring to dugard 's parents . earlier thursday , carl probyn , dugard 's stepfather , told cnn that an fbi agent had called his wife , terry , on wednesday afternoon to tell her that dugard had been found . jaycee remembers everything , ' he said . they talked back and forth and she had the right answers to all my wife 's questions . ' he said , i 'm feeling great ! ... it 's like winning the lotto . ' he witnessed the abduction of the blond , blue-eyed girl , who was wearing a pink windbreaker and pink stretch pants as she walked to her bus stop on june 10 , 1991 . watch the stepfather describe finding out jaycee is alive » at the time , it was reported that a vehicle occupied by two individuals drove up to jaycee dugard and abducted her in view of her stepfather , ' the el dorado county sheriff 's office said thursday . ernie allen , president of the national center for missing and exploited children , said the reappearance of dugard is absolutely huge . ' one of the things that we preach to searching families all the time ... is that even in these long-term cases there 's hope , ' he said . even in these long-term cases ... it 's important that we not let the world forget . ' cnn 's taylor gandossy , tom watkins and stan wilson contributed to this report . | sex offender admitted to having abducted girl in south lake tahoe , police say |
south lake tahoe <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an 11-year-old california girl snatched from the street in front of her house in 1991 had two children with the man accused of taking her and was forced along with the children to live in backyard sheds , police said thursday . jaycee lee dugard as she looked in 1991 and an age-progression image of what she might look like as an adult . from what they have both said , he fathered both of those children with jaycee [ dugard ] , ' el dorado county undersheriff fred kollar told reporters . the girls , now 11 and 15 , had been living with their mother , now 29 , in a series of sheds behind phillip garrido 's house in antioch , california , until they were discovered on wednesday , kollar said . none of the children had ever gone to school , they had never been to a doctor , they were kept in complete isolation in this compound , if you will , at the rear of the house , ' he said . they were born there . ' in a rambling telephone interview from jail , garrido told cnn affiliate kcra of sacramento he was relieved at being caught . i feel much better now , ' he said . this is a process that needed to take place . ' kollar said garrido 's wife , nancy , was with her husband when dugard was abducted from the street in front of her house in south lake tahoe . garrido was already a registered sex offender at the time . watch police talk about why they arrested garrido » ' there was nothing then nor is there anything now to indicate that this was anything other than a stranger abduction of an 11-year-old , ' kollar said . the investigation went years without apparent progress until tuesday , when garrido showed up on the campus of the university of california at berkeley with his two daughters and attempted to get permission to hand out literature and speak , kollar said . he did not know the subject of either the literature or the planned talk . police officers thought the interaction between the older male and the two young females was rather suspicious , ' so she confronted them and performed a background check on him , kollar said . that check revealed that garrido was on federal parole for a 1971 conviction for rape and kidnapping , for which he had served time in the federal penitentiary at leavenworth , kansas . a school spokesman identified the officers as allison jacobs and lisa campbell , and said the two became suspicious of subtle behavior ' garrido exhibited . they passed on the information to garrido 's parole officer , who requested that the 58-year-old man appear wednesday at the parole office . garrido did just that , accompanied by his wife , nancy , and a female named allissa , ' kollar said . the presence of allissa ' and the two children surprised the parole officer , who had never seen them during visits to garrido 's house , kollar said . ultimately , allissa was identified as dugard , ' kollar said . dna confirmation is being sought to confirm her identity , but dugard revealed information during an interview that only she could have known , kollar said . the two minor children turned out to be children of jaycee and the male suspect , garrido , ' he said . scott kernan , undersecretary of the california department of corrections and rehabilitation , told reporters that garrido admitted to having abducted dugard . el dorado county sheriff 's office online records showed that phillip and nancy garrido were in the county jail , held on suspicion of offenses including conspiracy to commit a crime and kidnapping with the intent to commit robbery and rape . dugard had been living behind garrido 's home since she was kidnapped , kollar said . but her presence there apparently went unnoticed by others in the residential neighborhood , where homes on one-fourth to one-half-acre lots typically sell for less than $ 200,000 , said kathy russo , whose father has lived two houses away from the garridos for 33 years . my dad said he never saw a young woman , ' said russo , who added that her father , 94-year-old dante confetti , considered garrido to be a kind of strange , reclusive , kind of an angry kind of guy . ' she said the one-story house 's backyard was obscured by trees and ringed by a wooden fence . her family 's last contact with garrido was last fall , she said . he was burning something in the backyard and my home health aide called the fire department , ' russo said . he was really pissed off , ' she said . came over to the house and started yelling . ' garrido told kcra that he left documents three days ago with the fbi in san francisco , california , that would shed light on the case . they 're going to be a part of the trial , ' he said . a call from cnn to the fbi 's san francisco bureau was not immediately returned . garrido said he could not go into detail about why he chose to abduct dugard . i have n't talked to a lawyer yet , so i ca n't do that , ' he said . but garrido said he had completely turned my life around ' in the past several years . you 're going to find the most powerful story coming from the witness , from the victim , ' he said . if you take this a step at a time , you 're going to fall over backward and in the end you 're going to find the most powerful , heartwarming story . ' he added , wait 'til you hear the story of what took place at this house . you 're going to be absolutely impressed . it 's a disgusting thing that took place with me in the beginning , but i turned my life completely around . ' describing the two daughters , he said , those two girls slept in my arms every single night from birth ; i never kissed them . ' but in a later comment , he said that , from the time the youngest was born , everything turned around . ' asked about the fact that they had not seen doctors , he said , we just did n't have the finances and so forth . ' kollar said a search of garrido 's property revealed a hidden backyard within a backyard , ' he said . it included several sheds no higher than 6 feet tall , two tents and several outbuildings where jaycee and the girls spent most of their lives . ' the secondary ' backyard was inside the first and was screened from view . ' one of the sheds was soundproof , he said . the way the backyard is set up you could walk through the backyard , walk through the house and never know that there was another set of living circumstances in that backyard . ' at the end of the backyard is a 6-foot fence lined with shrubs , tall trees , garbage bags and a tarp , all of which obscured views of what was there , he said . extension cords provided electricity to the sheds and tents , and an outhouse and rudimentary shower as if you were camping ' were there , too , he said . dugard was in good health , but living in a backyard for the past 18 years does take its toll , ' kollar said . he described her as relatively cooperative , relatively forthcoming ' in discussions with detectives . he said dugard was in relatively good condition , ' neither obviously abused nor malnourished . he added , there are no known attempts by her to outreach to anybody . ' the mother and her two daughters were staying at a motel in the area , he said . family reunification has begun and will be a long and ongoing process , ' he said , presumably referring to dugard 's parents . earlier thursday , carl probyn , dugard 's stepfather , told cnn that an fbi agent had called his wife , terry , on wednesday afternoon to tell her that dugard had been found . jaycee remembers everything , ' he said . they talked back and forth and she had the right answers to all my wife 's questions . ' he said , i 'm feeling great ! ... it 's like winning the lotto . ' he witnessed the abduction of the blond , blue-eyed girl , who was wearing a pink windbreaker and pink stretch pants as she walked to her bus stop on june 10 , 1991 . watch the stepfather describe finding out jaycee is alive » at the time , it was reported that a vehicle occupied by two individuals drove up to jaycee dugard and abducted her in view of her stepfather , ' the el dorado county sheriff 's office said thursday . ernie allen , president of the national center for missing and exploited children , said the reappearance of dugard is absolutely huge . ' one of the things that we preach to searching families all the time ... is that even in these long-term cases there 's hope , ' he said . even in these long-term cases ... it 's important that we not let the world forget . ' cnn 's taylor gandossy , tom watkins and stan wilson contributed to this report . | jaycee dugard disappeared in south lake tahoe , california , at age 11 in 1991 |
california <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an 11-year-old california girl snatched from the street in front of her house in 1991 had two children with the man accused of taking her and was forced along with the children to live in backyard sheds , police said thursday . jaycee lee dugard as she looked in 1991 and an age-progression image of what she might look like as an adult . from what they have both said , he fathered both of those children with jaycee [ dugard ] , ' el dorado county undersheriff fred kollar told reporters . the girls , now 11 and 15 , had been living with their mother , now 29 , in a series of sheds behind phillip garrido 's house in antioch , california , until they were discovered on wednesday , kollar said . none of the children had ever gone to school , they had never been to a doctor , they were kept in complete isolation in this compound , if you will , at the rear of the house , ' he said . they were born there . ' in a rambling telephone interview from jail , garrido told cnn affiliate kcra of sacramento he was relieved at being caught . i feel much better now , ' he said . this is a process that needed to take place . ' kollar said garrido 's wife , nancy , was with her husband when dugard was abducted from the street in front of her house in south lake tahoe . garrido was already a registered sex offender at the time . watch police talk about why they arrested garrido » ' there was nothing then nor is there anything now to indicate that this was anything other than a stranger abduction of an 11-year-old , ' kollar said . the investigation went years without apparent progress until tuesday , when garrido showed up on the campus of the university of california at berkeley with his two daughters and attempted to get permission to hand out literature and speak , kollar said . he did not know the subject of either the literature or the planned talk . police officers thought the interaction between the older male and the two young females was rather suspicious , ' so she confronted them and performed a background check on him , kollar said . that check revealed that garrido was on federal parole for a 1971 conviction for rape and kidnapping , for which he had served time in the federal penitentiary at leavenworth , kansas . a school spokesman identified the officers as allison jacobs and lisa campbell , and said the two became suspicious of subtle behavior ' garrido exhibited . they passed on the information to garrido 's parole officer , who requested that the 58-year-old man appear wednesday at the parole office . garrido did just that , accompanied by his wife , nancy , and a female named allissa , ' kollar said . the presence of allissa ' and the two children surprised the parole officer , who had never seen them during visits to garrido 's house , kollar said . ultimately , allissa was identified as dugard , ' kollar said . dna confirmation is being sought to confirm her identity , but dugard revealed information during an interview that only she could have known , kollar said . the two minor children turned out to be children of jaycee and the male suspect , garrido , ' he said . scott kernan , undersecretary of the california department of corrections and rehabilitation , told reporters that garrido admitted to having abducted dugard . el dorado county sheriff 's office online records showed that phillip and nancy garrido were in the county jail , held on suspicion of offenses including conspiracy to commit a crime and kidnapping with the intent to commit robbery and rape . dugard had been living behind garrido 's home since she was kidnapped , kollar said . but her presence there apparently went unnoticed by others in the residential neighborhood , where homes on one-fourth to one-half-acre lots typically sell for less than $ 200,000 , said kathy russo , whose father has lived two houses away from the garridos for 33 years . my dad said he never saw a young woman , ' said russo , who added that her father , 94-year-old dante confetti , considered garrido to be a kind of strange , reclusive , kind of an angry kind of guy . ' she said the one-story house 's backyard was obscured by trees and ringed by a wooden fence . her family 's last contact with garrido was last fall , she said . he was burning something in the backyard and my home health aide called the fire department , ' russo said . he was really pissed off , ' she said . came over to the house and started yelling . ' garrido told kcra that he left documents three days ago with the fbi in san francisco , california , that would shed light on the case . they 're going to be a part of the trial , ' he said . a call from cnn to the fbi 's san francisco bureau was not immediately returned . garrido said he could not go into detail about why he chose to abduct dugard . i have n't talked to a lawyer yet , so i ca n't do that , ' he said . but garrido said he had completely turned my life around ' in the past several years . you 're going to find the most powerful story coming from the witness , from the victim , ' he said . if you take this a step at a time , you 're going to fall over backward and in the end you 're going to find the most powerful , heartwarming story . ' he added , wait 'til you hear the story of what took place at this house . you 're going to be absolutely impressed . it 's a disgusting thing that took place with me in the beginning , but i turned my life completely around . ' describing the two daughters , he said , those two girls slept in my arms every single night from birth ; i never kissed them . ' but in a later comment , he said that , from the time the youngest was born , everything turned around . ' asked about the fact that they had not seen doctors , he said , we just did n't have the finances and so forth . ' kollar said a search of garrido 's property revealed a hidden backyard within a backyard , ' he said . it included several sheds no higher than 6 feet tall , two tents and several outbuildings where jaycee and the girls spent most of their lives . ' the secondary ' backyard was inside the first and was screened from view . ' one of the sheds was soundproof , he said . the way the backyard is set up you could walk through the backyard , walk through the house and never know that there was another set of living circumstances in that backyard . ' at the end of the backyard is a 6-foot fence lined with shrubs , tall trees , garbage bags and a tarp , all of which obscured views of what was there , he said . extension cords provided electricity to the sheds and tents , and an outhouse and rudimentary shower as if you were camping ' were there , too , he said . dugard was in good health , but living in a backyard for the past 18 years does take its toll , ' kollar said . he described her as relatively cooperative , relatively forthcoming ' in discussions with detectives . he said dugard was in relatively good condition , ' neither obviously abused nor malnourished . he added , there are no known attempts by her to outreach to anybody . ' the mother and her two daughters were staying at a motel in the area , he said . family reunification has begun and will be a long and ongoing process , ' he said , presumably referring to dugard 's parents . earlier thursday , carl probyn , dugard 's stepfather , told cnn that an fbi agent had called his wife , terry , on wednesday afternoon to tell her that dugard had been found . jaycee remembers everything , ' he said . they talked back and forth and she had the right answers to all my wife 's questions . ' he said , i 'm feeling great ! ... it 's like winning the lotto . ' he witnessed the abduction of the blond , blue-eyed girl , who was wearing a pink windbreaker and pink stretch pants as she walked to her bus stop on june 10 , 1991 . watch the stepfather describe finding out jaycee is alive » at the time , it was reported that a vehicle occupied by two individuals drove up to jaycee dugard and abducted her in view of her stepfather , ' the el dorado county sheriff 's office said thursday . ernie allen , president of the national center for missing and exploited children , said the reappearance of dugard is absolutely huge . ' one of the things that we preach to searching families all the time ... is that even in these long-term cases there 's hope , ' he said . even in these long-term cases ... it 's important that we not let the world forget . ' cnn 's taylor gandossy , tom watkins and stan wilson contributed to this report . | jaycee dugard disappeared in south lake tahoe , california , at age 11 in 1991 |
reid <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the senate focused wednesday on an energy efficiency bill while house republicans argued among themselves over funding obamacare as congress shifted its focus from the syria crisis in order to give new diplomatic efforts a chance to succeed . in his nationally televised address tuesday night , president barack obama said he asked legislators to hold off on voting on his requested authorization to attack syria over chemical weapons while his administration negotiates with russia on putting syrian stockpiles under international control . congress will be watching these negotiations very closely , ' senate majority leader harry reid , a nevada democrat , warned wednesday . if there is any indication they 're not serious or they 're being used as a ploy to delay , then congress stands ready to return to that syria resolution ' that would authorize a military strike on syria . obama accuses syrian president bashar al-assad of a major sarin gas attack last month on suburban damascus that killed more than 1,400 people . the president tried to generate an international coalition to attack syria for violating chemical weapons bans , but russia blocked any u.n. action and the british parliament voted against taking part to deny the president a normally reliable nato ally . he then went to congress for authorization , but appeared in danger of rejection by legislators reflecting public opposition to military strikes . analysis : is obama a winner or loser on syria ? however , the sudden emergence monday of a diplomatic opening by russia , which proposed having syria give up control of its chemical weapons , caused obama to ask congress for time to pursue negotiations before any vote on military action . so instead of taking up a resolution authorizing a military response to syria , the senate considered a bipartisan bill to improve energy efficiency in the united states . senators agreed to bar any syria-related amendments to the energy bill , assuring that heated political rhetoric in washington wo n't corrode the negotiations secretary of state john kerry will conduct on thursday and friday in geneva with his russian counterpart . u.n. blames both sides in civil war off the senate floor , however , talks continued behind the scenes among a group of bipartisan senators on changes to the resolution that reid said would be taken up if the negotiations with russia fail . new language yet to be finalized takes into account syria 's recent acknowledgment that it possesses chemical weapons . it would authorize the president to attack syria for failing to fully comply with the chemical weapons convention and turn its stockpiles over to the international community . i think we 've all settled into the fact that until we know what agreement is made with another nation ... it 's kind of hard to craft something , ' said sen. bob corker of tennessee , the top republican on the foreign relations committee . corker also criticized obama 's speech to the nation , saying the president failed to effectively make the case that u.s. credibility was on the line in syria . the president just seems to be very uncomfortable being commander in chief of this nation , ' he told cnn . on the house side , republican leaders say they 'll wait for the senate to act on a syria resolution before taking up the matter . meanwhile , democratic rep. chris van hollen of maryland said he and colleagues are working on revisions to a resolution that they will propose if and when the president determines that it would be necessary to proceed with that kind of legislation . ' so we agree that we should take a pause , ' van hollen said . instead , house republican leaders dealt with an internal revolt . they postponed a vote scheduled for thursday on government funding legislation until next week after many conservatives made it clear they would reject the measure because it includes money for obamacare . the politically charged health care law was approved with no republican support in 2010 and upheld by the supreme court last year . now conservatives are targeting bureaucratic and funding steps required to get new programs under the legislation running this fall . cnn 's dana bash and deirdre walsh contributed to this report . | sen. reid : if negotiations fail , the resolution comes back up |
eid <tsp> ( cnn ) -- muslims around the world woke up sunday and welcomed the end of a long month of fasting with hearty greetings of eid mubarak , ' or happy festivities . egyptian women perform the eid al-fitr dawn prayer at a stadium in mansura , 120 km north of cairo . the faithful were ushering in eid al-fitr -- three days of celebrations that muslims mark with joyous community prayers , acts of charity , visits from far-flung relatives , gift-giving and elaborate feasts . think christmas , thanksgiving , new year 's -- all rolled into one . it 's that huge for us , ' said sajjad aziz of hoboken , new jersey . islam follows a lunar calendar , and the timing of eid al-fitr varies around the world depending on when the crescent of a new moon is sighted . so , while most countries -- including the united states -- observed eid on sunday , some will begin their celebrations on monday . the night before eid , entire communities gather on rooftops , scanning the sky with giddy anticipation . it only needs one sighting of the moon in the whole country , and the whole nation erupts in cheers , ' said qazi arif , 35 , of sirajgong , bangladesh . it 's a divine feeling , hard to describe . ' eid al-fitr bids goodbye to ramadan -- a month of dawn-to-dusk abstinence from food , drinks and other sensual pleasures . muslims believe the quran , the religion 's holy book , was revealed to prophet muhammad during ramadan more than 1,400 years ago . the eid is one of two major holidays in islam , alongside another called eid al-adha . the latter commemorates the prophet abraham 's willingness to sacrifice his son , ishmael , for god . on the morning of eid , muslims don new clothes and head to prayers that are often held in open fields to accommodate crowds too big to contain in mosques . those who can afford it donate a small percentage of their possession or its equivalent to the poor and needy so they too can avail themselves for the celebrations . feasts await at every house . it 's a festival principally about community . we 're even asked to take a different route when we walk back from prayers so that we can meet different sets of people to greet and celebrate with , ' said wasim iqbal of karachi , pakistan . for muslims in north america -- and countries where they are the minority -- eid is a more subdued affair . if you have family close by , then you can kind of capture the mood that you remember from back home , ' said abdallah gamal , a native of egypt who lives in st. louis , missouri . but it 's not the same . ' because the u.s. census does not ask about religious affiliation , it is difficult to gauge the muslim population in the united states . the pew muslim american study conducted two years ago estimated it at 2.5 million , while the council on american-islamic relations places it as high as 6 million . on saturday , both president barack obama and secretary of state hillary rodham clinton offered greetings to american muslims . we know there is more than unites peoples of faith than divides us , ' clinton said . so as ramadan draws to a close , let us hold on to that spirit of community throughout the year to achieve our common goals of peace , prosperity and stability . ' it is a message that afghanistan 's president , hamid karzai , also shared during eid prayers when he called on the taliban to join the peace process in his war-weary country . the day was n't one of universal comity , however . in yemen , the government and rebels accused each other saturday of breaking a cease-fire they both asked for to commemorate eid . and iran 's supreme leader ayatollah khamenei used his eid sermon to launch another volley at the country 's arch-rival israel and at western powers . we 're not quite there , i 'll will admit , ' said mehreen ali of boston , massachusetts . but have you seen an eid prayer ? rows and rows of muslims all prostrating together in unison . it 's a feeling of such unity and brotherhood . you have to believe that with that spirit present , anything is possible . ' | timing of eid varies around world depending on when crescent of new moon sighted |
eid <tsp> ( cnn ) -- muslims around the world woke up sunday and welcomed the end of a long month of fasting with hearty greetings of eid mubarak , ' or happy festivities . egyptian women perform the eid al-fitr dawn prayer at a stadium in mansura , 120 km north of cairo . the faithful were ushering in eid al-fitr -- three days of celebrations that muslims mark with joyous community prayers , acts of charity , visits from far-flung relatives , gift-giving and elaborate feasts . think christmas , thanksgiving , new year 's -- all rolled into one . it 's that huge for us , ' said sajjad aziz of hoboken , new jersey . islam follows a lunar calendar , and the timing of eid al-fitr varies around the world depending on when the crescent of a new moon is sighted . so , while most countries -- including the united states -- observed eid on sunday , some will begin their celebrations on monday . the night before eid , entire communities gather on rooftops , scanning the sky with giddy anticipation . it only needs one sighting of the moon in the whole country , and the whole nation erupts in cheers , ' said qazi arif , 35 , of sirajgong , bangladesh . it 's a divine feeling , hard to describe . ' eid al-fitr bids goodbye to ramadan -- a month of dawn-to-dusk abstinence from food , drinks and other sensual pleasures . muslims believe the quran , the religion 's holy book , was revealed to prophet muhammad during ramadan more than 1,400 years ago . the eid is one of two major holidays in islam , alongside another called eid al-adha . the latter commemorates the prophet abraham 's willingness to sacrifice his son , ishmael , for god . on the morning of eid , muslims don new clothes and head to prayers that are often held in open fields to accommodate crowds too big to contain in mosques . those who can afford it donate a small percentage of their possession or its equivalent to the poor and needy so they too can avail themselves for the celebrations . feasts await at every house . it 's a festival principally about community . we 're even asked to take a different route when we walk back from prayers so that we can meet different sets of people to greet and celebrate with , ' said wasim iqbal of karachi , pakistan . for muslims in north america -- and countries where they are the minority -- eid is a more subdued affair . if you have family close by , then you can kind of capture the mood that you remember from back home , ' said abdallah gamal , a native of egypt who lives in st. louis , missouri . but it 's not the same . ' because the u.s. census does not ask about religious affiliation , it is difficult to gauge the muslim population in the united states . the pew muslim american study conducted two years ago estimated it at 2.5 million , while the council on american-islamic relations places it as high as 6 million . on saturday , both president barack obama and secretary of state hillary rodham clinton offered greetings to american muslims . we know there is more than unites peoples of faith than divides us , ' clinton said . so as ramadan draws to a close , let us hold on to that spirit of community throughout the year to achieve our common goals of peace , prosperity and stability . ' it is a message that afghanistan 's president , hamid karzai , also shared during eid prayers when he called on the taliban to join the peace process in his war-weary country . the day was n't one of universal comity , however . in yemen , the government and rebels accused each other saturday of breaking a cease-fire they both asked for to commemorate eid . and iran 's supreme leader ayatollah khamenei used his eid sermon to launch another volley at the country 's arch-rival israel and at western powers . we 're not quite there , i 'll will admit , ' said mehreen ali of boston , massachusetts . but have you seen an eid prayer ? rows and rows of muslims all prostrating together in unison . it 's a feeling of such unity and brotherhood . you have to believe that with that spirit present , anything is possible . ' | eid al-fitr marks end of ramadan -- dawn-to-dusk abstinence from food , drinks |
eid <tsp> ( cnn ) -- muslims around the world woke up sunday and welcomed the end of a long month of fasting with hearty greetings of eid mubarak , ' or happy festivities . egyptian women perform the eid al-fitr dawn prayer at a stadium in mansura , 120 km north of cairo . the faithful were ushering in eid al-fitr -- three days of celebrations that muslims mark with joyous community prayers , acts of charity , visits from far-flung relatives , gift-giving and elaborate feasts . think christmas , thanksgiving , new year 's -- all rolled into one . it 's that huge for us , ' said sajjad aziz of hoboken , new jersey . islam follows a lunar calendar , and the timing of eid al-fitr varies around the world depending on when the crescent of a new moon is sighted . so , while most countries -- including the united states -- observed eid on sunday , some will begin their celebrations on monday . the night before eid , entire communities gather on rooftops , scanning the sky with giddy anticipation . it only needs one sighting of the moon in the whole country , and the whole nation erupts in cheers , ' said qazi arif , 35 , of sirajgong , bangladesh . it 's a divine feeling , hard to describe . ' eid al-fitr bids goodbye to ramadan -- a month of dawn-to-dusk abstinence from food , drinks and other sensual pleasures . muslims believe the quran , the religion 's holy book , was revealed to prophet muhammad during ramadan more than 1,400 years ago . the eid is one of two major holidays in islam , alongside another called eid al-adha . the latter commemorates the prophet abraham 's willingness to sacrifice his son , ishmael , for god . on the morning of eid , muslims don new clothes and head to prayers that are often held in open fields to accommodate crowds too big to contain in mosques . those who can afford it donate a small percentage of their possession or its equivalent to the poor and needy so they too can avail themselves for the celebrations . feasts await at every house . it 's a festival principally about community . we 're even asked to take a different route when we walk back from prayers so that we can meet different sets of people to greet and celebrate with , ' said wasim iqbal of karachi , pakistan . for muslims in north america -- and countries where they are the minority -- eid is a more subdued affair . if you have family close by , then you can kind of capture the mood that you remember from back home , ' said abdallah gamal , a native of egypt who lives in st. louis , missouri . but it 's not the same . ' because the u.s. census does not ask about religious affiliation , it is difficult to gauge the muslim population in the united states . the pew muslim american study conducted two years ago estimated it at 2.5 million , while the council on american-islamic relations places it as high as 6 million . on saturday , both president barack obama and secretary of state hillary rodham clinton offered greetings to american muslims . we know there is more than unites peoples of faith than divides us , ' clinton said . so as ramadan draws to a close , let us hold on to that spirit of community throughout the year to achieve our common goals of peace , prosperity and stability . ' it is a message that afghanistan 's president , hamid karzai , also shared during eid prayers when he called on the taliban to join the peace process in his war-weary country . the day was n't one of universal comity , however . in yemen , the government and rebels accused each other saturday of breaking a cease-fire they both asked for to commemorate eid . and iran 's supreme leader ayatollah khamenei used his eid sermon to launch another volley at the country 's arch-rival israel and at western powers . we 're not quite there , i 'll will admit , ' said mehreen ali of boston , massachusetts . but have you seen an eid prayer ? rows and rows of muslims all prostrating together in unison . it 's a feeling of such unity and brotherhood . you have to believe that with that spirit present , anything is possible . ' | on the morning of eid , muslims don new clothes and head to prayers |
fort hood <tsp> ( cnn ) -- u.s. army sgt . timothy owens will be remembered as many things . a son , a husband , a father . a victim of wednesday 's shooting at fort hood , owens loved the army and planned to make it his career . he did n't answer the phone so i left a message on his phone .'son , call me so i know if you 're ok or not .'well , never got no call from him . i thought :'oh god , please do n't let it be ,'' his mother , mary muntean , told cnn springfield , illinois , affiliate wics on thursday . very terrible that they had to shoot my son . he was a good person . why would they shoot a good person that was helping them ? ' owens is survived by his mother , his wife and two children , according to a family statement . one of his children mourned his passing on facebook . today at fort hood there was a shooting ... my father sadly died tonight .... i still feel like it 's all a dream .... ca n't feel anything , ' wrote loredana owens . i just want everyone to think for a moment .... if you have family your fighting with forgive them , love them , because you never know when there gon na be taken from you ..... i love dad and i hate that you were taken away from me .... i love you daddy ' owens was one of three people killed when a gunman opened fire at the sprawling texas army post . the shooting suspect , 34-year-old spc . ivan lopez , also died , of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head . sixteen other people were injured . owens was described by his family as outgoing . he enjoyed taekwondo . his uncle said his nephew was an honorable man , someone who never met a stranger . you see it happening , but you never know that it 's going to come to you . it 's just very disturbing , ' wallace gerhardt told wics . you 'd think that they 'd have more security and be able to more ready for something like that to happen . i just do n't understand . ' | u.s. army sgt . timothy owens was killed at fort hood on wednesday |
ge <tsp> ( cnet ) -- general electric plans to give its solar business a charge in two years with the introduction of panels with the same solar cell material used by industry cost leader first solar . general energy is developing a solar energy product aimed at utility and commercial customers . in 2011 , the energy giant expects to produce solar panels made with cadmium telluride , a thin-film solar cell material , said michael idelchik , vice president of advanced technologies at ge global research at the emtech conference here on wednesday . the company now sells solar panels that use silicon solar cells , but its long-term bet is on thin-film and specifically cadmium telluride because it offers the cheapest cost per watt , he said . last year , ge 's energy division took a majority stake in golden , colorado-based primestar solar , for its cadmium telluride cell technology . ge is now developing a product around that aimed at utility and commercial customers . solar at ge is a relatively small part of its sprawling energy portfolio , which covers everything from nuclear power plants to natural gas turbines . but ge expects that solar has the potential to grow rapidly , as its multi-billion dollar wind business has done over the past five years . solar is definitely the next wind for us . it 's not there yet but it 's moving very rapidly , ' said idelchik . solar is more expensive than wind right now , but ge expects that renewable energy mandates will help drive growth and bring costs down , he said . thin-film solar cells offer lower production costs than the incumbent silicon because thin-film cells use far less material . over the past five years , several solar companies have formed to make thin-film cells from a combination copper , indium , gallium , and selenide ( cigs ) , which are still not in the market in high volumes . ge 's cells will be made from a compound of cadmium and tellurium . silicon cells are durable and more efficient at converting sunlight to electricity than thin-film solar cells with the most efficient commercial silicon cells over 20 percent . but ge research projects that it can boost the efficiency of cadmium telluride to 12 percent and potentially higher , idelchik said . we are excited about it because it can produce in diffuse light , ' he said . the module ( panel ) life is 20 years -- that 's what the customer wants . it has the right production costs and right efficiency target . ' asked how its cadmium telluride products will differ from first solar 's , idelchik said that ge 's device would be more flexible for customers . ' during his presentation , idelchik said that ge is looking at ways at managing an entire solar array in a large installation built by a utility or commercial customer . after his talk , he said that ge is developing technology to recycle the solar cell material , as cadmium is a very toxic if it enters the environment . © 2009 cbs interactive inc. all rights reserved . cnet , cnet.com and the cnet logo are registered trademarks of cbs interactive inc. used by permission . | ge says change has the right production costs and right efficiency target |
ge <tsp> ( cnet ) -- general electric plans to give its solar business a charge in two years with the introduction of panels with the same solar cell material used by industry cost leader first solar . general energy is developing a solar energy product aimed at utility and commercial customers . in 2011 , the energy giant expects to produce solar panels made with cadmium telluride , a thin-film solar cell material , said michael idelchik , vice president of advanced technologies at ge global research at the emtech conference here on wednesday . the company now sells solar panels that use silicon solar cells , but its long-term bet is on thin-film and specifically cadmium telluride because it offers the cheapest cost per watt , he said . last year , ge 's energy division took a majority stake in golden , colorado-based primestar solar , for its cadmium telluride cell technology . ge is now developing a product around that aimed at utility and commercial customers . solar at ge is a relatively small part of its sprawling energy portfolio , which covers everything from nuclear power plants to natural gas turbines . but ge expects that solar has the potential to grow rapidly , as its multi-billion dollar wind business has done over the past five years . solar is definitely the next wind for us . it 's not there yet but it 's moving very rapidly , ' said idelchik . solar is more expensive than wind right now , but ge expects that renewable energy mandates will help drive growth and bring costs down , he said . thin-film solar cells offer lower production costs than the incumbent silicon because thin-film cells use far less material . over the past five years , several solar companies have formed to make thin-film cells from a combination copper , indium , gallium , and selenide ( cigs ) , which are still not in the market in high volumes . ge 's cells will be made from a compound of cadmium and tellurium . silicon cells are durable and more efficient at converting sunlight to electricity than thin-film solar cells with the most efficient commercial silicon cells over 20 percent . but ge research projects that it can boost the efficiency of cadmium telluride to 12 percent and potentially higher , idelchik said . we are excited about it because it can produce in diffuse light , ' he said . the module ( panel ) life is 20 years -- that 's what the customer wants . it has the right production costs and right efficiency target . ' asked how its cadmium telluride products will differ from first solar 's , idelchik said that ge 's device would be more flexible for customers . ' during his presentation , idelchik said that ge is looking at ways at managing an entire solar array in a large installation built by a utility or commercial customer . after his talk , he said that ge is developing technology to recycle the solar cell material , as cadmium is a very toxic if it enters the environment . © 2009 cbs interactive inc. all rights reserved . cnet , cnet.com and the cnet logo are registered trademarks of cbs interactive inc. used by permission . | ge is developing technology to recycle the solar cell material |
ge <tsp> ( cnet ) -- general electric plans to give its solar business a charge in two years with the introduction of panels with the same solar cell material used by industry cost leader first solar . general energy is developing a solar energy product aimed at utility and commercial customers . in 2011 , the energy giant expects to produce solar panels made with cadmium telluride , a thin-film solar cell material , said michael idelchik , vice president of advanced technologies at ge global research at the emtech conference here on wednesday . the company now sells solar panels that use silicon solar cells , but its long-term bet is on thin-film and specifically cadmium telluride because it offers the cheapest cost per watt , he said . last year , ge 's energy division took a majority stake in golden , colorado-based primestar solar , for its cadmium telluride cell technology . ge is now developing a product around that aimed at utility and commercial customers . solar at ge is a relatively small part of its sprawling energy portfolio , which covers everything from nuclear power plants to natural gas turbines . but ge expects that solar has the potential to grow rapidly , as its multi-billion dollar wind business has done over the past five years . solar is definitely the next wind for us . it 's not there yet but it 's moving very rapidly , ' said idelchik . solar is more expensive than wind right now , but ge expects that renewable energy mandates will help drive growth and bring costs down , he said . thin-film solar cells offer lower production costs than the incumbent silicon because thin-film cells use far less material . over the past five years , several solar companies have formed to make thin-film cells from a combination copper , indium , gallium , and selenide ( cigs ) , which are still not in the market in high volumes . ge 's cells will be made from a compound of cadmium and tellurium . silicon cells are durable and more efficient at converting sunlight to electricity than thin-film solar cells with the most efficient commercial silicon cells over 20 percent . but ge research projects that it can boost the efficiency of cadmium telluride to 12 percent and potentially higher , idelchik said . we are excited about it because it can produce in diffuse light , ' he said . the module ( panel ) life is 20 years -- that 's what the customer wants . it has the right production costs and right efficiency target . ' asked how its cadmium telluride products will differ from first solar 's , idelchik said that ge 's device would be more flexible for customers . ' during his presentation , idelchik said that ge is looking at ways at managing an entire solar array in a large installation built by a utility or commercial customer . after his talk , he said that ge is developing technology to recycle the solar cell material , as cadmium is a very toxic if it enters the environment . © 2009 cbs interactive inc. all rights reserved . cnet , cnet.com and the cnet logo are registered trademarks of cbs interactive inc. used by permission . | thin-film solar cell material offers lowest cost per watt , ge says |
lake ontario <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two feet of snow has fallen in western new york and more is coming along the southern shore of lake erie from cleveland , ohio , to buffalo , the national weather service said monday . the heavy snow spread north of buffalo as well . yesterday morning we had none . so it 's quite a transition to go from no snow to all this . when you open the door , it 's amazing , ' librarian dorothy valenti told the associated press by telephone from constableville , new york , not far from the east end of lake ontario . it 's strange to have a snow day before thanksgiving . ' the latest lake-effect storm dropped 23 inches on ellicottville , new york , 40 miles south of buffalo , as of 10:15 a.m. monday and 20 inches on nearby south dayton . it 's not nice , ' emergency dispatcher laurie moore in new york 's cattaraugus county told the ap . lots of snow . roads are snow-covered and slippery . ' an additional 6 inches of snow could come by evening , according to cnn affiliate wgrz-tv in buffalo . the national weather service posted lake-effect snow warnings from buffalo to cleveland , ohio , through tuesday afternoon . watch how heavy snow wreaks havoc in ohio » lake-effect snow occurs when cold air passes over a warmer body of water , in this case lake erie , according to the weather service . the cold air sucks up the moisture and heat from the water , dropping it as snow when it moves over land . wind and snow showers with temperatures in the 20s are forecast for the nfl monday night football ' game between the buffalo bills and the cleveland browns , wgrz reported . to the south along interstate 90 , shoppers in erie , pennsylvania , were preparing for the worst on sunday . ireport.com : thunder , lightning accompany snowstorm ' i just went and bought new wipers ... i 'm scared ! ' angela gadzek , of warren , ohio , told cnn affiliate wjet-tv . the area could expect as much as a foot of snow before tuesday , wjet reported . just pray everybody stays safe on the roads , just slow down and use your head , ' mark alexander , of albion , pennsylvania , told wjet . we 're ready , we got steady snow tires on everything , and everything 's secure at home , ' alexander told wjet . in ohio , state transportation officials were concerned about keeping the roadways safe . rock salt to clear roads of ice was in short supply , cnn affiliate wkyc-tv reported , and authorities were looking for ways to stretch supplies to counteract escalating prices . the ohio department of transportation used sensors in the roads to target the worst spots and help plow drivers determine how much salt to use , wkyc reported . they were also wetting the salt before spreading it to prevent it from bouncing off highways , wkyc said . three to five inches of snow are expected in northeastern ohio , for a total accumulation of up to 10 inches , wkyc said . authorities advised motorists to put off non-essential travel until the snow threat eased . copyright 2008 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report . | new : eastern end of lake ontario hit hard |
galaxy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- david beckham believes the furore that followed his return to the la galaxy from his loan spell with ac milan earlier this year has galvanized the team . the galaxy won the mls western conference championship with a 2-0 win at home to houston dynamo on friday night , beckham setting up gregg berhalter 's 102nd-minute opener . they will face real salt lake , who upset the favored chicago fire 5-4 in a penalty shootout to win the eastern conference title on saturday to reach the mls cup final in seattle next sunday . beckham had been subjected to abuse by his own fans after missing the start of the mls season when he was in italy , while galaxy captain landon donovan questioned his commitment to the la franchise . however , the england midfielder -- who missed saturday 's 1-0 friendly defeat by brazil in qatar to play for his club -- thinks the situation helped bring the team together . there 's nothing wrong with a bit of controversy in a club , it brings players and teams together and it 's done that , ' beckham told espn in a post-match interview . i do n't have to say anything about myself , i leave that down to other people to decide . i love playing soccer . i work hard for my teammates , myself , my manager , the fans and i hope that 's enough for people . ' beckham joined the galaxy from real madrid in 2007 but they struggled to make an impact during the englishman 's time with the team until the arrival of former usa national team coach bruce arena . beckham , who returns to milan in january as he bids to win a place in england 's world cup squad , believes this season 's achievements have already gone some way for making up for the previous two seasons . we want to win next week but reaching it is the biggest thing , ' he told the uk press association . we 've done that , done the hard work and this team deserves it . ' | la galaxy beat houston dynamo 2-0 to win the mls western conference championship |
galaxy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- david beckham believes the furore that followed his return to the la galaxy from his loan spell with ac milan earlier this year has galvanized the team . the galaxy won the mls western conference championship with a 2-0 win at home to houston dynamo on friday night , beckham setting up gregg berhalter 's 102nd-minute opener . they will face real salt lake , who upset the favored chicago fire 5-4 in a penalty shootout to win the eastern conference title on saturday to reach the mls cup final in seattle next sunday . beckham had been subjected to abuse by his own fans after missing the start of the mls season when he was in italy , while galaxy captain landon donovan questioned his commitment to the la franchise . however , the england midfielder -- who missed saturday 's 1-0 friendly defeat by brazil in qatar to play for his club -- thinks the situation helped bring the team together . there 's nothing wrong with a bit of controversy in a club , it brings players and teams together and it 's done that , ' beckham told espn in a post-match interview . i do n't have to say anything about myself , i leave that down to other people to decide . i love playing soccer . i work hard for my teammates , myself , my manager , the fans and i hope that 's enough for people . ' beckham joined the galaxy from real madrid in 2007 but they struggled to make an impact during the englishman 's time with the team until the arrival of former usa national team coach bruce arena . beckham , who returns to milan in january as he bids to win a place in england 's world cup squad , believes this season 's achievements have already gone some way for making up for the previous two seasons . we want to win next week but reaching it is the biggest thing , ' he told the uk press association . we 've done that , done the hard work and this team deserves it . ' | the galaxy can win their third mls cup when they face real salt lake in seattle next weekend |
queen elizabeth <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the news that catherine , duchess of cambridge , is pregnant is being celebrated throughout britain , the british commonwealth and beyond . as well as wonderful news for the royal couple , it has positive implications for the future of the british monarchy . it means that the reigning house of windsor will have , for the first time since 1894 , no fewer than three generations in line to the throne at the same time . as early into this century as we are , it effectively means that the succession is secure even into the next one . whether the royal couple 's new baby is a boy or a girl , he or she will ascend the throne as monarch one day , come what may -- short of a republican revolution . the commonwealth changed the law this year , meaning sex discrimination will end and males will not be favored over females , as they have been for the past thousand years . news : baby news sparks media frenzy although we ca n't know what the child 's name will be , we can be sure that he or she will have a lot of them : some heirs to the throne had as many as seven or eight . should they have a girl , it would be surprising if the names elizabeth , after her great-grandmother queen elizabeth ii and great-great-grandmother queen elizabeth the queen mother , and diana , after her paternal grandmother , are missing from the list . yet the bookmakers'predictions for a boy 's name -- charles , at 10 to 1 ; and john , at 8 to 1 -- are very unlikely . charles is already taken as the name of prince william 's father , and john was one of the worst kings in british history . any concerns that prince harry might one day have ascended the british throne -- he was third in line and will soon be fourth -- have been allayed by this announcement . granted , he was a brave soldier who saw action fighting against the taliban in afghanistan , but he was not really considered suitable material for a king . the knowledge that catherine can have children removes the danger that a future king harry might embarrass the nation with his naked hijinks and las vegas antics . what we do know is that the child will be brought up in the harshest of media spotlights and will remain in its full flood for a lifetime . bookmakers already are taking bets on the color of the baby 's hair . to exist in this gilded cage will require a firm sense of self and a strong personality . many people might be hurt psychologically by the relentless publicity accompanying every move they make , but prince william has demonstrated that such attention does not necessarily lead to problems . news : royal baby announcement marks dramatic break with tradition the british state is far more protective toward its royals than it was in the days of prince charles and princess diana , and it is fully conscious of the disasters that can arise when the paparazzi are in full pursuit . the public , too , despises those who invade the younger royals'private lives , although admittedly that has not stopped people from buying the newspapers and visiting the websites responsible for the worst excesses . in a sense , all monarchy is a lottery , in that nobody can tell whether a sovereign will turn out well or ill. a large number of the best ones -- elizabeth i , queen victoria , george v , george vi , elizabeth ii -- were not necessarily going to be king or queen when they were born . some who were born to be king -- such as edward viii , later duke of windsor -- turned out to be disappointments . with elizabeth ii , britain won the lottery , and it seems as though the present popularity of the monarchy itself , which opinion polls show to be at its highest in more than a quarter-century , is very much down to her and prince william . although 1992 was an annus horribilis ' for the queen , when windsor castle suffered a terrible fire and two of her children 's marriages collapsed , 2012 has been a wonderful 12 months , more than making up for it two decades later . the diamond jubilee was spectacular , proving yet again how much the british people love her . the london olympics were a huge success . and the future of her dynasty seems on the verge of being confirmed throughout this century and beyond . there will be talk , inevitably , of whether the queen or perhaps the future king charles iii might abdicate , to avoid a situation in which the next three monarchs will be advanced in years . this will not happen . if the queen has inherited her mother 's longevity , she will easily beat queen victoria 's time on the throne , and become -- in september 2015 -- the longest-reigning monarch in history . abdication is not in her job description : she considers it a dereliction of duty , something that disgraced her uncle king edward viii with the family . if she lives as long as the queen mother , she will still be on the throne in 2027 , which will almost inevitably mean that her successor king charles iii would have one of the shorter reigns , as he would be nearly 80 when he acceded . arguments about elderly monarchs have been made before in the reign of queen victoria , yet it did n't prevent the present queen coming to the throne aged only 25 only half a century later , after the deaths of three more monarchs in the meantime . part of the lottery of monarchy is that one can not predict the future , and the job only makes sense if it is for life . one of the strengths of having a family serve as successive heads of state is that when a bad chapter ends , a better one can begin . with the birth of what would have been her first grandchild , the shade of princess diana 's era is forever behind the house of windsor , and the british people can look forward to a new generation of royals . small wonder that britain and the world are celebrating with william and kate . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of andrew roberts . | jubilee , olympics and pregnancy cap a great year for queen elizabeth , he says |
syrian <tsp> the united states and its allies are steeling themselves for what an american defense official described thursday as a yearslong fight against the so-called islamic state , a revelation that came as airstrikes pummeled oil refineries in syria used by the terror group to help fund its operations ' i think we are in this for a matter of years , ' pentagon spokesman rear adm. john kirby told cnn on thursday . ... we are steeling ourselves for that period of time . ' u.s.-led airstrikes hit locations overnight in a remote area of eastern syria where isis has been using mobile refineries to produce oil that brings in up to $ 2 million a day for the group . the u.s. military was still assessing the damage to the refineries by the airstrikes , kirby said . the attacks are focused on the infrastructure around the refineries , ' meaning the ability of isis to produce oil , he said . even so , there are questions about just how much impact the destruction of the refineries will have on isis , which analysts have said has access to billions of dollars . even if we stop their oil flow today , they still have about a billion dollars in the bank , ' retired u.s. army col. peter mansoor said . they seized about a third of a billion dollars from the central bank of mosul ( iraq ) . ' on top of that , he added , isis has garnered millions of dollars in ransoms from european governments for hostages and have traded much of their oil . for now , the united states is focused on the refineries , according to kirby . but he acknowledged there are other economic levers the international community is going to have to pull ' to cut off all funding to isis . at least 14 militants and five civilians were killed in the overnight airstrikes , according to the syrian observatory for human rights , a dissident monitoring group . isis targets in iraq were also hit thursday morning by france 's military , government spokesman stephane le foll told reporters in paris . fighter jets carried out strikes on four isis warehouses near fallujah , which were believed to house military equipment . human rights lawyer executed the news came as reports surfaced that isis fighters carried out a public execution of a well-known human rights lawyer , who took to facebook to criticize the group 's destruction of mosques , churches and shrines in iraq . calling the torture and killing of sameera al-nuiamy savage and cowardly , u.n. special representative for iraq , nickolay mladenov , said the iraqi government and the international community must do all they can to ensure those responsible for her death are brought to justice . al-nuiamy was reportedly abducted from her home in mosul on september 17 and put on trial before a sharia court , which mladenov says found her guilty of apostasy . she was then held for a further five days during which she was subjected to torture in an attempt to force her to repent before she was executed in public , ' he said . since august , isis has beheaded american journalists james foley and steven sotloff , and british aid worker david haines , gruesomely showing their killings in videos posted online . on thursday , fbi director james comey said that the united states believes it has identified the isis militant in the video showing foley 's killing . officials believe the same masked militant speaks in all three beheading videos . comey did not identify the man . isis overruns iraqi base the reports about the execution came as new details emerged about the killing of up to 300 iraqi soldiers in iraq 's western anbar province after isis fighters overran the base near falluja this week . a handful of survivors who escaped from saqlawiyah , which had been under siege for a week , accused the iraqi government of failing to respond to pleas for help in the days leading up to monday 's final isis assault on the base . one soldier recounted in a video posted to youtube how he and his comrades battled the fighters for hours before starting to run out of ammunition and then being shot by a sniper . i called the commander ... for support , but no one responded , ' he said . while cnn can not confirm the authenticity of the claims in the video , iraqi prime minister haider al-abadi has ordered an investigation into what happened and why the soldiers were left to fend for themselves . at least 113 soldiers were killed and another 78 are missing , according to iraqi security officials . the report has raised questions about whether the iraqi military can defeat isis on the ground even with help from the united states and its allies in the air . there are similar questions being asked about syria 's moderate rebel groups , which have been battling president bashar al-assad 's forces and isis . isis leadership dispersed ? isis has likely dispersed much of its command-and-control capabilities in syria , and leaders are now mixed in with the civilian population , ' mansoor said . so it 's unlikely these airstrikes have crippled isis , ' he said . as the president has said , it 's going to be a long campaign , and it will be months -- perhaps years -- before isis is dealt a serious blow absent any sort of ground force to go in and root them out on the ground . ' in the latest round of strikes targeting isis refineries in syria , fighter jets from saudi arabia and the united arab emirates flew alongside u.s. aircraft , hitting 12 locations , kirby said . while isis has been the focus of most of the strikes in syria , other terror targets have been hit . the u.s. military said the al qaeda-linked khorasan group also was targeted when the strikes in syria began tuesday morning . and the terror group al-nusra front says its leader , abu yousef al-turki -- also known as the turk ' -- was killed . but the united states has not said whether al-turki is dead . we can not confirm any particular leadership that might have been killed in any of these strikes , ' kirby said wednesday . and as far as how many isis militants have been killed , we do n't know that , either , ' kirby said . what 's the difference between isis , al-nusra front and the khorasan group ? international support while the support for the u.s.-led airstrikes in syria has been tepid , the support for the the international coalition against isis in iraq is growing . the dutch foreign ministry announced wednesday that its military will contribute six f-16 fighter jets and 250 troops to carry out airstrikes and train iraqi and kurdish forces . belgian foreign minister didier reynders said his country 's parliament will weigh a request for six of its fighter jets to take part in the bombing campaign . similarly , british prime minister david cameron said he 's recalling parliament friday to secure approval for the united kingdom to participate in the iraq air campaign . the u.n. security council has now received a clear request from the iraqi government to support it in its military action against isil , ' cameron said from u.n. headquarters in new york . ... so it is right that britain should move to a new phase of action . ' | a military analyst and syrian resident say isis is infiltrating the civilian population |
china <tsp> for the first time , the united states is publicly accusing china and russia of being the top offenders in the theft of u.s. economic and technology information , according to an intelligence report released thursday . the two countries are trying to build their economies ' on american research and development , said robert bryant , the national counterintelligence executive whose office wrote the report . that office is responsible for mounting an integrated national counterintelligence battle against foreign intelligence threats to the united states , according to its website , and must compile such a report every two years . an unclassified version of the report to congress on foreign economic collection and industrial espionage was released thursday and focused primarily on the exploitation of cyberspace from 2009 to 2011 . u.s. private sector firms and cybersecurity specialists have reported an onslaught of computer network intrusions that have originated in china , ' said the report . it noted that analysts could not pinpoint specific responsibility for many of the intrusions , but bryant said the source of the attacks could be government intelligence services , corporations or individuals . the report was more specific about russia . russia 's intelligence services are conducting a range of activities to collect economic information and technology from u.s. targets , ' it said . the nations of china and russia , through their intelligence services and through their corporations , are attacking our research and development . that 's a serious issue , because if we build their economies on our information , i do n't think that is right , ' bryant said at a news conference unveiling the report . he hoped that by pointing out the problem with the two nations , it will help spur solutions . the latest intelligence community assessment comes on the heels of house intelligence committee chairman mike rogers'harsh criticism of what he referred to as china 's predatory campaign ' of stealing u.s. intellectual property . last month , rogers said the cyber attacks against the united states had reached an intolerable level ' and were harming u.s. national security . in a statement released thursday , rogers said the report once again underscores the need for america 's allies across asia and europe to join forces to pressure beijing to end this illegal behavior . ' but foreign economic espionage against the united states is n't limited to china and russia . the report indicates cyber attacks against america have come from dozens of other countries , but it does n't name those nations . the cost to both national security and private business is said to be considerable but difficult to quantify . bryant said u.s. companies and the u.s. government produce approximately $ 400 billion of research and development each year . depending on whose figures you go by , the losses each year range from $ 2 billion to as much as $ 400 billion -- estimates that bryant called meaningless . ' the report broadly states that if a hostile nation such as iran or north korea illegally obtains u.s. technology with military applications , it could endanger american lives . the fbi has prosecuted a number of espionage cases involving private companies , in which the economic impact was cited . the report gives the example of the valspar corporation , where an employee downloaded proprietary paint formulas that he planned to take to a job in china . the theft was valued at $ 20 million , representing one-eighth of valspar 's annual profit . tackling the problem is n't easy . sean noonan , a tactical analyst for stratfor , said private companies are often reluctant to report such attacks to the government . it 's a business issue for these companies . if it goes public , they 've seen in the past that it could hurt them , hurt their business more and more , ' said noonan . he also noted the privacy issues that inevitably arise when the government is involved in cyberdefense measures . another difficult issue is how much information the government can provide to private industries about cyber attacks without compromising secrets . roger kubarych , the national intelligence officer for economic issues with the national intelligence council , admitted it 's a problem . there are going to be limits on how much information and expertise and knowledge the government and its expertise agencies can share with the private sector , but there 's more available than there was , ' said kubarych . a senior u.s. intelligence official , who briefed journalists on the report on the condition of anonymity , said a public-private partnership is the key . there needs to be improved threat reporting by industry , cyber and there needs to be communication back by the government to industry as to best practices and how to prevent the theft of significant economic issues , ' the official said . the outlook is n't particularly bright . according to the report , russia and china will continue to lead the pack in attacking u.s. systems . we judge that the governments of china and russia will remain aggressive and capable collectors of sensitive u.s. economic information and technologies , particularly in cyberspace , ' it said . but the report also warns that changing economic and political developments around the world could lead other nations to steal u.s. economic secrets . there 's also the threat of disgruntled insiders within corporations or government agencies leaking sensitive information to activists , who publicly release the information , much like the dissemination of confidential state department cables on the website wikileaks . | many cyberattacks are coming from china , report says |
china <tsp> for the first time , the united states is publicly accusing china and russia of being the top offenders in the theft of u.s. economic and technology information , according to an intelligence report released thursday . the two countries are trying to build their economies ' on american research and development , said robert bryant , the national counterintelligence executive whose office wrote the report . that office is responsible for mounting an integrated national counterintelligence battle against foreign intelligence threats to the united states , according to its website , and must compile such a report every two years . an unclassified version of the report to congress on foreign economic collection and industrial espionage was released thursday and focused primarily on the exploitation of cyberspace from 2009 to 2011 . u.s. private sector firms and cybersecurity specialists have reported an onslaught of computer network intrusions that have originated in china , ' said the report . it noted that analysts could not pinpoint specific responsibility for many of the intrusions , but bryant said the source of the attacks could be government intelligence services , corporations or individuals . the report was more specific about russia . russia 's intelligence services are conducting a range of activities to collect economic information and technology from u.s. targets , ' it said . the nations of china and russia , through their intelligence services and through their corporations , are attacking our research and development . that 's a serious issue , because if we build their economies on our information , i do n't think that is right , ' bryant said at a news conference unveiling the report . he hoped that by pointing out the problem with the two nations , it will help spur solutions . the latest intelligence community assessment comes on the heels of house intelligence committee chairman mike rogers'harsh criticism of what he referred to as china 's predatory campaign ' of stealing u.s. intellectual property . last month , rogers said the cyber attacks against the united states had reached an intolerable level ' and were harming u.s. national security . in a statement released thursday , rogers said the report once again underscores the need for america 's allies across asia and europe to join forces to pressure beijing to end this illegal behavior . ' but foreign economic espionage against the united states is n't limited to china and russia . the report indicates cyber attacks against america have come from dozens of other countries , but it does n't name those nations . the cost to both national security and private business is said to be considerable but difficult to quantify . bryant said u.s. companies and the u.s. government produce approximately $ 400 billion of research and development each year . depending on whose figures you go by , the losses each year range from $ 2 billion to as much as $ 400 billion -- estimates that bryant called meaningless . ' the report broadly states that if a hostile nation such as iran or north korea illegally obtains u.s. technology with military applications , it could endanger american lives . the fbi has prosecuted a number of espionage cases involving private companies , in which the economic impact was cited . the report gives the example of the valspar corporation , where an employee downloaded proprietary paint formulas that he planned to take to a job in china . the theft was valued at $ 20 million , representing one-eighth of valspar 's annual profit . tackling the problem is n't easy . sean noonan , a tactical analyst for stratfor , said private companies are often reluctant to report such attacks to the government . it 's a business issue for these companies . if it goes public , they 've seen in the past that it could hurt them , hurt their business more and more , ' said noonan . he also noted the privacy issues that inevitably arise when the government is involved in cyberdefense measures . another difficult issue is how much information the government can provide to private industries about cyber attacks without compromising secrets . roger kubarych , the national intelligence officer for economic issues with the national intelligence council , admitted it 's a problem . there are going to be limits on how much information and expertise and knowledge the government and its expertise agencies can share with the private sector , but there 's more available than there was , ' said kubarych . a senior u.s. intelligence official , who briefed journalists on the report on the condition of anonymity , said a public-private partnership is the key . there needs to be improved threat reporting by industry , cyber and there needs to be communication back by the government to industry as to best practices and how to prevent the theft of significant economic issues , ' the official said . the outlook is n't particularly bright . according to the report , russia and china will continue to lead the pack in attacking u.s. systems . we judge that the governments of china and russia will remain aggressive and capable collectors of sensitive u.s. economic information and technologies , particularly in cyberspace , ' it said . but the report also warns that changing economic and political developments around the world could lead other nations to steal u.s. economic secrets . there 's also the threat of disgruntled insiders within corporations or government agencies leaking sensitive information to activists , who publicly release the information , much like the dissemination of confidential state department cables on the website wikileaks . | china and russia are singled out as top offenders in industrial espionage report |
ian poulter <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it is the day after the tumultuous one before . victorious captain jose maria olazabal has arrived back in europe with the ryder cup trophy as the continent continues to celebrate one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time . it is a very different story across the pond as the head scratching continues . how did the united states turn what was supposed to be an emphatic victory into the'miracle of medinah'? despite an insistence from both sides they would get together over a beer at the end of the competition come what may , no u.s. players dropped into the european party , according to those who celebrated all night long . that should come as no surprise , as a party is probably the last thing any of the shell shocked americans had on their minds as they tried to piece together a startling collapse that ended in a 14 1/2 - 13 1/2 defeat . not that they are alone in their disbelief . even some of the european players are still struggling to come to terms with such a decisive swing during the singles matches on sunday in chicago . as they head back home after overturning a 10-6 deficit to claim a fifth ryder cup win in the last six years , the magnitude of their achievement is yet to sink in for some of those who made it happen . chicago resident luke donald , who led the charge by taking down masters champion bubba watson in the opening singles match , is one of them . i still ca n't quite believe that happened yesterday , what an amazing feeling being a part of one of the biggest sporting comebacks ever , ' he said on his official twitter site . ian poulter , who won four of his matches and gained a crucial point for europe with a late victory over u.s. open champion webb simpson , echoed donald 's sentiments . on the plane on the way back to orlando , why does it feel like we just robbed a bank ? not sure how long it 's going to take to sink in , ' he said on the micro-blogging site . the joy the european contingent felt was tinged with relief for world no . 1 rory mcilroy , who nearly forfeited his match with keegan bradley by missing his tee-off slot . the northern irishman thought he was teeing off at 11.25am eastern time , but chicago is in the central time zone and his starting berth was an hour earlier . after a frantic call from his manager he was hurried to the course in a police car , arriving 11 minutes before his match was due to begin . had he missed the start , he 'd have handed a crucial point to bradley on a plate . i was just lucky there was a state trooper downstairs who could take me , get his lights on and pass all the traffic ,'he told reporters . once we got off the highway it would have taken 10 minutes without him to get through that junction . i 've never been so worried going to a golf course . i got to the course at 11.14 , so i had 11 minutes to get ready and had just enough time to put my shoes on , have a couple of putts and go to the first tee . in a way it was n't a bad thing because i did n't have time to think about it -- and i played probably the best i played all week . ' as for captain olazabal , who channeled the spirit of the his great friend and erstwhile ryder cup playing partner , seve ballesteros , it was the crowning glory after a tough opening two days . the u.s. dominated the foursomes and fourball matches , until a late poulter charge on saturday evening gave rise to the impossible dream , delivered in style by his charges on sunday . it 's going to take a little while before it completely sinks in , ' olazabal was quoted as saying by the european tour website . it 's been a very emotional week , especially when things were not going our way , but ( saturday ) everything turned round for us . we changed a couple of crucial matches around down the stretch and that gave us the chance to have this trophy back . it 's completely different from playing , being a ryder cup captain . i think in my career it ranks number one . ' the mood was very different back in the states , where one sports journalist was vilified for a column on saturday in which he said the ryder cup was done and dusted unless one of five things happened . one included the abduction of keegan bradley , who lost to mcilroy , while another was a way for olazabal to go back in time like marty mcfly from the back to the future movies . elsewhere in the press , recriminations started to fly .'americans produce a choke for the ages at ryder cup ,'cried the new york post . the chicago tribune went with the headline'epic ryder cup collapse inexcusable'and said : europeans forever will refer to it as the miracle at medinah . for the u.s. , medin-ahhhhhhhhhh ! ' several european players will now head to scotland , host of the 2014 ryder cup , to play in the next european tour event , including martin kaymer , who holed the putt that ensured europe would retain the trophy . ryder cup rookie nicolas colsaerts , who delivered a fourball point on friday with an inspired performance , said he was so enraptured by the atmosphere it will difficult going back to regular tour life . he said : you do n't come across an atmosphere like this anywhere else . it 's almost like a fix -- you 're going to need to play in an atmosphere like this . i can imagine how quiet it 's going to be for the guys playing in tournaments next week . it 's just going to be like you 're playing in your garden on your own . ' | european hero ian poulter said on twitter it feels like we have just robbed a bank ' |
park chan-wook <tsp> ( cnn ) -- what do you love ? what do you fear ? what 's in your pocket ? ' these were among the questions asked of the world by director kevin mcdonald when shooting life in a day , ' the remarkable crowd-sourced film that debuted on youtube in 2011 . produced by hollywood blockbuster brothers ridley scott ( alien , ' blade runner ' ) and tony scott ( top gun ' ) , and edited from 81,000 submissions from 192 countries , life in a day ' is a video mosaic of intimate moments from around the world all shot on one random day -- july 24 , 2010 . the documentary has racked up nearly 7.8 million views on youtube to date . now , another pair of director brothers is taking on a similarly inspired project -- this time commissioned by the city of seoul . oldboy ' director park chan-wook and his younger brother park chan-kyong are taking on a crowd-sourced video ode to south korea 's capital . titled seoul , our movie , ' the project works like this : would-be participants choose one of three themes -- working in seoul , made in seoul and seoul -- and upload a video of less than five minutes on the project 's channel from now until november 9 . the brothers'joint production company will choose clips and edit them into a film with a cohesive narrative . participants have a chance to win plane tickets to seoul , cars and laptops . a dark past despite being the most celebrated director from the country , park chan wook may be considered an odd choice for an ambitious global marketing effort for seoul tourism . park 's startlingly violent vengeance trilogy , ' which includes oldboy ' and sympathy for lady vengeance , ' amassed a fanatic following around the world for its unflinching and at times disturbing treatment of fear and pain . his first hollywood movie , stoker ' ( 2013 ) , starring nicole kidman and mia wasikowska , is a sinister psychological thriller . when he 's not exploring violence or gothic chills , it 's vampire horror . despite the aura of darkness in his work , park says he 's actually an apt choice for delivering a message of hope . so do the project 's backers . we had other directors in our mind , but we decided to go with director park and his brother , as we thought they would manage this project with creativity and global recognition and provide opportunity for global citizens to participate , ' says ki hyun kim , director for the tourism business division for the seoul metropolitan government . park also had the benefit of discussing the project with ridley scott when the two were working together on stoker . ' scott produced , park directed . in an interview with cnn , the park brothers discussed seoul , our movie . ' cnn : fans expect dark movies from you . what kind of story are you planning to tell through seoul , our movie ? ' park chan-wook : i 'm sure many do n't know this , but i 've actually directed a hopeful and bright movie called , i 'm a cyborg , but that 's ok. ' i think it 's a common bias from the public that i only create and film the darker movies with serious story lines . similar to my previous film works , i want to deliver the message of hope ' through seoul , our movie . ' now , when i say hope , ' i 'm not referring to the floating bubbles of hope ' with unrealistic wishes and dreams that pop as soon as you blow them . i 'm actually referring to the solid , powerful hopes ' facing reality in this world . in this film , i want to portray a lot of scenes that feature ordinary people in the labor force . it 's a movie that will be created by participants . though this is what i want , i 'm sure the movie itself will vary in its atmosphere or story line depending on the type of films or videos that are shared with us . cnn : who will weed out submissions ? park chan-kyong : videos on the official youtube channel will be constantly viewed by parking chance ( the park brothers'production company ) . different videos posted by various seoul locals and travelers will keep us ( engaged ) during the editing process . cnn : what are your favorite places in seoul ? park chan-wook : itaewon and hwanamoo road , also known as kyungridan , in yongsan are some of my favorite places in seoul . there are many fancy roads with quiet residential areas and countless small streets on the steepest hills . also , dainty restaurants and leeum art museum , a place that symbolizes the old and contemporary korean art , are all located there . an area like kyungridan is one of the most free ' places in seoul with its dynamic vibrant actions from various residents -- ethnic minority groups , homosexual communities , etc . park chan-kyong : i was born in seoul and have lived in this city for over 40 years . despite this , seoul is so dynamic that i still have n't been to many places around the city . but if i have to pick , a few of my favorite spots would definitely be euljiro 3-ga and 5-ga , a trail in bukhansan where i can see the city 's skyline , and changdeokgung palace , han river and inwangsan 's seonbawi . | despite reputation for violent movies , park chan-wook excited to deliver message of hope |
civil war <tsp> ( mental floss ) -- behind every good war are many good women . using their feminine ( and in at least one case masculine ) wiles , the following five spies would make james bond proud . noor inayat khan was posthumously awarded the george cross for her spy service . 1 . mata hari while margaretha geertruida zelle macleod ( 1876 -- 1917 ) may not have caused world war i , she sure as heck kept it going . having spent time in java with her husband , captain campbell macleod , margaretha returned to holland and sued for divorce . to make ends meet she took up exotic dancing and the name mata hari ( meaning the light of day ' in malay ) . with her sensual performances becoming the attraction of the major european cities came the men and the gifts for her favors . many of these favors came from royalty and high-ranking french and german military officers . as world war i progressed , both sides became suspicious that mata was spying for the other side . the french eventually put her on trial and , although the charges were never proven , mata hari was convicted of espionage and was executed by a firing squad on october 15 , 1917 . playing the seductress up until the end , mata refused a blindfold , smiled , and blew a kiss to the firing squad as the fatal shots were fired . mental floss : when a criminal survives execution 2 . noor inayat khan khan was born in 1914 and at a young age moved with her family first to england and then to france . in 1940 , khan , along with her mother and sister , escaped back to england just before france surrendered to germany . while in england she joined the women 's auxiliary air force ( waaf ) , but her ability to speak fluent french soon caught the attention of the special operations group and khan agreed to become a spy . khan was flown to le mans , where she teamed up with other female spies and traveled to paris , france . there they joined the french resistance prosper network . soon after their arrival , the network was infiltrated and many were arrested . khan was ordered to return to england , but instead she stayed on and continued to pass information on to england . eventually she was arrested again and interrogated by the gestapo . when she refused to speak , she was sent to a prison in germany and then to the dachau concentration camp . on september 13 , 1944 , khan and three other female british spies were executed by the nazi ss . in 1949 , khan was posthumously awarded the george cross . 3 . belle boyd ( aka la belle rebelle ' ) born isabelle boyd in martinsburg , virginia , in 1844 , the beautiful belle soon became the star attraction in washington , d.c. , social circles prior to the beginning of the civil war . with the outbreak of the war , she returned to martinsburg . when the union soldiers occupied the city , belle mixed with the officers and soon gathered information on troop movements , which she passed on to the confederate forces . however , she is probably best known for warning stonewall jackson that the union intended to blow up all the bridges around martinsburg . with this information , jackson , with a small number of troops , was able to surprise the union troops and drive them from the area . in 1864 , confederate president jefferson davis asked belle to carry letters for him to england . the union navy captured her ship , but the officer in charge fell in love with belle and let her escape . the officer , lieutenant samuel harding jr. , after being courtmartialed and discharged from the navy , traveled to england , where he married belle . after the war , boyd toured the united states as an actress under the stage name of la belle rebelle . 4 . elizabeth van lew crazy bet , as she was known , was born in richmond , virginia , in 1818 but educated at a quaker school in philadelphia , pennsylvania . after developing a hatred for slavery , elizabeth returned to richmond and freed all her family 's slaves . she also went so far as finding where her freed slaves'relatives were and purchased and freed them also . after the civil war started , elizabeth asked to visit union prisoners being held captive in richmond . the union prisoners gave her information , which she then passed on to the north . among the slaves she freed was mary elizabeth bowser , whom van lew got a job as a house servant in the home of jefferson davis . this allowed bowser and van lew to collect and pass on information directly from the confederate president 's mansion . elizabeth effectively used the crazy bet moniker to make the residents of richmond think she was mentally ill. she would wear old clothes and bonnets and talk to herself . because of this , most people thought that her northern sympathies were just a part of her craziness . mental floss : confederacy 's plan to conquer latin america after the war , president grant named elizabeth the postmaster for richmond . when the citizens of richmond found out that crazy bet was an act , they shunned her . however , at her death , the state of massachusetts placed a memorial marker on her grave . 5 . sarah emma edmonds ( or was it frank thompson ? ) born in 1841 in new brunswick , canada , sarah ran away from home in her early teens . in order to survive she became an itinerant bible salesman , by calling herself frank thompson and dressing like a man . in 1861 , frank ( sarah ) enlisted in the second michigan infantry and over the next two years not only fought in a number of civil war battles , but also served as a spy for the union army . solders in her unit called frank our woman ' because of his feminine mannerisms and his extremely small boot size . however , none of her comrades ever figured out that frank was really sarah . mental floss : celebrity or look-alike ? this boded well for her spying , where she dressed as a young boy serving in confederate camps , as an immigrant irish peddler and , most interestingly , as a woman . in 1863 , sarah caught malaria and deserted the army out of fear that hospitalization would reveal her true identity . in 1884 , though , sarah applied for and was awarded a veteran 's pension in which the secretary of war acknowledged that sarah was a female soldier who had rendered faithful services to the ranks . for more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com entire contents of this article copyright , mental floss llc . all rights reserved . | sarah edmonds fought and spied as a man during the civil war |
chilean <tsp> ( cnn ) as ash from chile 's calbuco volcano spread east into argentina , geologists warned of the potential for more activity friday . evacuations in the region involved not only people but animals as well . there is more seismic activity ... and we think there will be more activity today , ' helmuth huerta , a spokesman for chile 's national geological and mining service , told cnn . the volcano has already erupted twice this week , spewing ash to a depth of about 23½ inches ( 60 centimeters ) in some places , according to the ministry of interior and public safety . new advisories say airborne ash could reach an altitude of 12,000 feet . calbuco erupted twice in 24 hours , the geological agency said early thursday . the agency said it was evaluating a spectacular nighttime eruption but indicated it was stronger than the first one . ' in ensenada , houses , trees and even sheep were blanketed gray with ash , cnn 's shasta darlington reported . people were removing salmon -- a staple of the local economy -- amid fear of contamination from ash and lava . trucks were used to evacuate farm animals and pets . authorities issued a red alert for the popular tourist towns of puerto montt and puerto varas in the south . people were being evacuated to port montt on 22 buses and military trucks , the interior ministry said . officials said that volcanic flows from calbuco caused rising water levels in the río blanco . a 12-mile ( 20-kilometer ) exclusion zone was established around the crater . military and police forces were helping evacuate more than 4,400 residents , the interior ministry said . an additional 2,000 residents of chamiza were being evacuated as a preventive measure after river levels rose due to volcanic flows . more evacuations were expected in lago chapo and correntoso . the first eruption on wednesday set off a bit of a panic in the region . at the beginning , it was small , and later , the cloud grew . and later , there was a huge cloud over you and true terror starts , ' a puerto montt resident said . another person said : it was impressive to see an enormous mushroom cloud , with the immense force of the volcano , and to see the ashes . at that point , there was a lot of panic , lots of chaos , traffic jams , people going to supermarkets , everyone looking for water , trying to take out money from the atms . ' magma expanse under yellowstone supervolcano more vast than thought the eruption is a first for many in the region . the last major eruption was 1962 . there was a minor eruption in 1972 . calbuco also belched out a bit of gas and smoke in 1996 . alejandro verges , regional director of the interior ministry , said that officials are concerned there might be a third eruption . the situation is relatively calm right now , although people are understandably anxious about what could happen tonight , ' he said . | it has spewed ash to a depth of about 23½ inches in some places , chilean officials say |
american <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rory mcilroy and tiger woods will predictably be among the favorites for this week 's masters tournament , but another name slipped into title contention on sunday . hunter mahan 's victory at the houston open lifted him up to fourth in the world rankings , higher than any other american who will be playing at the golf season 's opening major at augusta national . mahan 's one-shot victory over sweden 's carl petterson launched him to the top of the pga tour 's fedex cup standings , but more importantly he showed a new mental strength that may help him win one of the sport 's four biggest events this year . i felt like this week my mind was probably the strongest part of my game . that 's a great thing to feel for sure , ' he told the pga tour 's official website after becoming the first two-time winner of 2012 , following up his victory at the world match play championship in late february -- when he beat mcilroy in the final . when you play a major , you 're going to have to have all facets of the game , especially your mind has to be a strength . what i 'm going to take from this week is that my mind was so strong , i was able to persevere through some ... you know , having the lead and doing something i have n't done before . ' the 29-year-old had won three pga events before this year , but is perhaps best known for his emotional defeat in the final game of the 2010 ryder cup teams event when he broke down in tears after losing the decider to europe 's graeme mcdowell . i felt like i could be a good player in this game , but to win twice this year and be fourth , it feels great , really does . it shows me what i can do , shows me what i 'm capable of , ' mahan said . i was n't reaching my potential , in a way . i think great players , when you see them , their head is always up . they never seem to get down . they might get upset over a shot , but do n't get down on themselves over a shot . it just never seems to bother them . you also watch tiger ... i played with him last week . he 's just got that confidence and that swagger back where it 's just head up , chest back and ready to go play . you got to be positive in this game -- it 's too hard . hitting a good shot might be hitting it 30 feet ( from the pin ) . you do n't have to hit it ( to ) two feet for it to be a good shot . ' mahan said he is enjoying the game more with his new approach . i think i 'm just tired of doing it the wrong way , ' he said . what i was doing before , it stunk . it was n't any fun . we play so many holes , play so many tournaments -- it just does n't make sense to beat yourself up , you know , because the game is hard enough . ' mahan said he had thought about skipping the texas tournament , where he had finished in the top eight three times in five years . but the prospect of having to spend extra time at such a daunting place as augusta , where he has twice made the top 10 in the last three years , made the decision to play at redstone a simple one . i did n't like the idea of spending so much time there before the tournament , and the hardest part of that tournament is monday , tuesday and wednesday , because you 're just sitting around and seeing the course . you ca n't wait to get started , ' he said . mahan will seek to preserve a remarkable statistic in a sport where good putting is often the difference between success and failure -- he has not three-putted in 102 holes , more than five and a half rounds of golf . but one player missing from the masters field is south africa 's three-time major champion ernie els . the 42-year-old , twice a runner-up at the masters , needed to win in houston to earn a starting place but finished six shots back and will not line up at augusta for the first time since 1993 . petterson finished on 15-under 273 , one shot ahead of 2010 british open champion louis oosthuizen of south africa , who fell away from contention with a 75 . three-time masters champion phil mickelson tied for fourth on 276 in a group including 2011 pga championship winner keegan bradley . | american becomes the pga tour 's first two-time winner of the 2012 season |
palin <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- sarah palin may have electrified the 2008 republican presidential ticket when she was picked as john mccain 's running mate , but just four years later her wattage has dimmed on the republican stage . she was snubbed for a coveted speaking role at the republican national convention in tampa even though mccain , the senator from arizona who surprised many when he selected alaska 's governor , is scheduled to speak . other speaking spots were doled out to lesser lights like rick santorum , who vied unsuccessfully for the nomination this year . once the face of the tea party movement , palin is not among speakers listed for the tea party unity rally on sunday . former presidential candidates rep. michele bachmann , r-minnesota , and pizza magnate herman cain are headlining . rare opportunity for speakers at gop convention with republicans positioning themselves for a presidential run last year , palin drew the most attention when she rode into washington on the back of a motorcycle before launching a bus tour . she eventually opted against a white house bid . instead , palin has hit the trail for down-ballot candidates in competitive congressional races , stumping for such political mavericks as indiana senate candidate richard mourdock and more mainstream politicians like sen. orrin hatch of utah . palin 's mission : to recreate the same kind of success she had in the 2010 midterm elections when many of the candidates she endorsed won . political experts say palin is also carefully calculating how to wield her burgeoning kingmaker status and star power to position herself for even greater prominence in the party . she has a tremendous amount of pull among the people who make up the 800-pound gorilla in the party -- the conservative base of the party , ' said keith appell , a republican strategist and senior vice president at crc public relations . she will be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future and beyond . ' tea party candidate to receive prime rnc speaking slot but first she has to figure out how to get back into the bigger national spotlight , political experts say . during this presidential election cycle , palin has been relegated to the farm leagues , said norm ornstein , a resident scholar at the american enterprise institute and co-author of the book it 's even worse than it looks : how the american constitutional system collided with the new politics of extremism . ' it is a role that she slipped into through her own failure to bone up policy matters , he said . i think it 's really interesting that she has fallen so far in the last year that they have no interest in having her appear at the convention , ' ornstein said . in a lot of ways this political capital she pretty much squandered by becoming a fox news commentator and going on reality television instead of deepening her knowledge of policy issues . she decided to focus more on making money than on throwing herself into remaining deeply relevant in politics . ' will gop talk about bush , palin ? in her absence , some of the same republican women who palin supported as part of her mama grizzlies ' pack have come to gain broader acceptance by the party 's mainstream . in 2010 , palin endorsed new hampshire sen. kelly ayotte , calling her a granite state'mama grizzly'who has broken barriers . ' just two years later , ayotte will speak during a prime-time convention slot on tuesday . palin 's relative absence on the national stage also allowed bachmann to fill the vacuum , ' ornstein said . politics , parties keep some away from conventions palin 's persona non grata status is more a matter of they ca n't control her message as they 've already learned , ' said michele swers , professor of american government at georgetown university . it 's always useful when they can showcase republican women , but they 'd rather showcase kelly ayotte than sarah palin . ' some conservatives feel the party is giving the cold shoulder by not allowing her to speak . i think it 's a big mistake , ' appell said . if no other reason you would have a very popular voice using prime time to peel the bark off barack obama in front of a national television audience . ' for her part , palin is careful in how she has phrased her notable absence from the convention 's speaking roster . this year is a good opportunity for other voices to speak at the convention and i 'm excited to hear them , ' palin wrote in statement earlier this month . as i 've repeatedly said , i support mitt romney and paul ryan in their efforts to replace president obama at the ballot box , and i intend to focus on grassroots efforts to rally independents and the gop base to elect senate and house members so a wise congress is ready to work with our new president to get our country back on the right path . ' but do not count palin out , political experts say . she still has plenty of pull and will likely bide her time before making her next big move . drama is rare in modern conventions ' to say she is irrelevant would be a mistake , ' ornstein said . when she gets involved in a primary it has an impact . that does n't translate into the broader national role that she could have had . but there are second , third , fourth , and fifth acts in american politics . the fact that she is n't a major factor in american politics now does n't mean she wo n't be in 2013 or a subsequent point . ' palin backed sarah steelman in the missouri republican primary against politically beleaguered senate candidate rep. todd akin . republican leaders , including romney , are now pushing akin to drop out of the highly contested race against democratic sen. claire mccaskill after the congressman 's controversial comments on legitimate rape . ' during a recent fox news interview , palin suggested maybe it is a third-party run of sarah steelman that i can get behind . ' palin is scarcely twiddling her thumbs while sitting on the sidelines . her endorsements of congressional candidates have built an army of supporters inside the beltway . if romney loses by a big margin there will be a move by center-leaning republicans to recapture dominance , ' ornstein said . but you 're not going to see a lot of conservatives saying'we were wrong about this .'you 're going to have another chapter in this ongoing struggle . there will be a vacuum , sarah could fill that vacuum . ' and if romney wins palin will be right there on his heels making sure he sticks to his conservative promises , political experts say . she 'll be joined by other conservative voices such as bachmann , cain , rep. eric cantor , r-virginia , and sen. jim demint , r-south carolina†” all vying for dominance of who represents conservatives . if romney and ( paul ryan ) win , the question is do they implement a series of policies that fit the sharp conservative agenda , ' ornstein said adding that conservatives will rally to force the romney administration to keep its promises . if ( the romney administration ) tack to the center , who 's going to be leading that charge ... sarah palin . ' memorable convention moments | sarah palin 's star has been eclipsed a bit during this presidential election cycle |
palin <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- sarah palin may have electrified the 2008 republican presidential ticket when she was picked as john mccain 's running mate , but just four years later her wattage has dimmed on the republican stage . she was snubbed for a coveted speaking role at the republican national convention in tampa even though mccain , the senator from arizona who surprised many when he selected alaska 's governor , is scheduled to speak . other speaking spots were doled out to lesser lights like rick santorum , who vied unsuccessfully for the nomination this year . once the face of the tea party movement , palin is not among speakers listed for the tea party unity rally on sunday . former presidential candidates rep. michele bachmann , r-minnesota , and pizza magnate herman cain are headlining . rare opportunity for speakers at gop convention with republicans positioning themselves for a presidential run last year , palin drew the most attention when she rode into washington on the back of a motorcycle before launching a bus tour . she eventually opted against a white house bid . instead , palin has hit the trail for down-ballot candidates in competitive congressional races , stumping for such political mavericks as indiana senate candidate richard mourdock and more mainstream politicians like sen. orrin hatch of utah . palin 's mission : to recreate the same kind of success she had in the 2010 midterm elections when many of the candidates she endorsed won . political experts say palin is also carefully calculating how to wield her burgeoning kingmaker status and star power to position herself for even greater prominence in the party . she has a tremendous amount of pull among the people who make up the 800-pound gorilla in the party -- the conservative base of the party , ' said keith appell , a republican strategist and senior vice president at crc public relations . she will be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future and beyond . ' tea party candidate to receive prime rnc speaking slot but first she has to figure out how to get back into the bigger national spotlight , political experts say . during this presidential election cycle , palin has been relegated to the farm leagues , said norm ornstein , a resident scholar at the american enterprise institute and co-author of the book it 's even worse than it looks : how the american constitutional system collided with the new politics of extremism . ' it is a role that she slipped into through her own failure to bone up policy matters , he said . i think it 's really interesting that she has fallen so far in the last year that they have no interest in having her appear at the convention , ' ornstein said . in a lot of ways this political capital she pretty much squandered by becoming a fox news commentator and going on reality television instead of deepening her knowledge of policy issues . she decided to focus more on making money than on throwing herself into remaining deeply relevant in politics . ' will gop talk about bush , palin ? in her absence , some of the same republican women who palin supported as part of her mama grizzlies ' pack have come to gain broader acceptance by the party 's mainstream . in 2010 , palin endorsed new hampshire sen. kelly ayotte , calling her a granite state'mama grizzly'who has broken barriers . ' just two years later , ayotte will speak during a prime-time convention slot on tuesday . palin 's relative absence on the national stage also allowed bachmann to fill the vacuum , ' ornstein said . politics , parties keep some away from conventions palin 's persona non grata status is more a matter of they ca n't control her message as they 've already learned , ' said michele swers , professor of american government at georgetown university . it 's always useful when they can showcase republican women , but they 'd rather showcase kelly ayotte than sarah palin . ' some conservatives feel the party is giving the cold shoulder by not allowing her to speak . i think it 's a big mistake , ' appell said . if no other reason you would have a very popular voice using prime time to peel the bark off barack obama in front of a national television audience . ' for her part , palin is careful in how she has phrased her notable absence from the convention 's speaking roster . this year is a good opportunity for other voices to speak at the convention and i 'm excited to hear them , ' palin wrote in statement earlier this month . as i 've repeatedly said , i support mitt romney and paul ryan in their efforts to replace president obama at the ballot box , and i intend to focus on grassroots efforts to rally independents and the gop base to elect senate and house members so a wise congress is ready to work with our new president to get our country back on the right path . ' but do not count palin out , political experts say . she still has plenty of pull and will likely bide her time before making her next big move . drama is rare in modern conventions ' to say she is irrelevant would be a mistake , ' ornstein said . when she gets involved in a primary it has an impact . that does n't translate into the broader national role that she could have had . but there are second , third , fourth , and fifth acts in american politics . the fact that she is n't a major factor in american politics now does n't mean she wo n't be in 2013 or a subsequent point . ' palin backed sarah steelman in the missouri republican primary against politically beleaguered senate candidate rep. todd akin . republican leaders , including romney , are now pushing akin to drop out of the highly contested race against democratic sen. claire mccaskill after the congressman 's controversial comments on legitimate rape . ' during a recent fox news interview , palin suggested maybe it is a third-party run of sarah steelman that i can get behind . ' palin is scarcely twiddling her thumbs while sitting on the sidelines . her endorsements of congressional candidates have built an army of supporters inside the beltway . if romney loses by a big margin there will be a move by center-leaning republicans to recapture dominance , ' ornstein said . but you 're not going to see a lot of conservatives saying'we were wrong about this .'you 're going to have another chapter in this ongoing struggle . there will be a vacuum , sarah could fill that vacuum . ' and if romney wins palin will be right there on his heels making sure he sticks to his conservative promises , political experts say . she 'll be joined by other conservative voices such as bachmann , cain , rep. eric cantor , r-virginia , and sen. jim demint , r-south carolina†” all vying for dominance of who represents conservatives . if romney and ( paul ryan ) win , the question is do they implement a series of policies that fit the sharp conservative agenda , ' ornstein said adding that conservatives will rally to force the romney administration to keep its promises . if ( the romney administration ) tack to the center , who 's going to be leading that charge ... sarah palin . ' memorable convention moments | palin 's focus on supporting congressional will help bolster her support in the future |
palin <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- sarah palin may have electrified the 2008 republican presidential ticket when she was picked as john mccain 's running mate , but just four years later her wattage has dimmed on the republican stage . she was snubbed for a coveted speaking role at the republican national convention in tampa even though mccain , the senator from arizona who surprised many when he selected alaska 's governor , is scheduled to speak . other speaking spots were doled out to lesser lights like rick santorum , who vied unsuccessfully for the nomination this year . once the face of the tea party movement , palin is not among speakers listed for the tea party unity rally on sunday . former presidential candidates rep. michele bachmann , r-minnesota , and pizza magnate herman cain are headlining . rare opportunity for speakers at gop convention with republicans positioning themselves for a presidential run last year , palin drew the most attention when she rode into washington on the back of a motorcycle before launching a bus tour . she eventually opted against a white house bid . instead , palin has hit the trail for down-ballot candidates in competitive congressional races , stumping for such political mavericks as indiana senate candidate richard mourdock and more mainstream politicians like sen. orrin hatch of utah . palin 's mission : to recreate the same kind of success she had in the 2010 midterm elections when many of the candidates she endorsed won . political experts say palin is also carefully calculating how to wield her burgeoning kingmaker status and star power to position herself for even greater prominence in the party . she has a tremendous amount of pull among the people who make up the 800-pound gorilla in the party -- the conservative base of the party , ' said keith appell , a republican strategist and senior vice president at crc public relations . she will be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future and beyond . ' tea party candidate to receive prime rnc speaking slot but first she has to figure out how to get back into the bigger national spotlight , political experts say . during this presidential election cycle , palin has been relegated to the farm leagues , said norm ornstein , a resident scholar at the american enterprise institute and co-author of the book it 's even worse than it looks : how the american constitutional system collided with the new politics of extremism . ' it is a role that she slipped into through her own failure to bone up policy matters , he said . i think it 's really interesting that she has fallen so far in the last year that they have no interest in having her appear at the convention , ' ornstein said . in a lot of ways this political capital she pretty much squandered by becoming a fox news commentator and going on reality television instead of deepening her knowledge of policy issues . she decided to focus more on making money than on throwing herself into remaining deeply relevant in politics . ' will gop talk about bush , palin ? in her absence , some of the same republican women who palin supported as part of her mama grizzlies ' pack have come to gain broader acceptance by the party 's mainstream . in 2010 , palin endorsed new hampshire sen. kelly ayotte , calling her a granite state'mama grizzly'who has broken barriers . ' just two years later , ayotte will speak during a prime-time convention slot on tuesday . palin 's relative absence on the national stage also allowed bachmann to fill the vacuum , ' ornstein said . politics , parties keep some away from conventions palin 's persona non grata status is more a matter of they ca n't control her message as they 've already learned , ' said michele swers , professor of american government at georgetown university . it 's always useful when they can showcase republican women , but they 'd rather showcase kelly ayotte than sarah palin . ' some conservatives feel the party is giving the cold shoulder by not allowing her to speak . i think it 's a big mistake , ' appell said . if no other reason you would have a very popular voice using prime time to peel the bark off barack obama in front of a national television audience . ' for her part , palin is careful in how she has phrased her notable absence from the convention 's speaking roster . this year is a good opportunity for other voices to speak at the convention and i 'm excited to hear them , ' palin wrote in statement earlier this month . as i 've repeatedly said , i support mitt romney and paul ryan in their efforts to replace president obama at the ballot box , and i intend to focus on grassroots efforts to rally independents and the gop base to elect senate and house members so a wise congress is ready to work with our new president to get our country back on the right path . ' but do not count palin out , political experts say . she still has plenty of pull and will likely bide her time before making her next big move . drama is rare in modern conventions ' to say she is irrelevant would be a mistake , ' ornstein said . when she gets involved in a primary it has an impact . that does n't translate into the broader national role that she could have had . but there are second , third , fourth , and fifth acts in american politics . the fact that she is n't a major factor in american politics now does n't mean she wo n't be in 2013 or a subsequent point . ' palin backed sarah steelman in the missouri republican primary against politically beleaguered senate candidate rep. todd akin . republican leaders , including romney , are now pushing akin to drop out of the highly contested race against democratic sen. claire mccaskill after the congressman 's controversial comments on legitimate rape . ' during a recent fox news interview , palin suggested maybe it is a third-party run of sarah steelman that i can get behind . ' palin is scarcely twiddling her thumbs while sitting on the sidelines . her endorsements of congressional candidates have built an army of supporters inside the beltway . if romney loses by a big margin there will be a move by center-leaning republicans to recapture dominance , ' ornstein said . but you 're not going to see a lot of conservatives saying'we were wrong about this .'you 're going to have another chapter in this ongoing struggle . there will be a vacuum , sarah could fill that vacuum . ' and if romney wins palin will be right there on his heels making sure he sticks to his conservative promises , political experts say . she 'll be joined by other conservative voices such as bachmann , cain , rep. eric cantor , r-virginia , and sen. jim demint , r-south carolina†” all vying for dominance of who represents conservatives . if romney and ( paul ryan ) win , the question is do they implement a series of policies that fit the sharp conservative agenda , ' ornstein said adding that conservatives will rally to force the romney administration to keep its promises . if ( the romney administration ) tack to the center , who 's going to be leading that charge ... sarah palin . ' memorable convention moments | palin 's challenge , political experts say , will be how she negotiates her way back into the national spotlight ; relevance |
zhan <tsp> ( cnn ) the lunar new year is the only time of year china 's army of migrant workers gets to go home . known as chunyun , ' the annual travel crush is the world 's largest migration of humans . the lengths workers go to to see their families during the country 's biggest holiday , which this year began february 19 , is one facet of migrant worker life captured by factory hand turned photographer , zhan youbing . for more than a decade , zhan was himself one of china 's 250-million strong floating population ' of migrant workers . originally from the rural , inland province of hubei , he worked as a security guard in the factories that surround the southern boom town of guangzhou , over a thousand kilometers away . now a professional photographer , he trains his camera lens on those he left behind . i have lived this life , ' he says . so i know exactly what their situations are . ' for the past 10 years , he has photographed workers in eight factories in dongguan , a factory town near guangzhou , documenting their life on and off the assembly lines . the scenes zhan has captured range from the bizarre to the intimate . in one electronics factory , workers resembling astronauts -- their protective clothing only reveals their eyes -- take a quick nap . but he also shows a life where strong friendships are forged -- at a dormitory dinner party for example . he 's taken more than 400,000 photos and they 've been been exhibited across the country . but he did n't go to any of the exhibitions . i did n't have the travel expenses , ' he says . in november , he published a book called i 'm a migrant worker , ' a compilation of writing and more than 150 photos . map captures biggest human migration on earth zhan started taking photos for an internal factory publication in 2002 . he then took vocational classes . when he returned to his hometown for the lunar new year celebrations , he found photos a better way than words to describe life in the factory to his mother and mother-in-law . yet it was a deeper feeling of insecurity that drove him to keep documenting the life of migrant workers - a turbulent life over which they have little control . sometimes , you want to jump ship for better pay at another factory shortly after starting your current job , ' zhan says . yet at other times when you want to stay on and settle down , you get fired or the factory gets taken over . ' if photography meant self-fulfillment for zhan in the early days , it is now more of a mission . he says the more photos he takes , the more deeply he understands the issues migrants face . zhan says he is particularly concerned about the plight of children left behind by parents . restrictions on housing , education and healthcare , make it hard for migrant workers to bring along their kids and they are often raised by grandparents , relatives or neighbors . the parents have devoted their lives to the manufacturing industry , but they barely get anything . now their kids start entering the sad cycle . ' despite his success , zhan thinks himself no different to a migrant worker and says the feeling of uneasiness from that time will never fade . i feel like rootless duckweed on a strange land . ' in pictures : lunar new year | zhan youbing is a former factory worker , now an acclaimed photographer |
zhan <tsp> ( cnn ) the lunar new year is the only time of year china 's army of migrant workers gets to go home . known as chunyun , ' the annual travel crush is the world 's largest migration of humans . the lengths workers go to to see their families during the country 's biggest holiday , which this year began february 19 , is one facet of migrant worker life captured by factory hand turned photographer , zhan youbing . for more than a decade , zhan was himself one of china 's 250-million strong floating population ' of migrant workers . originally from the rural , inland province of hubei , he worked as a security guard in the factories that surround the southern boom town of guangzhou , over a thousand kilometers away . now a professional photographer , he trains his camera lens on those he left behind . i have lived this life , ' he says . so i know exactly what their situations are . ' for the past 10 years , he has photographed workers in eight factories in dongguan , a factory town near guangzhou , documenting their life on and off the assembly lines . the scenes zhan has captured range from the bizarre to the intimate . in one electronics factory , workers resembling astronauts -- their protective clothing only reveals their eyes -- take a quick nap . but he also shows a life where strong friendships are forged -- at a dormitory dinner party for example . he 's taken more than 400,000 photos and they 've been been exhibited across the country . but he did n't go to any of the exhibitions . i did n't have the travel expenses , ' he says . in november , he published a book called i 'm a migrant worker , ' a compilation of writing and more than 150 photos . map captures biggest human migration on earth zhan started taking photos for an internal factory publication in 2002 . he then took vocational classes . when he returned to his hometown for the lunar new year celebrations , he found photos a better way than words to describe life in the factory to his mother and mother-in-law . yet it was a deeper feeling of insecurity that drove him to keep documenting the life of migrant workers - a turbulent life over which they have little control . sometimes , you want to jump ship for better pay at another factory shortly after starting your current job , ' zhan says . yet at other times when you want to stay on and settle down , you get fired or the factory gets taken over . ' if photography meant self-fulfillment for zhan in the early days , it is now more of a mission . he says the more photos he takes , the more deeply he understands the issues migrants face . zhan says he is particularly concerned about the plight of children left behind by parents . restrictions on housing , education and healthcare , make it hard for migrant workers to bring along their kids and they are often raised by grandparents , relatives or neighbors . the parents have devoted their lives to the manufacturing industry , but they barely get anything . now their kids start entering the sad cycle . ' despite his success , zhan thinks himself no different to a migrant worker and says the feeling of uneasiness from that time will never fade . i feel like rootless duckweed on a strange land . ' in pictures : lunar new year | zhan uses his intimate knowledge of migrant workers to capture their lives on and off the assembly line |
mary landrieu <tsp> louisiana democratic sen. mary landrieu says she has the 60 votes she needs for the senate to advance a measure tuesday that would authorize construction of the keystone xl pipeline . landrieu has been scrambling to attract at least 15 democrats to join 45 republicans to reach the critical 60-vote procedural threshold . she told reporters at the capitol on monday night that she 'd reached that mark . i feel very comfortable , ' landrieu said . at least 14 democrats have said they will support the measure . but it 's not clear who has agreed to provide the final vote or whether landrieu 's comments simply reflect optimism . one of landrieu 's top targets , west virginia sen. jay rockefeller , said it wo n't be him . another target , maine sen. angus king , an independent who caucuses with the democrats , said he is leaning against supporting the bill . if she can shepherd the legislation through the senate , it would allow landrieu to demonstrate her influence one last time ahead of a dec. 6 run-off election in louisiana , where she faces republican rep. bill cassidy , who sponsored the bill authorizing the pipeline when the house approved it on friday . if the senate ultimately passes the keystone bill , a confrontation could emerge between congress and president barack obama . the president said at a news conference late last week that he does n't want congress to intervene in the state department 's long-running consideration of the project -- and offered his most specific critique of it yet . understand what this project is : it is providing the ability of canada to pump their oil , send it through our land , down to the gulf , where it will be sold everywhere else . it does n't have an impact on u.s. gas prices , ' obama said at a friday news conference in myanmar . | at least 60 senators will vote to advance legislation authorizing the keystone xl pipeline , sen. mary landrieu says |
syria <tsp> syria 's prime minister defected monday , becoming the latest among high-profile politicians and leaders to leave the embattled regime of bashar al-assad . i announce today my defection from the killing and terrorist regime and i announce that i have joined the ranks of the freedom and dignity revolution . i announce that i am from today a soldier in this blessed revolution , ' riyad hijab said in a written statement read by a syrian opposition official on al jazeera . cnn inside syria analysts described hijab 's departure as a significant symbolic blow for al-assad 's government but noted that the former prime minister had been on the job for only a few months . al-assad appointed hijab prime minister in june , a month after parliamentary elections that were boycotted by supporters of those seeking to oust al-assad . in short , this is n't going to bring a lot of insight into what assad is thinking or doing . it is certainly embarrassing and does some damage to regime , ' said david hartwell , a senior analyst of islamic affairs at jane 's . but all indications are that hijab was probably kept in the dark . this was n't a man who had assad 's ear . assad appointed him just a few months ago . he was essentially just another cabinet member without much power at all . ' hijab was tasked with creating a new cabinet for al-assad 's regime . opposition leaders said hijab had defected , while syrian state television said al-assad dismissed hijab from his post monday . syrian information minister omran al-zoubi said officials had n't heard anything from the former prime minister , ' according to the state-run syrian arab news agency the information minister also said that fleeing and leaving one 's post in an illegitimate manner is an evasion of responsibility and shows lack of political and national awareness , ' the news agency reported . in july , one of syria 's most senior diplomats -- nawaf al-fares -- defected , publicly embraced his country 's uprising and called for a foreign military intervention . al-fares was syria 's ambassador to iraq . manaf tlas , a sunni general in syria 's elite republican guards , also defected last month . tlas is the son of a former defense minister and a cousin of a first lieutenant in al-assad 's army . also monday , the turkish news agency anadolu reported that syria 's first man in space -- astronaut mohammad ahmad faris , who flew on a 1987 soviet space mission -- crossed into turkey last weekend and proclaimed his support for opposition forces . hijab , like al-fares and tlas , is a sunni who served in a power structure dominated by the alawite minority , an offshoot of shiism . if strategically hajib 's defection means very little , it does have symbolic significance , ' said david schenker , the director of the program on arab politics at the washington institute . the more sunnis who split off at this high level , the more it will encourage other sunnis in their attitudes toward the regime . ' opposition leaders hailed the news of hijab 's defection . syrian forces deploy heavy weapons in aleppo ' we consider the defection to be what is morally right and what is called for at this historic time , ' said abdulbaset sieda , head of the syrian national council . this is a killer and criminal regime , and at this historic moment , there should be no further hesitation . it is imperative to stand by the people of syria now . ' there were conflicting reports about the whereabouts of hijab . a syrian opposition official , muhammad el-etri , told cnn that hijab had defected , was in a country neighboring syria ' and would be heading to qatar sometime soon . ' george sabra , a spokesman for the opposition syrian national council , said hijab fled syria overnight and arrived with his family in jordan . jordanian government spokesman samih maaytah said hijab had not entered the country 's territories , according to state television . but a senior jordanian official told cnn that hijab had defected to jordan and was with his family . government officials announced hijab 's sacking after officials discovered he had left syria , el-etri said . the former prime minister escaped syria with the help of the rebel free syrian army , el-etri said , adding that the plan to defect had been in the works for two months . the flight of some personalities , however high-ranking , wo n't affect the syrian state , ' state-run sana said monday , citing the country 's information minister . meanwhile , fighting raged in aleppo , syria 's most populous city . snipers fired from the roofs of buildings and artillery fire rang out in the besieged neighborhood of salaheddin . cnn 's ben wedeman said drivers had to dodge piles of rubble in the streets . residents evacuating to safer neighborhoods left their homes with all the belongings they could carry , he said . an elderly man , carrying a briefcase and a bag full of jam , said he was leaving the neighborhood to move in with his daughter . what kind of leader does this to his own people ? ' the man said as he left his home . a dark plume of smoke rose in the air near aleppo 's ancient citadel . at least one rebel-controlled neighborhood was notably calmer , wedeman said . shops and bakeries were open , and residents walked the streets . clashes raged for hours at various spots near the city center , some close to the presidential palace , said bashir al-hajji , a spokesman for a free syrian army brigade in aleppo . as rebels scrambled to fend off regime forces in aleppo , fighting was reported in other parts of syria . at least 161 people were killed in fighting across the country monday , the opposition local coordination committees of syria said . the deaths included 54 people killed in fighting and the discovery of 20 bodies in aleppo , the group said . at syrian rebels'funeral , children weep cnn can not independently confirm reports of violence , as the government has severely restricted access to syria by international journalists . there were reports of a bombing monday inside the syrian state-run tv building in damascus , the latest in a series of attacks to rock the nation 's capital city as syrian rebels and government forces battle for control of the country . there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast . there are some injuries , but syrian media will continue to broadcast , ' the ministry of information said on state-run tv . three iranian prisoners were killed in the damascus suburbs during heavy shelling monday , according to the lcc . the opposition network did not provide additional details . state media reported over the weekend that armed terrorists ' had attacked and kidnapped 48 iranian shiite pilgrims on a bus near the capital . roughly 17,000 people have been killed since the syrian conflict first flared in march 2011 , when government forces began cracking down on protesters , ban said last month . the opposition put the toll at more than 20,000 . complete coverage : unrest in syria | the flight of some personalities ' wo n't affect syria , state news agency says |
syria <tsp> syria 's prime minister defected monday , becoming the latest among high-profile politicians and leaders to leave the embattled regime of bashar al-assad . i announce today my defection from the killing and terrorist regime and i announce that i have joined the ranks of the freedom and dignity revolution . i announce that i am from today a soldier in this blessed revolution , ' riyad hijab said in a written statement read by a syrian opposition official on al jazeera . cnn inside syria analysts described hijab 's departure as a significant symbolic blow for al-assad 's government but noted that the former prime minister had been on the job for only a few months . al-assad appointed hijab prime minister in june , a month after parliamentary elections that were boycotted by supporters of those seeking to oust al-assad . in short , this is n't going to bring a lot of insight into what assad is thinking or doing . it is certainly embarrassing and does some damage to regime , ' said david hartwell , a senior analyst of islamic affairs at jane 's . but all indications are that hijab was probably kept in the dark . this was n't a man who had assad 's ear . assad appointed him just a few months ago . he was essentially just another cabinet member without much power at all . ' hijab was tasked with creating a new cabinet for al-assad 's regime . opposition leaders said hijab had defected , while syrian state television said al-assad dismissed hijab from his post monday . syrian information minister omran al-zoubi said officials had n't heard anything from the former prime minister , ' according to the state-run syrian arab news agency the information minister also said that fleeing and leaving one 's post in an illegitimate manner is an evasion of responsibility and shows lack of political and national awareness , ' the news agency reported . in july , one of syria 's most senior diplomats -- nawaf al-fares -- defected , publicly embraced his country 's uprising and called for a foreign military intervention . al-fares was syria 's ambassador to iraq . manaf tlas , a sunni general in syria 's elite republican guards , also defected last month . tlas is the son of a former defense minister and a cousin of a first lieutenant in al-assad 's army . also monday , the turkish news agency anadolu reported that syria 's first man in space -- astronaut mohammad ahmad faris , who flew on a 1987 soviet space mission -- crossed into turkey last weekend and proclaimed his support for opposition forces . hijab , like al-fares and tlas , is a sunni who served in a power structure dominated by the alawite minority , an offshoot of shiism . if strategically hajib 's defection means very little , it does have symbolic significance , ' said david schenker , the director of the program on arab politics at the washington institute . the more sunnis who split off at this high level , the more it will encourage other sunnis in their attitudes toward the regime . ' opposition leaders hailed the news of hijab 's defection . syrian forces deploy heavy weapons in aleppo ' we consider the defection to be what is morally right and what is called for at this historic time , ' said abdulbaset sieda , head of the syrian national council . this is a killer and criminal regime , and at this historic moment , there should be no further hesitation . it is imperative to stand by the people of syria now . ' there were conflicting reports about the whereabouts of hijab . a syrian opposition official , muhammad el-etri , told cnn that hijab had defected , was in a country neighboring syria ' and would be heading to qatar sometime soon . ' george sabra , a spokesman for the opposition syrian national council , said hijab fled syria overnight and arrived with his family in jordan . jordanian government spokesman samih maaytah said hijab had not entered the country 's territories , according to state television . but a senior jordanian official told cnn that hijab had defected to jordan and was with his family . government officials announced hijab 's sacking after officials discovered he had left syria , el-etri said . the former prime minister escaped syria with the help of the rebel free syrian army , el-etri said , adding that the plan to defect had been in the works for two months . the flight of some personalities , however high-ranking , wo n't affect the syrian state , ' state-run sana said monday , citing the country 's information minister . meanwhile , fighting raged in aleppo , syria 's most populous city . snipers fired from the roofs of buildings and artillery fire rang out in the besieged neighborhood of salaheddin . cnn 's ben wedeman said drivers had to dodge piles of rubble in the streets . residents evacuating to safer neighborhoods left their homes with all the belongings they could carry , he said . an elderly man , carrying a briefcase and a bag full of jam , said he was leaving the neighborhood to move in with his daughter . what kind of leader does this to his own people ? ' the man said as he left his home . a dark plume of smoke rose in the air near aleppo 's ancient citadel . at least one rebel-controlled neighborhood was notably calmer , wedeman said . shops and bakeries were open , and residents walked the streets . clashes raged for hours at various spots near the city center , some close to the presidential palace , said bashir al-hajji , a spokesman for a free syrian army brigade in aleppo . as rebels scrambled to fend off regime forces in aleppo , fighting was reported in other parts of syria . at least 161 people were killed in fighting across the country monday , the opposition local coordination committees of syria said . the deaths included 54 people killed in fighting and the discovery of 20 bodies in aleppo , the group said . at syrian rebels'funeral , children weep cnn can not independently confirm reports of violence , as the government has severely restricted access to syria by international journalists . there were reports of a bombing monday inside the syrian state-run tv building in damascus , the latest in a series of attacks to rock the nation 's capital city as syrian rebels and government forces battle for control of the country . there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast . there are some injuries , but syrian media will continue to broadcast , ' the ministry of information said on state-run tv . three iranian prisoners were killed in the damascus suburbs during heavy shelling monday , according to the lcc . the opposition network did not provide additional details . state media reported over the weekend that armed terrorists ' had attacked and kidnapped 48 iranian shiite pilgrims on a bus near the capital . roughly 17,000 people have been killed since the syrian conflict first flared in march 2011 , when government forces began cracking down on protesters , ban said last month . the opposition put the toll at more than 20,000 . complete coverage : unrest in syria | analysts say riyad hijab 's departure is a symbolic blow for syria 's government |
william <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- britain 's prince william has helped the u.s. coast guard bust a drug smuggling boat carrying cocaine worth a minimum of $ 80 million . prince william has helped bust a speed boat smuggling $ 80 million worth of cocaine . william , who is serving in the royal navy , helped make the bust last weekend when he spotted a speedboat found to be carrying nearly a ton of cocaine in the atlantic ocean , britain 's ministry of defense said wednesday . william , 26 , was one of the crew members aboard a helicopter attached to the frigate hms iron duke who spotted the ocean-going speedboat hundreds of miles northeast of barbados , the defense ministry said the 50-foot-long power boat raised suspicions because it was a small vessel far out to sea and resembled a go-fast ' boat commonly used for drug smuggling , the ministry said . the boat 's location suggested it was en route to europe or north africa , it said . the chopper 's crew informed the ship 's captain about the boat , and u.s. coast guard personnel who were on the frigate then boarded the boat . they found 45 bales of cocaine weighing a total of 900 kilograms ( just under a ton ) , the defense ministry said . the cocaine has a minimum street value of $ 80 million , the ministry said . the bust went smoothly with no violence , defense officials said . navy crew detained the five men on the boat , which was in poor condition and later sank . william is in the middle of a two-month attachment with the royal navy as part of his continued experience with various branches of the military . the prince , who is called sub lieutenant wales in the navy , is also expected to spend time aboard a mine hunter and submarine during his attachment , which ends august 1 . william 's vessel , the iron duke , is a patrol boat which supports overseas british territories in the event of a hurricane and carries out counter-narcotic operations . william completed a four-month attachment with the royal air force earlier this year and received his pilot 's wings on graduation in april . he learned to fly three different aircraft during the attachment and is known as flying officer wales within the raf . william is already a second lieutenant in the british army , where he serves in the blues and royals regiment of the household cavalry . the attachments are designed to give the prince , who as king will be the head of the armed forces , experience with the military . | prince william has helped the u.s. coast guard bust a drug smuggling boat |
william <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- britain 's prince william has helped the u.s. coast guard bust a drug smuggling boat carrying cocaine worth a minimum of $ 80 million . prince william has helped bust a speed boat smuggling $ 80 million worth of cocaine . william , who is serving in the royal navy , helped make the bust last weekend when he spotted a speedboat found to be carrying nearly a ton of cocaine in the atlantic ocean , britain 's ministry of defense said wednesday . william , 26 , was one of the crew members aboard a helicopter attached to the frigate hms iron duke who spotted the ocean-going speedboat hundreds of miles northeast of barbados , the defense ministry said the 50-foot-long power boat raised suspicions because it was a small vessel far out to sea and resembled a go-fast ' boat commonly used for drug smuggling , the ministry said . the boat 's location suggested it was en route to europe or north africa , it said . the chopper 's crew informed the ship 's captain about the boat , and u.s. coast guard personnel who were on the frigate then boarded the boat . they found 45 bales of cocaine weighing a total of 900 kilograms ( just under a ton ) , the defense ministry said . the cocaine has a minimum street value of $ 80 million , the ministry said . the bust went smoothly with no violence , defense officials said . navy crew detained the five men on the boat , which was in poor condition and later sank . william is in the middle of a two-month attachment with the royal navy as part of his continued experience with various branches of the military . the prince , who is called sub lieutenant wales in the navy , is also expected to spend time aboard a mine hunter and submarine during his attachment , which ends august 1 . william 's vessel , the iron duke , is a patrol boat which supports overseas british territories in the event of a hurricane and carries out counter-narcotic operations . william completed a four-month attachment with the royal air force earlier this year and received his pilot 's wings on graduation in april . he learned to fly three different aircraft during the attachment and is known as flying officer wales within the raf . william is already a second lieutenant in the british army , where he serves in the blues and royals regiment of the household cavalry . the attachments are designed to give the prince , who as king will be the head of the armed forces , experience with the military . | prince william helped spot the boat hundreds of miles northeast of barbados |
penn state <tsp> ( cnn ) -- penn state fans and students knew the freeh report was going to be harsh , but even so , it exceeded their expectations . yet , for a significant number of them , their respect for the late joe paterno is unchanged . the lengthy report was released thursday morning , castigating four former university officials -- president graham spanier , vice president gary schultz , athletic director tim curley and paterno -- for their roles in dealing with former coach jerry sandusky , who now sits in prison for abusing boys , some on the penn state campus . i think joepa 's career here at penn state has been unique because he was able to build an athletic program that helped improve academics , which is rare for a university , ' dan florencio , a penn state graduate , told cnn 's jason carroll . so it 's hard for a lot of people who have been ingrained over those decades to hear his name not used in the best of light . ' read freeh 's prepared statement ( pdf ) student john zang was glad the truth had finally come out . ' he said it was sobering to read how officials appeared to be more interested in preventing bad publicity . it really seems like everybody was just focused on something else , not the victims , ' he said . it 's just sad because the kids , they were lost in all this . and i think it 's really important that we move forward and make sure that this stuff does not happen again . ' penn state leaders disregarded victims ,'empowered'sandusky , review finds his sentiment was echoed by the survivors network of those abused by priests , a group that also has members who were molested at camps and in athletic programs . the group released a statement that said the report was a good step , but change was more important . often , we assume that when a scandal is exposed , reform will result , but that 's not necessarily true . information sometimes leads to action , but sometimes not , ' the statement read . penn state students , staff and alumni must continue to push hard for practical changes to the unhealthy , self-protective institutional culture at the school that endangers kids . at a glance : key players in penn state report ' for starters , top school officials need to be prosecuted as vigorously as possible and punished as severely as possible . that is perhaps the best way to deter future cover-ups . ' pennsylvania attorney general linda kelly said : today 's release of the freeh report will not hinder the continuing work of our statewide investigating grand jury , nor will it impact ongoing criminal prosecutions . ' according to a statement from her office , louis freeh has promised to turn over any material related to criminal conduct to her investigators . former student john tecce said he will maintain his deep pride in his university . paterno defended penn state in letter he wrote before his death ' i received my diploma in may and it says'the pennsylvania state university'not'joe paterno university ,' he said . the university is not defined by one name or the actions of a few . ' there are so many other things to be proud of , tecce said : the $ 10.6 million the university raised to help fight pediatric cancer , the $ 500,000 it raised for the rape , abuse and incest national network . we can either put our heads down in shame and say ,'how are we ever going to recover from this ?'or we can raise our heads and say ,'ok , how are we going to come out of this ?'and start recovering , ' he said . key passages from the report ' it certainly hurts . you ca n't not be hurt by this , but at the same time i think what 's important now is just moving forward , ' he said . there is a healing power in a community where there is a common goal , a common passion , he said , and he senses that among the penn state community . zang said there was an opportunity for students to really make up for what these administrators have done and have failed to do . ' a few dozen students and fans wanted to watch news of the release of the report on wednesday morning at a penn state student center , but according to the philadelphia inquirer , just before a cnn anchor started talking about it , the channel changed to a public access show . a student worker at the help desk said a university employee was in charge of what channel was on . that person was in a meeting , the report said . on social media , supporters duked it out with critics and commentators weighed in on what they thought the future will or should hold for penn state . while some called for penn state dropping football , a reporter who covers the nba 's miami heat , said , forget the death penalty ' for penn state ... let them play and make millions ... and make them donate every damn $ to stopping child abuse . ' cnn 's jason carroll contributed to this report . | abuse group calls for a change in penn state culture |
renault lotus gp <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the renault formula one team will race under the name and colors of the legendary lotus brand next year after a change in its ownership . the team will be known as renault lotus gp after the french manufacturer sold its 25 % stake in the team to lotus cars , which is owned by malaysian carmaker proton . renault will continue its involvement in the sport , but as an engine supplier rather than a competing marque . the announcement means two teams will race with the lotus name and iconic black and gold colors next season , with tony fernandes'team lotus retaining its place on the grid under its rebranded title . piquet duo win renault libel case fernandes used the name lotus racing for this year 's debut season , having acquired licensing rights from proton . we 're well aware that there has been a lot of controversy around the usage of our brand in f1 , ' group lotus chief executive dany bahar said in a renault team press release on wednesday . i 'm delighted to be able to formally clarify our position once and for all : we are lotus and we are back . ' fernandes insisted the future is bright for his british-based team lotus and criticized bahar for electing to use a black and gold color scheme . team lotus stand by trulli and kovalainen ' dany bahar has done us a favor . never felt better about our future and team lotus . looks like they are trying to hijack our black and gold idea , ' the 46-year-old air asia owner said via social networking website twitter . team lotus chief technical officer mike gascoyne reiterated his colleague 's enthusiasm . rest assured , we are team lotus and we are here to stay , ' gascoyne said on twitter . lotus , just like buses , you wait for ages and then two come along at once . ' renault , which supplied world drivers'and constructors'champions red bull in 2010 , confirmed it will provide engines and technology to three teams in 2011 . | renault will be known as renault lotus gp for the 2011 formula one season |
washington <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the most important question facing washington today is : how do we move america forward ? this question guides everything we do at americans for prosperity . from health care to taxes to environmental issues , we fight for policies that would give every american the best shot at a better life . but politicians in washington do n't want to answer this question . even if they tried , they would n't know where to start . they 're too busy attacking anyone with whom they disagree . exhibit a : writing on these pages several days ago , brad woodhouse from american bridge 21st century declared that we want to buy elections ' and pursue a self-serving ' agenda . exhibit b : senate majority leader harry reid regularly takes to the senate floor to denounce groups like americans for prosperity as un-american . ' moreover , everything we say , according to reid , is untrue . ' dozens of senate and house candidates have since parroted reid 's baseless assertions in stump speeches , campaign e-mails , and more . this is nothing more than the politics of personal destruction . yet personal attacks are all they have in their playbook . washington 's record from the past few years does n't stand up to scrutiny -- and they know it . they ca n't show how they 've helped the people they claim to represent . millions of americans have been harmed by their bankrupt policies and broken promises . look no further than obamacare for proof . it has been nothing but a burden on hard-working american families . the country deserves to hear their stories . for months , we 've worked with middle-class families in states like arkansas , north carolina , michigan , louisiana , and elsewhere . obamacare canceled their plans and forced them to buy health insurance that they did n't want and could n't afford . between 6 and 9 million families experienced similar problems firsthand . millions more found out that their new plans do n't include their doctors or cost far more than expected . everywhere we look , people are paying more but getting less . their response ? call these people liars . it 's a similar story with washington 's current energy policies . these , too , attack middle-class americans . take the example of the epa regulations unveiled on june 2 . it does n't take an economist to see that these rules will increase electricity costs on families and businesses and kill jobs . even the new york times admits that jobs will indeed be lost ' and costs imposed ' by the new rules . these costs will disproportionately harm the middle class and the poor , who pay a greater percentage of their income on electricity and everyday goods . as for the effect on the climate ? the epa 's own data shows that the new rules will only prevent 0.018 degrees celsius of warming between now and 2100 . ask the americans who lose their jobs whether this nearly nonexistent change is worth it . the list goes on . washington 's solution to every problem is to create a bureaucracy and lavish it with billions in taxpayer dollars . in return we get the department of veterans affairs , the irs , and bureaucracies that can barely function or actively harm americans . meanwhile , washington 's demands for higher taxes will stifle small business growth and job creation even though the economy is stalled and labor force participation is hovering near record lows . ditto for the years of trillion dollar deficits and the $ 17.5 trillion dollar debt , which has nearly doubled since president obama took office . such unchecked , out-of-control spending -- which many in washington only want to expand -- will harm our economy and american families for generations for to come . this is washington 's record . such big government policies hobble the economy and harm the middle class , who invariably have to pick up the tab . but rather than help people , washington 's defenders attack us for pointing this out . we 're fighting to create a better future -- but washington is too busy holding america back . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . | he points to obamacare , energy policies and va failings as proof washington is broken |
washington <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the most important question facing washington today is : how do we move america forward ? this question guides everything we do at americans for prosperity . from health care to taxes to environmental issues , we fight for policies that would give every american the best shot at a better life . but politicians in washington do n't want to answer this question . even if they tried , they would n't know where to start . they 're too busy attacking anyone with whom they disagree . exhibit a : writing on these pages several days ago , brad woodhouse from american bridge 21st century declared that we want to buy elections ' and pursue a self-serving ' agenda . exhibit b : senate majority leader harry reid regularly takes to the senate floor to denounce groups like americans for prosperity as un-american . ' moreover , everything we say , according to reid , is untrue . ' dozens of senate and house candidates have since parroted reid 's baseless assertions in stump speeches , campaign e-mails , and more . this is nothing more than the politics of personal destruction . yet personal attacks are all they have in their playbook . washington 's record from the past few years does n't stand up to scrutiny -- and they know it . they ca n't show how they 've helped the people they claim to represent . millions of americans have been harmed by their bankrupt policies and broken promises . look no further than obamacare for proof . it has been nothing but a burden on hard-working american families . the country deserves to hear their stories . for months , we 've worked with middle-class families in states like arkansas , north carolina , michigan , louisiana , and elsewhere . obamacare canceled their plans and forced them to buy health insurance that they did n't want and could n't afford . between 6 and 9 million families experienced similar problems firsthand . millions more found out that their new plans do n't include their doctors or cost far more than expected . everywhere we look , people are paying more but getting less . their response ? call these people liars . it 's a similar story with washington 's current energy policies . these , too , attack middle-class americans . take the example of the epa regulations unveiled on june 2 . it does n't take an economist to see that these rules will increase electricity costs on families and businesses and kill jobs . even the new york times admits that jobs will indeed be lost ' and costs imposed ' by the new rules . these costs will disproportionately harm the middle class and the poor , who pay a greater percentage of their income on electricity and everyday goods . as for the effect on the climate ? the epa 's own data shows that the new rules will only prevent 0.018 degrees celsius of warming between now and 2100 . ask the americans who lose their jobs whether this nearly nonexistent change is worth it . the list goes on . washington 's solution to every problem is to create a bureaucracy and lavish it with billions in taxpayer dollars . in return we get the department of veterans affairs , the irs , and bureaucracies that can barely function or actively harm americans . meanwhile , washington 's demands for higher taxes will stifle small business growth and job creation even though the economy is stalled and labor force participation is hovering near record lows . ditto for the years of trillion dollar deficits and the $ 17.5 trillion dollar debt , which has nearly doubled since president obama took office . such unchecked , out-of-control spending -- which many in washington only want to expand -- will harm our economy and american families for generations for to come . this is washington 's record . such big government policies hobble the economy and harm the middle class , who invariably have to pick up the tab . but rather than help people , washington 's defenders attack us for pointing this out . we 're fighting to create a better future -- but washington is too busy holding america back . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . | washington 's solution to every problem , he says , is to create a bureaucracy |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- beijing residents blanketed by smog are pointing to u.s. readings on pollution levels -- and slamming official reports from the chinese government . on weibo , the chinese version of twitter , more and more people are uploading and reposting screen captures from air-quality-monitoring apps -- generally one from the u.s. embassy -- highlighting very unhealthy ' or hazardous ' pollution levels , at times that china officially reported only slight pollution ' in the same areas . china acknowledges the concerns and notes that it uses a different system to measure air pollution . state-run news agency global times on tuesday carried the headline , non-government air quality assessments on the rise due to distrust over official data . ' zeal for independent assessments of air quality has been on the rise nationwide in china recently , amid public distrust over official data resulting from the failure of national evaluations to include pm 2.5 level , an air pollution index used worldwide , in their calculations , ' the article states . the u.s. embassy explains that pm 2.5 refers to fine particulates less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter . the u.s. consulate general in guangzhou , china , explains that these smaller particles are believed to pose the largest health risks ' and are small enough to get into the lungs and even the blood stream . ' chinese monitoring stations around beijing track only larger , coarse ' particulates , between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter . on monday , the beijing municipal environmental protection bureau stated that the air pollution index ( api ) was between 150 to 170 , indicating slight ' pollution . the u.s. monitor , meanwhile , which sends out tweets throughout the day , reported at times on monday that the air in beijing was hazardous , ' with air quality index ( aqi ) readings over 300 . on october 9 , the u.s. monitor reported a reading of over 500 , which it labeled beyond index . ' the official government reading for that same date states there was slight pollution . ' while many official reports on chinese state-run media refer to the air as being filled with fog , ' the government acknowledges the haze is due to smog . the state-run china daily reported this week that while fog alerts ' are declared , ma jun , director of the institute of public and environment affairs , said the hazes that have been smothering beijing are really'smog .'' while pollution is an ongoing concern in the country , the weather in recent days has made matters worse , said cnn international weather anchor mari ramos . beijing 's weather has been dominated by high pressure , which means sinking air and dry days . this weather pattern aggravates their air quality problem , ' ramos said . the air is stagnant , there is no mixing and all the pollutants are trapped near the surface . ' the chinese capital has only had 1.5 mm of rain since october 14 , she said . there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon , but not until the end of the week . by friday , when a cold front comes through , there is a small chance of rain , ' ramos said , adding that even if it does n't rain , the end to the current weather pattern will bring a welcome relief . ' in posts online , many chinese people say they can smell sulfur dioxide in the air . some have posted photos of sites throughout beijing , showing how little visibility there is . the poor air quality has caused a surge in the numbers of patients with respiratory problems , and the beijing meteorological bureau issued four yellow alerts for dense fog in the last two days , the global times article says . doctors suggest people of all ages avoid outdoor activities . cnn 's tian shao and jaime florcruz in beijing contributed to this report . | china 's readings do not include fine particles |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- beijing residents blanketed by smog are pointing to u.s. readings on pollution levels -- and slamming official reports from the chinese government . on weibo , the chinese version of twitter , more and more people are uploading and reposting screen captures from air-quality-monitoring apps -- generally one from the u.s. embassy -- highlighting very unhealthy ' or hazardous ' pollution levels , at times that china officially reported only slight pollution ' in the same areas . china acknowledges the concerns and notes that it uses a different system to measure air pollution . state-run news agency global times on tuesday carried the headline , non-government air quality assessments on the rise due to distrust over official data . ' zeal for independent assessments of air quality has been on the rise nationwide in china recently , amid public distrust over official data resulting from the failure of national evaluations to include pm 2.5 level , an air pollution index used worldwide , in their calculations , ' the article states . the u.s. embassy explains that pm 2.5 refers to fine particulates less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter . the u.s. consulate general in guangzhou , china , explains that these smaller particles are believed to pose the largest health risks ' and are small enough to get into the lungs and even the blood stream . ' chinese monitoring stations around beijing track only larger , coarse ' particulates , between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter . on monday , the beijing municipal environmental protection bureau stated that the air pollution index ( api ) was between 150 to 170 , indicating slight ' pollution . the u.s. monitor , meanwhile , which sends out tweets throughout the day , reported at times on monday that the air in beijing was hazardous , ' with air quality index ( aqi ) readings over 300 . on october 9 , the u.s. monitor reported a reading of over 500 , which it labeled beyond index . ' the official government reading for that same date states there was slight pollution . ' while many official reports on chinese state-run media refer to the air as being filled with fog , ' the government acknowledges the haze is due to smog . the state-run china daily reported this week that while fog alerts ' are declared , ma jun , director of the institute of public and environment affairs , said the hazes that have been smothering beijing are really'smog .'' while pollution is an ongoing concern in the country , the weather in recent days has made matters worse , said cnn international weather anchor mari ramos . beijing 's weather has been dominated by high pressure , which means sinking air and dry days . this weather pattern aggravates their air quality problem , ' ramos said . the air is stagnant , there is no mixing and all the pollutants are trapped near the surface . ' the chinese capital has only had 1.5 mm of rain since october 14 , she said . there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon , but not until the end of the week . by friday , when a cold front comes through , there is a small chance of rain , ' ramos said , adding that even if it does n't rain , the end to the current weather pattern will bring a welcome relief . ' in posts online , many chinese people say they can smell sulfur dioxide in the air . some have posted photos of sites throughout beijing , showing how little visibility there is . the poor air quality has caused a surge in the numbers of patients with respiratory problems , and the beijing meteorological bureau issued four yellow alerts for dense fog in the last two days , the global times article says . doctors suggest people of all ages avoid outdoor activities . cnn 's tian shao and jaime florcruz in beijing contributed to this report . | china 's state-run media acknowledges distrust over official smog data |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- beijing residents blanketed by smog are pointing to u.s. readings on pollution levels -- and slamming official reports from the chinese government . on weibo , the chinese version of twitter , more and more people are uploading and reposting screen captures from air-quality-monitoring apps -- generally one from the u.s. embassy -- highlighting very unhealthy ' or hazardous ' pollution levels , at times that china officially reported only slight pollution ' in the same areas . china acknowledges the concerns and notes that it uses a different system to measure air pollution . state-run news agency global times on tuesday carried the headline , non-government air quality assessments on the rise due to distrust over official data . ' zeal for independent assessments of air quality has been on the rise nationwide in china recently , amid public distrust over official data resulting from the failure of national evaluations to include pm 2.5 level , an air pollution index used worldwide , in their calculations , ' the article states . the u.s. embassy explains that pm 2.5 refers to fine particulates less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter . the u.s. consulate general in guangzhou , china , explains that these smaller particles are believed to pose the largest health risks ' and are small enough to get into the lungs and even the blood stream . ' chinese monitoring stations around beijing track only larger , coarse ' particulates , between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter . on monday , the beijing municipal environmental protection bureau stated that the air pollution index ( api ) was between 150 to 170 , indicating slight ' pollution . the u.s. monitor , meanwhile , which sends out tweets throughout the day , reported at times on monday that the air in beijing was hazardous , ' with air quality index ( aqi ) readings over 300 . on october 9 , the u.s. monitor reported a reading of over 500 , which it labeled beyond index . ' the official government reading for that same date states there was slight pollution . ' while many official reports on chinese state-run media refer to the air as being filled with fog , ' the government acknowledges the haze is due to smog . the state-run china daily reported this week that while fog alerts ' are declared , ma jun , director of the institute of public and environment affairs , said the hazes that have been smothering beijing are really'smog .'' while pollution is an ongoing concern in the country , the weather in recent days has made matters worse , said cnn international weather anchor mari ramos . beijing 's weather has been dominated by high pressure , which means sinking air and dry days . this weather pattern aggravates their air quality problem , ' ramos said . the air is stagnant , there is no mixing and all the pollutants are trapped near the surface . ' the chinese capital has only had 1.5 mm of rain since october 14 , she said . there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon , but not until the end of the week . by friday , when a cold front comes through , there is a small chance of rain , ' ramos said , adding that even if it does n't rain , the end to the current weather pattern will bring a welcome relief . ' in posts online , many chinese people say they can smell sulfur dioxide in the air . some have posted photos of sites throughout beijing , showing how little visibility there is . the poor air quality has caused a surge in the numbers of patients with respiratory problems , and the beijing meteorological bureau issued four yellow alerts for dense fog in the last two days , the global times article says . doctors suggest people of all ages avoid outdoor activities . cnn 's tian shao and jaime florcruz in beijing contributed to this report . | u.s. readings show hazardous ' air while china reports slight pollution ' |
beijing <tsp> ( cnn ) -- beijing residents blanketed by smog are pointing to u.s. readings on pollution levels -- and slamming official reports from the chinese government . on weibo , the chinese version of twitter , more and more people are uploading and reposting screen captures from air-quality-monitoring apps -- generally one from the u.s. embassy -- highlighting very unhealthy ' or hazardous ' pollution levels , at times that china officially reported only slight pollution ' in the same areas . china acknowledges the concerns and notes that it uses a different system to measure air pollution . state-run news agency global times on tuesday carried the headline , non-government air quality assessments on the rise due to distrust over official data . ' zeal for independent assessments of air quality has been on the rise nationwide in china recently , amid public distrust over official data resulting from the failure of national evaluations to include pm 2.5 level , an air pollution index used worldwide , in their calculations , ' the article states . the u.s. embassy explains that pm 2.5 refers to fine particulates less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter . the u.s. consulate general in guangzhou , china , explains that these smaller particles are believed to pose the largest health risks ' and are small enough to get into the lungs and even the blood stream . ' chinese monitoring stations around beijing track only larger , coarse ' particulates , between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter . on monday , the beijing municipal environmental protection bureau stated that the air pollution index ( api ) was between 150 to 170 , indicating slight ' pollution . the u.s. monitor , meanwhile , which sends out tweets throughout the day , reported at times on monday that the air in beijing was hazardous , ' with air quality index ( aqi ) readings over 300 . on october 9 , the u.s. monitor reported a reading of over 500 , which it labeled beyond index . ' the official government reading for that same date states there was slight pollution . ' while many official reports on chinese state-run media refer to the air as being filled with fog , ' the government acknowledges the haze is due to smog . the state-run china daily reported this week that while fog alerts ' are declared , ma jun , director of the institute of public and environment affairs , said the hazes that have been smothering beijing are really'smog .'' while pollution is an ongoing concern in the country , the weather in recent days has made matters worse , said cnn international weather anchor mari ramos . beijing 's weather has been dominated by high pressure , which means sinking air and dry days . this weather pattern aggravates their air quality problem , ' ramos said . the air is stagnant , there is no mixing and all the pollutants are trapped near the surface . ' the chinese capital has only had 1.5 mm of rain since october 14 , she said . there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon , but not until the end of the week . by friday , when a cold front comes through , there is a small chance of rain , ' ramos said , adding that even if it does n't rain , the end to the current weather pattern will bring a welcome relief . ' in posts online , many chinese people say they can smell sulfur dioxide in the air . some have posted photos of sites throughout beijing , showing how little visibility there is . the poor air quality has caused a surge in the numbers of patients with respiratory problems , and the beijing meteorological bureau issued four yellow alerts for dense fog in the last two days , the global times article says . doctors suggest people of all ages avoid outdoor activities . cnn 's tian shao and jaime florcruz in beijing contributed to this report . | beijing 's weather has compounded the problem in recent days |
german <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester united took a big step towards reaching the champions league final for the third time in four years as the english team ended schalke 's 100 % home record this season in europe 's top club competition on tuesday . second-half goals from ryan giggs and wayne rooney gave united a 2-0 victory in germany ahead of next wednesday 's second leg of the semifinal at old trafford . it could have been a much greater margin as goalkeeper manuel neuer performed heroics to keep the match scoreless for more than an hour , while united 's defense has yet to concede away from home in the tournament this season . but rooney set giggs clear with a clever pass and the 37-year-old slipped the ball past neuer with his favored left foot in the 67th minute to make up for several earlier misses by the welshman . neville : arsenal trip is united 's toughest test giggs became the oldest player to score in the tournament , surpassing javier zanetti 's october effort against tottenham by nearly three months . england striker rooney doubled the lead three minutes later after javier hernandez nipped in front of the static schalke defense and slid the ball into his path . we 're delighted but a bit disappointed in terms of not scoring more , ' rooney told reporters . we have done very well . we have to be professional for the second leg as schalke ca n't be taken lightly . they went to inter and won 5-2 ( in the quarterfinals ) . ' neuer , who has announced that he will not extend his contract at schalke and will reportedly make a post-season move to bayern munich , had earlier shown why so many clubs -- including united -- have been linked with the 25-year-old . the germany international denied giggs twice in the first half and also saved from hernandez , and then kept out michael carrick 's header straight after the break . giggs shot embarrassingly wide with his weaker right foot after a clever turn outwitted two defenders , then hernandez was ruled offside before putting the ball past neuer in the 51st minute .'envious'ferguson wants to match real madrid after united finally went comfortably ahead , manager alex ferguson was able to rest hernandez , park ji-sung and rooney ahead of sunday 's trip to english premier league rivals arsenal . it was the 69-year-old scot 's 100th away game in europe as a manager , as he seeks to add to champions league titles in 1999 and 2008 to give united a fourth european crown overall . united have every incentive to reach the final , which will be played on home soil at london 's wembley stadium on may 28 . however , the 18-time english champions have never beaten a german team in four two-legged ties so far in the competition , losing to bayern in last season 's quarterfinals . we have to recognize that we were dominated by a team playing in a different dimension , ' schalke defender christoph metzelder said . we still have hope , anything is possible . we 'll try to do everything to win at old trafford . ' the winning team will progress for a title match against spanish giants barcelona or real madrid , who clash in the first leg of their semifinal at the santiago bernabeu on wednesday . united lost 2-0 to barcelona in the 2009 final in rome . meanwhile , stoke city moved up to ninth place with a 3-0 win over relegation-threatened wolverhampton in tuesday 's only premier league fixture . striker kenwyne jones opened the scoring with a header after 16 minutes , while defender ryan shawcross made it 2-0 from close range on halftime before winger jermaine pennant made it safe with a deflected effort soon after the interval . however , stoke winger matthew etherington could miss the fa cup final against manchester city on may 14 after being stretchered off in the first half with a hamstring injury . the defeat left wolves second from bottom with four matches to play . | united have never beaten a german team in a two-leg tie in the tournament |
congress <tsp> sen. ted cruz , r-texas , may be frustrated with the president 's anticipated executive action on immigration , but he 's not looking to shutdown the government again to stop him . there is no republican -- not one -- who wants a government shutdown , ' cruz said on fox wednesday . the only person on this planet who wants a shutdown is president obama . ' cruz , who voted in favor of shutting down the government last year over obamacare , made the expected argument that the president would be violating the powers set by the constitution by forcing executive action . but the former harvard law review editor took the argument a step further wednesday , saying that if the president acted , he would be forcing voters to take a plunge . i 'm sorry to say , the president is behaving in an unprecedented way , ' cruz said . there is not in recent times any parallel for a president repudiated by the voters standing up and essentially telling the voters ,'go jump in a lake'. he 's going to force his powers . ' earlier wednesday , the first-term senator penned a politico op-ed titled obama is not a monarch , ' where he slammed the president for threatening executive action . once seen as an obstructionist -- for his 2013 government shutdown crusade -- the potential 2016 contender is changing his strategy this time around for defying the president . wednesday evening , cruz laid out a three-step plan for how the gop should reign in a despotic executive . ' in the plan , cruz told fox news that incoming senate majority leader-elect mitch mcconnell , r-kentucky , should threaten to block any nominations by the president , with the exception of those for vital national security positions . he also said congress should use the power of the purse to pass appropriation legislation that limits the power of both the congress and the president to spend money on the president 's executive action , once all other necessary government agencies and functions are funded . while cruz says legislative action is the best way to move forward to combat the president 's initiative , a few of his gop colleagues -- and potential 2016 rivals -- said they felt a lawsuit would be more appropriate . earlier wednesday , texas gov . rick perry said there is a very real possibility ' texas will sue obama over his executive action . wisconsin gov . scott walker agreed , saying he would also go to the courts because he thinks there 's a pretty compelling argument . ' the president is expected to announce his executive action plan thursday in a prime time address . sources familiar with the plan tell cnn that it includes deferring deportation for the parents of u.s. citizens , a move that would affect up to 3.5 million people . | congress should also withhold funds to halt the executive action , cruz said |
congress <tsp> sen. ted cruz , r-texas , may be frustrated with the president 's anticipated executive action on immigration , but he 's not looking to shutdown the government again to stop him . there is no republican -- not one -- who wants a government shutdown , ' cruz said on fox wednesday . the only person on this planet who wants a shutdown is president obama . ' cruz , who voted in favor of shutting down the government last year over obamacare , made the expected argument that the president would be violating the powers set by the constitution by forcing executive action . but the former harvard law review editor took the argument a step further wednesday , saying that if the president acted , he would be forcing voters to take a plunge . i 'm sorry to say , the president is behaving in an unprecedented way , ' cruz said . there is not in recent times any parallel for a president repudiated by the voters standing up and essentially telling the voters ,'go jump in a lake'. he 's going to force his powers . ' earlier wednesday , the first-term senator penned a politico op-ed titled obama is not a monarch , ' where he slammed the president for threatening executive action . once seen as an obstructionist -- for his 2013 government shutdown crusade -- the potential 2016 contender is changing his strategy this time around for defying the president . wednesday evening , cruz laid out a three-step plan for how the gop should reign in a despotic executive . ' in the plan , cruz told fox news that incoming senate majority leader-elect mitch mcconnell , r-kentucky , should threaten to block any nominations by the president , with the exception of those for vital national security positions . he also said congress should use the power of the purse to pass appropriation legislation that limits the power of both the congress and the president to spend money on the president 's executive action , once all other necessary government agencies and functions are funded . while cruz says legislative action is the best way to move forward to combat the president 's initiative , a few of his gop colleagues -- and potential 2016 rivals -- said they felt a lawsuit would be more appropriate . earlier wednesday , texas gov . rick perry said there is a very real possibility ' texas will sue obama over his executive action . wisconsin gov . scott walker agreed , saying he would also go to the courts because he thinks there 's a pretty compelling argument . ' the president is expected to announce his executive action plan thursday in a prime time address . sources familiar with the plan tell cnn that it includes deferring deportation for the parents of u.s. citizens , a move that would affect up to 3.5 million people . | texas senator said congress should threaten to block obama 's nominees |
texas <tsp> sen. ted cruz , r-texas , may be frustrated with the president 's anticipated executive action on immigration , but he 's not looking to shutdown the government again to stop him . there is no republican -- not one -- who wants a government shutdown , ' cruz said on fox wednesday . the only person on this planet who wants a shutdown is president obama . ' cruz , who voted in favor of shutting down the government last year over obamacare , made the expected argument that the president would be violating the powers set by the constitution by forcing executive action . but the former harvard law review editor took the argument a step further wednesday , saying that if the president acted , he would be forcing voters to take a plunge . i 'm sorry to say , the president is behaving in an unprecedented way , ' cruz said . there is not in recent times any parallel for a president repudiated by the voters standing up and essentially telling the voters ,'go jump in a lake'. he 's going to force his powers . ' earlier wednesday , the first-term senator penned a politico op-ed titled obama is not a monarch , ' where he slammed the president for threatening executive action . once seen as an obstructionist -- for his 2013 government shutdown crusade -- the potential 2016 contender is changing his strategy this time around for defying the president . wednesday evening , cruz laid out a three-step plan for how the gop should reign in a despotic executive . ' in the plan , cruz told fox news that incoming senate majority leader-elect mitch mcconnell , r-kentucky , should threaten to block any nominations by the president , with the exception of those for vital national security positions . he also said congress should use the power of the purse to pass appropriation legislation that limits the power of both the congress and the president to spend money on the president 's executive action , once all other necessary government agencies and functions are funded . while cruz says legislative action is the best way to move forward to combat the president 's initiative , a few of his gop colleagues -- and potential 2016 rivals -- said they felt a lawsuit would be more appropriate . earlier wednesday , texas gov . rick perry said there is a very real possibility ' texas will sue obama over his executive action . wisconsin gov . scott walker agreed , saying he would also go to the courts because he thinks there 's a pretty compelling argument . ' the president is expected to announce his executive action plan thursday in a prime time address . sources familiar with the plan tell cnn that it includes deferring deportation for the parents of u.s. citizens , a move that would affect up to 3.5 million people . | texas senator said congress should threaten to block obama 's nominees |
italy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the resignation of silvio berlusconi as italy 's prime minister does not mark his end , but the beginning of the end . he will not disappear from the stage anytime soon . through his vast public and private sector networks , berlusconi 's influence on italian affairs will continue for the foreseeable future and beyond . however , despite making several successful comebacks , any further attempt will be far less effective . while berlusconi 's credibility abroad is irreparably damaged , his legitimacy at home consistently sags . as a rapidly aging figure , he is increasingly disconnected from political reality . time is of the essence and necessity determines a technocratic government that must last until 2013 , when elections are formally due . during this period , italy 's problems will not be resolved . the objectives must be to stabilize the status quo , place italy on a clear path to reform and provide a respectable degree of certainty for international markets . time has run out for italy to determine the process and pace of reform . past failures have caught up . greater collective sacrifices are now required . a new government must firmly make the often unpopular decisions required . the crucial need for structural reform and greater deregulation is accompanied by the need to boost competitiveness and growth -- indispensable elements to long-term success . while italy 's long-standing challenges remain unresolved , the deep level of political polarization continues , as does italy 's failure to adapt to an increasingly globalized world . with one of the world 's lowest birth rates , italy is increasingly becoming a nation of pensioners , ruled by pensioners for the sake of pensioners . it amounts to a gerontocracy with little , if any , meritocracy . in italy , a young leader is considered someone in his 50s . the prevailing perception of politicians is that their purpose is not to serve the public but to take from it and distribute the spoils to loyalists in order to guarantee survival and self-preservation . for young italians , upward mobility is not a fluid process . personal connections or tutelage under a sponsor ' becomes a more secure guarantee to success . some of italy 's best and brightest opt for opportunities abroad to find greater meritocracy and equitable results for hard work . in the corporate realm , many of italy 's largest multinationals have adapted to globalization . however , many small and medium-sized companies , largely responsible for the nation 's post-war economic success , struggle to compete . for a society which has enjoyed generous state-sponsored benefits for decades , amending or revoking what is considered an entitlement will be extremely difficult . this requires not only an economic change but a cultural one in a country where dependence upon the state prevails in many quarters and remains significantly rooted in the political culture . as the world 's eighth largest economy , italy consistently punches below its weight . by continuing on its present course , and as new powers emerge globally , italy will inevitably be relegated . its traditional political establishment pales in competence when compared to its entrepreneurial class . italy remains a nation unable to unleash its wealth of talent , much of which continues to seek opportunities abroad , significantly hurting the nation 's competitiveness and growth . italy possesses one of the most over-regulated economies and some of the lowest labor productivity rates in the developed world . labor and pension reform and deregulation remain essential priorities . excessively powerful unions continue to exercise disproportionate influence over effective national policy . corruption and organized crime in italy 's southern regions continue to hinder economic development . as for post-berlusconi italy , the door now opens for a potential realignment in italian politics . a sizable centrist bloc could emerge as a power broker in determining future governments . it would be a combination of old christian democrats , defectors from berlusconi 's party and disenchanted centrist elements of the main center-left party , partito democratico . while berlusconi 's center-right will attempt to consolidate its ranks , the center-left will struggle to overcome divisions . throughout the turmoil of recent months , italy 's center-left has utterly failed to seize the political initiative . in part , this has helped to extend berlusconi 's survival . in retrospect , berlusconi had an historic opportunity to reform italy , particularly after winning an absolute parliamentary majority in 2008 . it was squandered due largely to his personal shortcomings and inability to effectively manage italy 's economy and political system . his failures led to his ouster and history will deny him the chance to ever make up for it . during his 20-year political career , berlusconi displayed impeccable endurance skills . at home , he survived more than 50 confidence votes , scandals , court cases and other controversies , all somewhat subject to his influence . however , current market pressure proved too overwhelming for berlusconi 's aura of invincibility and omnipotence . ironically , his most humiliating defeat was largely inflicted by external circumstances beyond his control . in less than 48 hours , he became the second victim of the eurozone crisis after the resignation of the greek prime minister . a possible third target is spain 's socialist party after national elections on november 20 . over time , berlusconi has largely become the victim of his own hubris . whereas many italians were amused by past antics , they eventually became a liability and particularly unacceptable for the important voting bloc of berlusconi 's catholic supporters . his can-do-no-wrong attitude also became unsustainable . the sense that he was accountable to no-one but himself created resentment even among diehard loyalists . this was further compounded by the perception of a do-nothing , no-results government . from berlusconi 's perspective , he was back-stabbed . after all , the narrative goes , he saved italy from the far left and is therefore entitled to rule at will and leave power when ready . to think otherwise is committing treason . many are eager to write off berlusconi sooner rather than later . some are ideologically driven , others simply tired of polemics and political gridlock . it may be too premature to write his political obituary just yet . however , the drafting has begun in earnest . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of marco vicenzino | italy 's political establishment pales in competence when compared to its entrepreneurial class ' |
italy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the resignation of silvio berlusconi as italy 's prime minister does not mark his end , but the beginning of the end . he will not disappear from the stage anytime soon . through his vast public and private sector networks , berlusconi 's influence on italian affairs will continue for the foreseeable future and beyond . however , despite making several successful comebacks , any further attempt will be far less effective . while berlusconi 's credibility abroad is irreparably damaged , his legitimacy at home consistently sags . as a rapidly aging figure , he is increasingly disconnected from political reality . time is of the essence and necessity determines a technocratic government that must last until 2013 , when elections are formally due . during this period , italy 's problems will not be resolved . the objectives must be to stabilize the status quo , place italy on a clear path to reform and provide a respectable degree of certainty for international markets . time has run out for italy to determine the process and pace of reform . past failures have caught up . greater collective sacrifices are now required . a new government must firmly make the often unpopular decisions required . the crucial need for structural reform and greater deregulation is accompanied by the need to boost competitiveness and growth -- indispensable elements to long-term success . while italy 's long-standing challenges remain unresolved , the deep level of political polarization continues , as does italy 's failure to adapt to an increasingly globalized world . with one of the world 's lowest birth rates , italy is increasingly becoming a nation of pensioners , ruled by pensioners for the sake of pensioners . it amounts to a gerontocracy with little , if any , meritocracy . in italy , a young leader is considered someone in his 50s . the prevailing perception of politicians is that their purpose is not to serve the public but to take from it and distribute the spoils to loyalists in order to guarantee survival and self-preservation . for young italians , upward mobility is not a fluid process . personal connections or tutelage under a sponsor ' becomes a more secure guarantee to success . some of italy 's best and brightest opt for opportunities abroad to find greater meritocracy and equitable results for hard work . in the corporate realm , many of italy 's largest multinationals have adapted to globalization . however , many small and medium-sized companies , largely responsible for the nation 's post-war economic success , struggle to compete . for a society which has enjoyed generous state-sponsored benefits for decades , amending or revoking what is considered an entitlement will be extremely difficult . this requires not only an economic change but a cultural one in a country where dependence upon the state prevails in many quarters and remains significantly rooted in the political culture . as the world 's eighth largest economy , italy consistently punches below its weight . by continuing on its present course , and as new powers emerge globally , italy will inevitably be relegated . its traditional political establishment pales in competence when compared to its entrepreneurial class . italy remains a nation unable to unleash its wealth of talent , much of which continues to seek opportunities abroad , significantly hurting the nation 's competitiveness and growth . italy possesses one of the most over-regulated economies and some of the lowest labor productivity rates in the developed world . labor and pension reform and deregulation remain essential priorities . excessively powerful unions continue to exercise disproportionate influence over effective national policy . corruption and organized crime in italy 's southern regions continue to hinder economic development . as for post-berlusconi italy , the door now opens for a potential realignment in italian politics . a sizable centrist bloc could emerge as a power broker in determining future governments . it would be a combination of old christian democrats , defectors from berlusconi 's party and disenchanted centrist elements of the main center-left party , partito democratico . while berlusconi 's center-right will attempt to consolidate its ranks , the center-left will struggle to overcome divisions . throughout the turmoil of recent months , italy 's center-left has utterly failed to seize the political initiative . in part , this has helped to extend berlusconi 's survival . in retrospect , berlusconi had an historic opportunity to reform italy , particularly after winning an absolute parliamentary majority in 2008 . it was squandered due largely to his personal shortcomings and inability to effectively manage italy 's economy and political system . his failures led to his ouster and history will deny him the chance to ever make up for it . during his 20-year political career , berlusconi displayed impeccable endurance skills . at home , he survived more than 50 confidence votes , scandals , court cases and other controversies , all somewhat subject to his influence . however , current market pressure proved too overwhelming for berlusconi 's aura of invincibility and omnipotence . ironically , his most humiliating defeat was largely inflicted by external circumstances beyond his control . in less than 48 hours , he became the second victim of the eurozone crisis after the resignation of the greek prime minister . a possible third target is spain 's socialist party after national elections on november 20 . over time , berlusconi has largely become the victim of his own hubris . whereas many italians were amused by past antics , they eventually became a liability and particularly unacceptable for the important voting bloc of berlusconi 's catholic supporters . his can-do-no-wrong attitude also became unsustainable . the sense that he was accountable to no-one but himself created resentment even among diehard loyalists . this was further compounded by the perception of a do-nothing , no-results government . from berlusconi 's perspective , he was back-stabbed . after all , the narrative goes , he saved italy from the far left and is therefore entitled to rule at will and leave power when ready . to think otherwise is committing treason . many are eager to write off berlusconi sooner rather than later . some are ideologically driven , others simply tired of polemics and political gridlock . it may be too premature to write his political obituary just yet . however , the drafting has begun in earnest . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of marco vicenzino | italy increasingly a nation of pensioners , ruled by pensioners for the sake of pensioners ' |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- greeted by streets packed with well-wishers , barack obama arrived in myanmar on monday for a historic visit that hopes to encourage the once repressive regime to continue with its remarkable journey . ' the first sitting u.s. president to visit the country , obama will urge its leaders , which have embarked on a series of far-reaching political and economic reforms since 2011 , not to extinguish the flickers of progress that we have seen . ' this remarkable journey has just begun , and has much further to go , ' obama will say , according to excerpts of his speech released before his arrival . reforms launched from the top of society must meet the aspirations of citizens who form its foundation . ' during his six-hour visit , obama will meet with myanmar 's president thein sein , whose reform drive has seen the release of hundreds of political prisoners and steps to open up the country 's economy . the country , which is also known as burma , was ruled by military leaders until early 2011 and for decades was politically and economically cut off from the rest of the world . he 'll also meet fellow nobel peace prize laureate aung san suu kyi at the lakeside villa where the pro-democracy icon spent years under house arrest . he said suu kyi , now a member of parliament , encouraged the visit during a recent trip to the white house . obama fever ' has gripped yangon , with the street from the airport lined with crowds waving the stars and stripes , taking pictures and craning for a glimpse of the president . obama 's image also featured on t-shirts , mugs and walls for sale in city stores . myanmar faces unfolding crisis on the eve of his myanmar trip , obama insisted that the visit was not an endorsement of the burmese government . ' this is an acknowledgment that there is a process under way inside that country that even a year and a half , two years ago , nobody foresaw , ' obama told reporters in thailand on sunday , the first stop on his asia trip . he added that the country was moving in a better direction . ' as well as meeting thein sein and suu kyi , obama will deliver a speech at the university of yangon before departing for cambodia on monday afternoon , where he will attend the east asia summit . western governments have responded to myanmar 's progressive efforts by easing sanctions that targeted the military regime . on friday , the u.s. eased restrictions on imports of most goods from burma . but the country has also witnessed bouts of turmoil in recent months . violence between rohingya muslims and local buddhists broke out in the western state of rakhine . during the latest eruption of tensions , the united nations said at least 89 people were killed in two weeks , and 110,000 were displaced . what 's behind sectarian violence in myanmar ? obama will urge myanmar to use its diversity as a strength , not a weakness . ' i believe deeply that this country can transcend its differences , and that every human being within these borders is a part of your nation 's story . ' he is expected to meet briefly with representatives of civil society organizations , including an advocate for burma 's rohingya population . however , some aid organizations are questioning whether now is the right time for obama to add legitimacy to thein sein 's government . burmese exile leaders and human rights advocates have expressed concerns that the visit is too soon , and may not yield the additional reforms that a presidential visit can deliver if it happens at the right time . speaking sunday alongside thai prime minister yingluck shinawatra , obama emphasized that the united states is a pacific nation , ' and that events in the pacific will shape so much of our security and prosperity ' in the future . he said restoring american engagement ' in the region is one of his priorities . asia 's vast economy accounts for roughly a quarter of the global gross domestic product . challenges facing the u.s. economy seeped in sunday . obama , accompanied by u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton , joked with a monk in thailand . we 're working on this budget , ' he said . we 're going to need a lot of prayer for that . ' cnn 's josh levs , holly yan , gabriella schwarz , paula hancocks and dan rivers contributed to this report . | obama will be the first sitting u.s. president to visit myanmar , also known as burma |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- greeted by streets packed with well-wishers , barack obama arrived in myanmar on monday for a historic visit that hopes to encourage the once repressive regime to continue with its remarkable journey . ' the first sitting u.s. president to visit the country , obama will urge its leaders , which have embarked on a series of far-reaching political and economic reforms since 2011 , not to extinguish the flickers of progress that we have seen . ' this remarkable journey has just begun , and has much further to go , ' obama will say , according to excerpts of his speech released before his arrival . reforms launched from the top of society must meet the aspirations of citizens who form its foundation . ' during his six-hour visit , obama will meet with myanmar 's president thein sein , whose reform drive has seen the release of hundreds of political prisoners and steps to open up the country 's economy . the country , which is also known as burma , was ruled by military leaders until early 2011 and for decades was politically and economically cut off from the rest of the world . he 'll also meet fellow nobel peace prize laureate aung san suu kyi at the lakeside villa where the pro-democracy icon spent years under house arrest . he said suu kyi , now a member of parliament , encouraged the visit during a recent trip to the white house . obama fever ' has gripped yangon , with the street from the airport lined with crowds waving the stars and stripes , taking pictures and craning for a glimpse of the president . obama 's image also featured on t-shirts , mugs and walls for sale in city stores . myanmar faces unfolding crisis on the eve of his myanmar trip , obama insisted that the visit was not an endorsement of the burmese government . ' this is an acknowledgment that there is a process under way inside that country that even a year and a half , two years ago , nobody foresaw , ' obama told reporters in thailand on sunday , the first stop on his asia trip . he added that the country was moving in a better direction . ' as well as meeting thein sein and suu kyi , obama will deliver a speech at the university of yangon before departing for cambodia on monday afternoon , where he will attend the east asia summit . western governments have responded to myanmar 's progressive efforts by easing sanctions that targeted the military regime . on friday , the u.s. eased restrictions on imports of most goods from burma . but the country has also witnessed bouts of turmoil in recent months . violence between rohingya muslims and local buddhists broke out in the western state of rakhine . during the latest eruption of tensions , the united nations said at least 89 people were killed in two weeks , and 110,000 were displaced . what 's behind sectarian violence in myanmar ? obama will urge myanmar to use its diversity as a strength , not a weakness . ' i believe deeply that this country can transcend its differences , and that every human being within these borders is a part of your nation 's story . ' he is expected to meet briefly with representatives of civil society organizations , including an advocate for burma 's rohingya population . however , some aid organizations are questioning whether now is the right time for obama to add legitimacy to thein sein 's government . burmese exile leaders and human rights advocates have expressed concerns that the visit is too soon , and may not yield the additional reforms that a presidential visit can deliver if it happens at the right time . speaking sunday alongside thai prime minister yingluck shinawatra , obama emphasized that the united states is a pacific nation , ' and that events in the pacific will shape so much of our security and prosperity ' in the future . he said restoring american engagement ' in the region is one of his priorities . asia 's vast economy accounts for roughly a quarter of the global gross domestic product . challenges facing the u.s. economy seeped in sunday . obama , accompanied by u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton , joked with a monk in thailand . we 're working on this budget , ' he said . we 're going to need a lot of prayer for that . ' cnn 's josh levs , holly yan , gabriella schwarz , paula hancocks and dan rivers contributed to this report . | new : obama arrives in myanmar for historic trip |
hendrik coetzee <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a renowned south african whitewater guide and outdoorsman was apparently pulled from his kayak by a crocodile in the democratic republic of congo and is presumed dead , expedition sponsor eddie bauer said . hendrik coetzee and two american kayakers , ben stookesberry and chris korbulic , were on the lukuga river when the incident occurred tuesday , the clothing and outdoor gear company said on its born out there ' blog . stookesberry and korbulic were able to paddle to safety and were assisted by the international rescue committee , the website said . the mission for the africa kayak expedition was to run and document the unexplored whitewater of the region , while focusing on the people and clean water crisis in central africa , ' eddie bauer said . we are saddened by the tragic accident and express our deepest sympathies to hendri 's family and friends . we would like to thank the irc and solidarites international , who continue to provide assistance and support to the team . ' coetzee , known as hendri , last posted an entry on his the great white explorer ' blog on november 26 . in it , he described the team 's paddle through a challenging and beautiful stretch of river in the region . as hard , warm drops trashed at our little selves and a pair of goats , we stood precariously on a unknown slope deep in the heart of africa , for once my mind and heart agreed , i would never live a better day , ' coetzee wrote . stookesberry , in a dispatch published november 1 on outside magazine 's website , said team leader coetzee offered safety advice . stay out of eddies ... especially the small bs ones because there are three-ton hippos that will bite you in half , ' coetzee said , according to stookesberry , an extreme kayaer . stay off the banks because the crocs are having a bake and might fancy you for lunch . basically , stay close behind me and follow my lead . any questions ? ' according to outside , coetzee gained prominence after he led the first source-to-sea expedition of the nile river , in 2004 . he later returned and soloed the infamous murchison falls section of the nile in uganda . | hendrik coetzee was leading a team in congo sponsored by eddie bauer |
illinois <tsp> ( cnn ) -- less than a week after new york became the nation 's sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage , rhode island state lawmakers on wednesday voted in favor of a bill that permits civil unions between gay and lesbian couples . the measure , which passed the state senate by a count of 21-16 , is widely seen as a compromise intended to provide same-sex couples with added rights and benefits , while also preventing an expanded legal definition of marriage . gov . lincoln chafee , an independent , is expected to sign the bill into law , according to his spokesman , michael trainor . if signed , the law would take effect on july 1 , making rhode island the fifth state in the union to allow civil unions between same-sex couples . such unions are currently permitted in new jersey and illinois , and will be allowed in delaware and hawaii beginning january 1 , 2012 . three west coast states -- california , oregon and washington -- plus nevada , also allow for comprehensive domestic partnerships , ' largely considered an equivalent to their civil union counterparts . despite robust opposition to the measure , rhode island 's senate judiciary committee approved the bill by a vote of 7-4 , sending it to the democrat-controlled senate floor where lawmakers voted in its favor , according to senate spokesman , greg pare . the legislation , which passed overwhelmingly in the state 's lower house on may 19 , affords same-sex couples a host of new state tax breaks , health-care benefits and greater ease of inheritance . but it also drew sharp criticism from religious leaders and opposition groups who say it will lead to court-ordered action that would eventually legalize same-sex marriage . similar legal action in connecticut and massachusetts resulted in those states adopting same-sex marriage laws , noted christopher plante , executive director of the national organization for marriage 's rhode island chapter . chafee -- who is supportive of potential legislation that legalizes same-sex marriage -- says civil unions are a step in the right direction , ' according to trainor . meanwhile , gay rights activists -- like marriage equality rhode island -- say that while they support the civil union bill , they would prefer legislation that permits same-sex couples to wed . the group urged chafee not to sign the measure if it includes a house amendment that permits groups with religious affiliations to refuse certain legal rights provided to civil unions . for instance , a hospital with a religious affiliation could refuse a civil union partner from being involved in the emergency medical care decisions of their spouse if it chose to do so , said ray sullivan , a spokesman for the activist group . chafee is very aware of the concerns that have been expressed , ' trainor said , but will likely sign the bill into law , which passed the senate with the controversial amendment included . house spokesman larry berman called the issue a red herring , ' pursued by the state 's more radical activists . the exemption , he said , is meant to provide religious protections against potential litigation . it 's a small exception , ' berman said , when compared to the slew of new rights and benefits same-sex couples would enjoy should the measure be signed into law . currently , rhode island and maine are the only states in new england that do not permit same-sex marriage . last week , new york gov . andrew cuomo a signed a bill that legalizes same-sex marriage , more than doubling the number of americans living in states that permit such unions . the measure will take effect on july 24 , providing gay and lesbian couples with new rights that include employer health benefits , easier inheritance and a host of state tax breaks . federal recognition , however , was not a part of friday 's vote , leaving benefits like social security and ease of immigration largely out of reach for same-sex couples . the controversial bill passed new york 's republican-controlled senate before reaching cuomo 's desk , in an extended legislative session that left many skeptical over whether lawmakers would bring the measure to a vote . iowa and the district of columbia also allow gay and lesbian couples to wed . | civil unions are currently permitted in new jersey , illinois , delaware and hawaii |
caroline wozniacki <tsp> ( cnn ) -- serena williams will get the chance to avenge her worst defeat in 16 years on sunday when she goes head to head with simona halep in the wta finals finale in singapore . the world no . 1 was humbled by the romanian 6-0 6-2 in the group stages of the tournament earlier in the week , but following williams'semifinal victory over caroline wozniacki and halep 's over agnieszka radwanska , the pair are set to do battle once more . few would bet against williams clinching a third successive title and her fifth overall at the season-ending finals , but halep will be the fresher of the two women after dispatching her polish opponent 6-2 6-2 . williams had to come from a set down to beat wozniacki in what proved to be a thrilling semifinal on saturday . an enthralling match saw the dane take the first set with ease , 6-2 , before williams rallied to take the second 6-3 to force the match into a decider . wozniacki had only beaten williams once in their 10 previous meetings , but looked as though she might double her winning tally as the third set headed towards its climax . a break of serve for wozniacki in the ninth game gave her the opportunity to serve out the match , but williams , ever the fighter , broke back immediately to level at 5-5 . two games later it was wozniacki who was staring down the barrel as williams earned a match point on the dane 's serve , but the world no . 8 bravely resisted to take the match into a tiebreak . with a match point saved , wozniacki then raced to a 4-1 lead in the tiebreak before williams bounced back with five unanswered points . wozniacki saved a further two match points , before williams finally clinched the tiebreak 8-6 in a marathon deciding set lasting 76 minutes . i have to say caroline played a great match , ' williams said afterwards . it was really difficult today . i felt really bad because she 's so amazing and so nice , and she was the only player who had n't lost in this tournament yet , so she really deserved to win . i love you - thank you for playing so well . ' the 33-year-old 's 2-6 6-3 7-6 ( 8/6 ) win was in stark contrast to halep 's -- this year 's french open finalist needed just over an hour to breeze past radwanska in straight sets . victory sees halep reach the final in her first appearance at the wta finals , but the world no . 4 played the percentages when asked if she thought she was favorite to beat williams again . she 's older than me and she knows how to manage this final tomorrow , ' halep said . for me it 's first time . but still , i believe that i have a chance . ' murray reaches valencia open final andy murray sealed a 17th win in 19 matches to book a place in the final of the valencia open . the scot , who is chasing down a spot in the season-ending atp tour finals , beat home favorite david ferrer in saturday 's semi 6-4 7-5 . murray will face tommy robredo on sunday after the spaniard completed a narrow 7-6 ( 9/7 ) 7-6 ( 7/2 ) victory over france 's jeremy chardy . meanwhile in switzerland , roger federer reached his 11th swiss indoors basel final with a three-set -- 7-6 ( 10/8 ) 3-6 6-3 -- win over croatia 's ivo karlovic . the 17-time grand slam champion will face david goffin in the final after the belgian beat another croat borna coric 6-4 3-6 6-3 in the other semifinal . seventeen-year-old coric had knocked out rafael nadal on friday . the defeat turned out to be the last action of the year for the spaniard who announced he will undergo appendix surgery at the beginning of next month . as you know , i wo n't be playing in paris or london . i 'm having an operation for appendicitis on november 3rd . thanks for you support , ' he tweeted . nadal , who was playing for the first time since being diagnosed with appendicitis at the shanghai masters earlier this month , was clearly still out of sorts and will miss the paris masters and the lucrative season-ending finale in london for the second time in three seasons . the 28-year-old 's withdrawal from the event , which starts on november 9 , means there are four places still up for grabs -- novak djokovic , roger federer , stanislas wawrinka and marin cilic have already qualified for the eight-man tournament . read more : serena angry over russia chief 's remarks read more : who will triumph in singapore ? | serena williams battles past caroline wozniacki in wta finals semi |
boehner <tsp> house speaker john boehner 's not waiting until new year 's day for a hangover -- his headache is already here . back-to-back house republican dramas in the final week of the year are the latest indication that many of the issues the gop hoped to leave behind when they take full control of congress next week — an unruly base and scandal-prone members — will continue to dog them in the new year , and might even kick off 2015 with an attempted coup on the speakership . though boehner was successfully able to convince rep. michael grimm to resign on monday after pleading guilty to a felony tax evasion charge last week , rep. steve scalise , the majority whip now embroiled in scandal over a 2002 address he gave to a white supremacist conference , remains a tougher mess to clean up , leaving the speaker open to attack from the left and the right . in a coordinated move , both boehner and his deputy , house majority leader kevin mccarthy , issued back-to-back statements of support for scalise on tuesday afternoon . but the fallout of his appearance at a conference of the european-american unity and rights organization — a group founded by the infamous white supremacist and former grand wizard of the ku klux klan david duke — continued into tuesday night as multiple national newspapers issued op-eds calling for scalise to resign . but some in the party 's right flank are aiming their fire at boehner . facing calls for a coup from his conservative base in next week 's speaker race that grew louder on tuesday , boehner ca n't afford to let scalise , a former republican study committee chairman and one of his strongest links to that conservative base , go . while this would n't be the first time that boehner 's faced a conservative challenge for his speakership , many on tuesday began to speculate that the controversy surrounding scalise , and boehner 's handling of it , may breathe new life into a challenge . tom davis , a former virginia congressman and chairman of the national republican congressional committee , warned that starting the new congress with a coup attempt would be catastrophic ' for a party hoping to sell itself as the capable and effective alternative to democrats in the 2016 elections . [ a speakership coup ] would be the worse thing that could happen to the party . it would show they ca n't govern their own caucus , let alone the government , ' he said . when people unhappy with obama look to republicans for a governing party , this is the last thing they want to see . ' he added : they have an opportunity to really produce some good legislative outcomes . why would you jeopardize that at this point by starting of with turmoil ? ' boehner 's backing of scalese -- a move some on the right see as hypocritical -- put him in a precarious position heading into the speaker election . this has got ta make john boehner nervous , ' one house gop aide with ties to leadership told cnn of the continued controversy surrounding scalise . that 's because , if the fallout for scalise continues , boehner may not be able to afford to keep him . scalise 's alleged sins are n't unfamiliar to the gop and exactly the kinds of associations the party is looking to avoid as it seeks to broaden its appeal to minority voters and improve its brand for the upcoming presidential elections . democrats seized on the development , with a member of congressional black leadership on monday calling for boehner to investigate the situation . on tuesday , a spokesman for house minority leader nancy pelosi called the development deeply troubling . ' and a house democratic leadership aide said the party plans to keep up the pressure on boehner and scalise in the coming weeks . there are also growing indications that even standing by scalise may not do boehner much good in terms of getting a handle on an unruly caucus that 's only grown more frustrated with leadership since the midterms . they recently emerged from a vote on a government funding bill crying mutiny because it failed to adequately oppose president barack obama 's unilateral move on deportations and obamacare . conservatives saw scalise 's vote for the cromnibus ' as the latest in a long line of his betrayals of the base . despite repeated attempts , however , conservatives have never been able to lock down the necessary votes to oust boehner , and a viable opponent , or even send the speaker contest to a second round of votes . but boehner 's support for scalise , some say , may cause enough ire within the base to reinvigorate the effort . what conservatives see as unequal treatment for a member of leadership has incensed many still smarting over their dismaying loss in the mississippi senate race primary . during that race , sen. thad cochran 's primary challenger , state sen. chris mcdaniel , took heavy flak from the national and local gop establishment for being billed alongside a white nationalist as a headliner at a conference that he never ultimately attended . mcdaniel has said there 's a clear double standard ' at work , and in a text message monday night suggested that double standard could further stoke the ire of conservatives against leadership . conservatives are driven and inspired by principles , not personalities . we therefore seek consistency with our elected officials . to the extent that they are not consistent , anger is the inevitable result , ' he said . so yes , many will be angry . ' indeed , conservative commentator eric erickson , hosting rush limbaugh 's talk-radio show on tuesday , said he 's heard pretty credibly ' that conservatives have 25 of the 29 votes they need to oppose boehner and at least send the speaker race to a second round . and he urged some of the incoming gop freshmen to join the cause . many of these guys ran saying ,'i oppose john boehner — are they actually going to stand up now ' and vote against him , erickson asked . i think this could undermine the leadership — and i think that 's a good thing . ' and fox news host sean hannity amplified the calls for a coup in a tuesday statement to brietbart news , declaring that it 's time for new dynamic leadership ' in the house and naming south carolina rep. trey gowdy , the chairman of the house select committee investigating the benghazi attacks , as his pick . gowdy , however , quickly declined , underscoring the problem conservatives have encountered time and time again when attempting to overthrow boehner — they 've found no clear alternative to run against him . and many conservatives came out tuesday offering their full support for scalise , including iowa rep. steve king , and boehner 's allies say they remain confident he 'll be fine in the election . these guys thrive on making trouble , ' davis said of conservatives , but i do n't think boehner 's ever been stronger within the conference . ' but republicans on capitol hill admit the next week could make or break both boehner and the gop 's chance at starting off the new congress , and the path to the 2016 elections , on the right foot . maybe after this week [ a challenge to his speakership ] could be a more serious conversation — but everybody i 've talked to seems to think he 's in a very solid shape , ' the house gop aide said . but the aide added : it just depends on how steve does . boehner has kind of , in a way , tied himself to steve now . ' the fallout : what you need to know | boehner 's support of rep. steve scalise is necessary for his survival , but could hurt the gop brand |
boehner <tsp> house speaker john boehner 's not waiting until new year 's day for a hangover -- his headache is already here . back-to-back house republican dramas in the final week of the year are the latest indication that many of the issues the gop hoped to leave behind when they take full control of congress next week — an unruly base and scandal-prone members — will continue to dog them in the new year , and might even kick off 2015 with an attempted coup on the speakership . though boehner was successfully able to convince rep. michael grimm to resign on monday after pleading guilty to a felony tax evasion charge last week , rep. steve scalise , the majority whip now embroiled in scandal over a 2002 address he gave to a white supremacist conference , remains a tougher mess to clean up , leaving the speaker open to attack from the left and the right . in a coordinated move , both boehner and his deputy , house majority leader kevin mccarthy , issued back-to-back statements of support for scalise on tuesday afternoon . but the fallout of his appearance at a conference of the european-american unity and rights organization — a group founded by the infamous white supremacist and former grand wizard of the ku klux klan david duke — continued into tuesday night as multiple national newspapers issued op-eds calling for scalise to resign . but some in the party 's right flank are aiming their fire at boehner . facing calls for a coup from his conservative base in next week 's speaker race that grew louder on tuesday , boehner ca n't afford to let scalise , a former republican study committee chairman and one of his strongest links to that conservative base , go . while this would n't be the first time that boehner 's faced a conservative challenge for his speakership , many on tuesday began to speculate that the controversy surrounding scalise , and boehner 's handling of it , may breathe new life into a challenge . tom davis , a former virginia congressman and chairman of the national republican congressional committee , warned that starting the new congress with a coup attempt would be catastrophic ' for a party hoping to sell itself as the capable and effective alternative to democrats in the 2016 elections . [ a speakership coup ] would be the worse thing that could happen to the party . it would show they ca n't govern their own caucus , let alone the government , ' he said . when people unhappy with obama look to republicans for a governing party , this is the last thing they want to see . ' he added : they have an opportunity to really produce some good legislative outcomes . why would you jeopardize that at this point by starting of with turmoil ? ' boehner 's backing of scalese -- a move some on the right see as hypocritical -- put him in a precarious position heading into the speaker election . this has got ta make john boehner nervous , ' one house gop aide with ties to leadership told cnn of the continued controversy surrounding scalise . that 's because , if the fallout for scalise continues , boehner may not be able to afford to keep him . scalise 's alleged sins are n't unfamiliar to the gop and exactly the kinds of associations the party is looking to avoid as it seeks to broaden its appeal to minority voters and improve its brand for the upcoming presidential elections . democrats seized on the development , with a member of congressional black leadership on monday calling for boehner to investigate the situation . on tuesday , a spokesman for house minority leader nancy pelosi called the development deeply troubling . ' and a house democratic leadership aide said the party plans to keep up the pressure on boehner and scalise in the coming weeks . there are also growing indications that even standing by scalise may not do boehner much good in terms of getting a handle on an unruly caucus that 's only grown more frustrated with leadership since the midterms . they recently emerged from a vote on a government funding bill crying mutiny because it failed to adequately oppose president barack obama 's unilateral move on deportations and obamacare . conservatives saw scalise 's vote for the cromnibus ' as the latest in a long line of his betrayals of the base . despite repeated attempts , however , conservatives have never been able to lock down the necessary votes to oust boehner , and a viable opponent , or even send the speaker contest to a second round of votes . but boehner 's support for scalise , some say , may cause enough ire within the base to reinvigorate the effort . what conservatives see as unequal treatment for a member of leadership has incensed many still smarting over their dismaying loss in the mississippi senate race primary . during that race , sen. thad cochran 's primary challenger , state sen. chris mcdaniel , took heavy flak from the national and local gop establishment for being billed alongside a white nationalist as a headliner at a conference that he never ultimately attended . mcdaniel has said there 's a clear double standard ' at work , and in a text message monday night suggested that double standard could further stoke the ire of conservatives against leadership . conservatives are driven and inspired by principles , not personalities . we therefore seek consistency with our elected officials . to the extent that they are not consistent , anger is the inevitable result , ' he said . so yes , many will be angry . ' indeed , conservative commentator eric erickson , hosting rush limbaugh 's talk-radio show on tuesday , said he 's heard pretty credibly ' that conservatives have 25 of the 29 votes they need to oppose boehner and at least send the speaker race to a second round . and he urged some of the incoming gop freshmen to join the cause . many of these guys ran saying ,'i oppose john boehner — are they actually going to stand up now ' and vote against him , erickson asked . i think this could undermine the leadership — and i think that 's a good thing . ' and fox news host sean hannity amplified the calls for a coup in a tuesday statement to brietbart news , declaring that it 's time for new dynamic leadership ' in the house and naming south carolina rep. trey gowdy , the chairman of the house select committee investigating the benghazi attacks , as his pick . gowdy , however , quickly declined , underscoring the problem conservatives have encountered time and time again when attempting to overthrow boehner — they 've found no clear alternative to run against him . and many conservatives came out tuesday offering their full support for scalise , including iowa rep. steve king , and boehner 's allies say they remain confident he 'll be fine in the election . these guys thrive on making trouble , ' davis said of conservatives , but i do n't think boehner 's ever been stronger within the conference . ' but republicans on capitol hill admit the next week could make or break both boehner and the gop 's chance at starting off the new congress , and the path to the 2016 elections , on the right foot . maybe after this week [ a challenge to his speakership ] could be a more serious conversation — but everybody i 've talked to seems to think he 's in a very solid shape , ' the house gop aide said . but the aide added : it just depends on how steve does . boehner has kind of , in a way , tied himself to steve now . ' the fallout : what you need to know | house speaker john boehner is facing calls for a coup that have grown louder |
white house <tsp> ( mental floss ) -- president barack obama turns 48 on tuesday . while the first family encourages you to send contributions to your favorite charity in lieu of the white house , if you insist on doing some last-minute birthday shopping for 44 , you might consider a pair of jeans or a case of bud light . for some historical precedent , here 's a look back at some of the more interesting presidential gifts . future president barack obama and his family blow out the candles on his birthday cake in 2004 . george w. bush : raw lamb president bush and his family received about 1,000 gifts per month during his two terms in office . bush 's haul included an ipod from u2 lead singer , bono , the worst-case scenario survival handbook ' and vocabulary-building game from the sultan of brunei , and an electric harp with a speakerphone from vietnam . the most unusual gift bush received may have been the 300 pounds of raw lamb meat from the president of argentina in 2003 . the lamb , like all gifts from overseas , was accepted by the office of the president on behalf of the nation , and passed along to the general services administration . most non-perishable gifts of state end up in presidential libraries or the national archives . bill clinton : portraits -- on a carpet we 'll say this for president heydar aliyev 's gift to president clinton : it was unique . the president of azerbaijan wanted his gift to be representative of azerbaijani craftsmanship , so he called upon kamil aliyev , a renowned carpet portrait artist . kamil aliyev 's design featured the first couple inside a heart-shaped medallion , the first double portrait he ever attempted . i wanted to convey their lives as one beating heart , ' he said . while aliyev designed the carpet and dyed the yarn , 12 young women were employed to help complete the portrait in 10 weeks . heydar aliyev presented the carpet to the clintons in august 1997 . george h.w . bush : komodo dragon in 1990 , the president of indonesia presented a komodo dragon to president bush . perhaps worried that the venomous , flesh-eating lizard would n't play nice with millie , the first dog , bush donated the dragon , named naga , to the cincinnati zoo & botanical garden . naga , who sired 32 offspring , died of an abdominal infection at the age of 24 in 2007 . during his stay in cincinnati , naga was a star attraction , drawing about one million visits each year . mental floss : the bizarre history of white house pets ronald reagan : embroidered saddle president reagan , who was gifted 372 belt buckles while in office , also received enough tacking equipment during his time in washington to outfit an entire stable . jimmy carter : metamorphic portrait mexican president jose lopez portillo commissioned octavio ocampo to paint a portrait of president carter in ocampo 's trademark metamorphic style , which juxtaposes various images within a larger image to create an optical illusion . carter 's image in the portrait is created out of national symbols , including buildings , flags , sailing ships , and truck convoys . portillo presented the portrait to carter in 1979 . richard nixon : edible portraits a pakistani man 's gift to president nixon required an unusual accessory to fully appreciate . s. nabi ahmed rizvi provided a magnifying glass inside a plush blue velvet box , along with two snapshots of himself and two grains of rice . one grain of rice featured a portrait of nixon as president ; the other featured a portrait of a young nixon in the navy . the gift was displayed as part of the national portrait gallery 's to the president : folk portraits by the people ' exhibit . john f. kennedy : carved peach pit what better way to show your president you admire him than by carving his likeness into a peach pit ? r.j. mcerlean 's remarkable ode to jfk features a portrait of kennedy and the inscription president john f. kennedy of the united states . ' an eagle on a shield is carved on the left side of the pit , above a depiction of saint christopher . harry s. truman : bowling alley a two-lane bowling alley was installed in the white house in 1947 as a birthday gift to president truman . no matter that he had n't bowled since he was 19 , truman knocked down seven pins on the first roll at the alley , which was paid for by donors from truman 's home state of missouri and moved to the old executive office building in 1955 . truman did n't use the alley much himself - he was more of a poker player -- but the addition was a big hit with truman 's staff , some of whom formed a bowling league . mental floss : the white house lanes and other famous bowling alleys franklin d. roosevelt : a giant cake the birthday cake presented to fdr on the occasion of his 59th birthday was 5 feet high and weighed 300 pounds . the cake was a gift of the bakery and confectionary workers international union of america . along with the cake , the union donated $ 500 to fdr 's fight infantile-paralysis ' campaign . rutherford b. hayes : carved lemon when life gives you lemons , make pigs . a lemon carved to look like a pig was presented to president hayes and later featured in an exhibit at the herbert hoover presidential library titled , weird and wonderful : gifts fit for a president . ' museum director richard n. smith said at the time , it looks a little like you 'd expect a 110-year-old lemon to look . ' while she may or may not have been the inspiration for the bizarre gift , hayes'wife , lucy , was nicknamed lemonade lucy ' because she banned alcoholic beverages at state functions . abraham lincoln : clothes while he donated most of the wine and liquor he received to military hospitals , president lincoln made good use of many of the other gifts showered upon him throughout his presidency . he was inaugurated in a suit donated by titsworth and brothers of chicago , and , according to lincoln scholar harold holzer , is reported to have told his wife , there is one thing to come out of this scrape anyhow . we are going to have some new clothes ! ' thomas jefferson : cheese one of the earliest recorded gifts of state was the mammoth cheese presented to president jefferson by the republican baptists in cheshire , massachusetts , in 1802 . to celebrate jefferson 's election , town elder john leland inspired his baptist congregation to manufacture a 1,235-pound cheese to give to the president . when it was finished , the cheese was filled with milk from the town 's cows , save for those owned by the hated federalists . the cheese was inscribed with the phrase rebellion to tyrants is obedience to god ' and presented to jefferson after a month-long journey to washington on new year 's day 1802 . jefferson , who had a policy not to accept free gifts , insisted that he pay $ 200 for the cheese . mental floss : the maggot cheese of the mediterranean george washington : a federal holiday in 1880 , congress created washington 's birthday , ' the first federal holiday to honor an american-born citizen . the holiday was celebrated on february 22 until 1968 , when congress moved it from its fixed day to the third monday in february as part of the uniform monday holidays act . for more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com entire contents of this article copyright , mental floss llc . all rights reserved . | a bowling alley was installed in the white house as a birthday gift to truman |
iraq <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the obama administration likely will succumb to growing pressure to do something ' kinetic and dramatic in iraq , and when it does , it will most likely be air and missile strikes against isis targets . this could relieve the political pressure on the president : his critics continue to blame him for abdicating u.s. leadership in syria and in iraq -- which now faces the advancing extremist militants of the islamic state in iraq and syria ( isis ) . but answering the political mail in washington is not the same thing as dealing with , let alone resolving , the complex issues on the ground that have led to this crisis . to do that would require a comprehensive reengagement strategy , even without boots on the ground . and president barack obama should not be drawn into a veritable iraq war iii . most of obama 's detractors engage in what i call woulda/coulda/shoulda ' criticism . that is to say , if the president had only invested more time and effort in negotiating a status of forces agreement with the government of prime minister nuri al-maliki , left a residual presence there , enforced his chemical weapons red line in syria and backed the moderate opposition there , we would n't be seeing the isis jihadi rampage playing out in both countries . but given the limited amount of intervention this administration , congress , and the public would support , even under the best of circumstances , the u.s. could not have stopped the dynamic that is occurring . we can not hold iraq 's hand forever , nor end syria 's civil war without a major military commitment . and the longer the syrian conflict continued , the more of a boon the conflict would provide to jihadi elements who fed off its violence and sectarian character . as for iraq , the al-maliki government 's insistence on maintaining shia dominance and privilege , and repressing sunnis , created the perfect ferment for isis 's spread . no amount of u.s. military power summoned by any administration could have compensated for this kind of bad sectarian governance . that and the weak institutions of the iraqi state have allowed isis to thrive . no matter how much progress the u.s. made in iraq between 2003 and 2011 , the dysfunction that now shapes iraq 's future was driven by factors set into motion by the very act of the invasion , iraq 's nature and its location . and those same factors limit now what the u.s. can do ; they should make washington wary of getting sucked back in . back to iraq : what can - and should - the u.s. do now ? maliki 's sectarian dominance how can you expect stability and security in a country where the political contract between the governed and those who govern is completely skewed in the direction of the shia community ? but that 's what you have with nuri al-maliki ; and that 's unlikely to change . shia repression has left sunnis feeling disenfranchised -- one reason why violence has surged in the last year -- and this is why it 's hard to get sunni elements of the military to fight and resist isis moves . it 's also why some key sunni elements are reportedly in league with the isis jihadis . it 's a reason to be careful about backing a government not committed to serious power sharing and reform , let alone to use direct u.s. military intervention to defend it . the u.s. could n't build the new iraq on the backs of american military power before it was clear that al-maliki was a shia triumphalist . how are we to do it today when it 's clear that he is ? the neighbors geography is destiny . this is n't america 's neighborhood : it does not have the same kind of stake as those who live there . the u.s. may be committed to a nonsectarian , pluralist , democratic iraq where everybody gets along in one big happy family . but iran and saudi arabia envision very different outcomes , and they will act in ways detrimental to our interests . iran is worried about isis to be sure . but iran knows that its long-term interests depend on a stable iraq under shia dominance . that means that while it will assist al-maliki , it wo n't pressure him to reform . the saudis , on the other hand , ca n't abide al-maliki and while they are worried about the sunni jihadis , they see some merit in weakening the prime minister . both tehran and riyadh will continue to see iraq as a battleground to check the other 's influence and to promote their side in a sunni-shia war . iraq 's stability and the u.s. 's altruistic vision of iraq 's future will be the casualties . the syrian civil war any u.s. strategy that deals with iraq in isolation will fail to get at a main sources of the isis threat . the syrian civil war was a godsend for these jihadi groups . and unless the united states is prepared to expand its area of operations and to develop a sustained , aggressive strategy to contain if not destroy the isis presence in syria , any effort in iraq will at best produce a short-term success . having willfully avoided militarizing the u.s. role in syria , the president may well go ahead and do so now , with all the risks of mission creep . attacking isis will also help bashar al-assad in syria and iran in iraq . a serious strategy and that brings us to the most difficult dimension of this entire problem . without a serious and sustained strategy that has a military , counterterrorism , political and economic component , including mobilizing the international community , it 's hard to see how the obama administration can realistically put these humpty dumptys back together again . to do that would mean american involvement -- for starters cia or special forces in an advisory capacity , most likely functioning clandestinely . airstrikes , even if they worked to check isis , would have to be used repeatedly over time . and more training for the iraqi military -- most likely with advisers on the ground to instruct in the use of sophisticated military equipment -- would be necessary . and despite all of this , it 's likely that isis may still be able to secure enclaves in iraq . have n't we seen this movie before ? it was called iraq 2003-2011 , and it clearly did n't have a happy ending . so , mr. president , you probably have no other choice but to get sucked back into iraq with military strikes . it might even have positive short-term results . but it likely wo n't over time . triumphalist shia , unhappy sunnis , iranian influence , and kurdish separatists will guarantee it . iraq was a trap for america once before . it will be again . 5 predictions revisited : iraq 's troubles are years in the making | writer : obama administration will likely yield to pressure to act on isis advances in iraq |
iraq <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the obama administration likely will succumb to growing pressure to do something ' kinetic and dramatic in iraq , and when it does , it will most likely be air and missile strikes against isis targets . this could relieve the political pressure on the president : his critics continue to blame him for abdicating u.s. leadership in syria and in iraq -- which now faces the advancing extremist militants of the islamic state in iraq and syria ( isis ) . but answering the political mail in washington is not the same thing as dealing with , let alone resolving , the complex issues on the ground that have led to this crisis . to do that would require a comprehensive reengagement strategy , even without boots on the ground . and president barack obama should not be drawn into a veritable iraq war iii . most of obama 's detractors engage in what i call woulda/coulda/shoulda ' criticism . that is to say , if the president had only invested more time and effort in negotiating a status of forces agreement with the government of prime minister nuri al-maliki , left a residual presence there , enforced his chemical weapons red line in syria and backed the moderate opposition there , we would n't be seeing the isis jihadi rampage playing out in both countries . but given the limited amount of intervention this administration , congress , and the public would support , even under the best of circumstances , the u.s. could not have stopped the dynamic that is occurring . we can not hold iraq 's hand forever , nor end syria 's civil war without a major military commitment . and the longer the syrian conflict continued , the more of a boon the conflict would provide to jihadi elements who fed off its violence and sectarian character . as for iraq , the al-maliki government 's insistence on maintaining shia dominance and privilege , and repressing sunnis , created the perfect ferment for isis 's spread . no amount of u.s. military power summoned by any administration could have compensated for this kind of bad sectarian governance . that and the weak institutions of the iraqi state have allowed isis to thrive . no matter how much progress the u.s. made in iraq between 2003 and 2011 , the dysfunction that now shapes iraq 's future was driven by factors set into motion by the very act of the invasion , iraq 's nature and its location . and those same factors limit now what the u.s. can do ; they should make washington wary of getting sucked back in . back to iraq : what can - and should - the u.s. do now ? maliki 's sectarian dominance how can you expect stability and security in a country where the political contract between the governed and those who govern is completely skewed in the direction of the shia community ? but that 's what you have with nuri al-maliki ; and that 's unlikely to change . shia repression has left sunnis feeling disenfranchised -- one reason why violence has surged in the last year -- and this is why it 's hard to get sunni elements of the military to fight and resist isis moves . it 's also why some key sunni elements are reportedly in league with the isis jihadis . it 's a reason to be careful about backing a government not committed to serious power sharing and reform , let alone to use direct u.s. military intervention to defend it . the u.s. could n't build the new iraq on the backs of american military power before it was clear that al-maliki was a shia triumphalist . how are we to do it today when it 's clear that he is ? the neighbors geography is destiny . this is n't america 's neighborhood : it does not have the same kind of stake as those who live there . the u.s. may be committed to a nonsectarian , pluralist , democratic iraq where everybody gets along in one big happy family . but iran and saudi arabia envision very different outcomes , and they will act in ways detrimental to our interests . iran is worried about isis to be sure . but iran knows that its long-term interests depend on a stable iraq under shia dominance . that means that while it will assist al-maliki , it wo n't pressure him to reform . the saudis , on the other hand , ca n't abide al-maliki and while they are worried about the sunni jihadis , they see some merit in weakening the prime minister . both tehran and riyadh will continue to see iraq as a battleground to check the other 's influence and to promote their side in a sunni-shia war . iraq 's stability and the u.s. 's altruistic vision of iraq 's future will be the casualties . the syrian civil war any u.s. strategy that deals with iraq in isolation will fail to get at a main sources of the isis threat . the syrian civil war was a godsend for these jihadi groups . and unless the united states is prepared to expand its area of operations and to develop a sustained , aggressive strategy to contain if not destroy the isis presence in syria , any effort in iraq will at best produce a short-term success . having willfully avoided militarizing the u.s. role in syria , the president may well go ahead and do so now , with all the risks of mission creep . attacking isis will also help bashar al-assad in syria and iran in iraq . a serious strategy and that brings us to the most difficult dimension of this entire problem . without a serious and sustained strategy that has a military , counterterrorism , political and economic component , including mobilizing the international community , it 's hard to see how the obama administration can realistically put these humpty dumptys back together again . to do that would mean american involvement -- for starters cia or special forces in an advisory capacity , most likely functioning clandestinely . airstrikes , even if they worked to check isis , would have to be used repeatedly over time . and more training for the iraqi military -- most likely with advisers on the ground to instruct in the use of sophisticated military equipment -- would be necessary . and despite all of this , it 's likely that isis may still be able to secure enclaves in iraq . have n't we seen this movie before ? it was called iraq 2003-2011 , and it clearly did n't have a happy ending . so , mr. president , you probably have no other choice but to get sucked back into iraq with military strikes . it might even have positive short-term results . but it likely wo n't over time . triumphalist shia , unhappy sunnis , iranian influence , and kurdish separatists will guarantee it . iraq was a trap for america once before . it will be again . 5 predictions revisited : iraq 's troubles are years in the making | he says any success repelling isis in iraq will be short-lived unless u.s. also does so in syria |
twitter <tsp> denver ( cnn ) -- once relegated to sleazy red-light districts and the darker corners of the internet , porn stars are now gaining followings in a surprising place : twitter . they are using the social media site to engage directly with their fans and build their individual brands ' twitter has opened up these porn stars fan bases like nothing the adult film industry has ever seen before , ' said dan miller , managing editor of xbiz , an adult industry trade publication . since most mainstream pop culture publications do n't cover the porn industry ( and ) porn movie reviews do n't generally appear alongside reviews of big hollywood movies ... the adult industry has embraced twitter as a way to reach out directly to fans beyond the typical porn consumer . ' miller estimates that 90 % of porn performers are on twitter , and he believes it is essential for new performers to use social media effectively to promote themselves and build their brand . ' porn stars showcase all-american success ? if you 're not on twitter , you are definitely at a disadvantage right out of the gate , ' he said . alexander raymond palumbo was one of the first executives in the adult entertainment business to embrace social media , first on friendster , then myspace and now on twitter . via our social media platforms like twitter i 'm trying to establish brand loyalty , like people have for a company like disney , ' said palumbo , a social media strategist at digital playground , an adult movie production company . palumbo holds seminars for adult movie actors , helping them set up their accounts and guiding them on how to tweet in a way that will connect them to their audience by engaging directly with fans and showing some of their personal sides to their followers . i try to instill in performers that you should let people know who you are , invite them into your interaction , ' he said . palumbo begins his work day by logging onto twitter to gauge reaction from the fans to his company 's movies and performers . if viewers of a new movie trailer tweet that there is too much emphasis on male characters , palumbo will make a call to the edit department asking for changes . twitter is like an instant focus group , ' explained palumbo . it 's not going to go away , it is the future . from our company 's point of view , it 's pure customer service . ' social media is profoundly changing the porn business , according to chauntelle tibbals , a visiting scholar at university of southern california who studies the porn industry . before it was about pure fantasy : you did n't have enough information to be real fans of performers , ' she said . but now you can become a true fan of a porn star . ' the performers who are successful on twitter are the ones who open themselves up and share parts of their non-professional life with fans , allowing followers a window into their off-camera personalities . that kind of interaction is something you do n't see mainstream celebrities doing to the same degree , ' according to tibbals . you do n't see angelina jolie tweeting directly to people . ' many of the performers are surprisingly funny , smart and engaging on twitter . while they all promote their movies , most focus more on their hobbies , current events and personal lives . you are seeing a different kind of relationship that a viewer has with a porn performer , ' tibbals said . one of the things that comes with social media is the deconstruction of stereotypes . ' social media has the power to change how the public views porn stars , according to tibbals , and it may ultimately make porn more mainstream and socially acceptable . here are several adult film stars who are using twitter to attract a wider audience : putting your'erotic capital'to work the boy next door : @ jamesdeen james deen is arguably the hottest male performer in the porn industry . at 26 years old , he has already appeared in over 1,200 movies . he has made a name for himself by defying stereotypes about male porn stars : he comes off as a funny , slightly goofy boy-next-door . his non-threatening demeanor has made his films popular with younger woman and has led him to more mainstream opportunities . deen is currently working on a hollywood movie called the canyons , ' in which he is co-starring with lindsay lohan . the film is directed by paul shrader , who is known for writing taxi driver , ' raging bull ' and the last temptation of christ . ' the movie is slated to premier in 2013 . deen credits twitter with helping his transition to mainstream films . i think a lot of the mainstream thing has to do with twitter , ' he told cnn . people look at me and they say ,'he 's not a porn star , he 's just a nice guy . ' his approach to twitter is simple : be yourself . i like to keep my twitter very personal and used as a random outlet for my feelings , ' deen said . i see no reason to be involved except to be myself . ' despite his non-commercial approach to twitter , he said being an effective tweeter is an essential part of his business . the way the world is going , you have to be able to communicate with your market , know about your demographic , know what people are clicking on and then communicate back to them , ' deen said . the internet 's girlfriend : @ danadearmond dana dearmond describes herself as a pornographer of the people ' and is one of the most accessible adult performers on twitter . she responds to most of her followers who post a comment or question , often with a smart-alecky remark . people like to laugh and they like to know that people who are sex workers can also be smart and funny , ' said dearmond , who occasionally performs stand-up comedy around los angeles . dearmond , 33 , says the porn world is extremely competitive and she uses twitter to differentiate herself from other performers by interacting directly with her fans . i 've developed the moniker'the internet 's girlfriend'and tried to make a more personal connection with the people who found me and followed me , ' she said . . it 's something i 've used in my branding . it 's like'ok , if you do n't have a real girlfriend you can pretend i 'm your girlfriend on the internet and i wo n't treat you like a customer .'that 's how i brand myself . ' dearmond describes the porn industry as an ever-changing animal ' : viewers'relationship with the product and their expectations of the performers are constantly evolving and now requires a much more personal approach by performers . ' porn is not a utilitarian thing ; if it were there would already have been enough porn made forever , ' she said . people have a connection to it and twitter helps me make that connection . ' the smartest woman in porn : @ kayden_kross perhaps the most surprising porn figure to emerge on twitter is kayden kross . with her dyed blonde hair and pouty lips she certainly looks the part of an adult film star . when she 's not making porn movies , kross tweets about her very non-pornographic passions : books and horses . people seem to be surprised with the things i 'm into , ' she told cnn . she often tweets about her favorite authors , david foster wallace and don delillo . between shoots in the san fernando valley , she travels to new york where she is taking a series of writing classes with legendary editor gordon lish , noted for his work with authors raymond carver and richard ford . the porn people could care less who i 'm reading , ' kross said . i have a slim sliver of fans based on a common passion for books and the written word . those are who i interact with . ' she is working on a novel set in the world of porn and posts essays on her website and tweets them out to her followers . if you 're interacting with people , you 're putting part of your soul into it , ' she said . the people that understand me the best are people into writing . ' back in los angeles , kross enjoys spending time with her horses . in april , her mare regina gave birth and kross tweeted throughout the process , posting pictures and even asking her followers to help name the foal . despite the situation having nothing to do with her porn life , her twitter followers were with her all the way , tweeting congratulations and piping in with suggestions for names . she ultimately settled on the name maya . although many of her tweets are on her hobbies , kross says that twitter has been the key to her success in the porn world . i was largely unsuccessful up until twitter came along because i 'm very shy ... and it came through in my movies , ' she said . but with twitter , people see a different side of me and they see it in my movies . ' twitter allows kross to defy people 's preconceived notions of what porn stars are like and be more comfortable both on camera and off . twitter has made me more confident as a person and a performer , ' she said . | twitter has become a way for adult film stars to define themselves |
team usa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- team usa 's women booked a fifth successive olympic soccer final after alex morgan 's header 20 seconds from the end of extra time handed them a dramatic 4-3 victory over canada . morgan nodded home in the final minute of extra-time to book the united states a tie with japan in thursday 's wembley final , where pia sundhage 's team will go for a third olympic gold . canada led three times in the match thanks to a hat-trick from captain christine sinclair , but each time the u.s. responded and eventually prevailed thanks to morgan 's dramatic winner . world champions japan booked a place in the gold medal match with a 2-1 defeat of france , who will play canada in the bronze medal contest . canada has never finished higher than eighth in an olympic soccer tournament , but john herdman 's side took a shock lead when striker sinclair coolly converted after 22 minutes . protecting a proud olympic record the u.s. responded and finally drew level when megan rapinoe 's corner squeezed between canada goalkeeper erin mcleod and the near post 10 minutes into the second half . undeterred canada hit back , sinclair powering a fine header beyond the despairing hope solo in the u.s. goal after 67 minutes . in a frantic period midway through the second half five goals were scored in 26 minutes , and rapinoe hit a stunning half volley from the corner of the penalty area to level the match at 2-2 with 20 minutes to go . the imperious sinclair headed canada ahead for the third time just three minutes later , but the u.s. found an equalizer in controversial fashion . goalkeeper mcleod was penalized by the referee for holding the ball longer than the allotted six seconds and from the resulting free kick diana matheson was adjudged to have handled rapinoe 's shot . prolific striker abby wambach calmly converted the penalty to make it 3-3 , before morgan settled the match in the dying moments of extra-time . | alex morgan 's extra time header puts team usa into their fifth olympic soccer final |
japan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- team usa 's women booked a fifth successive olympic soccer final after alex morgan 's header 20 seconds from the end of extra time handed them a dramatic 4-3 victory over canada . morgan nodded home in the final minute of extra-time to book the united states a tie with japan in thursday 's wembley final , where pia sundhage 's team will go for a third olympic gold . canada led three times in the match thanks to a hat-trick from captain christine sinclair , but each time the u.s. responded and eventually prevailed thanks to morgan 's dramatic winner . world champions japan booked a place in the gold medal match with a 2-1 defeat of france , who will play canada in the bronze medal contest . canada has never finished higher than eighth in an olympic soccer tournament , but john herdman 's side took a shock lead when striker sinclair coolly converted after 22 minutes . protecting a proud olympic record the u.s. responded and finally drew level when megan rapinoe 's corner squeezed between canada goalkeeper erin mcleod and the near post 10 minutes into the second half . undeterred canada hit back , sinclair powering a fine header beyond the despairing hope solo in the u.s. goal after 67 minutes . in a frantic period midway through the second half five goals were scored in 26 minutes , and rapinoe hit a stunning half volley from the corner of the penalty area to level the match at 2-2 with 20 minutes to go . the imperious sinclair headed canada ahead for the third time just three minutes later , but the u.s. found an equalizer in controversial fashion . goalkeeper mcleod was penalized by the referee for holding the ball longer than the allotted six seconds and from the resulting free kick diana matheson was adjudged to have handled rapinoe 's shot . prolific striker abby wambach calmly converted the penalty to make it 3-3 , before morgan settled the match in the dying moments of extra-time . | the united states beat canada 4-3 to set up a gold medal clash with japan |
japan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- team usa 's women booked a fifth successive olympic soccer final after alex morgan 's header 20 seconds from the end of extra time handed them a dramatic 4-3 victory over canada . morgan nodded home in the final minute of extra-time to book the united states a tie with japan in thursday 's wembley final , where pia sundhage 's team will go for a third olympic gold . canada led three times in the match thanks to a hat-trick from captain christine sinclair , but each time the u.s. responded and eventually prevailed thanks to morgan 's dramatic winner . world champions japan booked a place in the gold medal match with a 2-1 defeat of france , who will play canada in the bronze medal contest . canada has never finished higher than eighth in an olympic soccer tournament , but john herdman 's side took a shock lead when striker sinclair coolly converted after 22 minutes . protecting a proud olympic record the u.s. responded and finally drew level when megan rapinoe 's corner squeezed between canada goalkeeper erin mcleod and the near post 10 minutes into the second half . undeterred canada hit back , sinclair powering a fine header beyond the despairing hope solo in the u.s. goal after 67 minutes . in a frantic period midway through the second half five goals were scored in 26 minutes , and rapinoe hit a stunning half volley from the corner of the penalty area to level the match at 2-2 with 20 minutes to go . the imperious sinclair headed canada ahead for the third time just three minutes later , but the u.s. found an equalizer in controversial fashion . goalkeeper mcleod was penalized by the referee for holding the ball longer than the allotted six seconds and from the resulting free kick diana matheson was adjudged to have handled rapinoe 's shot . prolific striker abby wambach calmly converted the penalty to make it 3-3 , before morgan settled the match in the dying moments of extra-time . | japan beat france 2-1 thanks to goals from yuki ogimi and mizuho sakaguchi |
middle east <tsp> iran is prepared to expand military and security cooperation with neighboring iraq , a top iranian military official said -- a week after u.s. forces pulled out of iraq . the islamic republic of iran is ready to establish , boost and expand all types of military , defense and security cooperation with the friendly and brotherly nation of iraq , ' iran 's armed forces chief of staff hassan firouzabadi said , according to a report sunday by the semi-official fars news agency . the middle east neighbors have enjoyed closer ties in recent years , especially as iraq 's shia muslim majority has solidified its power in the absence of former leader saddam hussein , a sunni muslim . iran 's theocracy is shia-led . the development comes as iran is flexing its naval muscles in the region by staging war games the drills are the largest ever planned by iran and are being staged in an area that stretches from the eastern part of the strait of hormuz in the persian gulf to the the gulf of aden , fars reported last week . the maneuvers began on saturday . these war games are a warning to the western countries about the closure of the strait of hormuz , ' zohreh elahian , a member of parliament 's national security and foreign policy commission , said monday , according to fars . if any threat is posed to iran , the islamic republic is capable of closing the strait of hormuz . ' the strait is a narrow shipping channel that leads in and out of the persian gulf between oman and iran . it is strategically important because oil tankers carrying middle east oil travel through it . the withdrawal of u.s. troops from iraq gives tehran more freedom to exert its influence in iraq , analysts say . it will not have negative effects against iran , ' said james gelvin , a history professor at the university of california at los angeles , about the u.s. pullout . mike breen , vice president of the progressive truman national security project in washington , described the ties between iran and iraq as complicated . ' i would say it 's too soon to tell because the iraqi people and the iraqi government are only beginning to write the next chapter in their nation 's history , and they have a complicated relationship with their neighbor iran , and that 's not always been a positive relationship , ' breen said . the nations fought a protracted military conflict between 1980 and 1988 , in which up to 1.5 million people died . iran accepted a u.n.-mandated cease-fire in july 1988 . | the middle east neighbors have enjoyed closer ties in recent years |
hamri <tsp> ( cnn ) -- music video and film director sanaa hamri moved to new york with dreams of making it big as an actress . but like so many others , she found herself struggling through endless auditions and unemployment . born worlds away in the town of tangier , morocco , hamri was n't afraid to fight back . she 'd grown up in a traditionally male-dominated society and her rebellion against gender stereotypes had helped put her on this creative career path . refusing to give up , she changed tact finding work with a post production company . she was soon noticed by cinematographer malik sayeed who , in turn , introduced her to mariah carey . and with the famous singer 's guidance , hamri embarked on a new , highly successful , career trajectory , leaving her mark on the entertainment industry . hamri went on to direct numerous high-profile music videos as well as three feature films and several episodes of popular tv shows like desperate housewives ' and glee . ' here she reveals to cnn what 's like to collaborate with entertainment royalty like lenny kravitz or nicki minaj while achieving success among the stars in tinseltown . embrace your heritage . i 'm a product of a multicultural union of my father who is and was moroccan and my mother who is american , ' says hamri . so i was able to grow in a household that had both . i very much identify as a moroccan woman because i was born and raised there . my father 's moroccan and i went to school there so that is home to me . ' education is vital . hamri 's mother , blanca taught at the american school of tangier and she credits the establishment with providing opportunities that others in her neighborhood did n't have . the memory of it for me is education was something that was a gift that you have to take advantage of , ' she explains . rebellion can ignite a journey you 'd never contemplated before . i would look around and i would see all of these men in the cafes and on the streets and i would think to myself ,'i can be just like that and do whatever i want to do as you do .'just because i 'm of a different gender , that does n't mean i ca n't drive , i ca n't rule , i ca n't think , i ca n't create . ' networking is key ( especially when it 's with mariah carey ) . while working for a production company , the ambitious moroccan soon found herself in the midst of some of the biggest names in music but it was an introduction to songbird supreme ' mariah carey who would lead her to her calling . one day she turned to me and said ,'you know , you really should direct'... and then i got the opportunity to direct her in this video called thank god i found you ( remix ) ' ... [ directing ] was extremely natural to me and i realized that mariah was right -- this is where i belong . ' take every opportunity to learn something new and always ask questions . in addition to the mentoring carey provided to her , the songstress would also provide industry insight and help explain the ins and outs of working among the best in the business . ( she would say )'this is what it means in america when we say this ,'because she was used to foreigners . she understood that . and whether it was working with her , jay-z , or destiny 's child , or sting , any of those people , i would learn from them . ' never forget why you want to work in the industry . i realized i was able to use the medium of music videos as a way to communicate to young adults in an inspirational way . the minute i realized that , i quickly shifted my career , so i would turn down a lot of artists and projects due to lyrical content , due to meaning , ' she says . i did n't come all the way from morocco and go through what i went through to get to the united states and say nothing . ' find other avenues to express your creativity . soon the up-and-coming director found herself constrained by the time limitations of producing music videos . but reading the script for the movie something new ' provided the outlet hamri was looking for . she explains : i loved the idea of a woman who is an african- american woman who is having issues dating white males because she racially had an issue with that ... and the minute i started working on'something new'and i was doing my movie i realized , i was like'i am a film director .'' always keep your aspirations in mind , no matter how lofty they may seem . hamri 's strong work ethic has seen her direct several hollywood films and jaunts onto the sets of well-known tv shows like desperate housewives , ' elementary ' and grey 's anatomy . ' yet despite her silver screen success , she remains very much connected to her birthplace . i definitely want to create in morocco as a base a very large studio that would be in competition with the big studios in hollywood , ' she says . we would be able to go on location and stuff , but just really creating like the biggest entertainment hub in africa . ' read this : the meteoric rise of lupita nyong'o read this : 10 things to know about'omosexy ' | sanaa hamri is a moroccan music video and film director |
hamri <tsp> ( cnn ) -- music video and film director sanaa hamri moved to new york with dreams of making it big as an actress . but like so many others , she found herself struggling through endless auditions and unemployment . born worlds away in the town of tangier , morocco , hamri was n't afraid to fight back . she 'd grown up in a traditionally male-dominated society and her rebellion against gender stereotypes had helped put her on this creative career path . refusing to give up , she changed tact finding work with a post production company . she was soon noticed by cinematographer malik sayeed who , in turn , introduced her to mariah carey . and with the famous singer 's guidance , hamri embarked on a new , highly successful , career trajectory , leaving her mark on the entertainment industry . hamri went on to direct numerous high-profile music videos as well as three feature films and several episodes of popular tv shows like desperate housewives ' and glee . ' here she reveals to cnn what 's like to collaborate with entertainment royalty like lenny kravitz or nicki minaj while achieving success among the stars in tinseltown . embrace your heritage . i 'm a product of a multicultural union of my father who is and was moroccan and my mother who is american , ' says hamri . so i was able to grow in a household that had both . i very much identify as a moroccan woman because i was born and raised there . my father 's moroccan and i went to school there so that is home to me . ' education is vital . hamri 's mother , blanca taught at the american school of tangier and she credits the establishment with providing opportunities that others in her neighborhood did n't have . the memory of it for me is education was something that was a gift that you have to take advantage of , ' she explains . rebellion can ignite a journey you 'd never contemplated before . i would look around and i would see all of these men in the cafes and on the streets and i would think to myself ,'i can be just like that and do whatever i want to do as you do .'just because i 'm of a different gender , that does n't mean i ca n't drive , i ca n't rule , i ca n't think , i ca n't create . ' networking is key ( especially when it 's with mariah carey ) . while working for a production company , the ambitious moroccan soon found herself in the midst of some of the biggest names in music but it was an introduction to songbird supreme ' mariah carey who would lead her to her calling . one day she turned to me and said ,'you know , you really should direct'... and then i got the opportunity to direct her in this video called thank god i found you ( remix ) ' ... [ directing ] was extremely natural to me and i realized that mariah was right -- this is where i belong . ' take every opportunity to learn something new and always ask questions . in addition to the mentoring carey provided to her , the songstress would also provide industry insight and help explain the ins and outs of working among the best in the business . ( she would say )'this is what it means in america when we say this ,'because she was used to foreigners . she understood that . and whether it was working with her , jay-z , or destiny 's child , or sting , any of those people , i would learn from them . ' never forget why you want to work in the industry . i realized i was able to use the medium of music videos as a way to communicate to young adults in an inspirational way . the minute i realized that , i quickly shifted my career , so i would turn down a lot of artists and projects due to lyrical content , due to meaning , ' she says . i did n't come all the way from morocco and go through what i went through to get to the united states and say nothing . ' find other avenues to express your creativity . soon the up-and-coming director found herself constrained by the time limitations of producing music videos . but reading the script for the movie something new ' provided the outlet hamri was looking for . she explains : i loved the idea of a woman who is an african- american woman who is having issues dating white males because she racially had an issue with that ... and the minute i started working on'something new'and i was doing my movie i realized , i was like'i am a film director .'' always keep your aspirations in mind , no matter how lofty they may seem . hamri 's strong work ethic has seen her direct several hollywood films and jaunts onto the sets of well-known tv shows like desperate housewives , ' elementary ' and grey 's anatomy . ' yet despite her silver screen success , she remains very much connected to her birthplace . i definitely want to create in morocco as a base a very large studio that would be in competition with the big studios in hollywood , ' she says . we would be able to go on location and stuff , but just really creating like the biggest entertainment hub in africa . ' read this : the meteoric rise of lupita nyong'o read this : 10 things to know about'omosexy ' | hamri met mariah carey on set who advised her to think about becoming a director |
lebanese <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) -- the united nations moved wednesday to calm tensions along the blue line separating lebanon and israel , a day after violence erupted . in an extraordinary meeting , the commander of the united nations interim force in lebanon , major-general alberto asarta cuevas , led talks between top representatives of the lebanese armed forces and the israel defense forces . the meeting was held at the u.n. position at the ras al naqoura crossing in south lebanon . unifil informed the parties that a thorough investigation into yesterday 's events is under way and presented its preliminary findings , ' unifil said . unifil urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint , avoid any action that could serve to heighten tensions , and work with unifil in taking steps to prevent any recurrence of such a situation , ' it said . asarta said both parties were committed to ending hostilities and to complying with u.n. security council resolution 1701 , the agreement that ended a five-week war between the lebanese group hezbollah and israel in 2006 . resolution 1701 , which was intended to resolve the 2006 conflict , bars israel from conducting military operations in lebanon . israel has accused lebanon-based hezbollah , considered a terrorist group by the united states , of violating the resolution by smuggling arms into southern lebanon . the united nations said tuesday 's violence broke out after israel announced it planned to cut down a tree near the blue line , the line of demarcation that resolution 1701 requires both sides to respect . unifil said wednesday that the tree was in israeli territory . a lebanese army unit stopped the israelis , and u.n. peacekeepers intervened , lebanon 's official national news agency said . the lebanese army said it asked the u.n. force to arbitrate the issue , but the israeli forces did n't comply and instead entered lebanese territory . that led the lebanese army to open fire , with israeli forces returning artillery fire and hitting a house in the village of odaise . an israeli officer was killed . the national news agency said two lebanese soldiers and a journalist were killed . the exchange of fire started , although we did our best to prevent it , ' alain le roy , the world body 's top peacekeeping official , told reporters in new york . israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu warned lebanon and the palestinians wednesday that israel would react with force to what he called violent provocation against its citizens . i want to make it clear to the hamas and to the lebanese government that they are responsible , that we see them responsible for the violent provocation against our soldiers , ' netanyahu said . do not test our determination to protect the citizens of israel and its soldiers . our policy is clear : israel will react and will continue to react with force to any attack against its citizens and soldiers , ' he said . netanyahu appealed to the international community to support israel 's right to defend itself . the u.n. announcement today clearly corroborates the israeli version of events , ' said mark regev , an israeli government spokesman , in a written statement . our routine activity yesterday was conducted entirely south of the frontier -- on the israeli side -- and that the lebanese army opened fire without any provocation or justification whatsoever . ' but unifil said , the investigations are still ongoing ' and the body 's findings will be released only after they conclude . lebanese president michel suleiman said israel violated u.n . resolution 1701 in crossing the blue line and by bombing a lebanese army checkpoint in odaise . he said israeli aggression needs to be confronted , whatever the sacrifices are ' and that he will pursue the issue diplomatically . meanwhile , egypt blamed the palestinians for this week 's rocket attacks on red sea port cities in israel and jordan , the official mena news agency reported . a senior jordanian official told cnn that egyptian investigations proved that palestinian factions from gaza were behind a rocket attack in aqaba . one person was killed and five others wounded when a rocket landed in front of a hotel , the official jordanian news agency , petra , reported . several apparent rocket explosions also were heard in the nearby israeli city of eilat , the israeli military reported . no damage or injuries were reported . hamas spokesman sami abu zuhri called the egyptians unprofessional and unreliable ' and said they were politically driven to justify the blockade of gaza . cnn 's saad abedine , nada husseini and michal zippori contributed to this report . | differing narratives emerge from israeli , lebanese sides |
lebanese <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) -- the united nations moved wednesday to calm tensions along the blue line separating lebanon and israel , a day after violence erupted . in an extraordinary meeting , the commander of the united nations interim force in lebanon , major-general alberto asarta cuevas , led talks between top representatives of the lebanese armed forces and the israel defense forces . the meeting was held at the u.n. position at the ras al naqoura crossing in south lebanon . unifil informed the parties that a thorough investigation into yesterday 's events is under way and presented its preliminary findings , ' unifil said . unifil urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint , avoid any action that could serve to heighten tensions , and work with unifil in taking steps to prevent any recurrence of such a situation , ' it said . asarta said both parties were committed to ending hostilities and to complying with u.n. security council resolution 1701 , the agreement that ended a five-week war between the lebanese group hezbollah and israel in 2006 . resolution 1701 , which was intended to resolve the 2006 conflict , bars israel from conducting military operations in lebanon . israel has accused lebanon-based hezbollah , considered a terrorist group by the united states , of violating the resolution by smuggling arms into southern lebanon . the united nations said tuesday 's violence broke out after israel announced it planned to cut down a tree near the blue line , the line of demarcation that resolution 1701 requires both sides to respect . unifil said wednesday that the tree was in israeli territory . a lebanese army unit stopped the israelis , and u.n. peacekeepers intervened , lebanon 's official national news agency said . the lebanese army said it asked the u.n. force to arbitrate the issue , but the israeli forces did n't comply and instead entered lebanese territory . that led the lebanese army to open fire , with israeli forces returning artillery fire and hitting a house in the village of odaise . an israeli officer was killed . the national news agency said two lebanese soldiers and a journalist were killed . the exchange of fire started , although we did our best to prevent it , ' alain le roy , the world body 's top peacekeeping official , told reporters in new york . israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu warned lebanon and the palestinians wednesday that israel would react with force to what he called violent provocation against its citizens . i want to make it clear to the hamas and to the lebanese government that they are responsible , that we see them responsible for the violent provocation against our soldiers , ' netanyahu said . do not test our determination to protect the citizens of israel and its soldiers . our policy is clear : israel will react and will continue to react with force to any attack against its citizens and soldiers , ' he said . netanyahu appealed to the international community to support israel 's right to defend itself . the u.n. announcement today clearly corroborates the israeli version of events , ' said mark regev , an israeli government spokesman , in a written statement . our routine activity yesterday was conducted entirely south of the frontier -- on the israeli side -- and that the lebanese army opened fire without any provocation or justification whatsoever . ' but unifil said , the investigations are still ongoing ' and the body 's findings will be released only after they conclude . lebanese president michel suleiman said israel violated u.n . resolution 1701 in crossing the blue line and by bombing a lebanese army checkpoint in odaise . he said israeli aggression needs to be confronted , whatever the sacrifices are ' and that he will pursue the issue diplomatically . meanwhile , egypt blamed the palestinians for this week 's rocket attacks on red sea port cities in israel and jordan , the official mena news agency reported . a senior jordanian official told cnn that egyptian investigations proved that palestinian factions from gaza were behind a rocket attack in aqaba . one person was killed and five others wounded when a rocket landed in front of a hotel , the official jordanian news agency , petra , reported . several apparent rocket explosions also were heard in the nearby israeli city of eilat , the israeli military reported . no damage or injuries were reported . hamas spokesman sami abu zuhri called the egyptians unprofessional and unreliable ' and said they were politically driven to justify the blockade of gaza . cnn 's saad abedine , nada husseini and michal zippori contributed to this report . | new : unifil chairs talks between israelis , lebanese |
lebanese <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) -- the united nations moved wednesday to calm tensions along the blue line separating lebanon and israel , a day after violence erupted . in an extraordinary meeting , the commander of the united nations interim force in lebanon , major-general alberto asarta cuevas , led talks between top representatives of the lebanese armed forces and the israel defense forces . the meeting was held at the u.n. position at the ras al naqoura crossing in south lebanon . unifil informed the parties that a thorough investigation into yesterday 's events is under way and presented its preliminary findings , ' unifil said . unifil urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint , avoid any action that could serve to heighten tensions , and work with unifil in taking steps to prevent any recurrence of such a situation , ' it said . asarta said both parties were committed to ending hostilities and to complying with u.n. security council resolution 1701 , the agreement that ended a five-week war between the lebanese group hezbollah and israel in 2006 . resolution 1701 , which was intended to resolve the 2006 conflict , bars israel from conducting military operations in lebanon . israel has accused lebanon-based hezbollah , considered a terrorist group by the united states , of violating the resolution by smuggling arms into southern lebanon . the united nations said tuesday 's violence broke out after israel announced it planned to cut down a tree near the blue line , the line of demarcation that resolution 1701 requires both sides to respect . unifil said wednesday that the tree was in israeli territory . a lebanese army unit stopped the israelis , and u.n. peacekeepers intervened , lebanon 's official national news agency said . the lebanese army said it asked the u.n. force to arbitrate the issue , but the israeli forces did n't comply and instead entered lebanese territory . that led the lebanese army to open fire , with israeli forces returning artillery fire and hitting a house in the village of odaise . an israeli officer was killed . the national news agency said two lebanese soldiers and a journalist were killed . the exchange of fire started , although we did our best to prevent it , ' alain le roy , the world body 's top peacekeeping official , told reporters in new york . israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu warned lebanon and the palestinians wednesday that israel would react with force to what he called violent provocation against its citizens . i want to make it clear to the hamas and to the lebanese government that they are responsible , that we see them responsible for the violent provocation against our soldiers , ' netanyahu said . do not test our determination to protect the citizens of israel and its soldiers . our policy is clear : israel will react and will continue to react with force to any attack against its citizens and soldiers , ' he said . netanyahu appealed to the international community to support israel 's right to defend itself . the u.n. announcement today clearly corroborates the israeli version of events , ' said mark regev , an israeli government spokesman , in a written statement . our routine activity yesterday was conducted entirely south of the frontier -- on the israeli side -- and that the lebanese army opened fire without any provocation or justification whatsoever . ' but unifil said , the investigations are still ongoing ' and the body 's findings will be released only after they conclude . lebanese president michel suleiman said israel violated u.n . resolution 1701 in crossing the blue line and by bombing a lebanese army checkpoint in odaise . he said israeli aggression needs to be confronted , whatever the sacrifices are ' and that he will pursue the issue diplomatically . meanwhile , egypt blamed the palestinians for this week 's rocket attacks on red sea port cities in israel and jordan , the official mena news agency reported . a senior jordanian official told cnn that egyptian investigations proved that palestinian factions from gaza were behind a rocket attack in aqaba . one person was killed and five others wounded when a rocket landed in front of a hotel , the official jordanian news agency , petra , reported . several apparent rocket explosions also were heard in the nearby israeli city of eilat , the israeli military reported . no damage or injuries were reported . hamas spokesman sami abu zuhri called the egyptians unprofessional and unreliable ' and said they were politically driven to justify the blockade of gaza . cnn 's saad abedine , nada husseini and michal zippori contributed to this report . | israeli and lebanese troops fired on each other tuesday |
ahmed <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the christmas season encourages us to think of jesus , so highly revered and loved by both christians and muslims . so it is even more tragic to contemplate relations between the two religions today -- and particularly the plight of christians in the muslim world . in iraq , savage killings of christians have led thousands to flee the country . in egypt , christians are under severe pressure and siege . in pakistan , there are too many cases like that of asia bibi , a christian woman who is facing a death sentence under pakistan 's blasphemy laws for allegedly slandering the prophet of islam . for both of us , a muslim and a christian , this violence is a matter of utmost gravity . one of us , akbar ahmed , was educated by roman catholic priests at burn hall , in north pakistan , and then presbyterian teachers at forman christian college in lahore , and gratefully acknowledges the immeasurable debt he owes them , which he attempts to repay in promoting christian-muslim dialogue . the other , john chane , is concerned as a bishop but also as someone also passionately devoted to promoting good relations between christians and muslims . we find that the situation has reached a breaking point because of the crisis in the muslim world . extremist muslims feel that islam is under siege by the west and seek to lash out at christians , seeing an attack on christians in their countries effectively as an attack on israelis , u.s. troops in iraq or the intelligence agencies behind u.s. drone strikes in pakistan . since 9/11 , we have been speaking out in support of interfaith dialogue and understanding the deep bonds between christianity and islam . the prophet named christians , as he did the jews , as people of the book , ' to be respected . in islam , jesus embodies compassion and the love of god and is miraculously born of the virgin mary . not only is jesus mentioned in the quran more often than the prophet of islam , but an entire chapter is devoted to the virgin mary . as no other figure in islam , jesus can perform miracles , including giving sight to the blind , breathing life into a piece of clay , bringing the dead to life , and curing a leper ( quran 3:49 ) . muslims will say that they can not be a good muslim without first being a good jew and a good christian . christians have always lived in muslim lands ; indeed christianity is older than islam in these areas . christians living in the great societies of islamic history , including muslim spain and the ottoman empire , largely lived in peace and security according to their own laws . yet in the past few years , the persecution of christians has increased in scope and frequency . the iraqi christian population , one of the oldest in the world and said to date from just after the crucifixion of jesus , has sharply decreased . before the gulf war , more than 1 million christians lived in iraq ; at the time of the u.s. invasion of iraq , the number had fallen to about 800,000 . two-thirds of those are estimated to have fled . the christians who have remained are subjected to pogroms and slaughter by muslim groups who are committed to exterminating them . the u.n. has reported high numbers of christian refugees fleeing iraq in recent weeks , and it has been noted that the chaotic aftermath of america 's invasion may result in what all other invaders had failed to accomplish : the elimination of iraq 's christian population . in egypt , where christians constitute 10 % of the population , christian girls are being kidnapped by shadowy muslim groups and lured into muslim marriages , with the state looking the other way . christians in egypt have no problem converting to islam , but if muslims want to convert to christianity , they are refused permission to register as christians on their id cards , where religion must be stated . riots are common , and egyptian christians live in fear for their lives . asia bibi 's death sentence in pakistan has gathered fierce support from certain muslim groups , who are demanding the sentence be carried out . the blasphemy law is derived from laws passed during pakistan 's islamization ' phase under president zia ul haq , in which islamic warriors were being trained to fight the soviet union in afghanistan . it has constantly been misused by pakistanis seeking to attack each other in local feuds , and in today 's high anti-american atmosphere has increased pressure on the christians tenfold . pakistani president asif zardari must pardon asia bibi immediately and bring this disgraceful episode to a close . with this in mind , it is impossible for good muslims to be anti-christian . we are appalled by the persecution christians are being subjected to and appeal to muslims to look to their own faith for how they should treat christians in their midst . we need true islamic scholarship and learning , not ignorant people quoting holy texts out of context . anger or frustration at the way the west is behaving in the muslim world or at their own governments is no excuse for slaughtering and slandering christians . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers . | ahmed , chane : bonds deep between christians and muslims ; both faiths revere jesus |
earth <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as high-tech reality tv goes , it 's hard to top sunday 's riveting leap from the stratosphere by austrian daredevil felix baumgartner . it took courage and skill , to be sure . but the technology required to get a guy well on his way to outer space , then allow him to plummet safely back to earth , deserves some credit , too . from the one-of-a-kind red bull stratos capsule to a pressurized space suit engineered specifically for the jump to a smart ' parachute designed to deploy if baumgartner had spiraled out of control , the jump debuted tech that organizers say could contribute to the science world in other areas . after space jump , what 's the next big stunt ? here is a look at some of the most interesting gadgetry used during the record-breaking leap : the capsule at 2,900 pounds , the stratos weighs in at slightly more than a modern volkswagen beetle . it 's made of a fiberglass and epoxy pressure sphere , ' the same kind of steel alloy ( chromium-molybdenum ) cage used in racecars , a foam-insulated fiberglass shield that protected baumgartner from temperatures as low as -70 degrees fahrenheit and a base covered in crush pads ' designed to handle 8 gs of impact pressure . the suit engineers on the project say baumgartner 's spacesuit-style uniform could serve as a model for the future of space travel and exploration . the fully pressurized suit was tested to withstand temperatures as high as 100 degrees fahrenheit and , more importantly in baumgartner 's case , as low as -90 degrees fahrenheit . why was the 3.5 pounds of pressure in the suit important ? because , according to the stratos team , tissues in baumgartner 's body could have turned to gas and expanded while he was above 62,000 feet . not good . the most innovative aspects of the suit , however , might have been those designed for mobility and vision . a skydiver needs the ability to move around more quickly than , say , an astronaut tethered to the outside of the international space station . the stratos suit was modified to allow more mobility and a system of mirrors increased visibility . a hockey puck-sized controller is programmed to adjust pressure based on the suit 's current altitude and a new kind of rotating , locking ring attached the helmet and gloves to the rest of the suit . baumgartner 's helmet was an 8-pound composite mold attached to a pair of oxygen cylinders during his descent . its visor was equipped with an integrated heating unit to prevent fogging and icing . chest pack the nerve center of baumgartner 's gear was a chest pack where most of the high-tech gadgetry he 'd need to complete , and document , the jump was stored . data recorders inside it reported his altitude , speed and location to mission control to help them monitor his progress and whereabouts . the pack also contained a gps beacon to make him easier to find . the voice transmitter and receiver that connected to his helmet were in the chest pack , as was an hd camera with a 120-degree view . cameras that chest pack camera was n't the only one devoted to documenting the historic leap . still and video cameras were designed specifically for the mission by jay nemeth of flightline films . nemeth is one of a handful of photographers with experience shooting in zero-gravity , including a shoot with apollo 11 astronaut buzz aldrin . there were nine high-definition cameras in the capsule , three high-resolution still cameras and three digital cinematography cameras with lens resolution of 4,000 x 2,000-pixels . in addition to baumgartner 's chest-pack camera , he also had one attached to each thigh . the cameras were modified in a host of the ways for the unique needs of the mission -- from pressurized casings filled with nitrogen to protect them from the extreme temperatures to special filters to protect them from the brightness of the sun at that altitude ( iphone 5 owners take note ) . parachute the parachute itself was a tech marvel five years in the making . the first personal parachute ever used for a supersonic-speed fall , it weighs 60 pounds , or three times as much as a normal parachute . it included a drogue chute ' that could have deployed if baumgartner began spinning out of control . he had a button on one of his gloves that would have caused the chute to open if he held it down for three seconds . that parachute ( which is separate from the regular emergency chute ) also would have deployed if it was being hit by unexpectedly high levels of pressure for more than six seconds . his rig also included a button to cut the emergency parachute . while it would just be an inconvenience for many skydivers , if baumgartner 's emergency chute accidentally deployed at a high altitude , it could have slowed him down so much that he ran out of oxygen . sticking the landing how was baumgartner able to control where he landed ? for starters , the skydiver remained within the earth 's atmosphere , so he never had to account for the planet rotating underneath him . his team waited for ideal weather conditions , when there were fewer high-altitude winds that might have caused his balloon to drift . and once he deployed his parachute , less than two miles above the earth , baumgartner was able to steer himself to a flat , open landing spot in the new mexico desert -- some 23 miles east of where the balloon had taken off several hours earlier . a beacon inside his suit allowed his recovery helicopter to follow him . | on sunday , daredevil felix baumgartner lept from 128,100 feet above earth |
sunderland <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it was announced a few hours before april fool 's day , but the appointment of one of the most controversial characters in european football is no laughing matter for one english premier league soccer club . sunderland 's american owner ellis short hopes paolo di canio can keep the struggling team in the top flight , but his vice-chairman -- british mp david miliband -- has already resigned his role in protest . in the light of the new manager 's past political statements , i think it right to step down , ' the ex-foreign secretary said on his website following sunday 's news that di canio will replace the sacked martin o'neill on a two-and-a-half-year contract . miliband , who had intended to retain his role at sunderland despite taking a new job with an international humanitarian organization based in new york which will see him give up his south shields constituency , was referring to the italian 's right-wing leanings . i am a fascist , not a racist , ' di canio infamously told italian news agency ansa after making a straight-arm salute to the fans of his hometown club lazio during a match against rome rival lazio in 2005 . he was later fined and suspended for one match by italian football authorities after another so-called roman salute ' during a match against livorno . a ex-member of lazio 's notorious hardcore fan group the irriducibili , ' di canio admitted in his autobiography that he is fascinated ' by italy 's former dictator benito mussolini , who enacted anti-semitic laws and oversaw the deporting of thousands of italian jews to concentration and death camps . lazio has this season been charged four times with racist behavior by its fans . di canio 's politics seem to come in stark conflict with sunderland 's recent attempts to establish itself in the african market . saturday 's home match against manchester united , a 1-0 defeat that proved to be o'neill 's last in charge , marked the start of a collaboration with the foundation of nelson mandela . the former south african leader 's messages of peace and equality will be promoted for the next three years , sunderland 's marketing director mike farnan told cnn on friday . miliband had a key role in the club 's african push , farnan said . di canio is not a man who has a history of peace -- as a player he was banned for 11 matches for pushing over a referee while at english club sheffield wednesday in 1998 . his only previous managerial job , at english third division club swindon , ended in february when the 44-year-old quit due to the club 's financial problems . his arrival at swindon in may 2011 prompted one of the club 's main sponsors -- the gmb trade union -- to withdraw its backing due to his political views . di canio did lead swindon out of england 's bottom division , and after he quit said he was ready for a top job in a country where he was widely recognized as one of the most talented players of his era during spells with west ham and sheffield wednesday . paolo is hugely enthused by the challenge that lies ahead of him , ' short said on sunderland 's website . he is passionate , driven and raring to get started . the sole focus of everyone for the next seven games will be to ensure we gain enough points to maintain our top-flight status . i think that the chances of that are greatly increased with paolo joining us . ' di canio issued a statement through the club on monday insisting that his personal politics had nothing to do with his job , and that past media reports had blown his comments out of proportion . i expressed an opinion in an interview many years ago . some pieces were taken for media convenience . they took my expression in a very , very negative way -- but it was a long conversation and a long interview . it was not fair , ' he said . talk about racism ? that is absolutely stupid , stupid and ridiculous . the people who know me can change that idea quickly , ' he added , saying that former teammates trevor sinclair and chris powell -- who are black -- were his best friends when he was playing in england . i do n't want to talk about politics because it 's not my area . we are not in the houses of parliament , we are in a football club . i want to talk about sport . i want to talk about football , my players , the board and the fans . ' sunderland ceo margaret byrne added that the club has a strong ethos and ethics and that has not changed in any shape or form . ' paolo is an honest man , a man of principle and a driven , determined and passionate individual . to accuse him now , as some have done , of being a racist or having fascist sympathies , is insulting not only to him but to the integrity of this football club , ' she said . it is disappointing that some people are trying to turn the appointment of a head coach into a political circus . ' despite his controversies on and off the pitch , the charismatic di canio was popular with many fans of the clubs he played for . in 2001 he was given fifa 's fair play award for a special act of good sportsmanship ' while playing for west ham , when he picked the ball up and refused to score as an opposing goalkeeper lay injured . having started his career with lazio in 1985 , he went on to play for top serie a clubs juventus , napoli and ac milan before a successful season in scotland with celtic earned him a move to england . | david miliband leaves sunderland after paolo di canio is named as manager |
second life <tsp> ( cnn ) -- so , what exactly is news in a virtual world ? cnn has opened an i-report hub in the virtual world of second life . cnn aims to find out by opening an i-report hub in second life , a three-dimensional virtual world created entirely by its residents . there , cnn will look to those most familiar with the virtual world -- the second life residents themselves -- to determine what constitutes news in-world . ' developer linden labs opened second life to the public in 2003 . according to its web site , second life is inhabited by millions of residents ' from around the globe . however , traffic at any given time hovers around 40,000 users . see the many views of second life . » just as cnn asks its real-life audience to submit i-reports -- user-generated content submitted from cell phones , computers , cameras and other equipment for broadcast and online reports -- the network is encouraging residents of second life to share their own sl i-reports ' about events occurring within the virtual world . the thing we most hope to gain by having a cnn presence in second life is to learn about virtual worlds and understand what news is most interesting and valuable to their residents , ' said susan grant , executive vice president of cnn news services . watch cnn 's welcome video from second life » when second life residents observe an in-world event they deem newsworthy , they can take snapshots , shoot video , or write a report about the event and submit to cnn . submissions selected by cnn i-report producers will go back into second life for residents to view throughout the virtual world . sl i-reports may also be viewed and discussed in the real world at cnn.com 's sl i-report blog . cnn 's in-world i-report hub includes a news desk where cnn producers will hold weekly editorial discussions , and an amphitheater for larger in-world events , such as training sessions and appearances by cnn anchors and correspondents . cnn 's first in-world training session will be held tuesday , november 13 , at 5 p.m . et at the i-report hub . at the i-report hub , residents can also meet other resident reporters , as well as access i-report kiosks , free-standing terminals where residents can pick up free gear and tools for gathering and viewing in-world user-generated content . e-mail to a friend | cnn opens i-report hub in virtual world of second life |
second life <tsp> ( cnn ) -- so , what exactly is news in a virtual world ? cnn has opened an i-report hub in the virtual world of second life . cnn aims to find out by opening an i-report hub in second life , a three-dimensional virtual world created entirely by its residents . there , cnn will look to those most familiar with the virtual world -- the second life residents themselves -- to determine what constitutes news in-world . ' developer linden labs opened second life to the public in 2003 . according to its web site , second life is inhabited by millions of residents ' from around the globe . however , traffic at any given time hovers around 40,000 users . see the many views of second life . » just as cnn asks its real-life audience to submit i-reports -- user-generated content submitted from cell phones , computers , cameras and other equipment for broadcast and online reports -- the network is encouraging residents of second life to share their own sl i-reports ' about events occurring within the virtual world . the thing we most hope to gain by having a cnn presence in second life is to learn about virtual worlds and understand what news is most interesting and valuable to their residents , ' said susan grant , executive vice president of cnn news services . watch cnn 's welcome video from second life » when second life residents observe an in-world event they deem newsworthy , they can take snapshots , shoot video , or write a report about the event and submit to cnn . submissions selected by cnn i-report producers will go back into second life for residents to view throughout the virtual world . sl i-reports may also be viewed and discussed in the real world at cnn.com 's sl i-report blog . cnn 's in-world i-report hub includes a news desk where cnn producers will hold weekly editorial discussions , and an amphitheater for larger in-world events , such as training sessions and appearances by cnn anchors and correspondents . cnn 's first in-world training session will be held tuesday , november 13 , at 5 p.m . et at the i-report hub . at the i-report hub , residents can also meet other resident reporters , as well as access i-report kiosks , free-standing terminals where residents can pick up free gear and tools for gathering and viewing in-world user-generated content . e-mail to a friend | i-report : share your second life i-reports with cnn |
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