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warren <tsp> washington ( cnn ) groups urging sen. elizabeth warren to run for president in 2016 are kicking off their new hampshire organizing efforts with a rally on saturday in manchester . moveon.org and democracy for america , two liberal groups urging the progressive senator to run , are dispatching grassroots organizers to the first-in-the-nation primary state this week with the goal of encouraging local volunteers , politicians and activists to help convince warren she needs to run for president . our folks on the ground are going to reach out to the really strong activist community that exists in new hampshire , ' said neil sroka , democracy for america 's spokesman . we want to show elizabeth warren that if she decided to get into the race , there is a strong grassroots army ready to do everything a candidate needs to run a competitive race in the granite state . ' saturday will make the start of these efforts . leaders from democracy for america , moveon.org and other progressive come together for their first meeting in new hampshire , with the goal of charting next steps in convincing warren to run . those steps are likely to include opening offices across the state and dispatching more organizers in the coming months . the run warren run ' efforts , which launched late last year , have so far picked up over 200,000 supporters across the country . while they are n't alone -- groups like super pac ready for warren have been organizing around a possible warren run since early last year -- the coalition of moveon and dfa has been some of the most organized work around the senator . that said , the efforts have so far not moved the massachusetts senator to make a run at the presidency and , in some respects , warren has moved further away from a run . in an interview published by fortune magazine on tuesday , warren was asked by former fdic chairman sheila bair whether if she will run for president . no , ' the massachusetts senator flatly said . that is new , given the senator has repeatedly knocked down presidential speculation by simply saying , i am not running for president . ' the denial is in present tense , meaning warren was n't running for president at this moment . when some reporters pressed her on this , warren would just repeat , i am not running for president . ' if she does decide to run , though , she would n't be the first politician to change their mind on a presidential bid . warren outlined her liberal economic agenda earlier this month in a campaign-style speech that electrified liberal and labor organizers in the audience . for more than 30 years , too many politicians in washington have made deliberate choices that favored those with money and power , ' she told the afl-cio audience . and the consequence is that instead of an economy that works well for everyone , america now has an economy that works well for about 10 percent of the people . ' related : afl-cio president trumpets warren , calls for dems to pick sides on labor issues in 2015 speeches like that , sroka said , have made the liberal organizers more upbeat about their plans . their view is that if more people saw warren speak , they would be convinced to support her . we have watched very , very closely , ' the organizer said of warren 's speeches . what you saw there was a senator and frankly a potential presidential candidate speaking out for million of americans who are struggling to get by and laying out a popular progressive economic message for the country . ' he concluded , that is the kind of speech a presidential candidate might make . ' | they are trying to urge warren to run for president and plan to open offices and dispatch organizers to the state |
warren <tsp> washington ( cnn ) groups urging sen. elizabeth warren to run for president in 2016 are kicking off their new hampshire organizing efforts with a rally on saturday in manchester . moveon.org and democracy for america , two liberal groups urging the progressive senator to run , are dispatching grassroots organizers to the first-in-the-nation primary state this week with the goal of encouraging local volunteers , politicians and activists to help convince warren she needs to run for president . our folks on the ground are going to reach out to the really strong activist community that exists in new hampshire , ' said neil sroka , democracy for america 's spokesman . we want to show elizabeth warren that if she decided to get into the race , there is a strong grassroots army ready to do everything a candidate needs to run a competitive race in the granite state . ' saturday will make the start of these efforts . leaders from democracy for america , moveon.org and other progressive come together for their first meeting in new hampshire , with the goal of charting next steps in convincing warren to run . those steps are likely to include opening offices across the state and dispatching more organizers in the coming months . the run warren run ' efforts , which launched late last year , have so far picked up over 200,000 supporters across the country . while they are n't alone -- groups like super pac ready for warren have been organizing around a possible warren run since early last year -- the coalition of moveon and dfa has been some of the most organized work around the senator . that said , the efforts have so far not moved the massachusetts senator to make a run at the presidency and , in some respects , warren has moved further away from a run . in an interview published by fortune magazine on tuesday , warren was asked by former fdic chairman sheila bair whether if she will run for president . no , ' the massachusetts senator flatly said . that is new , given the senator has repeatedly knocked down presidential speculation by simply saying , i am not running for president . ' the denial is in present tense , meaning warren was n't running for president at this moment . when some reporters pressed her on this , warren would just repeat , i am not running for president . ' if she does decide to run , though , she would n't be the first politician to change their mind on a presidential bid . warren outlined her liberal economic agenda earlier this month in a campaign-style speech that electrified liberal and labor organizers in the audience . for more than 30 years , too many politicians in washington have made deliberate choices that favored those with money and power , ' she told the afl-cio audience . and the consequence is that instead of an economy that works well for everyone , america now has an economy that works well for about 10 percent of the people . ' related : afl-cio president trumpets warren , calls for dems to pick sides on labor issues in 2015 speeches like that , sroka said , have made the liberal organizers more upbeat about their plans . their view is that if more people saw warren speak , they would be convinced to support her . we have watched very , very closely , ' the organizer said of warren 's speeches . what you saw there was a senator and frankly a potential presidential candidate speaking out for million of americans who are struggling to get by and laying out a popular progressive economic message for the country . ' he concluded , that is the kind of speech a presidential candidate might make . ' | in an interview published tuesday , though , warren flatly said no ' when asked if she is running for president |
u.s. open <tsp> ( cnn ) -- australian samantha stosur made a strong start to the defense of her u.s. open crown with a crushing opening victory at flushing meadows . her croatian opponent petra matric won just two games as the seventh seed marched to a 6-1 6-1triumph in just 51 minutes . stosur won the first grand slam title of her career in new york last year , beating home-crowd favorite serena williams in the final . the 28-year-old will now face edina gallovits-hall , an unseeded romanian who has won through to the second round of year 's final major for the first time . speaking after the match , stosur explained how being away from home has helped her game . you 're in the spotlight a bit more back home and you see yourself on tv and the newspapers even if you 're not looking for it , ' the 28-year-old told reporters . it 's unavoidable , whereas here there are other players that are in that spotlight instead . ' u.s. open : get the latest scores and match statistics world no . 1 victoria azarenka dropped just one game against russia 's alexandra panova as she secured her place in the second round . the australian open champion , eliminated in the third round of the 2011 event , took just 50 minutes to complete a resounding 6-0 6-1 win and set up a tie with belgium 's kirsten flipkens . olympic silver medal winner maria sharapova put in a powerful performance against hungarian melinda czink , winning 6-2 6-2 . the 2006 champion wrapped up the match in just over an hour and will face spain 's world no . 78 lourdes dominguez lino for a place in the last 32 . a two-and-a-half-hour rain break did not trouble ninth seed li na , as she reached the second round for the first time since 2009 with a 6-2 6-3 victory over britain 's heather watson . she will now play unseeded australian casey dellacqua . three-time champion kim clijsters made a fine start to the final grand slam of her career , entertaining the arthur ashe stadium with a 6-3 6-1 defeat of american victoria duval . the belgian , who came out of retirement in 2009 and won back-to-back u.s. open titles , will retire after this tournament and faces britain 's olympic mixed doubles silver medalist laura robson in the next round . fifth seed and 2011 wimbledon champion petra kvitova battled past slovenian polona hercog 7-6 6-1 to set up a meeting with 50th-ranked alize cornet of france . | reigning champion samantha stosur cruises through u.s. open first round match |
gidget <tsp> ( cnn ) -- gidget , the 15-year-old dog best known for her taco bell ad campaign , died of a stroke tuesday in los angeles , california , said sue chipperton , her trainer . uttering the words yo quiero taco bell , ' gidget 's popularity soared in the fast food restaurant 's ads . uttering the words yo quiero taco bell , ' gidget , a female dog , played a male dog in the commercials . she was cast as the girlfriend of the taco bell chihuahua , but the director changed his mind at the last minute and made gidget the lead dog , chipperton said . chipperton worked with gidget since she was an 8-week old pup and traveled everywhere with the dog . gidget even opened the new york stock exchange . roles were hard to come by for the pooch after her popularity soared from the taco bell ads , according to her trainer . she was kind of typecast , so she never really got much work after that , ' chipperton said . gidget was cast in the 2003 film , legally blonde 2 . ' she also had a role as an extra in the 2008 animal-themed movie , beverly hills chihuahua . ' that 's what her life had come to over the years , ' playing small background roles , chipperton said . watch gidget 's top dog years with taco bell » the chihuahua loved being on set . she acted like a big dog and had a big dog attitude , ' chipperton said , adding that once she arrived on a soundstage , she had no trouble finding her way in front of the camera . she was a real pro , but when you look at the commercials , she really did n't do much , her trainer said . she did n't do amazing dog tricks , she did n't do stunts , she was just playing the character of a teenage boy ( dog ) . ' at home , gidget was laid-back , happy and low maintenance , according to chipperton . gidget was owned by studio animal services , but lived with and was trained by chipperton , who said she has been getting e-mails , calls and facebook entries on gidget 's passing . it 's comforting , ' she said . it 's so touching to see so many people were affected by her and that they loved her , she was a very special dog . ' | gidget , a female dog , played a male dog in the commercials |
gidget <tsp> ( cnn ) -- gidget , the 15-year-old dog best known for her taco bell ad campaign , died of a stroke tuesday in los angeles , california , said sue chipperton , her trainer . uttering the words yo quiero taco bell , ' gidget 's popularity soared in the fast food restaurant 's ads . uttering the words yo quiero taco bell , ' gidget , a female dog , played a male dog in the commercials . she was cast as the girlfriend of the taco bell chihuahua , but the director changed his mind at the last minute and made gidget the lead dog , chipperton said . chipperton worked with gidget since she was an 8-week old pup and traveled everywhere with the dog . gidget even opened the new york stock exchange . roles were hard to come by for the pooch after her popularity soared from the taco bell ads , according to her trainer . she was kind of typecast , so she never really got much work after that , ' chipperton said . gidget was cast in the 2003 film , legally blonde 2 . ' she also had a role as an extra in the 2008 animal-themed movie , beverly hills chihuahua . ' that 's what her life had come to over the years , ' playing small background roles , chipperton said . watch gidget 's top dog years with taco bell » the chihuahua loved being on set . she acted like a big dog and had a big dog attitude , ' chipperton said , adding that once she arrived on a soundstage , she had no trouble finding her way in front of the camera . she was a real pro , but when you look at the commercials , she really did n't do much , her trainer said . she did n't do amazing dog tricks , she did n't do stunts , she was just playing the character of a teenage boy ( dog ) . ' at home , gidget was laid-back , happy and low maintenance , according to chipperton . gidget was owned by studio animal services , but lived with and was trained by chipperton , who said she has been getting e-mails , calls and facebook entries on gidget 's passing . it 's comforting , ' she said . it 's so touching to see so many people were affected by her and that they loved her , she was a very special dog . ' | after the commercials she was kind of typecast , ' gidget 's trainer said |
gidget <tsp> ( cnn ) -- gidget , the 15-year-old dog best known for her taco bell ad campaign , died of a stroke tuesday in los angeles , california , said sue chipperton , her trainer . uttering the words yo quiero taco bell , ' gidget 's popularity soared in the fast food restaurant 's ads . uttering the words yo quiero taco bell , ' gidget , a female dog , played a male dog in the commercials . she was cast as the girlfriend of the taco bell chihuahua , but the director changed his mind at the last minute and made gidget the lead dog , chipperton said . chipperton worked with gidget since she was an 8-week old pup and traveled everywhere with the dog . gidget even opened the new york stock exchange . roles were hard to come by for the pooch after her popularity soared from the taco bell ads , according to her trainer . she was kind of typecast , so she never really got much work after that , ' chipperton said . gidget was cast in the 2003 film , legally blonde 2 . ' she also had a role as an extra in the 2008 animal-themed movie , beverly hills chihuahua . ' that 's what her life had come to over the years , ' playing small background roles , chipperton said . watch gidget 's top dog years with taco bell » the chihuahua loved being on set . she acted like a big dog and had a big dog attitude , ' chipperton said , adding that once she arrived on a soundstage , she had no trouble finding her way in front of the camera . she was a real pro , but when you look at the commercials , she really did n't do much , her trainer said . she did n't do amazing dog tricks , she did n't do stunts , she was just playing the character of a teenage boy ( dog ) . ' at home , gidget was laid-back , happy and low maintenance , according to chipperton . gidget was owned by studio animal services , but lived with and was trained by chipperton , who said she has been getting e-mails , calls and facebook entries on gidget 's passing . it 's comforting , ' she said . it 's so touching to see so many people were affected by her and that they loved her , she was a very special dog . ' | uttering the words yo quiero taco bell , ' gidget 's popularity soared |
onziema <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for uganda 's lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender and intersex community , 2013 strengthens us with fresh resolve . but a new year also torments us with old anxieties . uganda is my home , but every day i must fight tooth and nail to remain . i inhabit a land and a paradox where my right to have a consensual relationship with an african woman is illegal -- un-african ' -- and where my daily work is a life and death matter . since 2009 , my community has faced the potential passage of an anti-homosexuality bill that threatens ugandans in same-sex relationships with life imprisonment ( there are conflicting reports on whether the original death penalty provision remain ) . this year , many anglican church officials and other leaders have declared the legislation 's speedy passage as their new year 's resolutions , with the bill scheduled for discussion when uganda 's parliament reconvenes in february . as a transgender man , i am not safe . but as a ugandan , i am here and i remain optimistic . existing out in the open is ordinary for most people , but visibility is magical for those of us who once roamed the land like ghosts . there are no homosexuals in uganda , ' our leaders said not too long ago . they can not say that now . they say i am evil . they say my love is illegal . but in 2013 , they can no longer say i am not here . i am fighting to end discrimination as the ugandan government cracks down on all human rights activity . to speak out about injustice is deemed rebellion against democracy , and to advocate for lgbti rights is to be out of your mind . the aids and lgbti empowerment workshops i facilitate get shut down by minister of ethics and integrity rev . fr . simon lokodo even though hiv infections and inequality have not gone away . the increased fervor to pass the anti-gay bill has re-opened the wounds of past tragedies and threatens to create new ones . the fear is still fresh on the second anniversary of the murder of david kato , my colleague , whose gruesome death changed me and uganda 's lgbti community forever . seated in the same office at the gay rights organization , sexual minorities uganda , known as smug , david and i had committed to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity . we refused to stay invisible , to remain dehumanized as ghosts . as a result , we found ourselves on a ugandan newspaper 's list of 100 homosexuals . the story 's banner : hang them . ' david was subsequently killed . but he was not silenced : i still hear his voice telling us not to hide , or else they will keep saying we are not here . ' i am here , still , in 2013 , but i dread things as simple as shopping at a kiosk for groceries , because the owner has told me he does n't sell to such people . ' if i insist , he said , he will teach me how to be normal . ' a full night 's sleep is thwarted by the fear of a stranger who has followed me home or the neighbors who have formed a mob . my personal struggle is a small reflection of the entire lgbti community 's everyday apprehension . with action on uganda 's anti-homosexuality bill looming , the lives of the nation 's lgbti are threatened . these are not nameless faces , but real people like my girlfriend , who trembles at the prospect of coming out . people like one trans woman who in september was brutally beaten in public by friends who discovered her identity , and another who was dragged to the police in full glare of the public . even heterosexual ugandans -- including family and friends who fail to disclose lgbti loved ones to authorities -- would face criminal charges if this bill were to pass . but i can report some good news . before david kato 's murder , he was alive to see us win a lawsuit against the newspaper that called for our hanging . indeed , the ugandan courts'impartiality in our cases helps me stay optimistic . and i hope to win a u.s. lawsuit against american evangelist scott lively for the anti-gay terror he exported to my country . the past five years have also brought progress outside the courtroom . just a decade ago , i could n't have imagined discussing the rights of lgbti people with motorbike taxi drivers and members of parliament alike . while i 've lived through the homophobia-fueled murders and suicides of friends , i also photographed my country 's first pride march last august , where we proudly waved both the ugandan and rainbow flags side by side . in drag and plain view , lgbti ugandans celebrated life in the face of legislation that calls for our death . as long as you refuse to be a victim , and you seek to empower yourself and others , whatever 's going on will get better , ' president bill clinton has said . i believe him , and beyond that , i believe in myself . those who wish me harm may control the laws , but they will never steer my destiny . despite the injustice that follows lgbti ugandans into a new year , our desire for freedom has taken deep root . the roots will one day prove deeper than their hatred , deeper than our closets . that 's what keeps me optimistic . and that 's why they can not say i am not here . uganda is my home and i intend to continue living here as i am . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of pepe julian onziema . | onziema : lgbti ugandans have made advances ; oppressors ca n't steer my destiny |
onziema <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for uganda 's lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender and intersex community , 2013 strengthens us with fresh resolve . but a new year also torments us with old anxieties . uganda is my home , but every day i must fight tooth and nail to remain . i inhabit a land and a paradox where my right to have a consensual relationship with an african woman is illegal -- un-african ' -- and where my daily work is a life and death matter . since 2009 , my community has faced the potential passage of an anti-homosexuality bill that threatens ugandans in same-sex relationships with life imprisonment ( there are conflicting reports on whether the original death penalty provision remain ) . this year , many anglican church officials and other leaders have declared the legislation 's speedy passage as their new year 's resolutions , with the bill scheduled for discussion when uganda 's parliament reconvenes in february . as a transgender man , i am not safe . but as a ugandan , i am here and i remain optimistic . existing out in the open is ordinary for most people , but visibility is magical for those of us who once roamed the land like ghosts . there are no homosexuals in uganda , ' our leaders said not too long ago . they can not say that now . they say i am evil . they say my love is illegal . but in 2013 , they can no longer say i am not here . i am fighting to end discrimination as the ugandan government cracks down on all human rights activity . to speak out about injustice is deemed rebellion against democracy , and to advocate for lgbti rights is to be out of your mind . the aids and lgbti empowerment workshops i facilitate get shut down by minister of ethics and integrity rev . fr . simon lokodo even though hiv infections and inequality have not gone away . the increased fervor to pass the anti-gay bill has re-opened the wounds of past tragedies and threatens to create new ones . the fear is still fresh on the second anniversary of the murder of david kato , my colleague , whose gruesome death changed me and uganda 's lgbti community forever . seated in the same office at the gay rights organization , sexual minorities uganda , known as smug , david and i had committed to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity . we refused to stay invisible , to remain dehumanized as ghosts . as a result , we found ourselves on a ugandan newspaper 's list of 100 homosexuals . the story 's banner : hang them . ' david was subsequently killed . but he was not silenced : i still hear his voice telling us not to hide , or else they will keep saying we are not here . ' i am here , still , in 2013 , but i dread things as simple as shopping at a kiosk for groceries , because the owner has told me he does n't sell to such people . ' if i insist , he said , he will teach me how to be normal . ' a full night 's sleep is thwarted by the fear of a stranger who has followed me home or the neighbors who have formed a mob . my personal struggle is a small reflection of the entire lgbti community 's everyday apprehension . with action on uganda 's anti-homosexuality bill looming , the lives of the nation 's lgbti are threatened . these are not nameless faces , but real people like my girlfriend , who trembles at the prospect of coming out . people like one trans woman who in september was brutally beaten in public by friends who discovered her identity , and another who was dragged to the police in full glare of the public . even heterosexual ugandans -- including family and friends who fail to disclose lgbti loved ones to authorities -- would face criminal charges if this bill were to pass . but i can report some good news . before david kato 's murder , he was alive to see us win a lawsuit against the newspaper that called for our hanging . indeed , the ugandan courts'impartiality in our cases helps me stay optimistic . and i hope to win a u.s. lawsuit against american evangelist scott lively for the anti-gay terror he exported to my country . the past five years have also brought progress outside the courtroom . just a decade ago , i could n't have imagined discussing the rights of lgbti people with motorbike taxi drivers and members of parliament alike . while i 've lived through the homophobia-fueled murders and suicides of friends , i also photographed my country 's first pride march last august , where we proudly waved both the ugandan and rainbow flags side by side . in drag and plain view , lgbti ugandans celebrated life in the face of legislation that calls for our death . as long as you refuse to be a victim , and you seek to empower yourself and others , whatever 's going on will get better , ' president bill clinton has said . i believe him , and beyond that , i believe in myself . those who wish me harm may control the laws , but they will never steer my destiny . despite the injustice that follows lgbti ugandans into a new year , our desire for freedom has taken deep root . the roots will one day prove deeper than their hatred , deeper than our closets . that 's what keeps me optimistic . and that 's why they can not say i am not here . uganda is my home and i intend to continue living here as i am . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of pepe julian onziema . | pepe julian onziema : new year fills lgbti community in uganda with resolve -- and anxiety |
f1 <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there is a simple message for michael schumacher one year on from his devastating accident -- keep fighting . formula one 's record-breaking , seven-time world champion is continuing his recovery from the severe head injuries he sustained in a skiing crash on 29th december last year . after emergency brain surgery in france and nine months in hospital , schumacher has been moved to the family home near lake geneva in switzerland to continue his rehabilitation . his close family , including his wife corinna and two teenage children gina marie and mick , have maintained their silent support by choosing not to release a statement on the anniversary of the accident . schumacher 's son mick , who is beginning his own racing career in go-karts , had been among the skiing party when the f1 star fell and hit his head on a rock at the french alps resort of meribel . there were expressions of support for schumacher , however , from the german racer 's global fans and members of the f1 community , monday . it has been one year already ... ' wrote lotus driver romain grosjean on twitter . # keepfightingmichael our thoughts are still with you and your family . ' red bull driver daniil kvyat also marked the occasion : # keepfightingmichael -- i know you will . ' the mercedes team , who schumacher drove for between 2010 and 2012 , said : one year on , our thoughts remain with michael , his family and friends every day . ' although 12 months have passed since the accident , speculation about schumacher 's condition and its rate of progress remains as intense as ever . former f1 racer philippe streiff , who was left paralysed during an f1 testing crash in 1989 , added grist to the rumor mill in an interview with french newspaper le parisien , sunday . the frenchman claimed schumacher still has not regained the power of speech .... but begins to recognize his own wife and children . ' schumacher 's manager sabine kehm dismissed the story , telling the reuters news agency : i can only confirm that i do not know where mr streiff has his information from because he has no contact with us and never has . ' given schumacher 's fame , it is no surprise that public interest in his state of health is unabated . the german , winner of a record 91 grand prix , was known as fearless racer who gave no quarter on track . fans of schumi ' expect him to continue his fight against his injuries with the same inner steel and determination . the difficulty with complex head injuries is that there is no predictable prognosis or timeline for recovery . if you look at severe head injury victims who go on to make a good recovery -- and i 'm not saying all do -- it will always be a story of years , ' peter hamlyn , a consultant neurological and spinal surgeon and expert in the field of head injuries in sport told cnn in june . in the immediate aftermath of the accident , neurosurgeons operated on schumacher twice to remove blood clots and reduce swelling on his brain before placing him in a medically induced coma . a statement from the family in april said the 45-year-old had shown moments of consciousness and awakening . ' in june , it was announced he was out of the coma and would continue his recovery at the university hospital in lausanne . he was moved to the family home in september . the latest statement , issued in september , read : considering the severe injuries he suffered , progress has been made in the past weeks and months . there is still , however , a long and difficult road ahead . we ask that the privacy of michael 's family continue to be respected , and that speculations about his state of health are avoided . ' kehn confirmed to cnn that there was no further update on his medical condition at this time . schumacher , who won the f1 drivers'world title with benetton in 1994 and 1995 before a period of dominance with ferrari between 2000 and 2004 , will turn 46 on 3rd january . while schumacher had retired from the sport in 2012 , after a second spell with mercedes , his accident on the ski slopes still sent shockwaves through f1 . but the global sport 's close-knit traveling community had to cushion more devastating news in october when jules bianchi crashed in the late stages of the japanese grand prix . the french racer , driving for the now defunct marussia team , was left with severe head injuries when his car skidded off track in wet conditions and collided with a recovery vehicle . it was the most serious injury seen in f1 for some years . the last fatalities in f1 were in 1994 when roland ratzenberger and three-time world champion ayrton senna died on consecutive days at the san marino grand prix . bianchi , a promising racer who was part of ferrari 's development academy , is now recovering close to his family home in nice , france . the 25-year-old was flown from japan , where he had been treated in a high dependency unit at yokkaichi hospital . jules is no longer in the artificial coma in which he was placed shortly after the accident , however he is still unconscious , ' said the statement released by his parents philippe and christine in november . he is breathing unaided and his vital signs are stable , but his condition is still classified as'critical'. ' bianchi , a popular figure on the current f1 grid , is also being remembered during the festive period . his racing peers sergio perez and kevin magnussen both tweeted messages of support to bianchi on christmas day . american racer alexander rossi wrote : as we come to the end of the year , my thoughts and prayers remain with jules -- teammate , competitor and friend . ' as the new year dawns , schumacher and bianchi are both still facing the greatest fights of their lives . | seven-time f1 world champion continues his rehabilitation at home in switzerland |
f1 <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there is a simple message for michael schumacher one year on from his devastating accident -- keep fighting . formula one 's record-breaking , seven-time world champion is continuing his recovery from the severe head injuries he sustained in a skiing crash on 29th december last year . after emergency brain surgery in france and nine months in hospital , schumacher has been moved to the family home near lake geneva in switzerland to continue his rehabilitation . his close family , including his wife corinna and two teenage children gina marie and mick , have maintained their silent support by choosing not to release a statement on the anniversary of the accident . schumacher 's son mick , who is beginning his own racing career in go-karts , had been among the skiing party when the f1 star fell and hit his head on a rock at the french alps resort of meribel . there were expressions of support for schumacher , however , from the german racer 's global fans and members of the f1 community , monday . it has been one year already ... ' wrote lotus driver romain grosjean on twitter . # keepfightingmichael our thoughts are still with you and your family . ' red bull driver daniil kvyat also marked the occasion : # keepfightingmichael -- i know you will . ' the mercedes team , who schumacher drove for between 2010 and 2012 , said : one year on , our thoughts remain with michael , his family and friends every day . ' although 12 months have passed since the accident , speculation about schumacher 's condition and its rate of progress remains as intense as ever . former f1 racer philippe streiff , who was left paralysed during an f1 testing crash in 1989 , added grist to the rumor mill in an interview with french newspaper le parisien , sunday . the frenchman claimed schumacher still has not regained the power of speech .... but begins to recognize his own wife and children . ' schumacher 's manager sabine kehm dismissed the story , telling the reuters news agency : i can only confirm that i do not know where mr streiff has his information from because he has no contact with us and never has . ' given schumacher 's fame , it is no surprise that public interest in his state of health is unabated . the german , winner of a record 91 grand prix , was known as fearless racer who gave no quarter on track . fans of schumi ' expect him to continue his fight against his injuries with the same inner steel and determination . the difficulty with complex head injuries is that there is no predictable prognosis or timeline for recovery . if you look at severe head injury victims who go on to make a good recovery -- and i 'm not saying all do -- it will always be a story of years , ' peter hamlyn , a consultant neurological and spinal surgeon and expert in the field of head injuries in sport told cnn in june . in the immediate aftermath of the accident , neurosurgeons operated on schumacher twice to remove blood clots and reduce swelling on his brain before placing him in a medically induced coma . a statement from the family in april said the 45-year-old had shown moments of consciousness and awakening . ' in june , it was announced he was out of the coma and would continue his recovery at the university hospital in lausanne . he was moved to the family home in september . the latest statement , issued in september , read : considering the severe injuries he suffered , progress has been made in the past weeks and months . there is still , however , a long and difficult road ahead . we ask that the privacy of michael 's family continue to be respected , and that speculations about his state of health are avoided . ' kehn confirmed to cnn that there was no further update on his medical condition at this time . schumacher , who won the f1 drivers'world title with benetton in 1994 and 1995 before a period of dominance with ferrari between 2000 and 2004 , will turn 46 on 3rd january . while schumacher had retired from the sport in 2012 , after a second spell with mercedes , his accident on the ski slopes still sent shockwaves through f1 . but the global sport 's close-knit traveling community had to cushion more devastating news in october when jules bianchi crashed in the late stages of the japanese grand prix . the french racer , driving for the now defunct marussia team , was left with severe head injuries when his car skidded off track in wet conditions and collided with a recovery vehicle . it was the most serious injury seen in f1 for some years . the last fatalities in f1 were in 1994 when roland ratzenberger and three-time world champion ayrton senna died on consecutive days at the san marino grand prix . bianchi , a promising racer who was part of ferrari 's development academy , is now recovering close to his family home in nice , france . the 25-year-old was flown from japan , where he had been treated in a high dependency unit at yokkaichi hospital . jules is no longer in the artificial coma in which he was placed shortly after the accident , however he is still unconscious , ' said the statement released by his parents philippe and christine in november . he is breathing unaided and his vital signs are stable , but his condition is still classified as'critical'. ' bianchi , a popular figure on the current f1 grid , is also being remembered during the festive period . his racing peers sergio perez and kevin magnussen both tweeted messages of support to bianchi on christmas day . american racer alexander rossi wrote : as we come to the end of the year , my thoughts and prayers remain with jules -- teammate , competitor and friend . ' as the new year dawns , schumacher and bianchi are both still facing the greatest fights of their lives . | current f1 racer jules bianchi also recovering from head injuries after japan gp crash |
wba <tsp> ( cnn ) -- floyd mayweather will not be fighting shane mosley for a world title on may 1 after the money man ' refused to pay the world boxing association 's sanctioning fee . the five-time world champion takes on mosley in las vegas on may 1 but insists his legacy is more important to him than fighting for sugar shane 's ' welterweight title . i did not want to fight for the wba title , ' mayweather told sky sports . at this point , it 's all about enhancing my legacy . i 've done a lot of things in this sport , things that a lot of fighters were n't able to do in the sport and did n't do in the sport . this fight with shane mosley will enhance my legacy . ' mayweather , 33 , has won all 40 of his professional bouts and is a six-time world champion at five different weights . his proposed super fight ' with wbo welterweight champ manny pacquiao broke down after a disagreement over drug testing procedures , and he opted to fight mosely instead . mayweather referred to his opponent as a solid welterweight with great accomplishments , ' but dismissed his chances of a victory at the mgm grand . we are totally different , ' he added . he 's a fighter that always worries about landing one big shot , he worries about who is extremely strong . and i worry about being smart and winning . we approach fights in two totally different ways . when i shoot my shots , i am looking at my opponent . when shane punches , a lot of times he closes his eyes . i am pretty sure shane is going to be in good condition . we are going to put on one hell of a show on may 1 come the fight . like i have always said before - there is no remedy on how to beat floyd mayweather . everyone is trying to solve the problem . it 's like a difficult maths problem that no one can solve . no one can solve it . the ultimate goal is try to solve the problem . how to beat floyd mayweather ? i know what i have to go out there and do . ' | mosley is current wba welterweight champion |
wba <tsp> ( cnn ) -- floyd mayweather will not be fighting shane mosley for a world title on may 1 after the money man ' refused to pay the world boxing association 's sanctioning fee . the five-time world champion takes on mosley in las vegas on may 1 but insists his legacy is more important to him than fighting for sugar shane 's ' welterweight title . i did not want to fight for the wba title , ' mayweather told sky sports . at this point , it 's all about enhancing my legacy . i 've done a lot of things in this sport , things that a lot of fighters were n't able to do in the sport and did n't do in the sport . this fight with shane mosley will enhance my legacy . ' mayweather , 33 , has won all 40 of his professional bouts and is a six-time world champion at five different weights . his proposed super fight ' with wbo welterweight champ manny pacquiao broke down after a disagreement over drug testing procedures , and he opted to fight mosely instead . mayweather referred to his opponent as a solid welterweight with great accomplishments , ' but dismissed his chances of a victory at the mgm grand . we are totally different , ' he added . he 's a fighter that always worries about landing one big shot , he worries about who is extremely strong . and i worry about being smart and winning . we approach fights in two totally different ways . when i shoot my shots , i am looking at my opponent . when shane punches , a lot of times he closes his eyes . i am pretty sure shane is going to be in good condition . we are going to put on one hell of a show on may 1 come the fight . like i have always said before - there is no remedy on how to beat floyd mayweather . everyone is trying to solve the problem . it 's like a difficult maths problem that no one can solve . no one can solve it . the ultimate goal is try to solve the problem . how to beat floyd mayweather ? i know what i have to go out there and do . ' | mayweather refused to pay the wba 's sanctioning fee ahead of may 1 bout |
scottish <tsp> ( cnn ) -- british businessman charles green has agreed a deal to take over scottish premier league side glasgow rangers , the club 's administrators said on sunday . the former sheffield united chief executive is leading a global consortium made up of 20 investors from the middle east , asia and the far east . we are very pleased to announce that we have accepted an offer from a consortium headed by mr. charles green for the purchase of rangers , ' said david whitehouse of administrators duff and phelps . mr. green has secured , via a substantial financial commitment , a period of exclusivity to complete the purchase of the club and this is expected to be finalized at a creditors'meeting on june 6 . ' neither rangers , who have been scottish champions 54 times , nor the administrators disclosed financial details of the offer from green 's consortium , but reportedly the deal is worth £ $ 13.6 million . mr. green , through a corporate vehicle , has entered into a binding commitment to inject funds into the rangers football club plc so that the administrators can propose a company voluntary arrangement which , if approved by creditors , will result in their claims being compromised for specific amounts and the company exiting administration free of the historic debt and with new owners . if the creditors do not approve the company voluntary arrangement , the agreement obliges charles green 's purchasing vehicle to acquire the business and assets of the club on agreed terms , through a newco structure . it is mr. green 's strong preference to achieve a cva . ' the glasgow team 's slide into administration in february was related to an unpaid tax bill of $ 14 million , incurred after businessman craig whyte bought the club in june 2010 , but the uk government is also seeking $ 118 million allegedly owed in back taxes . i can assure you that there will not be any investor who owns more than 15 % . i do n't believe that any one person should own a football club , ' green said . i think when we look around at certain clubs where one individual is in control there is no contingency and things are driven by their ability to sign a check . ' after entering administration , rangers had 10 points deducted and will suffer a further points deduction if the club does not emerge from administration by the time the 2012-2013 season kicks off . | green promises no investor will owns more than 15 % in the scottish club |
rangers <tsp> ( cnn ) -- british businessman charles green has agreed a deal to take over scottish premier league side glasgow rangers , the club 's administrators said on sunday . the former sheffield united chief executive is leading a global consortium made up of 20 investors from the middle east , asia and the far east . we are very pleased to announce that we have accepted an offer from a consortium headed by mr. charles green for the purchase of rangers , ' said david whitehouse of administrators duff and phelps . mr. green has secured , via a substantial financial commitment , a period of exclusivity to complete the purchase of the club and this is expected to be finalized at a creditors'meeting on june 6 . ' neither rangers , who have been scottish champions 54 times , nor the administrators disclosed financial details of the offer from green 's consortium , but reportedly the deal is worth £ $ 13.6 million . mr. green , through a corporate vehicle , has entered into a binding commitment to inject funds into the rangers football club plc so that the administrators can propose a company voluntary arrangement which , if approved by creditors , will result in their claims being compromised for specific amounts and the company exiting administration free of the historic debt and with new owners . if the creditors do not approve the company voluntary arrangement , the agreement obliges charles green 's purchasing vehicle to acquire the business and assets of the club on agreed terms , through a newco structure . it is mr. green 's strong preference to achieve a cva . ' the glasgow team 's slide into administration in february was related to an unpaid tax bill of $ 14 million , incurred after businessman craig whyte bought the club in june 2010 , but the uk government is also seeking $ 118 million allegedly owed in back taxes . i can assure you that there will not be any investor who owns more than 15 % . i do n't believe that any one person should own a football club , ' green said . i think when we look around at certain clubs where one individual is in control there is no contingency and things are driven by their ability to sign a check . ' after entering administration , rangers had 10 points deducted and will suffer a further points deduction if the club does not emerge from administration by the time the 2012-2013 season kicks off . | former sheffield united chief executive charles green agrees rangers takeover deal |
washington <tsp> the duke and duchess of cambridge arrived in new york city on sunday as they begin a busy three-day visit to the united states . a crowd gathered outside the hotel where william and kate are staying hours before the royal couple arrived . police were on hand to keep the crowds a safe distance away . many of those who gathered said they were more interested in catching a glimpse of kate , who is pregnant with her second child . the couple 's toddler , prince george , did not make the trip . william and kate have a private dinner for donors to their foundation on sunday night . on monday their itinerary includes everything from a children 's craft group in harlem , a conservation reception with hillary and chelsea clinton , to an nba game where they 're likely to rub shoulders with beyoncé and husband jay z. william will split for a while monday for a trip to washington , where he will meet with president barack obama in the oval office . on tuesday , their plans include a moment of reflection at the september 11 memorial and a glittering charity dinner at the metropolitan museum of modern art . the white house said william 's visit underscored the special relationship ' between the united states and the united kingdom . | they are on a three-day visit to new york and washington |
william <tsp> the duke and duchess of cambridge arrived in new york city on sunday as they begin a busy three-day visit to the united states . a crowd gathered outside the hotel where william and kate are staying hours before the royal couple arrived . police were on hand to keep the crowds a safe distance away . many of those who gathered said they were more interested in catching a glimpse of kate , who is pregnant with her second child . the couple 's toddler , prince george , did not make the trip . william and kate have a private dinner for donors to their foundation on sunday night . on monday their itinerary includes everything from a children 's craft group in harlem , a conservation reception with hillary and chelsea clinton , to an nba game where they 're likely to rub shoulders with beyoncé and husband jay z. william will split for a while monday for a trip to washington , where he will meet with president barack obama in the oval office . on tuesday , their plans include a moment of reflection at the september 11 memorial and a glittering charity dinner at the metropolitan museum of modern art . the white house said william 's visit underscored the special relationship ' between the united states and the united kingdom . | william and kate , the duke and duchess of cambridge , arrive in new york |
william <tsp> the duke and duchess of cambridge arrived in new york city on sunday as they begin a busy three-day visit to the united states . a crowd gathered outside the hotel where william and kate are staying hours before the royal couple arrived . police were on hand to keep the crowds a safe distance away . many of those who gathered said they were more interested in catching a glimpse of kate , who is pregnant with her second child . the couple 's toddler , prince george , did not make the trip . william and kate have a private dinner for donors to their foundation on sunday night . on monday their itinerary includes everything from a children 's craft group in harlem , a conservation reception with hillary and chelsea clinton , to an nba game where they 're likely to rub shoulders with beyoncé and husband jay z. william will split for a while monday for a trip to washington , where he will meet with president barack obama in the oval office . on tuesday , their plans include a moment of reflection at the september 11 memorial and a glittering charity dinner at the metropolitan museum of modern art . the white house said william 's visit underscored the special relationship ' between the united states and the united kingdom . | william will meet with president barack obama |
fbi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- adhesive in the shape of a heart was found on a corner of a piece of duct tape that was covering the mouth portion of 2-year-old caylee anthony 's skeletal remains , an fbi latent print examiner testified monday in the capital murder trial of the girl 's mother , casey anthony . elizabeth fontaine explained the find to jurors by asking them to think about when they remove an adhesive bandage from their skin and some of the adhesive remains in the shape of the bandage . instead of a bandage , however , the outline was the shape of a heart , she said , and about the size of a dime . although it has not been mentioned in testimony , court documents in the case have stated that a sheet of heart-shaped stickers , with some missing , were found by police executing a search warrant at the anthony home . a photograph of a page of stickers , found in a search of the home the day after caylee 's remains were found , was admitted into evidence in the trial saturday . a line of investigators and forensic experts have been called to the stand by prosecutors in an effort to prove their theory that anthony , 25 , killed her daughter by knocking her out with chloroform and putting duct tape over her nose and mouth . they allege the orlando woman then put the body in black garbage bags and stored it in her trunk before dumping it in woods near her home . the skeletal remains were found in december 11 , 2008 . caylee was last seen june 16 , 2008 , but her disappearance was not reported until july 15 , 2008 , after anthony 's mother demanded answers about the little girl 's whereabouts . anthony faces seven counts in her daughter 's death , including first-degree murder , aggravated child abuse and misleading investigators . if convicted , she could face the death penalty . she has pleaded not guilty . her attorneys have said caylee was not killed but rather that she drowned in the family pool shortly after her family last reported seeing her and that anthony and her father , george anthony , panicked when they discovered the body and covered up her death . george anthony rejected that scenario in his testimony the first week of the trial . the trial is ahead of schedule , orange county , florida , chief judge belvin perry jr. told jurors as they took a break for lunch . prosecutors are down to their final witnesses , he said , but they wo n't be available until tuesday afternoon , they said . the prosecution may rest tuesday or wednesday , perry said . the defense anticipated beginning its case thursday but is trying to accelerate that process and begin wednesday , the judge said . he said he believes testimony in the case could conclude by the end of next week , although he can not say for sure . deliberations could begin by june 25 , he said . the court recessed until 1 p.m. tuesday . fontaine said she found the heart-shaped adhesive while examining the three pieces of duct tape found on caylee 's remains for fingerprints . she said she did n't find fingerprints but did n't expect to , given the months the tape and the remains had been outdoors and exposed to the elements . any oil or sweat from a person 's fingertips would have long since deteriorated , she said . asked whether she tried to photograph the heart-shaped adhesive , which she saw under an ultraviolet light as part of her testing , fontaine said she did not . when i observe something is unexpected , i note it and continue with my examination , ' she said . she said she tried to photograph it later after subjecting the tape to dye testing , but the adhesive was no longer visible . she testified she did show it to her supervisor . earlier monday , jurors heard more testimony about a hair found in anthony 's trunk and hairs found with caylee 's remains . however , perry would not permit stephen shaw , a hair and fiber examiner for the fbi , to show jurors a powerpoint presentation dealing with a study he is conducting on hair decomposition . anthony 's defense attorneys protested vigorously , saying they had not received a copy of the presentation or had a chance to adequately review it . the court does find it troubling that the state , at the ninth hour , provides a powerpoint with color photographs that was not provided to the defense , ' perry said . the dispute over the presentation was heard outside the jury 's presence . perry did allow shaw to testify about the study . shaw told jurors that he examined the hair and a hair mass ' found with caylee 's remains and that he came to the same conclusion as fbi trace evidence examiner karen lowe . lowe previously testified that a 9-inch piece of hair from the trunk appeared similar to a piece of hair recovered from the little girl 's hairbrush and had a dark band that she had seen only in hairs that remained in the scalp of a decomposing body . shaw said he agreed with lowe 's findings , adding that the hair mass ' found with the remains had a brushlike ' appearance associated with a later stage of decomposition . shaw noted , however , as lowe did before him , that hair identification is not an exact science and that he can not say the hair was caylee 's , to the exclusion of all other people . in addition , the hair mass ' is not a suitable normal hair sample , ' he said , and he can not say with certainty it was caylee 's hair , only that it was found with her remains . shaw said that in his study , he was attempting to recreate banding in hairs taken from living people . while he said some of the hairs -- which were put in varying indoor and outdoor locations -- showed evidence of decomposition , none showed postmortem banding . however , under cross-examination by defense attorney jose baez , shaw admitted he can not state definitively that postmortem banding is exclusively seen in hair taken from dead people . two independent examiners as part of his study both analyzed the hairs , and each in their initial findings identified a hair as banded from a live person , although they both discounted that in their confirmed findings , he said . but shaw estimated for prosecutor jeff ashton that he 's seen thousands of hairs in his career and that he has never seen a hair with a decomposition band that did not come from a corpse . baez also elicited testimony from shaw that it was his first time testifying in court about such evidence . on saturday , an insect expert testified that tiny flies found in the trunk of the orlando woman 's car fit the theory that caylee 's body was stored there -- perhaps for three to five days . the flies suggest that something began to decompose inside the trunk but do not prove that the material was a human body , said neal haskell , a forensic entomologist from st. joseph 's college in rensselaer , indiana . such flies will feed on many things , he said . based on his analysis of temperatures and the reproductive habits of the small flies found on paper towels from the trunk that another scientist found were soaked in fluid from decomposition , haskell said it appeared that whatever attracted the flies had been in the car for three to five days . baez , in his cross-examination of haskell , tried to show that the flies could have been attracted by common garbage or leftover food . numerous witnesses have testified to a foul odor emanating from anthony 's trunk after her daughter 's disappearance ; a bag of garbage left in the trunk for weeks has been suggested as the source of the smell , but prosecutors allege it was the smell of human decomposition . saturday 's testimony also included a crime scene investigator who collected a piece of henkel brand duct tape from an area near where caylee 's skull was found . ronald murdock , a forensics supervisor for the orange county sheriff 's office , also testified that despite a thorough search of the house , the only piece of henkel duct tape investigators recovered from the home anthony shared with her daughter and parents was attached to a gas can . last week , jurors saw graphic photos of caylee 's bones and heard testimony that they had been gnawed by animals as her body decomposed during as much as six months in the field . they also watched a video superimposing an image of caylee 's skull over her living face and an outline of a strip of duct tape in an effort to prove tape could have been , in effect , the murder weapon , ashton said . baez tried to prevent jurors from seeing the presentation , which he called disgusting . ' but perry ruled that the role of duct tape in the girl 's death is highly relevant . ' he also rejected a defense motion for a mistrial based on the video at the close of friday 's session . in session 's cara hutt and nancy leung contributed to this report . watch nancy grace monday through sunday starting at 8 p.m . et on hln . for the latest from nancy grace click here . | no fingerprints were found on the duct tape , an fbi examiner testifies |
sandusky <tsp> ( cnn ) -- penn state university reached settlements over the past few months with what it calls 26 victims of former assistant football coach jerry sandusky -- settlements that will cost the university a total of $ 59.7 million , the school announced monday . of the 26 settlements , 23 are signed and three are agreed in principle , with final documentation expected within the next few weeks , the school said . the school also indicated a few other settlements still could come . there was no happiness , ' said tom kline , the attorney for a man known as victim 5 from sandusky 's criminal trial . for my client , there was relief . ' sandusky was convicted in june 2012 of 45 counts relating to the sexual abuse of young boys . he 's serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence . he has always maintained his innocence and has plans to appeal , his attorney has said . in all , 32 men have come forward to penn state with claims of abuse . some of those were rejected for lack of merit , penn state said . we hope this is another step forward in the healing process for those hurt by mr. sandusky , and another step forward for penn state , ' university president rodney erickson said in a statement . we can not undo what has been done , but we can and must do everything possible to learn from this and ensure it never happens again at penn state . ' as part of the agreement , this settlement ends the civil litigation for these 26 men . kline said these victims will not be able to sue anyone else , including sandusky 's charity , the second mile , where prosecutors say he selected most of his victims . however , penn state can go after the charity to recoup some of its losses , kline said . although the criminal trial involved only 10 victims , more allegations surfaced in the months that followed sandusky 's november 2011 arrest . abuse as far back as the 1970s has been reported to authorities . kline praised penn state lawyers in regard to the settlement process , saying they worked methodically through each claim , making it possible to settle in just about 13 months . not all the settlements are equal of amounts , kline said , but were evaluated separately based on when the abuse allegedly happened . prosecutors have said that penn state officials -- former president graham spanier , former vice president gary schultz , and former athletic director tim curley -- all knew about two allegations against sandusky in 1998 and in 2001 . the 1998 incident was investigated and dismissed by prosecutors at the time , but the 2001 incident was never reported to police by university officials . victim 5 was abused six months after that 2001 incident , and so his settlement and others who say they were abused after 2001 had more negotiating power , kline said . curley , schultz , and spanier are all facing trial this spring on charges including perjury , conspiracy , obstruction , failure to report suspected abuse and endangering the welfare of children . they also maintain their innocence . the scandal has so far cost penn state university tens of millions of dollars , including a $ 60 million ncaa fine , and millions more in crisis management . | sandusky convicted in june 2012 of 45 counts related to sexual abuse of young boys |
sandusky <tsp> ( cnn ) -- penn state university reached settlements over the past few months with what it calls 26 victims of former assistant football coach jerry sandusky -- settlements that will cost the university a total of $ 59.7 million , the school announced monday . of the 26 settlements , 23 are signed and three are agreed in principle , with final documentation expected within the next few weeks , the school said . the school also indicated a few other settlements still could come . there was no happiness , ' said tom kline , the attorney for a man known as victim 5 from sandusky 's criminal trial . for my client , there was relief . ' sandusky was convicted in june 2012 of 45 counts relating to the sexual abuse of young boys . he 's serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence . he has always maintained his innocence and has plans to appeal , his attorney has said . in all , 32 men have come forward to penn state with claims of abuse . some of those were rejected for lack of merit , penn state said . we hope this is another step forward in the healing process for those hurt by mr. sandusky , and another step forward for penn state , ' university president rodney erickson said in a statement . we can not undo what has been done , but we can and must do everything possible to learn from this and ensure it never happens again at penn state . ' as part of the agreement , this settlement ends the civil litigation for these 26 men . kline said these victims will not be able to sue anyone else , including sandusky 's charity , the second mile , where prosecutors say he selected most of his victims . however , penn state can go after the charity to recoup some of its losses , kline said . although the criminal trial involved only 10 victims , more allegations surfaced in the months that followed sandusky 's november 2011 arrest . abuse as far back as the 1970s has been reported to authorities . kline praised penn state lawyers in regard to the settlement process , saying they worked methodically through each claim , making it possible to settle in just about 13 months . not all the settlements are equal of amounts , kline said , but were evaluated separately based on when the abuse allegedly happened . prosecutors have said that penn state officials -- former president graham spanier , former vice president gary schultz , and former athletic director tim curley -- all knew about two allegations against sandusky in 1998 and in 2001 . the 1998 incident was investigated and dismissed by prosecutors at the time , but the 2001 incident was never reported to police by university officials . victim 5 was abused six months after that 2001 incident , and so his settlement and others who say they were abused after 2001 had more negotiating power , kline said . curley , schultz , and spanier are all facing trial this spring on charges including perjury , conspiracy , obstruction , failure to report suspected abuse and endangering the welfare of children . they also maintain their innocence . the scandal has so far cost penn state university tens of millions of dollars , including a $ 60 million ncaa fine , and millions more in crisis management . | $ 59.7 million divided among 26 victims of ... jerry sandusky , ' penn state says |
breaking bad <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- better call saul ' has dialed up a third cast member . michael mckean has signed on to breaking bad ' spinoff better call saul , ' entertainment weekly has confirmed . syfy developing frank miller 's'ronin' ' the laverne & shirley ' / ' this is spinal tap ' vet will co-star as a gifted lawyer named dr. thurber who is hampered by a strange affliction on amc 's meth drama prequel , which follows the exploits of oily lawyer saul goodman ( bob odenkirk ) before he hooks up with walter white ( bryan cranston ) . the show , which is slated to hit the air in november , also features another bad ' alum , saul 's stone-faced pi mike ehrmantraut ( jonathan banks ) . aol picks up web series from james franco , steve buscemi mckean starred in the short-lived hbo comedy family tree ' last year , and his recent tv credits include guest gigs on happy endings ' and law & order : svu . ' the news was first reported by deadline . see the original story at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | breaking bad ' alum bob odenkirk also stars |
breaking bad <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- better call saul ' has dialed up a third cast member . michael mckean has signed on to breaking bad ' spinoff better call saul , ' entertainment weekly has confirmed . syfy developing frank miller 's'ronin' ' the laverne & shirley ' / ' this is spinal tap ' vet will co-star as a gifted lawyer named dr. thurber who is hampered by a strange affliction on amc 's meth drama prequel , which follows the exploits of oily lawyer saul goodman ( bob odenkirk ) before he hooks up with walter white ( bryan cranston ) . the show , which is slated to hit the air in november , also features another bad ' alum , saul 's stone-faced pi mike ehrmantraut ( jonathan banks ) . aol picks up web series from james franco , steve buscemi mckean starred in the short-lived hbo comedy family tree ' last year , and his recent tv credits include guest gigs on happy endings ' and law & order : svu . ' the news was first reported by deadline . see the original story at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | michael mckean has joined the breaking bad ' spinoff |
bruce allen <tsp> the washington redskins , stinging from a letter by senate majority leader harry reid and dozens of fellow democrats calling on the league to force the team to change its racist name , apparently fumbled a desperate twitter appeal to fans . tweet @ senatorreid to show your # redskinspride and tell him what the team means to you , ' the maligned team wrote to its 305,000 twitter followers on thursday . but be careful what you ask for , especially on twitter . this team has zero self-awareness.lol , ' one person tweeted . lifelong'skins fan and i strongly believe it is time to change the name , ' wrote another . how do you not see what a bad idea this is , ' said another tweet . please do n't do this to yourself . do n't , ' another person wrote . faiz shakir , reid 's digital director , said the majority of responses favored a name change . in the five to 10 minutes following it , we were pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming outpouring of opposition to the team , ' he said . it was 50 to one at one point . ' redskins spokesman tony wyllie said the claim reminded him of the famously incorrect dewey defeats truman ' banner headline . they declared victory within the hour and as the night went on , more and more momentum swung our way , ' he said . that 's the good thing about our country . people can express themselves and have a healthy dialogue . ' in a letter to the nfl last week , the senators stepped up pressure on the league to force the washington redskins to change their name by invoking the heated racial controversy triggered by basketball 's donald sterling . i would hope that the team does reflect on why there was so much organic opposition to the name , ' shakir said friday . i do n't know if they 're living in bunker mentality over there and do n't realize that this name has caused so much anger . but if they are in that bunker mentality , hopefully ( thursday 's twitter response ) causes them to climb out of that and see the fact that there is a lot of deep-seeded opposition and anger to the name . ' responding to the senators'letter , redskins president bruce allen invited reid to a game to witness first-hand that the washington redskins are a positive , unifying force for our community in a city and region that is divided on so many levels . ' allen said the term redskins originated as a native american expression of solidarity , and that the team logo was designed by native americans . joel barkin , a spokesman for oneida indian nation of central new york , said the team 's twitter appeal demonstrated how much the redskins underestimate the passions surrounding the issue . this is a complete disregard for those that are calling for a change , ' he said . it 's a fundamental misreading of the issue at large . ' last week 's letter , signed by 50 democratic senators and released by reid , urged pro football 's commissioner , roger goodell , to take action over concerns that continued use of the redskins brand is offensive to native americans . they asked goodell to follow the lead of nba commissioner adam silver , who took tough measures against sterling after the longtime owner of the league 's los angeles clippers was recorded making comments offensive to african-americans . today , we urge you and the national football league to send the same clear message as the nba did : that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports , ' the letter said . responding to the senate letter , the nfl said last week it has long demonstrated a commitment to progressive leadership ' on diversity . the intent of the team 's name has always been to present a strong , positive and respectful image . the name is not used by the team or the nfl in any other context , though we respect those that view it differently , ' the league statement said . lawmakers step into washington redskins name fray | team president bruce allen : name began as native american expression of solidarity |
canada <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- there are no immediate plans to commit more u.s. troops to the ongoing war in afghanistan , president obama said wednesday . canadian prime minister stephen harper , left , and president obama meet in washington on wednesday . speaking to reporters alongside canadian prime minister stephen harper , obama said he would consult with u.s. allies before determining a strategy in afghanistan after last month 's elections there . i 'm going to take a very deliberate process in making those decisions , ' obama said . there is no immediate decision pending on resources , because one of the things that i 'm absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make a determination about resources . ' the united states has about 62,000 u.s. troops in the country , and nato allies -- including canada -- have another 35,000 . the pentagon is planning to add 6,000 troops by the end of the year . there have been indications that obama soon could be asked to commit even more american troops . defense secretary robert gates , however , has signaled he would like to gauge the impact of the 6,000-troop increase before considering whether to send more . support in the united states for the war in afghanistan has dipped to an all-time low . just 39 percent of americans favor the war , while 58 percent oppose it , according to a national cnn/opinion research corp. survey released tuesday . recent polling suggests that the increasing violence and slow pace of progress are also taking a toll on support for the war in canada . obama thanked harper for his country 's commitment to afghanistan , where more than 2,800 canadian troops and dozens of civilians are stationed . they have fought ; they have had staying power ; they have absorbed losses that we all grieve for , ' he said . watch obama and harper meet » most of the canadian forces are based in the southern kandahar province , home to some of the worst violence and instability . at least 130 canadian troops have been killed in the war . last year , after a national debate , the canadian government extended the mission -- which was to end this february -- until the end of 2011 . harper said wednesday that canada is not leaving afghanistan ' but is transitioning from a predominately military mission to a mission that will be a civilian humanitarian mission after 2011 . ' the two leaders also discussed economic issues , issuing a joint statement after their meeting saying in part that open trade and investment are essential for competitiveness and sustainable growth in north america and globally . ' obama acknowledged that the buy american ' clause in the economic stimulus package has been a source of irritation ' between canada and the united states and is something harper has repeatedly brought to his attention . the clause is a provision in the $ 787 billion stimulus package enacted in february that states only american goods can be used in stimulus projects . but it stipulates that the measure would not override existing u.s. trade treaties such as the north american free trade agreement . harper said canada 's concerns about the clause are important irritants ... but relatively small ' when compared with the overall u.s.-canadian trade relationship . | remarks follow meeting with pm of canada , which has 2,800 troops in afghanistan |
canada <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- there are no immediate plans to commit more u.s. troops to the ongoing war in afghanistan , president obama said wednesday . canadian prime minister stephen harper , left , and president obama meet in washington on wednesday . speaking to reporters alongside canadian prime minister stephen harper , obama said he would consult with u.s. allies before determining a strategy in afghanistan after last month 's elections there . i 'm going to take a very deliberate process in making those decisions , ' obama said . there is no immediate decision pending on resources , because one of the things that i 'm absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make a determination about resources . ' the united states has about 62,000 u.s. troops in the country , and nato allies -- including canada -- have another 35,000 . the pentagon is planning to add 6,000 troops by the end of the year . there have been indications that obama soon could be asked to commit even more american troops . defense secretary robert gates , however , has signaled he would like to gauge the impact of the 6,000-troop increase before considering whether to send more . support in the united states for the war in afghanistan has dipped to an all-time low . just 39 percent of americans favor the war , while 58 percent oppose it , according to a national cnn/opinion research corp. survey released tuesday . recent polling suggests that the increasing violence and slow pace of progress are also taking a toll on support for the war in canada . obama thanked harper for his country 's commitment to afghanistan , where more than 2,800 canadian troops and dozens of civilians are stationed . they have fought ; they have had staying power ; they have absorbed losses that we all grieve for , ' he said . watch obama and harper meet » most of the canadian forces are based in the southern kandahar province , home to some of the worst violence and instability . at least 130 canadian troops have been killed in the war . last year , after a national debate , the canadian government extended the mission -- which was to end this february -- until the end of 2011 . harper said wednesday that canada is not leaving afghanistan ' but is transitioning from a predominately military mission to a mission that will be a civilian humanitarian mission after 2011 . ' the two leaders also discussed economic issues , issuing a joint statement after their meeting saying in part that open trade and investment are essential for competitiveness and sustainable growth in north america and globally . ' obama acknowledged that the buy american ' clause in the economic stimulus package has been a source of irritation ' between canada and the united states and is something harper has repeatedly brought to his attention . the clause is a provision in the $ 787 billion stimulus package enacted in february that states only american goods can be used in stimulus projects . but it stipulates that the measure would not override existing u.s. trade treaties such as the north american free trade agreement . harper said canada 's concerns about the clause are important irritants ... but relatively small ' when compared with the overall u.s.-canadian trade relationship . | polling shows support for afghanistan war dropping in both u.s. and canada |
afghanistan <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- there are no immediate plans to commit more u.s. troops to the ongoing war in afghanistan , president obama said wednesday . canadian prime minister stephen harper , left , and president obama meet in washington on wednesday . speaking to reporters alongside canadian prime minister stephen harper , obama said he would consult with u.s. allies before determining a strategy in afghanistan after last month 's elections there . i 'm going to take a very deliberate process in making those decisions , ' obama said . there is no immediate decision pending on resources , because one of the things that i 'm absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make a determination about resources . ' the united states has about 62,000 u.s. troops in the country , and nato allies -- including canada -- have another 35,000 . the pentagon is planning to add 6,000 troops by the end of the year . there have been indications that obama soon could be asked to commit even more american troops . defense secretary robert gates , however , has signaled he would like to gauge the impact of the 6,000-troop increase before considering whether to send more . support in the united states for the war in afghanistan has dipped to an all-time low . just 39 percent of americans favor the war , while 58 percent oppose it , according to a national cnn/opinion research corp. survey released tuesday . recent polling suggests that the increasing violence and slow pace of progress are also taking a toll on support for the war in canada . obama thanked harper for his country 's commitment to afghanistan , where more than 2,800 canadian troops and dozens of civilians are stationed . they have fought ; they have had staying power ; they have absorbed losses that we all grieve for , ' he said . watch obama and harper meet » most of the canadian forces are based in the southern kandahar province , home to some of the worst violence and instability . at least 130 canadian troops have been killed in the war . last year , after a national debate , the canadian government extended the mission -- which was to end this february -- until the end of 2011 . harper said wednesday that canada is not leaving afghanistan ' but is transitioning from a predominately military mission to a mission that will be a civilian humanitarian mission after 2011 . ' the two leaders also discussed economic issues , issuing a joint statement after their meeting saying in part that open trade and investment are essential for competitiveness and sustainable growth in north america and globally . ' obama acknowledged that the buy american ' clause in the economic stimulus package has been a source of irritation ' between canada and the united states and is something harper has repeatedly brought to his attention . the clause is a provision in the $ 787 billion stimulus package enacted in february that states only american goods can be used in stimulus projects . but it stipulates that the measure would not override existing u.s. trade treaties such as the north american free trade agreement . harper said canada 's concerns about the clause are important irritants ... but relatively small ' when compared with the overall u.s.-canadian trade relationship . | u.s. already planning to send 6,000 more troops to afghanistan this year |
afghanistan <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- there are no immediate plans to commit more u.s. troops to the ongoing war in afghanistan , president obama said wednesday . canadian prime minister stephen harper , left , and president obama meet in washington on wednesday . speaking to reporters alongside canadian prime minister stephen harper , obama said he would consult with u.s. allies before determining a strategy in afghanistan after last month 's elections there . i 'm going to take a very deliberate process in making those decisions , ' obama said . there is no immediate decision pending on resources , because one of the things that i 'm absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make a determination about resources . ' the united states has about 62,000 u.s. troops in the country , and nato allies -- including canada -- have another 35,000 . the pentagon is planning to add 6,000 troops by the end of the year . there have been indications that obama soon could be asked to commit even more american troops . defense secretary robert gates , however , has signaled he would like to gauge the impact of the 6,000-troop increase before considering whether to send more . support in the united states for the war in afghanistan has dipped to an all-time low . just 39 percent of americans favor the war , while 58 percent oppose it , according to a national cnn/opinion research corp. survey released tuesday . recent polling suggests that the increasing violence and slow pace of progress are also taking a toll on support for the war in canada . obama thanked harper for his country 's commitment to afghanistan , where more than 2,800 canadian troops and dozens of civilians are stationed . they have fought ; they have had staying power ; they have absorbed losses that we all grieve for , ' he said . watch obama and harper meet » most of the canadian forces are based in the southern kandahar province , home to some of the worst violence and instability . at least 130 canadian troops have been killed in the war . last year , after a national debate , the canadian government extended the mission -- which was to end this february -- until the end of 2011 . harper said wednesday that canada is not leaving afghanistan ' but is transitioning from a predominately military mission to a mission that will be a civilian humanitarian mission after 2011 . ' the two leaders also discussed economic issues , issuing a joint statement after their meeting saying in part that open trade and investment are essential for competitiveness and sustainable growth in north america and globally . ' obama acknowledged that the buy american ' clause in the economic stimulus package has been a source of irritation ' between canada and the united states and is something harper has repeatedly brought to his attention . the clause is a provision in the $ 787 billion stimulus package enacted in february that states only american goods can be used in stimulus projects . but it stipulates that the measure would not override existing u.s. trade treaties such as the north american free trade agreement . harper said canada 's concerns about the clause are important irritants ... but relatively small ' when compared with the overall u.s.-canadian trade relationship . | remarks follow meeting with pm of canada , which has 2,800 troops in afghanistan |
afghanistan <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- there are no immediate plans to commit more u.s. troops to the ongoing war in afghanistan , president obama said wednesday . canadian prime minister stephen harper , left , and president obama meet in washington on wednesday . speaking to reporters alongside canadian prime minister stephen harper , obama said he would consult with u.s. allies before determining a strategy in afghanistan after last month 's elections there . i 'm going to take a very deliberate process in making those decisions , ' obama said . there is no immediate decision pending on resources , because one of the things that i 'm absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make a determination about resources . ' the united states has about 62,000 u.s. troops in the country , and nato allies -- including canada -- have another 35,000 . the pentagon is planning to add 6,000 troops by the end of the year . there have been indications that obama soon could be asked to commit even more american troops . defense secretary robert gates , however , has signaled he would like to gauge the impact of the 6,000-troop increase before considering whether to send more . support in the united states for the war in afghanistan has dipped to an all-time low . just 39 percent of americans favor the war , while 58 percent oppose it , according to a national cnn/opinion research corp. survey released tuesday . recent polling suggests that the increasing violence and slow pace of progress are also taking a toll on support for the war in canada . obama thanked harper for his country 's commitment to afghanistan , where more than 2,800 canadian troops and dozens of civilians are stationed . they have fought ; they have had staying power ; they have absorbed losses that we all grieve for , ' he said . watch obama and harper meet » most of the canadian forces are based in the southern kandahar province , home to some of the worst violence and instability . at least 130 canadian troops have been killed in the war . last year , after a national debate , the canadian government extended the mission -- which was to end this february -- until the end of 2011 . harper said wednesday that canada is not leaving afghanistan ' but is transitioning from a predominately military mission to a mission that will be a civilian humanitarian mission after 2011 . ' the two leaders also discussed economic issues , issuing a joint statement after their meeting saying in part that open trade and investment are essential for competitiveness and sustainable growth in north america and globally . ' obama acknowledged that the buy american ' clause in the economic stimulus package has been a source of irritation ' between canada and the united states and is something harper has repeatedly brought to his attention . the clause is a provision in the $ 787 billion stimulus package enacted in february that states only american goods can be used in stimulus projects . but it stipulates that the measure would not override existing u.s. trade treaties such as the north american free trade agreement . harper said canada 's concerns about the clause are important irritants ... but relatively small ' when compared with the overall u.s.-canadian trade relationship . | polling shows support for afghanistan war dropping in both u.s. and canada |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- honduran authorities on monday clashed with supporters of deposed president jose manuel zelaya , but the extent of the unrest appeared limited . zelaya supporters burn tires monday near the presidential palace in the honduran capital , tegucigalpa . the telesur tv network showed soldiers advancing on some streets of the capital , tegucigalpa , and blue-helmeted police clashing with noisy demonstrators , one day after military troops detained zelaya and sent him into exile . other images showed troops , tanks and other military assets deployed around the presidential grounds . the station , a conglomerate formed by several latin american governments and partially funded by the pro-zelaya venezuelan government , also aired images of demonstrators setting fires in the streets . gauging the size and scope of the demonstrations and clashes was difficult because of limitations that journalists reported . adriana sivori , a reporter for telesur , reported that she and other journalists were briefly detained and mistreated by honduran soldiers . she was live on television as she described the troops transporting them at gunpoint . two national television stations were taken off the air following sunday 's military-led coup , and a third station told cnn en español that its content was being limited by authorities . cnn en español correspondent krupskaia alis , who witnessed monday 's protests , said the demonstrators numbered in the hundreds . at least 15 were injured monday , the newspaper la prensa reported . ireport.com : are you there ? share your photos , videos the military deposed zelaya early sunday and flew him to costa rica . roberto micheletti , president of the congress , was sworn in as provisional president . zelaya had been at odds with the other branches of government over a referendum he wanted to hold sunday . the nation 's supreme court ruled the referendum was illegal and congress voted not to hold it . the supreme court also overturned zelaya 's dismissal of honduras'top general , who said the military would not participate in the referendum . the court ordered he general be reinstated immediately . zelaya disregarded those actions and vowed to hold the vote sunday anyway . watch details on curious situation ' in honduras » on monday , micheletti began to build his provisional government . he named seven new members to his cabinet , which he said will be in place until the planned presidential elections slated for november of this year . micheletti , formerly the president of congress , has said the change in power was not a coup , but a democratic process that saw the ousting of a president who had exceeded his power . the honduran supreme court said after the coup that it had authorized the military action . the united states and most latin american nations have condemned the coup , the first in latin america since the end of the cold war . while military interventions were once routine in latin america , civilian governments have held sway across the region since the 1980s , and previously all-powerful militaries have receded into the background . that history is a thing of the past , and it should be buried so that it never happens again , ' jorge arturo reina , honduras'ambassador to the u.n. told cnn en español , following a meeting of the general assembly to address the issue . the head of the organization of american states also condemned the coup . president obama on monday called the turmoil in honduras a step backward from the enormous progress of the last 20 years in establishing democratic traditions in latin america . ' watch what obama has to say about the coup » ' we believe that the coup was not legal and that president zelaya remains the president of honduras , ' obama said . though deposed , zelaya continued to carry out his presidential duties , attending a special meeting of the leftist group alba , the spanish acronym for bolivarian alternative for the peoples of our americas , in nicaragua . alba , founded by cuba and venezuela in 2004 to counter u.s. influence in latin america , said member nations would withdraw ambassadors and top diplomats from honduras until zelaya is restored to power . zelaya is expected to travel to the united nations on tuesday . despite widespread condemnation for the coup , analysts see plenty of blame to go around -- and no easy solution . ireport.com : are you there ? share your photos , videos ' there are no heroes in this story , ' said larry birns , director of the washington-based council on hemispheric affairs . these people are caricatures of rectitude rather than examples of it . ' the honduran supreme court , he said , is one of the most corrupt institutions in latin america . ' and zelaya overplayed his hand , birns and others said . zelaya was part of the problem , ' said peter hakim , president of the inter-american dialogue policy institute . he 's partly responsible for what happened . he was pushing too hard on a very fragile political institution . he was just plowing ahead against the wishes of every political institution , including his own political party . ' zelaya 's removal also raises larger issues for many fragile latin american democracies . what happens when the supreme court decides against the president and the president ignores it ? who enforces it ? ' asked robert pastor , a latin america national security adviser for president jimmy carter in the late 1970s . what happens next is clearly unknown . u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton said monday that an oas delegation would travel to honduras as early as tuesday to begin working on restoring a constitutional government . that might not be an easy task . according to mainstream honduran media sources , zelaya 's removal has the widespread support of the political and business elite and the military , and it appears doubtful that he will be able to return to power , ' said heather berkman , an analyst with the eurasia group consulting firm . an exit strategy is needed , ' birns said . but it 's going to be extremely difficult to come out with an exit strategy unless they get consent of key players like the national legislature . ' pastor holds out some hope . i do n't think it 's impossible , ' he said . said hakim : you can never put the toothpaste back in the tube . but you can provide a peaceful transition process . ' cnn 's arthur brice contributed to this report . | new : zelaya remains the president of honduras , ' says president obama |
microsoft <tsp> ( cnn ) -- microsoft may be a relative newcomer to in-store retailing , but it 's getting the hang of this black friday thing . the computing giant , with 14 retail stores across the u.s. , is diving into the post-thanksgiving shopping madness with a slew of substantial new discounts on laptops , phones , software , games and its kinect gaming system for the xbox 360 console . the sale begins online friday at 12:01 a.m. pt , when most microsoft stores will open , and lasts through monday . some of the deals are just available in stores , while others are offered only at microsoft 's online store . among them : -- sony s137gx notebook : $ 599 , normally $ 999 ( online only ) -- samsung rc512 laptop running windows 7 : $ 499 , normally $ 799 -- acer iconia dual-screen touchbook : $ 599 , normally $ 999 -- xbox ultimate gaming bundle , which includes accessories , a game and a 90-day xbox live membership : up to $ 200 off -- kinect sensor holiday bundle , which includes three games : $ 100 , normally $ 150 ( not available online ) -- a free windows phone with a two-year service agreement ( the site does n't specify the carrier ) -- office home and student suite of software : $ 120 , normally $ 150 microsoft also is cutting prices -- in many cases by half -- on such recent popular xbox games as assassin 's creed revelations , ' battlefield 3 ' and madden 2012 . ' see its facebook page for an entire list . these discounts are much deeper than those announced wednesday by rival apple , which is trimming prices on ipads , ipods and macs by less than 10 % . | microsoft is offering black friday discounts on laptops , phones , games and kinect |
microsoft <tsp> ( cnn ) -- microsoft may be a relative newcomer to in-store retailing , but it 's getting the hang of this black friday thing . the computing giant , with 14 retail stores across the u.s. , is diving into the post-thanksgiving shopping madness with a slew of substantial new discounts on laptops , phones , software , games and its kinect gaming system for the xbox 360 console . the sale begins online friday at 12:01 a.m. pt , when most microsoft stores will open , and lasts through monday . some of the deals are just available in stores , while others are offered only at microsoft 's online store . among them : -- sony s137gx notebook : $ 599 , normally $ 999 ( online only ) -- samsung rc512 laptop running windows 7 : $ 499 , normally $ 799 -- acer iconia dual-screen touchbook : $ 599 , normally $ 999 -- xbox ultimate gaming bundle , which includes accessories , a game and a 90-day xbox live membership : up to $ 200 off -- kinect sensor holiday bundle , which includes three games : $ 100 , normally $ 150 ( not available online ) -- a free windows phone with a two-year service agreement ( the site does n't specify the carrier ) -- office home and student suite of software : $ 120 , normally $ 150 microsoft also is cutting prices -- in many cases by half -- on such recent popular xbox games as assassin 's creed revelations , ' battlefield 3 ' and madden 2012 . ' see its facebook page for an entire list . these discounts are much deeper than those announced wednesday by rival apple , which is trimming prices on ipads , ipods and macs by less than 10 % . | some deals are just available in stores ; others are offered only on microsoft 's retail site |
world war ii <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two u.s. lawmakers have urged u.s. army secretary peter geren to recognize 350 american soldiers held as slaves by nazi germany during world war ii , saying these heroes have not received the recognition and honor they deserve . ' bernard jack ' vogel died in a nazi slave camp in the arms of a fellow u.s. soldier , anthony acevedo , in 1945 . as anthony acevedo , one of the soldiers chosen , recently described to cnn , the nazis picked those soldiers who looked jewish , had a jewish name or were considered'undesirable ,' reps. joe baca , d-california , and spencer bachus , r-alabama , said in a letter sent to geren last week . the trials and sacrifices made by those detained have largely gone unrecognized even to this day . as proud americans , we wish to recognize and honor them for their service . ' both congressmen have pushed for a congressional resolution to honor the 350 soldiers held at berga an der elster , a subcamp of buchenwald where dozens of american soldiers were beaten , starved and killed . baca and bachus say they will continue to fight for the resolution . listen as acevedo tells brother of victim : i had him in my arms ' » army spokesman paul boyce told cnn that the army is in the process of responding to the congressional letter . the u.s. army has recognized hundreds of thousands of veterans of world war ii and has expressed interest in this group 's history to see what could be done , ' he said . anthony acevedo was a 20-year-old medic when he was sent to berga with the other soldiers in february 1945 . acevedo kept a diary that details the day-to-day events inside the camp and lists the names and prisoner numbers of men as they died or were executed . open up the pages of acevedo 's diary » the soldiers were put on a forced death march in april 1945 as american troops neared . for much of that march , acevedo pushed a wooden cart with emaciated men inside . many of them died . more of our men died , so fast that you could n't keep track of their numbers , ' acevedo wrote on april 19 , 1945 , four days before he was liberated by advancing u.s. troops . asked what it would mean if the u.s. army officially recognized the soldiers of berga six decades later , acevedo , now 84 , wept . this is for all the fellas , ' he said . norman fellman , another berga survivor , was one of the men on the wooden cart pushed by acevedo so many years ago . he said that wounded men and corpses were stacked on top of him -- and that he believed he could survive just one more day when he was liberated on april 23 , 1945 . there 's a certain amount of pain involved when the country you serve fails to acknowledge the conditions under which you were kept , ' fellman told cnn . there are only 12 known berga survivors still living . it is difficult to ascertain exactly how many of the 350 u.s. soldiers died in captivity and on the subsequent death march . cnn has cross-checked a list of the names of 70 dead soldiers provided to the u.s. war department after the war with the names of the dead listed in acevedo 's diary . watch as a soldier 's diary sheds light on atrocities » it appears the death toll was well over 100 , roughly one in three soldiers . acevedo says that more than 300 u.s. soldiers were alive at the start of the march , and that about 165 were left by the end . he says he was unable to keep track of the dead in the final days because soldiers were dying too fast . at berga , captured soldiers were forced to endure inhumane conditions and suffer from the nazi policy of physical destruction through labor , ' baca and bachus said in their letter to geren . over 100 american soldiers either died at berga or on the death march from the camp -- the highest number of american fatalities at any german camp . ' the two berga commanders -- erwin metz and his superior , hauptmann ludwig merz -- were tried for war crimes and initially sentenced to die by hanging . but the u.s. government commuted their death sentences in 1948 , and both men were eventually set free in the 1950s . u.s. soldiers who survived captivity were interviewed by the u.s. military intelligence service in europe after they were liberated . before they were sent home , they signed a document that instructed them to never speak about their captivity . some activities of american prisoners of war within german prison camps must remain secret not only for the duration of the war against the present enemies of the united states but in peace-time as well , ' the document says . the interests of american prisoners of war in the event of future wars , moreover , demand that the secrets of this war be vigorously safeguarded . ' when acevedo finally returned home , little had prepared him for his own father 's reaction . my dad told me i was a coward , ' he said . baca and bachus said men like acevedo deserve the respect of the nation : we are writing to you to encourage the department of the army to acknowledge the heroism and sacrifice of those soldiers held captive at berga in a manner appropriate for their service . it would be an honor well-deserved for the remaining survivors and the many colleagues that have gone before them . ' editor 's note : to support the congressmen 's effort , spencer bachus has asked for faxes to his washington office at 202-225-2082 , or send letters to congressman spencer bachus , 2246 rayburn building , washington , d.c. , 20515 . | 350 u.s. soldiers were held as slaves at camp in germany during world war ii |
cambridge <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the news the duchess of cambridge is expecting a child marks a dramatic departure from previous royal pregnancies . for it is believed even the queen may not have been given the happy news . buckingham palace were forced to make the announcement only after catherine was taken to hospital suffering from acute morning sickness . usually proclamations of royal births are posted on the gates at buckingham palace only after the 12th week of pregnancy . but knowing it would be impossible to keep catherine 's visit to hospital a secret , buckingham palace took the unusual step of pre-empting press speculation and revealing the news immediately . the announcement is in stark contrast to princess diana 's first pregnancy , which was announced some six weeks after the queen had been informed , and after months of intense press speculation . royal advisors are being surprisingly open about catherine 's condition , despite recent intrusions into her private life , including the publication of topless photos , which were condemned by buckingham palace . it is believed a new spirit of openness has been embraced by william and catherine in an attempt to prevent the massive press interest and speculation that surrounded princess diana . prince william drove his wife to hospital earlier today and spent hours by her bedside . he left tonight looking tense but happy . catherine is expected to stay in hospital for several days . catherine and william baby news sparks media frenzy sources said the couple are incredibly happy but nervous . ' in a statement on their website william and catherine said they were delighted with the news . ' it is unclear when senior members of the royal family , including the queen , were told about the pregnancy -- but a palace insider says catherine 's parents were already aware their eldest daughter was expecting because she was taken ill whilst staying at their family home in berkshire this weekend . catherine 's pregnancy could turn out to be one of the most significant in the history of the british royal family , for the child will accede to the throne even if she is a girl . the child will not be subject to the centuries old law of primogeniture , which puts male heirs ahead of women . britain 's prime minister david cameron has agreed a deal to change the rules on the royal line of succession , which means male heirs will no longer be given priority . news of the pregnancy was met with joy throughout the uk . within minutes of the announcement being published on the royal couple 's website it had crashed under the weight of traffic . photos : the duchess of cambridge 's best looks | palace forced to announce duchess of cambridge 's pregnancy after hospital trip |
cruz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ted cruz is in for the fight of his political career . i 'm not talking his possible run for president in 2016 . i mean his fight with two far more formidable opponents : comedy and porn stars . this battle started last week after president obama called for the fcc to back net neutrality ' for the internet . as obama said , at its core net neutrality means that internet providers can not act as a gatekeeper , restricting what you can do or see online . ' cruz responded , via twitter , that net neutrality is obamacare for the internet . ' this is nonsense , of course , but you have to give cruz points for trying to conflate the unpopular obamacare -- which , by the way is so loathed that it has exceeded its goal and has signed up 7.3 million people for health insurance -- with net neutrality . although on the other hand , i 'm surprised cruz did n't claim that net neutrality is something supported by isis . you would think that cruz , as a member of the senate 's communications , technology and internet subcommittee , would offer up a more reasoned objection to net neutrality . traditionally , the debate over an issue like this would 've been conducted in the wonky realm of policy makers and politicians . unfortunately for cruz , however , it has entered the world of naughty pop culture . on friday , funny or die , ' the comedy website co-created by will ferrell and adam mckay , released a video titled porn stars explain net neutrality . ' it features adult film stars alex chance , mercedes carrera and nadia styles discussing the issue in a funny , accessible and provocative way . did i mention that they 're naked ? they explain that ending net neutrality would mean not only slowed down social media , it also would result in , slower porn . ' says styles : ted cruz does n't want me to get naked for you . ' mercedes carrera then adds a kernel of info that is both poignant on a personal level , and significant politically : unfortunately , sen. cruz -- who is not sexy ! -- has taken countless donations from telecom giant comcast and wants to end net neutrality . ' that video , my friends , is political satire at its best . it uses humor to entertain as well as explain the issue . now some might dismiss the fod video as just comedy . ' really ? this video , per the execs at fod , was viewed by over 1.4 million people as of monday . this video has clearly reached audience far beyond those who tune in to watch sunday morning political talk shows or who religiously read political websites . and for that reason , i 'd say cruz is going to lose this battle . there 's a lesson here , not just for cruz , but for all candidates thinking of running for president in 2016 ( and there are a lot of you . ) you should use nontraditional methods , like comedy , to reach voters . this is more important than ever . why ? well , have you ever seen more people turned off to politics than there are today ? just look at the lousy turnout for midterm elections two weeks ago : just 36 % . that was the lowest number since 1942 , and back then the country was in the middle of a world war ! and if you doubt that comedic videos can have an effect on your chances , then look no further than the president 's march appearance on the fod online show , between two ferns ' hosted by zach galifianakis , where obama urged people to sign up for obamacare . that six-minute video , which has been viewed over 27 million times , caused traffic to increase to healthcare.gov by 40 % within 24 hours of its release , and caused a spike in people signing up for obamacare . yes , i know some political pundits will tell you that these types of comedy videos only reach young people and younger people tend not to vote . these people are wrong for two reasons . first , younger voters in the 2008 and 2012 elections comprised close to 19 % of the electorate ; that 's a sizeable voting bloc . in fact , if mitt romney had just split the 18- to 29-year-old voters in 2012 , as opposed to losing them by 37 % to obama , he would 've won the presidency . second , political comedy -- even fod videos -- are n't just consumed by people under 30 . want to guess the median age of the daily show ' audience ? 21 ? 30 ? nope , it 's 41 years old . and the median age of stephen colbert 's audience is 42 . but here 's a little tip to political people thinking of using online videos : have professionals help you . for example , cruz released a video monday night to counter sen. al franken 's recent charge on cnn 's state of the union ' that cruz does n't understand net neutrality . the problem with this video , however , is that it 's nothing more than a badly lit cruz speaking directly to the camera . cruz , to his credit , did use props ( an old telephone ) , but besides that the most interesting aspect of the video was the bizarre robot image on the wall behind him and the person standing off to cruz 's left unintentionally photobombing him . the best chance cruz has of this video reaching beyond his base is if it inspires comedic memes mocking it . obviously , most of those running for president in 2016 will avoid comedy for fear it will backfire . but any candidate who employs comedy effectively stands to reach millions of people who would never tune in to hear a politician 's speech . and those people could very well be the difference in a close election . | obeidallah : young people made big difference in 2008 , 2012 . cruz , you should try comedy |
cruz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ted cruz is in for the fight of his political career . i 'm not talking his possible run for president in 2016 . i mean his fight with two far more formidable opponents : comedy and porn stars . this battle started last week after president obama called for the fcc to back net neutrality ' for the internet . as obama said , at its core net neutrality means that internet providers can not act as a gatekeeper , restricting what you can do or see online . ' cruz responded , via twitter , that net neutrality is obamacare for the internet . ' this is nonsense , of course , but you have to give cruz points for trying to conflate the unpopular obamacare -- which , by the way is so loathed that it has exceeded its goal and has signed up 7.3 million people for health insurance -- with net neutrality . although on the other hand , i 'm surprised cruz did n't claim that net neutrality is something supported by isis . you would think that cruz , as a member of the senate 's communications , technology and internet subcommittee , would offer up a more reasoned objection to net neutrality . traditionally , the debate over an issue like this would 've been conducted in the wonky realm of policy makers and politicians . unfortunately for cruz , however , it has entered the world of naughty pop culture . on friday , funny or die , ' the comedy website co-created by will ferrell and adam mckay , released a video titled porn stars explain net neutrality . ' it features adult film stars alex chance , mercedes carrera and nadia styles discussing the issue in a funny , accessible and provocative way . did i mention that they 're naked ? they explain that ending net neutrality would mean not only slowed down social media , it also would result in , slower porn . ' says styles : ted cruz does n't want me to get naked for you . ' mercedes carrera then adds a kernel of info that is both poignant on a personal level , and significant politically : unfortunately , sen. cruz -- who is not sexy ! -- has taken countless donations from telecom giant comcast and wants to end net neutrality . ' that video , my friends , is political satire at its best . it uses humor to entertain as well as explain the issue . now some might dismiss the fod video as just comedy . ' really ? this video , per the execs at fod , was viewed by over 1.4 million people as of monday . this video has clearly reached audience far beyond those who tune in to watch sunday morning political talk shows or who religiously read political websites . and for that reason , i 'd say cruz is going to lose this battle . there 's a lesson here , not just for cruz , but for all candidates thinking of running for president in 2016 ( and there are a lot of you . ) you should use nontraditional methods , like comedy , to reach voters . this is more important than ever . why ? well , have you ever seen more people turned off to politics than there are today ? just look at the lousy turnout for midterm elections two weeks ago : just 36 % . that was the lowest number since 1942 , and back then the country was in the middle of a world war ! and if you doubt that comedic videos can have an effect on your chances , then look no further than the president 's march appearance on the fod online show , between two ferns ' hosted by zach galifianakis , where obama urged people to sign up for obamacare . that six-minute video , which has been viewed over 27 million times , caused traffic to increase to healthcare.gov by 40 % within 24 hours of its release , and caused a spike in people signing up for obamacare . yes , i know some political pundits will tell you that these types of comedy videos only reach young people and younger people tend not to vote . these people are wrong for two reasons . first , younger voters in the 2008 and 2012 elections comprised close to 19 % of the electorate ; that 's a sizeable voting bloc . in fact , if mitt romney had just split the 18- to 29-year-old voters in 2012 , as opposed to losing them by 37 % to obama , he would 've won the presidency . second , political comedy -- even fod videos -- are n't just consumed by people under 30 . want to guess the median age of the daily show ' audience ? 21 ? 30 ? nope , it 's 41 years old . and the median age of stephen colbert 's audience is 42 . but here 's a little tip to political people thinking of using online videos : have professionals help you . for example , cruz released a video monday night to counter sen. al franken 's recent charge on cnn 's state of the union ' that cruz does n't understand net neutrality . the problem with this video , however , is that it 's nothing more than a badly lit cruz speaking directly to the camera . cruz , to his credit , did use props ( an old telephone ) , but besides that the most interesting aspect of the video was the bizarre robot image on the wall behind him and the person standing off to cruz 's left unintentionally photobombing him . the best chance cruz has of this video reaching beyond his base is if it inspires comedic memes mocking it . obviously , most of those running for president in 2016 will avoid comedy for fear it will backfire . but any candidate who employs comedy effectively stands to reach millions of people who would never tune in to hear a politician 's speech . and those people could very well be the difference in a close election . | it makes point that cruz got donations from comcast . it opposes obama regulation plan |
cruz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ted cruz is in for the fight of his political career . i 'm not talking his possible run for president in 2016 . i mean his fight with two far more formidable opponents : comedy and porn stars . this battle started last week after president obama called for the fcc to back net neutrality ' for the internet . as obama said , at its core net neutrality means that internet providers can not act as a gatekeeper , restricting what you can do or see online . ' cruz responded , via twitter , that net neutrality is obamacare for the internet . ' this is nonsense , of course , but you have to give cruz points for trying to conflate the unpopular obamacare -- which , by the way is so loathed that it has exceeded its goal and has signed up 7.3 million people for health insurance -- with net neutrality . although on the other hand , i 'm surprised cruz did n't claim that net neutrality is something supported by isis . you would think that cruz , as a member of the senate 's communications , technology and internet subcommittee , would offer up a more reasoned objection to net neutrality . traditionally , the debate over an issue like this would 've been conducted in the wonky realm of policy makers and politicians . unfortunately for cruz , however , it has entered the world of naughty pop culture . on friday , funny or die , ' the comedy website co-created by will ferrell and adam mckay , released a video titled porn stars explain net neutrality . ' it features adult film stars alex chance , mercedes carrera and nadia styles discussing the issue in a funny , accessible and provocative way . did i mention that they 're naked ? they explain that ending net neutrality would mean not only slowed down social media , it also would result in , slower porn . ' says styles : ted cruz does n't want me to get naked for you . ' mercedes carrera then adds a kernel of info that is both poignant on a personal level , and significant politically : unfortunately , sen. cruz -- who is not sexy ! -- has taken countless donations from telecom giant comcast and wants to end net neutrality . ' that video , my friends , is political satire at its best . it uses humor to entertain as well as explain the issue . now some might dismiss the fod video as just comedy . ' really ? this video , per the execs at fod , was viewed by over 1.4 million people as of monday . this video has clearly reached audience far beyond those who tune in to watch sunday morning political talk shows or who religiously read political websites . and for that reason , i 'd say cruz is going to lose this battle . there 's a lesson here , not just for cruz , but for all candidates thinking of running for president in 2016 ( and there are a lot of you . ) you should use nontraditional methods , like comedy , to reach voters . this is more important than ever . why ? well , have you ever seen more people turned off to politics than there are today ? just look at the lousy turnout for midterm elections two weeks ago : just 36 % . that was the lowest number since 1942 , and back then the country was in the middle of a world war ! and if you doubt that comedic videos can have an effect on your chances , then look no further than the president 's march appearance on the fod online show , between two ferns ' hosted by zach galifianakis , where obama urged people to sign up for obamacare . that six-minute video , which has been viewed over 27 million times , caused traffic to increase to healthcare.gov by 40 % within 24 hours of its release , and caused a spike in people signing up for obamacare . yes , i know some political pundits will tell you that these types of comedy videos only reach young people and younger people tend not to vote . these people are wrong for two reasons . first , younger voters in the 2008 and 2012 elections comprised close to 19 % of the electorate ; that 's a sizeable voting bloc . in fact , if mitt romney had just split the 18- to 29-year-old voters in 2012 , as opposed to losing them by 37 % to obama , he would 've won the presidency . second , political comedy -- even fod videos -- are n't just consumed by people under 30 . want to guess the median age of the daily show ' audience ? 21 ? 30 ? nope , it 's 41 years old . and the median age of stephen colbert 's audience is 42 . but here 's a little tip to political people thinking of using online videos : have professionals help you . for example , cruz released a video monday night to counter sen. al franken 's recent charge on cnn 's state of the union ' that cruz does n't understand net neutrality . the problem with this video , however , is that it 's nothing more than a badly lit cruz speaking directly to the camera . cruz , to his credit , did use props ( an old telephone ) , but besides that the most interesting aspect of the video was the bizarre robot image on the wall behind him and the person standing off to cruz 's left unintentionally photobombing him . the best chance cruz has of this video reaching beyond his base is if it inspires comedic memes mocking it . obviously , most of those running for president in 2016 will avoid comedy for fear it will backfire . but any candidate who employs comedy effectively stands to reach millions of people who would never tune in to hear a politician 's speech . and those people could very well be the difference in a close election . | dean obeidallah : video with porn stars mocks ted cruz 's position on net neutrality |
hollande <tsp> french president francois hollande met with pope francis privately friday amid media speculation over his alleged affair with an actress . hollande also plans to meet vatican secretary of state pietro parolin and french clergy while in rome . hours before he arrived at the vatican , a small bomb exploded in central rome near a french foundation and french cultural center , police said . the blast damaged three cars and broke windows in two nearby buildings , said agostino vitolo , a spokesman for italy 's military police , or carabinieri . there 's been no claim of responsibility for the bomb . it 's unclear whether its detonation is linked to the visit by the french president . hollande 's private life has been the subject of global headlines since claims in the french magazine closer of a two-year affair with actress julie gayet . the allegations of an affair have left the position of the president 's partner , valerie trierweiler , in some doubt . it 's not clear whether she will accompany hollande on a state visit to washington next month . hollande and trierweiler are working to issue a clarification ' concerning their relationship , trierweiler 's attorney , frederique giffard , told the french daily newspaper le figaro in an interview published late thursday . after the alleged love affair , trierweiler truly wants to resolve the matter in order to come out of it in the most dignified way possible , ' giffard told le figaro . trierweiler has been hollande 's partner for several years . last weekend , she left the hospital where she 'd spent a week being treated for stress and fatigue , paris match magazine reported . the same magazine -- where trierweiler is a longtime correspondent -- said saturday that she would recover for several days ' in an official residence in versailles . hollande may hope his visit to rome will help improve his standing in france , a majority-catholic country . his relationship with many catholics was damaged by a bruising battle last year over the passage of a law allowing same-sex marriage and adoption . the measure was one of hollande 's election pledges . the catholic church in france opposed the legislation . many of the faithful joined huge marches in protest against it , but they were unable to stop it from becoming law . nationwide , hollande has seen his personal approval ratings plummet since his election in 2012 , although this has been attributed to dissatisfaction with his leadership rather than disapproval of his private life . a recent survey by french pollster ifop with french newspaper le journal du dimanche found that more than 80 % of respondents had not changed their opinion of the president based on the allegations of an affair . | hollande and valerie trierweiler are working to clarify their relationship , le figaro says |
hollande <tsp> french president francois hollande met with pope francis privately friday amid media speculation over his alleged affair with an actress . hollande also plans to meet vatican secretary of state pietro parolin and french clergy while in rome . hours before he arrived at the vatican , a small bomb exploded in central rome near a french foundation and french cultural center , police said . the blast damaged three cars and broke windows in two nearby buildings , said agostino vitolo , a spokesman for italy 's military police , or carabinieri . there 's been no claim of responsibility for the bomb . it 's unclear whether its detonation is linked to the visit by the french president . hollande 's private life has been the subject of global headlines since claims in the french magazine closer of a two-year affair with actress julie gayet . the allegations of an affair have left the position of the president 's partner , valerie trierweiler , in some doubt . it 's not clear whether she will accompany hollande on a state visit to washington next month . hollande and trierweiler are working to issue a clarification ' concerning their relationship , trierweiler 's attorney , frederique giffard , told the french daily newspaper le figaro in an interview published late thursday . after the alleged love affair , trierweiler truly wants to resolve the matter in order to come out of it in the most dignified way possible , ' giffard told le figaro . trierweiler has been hollande 's partner for several years . last weekend , she left the hospital where she 'd spent a week being treated for stress and fatigue , paris match magazine reported . the same magazine -- where trierweiler is a longtime correspondent -- said saturday that she would recover for several days ' in an official residence in versailles . hollande may hope his visit to rome will help improve his standing in france , a majority-catholic country . his relationship with many catholics was damaged by a bruising battle last year over the passage of a law allowing same-sex marriage and adoption . the measure was one of hollande 's election pledges . the catholic church in france opposed the legislation . many of the faithful joined huge marches in protest against it , but they were unable to stop it from becoming law . nationwide , hollande has seen his personal approval ratings plummet since his election in 2012 , although this has been attributed to dissatisfaction with his leadership rather than disapproval of his private life . a recent survey by french pollster ifop with french newspaper le journal du dimanche found that more than 80 % of respondents had not changed their opinion of the president based on the allegations of an affair . | president francois hollande meets with pope francis at the vatican |
rome <tsp> french president francois hollande met with pope francis privately friday amid media speculation over his alleged affair with an actress . hollande also plans to meet vatican secretary of state pietro parolin and french clergy while in rome . hours before he arrived at the vatican , a small bomb exploded in central rome near a french foundation and french cultural center , police said . the blast damaged three cars and broke windows in two nearby buildings , said agostino vitolo , a spokesman for italy 's military police , or carabinieri . there 's been no claim of responsibility for the bomb . it 's unclear whether its detonation is linked to the visit by the french president . hollande 's private life has been the subject of global headlines since claims in the french magazine closer of a two-year affair with actress julie gayet . the allegations of an affair have left the position of the president 's partner , valerie trierweiler , in some doubt . it 's not clear whether she will accompany hollande on a state visit to washington next month . hollande and trierweiler are working to issue a clarification ' concerning their relationship , trierweiler 's attorney , frederique giffard , told the french daily newspaper le figaro in an interview published late thursday . after the alleged love affair , trierweiler truly wants to resolve the matter in order to come out of it in the most dignified way possible , ' giffard told le figaro . trierweiler has been hollande 's partner for several years . last weekend , she left the hospital where she 'd spent a week being treated for stress and fatigue , paris match magazine reported . the same magazine -- where trierweiler is a longtime correspondent -- said saturday that she would recover for several days ' in an official residence in versailles . hollande may hope his visit to rome will help improve his standing in france , a majority-catholic country . his relationship with many catholics was damaged by a bruising battle last year over the passage of a law allowing same-sex marriage and adoption . the measure was one of hollande 's election pledges . the catholic church in france opposed the legislation . many of the faithful joined huge marches in protest against it , but they were unable to stop it from becoming law . nationwide , hollande has seen his personal approval ratings plummet since his election in 2012 , although this has been attributed to dissatisfaction with his leadership rather than disapproval of his private life . a recent survey by french pollster ifop with french newspaper le journal du dimanche found that more than 80 % of respondents had not changed their opinion of the president based on the allegations of an affair . | the french president 's visit to rome comes amid turmoil in his private life |
tomas palacios <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ever since it was discovered in 2004 , graphene has been hailed as a natural wonder of the materials world destined to transform our lives in the 21st century . graphene 's amazing properties excite and confound in equal measure . how can something one million times thinner than a human hair be 300 times stronger than steel and 1,000 times more conductive than silicon ? cnn labs asked the head of mit 's graphene research department , tomas palacios , to explain why graphene is such a special material and what we can expect it to do for us in the future . cnn : what is graphene ? tomas palacios ( tp ) : graphene is a one-atom thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice . this special atomic arrangement gives graphene truly unique properties . for example electrical currents in graphene move faster than in any other material we know of . watch : the secret to making better batteries heat can also move in graphene very fast and it is the best thermal conductor that we have . on top of this , graphene is the thinnest material in the world as well as the strongest , much stronger than steel and , of course , much lighter . finally , because it is only one atom thick , it is perfectly transparent and flexible . cnn : what applications will it have ? tp : the very first application where graphene is going to be used is probably as a replacement for ( the relatively expensive metal ) indium selenide in solar cells . after that , i think we will see a new array of communication devices that do n't just use graphene but which also use other two-dimensional materials . products such as cell phones will be integrated into the likes of the clothes , pieces of paper and in windows . another direction is transparent displays . basically we are going to have electronic displays embedded almost everywhere , in the windows , in our glasses , in the walls , everywhere . to do this we need very thin materials that are also transparent and graphene could be that material . cnn : when will products containing graphene be available ? tp : it depends on the specific application . i believe that the use of graphene in solar cells , displays and so on is probably going to be in the marketplace in a couple of years . more complex applications such as computers or cell phones will probably take longer , maybe within five and ten years . cnn : what challenges remain for researchers ? tp : one important challenge facing graphene is the way the material is developed . graphene was isolated for the first time using the scotch tape technique ( where ever thinner strips are peeled off a block of graphite using sticky tape ) and the quantities we can make in large areas still lag behind this method . there has been a lot of work to try and enhance the manufacturability of graphene and there are a few techniques that look very promising but they are not completely mature yet . the second challenge is that graphene is a material that is only one atom thick . anything that you do to it is going to impact its properties . we still need to understand better how to fabricate graphene devices and how to be gentle enough not to ( break ) the formula . cnn : are production methods improving ? recently , samsung electronics has demonstrated a single layer of graphene which is 30 inches in diameter . so in just a few years we have gone from micro-meter sized flakes all the way to 30 inches . the ambition is that one day graphene will be fabricated in the same way that you print newspapers -- in a roll to roll process using the same kind of equipment . this will change the entire economics of the electronics industry . cnn : are there any other materials like graphene ? tp : graphene was the first two-dimensional material to be discovered , but it is not the only one . now there are more than 10 materials that are all two-dimensional with complimentary properties that could be integrated with graphene to provide extra functionality . boron nitride for example is also one-atom thick and instead of being a conductor it is an insulator ( of heat ) , the best insulator we know . if you go to three atoms thick we have another material called molybdenum disulfide which is a semi-conductor , like silicon , but lighter and stronger . these materials can then be combined in order to fabricate completely new material structures that do n't exist in nature . i think that that is a very powerful proposition . cnn : when will graphene-based products hit main street ? tp : if you look at how long it traditionally takes new materials to make an impact in the market , it typically takes around 20 years . we need to be patient but things seem to be moving faster than with other materials . i think the next couple of years will see quite significant improvements in the growth techniques and synthesis of two-dimensional materials . at a basic research level we are going to see an emphasis on trying to understand what happens when you stack these materials one on top of the other . that is going to enable a lot of new understanding which will enable completely new devices . i am completely convinced that graphene is going to end up changing our lives . exactly how , i do n't know and i do n't think anyone can know for sure but there is nothing thinner , stronger or more suitable to conduct electricity and that has to be useful for many important things . | mit professor tomas palacios says graphene will change all our lives |
okinawa <tsp> tokyo ( cnn ) -- rescuers searched typhoon-swept waters off south korea 's jeju island tuesday for 28 chinese fishermen missing in the wake of typhoon bolaven , a ferocious storm that headed for the korean peninsula after making landfall on okinawa . maritime police on jeju island said six people had been rescued but searches were on for the others after two boats capsized early tuesday as bolaven raged . okinawa , meanwhile , emerged relatively unscathed after the typhoon swept it with maximum sustained winds near its center of 185 kilometers per hour ( 115 mph ) , according to the hong kong observatory , which monitors storms in the region . that wind strength put bolaven in the super typhoon ' category . and with a cloud field of 2,000 kilometers ( 1,250 miles ) , it was 20 times larger than okinawa 's length . but the island , which is situated in an area of the western pacific ocean where typhoons are frequent , avoided the kind of destruction that some other storms have caused in east asia this summer . five people were injured in okinawa , the local authorities said , and 549 residents took shelter in public buildings to avoid potential damage to their homes . about 17,500 households lost electricity as the storm damaged power lines . storm chaser james reynolds was on the northwestern coast of the island during the worst of the typhoon . like the rest of the population we all just kind of holed up in the strong and sturdy buildings which make up okinawa , ' he said monday . the infrastructure on okinawa is designed to withstand violent storms . everything 's made of solid concrete , ' reynolds said . the damage was also limited because bolaven did n't bring winds as powerful as initially feared , said morichiyo ohshiro , an official from the okinawa prefecture disaster prevention and crisis management division . north of okinawa , the amami islands suffered a major power outage as a result of the typhoon . according to kyushu electric power corporation , which provides power to the area , 56,300 households were without power as of monday morning . all residents of about 2,540 households on yoron , one of the islands in the chain , were advised by the local authorities to relocate to nearby public facilities as the storm made its way northward . president lee myung-bak of south korea on monday called on government agencies to take measures to minimize damage from the approaching storm , the national news agency yonhap reported , citing park jeong-ha , a spokesman for lee . isaac near hurricane strength ; watch extends to louisiana typhoon tembin made landfall in southern taiwan a few days ago , and was expected to work its way toward hong kong . but bolaven , which is much stronger , has stopped tembin 's movement toward hong kong and has been spinning it around . time : most destructive u.s. hurricanes ' as typhoon bolaven moves northward towards the yellow sea , it will drag tembin toward the china coast very near shanghai , ' said cnn international meteorologist tom sater . that 's an amazing change in direction . ' are you there ? share your stories , images and videos . photos : finding beauty in violent storms cnn 's paula hancocks , yoko wakatsuki and ralitsa vassileva ; and cnn meteorologist pedram javaheri contributed to this report . | typhoon 's winds in okinawa not as strong as initially feared , local official says |
okinawa <tsp> tokyo ( cnn ) -- rescuers searched typhoon-swept waters off south korea 's jeju island tuesday for 28 chinese fishermen missing in the wake of typhoon bolaven , a ferocious storm that headed for the korean peninsula after making landfall on okinawa . maritime police on jeju island said six people had been rescued but searches were on for the others after two boats capsized early tuesday as bolaven raged . okinawa , meanwhile , emerged relatively unscathed after the typhoon swept it with maximum sustained winds near its center of 185 kilometers per hour ( 115 mph ) , according to the hong kong observatory , which monitors storms in the region . that wind strength put bolaven in the super typhoon ' category . and with a cloud field of 2,000 kilometers ( 1,250 miles ) , it was 20 times larger than okinawa 's length . but the island , which is situated in an area of the western pacific ocean where typhoons are frequent , avoided the kind of destruction that some other storms have caused in east asia this summer . five people were injured in okinawa , the local authorities said , and 549 residents took shelter in public buildings to avoid potential damage to their homes . about 17,500 households lost electricity as the storm damaged power lines . storm chaser james reynolds was on the northwestern coast of the island during the worst of the typhoon . like the rest of the population we all just kind of holed up in the strong and sturdy buildings which make up okinawa , ' he said monday . the infrastructure on okinawa is designed to withstand violent storms . everything 's made of solid concrete , ' reynolds said . the damage was also limited because bolaven did n't bring winds as powerful as initially feared , said morichiyo ohshiro , an official from the okinawa prefecture disaster prevention and crisis management division . north of okinawa , the amami islands suffered a major power outage as a result of the typhoon . according to kyushu electric power corporation , which provides power to the area , 56,300 households were without power as of monday morning . all residents of about 2,540 households on yoron , one of the islands in the chain , were advised by the local authorities to relocate to nearby public facilities as the storm made its way northward . president lee myung-bak of south korea on monday called on government agencies to take measures to minimize damage from the approaching storm , the national news agency yonhap reported , citing park jeong-ha , a spokesman for lee . isaac near hurricane strength ; watch extends to louisiana typhoon tembin made landfall in southern taiwan a few days ago , and was expected to work its way toward hong kong . but bolaven , which is much stronger , has stopped tembin 's movement toward hong kong and has been spinning it around . time : most destructive u.s. hurricanes ' as typhoon bolaven moves northward towards the yellow sea , it will drag tembin toward the china coast very near shanghai , ' said cnn international meteorologist tom sater . that 's an amazing change in direction . ' are you there ? share your stories , images and videos . photos : finding beauty in violent storms cnn 's paula hancocks , yoko wakatsuki and ralitsa vassileva ; and cnn meteorologist pedram javaheri contributed to this report . | typhoon bolaven 's cloud field is about 20 times the length of okinawa |
rwandair <tsp> esther mbabazi wheels her bag towards the airstairs of the boeing 737 sitting quietly on the tarmac at kigali international airport . today she 'll be flying from rwanda 's capital city to juba in south sudan . a short hop south with a flying time of around 1 hour and 20 minutes . but for mbabazi , 26 , it is n't about the destination . as rwanda 's first female pilot , it 's about the journey and her highest priority is to get passengers safely to their terminus . growing up i wanted to be a pilot when i was four , ' says mbabazi , who became a pilot for rwanda 's national airline carrier , rwandair , at 24 . i 'd never been inside a cockpit but i used to see a plane in the sky and i imagined that thing must be flown by someone . i had to go for it . even though it looked like a long shot , it was my only shot -- that 's how i saw it so i went for it , and here i am . ' dream big during her childhood , esther 's family would move on a regular basis due to her father 's work as a pastor . but her desire to take to the skies never wavered , even after her father passed away in a plane crash in the democratic republic of congo , when the passenger aircraft he was traveling on overshot the runway and hit some terrain . read this : the woman saving uganda 's lost children ' from day one , he was always my biggest supporter or fan , ' recalls mbabazi , who lost her father before turning 10 . [ but ] an accident is an accident . like i said , if someone gets hit by a car , you do n't stop driving . you ca n't live life being scared an in fear of anything . if something is bound to happen , you ca n't stop it . ' going all in thus , mbabazi continued to work toward her goal of becoming a pilot and achieving what no other woman in her country had done before . once she completed high school , she packed her things and bought a one-way ticket to attend pilot school in uganda . when i went it was a one-way decision , ' she says . if they bounce me , i 'll just pack my things and come back -- so that was the way i joined pilot school , and it was a long journey . ' more from african voices a year later , mbabazi began training with rwandair in miami and her exploration of the aviation world began . my greatest memories are flying to different cities , ' she says . being in the sky gives you a whole other view -- you get to see what they call a bird 's eye view of everything . ' sexism in the skies ? now , the young pilot has become a pioneer in a male-dominated industry in rwanda , and yet she knows she is constantly being closely watched because of her gender . no one ever says ,'oh it 's a male crew aircraft that crashed ,'even though it 's been many of the sort , ' she says . but you know , if there 's a woman on board and something happens , you know , definitely you 're going to be mentioned . ' mbabazi recalls a previous incident where a passenger realized that the pilot for his flight was a woman shortly after arriving at the gate and refused to get on the flight . the cabin crew said we 'll gladly leave you behind . you 've already paid the ticket , so if your reason is that basic and shallow , it 's not because of safety reasons . it 's just because you do n't want to fly with a woman , we 'll gladly leave you behind . ' mbabazi refuses to let her critics win and is determined to continue being a role model for others . she hopes that her achievements can provide inspiration to other women who might not think they can attain their dreams jobs . time has changed , ' she says . women are out there working , technology has changed , and everyone has the brains to do something , now it 's not about how much bicep or how much energy you have . ' read this : the woman saving uganda 's lost children read this : meet kenya 's cycling hero | esther mbabazi is rwanda 's first female commercial pilot flying regional jets for rwandair |
england <tsp> ( cnn ) -- england 's flamboyant batsman kevin pietersen has been fined by australian police for speeding in a lamborghini laid on for him by former spin-king shane warne . pietersen took the $ 466,200 bright yellow car for a drive along the great ocean road near melbourne , australia , thanks to former leg spinner warne 's connection with the car company . the south african-born star is currently with the england team as they take on australia in the five-match ashes series . he was named man of the match after making a double century last week as england won the second test in adelaide to take a 1-0 lead . warne comeback talk grows pietersen had no problem with the australian bowling but it was a different matter when he had to face victoria police just hours after he updated his twitter site to say : stunning beaches on the great ocean rd .. gorgeous drive . ' he was reportedly fined $ 235 and docked three points for driving at 121 kph by police . the england and wales cricket board confirmed pietersen had been fined , but said that he would n't face disciplinary action . on wednesday he had tweeted a picture of the super car and said : massive thanks to lamborghini melbourne & @ warne888 for letting me play with this for a few days .. ' england 's emphatic victory in the second test has prompted calls for warne to make a comeback and attempt to add to the 708 test wickets he took in a sparkling 15-year career . one group of businessman has even set up a website -- bringbackwarne.com -- to coax the 41-year-old out of retirement . warne would only say the clamor was flattering . ' another high-profile sports star to fall foul of the australian police is mclaren formula one driver lewis hamilton after he was fined for anti-social driving in his mercedes in march this year . meanwhile in the uk , former england footballer paul gascoigne -- who rose to prominence during the 1990 world cup in italy -- has been handed a suspended jail term for drink-driving . | england batsman had lamborghini laid on for him by spin legend shane warne |
england <tsp> ( cnn ) -- england 's flamboyant batsman kevin pietersen has been fined by australian police for speeding in a lamborghini laid on for him by former spin-king shane warne . pietersen took the $ 466,200 bright yellow car for a drive along the great ocean road near melbourne , australia , thanks to former leg spinner warne 's connection with the car company . the south african-born star is currently with the england team as they take on australia in the five-match ashes series . he was named man of the match after making a double century last week as england won the second test in adelaide to take a 1-0 lead . warne comeback talk grows pietersen had no problem with the australian bowling but it was a different matter when he had to face victoria police just hours after he updated his twitter site to say : stunning beaches on the great ocean rd .. gorgeous drive . ' he was reportedly fined $ 235 and docked three points for driving at 121 kph by police . the england and wales cricket board confirmed pietersen had been fined , but said that he would n't face disciplinary action . on wednesday he had tweeted a picture of the super car and said : massive thanks to lamborghini melbourne & @ warne888 for letting me play with this for a few days .. ' england 's emphatic victory in the second test has prompted calls for warne to make a comeback and attempt to add to the 708 test wickets he took in a sparkling 15-year career . one group of businessman has even set up a website -- bringbackwarne.com -- to coax the 41-year-old out of retirement . warne would only say the clamor was flattering . ' another high-profile sports star to fall foul of the australian police is mclaren formula one driver lewis hamilton after he was fined for anti-social driving in his mercedes in march this year . meanwhile in the uk , former england footballer paul gascoigne -- who rose to prominence during the 1990 world cup in italy -- has been handed a suspended jail term for drink-driving . | pietersen hit a double hundred as england won second test in the ashes series |
twitter <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- members of the congressional black caucus gave voice to the frustrations of demonstrators who gathered in ferguson , missouri , as well as places like washington , d.c. , monday night to protest a grand jury 's decision not to indict police officer darren wilson in the shooting death of michael brown . rep. marcia fudge , the caucus'chair , called the grand jury 's decision a slap in the face to americans nationwide ' in a statement released just moments after st. louis county prosecutor robert mcculloch announced the grand jury 's decision . this decision seems to underscore an unwritten rule that black lives hold no value ; that you may kill black men in this country without consequences or repercussions , ' fudge said , calling the decision a miscarriage of justice . ' complete coverage of what 's happening in ferguson the shooting of brown , an unarmed black teenager , at the hands of wilson , who is white , drove locals and activists around the country to the streets of ferguson this summer and again this week in anticipation of a grand jury announcement which many hoped would at least deliver a trial in the shooting . as tensions in ferguson flared and violence erupted amid largely peaceful protests , the caucus members called on protesters to remain peaceful in expressing their anger and urged activists to channel a moment of frustration into a larger movement to effect change on the justice system and relations between african-american communities and police departments nationwide . rep. john lewis , a veteran of the civil rights movement who helped lead the 1963 march on washington alongside rev . martin luther king , jr. , sent a message to protestors on twitter : ' only love can overcome hate . only nonviolence can overcome violence , ' he tweeted . i know this hard . i know this is difficult . do not succumb to the temptations of violence . there is a more powerful way . ' obama calls anger over ferguson decision'understandable ,'but urges peace the black caucus members also stressed the need for the justice department to pursue its federal civil rights investigation into the deadly shooting , with several calling the local investigation deeply flawed . rep. karen bass said in a statement monday that she was deeply disturbed ' that the grand jury did not indict wilson . the announcement continues a trend of injustice that has rightfully created an environment of anger and concern in ferguson , missouri and across the united states , ' bass said . from the onset , ferguson law officials have been negligent in their handling of this tragic death . ' she said ferguson officials botched ' the case from the start , noting that brown 's body was in the street for hours after he was killed and called officials mean-spirited ' for leaking surveillance footage of brown stealing cigars from a convenience store shortly before he was gunned down . that footage had not been requested by media in an information request . and tonight the grand jury attacked justice by not holding officer wilson accountable for his actions , ' she said . ' attorney general eric holder pledged monday night to pursue the civil rights investigation into the shooting and a second investigation into allegations of misconduct by the ferguson police department . rep. lacy clay , who represents ferguson and st. louis county in congress , called the grand jury 's decision extremely disappointing ' and said he shares the anger and frustration , ' but called on protesters to be nonviolent . poll finds racial divide over wilson charges clay added that he was not surprised by the grand jury 's decision and said he had been concerned about the local investigation since brown 's death . the pursuit of justice for michael brown , jr. and his family is not over , ' he said . ' the two senators from missouri , democrat claire mccaskill and republican roy blunt released statements following the grand jury 's decision calling for protests to remain peaceful . blunt said in a statement he hoped the community could move forward and heal as we work to find better job opportunities in and more investment for challenged communities . ' he added that his thoughts were with brown 's family and with those in law enforcement who continue to protect the rights of all they serve . ' mccaskill acknowledged that many were disappointed by the decision and said she is waiting for the results of the justice department 's civil rights investigation . holder : federal ferguson investigation will continue ' while we await the conclusion of that independent investigation†” and continue working together for solutions to systemic issues highlighted by this tragedy†” i 'm praying that the good people of st. louis and local law enforcement will remain peaceful and respectful of one another , ' mccaskill said . another missouri lawmaker and member of the congressional black caucus , rep. emanuel cleaver , posted a dozen messages on twitter as st. louis county prosecutor began his press conference to announce the grand jury 's conclusion . sen. cory booker , the only senator in the black caucus , tweeted after the grand jury decision thursday that his thoughts were with michael brown 's family and echoed their calls for peace / nonviolence . ' sen. tim scott , a black republican who is not a member of the caucus , said he hoped that good can come out of this tragic situation ' and called on activists to channel their frustration into productive ways to build our communities . ' | some members of congress took twitter overnight to express their frustration with the case |
new jersey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a man arraigned tuesday on multiple firearms charges had an arsenal of high-powered weapons and a map of u.s. military base in his new jersey hotel room , authorities said . lloyd r. woodson , 43 , has been charged with two counts of unlawful possession of weapons , possessing prohibited weapons , possessing large capacity ammunition magazines , two counts of defaced firearms , obstruction of justice and resisting arrest . authorities say he has no apparent ties to terrorist activities . woodson also is being charged as a convicted felon in possession of firearms , gregory reinert , a spokesman for the the u.s. attorney 's office in new jersey , said . somerset county judge john pursel set bail at $ 75,000 , and woodson is expected to appear in court again by the end of the week . woodson appeared angry and withdrawn in court , according to cnn 's deb feyerick , who attended the arraignment . his hands and feet were shackled and he was escorted by two guards . woodson kept his head down and barely acknowledged the judge , except for responding yes ' when asked if he understood english . woodson , of virginia , was arrested monday after police responded to a call about a suspicious man in the quick chek convenience store in branchburg , new jersey , said local prosecutor wayne j. forrest . the suspect was in possession of an automatic .223 rifle converted to a .50 caliber rifle with a laser sight ; five customized magazines , each fully loaded with hollow-point .50-caliber rounds and a military bulletproof vest when he was taken into custody , the new jersey regional operations intelligence center ( roic ) said . at his hotel room , investigators found a bushmaster .308-caliber semiautomatic rifle with a defaced serial number , a rifle-mounted night vision scope , a 37 mm cobray grenade launcher , a ballistic vest , a police scanner , hundreds of rounds of ammunition , military pouches and garrison equipment , and a detailed map of fort drum , an army post in upstate new york . earlier , forrest said authorities had also found a middle eastern-style headdress , but no such item was mentioned in roic 's statement or in an fbi agent 's affidavit . woodson waived his rights , according to the affidavit , and told investigators that all the weaponry was his , that he 'd bought the guns on the streets of new york and that he had obliterated ' the serial numbers . he has a prior conviction for criminal possession of a weapon from kings county ( new york ) superior court in 1997 . the roic statement also said woodson expressed anti-law enforcement sentiments ' stemming from run-in with police regarding domestic disputes . he has no ties to organized groups , the statement said , echoing what federal agents said earlier in the day . michael murphy , the senior vice president of quick chek , said the employee who called 911 prevented a bad situation and possible tragedy down the road . ' the company is protecting her identity for safety reasons , he said . murphy said woodson did not buy anything in the store and may have drawn suspicion because he looked like he wanted to shoplift . when officers arrived , woodson ran into the woods but was subdued after wrestling with officers , forrest 's statement said . preliminary findings indicate that woodson has no ties to known terrorist groups or a specific terrorism plot , said fbi special agent bryan l. travers in a statement tuesday . federal investigators from the fbi and atf are assisting local law enforcement . woodson spent a brief time in the navy , according to u.s. navy spokesman lt. justin cole . in february 1988 , he served on board the uss orion , a submarine tender , cole told cnn . he deserted the ship eight months later , cole said . woodson was taken into navy custody in 1996 and discharged a month afterward , cole added . cnn 's deb feyerich and edmund demarche contributed to this report . | he was arrested monday near a store in branchburg , new jersey |
price <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a noted tech journalist and early adopter of google 's glass headset is declaring the technology doomed , ' at least for 2014 . there 's a tongue-in-cheek nature to robert scoble 's pronouncement , which he shared with the 4.7 million people who follow him on google+ . his strong language , he said , was a send-up of the tech press 's sometimes over-the-top approach to news . but scoble , who got his glass headset in april on the second day the devices became available to some journalists and early testers , predicts the connected eyewear will flop with consumers when it goes on sale to the general public , presumably this year . scoble said he thinks the price will be too high and there wo n't be enough apps or useful functions to make the wearable tech worth the cost . he has a sunnier view of glass 's long-term prospects , though . by 2020 i 'm quite convinced this will be a big deal and there will be lots of competitors by then , ' he wrote . so , if you make it about 2020 , then it is n't doomed . if it 's about beating the apple iwatch in 2014 ? yes , totally doomed . ' apple has not rolled out a smartwatch yet but is widely rumored to be doing so soon , marking the tech giant 's entree into the emerging wearable-tech field . google did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment for this article . glass is a headset with a camera and small screen situated above the wearer 's right eye . the wearer can access the internet and snap images and video by using voice commands . a blogger and author , scoble works as a new-tech evangelist ' for it company rackspace . but his influence in the tech community is broader and his writing helps shape opinion in some quarters . scoble has 374,000 followers on twitter and has been one of the most visible google glass users . a photo of him wearing the headset in the shower went viral last year . scoble noted that glass , which has sold for $ 1,500 to a limited number of beta testers , is likely to be released at a cost of more than $ 500 . he says that 's too much for the public at large . price is gon na matter a lot . but i 'm hearing they wo n't be able to get under $ 500 in 2014 , so that means it 's doomed . in 2014 , ' scoble wrote . when they get under $ 300 and have another revision or two ? that 's when the market really will show up . 2016 , i say . ' he said the headset will need to be custom-fitted to its wearer , and that customers will need to receive an hour or two of training before using it -- which will inflate its price . scoble also believes that battery life , at least on the current glass models , wo n't be enough for some people . he said a lack of apps could also hurt . that will start getting fixed after a few months of release , but early users are gon na continually ask'where 's the uber app ? ''or'where 's the foursquare app ?'or'why does the facebook app suck ?'he wrote . scoble criticized the lack of a quality facebook app in particular . sorry google , but google+ still is n't used by my family , friends , or those i speak with ... , ' he wrote . google+ is n't nearly as ubiquitous or as nice , truth be told , particularly for mobile users . this lack of facebook support is the # 1 thing that pisses me off about glass . ' all of that said , scoble holds out hope . he said he still loves his glass and that it 's unfair to judge a test version of the still-new device as if it 's a finished product . so , what would i do if i were google ? reset expectations , ' he wrote . say'this is really a product for 2020 that we 're gon na build with you .'first release is in 2014 , but let 's be honest , if it 's $ 600 and dorky looking , it 'll be doomed -- as long as expectations are so high . ' while still in limited release , google glass has already stirred up some controversy . some restaurants and other businesses have banned google glass over concerns about the headset 's ability to take photos and record video . and users have already been ticketed for wearing them while driving , as lawmakers in several states consider laws to ban them behind the wheel . and then there 's their appearance . glass 's part-futuristic , part-dorky look has been mocked in such spots as the blog , white men wearing google glass.ï » ¿ | price , lack of apps likely will hurt its early sales , he says |
google glass <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a noted tech journalist and early adopter of google 's glass headset is declaring the technology doomed , ' at least for 2014 . there 's a tongue-in-cheek nature to robert scoble 's pronouncement , which he shared with the 4.7 million people who follow him on google+ . his strong language , he said , was a send-up of the tech press 's sometimes over-the-top approach to news . but scoble , who got his glass headset in april on the second day the devices became available to some journalists and early testers , predicts the connected eyewear will flop with consumers when it goes on sale to the general public , presumably this year . scoble said he thinks the price will be too high and there wo n't be enough apps or useful functions to make the wearable tech worth the cost . he has a sunnier view of glass 's long-term prospects , though . by 2020 i 'm quite convinced this will be a big deal and there will be lots of competitors by then , ' he wrote . so , if you make it about 2020 , then it is n't doomed . if it 's about beating the apple iwatch in 2014 ? yes , totally doomed . ' apple has not rolled out a smartwatch yet but is widely rumored to be doing so soon , marking the tech giant 's entree into the emerging wearable-tech field . google did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment for this article . glass is a headset with a camera and small screen situated above the wearer 's right eye . the wearer can access the internet and snap images and video by using voice commands . a blogger and author , scoble works as a new-tech evangelist ' for it company rackspace . but his influence in the tech community is broader and his writing helps shape opinion in some quarters . scoble has 374,000 followers on twitter and has been one of the most visible google glass users . a photo of him wearing the headset in the shower went viral last year . scoble noted that glass , which has sold for $ 1,500 to a limited number of beta testers , is likely to be released at a cost of more than $ 500 . he says that 's too much for the public at large . price is gon na matter a lot . but i 'm hearing they wo n't be able to get under $ 500 in 2014 , so that means it 's doomed . in 2014 , ' scoble wrote . when they get under $ 300 and have another revision or two ? that 's when the market really will show up . 2016 , i say . ' he said the headset will need to be custom-fitted to its wearer , and that customers will need to receive an hour or two of training before using it -- which will inflate its price . scoble also believes that battery life , at least on the current glass models , wo n't be enough for some people . he said a lack of apps could also hurt . that will start getting fixed after a few months of release , but early users are gon na continually ask'where 's the uber app ? ''or'where 's the foursquare app ?'or'why does the facebook app suck ?'he wrote . scoble criticized the lack of a quality facebook app in particular . sorry google , but google+ still is n't used by my family , friends , or those i speak with ... , ' he wrote . google+ is n't nearly as ubiquitous or as nice , truth be told , particularly for mobile users . this lack of facebook support is the # 1 thing that pisses me off about glass . ' all of that said , scoble holds out hope . he said he still loves his glass and that it 's unfair to judge a test version of the still-new device as if it 's a finished product . so , what would i do if i were google ? reset expectations , ' he wrote . say'this is really a product for 2020 that we 're gon na build with you .'first release is in 2014 , but let 's be honest , if it 's $ 600 and dorky looking , it 'll be doomed -- as long as expectations are so high . ' while still in limited release , google glass has already stirred up some controversy . some restaurants and other businesses have banned google glass over concerns about the headset 's ability to take photos and record video . and users have already been ticketed for wearing them while driving , as lawmakers in several states consider laws to ban them behind the wheel . and then there 's their appearance . glass 's part-futuristic , part-dorky look has been mocked in such spots as the blog , white men wearing google glass.ï » ¿ | top tech blogger says google glass wo n't do well when it hits the market |
louisiana <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- cnn 's john king and other top political reporters empty out their notebooks each sunday on inside politics ' to reveal five things that will be in the headlines in the days , weeks and months ahead . talk of bill clinton 's role in the campaign stretch , where his wife hopes to make a difference , a 2016 gop buildup and some 2014 observations from the trail made for a lively trip around the inside politics ' table on sunday . 1 . gop grass roots sees a growing immigration crisis we thought after the 2012 presidential election that republicans would see their crisis with latino voters and find some way to strike an immigration reform compromise with president obama . it did n't happen , largely because of pressure from grass-roots conservatives who oppose any path to citizenship for the undocumented and consider even granting legal status tantamount to amnesty . well , if you believed perhaps there would be room , and motivation , for a deal after the 2014 midterms -- think again . one striking common theme from a 1,200 -mile drive this past week across colorado , kansas , missouri and iowa is the visceral reaction of conservatives when immigration comes up -- and often they are the ones to raise it early in any chat about what is driving their politics . perhaps it 's not surprising to hear this anger at a colorado tea party meeting , where one speaker warned that islamist suicide bombers are deliberately infecting themselves with ebola and coming across the u.s.-mexican border planning to cough and spit ' on americans before blowing themselves up . ' but talk of a wide-open border being exploited by terrorists also animated four kansas women during a chat at a senior center in bob dole 's hometown of russell , and came up in conversations with voters in conservative rural iowa . the bottom line : there appears to be little political space for house speaker john boehner and senate gop leader mitch mcconnell , who could well be majority leader in january , to negotiate any deal that would be acceptable to obama . and , when the president takes executive actions , as he promises to do after the election unless there is some legislative breakthrough , it is clear the conservative grass roots will demand confrontation -- leaving the issue front and center as we head into the 2016 presidential cycle . 2 . hillary clinton 's delicate wall street balancing act hillary clinton is closing the 2014 campaign with appearances designed to both help democratic candidates this cycle and also help her test themes for her likely white house run in 2016 . last week it was kentucky . this week it 's massachusetts and rhode island , to help two democratic women in close gubernatorial contests . the rhode island stop , in particular , has an interesting twist , as detailed by politico 's maggie haberman : ' that 's the one to watch , because gina raimondo has been criticized as being too close to wall street herself . this has been a commentary applied to hillary clinton , ' said haberman . watch and see what hillary clinton 's words are as she is helping her up there . ' 3 . bill clinton to court african-american voters in louisiana and while hillary clinton is in new england , big dog ' bill clinton will be in the big easy trying to help democrats rescue a senate seat that appears to be slipping away . maeve reston of the los angeles times added the nickname for the former president and she noted his hope of generating increased turnout among african-americans . where he can really help her is with black voters in louisiana , ' said reston . she 's going to get virtually all of them , both sides would say , but it 's a matter of getting them to the polls , and bill clinton might be able to work his magic down there to help her do that . ' turning out the african-american vote is a top priority for democrats there and in several other states now , and there could be a sequel if the louisiana race ends up in a runoff . 4 . up all night on november 4 ? maybe a good time to invest in coffee futures ? or book an advance airfare to new orleans or -- atlanta ? jonathan martin of the new york times rightly points out the likelihood of a late election night because so many senate races are so close , including an alaska contest that , in addition to the time zone issue , also includes many remote areas where the count could spill into wednesday . even then , he points out the possibility that control of the senate might not be clear until months after november 4 . i talked to a lot of folks from both parties over the weekend -- increasingly certain that georgia is in fact going to a runoff , ' said martin . and by the way , that 's a january runoff . ' 5 . ben carson , the tea-vangelical ' vote , ebola and 2016 speaking of 2016 , keep an eye on dr. ben carson . the conservative favorite is adding staff to his talk of a possible presidential run , nia malika henderson of the washington post reports . and supporters looking to encourage a carson run are raising some serious money . he 's got a virtual campaign-in-waiting , a campaign chairman , his super pac raised $ 3 million in this last third quarter -- ready for hillary was only able to raise $ 2 million , ' said henderson . look for him to challenge rand paul and ted cruz for that key'tea-vangelical'vote . and this ebola scare certainly gives him something of an opening to flex his medical knowledge during these next couple of days . ' | bill clinton courts black voters in louisiana this week |
clinton <tsp> little rock , arkansas ( cnn ) this state launched the clinton brand two decades ago and handed hillary clinton one of the biggest victories of her 2008 primary battle against barack obama . but as she considers another bid for the white house in 2016 , arkansas is n't so friendly . in the final weeks of the 2014 election , top democrats in arkansas told hillary clinton and her associates that she was n't welcome to stump for the party 's candidates in the state , according to a knowledgeable source . while there were some in arkansas who wanted her to come , the stay away ' contingent won the argument and hillary clinton was left to raise money for sen. mark pryor from new york . bill clinton made up for the absence , making 13 stops in the state during campaign season imploring voters to not make the election a repudiation of president barack obama . still , democrats across arkansas lost big . the governor 's mansion flipped red , along with pryor 's senate seat . the state 's four-member house delegation is solidly republican . the rout was part of a broader repudiation of democrats across the south this election cycle . but the results in arkansas were particularly tough for the clintons and raise questions about whether the state most associated with the couple is no longer welcome territory ahead of hillary clinton 's potential 2016 race . the coattails were short , ' outgoing democratic gov . mike beebe told cnn . it is a fact . ' bill clinton handily won arkansas during both of his presidential elections . but the politics of the south changed during his time in office as many states were increasingly dominated by republicans . arkansas was a genuine battleground state during the 2000 election , when al gore and george w. bush both campaigned here and spent money on television ads . seeking to distance himself from bill clinton after his impeachment , gore did n't campaign with the former president and lost arkansas to bush by 5 points . by 2008 , arkansas was seen as so unfriendly to democrats that obama wrote the state off -- even as he won other southern states like north carolina and virginia that republicans carried for decades . before the 2014 election , hillary clinton 's supporters -- many at the grassroots level in arkansas -- would quietly talk about the former first lady 's chances of competing and winning arkansas in 2016 . they touted her standing with white women and working class voters . but after election day , those optimistic democrats are harder to find . limited , ' said vincent insalaco , the chair of the arkansas democratic party , when asked about hillary clinton 's chances of winning the state . it is limited here in arkansas . ' i think she could run a strong race here , but i think the electorate has changed , ' said clarke tucker , a newly elected democratic state representative . the state has changed . ' hillary clinton moved to arkansas in 1974 , joining her soon-to-be husband , bill , who was already a rising political star in the state . the couple would go on to dominate the state 's politics for the better part of two decades and left a long list of confidants -- known as fobs or friends of bill -- in key democratic positions across the state . but times have changed . republican power bases in northwest arkansas have grown , religious conservatives are a powerful voting bloc and the state 's latino population has yet to become a force at the ballot box . arkansas is a real demographic nightmare for democrats , ' said andrew dowdle , the vice chair of political science at the university of arkansas . it is a complete reversal of fortunes . ' all of this complicates the idea that hillary clinton could win arkansas in 2016 . during the 2008 primary , hillary clinton dominated obama , winning 70 % of the state , her largest victory during that year 's primary fight . that was the only time she has been on the ballot in the state , however , and was a contest with just democratic voters . the 2014 exit polls in arkansas were n't positive for hillary clinton , either . thirty-nine percent of voters said she would make a good president , according to the exit polls . fifty-six percent said she would not . those same exit polls found that former gop arkansas gov . mike huckabee , who is also considering a 2016 run , is seen as a better presidential option in the state than hillary clinton . fifty percent of voters in arkansas said he would be a good president , compared to 46 % who said he would n't . with the former first lady eyeing another run at the presidency in 2016 , democrats and arkansas experts said that while she would easily win the democratic primary , she would struggle mightily to overcome what has become a changed state . democrats in arkansas blame obama -- not the clintons -- for their losses . one reason beebe , the outgoing governor , sees things getting better for democrats in 2016 and beyond is because obama will be gone . ' i think it is all obama , ' beebe said . i do n't think there is any question that most folks feel like it was a repudiation of the president and the president 's policies . but i think it is cyclical and the reason i say that is if you look at the history . ' democrats are looking at what can she do different from barack obama , ' said dowdle . if you are a democratic party activist , you would end up hoping she would win white women . ... that idea that a woman candidate could end up running and making the gap grow is not going to happen . ' exit polls show that beebe is partly right : nearly 70 % of voters in arkansas said they disapprove of obama . only 30 % said they were satisfied with him . for inalasco , 2016 -- and a hillary clinton run - is a moment to rebuild . i would hope that she would carry arkansas , ' he said , rejecting the idea that democrats are done in the state . but if she runs it is so , so positive for us on the local level , here , for what we can do with her popularity . ' as for whether the clinton magic is gone in arkansas , inalasco deferred his answer for two years . i guess , ' he said , we will see what happens in 2016 , wo n't we ? ' | but arkansas might not be friendly to clinton if she runs for president |
clinton <tsp> little rock , arkansas ( cnn ) this state launched the clinton brand two decades ago and handed hillary clinton one of the biggest victories of her 2008 primary battle against barack obama . but as she considers another bid for the white house in 2016 , arkansas is n't so friendly . in the final weeks of the 2014 election , top democrats in arkansas told hillary clinton and her associates that she was n't welcome to stump for the party 's candidates in the state , according to a knowledgeable source . while there were some in arkansas who wanted her to come , the stay away ' contingent won the argument and hillary clinton was left to raise money for sen. mark pryor from new york . bill clinton made up for the absence , making 13 stops in the state during campaign season imploring voters to not make the election a repudiation of president barack obama . still , democrats across arkansas lost big . the governor 's mansion flipped red , along with pryor 's senate seat . the state 's four-member house delegation is solidly republican . the rout was part of a broader repudiation of democrats across the south this election cycle . but the results in arkansas were particularly tough for the clintons and raise questions about whether the state most associated with the couple is no longer welcome territory ahead of hillary clinton 's potential 2016 race . the coattails were short , ' outgoing democratic gov . mike beebe told cnn . it is a fact . ' bill clinton handily won arkansas during both of his presidential elections . but the politics of the south changed during his time in office as many states were increasingly dominated by republicans . arkansas was a genuine battleground state during the 2000 election , when al gore and george w. bush both campaigned here and spent money on television ads . seeking to distance himself from bill clinton after his impeachment , gore did n't campaign with the former president and lost arkansas to bush by 5 points . by 2008 , arkansas was seen as so unfriendly to democrats that obama wrote the state off -- even as he won other southern states like north carolina and virginia that republicans carried for decades . before the 2014 election , hillary clinton 's supporters -- many at the grassroots level in arkansas -- would quietly talk about the former first lady 's chances of competing and winning arkansas in 2016 . they touted her standing with white women and working class voters . but after election day , those optimistic democrats are harder to find . limited , ' said vincent insalaco , the chair of the arkansas democratic party , when asked about hillary clinton 's chances of winning the state . it is limited here in arkansas . ' i think she could run a strong race here , but i think the electorate has changed , ' said clarke tucker , a newly elected democratic state representative . the state has changed . ' hillary clinton moved to arkansas in 1974 , joining her soon-to-be husband , bill , who was already a rising political star in the state . the couple would go on to dominate the state 's politics for the better part of two decades and left a long list of confidants -- known as fobs or friends of bill -- in key democratic positions across the state . but times have changed . republican power bases in northwest arkansas have grown , religious conservatives are a powerful voting bloc and the state 's latino population has yet to become a force at the ballot box . arkansas is a real demographic nightmare for democrats , ' said andrew dowdle , the vice chair of political science at the university of arkansas . it is a complete reversal of fortunes . ' all of this complicates the idea that hillary clinton could win arkansas in 2016 . during the 2008 primary , hillary clinton dominated obama , winning 70 % of the state , her largest victory during that year 's primary fight . that was the only time she has been on the ballot in the state , however , and was a contest with just democratic voters . the 2014 exit polls in arkansas were n't positive for hillary clinton , either . thirty-nine percent of voters said she would make a good president , according to the exit polls . fifty-six percent said she would not . those same exit polls found that former gop arkansas gov . mike huckabee , who is also considering a 2016 run , is seen as a better presidential option in the state than hillary clinton . fifty percent of voters in arkansas said he would be a good president , compared to 46 % who said he would n't . with the former first lady eyeing another run at the presidency in 2016 , democrats and arkansas experts said that while she would easily win the democratic primary , she would struggle mightily to overcome what has become a changed state . democrats in arkansas blame obama -- not the clintons -- for their losses . one reason beebe , the outgoing governor , sees things getting better for democrats in 2016 and beyond is because obama will be gone . ' i think it is all obama , ' beebe said . i do n't think there is any question that most folks feel like it was a repudiation of the president and the president 's policies . but i think it is cyclical and the reason i say that is if you look at the history . ' democrats are looking at what can she do different from barack obama , ' said dowdle . if you are a democratic party activist , you would end up hoping she would win white women . ... that idea that a woman candidate could end up running and making the gap grow is not going to happen . ' exit polls show that beebe is partly right : nearly 70 % of voters in arkansas said they disapprove of obama . only 30 % said they were satisfied with him . for inalasco , 2016 -- and a hillary clinton run - is a moment to rebuild . i would hope that she would carry arkansas , ' he said , rejecting the idea that democrats are done in the state . but if she runs it is so , so positive for us on the local level , here , for what we can do with her popularity . ' as for whether the clinton magic is gone in arkansas , inalasco deferred his answer for two years . i guess , ' he said , we will see what happens in 2016 , wo n't we ? ' | hillary clinton is the former first lady of arkansas |
clinton <tsp> little rock , arkansas ( cnn ) this state launched the clinton brand two decades ago and handed hillary clinton one of the biggest victories of her 2008 primary battle against barack obama . but as she considers another bid for the white house in 2016 , arkansas is n't so friendly . in the final weeks of the 2014 election , top democrats in arkansas told hillary clinton and her associates that she was n't welcome to stump for the party 's candidates in the state , according to a knowledgeable source . while there were some in arkansas who wanted her to come , the stay away ' contingent won the argument and hillary clinton was left to raise money for sen. mark pryor from new york . bill clinton made up for the absence , making 13 stops in the state during campaign season imploring voters to not make the election a repudiation of president barack obama . still , democrats across arkansas lost big . the governor 's mansion flipped red , along with pryor 's senate seat . the state 's four-member house delegation is solidly republican . the rout was part of a broader repudiation of democrats across the south this election cycle . but the results in arkansas were particularly tough for the clintons and raise questions about whether the state most associated with the couple is no longer welcome territory ahead of hillary clinton 's potential 2016 race . the coattails were short , ' outgoing democratic gov . mike beebe told cnn . it is a fact . ' bill clinton handily won arkansas during both of his presidential elections . but the politics of the south changed during his time in office as many states were increasingly dominated by republicans . arkansas was a genuine battleground state during the 2000 election , when al gore and george w. bush both campaigned here and spent money on television ads . seeking to distance himself from bill clinton after his impeachment , gore did n't campaign with the former president and lost arkansas to bush by 5 points . by 2008 , arkansas was seen as so unfriendly to democrats that obama wrote the state off -- even as he won other southern states like north carolina and virginia that republicans carried for decades . before the 2014 election , hillary clinton 's supporters -- many at the grassroots level in arkansas -- would quietly talk about the former first lady 's chances of competing and winning arkansas in 2016 . they touted her standing with white women and working class voters . but after election day , those optimistic democrats are harder to find . limited , ' said vincent insalaco , the chair of the arkansas democratic party , when asked about hillary clinton 's chances of winning the state . it is limited here in arkansas . ' i think she could run a strong race here , but i think the electorate has changed , ' said clarke tucker , a newly elected democratic state representative . the state has changed . ' hillary clinton moved to arkansas in 1974 , joining her soon-to-be husband , bill , who was already a rising political star in the state . the couple would go on to dominate the state 's politics for the better part of two decades and left a long list of confidants -- known as fobs or friends of bill -- in key democratic positions across the state . but times have changed . republican power bases in northwest arkansas have grown , religious conservatives are a powerful voting bloc and the state 's latino population has yet to become a force at the ballot box . arkansas is a real demographic nightmare for democrats , ' said andrew dowdle , the vice chair of political science at the university of arkansas . it is a complete reversal of fortunes . ' all of this complicates the idea that hillary clinton could win arkansas in 2016 . during the 2008 primary , hillary clinton dominated obama , winning 70 % of the state , her largest victory during that year 's primary fight . that was the only time she has been on the ballot in the state , however , and was a contest with just democratic voters . the 2014 exit polls in arkansas were n't positive for hillary clinton , either . thirty-nine percent of voters said she would make a good president , according to the exit polls . fifty-six percent said she would not . those same exit polls found that former gop arkansas gov . mike huckabee , who is also considering a 2016 run , is seen as a better presidential option in the state than hillary clinton . fifty percent of voters in arkansas said he would be a good president , compared to 46 % who said he would n't . with the former first lady eyeing another run at the presidency in 2016 , democrats and arkansas experts said that while she would easily win the democratic primary , she would struggle mightily to overcome what has become a changed state . democrats in arkansas blame obama -- not the clintons -- for their losses . one reason beebe , the outgoing governor , sees things getting better for democrats in 2016 and beyond is because obama will be gone . ' i think it is all obama , ' beebe said . i do n't think there is any question that most folks feel like it was a repudiation of the president and the president 's policies . but i think it is cyclical and the reason i say that is if you look at the history . ' democrats are looking at what can she do different from barack obama , ' said dowdle . if you are a democratic party activist , you would end up hoping she would win white women . ... that idea that a woman candidate could end up running and making the gap grow is not going to happen . ' exit polls show that beebe is partly right : nearly 70 % of voters in arkansas said they disapprove of obama . only 30 % said they were satisfied with him . for inalasco , 2016 -- and a hillary clinton run - is a moment to rebuild . i would hope that she would carry arkansas , ' he said , rejecting the idea that democrats are done in the state . but if she runs it is so , so positive for us on the local level , here , for what we can do with her popularity . ' as for whether the clinton magic is gone in arkansas , inalasco deferred his answer for two years . i guess , ' he said , we will see what happens in 2016 , wo n't we ? ' | clinton 's challenge reflects broader political changes in the south |
europe <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- we live in a three-speed economic world , according to the international monetary fund . nations that enjoy the fastest growth include china , india and other emerging countries . moving at a moderate pace are the united states , finally seeing the light at the end of the 2008 financial crisis tunnel , and japan , riding a resurgence thanks to prime minister shinzo abe 's vow for a 2 % inflation target . but economic growth across most of europe is still growing at a crawl . earlier this month , imf managing director christine lagarde , said this current three-speed world is setting up financial imbalances that could pave the way for future crises . and just this week , against this backdrop of divergent growth rates , the imf cut world economic growth for 2013 from 3.5 % to 3.3 % . but olivier blanchard , imf chief economist , told cnn 's richard quest that there is reason to be hopeful . the reason to be optimistic is to look at what has happened in the u.s. for a while , the question was'where is growth going to come from ?'. and what you see is nearly 100 flowers blooming , ' blanchard said . people are becoming more optimistic . the fact that there was no housing construction means that we do n't have enough houses , so housing is doing well . monetary policy is aggressive . people believe it . banks are improving . ' a recent report by case-shiller says u.s. home prices are slowly returning to normal , with a prediction that average home prices will rise an average of 3.3 % through september 2017 . u.s unemployment fell to 7.6 % in march , its lowest since december 2008 , although much of the fall that month was attributed to attrition in the number of people looking for jobs . the question , adds blanchard , is how europe can stage a u.s.-style recovery despite a crisis in confidence across much of the continent . record unemployment in the eurozone -- at 12 % in february -- means about 19 million people are jobless . nearly one in four of those unemployed are under 25 . if you look in europe -- in particular core europe -- what you see is people do n't have any hope and so what they do is they do n't spend , and firms do n't invest and banks do n't lend , ' said blanchard . and it just feeds on itself . now if they had confidence , they would spend more , firms would invest more , banks would do more and we could have growth . it can happen but the point is how do we make it happen ? ' blanchard says the only tool that remains is monetary policy -- a cut to interest rates . yet , despite warnings from imf chief christine lagarde and prominent american economist nouriel roubini , the european central bank has left rates unchanged since july 2012 , with the benchmark rate standing pat at 0.75 % . we have to use all the tools we have , ' said blanchard . the tool which remains is monetary policy . has it gone too far ? i do n't think it 's too far . there are some risks associated ... but my sense is the benefits far exceed the risks or the cost . ' | imf chief economist still hopeful , says best tool for europe is monetary policy |
europe <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- we live in a three-speed economic world , according to the international monetary fund . nations that enjoy the fastest growth include china , india and other emerging countries . moving at a moderate pace are the united states , finally seeing the light at the end of the 2008 financial crisis tunnel , and japan , riding a resurgence thanks to prime minister shinzo abe 's vow for a 2 % inflation target . but economic growth across most of europe is still growing at a crawl . earlier this month , imf managing director christine lagarde , said this current three-speed world is setting up financial imbalances that could pave the way for future crises . and just this week , against this backdrop of divergent growth rates , the imf cut world economic growth for 2013 from 3.5 % to 3.3 % . but olivier blanchard , imf chief economist , told cnn 's richard quest that there is reason to be hopeful . the reason to be optimistic is to look at what has happened in the u.s. for a while , the question was'where is growth going to come from ?'. and what you see is nearly 100 flowers blooming , ' blanchard said . people are becoming more optimistic . the fact that there was no housing construction means that we do n't have enough houses , so housing is doing well . monetary policy is aggressive . people believe it . banks are improving . ' a recent report by case-shiller says u.s. home prices are slowly returning to normal , with a prediction that average home prices will rise an average of 3.3 % through september 2017 . u.s unemployment fell to 7.6 % in march , its lowest since december 2008 , although much of the fall that month was attributed to attrition in the number of people looking for jobs . the question , adds blanchard , is how europe can stage a u.s.-style recovery despite a crisis in confidence across much of the continent . record unemployment in the eurozone -- at 12 % in february -- means about 19 million people are jobless . nearly one in four of those unemployed are under 25 . if you look in europe -- in particular core europe -- what you see is people do n't have any hope and so what they do is they do n't spend , and firms do n't invest and banks do n't lend , ' said blanchard . and it just feeds on itself . now if they had confidence , they would spend more , firms would invest more , banks would do more and we could have growth . it can happen but the point is how do we make it happen ? ' blanchard says the only tool that remains is monetary policy -- a cut to interest rates . yet , despite warnings from imf chief christine lagarde and prominent american economist nouriel roubini , the european central bank has left rates unchanged since july 2012 , with the benchmark rate standing pat at 0.75 % . we have to use all the tools we have , ' said blanchard . the tool which remains is monetary policy . has it gone too far ? i do n't think it 's too far . there are some risks associated ... but my sense is the benefits far exceed the risks or the cost . ' | china , india growing fastest , u.s. and japan have moderate growth , europe slowest |
loma prieta <tsp> ( cnn ) -- millions of californians will duck for cover thursday morning in one of the largest earthquake drills in the world . elementary school students in burbank , california , take part in last year 's earthquake drill . the great california shakeout ' will kick off at 10:15 a.m. at schools , museums , fire stations and other sites across the state . more than 6 million people have registered to take part in the drill , sponsored by various state agencies . about 5.5 million californians participated in last year 's drill , organizers said . ireport.com : are you taking part in california 's earthquake drill ? senior citizens at the vallecito mobile home park in ventura county were among last year 's participants . they took cover for three minutes and some pretended to be injured so emergency workers could practice safety procedures . this year 's participants also can watch an animated video that shows how much damage a magnitude 7.8 earthquake can cause . ireport.com : museum undergoes fake quake ' drill thursday 's event comes two days before the 20th anniversary of the loma prieta earthquake . the magnitude 6.9 quake rocked northern california in 1989 , killing dozens , collapsing a 50-foot section of the san francisco-oakland bay bridge , damaging thousands of homes , and interrupting baseball 's world series . | event comes near 20th anniversary of loma prieta quake |
mass <tsp> rome ( cnn ) -- pope francis will officially be inaugurated tuesday as the leader of the world 's 1.2-billion member catholic church . here 's what will happen at and around the installation mass : 8:45-8:50 a.m. ( 3:45-3:50 a.m . et ) pope francis leaves the santa marta residence , where cardinals stayed for the conclave and where he is living until the papal apartments are ready . he travels to st peter 's square , where the inauguration mass will take place . about 9:30 a.m. ( 4:30 a.m . et ) the pope arrives at st peter 's square sacristy ( the steps area ) . he will enter st peter 's basilica . he will visit st. peter 's tomb inside st. peter 's basilica . he will be accompanied by the patriarchs of catholic oriental churches , for a total of 10 people . the pope will pray there . in the tomb , deacons of the church will collect two symbols of the papacy -- the fisherman 's ring and the pallium . from the tomb , the pope and cardinals will go in procession through the basilica and into the square , accompanied by the processional chant laudes regiae . ' ( christ is king ' ) the deacons will carry the ring and pallium into st. peter 's square . catholic tradition holds that st. peter was martyred in the square , which was nero 's circus . before the mass starts , cardinal jean-louis tauran -- the protodeacon who announced the name of the new pope after white smoke last week -- ceremonially presents pope francis with the pallium . cardinal godfried danneels -- the second-ranking cardinal among cardinal deacons , known as the protopriest -- d elivers a prayer . cardinal angelo sodano , the dean of the college of cardinals , gives the fisherman 's ring to pope francis . six cardinals representing the college of cardinals ( 2 cardinals per order ) take the pledge of obedience . about 10:00 a.m. ( 5 a.m . et ) inauguration mass begins . it will be the mass for st. joseph 's day ( officially called the solemnity of st. joseph ) . the gospel reading will be in greek . five hundred priests will hand out communion in st. peter 's square and in via conciliazione ( the road leading straight out from the vatican towards the castel sant'angelo liveshot location . ) the pope will have 180 co-celebrants for the mass including all the cardinals still in rome ( electors and non ) , the patriarchs , and also two priests : the jesuit superior general and the franciscan order superior general . the pope will give his homily in italian and , as is his style , it probably will not follow the written text strictly , but will contain improvisations . 11:30 a.m. ( 6:30 a.m . et ) the mass is expected to wrap up . te deum ' is to be sung at the conclusion . after 11:30 a.m. ( 6:30 a.m . et ) after the the mass , the pope will return to the basilica and remove his vestment at the altar of the pieta . he will proceed at main altar where he 'll receive dignitaries and heads of state . | the outdoor mass begins afterward and is the mass of st. joseph |
mass <tsp> rome ( cnn ) -- pope francis will officially be inaugurated tuesday as the leader of the world 's 1.2-billion member catholic church . here 's what will happen at and around the installation mass : 8:45-8:50 a.m. ( 3:45-3:50 a.m . et ) pope francis leaves the santa marta residence , where cardinals stayed for the conclave and where he is living until the papal apartments are ready . he travels to st peter 's square , where the inauguration mass will take place . about 9:30 a.m. ( 4:30 a.m . et ) the pope arrives at st peter 's square sacristy ( the steps area ) . he will enter st peter 's basilica . he will visit st. peter 's tomb inside st. peter 's basilica . he will be accompanied by the patriarchs of catholic oriental churches , for a total of 10 people . the pope will pray there . in the tomb , deacons of the church will collect two symbols of the papacy -- the fisherman 's ring and the pallium . from the tomb , the pope and cardinals will go in procession through the basilica and into the square , accompanied by the processional chant laudes regiae . ' ( christ is king ' ) the deacons will carry the ring and pallium into st. peter 's square . catholic tradition holds that st. peter was martyred in the square , which was nero 's circus . before the mass starts , cardinal jean-louis tauran -- the protodeacon who announced the name of the new pope after white smoke last week -- ceremonially presents pope francis with the pallium . cardinal godfried danneels -- the second-ranking cardinal among cardinal deacons , known as the protopriest -- d elivers a prayer . cardinal angelo sodano , the dean of the college of cardinals , gives the fisherman 's ring to pope francis . six cardinals representing the college of cardinals ( 2 cardinals per order ) take the pledge of obedience . about 10:00 a.m. ( 5 a.m . et ) inauguration mass begins . it will be the mass for st. joseph 's day ( officially called the solemnity of st. joseph ) . the gospel reading will be in greek . five hundred priests will hand out communion in st. peter 's square and in via conciliazione ( the road leading straight out from the vatican towards the castel sant'angelo liveshot location . ) the pope will have 180 co-celebrants for the mass including all the cardinals still in rome ( electors and non ) , the patriarchs , and also two priests : the jesuit superior general and the franciscan order superior general . the pope will give his homily in italian and , as is his style , it probably will not follow the written text strictly , but will contain improvisations . 11:30 a.m. ( 6:30 a.m . et ) the mass is expected to wrap up . te deum ' is to be sung at the conclusion . after 11:30 a.m. ( 6:30 a.m . et ) after the the mass , the pope will return to the basilica and remove his vestment at the altar of the pieta . he will proceed at main altar where he 'll receive dignitaries and heads of state . | the mass will be held in the square , but he goes inside the basilica for some ceremonies |
secret service <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- julia pierson became the first female director of the u.s. secret service in march 2013 , tapped to change the culture of an agency that was then marred by a colombian prostitution scandal . eighteen months later , she 's been ousted as the agency faces a harsh new round of criticism . homeland security secretary jeh johnson said wednesday that he had accepted pierson 's resignation -- and that he is appointing an independent panel to investigate a sept. 19 incident that saw omar gonzalez run deep inside the white house , carrying a knife , before secret service agents tackled him . related : secret service julia pierson resigns ' i think it 's in the best interest of the secret service and the american public if i step down , ' pierson told bloomberg news after resigning wednesday . congress has lost confidence in my ability to run the agency . the media has made it clear that this is what they expected . ' i can be pretty stoic about it , but not really , ' she reportedly said . it 's painful to leave as the agency is reeling from a significant security breach . ' pierson 's resignation marks the end of a 30-year career with the secret service that included stints on the protective details of presidents george h.w . bush , bill clinton and george w. bush . pierson became the secret service 's chief of staff in 2008 , according to her official bio . she had been the assistant director of the office of human resources and training , and held the title of deputy assistant director in the office of protective operations and the office of administration . pierson started her career in law enforcement as a police officer in orlando . she joined the secret service in 1983 , working in the miami and orlando field offices . her appointment came after the resignation of mark sullivan , who retired the year after 13 secret service employees were caught in a scandal over prostitutes who were brought to a colombian hotel where they were staying as they prepared for an obama trip to the area . i 'm disappointed that i did n't have an opportunity to implement structural and operational changes in the agency , ' pierson told bloomberg news . i had a vision for the future . it 's 31 years of service and a firm understanding of the organization . ' obama called pierson on wednesday to express his appreciation for her service to the agency and to the country , ' white house press secretary josh earnest said . she dedicated more than 30 years of her life to the united states secret services and to the important work that they do over there , ' earnest said , commending pierson for spending several hours in front of the cameras ' in tuesday 's house hearing . in the context of that interaction , she took responsibility for the shortcomings of the agency that she led and she took responsibility for fixing them , ' he said . that quite simply is a testament to her professionalism and her character . ' lawmakers who had criticized the secret service 's performance in a hearing tuesday said her departure was the right move . as i told ms. pierson in our phone call earlier today , we appreciate her thirty years of service to our nation , to the secret service , and to multiple presidents , ' said rep. elijah cummings , the top democrat on the house oversight committee , who had called for pierson 's ouster earlier wednesday . i absolutely respect her decision , and now we have to ensure that we focus on the difficult work of fully restoring the secret service to its rightful status as the most elite protective service in the world , ' he said . rep. jason chaffetz ( r-utah ) told cnn that pierson 's performance in tuesday 's hearing did n't inspire any confidence . ' those of us that were sitting in that room in a bipartisan way i think left with less confidence in her rather than more , ' he said . it was not a good showing . ' house oversight committee chairman darrell issa ( r-calif. ) said his panel will continue to investigate the agency . problems at the secret service pre-date ms. pierson 's tenure as director , and her resignation certainly does not resolve them , ' he said . | her resignation ends a 30-year career with the secret service . |
secret service <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- julia pierson became the first female director of the u.s. secret service in march 2013 , tapped to change the culture of an agency that was then marred by a colombian prostitution scandal . eighteen months later , she 's been ousted as the agency faces a harsh new round of criticism . homeland security secretary jeh johnson said wednesday that he had accepted pierson 's resignation -- and that he is appointing an independent panel to investigate a sept. 19 incident that saw omar gonzalez run deep inside the white house , carrying a knife , before secret service agents tackled him . related : secret service julia pierson resigns ' i think it 's in the best interest of the secret service and the american public if i step down , ' pierson told bloomberg news after resigning wednesday . congress has lost confidence in my ability to run the agency . the media has made it clear that this is what they expected . ' i can be pretty stoic about it , but not really , ' she reportedly said . it 's painful to leave as the agency is reeling from a significant security breach . ' pierson 's resignation marks the end of a 30-year career with the secret service that included stints on the protective details of presidents george h.w . bush , bill clinton and george w. bush . pierson became the secret service 's chief of staff in 2008 , according to her official bio . she had been the assistant director of the office of human resources and training , and held the title of deputy assistant director in the office of protective operations and the office of administration . pierson started her career in law enforcement as a police officer in orlando . she joined the secret service in 1983 , working in the miami and orlando field offices . her appointment came after the resignation of mark sullivan , who retired the year after 13 secret service employees were caught in a scandal over prostitutes who were brought to a colombian hotel where they were staying as they prepared for an obama trip to the area . i 'm disappointed that i did n't have an opportunity to implement structural and operational changes in the agency , ' pierson told bloomberg news . i had a vision for the future . it 's 31 years of service and a firm understanding of the organization . ' obama called pierson on wednesday to express his appreciation for her service to the agency and to the country , ' white house press secretary josh earnest said . she dedicated more than 30 years of her life to the united states secret services and to the important work that they do over there , ' earnest said , commending pierson for spending several hours in front of the cameras ' in tuesday 's house hearing . in the context of that interaction , she took responsibility for the shortcomings of the agency that she led and she took responsibility for fixing them , ' he said . that quite simply is a testament to her professionalism and her character . ' lawmakers who had criticized the secret service 's performance in a hearing tuesday said her departure was the right move . as i told ms. pierson in our phone call earlier today , we appreciate her thirty years of service to our nation , to the secret service , and to multiple presidents , ' said rep. elijah cummings , the top democrat on the house oversight committee , who had called for pierson 's ouster earlier wednesday . i absolutely respect her decision , and now we have to ensure that we focus on the difficult work of fully restoring the secret service to its rightful status as the most elite protective service in the world , ' he said . rep. jason chaffetz ( r-utah ) told cnn that pierson 's performance in tuesday 's hearing did n't inspire any confidence . ' those of us that were sitting in that room in a bipartisan way i think left with less confidence in her rather than more , ' he said . it was not a good showing . ' house oversight committee chairman darrell issa ( r-calif. ) said his panel will continue to investigate the agency . problems at the secret service pre-date ms. pierson 's tenure as director , and her resignation certainly does not resolve them , ' he said . | julia pierson was the first female director of the u.s. secret service . |
justice department <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- house democrats told the president monday he wo n't be getting money to close the military detention facility at guantanamo bay , cuba , until he has a concrete program ' for shutting it down and moving its prisoners . a guard talks to a detainee at guantanamo earlier this year . the $ 80 million will be dropped from president obama 's supplemental request for the iraq and afghanistan wars , house appropriations committee chairman rep. david obey told reporters . so far as we can tell , there is yet no concrete program for that , ' said obey , d-wisconsin . and while i do n't mind defending a concrete program , i 'm not much interested in wasting my energy defending a theoretical program . so when they have a plan , they 're welcome to come back and talk to us about it . ' the administration requested $ 50 million for the defense department and $ 30 million for the justice department to close the prison , democratic aides said . republicans have been pounding obama and the democrats over the proposed closure , saying that closing the facility could push detainees into facilities in the united states , making the country less safe . sen. john mccain , obama 's republican rival for the presidency last year , supports closing the facility , and argued for moving the prisoners to the military prison at fort leavenworth in kansas . a democratic leadership aide insisted there is no distance ' between democrats and the white house on closing guantanamo . anticipating the loss of some democratic votes on the supplemental request , democratic leaders hoped to gain some republican support by removing the guantanamo funding , the aide said . brendan daly , spokesman for house speaker nancy pelosi , said the move does not change plans to close the prison . we will work with president obama to achieve our goal of closing guantanamo bay , ' he said . last week , defense secretary robert gates told reporters the justice department was reviewing each of the detainees at guantanamo to determine what to do with them . those discussions have just gotten started , ' he said . there clearly will be a specific plan that comes out of this , but what we 've had to await is the determination , roughly speaking , of about how big a group of people we will be talking about . ' gates said the $ 50 million for his department was intended as a hedge that would allow us to get started if some construction is needed to be able to accommodate those detainees . ' the justice department portion , he said , is to pay for the process of going through these determinations . ' about 240 prisoners remain at the detention facility . the $ 94.2 billion supplemental request will be the last , because obama has put the wars on the budget going forward . democrats added to obama 's requests for addressing the h1n1 flu virus as well as funding to fight the war in afghanistan and assist pakistan 's government . obey said he was very doubtful ' that obama 's policies in those two countries would succeed , but there 's a consensus in the congress to try it . ' some anti-war democrats were pushing to include benchmarks or some strings for money for afghanistan and pakistan , but the bill does not put conditions on any of the money , he said . instead it requires that the president report to congress in a year and address five standards of performance ' outlined in the bill . i would hope it would be a fish or cut bait report , ' obey said . pressed on whether congress would cut off money for operations in the region if signs of progress are n't demonstrated , the wisconsin democrat said it is up to individual members of congress , but added , if it becomes a fool 's errand , i would hope so . ' democrats also added $ 400 million to the administration 's request for mexico for the drug war and surveillance helicopters . the house appropriations committee will vote on the bill thursday , and the house is expected to vote on it next week . cnn 's dana bash and deirdre walsh contributed to this report . | justice department examining what to do with detainees , defense secretary has said |
british <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the windsors , ruling house of the british royal family , have endured world wars , personal tragedies and highly public scandals . in the 20th century , through moments of pain and joy , they provided the british people with a fixture of redoubtable comfort , an unchanging physical constitution in a world fraught with uncertainty . but how will the british royals face their greatest challenge -- maintaining relevance in the 21st century ? the new prince born to catherine , duchess of cambridge , and her husband , prince william , will be a critical part of the answer . it may be true that the royal family remains ingrained at the heart of the british establishment . the title er ( elizabeth regina ) adorns the helmets of british police officers , the laws of parliament still require royal assent and the monarch remains technical head of the uk armed forces . but things change .'wicked'author : royal baby stands for hope next february , queen elizabeth ii will have worn the crown for 62 years . she 's 86 and her public appearances are becoming less frequent . elizabeth 's reign will one day end . and without the princess who won hearts in war and then became a queen in peace , the royals will have to re-win the public 's affection . and they 'll have to do so by navigating a changing british society ; one more socially liberal and less predisposed to tradition . recent history suggests it wo n't be easy . consider the queen 's experience following princess diana 's death in 1997 . facing intense pressure to show personal emotion in the face of a loss that was felt widely , the queen hesitated . public expectations conflicted with her conception of royal purpose , that of a stoic , unmovable figurehead . her inclination was to mourn in private , allowing the politicians to provide the public face of suffering . eventually though , realizing that times had changed , the queen of england bent to the will of her people . she recognized the intrinsic truth of her throne , one that the future king , william , and his son ( the future king ) will also have to grasp : that their royal adornments of power exist subject to the grant of their british subjects . opinion : how to raise a royal baby ultimately , in an era increasingly defined by vigorous social entrepreneurship , institutional relevance is determined less by history , than by a perception of worth . it 's in this sense that change , the ability of the royals to evolve and find sustaining worth , will determine whether they rise or fall . so far , it seems that william gets this . when , on their wedding day , the future king and his wife drove down the mall in an open-topped aston martin , the watching throngs reacted with elation . why such glee ? because the crowds perceived a royal interpretation of cool britannia ; both seemingly natural and delicately informal . a simple act hinting at the prospect of a modern monarchy . representatives to be proud of . this success is crucial . where royals are regarded as living in an overly insulated bubble , major problems arise . just look at the outrage that has followed the recent outing of prince charles'( next in line to the throne ) tax planning . for royalists then , it 's fortunate that the just-born prince defines royal change . he offers a royal family that is both necessarily distant and semi-relatable , an incarnation of royal tradition gelled to social modernity . in short , a prince for the present and a king for the future . but just as he 'll live without worldly want , the prince wo n't be afforded a normal life . opinion : why i would n't want to be royal baby as his parents and uncle have repeatedly found out , the media has little interest in royal privacy , especially for a royal destined to one day become monarch . just as the spotlights of the world fixed on his birth , so too will they follow him in life . that 's the price of modern royalty . and british history has begun its latest chapter . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of tom rogan . | tom rogan : the british royal family is enduring ; can it maintain relevance in 21st century ? |
california <tsp> the majestic trees that line streets across the american south are a beautiful sight most of the year . then there are the weeks when a winter storm hits , and the trees shed ice-laden limbs that crash down on the power lines below . it 's at those times when millions of normally genteel southern voices rise as one to ask , why are n't these & @ $ # * % ! wires underground ? ' in one word : money . how bad will it get ? after a 2002 storm that knocked out electricity to 2 million customers in north carolina , regulators there took a look at what it would cost to bury the three major power companies'overhead lines . the state utilities commission concluded the project would be prohibitively expensive . ' such an undertaking would cost approximately $ 41 billion , nearly six times the net book value of the utilities'current distribution assets , and would require approximately 25 years to complete , ' the report states . customers'rates would have to more than double to pay for the project , the commission'staff found . it 's not the snow , it 's the ice and underground lines are not without their disadvantages , ' they concluded . while more reliable under normal weather conditions , ' they take almost 60 % longer to fix when something does happen to them . underground power lines make up about 18 % of u.s. transmission lines , according to the federal energy information agency . nearly all new residential and commercial developments have underground electric service , the agency said . but it noted that underground power lines cost five to 10 times more than overhead wires , do n't last as long and cost more to replace . stir crazy ? how to stay sane ' buried power lines are protected from the wind , ice and tree damage that are common causes of outages , and so suffer fewer weather or vegetation-related outages , ' it concluded . but buried lines are more vulnerable to flooding , and can still fail due to equipment issues or lightning . ' but there are some places that have decided to go ahead and dig . in anaheim , california , the city is gradually burying its above-ground power lines , a project that dates back to the 1990s . the city added a 4 % surcharge to electric bills to pay for the 50-year project , which costs more than $ 3 million a mile . opinion : why we should bury the power lines | anahiem , california , in middle of 50-year line burying project |
barrymore <tsp> ( instyle ) -- drew barrymore keeps evolving -- from star to producer , and now director . drew barrymore sat down with instyle for its october issue , on newsstands thursday . the 34-year-old actress earned critic 's attention with her uncanny portrayal of little edie ' beale in hbo 's grey gardens , ' and her directorial debut , whip it , ' has been hailed as a success well before it rolls into theaters october 2 . but , at her core , she 's still the irresistible free spirit we all know and love , as she revealed in the october issue of instyle . on being a celebrity ... barrymore said that while she loves her life , there are still moments she battles with being a celebrity . some days i want nothing more than a brilliant mask so i could look like someone else and go wander the streets and be free , ' she said . i 'm very peeved that halloween only comes once a year . ' on exercise ... when it comes to transforming her body for a role , as she did for grey gardens , ' the sunny actress is nothing but dedicated . but in everyday life , barrymore aims for balance and body acceptance . i do n't have the time or discipline or interest in having a perfect-10 body . i work out , i eat right , but i 'll always be a little bit of jell-o on a pole . ' on her relationship with her mom ... barrymore admitted her relationship with her mom is a topic she does n't readily discuss , but the central love story between a girl and her mom in whip it ' caused barrymore to reflect on her relationship . i am ok with my dad , but my mom and i have yet to work it all out , ' she said , adding that she does n't talk about it because how do you talk about something you 're confused about ? ' on girl power ... from charlie 's angels ' to her new all-girl roller derby flick , it 's no secret that barrymore champions female friendships . i like teams -- i like buddies . i do n't understand women who are competitive , apart from positive forums like athletics . one person is a powerful thing , but a tribe is unstoppable . ' on her first fashion faux pas ... barrymore is known for her ever-evolving , ever-eccentric style , but said anything she donned during the e.t . ' era can be labeled as a fashion faux pas . or can it ? velour and taffeta , together ? oh , no , no , no . now i think it 's brilliant . ' on her first broken heart ... barrymore recently broke up with the strokes'drummer fabrizio moretti , and called the five-year relationship one of the most important in her life . but when it comes to her first broke heart , barrymore said it was her first big boyfriend , jamie walters . ' read the full interview with barrymore in the october issue of instyle , on newsstands thursday . get a free trial issue of instyle - click here ! copyright © 2009 time inc. all rights reserved . | drew barrymore talked first boyfriends , fashion and girl power in october 's instyle |
barrymore <tsp> ( instyle ) -- drew barrymore keeps evolving -- from star to producer , and now director . drew barrymore sat down with instyle for its october issue , on newsstands thursday . the 34-year-old actress earned critic 's attention with her uncanny portrayal of little edie ' beale in hbo 's grey gardens , ' and her directorial debut , whip it , ' has been hailed as a success well before it rolls into theaters october 2 . but , at her core , she 's still the irresistible free spirit we all know and love , as she revealed in the october issue of instyle . on being a celebrity ... barrymore said that while she loves her life , there are still moments she battles with being a celebrity . some days i want nothing more than a brilliant mask so i could look like someone else and go wander the streets and be free , ' she said . i 'm very peeved that halloween only comes once a year . ' on exercise ... when it comes to transforming her body for a role , as she did for grey gardens , ' the sunny actress is nothing but dedicated . but in everyday life , barrymore aims for balance and body acceptance . i do n't have the time or discipline or interest in having a perfect-10 body . i work out , i eat right , but i 'll always be a little bit of jell-o on a pole . ' on her relationship with her mom ... barrymore admitted her relationship with her mom is a topic she does n't readily discuss , but the central love story between a girl and her mom in whip it ' caused barrymore to reflect on her relationship . i am ok with my dad , but my mom and i have yet to work it all out , ' she said , adding that she does n't talk about it because how do you talk about something you 're confused about ? ' on girl power ... from charlie 's angels ' to her new all-girl roller derby flick , it 's no secret that barrymore champions female friendships . i like teams -- i like buddies . i do n't understand women who are competitive , apart from positive forums like athletics . one person is a powerful thing , but a tribe is unstoppable . ' on her first fashion faux pas ... barrymore is known for her ever-evolving , ever-eccentric style , but said anything she donned during the e.t . ' era can be labeled as a fashion faux pas . or can it ? velour and taffeta , together ? oh , no , no , no . now i think it 's brilliant . ' on her first broken heart ... barrymore recently broke up with the strokes'drummer fabrizio moretti , and called the five-year relationship one of the most important in her life . but when it comes to her first broke heart , barrymore said it was her first big boyfriend , jamie walters . ' read the full interview with barrymore in the october issue of instyle , on newsstands thursday . get a free trial issue of instyle - click here ! copyright © 2009 time inc. all rights reserved . | barrymore admitted that her relationship with her mother is hard for her to talk about |
tunisia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the turmoil that 's roiled arab states from tunisia to yemen is also creating a headache for those entrusted with reviving economies hard hit by rising energy and food prices , growing public debt and the prospect of more expensive borrowing on the international markets . since mid-january , credit rating agencies such as moody 's have downgraded the sovereign debt of tunisia , jordan and egypt . on tuesday moody 's changed the outlook on jordan 's foreign currency bonds to negative from stable , citing fiscal and economic downside risks related to ongoing turmoil in the region following events in tunisia and egypt . ' moody 's said that jordanian protesters could use the regional uprisings as an opportunity to express their discontent about high unemployment and the lack of development for low-income groups . ' standard & poor 's , another major credit rating agency , made a similar move . jordanian officials are not happy with the downgrade , arguing that their public finances are sound -- jordan 's foreign currency reserves actually rose last year and stand at about $ 12 billion -- and that the economy may grow as much as 6 % in 2011 . protests there have been largely peaceful and far smaller than in egypt and tunisia . but after pledging to cut the budget deficit , the government reversed course in january with a package of subsidies and salary increases amounting to some $ 600 million , to compensate for higher prices . international bond markets are wary that governments may try to buy their way ' out of trouble , in the words of one analyst . it is a potentially toxic cycle , according to regional economists . egypt and tunisia have already suffered a loss of tourism revenue in peak season , while record-high grain prices and a surge in the price of crude oil have fueled inflation . jordan imports 90 per cent of its oil , and faces disruption to its gas supplies after an explosion at a pipeline in egypt last week . like jordan , egypt has opted to spend more on subsidies for the poor . the recent street protests , now in their third week , have led stores , businesses , the stock market and banks to close -- a further cost . until the protests erupted , egypt had a positive reputation in the international debt markets -- with attractive interest rates for investors , banks that had avoided high-risk investments , a manageable budget deficit and low overall sovereign debt . like jordan , it was working to cut its budget deficit . but markets abhor uncertainty and the government 's cost of borrowing has risen sharply since the protest movement erupted -- although it has fallen back slightly in recent days . earlier this week , the egyptian central bank intervened to support the pound against the dollar , spending precious foreign currency in the process . and before the egyptian stock market closed , some $ 5 billion was wiped off the value of egyptian stocks in just two days . in addition , government wages and pensions in egypt have been increased 15 per cent . credit strategists say any labor unrest -- especially at the suez canal where a strike began among service workers wednesday -- would put egypt 's finances under further pressure . shipping has so far been unaffected by the labor action . market commentators say that international investors are already avoiding egyptian treasury auctions -- another is due next week -- meaning local banks are expected to pick up the slack . one former jordanian official told cnn that he hoped the country 's vulnerable economic state and its value to the united states as a reliable pro-western ally would prompt greater financial support from washington . last year , foreign grants -- mainly from the united states and saudi arabia -- totaled more than $ 400 million . but there is pressure on the u.s. federal budget too . | credit rating agencies have downgraded the debt of tunisia , jordan and egypt |
congress <tsp> ( cnn ) -- does john edwards deserve to go to prison ? the jury has decided , and he 's walking . whatever we may think of the edwards trial , one thing is certain : the prosecution was a ridiculous waste of taxpayer money on a non-crime . who cares if a billionaire wants to give a multimillionaire some money to hide his mistress ( who pays taxes on the gift ) ? the prosecution of edwards was never so much about edwards as it was about george holding . wait -- who is george holding ? and why should we care ? after winning a recent primary , holding is likely the next congressman in the 13th district of north carolina . he initiated the prosecution against edwards while he was a u.s. attorney . but he did n't argue the case in court . instead , after receiving a year 's worth of headlines ( and republican praise ) for charging edwards , holding resigned from the case to run for congress . maybe holding understood the weakness of the case , which rested upon edwards'failure to report the money billionaire heiress bunny mellon and another wealthy donor gave to him to help hide his mistress . the problem is that if edwards had reported contributions and then used them for personal expenses , he would have been guilty of a crime , since the federal election commission bars spending official campaign funds on personal expenses . therefore , according to holding , edwards was damned if he did , and damned if he did n't . to prove his case , holding had to show that edwards knowingly broke the law . but if neglecting to report the gifts as campaign contributions constituted a crime , yet reporting such gifts as contributions would violate existing law ( by implying that edwards converted contributions to personal use ) , then it is impossible to prove edwards knew he was breaking the law , which would be necessary for a conviction . that 's not very good legal reasoning on which to rest a case -- especially a case unlike any other that had been successfully tried . and since holding had access to all the available evidence and knew that no witness and no recordings would suggest that edwards knew he was breaking the law , it is difficult to see how holding thought he might win , other than hoping that jurors disliked edwards so much they would convict him . or maybe holding was n't all that concerned with the legal reasoning . perhaps he realized that , win or lose , he 'd already gotten enough mileage from the case to realize his political ambitions . by the time he indicted edwards , the well-connected holding knew that the newly republican state legislature had drawn a safe district he could win , if only he could get out of the primary . and what better way to appeal to republican diehards than prosecuting the smarmy , liberal trial lawyer john edwards ? holding certainly received his reward last month when he won his congressional primary . the public generally associates politicians with the pursuit of ambition and power . too often , investigators act from similar motives . law enforcement officials seek to justify long , expensive investigations into high-profile targets by stretching the law to win convictions and mount the biggest scalps on their walls . the former head of the st. louis fbi who investigated me for a campaign finance violation years ago said of his job : i love the chase . [ it ] was fantastic . it was me against them . and the smarter they were , the richer they were , the more i enjoyed catching them . ' but justice is n't about investigators'adrenaline rushes or personal advancement . it 's about the common good . if the central goal of prosecuting corrupt ' public figures is to remove them from public life , then the edwards prosecution is a clear case of overkill . he is a walking punch line , unfit to run for dog catcher . why should prosecutors spend millions of dollars and years of time targeting him with novel legal theories ? i am familiar with edwards'predicament . during my 2004 congressional campaign in missouri , i approved a meeting between two aides and a man who wanted to send out a postcard highlighting my opponent 's dismal attendance record in the state house . in the immediate aftermath , our campaign denied any involvement in the mailing , and then when faced with a federal election commission complaint which gave us a chance to come clean , we maintained our denial . five years later , through an unlikely set of circumstances culminating in my best friend 's wiretap , i ended up in prison for a year . as a current taxpayer who spent a year loading trucks at a prison warehouse , eating food for which you , dear reader , paid , i can tell you two things . first , i did not want to pay to house , feed and clothe multimillionaire lawyer john edwards . second , the only person in this sordid mess whom prosecutors should have considered indicting is someone who was already granted immunity . that 's right , andrew young , who defrauded the 99-year-old bunny mellon by siphoning ( or , more precisely , stealing ) hundreds of thousands of dollars to build his dream house . of course , prosecuting young would n't have gotten george holding all the publicity that prosecuting john edwards did , and it definitely would n't have gotten him to congress . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of jeff smith . | smith : prosecution of edwards was really about george holding , who will be in congress |
west africa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- dr. kent brantly had stared death in the face many times , doing all he could against frightful odds to save ebola victims in west africa . until death stared back . in his first extensive on-camera interview since contracting the virus , brantly recalled to nbc news on tuesday how close he had come to being one more of the over 1,500 people the world health organization says have lost their lives to ebola in the current outbreak . doctors never told him outright he might not survive as he lay in a bed in liberia , an ocean away from his family . they did n't have to . i felt like i was about to die , ' brantly told nbc 's matt lauer . and i said to the nurse taking care of me ,'i 'm sick . i have no reserve , and i do n't know how long i can keep this up .'' | dr. kent brantly went to west africa to work for a christian relief organization |
gop <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- republicans are doomed in 2016 if they again nominate a candidate like mitt romney or john mccain , sen. ted cruz said thursday . cruz , a tea party favorite who is considering a presidential bid , said his party needs to nominate a strong conservative ' to win back the white house in 2016 . if not , hillary clinton will be president , he said in an interview on cnbc . when asked if former florida gov . jeb bush is too far to the left to fit the conservative bill , the junior senator from texas said he is a fan of jeb bush 's ' but added that we need to learn from history . ' we need to look to history and what works and what does n't and the one thing is clear is if republicans run another candidate in the mold of a bob dole , or a john mccain , or a mitt romney †” and let me be clear , all three of those are good , honorable men . they 're decent men . they 're patriots , ' cruz said . but if we run another candidate in the mold of a bob dole , or a john mccain , or mitt romney , we will end up with the same result , which is millions of people will stay home on election day . ' and if we run another candidate like that , hillary clinton will be president , ' cruz said . it 's not the first time cruz has criticized dole , mccain and romney 's candidacies . just this spring at the conservative political action conference cruz pointed to the three former nominees as examples of when you do n't stand and draw a clear distinction , when you do n't stand for principle , democrats celebrate . ' cruz drew fire from dole and mccain for those remarks with dole saying cruz needed to check the record before passing judgment . ' on thursday cruz stressed the urgency of straying from the mold ' of those three past nominees because there is an urgency . the states have never been higher . ' i think eight more years down this road we risk doing irreparable damage to the greatest nation in the history of the world , ' cruz said . romney and his family have said it 's unlikely he 'll run in 2016 , but it 's not completely out of the question and romney has repeatedly turned down opportunities to shut down voices in the party calling on him to run a third time for president . | cruz said hillary clinton would be president if the gop does n't switch course in 2016 |
chievo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- inter milan striker samuel eto'o has received a three-match ban for head-butting chievo 's bostjan cesar in the chest at last sunday 's serie a game . eto'o , who scored as inter went down 2-1 to chievo , escaped punishment during the game as the incident , which happened in the 38th minute , was not seen by match officials . the italian football federation decided to issue eto'o with a ban after reviewing video evidence . in issuing the ban , they described the head-butt as premeditated ' and constituted violent conduct . ' the cameroon international was also fined €30,000 ( $ 40,000 ) , but is available for inter 's champions league fixture with fc twente on wednesday . inter say they intend to appeal the ban . | samuel eto'o banned for three games for head-butt on chievo 's bostjan cesar |
house <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- with less than two weeks before federal money runs out for transportation projects across the country , a partisan showdown is developing between senate democrats and house republicans over passing a new bill . the standoff , based on sharply differing views about the overall expense of the bill and how to pay for it , jeopardizes thousands of road and bridge construction projects . on wednesday , house transportation committee chairman john mica , r-florida , said the house would soon pass a three-month extension of existing funding to provide time for negotiations over a longer-term bill . but that idea was rejected by senate majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , who said tuesday he was inclined not to ' pass a temporary funding extension . instead , reid said house republicans should accept a two-year , $ 109 billion bill that recently passed the senate with broad bipartisan support . reid said tea party activists are to blame for the house 's refusal to consider the senate bill . millions of people depend on this highway bill that has passed the senate on a bipartisan basis , ' reid said . they depend on it for their jobs . but it seems to me that the house has come to the conclusion , led by the house leadership , that they ca n't do anything unless they get a permission slip from the tea party . ' asked about reid 's refusal to consider a short-term bill , house majority leader eric cantor , r-virginia , said reid is taking a risk . i 'm sure that majority leader reid does not want to cause any disruption in the flow of transportation dollars to the states or into the federal programs , ' cantor said . house passage of a temporary bill could put democrats under enormous pressure not to let funding dry up . permitting thousands of construction jobs to go idle , just as the economy begins to recover , could backfire on lawmakers , especially those seeking re-election . house gop leaders are having trouble getting enough support for their five-year , roughly $ 260 billion version of the usually popular bill , partly because fiscal conservatives say it 's too expensive and should be scaled back . house democrats , meanwhile , say the bill is a non-starter because it calls for drilling in the arctic national wildlife refuge . house speaker john boehner , r-ohio , said recently it was possible that the house would take up the senate bill , partially as a way to try to persuade wavering republicans to come around and support the house gop version . a three-month extension would give boehner and his lieutenants more time to try again to round up votes . a short-term extension will give us time to build support for real , long-term reforms , including linking transportation funding to expanded american energy production -- which would lower costs , reduce our dependence on foreign energy , and create millions of american jobs , ' boehner 's spokesman , michael steel , said . mica told reporters the house is expected to vote on the short-term measure next week before it leaves for a two-week recess . | reid : house republicans ca n't do anything unless they get a permission slip from the tea party ' |
house <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- with less than two weeks before federal money runs out for transportation projects across the country , a partisan showdown is developing between senate democrats and house republicans over passing a new bill . the standoff , based on sharply differing views about the overall expense of the bill and how to pay for it , jeopardizes thousands of road and bridge construction projects . on wednesday , house transportation committee chairman john mica , r-florida , said the house would soon pass a three-month extension of existing funding to provide time for negotiations over a longer-term bill . but that idea was rejected by senate majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , who said tuesday he was inclined not to ' pass a temporary funding extension . instead , reid said house republicans should accept a two-year , $ 109 billion bill that recently passed the senate with broad bipartisan support . reid said tea party activists are to blame for the house 's refusal to consider the senate bill . millions of people depend on this highway bill that has passed the senate on a bipartisan basis , ' reid said . they depend on it for their jobs . but it seems to me that the house has come to the conclusion , led by the house leadership , that they ca n't do anything unless they get a permission slip from the tea party . ' asked about reid 's refusal to consider a short-term bill , house majority leader eric cantor , r-virginia , said reid is taking a risk . i 'm sure that majority leader reid does not want to cause any disruption in the flow of transportation dollars to the states or into the federal programs , ' cantor said . house passage of a temporary bill could put democrats under enormous pressure not to let funding dry up . permitting thousands of construction jobs to go idle , just as the economy begins to recover , could backfire on lawmakers , especially those seeking re-election . house gop leaders are having trouble getting enough support for their five-year , roughly $ 260 billion version of the usually popular bill , partly because fiscal conservatives say it 's too expensive and should be scaled back . house democrats , meanwhile , say the bill is a non-starter because it calls for drilling in the arctic national wildlife refuge . house speaker john boehner , r-ohio , said recently it was possible that the house would take up the senate bill , partially as a way to try to persuade wavering republicans to come around and support the house gop version . a three-month extension would give boehner and his lieutenants more time to try again to round up votes . a short-term extension will give us time to build support for real , long-term reforms , including linking transportation funding to expanded american energy production -- which would lower costs , reduce our dependence on foreign energy , and create millions of american jobs , ' boehner 's spokesman , michael steel , said . mica told reporters the house is expected to vote on the short-term measure next week before it leaves for a two-week recess . | the house is considering a gop-backed 3-month extension of funding |
republicans <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- with less than two weeks before federal money runs out for transportation projects across the country , a partisan showdown is developing between senate democrats and house republicans over passing a new bill . the standoff , based on sharply differing views about the overall expense of the bill and how to pay for it , jeopardizes thousands of road and bridge construction projects . on wednesday , house transportation committee chairman john mica , r-florida , said the house would soon pass a three-month extension of existing funding to provide time for negotiations over a longer-term bill . but that idea was rejected by senate majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , who said tuesday he was inclined not to ' pass a temporary funding extension . instead , reid said house republicans should accept a two-year , $ 109 billion bill that recently passed the senate with broad bipartisan support . reid said tea party activists are to blame for the house 's refusal to consider the senate bill . millions of people depend on this highway bill that has passed the senate on a bipartisan basis , ' reid said . they depend on it for their jobs . but it seems to me that the house has come to the conclusion , led by the house leadership , that they ca n't do anything unless they get a permission slip from the tea party . ' asked about reid 's refusal to consider a short-term bill , house majority leader eric cantor , r-virginia , said reid is taking a risk . i 'm sure that majority leader reid does not want to cause any disruption in the flow of transportation dollars to the states or into the federal programs , ' cantor said . house passage of a temporary bill could put democrats under enormous pressure not to let funding dry up . permitting thousands of construction jobs to go idle , just as the economy begins to recover , could backfire on lawmakers , especially those seeking re-election . house gop leaders are having trouble getting enough support for their five-year , roughly $ 260 billion version of the usually popular bill , partly because fiscal conservatives say it 's too expensive and should be scaled back . house democrats , meanwhile , say the bill is a non-starter because it calls for drilling in the arctic national wildlife refuge . house speaker john boehner , r-ohio , said recently it was possible that the house would take up the senate bill , partially as a way to try to persuade wavering republicans to come around and support the house gop version . a three-month extension would give boehner and his lieutenants more time to try again to round up votes . a short-term extension will give us time to build support for real , long-term reforms , including linking transportation funding to expanded american energy production -- which would lower costs , reduce our dependence on foreign energy , and create millions of american jobs , ' boehner 's spokesman , michael steel , said . mica told reporters the house is expected to vote on the short-term measure next week before it leaves for a two-week recess . | reid : house republicans ca n't do anything unless they get a permission slip from the tea party ' |
reid <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- with less than two weeks before federal money runs out for transportation projects across the country , a partisan showdown is developing between senate democrats and house republicans over passing a new bill . the standoff , based on sharply differing views about the overall expense of the bill and how to pay for it , jeopardizes thousands of road and bridge construction projects . on wednesday , house transportation committee chairman john mica , r-florida , said the house would soon pass a three-month extension of existing funding to provide time for negotiations over a longer-term bill . but that idea was rejected by senate majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , who said tuesday he was inclined not to ' pass a temporary funding extension . instead , reid said house republicans should accept a two-year , $ 109 billion bill that recently passed the senate with broad bipartisan support . reid said tea party activists are to blame for the house 's refusal to consider the senate bill . millions of people depend on this highway bill that has passed the senate on a bipartisan basis , ' reid said . they depend on it for their jobs . but it seems to me that the house has come to the conclusion , led by the house leadership , that they ca n't do anything unless they get a permission slip from the tea party . ' asked about reid 's refusal to consider a short-term bill , house majority leader eric cantor , r-virginia , said reid is taking a risk . i 'm sure that majority leader reid does not want to cause any disruption in the flow of transportation dollars to the states or into the federal programs , ' cantor said . house passage of a temporary bill could put democrats under enormous pressure not to let funding dry up . permitting thousands of construction jobs to go idle , just as the economy begins to recover , could backfire on lawmakers , especially those seeking re-election . house gop leaders are having trouble getting enough support for their five-year , roughly $ 260 billion version of the usually popular bill , partly because fiscal conservatives say it 's too expensive and should be scaled back . house democrats , meanwhile , say the bill is a non-starter because it calls for drilling in the arctic national wildlife refuge . house speaker john boehner , r-ohio , said recently it was possible that the house would take up the senate bill , partially as a way to try to persuade wavering republicans to come around and support the house gop version . a three-month extension would give boehner and his lieutenants more time to try again to round up votes . a short-term extension will give us time to build support for real , long-term reforms , including linking transportation funding to expanded american energy production -- which would lower costs , reduce our dependence on foreign energy , and create millions of american jobs , ' boehner 's spokesman , michael steel , said . mica told reporters the house is expected to vote on the short-term measure next week before it leaves for a two-week recess . | reid : house republicans ca n't do anything unless they get a permission slip from the tea party ' |
reid <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- with less than two weeks before federal money runs out for transportation projects across the country , a partisan showdown is developing between senate democrats and house republicans over passing a new bill . the standoff , based on sharply differing views about the overall expense of the bill and how to pay for it , jeopardizes thousands of road and bridge construction projects . on wednesday , house transportation committee chairman john mica , r-florida , said the house would soon pass a three-month extension of existing funding to provide time for negotiations over a longer-term bill . but that idea was rejected by senate majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , who said tuesday he was inclined not to ' pass a temporary funding extension . instead , reid said house republicans should accept a two-year , $ 109 billion bill that recently passed the senate with broad bipartisan support . reid said tea party activists are to blame for the house 's refusal to consider the senate bill . millions of people depend on this highway bill that has passed the senate on a bipartisan basis , ' reid said . they depend on it for their jobs . but it seems to me that the house has come to the conclusion , led by the house leadership , that they ca n't do anything unless they get a permission slip from the tea party . ' asked about reid 's refusal to consider a short-term bill , house majority leader eric cantor , r-virginia , said reid is taking a risk . i 'm sure that majority leader reid does not want to cause any disruption in the flow of transportation dollars to the states or into the federal programs , ' cantor said . house passage of a temporary bill could put democrats under enormous pressure not to let funding dry up . permitting thousands of construction jobs to go idle , just as the economy begins to recover , could backfire on lawmakers , especially those seeking re-election . house gop leaders are having trouble getting enough support for their five-year , roughly $ 260 billion version of the usually popular bill , partly because fiscal conservatives say it 's too expensive and should be scaled back . house democrats , meanwhile , say the bill is a non-starter because it calls for drilling in the arctic national wildlife refuge . house speaker john boehner , r-ohio , said recently it was possible that the house would take up the senate bill , partially as a way to try to persuade wavering republicans to come around and support the house gop version . a three-month extension would give boehner and his lieutenants more time to try again to round up votes . a short-term extension will give us time to build support for real , long-term reforms , including linking transportation funding to expanded american energy production -- which would lower costs , reduce our dependence on foreign energy , and create millions of american jobs , ' boehner 's spokesman , michael steel , said . mica told reporters the house is expected to vote on the short-term measure next week before it leaves for a two-week recess . | democratic sen. harry reid blames the standoff on tea party activists |
roland garros <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rafael nadal came into the french open with his air of invincibility punctured by recent defeats but his beaten opponent thursday -- austrian hopeful dominic thiem -- believes the eight-time champion is still the man to beat at this year 's french open . the 20-year-old thiem admits nadal was one of his idols ' growing up but showed little sign of being overawed as he detained the top seed for over two hours on philippe chatrier before succumbing to a 6-2 6-2 6-3 defeat in their second round match . but thiem , the youngest man in the top 100 of the world rankings , currently occupying 57th spot , saw enough in nadal 's game to predict he will be holding the coupe des mousquetaires trophy aloft on sunday week . i think here in roland garros there are only a few man who can beat him , but yes he is the biggest favorite , ' thiem told cnn . nadal suffered shock quarterfinal defeats in monte carlo , barcelona and in last week 's rome final to novak djokovic , but thiem believes he is an altogether different proposition at the clay court grand slam . he 's in his element at his favorite venue and he 's really pumped up , ' he said . his top spin is really tough to counter and he did n't make a lot of mistakes . ' after his victory , nadal was also full of praise for his young opponent and applauded him off the court . he has completely everything to become a champion , ' he predicted . he as able to hit the ball very strong from the backhand and the forehand . ' thiem , who beat australian open champion stanislas wawrinka in the second round of the madrid masters earlier this year , admitted to feeling a little bit nervous ' as he walked out on to the center court at a grand slam for the first time , ' but fortunately i made a good start which helped a bit , ' he added . he will now head to queens club in london to get grass court preparation ahead of wimbledon , while nadal will next play leonardo mayer of argentina in the third round , seeking the 61st victory of his record breaking career at the french open . even though he was expected to overcome thiem , nadal must have been slightly relieved as several big names have exited the tournament already . they include women 's number one and defending champion , serena williams , second-seed li na and wawrinka -- the man nadal lost to in the australian open final . elsewhere , wimbledon champion andy murray , and 2013 finalist david ferrer , advanced with straight sets wins in the men 's draw . murray led nadal by a break in the third set at the rome masters earlier this month , only for the 13-time grand slam winner to rally . they could meet again in the semifinals in paris , although murray must first get past philipp kohlschreiber in the next round . kohlschreiber won a clay-court title last weekend in his native germany and crushed the scot on clay in monte carlo in 2010 in their lone head-to-head . in the women 's tournament , fourth seed simona halep of romania , tipped by many for grand slam glory soon , beat heather watson of britain 6-2 6-4 . serbian sixth seed jelena jankovic , who could directly benefit from the loss of li na in her section of the draw , continued her fine form in paris with a 7-5 6-0 dismissal of japan 's kurumi nara . former world number one and french open champion ana ivanovic also went though while sloane stephens kept american hopes high in the absence of the defeated williams with a 6-1 6-3 victory over polona hercog of slovenia . | nadal eases past the promising austrian in straight sets at roland garros |
serena williams <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rafael nadal came into the french open with his air of invincibility punctured by recent defeats but his beaten opponent thursday -- austrian hopeful dominic thiem -- believes the eight-time champion is still the man to beat at this year 's french open . the 20-year-old thiem admits nadal was one of his idols ' growing up but showed little sign of being overawed as he detained the top seed for over two hours on philippe chatrier before succumbing to a 6-2 6-2 6-3 defeat in their second round match . but thiem , the youngest man in the top 100 of the world rankings , currently occupying 57th spot , saw enough in nadal 's game to predict he will be holding the coupe des mousquetaires trophy aloft on sunday week . i think here in roland garros there are only a few man who can beat him , but yes he is the biggest favorite , ' thiem told cnn . nadal suffered shock quarterfinal defeats in monte carlo , barcelona and in last week 's rome final to novak djokovic , but thiem believes he is an altogether different proposition at the clay court grand slam . he 's in his element at his favorite venue and he 's really pumped up , ' he said . his top spin is really tough to counter and he did n't make a lot of mistakes . ' after his victory , nadal was also full of praise for his young opponent and applauded him off the court . he has completely everything to become a champion , ' he predicted . he as able to hit the ball very strong from the backhand and the forehand . ' thiem , who beat australian open champion stanislas wawrinka in the second round of the madrid masters earlier this year , admitted to feeling a little bit nervous ' as he walked out on to the center court at a grand slam for the first time , ' but fortunately i made a good start which helped a bit , ' he added . he will now head to queens club in london to get grass court preparation ahead of wimbledon , while nadal will next play leonardo mayer of argentina in the third round , seeking the 61st victory of his record breaking career at the french open . even though he was expected to overcome thiem , nadal must have been slightly relieved as several big names have exited the tournament already . they include women 's number one and defending champion , serena williams , second-seed li na and wawrinka -- the man nadal lost to in the australian open final . elsewhere , wimbledon champion andy murray , and 2013 finalist david ferrer , advanced with straight sets wins in the men 's draw . murray led nadal by a break in the third set at the rome masters earlier this month , only for the 13-time grand slam winner to rally . they could meet again in the semifinals in paris , although murray must first get past philipp kohlschreiber in the next round . kohlschreiber won a clay-court title last weekend in his native germany and crushed the scot on clay in monte carlo in 2010 in their lone head-to-head . in the women 's tournament , fourth seed simona halep of romania , tipped by many for grand slam glory soon , beat heather watson of britain 6-2 6-4 . serbian sixth seed jelena jankovic , who could directly benefit from the loss of li na in her section of the draw , continued her fine form in paris with a 7-5 6-0 dismissal of japan 's kurumi nara . former world number one and french open champion ana ivanovic also went though while sloane stephens kept american hopes high in the absence of the defeated williams with a 6-1 6-3 victory over polona hercog of slovenia . | the tournament has already lost serena williams , li na and stan wawrinka |
hinckley <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the members of the legal team representing presidential assailant john hinckley jr. say they are owed significant legal bills in arrears ' and are asking a judge 's permission to bow out of hinckley 's case . in a motion filed friday , defense lawyer barry levine says he and other lawyers at dickstein shapiro llp have represented hinckley at numerous hearings through the years at reduced rates . according to the document , hinckley 's family has told the legal firm it will not provide future funding for attorneys'fees , expenses or related experts in this matter . ' the motion does not say how much the firm is still owed . the legal team represented hinckley during 13 days of testimony in late 2011 and early 2012 on a st. elizabeths hospital proposal to allow hinckley to have longer visits to his mother 's home in williamsburg , virginia . the motion filed by the lawyers friday said judge paul friedman has told counsel he will not rule on the plan proposed by hinckley 's mental hospital until november . on august 17 , prosecutors on the hinckley case filed a motion asking friedman to reject the proposal for more visitation time because a key part of the plan had fallen through . according to the government court filing , st. elizabeths sent an august 8 letter stating that colonial behavioral health , people 's place facility in williamsburg had withdrawn from the plan to participate in hinckley 's treatment by providing him access to group social sessions . the letter has not been made public , and prosecutors did not reveal why people 's place had bowed out . prosecutors called the group sessions a core feature ' of the plan to allow hinckley , 57 , to spend more time living with his elderly mother in williamsburg . in their motion to withdraw from his case , hinckley 's lawyers say that their departure will not harm the case and that he can obtain other representation . hinckley spends 10 days a month visiting his widowed mother , who is in her late 80s . in july 2011 , st. elizabeths proposed allowing hinckley two 17-day visits followed by six stays lasting 24 days . after the proposed visits , st. elizabeths requested the authority to decide whether hinckley , 57 , could be released on convalescent leave , ' which would make him a permanent outpatient . hinckley 's mother , jo ann , attended parts of the hearing on the hospital 's visitation plan . his brother and sister both testified during sessions . levine , the defense lawyer , made several references during the hearing to the family possessing diminishing resources . hinckley 's father is deceased . hinckley sat quietly during the multiple days of testimony but never testified . hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1981 shooting of president ronald reagan , press secretary james brady , secret service agent timothy mccarthy and police officer thomas delahanty . brady was shot in the head and permanently disabled . hinckley 's delusions about actress jodie foster motivated him to shoot reagan . | defense lawyer says he and others have represented hinckley at reduced rates |
hinckley <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the members of the legal team representing presidential assailant john hinckley jr. say they are owed significant legal bills in arrears ' and are asking a judge 's permission to bow out of hinckley 's case . in a motion filed friday , defense lawyer barry levine says he and other lawyers at dickstein shapiro llp have represented hinckley at numerous hearings through the years at reduced rates . according to the document , hinckley 's family has told the legal firm it will not provide future funding for attorneys'fees , expenses or related experts in this matter . ' the motion does not say how much the firm is still owed . the legal team represented hinckley during 13 days of testimony in late 2011 and early 2012 on a st. elizabeths hospital proposal to allow hinckley to have longer visits to his mother 's home in williamsburg , virginia . the motion filed by the lawyers friday said judge paul friedman has told counsel he will not rule on the plan proposed by hinckley 's mental hospital until november . on august 17 , prosecutors on the hinckley case filed a motion asking friedman to reject the proposal for more visitation time because a key part of the plan had fallen through . according to the government court filing , st. elizabeths sent an august 8 letter stating that colonial behavioral health , people 's place facility in williamsburg had withdrawn from the plan to participate in hinckley 's treatment by providing him access to group social sessions . the letter has not been made public , and prosecutors did not reveal why people 's place had bowed out . prosecutors called the group sessions a core feature ' of the plan to allow hinckley , 57 , to spend more time living with his elderly mother in williamsburg . in their motion to withdraw from his case , hinckley 's lawyers say that their departure will not harm the case and that he can obtain other representation . hinckley spends 10 days a month visiting his widowed mother , who is in her late 80s . in july 2011 , st. elizabeths proposed allowing hinckley two 17-day visits followed by six stays lasting 24 days . after the proposed visits , st. elizabeths requested the authority to decide whether hinckley , 57 , could be released on convalescent leave , ' which would make him a permanent outpatient . hinckley 's mother , jo ann , attended parts of the hearing on the hospital 's visitation plan . his brother and sister both testified during sessions . levine , the defense lawyer , made several references during the hearing to the family possessing diminishing resources . hinckley 's father is deceased . hinckley sat quietly during the multiple days of testimony but never testified . hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1981 shooting of president ronald reagan , press secretary james brady , secret service agent timothy mccarthy and police officer thomas delahanty . brady was shot in the head and permanently disabled . hinckley 's delusions about actress jodie foster motivated him to shoot reagan . | hinckley was found not guilty because of insanity in shooting of president reagan , 3 others |
gbagbo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the disputed head of the ivory coast will not step down , one of his key ministers said saturday , despite the threat by west african leaders to use military force to force him out . a day earlier , a statement from the 15-member economic community of west african states said its 15 members would not hesitate to use legitimate force ' if necessary to defuse an escalating crisis in the ivory coast . but alcide djedje , the foreign affairs minister for incumbent president laurent gbagbo , on saturday dismissed the threat as part of a western plot spearheaded by france . he said that his regime views the prospect of outside military action unlikely , claiming that the west african group 's members would be reluctant to send soldiers into the ivory coast . the organization 's move was the latest to isolate gbagbo , amid sweeping international sentiment that he is not the ivory coast 's rightfully elected leader and that his forces have perpetrated human rights abuses against his opponents . the united nations , african union , european union and numerous individual nations have called for gbagbo to step down , with many also calling out his regime for its actions against political foes in the past week that have reportedly killed scores of people . still , the call from the economic community was especially significant , given that the ivory coast is a member and its mention of possible military action . in the event that mr. gbagbo fails to heed this immutable demand of ecowas , the community would be left with no alternative but to take other measures , including the use of legitimate force , to achieve the goals of the ivorian people , ' the group said in a statement following an emergency meeting friday in abuja , nigeria . under the leadership of nigerian president goodluck jonathan , the regional bloc will coordinate , without delay , ' a meeting of defense ministers from member countries to plan future actions , including the provision of security along the cote d'ivoire-liberia border , ' the statement said . this back-and-forth comes as the security situation in the ivory coast continues to deteriorate . the united nations refugee agency said saturday that about 14,000 ivory coast residents escaping that country have fled to eastern liberia , some walking hours if not days before boarding barges on rivers bordering the west african nation . a few deaths have been reported among the refugees , including a child who drowned while crossing the cestos river into butuo . in some locales without ambulances , u.n. high commissioner for refugees vehicles are being used to take people out to get medical care . some are arriving with severely swollen feet , ... some families said they had walked three to four days through the bush with little food , ' the u.n. agency said in a statement . a spokesman for alassane ouattara , widely recognized as the ivory coast 's legitimate leader following a november 28 run-off election , accused gbagbo of defying democratic ideals and instead embarking on new era of violence . spokesman patrick achi said friday that ouattara hopes the west african leaders will be able to help end the turmoil . meanwhile , the dutch defense ministry said on friday that at the request of france , it had dispatched one of its ships to the ivory coast to help evacuate european citizens in case the situation worsens . and u.s. state department spokesman p.j . crowley said earlier this week that the united states and other countries were discussing with african nations the possibility of augmenting the existing u.n. force in the ivory coast . however , he said it was unclear what a u.s. contribution could look like -- forces of logistical support or something more indirect were among the options . the african union has suspended the ivory coast from the organization until such a time the democratically elected president effectively assumes state power . ' the world bank has halted lending and disbursing funds to ivory coast and has closed its office in the country . on friday , u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon welcomed the decision of the u.n. general assembly to recognize ouattara as the winner of the disputed ivory coast election . this important decision reflects the united position of the international community with respect to the legitimacy of the new government led by president ouattara , ' a spokesman for the secretary-general said in a written statement . kyung-wha kang , the u.n. deputy high commissioner for human rights , has said that between december 16 and tuesday , human rights officers had substantiated allegations of 173 killings , 90 instances of torture and ill treatment , 471 arrests and detentions and 24 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances . ' she added that the actual numbers may be much higher because it has been impossible to investigate all the allegations of serious human rights violations , including reports of mass graves , due to restrictions on movement by u.n . personnel . ' while acknowledging the situation is very , very difficult to live ' in , charles ble goude -- the nation 's youth minister under gbagbo -- said thursday the government is dealing with that . ' he said the u.n. report is not correct , ' especially in its fingering fellow gbagbo backers as being to blame for the recent violence . instead , he accused ouattara 's supporters of using weapons at what had been billed as peaceful rallies to attack soldiers . after last month 's election , the country 's independent electoral commission named ouattara the winner . but its constitutional council invalidated those results and declared that gbagbo won . goude said that he and others in gbagbo 's circle could n't accept the electoral commission picking ouattara , noting that it announced its decision in a hotel that was also being used as ouattara 's headquarters . while stressing a desire for talks on the issue , he said there is no intention for gbagbo to forfeit a seat that he believes is rightfully his . why do you want someone who won an election to step down ? ' goude asked . the president has been elected . ' | the international community has called gbagbo illegitimate and accused his forces of abuses |
gbagbo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the disputed head of the ivory coast will not step down , one of his key ministers said saturday , despite the threat by west african leaders to use military force to force him out . a day earlier , a statement from the 15-member economic community of west african states said its 15 members would not hesitate to use legitimate force ' if necessary to defuse an escalating crisis in the ivory coast . but alcide djedje , the foreign affairs minister for incumbent president laurent gbagbo , on saturday dismissed the threat as part of a western plot spearheaded by france . he said that his regime views the prospect of outside military action unlikely , claiming that the west african group 's members would be reluctant to send soldiers into the ivory coast . the organization 's move was the latest to isolate gbagbo , amid sweeping international sentiment that he is not the ivory coast 's rightfully elected leader and that his forces have perpetrated human rights abuses against his opponents . the united nations , african union , european union and numerous individual nations have called for gbagbo to step down , with many also calling out his regime for its actions against political foes in the past week that have reportedly killed scores of people . still , the call from the economic community was especially significant , given that the ivory coast is a member and its mention of possible military action . in the event that mr. gbagbo fails to heed this immutable demand of ecowas , the community would be left with no alternative but to take other measures , including the use of legitimate force , to achieve the goals of the ivorian people , ' the group said in a statement following an emergency meeting friday in abuja , nigeria . under the leadership of nigerian president goodluck jonathan , the regional bloc will coordinate , without delay , ' a meeting of defense ministers from member countries to plan future actions , including the provision of security along the cote d'ivoire-liberia border , ' the statement said . this back-and-forth comes as the security situation in the ivory coast continues to deteriorate . the united nations refugee agency said saturday that about 14,000 ivory coast residents escaping that country have fled to eastern liberia , some walking hours if not days before boarding barges on rivers bordering the west african nation . a few deaths have been reported among the refugees , including a child who drowned while crossing the cestos river into butuo . in some locales without ambulances , u.n. high commissioner for refugees vehicles are being used to take people out to get medical care . some are arriving with severely swollen feet , ... some families said they had walked three to four days through the bush with little food , ' the u.n. agency said in a statement . a spokesman for alassane ouattara , widely recognized as the ivory coast 's legitimate leader following a november 28 run-off election , accused gbagbo of defying democratic ideals and instead embarking on new era of violence . spokesman patrick achi said friday that ouattara hopes the west african leaders will be able to help end the turmoil . meanwhile , the dutch defense ministry said on friday that at the request of france , it had dispatched one of its ships to the ivory coast to help evacuate european citizens in case the situation worsens . and u.s. state department spokesman p.j . crowley said earlier this week that the united states and other countries were discussing with african nations the possibility of augmenting the existing u.n. force in the ivory coast . however , he said it was unclear what a u.s. contribution could look like -- forces of logistical support or something more indirect were among the options . the african union has suspended the ivory coast from the organization until such a time the democratically elected president effectively assumes state power . ' the world bank has halted lending and disbursing funds to ivory coast and has closed its office in the country . on friday , u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon welcomed the decision of the u.n. general assembly to recognize ouattara as the winner of the disputed ivory coast election . this important decision reflects the united position of the international community with respect to the legitimacy of the new government led by president ouattara , ' a spokesman for the secretary-general said in a written statement . kyung-wha kang , the u.n. deputy high commissioner for human rights , has said that between december 16 and tuesday , human rights officers had substantiated allegations of 173 killings , 90 instances of torture and ill treatment , 471 arrests and detentions and 24 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances . ' she added that the actual numbers may be much higher because it has been impossible to investigate all the allegations of serious human rights violations , including reports of mass graves , due to restrictions on movement by u.n . personnel . ' while acknowledging the situation is very , very difficult to live ' in , charles ble goude -- the nation 's youth minister under gbagbo -- said thursday the government is dealing with that . ' he said the u.n. report is not correct , ' especially in its fingering fellow gbagbo backers as being to blame for the recent violence . instead , he accused ouattara 's supporters of using weapons at what had been billed as peaceful rallies to attack soldiers . after last month 's election , the country 's independent electoral commission named ouattara the winner . but its constitutional council invalidated those results and declared that gbagbo won . goude said that he and others in gbagbo 's circle could n't accept the electoral commission picking ouattara , noting that it announced its decision in a hotel that was also being used as ouattara 's headquarters . while stressing a desire for talks on the issue , he said there is no intention for gbagbo to forfeit a seat that he believes is rightfully his . why do you want someone who won an election to step down ? ' goude asked . the president has been elected . ' | the official dismisses as unlikely a threat by west african leaders to use force against gbagbo |
gbagbo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the disputed head of the ivory coast will not step down , one of his key ministers said saturday , despite the threat by west african leaders to use military force to force him out . a day earlier , a statement from the 15-member economic community of west african states said its 15 members would not hesitate to use legitimate force ' if necessary to defuse an escalating crisis in the ivory coast . but alcide djedje , the foreign affairs minister for incumbent president laurent gbagbo , on saturday dismissed the threat as part of a western plot spearheaded by france . he said that his regime views the prospect of outside military action unlikely , claiming that the west african group 's members would be reluctant to send soldiers into the ivory coast . the organization 's move was the latest to isolate gbagbo , amid sweeping international sentiment that he is not the ivory coast 's rightfully elected leader and that his forces have perpetrated human rights abuses against his opponents . the united nations , african union , european union and numerous individual nations have called for gbagbo to step down , with many also calling out his regime for its actions against political foes in the past week that have reportedly killed scores of people . still , the call from the economic community was especially significant , given that the ivory coast is a member and its mention of possible military action . in the event that mr. gbagbo fails to heed this immutable demand of ecowas , the community would be left with no alternative but to take other measures , including the use of legitimate force , to achieve the goals of the ivorian people , ' the group said in a statement following an emergency meeting friday in abuja , nigeria . under the leadership of nigerian president goodluck jonathan , the regional bloc will coordinate , without delay , ' a meeting of defense ministers from member countries to plan future actions , including the provision of security along the cote d'ivoire-liberia border , ' the statement said . this back-and-forth comes as the security situation in the ivory coast continues to deteriorate . the united nations refugee agency said saturday that about 14,000 ivory coast residents escaping that country have fled to eastern liberia , some walking hours if not days before boarding barges on rivers bordering the west african nation . a few deaths have been reported among the refugees , including a child who drowned while crossing the cestos river into butuo . in some locales without ambulances , u.n. high commissioner for refugees vehicles are being used to take people out to get medical care . some are arriving with severely swollen feet , ... some families said they had walked three to four days through the bush with little food , ' the u.n. agency said in a statement . a spokesman for alassane ouattara , widely recognized as the ivory coast 's legitimate leader following a november 28 run-off election , accused gbagbo of defying democratic ideals and instead embarking on new era of violence . spokesman patrick achi said friday that ouattara hopes the west african leaders will be able to help end the turmoil . meanwhile , the dutch defense ministry said on friday that at the request of france , it had dispatched one of its ships to the ivory coast to help evacuate european citizens in case the situation worsens . and u.s. state department spokesman p.j . crowley said earlier this week that the united states and other countries were discussing with african nations the possibility of augmenting the existing u.n. force in the ivory coast . however , he said it was unclear what a u.s. contribution could look like -- forces of logistical support or something more indirect were among the options . the african union has suspended the ivory coast from the organization until such a time the democratically elected president effectively assumes state power . ' the world bank has halted lending and disbursing funds to ivory coast and has closed its office in the country . on friday , u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon welcomed the decision of the u.n. general assembly to recognize ouattara as the winner of the disputed ivory coast election . this important decision reflects the united position of the international community with respect to the legitimacy of the new government led by president ouattara , ' a spokesman for the secretary-general said in a written statement . kyung-wha kang , the u.n. deputy high commissioner for human rights , has said that between december 16 and tuesday , human rights officers had substantiated allegations of 173 killings , 90 instances of torture and ill treatment , 471 arrests and detentions and 24 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances . ' she added that the actual numbers may be much higher because it has been impossible to investigate all the allegations of serious human rights violations , including reports of mass graves , due to restrictions on movement by u.n . personnel . ' while acknowledging the situation is very , very difficult to live ' in , charles ble goude -- the nation 's youth minister under gbagbo -- said thursday the government is dealing with that . ' he said the u.n. report is not correct , ' especially in its fingering fellow gbagbo backers as being to blame for the recent violence . instead , he accused ouattara 's supporters of using weapons at what had been billed as peaceful rallies to attack soldiers . after last month 's election , the country 's independent electoral commission named ouattara the winner . but its constitutional council invalidated those results and declared that gbagbo won . goude said that he and others in gbagbo 's circle could n't accept the electoral commission picking ouattara , noting that it announced its decision in a hotel that was also being used as ouattara 's headquarters . while stressing a desire for talks on the issue , he said there is no intention for gbagbo to forfeit a seat that he believes is rightfully his . why do you want someone who won an election to step down ? ' goude asked . the president has been elected . ' | the ivory coast 's laurent gbagbo will not step down , his foreign minister says |
galaxy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- alexander the great is said to have sobbed like a child after realizing there were no more worlds to conquer . this was centuries before video games -- with the exception of pong ' -- were invented . had he owned playstation4 , x-box one or wii , alexander would probably have stayed on his sofa in macedonia instead of leading his armies as far as the indus river . and who would 've blamed him ? these days virtual worlds are almost as impressive as the real thing . so impressive , in fact , that we wish we could visit them . these seven would top our itinerary . more :'game of thrones'tours in croatia and northern ireland hyrule , the legend of zelda : ocarina of time ' ( nintendo ) the place : a bucolic world of grassy plains and medieval settlements that echo the gentle sounds of clopping hooves , lilting ocarina melodies and a talking tree . why we want to visit : certainly not for the bafflingly complex plotline -- a brackish mix of disneyfied fairytale and tolkeinian faceoffs that revolve around an antediluvian flute . we 're there chiefly for the game 's mesmerizing horseback riding scenes , in which entire afternoons can be lost cantering gaily across pleasant grasslands to little discernible purpose . get real : horse trekking in the mongolian steppes , where you can enjoy a vast fence-free wilderness from the saddle without the tedious obligation to conquer evil . stepperiders ; +976 991 14245 more : air new zealand 's genius hobbit-themed safety video san andreas , grand theft auto v ' ( rockstar games ) the place : a sun-bleached u.s. state that stretches from sparkling ocean-side real estate to misty mountainside . here there are wide shopping boulevards patrolled by the wealthy , and cracked asphalt byways where lives lie in ruin . it 's a bogglingly panoramic slice of the american dream . why we want to visit : san andreas vividly re-creates great swathes of california , chiefly los angeles , with such an immersive eye for detail that , if they were n't so loathsome , you might accidentally find its characters on your christmas card list . if you can stomach the obscene violence , gta v 's ' vision of the golden state is infinitely better than reality since you dispense with envy and help yourself to whatever you want , be it fast cars , speedboats or passenger jets . and , just to prove it 's even more la-la than la-la-land , you can finish off your crime spree with a yoga session . get real : hire ( do n't hijack ) a luxury car and cruise across los angeles . beverly hills rent-a-car ; +1 310 274 6969 ' tetris ' ( various ) the place : a soviet-created , two-dimensional world where doom can only be avoided by neatly stacking descending geometric shapes . could be an allegory for the futilities of the u.s.s.r. 's collective economy . could be just a maddeningly addictive game . why we want to visit : modern life draws great delight from plunging us into nerve-jangling chaos . it takes even greater mirth in our feeble attempts to impose order on this chaos . so to spend time in a place where the very building blocks of existence can easily be shuffled into orderly stacks is to enter a place of zen-like sanctuary -- a place where nirvana is an l-shaped block slotted tidily in an l-shaped hole . get real : play tetris ' too much and it becomes hard not to gaze at a cityscape without figuring out which shapes would fit into its gaps . this is especially fun in the tetroid heights of hong kong 's mid-levels . butterfly on hollywood hotel ( hong kong ) ; +852 2850 8899 more : starcraft , and 9 other things south korea does better than anyplace else rapture , bioshock ' ( 2k games ) the place : a gloomy sub-aquatic metropolis deep beneath the north atlantic . according to an elaborate back story , the city was conceived in the late 1940s by idealists who wanted to break away from outmoded ideologies at the end of world war ii . so they construct an underwater utopia where all runs swimmingly until everyone , of course , becomes hopelessly hooked on sea slugs . why we want to visit : it may be a decaying dystopia populated by genetically modified beasts , but who cares when it looks this good ? bioshock 's ' designers spliced captain nemo 's nautilus ' with the chrysler building to create an art deco spectacle that drips with class ( and seawater ) . get real : underwater cities are sadly somewhat thin on the ground . ( or should that be ocean floor ? ) for now , you have to make do with just an underwater hotel room . the manta resort , pemba island , tanzania ; +255 776 718 852 ; $ 1,500 per night for a two-person stay , $ 900 per night for singles ' super mario galaxy ' ( nintendo ) the place : a universe of tiny planets where , if you eat the right mushrooms , you gain special powers that make it easier to navigate a series of benign but frustratingly tricky challenges . why we want to visit : we 'd settle for any of the mildly psychedelic destinations depicted in the super mario ' games series , but galaxy ' is the best yet . it 's incredibly pleasant to look at and , in an age of ever-increasing video game violence , feels warm , safe and unthreatening . of course , traveling to strange places with a qualified plumber can only be a good thing . particularly one whose let 's a-go ' catchphrase seems to indicate a tradesman with an admirable can-do attitude . get real : warm , safe and unthreatening ? welcome to singapore ! but under no circumstances sample mushrooms offering unusual powers . not even a plumber would be able to help you . klapsons boutique hotel ( singapore ) ; +65 6521 9000 ' minecraft ' ( mojang ) the place : a blank map waiting to be charted by you . minecraft ' is considered by many to be the best so-called sandbox ' game in which players design their own block-built worlds and mine their resources to construct elaborate settlements . hostile mobs and monsters are chucked in to liven things up . why we want to visit : because we 've all felt the call of the wild at least once in our lives . a sense of frontier spirit . the desire to wipe the slate clean , forge our own new civilizations and get our hands if not dirty , then perhaps a little clammy . get real : head deep into any wilderness and you might stumble into fanatics so disillusioned with government interference and the triviality of modern life that they 're trying to start again . after reading this article , many more may join them . thankfully , in the rugged expanses of canada 's northwest territories , there 's room for everyone . nahanni national park reserve , +1 867 695 7750 more : all by my selfie . travel blogger fakes girlfriend pics northrend storm peaks , world of warcraft ' ( blizzard entertainment ) the place : a jagged , windswept and snowy mountain range on the northern fringes of the northern fringes of world of warcraft ' -- the colossal online realm that at its peak had as many signed-up players as belgium has citizens . not all were belgian . why we want to visit : wow ' boasts such a bewildering number of territories that it 's hard to know where to start , but the starkly beautiful storm peaks stand out for sheer drama of landscape . the peaks are said to be inhabited by a mysterious race of giants . but if you 're going to get involved in a fantasy role-playing game where people take things like dragons , spells , elves and occasional outbreaks of plague seriously , these are probably the least of your worries . get real : aonach eagach is a vertiginous , wind-raked mountain ridge that looms over scotland 's glen coe . dragons would be the least of your worries up here . steve fallon guided walks ; +44 1314 668152 | of the mildly psychedelic destinations in the super mario ' series , galaxy ' is best yet |
enrique pena nieto <tsp> a new survey about preferences and trends in mexico concludes that one out of every three mexicans would migrate to the united states if given the opportunity . the survey published tuesday by the washington-based pew research center also says that of the 34 % of mexicans who indicated they would like to move to the u.s. , 17 % would do so without authorization , ' meaning without legal documents . katie simmons , senior researcher at the pew research center , says that attitude has changed little in the past five years . it 's been relatively constant , ' simmons said . we first asked people about this in 2009 , and the percentage was 33 % , compared to 34 % this year . ' on the other hand , the survey found that fewer mexicans have friends or family in the united states . according to simmons , this means the migration of mexicans to the united states has continued to decline in the last few years . the number of mexicans who report having a friend or family member living in the u.s. has fallen to 32 % , compared with 42 % in 2007 . the most interesting finding that we reported in terms of migration is this change in the percentage of mexicans who have friends or relatives in the united states . this percentage is a reflection of the change in net migration . it 's an objective indicator of current migration trends , ' simmons said . the pew research center reported in 2012 that net migration from mexico to the united states fell to zero ( and perhaps less ) between 2005 and 2010 , meaning the number of mexicans migrating north is equal to or less than those going back to their country . the latest pew survey is based on face-to-face interviews conducted among a representative sample of 1,000 randomly selected adults from across the country between april 21 and may 2 , 2014 . ' the survey covered a wide range of topics including the popularity of current president enrique pena nieto ( 51 % ) , which declined 6 percentage points in the past year as he pushed through energy and communications reforms some view with suspicion . crime continues to be the top concern for mexicans ( 79 % ) , followed by corruption of political leaders ( 72 % ) and drug cartel-related violence ( 72 % ) . the survey also shows that mexicans seem to have a very positive image of the military ( 75 % ) , although many people are concerned about human rights violations as the armed forces continue to fight criminal organizations . the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points . fast facts : immigration statistics obama weighs sending national guard to border | popularity of president enrique pena nieto fell 6 percentage points from last year |
pew <tsp> a new survey about preferences and trends in mexico concludes that one out of every three mexicans would migrate to the united states if given the opportunity . the survey published tuesday by the washington-based pew research center also says that of the 34 % of mexicans who indicated they would like to move to the u.s. , 17 % would do so without authorization , ' meaning without legal documents . katie simmons , senior researcher at the pew research center , says that attitude has changed little in the past five years . it 's been relatively constant , ' simmons said . we first asked people about this in 2009 , and the percentage was 33 % , compared to 34 % this year . ' on the other hand , the survey found that fewer mexicans have friends or family in the united states . according to simmons , this means the migration of mexicans to the united states has continued to decline in the last few years . the number of mexicans who report having a friend or family member living in the u.s. has fallen to 32 % , compared with 42 % in 2007 . the most interesting finding that we reported in terms of migration is this change in the percentage of mexicans who have friends or relatives in the united states . this percentage is a reflection of the change in net migration . it 's an objective indicator of current migration trends , ' simmons said . the pew research center reported in 2012 that net migration from mexico to the united states fell to zero ( and perhaps less ) between 2005 and 2010 , meaning the number of mexicans migrating north is equal to or less than those going back to their country . the latest pew survey is based on face-to-face interviews conducted among a representative sample of 1,000 randomly selected adults from across the country between april 21 and may 2 , 2014 . ' the survey covered a wide range of topics including the popularity of current president enrique pena nieto ( 51 % ) , which declined 6 percentage points in the past year as he pushed through energy and communications reforms some view with suspicion . crime continues to be the top concern for mexicans ( 79 % ) , followed by corruption of political leaders ( 72 % ) and drug cartel-related violence ( 72 % ) . the survey also shows that mexicans seem to have a very positive image of the military ( 75 % ) , although many people are concerned about human rights violations as the armed forces continue to fight criminal organizations . the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points . fast facts : immigration statistics obama weighs sending national guard to border | 34 % of mexicans would migrate to u.s. if given opportunity , pew survey finds |
ipod touch <tsp> ( cnn ) -- thanks to the age-old art of bartering , a california teenager became the envy of all his friends when he pulled into school in a porsche convertible . steven ortiz , 17 , dreamed of one day owning a luxury sports car -- a dream that became reality after he posted a used cell phone on craigslist . my friend gave me a free phone and said ,'do what you want with it ,'' ortiz told cnn 's american morning ' thursday . so i put it on craigslist on the barter section . ' after some serious patience , research and a lot of talking , his cell phone trade landed him an ipod touch , which he managed to barter up for a dirt bike and then to a macbook pro laptop computer . before long , he was the proud owner of an 1987 toyota 4runner . eventually , he landed a classic ford bronco suv -- the golden ticket that would soon get him into the driver seat of a luxury sports car . i just went for it , ' he said . i knew the bronco was worth more at the end . ' so what 's his secret ? it 's trying to catch people who want what you have , ' ortiz said . the man that needed the laptop had an extra car , ' so both parties got what they wanted , he added . he advises anyone looking to get into the barter game to be cautious before committing to a trade . always inspect everything , ' ortiz said . although he accomplished his goal of owning a porsche , ortiz says it 's time to move on and he plans on going back to what he does best -- bartering for something else . i do n't have a job right now and i really do n't like asking my parents if i can get an oil change , so i want to trade [ the porsche ] for a mid-sized truck , ' ortiz said . we 'll see what comes along . ' | ortiz bartered up cell for ipod touch , computer , dirt bike , suv and then a porsche |
balkans <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- leaders around the world tuesday mourned the death of the diplomat who spearheaded the end of the bosnian war on the 15th anniversary of the peace deal he helped design . richard c. holbrooke , 69 , died monday after doctors performed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta . he most recently served as the obama administration 's point man in the volatile afghan-pakistani war zone . you 've got to stop this war in afghanistan , ' he told a pakistani surgeon at george washington university hospital as he was being sedated for surgery , according to a senior administration official . that was one of his final comments , the official said . holbrooke was perhaps best known for his role as the chief architect of the dayton peace accords -- signed december 14 , 1995 -- which ended the deadly ethnic conflict that erupted during the breakup of yugoslavia . i had the honor and privilege of working with richard through many international crises over several decades , most particularly the wars in bosnia and kosovo , ' former u.s. secretary of state madeleine albright said . he could always be counted on for his imagination , dedication and forcefulness . ' after president barack obama took office in 2008 , holbrooke took one of the toughest diplomatic assignments -- u.s. special representative for afghanistan and pakistan , the region obama regards as critical to the fight against terrorism . holbrooke 's assertive style worked in the balkans , but it brought perils for diplomats in afghanistan and pakistan , where long stretches of chatting and tea-drinking are the norm . he was frank in his assessments about the region and officials in both countries regarded him as abrasive , including afghan president hamid karzai . in april 2009 , there were reports of a heated argument between holbrooke and karzai after charges of fraud surfaced in the afghan presidential election . karzai 's office issued a brief statement tuesday , describing holbrooke as a veteran and seasoned diplomat who had served greatly to the government and the people of the united states . ' achieving peace and stabilization of a country with complex realities on the ground , as well as in the region , is not an overnight task , but there was no doubt that he was pursuing his mission not only objectively , professionally and patriotically as an american , but at the same time as a friend of afghanistan , ' said dr. abdullah abdullah , afghanistan 's former foreign minister . that was what we admired most . ' in an interview with cnn , pakistani president asif ali zardari called holbrooke an extremely hard-working man ' who can get things done which would otherwise take weeks to get through . ' one of the world 's most recognizable diplomats , holbrooke 's career spanned from the vietnam war era to the war against the taliban and al qaeda in afghanistan and pakistan , coinciding with presidencies of the past five decades , from john f. kennedy to barack obama . he also worked as a journalist and an investment banker . but as a diplomat , he was plain-speaking , accessible , and known for his tough-mindedness . obama called holbrooke a true giant of american foreign policy who has made america stronger , safer , and more respected . ' secretary of state hillary clinton said the nation had lost one of its fiercest champions and most dedicated public servants . ' he was the consummate diplomat , able to stare down dictators and stand up for america 's interests and values even under the most difficult circumstances , ' clinton 's statement said . few people have ever left a larger mark on the state department or our country . ' a statement appearing on numerous radical islamist websites used holbrooke 's death to condemn the u.s. military presence in afghanistan . people can not turn a blind eye to the presence of ( u.s. and allied ) troops and can not be fooled by ( gen. david ) petraeus , holbrooke and others who should know that their fate is a scandal , madness , fainting , or worse than that , ' the statement read . shortly after taking office , obama appointed holbrooke to the special representative job and holbrooke dove in headfirst to tackle the challenges . in an october interview with cnn , holbrooke cautioned patience in the struggle against the militants and for democracy in the so-called afpak region , a mission that he said was of the most vital importance to our national security interests . ' we are determined to see it through , ' he said , and he made reference to the vietnam war and the dayton accords in his insights . he noted that dealing with so many foes on both sides of the afghanistan-pakistan border made the process difficult . a peace deal requires agreements , and you do n't make agreements with your friends , you make agreements with your enemies , ' he said . holbrooke mentioned a range of militant groups , such as the afghan taliban , the pakistani taliban , the haqqani network , and lashkar-e tayyiba , and noted that an expert could add another 30 . ' there 's no ho chi minh . there 's no slobodan milosevic . there 's no palestinian authority . there is a widely dispersed group of -- of people that we roughly call the enemy . there 's al qaeda , with which there 's no possibility of any discussion at all . ' there is no clear single address that you go to , ' holbrooke said . cnn 's jill dougherty , nic robertson , joe sterling and elise labott contributed to this report . | holbrooke was known as the chief architect ' of the accords that ended the war in the balkans |
holbrooke <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- leaders around the world tuesday mourned the death of the diplomat who spearheaded the end of the bosnian war on the 15th anniversary of the peace deal he helped design . richard c. holbrooke , 69 , died monday after doctors performed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta . he most recently served as the obama administration 's point man in the volatile afghan-pakistani war zone . you 've got to stop this war in afghanistan , ' he told a pakistani surgeon at george washington university hospital as he was being sedated for surgery , according to a senior administration official . that was one of his final comments , the official said . holbrooke was perhaps best known for his role as the chief architect of the dayton peace accords -- signed december 14 , 1995 -- which ended the deadly ethnic conflict that erupted during the breakup of yugoslavia . i had the honor and privilege of working with richard through many international crises over several decades , most particularly the wars in bosnia and kosovo , ' former u.s. secretary of state madeleine albright said . he could always be counted on for his imagination , dedication and forcefulness . ' after president barack obama took office in 2008 , holbrooke took one of the toughest diplomatic assignments -- u.s. special representative for afghanistan and pakistan , the region obama regards as critical to the fight against terrorism . holbrooke 's assertive style worked in the balkans , but it brought perils for diplomats in afghanistan and pakistan , where long stretches of chatting and tea-drinking are the norm . he was frank in his assessments about the region and officials in both countries regarded him as abrasive , including afghan president hamid karzai . in april 2009 , there were reports of a heated argument between holbrooke and karzai after charges of fraud surfaced in the afghan presidential election . karzai 's office issued a brief statement tuesday , describing holbrooke as a veteran and seasoned diplomat who had served greatly to the government and the people of the united states . ' achieving peace and stabilization of a country with complex realities on the ground , as well as in the region , is not an overnight task , but there was no doubt that he was pursuing his mission not only objectively , professionally and patriotically as an american , but at the same time as a friend of afghanistan , ' said dr. abdullah abdullah , afghanistan 's former foreign minister . that was what we admired most . ' in an interview with cnn , pakistani president asif ali zardari called holbrooke an extremely hard-working man ' who can get things done which would otherwise take weeks to get through . ' one of the world 's most recognizable diplomats , holbrooke 's career spanned from the vietnam war era to the war against the taliban and al qaeda in afghanistan and pakistan , coinciding with presidencies of the past five decades , from john f. kennedy to barack obama . he also worked as a journalist and an investment banker . but as a diplomat , he was plain-speaking , accessible , and known for his tough-mindedness . obama called holbrooke a true giant of american foreign policy who has made america stronger , safer , and more respected . ' secretary of state hillary clinton said the nation had lost one of its fiercest champions and most dedicated public servants . ' he was the consummate diplomat , able to stare down dictators and stand up for america 's interests and values even under the most difficult circumstances , ' clinton 's statement said . few people have ever left a larger mark on the state department or our country . ' a statement appearing on numerous radical islamist websites used holbrooke 's death to condemn the u.s. military presence in afghanistan . people can not turn a blind eye to the presence of ( u.s. and allied ) troops and can not be fooled by ( gen. david ) petraeus , holbrooke and others who should know that their fate is a scandal , madness , fainting , or worse than that , ' the statement read . shortly after taking office , obama appointed holbrooke to the special representative job and holbrooke dove in headfirst to tackle the challenges . in an october interview with cnn , holbrooke cautioned patience in the struggle against the militants and for democracy in the so-called afpak region , a mission that he said was of the most vital importance to our national security interests . ' we are determined to see it through , ' he said , and he made reference to the vietnam war and the dayton accords in his insights . he noted that dealing with so many foes on both sides of the afghanistan-pakistan border made the process difficult . a peace deal requires agreements , and you do n't make agreements with your friends , you make agreements with your enemies , ' he said . holbrooke mentioned a range of militant groups , such as the afghan taliban , the pakistani taliban , the haqqani network , and lashkar-e tayyiba , and noted that an expert could add another 30 . ' there 's no ho chi minh . there 's no slobodan milosevic . there 's no palestinian authority . there is a widely dispersed group of -- of people that we roughly call the enemy . there 's al qaeda , with which there 's no possibility of any discussion at all . ' there is no clear single address that you go to , ' holbrooke said . cnn 's jill dougherty , nic robertson , joe sterling and elise labott contributed to this report . | holbrooke was known as the chief architect ' of the accords that ended the war in the balkans |
holbrooke <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- leaders around the world tuesday mourned the death of the diplomat who spearheaded the end of the bosnian war on the 15th anniversary of the peace deal he helped design . richard c. holbrooke , 69 , died monday after doctors performed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta . he most recently served as the obama administration 's point man in the volatile afghan-pakistani war zone . you 've got to stop this war in afghanistan , ' he told a pakistani surgeon at george washington university hospital as he was being sedated for surgery , according to a senior administration official . that was one of his final comments , the official said . holbrooke was perhaps best known for his role as the chief architect of the dayton peace accords -- signed december 14 , 1995 -- which ended the deadly ethnic conflict that erupted during the breakup of yugoslavia . i had the honor and privilege of working with richard through many international crises over several decades , most particularly the wars in bosnia and kosovo , ' former u.s. secretary of state madeleine albright said . he could always be counted on for his imagination , dedication and forcefulness . ' after president barack obama took office in 2008 , holbrooke took one of the toughest diplomatic assignments -- u.s. special representative for afghanistan and pakistan , the region obama regards as critical to the fight against terrorism . holbrooke 's assertive style worked in the balkans , but it brought perils for diplomats in afghanistan and pakistan , where long stretches of chatting and tea-drinking are the norm . he was frank in his assessments about the region and officials in both countries regarded him as abrasive , including afghan president hamid karzai . in april 2009 , there were reports of a heated argument between holbrooke and karzai after charges of fraud surfaced in the afghan presidential election . karzai 's office issued a brief statement tuesday , describing holbrooke as a veteran and seasoned diplomat who had served greatly to the government and the people of the united states . ' achieving peace and stabilization of a country with complex realities on the ground , as well as in the region , is not an overnight task , but there was no doubt that he was pursuing his mission not only objectively , professionally and patriotically as an american , but at the same time as a friend of afghanistan , ' said dr. abdullah abdullah , afghanistan 's former foreign minister . that was what we admired most . ' in an interview with cnn , pakistani president asif ali zardari called holbrooke an extremely hard-working man ' who can get things done which would otherwise take weeks to get through . ' one of the world 's most recognizable diplomats , holbrooke 's career spanned from the vietnam war era to the war against the taliban and al qaeda in afghanistan and pakistan , coinciding with presidencies of the past five decades , from john f. kennedy to barack obama . he also worked as a journalist and an investment banker . but as a diplomat , he was plain-speaking , accessible , and known for his tough-mindedness . obama called holbrooke a true giant of american foreign policy who has made america stronger , safer , and more respected . ' secretary of state hillary clinton said the nation had lost one of its fiercest champions and most dedicated public servants . ' he was the consummate diplomat , able to stare down dictators and stand up for america 's interests and values even under the most difficult circumstances , ' clinton 's statement said . few people have ever left a larger mark on the state department or our country . ' a statement appearing on numerous radical islamist websites used holbrooke 's death to condemn the u.s. military presence in afghanistan . people can not turn a blind eye to the presence of ( u.s. and allied ) troops and can not be fooled by ( gen. david ) petraeus , holbrooke and others who should know that their fate is a scandal , madness , fainting , or worse than that , ' the statement read . shortly after taking office , obama appointed holbrooke to the special representative job and holbrooke dove in headfirst to tackle the challenges . in an october interview with cnn , holbrooke cautioned patience in the struggle against the militants and for democracy in the so-called afpak region , a mission that he said was of the most vital importance to our national security interests . ' we are determined to see it through , ' he said , and he made reference to the vietnam war and the dayton accords in his insights . he noted that dealing with so many foes on both sides of the afghanistan-pakistan border made the process difficult . a peace deal requires agreements , and you do n't make agreements with your friends , you make agreements with your enemies , ' he said . holbrooke mentioned a range of militant groups , such as the afghan taliban , the pakistani taliban , the haqqani network , and lashkar-e tayyiba , and noted that an expert could add another 30 . ' there 's no ho chi minh . there 's no slobodan milosevic . there 's no palestinian authority . there is a widely dispersed group of -- of people that we roughly call the enemy . there 's al qaeda , with which there 's no possibility of any discussion at all . ' there is no clear single address that you go to , ' holbrooke said . cnn 's jill dougherty , nic robertson , joe sterling and elise labott contributed to this report . | president obama calls holbrooke a true giant of u.s. foreign policy |
winfrey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- talk show queen oprah winfrey took her final bow in a taped episode that aired wednesday , marking the end of her 25-year daytime talk show with a tearful goodbye . you all have been a safe harbor for me , ' winfrey told her audience . my hope is that you will be that safe harbor for someone else . ' the media mogul signed off by walking through her audience and offering an e-mail address -- oprah @ oprah.com -- by which her many fans may contact her . i want you to know that what you have to say matters to me , ' she said , pledging to read as many e-mails as possible . minute-by-minute blog of wednesday 's show the final oprah winfrey show ' audience included her boyfriend , stedman graham , filmmaker tyler perry and her fourth-grade teacher , a woman she called mrs. duncan . winfrey said she has no regrets , though wished she could have done more to combat sexual predators of children . she then turned to perry , who sat beside 200 other men in the audience who were once victims of sexual abuse as children . they are standing together to lift the veil of shame , ' she said . each man carried a photo of himself as a child . photos : oprah through the years in the end , winfrey said her departure is n't bittersweet , but rather all sweet and no bitter . ' every single day i came down from my makeup room , i 'd offer a prayer of gratitude for the opportunity to have done this work . to be embraced by all of you , it 's one of the greatest honors a human being can have , ' she said . many of us have been together for 25 years . ... so i thank you all for your support and trust in me . i thank you for tuning in every day . ... i wo n't say good-bye , i 'll just say , until we meet again . ' beyond her studio audience , people like funda ray also reminisced about how winfrey turned her daytime talk show into a televised forum for self-help . when ray arrived on these shores two decades ago from her native turkey , she hardly spoke english . but she learned , went to school and even college . today , she works as a financial adviser 's assistant . and she said it 's all because of oprah . she inspired me so much , ' said ray , 44 , of hibbing , minnesota . if it was n't for her , i would have sat at home . ' gayle king : oprah was so ready for this moment ' ray was recording the last episode of oprah winfrey 's show wednesday -- she could n't be home in time to watch . i 'm going to miss her so much , ' she said . the talk show queen capped three days of farewell broadcasts that included appearances by hollywood 's top celebrities . winfrey announced in 2009 that she was leaving the show that catapulted her into a household name and made her a part of american culture and a worldwide celebrity . even ray 's mother , who arrived from istanbul for a u.s. visit last week , got off the plane and asked her daughter : do you know oprah is retiring ? ' winfrey 's popularity and credibility go hand in hand : if she gushed about a book , it became an instant best-seller . an appearance on her show was almost always followed by a rise in profile for the guest . paula pervall , 44 , administrative assistant at the elmhurst house of friendship , an assisted living home in wheeling , west virginia , is among millions of oprah fans . oprah fans hold viewing parties ' i think that it 's sad that the up-and-coming generation is not going to be able to experience what she offered my generation -- the self-help , the inspiration to do better , ' pervall said . she was very inspiring to people . she taught a lot of lessons . ' the most important lesson ? to be the best me that i can be , ' she said . oprah has had many great people on the show , pervall said . she remembers the woman who had the face transplant ; she was from west virginia -- that one jumps out at me . ' another show featured someone kicked out of a west virginia town because of hiv . winfrey taped the teary finale last week that included surprise tributes from superstars including tom hanks , tom cruise , aretha franklin , michael jordan , will smith and madonna . the finale aired in three parts starting monday and featured -- one by one -- dozens of winfrey 's famous friends taking to the stage to pay tribute to the talk show host at chicago 's united center . show producers kept her out of the loop about the guests . ireporters weigh in on oprah 's impact and legacy winfrey , who has in the past made it clear that she does not like surprises , gasped as her celebrity friends made appearances to thunderous applause , sometimes after a clue phrase . pulling off this surprise has been mission impossible , ' hanks said monday , a nod to the famous movie starring cruise , who walked on stage right after . winfrey took in the scene in an arena filled with giant photographs of memorable show moments and thousands of adoring admirers . winfrey had kept mum about plans for the final show , leaving her fans with one last surprise . kathy pittman , 55 , of columbus , ohio , wo n't find out until saturday . she 'll be watching it with her daughter then , after the work week is over . for pittman , who is african-american , winfrey transcended racial barriers with her talk show . she first connected with winfrey just months after the debut of the oprah winfrey show ' when the host visited forsyth county , georgia , a hotbed of racial tensions at the time . pittman was intrigued by winfrey 's courage and her confidence to put herself in the middle of a volatile situation . opinion : there will never be another oprah ' no one sees her as a black woman , ' pittman said . she appeals to everyone . she showed us ... that you can do whatever you want to , that the sky 's the limit . ' it was refreshing to see an african-american woman rise to such enormous power and then use it to help heal the world , said sondra miller , 33 , vice president of community engagement for cleveland 's rape crisis center . i think oprah has built credibility over the years , ' said miller , a subscriber to winfrey 's magazine and viewer of her show from childhood . she takes topics with an extreme amount of stigma , like sexual abuse , and makes people ok to talk about it . ' male survivors of sexual abuse was one such topic , miller said . winfrey interviewed actor , director and producer tyler perry about his own experience and had an audience filled with such survivors . miller thought that was remarkable . i do n't think we ever could have imagined that happening 10 years ago , ' she said . miller was drawn to winfrey 's knack for approaching intimidating topics in a sensitive and empowering manner . for many of her fans , winfrey 's last show was history in the making . her show will end , they said , but her legacy is lasting . part of it will live on through runner raymond britt , 50 , who first saw winfrey at the chicago marathon in 1994 . he had never run a race before , let alone a marathon . there was so much behind him but so far to go still -- five miles to the finish line . at mile 21 , he caught a glimpse of winfrey , who had just run the marine corps marathon , cheering on the runners . she stood alone , without an entourage , simply encouraging everyone to keep going . if she could do it , then i could do it , ' thought britt , of winnetka , illinois . he finished that day and went on to run 125 more races , including 85 marathons . it 's possible i would n't have finished that first one without oprah at the 21 , ' he said . she inspires the human race . ' and part of it will live on through britney deatherage , 26 , of lexington , kentucky , who watched the shows with her mother and became a fan . the topics were more than current events , said deatherage , a hairdresser . they focused on people 's real lives and what they experienced . ' she 's just kind of like an idol to every woman , ' she said , illustrating that women can be what they want to be . ' winfrey is one of the most recognizable talk show hosts and has built a media empire , including launching her own cable television network , own . my vision for own is to create a network that inspires our viewers and makes them want to be who they are on their best day , ' winfrey said . as winfrey devotees mourn the end of her 25-year run , some speculate who -- if anyone -- can fill her void . some already have a leg up on the competition . i 've spent seven to eight years training at oprah university , ' joked mehmet dr. oz ' oz , a winfrey protege whose show will upgrade to 83 time slots and stations where the oprah winfrey show ' had aired . oz added that he is grateful for the opportunity to take over the time slot , which is among the most sought-after in tv land . winfrey 's show made people like dominique taylor , 23 , of brooklyn reorient their lives . taylor rescheduled her cheerleading practice , her voice lessons , everything around 4 p.m. so that she could be home in front of the television . winfrey made the young woman laugh , made her cry . today , taylor sees herself as an embodiment of winfrey 's show , another part of her legacy . she 's a young filmmaker who hopes to involve winfrey 's production company in her project . her show was a platform for so many people to tell their story , for them to know they were n't alone , ' taylor said . at 4 p.m. every day , taylor , like millions of others , felt that she mattered . cnn 's moni basu and joe sterling contributed to this report . | new : you all have been a safe harbor for me , ' winfrey says |
winfrey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- talk show queen oprah winfrey took her final bow in a taped episode that aired wednesday , marking the end of her 25-year daytime talk show with a tearful goodbye . you all have been a safe harbor for me , ' winfrey told her audience . my hope is that you will be that safe harbor for someone else . ' the media mogul signed off by walking through her audience and offering an e-mail address -- oprah @ oprah.com -- by which her many fans may contact her . i want you to know that what you have to say matters to me , ' she said , pledging to read as many e-mails as possible . minute-by-minute blog of wednesday 's show the final oprah winfrey show ' audience included her boyfriend , stedman graham , filmmaker tyler perry and her fourth-grade teacher , a woman she called mrs. duncan . winfrey said she has no regrets , though wished she could have done more to combat sexual predators of children . she then turned to perry , who sat beside 200 other men in the audience who were once victims of sexual abuse as children . they are standing together to lift the veil of shame , ' she said . each man carried a photo of himself as a child . photos : oprah through the years in the end , winfrey said her departure is n't bittersweet , but rather all sweet and no bitter . ' every single day i came down from my makeup room , i 'd offer a prayer of gratitude for the opportunity to have done this work . to be embraced by all of you , it 's one of the greatest honors a human being can have , ' she said . many of us have been together for 25 years . ... so i thank you all for your support and trust in me . i thank you for tuning in every day . ... i wo n't say good-bye , i 'll just say , until we meet again . ' beyond her studio audience , people like funda ray also reminisced about how winfrey turned her daytime talk show into a televised forum for self-help . when ray arrived on these shores two decades ago from her native turkey , she hardly spoke english . but she learned , went to school and even college . today , she works as a financial adviser 's assistant . and she said it 's all because of oprah . she inspired me so much , ' said ray , 44 , of hibbing , minnesota . if it was n't for her , i would have sat at home . ' gayle king : oprah was so ready for this moment ' ray was recording the last episode of oprah winfrey 's show wednesday -- she could n't be home in time to watch . i 'm going to miss her so much , ' she said . the talk show queen capped three days of farewell broadcasts that included appearances by hollywood 's top celebrities . winfrey announced in 2009 that she was leaving the show that catapulted her into a household name and made her a part of american culture and a worldwide celebrity . even ray 's mother , who arrived from istanbul for a u.s. visit last week , got off the plane and asked her daughter : do you know oprah is retiring ? ' winfrey 's popularity and credibility go hand in hand : if she gushed about a book , it became an instant best-seller . an appearance on her show was almost always followed by a rise in profile for the guest . paula pervall , 44 , administrative assistant at the elmhurst house of friendship , an assisted living home in wheeling , west virginia , is among millions of oprah fans . oprah fans hold viewing parties ' i think that it 's sad that the up-and-coming generation is not going to be able to experience what she offered my generation -- the self-help , the inspiration to do better , ' pervall said . she was very inspiring to people . she taught a lot of lessons . ' the most important lesson ? to be the best me that i can be , ' she said . oprah has had many great people on the show , pervall said . she remembers the woman who had the face transplant ; she was from west virginia -- that one jumps out at me . ' another show featured someone kicked out of a west virginia town because of hiv . winfrey taped the teary finale last week that included surprise tributes from superstars including tom hanks , tom cruise , aretha franklin , michael jordan , will smith and madonna . the finale aired in three parts starting monday and featured -- one by one -- dozens of winfrey 's famous friends taking to the stage to pay tribute to the talk show host at chicago 's united center . show producers kept her out of the loop about the guests . ireporters weigh in on oprah 's impact and legacy winfrey , who has in the past made it clear that she does not like surprises , gasped as her celebrity friends made appearances to thunderous applause , sometimes after a clue phrase . pulling off this surprise has been mission impossible , ' hanks said monday , a nod to the famous movie starring cruise , who walked on stage right after . winfrey took in the scene in an arena filled with giant photographs of memorable show moments and thousands of adoring admirers . winfrey had kept mum about plans for the final show , leaving her fans with one last surprise . kathy pittman , 55 , of columbus , ohio , wo n't find out until saturday . she 'll be watching it with her daughter then , after the work week is over . for pittman , who is african-american , winfrey transcended racial barriers with her talk show . she first connected with winfrey just months after the debut of the oprah winfrey show ' when the host visited forsyth county , georgia , a hotbed of racial tensions at the time . pittman was intrigued by winfrey 's courage and her confidence to put herself in the middle of a volatile situation . opinion : there will never be another oprah ' no one sees her as a black woman , ' pittman said . she appeals to everyone . she showed us ... that you can do whatever you want to , that the sky 's the limit . ' it was refreshing to see an african-american woman rise to such enormous power and then use it to help heal the world , said sondra miller , 33 , vice president of community engagement for cleveland 's rape crisis center . i think oprah has built credibility over the years , ' said miller , a subscriber to winfrey 's magazine and viewer of her show from childhood . she takes topics with an extreme amount of stigma , like sexual abuse , and makes people ok to talk about it . ' male survivors of sexual abuse was one such topic , miller said . winfrey interviewed actor , director and producer tyler perry about his own experience and had an audience filled with such survivors . miller thought that was remarkable . i do n't think we ever could have imagined that happening 10 years ago , ' she said . miller was drawn to winfrey 's knack for approaching intimidating topics in a sensitive and empowering manner . for many of her fans , winfrey 's last show was history in the making . her show will end , they said , but her legacy is lasting . part of it will live on through runner raymond britt , 50 , who first saw winfrey at the chicago marathon in 1994 . he had never run a race before , let alone a marathon . there was so much behind him but so far to go still -- five miles to the finish line . at mile 21 , he caught a glimpse of winfrey , who had just run the marine corps marathon , cheering on the runners . she stood alone , without an entourage , simply encouraging everyone to keep going . if she could do it , then i could do it , ' thought britt , of winnetka , illinois . he finished that day and went on to run 125 more races , including 85 marathons . it 's possible i would n't have finished that first one without oprah at the 21 , ' he said . she inspires the human race . ' and part of it will live on through britney deatherage , 26 , of lexington , kentucky , who watched the shows with her mother and became a fan . the topics were more than current events , said deatherage , a hairdresser . they focused on people 's real lives and what they experienced . ' she 's just kind of like an idol to every woman , ' she said , illustrating that women can be what they want to be . ' winfrey is one of the most recognizable talk show hosts and has built a media empire , including launching her own cable television network , own . my vision for own is to create a network that inspires our viewers and makes them want to be who they are on their best day , ' winfrey said . as winfrey devotees mourn the end of her 25-year run , some speculate who -- if anyone -- can fill her void . some already have a leg up on the competition . i 've spent seven to eight years training at oprah university , ' joked mehmet dr. oz ' oz , a winfrey protege whose show will upgrade to 83 time slots and stations where the oprah winfrey show ' had aired . oz added that he is grateful for the opportunity to take over the time slot , which is among the most sought-after in tv land . winfrey 's show made people like dominique taylor , 23 , of brooklyn reorient their lives . taylor rescheduled her cheerleading practice , her voice lessons , everything around 4 p.m. so that she could be home in front of the television . winfrey made the young woman laugh , made her cry . today , taylor sees herself as an embodiment of winfrey 's show , another part of her legacy . she 's a young filmmaker who hopes to involve winfrey 's production company in her project . her show was a platform for so many people to tell their story , for them to know they were n't alone , ' taylor said . at 4 p.m. every day , taylor , like millions of others , felt that she mattered . cnn 's moni basu and joe sterling contributed to this report . | fans say winfrey inspired them to do better in life |
witherspoon <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- the latest 3-d animated movie involves the possible extinction of the human race and features a mad scientist with the head of a cockroach , a prehistoric half-ape/half-fish , a 50-foot-tall woman ( ok , 49-foot-11 ) , and a blue brainless blob named b.o.b . the missing link , ginormica , the blue blob b.o.b . and insectosaurus dominate monsters vs . aliens . ' and they 're the good guys . reese witherspoon leads the cast of monsters vs. aliens , ' providing the voice of susan , who is hit by a glowing meteorite on her wedding day . before long she 's grown into the biggest thing around . the short-statured oscar winner relished the chance to play not only a giant , but also a role model . i was walking with my son and my daughter the other day , and i was like'who 's your favorite superhero ?' witherspoon said . and my son was like ...'batman , superman , spiderman ,'and he could name 20 guy superheroes . and so i said to my daughter ,'who 's your favorite superhero ?'and she goes'i do n't know , the girl in the back of the justice league ? i ca n't remember her name .' so the idea of showcasing a female superhero , witherspoon said , has the actress really excited . ' kiefer sutherland , who plays general w.r. monger , sees the film as helping kids embrace their diversity . i love the idea that they were gon na make a film that was going to tell young people that it 's all right to be different , ' sutherland said . his military veteran character captures susan , renames her ginormica , ' and locks her up with the other monsters ' he 's collected over half a century . and not only is it all right to be different , that one thing that may make you feel awkward about being different might be your greatest asset . ' those assets become apparent when an alien invader ( voiced by rainn wilson of the office ' ) decides he wants earth , and the monsters -- ginormica , dr. cockroach ( house ' star hugh laurie ) , the missing link ( will arnett ) , and the gelatinous b.o.b . ( seth rogen ) -- are called upon to save the planet . the film , which also features the voices of stephen colbert and paul rudd , opens friday . most of the cast had previous experience in animation voiceover -- last year , rogen was featured in kung fu panda , ' and he and arnett were heard in horton hears a who ! ' -- but it was the first time for wilson . they called me and they said'they 're interested in you for this , playing an evil alien warlord ,'and i was like'where do i sign ?' he said with a chuckle . it was a welcome change of pace for sutherland , who recorded his voice tracks for monsters ' while he was filming the uber-intense 24 . ' so , for five days a week i 'm very serious in the'24'world , and then for five hours on the weekend i got to be 5 years old and just play a cartoon character ' -- a character he says he saw as a combination of r. lee ermey 's intense gunnery sergeant in full metal jacket ' and that'toon terror , yosemite sam . we combined these voices and the producers laughed , which is generally a pretty good sign , ' sutherland said . sutherland may have been inspired by the classics , but the 3-d aspect of monsters ' is as modern as movie technology gets . under the command of dreamworks animation chief jeffrey katzenberg ( whom witherspoon and sutherland respectfully called mr. katzenberg ' ) , the film was conceived from the beginning as a 3-d project . one early scene uses the process to bounce a paddleball out at the audience , but for the most part , the effect is used immersively , to bring viewers into the monsters ' world . you really feel like you 're there , like you 're a part of this thing , ' said arnett , not in a way that 's gratuitous and to just sort of show off , but really so that the viewer can be an active participant in the movie . ' while film technology continues to advance , some things never change . as susan is still trying to get used to her new size and powers , she finds herself simultaneously battling an alien robot and trying to save dozens of people trapped in their cars on the golden gate bridge while her male cohorts mostly just stand around . one tries to encourage her by calling you 're doing it ! ' to which susan snaps back , i 'm doing everything ! ' the quintessential cry ! ' witherspoon said . the female war cry ! that 's one of my favorite lines . ' ireport.com : does 3-d make you more likely to see a movie ? of course , it 's hardly a spoiler to reveal that -- eventually -- susan not only bonds with the rest of her motley crew , but also gains the self-confidence to see the positives in her accidental enormousness . as wilson , the film 's villain , noted , it 's a coming-of-age tale -- for the monster inside of each one of us . ' and , perhaps , it will give some little girls a superhero to look up to . | witherspoon says she hopes character can be role model for girls |
witherspoon <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- the latest 3-d animated movie involves the possible extinction of the human race and features a mad scientist with the head of a cockroach , a prehistoric half-ape/half-fish , a 50-foot-tall woman ( ok , 49-foot-11 ) , and a blue brainless blob named b.o.b . the missing link , ginormica , the blue blob b.o.b . and insectosaurus dominate monsters vs . aliens . ' and they 're the good guys . reese witherspoon leads the cast of monsters vs. aliens , ' providing the voice of susan , who is hit by a glowing meteorite on her wedding day . before long she 's grown into the biggest thing around . the short-statured oscar winner relished the chance to play not only a giant , but also a role model . i was walking with my son and my daughter the other day , and i was like'who 's your favorite superhero ?' witherspoon said . and my son was like ...'batman , superman , spiderman ,'and he could name 20 guy superheroes . and so i said to my daughter ,'who 's your favorite superhero ?'and she goes'i do n't know , the girl in the back of the justice league ? i ca n't remember her name .' so the idea of showcasing a female superhero , witherspoon said , has the actress really excited . ' kiefer sutherland , who plays general w.r. monger , sees the film as helping kids embrace their diversity . i love the idea that they were gon na make a film that was going to tell young people that it 's all right to be different , ' sutherland said . his military veteran character captures susan , renames her ginormica , ' and locks her up with the other monsters ' he 's collected over half a century . and not only is it all right to be different , that one thing that may make you feel awkward about being different might be your greatest asset . ' those assets become apparent when an alien invader ( voiced by rainn wilson of the office ' ) decides he wants earth , and the monsters -- ginormica , dr. cockroach ( house ' star hugh laurie ) , the missing link ( will arnett ) , and the gelatinous b.o.b . ( seth rogen ) -- are called upon to save the planet . the film , which also features the voices of stephen colbert and paul rudd , opens friday . most of the cast had previous experience in animation voiceover -- last year , rogen was featured in kung fu panda , ' and he and arnett were heard in horton hears a who ! ' -- but it was the first time for wilson . they called me and they said'they 're interested in you for this , playing an evil alien warlord ,'and i was like'where do i sign ?' he said with a chuckle . it was a welcome change of pace for sutherland , who recorded his voice tracks for monsters ' while he was filming the uber-intense 24 . ' so , for five days a week i 'm very serious in the'24'world , and then for five hours on the weekend i got to be 5 years old and just play a cartoon character ' -- a character he says he saw as a combination of r. lee ermey 's intense gunnery sergeant in full metal jacket ' and that'toon terror , yosemite sam . we combined these voices and the producers laughed , which is generally a pretty good sign , ' sutherland said . sutherland may have been inspired by the classics , but the 3-d aspect of monsters ' is as modern as movie technology gets . under the command of dreamworks animation chief jeffrey katzenberg ( whom witherspoon and sutherland respectfully called mr. katzenberg ' ) , the film was conceived from the beginning as a 3-d project . one early scene uses the process to bounce a paddleball out at the audience , but for the most part , the effect is used immersively , to bring viewers into the monsters ' world . you really feel like you 're there , like you 're a part of this thing , ' said arnett , not in a way that 's gratuitous and to just sort of show off , but really so that the viewer can be an active participant in the movie . ' while film technology continues to advance , some things never change . as susan is still trying to get used to her new size and powers , she finds herself simultaneously battling an alien robot and trying to save dozens of people trapped in their cars on the golden gate bridge while her male cohorts mostly just stand around . one tries to encourage her by calling you 're doing it ! ' to which susan snaps back , i 'm doing everything ! ' the quintessential cry ! ' witherspoon said . the female war cry ! that 's one of my favorite lines . ' ireport.com : does 3-d make you more likely to see a movie ? of course , it 's hardly a spoiler to reveal that -- eventually -- susan not only bonds with the rest of her motley crew , but also gains the self-confidence to see the positives in her accidental enormousness . as wilson , the film 's villain , noted , it 's a coming-of-age tale -- for the monster inside of each one of us . ' and , perhaps , it will give some little girls a superhero to look up to . | monsters are led by almost 50-foot woman , voiced by reese witherspoon |
brazile <tsp> ( cnn ) -- i suppose we like to predict the future because uncertainty makes us uncomfortable . or maybe we just like the game of analysis . before a baseball season starts , for example , you 'll find experts predicting who will win the pennant races and the world series . indeed , it 's not even a month after the super bowl and you can find confident assurances of who will be in the big game next year . politics is no different , of course , although the prediction business has more important consequences . i think we -- and by we ' i mean all of us in the news and commentary business -- have to be careful to distinguish between analysis and prediction . true , the predictive powers of polls has improved since thomas dewey defeated ' harry truman in 1948 , but as any meteorologist will tell you , the farther away the weather system , the more difficult it is to predict its behavior on a given day . analysis , on the other hand , can give us a better understanding of issues , effects of policies , and the all-important mood of the electorate , ' even though those can change as quickly as the path of a tornado . what brings all this to mind is a recent article by sahil kapur for the online talking points memo , four reasons the gop has a huge advantage in the 2014 elections . ' the article argues that , for all their internal divisions and long-term worries as a party , political scientists and historical trends give republicans a clear advantage in the upcoming 2014 congressional elections . ' i 'm not refuting the four reasons ( good thing they 're not four horseman ) . i just question if they are so predictively absolute . i see other factors at play . the first factor kapur writes about is the six-year curse for presidents . ' he notes , since the ratification of white house term limits , five of the six two-term presidents have lost seats after re-election . ' what intrigues me is the exception : bill clinton in 1998 , because of a strong economy and voter backlash against the republican-led impeachment . democrats that year fought back hard by recruiting good quality candidates who gained the trust of the people . speaking of president clinton , he 's campaigning for alison grimes in kentucky . despite all the recent attacks , the clintons'popularity remains sky high across the country , including in the south . democratic candidates are hopeful they will be able to campaign for them across the country . see gov . terry mcauliffe . so that 's x-factor one . midterm elections are only partly a referendum on the president . with the clintons campaigning , the equation changes . the second reason is democratic voters do n't turn out in midterms . ' the historical trend shows that age is a factor : older voters disproportionately turn out in midterms , and they 've moved to the republican party in recent decades , ' argues kapur . and yet , the republican attempts at voter suppression may well backfire . perhaps the gop 's current campaign to block attempts to extend unemployment insurance , block a raise in the minimum wage and take away health care will motivate some voters to turn out because it 's in their self interest . we all know that an angry electorate is a voting electorate . i expect young people and minorities to surprise the pundits . i expect women to organize and vote in surprising numbers . a threatened electorate is also a voting electorate . voter turnout comes down to organizing , educating , activating . from what i 've seen in my travels around the country , there 's a grass-roots groundswell that may very well resemble the 1998 backlash . ' the third factor kapur cites is that republicans have a mathematical advantage in the senate . ' they need to pick up a net of six seats . democrats are defending 21 seats , many in conservative states such as arkansas , north carolina and louisiana . here 's the thing : in the 12 states that mitt romney won that also had a senate race , democrats won five of them : north dakota , montana , missouri , indiana and west virginia . these states are at least as conservative as the southern states above . generally , senate races are not a referendum on the president or on any one issue , but a choice between the two candidates on the ballot . thus democrat mary landrieu remains strong in louisiana , while in kentucky , republican mitch mcconnell , the minority leader , is in trouble . as tip o'neill observed , all politics is local . ' in each competitive senate race there 's a clear contrast between a democratic candidate -- focused on creating opportunity for the middle class and willing to disagree with the party leadership -- and a republican candidate beholden to the tea party , the koch brothers and a small group of right-wing billionaires who support an agenda that will not enable the middle class or working families to prosper . while some democratic senators and a handful of congressional candidates may disagree with the president on specific economic priorities for their state , they all support his efforts to provide better wages for workers , fairness for women in the workplace and affordable opportunities to go to college and prepare for high-skilled jobs . despite an influx of negative ads underwritten by the koch brothers and their allies , democrats must find a way to stay on message and reach people where they live , work , eat and pray . finally , kapur mentions that the house map is skewed toward the gop . ' there 's no disputing this , just as there 's no disputing the fact that republican obstructionism in the house has prevented the country from moving forward . how much did republican gerrymandering after 2010 lockjaw the house ? political scientists may debate that , but house majorities do change , and sometimes unexpectedly . my point is that the season ' has n't started . we can analyze strengths and weaknesses , but let 's see how the teams play over the long haul , starting now with the upcoming primary elections . once the primary season has ended , we can start keeping score . until then , the sideshow is simply a distraction . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of donna brazile . | donna brazile : we like to predict future because uncertainty makes us uncomfortable |
brazile <tsp> ( cnn ) -- i suppose we like to predict the future because uncertainty makes us uncomfortable . or maybe we just like the game of analysis . before a baseball season starts , for example , you 'll find experts predicting who will win the pennant races and the world series . indeed , it 's not even a month after the super bowl and you can find confident assurances of who will be in the big game next year . politics is no different , of course , although the prediction business has more important consequences . i think we -- and by we ' i mean all of us in the news and commentary business -- have to be careful to distinguish between analysis and prediction . true , the predictive powers of polls has improved since thomas dewey defeated ' harry truman in 1948 , but as any meteorologist will tell you , the farther away the weather system , the more difficult it is to predict its behavior on a given day . analysis , on the other hand , can give us a better understanding of issues , effects of policies , and the all-important mood of the electorate , ' even though those can change as quickly as the path of a tornado . what brings all this to mind is a recent article by sahil kapur for the online talking points memo , four reasons the gop has a huge advantage in the 2014 elections . ' the article argues that , for all their internal divisions and long-term worries as a party , political scientists and historical trends give republicans a clear advantage in the upcoming 2014 congressional elections . ' i 'm not refuting the four reasons ( good thing they 're not four horseman ) . i just question if they are so predictively absolute . i see other factors at play . the first factor kapur writes about is the six-year curse for presidents . ' he notes , since the ratification of white house term limits , five of the six two-term presidents have lost seats after re-election . ' what intrigues me is the exception : bill clinton in 1998 , because of a strong economy and voter backlash against the republican-led impeachment . democrats that year fought back hard by recruiting good quality candidates who gained the trust of the people . speaking of president clinton , he 's campaigning for alison grimes in kentucky . despite all the recent attacks , the clintons'popularity remains sky high across the country , including in the south . democratic candidates are hopeful they will be able to campaign for them across the country . see gov . terry mcauliffe . so that 's x-factor one . midterm elections are only partly a referendum on the president . with the clintons campaigning , the equation changes . the second reason is democratic voters do n't turn out in midterms . ' the historical trend shows that age is a factor : older voters disproportionately turn out in midterms , and they 've moved to the republican party in recent decades , ' argues kapur . and yet , the republican attempts at voter suppression may well backfire . perhaps the gop 's current campaign to block attempts to extend unemployment insurance , block a raise in the minimum wage and take away health care will motivate some voters to turn out because it 's in their self interest . we all know that an angry electorate is a voting electorate . i expect young people and minorities to surprise the pundits . i expect women to organize and vote in surprising numbers . a threatened electorate is also a voting electorate . voter turnout comes down to organizing , educating , activating . from what i 've seen in my travels around the country , there 's a grass-roots groundswell that may very well resemble the 1998 backlash . ' the third factor kapur cites is that republicans have a mathematical advantage in the senate . ' they need to pick up a net of six seats . democrats are defending 21 seats , many in conservative states such as arkansas , north carolina and louisiana . here 's the thing : in the 12 states that mitt romney won that also had a senate race , democrats won five of them : north dakota , montana , missouri , indiana and west virginia . these states are at least as conservative as the southern states above . generally , senate races are not a referendum on the president or on any one issue , but a choice between the two candidates on the ballot . thus democrat mary landrieu remains strong in louisiana , while in kentucky , republican mitch mcconnell , the minority leader , is in trouble . as tip o'neill observed , all politics is local . ' in each competitive senate race there 's a clear contrast between a democratic candidate -- focused on creating opportunity for the middle class and willing to disagree with the party leadership -- and a republican candidate beholden to the tea party , the koch brothers and a small group of right-wing billionaires who support an agenda that will not enable the middle class or working families to prosper . while some democratic senators and a handful of congressional candidates may disagree with the president on specific economic priorities for their state , they all support his efforts to provide better wages for workers , fairness for women in the workplace and affordable opportunities to go to college and prepare for high-skilled jobs . despite an influx of negative ads underwritten by the koch brothers and their allies , democrats must find a way to stay on message and reach people where they live , work , eat and pray . finally , kapur mentions that the house map is skewed toward the gop . ' there 's no disputing this , just as there 's no disputing the fact that republican obstructionism in the house has prevented the country from moving forward . how much did republican gerrymandering after 2010 lockjaw the house ? political scientists may debate that , but house majorities do change , and sometimes unexpectedly . my point is that the season ' has n't started . we can analyze strengths and weaknesses , but let 's see how the teams play over the long haul , starting now with the upcoming primary elections . once the primary season has ended , we can start keeping score . until then , the sideshow is simply a distraction . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of donna brazile . | brazile : an angry electorate is a voting electorate |
brazile <tsp> ( cnn ) -- i suppose we like to predict the future because uncertainty makes us uncomfortable . or maybe we just like the game of analysis . before a baseball season starts , for example , you 'll find experts predicting who will win the pennant races and the world series . indeed , it 's not even a month after the super bowl and you can find confident assurances of who will be in the big game next year . politics is no different , of course , although the prediction business has more important consequences . i think we -- and by we ' i mean all of us in the news and commentary business -- have to be careful to distinguish between analysis and prediction . true , the predictive powers of polls has improved since thomas dewey defeated ' harry truman in 1948 , but as any meteorologist will tell you , the farther away the weather system , the more difficult it is to predict its behavior on a given day . analysis , on the other hand , can give us a better understanding of issues , effects of policies , and the all-important mood of the electorate , ' even though those can change as quickly as the path of a tornado . what brings all this to mind is a recent article by sahil kapur for the online talking points memo , four reasons the gop has a huge advantage in the 2014 elections . ' the article argues that , for all their internal divisions and long-term worries as a party , political scientists and historical trends give republicans a clear advantage in the upcoming 2014 congressional elections . ' i 'm not refuting the four reasons ( good thing they 're not four horseman ) . i just question if they are so predictively absolute . i see other factors at play . the first factor kapur writes about is the six-year curse for presidents . ' he notes , since the ratification of white house term limits , five of the six two-term presidents have lost seats after re-election . ' what intrigues me is the exception : bill clinton in 1998 , because of a strong economy and voter backlash against the republican-led impeachment . democrats that year fought back hard by recruiting good quality candidates who gained the trust of the people . speaking of president clinton , he 's campaigning for alison grimes in kentucky . despite all the recent attacks , the clintons'popularity remains sky high across the country , including in the south . democratic candidates are hopeful they will be able to campaign for them across the country . see gov . terry mcauliffe . so that 's x-factor one . midterm elections are only partly a referendum on the president . with the clintons campaigning , the equation changes . the second reason is democratic voters do n't turn out in midterms . ' the historical trend shows that age is a factor : older voters disproportionately turn out in midterms , and they 've moved to the republican party in recent decades , ' argues kapur . and yet , the republican attempts at voter suppression may well backfire . perhaps the gop 's current campaign to block attempts to extend unemployment insurance , block a raise in the minimum wage and take away health care will motivate some voters to turn out because it 's in their self interest . we all know that an angry electorate is a voting electorate . i expect young people and minorities to surprise the pundits . i expect women to organize and vote in surprising numbers . a threatened electorate is also a voting electorate . voter turnout comes down to organizing , educating , activating . from what i 've seen in my travels around the country , there 's a grass-roots groundswell that may very well resemble the 1998 backlash . ' the third factor kapur cites is that republicans have a mathematical advantage in the senate . ' they need to pick up a net of six seats . democrats are defending 21 seats , many in conservative states such as arkansas , north carolina and louisiana . here 's the thing : in the 12 states that mitt romney won that also had a senate race , democrats won five of them : north dakota , montana , missouri , indiana and west virginia . these states are at least as conservative as the southern states above . generally , senate races are not a referendum on the president or on any one issue , but a choice between the two candidates on the ballot . thus democrat mary landrieu remains strong in louisiana , while in kentucky , republican mitch mcconnell , the minority leader , is in trouble . as tip o'neill observed , all politics is local . ' in each competitive senate race there 's a clear contrast between a democratic candidate -- focused on creating opportunity for the middle class and willing to disagree with the party leadership -- and a republican candidate beholden to the tea party , the koch brothers and a small group of right-wing billionaires who support an agenda that will not enable the middle class or working families to prosper . while some democratic senators and a handful of congressional candidates may disagree with the president on specific economic priorities for their state , they all support his efforts to provide better wages for workers , fairness for women in the workplace and affordable opportunities to go to college and prepare for high-skilled jobs . despite an influx of negative ads underwritten by the koch brothers and their allies , democrats must find a way to stay on message and reach people where they live , work , eat and pray . finally , kapur mentions that the house map is skewed toward the gop . ' there 's no disputing this , just as there 's no disputing the fact that republican obstructionism in the house has prevented the country from moving forward . how much did republican gerrymandering after 2010 lockjaw the house ? political scientists may debate that , but house majorities do change , and sometimes unexpectedly . my point is that the season ' has n't started . we can analyze strengths and weaknesses , but let 's see how the teams play over the long haul , starting now with the upcoming primary elections . once the primary season has ended , we can start keeping score . until then , the sideshow is simply a distraction . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of donna brazile . | brazile : in politics , we have to be careful to distinguish between analysis and prediction |
fidel <tsp> havana , cuba ( cnn ) -- in a rare interview , fidel castro gives new details about his health four years ago when emergency surgery forced him out of power , saying he did n't think he would make it and still has difficulty walking . i was at death 's door , ' he told the director of the left-wing mexican newspaper la jornada in an article published monday . i did n't aspire to live , much less anything else . ' i asked myself many times if ( doctors ) were going to let me live in these conditions or let me die , ' he said . the 84-year-old did not , however , provide any details about what illnesses he suffered from . cuban state tv read aloud a letter from castro on july 31 , 2006 , announcing he was handing power to his younger brother raul castro . he disappeared from public view amid repeated rumors he had died . he later started writing essays for state media and appeared in occasional photos . last month , castro re-appeared in public to urge the united states to prevent what he sees as an imminent nuclear war with iran . while he appears frequently on cuban tv , he rarely grants interviews to the international media . castro said at his lowest point his weight fell to 66 kilos ( about 145 pounds ) but that he was now weighing in at almost 86 kilos ( about 190 pounds ) . i want to tell you that you are looking at someone who has come back from the dead , ' he said in the interview . this morning i succeeded in walking 600 steps alone , without a cane , without help . ' according to the article , castro devours ' books and reads up to 300 news articles a day . when asked why all this activity , he replied : i do n't want to be absent in these days . the world is in its most interesting and dangerous phase of existence and i am committed to what is going to happen . i still have things to do . ' castro said he wants to form an anti-war movement to deter a nuclear standoff . cnn 's shasta darlington contributed to this report . | in a rare interview , fidel castro describes his illness four years ago |
fidel <tsp> havana , cuba ( cnn ) -- in a rare interview , fidel castro gives new details about his health four years ago when emergency surgery forced him out of power , saying he did n't think he would make it and still has difficulty walking . i was at death 's door , ' he told the director of the left-wing mexican newspaper la jornada in an article published monday . i did n't aspire to live , much less anything else . ' i asked myself many times if ( doctors ) were going to let me live in these conditions or let me die , ' he said . the 84-year-old did not , however , provide any details about what illnesses he suffered from . cuban state tv read aloud a letter from castro on july 31 , 2006 , announcing he was handing power to his younger brother raul castro . he disappeared from public view amid repeated rumors he had died . he later started writing essays for state media and appeared in occasional photos . last month , castro re-appeared in public to urge the united states to prevent what he sees as an imminent nuclear war with iran . while he appears frequently on cuban tv , he rarely grants interviews to the international media . castro said at his lowest point his weight fell to 66 kilos ( about 145 pounds ) but that he was now weighing in at almost 86 kilos ( about 190 pounds ) . i want to tell you that you are looking at someone who has come back from the dead , ' he said in the interview . this morning i succeeded in walking 600 steps alone , without a cane , without help . ' according to the article , castro devours ' books and reads up to 300 news articles a day . when asked why all this activity , he replied : i do n't want to be absent in these days . the world is in its most interesting and dangerous phase of existence and i am committed to what is going to happen . i still have things to do . ' castro said he wants to form an anti-war movement to deter a nuclear standoff . cnn 's shasta darlington contributed to this report . | fidel says he was at death 's door , ' but he does not offer details about his illness |
landon donovan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in footballing terms , landon donovan is n't a marquee name in europe . he endured a miserable stint at behemoth bayern munich and only when he played in a less pressurized environment on another loan deal -- for everton in the english premier league -- did he excel . on the domestic front , it 's an entirely different matter . donovan can rightly claim to being the talisman for the national team for the past decade or so , featuring in three world cups and holding the distinction of scoring more goals than anyone else for the u.s . he was , unquestionably , the leading figure as the u.s. transitioned from football minnow to respected outfit . if his omission from the world cup squad by manager jurgen klinsmann could n't be compared to , let 's say , a lionel messi being snubbed by argentina or a cristiano ronaldo being dropped by portugal , it 's not far off . it is a very tight race for those spots , ' klinsmann , hired in 2011 and last year given an extension until 2018 , told reporters in may . we feel like the other players , without naming any of those guys , are a tiny bit ahead of him . that 's why we made that decision , which is obviously and understandably the biggest topic out there . ' most in the u.s. 's growing footballing community have disagreed with the man who shockingly ' left out donovan -- that was the word used by the 32-year-old 's mls team , the l.a. galaxy -- but germany 's klinsmann tends to court controversy , or at least divide opinion . here 's someone who , for all his scoring prowess during his playing days , will be forever linked with diving . pedro monzon 's challenge on'klinsy'in the 1990 world cup final was reckless but the latter 's exaggerated air time could be compared to a high-jumper performing a forward roll . for good measure , when he hit the ground , klinsmann resembled a fish when first out of the water -- flopping from the shock . monzon became the first player sent off in a world cup final and argentina 's fate was sealed . fast forward to his time as germany manager . there can be few more uplifting scenarios than an adored former player guiding a national team to world cup glory on home soil -- klinsmann made 80 international appearances , netting 38 times -- and the germans indeed almost prevailed in 2006 , falling to bogey side and eventual champion italy in the semifinals . but current germany captain philipp lahm all but wrote in his autobiography that klinsmann did n't play much of a role , saying he was tactically deficient . instead he praised then assistant joachim low ( who just happens to be lahm 's current boss with germany ) . lahm lined up , too , under klinsmann at bayern munich in 2008/2009 , when klinsmann did n't last the season . klinsmann and lahm will meet again , since germany -- as well as portugal and ghana -- landed in the u.s. 's group . there was very little technical instruction and the players had to get together independently before the game to discuss how we wanted to play , ' lahm wrote . klinsmann 's deep focus on fitness and nutrition , and fondness for yoga , is well known . players have even been given aptitude tests , not their usual fare . i do n't know if i 'd like his rules , ' u.s. international keeper marcus hahnemann , not making the trip to brazil , told cnn . i 'm way more laid back than most are . i would maybe struggle but that 's the way he wants to run it . ' judging by a story in the sporting news last year , hahnemann has company in not being entirely convinced by klinsmann 's methods . speaking anonymously , people linked with the u.s. team opened up about klinsmann 's apparent tactical naivety , and the author stated there was building resentment over the perceived importance and attitude of the german-born players . ' although it 's not strange for players born in one country to represent another -- in-demand striker diego costa picked spain over brazil for the world cup -- klinsmann selected more than merely one : jermaine jones , john brooks , timothy chandler and fabian johnson were all born in germany . bayern munich 's julian green , meanwhile , mostly represented germany under the senior level . jurgen has made it clear that looking at all possible options for discovering players will be exhausted , ' tony meola , who earned a century of caps for the u.s. , told cnn . my biggest concern is always ,'are you playing for the love of the jersey and what it represents ?' if the answer is an emphatic ,'yes ,'i have no problem with it but anything less , i would be concerned . we are in a different era and one that is changing the face of the game . ' klinsmann 's brutal assessment of his charges'chances at the world cup -- i think for us now , talking about winning a world is just not realistic ' -- also did n't go down well in the court of american public opinion . with all the second guessing , you might be hard pressed to believe that the u.s. has made inroads under klinsmann , who has lived in california for more than 15 years and is married to an american . but how else to describe the u.s. beating powerhouse italy for the first time -- in italy -- and overcoming arch-rival mexico in mexico , also a first ? note that donovan played a combined 45 minutes in those landmark successes . klinsmann has n't shied away from pushing for friendlies against top sides and has attempted to make the u.s. play a more proactive brand of football , rather than defend and counter . klinsmann has n't been the lone manager targeted by the outspoken lahm -- he came down harshly on the new manchester united manager louis van gaal -- and hahnemann admits the u.s. has definitely made progress . ' in terms of the tactics , he has certainly tried to change the way we play , ' added defender jonathan spector , who featured against the italians . we have the players for it , and i think it 's just going to take some time to adjust to that . you ca n't argue with the results we 've had . he 's been very successful as a national team coach , both with germany and with the us . in terms of sports science and that , i think there 's a place for that in football and he 's a very personable man . he 's easy to talk to . ' so , klinsmann has his supporters and detractors . results in brazil are sure to sway opinion further . donovan snub sparks outrage brazil 2014 world cup : score updates and schedule of matches world cup survival glass tells you when to stop drinking | u.s. manager jurgen klinsmann drew criticism for axing star landon donovan |
giovanna chirri <tsp> ( cnn ) -- how do you say scoop ' in latin ? it 's a good bet that giovanna chirri -- the journalist who broke the story of the pope 's resignation -- can tell you . chirri 's knowledge of latin gave her the edge to understand the magnitude of the pope 's announcement . a reporter for ansa , italy 's state-run news agency , chirri was among a few reporters at what appeared to be a routine papal announcement monday . most media outlets chose not to cover the event , which began with 20 minutes of announcements concerning other church matters , ansa reported . but then , in latin , pope benedict xvi said he would resign at the end of the month because of advanced age . ' the news would surprise the world 's 1.2 billion roman catholics , but someone had to inform them first . chirri has polished ' latin skills , her employer said , but it took confidence to trust that she heard what she thought she heard . the pope 's resignation , explained ' ( the news of ) his resignation did n't seem real to me , ' she told ansa . i told myself'you misunderstood .'' the pope 's latin is very easy to understand , ' chirri said , but it was n't until the announcement was repeated that the reporter filed an urgent bulletin for ansa , which was subsequently picked up by the rest of the world . a devout catholic , chirri told ansa she tries to keep her faith separate from her work covering the vatican , but monday 's announcement made her cry because she was upset . i fought to keep my nerve despite my knees feeling weak , ' she told the news agency . while catholic services today are celebrated in local languages , latin remains the official language of the roman catholic church . for this reason , all official acts of the church are announced in latin , as was the case monday . | italian news agency reporter giovanna chirri broke the pope resignation story |
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