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n. america <tsp> istanbul ( cnn ) -- the business deal looked fairly straightforward . last week , american basketball star kobe bryant agreed to become the new celebrity face of turkish airlines , a growing international carrier . though he has admitted to never having visited turkey , the los angeles lakers guard said in a news release that turkey is a country rich in natural beauty and thousands of years of cultural history , and i 'm proud to partner with turkish airlines to bring that majesty to people around the world . ' within days , however , bryant 's decision was being denounced by armenian groups in north america and in los angeles , which is the hometown not only of the lakers , but also of the largest ethnic armenian community outside of armenia . turkish deal will make kobe the face of oppression and injustice ' and kobe bryant 's direct flight to inhumanity , ' announced the website of the armenian youth federation . armenian diaspora groups in north america have launched a media and internet campaign urging bryant to drop his turkish airlines deal . in toronto , about 30 canadian-armenians protested against bryant , holding signs that said kobe : do the right thing , ' outside the stadium where the lakers played the raptors on sunday . what appeared to be a standard and presumably lucrative celebrity endorsement has run headlong into a passionate dispute over a bloody chapter in history that took place in the highlands of eastern turkey nearly a century ago . armenian groups and many scholars argue that starting in 1915 , turks committed genocide , when more than a million ethnic armenians were massacred in the waning days of the ottoman empire . modern-day turkey officially denies that a genocide took place , arguing instead that hundreds of thousands of armenian christians and muslim turks died in intercommunal violence around the bloody battlefields of world war i . the genocide debate is an annual source of tension between turkey and the united states , two nato military allies . every year , the white house beats back efforts in congress to pass a resolution which would formally recognize the 1915 massacres of armenians as genocide . in march , turkey temporarily withdrew its ambassador to washington in protest , after the house foreign affairs committee narrowly voted in favor of a nonbinding resolution recognizing the armenian genocide . the resolution was subsequently blocked from reaching a vote on the floor of the house of representatives . american officials worry that turkish anger over the genocide resolution could impact us use of the incirlik airbase in southern turkey , which is a vital logistical hub for troops moving to and from afghanistan . the turkish government has expressed concern in recent days , over reports that outgoing house speaker nancy pelosi may try to bring an armenian genocide resolution to vote in the final days of the current lame-duck congress . foreign minister ahmet davutoglu phoned his american counterpart hillary clinton on friday , to emphasize the seriousness of the situation , ' a turkish diplomatic spokesman said . even though this is a lame-duck session , what we understood is that this is a serious possibility and we had concerns for different reasons , ' said turkish foreign ministry spokesman selcuk unal , in a phone call with cnn . this month pelosi came under fresh pressure to schedule a vote from an unlikely lobbyist -- reality tv star kim kardashian . the armenian-american celebrity urged her 5.6 million twitter followers to call pelosi to urge her to schedule an armenian genocide resolution vote . as part of his two-year contract to be turkish airlines'new global brand ambassador , ' bryant is expected to make television and print commercials , as well as a number of public appearances for the company . | armenian diaspora in n. america launched media and internet campaign |
armenian <tsp> istanbul ( cnn ) -- the business deal looked fairly straightforward . last week , american basketball star kobe bryant agreed to become the new celebrity face of turkish airlines , a growing international carrier . though he has admitted to never having visited turkey , the los angeles lakers guard said in a news release that turkey is a country rich in natural beauty and thousands of years of cultural history , and i 'm proud to partner with turkish airlines to bring that majesty to people around the world . ' within days , however , bryant 's decision was being denounced by armenian groups in north america and in los angeles , which is the hometown not only of the lakers , but also of the largest ethnic armenian community outside of armenia . turkish deal will make kobe the face of oppression and injustice ' and kobe bryant 's direct flight to inhumanity , ' announced the website of the armenian youth federation . armenian diaspora groups in north america have launched a media and internet campaign urging bryant to drop his turkish airlines deal . in toronto , about 30 canadian-armenians protested against bryant , holding signs that said kobe : do the right thing , ' outside the stadium where the lakers played the raptors on sunday . what appeared to be a standard and presumably lucrative celebrity endorsement has run headlong into a passionate dispute over a bloody chapter in history that took place in the highlands of eastern turkey nearly a century ago . armenian groups and many scholars argue that starting in 1915 , turks committed genocide , when more than a million ethnic armenians were massacred in the waning days of the ottoman empire . modern-day turkey officially denies that a genocide took place , arguing instead that hundreds of thousands of armenian christians and muslim turks died in intercommunal violence around the bloody battlefields of world war i . the genocide debate is an annual source of tension between turkey and the united states , two nato military allies . every year , the white house beats back efforts in congress to pass a resolution which would formally recognize the 1915 massacres of armenians as genocide . in march , turkey temporarily withdrew its ambassador to washington in protest , after the house foreign affairs committee narrowly voted in favor of a nonbinding resolution recognizing the armenian genocide . the resolution was subsequently blocked from reaching a vote on the floor of the house of representatives . american officials worry that turkish anger over the genocide resolution could impact us use of the incirlik airbase in southern turkey , which is a vital logistical hub for troops moving to and from afghanistan . the turkish government has expressed concern in recent days , over reports that outgoing house speaker nancy pelosi may try to bring an armenian genocide resolution to vote in the final days of the current lame-duck congress . foreign minister ahmet davutoglu phoned his american counterpart hillary clinton on friday , to emphasize the seriousness of the situation , ' a turkish diplomatic spokesman said . even though this is a lame-duck session , what we understood is that this is a serious possibility and we had concerns for different reasons , ' said turkish foreign ministry spokesman selcuk unal , in a phone call with cnn . this month pelosi came under fresh pressure to schedule a vote from an unlikely lobbyist -- reality tv star kim kardashian . the armenian-american celebrity urged her 5.6 million twitter followers to call pelosi to urge her to schedule an armenian genocide resolution vote . as part of his two-year contract to be turkish airlines'new global brand ambassador , ' bryant is expected to make television and print commercials , as well as a number of public appearances for the company . | armenian diaspora in n. america launched media and internet campaign |
rio <tsp> ( cnn ) -- authorities launched a massive sweep of the alemao favela complex in northern rio de janeiro , brazil , sunday morning . military police told reporters they were entering the virtually impenetrable labyrinth of slums , searching for drug gang leaders and illegal drugs . cnn affiliate tv record showed images of armored vehicles entering the slum sunday morning , followed closely by police trucks and helicopters equipped with military rifles . police told tv record that they had arrested at least nine people , confiscated heavy weapons and seized four tons of marijuana . on saturday , police spokesman mario sergio duarte declared an ultimatum against drug gangs in the complex , stating that a military attack was imminent . we will not retreat in our decision to bring peace to rio , ' duarte said . we are in our final stages of reaching the traffickers in the alemao complex . ' police had offered drug gang leaders the chance to surrender , but they refused , brazilian military police col. lima castro said in an interview with cnn affiliate band news sunday . castro said police were asking any residents who live in the slum to stay home and take cover to avoid being hit by any stray bullets during the takeover . a police officer was hit in the arm by a bullet as authorities entered , police told tv record . the red cross sent 50 volunteers to help with the injured and there are four vehicles throughout the complex capable of helping with basic nursing and first-aid needs , the agency told band news . police said that some criminals were threatening taxi drivers to get them out of the slums , and some neighboring favelas said that the drug traffickers simply migrated to their neighborhoods , both television stations reported . there were also reports of suspects trying to escape through sewer lines running underneath the slum . some 2,600 police and soldiers occupied the favela sunday , and castro said that there is no target time to leave . army gen. adriano pereira jr. said they will hold their positions as needed . we are serving a request by the department of defense with authorization by president lula . we will stay for as long as its necessary , ' he said . at least 35 people have died , 174 arrested and 123 detained since violence broke out last sunday as a response by drug gangs to an increased police presence in the crime-ridden slums , known as favelas , police said , according to the official agencia brasil . more than 96 vehicles have been burned . brazil 's defense minister nelson jobim has said that in addition to the 800 federal troops , other reinforcements in support of local police were being directed to rio amid fears that the crisis could spill over to neighboring states . | we will not retreat in our decision to bring peace to rio , ' a police spokesman says |
seoul <tsp> ( cnn ) -- new video broadcast on north korean television shows a military unit carrying out live-fire drills in sight of a south korean island . the military exercises this week on the southwestern coast of north korea were close to the disputed maritime border . state television , krt , also shows tanks repositioning and an artillery machine being prepared , overlooking waters that have seen a number of violent incidents over the years . north korea shelled yeonpyeong island in november 2010 , killing four south koreans , claiming it was responding to a south korean military drill in the area . fiery rhetoric accompanied the military actions . deputy commander li gum-chol said , we will turn seoul into a sea of flames by our strong and cruel artillery firepower , which can not be compared to our artillery shelling on yeonpyeong island . we are training hard , concentrating on revenge to shock lee myung-bak 's traitorous group and the military warmongers in south korea . ' pyongyang has stepped up its rhetoric against south korea 's president lee myung-bak and his government since kim jong un took over as north korean leader last december after the death of his father , longtime leader kim jong il . the footage and fresh threats against south korea come just one week after the united states and north korea agreed on a nuclear deal after years of deadlock . north korea effectively agreed to freeze its nuclear program and the united states agreed to provide 240,000 metric tons of food aid . the two sides are due to meet wednesday to discuss the technicalities of the nutritional aid . the united states and south korea are currently carrying out annual joint military drills , which north korea has condemned as a provocation . now pyongyang is staging its own . the united states has long said improved inter-korean relations are crucial for success in nuclear talks , but the recent increase in rhetoric against south korea and its president make that appear unlikely in the short term . | we will turn seoul into a sea of flames , ' a military deputy commander says |
joshua clottey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manny pacquiao has put failed talks of a fight with floyd mayweather jnr behind him as he turns his focus to a bout with joshua clottey at the cowboys stadium . the filipino will defend his world boxing organization ( wbo ) welterweight title against ghanaian clottey on march 13 at the $ 1.2billion home of the dallas cowboys football team . pacquiao had been scheduled to face unbeaten american mayweather on the date before the proposed super-fight collapsed when the filipino rejected requests from his opponent to have unprecedented random blood testing . but the 31-year-old confirmed that he is now fully focused on his new opponent , not any possible fight with mayweather . it 's going to be a good fight , ' pacquiao said at a press conference to promote the fight . clottey , he is a good fighter , a top fighter , and he is bigger than me . i have to prepare hard for this fight and train hard and focus . ' when asked about mayweather , pacquiao 's trainer freddie roach said things had moved on but revealed his fighter would be ready to take on the american on the right terms . life goes on without mayweather . he would n't agree to a limit of 14 days before the fight . we did our best to appease him but he would n't go along with it , ' roach explained . mayweather 's people agreed to it but mayweather would n't go along with it . i do n't think he wants to fight manny . it was a smoke screen for him to say no . i want to beat this guy 's ass , believe me , but he wo n't give us the opportunity . we will fight him any day of the week . but he does n't make the rules . ' any pacquiao-mayweather fight would have been staged in las vegas and cowboys owner jerry jones added that the breakdown in talks benefited him . it did . this gave us an opening . we were very aggressive and we were pretty quick to make a deal , ' jones said . we 're going to make this one of the most interesting fights to view that there 's ever been . we 're going to have some fun with it . ' | manny pacquiao has put failed talks of his fight with floyd mayweather jnr behind him as he turns his focus to a bout with joshua clottey . |
mayweather <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manny pacquiao has put failed talks of a fight with floyd mayweather jnr behind him as he turns his focus to a bout with joshua clottey at the cowboys stadium . the filipino will defend his world boxing organization ( wbo ) welterweight title against ghanaian clottey on march 13 at the $ 1.2billion home of the dallas cowboys football team . pacquiao had been scheduled to face unbeaten american mayweather on the date before the proposed super-fight collapsed when the filipino rejected requests from his opponent to have unprecedented random blood testing . but the 31-year-old confirmed that he is now fully focused on his new opponent , not any possible fight with mayweather . it 's going to be a good fight , ' pacquiao said at a press conference to promote the fight . clottey , he is a good fighter , a top fighter , and he is bigger than me . i have to prepare hard for this fight and train hard and focus . ' when asked about mayweather , pacquiao 's trainer freddie roach said things had moved on but revealed his fighter would be ready to take on the american on the right terms . life goes on without mayweather . he would n't agree to a limit of 14 days before the fight . we did our best to appease him but he would n't go along with it , ' roach explained . mayweather 's people agreed to it but mayweather would n't go along with it . i do n't think he wants to fight manny . it was a smoke screen for him to say no . i want to beat this guy 's ass , believe me , but he wo n't give us the opportunity . we will fight him any day of the week . but he does n't make the rules . ' any pacquiao-mayweather fight would have been staged in las vegas and cowboys owner jerry jones added that the breakdown in talks benefited him . it did . this gave us an opening . we were very aggressive and we were pretty quick to make a deal , ' jones said . we 're going to make this one of the most interesting fights to view that there 's ever been . we 're going to have some fun with it . ' | manny pacquiao has put failed talks of his fight with floyd mayweather jnr behind him as he turns his focus to a bout with joshua clottey . |
mayweather <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manny pacquiao has put failed talks of a fight with floyd mayweather jnr behind him as he turns his focus to a bout with joshua clottey at the cowboys stadium . the filipino will defend his world boxing organization ( wbo ) welterweight title against ghanaian clottey on march 13 at the $ 1.2billion home of the dallas cowboys football team . pacquiao had been scheduled to face unbeaten american mayweather on the date before the proposed super-fight collapsed when the filipino rejected requests from his opponent to have unprecedented random blood testing . but the 31-year-old confirmed that he is now fully focused on his new opponent , not any possible fight with mayweather . it 's going to be a good fight , ' pacquiao said at a press conference to promote the fight . clottey , he is a good fighter , a top fighter , and he is bigger than me . i have to prepare hard for this fight and train hard and focus . ' when asked about mayweather , pacquiao 's trainer freddie roach said things had moved on but revealed his fighter would be ready to take on the american on the right terms . life goes on without mayweather . he would n't agree to a limit of 14 days before the fight . we did our best to appease him but he would n't go along with it , ' roach explained . mayweather 's people agreed to it but mayweather would n't go along with it . i do n't think he wants to fight manny . it was a smoke screen for him to say no . i want to beat this guy 's ass , believe me , but he wo n't give us the opportunity . we will fight him any day of the week . but he does n't make the rules . ' any pacquiao-mayweather fight would have been staged in las vegas and cowboys owner jerry jones added that the breakdown in talks benefited him . it did . this gave us an opening . we were very aggressive and we were pretty quick to make a deal , ' jones said . we 're going to make this one of the most interesting fights to view that there 's ever been . we 're going to have some fun with it . ' | pacquiao 's trainer freddie roach said his fighter has moved on ' but would be ready to take on mayweather on the right terms . |
americans <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- piracy , mostly in the dangerous waters near somalia , has surged this year and may be at an all-time high , according to a new report thursday . there have been 142 pirate attacks worldwide in the first three months of this year , according to the report from the international chamber of commerce 's international maritime bureau . and 97 of the attacks came off the coast of somalia , the organization said . figures for piracy and armed robbery at sea in the past three months are higher than we 've ever recorded in the first quarter of any past year , ' said pottengal mukundan , director of bureau that has monitored piracy since 1991 . during these attacks , 18 vessels were hijacked and 344 crew members were taken hostage . in the first three months of 2011 , seven crew members have been killed and 34 injured , according to the report . one of the deadly attacks occurred in february when four americans were killed after somali pirates hijacked their 58-foot yacht off the coast of oman . u.s. prosecutors announced this week that they had indicted a man believed to be one of the leaders of that pirate attack . | one of the attacks was in february on a yacht where four americans were killed |
mark thoma <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after reaching a record high of 14,253.77 on tuesday , the dow jones industrial average rose an additional 0.3 % on wednesday to reach a new record high of 14,296.39 . first off , the latest dow number is not really a record . if we adjust it for inflation , the dow still has a way to go . but is the rising number a sign that the economy , which has been improving sluggishly , is about to improve dramatically ? probably not . for example , the previous peak in the dow in 2007 was just before the onset of the great recession , and remember what happened then ? right , the economy crashed . people got scared . hell broke loose . no -- not really , but there was plenty of fear going around . flash to present day . some people are surprised that the stock market is doing so well , particularly in light of such high levels of unemployment . but maybe we should welcome the optimism since it can push along the economy . the steady rise of the dow since early 2009 has been driven mainly by two factors : the slow improvement in economic conditions and optimism since the recession ended , and the federal reserve 's attempt to stimulate the economy using quantitative easing policies . under the policies , the federal reserve has purchased large volumes of financial assets , and the increase in demand for these assets from the fed has lowered long-term interest rates and put upward pressure on the prices of stocks and bonds . as asset prices increase , people feel wealthier and more secure because of increased value of retirement funds , education savings , and so on , and the increase in wealth and security makes it more likely that consumers will spend money on goods and services . this boosts gdp and employment , and the improved outlook for the economy can increase stock prices even further . a case in point -- my parents . they are retired and did a lot of traveling . but when the 2007 recession hit and wiped out their retirement savings and equity in their home , they stopped traveling and instead began trying to rebuild what had been lost . they hunkered down , waiting for the storm to pass so to speak . gradually , they started to spend a bit more as stock prices and the economy improved , but they are not yet back to where they were before the recession . my parents are more optimistic now , and that spurs them to spend more , which helps businesses and the economy . there are many americans who went through similar experiences . if we add all of them together , we can see why things seem better than before . more people feel like we 're on the right track . the high stock market prices reflect this sentiment . but the real question remains : what does the dow tells us about the future of the economy ? there is some evidence that the stock market can predict economic prospects , but the correlation is unreliable . the improvement in the dow is a good sign , but let 's not treat it as reading the tea leaves . just as no one can predict the stock market , no one can really predict the economy , even if the dow is doing great . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of mark thoma . | mark thoma : the latest dow number is not really a record when adjusted for inflation |
mars <tsp> grammy-winning pop singer bruno mars will deliver the super bowl xlviii halftime show next february , the nfl announced sunday . mars appeared live on fox nfl sunday ' for the announcement just before the kickoff of the first week of sunday afternoon games in the regular season . the super bowl is still five months away , but early start of the publicity campaign for the halftime show is evidence that the entertainment rivals the actual game for attention . the pepsi super bowl halftime show is the most-watched musical event of the year , ' the nfl news release said . more than 110.5 million viewers in the u.s. watched last year 's show . ' beyonce 's performance at the last super bowl was critically acclaimed by fans . previous acts include madonna , the who , bruce springsteen and the e street band , tom petty and the heartbreakers , prince , the rolling stones , paul mccartney and u2 . michael jackson 's performance at super bowl xxvii in 1993 is credited with launching the tradition of blockbuster halftime shows . mars -- born peter gene hernandez in hawaii 27 years ago -- was just 4 when he began performing in his family 's show as an elvis impersonator . he moved to los angeles as a young adult to write and produce for other artists , but his last three years have been his most successful . his debut album for atlantic records , doo-wops & hooligans , ' includes just the way you are , ' which won him a grammy for best male pop vocal performance in 2010 . the album and his hit single grenade ' were nominated for three grammys in 2011 . his second album , unorthodox jukebox , ' includes the hits locked out of heaven ' and when i was your man . ' mars has been nominated for 14 grammys and has sold over 115 million singles . he has been touring the world with his eight-piece band , the hooligans . fox sports urged fans to stay tuned throughout the season to see what surprises bruno mars has in store for this historic halftime show . ' the next super bowl is set for metlife stadium in east rutherford , new jersey , on sunday , february 2 , 2014 . | mars has been nominated for 14 grammys and has sold over 115 million singles |
new jersey <tsp> grammy-winning pop singer bruno mars will deliver the super bowl xlviii halftime show next february , the nfl announced sunday . mars appeared live on fox nfl sunday ' for the announcement just before the kickoff of the first week of sunday afternoon games in the regular season . the super bowl is still five months away , but early start of the publicity campaign for the halftime show is evidence that the entertainment rivals the actual game for attention . the pepsi super bowl halftime show is the most-watched musical event of the year , ' the nfl news release said . more than 110.5 million viewers in the u.s. watched last year 's show . ' beyonce 's performance at the last super bowl was critically acclaimed by fans . previous acts include madonna , the who , bruce springsteen and the e street band , tom petty and the heartbreakers , prince , the rolling stones , paul mccartney and u2 . michael jackson 's performance at super bowl xxvii in 1993 is credited with launching the tradition of blockbuster halftime shows . mars -- born peter gene hernandez in hawaii 27 years ago -- was just 4 when he began performing in his family 's show as an elvis impersonator . he moved to los angeles as a young adult to write and produce for other artists , but his last three years have been his most successful . his debut album for atlantic records , doo-wops & hooligans , ' includes just the way you are , ' which won him a grammy for best male pop vocal performance in 2010 . the album and his hit single grenade ' were nominated for three grammys in 2011 . his second album , unorthodox jukebox , ' includes the hits locked out of heaven ' and when i was your man . ' mars has been nominated for 14 grammys and has sold over 115 million singles . he has been touring the world with his eight-piece band , the hooligans . fox sports urged fans to stay tuned throughout the season to see what surprises bruno mars has in store for this historic halftime show . ' the next super bowl is set for metlife stadium in east rutherford , new jersey , on sunday , february 2 , 2014 . | super bowl xlviii is set for new jersey 's metlife stadium on february 2 , 2014 |
south waziristan <tsp> islamabad , pakistan ( cnn ) -- the pakistani taliban have declared a cease-fire in south waziristan , one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal areas in northwest pakistan , three taliban commanders told cnn tuesday . the cease-fire -- agreed a month ago -- follows back-channel peace talks that have been taking place between intermediaries representing the pakistani government and the pakistani taliban , the commanders said . the commanders , speaking under condition of anonymity , said the talks were preliminary and began in late september , focusing only on south waziristan . the group has demanded an exchange of prisoners , the withdrawal of pakistani troops from south waziristan and compensation for the victims of army operations in the area , which borders afghanistan , the taliban commanders told cnn . the pakistani taliban has made preliminary contacts with the government through local tribal elders to explore the possibilities of a peace deal , the commanders said . south waziristan is believed to be the headquarters of the pakistani taliban leadership . the outcome of the purported back-channel talks is not yet known -- and senior figures in the country 's government and military have denied they are going on . the official spokesman for the pakistani taliban , a group that has not always spoken with one voice , categorically denied the commanders'claims . we are not against pakistan . we are against the u.s. and its allies , ' spokesman ahsanullah ahsan said . once pakistan stops acting as an ally of america , only then will we be open to peace talks with the pakistani government . ' pakistan 's interior minister denied the government is actively in talks with any faction of the pakistani taliban . the taliban have been trying to contact us ; however , we will not engage in peace talks with them until they give up their arms , ' interior minister rehman malik told cnn . malik said the message the pakistani government has sent to the taliban is : give up your arms and then we will talk . ' the pakistan military dismissed the reports of ongoing peace talks as concocted and baseless . ' commander asif yasin malik , a military spokesman , told reporters in mingora , in pakistan 's northwestern swat district : we are not talking to the taliban . this is the government 's job , not ours . ' both the taliban and the pakistani government would consider any talks highly sensitive because of the risk of being perceived as abandoning their cause and appeasing the enemy . both sides have set conditions for talks and neither wants to be seen as the side that abandons its conditions . this may explain why the two sides are denying talks are taking place and apparently using go-betweens instead of meeting directly . the pakistani government faces the added risk of upsetting the united states , since washington has long pressed pakistan to get more aggressive with violent extremists along the pakistan-afghanistan border . the united states expressed serious concern after pakistan 's short-lived peace deal with the pakistani taliban in 2008 . founded by baitullah mehsud in 2007 , the pakistani taliban is a banned islamist group said to have links with the afghan taliban and al qaeda . since its inception , the group has focused its attacks on military forces and installations as well as civilian targets in the region . journalists saboor khattak and nasir habib contributed to this report . | new : pakistani taliban commanders say a cease-fire was agreed in south waziristan |
south waziristan <tsp> islamabad , pakistan ( cnn ) -- the pakistani taliban have declared a cease-fire in south waziristan , one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal areas in northwest pakistan , three taliban commanders told cnn tuesday . the cease-fire -- agreed a month ago -- follows back-channel peace talks that have been taking place between intermediaries representing the pakistani government and the pakistani taliban , the commanders said . the commanders , speaking under condition of anonymity , said the talks were preliminary and began in late september , focusing only on south waziristan . the group has demanded an exchange of prisoners , the withdrawal of pakistani troops from south waziristan and compensation for the victims of army operations in the area , which borders afghanistan , the taliban commanders told cnn . the pakistani taliban has made preliminary contacts with the government through local tribal elders to explore the possibilities of a peace deal , the commanders said . south waziristan is believed to be the headquarters of the pakistani taliban leadership . the outcome of the purported back-channel talks is not yet known -- and senior figures in the country 's government and military have denied they are going on . the official spokesman for the pakistani taliban , a group that has not always spoken with one voice , categorically denied the commanders'claims . we are not against pakistan . we are against the u.s. and its allies , ' spokesman ahsanullah ahsan said . once pakistan stops acting as an ally of america , only then will we be open to peace talks with the pakistani government . ' pakistan 's interior minister denied the government is actively in talks with any faction of the pakistani taliban . the taliban have been trying to contact us ; however , we will not engage in peace talks with them until they give up their arms , ' interior minister rehman malik told cnn . malik said the message the pakistani government has sent to the taliban is : give up your arms and then we will talk . ' the pakistan military dismissed the reports of ongoing peace talks as concocted and baseless . ' commander asif yasin malik , a military spokesman , told reporters in mingora , in pakistan 's northwestern swat district : we are not talking to the taliban . this is the government 's job , not ours . ' both the taliban and the pakistani government would consider any talks highly sensitive because of the risk of being perceived as abandoning their cause and appeasing the enemy . both sides have set conditions for talks and neither wants to be seen as the side that abandons its conditions . this may explain why the two sides are denying talks are taking place and apparently using go-betweens instead of meeting directly . the pakistani government faces the added risk of upsetting the united states , since washington has long pressed pakistan to get more aggressive with violent extremists along the pakistan-afghanistan border . the united states expressed serious concern after pakistan 's short-lived peace deal with the pakistani taliban in 2008 . founded by baitullah mehsud in 2007 , the pakistani taliban is a banned islamist group said to have links with the afghan taliban and al qaeda . since its inception , the group has focused its attacks on military forces and installations as well as civilian targets in the region . journalists saboor khattak and nasir habib contributed to this report . | they say talks focus on south waziristan and include a demand for troop withdrawal |
ted <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- spider-man has been knocked off ... and not by the lizard . fox 's ice age : continental drift , ' the fourth film in the animated franchise , won the weekend with an estimated $ 46 million opening at the box office . the family-friendly flick bowed in 3,881 theaters and earned an $ 11,853 per-theater average over the friday-to-sunday period . the film has already made roughly seven times that much in foreign territories . compared to the previous installments in the ice age ' series , continental drift ' fell smack dab between the second and third film 's openings . and thanks to an bullish a- ' grade from cinemascore , continental drift ' should get some strong word of mouth and hold up well with younger audiences and their parents . in second place , peter parker & co. spun $ 35 million over the weekend , a drop of 43.6 percent . if weekend estimates hold , the sony tentpole will cross the $ 200 million mark , landing at $ 200.9 million . psychologically at least , that 's an important threshold for the amazing spider-man ' -- especially with bruce wayne on deck at the multiplex . taking the bronze for the weekend was ted ' †” universal 's mark wahlberg/mila kunis/talking bear comedy . the film scored a strong third week haul of $ 22.1 million , dropping just 31.2 percent †” thanks in part to the fact that it added 47 playdates . its total domestic take is now $ 158.9 million . in fourth , ice age 's ' main'toon challenger , brave , ' stayed strong adding $ 10.6 million more to its quiver . its four-week total is now $ 195.5 million , which means it should cross the $ 200 million mark by next weekend . rounding out the top five is warner bros.'stripper comedy magic mike . ' the channing tatum flick bumped and grinded for $ 9 million in its third frame , edging out oliver stone 's savages , ' and bringing its total to $ 91.8 million . one notable performance bubbling under the top 10 was this summer 's indie critical darling , fox searchlight 's beasts of the southern wild , ' which jumped from no . 21 to no . 16 after quadrupling the number of the theaters it was in . the film earned $ 775,000 on 81 screens for a terrific $ 9,568 per-screen average †” second only to ice age ' in the top 20 . see the full article at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | ted , ' with mark wahlberg and mila kunis , took third |
mila kunis <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- spider-man has been knocked off ... and not by the lizard . fox 's ice age : continental drift , ' the fourth film in the animated franchise , won the weekend with an estimated $ 46 million opening at the box office . the family-friendly flick bowed in 3,881 theaters and earned an $ 11,853 per-theater average over the friday-to-sunday period . the film has already made roughly seven times that much in foreign territories . compared to the previous installments in the ice age ' series , continental drift ' fell smack dab between the second and third film 's openings . and thanks to an bullish a- ' grade from cinemascore , continental drift ' should get some strong word of mouth and hold up well with younger audiences and their parents . in second place , peter parker & co. spun $ 35 million over the weekend , a drop of 43.6 percent . if weekend estimates hold , the sony tentpole will cross the $ 200 million mark , landing at $ 200.9 million . psychologically at least , that 's an important threshold for the amazing spider-man ' -- especially with bruce wayne on deck at the multiplex . taking the bronze for the weekend was ted ' †” universal 's mark wahlberg/mila kunis/talking bear comedy . the film scored a strong third week haul of $ 22.1 million , dropping just 31.2 percent †” thanks in part to the fact that it added 47 playdates . its total domestic take is now $ 158.9 million . in fourth , ice age 's ' main'toon challenger , brave , ' stayed strong adding $ 10.6 million more to its quiver . its four-week total is now $ 195.5 million , which means it should cross the $ 200 million mark by next weekend . rounding out the top five is warner bros.'stripper comedy magic mike . ' the channing tatum flick bumped and grinded for $ 9 million in its third frame , edging out oliver stone 's savages , ' and bringing its total to $ 91.8 million . one notable performance bubbling under the top 10 was this summer 's indie critical darling , fox searchlight 's beasts of the southern wild , ' which jumped from no . 21 to no . 16 after quadrupling the number of the theaters it was in . the film earned $ 775,000 on 81 screens for a terrific $ 9,568 per-screen average †” second only to ice age ' in the top 20 . see the full article at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | ted , ' with mark wahlberg and mila kunis , took third |
southern california <tsp> san diego , california ( cnn ) -- favorable weather and firefighter reinforcements helped ease the fire danger in parts of southern california thursday , but the human toll from the disaster was still coming to light . a firefighter watches the harris fire . four bodies were found in a canyon in the path of the blaze thursday . the number of deaths attributed directly to the fires grew to seven thursday , after the charred bodies of four people believed to be illegal immigrants were found in a canyon east of san diego . seven other deaths are labeled as fire-related : three elderly people died during evacuations , and four others died after being evacuated . improving conditions allowed more people to come home thursday , but new evacuations were ordered in areas where the unrelenting flames marched on . where residents could return , they often found ash and rubble in place of their homes . we see pictures from online and on tv , but it 's just , it 's much different when you see it up front , ' said louela binlac in front of what remained of her rancho bernardo home . the most important thing is that our family is still together , everybody is safe , and eventually we will rebuild again , ' she said . those things you can replace . we are just all grateful that everybody is safe . ' rancho bernardo resident marilyn wood said it was really scary ' to come back to the pile of ashes she once called home . her voice breaking , wood vowed to rebuild and recounted how she and her husband , gordon , fled early monday with only minutes to spare . see photos of the fires » ' ( our house ) was burning as we were leaving , ' she said . president bush got a firsthand look at the aftermath of the devastating fires thursday -- 10 still burning across seven counties . he promised federal help for those affected by the fires . watch bush tour the damage » ' we 're not going to forget you in washington , d.c. , ' the president said after touring the area by air and visiting rancho bernardo with california gov . arnold schwarzenegger . watch a report on bush as'comforter-in-chief'» bush signed a federal disaster declaration wednesday , freeing money to help residents rent temporary homes and repair damaged homes and businesses and to help local and state agencies pay for the emergency response . the cost of homes destroyed by the wildfires is likely to top $ 1 billion in san diego county alone , an emergency official said . people left homeless by the fires can apply online for federal help at fema.gov , said federal emergency management agency director david paulison . watch a tour of fema 's command center » almost 9,000 firefighters battled the blazes , augmented by reinforcements from dozens of states across the country . twenty-three fires have scorched 472,478 acres ( 738 square miles ) , an area roughly three-quarters of the size of rhode island . see where the fires are still burning » along with homes and businesses , the flames have destroyed roughly one-third of san diego county 's lucrative avocado crop , along with other croplands , greenhouses and nurseries . a change in the winds -- from a ferocious 100 mph on sunday to an almost manageable 10 mph on thursday -- brought welcome relief and allowed a full-bore aerial assault on the fires . reinforcements from across the country arrived to aid the exhausted firefighters , officials said . while the fires still threatened some 25,000 homes , the burn rate in the region -- a measure made up of factors like wind speed , humidity and available fuel -- was significantly lower thursday , a spokeswoman at the california department of forestry and protection said . residents of several communities , including the city of san diego , were allowed to return home wednesday and thursday , but more evacuations were ordered -- the latest covering the communities of lake henshaw and mesa grande and the la jolla indian reservation in san diego county . with the shifting fires , some shelters closed as others opened closer to danger . in san diego , mayor jerry sanders announced that qualcomm stadium -- the home of nfl 's chargers that held 11,000 evacuees at the height of the fires but dropped to 750 wednesday night -- would close to evacuees . as we transition from a large-scale emergency evacuation center into the recovery process , we have begun assisting all evacuees to find more suitable shelter and housing , ' sanders said . toward that end , qualcomm will close as an emergency shelter at noon tomorrow [ friday ] . ' meanwhile , arson investigations were under way in orange and riverside counties in connection with some of the wildfires . watch how arson investigators look for clues » the orange county sheriff 's department announced a $ 250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the 23,000-acre santiago fire , local officials said . watch the raging flames of the santiago fire » ' for someone to even think about doing something as reprehensible as starting a fire , where they knew that the fire would grow as rapidly as it would , traveling about three , 3½ miles in about an hour , is just , is really absolutely unconscionable , ' orange county battalion chief kris concepcion said on cnn 's american morning . ' the fbi and the atf are assisting orange county authorities with the investigation . in addition , the california department of forestry and fire protection considers the rosa fire in riverside county an arson case . that fire burned more than 400 acres before being fully contained . in other arson investigations , two men have been arrested in san bernardino county , one in san fernando and an adult and a juvenile in san diego county . none are believed connected with the major fires burning in the area . e-mail to a friend copyright 2007 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report . | more than half of southern california fires are fully contained |
tim cook <tsp> san francisco ( cnn ) -- faster , thinner laptops with hi-res screens . facetime video chatting over cellular networks . and a smarter siri . but no upgrades to apple tv -- at least , not yet . that , in brief , is what apple will be rolling out to its users over the next six months . the company announced these updates , and a bunch of other significant if not surprising news , during a keynote presentation monday kicking off its annual developers'conference . here are the highlights : refreshed macbooks the most impressive new product announced monday may be a new macbook laptop with a high-resolution display that apple says will contain 5 million pixels -- 3 million more than an hd television . the new macbook pro is the most advanced mac we have ever built , ' said apple ceo tim cook . the new retina display ' macbook pro measures 15.5 inches across and contains an intel quad-core i7 processor . it will feature up to 16gb of memory and up to 768gb of internal flash storage , marketing vice president phil schiller told attendees . it goes on sale today . schiller said the new computer 's display -- similar to the one in the company 's newest ipad -- is the highest-resolution display of any notebook , or simple laptop , on the market . users will get up to 7 hours of battery life , he said . the laptop is about .7 inches thick and weighs less than 4.5 pounds -- about the size and weight of a macbook air , he said . prices for the new macbook pro will start at $ 2,199 for a model with 8gb of memory . schiller also unveiled other macbook pros without high-res displays but with processors he said will be 60 % faster than current models . the 13-inch model will sell for $ 1,199 to $ 1,499 , depending on storage , while the 15-inch will be $ 1,799 to $ 2,199 . they start shipping today , he said . schiller also introduced macbook air laptops with faster , new-generation intel core processors . prices for the 11-inch macbook air range from $ 999 to $ 1,199 -- $ 100 less than before -- while the 14-inch is $ 1,199 and $ 1,499 . they also become available today , which explains why apple 's online store was down monday morning . there was no word monday on retina-display screens for the macbook air . the products we make , combined with the apps that you create , can fundamentally change the world , ' cook told developers in closing the keynote . and , really , i ca n't think of a better reason for getting up in the morning . ' ios 6 and siri apple also announced monday that an improved version of voice-controlled assistant ' siri is coming to iphones -- and , for the first time , to the ipad -- as part of its newest mobile operating system . a more efficient siri will be part of ios 6 , the next generation of the apple system that runs iphones and ipads . that system , which enhances mobile devices with more than 200 new features , is expected to be available this fall . siri is going international : in addition to english and a handful of other languages she will now process spanish , italian , korean , mandarin and cantonese -- a nod to apple 's growing popularity in china . users will be able to ask siri to update their status on facebook , post to twitter or launch an app . siri also is becoming more of a sports fan . she will deliver scores and stats , and as seen in an onstage demo can even tell you which basketball player is taller -- kobe bryant or lebron james ( it 's lebron , in case you 're wondering ) . in other ios 6 news , apple announced that its facetime video-chat feature for newer iphones and ipads will work over cellular networks , not just wi-fi . as expected , apple also is developing its own gps-based mapping application to replace google maps in ios 6 . the product will work with siri to offer voice-controlled , turn-by-turn navigation , letting motorists use it to guide them through unfamiliar neighborhoods . in ios 6 we have built an entire new mapping system from the ground up . and it looks beautiful , ' said senior vp for ios scott forstall . we 're covering the world . ' the apple maps will include a local search feature , integrated with yelp , that already has 100 million business listings , forstall says . apple also will enhance its maps with a real-time traffic application that will include anonymous , crowdsourced information from users . apple 's maps app also will include a flyover feature , which offers interactive 3-d views of popular cities .. apple also said the next generation of its os x operating system for laptops and desktops , dubbed mountain lion , will be available next month for $ 19.99 . mountain lion will contain more than 2,000 new features , including imessages , speech-to-text dictation and predictive smart search ' in the safari browser . the new mountain lion system also adds something called power nap , a new feature that keeps your laptop up to date while it sleeps by automatically refreshing mail , contacts and other apps . thirty billion apps and counting the event runs through friday and is the company 's first world wide developers conference ( wwdc ) since co-founder and longtime chief steve jobs died last fall . as usual , cook began the keynote with a batch of new stats about apple 's impressive growth . the app store now has 400 million accounts -- the largest number of accounts with credit cards anywhere on the internet , he said . some 650,000 apps are now available . customers have now downloaded an astounding 30 billion apps , ' cook said . many observers had expected apple to announce upgrades to its apple tv , the little box that lets users stream movies and other content from itunes to their televisions . experts had said such a move could be a step towards apple launching its own tv set . but apple made no mention of its tv product monday . apple has sometimes used past wwdcs to unveil new iphones . but because its most recent model , the iphone 4s , launched only eight months ago , most observers do n't expect the next one to come until the fall . | ceo tim cook led the keynote at apple 's annual developers'conference |
flower man <tsp> ( cnn ) eternally blooming in kolkata , india , along the hooghly river is malik ghat , a wholesale flower market that attracts more than 2,000 sellers each day . photographer ken hermann visited the market for his project flower man , ' which is a series of portraits that casts light upon the people behind the petals . when hermann was in kolkata working on another assignment , he went to the market as a tourist . after that first encounter with malik ghat , his captivation with the market did not diminish and he became intent on returning . ( the flower sellers ) woke my curiosity . but at that time , i did n't really have the time to do the project , ' hermann said . and this idea just kind of stuck in my head for almost two years . ' hermann was able to spend about 10 days at the market , and did not allow any challenges to hinder the completion of flower man . ' he said that in addition to language barriers and the heat of kolkata making communication complicated and shooting at certain times difficult , another adversity he faced was taking portraits of the female flower sellers . i had a really clear idea before i went ( to the market ) about what i wanted to do , ' hermann said . i wanted to shoot the sellers -- the male and the female sellers . ' but none of the female flower sellers wished to be a part of hermann 's project , so he focused only on those who were interested in and comfortable with having their portrait taken . for the portraits , hermann sought a neutral background . he first tried shooting under a bridge near the market , but quickly realized the lighting did not match the mood he wanted to create . he then decided to create the portraits by the hooghly river . this allowed him to combine the hazy smog in the air , sunlight from above and studio lights of his own , which culminated to produce a surreal effect and overexposed look that made his subjects stand out . all the pictures are shot within noon and 3 p.m. when you have the sun straight from above , which gives ( the portraits ) this very hard light , ' hermann said . and then i just used some studio light as a fill to make it a little bit more soft . ' although the composition of the majority of hermann 's portraits encompasses the flower sellers in front of a neutral background , other portraits forgo this characteristic and consequently bring a sense of movement and fluidity to flower man . ' viewers may see people or a dog appearing in a frame , or even birds flying in the sky and a boat floating in the water . one of the reasons hermann did not create the flower sellers'portraits directly inside the market is because of the hectic atmosphere . hermann compares malik ghat to the environments of financial trading and fish markets . it 's impossible to shoot at the market , especially if you want a clean and quiet background , because there 's so much going on , ' hermann said . social media follow @ cnnphotos on twitter to join the conversation about photography . similar to the commitment needed to effectively and successfully operate within the financial and food industries , hermann emphasized that the competitive atmosphere of the market and work ethic of the flower sellers was a major factor in whether a seller would agree to have their portrait made . all the other sellers -- they are so busy , so just convincing them to go near the river to get their portrait done and spend maybe 15 minutes of their time was a challenge , ' hermann said . because every minute they 're not standing in the flower ( market ) , they lose money . ' hermann said that another important reason some flower sellers decided not to be photographed was because flowers are highly valued in india and serve as a prominent feature during many events and moments in people 's lives , including everything from religious rituals and festivals to weddings and parties . some of the flowers , ( the sellers ) did n't allow us to take pictures of because they 're flowers used for offering in the temple , ' hermann said . it was more a problem about the flowers than actually the guy behind , because they did n't want us to take the pictures because ( the flowers would ) lose their purity . ' challenging perceptions and breaking down barriers are underlying elements within flower man . ' hermann said viewers must not make assumptions about the socioeconomic status of the sellers , nor should they view the sellers through a fixed , rigid lens regarding the behaviors and roles associated with gender . noticeable throughout the portraits is that none of the sellers is smiling , which is usually a behavior people tend to exhibit when in the presence of a camera . the lack of a smile enhances the organic nature of flower man , ' making the portraits a powerful representation of unforced and unfabricated human emotion . if you want to take pictures in india , people tend to just stand up and look proud and strong , ' hermann said . it 's very different from the western world because if you take pictures here , people tend to smile . ' like people , flowers come in all shapes , sizes and colors . when viewing hermann 's photos , this fact leaves viewers to consider if it is not the flowers that are decorations , but rather the sellers who bring vibrancy to the flowers . in the portrait of sanju joshi , for example , he is engulfed in endless layers of orange . they use these flowers in temples and all over india , so that 's one of the more common flowers at the market , ' hermann said . i really like that picture because they carry the flowers like it is a dress . you should see when they walk through the flower market , it 's almost like ( the flowers are ) all alive . ' similarly , the abundant leaves come to life in odhir gayen 's portrait . these are a special kind of leaves , and many of ( the sellers ) carry them on their head and ( on their ) arms , ' hermann said . and when they walk around , it 's almost like a human bush or something like that . ' hermann plans to return to malik ghat and looks forward not only to the opportunity to photograph different kinds of flowers -- as the range varies based on the seasons -- but also to the chance to present the flower sellers featured in flower man ' with their portraits . i enjoyed this project , ' hermann said . there 's a lot of photographers going to india and then showing a poor , bad situation . ... i have a totally different approach . i want to show some more proudness and find the beauty of people . ' ken hermann is a photographer based in copenhagen . you can follow him on facebook , twitter and instagram . | photographer ken hermann spent 10 days at the market photographing his project flower man ' |
ken hermann <tsp> ( cnn ) eternally blooming in kolkata , india , along the hooghly river is malik ghat , a wholesale flower market that attracts more than 2,000 sellers each day . photographer ken hermann visited the market for his project flower man , ' which is a series of portraits that casts light upon the people behind the petals . when hermann was in kolkata working on another assignment , he went to the market as a tourist . after that first encounter with malik ghat , his captivation with the market did not diminish and he became intent on returning . ( the flower sellers ) woke my curiosity . but at that time , i did n't really have the time to do the project , ' hermann said . and this idea just kind of stuck in my head for almost two years . ' hermann was able to spend about 10 days at the market , and did not allow any challenges to hinder the completion of flower man . ' he said that in addition to language barriers and the heat of kolkata making communication complicated and shooting at certain times difficult , another adversity he faced was taking portraits of the female flower sellers . i had a really clear idea before i went ( to the market ) about what i wanted to do , ' hermann said . i wanted to shoot the sellers -- the male and the female sellers . ' but none of the female flower sellers wished to be a part of hermann 's project , so he focused only on those who were interested in and comfortable with having their portrait taken . for the portraits , hermann sought a neutral background . he first tried shooting under a bridge near the market , but quickly realized the lighting did not match the mood he wanted to create . he then decided to create the portraits by the hooghly river . this allowed him to combine the hazy smog in the air , sunlight from above and studio lights of his own , which culminated to produce a surreal effect and overexposed look that made his subjects stand out . all the pictures are shot within noon and 3 p.m. when you have the sun straight from above , which gives ( the portraits ) this very hard light , ' hermann said . and then i just used some studio light as a fill to make it a little bit more soft . ' although the composition of the majority of hermann 's portraits encompasses the flower sellers in front of a neutral background , other portraits forgo this characteristic and consequently bring a sense of movement and fluidity to flower man . ' viewers may see people or a dog appearing in a frame , or even birds flying in the sky and a boat floating in the water . one of the reasons hermann did not create the flower sellers'portraits directly inside the market is because of the hectic atmosphere . hermann compares malik ghat to the environments of financial trading and fish markets . it 's impossible to shoot at the market , especially if you want a clean and quiet background , because there 's so much going on , ' hermann said . social media follow @ cnnphotos on twitter to join the conversation about photography . similar to the commitment needed to effectively and successfully operate within the financial and food industries , hermann emphasized that the competitive atmosphere of the market and work ethic of the flower sellers was a major factor in whether a seller would agree to have their portrait made . all the other sellers -- they are so busy , so just convincing them to go near the river to get their portrait done and spend maybe 15 minutes of their time was a challenge , ' hermann said . because every minute they 're not standing in the flower ( market ) , they lose money . ' hermann said that another important reason some flower sellers decided not to be photographed was because flowers are highly valued in india and serve as a prominent feature during many events and moments in people 's lives , including everything from religious rituals and festivals to weddings and parties . some of the flowers , ( the sellers ) did n't allow us to take pictures of because they 're flowers used for offering in the temple , ' hermann said . it was more a problem about the flowers than actually the guy behind , because they did n't want us to take the pictures because ( the flowers would ) lose their purity . ' challenging perceptions and breaking down barriers are underlying elements within flower man . ' hermann said viewers must not make assumptions about the socioeconomic status of the sellers , nor should they view the sellers through a fixed , rigid lens regarding the behaviors and roles associated with gender . noticeable throughout the portraits is that none of the sellers is smiling , which is usually a behavior people tend to exhibit when in the presence of a camera . the lack of a smile enhances the organic nature of flower man , ' making the portraits a powerful representation of unforced and unfabricated human emotion . if you want to take pictures in india , people tend to just stand up and look proud and strong , ' hermann said . it 's very different from the western world because if you take pictures here , people tend to smile . ' like people , flowers come in all shapes , sizes and colors . when viewing hermann 's photos , this fact leaves viewers to consider if it is not the flowers that are decorations , but rather the sellers who bring vibrancy to the flowers . in the portrait of sanju joshi , for example , he is engulfed in endless layers of orange . they use these flowers in temples and all over india , so that 's one of the more common flowers at the market , ' hermann said . i really like that picture because they carry the flowers like it is a dress . you should see when they walk through the flower market , it 's almost like ( the flowers are ) all alive . ' similarly , the abundant leaves come to life in odhir gayen 's portrait . these are a special kind of leaves , and many of ( the sellers ) carry them on their head and ( on their ) arms , ' hermann said . and when they walk around , it 's almost like a human bush or something like that . ' hermann plans to return to malik ghat and looks forward not only to the opportunity to photograph different kinds of flowers -- as the range varies based on the seasons -- but also to the chance to present the flower sellers featured in flower man ' with their portraits . i enjoyed this project , ' hermann said . there 's a lot of photographers going to india and then showing a poor , bad situation . ... i have a totally different approach . i want to show some more proudness and find the beauty of people . ' ken hermann is a photographer based in copenhagen . you can follow him on facebook , twitter and instagram . | photographer ken hermann spent 10 days at the market photographing his project flower man ' |
malik ghat <tsp> ( cnn ) eternally blooming in kolkata , india , along the hooghly river is malik ghat , a wholesale flower market that attracts more than 2,000 sellers each day . photographer ken hermann visited the market for his project flower man , ' which is a series of portraits that casts light upon the people behind the petals . when hermann was in kolkata working on another assignment , he went to the market as a tourist . after that first encounter with malik ghat , his captivation with the market did not diminish and he became intent on returning . ( the flower sellers ) woke my curiosity . but at that time , i did n't really have the time to do the project , ' hermann said . and this idea just kind of stuck in my head for almost two years . ' hermann was able to spend about 10 days at the market , and did not allow any challenges to hinder the completion of flower man . ' he said that in addition to language barriers and the heat of kolkata making communication complicated and shooting at certain times difficult , another adversity he faced was taking portraits of the female flower sellers . i had a really clear idea before i went ( to the market ) about what i wanted to do , ' hermann said . i wanted to shoot the sellers -- the male and the female sellers . ' but none of the female flower sellers wished to be a part of hermann 's project , so he focused only on those who were interested in and comfortable with having their portrait taken . for the portraits , hermann sought a neutral background . he first tried shooting under a bridge near the market , but quickly realized the lighting did not match the mood he wanted to create . he then decided to create the portraits by the hooghly river . this allowed him to combine the hazy smog in the air , sunlight from above and studio lights of his own , which culminated to produce a surreal effect and overexposed look that made his subjects stand out . all the pictures are shot within noon and 3 p.m. when you have the sun straight from above , which gives ( the portraits ) this very hard light , ' hermann said . and then i just used some studio light as a fill to make it a little bit more soft . ' although the composition of the majority of hermann 's portraits encompasses the flower sellers in front of a neutral background , other portraits forgo this characteristic and consequently bring a sense of movement and fluidity to flower man . ' viewers may see people or a dog appearing in a frame , or even birds flying in the sky and a boat floating in the water . one of the reasons hermann did not create the flower sellers'portraits directly inside the market is because of the hectic atmosphere . hermann compares malik ghat to the environments of financial trading and fish markets . it 's impossible to shoot at the market , especially if you want a clean and quiet background , because there 's so much going on , ' hermann said . social media follow @ cnnphotos on twitter to join the conversation about photography . similar to the commitment needed to effectively and successfully operate within the financial and food industries , hermann emphasized that the competitive atmosphere of the market and work ethic of the flower sellers was a major factor in whether a seller would agree to have their portrait made . all the other sellers -- they are so busy , so just convincing them to go near the river to get their portrait done and spend maybe 15 minutes of their time was a challenge , ' hermann said . because every minute they 're not standing in the flower ( market ) , they lose money . ' hermann said that another important reason some flower sellers decided not to be photographed was because flowers are highly valued in india and serve as a prominent feature during many events and moments in people 's lives , including everything from religious rituals and festivals to weddings and parties . some of the flowers , ( the sellers ) did n't allow us to take pictures of because they 're flowers used for offering in the temple , ' hermann said . it was more a problem about the flowers than actually the guy behind , because they did n't want us to take the pictures because ( the flowers would ) lose their purity . ' challenging perceptions and breaking down barriers are underlying elements within flower man . ' hermann said viewers must not make assumptions about the socioeconomic status of the sellers , nor should they view the sellers through a fixed , rigid lens regarding the behaviors and roles associated with gender . noticeable throughout the portraits is that none of the sellers is smiling , which is usually a behavior people tend to exhibit when in the presence of a camera . the lack of a smile enhances the organic nature of flower man , ' making the portraits a powerful representation of unforced and unfabricated human emotion . if you want to take pictures in india , people tend to just stand up and look proud and strong , ' hermann said . it 's very different from the western world because if you take pictures here , people tend to smile . ' like people , flowers come in all shapes , sizes and colors . when viewing hermann 's photos , this fact leaves viewers to consider if it is not the flowers that are decorations , but rather the sellers who bring vibrancy to the flowers . in the portrait of sanju joshi , for example , he is engulfed in endless layers of orange . they use these flowers in temples and all over india , so that 's one of the more common flowers at the market , ' hermann said . i really like that picture because they carry the flowers like it is a dress . you should see when they walk through the flower market , it 's almost like ( the flowers are ) all alive . ' similarly , the abundant leaves come to life in odhir gayen 's portrait . these are a special kind of leaves , and many of ( the sellers ) carry them on their head and ( on their ) arms , ' hermann said . and when they walk around , it 's almost like a human bush or something like that . ' hermann plans to return to malik ghat and looks forward not only to the opportunity to photograph different kinds of flowers -- as the range varies based on the seasons -- but also to the chance to present the flower sellers featured in flower man ' with their portraits . i enjoyed this project , ' hermann said . there 's a lot of photographers going to india and then showing a poor , bad situation . ... i have a totally different approach . i want to show some more proudness and find the beauty of people . ' ken hermann is a photographer based in copenhagen . you can follow him on facebook , twitter and instagram . | malik ghat is a wholesale flower market in india that attracts more than 2,000 sellers each day |
india <tsp> ( cnn ) eternally blooming in kolkata , india , along the hooghly river is malik ghat , a wholesale flower market that attracts more than 2,000 sellers each day . photographer ken hermann visited the market for his project flower man , ' which is a series of portraits that casts light upon the people behind the petals . when hermann was in kolkata working on another assignment , he went to the market as a tourist . after that first encounter with malik ghat , his captivation with the market did not diminish and he became intent on returning . ( the flower sellers ) woke my curiosity . but at that time , i did n't really have the time to do the project , ' hermann said . and this idea just kind of stuck in my head for almost two years . ' hermann was able to spend about 10 days at the market , and did not allow any challenges to hinder the completion of flower man . ' he said that in addition to language barriers and the heat of kolkata making communication complicated and shooting at certain times difficult , another adversity he faced was taking portraits of the female flower sellers . i had a really clear idea before i went ( to the market ) about what i wanted to do , ' hermann said . i wanted to shoot the sellers -- the male and the female sellers . ' but none of the female flower sellers wished to be a part of hermann 's project , so he focused only on those who were interested in and comfortable with having their portrait taken . for the portraits , hermann sought a neutral background . he first tried shooting under a bridge near the market , but quickly realized the lighting did not match the mood he wanted to create . he then decided to create the portraits by the hooghly river . this allowed him to combine the hazy smog in the air , sunlight from above and studio lights of his own , which culminated to produce a surreal effect and overexposed look that made his subjects stand out . all the pictures are shot within noon and 3 p.m. when you have the sun straight from above , which gives ( the portraits ) this very hard light , ' hermann said . and then i just used some studio light as a fill to make it a little bit more soft . ' although the composition of the majority of hermann 's portraits encompasses the flower sellers in front of a neutral background , other portraits forgo this characteristic and consequently bring a sense of movement and fluidity to flower man . ' viewers may see people or a dog appearing in a frame , or even birds flying in the sky and a boat floating in the water . one of the reasons hermann did not create the flower sellers'portraits directly inside the market is because of the hectic atmosphere . hermann compares malik ghat to the environments of financial trading and fish markets . it 's impossible to shoot at the market , especially if you want a clean and quiet background , because there 's so much going on , ' hermann said . social media follow @ cnnphotos on twitter to join the conversation about photography . similar to the commitment needed to effectively and successfully operate within the financial and food industries , hermann emphasized that the competitive atmosphere of the market and work ethic of the flower sellers was a major factor in whether a seller would agree to have their portrait made . all the other sellers -- they are so busy , so just convincing them to go near the river to get their portrait done and spend maybe 15 minutes of their time was a challenge , ' hermann said . because every minute they 're not standing in the flower ( market ) , they lose money . ' hermann said that another important reason some flower sellers decided not to be photographed was because flowers are highly valued in india and serve as a prominent feature during many events and moments in people 's lives , including everything from religious rituals and festivals to weddings and parties . some of the flowers , ( the sellers ) did n't allow us to take pictures of because they 're flowers used for offering in the temple , ' hermann said . it was more a problem about the flowers than actually the guy behind , because they did n't want us to take the pictures because ( the flowers would ) lose their purity . ' challenging perceptions and breaking down barriers are underlying elements within flower man . ' hermann said viewers must not make assumptions about the socioeconomic status of the sellers , nor should they view the sellers through a fixed , rigid lens regarding the behaviors and roles associated with gender . noticeable throughout the portraits is that none of the sellers is smiling , which is usually a behavior people tend to exhibit when in the presence of a camera . the lack of a smile enhances the organic nature of flower man , ' making the portraits a powerful representation of unforced and unfabricated human emotion . if you want to take pictures in india , people tend to just stand up and look proud and strong , ' hermann said . it 's very different from the western world because if you take pictures here , people tend to smile . ' like people , flowers come in all shapes , sizes and colors . when viewing hermann 's photos , this fact leaves viewers to consider if it is not the flowers that are decorations , but rather the sellers who bring vibrancy to the flowers . in the portrait of sanju joshi , for example , he is engulfed in endless layers of orange . they use these flowers in temples and all over india , so that 's one of the more common flowers at the market , ' hermann said . i really like that picture because they carry the flowers like it is a dress . you should see when they walk through the flower market , it 's almost like ( the flowers are ) all alive . ' similarly , the abundant leaves come to life in odhir gayen 's portrait . these are a special kind of leaves , and many of ( the sellers ) carry them on their head and ( on their ) arms , ' hermann said . and when they walk around , it 's almost like a human bush or something like that . ' hermann plans to return to malik ghat and looks forward not only to the opportunity to photograph different kinds of flowers -- as the range varies based on the seasons -- but also to the chance to present the flower sellers featured in flower man ' with their portraits . i enjoyed this project , ' hermann said . there 's a lot of photographers going to india and then showing a poor , bad situation . ... i have a totally different approach . i want to show some more proudness and find the beauty of people . ' ken hermann is a photographer based in copenhagen . you can follow him on facebook , twitter and instagram . | malik ghat is a wholesale flower market in india that attracts more than 2,000 sellers each day |
iraq <tsp> there is no shortage of parties to blame for the frightening turn of events in iraq over the past week . an incomplete list would include , above all , isis , the spearhead of a broader sunni arab revolt and the group famously rejected by the al qaeda leadership as too violent and puritanical even for them . isis grew out of the former al qaeda franchise in iraq that worked so hard after the fall of saddam hussein to provoke the sectarian bloodbath that was eventually unleashed in full in 2006 . also high on the list of culprits would be iraq 's prime minister nouri al-maliki who rarely misses an opportunity to alienate iraq 's sunni arabs and frustrate openings for reconciliation between the country 's various communities . special mention must also go to syrian dictator bashar al-assad . his decision in 2011 to respond violently to the legitimate , peaceful and democratic demands of his people set off the civil war which provided isis with a new battleground just after sunni arabs in iraq had turned against it . isis exploited this opening to the full , securing control over territory and oil reserves , and methodically building up its strength in preparation for a dramatic return to iraq . some of the greatest offenders , however , are to be found in the west , appearing in television studios or writing opinion pieces , offering their analysis of the situation and advice on what action their successors should take . displaying an almost comical lack of self-awareness , george bush 's vice president dick cheney , former u.s. deputy defense secretary paul wolfowitz and former british prime minister tony blair now deny their past actions had any bearing on the current crisis ( or , in the case of cheney , simply ignore their own record completely ) while recommending renewed military engagement from the u.s. and uk . responding to the shameless re-emergence of these ghosts from the past may seem like a futile exercise in score-settling , but in fact it is of vital current importance . the 2003 invasion was a war of choice , that kofi annan called illegal ' under international law , yet there remains no prospect of accountability for those responsible . that being the case , it is vital to ensure that the likes of blair , cheney et al are at least forced to pay a political cost for their actions , with the shame that attaches to them acting as a deterrent to any future leader tempted to emulate their record . the invasion and subsequent occupation of iraq helped lay the ground for the current crisis in a number of important respects . the occupying forces set the divisive tone early on , using sectarian quotas to select iraqi politicians to sit on the interim governing council that acted as the initial façade to u.s. authority over liberated ' iraq . the summary dismantling of the iraqi state and army -- a measure still defended by wolfowitz -- hit the sunni community disproportionately , further alienating them from the post-saddam settlement . iraq 's descent into a failed state provided conditions that isis , in its original incarnation , was able to exploit to the full . of course , the presence of occupying western armies played directly into the al qaeda narrative , acting as a magnet for jihadis from across the region and beyond . the horrific abuses uncovered at abu ghraib and the u.s. military 's brutal military tactics -- for example in the devastating assaults on falluja in 2004 -- were all gifts to jihadi recruiting sergeants , as was the continued support for the by now shia-dominated baghdad government as it ran death squads during the height of the civil war . the likes of cheney , wolfowitz and blair , who oversaw all of this , are scarcely qualified to offer authoritative counsel on how to deal with the disastrous effects of their own actions . and even if it were not for their own record , their advice does not stand up on its own terms . returning to iraq with air strikes , or an extension of the extrajudicial execution program that the obama administration has been running with its drone operations in yemen and pakistan , would serve only to inflame the situation further . what iraq needs , above all , is a political solution whereby sunni arabs , who have no love for isis and who have turned decisively against it in the recent past , are given a full part in a government of national reconciliation , independent of compromising foreign interference and capable of reintegrating all iraqi communities into the new dispensation . air strikes in support of maliki 's rigid , sectarian regime will inevitably lead to major civilian loss of life , deepening divisions and making political reconciliation harder to achieve . international jihadis had no real presence in iraq before the u.s.-led invasion of 2003 . now , in no small part due to the ironically titled war on terror ' waged by cheney , wolfowitz and blair , those forces now exert joint control over a huge swathe of the country . all in all , now would be a good time for the neo-conservatives and liberal interventionists who helped bring us to this point to commence a prolonged period of silence . their advice is no longer required . read : opinion - dick cheney 's amazing chutzpah on iraq | david wearing : those to blame for iraq crisis include isis , pm nouri al-maliki , syria 's bashar al-assad |
iraq <tsp> there is no shortage of parties to blame for the frightening turn of events in iraq over the past week . an incomplete list would include , above all , isis , the spearhead of a broader sunni arab revolt and the group famously rejected by the al qaeda leadership as too violent and puritanical even for them . isis grew out of the former al qaeda franchise in iraq that worked so hard after the fall of saddam hussein to provoke the sectarian bloodbath that was eventually unleashed in full in 2006 . also high on the list of culprits would be iraq 's prime minister nouri al-maliki who rarely misses an opportunity to alienate iraq 's sunni arabs and frustrate openings for reconciliation between the country 's various communities . special mention must also go to syrian dictator bashar al-assad . his decision in 2011 to respond violently to the legitimate , peaceful and democratic demands of his people set off the civil war which provided isis with a new battleground just after sunni arabs in iraq had turned against it . isis exploited this opening to the full , securing control over territory and oil reserves , and methodically building up its strength in preparation for a dramatic return to iraq . some of the greatest offenders , however , are to be found in the west , appearing in television studios or writing opinion pieces , offering their analysis of the situation and advice on what action their successors should take . displaying an almost comical lack of self-awareness , george bush 's vice president dick cheney , former u.s. deputy defense secretary paul wolfowitz and former british prime minister tony blair now deny their past actions had any bearing on the current crisis ( or , in the case of cheney , simply ignore their own record completely ) while recommending renewed military engagement from the u.s. and uk . responding to the shameless re-emergence of these ghosts from the past may seem like a futile exercise in score-settling , but in fact it is of vital current importance . the 2003 invasion was a war of choice , that kofi annan called illegal ' under international law , yet there remains no prospect of accountability for those responsible . that being the case , it is vital to ensure that the likes of blair , cheney et al are at least forced to pay a political cost for their actions , with the shame that attaches to them acting as a deterrent to any future leader tempted to emulate their record . the invasion and subsequent occupation of iraq helped lay the ground for the current crisis in a number of important respects . the occupying forces set the divisive tone early on , using sectarian quotas to select iraqi politicians to sit on the interim governing council that acted as the initial façade to u.s. authority over liberated ' iraq . the summary dismantling of the iraqi state and army -- a measure still defended by wolfowitz -- hit the sunni community disproportionately , further alienating them from the post-saddam settlement . iraq 's descent into a failed state provided conditions that isis , in its original incarnation , was able to exploit to the full . of course , the presence of occupying western armies played directly into the al qaeda narrative , acting as a magnet for jihadis from across the region and beyond . the horrific abuses uncovered at abu ghraib and the u.s. military 's brutal military tactics -- for example in the devastating assaults on falluja in 2004 -- were all gifts to jihadi recruiting sergeants , as was the continued support for the by now shia-dominated baghdad government as it ran death squads during the height of the civil war . the likes of cheney , wolfowitz and blair , who oversaw all of this , are scarcely qualified to offer authoritative counsel on how to deal with the disastrous effects of their own actions . and even if it were not for their own record , their advice does not stand up on its own terms . returning to iraq with air strikes , or an extension of the extrajudicial execution program that the obama administration has been running with its drone operations in yemen and pakistan , would serve only to inflame the situation further . what iraq needs , above all , is a political solution whereby sunni arabs , who have no love for isis and who have turned decisively against it in the recent past , are given a full part in a government of national reconciliation , independent of compromising foreign interference and capable of reintegrating all iraqi communities into the new dispensation . air strikes in support of maliki 's rigid , sectarian regime will inevitably lead to major civilian loss of life , deepening divisions and making political reconciliation harder to achieve . international jihadis had no real presence in iraq before the u.s.-led invasion of 2003 . now , in no small part due to the ironically titled war on terror ' waged by cheney , wolfowitz and blair , those forces now exert joint control over a huge swathe of the country . all in all , now would be a good time for the neo-conservatives and liberal interventionists who helped bring us to this point to commence a prolonged period of silence . their advice is no longer required . read : opinion - dick cheney 's amazing chutzpah on iraq | iraq must not endure more u.s. military devastation , wearing says ; it needs political solution |
isis <tsp> there is no shortage of parties to blame for the frightening turn of events in iraq over the past week . an incomplete list would include , above all , isis , the spearhead of a broader sunni arab revolt and the group famously rejected by the al qaeda leadership as too violent and puritanical even for them . isis grew out of the former al qaeda franchise in iraq that worked so hard after the fall of saddam hussein to provoke the sectarian bloodbath that was eventually unleashed in full in 2006 . also high on the list of culprits would be iraq 's prime minister nouri al-maliki who rarely misses an opportunity to alienate iraq 's sunni arabs and frustrate openings for reconciliation between the country 's various communities . special mention must also go to syrian dictator bashar al-assad . his decision in 2011 to respond violently to the legitimate , peaceful and democratic demands of his people set off the civil war which provided isis with a new battleground just after sunni arabs in iraq had turned against it . isis exploited this opening to the full , securing control over territory and oil reserves , and methodically building up its strength in preparation for a dramatic return to iraq . some of the greatest offenders , however , are to be found in the west , appearing in television studios or writing opinion pieces , offering their analysis of the situation and advice on what action their successors should take . displaying an almost comical lack of self-awareness , george bush 's vice president dick cheney , former u.s. deputy defense secretary paul wolfowitz and former british prime minister tony blair now deny their past actions had any bearing on the current crisis ( or , in the case of cheney , simply ignore their own record completely ) while recommending renewed military engagement from the u.s. and uk . responding to the shameless re-emergence of these ghosts from the past may seem like a futile exercise in score-settling , but in fact it is of vital current importance . the 2003 invasion was a war of choice , that kofi annan called illegal ' under international law , yet there remains no prospect of accountability for those responsible . that being the case , it is vital to ensure that the likes of blair , cheney et al are at least forced to pay a political cost for their actions , with the shame that attaches to them acting as a deterrent to any future leader tempted to emulate their record . the invasion and subsequent occupation of iraq helped lay the ground for the current crisis in a number of important respects . the occupying forces set the divisive tone early on , using sectarian quotas to select iraqi politicians to sit on the interim governing council that acted as the initial façade to u.s. authority over liberated ' iraq . the summary dismantling of the iraqi state and army -- a measure still defended by wolfowitz -- hit the sunni community disproportionately , further alienating them from the post-saddam settlement . iraq 's descent into a failed state provided conditions that isis , in its original incarnation , was able to exploit to the full . of course , the presence of occupying western armies played directly into the al qaeda narrative , acting as a magnet for jihadis from across the region and beyond . the horrific abuses uncovered at abu ghraib and the u.s. military 's brutal military tactics -- for example in the devastating assaults on falluja in 2004 -- were all gifts to jihadi recruiting sergeants , as was the continued support for the by now shia-dominated baghdad government as it ran death squads during the height of the civil war . the likes of cheney , wolfowitz and blair , who oversaw all of this , are scarcely qualified to offer authoritative counsel on how to deal with the disastrous effects of their own actions . and even if it were not for their own record , their advice does not stand up on its own terms . returning to iraq with air strikes , or an extension of the extrajudicial execution program that the obama administration has been running with its drone operations in yemen and pakistan , would serve only to inflame the situation further . what iraq needs , above all , is a political solution whereby sunni arabs , who have no love for isis and who have turned decisively against it in the recent past , are given a full part in a government of national reconciliation , independent of compromising foreign interference and capable of reintegrating all iraqi communities into the new dispensation . air strikes in support of maliki 's rigid , sectarian regime will inevitably lead to major civilian loss of life , deepening divisions and making political reconciliation harder to achieve . international jihadis had no real presence in iraq before the u.s.-led invasion of 2003 . now , in no small part due to the ironically titled war on terror ' waged by cheney , wolfowitz and blair , those forces now exert joint control over a huge swathe of the country . all in all , now would be a good time for the neo-conservatives and liberal interventionists who helped bring us to this point to commence a prolonged period of silence . their advice is no longer required . read : opinion - dick cheney 's amazing chutzpah on iraq | david wearing : those to blame for iraq crisis include isis , pm nouri al-maliki , syria 's bashar al-assad |
daily curriculum <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- september 18 , 2013 as the investigation into monday 's shooting at the washington navy yard moves forward , americans pause to remember the victims of the attack . cnn student news reports on the latest developments , and then we head to italy to witness the largest salvage operation of its kind . we also examine the threat of so-called superbugs , ' and we meet a young artist who uses her talent to help others . on this page you will find today 's show transcript , the daily curriculum , maps pertaining to today 's show , and a place for you to leave feedback . transcript click here to access the transcript of today 's cnn student news program . please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published . daily curriculum click here for a printable version of the daily curriculum ( pdf ) . media literacy question of the day : why might people who 've survived a natural disaster want to talk to the news media ? what considerations should journalists take into account when interviewing survivors of natural disasters ? key concepts : identify or explain these subjects you heard about in today 's show : 1. moment of silence 2. parbuckling 3. antibiotic resistance fast facts : how well were you listening to today 's program ? 1 . how are people honoring the victims of the washington navy yard shooting ? 2 . describe the process being used to salvage the costa concordia cruise ship . 3 . what two state flags did a young artist incorporate into her painting about superstorm ' sandy ? discussion questions : 1 . how might a young person have a different perspective on a natural disaster than his or her parents ? how might their priorities be different when recovering ? what do you think would be most helpful for the people who experienced flooding in colorado ? 2 . why do you think the cdc is concerned about superbugs ' ? what actions , if any , might the medical community take in response to the cdc 's concerns over these bacteria ? how large a role do you think individuals have in preventing the spread of infection ? 3 . what were your impressions of the paintings created by the young artist seen in the program ? do you think the public reacts differently when young people make successful contributions to their community ? explain . cnn student news is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the common core state standards , national standards in different subject areas , and state standards when producing the show and curriculum . we hope you use our free daily materials along with the program , and we welcome your feedback on them . maps download pdf maps related to today 's show : north america washington , d.c. ; colorado europe italy feedback we 're looking for your feedback about cnn student news . please use this page to leave us comments about today 's program , including what you think about our stories and our resources . also , feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom . the educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well . thank you for using cnn student news ! click here to submit your roll call request . | the daily curriculum offers the media literacy question of the day , key concepts , fast facts and discussion questions |
daily curriculum <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- september 18 , 2013 as the investigation into monday 's shooting at the washington navy yard moves forward , americans pause to remember the victims of the attack . cnn student news reports on the latest developments , and then we head to italy to witness the largest salvage operation of its kind . we also examine the threat of so-called superbugs , ' and we meet a young artist who uses her talent to help others . on this page you will find today 's show transcript , the daily curriculum , maps pertaining to today 's show , and a place for you to leave feedback . transcript click here to access the transcript of today 's cnn student news program . please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published . daily curriculum click here for a printable version of the daily curriculum ( pdf ) . media literacy question of the day : why might people who 've survived a natural disaster want to talk to the news media ? what considerations should journalists take into account when interviewing survivors of natural disasters ? key concepts : identify or explain these subjects you heard about in today 's show : 1. moment of silence 2. parbuckling 3. antibiotic resistance fast facts : how well were you listening to today 's program ? 1 . how are people honoring the victims of the washington navy yard shooting ? 2 . describe the process being used to salvage the costa concordia cruise ship . 3 . what two state flags did a young artist incorporate into her painting about superstorm ' sandy ? discussion questions : 1 . how might a young person have a different perspective on a natural disaster than his or her parents ? how might their priorities be different when recovering ? what do you think would be most helpful for the people who experienced flooding in colorado ? 2 . why do you think the cdc is concerned about superbugs ' ? what actions , if any , might the medical community take in response to the cdc 's concerns over these bacteria ? how large a role do you think individuals have in preventing the spread of infection ? 3 . what were your impressions of the paintings created by the young artist seen in the program ? do you think the public reacts differently when young people make successful contributions to their community ? explain . cnn student news is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the common core state standards , national standards in different subject areas , and state standards when producing the show and curriculum . we hope you use our free daily materials along with the program , and we welcome your feedback on them . maps download pdf maps related to today 's show : north america washington , d.c. ; colorado europe italy feedback we 're looking for your feedback about cnn student news . please use this page to leave us comments about today 's program , including what you think about our stories and our resources . also , feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom . the educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well . thank you for using cnn student news ! click here to submit your roll call request . | this page includes the show transcript , the daily curriculum , and maps |
harry potter <tsp> ( cnn ) -- wondering where to get your next adrenaline fix ? we 've rounded up the most exciting theme park openings taking place within the next two years . aquatica , san diego opening date : june 2013 highlight : tassie 's twister -- a 75-foot water slide followed by a six-story funnel . seaworld 's aquatica water park opened this summer . in addition to the heart-jumping water rides , there are various animal habitats : the lazy river snakes through a flamingo enclosure and the wave pool borders a freshwater turtle habitat . converting this neglected corner of san diego into a tropical paradise was no mean feat . the white sand used to create the 43,000-square-foot artificial beach was shipped in from the coast and thousands of trees and shrubs were also planted . springfield , orlando opening date : summer 2013 highlight : delicious krusty burgers visitors to this simpsons-themed amusement park , located within the universal studios theme park , will be able to stock up on basics at apu nahasapeemapetilon 's kwik-e-mart , relax with a refreshing pint of duff beer at moe 's tavern and chow on a krusty burger . the last two activities are best avoided before a spin on kang and kodo 's twirl n'hurl , which promises to take foolish humans on an intergalactic spin designed to send them into orbit . ' wet n'wild sydney , australia opening date : december 2013 highlight : rainbow-hued , eight-lane , speed-racer slide wet n'wild sydney will feature one of the world 's largest wave pools , the only wave machine capable of producing a 10-foot barrel wave , the world 's tallest water coaster and a water slide with eight lanes . this water park will be the largest in the world , and will join forces with australia 's surf life saving new south wales organization . the color scheme of one of the rides is based on the colors used on the nsw surf lifesaving cap . marvel city theme park , dubai opening date : december 2013 highlight : educational exhibitions -- ideal for anyone who 's ever wondered how strong spidey 's web really is . calling all geeks ! the guys behind marvel city theme park have made the most of the space on offer ( it 's an indoor theme park ) by relying heavily on projections and 3d effects . however , there will also be plenty of white-knuckle rides along with various educational exhibitions that explain the real-life scientific principles behind superhero life . amazone cartoon network theme park , bang saray , thailand opening date : late 2013 highlight : vertigo-inducing speed-racing slides amazone will be cartoon network 's first water park , with rides inspired by the channel 's most popular characters , including ben 10 , the powerpuff girls , johnny and johnny bravo . younger visitors can play on what will be the world 's largest interactive play fortress , while elsewhere there 'll be a lazy river , speed-racing slides and an enormous wave pool . img worlds of adventure , dubai opening date : early 2014 highlight : marvel zone , where visitors can meet their favorite fictional heroes , including iron man and spider-man there will be roller coasters , a 12-screen cinema and four themed zones at img worlds of adventure , the world 's largest indoor theme park , covering 1.5 million square feet . developers have predicted that 20,000 people will visit every day . jurassic dream , daqing dream city , china opening date : mid-2014 highlight : brachiosaurus-themed half-pipe ride jurassic dream will become one of the world 's largest indoor theme parks when it opens in 2014 . highlights will include an enormous , walk-through attraction where visitors will be confronted by animatronic dinosaurs , a fire and water show based on chinese mythology and dinosaur-themed thrill rides . dubai adventure studios , dubai opening date : late 2014 highlight : high-tech rides . the team behind the park claim several will be unique , next-generation rides that wo n't exist anywhere else in the world . dubai adventure studios will be a movie-themed park that will also host various film premieres . details are hard to come by but the park , which will cost over $ 598 million to build , will comprise five zones and cover 8 million square feet . the wizarding world of harry potter , osaka , japan opening date : late 2014 highlight : harry potter and the forbidden journey will be one of the park 's scarier rides . japanese muggles love harry potter and the country is going all out to promote this new park -- earlier this year a train on japan 's jr sakurajima line was given a harry potter-themed makeover . the park will cost $ 482 million to build and feature replicas of hogwarts and hogsmeade village . paramount theme park , murcia , spain opening date : mid-2015 highlight : paramount live ! an all-singing , all-dancing tribute to paramount 's greatest musicals . murcia was chosen as the location for this theme park because of its sunny climate -- on average the area gets 300 days of sun a year . the park , which will be divided into different zones , will contain several hotels , shopping malls , an auditorium and convention center . other highlights will include a 4d mission impossible ride and an attraction inspired by spaghetti westerns . visitors will be tasked with restoring law and order to a fictional city and kicking out the bad guys . adventure world , warsaw , poland opening date : august 2015 highlight : castle island , where you 'll be able to ride on a wizard 's broomstick , meet merlin and fight fire-breathing dragons . there will be five zones at warsaw 's adventure world theme park , along with a water park ( poland 's largest ) , several hotels , restaurants and nightclubs . there will be a huge , bazaar-themed shopping area and a 5d ( ? ! ) cinema in the lost valley area . the old town brings to life various creatures from polish folklore , and the legends area , which has a mayan theme , is where visitors will find the white knuckle rides . | wizarding world of harry potter in japan to feature replicas of hogwarts and hogsmeade village |
voight <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- jon voight calls fellow actors javier bardem and penelope cruz obviously ignorant ' and warns a poison letter ' they signed could incite anti-semitism all over the world . ' voight wrote in an opinion column published by the hollywood reporter on sunday that bardem and cruz should hang your heads in shame ' and ask forgiveness from the suffering people in israel . ' bardem and cruz , who are married , co-signed a letter last week attacking israel 's treatment of gaza . the actors were immediately attacked for their words , prompting both to issue statements saying they were just making pleas for peace . celebs step into israel-gaza pr minefield ' i am now being labeled by some as anti-semitic , as is my wife -- which is the antithesis of who we are as human beings , ' bardem said in his follow-up statement.â ' we detest anti-semitism as much as we detest the horrible and painful consequences of war . ' cruz , who said she was not an expert on the situation , ' said in her follow-up statement that her only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace in both israel and gaza . ' voight , bardem and cruz are all oscar-winning actors , which often gives them a louder platform to promote their opinions . you had a great responsibility to use your celebrity for good , ' voight wrote . instead , you have defamed the only democratic country of goodwill in the middle east : israel . ' voight , who he was more than angry , ' use his soapbox to give a history lesson about arab attacks on israel since 1948 when the country was created through the united nations , including the 1967 and 1973 wars . and when israel was not fighting a major war , it was defending itself against terrorist campaigns , ' he wrote . after years of trying to make peace , the wars they had to fight , being attacked by their enemies , and still being attacked , and finally after years of running into bomb shelters and having hundreds of civilians killed by suicide bombers , civilians being killed in their sleep , stabbed to pieces , finding enough is enough and finally retaliating , instead of my peers sticking up for the only democratic country in that region , they go and take out poison letters against them , ' voight wrote . voight called on the actors who signed that poison letter against israel ' to examine their motives . ' can you take back the fire of anti-semitism that is raging all over the world now ? ' he asked . representatives for bardem and cruz did not immediately respond to cnn requests for reaction to voight 's comments . for some americans , gaza conflict strikes close to home | jon voight writes he 's more than angry ' about javier bardem , penelope cruz |
voight <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- jon voight calls fellow actors javier bardem and penelope cruz obviously ignorant ' and warns a poison letter ' they signed could incite anti-semitism all over the world . ' voight wrote in an opinion column published by the hollywood reporter on sunday that bardem and cruz should hang your heads in shame ' and ask forgiveness from the suffering people in israel . ' bardem and cruz , who are married , co-signed a letter last week attacking israel 's treatment of gaza . the actors were immediately attacked for their words , prompting both to issue statements saying they were just making pleas for peace . celebs step into israel-gaza pr minefield ' i am now being labeled by some as anti-semitic , as is my wife -- which is the antithesis of who we are as human beings , ' bardem said in his follow-up statement.â ' we detest anti-semitism as much as we detest the horrible and painful consequences of war . ' cruz , who said she was not an expert on the situation , ' said in her follow-up statement that her only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace in both israel and gaza . ' voight , bardem and cruz are all oscar-winning actors , which often gives them a louder platform to promote their opinions . you had a great responsibility to use your celebrity for good , ' voight wrote . instead , you have defamed the only democratic country of goodwill in the middle east : israel . ' voight , who he was more than angry , ' use his soapbox to give a history lesson about arab attacks on israel since 1948 when the country was created through the united nations , including the 1967 and 1973 wars . and when israel was not fighting a major war , it was defending itself against terrorist campaigns , ' he wrote . after years of trying to make peace , the wars they had to fight , being attacked by their enemies , and still being attacked , and finally after years of running into bomb shelters and having hundreds of civilians killed by suicide bombers , civilians being killed in their sleep , stabbed to pieces , finding enough is enough and finally retaliating , instead of my peers sticking up for the only democratic country in that region , they go and take out poison letters against them , ' voight wrote . voight called on the actors who signed that poison letter against israel ' to examine their motives . ' can you take back the fire of anti-semitism that is raging all over the world now ? ' he asked . representatives for bardem and cruz did not immediately respond to cnn requests for reaction to voight 's comments . for some americans , gaza conflict strikes close to home | voight wrote an opinion column for the hollywood reporter reacting to their letter |
voight <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- jon voight calls fellow actors javier bardem and penelope cruz obviously ignorant ' and warns a poison letter ' they signed could incite anti-semitism all over the world . ' voight wrote in an opinion column published by the hollywood reporter on sunday that bardem and cruz should hang your heads in shame ' and ask forgiveness from the suffering people in israel . ' bardem and cruz , who are married , co-signed a letter last week attacking israel 's treatment of gaza . the actors were immediately attacked for their words , prompting both to issue statements saying they were just making pleas for peace . celebs step into israel-gaza pr minefield ' i am now being labeled by some as anti-semitic , as is my wife -- which is the antithesis of who we are as human beings , ' bardem said in his follow-up statement.â ' we detest anti-semitism as much as we detest the horrible and painful consequences of war . ' cruz , who said she was not an expert on the situation , ' said in her follow-up statement that her only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace in both israel and gaza . ' voight , bardem and cruz are all oscar-winning actors , which often gives them a louder platform to promote their opinions . you had a great responsibility to use your celebrity for good , ' voight wrote . instead , you have defamed the only democratic country of goodwill in the middle east : israel . ' voight , who he was more than angry , ' use his soapbox to give a history lesson about arab attacks on israel since 1948 when the country was created through the united nations , including the 1967 and 1973 wars . and when israel was not fighting a major war , it was defending itself against terrorist campaigns , ' he wrote . after years of trying to make peace , the wars they had to fight , being attacked by their enemies , and still being attacked , and finally after years of running into bomb shelters and having hundreds of civilians killed by suicide bombers , civilians being killed in their sleep , stabbed to pieces , finding enough is enough and finally retaliating , instead of my peers sticking up for the only democratic country in that region , they go and take out poison letters against them , ' voight wrote . voight called on the actors who signed that poison letter against israel ' to examine their motives . ' can you take back the fire of anti-semitism that is raging all over the world now ? ' he asked . representatives for bardem and cruz did not immediately respond to cnn requests for reaction to voight 's comments . for some americans , gaza conflict strikes close to home | bardem and cruz should hang your heads in shame , ' voight says |
bardem <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- jon voight calls fellow actors javier bardem and penelope cruz obviously ignorant ' and warns a poison letter ' they signed could incite anti-semitism all over the world . ' voight wrote in an opinion column published by the hollywood reporter on sunday that bardem and cruz should hang your heads in shame ' and ask forgiveness from the suffering people in israel . ' bardem and cruz , who are married , co-signed a letter last week attacking israel 's treatment of gaza . the actors were immediately attacked for their words , prompting both to issue statements saying they were just making pleas for peace . celebs step into israel-gaza pr minefield ' i am now being labeled by some as anti-semitic , as is my wife -- which is the antithesis of who we are as human beings , ' bardem said in his follow-up statement.â ' we detest anti-semitism as much as we detest the horrible and painful consequences of war . ' cruz , who said she was not an expert on the situation , ' said in her follow-up statement that her only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace in both israel and gaza . ' voight , bardem and cruz are all oscar-winning actors , which often gives them a louder platform to promote their opinions . you had a great responsibility to use your celebrity for good , ' voight wrote . instead , you have defamed the only democratic country of goodwill in the middle east : israel . ' voight , who he was more than angry , ' use his soapbox to give a history lesson about arab attacks on israel since 1948 when the country was created through the united nations , including the 1967 and 1973 wars . and when israel was not fighting a major war , it was defending itself against terrorist campaigns , ' he wrote . after years of trying to make peace , the wars they had to fight , being attacked by their enemies , and still being attacked , and finally after years of running into bomb shelters and having hundreds of civilians killed by suicide bombers , civilians being killed in their sleep , stabbed to pieces , finding enough is enough and finally retaliating , instead of my peers sticking up for the only democratic country in that region , they go and take out poison letters against them , ' voight wrote . voight called on the actors who signed that poison letter against israel ' to examine their motives . ' can you take back the fire of anti-semitism that is raging all over the world now ? ' he asked . representatives for bardem and cruz did not immediately respond to cnn requests for reaction to voight 's comments . for some americans , gaza conflict strikes close to home | jon voight writes he 's more than angry ' about javier bardem , penelope cruz |
bardem <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- jon voight calls fellow actors javier bardem and penelope cruz obviously ignorant ' and warns a poison letter ' they signed could incite anti-semitism all over the world . ' voight wrote in an opinion column published by the hollywood reporter on sunday that bardem and cruz should hang your heads in shame ' and ask forgiveness from the suffering people in israel . ' bardem and cruz , who are married , co-signed a letter last week attacking israel 's treatment of gaza . the actors were immediately attacked for their words , prompting both to issue statements saying they were just making pleas for peace . celebs step into israel-gaza pr minefield ' i am now being labeled by some as anti-semitic , as is my wife -- which is the antithesis of who we are as human beings , ' bardem said in his follow-up statement.â ' we detest anti-semitism as much as we detest the horrible and painful consequences of war . ' cruz , who said she was not an expert on the situation , ' said in her follow-up statement that her only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace in both israel and gaza . ' voight , bardem and cruz are all oscar-winning actors , which often gives them a louder platform to promote their opinions . you had a great responsibility to use your celebrity for good , ' voight wrote . instead , you have defamed the only democratic country of goodwill in the middle east : israel . ' voight , who he was more than angry , ' use his soapbox to give a history lesson about arab attacks on israel since 1948 when the country was created through the united nations , including the 1967 and 1973 wars . and when israel was not fighting a major war , it was defending itself against terrorist campaigns , ' he wrote . after years of trying to make peace , the wars they had to fight , being attacked by their enemies , and still being attacked , and finally after years of running into bomb shelters and having hundreds of civilians killed by suicide bombers , civilians being killed in their sleep , stabbed to pieces , finding enough is enough and finally retaliating , instead of my peers sticking up for the only democratic country in that region , they go and take out poison letters against them , ' voight wrote . voight called on the actors who signed that poison letter against israel ' to examine their motives . ' can you take back the fire of anti-semitism that is raging all over the world now ? ' he asked . representatives for bardem and cruz did not immediately respond to cnn requests for reaction to voight 's comments . for some americans , gaza conflict strikes close to home | â ' we detest anti-semitism , ' bardem says in a follow up to his israel-gaza letter |
bardem <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- jon voight calls fellow actors javier bardem and penelope cruz obviously ignorant ' and warns a poison letter ' they signed could incite anti-semitism all over the world . ' voight wrote in an opinion column published by the hollywood reporter on sunday that bardem and cruz should hang your heads in shame ' and ask forgiveness from the suffering people in israel . ' bardem and cruz , who are married , co-signed a letter last week attacking israel 's treatment of gaza . the actors were immediately attacked for their words , prompting both to issue statements saying they were just making pleas for peace . celebs step into israel-gaza pr minefield ' i am now being labeled by some as anti-semitic , as is my wife -- which is the antithesis of who we are as human beings , ' bardem said in his follow-up statement.â ' we detest anti-semitism as much as we detest the horrible and painful consequences of war . ' cruz , who said she was not an expert on the situation , ' said in her follow-up statement that her only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace in both israel and gaza . ' voight , bardem and cruz are all oscar-winning actors , which often gives them a louder platform to promote their opinions . you had a great responsibility to use your celebrity for good , ' voight wrote . instead , you have defamed the only democratic country of goodwill in the middle east : israel . ' voight , who he was more than angry , ' use his soapbox to give a history lesson about arab attacks on israel since 1948 when the country was created through the united nations , including the 1967 and 1973 wars . and when israel was not fighting a major war , it was defending itself against terrorist campaigns , ' he wrote . after years of trying to make peace , the wars they had to fight , being attacked by their enemies , and still being attacked , and finally after years of running into bomb shelters and having hundreds of civilians killed by suicide bombers , civilians being killed in their sleep , stabbed to pieces , finding enough is enough and finally retaliating , instead of my peers sticking up for the only democratic country in that region , they go and take out poison letters against them , ' voight wrote . voight called on the actors who signed that poison letter against israel ' to examine their motives . ' can you take back the fire of anti-semitism that is raging all over the world now ? ' he asked . representatives for bardem and cruz did not immediately respond to cnn requests for reaction to voight 's comments . for some americans , gaza conflict strikes close to home | bardem and cruz should hang your heads in shame , ' voight says |
europa <tsp> shrimp crawling around rock chimneys spewing hot water deep in the caribbean sea may hold clues to the kinds of life that can thrive in extreme environments on other planets , nasa says . the shrimp are called rimicaris hybisae ( no , we ca n't pronounce it either ) . they live in clumps on hydrothermal vents 7,500 feet underwater , where temperatures reach 750 degrees fahrenheit and it 's very , very dark . the water near the vents is cool enough for the shrimp to live in . the very hot water spewing from the vents is where their dinner is cooked . the shrimp dine on carbohydrates produced by bacteria living inside the vents . so what does that have to with space aliens ? if these bacteria can survive in these extreme conditions of earth , maybe it can happen on other worlds , such as jupiter 's icy moon europa , which has a subsurface ocean . for two-thirds of the earth 's history , life has existed only as microbial life , ' said max coleman , senior research scientist at nasa 's jet propulsion laboratory . on europa , the best chance for life would be microbial . ' whether an animal like this could exist on europa heavily depends on the actual amount of energy that 's released there , through hydrothermal vents , ' said emma versteegh , a postdoctoral fellow at jpl . the elusive black seadevil is finally ready for its closeup so the shrimp eat stuff cranked out by the bacteria -- but what do the bacteria eat ? scientist say they get their energy by using chemical reactions ; since hydrogen sulfide is abundant in the vents , they use it to make organic matter . what happens to the shrimp when they ca n't find any bacteria to produce carbs for them ? they turn into carnivores , maybe even cannibals . researchers say they found bits of crustaceans in the shrimps'guts and guess which crustacean is in big supply in the area ? rimicaris hybisae . . | jupiter 's icy moon of europa is the subject of speculation |
mil <tsp> ( parenting ) -- when we first met , i was relieved when my future mother-in-law told me that i was pretty and smart . his last girlfriend had the face of a rat , ' she said . oh boy . my husband adores his mother—he calls her big red for her auburn hair—so after our wedding i took up post as dutiful daughter-in-law . i called her weekly and eventually sent endless waves of photos of our two kids . parenting.com : 20 old-fashioned baby names i suppose it was easy having an mil on the opposite coast . she showed up for short spurts : quick shopping trips , weddings , and babies'birthdays . but my husband 's demanding work schedule meant that the burden to play tour guide always fell on me . what first ensued was one bad tv moment after another : minutes after my mil met our first child , jane , she exclaimed , that is the most beautiful baby i 've ever seen . you know , sometimes the most beautiful babies turn into the ugliest adults . ' really . then after my son was born and i 'd lost most of the 70 pounds i 'd gained , she sent me an outfit from banana republic—in a size 12 . i cried . i used to be a 4 . parenting.com : top 25 books for kids still , small hints of her generous personality began to peek through . when my son had eye surgery , i did what any mother would : i passed out cold . there i was in the days afterward , holding an infant with stitches in his eyeballs and had a toddler to entertain , too . my mil called religiously to check in , alternating among you can do it , ' it 's ok to cry to me , ' and treat yourself to something nice when this is over . ' they were simple words , but she was like a magical fairy godmother at the time . i found myself calling her more , hungry for parenting advice . i learned that she was a curious woman with infinite interests . my mother-in-law , it turned out , was thoughtful , forgiving , and quick to praise . ( yep , you read that right . ) parenting.com : what your husband wants you to know , but is n't telling you nowadays , i call her my extra mother , but she 's proven to be a surprisingly satisfying partner-in-crime , too . it was n't long before we found ourselves palling around like we were teens on the loose . during one visit , she enthusiastically accompanied me into heidi fleiss 's bra boutique , the little shop of sex . at first , we went in to gawk , but then we wisely realized that ms. fleiss knew a lot about boobs , and we scooped up her wares . hey , it 's not every day you get naked with a madam and your mil . parenting.com : totally awkward family vacation photos i like to joke that the secret to having the perfect mother-in-law is to marry her youngest child . by the time you enter the picture , she 'll be used to crushed expectations . but the secret to having the perfect mil could really be in loving her intensely . it 's part of loving my husband , loving the woman who shares him with me—for better or worse . get 2 free years of parenting magazine - subscribe now ! ! copyright 2011 the parenting group . all rights reserved . reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited . | writer jessica gottlieb was surprised and encouraged by her mil 's parenting advice |
arizona senate <tsp> ( cnn ) -- women in arizona may be forced to share certain private medical conditions with their employers if they want their contraception to be covered by health insurance , a bill proposes . the arizona senate is considering a bill that would give all businesses the option to exclude contraceptives from health insurance coverage . the only exception is if a woman can prove she is taking the contraceptives for other medical reasons . supporters say such a law would protect the religious beliefs of employers , while critics assert the tradeoff would be an affront to the liberties of employees . the arizona debate comes on the heels of a federal controversy over the same issue . an obama administration policy originally required religiously affiliated institutions -- including hospitals and universities -- to offer contraception coverage . after heavy resistance from republican lawmakers and religious institutions , the rule was amended to exempt employers from paying for contraceptives and will now instead require insurance companies to offer the coverage at no cost . the arizona legislation arises as a response to that . the legislation , house bill 2625 ( pdf ) , was passed by the state house this month and now sits before the senate . i personally do n't have a moral objection to contraceptives , but i respect the people that do , ' state rep. debbie lesko , one of the republican sponsors of the bill , told cnn affiliate ktvk-tv in phoenix . house bill 2625 allows arizona employers to opt out of the contraceptive mandate if they have a religious or moral objection , ' she told ktvk . denying women coverage for contraceptives would restrict women 's access to basic health care , said the american civil liberties union of arizona . as strongly as the aclu has protected people 's rights to their religious beliefs , express those beliefs and practice those beliefs , we feel the bill goes beyond guaranteeing protections for religious liberties and into allowing an employer to prioritize his religious beliefs over the beliefs , needs , interests of his employees , particularly his female employees , ' anjali abraham , public policy director for the aclu of arizona , told ktvk . arizona already has a law on the books that allows religious employers to deny such coverage , but the current bill would modify the law to allow any business to make the same exclusion . we live in america and government should n't force mom-and-pop employers to do something against their moral beliefs , ' lesko told the cnn affiliate . the bill has some exceptions that its supporters said should allay critics'fears . for instance , coverage for contraception can not be denied if it is prescribed for medical reasons other than pregnancy prevention . but the aclu and others said that this exception amounts to an invasion of privacy that will force women to share sensitive medical information with their employers . | the arizona senate is considering a bill that could deny contraception coverage |
michael brown <tsp> ( cnn ) -- missouri highway patrol capt . ron johnson perhaps put it best . he said ferguson , missouri , was unknown to most of the world before august 9 . that 's the day darren wilson , a white police officer , shot and killed michael brown , an unarmed black teen . the shooting prompted protests in the suburb of st. louis , making it a flash point in the debate over race and policing in america . suddenly , ferguson had a place on the map . it has become a conversation throughout the world , ' said johnson . complete coverage of the events in ferguson here 's a look at key moments from that conversation : august 9 : the shooting there are conflicting accounts as to exactly what happened the day of the shooting . certain facts of the case , however , are clear : wilson shot and killed brown on august 9 . the teen was unarmed . ongoing : the protests and response brown 's death sent immediate shock waves through the community of ferguson . protests began the same day , and grew as time passed and news of the shooting spread . the vast majority of demonstrations were peaceful . however , there were pockets of looting and violence , which prompted a forceful -- protesters say excessive -- response from law enforcement . authorities , who drove armored vehicles and wore military gear , were roundly criticized by members of the media , other law enforcement officials and demonstrators for escalating the violence , rather than tempering it . august 14 : the shift in security in a bid to turn the tide , gov . jay nixon put the missouri highway patrol , and specifically johnson , in charge of security . nixon said he decided to tap state troopers because at this particular point , the attitudes were n't improving , and the blocks towards expression appeared to be a flash point . ' ferguson has looked more like a war zone , and it 's not acceptable , ' the governor said . johnson promised to take a different , more inclusive approach . he walked with protesters and was initially welcomed with open arms . some of that good will soured after security forces under his command lobbed tear gas and stun grenades at rowdy protesters , who tossed rocks and molotov cocktails at them . august 15 : the release of surveillance video and the officer 's name at the start , one of the protesters'main demands was that the name of the officer involved in the shooting be made public . police eventually identified wilson as the officer responsible . they did so the same day they released surveillance video of brown at ferguson market and liquor store . minutes before the teen was shot , police said , a man fitting brown 's description allegedly stole cigars and roughed up a store clerk as cameras recorded . release of the video angered some , who said police were using it to distract from brown 's killing and paint him in a negative light . authorities have said wilson stopped brown not because of the theft , but because brown and a friend were walking down the middle of the street blocking traffic . ' august 15 : the officer 's reported account the officer who killed brown said the teenager rushed at him full speed in the moments before the shooting , according to an account phoned in to a st. louis radio station and confirmed by a source with detailed knowledge of the investigation . according to the version on kftk , phoned in by a woman who identified herself as josie , ' the altercation began after wilson rolled down his window to tell brown and a friend to stop walking in the street . when wilson tried to get out of his cruiser , brown first tried to push the officer back into the car , then punched him in the face and grabbed for his gun before breaking free after the gun went off once , the caller said . wilson pursued brown and his friend , ordering them to freeze , according to the account . when they turned around , brown began taunting wilson , saying he would not arrest them , then ran at the officer at full speed , the caller said . wilson then began shooting . the final shot was to brown 's forehead , and the teenager fell two or three feet in front of wilson , said the caller , who identified herself as the officer 's friend . august 20 : the attorney general 's visit to ferguson federal officials are conducting two civil rights investigations , one into brown 's killing and the other into the local police department 's overall track record with minorities . the most high-profile figure in president barack obama 's administration to visit ferguson , u.s. attorney general eric holder , stressed that the federal government is on the case and listening -- both to protesters calling for wilson 's arrest and for an end to what they describe as a heavy-handed police response , and to residents and law enforcement officers challenged with looting and violence from some in the crowd . the people of ferguson can have confidence in the federal agents , investigators and prosecutors who are leading the process , ' holder said . our investigation will be fair , it will be thorough and it will be independent . ' on a personal note , ' the african-american father of a teenage son told reporters , i 've seen a lot in my time as attorney general , but few things have affected me as greatly as my visit to ferguson . ' september 25 : the ferguson police chief 's apology ferguson police chief thomas jackson issued a video apology to brown 's parents , as well as to any peaceful protesters who felt he did n't do enough to protect their constitutional right to protest . ' specifically , he apologized that it took investigating officers four hours to remove brown 's body from the street after wilson shot him . i 'm truly sorry for the loss of your son . i 'm also sorry that it took so long to remove michael from the street , ' he said . later , jackson said he had no intention of stepping down , despite many calls to do so , telling cnn , this is mine , and i 'm taking ownership of it . ' october 21 : the autopsy brown 's gunshot wounds included a shot in the hand at close range , his official autopsy shows , according to an analysis reported by the st. louis post-dispatch newspaper . a county official with knowledge of the investigation told cnn the autopsy document that the post-dispatch used to do its report is authentic . the detail could lend credence to wilson 's account that he and the unarmed african-american teenager scuffled at his patrol car before brown was shot and killed . a private autopsy conducted for the brown family showed the teen had been shot at least six times , including twice in the head . the official autopsy , as published by the post-dispatch , said brown suffered six gunshot entrance wounds . intermittent : the leaks in the case many details about the investigation have been leaked to the media and some , including attorney general holder , have accused the leakers of being selective . in addition to the autopsy information , the st. louis post-dispatch published accounts of testimony presented to a st. louis county grand jury . the washington post , meanwhile , reported that at least six black witnesses gave testimony that supported wilson 's side of the story . the new york times said it received information from a federal source . holder has called the leaks inappropriate and troubling ' because both the federal investigation and the grand jury proceedings are ongoing , according to a justice official . ongoing : the grand jury although the grand jury has until january to issue its ruling , the prosecutor 's office has said a decision could come as early as mid-november . whether or not it decides to indict wilson , authorities have said they are planning for protests and possible violence . police from various departments will operate as a unified command . the national guard will be available as necessary . law enforcement is prepared to extend shifts and limit leave , and additional resources have been distributed , gov . nixon has said . these measures are not being taken because we are convinced that violence will occur , but because we have a responsibility to prepare for any contingency , ' said the governor . he added : this is america . people have a right to express their views and grievances , but they do not have the right to put their fellow citizens or their property at risk . ' cnn 's michael pearson , steve almasy , eliott c. mclaughlin , holly yan and evan perez contributed to this report . | michael brown , a black teen , was shot august 9 by a white police officer |
paktika <tsp> kabul , afghanistan ( cnn ) -- an afghan police officer shot and killed nine other officers in southeast afghanistan on thursday night , authorities said . the incident occurred in paktika province , a spokesman for the provincial governor said . two police officers were arrested , and another , believed to be part of the attack , fled , the spokesman said . the taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said in a statement that the officer who fired the shots was actually a taliban fighter . the shooter was a member of the afghan local police force , international security assistance force spokesman maj. joe buccino said in a statement . buccino described the officer as a rogue ' and said the attack was not preceded by any signs of trouble . isaf officials are working with provincial and local authorities to investigate the attack , which is the latest by a member of afghan security forces . peter bergen : growing threat from afghan security forces this year , a third , or 16 , of the 46 american service members killed in afghanistan have died at the hands of afghan security forces , including monday when a man alleged to be a local afghan police officer killed an american service member in eastern afghanistan . gen. john allen , the commander of the nato-led force , said officials are working on a new procedure to check the background of afghans who sign up to join the security services . the latest killings come after a shooting rampage in afghanistan this month left 17 villagers dead in the panjwai district of southern kandahar province . a u.s. soldier , staff sgt . robert bales , has been charged with murder . journalist fazal ahad contributed to this report . | the incident occurred in paktika province |
america <tsp> ( cnn ) -- friends and colleagues of apple founder steve jobs sent their condolences wednesday after his death at the age of 56 . on its homepage , google carried a small notation , steve jobs , 1955-2011 . ' clicking on jobs'name took users to the apple website and its tribute to jobs . u.s. house leader eric cantor , r-virginia : ' there is not a day that goes by , and often not an hour , that a steve jobs invention does not better my family 's life . thank you steve . ' u.s. rep. john boehner , r-ohio : ' steve jobs changed the world for the better ( with ) his innovations & genius . r.i.p . ' san francisco mayor edwin lee : ' steve jobs was a giant in the world of technology and established the bay area as a global center for innovation . he has inspired and changed the bay area and the world forever . steve jobs was born in san francisco and his values were reflected in his generous support for results-driven education reform , 21st century philanthropy and bridging the digital divide for our diverse communities . our thoughts and prayers are with his wife laurene , his family and friends . ' new york city mayor michael bloomberg : ' tonight , america lost a genius who will be remembered with edison and einstein , and whose ideas will shape the world for generations to come . again and again over the last four decades , steve jobs saw the future and brought it to life long before most people could even see the horizon . and steve 's passionate belief in the power of technology to transform the way we live brought us more than smart phones and ipads : it brought knowledge and power that is reshaping the face of civilization . in new york city 's government , everyone from street construction inspectors to nypd detectives have harnessed apple 's products to do their jobs more efficiently and intuitively . tonight our city -- a city that has always had such respect and admiration for creative genius -- joins with people around the planet in remembering a great man and keeping laurene and the rest of the jobs family in our thoughts and prayers . ' california attorney general kamala harris : ' california has lost a great leader with the passing of steve jobs . his character , intelligence , and creativity changed how the world works and how the world imagines itself . we are forever grateful and inspired by the gift he has given us . i send my thoughts and sympathies to laurene and the entire jobs family . ' former massachusetts governor mitt romney : ' steve jobs is an inspiration to american entrepreneurs . he will be missed . ' john lasseter , chief creative officer , and ed catmull , president , walt disney and pixar animation studios ' steve jobs was an extraordinary visionary , our very dear friend and the guiding light of the pixar family . he saw the potential of what pixar could be before the rest of us , and beyond what anyone ever imagined . steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films ; the one thing he always said was to simply'make it great .'he is why pixar turned out the way we did and his strength , integrity and love of life has made us all better people . he will forever be a part of pixar 's dna . our hearts go out to his wife laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time . ' meg whitman , president and chief executive of hewlett-packard : ' steve jobs was an iconic entrepreneur and businessman whose impact on technology was felt beyond silicon valley . he will be remembered for the innovation he brought to market and the inspiration he brought to the world . ' google executive chairman eric schmidt : ' today is very sad for all of us . steve defined a generation of style and technology that 's unlikely to be matched again . steve was so charismatically brilliant that he inspired people to do the impossible , and he will be remembered as the greatest computer innovator in history . ' google co-founder sergey brin : ' from the earliest days of google , whenever larry and i sought inspiration for vision and leadership , we needed to look no farther than cupertino . steve , your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an apple product ( including the macbook i am writing this on right now ) . and i have witnessed it in person the few times we have met . on behalf of all of us at google and more broadly in technology , you will be missed very much . my condolences to family , friends , and colleagues at apple . ' u.s. president barack obama : ' michelle and i are saddened to learn of the passing of steve jobs . steve was among the greatest of american innovators -- brave enough to think differently , bold enough to believe he could change the world , and talented enough to do it . by building one of the planet 's most successful companies from his garage , he exemplified the spirit of american ingenuity . by making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets , he made the information revolution not only accessible , but intuitive and fun . and by turning his talents to storytelling , he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike . steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last . because he did , he transformed our lives , redefined entire industries , and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history : he changed the way each of us sees the world . the world has lost a visionary . and there may be no greater tribute to steve 's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented . michelle and i send our thoughts and prayers to steve 's wife laurene , his family , and all those who loved him . ' youtube founders chad hurley and steve chen : ' it was an honor to have worked with steve jobs . he will forever remain an inspiration . he will be sorely missed , and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family . ' g.s . choi , chief executive of samsung electronics : ' samsung electronics is saddened to hear of chairman steve jobs'passing and would like to extend our deepest condolences . chairman steve jobs introduced numerous revolutionary changes to the information technology industry and was a great entrepreneur . his innovative spirit and remarkable accomplishments will forever be remembered by people around the world . we would like to again express our sincerest condolences to mr. jobs'family and his colleagues . ' google co-founder larry page : ' i am very , very sad to hear the news about steve . he was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance . he always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it . his focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me . he was very kind to reach out to me as i became ceo of google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well . my thoughts and google 's are with his family and the whole apple family . ' mark zuckerberg , founder and chief executive , facebook : ' steve , thank you for being a mentor and a friend . thanks for showing that what you build can change the world . i will miss you . ' u.s. rep. nancy pelosi , d-california : ' steve jobs was a visionary who changed the way we live , an innovator whose products brought joy to millions , a risk-taker who was n't afraid to challenge the status quo , and an entrepreneur who led one of the most creative companies of our time . his sage advice was respected by policymakers on both sides of the aisle . his courageous fight against cancer brought strength to many . i hope it is a comfort to those who loved him , especially his family , that so many grieve his loss and are praying for them at this sad time . ' microsoft chairman bill gates : ' i 'm truly saddened to learn of steve jobs'death . melinda and i extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends , and to everyone steve has touched through his work . steve and i first met nearly 30 years ago , and have been colleagues , competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives . the world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact steve has had , the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come . for those of us lucky enough to get to work with him , it 's been an insanely great honor . i will miss steve immensely . ' robert iger , president and chief executive , the walt disney company : ' steve jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor . his legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built . it will be the millions of people he inspired , the lives he changed , and the culture he defined . steve was such an'original ,'with a thoroughly creative , imaginative mind that defined an era . despite all he accomplished , it feels like he was just getting started . with his passing the world has lost a rare original , disney has lost a member of our family , and i have lost a great friend . our thoughts and prayers are with his wife laurene and his children during this difficult time . ' california governor jerry brown : ' steve jobs was a great california innovator who demonstrated what a totally independent and creative mind can accomplish . few people have made such a powerful and elegant imprint on our lives . anne and i wish to express our deepest sympathy to steve 's wife , laurene , and their entire family . ' | new york city mayor michael bloomberg : tonight , america lost a genius |
mark zuckerberg <tsp> ( cnn ) -- friends and colleagues of apple founder steve jobs sent their condolences wednesday after his death at the age of 56 . on its homepage , google carried a small notation , steve jobs , 1955-2011 . ' clicking on jobs'name took users to the apple website and its tribute to jobs . u.s. house leader eric cantor , r-virginia : ' there is not a day that goes by , and often not an hour , that a steve jobs invention does not better my family 's life . thank you steve . ' u.s. rep. john boehner , r-ohio : ' steve jobs changed the world for the better ( with ) his innovations & genius . r.i.p . ' san francisco mayor edwin lee : ' steve jobs was a giant in the world of technology and established the bay area as a global center for innovation . he has inspired and changed the bay area and the world forever . steve jobs was born in san francisco and his values were reflected in his generous support for results-driven education reform , 21st century philanthropy and bridging the digital divide for our diverse communities . our thoughts and prayers are with his wife laurene , his family and friends . ' new york city mayor michael bloomberg : ' tonight , america lost a genius who will be remembered with edison and einstein , and whose ideas will shape the world for generations to come . again and again over the last four decades , steve jobs saw the future and brought it to life long before most people could even see the horizon . and steve 's passionate belief in the power of technology to transform the way we live brought us more than smart phones and ipads : it brought knowledge and power that is reshaping the face of civilization . in new york city 's government , everyone from street construction inspectors to nypd detectives have harnessed apple 's products to do their jobs more efficiently and intuitively . tonight our city -- a city that has always had such respect and admiration for creative genius -- joins with people around the planet in remembering a great man and keeping laurene and the rest of the jobs family in our thoughts and prayers . ' california attorney general kamala harris : ' california has lost a great leader with the passing of steve jobs . his character , intelligence , and creativity changed how the world works and how the world imagines itself . we are forever grateful and inspired by the gift he has given us . i send my thoughts and sympathies to laurene and the entire jobs family . ' former massachusetts governor mitt romney : ' steve jobs is an inspiration to american entrepreneurs . he will be missed . ' john lasseter , chief creative officer , and ed catmull , president , walt disney and pixar animation studios ' steve jobs was an extraordinary visionary , our very dear friend and the guiding light of the pixar family . he saw the potential of what pixar could be before the rest of us , and beyond what anyone ever imagined . steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films ; the one thing he always said was to simply'make it great .'he is why pixar turned out the way we did and his strength , integrity and love of life has made us all better people . he will forever be a part of pixar 's dna . our hearts go out to his wife laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time . ' meg whitman , president and chief executive of hewlett-packard : ' steve jobs was an iconic entrepreneur and businessman whose impact on technology was felt beyond silicon valley . he will be remembered for the innovation he brought to market and the inspiration he brought to the world . ' google executive chairman eric schmidt : ' today is very sad for all of us . steve defined a generation of style and technology that 's unlikely to be matched again . steve was so charismatically brilliant that he inspired people to do the impossible , and he will be remembered as the greatest computer innovator in history . ' google co-founder sergey brin : ' from the earliest days of google , whenever larry and i sought inspiration for vision and leadership , we needed to look no farther than cupertino . steve , your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an apple product ( including the macbook i am writing this on right now ) . and i have witnessed it in person the few times we have met . on behalf of all of us at google and more broadly in technology , you will be missed very much . my condolences to family , friends , and colleagues at apple . ' u.s. president barack obama : ' michelle and i are saddened to learn of the passing of steve jobs . steve was among the greatest of american innovators -- brave enough to think differently , bold enough to believe he could change the world , and talented enough to do it . by building one of the planet 's most successful companies from his garage , he exemplified the spirit of american ingenuity . by making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets , he made the information revolution not only accessible , but intuitive and fun . and by turning his talents to storytelling , he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike . steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last . because he did , he transformed our lives , redefined entire industries , and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history : he changed the way each of us sees the world . the world has lost a visionary . and there may be no greater tribute to steve 's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented . michelle and i send our thoughts and prayers to steve 's wife laurene , his family , and all those who loved him . ' youtube founders chad hurley and steve chen : ' it was an honor to have worked with steve jobs . he will forever remain an inspiration . he will be sorely missed , and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family . ' g.s . choi , chief executive of samsung electronics : ' samsung electronics is saddened to hear of chairman steve jobs'passing and would like to extend our deepest condolences . chairman steve jobs introduced numerous revolutionary changes to the information technology industry and was a great entrepreneur . his innovative spirit and remarkable accomplishments will forever be remembered by people around the world . we would like to again express our sincerest condolences to mr. jobs'family and his colleagues . ' google co-founder larry page : ' i am very , very sad to hear the news about steve . he was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance . he always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it . his focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me . he was very kind to reach out to me as i became ceo of google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well . my thoughts and google 's are with his family and the whole apple family . ' mark zuckerberg , founder and chief executive , facebook : ' steve , thank you for being a mentor and a friend . thanks for showing that what you build can change the world . i will miss you . ' u.s. rep. nancy pelosi , d-california : ' steve jobs was a visionary who changed the way we live , an innovator whose products brought joy to millions , a risk-taker who was n't afraid to challenge the status quo , and an entrepreneur who led one of the most creative companies of our time . his sage advice was respected by policymakers on both sides of the aisle . his courageous fight against cancer brought strength to many . i hope it is a comfort to those who loved him , especially his family , that so many grieve his loss and are praying for them at this sad time . ' microsoft chairman bill gates : ' i 'm truly saddened to learn of steve jobs'death . melinda and i extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends , and to everyone steve has touched through his work . steve and i first met nearly 30 years ago , and have been colleagues , competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives . the world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact steve has had , the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come . for those of us lucky enough to get to work with him , it 's been an insanely great honor . i will miss steve immensely . ' robert iger , president and chief executive , the walt disney company : ' steve jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor . his legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built . it will be the millions of people he inspired , the lives he changed , and the culture he defined . steve was such an'original ,'with a thoroughly creative , imaginative mind that defined an era . despite all he accomplished , it feels like he was just getting started . with his passing the world has lost a rare original , disney has lost a member of our family , and i have lost a great friend . our thoughts and prayers are with his wife laurene and his children during this difficult time . ' california governor jerry brown : ' steve jobs was a great california innovator who demonstrated what a totally independent and creative mind can accomplish . few people have made such a powerful and elegant imprint on our lives . anne and i wish to express our deepest sympathy to steve 's wife , laurene , and their entire family . ' | facebook ceo mark zuckerberg : steve , thank you for being a mentor and a friend |
michael bloomberg <tsp> ( cnn ) -- friends and colleagues of apple founder steve jobs sent their condolences wednesday after his death at the age of 56 . on its homepage , google carried a small notation , steve jobs , 1955-2011 . ' clicking on jobs'name took users to the apple website and its tribute to jobs . u.s. house leader eric cantor , r-virginia : ' there is not a day that goes by , and often not an hour , that a steve jobs invention does not better my family 's life . thank you steve . ' u.s. rep. john boehner , r-ohio : ' steve jobs changed the world for the better ( with ) his innovations & genius . r.i.p . ' san francisco mayor edwin lee : ' steve jobs was a giant in the world of technology and established the bay area as a global center for innovation . he has inspired and changed the bay area and the world forever . steve jobs was born in san francisco and his values were reflected in his generous support for results-driven education reform , 21st century philanthropy and bridging the digital divide for our diverse communities . our thoughts and prayers are with his wife laurene , his family and friends . ' new york city mayor michael bloomberg : ' tonight , america lost a genius who will be remembered with edison and einstein , and whose ideas will shape the world for generations to come . again and again over the last four decades , steve jobs saw the future and brought it to life long before most people could even see the horizon . and steve 's passionate belief in the power of technology to transform the way we live brought us more than smart phones and ipads : it brought knowledge and power that is reshaping the face of civilization . in new york city 's government , everyone from street construction inspectors to nypd detectives have harnessed apple 's products to do their jobs more efficiently and intuitively . tonight our city -- a city that has always had such respect and admiration for creative genius -- joins with people around the planet in remembering a great man and keeping laurene and the rest of the jobs family in our thoughts and prayers . ' california attorney general kamala harris : ' california has lost a great leader with the passing of steve jobs . his character , intelligence , and creativity changed how the world works and how the world imagines itself . we are forever grateful and inspired by the gift he has given us . i send my thoughts and sympathies to laurene and the entire jobs family . ' former massachusetts governor mitt romney : ' steve jobs is an inspiration to american entrepreneurs . he will be missed . ' john lasseter , chief creative officer , and ed catmull , president , walt disney and pixar animation studios ' steve jobs was an extraordinary visionary , our very dear friend and the guiding light of the pixar family . he saw the potential of what pixar could be before the rest of us , and beyond what anyone ever imagined . steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films ; the one thing he always said was to simply'make it great .'he is why pixar turned out the way we did and his strength , integrity and love of life has made us all better people . he will forever be a part of pixar 's dna . our hearts go out to his wife laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time . ' meg whitman , president and chief executive of hewlett-packard : ' steve jobs was an iconic entrepreneur and businessman whose impact on technology was felt beyond silicon valley . he will be remembered for the innovation he brought to market and the inspiration he brought to the world . ' google executive chairman eric schmidt : ' today is very sad for all of us . steve defined a generation of style and technology that 's unlikely to be matched again . steve was so charismatically brilliant that he inspired people to do the impossible , and he will be remembered as the greatest computer innovator in history . ' google co-founder sergey brin : ' from the earliest days of google , whenever larry and i sought inspiration for vision and leadership , we needed to look no farther than cupertino . steve , your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an apple product ( including the macbook i am writing this on right now ) . and i have witnessed it in person the few times we have met . on behalf of all of us at google and more broadly in technology , you will be missed very much . my condolences to family , friends , and colleagues at apple . ' u.s. president barack obama : ' michelle and i are saddened to learn of the passing of steve jobs . steve was among the greatest of american innovators -- brave enough to think differently , bold enough to believe he could change the world , and talented enough to do it . by building one of the planet 's most successful companies from his garage , he exemplified the spirit of american ingenuity . by making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets , he made the information revolution not only accessible , but intuitive and fun . and by turning his talents to storytelling , he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike . steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last . because he did , he transformed our lives , redefined entire industries , and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history : he changed the way each of us sees the world . the world has lost a visionary . and there may be no greater tribute to steve 's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented . michelle and i send our thoughts and prayers to steve 's wife laurene , his family , and all those who loved him . ' youtube founders chad hurley and steve chen : ' it was an honor to have worked with steve jobs . he will forever remain an inspiration . he will be sorely missed , and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family . ' g.s . choi , chief executive of samsung electronics : ' samsung electronics is saddened to hear of chairman steve jobs'passing and would like to extend our deepest condolences . chairman steve jobs introduced numerous revolutionary changes to the information technology industry and was a great entrepreneur . his innovative spirit and remarkable accomplishments will forever be remembered by people around the world . we would like to again express our sincerest condolences to mr. jobs'family and his colleagues . ' google co-founder larry page : ' i am very , very sad to hear the news about steve . he was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance . he always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it . his focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me . he was very kind to reach out to me as i became ceo of google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well . my thoughts and google 's are with his family and the whole apple family . ' mark zuckerberg , founder and chief executive , facebook : ' steve , thank you for being a mentor and a friend . thanks for showing that what you build can change the world . i will miss you . ' u.s. rep. nancy pelosi , d-california : ' steve jobs was a visionary who changed the way we live , an innovator whose products brought joy to millions , a risk-taker who was n't afraid to challenge the status quo , and an entrepreneur who led one of the most creative companies of our time . his sage advice was respected by policymakers on both sides of the aisle . his courageous fight against cancer brought strength to many . i hope it is a comfort to those who loved him , especially his family , that so many grieve his loss and are praying for them at this sad time . ' microsoft chairman bill gates : ' i 'm truly saddened to learn of steve jobs'death . melinda and i extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends , and to everyone steve has touched through his work . steve and i first met nearly 30 years ago , and have been colleagues , competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives . the world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact steve has had , the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come . for those of us lucky enough to get to work with him , it 's been an insanely great honor . i will miss steve immensely . ' robert iger , president and chief executive , the walt disney company : ' steve jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor . his legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built . it will be the millions of people he inspired , the lives he changed , and the culture he defined . steve was such an'original ,'with a thoroughly creative , imaginative mind that defined an era . despite all he accomplished , it feels like he was just getting started . with his passing the world has lost a rare original , disney has lost a member of our family , and i have lost a great friend . our thoughts and prayers are with his wife laurene and his children during this difficult time . ' california governor jerry brown : ' steve jobs was a great california innovator who demonstrated what a totally independent and creative mind can accomplish . few people have made such a powerful and elegant imprint on our lives . anne and i wish to express our deepest sympathy to steve 's wife , laurene , and their entire family . ' | new york city mayor michael bloomberg : tonight , america lost a genius |
facebook <tsp> ( cnn ) -- phone and tablet owners used to spend most of their time surfing the web . now they 're using apps , according to data from flurry analytics . a year and a half ago , mobile users tended to spend considerably more time -- an average of 64 minutes per day -- using the web browser on their phone or tablet . by comparison , they spent only 43 minutes per day in apps . now mobile users now spend an average of 94 minutes per day using apps , but just 72 minutes browsing the mobile web , according to flurry 's report , which was released earlier this month on the company 's blog . this does n't necessarily mean mobile users are spending nearly three hours per day looking at their phones . flurry 's web and app statistics came from different sources . but , overall , we do appear to be spending much more time looking at our phones than we used to . what 's driving the growth in time spent in mobile apps ? according to flurry , consumers are using their apps more frequently . that is , the number of daily sessions is growing , although the duration of those sessions is not . flurry predicts that smartphone users will continue to spend even more time proportionally with apps vs. the mobile web -- and in fact , from june to december 2011 , they observed that average daily time spent on the mobile web decreased slightly . users seem to be substituting websites for applications , which may be more convenient to access throughout the day , ' the report said . why is the mobile web holding our attention less ? according to flurry , it might be because facebook 's app is so popular . this drop appears to be driven largely by a decrease in time spent on ( facebook 's mobile website ) . in june 2011 , the average facebook user spent over 33 minutes on average per day on the ( mobile ) website . today , that number is below 24 minutes . ... ( mobile users ) are increasingly accessing ( facebook and other ) online services through mobile applications . ' once facebook is factored out of those statistics , flurry notes that average time spent elsewhere on the mobile web actually grew by about 2 % in the same time frame . it 's worth noting that flurry is not a disinterested party here . this company sells mobile application analytics and an advertising platform that can be incorporated into mobile apps . advertisers are very interested in the amount of time that people might be exposed to their ads . but the mobile web , mobile browsers , and the nature of mobile apps are changing fast . more and more sites are being built using the latest web markup language , html5 , which gives websites more app-like features . for instance , html5 supports geolocation , makes web forms easier to fill out on your phone , supports coding scripts that enable custom features , and it also loads multimedia elements faster in web pages . consequently , more and more mobile apps will actually be delivered through the mobile web browser -- making them web apps . want to see this in action ? visit youtube or twitter via the web browser on your phone or tablet . you 'll see a lot of conspicuously app-like functionality . in november adobe announced that it was finally abandoning development of flash for mobile browsers , and refocusing on html5 for delivering interactive features and video -- the death rattle of a long struggle in which apple resisted letting flash run on its ios mobile operating system . with this turnabout , many designers began converting flash-based websites ( especially ad-supported ones ) to html5 . the rise of html5 mobile web apps could also eat into profits from today 's leading app marketplaces . html5 report noted , the mass migration to html5 will eliminate the need to rely on companies like apple and google , which take up to 30 % of all revenues generated from applications . ' that 's a powerful financial incentive for app developers , digital publishers , and online services to start deploying more web apps . there 's another bonus : native ' apps are built to run on a specific platform . that 's why so many apps come in separate versions for the iphone , android and other mobile platforms . building , updating and supporting all those separate pieces of software is fairly expensive and complex . but html5 is inherently cross-platform -- which means you build it once and it can run on any mobile device with a sufficiently advanced browser . and of course , users must download and install most native mobile apps in order to run them on their device . that 's a considerable hurdle -- only one in four mobile apps really engages mobile users , and 26 % of all apps downloaded are opened only once and then never used again . with html5 web apps , users do n't have to download , install , launch or update anything . it just runs . so apps as we have come to known them are in the midst of a radical change . whether the rise of html5 will lead mobile users to start spending more time with their browsers than native apps remains to be seen -- but for many mobile users , and for many apps , that distinction may start to become irrelevant . the opinions expressed in this post are solely those of amy gahran . | the drop in web traffic appears to be largely driven by facebook 's app |
skymall <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there are two certainties in airline seat pockets : pretzel crumbs and skymall . and while most travelers try to avoid the mysterious debris left by passengers past , skymall has been a welcome addition to the seatback catchalls since the 1990s . i found that it was one of those things that anyone who had traveled in the united states kind of knew about , ' said mike barish , a freelance travel writer who reviews skymall products for the travel site gadling . some people are in business class ; some people are in economy ... some people like to travel , and some people hate it . but everybody knows skymall . ' the catalog 's merchandising team receives hundreds of inquiries every week from vendors , manufacturers and retailers who want their items to be featured , said joey o'donnell , customer experience manager for skymall . we 're looking for really special items , ' o'donnell said . we have to look at it and say ,'this solves a problem , and this is so unique . i know our customers will love it .' and where else could you purchase a harry potter wand , an indoor dog restroom and a fire escape ladder , all from the same place ? the merchandising team has been doing its job so well for so long that it can just look at an item and know it 's going to be a winner with skymall 's audience , o'donnell said . we have this garden zombie -- the size of a person -- crawling out of the ground , ' he said . when i saw it , i was like ,'no way .'but sure enough , it became one of our top sellers . ' other unique ' items are n't so lucky . if you thought the catalog 's products were humorous , the list of rejects is downright silly . there 's chuck the yuck , a hip line of barf bags ' ; gogirl , which helps women urinate while standing ; and the frankformer , which turns ordinary hot dogs into a smiling'hot dog man .' ' you almost expect them to be fake products from'saturday night live ,' barish said . i think the fact that these things actually exist just makes people happy . ' barish 's first experience with a skymall product was the skyrest , a giant , wedge-shaped travel pillow that he reviewed for gadling in 2008 . if you brought up skymall in conversation , it was the one product that someone would make a joke about , ' he said . a ) because it was so large and b ) because the person in the photograph sleeping on it looked so uncomfortable . ' since his first experience , barish has bought two photo blankets and fernando , a chihuahua statue , for his friends . seeing these fun , silly things takes your mind off what is normally a very tedious or uncomfortable situation , ' barish said of flying . the same goes for comedian dan nainan , who took 84 flights in 2010 and purchases from skymall regularly . there 's that time between when you ca n't use your laptop when you 're taking off and landing , so that 's prime skymall time , ' nainan said . their selection is so varied that pretty much anybody from any walk of life could pick it up and find something . ' from a gps keychain to video recording sunglasses , nainan has seen it all -- including a submarine . that was a little bit beyond my budget , ' he said , laughing . once in a while , they 'll throw in something ridiculously expensive and frivolous like that . ' for barish , that item was the cruzin cooler , which combines the ability to have cold food or a beverage handy along with the means to get somewhere , without walking , ' according to its website . for $ 500 , the motorized cooler just was n't worth it to him . i do n't even know where i 'd drive it , ' barish said . the fun nature of the items featured in the catalog reflects the company 's attitude , said christine aguilera , ceo of skymall . we 're a company that has high expectations for ourselves , but fun is in our corporate motto , ' aguilera said . that 's what makes skymall what it is . we scour the earth to find unique and innovative products . ' as proved by the popularity of the corpse zombie , it 's hard to know what will work until it 's put in front of 1.6 million people per day , she said . but skymall was n't always so quirky . when it began in 1990 , founder bob worsley pictured skymall carrying mainstream products but quickly found that people were wary of buying everyday items at an airport . i think people feel that anything at the airport is going to be overpriced , ' worsley said . so what works are unique items that people ca n't find anywhere else . if they can buy it at the store , then they will probably buy it there . ' since worsley 's original plans for the catalog evolved , skymall is more successful than ever . the catalog is available on 88 percent of domestic flights and reaches more than 650 million air travelers each year , according to its website . at the end of the day , while everyone laughs at the silly products , i have to imagine that the thing that keeps them going are the practical items , ' barish said . not everyone wants to spend money on a conversation piece . ' for example , the best-selling items in skymall 's history were a nose hair trimmer and a mosquito magnet ( a net that attracts and traps insects ) , quantity-wise and dollar-wise , respectively . products that solve problems are the ones that work best in skymall , ' o'donnell said . but strange sells . the items have to solve a purpose , even if that purpose is just making someone smile . ' and with the spreading availability of wi-fi on flights , sky mall has more smiles to look forward to on the horizon . its deal with gogo inflight internet allows passengers to browse skymall for free , escalating what is already a niche market . skymall is perfect for things you do n't necessarily need but would make great conversation pieces if you were willing to be silly and whimsical enough to actually buy them , ' barish said . it solves the problems we did n't know we had until it told us about them . ' | skymall 's merchandising team receives hundreds of inquiries every week from vendors |
skymall <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there are two certainties in airline seat pockets : pretzel crumbs and skymall . and while most travelers try to avoid the mysterious debris left by passengers past , skymall has been a welcome addition to the seatback catchalls since the 1990s . i found that it was one of those things that anyone who had traveled in the united states kind of knew about , ' said mike barish , a freelance travel writer who reviews skymall products for the travel site gadling . some people are in business class ; some people are in economy ... some people like to travel , and some people hate it . but everybody knows skymall . ' the catalog 's merchandising team receives hundreds of inquiries every week from vendors , manufacturers and retailers who want their items to be featured , said joey o'donnell , customer experience manager for skymall . we 're looking for really special items , ' o'donnell said . we have to look at it and say ,'this solves a problem , and this is so unique . i know our customers will love it .' and where else could you purchase a harry potter wand , an indoor dog restroom and a fire escape ladder , all from the same place ? the merchandising team has been doing its job so well for so long that it can just look at an item and know it 's going to be a winner with skymall 's audience , o'donnell said . we have this garden zombie -- the size of a person -- crawling out of the ground , ' he said . when i saw it , i was like ,'no way .'but sure enough , it became one of our top sellers . ' other unique ' items are n't so lucky . if you thought the catalog 's products were humorous , the list of rejects is downright silly . there 's chuck the yuck , a hip line of barf bags ' ; gogirl , which helps women urinate while standing ; and the frankformer , which turns ordinary hot dogs into a smiling'hot dog man .' ' you almost expect them to be fake products from'saturday night live ,' barish said . i think the fact that these things actually exist just makes people happy . ' barish 's first experience with a skymall product was the skyrest , a giant , wedge-shaped travel pillow that he reviewed for gadling in 2008 . if you brought up skymall in conversation , it was the one product that someone would make a joke about , ' he said . a ) because it was so large and b ) because the person in the photograph sleeping on it looked so uncomfortable . ' since his first experience , barish has bought two photo blankets and fernando , a chihuahua statue , for his friends . seeing these fun , silly things takes your mind off what is normally a very tedious or uncomfortable situation , ' barish said of flying . the same goes for comedian dan nainan , who took 84 flights in 2010 and purchases from skymall regularly . there 's that time between when you ca n't use your laptop when you 're taking off and landing , so that 's prime skymall time , ' nainan said . their selection is so varied that pretty much anybody from any walk of life could pick it up and find something . ' from a gps keychain to video recording sunglasses , nainan has seen it all -- including a submarine . that was a little bit beyond my budget , ' he said , laughing . once in a while , they 'll throw in something ridiculously expensive and frivolous like that . ' for barish , that item was the cruzin cooler , which combines the ability to have cold food or a beverage handy along with the means to get somewhere , without walking , ' according to its website . for $ 500 , the motorized cooler just was n't worth it to him . i do n't even know where i 'd drive it , ' barish said . the fun nature of the items featured in the catalog reflects the company 's attitude , said christine aguilera , ceo of skymall . we 're a company that has high expectations for ourselves , but fun is in our corporate motto , ' aguilera said . that 's what makes skymall what it is . we scour the earth to find unique and innovative products . ' as proved by the popularity of the corpse zombie , it 's hard to know what will work until it 's put in front of 1.6 million people per day , she said . but skymall was n't always so quirky . when it began in 1990 , founder bob worsley pictured skymall carrying mainstream products but quickly found that people were wary of buying everyday items at an airport . i think people feel that anything at the airport is going to be overpriced , ' worsley said . so what works are unique items that people ca n't find anywhere else . if they can buy it at the store , then they will probably buy it there . ' since worsley 's original plans for the catalog evolved , skymall is more successful than ever . the catalog is available on 88 percent of domestic flights and reaches more than 650 million air travelers each year , according to its website . at the end of the day , while everyone laughs at the silly products , i have to imagine that the thing that keeps them going are the practical items , ' barish said . not everyone wants to spend money on a conversation piece . ' for example , the best-selling items in skymall 's history were a nose hair trimmer and a mosquito magnet ( a net that attracts and traps insects ) , quantity-wise and dollar-wise , respectively . products that solve problems are the ones that work best in skymall , ' o'donnell said . but strange sells . the items have to solve a purpose , even if that purpose is just making someone smile . ' and with the spreading availability of wi-fi on flights , sky mall has more smiles to look forward to on the horizon . its deal with gogo inflight internet allows passengers to browse skymall for free , escalating what is already a niche market . skymall is perfect for things you do n't necessarily need but would make great conversation pieces if you were willing to be silly and whimsical enough to actually buy them , ' barish said . it solves the problems we did n't know we had until it told us about them . ' | skymall has been entertaining air passengers since its debut in 1990 |
tendulkar <tsp> ( cnn ) -- indian cricket legend sachin tendulkar has brought down the curtain on his record-breaking one-day international career , confirming his retirement on sunday . the little master , ' who has thrilled fans since he first made his debut as a raw 16-year-old back in 1989 , scored an astonishing 49 centuries in the 50-over game . the 39-year-old is the world 's leading run scorer in one-day cricket , hitting 18,426 runs from his 463 matches at an average of 44.83 . tendulkar was a key part of the india team which won the 2011 world cup in his home city of mumbai . his final one-day appearance came on march 18 in which he scored 52 during the six-wicket win over pakistan at the asia cup . tendulkar reaches 100th international hundred it was in his penultimate innings that he reached his 100th international century , a total which includes both one-day and test match cricket , following a knock of 114 against bangladesh . previously , at the age of 36 , he scored the first double-century in the 50-over format since the first one-dayer was played in january 1971 , hitting an unbeaten 200 against south africa . but following a poor test series against england , in which he made just one half-century and averaged 18.66 , tendulkar says india must build for the future .'blessed' ' i have decided to retire from the one-day format of the game , ' he said in a statement . i feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a world cup winning indian team ( in 2011 ) . i am eternally grateful to all my well-wishers for their unconditional support and love over the years . ' no decision has yet been made over whether tendulkar will continue to play the five-day format following his disappointing performances during india 's series defeat by england this month . tendulkar has scored a record 15,645 runs in 194 matches at an average of 54.32 with 51 centuries and remains a hero around the world to cricket fans .'unbeatable'records former india skipper krishnamachari srikkanth told reporters that tendulkar 's records will never be matched . i am surprised by his move but he is leaving odi cricket on a high , ' he said . i am sure he will want to leave on a high in test cricket also . he will be looking forward to a good test series against australia . his records can not be surpassed . ' former captain sourav ganguly added : i felt that he might have played on , but it is his decision and i think it is right . there was a doubt on whether he would play odi cricket or not . but i am not surprised by his decision . he has done what he thought was right . ' | sachin tendulkar has quit one-day international cricket at the age of 39 . |
tendulkar <tsp> ( cnn ) -- indian cricket legend sachin tendulkar has brought down the curtain on his record-breaking one-day international career , confirming his retirement on sunday . the little master , ' who has thrilled fans since he first made his debut as a raw 16-year-old back in 1989 , scored an astonishing 49 centuries in the 50-over game . the 39-year-old is the world 's leading run scorer in one-day cricket , hitting 18,426 runs from his 463 matches at an average of 44.83 . tendulkar was a key part of the india team which won the 2011 world cup in his home city of mumbai . his final one-day appearance came on march 18 in which he scored 52 during the six-wicket win over pakistan at the asia cup . tendulkar reaches 100th international hundred it was in his penultimate innings that he reached his 100th international century , a total which includes both one-day and test match cricket , following a knock of 114 against bangladesh . previously , at the age of 36 , he scored the first double-century in the 50-over format since the first one-dayer was played in january 1971 , hitting an unbeaten 200 against south africa . but following a poor test series against england , in which he made just one half-century and averaged 18.66 , tendulkar says india must build for the future .'blessed' ' i have decided to retire from the one-day format of the game , ' he said in a statement . i feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a world cup winning indian team ( in 2011 ) . i am eternally grateful to all my well-wishers for their unconditional support and love over the years . ' no decision has yet been made over whether tendulkar will continue to play the five-day format following his disappointing performances during india 's series defeat by england this month . tendulkar has scored a record 15,645 runs in 194 matches at an average of 54.32 with 51 centuries and remains a hero around the world to cricket fans .'unbeatable'records former india skipper krishnamachari srikkanth told reporters that tendulkar 's records will never be matched . i am surprised by his move but he is leaving odi cricket on a high , ' he said . i am sure he will want to leave on a high in test cricket also . he will be looking forward to a good test series against australia . his records can not be surpassed . ' former captain sourav ganguly added : i felt that he might have played on , but it is his decision and i think it is right . there was a doubt on whether he would play odi cricket or not . but i am not surprised by his decision . he has done what he thought was right . ' | tendulkar was part of the india team which won the world cup on home soil in 2011 |
world cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- indian cricket legend sachin tendulkar has brought down the curtain on his record-breaking one-day international career , confirming his retirement on sunday . the little master , ' who has thrilled fans since he first made his debut as a raw 16-year-old back in 1989 , scored an astonishing 49 centuries in the 50-over game . the 39-year-old is the world 's leading run scorer in one-day cricket , hitting 18,426 runs from his 463 matches at an average of 44.83 . tendulkar was a key part of the india team which won the 2011 world cup in his home city of mumbai . his final one-day appearance came on march 18 in which he scored 52 during the six-wicket win over pakistan at the asia cup . tendulkar reaches 100th international hundred it was in his penultimate innings that he reached his 100th international century , a total which includes both one-day and test match cricket , following a knock of 114 against bangladesh . previously , at the age of 36 , he scored the first double-century in the 50-over format since the first one-dayer was played in january 1971 , hitting an unbeaten 200 against south africa . but following a poor test series against england , in which he made just one half-century and averaged 18.66 , tendulkar says india must build for the future .'blessed' ' i have decided to retire from the one-day format of the game , ' he said in a statement . i feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a world cup winning indian team ( in 2011 ) . i am eternally grateful to all my well-wishers for their unconditional support and love over the years . ' no decision has yet been made over whether tendulkar will continue to play the five-day format following his disappointing performances during india 's series defeat by england this month . tendulkar has scored a record 15,645 runs in 194 matches at an average of 54.32 with 51 centuries and remains a hero around the world to cricket fans .'unbeatable'records former india skipper krishnamachari srikkanth told reporters that tendulkar 's records will never be matched . i am surprised by his move but he is leaving odi cricket on a high , ' he said . i am sure he will want to leave on a high in test cricket also . he will be looking forward to a good test series against australia . his records can not be surpassed . ' former captain sourav ganguly added : i felt that he might have played on , but it is his decision and i think it is right . there was a doubt on whether he would play odi cricket or not . but i am not surprised by his decision . he has done what he thought was right . ' | tendulkar was part of the india team which won the world cup on home soil in 2011 |
kate <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- after four years of jon & kate plus 8 , ' jon gosselin said he 's decided it 's not healthy for his children to be on a reality show . jon gosselin appears on larry king live ' thursday . he said he does n't want his kids to continue with tv show . the reason i do n't think it 's healthy for them is that we 're going through a divorce right now , and i do n't think it should be televised and i think my kids should be taken off the show , ' gosselin told cnn 's larry king on thursday night . they 're 5 and 8 now ; let them experience a normal childhood , ' he said . his lawyer said the tlc reality series about the gosselin family is dead because no judge would ever subject the children to the show if the father believes it 's detrimental . ' jon and kate gosselin announced their separation and divorce filing -- after 10 years of marriage -- on a special one-hour episode in june . they agreed to share custody of their 5-year-old sextuplets and 8-year-old twins . i had an epiphany one day , ' gosselin told king . i just looked in the mirror and i said ,'i do n't want to be this person anymore .'i made mistakes . i know i messed up . i do regret a lot of things . but i have to learn from those mistakes and move forward . ' watch jon gosselin talk with larry king » he blamed some of his mistakes on his not having a lawyer when he and his wife signed the show contract four years ago . he had no manager , he had no lawyer , he had no idea what he was signing , ' said mark j. heller , the lawyer recently hired by jon gosselin . now i have a sense of empowerment , ' gosselin said . before , i did n't have any representation . i take blame for not being an initiator . i was an avoider . i was passive . ' kate gosselin said she was saddened and confused by jon 's public media statements . ' jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and , in fact , is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children and was taping on friday with the kids , ' she said . she said her estranged husband only changed his mind about their eight children 's involvement after tlc announced the name change of the show and indicated that jon would have a lesser role in the show . ' it appears that jon 's priority is jon and his interests , ' kate gosselin said . tlc announced tuesday that it was retitling the show kate plus 8 ' because of recent changes in the family dynamics . ' jon gosselin 's lawyer said the network only fired him before he fired the show . ' the state labor department is investigating whether tlc violated child labor laws by not properly paying the children or getting permits for the past four seasons , heller said . these kids have been working without compensation for four years , ' heller said . gosselin revealed to king that the family was paid $ 22,500 per episode , with none of the money specifically designated for the eight children . tlc , in a written statement thursday , said it had halted direct filming of the children ' until jon and kate gosselin have further conversations . ' the network said jon gosselin 's latest comments are grossly inaccurate , without merit and are clearly opportunistic , ' noting he and the family were taping as recently as last friday . despite jon gosselin 's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions , he remains under an exclusive contract with tlc , ' the network said . heller said , however , the contract the gosselins signed four years ago with tlc was null and void ' because the network dropped jon gosselin . tlc gave king a written statement insisting the changes were allowed by the contract . the new show will take a deeper focus on kate 's role in the family and her journey as a single mother building the next chapter in her life , ' tlc said tuesday . jon gosselin will still appear , but on a less regular basis , ' it said . kate gosselin 's divorce lawyers told king that jon gosselin does not have the legal right to stop the children from appearing on the reality show because of the separation agreement the couple signed . he signed an agreement that party with physical custody will decide if they will be on taping , ' mark momjian said . he must go to court to change that . ' jon gosselin said his relationship with tlc began to deteriorate at the beginning of the year when network executives began calling him , warning him that he was in breach of his contract . they put me on house arrest ' with bodyguards watching him around the clock , he said . as for his relationship with kate , he said she told him a year ago she wanted to lead a life separate from him . he said he has not talked to kate in almost a month , although he has tried calling and sending text messages . i want to work things out , ' he said . we know we 're not going to be husband and wife , but we will always be mom and dad . we have to get our kids off television . ' the eight children have continued living in their wernersville , pennsylvania , home . their parents have rotated in and out of the home during their time with them . | because of his divorce with kate , jon says children should no longer film show |
kate <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- after four years of jon & kate plus 8 , ' jon gosselin said he 's decided it 's not healthy for his children to be on a reality show . jon gosselin appears on larry king live ' thursday . he said he does n't want his kids to continue with tv show . the reason i do n't think it 's healthy for them is that we 're going through a divorce right now , and i do n't think it should be televised and i think my kids should be taken off the show , ' gosselin told cnn 's larry king on thursday night . they 're 5 and 8 now ; let them experience a normal childhood , ' he said . his lawyer said the tlc reality series about the gosselin family is dead because no judge would ever subject the children to the show if the father believes it 's detrimental . ' jon and kate gosselin announced their separation and divorce filing -- after 10 years of marriage -- on a special one-hour episode in june . they agreed to share custody of their 5-year-old sextuplets and 8-year-old twins . i had an epiphany one day , ' gosselin told king . i just looked in the mirror and i said ,'i do n't want to be this person anymore .'i made mistakes . i know i messed up . i do regret a lot of things . but i have to learn from those mistakes and move forward . ' watch jon gosselin talk with larry king » he blamed some of his mistakes on his not having a lawyer when he and his wife signed the show contract four years ago . he had no manager , he had no lawyer , he had no idea what he was signing , ' said mark j. heller , the lawyer recently hired by jon gosselin . now i have a sense of empowerment , ' gosselin said . before , i did n't have any representation . i take blame for not being an initiator . i was an avoider . i was passive . ' kate gosselin said she was saddened and confused by jon 's public media statements . ' jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and , in fact , is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children and was taping on friday with the kids , ' she said . she said her estranged husband only changed his mind about their eight children 's involvement after tlc announced the name change of the show and indicated that jon would have a lesser role in the show . ' it appears that jon 's priority is jon and his interests , ' kate gosselin said . tlc announced tuesday that it was retitling the show kate plus 8 ' because of recent changes in the family dynamics . ' jon gosselin 's lawyer said the network only fired him before he fired the show . ' the state labor department is investigating whether tlc violated child labor laws by not properly paying the children or getting permits for the past four seasons , heller said . these kids have been working without compensation for four years , ' heller said . gosselin revealed to king that the family was paid $ 22,500 per episode , with none of the money specifically designated for the eight children . tlc , in a written statement thursday , said it had halted direct filming of the children ' until jon and kate gosselin have further conversations . ' the network said jon gosselin 's latest comments are grossly inaccurate , without merit and are clearly opportunistic , ' noting he and the family were taping as recently as last friday . despite jon gosselin 's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions , he remains under an exclusive contract with tlc , ' the network said . heller said , however , the contract the gosselins signed four years ago with tlc was null and void ' because the network dropped jon gosselin . tlc gave king a written statement insisting the changes were allowed by the contract . the new show will take a deeper focus on kate 's role in the family and her journey as a single mother building the next chapter in her life , ' tlc said tuesday . jon gosselin will still appear , but on a less regular basis , ' it said . kate gosselin 's divorce lawyers told king that jon gosselin does not have the legal right to stop the children from appearing on the reality show because of the separation agreement the couple signed . he signed an agreement that party with physical custody will decide if they will be on taping , ' mark momjian said . he must go to court to change that . ' jon gosselin said his relationship with tlc began to deteriorate at the beginning of the year when network executives began calling him , warning him that he was in breach of his contract . they put me on house arrest ' with bodyguards watching him around the clock , he said . as for his relationship with kate , he said she told him a year ago she wanted to lead a life separate from him . he said he has not talked to kate in almost a month , although he has tried calling and sending text messages . i want to work things out , ' he said . we know we 're not going to be husband and wife , but we will always be mom and dad . we have to get our kids off television . ' the eight children have continued living in their wernersville , pennsylvania , home . their parents have rotated in and out of the home during their time with them . | kate : i 've been saddened and confused by jon 's public media statements ' |
kate <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- after four years of jon & kate plus 8 , ' jon gosselin said he 's decided it 's not healthy for his children to be on a reality show . jon gosselin appears on larry king live ' thursday . he said he does n't want his kids to continue with tv show . the reason i do n't think it 's healthy for them is that we 're going through a divorce right now , and i do n't think it should be televised and i think my kids should be taken off the show , ' gosselin told cnn 's larry king on thursday night . they 're 5 and 8 now ; let them experience a normal childhood , ' he said . his lawyer said the tlc reality series about the gosselin family is dead because no judge would ever subject the children to the show if the father believes it 's detrimental . ' jon and kate gosselin announced their separation and divorce filing -- after 10 years of marriage -- on a special one-hour episode in june . they agreed to share custody of their 5-year-old sextuplets and 8-year-old twins . i had an epiphany one day , ' gosselin told king . i just looked in the mirror and i said ,'i do n't want to be this person anymore .'i made mistakes . i know i messed up . i do regret a lot of things . but i have to learn from those mistakes and move forward . ' watch jon gosselin talk with larry king » he blamed some of his mistakes on his not having a lawyer when he and his wife signed the show contract four years ago . he had no manager , he had no lawyer , he had no idea what he was signing , ' said mark j. heller , the lawyer recently hired by jon gosselin . now i have a sense of empowerment , ' gosselin said . before , i did n't have any representation . i take blame for not being an initiator . i was an avoider . i was passive . ' kate gosselin said she was saddened and confused by jon 's public media statements . ' jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and , in fact , is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children and was taping on friday with the kids , ' she said . she said her estranged husband only changed his mind about their eight children 's involvement after tlc announced the name change of the show and indicated that jon would have a lesser role in the show . ' it appears that jon 's priority is jon and his interests , ' kate gosselin said . tlc announced tuesday that it was retitling the show kate plus 8 ' because of recent changes in the family dynamics . ' jon gosselin 's lawyer said the network only fired him before he fired the show . ' the state labor department is investigating whether tlc violated child labor laws by not properly paying the children or getting permits for the past four seasons , heller said . these kids have been working without compensation for four years , ' heller said . gosselin revealed to king that the family was paid $ 22,500 per episode , with none of the money specifically designated for the eight children . tlc , in a written statement thursday , said it had halted direct filming of the children ' until jon and kate gosselin have further conversations . ' the network said jon gosselin 's latest comments are grossly inaccurate , without merit and are clearly opportunistic , ' noting he and the family were taping as recently as last friday . despite jon gosselin 's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions , he remains under an exclusive contract with tlc , ' the network said . heller said , however , the contract the gosselins signed four years ago with tlc was null and void ' because the network dropped jon gosselin . tlc gave king a written statement insisting the changes were allowed by the contract . the new show will take a deeper focus on kate 's role in the family and her journey as a single mother building the next chapter in her life , ' tlc said tuesday . jon gosselin will still appear , but on a less regular basis , ' it said . kate gosselin 's divorce lawyers told king that jon gosselin does not have the legal right to stop the children from appearing on the reality show because of the separation agreement the couple signed . he signed an agreement that party with physical custody will decide if they will be on taping , ' mark momjian said . he must go to court to change that . ' jon gosselin said his relationship with tlc began to deteriorate at the beginning of the year when network executives began calling him , warning him that he was in breach of his contract . they put me on house arrest ' with bodyguards watching him around the clock , he said . as for his relationship with kate , he said she told him a year ago she wanted to lead a life separate from him . he said he has not talked to kate in almost a month , although he has tried calling and sending text messages . i want to work things out , ' he said . we know we 're not going to be husband and wife , but we will always be mom and dad . we have to get our kids off television . ' the eight children have continued living in their wernersville , pennsylvania , home . their parents have rotated in and out of the home during their time with them . | jon gosselin tells larry king he has n't talked with kate in about a month |
jon <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- after four years of jon & kate plus 8 , ' jon gosselin said he 's decided it 's not healthy for his children to be on a reality show . jon gosselin appears on larry king live ' thursday . he said he does n't want his kids to continue with tv show . the reason i do n't think it 's healthy for them is that we 're going through a divorce right now , and i do n't think it should be televised and i think my kids should be taken off the show , ' gosselin told cnn 's larry king on thursday night . they 're 5 and 8 now ; let them experience a normal childhood , ' he said . his lawyer said the tlc reality series about the gosselin family is dead because no judge would ever subject the children to the show if the father believes it 's detrimental . ' jon and kate gosselin announced their separation and divorce filing -- after 10 years of marriage -- on a special one-hour episode in june . they agreed to share custody of their 5-year-old sextuplets and 8-year-old twins . i had an epiphany one day , ' gosselin told king . i just looked in the mirror and i said ,'i do n't want to be this person anymore .'i made mistakes . i know i messed up . i do regret a lot of things . but i have to learn from those mistakes and move forward . ' watch jon gosselin talk with larry king » he blamed some of his mistakes on his not having a lawyer when he and his wife signed the show contract four years ago . he had no manager , he had no lawyer , he had no idea what he was signing , ' said mark j. heller , the lawyer recently hired by jon gosselin . now i have a sense of empowerment , ' gosselin said . before , i did n't have any representation . i take blame for not being an initiator . i was an avoider . i was passive . ' kate gosselin said she was saddened and confused by jon 's public media statements . ' jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and , in fact , is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children and was taping on friday with the kids , ' she said . she said her estranged husband only changed his mind about their eight children 's involvement after tlc announced the name change of the show and indicated that jon would have a lesser role in the show . ' it appears that jon 's priority is jon and his interests , ' kate gosselin said . tlc announced tuesday that it was retitling the show kate plus 8 ' because of recent changes in the family dynamics . ' jon gosselin 's lawyer said the network only fired him before he fired the show . ' the state labor department is investigating whether tlc violated child labor laws by not properly paying the children or getting permits for the past four seasons , heller said . these kids have been working without compensation for four years , ' heller said . gosselin revealed to king that the family was paid $ 22,500 per episode , with none of the money specifically designated for the eight children . tlc , in a written statement thursday , said it had halted direct filming of the children ' until jon and kate gosselin have further conversations . ' the network said jon gosselin 's latest comments are grossly inaccurate , without merit and are clearly opportunistic , ' noting he and the family were taping as recently as last friday . despite jon gosselin 's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions , he remains under an exclusive contract with tlc , ' the network said . heller said , however , the contract the gosselins signed four years ago with tlc was null and void ' because the network dropped jon gosselin . tlc gave king a written statement insisting the changes were allowed by the contract . the new show will take a deeper focus on kate 's role in the family and her journey as a single mother building the next chapter in her life , ' tlc said tuesday . jon gosselin will still appear , but on a less regular basis , ' it said . kate gosselin 's divorce lawyers told king that jon gosselin does not have the legal right to stop the children from appearing on the reality show because of the separation agreement the couple signed . he signed an agreement that party with physical custody will decide if they will be on taping , ' mark momjian said . he must go to court to change that . ' jon gosselin said his relationship with tlc began to deteriorate at the beginning of the year when network executives began calling him , warning him that he was in breach of his contract . they put me on house arrest ' with bodyguards watching him around the clock , he said . as for his relationship with kate , he said she told him a year ago she wanted to lead a life separate from him . he said he has not talked to kate in almost a month , although he has tried calling and sending text messages . i want to work things out , ' he said . we know we 're not going to be husband and wife , but we will always be mom and dad . we have to get our kids off television . ' the eight children have continued living in their wernersville , pennsylvania , home . their parents have rotated in and out of the home during their time with them . | because of his divorce with kate , jon says children should no longer film show |
jon <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- after four years of jon & kate plus 8 , ' jon gosselin said he 's decided it 's not healthy for his children to be on a reality show . jon gosselin appears on larry king live ' thursday . he said he does n't want his kids to continue with tv show . the reason i do n't think it 's healthy for them is that we 're going through a divorce right now , and i do n't think it should be televised and i think my kids should be taken off the show , ' gosselin told cnn 's larry king on thursday night . they 're 5 and 8 now ; let them experience a normal childhood , ' he said . his lawyer said the tlc reality series about the gosselin family is dead because no judge would ever subject the children to the show if the father believes it 's detrimental . ' jon and kate gosselin announced their separation and divorce filing -- after 10 years of marriage -- on a special one-hour episode in june . they agreed to share custody of their 5-year-old sextuplets and 8-year-old twins . i had an epiphany one day , ' gosselin told king . i just looked in the mirror and i said ,'i do n't want to be this person anymore .'i made mistakes . i know i messed up . i do regret a lot of things . but i have to learn from those mistakes and move forward . ' watch jon gosselin talk with larry king » he blamed some of his mistakes on his not having a lawyer when he and his wife signed the show contract four years ago . he had no manager , he had no lawyer , he had no idea what he was signing , ' said mark j. heller , the lawyer recently hired by jon gosselin . now i have a sense of empowerment , ' gosselin said . before , i did n't have any representation . i take blame for not being an initiator . i was an avoider . i was passive . ' kate gosselin said she was saddened and confused by jon 's public media statements . ' jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and , in fact , is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children and was taping on friday with the kids , ' she said . she said her estranged husband only changed his mind about their eight children 's involvement after tlc announced the name change of the show and indicated that jon would have a lesser role in the show . ' it appears that jon 's priority is jon and his interests , ' kate gosselin said . tlc announced tuesday that it was retitling the show kate plus 8 ' because of recent changes in the family dynamics . ' jon gosselin 's lawyer said the network only fired him before he fired the show . ' the state labor department is investigating whether tlc violated child labor laws by not properly paying the children or getting permits for the past four seasons , heller said . these kids have been working without compensation for four years , ' heller said . gosselin revealed to king that the family was paid $ 22,500 per episode , with none of the money specifically designated for the eight children . tlc , in a written statement thursday , said it had halted direct filming of the children ' until jon and kate gosselin have further conversations . ' the network said jon gosselin 's latest comments are grossly inaccurate , without merit and are clearly opportunistic , ' noting he and the family were taping as recently as last friday . despite jon gosselin 's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions , he remains under an exclusive contract with tlc , ' the network said . heller said , however , the contract the gosselins signed four years ago with tlc was null and void ' because the network dropped jon gosselin . tlc gave king a written statement insisting the changes were allowed by the contract . the new show will take a deeper focus on kate 's role in the family and her journey as a single mother building the next chapter in her life , ' tlc said tuesday . jon gosselin will still appear , but on a less regular basis , ' it said . kate gosselin 's divorce lawyers told king that jon gosselin does not have the legal right to stop the children from appearing on the reality show because of the separation agreement the couple signed . he signed an agreement that party with physical custody will decide if they will be on taping , ' mark momjian said . he must go to court to change that . ' jon gosselin said his relationship with tlc began to deteriorate at the beginning of the year when network executives began calling him , warning him that he was in breach of his contract . they put me on house arrest ' with bodyguards watching him around the clock , he said . as for his relationship with kate , he said she told him a year ago she wanted to lead a life separate from him . he said he has not talked to kate in almost a month , although he has tried calling and sending text messages . i want to work things out , ' he said . we know we 're not going to be husband and wife , but we will always be mom and dad . we have to get our kids off television . ' the eight children have continued living in their wernersville , pennsylvania , home . their parents have rotated in and out of the home during their time with them . | jon on relationship with tlc : they put me on house arrest ' |
jon <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- after four years of jon & kate plus 8 , ' jon gosselin said he 's decided it 's not healthy for his children to be on a reality show . jon gosselin appears on larry king live ' thursday . he said he does n't want his kids to continue with tv show . the reason i do n't think it 's healthy for them is that we 're going through a divorce right now , and i do n't think it should be televised and i think my kids should be taken off the show , ' gosselin told cnn 's larry king on thursday night . they 're 5 and 8 now ; let them experience a normal childhood , ' he said . his lawyer said the tlc reality series about the gosselin family is dead because no judge would ever subject the children to the show if the father believes it 's detrimental . ' jon and kate gosselin announced their separation and divorce filing -- after 10 years of marriage -- on a special one-hour episode in june . they agreed to share custody of their 5-year-old sextuplets and 8-year-old twins . i had an epiphany one day , ' gosselin told king . i just looked in the mirror and i said ,'i do n't want to be this person anymore .'i made mistakes . i know i messed up . i do regret a lot of things . but i have to learn from those mistakes and move forward . ' watch jon gosselin talk with larry king » he blamed some of his mistakes on his not having a lawyer when he and his wife signed the show contract four years ago . he had no manager , he had no lawyer , he had no idea what he was signing , ' said mark j. heller , the lawyer recently hired by jon gosselin . now i have a sense of empowerment , ' gosselin said . before , i did n't have any representation . i take blame for not being an initiator . i was an avoider . i was passive . ' kate gosselin said she was saddened and confused by jon 's public media statements . ' jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and , in fact , is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children and was taping on friday with the kids , ' she said . she said her estranged husband only changed his mind about their eight children 's involvement after tlc announced the name change of the show and indicated that jon would have a lesser role in the show . ' it appears that jon 's priority is jon and his interests , ' kate gosselin said . tlc announced tuesday that it was retitling the show kate plus 8 ' because of recent changes in the family dynamics . ' jon gosselin 's lawyer said the network only fired him before he fired the show . ' the state labor department is investigating whether tlc violated child labor laws by not properly paying the children or getting permits for the past four seasons , heller said . these kids have been working without compensation for four years , ' heller said . gosselin revealed to king that the family was paid $ 22,500 per episode , with none of the money specifically designated for the eight children . tlc , in a written statement thursday , said it had halted direct filming of the children ' until jon and kate gosselin have further conversations . ' the network said jon gosselin 's latest comments are grossly inaccurate , without merit and are clearly opportunistic , ' noting he and the family were taping as recently as last friday . despite jon gosselin 's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions , he remains under an exclusive contract with tlc , ' the network said . heller said , however , the contract the gosselins signed four years ago with tlc was null and void ' because the network dropped jon gosselin . tlc gave king a written statement insisting the changes were allowed by the contract . the new show will take a deeper focus on kate 's role in the family and her journey as a single mother building the next chapter in her life , ' tlc said tuesday . jon gosselin will still appear , but on a less regular basis , ' it said . kate gosselin 's divorce lawyers told king that jon gosselin does not have the legal right to stop the children from appearing on the reality show because of the separation agreement the couple signed . he signed an agreement that party with physical custody will decide if they will be on taping , ' mark momjian said . he must go to court to change that . ' jon gosselin said his relationship with tlc began to deteriorate at the beginning of the year when network executives began calling him , warning him that he was in breach of his contract . they put me on house arrest ' with bodyguards watching him around the clock , he said . as for his relationship with kate , he said she told him a year ago she wanted to lead a life separate from him . he said he has not talked to kate in almost a month , although he has tried calling and sending text messages . i want to work things out , ' he said . we know we 're not going to be husband and wife , but we will always be mom and dad . we have to get our kids off television . ' the eight children have continued living in their wernersville , pennsylvania , home . their parents have rotated in and out of the home during their time with them . | kate : i 've been saddened and confused by jon 's public media statements ' |
jon <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- after four years of jon & kate plus 8 , ' jon gosselin said he 's decided it 's not healthy for his children to be on a reality show . jon gosselin appears on larry king live ' thursday . he said he does n't want his kids to continue with tv show . the reason i do n't think it 's healthy for them is that we 're going through a divorce right now , and i do n't think it should be televised and i think my kids should be taken off the show , ' gosselin told cnn 's larry king on thursday night . they 're 5 and 8 now ; let them experience a normal childhood , ' he said . his lawyer said the tlc reality series about the gosselin family is dead because no judge would ever subject the children to the show if the father believes it 's detrimental . ' jon and kate gosselin announced their separation and divorce filing -- after 10 years of marriage -- on a special one-hour episode in june . they agreed to share custody of their 5-year-old sextuplets and 8-year-old twins . i had an epiphany one day , ' gosselin told king . i just looked in the mirror and i said ,'i do n't want to be this person anymore .'i made mistakes . i know i messed up . i do regret a lot of things . but i have to learn from those mistakes and move forward . ' watch jon gosselin talk with larry king » he blamed some of his mistakes on his not having a lawyer when he and his wife signed the show contract four years ago . he had no manager , he had no lawyer , he had no idea what he was signing , ' said mark j. heller , the lawyer recently hired by jon gosselin . now i have a sense of empowerment , ' gosselin said . before , i did n't have any representation . i take blame for not being an initiator . i was an avoider . i was passive . ' kate gosselin said she was saddened and confused by jon 's public media statements . ' jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and , in fact , is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children and was taping on friday with the kids , ' she said . she said her estranged husband only changed his mind about their eight children 's involvement after tlc announced the name change of the show and indicated that jon would have a lesser role in the show . ' it appears that jon 's priority is jon and his interests , ' kate gosselin said . tlc announced tuesday that it was retitling the show kate plus 8 ' because of recent changes in the family dynamics . ' jon gosselin 's lawyer said the network only fired him before he fired the show . ' the state labor department is investigating whether tlc violated child labor laws by not properly paying the children or getting permits for the past four seasons , heller said . these kids have been working without compensation for four years , ' heller said . gosselin revealed to king that the family was paid $ 22,500 per episode , with none of the money specifically designated for the eight children . tlc , in a written statement thursday , said it had halted direct filming of the children ' until jon and kate gosselin have further conversations . ' the network said jon gosselin 's latest comments are grossly inaccurate , without merit and are clearly opportunistic , ' noting he and the family were taping as recently as last friday . despite jon gosselin 's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions , he remains under an exclusive contract with tlc , ' the network said . heller said , however , the contract the gosselins signed four years ago with tlc was null and void ' because the network dropped jon gosselin . tlc gave king a written statement insisting the changes were allowed by the contract . the new show will take a deeper focus on kate 's role in the family and her journey as a single mother building the next chapter in her life , ' tlc said tuesday . jon gosselin will still appear , but on a less regular basis , ' it said . kate gosselin 's divorce lawyers told king that jon gosselin does not have the legal right to stop the children from appearing on the reality show because of the separation agreement the couple signed . he signed an agreement that party with physical custody will decide if they will be on taping , ' mark momjian said . he must go to court to change that . ' jon gosselin said his relationship with tlc began to deteriorate at the beginning of the year when network executives began calling him , warning him that he was in breach of his contract . they put me on house arrest ' with bodyguards watching him around the clock , he said . as for his relationship with kate , he said she told him a year ago she wanted to lead a life separate from him . he said he has not talked to kate in almost a month , although he has tried calling and sending text messages . i want to work things out , ' he said . we know we 're not going to be husband and wife , but we will always be mom and dad . we have to get our kids off television . ' the eight children have continued living in their wernersville , pennsylvania , home . their parents have rotated in and out of the home during their time with them . | jon gosselin tells larry king he has n't talked with kate in about a month |
syria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in focus : turkey syria tensions booming growth figures between syria and turkey are a thing of the past . trade has come to a virtual standstill . what 's more , the syrian crisis is forcing turkish exporters to establish alternative routes to the gulf . ivan watson looks at how turkey is doing its best to bypass the violence in syria . water security the middle east may sit on nearly half of the world 's proven oil reserves but it is lacking in the world 's most important resource -- water . kim kelita looks at water security in the region . marketplace middle east airs weekly at the following times ( all gmt ) : thursday : 1545 , friday : 0845 , saturday : 0615 sunday : 0515 , 1545 | cnn 's ivan watson looks at how turkey is doing its best to bypass the violence in syria |
ivan watson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in focus : turkey syria tensions booming growth figures between syria and turkey are a thing of the past . trade has come to a virtual standstill . what 's more , the syrian crisis is forcing turkish exporters to establish alternative routes to the gulf . ivan watson looks at how turkey is doing its best to bypass the violence in syria . water security the middle east may sit on nearly half of the world 's proven oil reserves but it is lacking in the world 's most important resource -- water . kim kelita looks at water security in the region . marketplace middle east airs weekly at the following times ( all gmt ) : thursday : 1545 , friday : 0845 , saturday : 0615 sunday : 0515 , 1545 | cnn 's ivan watson looks at how turkey is doing its best to bypass the violence in syria |
brazilian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when maria elza de fatima learned the world cup was coming to brazil in 2014 , she thought the good times were soon to return . once the owner of a busy clothing stall , the 59-year-old sao paulo resident had scraped around for work since her license expired and was n't renewed by city authorities . but now the world cup was coming to her home town -- along with many thousands of fans , visitors and tourists -- opportunities would abound , would n't they ? it has n't quite turned out that way . de fatima may be one of the lucky ones who has been able to secure an official world cup job but what she can do and where she can work is limited . alongside roughly 600 others , she has been given permission to sell ice packs and soft drinks outside the sao paulo stadium . only official fifa partners are allowed to hock their wares here and within the arena . de fatima is all too aware that many others have n't been so fortunate . she recalls the days when as many 22,000 stall-owners plied their trade on sao paulo 's streets . a mere 600 jobs ( although there are also temporary roles in other areas ) is n't nearly enough for them , she laments . this world cup is not for the brazilians , ' de fatima replies when asked whether sao paulo has experienced the boon she expected . it is for the foreigners and fifa friends . ' nationwide protests de fatima is n't the only disillusioned brazilian . a recent poll by the pew research center found that 61 % of respondents felt hosting the world cup would be a bad thing for their country . according to marina mattar of the sao paulo popular committee of the world cup , an umbrella organization for disparate protest groups in the city , the tournament will bring a lot of money into brazil , but mainly to a well-connected few . the world cup is bringing benefits to brazil but it 's to the economic and political elites -- not to street vendors , not to small companies , entrepreneurs and not to workers in general , ' she said . key to this debate are the spiraling costs of building new stadia across the country to host matches during the world cup . promotional literature released by the brazilian government puts expenditure in terms of funds , loans and credit lines from the public purse for stadium projects at at $ 3.5 billion . but a recent audit suggests the price has escalated to $ 4.2 billion . the stadiums are not being built for ordinary people because the price of the tickets is very high and many people will not be able to go watch football any more . instead , the stadiums are in a way very good for big engineering companies to make money , ' mattar said . people have also been evicted from their homes to make way for projects relating to the world cup and there has been the pacification ' of favelas , which has seen police forcibly occupy some of the poorer neighborhoods in the city , she added . such concerns are far from exclusive to sao paulo . all across brazil , street protests have raged in the last year while popular committee groups have also sprung up in rio de janeiro , belo horizonte and beyond . a multitude of grievances , not all directly related to the world cup , have driven this discontent -- including rising transport prices , higher living costs , housing concerns and accusations of police brutality . fairness and equality are at the heart of these concerns . while brazil has grown rapidly since the turn of the century , creating a new middle class , inequality remains high and some fear the very poorest are being left behind . according to the cia world factbook , brazil ranks 17th out of 140 countries in terms of the highest levels of income disparity . protesters are asking why an emerging nation is spending billions on hosting a football tournament when that money could be better directed towards alleviating poverty . it is unacceptable to build a mega event that will provide high profits to fifa ... while there are serious problems of social inequality in the country , ' said jean marcelo , an activist with the student protest group domino publico . the world cup reaffirms an existing logic that rules the brazilian government . it 's a logic benefiting big businesses and a small elite who occupy the top of the social pyramid , ' he added . but with new roads , airports and stadiums being built , all of which have brought jobs and improvements to the country 's infrastructure , there are many who say the initial outlay , however eye-watering , will be worth it in the long term . the brazilian government estimates that 710,000 temporary and permanent jobs will be created during the tournament while fan spending alone is expected to total $ 13 billion . on top of that , many brazilian cities see the exposure they will gain hosting matches as an opportunity to position themselves as attractive destinations to potential investors and tourists now and in the future . a world cup for all ? there has been significant investment in urban mobility projects , in airport modernization projects , in port modernization projects , telecommunications infrastructure and security infrastructure , ' brazil 's deputy sports minister luis fernandes told cnn . you have to remember that brazil is still a developing nation ... as well as providing jobs for hundreds of thousands of brazilians , these investments will benefit people in terms of the services provided , ' he added . the fans who come to the world cup wo n't be taking back with them the new urban transport solutions or airport extensions , ' fernandes said . paulo esteves , general supervisor at rio de janeiro-based think-tank , the brics policy center , agrees with this viewpoint . in a way , what we are seeing are investments that otherwise do not take place , ' he said . the world cup has been a kind of catalyst for this . ' the government did not take money from health or transportation to invest in stadiums . investments in public health and transportation will go on and on . ' esteves is quick to add , however , that this does n't mean public grievances are without merit , and believes the world cup has created a platform for groups and people dissatisfied with how brazil is developing as to unite and make their voices heard . in recent weeks teachers , metro workers and bus drivers have gone on strike demanding better pay and conditions . others have taken to the streets to campaign for better housing . rather than highlighting the negatives of hosting a football tournament , these protests are really talking about the other side of economic modernization in brazil , ' esteves said . the world cup is not a target per se but it is an opportunity to vocalize and make stronger ... claims for strengthening the process around political and social inclusion . ' however , mattar and others in protest movements maintain their opposition to the world cup is based on principled rejection of spending decisions tied to what they regard as an elitist , closed event . yet , with billions of dollars already spent and the tournament about to start , they are realistic about what opposition can now achieve . still , mattar hopes the anger felt by many brazilians will reach the watching world and provide lessons for future hosts of big sporting events , including the next two world cup host countries . we hope our legacy will be to show to people in russia , qatar and maybe in other places that these events and the way they are organized ( make it ) impossible they will bring any benefits , ' mattar said . | brazilian officials say world cup has boosted infrastructure projects and created jobs |
u.s . <tsp> ( cnn ) -- japan and the united states have co-signed an agreement to remove and dispose of hundreds of kilograms of highly enriched uranium ( heu ) and separated plutonium from the asian nation . the fissile material will be transported from the fast critical assembly ( fca ) at the japan atomic energy agency ( jaea ) in japan to a secure facility ' in the united states , according to a statement released by the white house , and fully converted into less sensitive forms . ' this pledge complements the significant role that both japan and the united states are playing in finding new ways to continue improving global nuclear security ... japan has demonstrated its leadership by resolving to remove all special nuclear material from the fca . our two countries encourage others to consider what they can do to further heu and plutonium minimization . ' obama 's long-term goal the u.s. has a longstanding goal of reducing -- and safeguarding -- the world 's stockpile of fissile material , in an effort to reduce access by terrorist groups , criminals and unauthorized actors . ' the deal comes at a time when the u.s. hopes to persuade iran to halt their enrichment program , and tensions on the korean peninsula are hightened by north korea 's nuclear weapons program . japanese prime minister shinzo abe and u.s. president barack obama announced the deal this week at the 2014 nuclear security summit in the hague . it allows for over 700 lb ( 315 kg ) of weapons-grade nuclear material to be transported and downblended ' into safer material in the united states . the fuel , which was purchased from the u.s. in the 1960s , has been used by the jaea for research purposes . the agreed-upon amount which will head to the united states is a fraction of japan 's overall plutonium holdings . japan shows leadership ' ' this is the biggest commitment to remove fissile materials in the history of the summit process that president obama launched , ' elizabeth sherwood-randall of the national security council told the new york times . it is a demonstration of japan 's shared leadership on nonproliferation . ' previously in favor of refinement of fuel for use it its own domestic nuclear power grid , the agreement comes at a time when many japanese nuclear power facilities have been mothballed , following the 2011 reactor meltdown in fukushima . the accident , which occurred when a powerful tsunami damaged the facility , was the worst nuclear disaster since chernobyl in 1986 . beijing has previously criticized tokyo 's stockpiling of nuclear material -- suggesting that it had the capability to produce nuclear weapons relatively quickly . however , as history 's only victim of atomic warfare , japan 's post-war constitution forbids the pursuance of nuclear weapons , with public opinion also overwhelmingly against the policy . japanese senior nationals security adviser yosuke isozaki told the japan times that japan shares a vision of a world without nuclear weapons . ' the u.s. hopes to convince more nations to use reprocessing and enrichment facilities in existing nuclear states in an effort to minimize proliferation risks . | japan-u.s. agreement will see hundreds of pounds of japanese nuclear material processed in u.s . |
japan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- japan and the united states have co-signed an agreement to remove and dispose of hundreds of kilograms of highly enriched uranium ( heu ) and separated plutonium from the asian nation . the fissile material will be transported from the fast critical assembly ( fca ) at the japan atomic energy agency ( jaea ) in japan to a secure facility ' in the united states , according to a statement released by the white house , and fully converted into less sensitive forms . ' this pledge complements the significant role that both japan and the united states are playing in finding new ways to continue improving global nuclear security ... japan has demonstrated its leadership by resolving to remove all special nuclear material from the fca . our two countries encourage others to consider what they can do to further heu and plutonium minimization . ' obama 's long-term goal the u.s. has a longstanding goal of reducing -- and safeguarding -- the world 's stockpile of fissile material , in an effort to reduce access by terrorist groups , criminals and unauthorized actors . ' the deal comes at a time when the u.s. hopes to persuade iran to halt their enrichment program , and tensions on the korean peninsula are hightened by north korea 's nuclear weapons program . japanese prime minister shinzo abe and u.s. president barack obama announced the deal this week at the 2014 nuclear security summit in the hague . it allows for over 700 lb ( 315 kg ) of weapons-grade nuclear material to be transported and downblended ' into safer material in the united states . the fuel , which was purchased from the u.s. in the 1960s , has been used by the jaea for research purposes . the agreed-upon amount which will head to the united states is a fraction of japan 's overall plutonium holdings . japan shows leadership ' ' this is the biggest commitment to remove fissile materials in the history of the summit process that president obama launched , ' elizabeth sherwood-randall of the national security council told the new york times . it is a demonstration of japan 's shared leadership on nonproliferation . ' previously in favor of refinement of fuel for use it its own domestic nuclear power grid , the agreement comes at a time when many japanese nuclear power facilities have been mothballed , following the 2011 reactor meltdown in fukushima . the accident , which occurred when a powerful tsunami damaged the facility , was the worst nuclear disaster since chernobyl in 1986 . beijing has previously criticized tokyo 's stockpiling of nuclear material -- suggesting that it had the capability to produce nuclear weapons relatively quickly . however , as history 's only victim of atomic warfare , japan 's post-war constitution forbids the pursuance of nuclear weapons , with public opinion also overwhelmingly against the policy . japanese senior nationals security adviser yosuke isozaki told the japan times that japan shares a vision of a world without nuclear weapons . ' the u.s. hopes to convince more nations to use reprocessing and enrichment facilities in existing nuclear states in an effort to minimize proliferation risks . | pledge shows leadership ' from japan on nuclear proliferation issue |
japan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- japan and the united states have co-signed an agreement to remove and dispose of hundreds of kilograms of highly enriched uranium ( heu ) and separated plutonium from the asian nation . the fissile material will be transported from the fast critical assembly ( fca ) at the japan atomic energy agency ( jaea ) in japan to a secure facility ' in the united states , according to a statement released by the white house , and fully converted into less sensitive forms . ' this pledge complements the significant role that both japan and the united states are playing in finding new ways to continue improving global nuclear security ... japan has demonstrated its leadership by resolving to remove all special nuclear material from the fca . our two countries encourage others to consider what they can do to further heu and plutonium minimization . ' obama 's long-term goal the u.s. has a longstanding goal of reducing -- and safeguarding -- the world 's stockpile of fissile material , in an effort to reduce access by terrorist groups , criminals and unauthorized actors . ' the deal comes at a time when the u.s. hopes to persuade iran to halt their enrichment program , and tensions on the korean peninsula are hightened by north korea 's nuclear weapons program . japanese prime minister shinzo abe and u.s. president barack obama announced the deal this week at the 2014 nuclear security summit in the hague . it allows for over 700 lb ( 315 kg ) of weapons-grade nuclear material to be transported and downblended ' into safer material in the united states . the fuel , which was purchased from the u.s. in the 1960s , has been used by the jaea for research purposes . the agreed-upon amount which will head to the united states is a fraction of japan 's overall plutonium holdings . japan shows leadership ' ' this is the biggest commitment to remove fissile materials in the history of the summit process that president obama launched , ' elizabeth sherwood-randall of the national security council told the new york times . it is a demonstration of japan 's shared leadership on nonproliferation . ' previously in favor of refinement of fuel for use it its own domestic nuclear power grid , the agreement comes at a time when many japanese nuclear power facilities have been mothballed , following the 2011 reactor meltdown in fukushima . the accident , which occurred when a powerful tsunami damaged the facility , was the worst nuclear disaster since chernobyl in 1986 . beijing has previously criticized tokyo 's stockpiling of nuclear material -- suggesting that it had the capability to produce nuclear weapons relatively quickly . however , as history 's only victim of atomic warfare , japan 's post-war constitution forbids the pursuance of nuclear weapons , with public opinion also overwhelmingly against the policy . japanese senior nationals security adviser yosuke isozaki told the japan times that japan shares a vision of a world without nuclear weapons . ' the u.s. hopes to convince more nations to use reprocessing and enrichment facilities in existing nuclear states in an effort to minimize proliferation risks . | china accuses japan of stockpiling nuclear material |
borno <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the license plates on our police escorts'land cruisers read borno state , home of peace . ' many of those we meet during our stay in maiduguri , northeast nigeria , smile bitterly at the irony of that statement . the state 's capital is now better known as the birthplace of boko haram and peace here is always uncertain . down the dusty streets we drive , passing checkpoint after checkpoint manned not by soldiers but civilians , mostly armed with little more than machetes and swords . these vigilante groups , driven by a determination and motivation that the nigerian security forces largely lack , have managed to establish some semblance of security in maiduguri . their pursuit of boko haram has become relentless -- hardened as they are by losses to the terror group over the years -- and they show no mercy , not even to family . watch : hunt for boko haram focuses on lake chad ' i caught him with my hand and handed him over to the authority , ' one of the sector 's leaders , abba ajikalli , tells us unapologetically . he is speaking about his 16-year-old nephew , who he says was with boko haram . he has been executed , ' ajikalli informs us , without a hint of remorse on his face . he was like my son , i have no regret . ' what started as a home-grown movement for sharia law in northern nigeria is now a full-scale insurgency . boko haram attacks have terrorized this part of the country for years , but their kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls in chibok in april has brought them an unprecedented level of international infamy . since then the insurgents , seemingly galvanized by the attention , have stepped up the frequency and brazenness of its attacks on villages in the region . a presidential fact-finding mission is in maiduguri at the same time as our trip . each morning we receive word that they will travel to chibok ; each morning the residents and parents of the girls stolen from chibok wait ; and each afternoon everyone is disappointed by another postponement . one woman , who is part of the mission and asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation , told us that she would be quitting ' [ the parents ] need to know that the nation is with them , that people are with them , ' she said emotionally . but there are people that would n't let us even call them . they keep saying it 's security and that 's why we ca n't go , but some of us are willing to risk it . ' more than six weeks after the kidnapping , the nigerian government and its forces have done little to ease the agony of the girls'parents and those who have rallied behind the cause . last week , officials banned all protests in support of the bring back our girls ' campaign , calling them lawless , ' before reversing tack in the face of a public outcry . traveling outside of maiduguri is a risk , and our time on the ground is limited by security concerns . just twenty minutes outside the city limits we find entire villages empty after recent attacks . maiduguri may be boko haram 's birthplace , but its terror is spreading . refugees have been flowing into neighboring countries , where borders exist in name only , and each person has a harrowing tale of escape , a heartbreaking story of loss from which few will recover . the international rescue committee ( irc ) estimates that as many as 1,000 refugees a week are crossing the border into niger 's diffa region . four out of five are women and girls . the irc estimates that if the violence continues in northern nigeria , up to 100,000 refugees could be living in diffa by the end of the year . orphaned by boko haram all that 14-year-old bintou and her little sister ma'ou , 12 , have of their former life in nigeria are tattered photos of their parents . bintou curls up and buries her face , her shoulders shuddering with each silent sob . ma'ou seems to have utterly internalized her pain , and speaks in a numb monotone . they tell us they want to go back to maiduguri , but for now they ca n't . they are orphans -- their mother died of natural causes before they can remember , and their father was killed in a boko haram attack about five months ago . we find them living with their aunt on a small plot in diffa , niger , uncertain about a future they are now forced to navigate alone . she [ bintou ] ca n't understand how this could have happened , ' the irc 's mohammed watakane , explains . she is a victim going through a psychological trauma , she needs protection . ' there are no refugee camps in diffa , and nigerians fleeing across the border have been absorbed into the local populations . the world food program is helping to ease the burden on host families by providing aid to the refugees , but it only has a quarter of the money it needs for its niger programs , according to the country 's wfp director . on the outskirts of town , the village of guessere 's population has doubled . its new residents all come from a nigerian village located 3 kilometers from the border . many fled a boko haram attack in the middle of the night and spent the night hiding in the bush before crossing the river into niger . haidjia fandaou tells us how she came across her brother 's lifeless body in the middle of her escape . he had been dragged out of a mosque , executed with his prayer beads still in his hand . the only thing i could think in that moment was'survive ,'' fandaou often tells us . her walk to niger took just thirty minutes . here , the border is more an idea than a reality . a shallow river along the edge of guessere marks the line between relative safety and terror . but fear continues to haunt people who cross it . few dare to even utter the words boko haram , ' as if merely calling the group by name will bring the same violence and terror across the border as well . local government officials in niger refuse to speak about security , and brusquely warn us not to ask about it and to stick to our pre-planned program . u.s. and nigerian security sources tell us boko haram tends to use niger as more of a logistics hub or to escape military operations in nigeria . there have been concerns that fighters are hiding themselves among the refugees , and recruiting among niger 's disgruntled unemployed youth -- a concern shared by nigeria 's other neighbors as boko haram morphs into a transnational terrorist organization . the journey to lake chad we leave diffa in the morning , along tracks barely visible in the sand . we travel in a convoy through the remote , unforgiving landscape . pickup trucks stacked high with cargo pass us in the opposite direction , laboring over the dunes . our driver tells us they 're carrying dried fish from lake chad . sources tell us the lake is an area of interest in the search for the missing nigerian schoolgirls . bordered by niger , nigeria , cameroon , and chad , islands now cover half of the once-massive lake as its waters continue to recede . it is an ideal hideout for boko haram . in march , along the area of the lake just south of where we are headed , nigerian forces raided a boko haram camp , capturing weapons , ammunition and explosives . but for the most part , these are lawless waters . we leave the port of kirikiri , but not before hearing more stories of another town dealing with the influx of refugees . it seems no one and no place here is lucky enough to escape the effects of boko haram 's brutal campaign . we charter a fishing boat and head out on the water . we travel as far as we 're told we can safely go , then land on one of the islands closest to niger . all we can see is dense vegetation along the shoreline . inland , we find a small fishing village . the village leader , boulama noma , tells us he and many others here lived on one of the islands closer to nigeria . one day , boko haram arrived on what was essentially a shopping trip -- but before they left with all of the produce and food , noma says they torched all of the homes and killed so many villagers that he says he lost count . this is just one of the many horrifying tales about boko haram that we hear during our time in niger . it makes us think of all the stories we have n't heard from the countless victims of the last few years when the group has operated with impunity . before we came to lake chad , we 'd met two informants in nigeria who live among boko haram members and know the terrorist organization 's tactics better than most . we ask them what the group has planned for the kidnapped schoolgirls . they will use them to negotiate with the government about those of their members that have been detained by the government , ' one tells us . or they will use them as human shields . ' as we sail through the waters back to the mainland , it becomes clear just how challenging a search and rescue operation will be . the terrain here is as harsh as boko haram 's tactics are unforgiving . watch : hunt for boko haram focuses on lake chad cnn 's nural choudhury and inez torre contributed to this report . the interactive map at the top of this story may not work on all mobile devices . | group abducted nearly 300 schoolgirls in borno in april ; officials are still searching for them |
borno <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the license plates on our police escorts'land cruisers read borno state , home of peace . ' many of those we meet during our stay in maiduguri , northeast nigeria , smile bitterly at the irony of that statement . the state 's capital is now better known as the birthplace of boko haram and peace here is always uncertain . down the dusty streets we drive , passing checkpoint after checkpoint manned not by soldiers but civilians , mostly armed with little more than machetes and swords . these vigilante groups , driven by a determination and motivation that the nigerian security forces largely lack , have managed to establish some semblance of security in maiduguri . their pursuit of boko haram has become relentless -- hardened as they are by losses to the terror group over the years -- and they show no mercy , not even to family . watch : hunt for boko haram focuses on lake chad ' i caught him with my hand and handed him over to the authority , ' one of the sector 's leaders , abba ajikalli , tells us unapologetically . he is speaking about his 16-year-old nephew , who he says was with boko haram . he has been executed , ' ajikalli informs us , without a hint of remorse on his face . he was like my son , i have no regret . ' what started as a home-grown movement for sharia law in northern nigeria is now a full-scale insurgency . boko haram attacks have terrorized this part of the country for years , but their kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls in chibok in april has brought them an unprecedented level of international infamy . since then the insurgents , seemingly galvanized by the attention , have stepped up the frequency and brazenness of its attacks on villages in the region . a presidential fact-finding mission is in maiduguri at the same time as our trip . each morning we receive word that they will travel to chibok ; each morning the residents and parents of the girls stolen from chibok wait ; and each afternoon everyone is disappointed by another postponement . one woman , who is part of the mission and asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation , told us that she would be quitting ' [ the parents ] need to know that the nation is with them , that people are with them , ' she said emotionally . but there are people that would n't let us even call them . they keep saying it 's security and that 's why we ca n't go , but some of us are willing to risk it . ' more than six weeks after the kidnapping , the nigerian government and its forces have done little to ease the agony of the girls'parents and those who have rallied behind the cause . last week , officials banned all protests in support of the bring back our girls ' campaign , calling them lawless , ' before reversing tack in the face of a public outcry . traveling outside of maiduguri is a risk , and our time on the ground is limited by security concerns . just twenty minutes outside the city limits we find entire villages empty after recent attacks . maiduguri may be boko haram 's birthplace , but its terror is spreading . refugees have been flowing into neighboring countries , where borders exist in name only , and each person has a harrowing tale of escape , a heartbreaking story of loss from which few will recover . the international rescue committee ( irc ) estimates that as many as 1,000 refugees a week are crossing the border into niger 's diffa region . four out of five are women and girls . the irc estimates that if the violence continues in northern nigeria , up to 100,000 refugees could be living in diffa by the end of the year . orphaned by boko haram all that 14-year-old bintou and her little sister ma'ou , 12 , have of their former life in nigeria are tattered photos of their parents . bintou curls up and buries her face , her shoulders shuddering with each silent sob . ma'ou seems to have utterly internalized her pain , and speaks in a numb monotone . they tell us they want to go back to maiduguri , but for now they ca n't . they are orphans -- their mother died of natural causes before they can remember , and their father was killed in a boko haram attack about five months ago . we find them living with their aunt on a small plot in diffa , niger , uncertain about a future they are now forced to navigate alone . she [ bintou ] ca n't understand how this could have happened , ' the irc 's mohammed watakane , explains . she is a victim going through a psychological trauma , she needs protection . ' there are no refugee camps in diffa , and nigerians fleeing across the border have been absorbed into the local populations . the world food program is helping to ease the burden on host families by providing aid to the refugees , but it only has a quarter of the money it needs for its niger programs , according to the country 's wfp director . on the outskirts of town , the village of guessere 's population has doubled . its new residents all come from a nigerian village located 3 kilometers from the border . many fled a boko haram attack in the middle of the night and spent the night hiding in the bush before crossing the river into niger . haidjia fandaou tells us how she came across her brother 's lifeless body in the middle of her escape . he had been dragged out of a mosque , executed with his prayer beads still in his hand . the only thing i could think in that moment was'survive ,'' fandaou often tells us . her walk to niger took just thirty minutes . here , the border is more an idea than a reality . a shallow river along the edge of guessere marks the line between relative safety and terror . but fear continues to haunt people who cross it . few dare to even utter the words boko haram , ' as if merely calling the group by name will bring the same violence and terror across the border as well . local government officials in niger refuse to speak about security , and brusquely warn us not to ask about it and to stick to our pre-planned program . u.s. and nigerian security sources tell us boko haram tends to use niger as more of a logistics hub or to escape military operations in nigeria . there have been concerns that fighters are hiding themselves among the refugees , and recruiting among niger 's disgruntled unemployed youth -- a concern shared by nigeria 's other neighbors as boko haram morphs into a transnational terrorist organization . the journey to lake chad we leave diffa in the morning , along tracks barely visible in the sand . we travel in a convoy through the remote , unforgiving landscape . pickup trucks stacked high with cargo pass us in the opposite direction , laboring over the dunes . our driver tells us they 're carrying dried fish from lake chad . sources tell us the lake is an area of interest in the search for the missing nigerian schoolgirls . bordered by niger , nigeria , cameroon , and chad , islands now cover half of the once-massive lake as its waters continue to recede . it is an ideal hideout for boko haram . in march , along the area of the lake just south of where we are headed , nigerian forces raided a boko haram camp , capturing weapons , ammunition and explosives . but for the most part , these are lawless waters . we leave the port of kirikiri , but not before hearing more stories of another town dealing with the influx of refugees . it seems no one and no place here is lucky enough to escape the effects of boko haram 's brutal campaign . we charter a fishing boat and head out on the water . we travel as far as we 're told we can safely go , then land on one of the islands closest to niger . all we can see is dense vegetation along the shoreline . inland , we find a small fishing village . the village leader , boulama noma , tells us he and many others here lived on one of the islands closer to nigeria . one day , boko haram arrived on what was essentially a shopping trip -- but before they left with all of the produce and food , noma says they torched all of the homes and killed so many villagers that he says he lost count . this is just one of the many horrifying tales about boko haram that we hear during our time in niger . it makes us think of all the stories we have n't heard from the countless victims of the last few years when the group has operated with impunity . before we came to lake chad , we 'd met two informants in nigeria who live among boko haram members and know the terrorist organization 's tactics better than most . we ask them what the group has planned for the kidnapped schoolgirls . they will use them to negotiate with the government about those of their members that have been detained by the government , ' one tells us . or they will use them as human shields . ' as we sail through the waters back to the mainland , it becomes clear just how challenging a search and rescue operation will be . the terrain here is as harsh as boko haram 's tactics are unforgiving . watch : hunt for boko haram focuses on lake chad cnn 's nural choudhury and inez torre contributed to this report . the interactive map at the top of this story may not work on all mobile devices . | islamist militant group has terrorized nigeria 's northeastern borno state in recent years |
upper midwest <tsp> ( cnn ) -- blame canada , and especially typhoon neoguri : next week is n't going to feel very much like summer in parts of the united states . lows in the 40s will bring out the blankets in parts of the upper midwest as temperatures dip 10 to 20 degrees below normal . other regions also will be a little cooler , if not as drastically . why ? neoguri , the storm that hit japan this week , made the jet stream wavier than usual , and starting monday , the stream will dip into the midwest , allowing cool canadian air to drop south , cnn meteorologist indra petersons said . a sampling : • marquette , michigan , could see a low of 45 on tuesday morning , and it might reach only 58 on monday and 57 on tuesday -- a departure from july averages in the mid-70s . • minneapolis , which is used to july highs in the mid-80s , might get up to 65 on monday , 70 on tuesday and 75 on wednesday . • chicago could see highs of 78 on monday , 67 on tuesday and 72 on wednesday . highs in the mid-80s are average . outside the midwest , the weather wo n't be particularly cool , but it wo n't be scorching , either : • washington will be baking on monday ( 93 ) but might get up to only 81 on wednesday . • new york city could see highs of 81 on tuesday and 78 on wednesday . • charlotte , north carolina , which is used to july highs in the upper 80s , should be in the low 80s wednesday . | parts of the upper midwest will see lows in the 40s next week |
taiwanese <tsp> ( cnn ) -- family members of malaysia airlines flight 370 passengers and crew heard the news they feared most monday : all lives are lost . ' for many , who have waited and hoped for more than two weeks for signs of life from their loved ones , the grief was too much to bear . they have told us all lives are lost , ' a relative told a cnn producer at beijing 's lido hotel , where family members were called to meet with airline representatives . just before the relatives were briefed in a conference room , four emergency medical workers entered , dressed in bright orange uniforms . a bed on wheels also was pushed inside . after some time , family members emerged , sobbing loudly . a few pushed and shoved one another . some people were wheeled out on the bed . one group smashed a photojournalist 's camera lens . a relative rushed out of the room , screaming , you announce this information today . ... is it really confirmed ? what 's your proof ? we 've been waiting for 17 days . you simply tell us this ! where is the proof ? it 's wrong to announce the information like this ! ' a chinese grandmother staggered out of the conference room , screaming , the communist party has to help me ! my son , my daughter-in-law and granddaughter were all on board ! all three family members are gone . i am desperate ! ' she sobbed and fell to her knees . malaysia airlines told cnn it sent a text message to family members before briefing those in person in beijing and kuala lumpur and speaking to others by phone . it texted this to relatives of passengers : malaysia airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond a reasonable doubt that mh370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived . as you will hear in the next hour from malaysia 's prime minister , we must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the southern indian ocean . ' at a news conference in kuala lumpur , malaysian prime minister najib razak told reporters that flight 370 went down somewhere in the southern indian ocean , far from any possible landing site . the airline is working on an arrangement to fly families to australia once wreckage is found .'anguished relatives' cnn 's sara sidner , who has been in kuala lumpur over the past few days , has spent time with family members . these families have been through absolute hell , ' she reported on air shortly before the prime minister 's news conference began . family members have tended to move in groups , sidner said , clinging to one another for support . counselors are with them . upon hearing the latest news , sidner said , some relatives said they felt they had answers . but since their nightmare began , many family members have felt they 'd been left out , ' she said . since they learned the plane was missing , they have wept and begged authorities for answers , and some have appeared enraged by the seeming lack of progress . we 're all human , and we all hurt . we all struggle through things . so i 'm not the first one to go through something like this , and i 'm certainly not going to be the last one , ' the brother of american passenger philip wood told cnn 's anderson cooper 360 . ' i do n't like being trite when i say my faith is getting me through this . it sounds kind of cliche to say it . it 's a hope that we have that this is not the end of all things , ' james wood said . philip wood 's girlfriend has been writing her boyfriend on her personal facebook page , notes that are tender and anguished . sarah bajc has written to wood that she misses him and wishes he would hurry up and come back to her . a facebook page called finding philip wood has become a repository for kind notes to bajc and messages from others who have followed the flight mystery . after the news conference monday , a message was posted on the site , though it 's unclear who composed it : our collective hearts are hurting now . please lift all the loved ones of mh370 with your good thoughts and prayers . thank you for your continued support and for being our inspiration . ' bajc wrote in an e-mail to reporters after monday 's development that she still has no closure because there 's still no confirmed wreckage . ' she wrote : i need closure to be certain but can not keep on with the public efforts against all odds . i still feel his presence , so perhaps it was his soul all along . ... it looks like the first phase of our mission has ended . now philip 's family and i will need some time for private grief . ' bimal sharma 's sister was also aboard the flight , and like bajc , he stressed that no debris has been found . he told cnn 's the lead with jake tapper ' that he wants to see something from the seas . ' only thing i hope -- they do n't give up the search , ' he said . there are too many unanswered questions from this flight : why was it diverted ? why did it fly low ? ' criticism of investigation hours after razak 's news conference monday , a committee representing some of families of the 154 chinese and taiwanese passengers aboard malaysia airlines flight 370 criticized the malaysian government in a statement , accusing authorities of deliberate search delays and cover-ups , china 's state-run cctv reported . if our 154 relatives aboard lost their lives due to such reasons , then malaysia airlines , the malaysian government and the malaysian military are the real murderers that killed them , ' the statement said . many have been critical of malaysian authorities and malaysia airlines regarding the investigation . the airline has defended its actions , explaining that it takes time to verify satellite signals and analyze those signals'significance before releasing information . last week , three women who are relatives of the passengers staged a protest at the kuala lumpur hotel where the media were staying . their efforts were cut short by security guards who removed them through a crush of reporters , dragging one as she screamed . one woman cried : my son ... i just want my son back . ' she and the other family members said they were n't satisfied with the malaysian government 's inaction . ' what we need is to know the truth , to know where the plane is , ' she shouted . we have had enough . malaysian government are liars . ' another woman shouted , i do n't care what your government does . i just want my son back ! ' cnn 's yuli yang , pauline chiou and mariano castillo contributed to this report . | group representing chinese , taiwanese passengers criticize malaysian government |
america <tsp> a former aide to then-presidential candidate john edwards testified tuesday he helped cover up edwards'affair with a campaign videographer . the scheme , according to andrew young , included him claiming he was the father of rielle hunter 's child to protect edwards . young is the star government witness against edwards , who is accused of using hundreds of thousands of dollars from 101-year-old heiress rachel bunny ' mellon and another donor to conceal his affair with hunter . the candidate asked him to allow hunter to move in with his family in north carolina after newspapers began looking into a possible affair in the campaign , young testified . the woman lived with the family three months and expected others to dote on her , young said . she could go shopping at neiman marcus , but she could n't go to grocery store , ' said young . more serious was young 's description of how money was allegedly funneled beginning in late 2007 . young , the first witness in the trial , said mellon was an enthusiastic supporter who apologized for not being able to give the campaign more than $ 1 million . mellon made personal checks out to her interior decorator , who would write checks that would end up in the account of young and his wife , the witness told jurors . hunter eventually moved to a gated community and the money was used to pay $ 2,700 monthly rent and purchases of furniture , television and a bmw , young said . hunter also was given a credit card bearing a different name . prosecutors say edwards broke federal law by accepting about $ 725,000 from mellon and more than $ 200,000 from fred baron , a now-deceased texas lawyer who was his finance chairman . the money was used to pay for hunter 's living and medical expenses , travel and accommodations to keep her out of sight while he made his second white house run in 2008 , prosecutors say . edwards is accused of concealing the money from the public and the federal election commission , which polices political contributions , by filing false and misleading campaign disclosure reports . young is testifying for the prosecution under a cooperation agreement with the hope that he wo n't be prosecuted . young , who has not undergone cross-examination , also testified that edwards made a disparaging comment about his mistress after she called to say she was pregnant . she was crying , she was distraught , and she needed to speak with mr. edwards immediately , ' andrew young told jurors about his conversation in 2007 with hunter . i said ,'somebody better be pregnant or dying . she said ,'nobody 's dying ,' young recounted . he said he told edwards about hunter 's pregnancy . young quoted edwards as replying that , 'she 's a crazy slut'and there 's a 1-in-3 chance it was his child . ' reporters located a pregnant hunter at a cary , north carolina , grocery story in december 2007 and two men came to his house , young said . they knew about affair between ms. hunter and mr. edwards and they wanted to ask me about it , ' said young . the cover-up , according to young , began the next day when he got a call from edwards . edwards proposed that the campaign 's account of an affair would be between two staffers -- hunter and young , the latter testified . eventually , all parties agreed to the plan , with edwards thanking his aide . we had been lying a great deal , but also what he was saying rang true , we believed in the causes , ' young said . i wanted my friend to be president . being friends with the most powerful person on earth , there 's benefits for you , your family . ' edwards admitted his affair with hunter in 2008 , after his presidential ambitions foundered . in 2010 , he admitted that he was the father of hunter 's daughter . this affair was a gamble with exceedingly high stakes , ' prosecutor david harbach told jurors during monday 's opening statements . if the affair went public , it would have destroyed any chance to become president , and he knew it . two of his most enthusiastic supporters happened to be wealthy , and he knew that , too . he made a choice to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars . he made a choice to break the law . ' young also testified tuesday that hunter was upset because edwards would n't return her calls . if i do n't talk to him immediately , this is over . i 'm tired of living a lie . i 'm going to go public , ' hunter said , according to young . edwards indicated that hunter needed to be kept on an allowance , said young . $ 5,000 a month was the typical amount , but there were a couple of times where we gave $ 12,000 a month , ' said young . according to young , edwards tried to distance himself from the mellon money of which he was aware while he was interested in becoming u.s. attorney general in a new democratic administration . he said he could n't know about any of this in case he had to be sworn in for attorney general , ' young said . young is the author of the politician : an insider 's account of john edwards 's pursuit of the presidency and the scandal that brought him down , ' in which he accuses edwards of using money from his benefactors to maintain his relationship with hunter . the defense argues that the money edwards received from mellon and baron was for personal reasons : to protect edwards'wife , elizabeth , who was dying of cancer , and his family from public humiliation . edwards has said his actions were wrong but insisted that they were not illegal . this was a fall from grace , ' defense attorney allison van laningham told jurors . it was that humiliation he was trying to avoid all along . ' edwards could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of all six felony and misdemeanor counts against him . seven of the 16 jurors , four of whom are alternates , are women . edwards'lawyers wasted no time attacking young 's credibility , starting with their opening statements monday . van laningham alleged that young consulted with three other witnesses about testimony after the witness list was released three weeks ago and portrayed him as a greedy staffer who has said edwards is his ticket to the top . van laningham also pointed out that young had his own affair , a one-night stand with a campaign employee . experts say the government faces an uphill battle to convict edwards in a legal field riddled with loopholes . the former senator refused a plea bargain to misdemeanor charges that would have given him a few months in prison but would have allowed him to keep his law license . his wife , elizabeth , died of cancer in december 2010 . the pair had separated after edwards acknowledged the paternity of hunter 's child , but edwards was at her bedside when she died . jurors also heard voice mails of calls between edwards and young . in one excerpt , the candidate tells young he should tell his wife about the situation . and a january 2008 call by edwards made a reference to hunter , according to young : ' just wanted for all of you , including her , to know that i 'm thinking about you . ' | a donor said she thought edwards would be savior of america , ' young testifies |
young <tsp> a former aide to then-presidential candidate john edwards testified tuesday he helped cover up edwards'affair with a campaign videographer . the scheme , according to andrew young , included him claiming he was the father of rielle hunter 's child to protect edwards . young is the star government witness against edwards , who is accused of using hundreds of thousands of dollars from 101-year-old heiress rachel bunny ' mellon and another donor to conceal his affair with hunter . the candidate asked him to allow hunter to move in with his family in north carolina after newspapers began looking into a possible affair in the campaign , young testified . the woman lived with the family three months and expected others to dote on her , young said . she could go shopping at neiman marcus , but she could n't go to grocery store , ' said young . more serious was young 's description of how money was allegedly funneled beginning in late 2007 . young , the first witness in the trial , said mellon was an enthusiastic supporter who apologized for not being able to give the campaign more than $ 1 million . mellon made personal checks out to her interior decorator , who would write checks that would end up in the account of young and his wife , the witness told jurors . hunter eventually moved to a gated community and the money was used to pay $ 2,700 monthly rent and purchases of furniture , television and a bmw , young said . hunter also was given a credit card bearing a different name . prosecutors say edwards broke federal law by accepting about $ 725,000 from mellon and more than $ 200,000 from fred baron , a now-deceased texas lawyer who was his finance chairman . the money was used to pay for hunter 's living and medical expenses , travel and accommodations to keep her out of sight while he made his second white house run in 2008 , prosecutors say . edwards is accused of concealing the money from the public and the federal election commission , which polices political contributions , by filing false and misleading campaign disclosure reports . young is testifying for the prosecution under a cooperation agreement with the hope that he wo n't be prosecuted . young , who has not undergone cross-examination , also testified that edwards made a disparaging comment about his mistress after she called to say she was pregnant . she was crying , she was distraught , and she needed to speak with mr. edwards immediately , ' andrew young told jurors about his conversation in 2007 with hunter . i said ,'somebody better be pregnant or dying . she said ,'nobody 's dying ,' young recounted . he said he told edwards about hunter 's pregnancy . young quoted edwards as replying that , 'she 's a crazy slut'and there 's a 1-in-3 chance it was his child . ' reporters located a pregnant hunter at a cary , north carolina , grocery story in december 2007 and two men came to his house , young said . they knew about affair between ms. hunter and mr. edwards and they wanted to ask me about it , ' said young . the cover-up , according to young , began the next day when he got a call from edwards . edwards proposed that the campaign 's account of an affair would be between two staffers -- hunter and young , the latter testified . eventually , all parties agreed to the plan , with edwards thanking his aide . we had been lying a great deal , but also what he was saying rang true , we believed in the causes , ' young said . i wanted my friend to be president . being friends with the most powerful person on earth , there 's benefits for you , your family . ' edwards admitted his affair with hunter in 2008 , after his presidential ambitions foundered . in 2010 , he admitted that he was the father of hunter 's daughter . this affair was a gamble with exceedingly high stakes , ' prosecutor david harbach told jurors during monday 's opening statements . if the affair went public , it would have destroyed any chance to become president , and he knew it . two of his most enthusiastic supporters happened to be wealthy , and he knew that , too . he made a choice to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars . he made a choice to break the law . ' young also testified tuesday that hunter was upset because edwards would n't return her calls . if i do n't talk to him immediately , this is over . i 'm tired of living a lie . i 'm going to go public , ' hunter said , according to young . edwards indicated that hunter needed to be kept on an allowance , said young . $ 5,000 a month was the typical amount , but there were a couple of times where we gave $ 12,000 a month , ' said young . according to young , edwards tried to distance himself from the mellon money of which he was aware while he was interested in becoming u.s. attorney general in a new democratic administration . he said he could n't know about any of this in case he had to be sworn in for attorney general , ' young said . young is the author of the politician : an insider 's account of john edwards 's pursuit of the presidency and the scandal that brought him down , ' in which he accuses edwards of using money from his benefactors to maintain his relationship with hunter . the defense argues that the money edwards received from mellon and baron was for personal reasons : to protect edwards'wife , elizabeth , who was dying of cancer , and his family from public humiliation . edwards has said his actions were wrong but insisted that they were not illegal . this was a fall from grace , ' defense attorney allison van laningham told jurors . it was that humiliation he was trying to avoid all along . ' edwards could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of all six felony and misdemeanor counts against him . seven of the 16 jurors , four of whom are alternates , are women . edwards'lawyers wasted no time attacking young 's credibility , starting with their opening statements monday . van laningham alleged that young consulted with three other witnesses about testimony after the witness list was released three weeks ago and portrayed him as a greedy staffer who has said edwards is his ticket to the top . van laningham also pointed out that young had his own affair , a one-night stand with a campaign employee . experts say the government faces an uphill battle to convict edwards in a legal field riddled with loopholes . the former senator refused a plea bargain to misdemeanor charges that would have given him a few months in prison but would have allowed him to keep his law license . his wife , elizabeth , died of cancer in december 2010 . the pair had separated after edwards acknowledged the paternity of hunter 's child , but edwards was at her bedside when she died . jurors also heard voice mails of calls between edwards and young . in one excerpt , the candidate tells young he should tell his wife about the situation . and a january 2008 call by edwards made a reference to hunter , according to young : ' just wanted for all of you , including her , to know that i 'm thinking about you . ' | ex-aide andrew young testifies he helped cover up john edwards'affair |
young <tsp> a former aide to then-presidential candidate john edwards testified tuesday he helped cover up edwards'affair with a campaign videographer . the scheme , according to andrew young , included him claiming he was the father of rielle hunter 's child to protect edwards . young is the star government witness against edwards , who is accused of using hundreds of thousands of dollars from 101-year-old heiress rachel bunny ' mellon and another donor to conceal his affair with hunter . the candidate asked him to allow hunter to move in with his family in north carolina after newspapers began looking into a possible affair in the campaign , young testified . the woman lived with the family three months and expected others to dote on her , young said . she could go shopping at neiman marcus , but she could n't go to grocery store , ' said young . more serious was young 's description of how money was allegedly funneled beginning in late 2007 . young , the first witness in the trial , said mellon was an enthusiastic supporter who apologized for not being able to give the campaign more than $ 1 million . mellon made personal checks out to her interior decorator , who would write checks that would end up in the account of young and his wife , the witness told jurors . hunter eventually moved to a gated community and the money was used to pay $ 2,700 monthly rent and purchases of furniture , television and a bmw , young said . hunter also was given a credit card bearing a different name . prosecutors say edwards broke federal law by accepting about $ 725,000 from mellon and more than $ 200,000 from fred baron , a now-deceased texas lawyer who was his finance chairman . the money was used to pay for hunter 's living and medical expenses , travel and accommodations to keep her out of sight while he made his second white house run in 2008 , prosecutors say . edwards is accused of concealing the money from the public and the federal election commission , which polices political contributions , by filing false and misleading campaign disclosure reports . young is testifying for the prosecution under a cooperation agreement with the hope that he wo n't be prosecuted . young , who has not undergone cross-examination , also testified that edwards made a disparaging comment about his mistress after she called to say she was pregnant . she was crying , she was distraught , and she needed to speak with mr. edwards immediately , ' andrew young told jurors about his conversation in 2007 with hunter . i said ,'somebody better be pregnant or dying . she said ,'nobody 's dying ,' young recounted . he said he told edwards about hunter 's pregnancy . young quoted edwards as replying that , 'she 's a crazy slut'and there 's a 1-in-3 chance it was his child . ' reporters located a pregnant hunter at a cary , north carolina , grocery story in december 2007 and two men came to his house , young said . they knew about affair between ms. hunter and mr. edwards and they wanted to ask me about it , ' said young . the cover-up , according to young , began the next day when he got a call from edwards . edwards proposed that the campaign 's account of an affair would be between two staffers -- hunter and young , the latter testified . eventually , all parties agreed to the plan , with edwards thanking his aide . we had been lying a great deal , but also what he was saying rang true , we believed in the causes , ' young said . i wanted my friend to be president . being friends with the most powerful person on earth , there 's benefits for you , your family . ' edwards admitted his affair with hunter in 2008 , after his presidential ambitions foundered . in 2010 , he admitted that he was the father of hunter 's daughter . this affair was a gamble with exceedingly high stakes , ' prosecutor david harbach told jurors during monday 's opening statements . if the affair went public , it would have destroyed any chance to become president , and he knew it . two of his most enthusiastic supporters happened to be wealthy , and he knew that , too . he made a choice to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars . he made a choice to break the law . ' young also testified tuesday that hunter was upset because edwards would n't return her calls . if i do n't talk to him immediately , this is over . i 'm tired of living a lie . i 'm going to go public , ' hunter said , according to young . edwards indicated that hunter needed to be kept on an allowance , said young . $ 5,000 a month was the typical amount , but there were a couple of times where we gave $ 12,000 a month , ' said young . according to young , edwards tried to distance himself from the mellon money of which he was aware while he was interested in becoming u.s. attorney general in a new democratic administration . he said he could n't know about any of this in case he had to be sworn in for attorney general , ' young said . young is the author of the politician : an insider 's account of john edwards 's pursuit of the presidency and the scandal that brought him down , ' in which he accuses edwards of using money from his benefactors to maintain his relationship with hunter . the defense argues that the money edwards received from mellon and baron was for personal reasons : to protect edwards'wife , elizabeth , who was dying of cancer , and his family from public humiliation . edwards has said his actions were wrong but insisted that they were not illegal . this was a fall from grace , ' defense attorney allison van laningham told jurors . it was that humiliation he was trying to avoid all along . ' edwards could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of all six felony and misdemeanor counts against him . seven of the 16 jurors , four of whom are alternates , are women . edwards'lawyers wasted no time attacking young 's credibility , starting with their opening statements monday . van laningham alleged that young consulted with three other witnesses about testimony after the witness list was released three weeks ago and portrayed him as a greedy staffer who has said edwards is his ticket to the top . van laningham also pointed out that young had his own affair , a one-night stand with a campaign employee . experts say the government faces an uphill battle to convict edwards in a legal field riddled with loopholes . the former senator refused a plea bargain to misdemeanor charges that would have given him a few months in prison but would have allowed him to keep his law license . his wife , elizabeth , died of cancer in december 2010 . the pair had separated after edwards acknowledged the paternity of hunter 's child , but edwards was at her bedside when she died . jurors also heard voice mails of calls between edwards and young . in one excerpt , the candidate tells young he should tell his wife about the situation . and a january 2008 call by edwards made a reference to hunter , according to young : ' just wanted for all of you , including her , to know that i 'm thinking about you . ' | a donor said she thought edwards would be savior of america , ' young testifies |
young <tsp> a former aide to then-presidential candidate john edwards testified tuesday he helped cover up edwards'affair with a campaign videographer . the scheme , according to andrew young , included him claiming he was the father of rielle hunter 's child to protect edwards . young is the star government witness against edwards , who is accused of using hundreds of thousands of dollars from 101-year-old heiress rachel bunny ' mellon and another donor to conceal his affair with hunter . the candidate asked him to allow hunter to move in with his family in north carolina after newspapers began looking into a possible affair in the campaign , young testified . the woman lived with the family three months and expected others to dote on her , young said . she could go shopping at neiman marcus , but she could n't go to grocery store , ' said young . more serious was young 's description of how money was allegedly funneled beginning in late 2007 . young , the first witness in the trial , said mellon was an enthusiastic supporter who apologized for not being able to give the campaign more than $ 1 million . mellon made personal checks out to her interior decorator , who would write checks that would end up in the account of young and his wife , the witness told jurors . hunter eventually moved to a gated community and the money was used to pay $ 2,700 monthly rent and purchases of furniture , television and a bmw , young said . hunter also was given a credit card bearing a different name . prosecutors say edwards broke federal law by accepting about $ 725,000 from mellon and more than $ 200,000 from fred baron , a now-deceased texas lawyer who was his finance chairman . the money was used to pay for hunter 's living and medical expenses , travel and accommodations to keep her out of sight while he made his second white house run in 2008 , prosecutors say . edwards is accused of concealing the money from the public and the federal election commission , which polices political contributions , by filing false and misleading campaign disclosure reports . young is testifying for the prosecution under a cooperation agreement with the hope that he wo n't be prosecuted . young , who has not undergone cross-examination , also testified that edwards made a disparaging comment about his mistress after she called to say she was pregnant . she was crying , she was distraught , and she needed to speak with mr. edwards immediately , ' andrew young told jurors about his conversation in 2007 with hunter . i said ,'somebody better be pregnant or dying . she said ,'nobody 's dying ,' young recounted . he said he told edwards about hunter 's pregnancy . young quoted edwards as replying that , 'she 's a crazy slut'and there 's a 1-in-3 chance it was his child . ' reporters located a pregnant hunter at a cary , north carolina , grocery story in december 2007 and two men came to his house , young said . they knew about affair between ms. hunter and mr. edwards and they wanted to ask me about it , ' said young . the cover-up , according to young , began the next day when he got a call from edwards . edwards proposed that the campaign 's account of an affair would be between two staffers -- hunter and young , the latter testified . eventually , all parties agreed to the plan , with edwards thanking his aide . we had been lying a great deal , but also what he was saying rang true , we believed in the causes , ' young said . i wanted my friend to be president . being friends with the most powerful person on earth , there 's benefits for you , your family . ' edwards admitted his affair with hunter in 2008 , after his presidential ambitions foundered . in 2010 , he admitted that he was the father of hunter 's daughter . this affair was a gamble with exceedingly high stakes , ' prosecutor david harbach told jurors during monday 's opening statements . if the affair went public , it would have destroyed any chance to become president , and he knew it . two of his most enthusiastic supporters happened to be wealthy , and he knew that , too . he made a choice to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars . he made a choice to break the law . ' young also testified tuesday that hunter was upset because edwards would n't return her calls . if i do n't talk to him immediately , this is over . i 'm tired of living a lie . i 'm going to go public , ' hunter said , according to young . edwards indicated that hunter needed to be kept on an allowance , said young . $ 5,000 a month was the typical amount , but there were a couple of times where we gave $ 12,000 a month , ' said young . according to young , edwards tried to distance himself from the mellon money of which he was aware while he was interested in becoming u.s. attorney general in a new democratic administration . he said he could n't know about any of this in case he had to be sworn in for attorney general , ' young said . young is the author of the politician : an insider 's account of john edwards 's pursuit of the presidency and the scandal that brought him down , ' in which he accuses edwards of using money from his benefactors to maintain his relationship with hunter . the defense argues that the money edwards received from mellon and baron was for personal reasons : to protect edwards'wife , elizabeth , who was dying of cancer , and his family from public humiliation . edwards has said his actions were wrong but insisted that they were not illegal . this was a fall from grace , ' defense attorney allison van laningham told jurors . it was that humiliation he was trying to avoid all along . ' edwards could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of all six felony and misdemeanor counts against him . seven of the 16 jurors , four of whom are alternates , are women . edwards'lawyers wasted no time attacking young 's credibility , starting with their opening statements monday . van laningham alleged that young consulted with three other witnesses about testimony after the witness list was released three weeks ago and portrayed him as a greedy staffer who has said edwards is his ticket to the top . van laningham also pointed out that young had his own affair , a one-night stand with a campaign employee . experts say the government faces an uphill battle to convict edwards in a legal field riddled with loopholes . the former senator refused a plea bargain to misdemeanor charges that would have given him a few months in prison but would have allowed him to keep his law license . his wife , elizabeth , died of cancer in december 2010 . the pair had separated after edwards acknowledged the paternity of hunter 's child , but edwards was at her bedside when she died . jurors also heard voice mails of calls between edwards and young . in one excerpt , the candidate tells young he should tell his wife about the situation . and a january 2008 call by edwards made a reference to hunter , according to young : ' just wanted for all of you , including her , to know that i 'm thinking about you . ' | young tells about edwards'response to the new his mistress was pregnant |
kevin-prince boateng <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there ca n't be many people whose image has sat side by side on a front page with colonel gaddafi , the now expired former dictator of libya . but sepp blatter , the president of soccer 's governing body fifa , is one of the few to hold this dubious honor . it was june 2011 , and the sun -- a british tabloid newspaper owned by rupert murdoch and known for its cheeky , salacious front pages -- ran one of its most memorable headlines . despot the difference , ' it screamed above a picture of blatter and gaddafi . two deluded dictators continued to cling on to power yesterday as their corrupt regimes crumbled around them . ' the ire directed at gaddafi was obvious . but blatter ? soccer 's administrator in chief had become one of the most hated men in britain . blog : time for football to tackle racism epidemic ? a series of corruption scandals within fifa , his botched re-election campaign -- where his only opponent was barred from standing after another corruption scandal -- and the failure of england 's bid to host the 2018 world cup to attract any interest in fifa 's corridors of power ( despite having the best technical report ) led to an outpouring of incredulity . blatter was deemed arrogant and elusive . he became public enemy number two , after gaddafi . just over 18 months on and blatter has fared slightly better than gaddafi . but only just . this weekend he was vilified again for refusing to back the principle of ac milan walking off the pitch when one of the italian club 's black players was racially abused by fans . it was seized as another example of blatter 's buffoonery and came after comments he made in a 2011 interview with cnn when he seemed to suggest there was no problem with racism in soccer , at least on the pitch . but is this foolishness , myopia or inelegance ? i would say the latter of the three . his comments on the ac milan incident were broadly correct . whilst kevin prince boateng should be applauded for his rosa parks ' moment , enshrining it in law would be highly problematic . as james lawton in the british newspaper the independent wrote this week in a piece criticizing uefa for its weakness on tackling racism : boateng has issued a significant threat , not just of uncomplicated outrage by black players , but situations which would create incentives for all kinds of connivance in the abandonment of vital matches in which one side had taken what looked like an impregnable advantage . ' that soccer 's governing bodies contributed to the situation by handing out paltry fines for previous transgressions is true too . sure , fifa is not without its problems , but the sound bites tend to obscure a much wider , more important truth : blatter 's largely positive influence on the game , especially in the developing world . whilst he is parodied as an out of touch buffoon haphazardly directing affairs from fifa 's death star ' in zurich , he has arguably done more in the modern era to spread the game globally than anyone else . this year i interviewed blatter twice . on both occasions he talked about soccer being more than just a game . that it was also an agent of social change . his first act when elected president in 1998 was to fly into the gaza strip and welcome palestine to the soccer family . it allowed the palestinians to organize their own league , push for movement restrictions in the west bank to be lifted , to build their own national football stadium , start a women 's professional league and , in 2011 , host their very first world cup qualifier against afghanistan . sure , the afghan government were not happy , but the team traveled and played in the west bank , the first time a team from afghanistan had done so . it was defacto recognition of both sides of this seemingly intractable conflict . fifa became one of a tiny handful of international organizations to recognize the existence of palestine , a full four years before a u.n. vote almost , but not quite , got to the same point . the palestinians have cleverly used soccer as a way of both flying their flag and as a dry run for building and maintaining important civic institutions . blatter should take credit for kickstarting that movement . the wider point here is that blatter 's tenure as fifa president has been internationalist in tooth and claw . under his watch the world cup was hosted in asia for the first time in 2002 . it is a region that , in 50 years'time , will undoubtedly be the new power center of the world game . blatter championed africa 's first ever world cup , in south africa in 2010 , a remarkable vote of confidence in a country barely two decades out of apartheid . and , most controversially , russia and then the middle east will host their first world cups in 2018 and 2022 respectively . no one should have been surprised by either move . both regions are booming and have a deep love of the game . fifa under blatter has been aggressively expansionist and hosting a world cup in england or even the u.s. would have added little new . soccer is , now more than ever , a global game and deserves to be shared across the world . europe may now be the most successful region both in terms of money and success on the pitch but the balance of power is shifting , to south america , asia , the middle east and the new europe . blatter recognized that shift and helped to drive it . given that context it would be absurd to now think that the 76-year-old was someone unconcerned with the issues of racism . now there are a new set of pressing challenges . the rise in racism needs to be tackled with financial penalties so stiff that clubs would have no choice but to take the issue seriously . greater transparency within fifa 's decision making and finances need to be addressed . the corruption watchdog transparency international cut its ties with fifa in 2011 when two of its recommendations -- that the investigator charged with overseeing fifa would be compromised if he was paid by fifa and that he should be allowed to investigate old corruption scandals -- were dropped . the stain of corruption emanating from countries with poor records in transparency and openness is another issue . why not publish the salaries and expenses of fifa 's leading members to combat that ? but , when his tenure is up , the same question will be asked . will blatter leave the game in a better place than he found it ? the game has been spread further and deeper than ever before . there is much that still needs reforming in fifa . but in africa , asia and the middle east he 'll be rightly feted for seriously taking the game to the world , no matter what the headline writers think . | fifa president 's comments came after kevin-prince boateng walked off pitch in protest |
mesa <tsp> mesa , arizona ( cnn ) -- it 's been 26 days since the candidates left the stage at the last cnn debate in jacksonville , florida , and the growling hunger pangs of the media have grown louder even as the candidates grow weary . there have been 19 republican presidential debates so far , and while some may have debate fatigue -- including a few candidates -- the forums have nevertheless proved to be illuminating experiences . they have garnered sky-high tv ratings and have become event ' television . they have helped to define several candidates while others fall from grace in front of the live cameras . but for many voters , it has been the debates -- especially those that have preceded a primary or caucuses -- that have become the deciding factor when they choose who they want as the gop nominee . they have provided a window into each would-be nominee , and offered insights into how they act under pressure . according to exit polls , many voters make up their minds after watching a debate . what has made the debates the fuel to feed the media 's insatiable yearning for political fare ? the storylines that have emerged have made the events essential viewing for political junkies and casual observers alike . remember a fiery newt gingrich pushing back on marriage accusations , a tough mitt romney hitting rick santorum hard on social issues , a passionate ron paul pressing the obama administration on foreign wars . michele bachmann and the hpv vaccine . and then there was herman cain and 9-9-9 ... the debates return wednesday night in mesa , arizona , as cnn partners with the republican party of arizona to bring america the final debate before super tuesday , and what may be the final debate of the season . ahead of wednesday 's showdown , here 's a recap of the last six major cnn debates , and what they could mean for this week 's episode : manchester , new hampshire , june 13 biggest storyline : before rick perry had even entered the race , seven gop candidates debated in the first offering to feature all major candidates . rep. michele bachmann established herself as a major player , while former gov . tim pawlenty gave a subdued performance , refusing to attack mitt romney . key moments : using the term'obamneycare'was a reflection of the president 's comments that he designed obamacare on the massachusetts health care plan . ' -- pawlenty . i filed today my paperwork to seek the office of the presidency of the united states today . ' -- bachmann . post-debate fallout : bachmann 's strong performance started a surge that culminated with the iowa straw poll victory . pawlenty 's weak showing started his spiral downward , ending with him dropping out of the race and endorsing romney . tampa , florida , september 12 biggest storyline : in a debate co-sponsored by elements of the tea party movement , perry may have been the front-runner coming in , but he was hammered by bachmann and rick santorum over the human papillomavirus ( hpv ) vaccine . key moments : to have innocent little 12-year-old girls to be forced to have government injections through an executive order is just flat-out wrong . ' -- bachmann post-debate fallout : perry 's standing as the front-runner took an immediate and dramatic hit , with romney taking over . perry fell from 41 % before the debate to 14 % , with romney moving from 28 % to 51 % . las vegas , october 18 biggest storyline : herman cain 's sudden surge to the front of the pack was set in stone as he hammered home the 9-9-9 plan . his rivals attacked . key moment : the reason that our plan is being attacked so much is because lobbyists , accountants , politicians -- they do n't want to throw out the current tax code and put in something that 's simple and fair . ' -- cain . post-debate fallout : cain 's surge came to an end , as far more scrutiny came to the 9-9-9 plan directly after the debate ( as well as other , personal , issues ) . also , the sparring between romney and rick santorum was a sign of things to come between the two . washington , november 22 biggest storyline : a debate that focused on foreign policy saw newt gingrich open himself up to a potential problem over amnesty , while his rivals pounced . meanwhile , rep. ron paul established himself as the man on an island when it came to some major gop issues . key moment : i am prepared to take the heat for saying let 's be humane in enforcing the law without giving them citizenship , but finding a way to give them legality so as not to separate them from their families . ' -- gingrich . ( he did . ) post-debate fallout : gingrich 's surge continued , but rivals focused on this perceived weakness going forward . meanwhile , cain established a new nickname : blitz . ' charleston , south carolina , january 19 biggest storyline : what may be one of the most memorable debate moments of the cycle occurred right off the top , with gingrich attacking the media over claims made by his ex-wife . santorum also took an opportunity to take on gingrich over his grandiose ' ideas . key moments : i am tired of the elite media protecting barack obama by attacking republicans . ' -- gingrich . grandiosity has never been a problem with newt gingrich . ' -- santorum . post-debate fallout : a standing ovation from the crowd signaled the wave of support that was to come for gingrich , as he easily won the south carolina primary and forever changed the race , largely thanks to this single debate . jacksonville , florida , january 26 biggest storyline : romney went on the attack , battling gingrich at every twist and turn . santorum knocked gingrich again for a particular grandiose idea , about space . key moments : my father was born in mexico . my wife 's father was born in wales . they came to this country . the idea that i 'm anti-immigrant is repulsive . do n't use a term like that . ' -- romney ' those are things that sound good and maybe make big promises to people , but we 've got to be responsible in the way we allocate our resources . ' -- santorum post-debate fallout : gingrich slipped , and romney won florida . but the steady santorum performances in these debates opened the door for the former senator to take the role of the non-romney . he has ridden the wave to huge success and currently sits atop the national polls . -- - and now we head to arizona , a crucial state to the gop in 2012 ( and currently going through its own political sex scandal ) . wolf blitzer tweeted this week : just boarded flight to phoenix & someone said :'thanks for all the good entertainment over the years .'entertainment ? ' the debates have been substantive , politically relevant and issue-based . but they have been , maybe more so than other cycles , entertaining as well . on wednesday , you do n't want to miss the season finale . | the seventh cnn debate is at 8 p.m. wednesday in mesa , arizona |
martin richard <tsp> ( cnn ) -- they were standing near the finish line , cheering the runners in the boston marathon . it was a beautiful , cool day when two bombs unleashed chaos and killed three people . friends of those killed say they are devastated by the senseless deaths . here is some of what we know about each of the victims : krystle campbell , 29 , arlington , massachusetts ' she was the best , ' campbell 's distraught mother , patty , told reporters on tuesday . you could n't ask for a better daughter . ' the family is heartbroken and still in shock , patty campbell said as she tried to read a statement on the family 's porch . everyone loved krystle , she said . she had a heart of gold . she was always smiling , ' patty campbell said as her son , billy , clutched her with his right arm . krystle 's grandmother said the 29-year-old was a special kind of person who nurtured deep friendships . oh , she was a beautiful girl , ' lillian campbell told cnn 's jake tapper . she was very happy , outgoing , a hard worker . ' lillian campbell said her granddaughter even lived with her for a year and a half and was great with me . ' her granddaughter was always willing to help someone in need , she said . and she was , she was just beautiful . she was a fun-loving girl , ' campbell said . krystle campbell once worked at summer shack , a seafood restaurant in the boston area that posted a statement on its facebook page saying she was beloved . she was an incredible woman , always full of energy and hard at work , but never too tired to share her love and a smile with everyone , ' the post said . she was an inspiration to all of us . please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers . ' according to the boston globe , campbell had taken a job with jimmy 's steer house in arlington . the globe reported that campbell often went to the see the marathon runners . she 's been doing it since she was a little girl , ' lillian campbell told the newspaper . she did n't miss a marathon , watching it at the finish line . ' campbell was a 2001 graduate of medford high school , the town 's mayor , michael mcglynn , said . cnn affiliate whdh reported that the campbells are longtime residents of medford . martin richard , 8 , dorchester , massachusetts like many young boys in new england , martin richard loved his boston red sox and the bruins . he wore his ( red sox second baseman ) dustin pedroia shirt to school last week , ' neighbor bill forry told cnn 's anderson cooper . martin was a terrific athlete , too , forry said , but he was also a very good student who would help others who were having trouble with homework . a quiet kid , but a compassionate kid -- and somebody who was a leader , ' forry said . martin attended the neighborhood house charter school . he was a bright , energetic young boy who had big dreams and high hopes for his future , ' the school said in a statement . we are heartbroken by this loss . ' his father , william richard , released a statement asking people to continue to pray for my family as we remember martin . ' a neighbor , jane sherman , said that the richard family is a typical all-american family ' and that martin and his little brother always loved to play in their yard , no matter the weather . richard 's mother and sister are recovering from serious injuries sustained in the bombing , the father said . another life ended : a boston university grad student while the name of the third victim killed by the blasts was not officially confirmed on tuesday , boston university said that the person was a graduate student at the school . the student was one of three friends who watched the race near the finish line , ' the university said on its website . another of the three students , also a bu grad student , was injured and is in stable condition at boston medical center . ' the third person in the group was unharmed , the statement added . a short time later , china 's consulate in new york announced that the deceased victim was a chinese national . at the family 's request , the consulate did not name her . according to a profile on linkedin , the woman was a graduate student in mathematics and statistics at boston university who was due to get her master 's degree in 2014 . she graduated from a chinese university with a degree in international economics , the professional networking site indicated . she 'd also previously studied for a semester at the university of california at riverside . chinese students at boston university respected her family 's request for anonymity , with many of them forming a tight-knit group . one of them , former cnn intern alex shi , said that the students are deeply saddened . many of the students feel affected because people were trying hard to locate those reported missing -- including the victim -- by calling hospitals and posting on social media . | another was 8-year-old martin richard , who was known as bright and energetic |
krystle campbell <tsp> ( cnn ) -- they were standing near the finish line , cheering the runners in the boston marathon . it was a beautiful , cool day when two bombs unleashed chaos and killed three people . friends of those killed say they are devastated by the senseless deaths . here is some of what we know about each of the victims : krystle campbell , 29 , arlington , massachusetts ' she was the best , ' campbell 's distraught mother , patty , told reporters on tuesday . you could n't ask for a better daughter . ' the family is heartbroken and still in shock , patty campbell said as she tried to read a statement on the family 's porch . everyone loved krystle , she said . she had a heart of gold . she was always smiling , ' patty campbell said as her son , billy , clutched her with his right arm . krystle 's grandmother said the 29-year-old was a special kind of person who nurtured deep friendships . oh , she was a beautiful girl , ' lillian campbell told cnn 's jake tapper . she was very happy , outgoing , a hard worker . ' lillian campbell said her granddaughter even lived with her for a year and a half and was great with me . ' her granddaughter was always willing to help someone in need , she said . and she was , she was just beautiful . she was a fun-loving girl , ' campbell said . krystle campbell once worked at summer shack , a seafood restaurant in the boston area that posted a statement on its facebook page saying she was beloved . she was an incredible woman , always full of energy and hard at work , but never too tired to share her love and a smile with everyone , ' the post said . she was an inspiration to all of us . please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers . ' according to the boston globe , campbell had taken a job with jimmy 's steer house in arlington . the globe reported that campbell often went to the see the marathon runners . she 's been doing it since she was a little girl , ' lillian campbell told the newspaper . she did n't miss a marathon , watching it at the finish line . ' campbell was a 2001 graduate of medford high school , the town 's mayor , michael mcglynn , said . cnn affiliate whdh reported that the campbells are longtime residents of medford . martin richard , 8 , dorchester , massachusetts like many young boys in new england , martin richard loved his boston red sox and the bruins . he wore his ( red sox second baseman ) dustin pedroia shirt to school last week , ' neighbor bill forry told cnn 's anderson cooper . martin was a terrific athlete , too , forry said , but he was also a very good student who would help others who were having trouble with homework . a quiet kid , but a compassionate kid -- and somebody who was a leader , ' forry said . martin attended the neighborhood house charter school . he was a bright , energetic young boy who had big dreams and high hopes for his future , ' the school said in a statement . we are heartbroken by this loss . ' his father , william richard , released a statement asking people to continue to pray for my family as we remember martin . ' a neighbor , jane sherman , said that the richard family is a typical all-american family ' and that martin and his little brother always loved to play in their yard , no matter the weather . richard 's mother and sister are recovering from serious injuries sustained in the bombing , the father said . another life ended : a boston university grad student while the name of the third victim killed by the blasts was not officially confirmed on tuesday , boston university said that the person was a graduate student at the school . the student was one of three friends who watched the race near the finish line , ' the university said on its website . another of the three students , also a bu grad student , was injured and is in stable condition at boston medical center . ' the third person in the group was unharmed , the statement added . a short time later , china 's consulate in new york announced that the deceased victim was a chinese national . at the family 's request , the consulate did not name her . according to a profile on linkedin , the woman was a graduate student in mathematics and statistics at boston university who was due to get her master 's degree in 2014 . she graduated from a chinese university with a degree in international economics , the professional networking site indicated . she 'd also previously studied for a semester at the university of california at riverside . chinese students at boston university respected her family 's request for anonymity , with many of them forming a tight-knit group . one of them , former cnn intern alex shi , said that the students are deeply saddened . many of the students feel affected because people were trying hard to locate those reported missing -- including the victim -- by calling hospitals and posting on social media . | one of the victims was krystle campbell , 29 , who went to the race every year |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- they were standing near the finish line , cheering the runners in the boston marathon . it was a beautiful , cool day when two bombs unleashed chaos and killed three people . friends of those killed say they are devastated by the senseless deaths . here is some of what we know about each of the victims : krystle campbell , 29 , arlington , massachusetts ' she was the best , ' campbell 's distraught mother , patty , told reporters on tuesday . you could n't ask for a better daughter . ' the family is heartbroken and still in shock , patty campbell said as she tried to read a statement on the family 's porch . everyone loved krystle , she said . she had a heart of gold . she was always smiling , ' patty campbell said as her son , billy , clutched her with his right arm . krystle 's grandmother said the 29-year-old was a special kind of person who nurtured deep friendships . oh , she was a beautiful girl , ' lillian campbell told cnn 's jake tapper . she was very happy , outgoing , a hard worker . ' lillian campbell said her granddaughter even lived with her for a year and a half and was great with me . ' her granddaughter was always willing to help someone in need , she said . and she was , she was just beautiful . she was a fun-loving girl , ' campbell said . krystle campbell once worked at summer shack , a seafood restaurant in the boston area that posted a statement on its facebook page saying she was beloved . she was an incredible woman , always full of energy and hard at work , but never too tired to share her love and a smile with everyone , ' the post said . she was an inspiration to all of us . please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers . ' according to the boston globe , campbell had taken a job with jimmy 's steer house in arlington . the globe reported that campbell often went to the see the marathon runners . she 's been doing it since she was a little girl , ' lillian campbell told the newspaper . she did n't miss a marathon , watching it at the finish line . ' campbell was a 2001 graduate of medford high school , the town 's mayor , michael mcglynn , said . cnn affiliate whdh reported that the campbells are longtime residents of medford . martin richard , 8 , dorchester , massachusetts like many young boys in new england , martin richard loved his boston red sox and the bruins . he wore his ( red sox second baseman ) dustin pedroia shirt to school last week , ' neighbor bill forry told cnn 's anderson cooper . martin was a terrific athlete , too , forry said , but he was also a very good student who would help others who were having trouble with homework . a quiet kid , but a compassionate kid -- and somebody who was a leader , ' forry said . martin attended the neighborhood house charter school . he was a bright , energetic young boy who had big dreams and high hopes for his future , ' the school said in a statement . we are heartbroken by this loss . ' his father , william richard , released a statement asking people to continue to pray for my family as we remember martin . ' a neighbor , jane sherman , said that the richard family is a typical all-american family ' and that martin and his little brother always loved to play in their yard , no matter the weather . richard 's mother and sister are recovering from serious injuries sustained in the bombing , the father said . another life ended : a boston university grad student while the name of the third victim killed by the blasts was not officially confirmed on tuesday , boston university said that the person was a graduate student at the school . the student was one of three friends who watched the race near the finish line , ' the university said on its website . another of the three students , also a bu grad student , was injured and is in stable condition at boston medical center . ' the third person in the group was unharmed , the statement added . a short time later , china 's consulate in new york announced that the deceased victim was a chinese national . at the family 's request , the consulate did not name her . according to a profile on linkedin , the woman was a graduate student in mathematics and statistics at boston university who was due to get her master 's degree in 2014 . she graduated from a chinese university with a degree in international economics , the professional networking site indicated . she 'd also previously studied for a semester at the university of california at riverside . chinese students at boston university respected her family 's request for anonymity , with many of them forming a tight-knit group . one of them , former cnn intern alex shi , said that the students are deeply saddened . many of the students feel affected because people were trying hard to locate those reported missing -- including the victim -- by calling hospitals and posting on social media . | one victim was a chinese national , china 's consulate in new york says |
liverpool <tsp> ( cnn ) -- chelsea extended their lead in the english title race with a 2-0 win over london neighbors arsenal at stamford bridge on sunday while the misery continues for 18-time champions liverpool . goals in either half from didier drogba and alex leave chelsea four points clear of big-spending manchester city . they beat newcastle 2-1 in an earlier kickoff while liverpool went down 2-1 at home to newly-promoted minnows blackpool . charlie adam 's penalty and a fine goal from luke varney put ian holloway 's men two up by halftime . sotirios kyrgiakos pulled a goal back in the second half but roy hodgson 's strugglers could not force an equalizer and they stay in the bottom three . the match was preceded by a protest against the team 's american owners george gillett and tom hicks and by the finish the fans were even more disillusioned . to add to their misery , star striker fernando torres limped off after just 10 minutes with a groin injury and it was the signal for blackpool to claim three points with an attacking approach which stunned the hosts . varney was clumsily upended by england international glen johnson to concede a penalty and adam easily beat pepe reina from the spot . and as half-time approached , varney finished off a superb move to beat reina . kyrgiakos scored with a strong header from a steven gerrard free kick to give liverpool hope and joe cole came close to an equalizer , but the final whistle was greeted by jeers for hodgson and his team . their great result is our nightmare result , ' he acknowledged . it is a very bad day and there is nothing i can say . at the moment things look bleak and really bad and it is difficult for me to put a bright face upon it , ' he told gathered reporters . later , chelsea maintained their recent dominance of arsenal with a vital victory , drogba putting them ahead just before the break after the the visitors had the better of the early play . he backheeled ashley cole 's low cross into the net for his 13th goal against arsene wenger 's side in 11 starts . defender alex sealed the three points with a powerful 25 meter free-kick in the 85th minute to hand the gunners their second straight league defeat . they are tied on points with north london rivals tottenham in fourth and fifth positions , seven points behind chelsea with seven games played . manchester city are up to second after their victory over a spirited newcastle . they took the lead through a carlos tevez penalty after mike williamson pulled down the argentina international . newcastle lost hatem ben arfa to a suspected broken leg after a nigel de jong challenge , but drew level through a sharp shot from jonas gutierrez . substitute adam johnson scored the winner for city in the second half with an equally fine strike . manchester united are in third place in the early standings , five points behind chelsea , after their 0-0 draw at sunderland on saturday . in other news on sunday , former england manager sven-goran eriksson was confirmed as new manager of struggling second-flight side leicester city . the swede has signed a two-year deal at the walkers stadium . | chelsea beat liverpool 2-0 to extend lead in english title race to four points |
liverpool <tsp> ( cnn ) -- chelsea extended their lead in the english title race with a 2-0 win over london neighbors arsenal at stamford bridge on sunday while the misery continues for 18-time champions liverpool . goals in either half from didier drogba and alex leave chelsea four points clear of big-spending manchester city . they beat newcastle 2-1 in an earlier kickoff while liverpool went down 2-1 at home to newly-promoted minnows blackpool . charlie adam 's penalty and a fine goal from luke varney put ian holloway 's men two up by halftime . sotirios kyrgiakos pulled a goal back in the second half but roy hodgson 's strugglers could not force an equalizer and they stay in the bottom three . the match was preceded by a protest against the team 's american owners george gillett and tom hicks and by the finish the fans were even more disillusioned . to add to their misery , star striker fernando torres limped off after just 10 minutes with a groin injury and it was the signal for blackpool to claim three points with an attacking approach which stunned the hosts . varney was clumsily upended by england international glen johnson to concede a penalty and adam easily beat pepe reina from the spot . and as half-time approached , varney finished off a superb move to beat reina . kyrgiakos scored with a strong header from a steven gerrard free kick to give liverpool hope and joe cole came close to an equalizer , but the final whistle was greeted by jeers for hodgson and his team . their great result is our nightmare result , ' he acknowledged . it is a very bad day and there is nothing i can say . at the moment things look bleak and really bad and it is difficult for me to put a bright face upon it , ' he told gathered reporters . later , chelsea maintained their recent dominance of arsenal with a vital victory , drogba putting them ahead just before the break after the the visitors had the better of the early play . he backheeled ashley cole 's low cross into the net for his 13th goal against arsene wenger 's side in 11 starts . defender alex sealed the three points with a powerful 25 meter free-kick in the 85th minute to hand the gunners their second straight league defeat . they are tied on points with north london rivals tottenham in fourth and fifth positions , seven points behind chelsea with seven games played . manchester city are up to second after their victory over a spirited newcastle . they took the lead through a carlos tevez penalty after mike williamson pulled down the argentina international . newcastle lost hatem ben arfa to a suspected broken leg after a nigel de jong challenge , but drew level through a sharp shot from jonas gutierrez . substitute adam johnson scored the winner for city in the second half with an equally fine strike . manchester united are in third place in the early standings , five points behind chelsea , after their 0-0 draw at sunderland on saturday . in other news on sunday , former england manager sven-goran eriksson was confirmed as new manager of struggling second-flight side leicester city . the swede has signed a two-year deal at the walkers stadium . | liverpool slump to shock 2-1 home defeat to blackpool |
manchester city <tsp> ( cnn ) -- chelsea extended their lead in the english title race with a 2-0 win over london neighbors arsenal at stamford bridge on sunday while the misery continues for 18-time champions liverpool . goals in either half from didier drogba and alex leave chelsea four points clear of big-spending manchester city . they beat newcastle 2-1 in an earlier kickoff while liverpool went down 2-1 at home to newly-promoted minnows blackpool . charlie adam 's penalty and a fine goal from luke varney put ian holloway 's men two up by halftime . sotirios kyrgiakos pulled a goal back in the second half but roy hodgson 's strugglers could not force an equalizer and they stay in the bottom three . the match was preceded by a protest against the team 's american owners george gillett and tom hicks and by the finish the fans were even more disillusioned . to add to their misery , star striker fernando torres limped off after just 10 minutes with a groin injury and it was the signal for blackpool to claim three points with an attacking approach which stunned the hosts . varney was clumsily upended by england international glen johnson to concede a penalty and adam easily beat pepe reina from the spot . and as half-time approached , varney finished off a superb move to beat reina . kyrgiakos scored with a strong header from a steven gerrard free kick to give liverpool hope and joe cole came close to an equalizer , but the final whistle was greeted by jeers for hodgson and his team . their great result is our nightmare result , ' he acknowledged . it is a very bad day and there is nothing i can say . at the moment things look bleak and really bad and it is difficult for me to put a bright face upon it , ' he told gathered reporters . later , chelsea maintained their recent dominance of arsenal with a vital victory , drogba putting them ahead just before the break after the the visitors had the better of the early play . he backheeled ashley cole 's low cross into the net for his 13th goal against arsene wenger 's side in 11 starts . defender alex sealed the three points with a powerful 25 meter free-kick in the 85th minute to hand the gunners their second straight league defeat . they are tied on points with north london rivals tottenham in fourth and fifth positions , seven points behind chelsea with seven games played . manchester city are up to second after their victory over a spirited newcastle . they took the lead through a carlos tevez penalty after mike williamson pulled down the argentina international . newcastle lost hatem ben arfa to a suspected broken leg after a nigel de jong challenge , but drew level through a sharp shot from jonas gutierrez . substitute adam johnson scored the winner for city in the second half with an equally fine strike . manchester united are in third place in the early standings , five points behind chelsea , after their 0-0 draw at sunderland on saturday . in other news on sunday , former england manager sven-goran eriksson was confirmed as new manager of struggling second-flight side leicester city . the swede has signed a two-year deal at the walkers stadium . | manchester city beat newcastle 2-1 at eastlands to move up to second |
ted stevens <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- sen. ted stevens repeatedly asked for invoices to cover home renovations and otherwise complied with senate rules on accepting and reporting gifts of value , his defense attorney said in closing arguments tuesday . sen. ted stevens leaves the federal courthouse tuesday evening with his daughter beth stevens . stevens , 84 , has been fighting a seven-count indictment accusing him of filing false statements on mandatory financial disclosure forms . the jury is scheduled to begin deliberating wednesday . in closing arguments , prosecutors said stevens engaged in an elaborate scheme to accept thousands of dollars in gifts from alaskan oil industry executive bill allen , who has admitted he tried to bribe state legislators , including the senator 's son . stevens is not accused of bribery , but one prosecutor suggested he accepted gifts , concealed them from the public , and took care of bill ' -- referring to allen , the founder of oil services contractor veco corp . the trial has revolved around a construction project at the stevens family chalet in girdwood , alaska , about 40 miles from anchorage at the foot of a ski resort . allen , starting in 2000 , helped organize labor , materials and subcontractors that doubled the size of the home . in his closing arguments , defense attorney brendan sullivan said the government failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt , and that the jury should acquit stevens on all counts . he noted allen had testified that stevens would have paid whatever bills were sent , but that he decided not to tell stevens the full cost because i like ted . ' allen also testified an alaskan neighbor overseeing the home renovation said stevens was just trying to cover his ass ' in requesting invoices for the project . prosecutors have said none of the evidence shows stevens ever paid allen or veco , and that neither is named on the disclosure forms . the neighbor , bob persons , testified during the trial that he never made that remark . on tuesday , the defense highlighted the contradiction against the testimony of the prosecution 's star witness , making it a theme throughout a series of correspondence in which stevens continued to ask for a full accounting . if you 're covering your ass , ' sullivan told the jury , why , a month later , are you asking for the bill again ? ' prosecutors played a recorded phone call between persons and allen . ted gets hysterical when he has to spend his own money , ' bob persons told a mutual friend in the recording , which was played for jurors by joe bottini , the assistant u.s. attorney for alaska . stevens , who spends most of his time in washington , gave persons power of attorney so he could get the required building permit to work on the chalet stevens has owned since 1983 . persons also confided to allen that he did n't believe stevens had enough money to do the remodeling . later tuesday , the government made its final case . wow ! ' shouted prosecutor brenda morris as she stood to address the jury , were we at the same trial ? because the evidence i saw was totally different . ' she urged the jury to find the senator guilty on all counts , saying the evidence shows ted stevens knowingly and repeatedly violated the law because he thought he was above the law . ' the judge will remind the jury that allen 's testimony against stevens is part of a deal with prosecutors that could reduce his jail time when sentenced for attempted bribery . morris , the lead prosecutor in the stevens case , tried to bolster allen 's standing as the jury prepared to deliberate . the only thing he 's guilty of with regard to this defendant is standing up and telling the truth ' about materials and labor he arranged on the home improvement project , morris said of allen . it was the defendant who is responsible for reporting it . ' if convicted on all counts , stevens would face a maximum sentence of 35 years . legal experts note the judge has the discretion to give stevens as little as no jail time and probation . former federal prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers have told cnn that if convicted on some or all of the counts , the senator probably would face between a year to more than two years in jail . | sen. ted stevens is accused of false statements on senate financial disclosures |
poland <tsp> bydgoszcz , poland ( cnn ) -- i first visited poland in 1990 , just after the end of communist rule . back then , the united states meant everything to people here : freedom , protection , opportunity , hope . i worked for the wall street journal at the time . that business card resonating with capitalism opened every door . it even persuaded a border official not to pass my camera through a soviet-era x-ray machine . twenty years later , poland has become a stable democracy . it has joined nato and the european union . true , wages remain low by western standards . and to the eye , poland still shows the scars of its communist past : half the population still lives in communist-era high-rise slabs . but things get better every year , visibly better even than during my last visit two years ago : new homes , new stores , improved roads , new stations opened on the warsaw subway . poland scored the highest growth in the whole european union in 2009 , suffering not a single quarter of negative growth during the global recession . so that 's all good news for the poles . now the thought-provoking news for americans : america 's place on the polish mental map seems to shrink every year . when poles dream of leaving the country , they think not of chicago but of london . a pole can work legally in any large eu country , and an estimated 1 million do , sending home more money than poland earns from all its u.s. trade . meanwhile , poles need a visa even to visit the united states . polish business is oriented toward germany , by far the country 's largest trading partner and investor . poland buys and sells less with the united states than it does with the czech republic . theoretically , the united states remains very important to poland 's security . through nato , the u.s. has guaranteed defending poland against russia , with nuclear weapons if necessary . but russia is behaving itself well toward poland these days . when russia did behave badly -- for example , embargoing polish meat exports in 2005 -- it was the threat of european economic retaliation that changed russian minds . the u.s. has opened new military bases in southeastern europe -- in bulgaria and romania , but none in poland . there are practically no u.s. soldiers stationed here . if anything , poles might feel that they are doing much more for the united states than the united states does for poland . polish troops fought in iraq , and fight now in afghanistan . polish support for u.s. geopolicy has twice ended in humiliation for polish governments . in 2005 , sources inside the u.s. government leaked the news that poland was permitting the cia to detain captured al qaeda terrorists in secret in polish prisons . poland was threatened with the loss of its eu voting rights and subjected to an eu investigation . then in 2009 , the new obama administration abruptly canceled a proposed u.s. missile defense system based in poland and the czech republic . these experiences would cause any future polish governments to worry that cooperation with the u.s. will horribly backfire on them . some waning of u.s. prestige in poland was inevitable . with the end of the cold war , poles naturally worry more about earning a living than protecting their security . and of course , next-door germany offers more economic benefits than faraway america . of course , too , the u.s. has banked a huge store of goodwill in poland that will take years to deplete . it was the u.s. that championed poland 's independence from moscow while anxious germans urged that the u.s. stop annoying the soviet union with talk of freedom . but although inevitable and gradual , the dwindling of american importance , not only in poland but in other liberated countries in central europe as well , is a real and large fact of life . that fact might matter less if there were other regions of the world where america 's clout was increasing . but where ? the opinion expressed in this commentary are solely those of david frum . | now , 20 years later , democratic poland part of eu , nato ; u.s. seems less central in importance |
poland <tsp> bydgoszcz , poland ( cnn ) -- i first visited poland in 1990 , just after the end of communist rule . back then , the united states meant everything to people here : freedom , protection , opportunity , hope . i worked for the wall street journal at the time . that business card resonating with capitalism opened every door . it even persuaded a border official not to pass my camera through a soviet-era x-ray machine . twenty years later , poland has become a stable democracy . it has joined nato and the european union . true , wages remain low by western standards . and to the eye , poland still shows the scars of its communist past : half the population still lives in communist-era high-rise slabs . but things get better every year , visibly better even than during my last visit two years ago : new homes , new stores , improved roads , new stations opened on the warsaw subway . poland scored the highest growth in the whole european union in 2009 , suffering not a single quarter of negative growth during the global recession . so that 's all good news for the poles . now the thought-provoking news for americans : america 's place on the polish mental map seems to shrink every year . when poles dream of leaving the country , they think not of chicago but of london . a pole can work legally in any large eu country , and an estimated 1 million do , sending home more money than poland earns from all its u.s. trade . meanwhile , poles need a visa even to visit the united states . polish business is oriented toward germany , by far the country 's largest trading partner and investor . poland buys and sells less with the united states than it does with the czech republic . theoretically , the united states remains very important to poland 's security . through nato , the u.s. has guaranteed defending poland against russia , with nuclear weapons if necessary . but russia is behaving itself well toward poland these days . when russia did behave badly -- for example , embargoing polish meat exports in 2005 -- it was the threat of european economic retaliation that changed russian minds . the u.s. has opened new military bases in southeastern europe -- in bulgaria and romania , but none in poland . there are practically no u.s. soldiers stationed here . if anything , poles might feel that they are doing much more for the united states than the united states does for poland . polish troops fought in iraq , and fight now in afghanistan . polish support for u.s. geopolicy has twice ended in humiliation for polish governments . in 2005 , sources inside the u.s. government leaked the news that poland was permitting the cia to detain captured al qaeda terrorists in secret in polish prisons . poland was threatened with the loss of its eu voting rights and subjected to an eu investigation . then in 2009 , the new obama administration abruptly canceled a proposed u.s. missile defense system based in poland and the czech republic . these experiences would cause any future polish governments to worry that cooperation with the u.s. will horribly backfire on them . some waning of u.s. prestige in poland was inevitable . with the end of the cold war , poles naturally worry more about earning a living than protecting their security . and of course , next-door germany offers more economic benefits than faraway america . of course , too , the u.s. has banked a huge store of goodwill in poland that will take years to deplete . it was the u.s. that championed poland 's independence from moscow while anxious germans urged that the u.s. stop annoying the soviet union with talk of freedom . but although inevitable and gradual , the dwindling of american importance , not only in poland but in other liberated countries in central europe as well , is a real and large fact of life . that fact might matter less if there were other regions of the world where america 's clout was increasing . but where ? the opinion expressed in this commentary are solely those of david frum . | frum : u.s. still key to security , has goodwill history with poland , but its importance dwindling |
poland <tsp> bydgoszcz , poland ( cnn ) -- i first visited poland in 1990 , just after the end of communist rule . back then , the united states meant everything to people here : freedom , protection , opportunity , hope . i worked for the wall street journal at the time . that business card resonating with capitalism opened every door . it even persuaded a border official not to pass my camera through a soviet-era x-ray machine . twenty years later , poland has become a stable democracy . it has joined nato and the european union . true , wages remain low by western standards . and to the eye , poland still shows the scars of its communist past : half the population still lives in communist-era high-rise slabs . but things get better every year , visibly better even than during my last visit two years ago : new homes , new stores , improved roads , new stations opened on the warsaw subway . poland scored the highest growth in the whole european union in 2009 , suffering not a single quarter of negative growth during the global recession . so that 's all good news for the poles . now the thought-provoking news for americans : america 's place on the polish mental map seems to shrink every year . when poles dream of leaving the country , they think not of chicago but of london . a pole can work legally in any large eu country , and an estimated 1 million do , sending home more money than poland earns from all its u.s. trade . meanwhile , poles need a visa even to visit the united states . polish business is oriented toward germany , by far the country 's largest trading partner and investor . poland buys and sells less with the united states than it does with the czech republic . theoretically , the united states remains very important to poland 's security . through nato , the u.s. has guaranteed defending poland against russia , with nuclear weapons if necessary . but russia is behaving itself well toward poland these days . when russia did behave badly -- for example , embargoing polish meat exports in 2005 -- it was the threat of european economic retaliation that changed russian minds . the u.s. has opened new military bases in southeastern europe -- in bulgaria and romania , but none in poland . there are practically no u.s. soldiers stationed here . if anything , poles might feel that they are doing much more for the united states than the united states does for poland . polish troops fought in iraq , and fight now in afghanistan . polish support for u.s. geopolicy has twice ended in humiliation for polish governments . in 2005 , sources inside the u.s. government leaked the news that poland was permitting the cia to detain captured al qaeda terrorists in secret in polish prisons . poland was threatened with the loss of its eu voting rights and subjected to an eu investigation . then in 2009 , the new obama administration abruptly canceled a proposed u.s. missile defense system based in poland and the czech republic . these experiences would cause any future polish governments to worry that cooperation with the u.s. will horribly backfire on them . some waning of u.s. prestige in poland was inevitable . with the end of the cold war , poles naturally worry more about earning a living than protecting their security . and of course , next-door germany offers more economic benefits than faraway america . of course , too , the u.s. has banked a huge store of goodwill in poland that will take years to deplete . it was the u.s. that championed poland 's independence from moscow while anxious germans urged that the u.s. stop annoying the soviet union with talk of freedom . but although inevitable and gradual , the dwindling of american importance , not only in poland but in other liberated countries in central europe as well , is a real and large fact of life . that fact might matter less if there were other regions of the world where america 's clout was increasing . but where ? the opinion expressed in this commentary are solely those of david frum . | poland has closer connections in eu , he says , have had awkward political moments with u.s . |
poland <tsp> bydgoszcz , poland ( cnn ) -- i first visited poland in 1990 , just after the end of communist rule . back then , the united states meant everything to people here : freedom , protection , opportunity , hope . i worked for the wall street journal at the time . that business card resonating with capitalism opened every door . it even persuaded a border official not to pass my camera through a soviet-era x-ray machine . twenty years later , poland has become a stable democracy . it has joined nato and the european union . true , wages remain low by western standards . and to the eye , poland still shows the scars of its communist past : half the population still lives in communist-era high-rise slabs . but things get better every year , visibly better even than during my last visit two years ago : new homes , new stores , improved roads , new stations opened on the warsaw subway . poland scored the highest growth in the whole european union in 2009 , suffering not a single quarter of negative growth during the global recession . so that 's all good news for the poles . now the thought-provoking news for americans : america 's place on the polish mental map seems to shrink every year . when poles dream of leaving the country , they think not of chicago but of london . a pole can work legally in any large eu country , and an estimated 1 million do , sending home more money than poland earns from all its u.s. trade . meanwhile , poles need a visa even to visit the united states . polish business is oriented toward germany , by far the country 's largest trading partner and investor . poland buys and sells less with the united states than it does with the czech republic . theoretically , the united states remains very important to poland 's security . through nato , the u.s. has guaranteed defending poland against russia , with nuclear weapons if necessary . but russia is behaving itself well toward poland these days . when russia did behave badly -- for example , embargoing polish meat exports in 2005 -- it was the threat of european economic retaliation that changed russian minds . the u.s. has opened new military bases in southeastern europe -- in bulgaria and romania , but none in poland . there are practically no u.s. soldiers stationed here . if anything , poles might feel that they are doing much more for the united states than the united states does for poland . polish troops fought in iraq , and fight now in afghanistan . polish support for u.s. geopolicy has twice ended in humiliation for polish governments . in 2005 , sources inside the u.s. government leaked the news that poland was permitting the cia to detain captured al qaeda terrorists in secret in polish prisons . poland was threatened with the loss of its eu voting rights and subjected to an eu investigation . then in 2009 , the new obama administration abruptly canceled a proposed u.s. missile defense system based in poland and the czech republic . these experiences would cause any future polish governments to worry that cooperation with the u.s. will horribly backfire on them . some waning of u.s. prestige in poland was inevitable . with the end of the cold war , poles naturally worry more about earning a living than protecting their security . and of course , next-door germany offers more economic benefits than faraway america . of course , too , the u.s. has banked a huge store of goodwill in poland that will take years to deplete . it was the u.s. that championed poland 's independence from moscow while anxious germans urged that the u.s. stop annoying the soviet union with talk of freedom . but although inevitable and gradual , the dwindling of american importance , not only in poland but in other liberated countries in central europe as well , is a real and large fact of life . that fact might matter less if there were other regions of the world where america 's clout was increasing . but where ? the opinion expressed in this commentary are solely those of david frum . | david frum visited post-communist poland in 1990 ; nation was eager to connect with u.s . |
petra kvitova <tsp> ( cnn ) -- unseeded russian ekaterina makarova upset five-time champion serena williams of the united states 6-2 6-3 on monday to reach the quarterfinals of the australian open . the fourth-round match was played as temperatures hit above 32 degrees celsius ( 90 degrees fahrenheit ) . makarova 's two previous grand slam appearances -- at wimbledon and the u.s. open last year -- ended with losses in the first round as she faded from a career-high 29th in the rankings -- a position she reached with last-16 appearances in melbourne and at the french open . i 'm surprised because she 's a great player and it 's really tough to play against her , ' said the 23-year-old makarova , who will next play her fourth-seeded compatriot maria sharapova . nishikori makes history for japan ' but , i do n't know , i was just feeling so good and so focused . so i played my game , and that 's it . i won against serena . that 's amazing . ' former world no . 1 williams , seeded 12th , refused to blame the ankle injury she suffered in a warm-up tournament in brisbane . i feel like i did n't play well today . i do n't feel like i ca n't get better . i feel like if i was in a situation where ,'wow , she played so great , and i played amazing , and i served 80 % , and i hit no double-faults , i did n't hit 37 unforced errors ,'that would be a totally different situation , ' the 30-year-old said . i did n't play well . i 'm not physically 100 % . so it 's just like , you know , i ca n't be so angry at myself , even though i 'm very unhappy . i know that i can play a hundred times better than i did this whole tournament . ' sharapova , the 2008 champion , secured her place in the last eight as she came from behind to beat german 14th seed sabine lisicki 2-6 6-2 6-3 in the late match . it was their first meeting since last year 's wimbledon semifinals , when sharapova also won before losing in the final . earlier monday , wimbledon champion and world no . 2 petra kvitova reached the quarterfinals after beating serbian 21st seed and former no . 1 ana ivanovic 6-2 7-6 ( 7-2 ) . the czech will next face italy 's sara errani , who beat china 's zheng jie 6-2 6-1 . on sunday , defending champion and 11th seed kim clijsters saved four match points as she overcame the opponent she beat in last year 's australian open final , li na , 4-6 7-6 6-4 . the former world no.1 was in trouble early on as she turned her ankle in the opening set and needed medical treatment before battling back to book a quarterfinal clash with top-ranked caroline wozniacki . fifth seed li took full advantage of clijsters'discomfort by taking the first set , but the belgian showed typical resilience when she leveled the match after a dramatic tie break , during which she faced match point four times . the setback clearly stunned li , who quickly found herself 5-2 down in the deciding set before staging a late rally . but the momentum was with the belgian , as she closed out the match . i ca n't believe i won , ' clijsters told the australian open 's official website . i knew before the match that it was going to be a tough match but i did n't expect this obviously ! i do n't want to quit my last time at the australian open . it [ retiring ] definitely crossed my mind at some point . but at one point you think ,'okay , i 'm just gon na go for it .'once i made that decision , i did n't think . ' wozniacki , from denmark , beat serbian 13th seed jelena jankovic 6-0 7-5 as she continues her quest to secure the first grand slam victory of her career . after wrapping up the opening set in just over half an hour , wozniacki dropped her serve twice in the second as jankovic found her feet , but she held her nerve to serve out the match . i 'm just happy to be here as the winner of the match , ' wozniacki said . i felt like i played some really good tennis out there today . she started to play really well as well . she had nothing to lose so she had to go for it . i knew she was a fighter and it was n't going to be easy. elsewhere sunday , world no . 3 victoria azarenka of belarus cruised past czech iveta benesova 6-2 6-2 to reach the last eight . she will now face polish eighth seed agnieszka radwanska , who thrashed julia gorges of germany 6-1 6-1 . cnn 's elizabeth yuan contributed to this report . | world no . 2 petra kvitova reaches last eight after beating ana ivanovic |
u.s . <tsp> paris ( cnn ) -- the french government backed off a claim that a certain type of silicone breast implant is linked to a rare form of cancer , but it will nonetheless pay for women to have them removed because of other risks . women with implants by a company called poly implant prosthese ( pip ) will not be required to get them removed , but they will be offered surgery to do so if concerned , the french health ministry said friday . the ministry says about 30,000 french women have pip implants , which are not currently approved for use in the united states . according to a news release from the british association of aesthetic plastic surgeons , pip is now defunct . it says the company used non-medical grade silicone believed by the manufacturers to be made for mattresses . ' the ministry of health turned to experts after the cancer fears arose and said that the feedback they received was that there is no increased cancer risk in women with pip implants compared to other implants . however , the ministry said in a statement , there are other established risks such as ruptures . the french government agency that evaluates the safety of medical products says 523 women have had them removed since a defect was discovered last year . more than 1,000 implants have ruptured since then , the agency says . these experts said that there is no link between cancer and ... pip implant breasts . however , since there is a lot of ruptures , ( concerns ) are growing because the nature of the implant is no good , ' said jean yves grall , the country 's director of health . franã§ois godineau , director of social security , said it would cost the state up to 60 million euros ( u.s. $ 73 million ) if they paid for the removal of the pip breast implants in france . of the 30,000 women who have the implants , 80 % underwent the surgery for esthetic reasons , and 20 % did so for reconstructive reasons , such as after breast cancer . under the state 's offer , the women with the implants will be offered to have the implants removed , but it will not pay for new implants for those who had the surgery for esthetic reasons . others would have new implants paid for . cnn 's saskya vandoorne contributed to this report . | the brand of implants was not sold in the u.s . |
unicef <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the head of the u.n. children 's fund has expressed concern over a saudi judge 's refusal for a second time to annul a marriage between an 8-year-old girl and a 47-year-old man . unicef 's ann veneman said consent can not be free if either party is too young to make an informed decision . irrespective of circumstances or the legal framework , the marriage of a child is a violation of that child 's rights , ' said ann veneman , executive director of unicef . the right to free and full consent to marriage is recognized in the universal declaration of human rights . consent can not be free and full when either party to a marriage is too young to make an informed decision . ' the most recent ruling , in which the judge upheld his original verdict , was handed down saturday in the saudi city of onaiza , where late last year the same judge rejected a petition from the girl 's mother , seeking a divorce for her daughter . have your say by clicking here a relative said the judge , sheikh habib al-habib , stuck by his earlier verdict and insisted that the girl could petition the court for a divorce once she reached puberty . ' the family member , who requested anonymity , added that the mother will continue to pursue a divorce for her daughter . the case , which has drawn criticism from local and international rights groups , came to light in december when al-habib declined to annul the marriage on a legal technicality . the judge ruled that the girl 's mother -- who is separated from her father -- was not the girl 's legal guardian and therefore could not represent her in court , abdullah al-jutaili , the mother 's attorney , told cnn at the time . the girl 's father , according to the lawyer , arranged the marriage in order to settle his debts with the man , who is a close friend of his . at the time of the initial verdict , the judge required the girl 's husband to sign a pledge that he would not have sex with her until she reaches puberty , al-jutaili told cnn . the judge ruled that when the girl reaches puberty , she will have the right to request a divorce by filing a petition with the court , the lawyer said . last month , an appeals court in the saudi capital of riyadh declined to certify the original ruling , in essence rejecting al-habib 's verdict , and sent the case back to him for reconsideration . under the complicated saudi legal process , the appeals court ruling meant that the marriage was still in effect , but that a challenge to the marriage was still ongoing . the appeals court in riyadh will now take up the case again and a hearing is scheduled for next month , according to the relative . the issue of child marriage has been a hot-button topic in the deeply conservative kingdom recently . while rights groups have petitioned the government for laws to protect children from such marriages , the kingdom 's top cleric has said that it 's ok for girls as young as 10 to wed. ' it is incorrect to say that it 's not permitted to marry off girls who are 15 and younger , ' sheikh abdul aziz al-sheikh , the kingdom 's grand mufti , said in remarks last january , according to the regional al-hayat newspaper . a girl aged 10 or 12 can be married . those who think she 's too young are wrong , and they are being unfair to her . ' al-sheikh reportedly made the remarks when he was asked during a lecture about parents forcing their underage daughters to marry . we hear a lot in the media about the marriage of underage girls , ' he said , according to the newspaper . we should know that sharia law has not brought injustice to women . ' sharia law is islamic law . saudi arabia follows a strict interpretation of islam called wahhabism . cnn was unable to reach government officials for comment . christoph wilcke , a saudi arabia researcher for human rights watch , told cnn in december that his organization has heard of many other cases of child marriages . we 've been hearing about these types of cases once every four or five months because the saudi public is now able to express this kind of anger -- especially so when girls are traded off to older men , ' wilcke said . wilcke said that although saudi ministries might make decisions designed to protect children , it is still the religious establishment that holds sway in the courts , and in many realms beyond the court . ' in december , zuhair al-harithi , a spokesman for the saudi government-run human rights commission , said his organization is fighting against child marriages . the human rights commission opposes child marriages in saudi arabia , ' al-harithi said . child marriages violate international agreements that have been signed by saudi arabia and should not be allowed . ' he added that his organization has been able to intervene and stop at least one child marriage from taking place . wajeha al-huwaider , co-founder of the society of defending women 's rights in saudi arabia , told cnn that achieving human rights in the kingdom means standing against those who want to keep us backward and in the dark ages . ' she said the marriages cause girls to lose their sense of security and safety . also , it destroys their feeling of being loved and nurtured . it causes them a lifetime of psychological problems and severe depression . ' | unicef : marriage of a child is a violation of that child 's rights |
green <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a u.s. soldier convicted of murdering an iraqi family spoke out for the first time thursday , issuing a public apology for his crimes . former u.s. soldier steven green got life in prison after being convicted of murdering four iraqis . steven green , who escaped the death penalty this month , told relatives of the victims that he is truly sorry for what i did in iraq . ' i helped to destroy a family and end the lives of four of my fellow human beings , and i wish that i could take it back , but i can not , ' green said , reading a statement at a victim impact hearing . and , as inadequate as this apology is , it is all i can give you . ' the family refused to accept the apology . green was found guilty in u.s. district court in kentucky of raping a 14-year-old girl and murdering her , her parents and her 6-year-old sister in the town of yusufiya , about 20 miles south of baghdad , in 2006 . a jury could not reach a unanimous decision on the death penalty , which means the judge is required under law to impose a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole . green will be sentenced september 4 , but the victim impact hearing was held thursday so surviving members of the al-janabi family could testify before they return to iraq . they decried green 's sentence and testified about how the heinous crime had shattered their lives and how it will haunt them always . green said that he knows you wish i was dead , and i do not hold that against you . if i was in your place , i am convinced beyond any doubt that i would feel the same way . ' he added , i know that i have done evil , and i fear that the wrath of the lord will come upon me on that day . but , i hope that you and your family at least can find some comfort in god 's justice . ' the wailing family matriarch , hajia al-janabi , lunged at green as she left the witness stand , denouncing him as a coward , a criminal and a stigma on the united states , according to louisville 's courier-journal newspaper . security officers restrained the distressed woman , the newspaper said . another family member , mahdi al-janabi , said green had lost the ability to distinguish between terrorists and iraqi civilians . green was tried in a civilian court in paducah , kentucky , because he had been discharged from the army by the time his crimes surfaced . he was the last of five soldiers who served in the 101st airborne division , based at fort campbell , kentucky , to be convicted for the crimes and their subsequent cover-up . the others -- spec . james barker , sgt . paul cortez , pfc . jesse spielman and pfc . bryan howard -- received sentences ranging from 27 months to 110 years , with the possibility of parole in 10 years in the most severe cases . green said he now sees the iraq war as intrinsically evil , because killing is intrinsically evil . ' he was sorry , he said , that he ever had anything to do with either . | surviving family members testify against green at hearing |
green <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a u.s. soldier convicted of murdering an iraqi family spoke out for the first time thursday , issuing a public apology for his crimes . former u.s. soldier steven green got life in prison after being convicted of murdering four iraqis . steven green , who escaped the death penalty this month , told relatives of the victims that he is truly sorry for what i did in iraq . ' i helped to destroy a family and end the lives of four of my fellow human beings , and i wish that i could take it back , but i can not , ' green said , reading a statement at a victim impact hearing . and , as inadequate as this apology is , it is all i can give you . ' the family refused to accept the apology . green was found guilty in u.s. district court in kentucky of raping a 14-year-old girl and murdering her , her parents and her 6-year-old sister in the town of yusufiya , about 20 miles south of baghdad , in 2006 . a jury could not reach a unanimous decision on the death penalty , which means the judge is required under law to impose a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole . green will be sentenced september 4 , but the victim impact hearing was held thursday so surviving members of the al-janabi family could testify before they return to iraq . they decried green 's sentence and testified about how the heinous crime had shattered their lives and how it will haunt them always . green said that he knows you wish i was dead , and i do not hold that against you . if i was in your place , i am convinced beyond any doubt that i would feel the same way . ' he added , i know that i have done evil , and i fear that the wrath of the lord will come upon me on that day . but , i hope that you and your family at least can find some comfort in god 's justice . ' the wailing family matriarch , hajia al-janabi , lunged at green as she left the witness stand , denouncing him as a coward , a criminal and a stigma on the united states , according to louisville 's courier-journal newspaper . security officers restrained the distressed woman , the newspaper said . another family member , mahdi al-janabi , said green had lost the ability to distinguish between terrorists and iraqi civilians . green was tried in a civilian court in paducah , kentucky , because he had been discharged from the army by the time his crimes surfaced . he was the last of five soldiers who served in the 101st airborne division , based at fort campbell , kentucky , to be convicted for the crimes and their subsequent cover-up . the others -- spec . james barker , sgt . paul cortez , pfc . jesse spielman and pfc . bryan howard -- received sentences ranging from 27 months to 110 years , with the possibility of parole in 10 years in the most severe cases . green said he now sees the iraq war as intrinsically evil , because killing is intrinsically evil . ' he was sorry , he said , that he ever had anything to do with either . | matriarch lunges at green while leaving witness stand |
green <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a u.s. soldier convicted of murdering an iraqi family spoke out for the first time thursday , issuing a public apology for his crimes . former u.s. soldier steven green got life in prison after being convicted of murdering four iraqis . steven green , who escaped the death penalty this month , told relatives of the victims that he is truly sorry for what i did in iraq . ' i helped to destroy a family and end the lives of four of my fellow human beings , and i wish that i could take it back , but i can not , ' green said , reading a statement at a victim impact hearing . and , as inadequate as this apology is , it is all i can give you . ' the family refused to accept the apology . green was found guilty in u.s. district court in kentucky of raping a 14-year-old girl and murdering her , her parents and her 6-year-old sister in the town of yusufiya , about 20 miles south of baghdad , in 2006 . a jury could not reach a unanimous decision on the death penalty , which means the judge is required under law to impose a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole . green will be sentenced september 4 , but the victim impact hearing was held thursday so surviving members of the al-janabi family could testify before they return to iraq . they decried green 's sentence and testified about how the heinous crime had shattered their lives and how it will haunt them always . green said that he knows you wish i was dead , and i do not hold that against you . if i was in your place , i am convinced beyond any doubt that i would feel the same way . ' he added , i know that i have done evil , and i fear that the wrath of the lord will come upon me on that day . but , i hope that you and your family at least can find some comfort in god 's justice . ' the wailing family matriarch , hajia al-janabi , lunged at green as she left the witness stand , denouncing him as a coward , a criminal and a stigma on the united states , according to louisville 's courier-journal newspaper . security officers restrained the distressed woman , the newspaper said . another family member , mahdi al-janabi , said green had lost the ability to distinguish between terrorists and iraqi civilians . green was tried in a civilian court in paducah , kentucky , because he had been discharged from the army by the time his crimes surfaced . he was the last of five soldiers who served in the 101st airborne division , based at fort campbell , kentucky , to be convicted for the crimes and their subsequent cover-up . the others -- spec . james barker , sgt . paul cortez , pfc . jesse spielman and pfc . bryan howard -- received sentences ranging from 27 months to 110 years , with the possibility of parole in 10 years in the most severe cases . green said he now sees the iraq war as intrinsically evil , because killing is intrinsically evil . ' he was sorry , he said , that he ever had anything to do with either . | steven green must serve life in prison without parole |
st. louis <tsp> a third teen is in custody in the death of a man beaten with a hammer on a st. louis street , and police are looking for a fourth suspect . two juveniles -- 15 and 16 -- were arrested sunday in the attack , which apparently started with a verbal exchange . an investigation is under way . the third juvenile , a 17-year-old male , turned himself in to police , the st. louis police department said . he was charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action . prosecutors identified him as robert mitchell , and he is being charged as an adult . the victim , 32-year-old zemir begic , suffered injuries to his head , abdomen , face and mouth , according to police . he was unconscious by the time officers arrived . begic was taken to an area hospital , where he was pronounced dead , police said . investigation revealed the victim was traveling in his vehicle when several juveniles approached his vehicle on foot and began damaging it . the victim exited his vehicle and the juveniles began yelling at the victim and striking him with hammers . after the assault , the juveniles fled the scene on foot , ' read an incident report . according to the probable cause statement , begic was with his fiancee and two others when he was attacked . mitchell taunted begic , challenged him to a fight , and then the four teens began to beat him , the statement says . at least one of the assailants struck the victim with a hammer . on monday , st. louis police chief sam dotson said police are searching for a fourth teen . the unusual hammer attack raised questions about motive , but there is no indication that this was a targeted crime , dotson said . police have determined that there was a dispute between begic and his attackers . begic got in his car and one of the youths kicked his car , dotson said . at that point , begic exited the car and the violent assault happened , he said . | investigation ongoing into attack on st. louis street that killed man ; motive unknown |
dems <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the house of representatives on tuesday formally admonished republican rep. joe wilson for shouting you lie ' during president obama 's speech to a joint session of congress last week . rep. joe wilson , r-south carolina , shouts you lie ! ' during president obama 's speech wednesday night . the house passed a resolution of disapproval on a 240-179 vote that was mostly along party lines , reflecting the democratic majority in the chamber . twelve democrats voted no , ' while seven republicans voted for the measure . five representatives , all democrats , voted present . ' according to the office of the house historian , it was the first time in its 220-year history that the house has disciplined a member for speaking out during a presidential speech in the chamber to a joint session of congress . during debate on the resolution , wilson called the measure a waste of time and failed to apologize to the chamber , as demanded by house democrats . when we are done here today , we will not have taken any further steps toward helping ' the nation deal with urgent challenges , said wilson , of south carolina . it is time that we move forward and get back to work for the american people . ' watch house members debate the resolution » he and other republicans noted that wilson apologized to obama immediately after the speech , and that the president accepted it . asked after the vote if he apologized privately to house leaders such as speaker nancy pelosi , wilson told journalists it was n't necessary . in my view , by apologizing to the president , the most important person in the history of the world , that applied to everyone , ' wilson said . however , house majority leader steny hoyer , d-maryland , said wilson 's refusal to apologize to the house for his disrespectful behavior to the chamber required admonishment . the issue , he said , is whether we are able to proceed with a degree of civility and decorum ' that congress requires . the house resolution was the mildest form of discipline the chamber can exercise for misconduct on the house floor . whereas the conduct of the representative from south carolina was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session , to the discredit of the house : now , therefore , be it resolved that the house of representatives disapproves of the behavior of the representative from south carolina , mr. wilson , during the joint session of congress held on sept. 9 , 2009 , ' said a text of the resolution posted earlier on hoyer 's legislative web site . before debate on the measure began , one democrat said the disrespect shown obama by wilson never would have happened to a white president . it only happened when this country elected a president of color , ' said rep. hank johnson of georgia . another noted the heckling of the president in the house was unprecedented , and the chamber needed to enforce discipline in order to maintain civility . watch johnson comment on why he supports the resolution » ' no president has been subjected to that type of treatment on the floor of the house of representatives , and if we go down that road , then it 's the law of the jungle , and i think that 's just wrong , ' said rep. gerry connolly of virginia . however , house minority leader john boehner of ohio called the resolution piling on . ' in the debate , boehner and other republicans acknowledged the mistake by wilson while citing his military career and how his four children also served in the military . they noted that he already had apologized to obama and accused democrats of a partisan stunt intended to deflect attention from what they called increasingly unpopular health care legislation . watch boehner talk about health care , support wilson 's apology » ' the american people want less politics and more jobs , ' said rep. mike pence , r-indiana . in closing the debate , democratic rep. james clyburn of south carolina , the house majority whip , noted that all americans , especially schoolchildren , learn about civics and government by observing the house . clyburn , a former schoolteacher , said failing to enforce house rules against wilson 's outburst would send the wrong message . the house democratic leadership agreed to move forward with the vote after meeting to discuss the issue monday evening , according to two democratic leadership aides . kristie greco , a spokeswoman for clyburn , said the discussion at monday 's meeting was about how this speaks to the breach of decorum alone , and not addressing the issue sets a precedent for bad behavior . ' we 're not the british parliament for a reason , ' greco added . watch combative politicians in other countries » wilson on sunday described his loud retort to obama 's statement that illegal immigrants would not be covered under the democrats'health care bill as a town hall moment . ' but he made it clear he would not apologize on the house floor . i called immediately , i did apologize , but i believe one apology is sufficient , ' he said . last week , house speaker nancy pelosi called the episode unfortunate ' and told reporters at her weekly news conference , it 's time for us to talk about health care and not mr . wilson . ' but when pelosi met with democratic leaders later that day , her colleagues argued that unless wilson apologized on his own , they would want a formal vote on a resolution of disapproval , according to several democratic sources . on tuesday , pelosi refused to comment on the resolution to reporters outside the weekly democratic caucus meeting , saying that journalists should be focusing on the health care reform issue . other democrats offered their thoughts . johnson said wilson 's comment amounted to a wink ' of approval to right-wing extremists who have brought highly charged language and imagery -- such as posters depicting obama with a hitler mustache or as an african witch doctor -- to the health care debate . he [ wilson ] did not help the cause of diversity and tolerance with his remarks , ' johnson said . if i were a betting man , i would say that it instigated more racist sentiment feeling that it 's ok -- you do n't have to bury it now . ' johnson added that failing to rebuke wilson would bring increased racism in the public discussion on health care , saying : you can bring it out and talk about it fully , and so i guess we will probably have folks putting on white hoods and white uniforms again riding through the countryside intimidating people . ' that 's the logical conclusion if this kind of attitude is not rebuked , and congressman wilson represents it , ' johnson said . he is the face of it , and that 's why i support the resolution . ' to rep. jason altmire of pennsylvania , a member of the moderate blue dog democratic coalition , the issue was simple : he has not apologized to the house for the embarrassment he brought ' to the chamber , altmire said . democratic rep. barbara lee of california , a leading member of the congressional black caucus , said wilson 's violation of house rules was egregious enough that it warrants an apology on the floor . ' without that , the resolution of disapproval is called for , she said . on the republican side , rep. steve king of iowa began circulating a letter among house republicans last weekend urging wilson not to apologize on the house floor . the letter stated , we urge that you hold your ground against those who seek partisan advantage and reject all demands for additional redress . when the president of the united states accepts an apology , no observer has an additional claim . ' cnn 's deirdre walsh and lisa desjardins contributed to this report . | republicans accuse dems of partisanship ; wilson says one apology is enough |
u.s. justice department <tsp> officials in lauderdale county , mississippi , have operated a school-to-prison pipeline ' that violates the constitutional rights of juveniles by incarcerating them for alleged school disciplinary infractions , some as minor as defiance , the u.s. department of justice said friday . students most affected by this system are african-american children and children with disabilities , ' the justice department said . the federal agency 's civil rights division seeks meaningful negotiations ' in 60 days to end the constitutional violations or else a federal lawsuit would be filed against state , county and local officials in meridian , according to a justice department letter dated friday to those officials . the letter also names two lauderdale county youth court judges , frank coleman and veldore young . state and local officials could n't be reached immediately for comment friday . the systematic disregard for children 's basic constitutional rights by agencies with a duty to protect and serve these children betrays the public trust , ' thomas e. perez , assistant u.s. attorney general , said in a statement . we hope to resolve the concerns outlined in our findings in a collaborative fashion , but we will not hesitate to take appropriate legal action if necessary . ' in 2009 , the lauderdale county juvenile detention facility in meridian was the target of a federal class-action lawsuit by the southern poverty law center that alleged children and teens were subjected to shockingly inhumane ' treatment , the center said . the alleged mistreatment included youngsters being crammed into small , filthy cells and tormented with the arbitrary use of mace as a punishment for even the most minor infractions -- such as'talking too much'or failing to sit in the'back of their cells ,'' the center said in a statement . in 2010 , lauderdale county officials and the center reached an agreement to reform the jail system and consider alternatives to sending youths to the detention center , said the southern poverty law center , a nonprofit civil rights group . i think this is evidence of a broken system where the most vulnerable population of kids are not receiving their constitutionally guaranteed rights , ' jody owens ii , managing attorney for the center 's mississippi office , told cnn . on friday , the u.s. justice department accused meridian police of automatically arresting all students referred by the city 's public schools and then sending them to the county juvenile justice system , where existing due process protections are illusory and inadequate , ' the federal letter says . the police department command staff and officers characterized their agency as a taxi service ' for the schools and juvenile detention facility , without assessing the circumstances of the alleged charges against students , the justice department said . the youth court places children on probation , and the terms of the probation set by the youth court and dys require children on probation to serve any suspensions from school incarcerated in the juvenile detention center , ' the justice department letter said . | u.s. justice department accuses lauderdale county of violating rights of pupils |
cuba <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as a federal air marshal , robert maclean typically spent five days a week crisscrossing the country on commercial flights , reading a lot of newspapers and john grisham novels while keeping an eye out and trying to appear inconspicuous . it was a well-paying job with enormous responsibility , yet extremely tedious and mundane , ' he said . you did the same thing every day , there was nothing new . you sat in your seat and prayed that nobody would set off an ied or ambush you mid-flight . ' armed with service weapons and usually traveling in pairs , federal air marshals are tasked with detecting , deterring and defeating hostile acts targeting u.s. air carriers , airports , passengers , and crews , ' according to the transportation security administration 's web site . if the air marshals are doing their job properly , the public does not learn about the incidents or potential catastrophes they 've prevented , department of homeland security spokesman nelson minerly said . federal air marshals are trained to operate covertly and to blend in with the traveling public , ' he said . they work in the air and on the ground as a last line of defense , but if they 're doing the job right , you do n't know they 're there . ' a federal air marshal was not on northwest flight 253 when a passenger allegedly tried to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear . but the agency said the incident prompted it to enhance airport screening procedures and put more air marshals aboard flights . the federal air marshal program has been around in one form or another since the early 1960s , when a rash of hijackings of flights to cuba prompted president kennedy to order that federal law enforcement officers be placed on high-risk flights . the federal air marshal service officially began in 1968 as the federal aviation administration 's sky marshal program , and in the 1970s , extortion-type hijackings in the middle east led to the deployment of some air marshals overseas . in 1985 , president regan expanded the program , increasing the number of air marshals , in response to a series of domestic and international hijackings , including twa flight 847 , in which a u.s. navy diver was killed and his body dumped on the tarmac in beirut , lebanon . the terror attacks of september 11 , 2001 , represented a turning point in the agency 's history , when it grew from less than 50 officers to the several thousand currently employed as federal law enforcement officers in the tsa , minerly said . law enforcement officers and military personnel made up most of the first recruits to join the agency 's replenished ranks in october 2001 , said jamie smith , a former federal air marshal instructor and current ceo of scg international , a global security firm . recruits are trained extensively in tactical operations and law enforcement procedure . they go through how to go hands-on with somebody in the tight confines of an aircraft , from how to disable an attacker from a seated position , how to fight if you fall down in the aisle , or how to use different items onboard to subdue and restrain attackers , ' he said . they learn how to restrain them using seatbelts -- basically fold the person over and strap them down . ' trainees also learn the rules of engagement , laws related to use of force on airplanes and how to look out for suspicious behavior , or behavioral profiling . we 'd teach them to look for mannerisms : specific styles of dress , whether they 're with a group or trying to peel off from a group , or if a uniformed officer approaches and they shy away -- things like that . we 'd teach them what to look for , ' he said . applicants with backgrounds in law enforcement and the military are given special preference , but the positions are open to anyone with a college degree or three years of professional experience who proves up to the job , minerly said . our training program is very comprehensive . we have people applying now with limited law enforcement experience and we provide them with the training to get them up to speed with what we expect of a federal air marshal , ' he said . air marshals are supposed to look like the rest of the traveling public so it only stands to reason we would want recruits from all walks of life . ' in the eight years since the federal air marshal service has been ramping up , only a handful of incidents have been publicly reported , most involving drunk or unruly passengers . maclean says he never had to make an arrest in five years flying missions as an air marshal . yet his career ended in controversy , when he was fired for leaking information on cutbacks in the program . did he ever secretly wish for some action to break up the tedium ? no way , ' he said , laughing . not when you 're 35,000 feet up in the air flying at 500 mph in an aluminum tube with a few hundred people . you really do n't want anything to happen . ' | concept of air marshals originates in early 1960s , when rash of flights to cuba hijacked |
tom little <tsp> ( cnn ) -- risking their lives to help disadvantaged afghans became almost a norm for tom and libby little . we raised our three daughters through what was , at times , just hell , ' libby little said . a hundred rockets a day was a good day . ' family members lived underground to avoid bombings , she said . yet they stayed out of a love for the people and a passion for providing eye care for the needy . but violence prevailed on thursday . tom little , a new york optometrist , was among 10 people killed by gunmen in badakhshan , a remote northeastern region of the country . the mostly foreign members of a medical team were robbed and shot one-by-one on a remote road . their bodies were transferred to kabul early sunday , authorities said . the taliban claimed responsibility for the attack . he died right where he loved to be -- and that was doing eye care in remote areas , ' little said from her home in new york . our daughters are missing him terribly . but i think their feeling is , too , that this is a real passion that he had . ' more than 400 people gathered sunday at loudonville community church in loudonville , new york , to honor little . the church supported his trip financially and emotionally . four weeks ago , tom little stood right here , ' an emotional stan key , senior pastor , told the congregation . the church had printed wednesday in its weekly worship guide , praise the lord that tom 's ministry in conducting outpatient clinics ... in a remote village was successful . god protected tom and his team . ' key said he decided to leave it in the guide even after hearing the news of little 's death . dr. tom hale , a medical relief worker himself , told the crowd little 's death was not in vain . this was not a waste , ' he said emphatically . this is an enormous loss . many of us are angry . ' the british foreign office on sunday confirmed that dr. karen woo was another medical worker killed in the attack . it was the remote areas of afghanistan , libby little said , where the need for her husband 's services was often greatest . huge populations were in these remote valleys , ' she said . the littles would sometimes hike 40 miles one-way -- over mountains -- to access villages to host eye camps . little said her husband had recently become involved in a program to eradicate preventable blindness by the year 2020 . there 's a lot of preventable blindness in afghanistan -- blinding eye diseases that can be solved with just very small work , ' she said . tom little was heavily involved with training in optometry overseas , enabling afghans to start picking up the work of eye care , because it was n't there , ' his widow said . his passion for helping afghans ran deep , she said . he would come back to the states and get throw-away optical equipment , then refurbished it , then would send it over to set up a little optical manufacturing factory , so they could make their own eyeglasses there . ' when the couple married , they did n't foresee devoting much of their lives in afghanistan . we did feel we wanted to serve god with our lives when we were married . we wanted to serve him . we did n't know what that meant . ' so the couple decided to make use of tools and specialties they had -- specifically , tom 's optical tools and libby 's teaching skills -- and took part in a program helping disadvantaged afghans . we went , and we thought it was going to be two years , and it was 33 , ' little said . we loved the people . ... the afghan people were wonderful , absolutely wonderful to us . and they would be the first ones to protect us . so this is not the usual state of things , where they would murder all these people . ' little said warfare in afghanistan did n't deter her or her husband . if you 're in medicine , i think you feel you ca n't leave , ' she said . if you 're propping up a hospital that 's the only hospital , then you ca n't leave when it gets bad . ' despite the circumstances , little kept her composure while reminiscing about her husband . we had 40 wonderful years together -- of serving together , all those years , doing what we thought we should do . and that 's enough for a life . ' cnn 's holly yan and ross levitt contributed to this report . | optometrist tom little and nine others were killed by gunmen in a remote area |
fort hood <tsp> fort hood , texas ( cnn ) -- investigators believe the suspected gunman in last week 's massacre at fort hood acted alone , but his communications had been flagged by u.s. intelligence agencies in late 2008 , the fbi said monday . the suspect , maj. nidal malik hasan , remained in intensive care at brooke army medical center in san antonio , texas . in a statement issued monday night , the fbi said its investigation so far indicates that the alleged gunman acted alone and was not part of a broader terrorist plot . ' thursday 's shooting left 13 dead , 12 of them u.s. soldiers , and 42 wounded . read more about the victims hasan , a u.s.-born citizen of palestinian descent , was a licensed psychiatrist who joined the army in 1997 . he was promoted to major in may and was scheduled to deploy to afghanistan sometime soon , but had been telling his family since 2001 that he wanted to get out of the military . a muslim , he had told his family he had been taunted after the terrorist attacks of september 11 , 2001 . in august , he reported to police that his car was keyed and a bumper sticker that read allah is love ' was torn off . a neighbor was charged with criminal mischief after that complaint . but the fbi disclosed that hasan came to its attention as part of an unrelated terrorism probe in december 2008 , when agents reviewed certain communications between maj. hasan and the subject of that investigation . ' the intercepts raised no red flags , ' with no mention of threats or violence that would have triggered a u.s. terrorism investigation , senior investigative officials said monday . hasan , 39 , was wounded several times during the attack . though still in intensive care , his ventilator was removed over the weekend , and he began talking afterwards , hospital spokesman dewey mitchell said . federal agents attempted to interview hasan on sunday , but he refused to cooperate and asked for an attorney , the investigative officials said . u.s. military officials said intelligence agencies intercepted communications between hasan and anwar al-awlaki , a former imam at the dar al-hijrah islamic center in falls church , virginia , a washington suburb . al-awlaki , who left the united states in 2002 and is believed to be living in yemen , was the subject of several federal investigations dating back to the late 1990s , but was never charged . military officials told cnn on monday that intelligence agencies intercepted communications from hasan to al-awlaki and shared them with other u.s. government agencies . but federal authorities dropped the inquiry into hasan 's communications after deciding that the messages warranted no further action , one of the officials said . according to the fbi , investigators from one of its joint terrorism task forces determined that the content of those communications was consistent with research being conducted by maj. hasan in his position as a psychiatrist at the walter reed medical center [ in washington ] . ' hasan was first an intern , then a resident and finally a fellow at walter reed before moving to fort hood . because the content of the communications was explainable by his research and nothing else derogatory was found , the jttf concluded that maj. hasan was not involved in terrorist activities or terrorist planning , ' it said . fbi director robert mueller has ordered a review of the matter , the fbi said . the independent commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks found al-awlaki was a spiritual adviser ' to two of the hijackers in that plot , nawaf al-hazmi and khalid al-midhar , while al-awlaki was at the virginia mosque and earlier , in san diego . the commission report said it was not clear whether the imam knew al-hazmi and al-midhar were involved in the hijacking plot , but security experts have described him as a radical islamic fundamentalist who was very supportive of terrorists in the past , ' former white house homeland security adviser frances townsend told cnn . an online post attributed to al-awlaki praised hasan as a hero for the fort hood attack , saying he could not bear living the contradiction of being a muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people . ' but the dar al-hijrah mosque denounced al-awlaki 's remarks , and its current imam said he was stunned to hear hasan was the suspect in the rampage . the quiet , very peaceful person coming in and out of the mosque , i could n't believe he could have done this , ' sheikh shaker elsayed told cnn . three senior investigative officials , who insisted they not be identified by name because of the sensitive nature of the ongoing federal investigation , told reporters in washington that hasan was never nominated to be on a watch list . he was able to purchase weapons legally and had done nothing to justify even a preliminary investigation , they said . in addition , hasan had a security clearance at the secret ' level and received good performance reviews , they said . nonetheless , they continued to examine his communications with the cleric in yemen for several months as a precaution . authorities have not identified a motive in thursday 's attack . but at fort hood the post commander told reporters he has ordered his officers to immediately take a hard look and make sure if there 's anybody out there struggling . ' hasan was a soldier and we have other soldiers ... that might have some of the same stress and indicators that he has , ' lt. gen. robert cone said . we have to look across our entire formation , not just in a medical community but really look hard to our right and left . that 's the responsibility for everybody from the top to the bottom to make sure we 're taking care of our own . ' army officials have voiced concern about jumping to any conclusions about hasan 's motive , warning about a possible backlash against muslim soldiers . but several witnesses , like pvt . robert foster , who was wounded in the hip during the attack , reported hasan shouted allahu akbar ' -- arabic for god is great ' -- which islamic terrorists have used as a battle cry . i was sitting in about the second row back when the assailant stood up and yelled'allah akbar'in arabic and he opened fire , ' foster , 21 , said monday on cnn 's american morning . ' the army leadership at fort hood will take a very hard look at ourselves and look at anything that might have been done to have prevented this , ' cone said monday . i think what we 're looking for are sort of people with overwhelming personal problems and patterns of behavior that are not at all related to religion , ' cone said . no charges have been filed against hasan . the investigative officials who briefed reporters said he was likely to be charged in the military court system . president obama will speak at tuesday 's memorial service for the shooting victims at fort hood , and will meet with victims'families , his spokesman said . the president will meet with families of those that lost a loved one last week , as well as speak to the larger memorial that will take place at the base , ' white house press secretary robert gibbs said in his daily briefing monday . first lady michelle obama will accompany the president on the trip , gibbs said . defense secretary robert gates will also participate in the memorial service , but he will not speak , pentagon spokesman geoff morrell said . cnn 's brian todd , pam benson , mike mount and david mattingly contributed to this report . | new : fbi : probe so far shows fort hood attack was n't part of a broader terrorist plot |
fort hood <tsp> fort hood , texas ( cnn ) -- investigators believe the suspected gunman in last week 's massacre at fort hood acted alone , but his communications had been flagged by u.s. intelligence agencies in late 2008 , the fbi said monday . the suspect , maj. nidal malik hasan , remained in intensive care at brooke army medical center in san antonio , texas . in a statement issued monday night , the fbi said its investigation so far indicates that the alleged gunman acted alone and was not part of a broader terrorist plot . ' thursday 's shooting left 13 dead , 12 of them u.s. soldiers , and 42 wounded . read more about the victims hasan , a u.s.-born citizen of palestinian descent , was a licensed psychiatrist who joined the army in 1997 . he was promoted to major in may and was scheduled to deploy to afghanistan sometime soon , but had been telling his family since 2001 that he wanted to get out of the military . a muslim , he had told his family he had been taunted after the terrorist attacks of september 11 , 2001 . in august , he reported to police that his car was keyed and a bumper sticker that read allah is love ' was torn off . a neighbor was charged with criminal mischief after that complaint . but the fbi disclosed that hasan came to its attention as part of an unrelated terrorism probe in december 2008 , when agents reviewed certain communications between maj. hasan and the subject of that investigation . ' the intercepts raised no red flags , ' with no mention of threats or violence that would have triggered a u.s. terrorism investigation , senior investigative officials said monday . hasan , 39 , was wounded several times during the attack . though still in intensive care , his ventilator was removed over the weekend , and he began talking afterwards , hospital spokesman dewey mitchell said . federal agents attempted to interview hasan on sunday , but he refused to cooperate and asked for an attorney , the investigative officials said . u.s. military officials said intelligence agencies intercepted communications between hasan and anwar al-awlaki , a former imam at the dar al-hijrah islamic center in falls church , virginia , a washington suburb . al-awlaki , who left the united states in 2002 and is believed to be living in yemen , was the subject of several federal investigations dating back to the late 1990s , but was never charged . military officials told cnn on monday that intelligence agencies intercepted communications from hasan to al-awlaki and shared them with other u.s. government agencies . but federal authorities dropped the inquiry into hasan 's communications after deciding that the messages warranted no further action , one of the officials said . according to the fbi , investigators from one of its joint terrorism task forces determined that the content of those communications was consistent with research being conducted by maj. hasan in his position as a psychiatrist at the walter reed medical center [ in washington ] . ' hasan was first an intern , then a resident and finally a fellow at walter reed before moving to fort hood . because the content of the communications was explainable by his research and nothing else derogatory was found , the jttf concluded that maj. hasan was not involved in terrorist activities or terrorist planning , ' it said . fbi director robert mueller has ordered a review of the matter , the fbi said . the independent commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks found al-awlaki was a spiritual adviser ' to two of the hijackers in that plot , nawaf al-hazmi and khalid al-midhar , while al-awlaki was at the virginia mosque and earlier , in san diego . the commission report said it was not clear whether the imam knew al-hazmi and al-midhar were involved in the hijacking plot , but security experts have described him as a radical islamic fundamentalist who was very supportive of terrorists in the past , ' former white house homeland security adviser frances townsend told cnn . an online post attributed to al-awlaki praised hasan as a hero for the fort hood attack , saying he could not bear living the contradiction of being a muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people . ' but the dar al-hijrah mosque denounced al-awlaki 's remarks , and its current imam said he was stunned to hear hasan was the suspect in the rampage . the quiet , very peaceful person coming in and out of the mosque , i could n't believe he could have done this , ' sheikh shaker elsayed told cnn . three senior investigative officials , who insisted they not be identified by name because of the sensitive nature of the ongoing federal investigation , told reporters in washington that hasan was never nominated to be on a watch list . he was able to purchase weapons legally and had done nothing to justify even a preliminary investigation , they said . in addition , hasan had a security clearance at the secret ' level and received good performance reviews , they said . nonetheless , they continued to examine his communications with the cleric in yemen for several months as a precaution . authorities have not identified a motive in thursday 's attack . but at fort hood the post commander told reporters he has ordered his officers to immediately take a hard look and make sure if there 's anybody out there struggling . ' hasan was a soldier and we have other soldiers ... that might have some of the same stress and indicators that he has , ' lt. gen. robert cone said . we have to look across our entire formation , not just in a medical community but really look hard to our right and left . that 's the responsibility for everybody from the top to the bottom to make sure we 're taking care of our own . ' army officials have voiced concern about jumping to any conclusions about hasan 's motive , warning about a possible backlash against muslim soldiers . but several witnesses , like pvt . robert foster , who was wounded in the hip during the attack , reported hasan shouted allahu akbar ' -- arabic for god is great ' -- which islamic terrorists have used as a battle cry . i was sitting in about the second row back when the assailant stood up and yelled'allah akbar'in arabic and he opened fire , ' foster , 21 , said monday on cnn 's american morning . ' the army leadership at fort hood will take a very hard look at ourselves and look at anything that might have been done to have prevented this , ' cone said monday . i think what we 're looking for are sort of people with overwhelming personal problems and patterns of behavior that are not at all related to religion , ' cone said . no charges have been filed against hasan . the investigative officials who briefed reporters said he was likely to be charged in the military court system . president obama will speak at tuesday 's memorial service for the shooting victims at fort hood , and will meet with victims'families , his spokesman said . the president will meet with families of those that lost a loved one last week , as well as speak to the larger memorial that will take place at the base , ' white house press secretary robert gibbs said in his daily briefing monday . first lady michelle obama will accompany the president on the trip , gibbs said . defense secretary robert gates will also participate in the memorial service , but he will not speak , pentagon spokesman geoff morrell said . cnn 's brian todd , pam benson , mike mount and david mattingly contributed to this report . | online post attributed to cleric praised hasan as a hero for the fort hood attack |
hollywood <tsp> ( cnn ) -- america is haunted . at least several paranormal investigators , all of whom promise to have witnessed the supernatural , told cnn they believe it to be true . that 's why we 've taken cues from experienced investigators and experts for fright-inspired destination ideas this halloween season . here are some of their favorites . hollywood roosevelt , california located on hollywood 's walk of fame across from grauman 's chinese theater , the hollywood roosevelt has a glamorous history : marilyn monroe was the hotel 's most famous resident . it turns out , she might still be there , according to brad and sherry steiger . paranormal authors and investigators , the steigers were filming at the hotel with several productions . sherry was explaining the history of the hotel 's most famous mirror , in front of which many visitors have had psychic experiences . and as we were standing there , a gentleman just jumped back like he 'd been shoved and he said ,'who do you think you are ?'well that stopped production and we had to find out , ' brad said . i asked the man what had happened . he said ,'well this blonde lady came running like she owns hollywood and pushes me aside .' if you go : you can simply book a room at the hotel . if you want to try to spot marilyn , the hotel offers a marilyn monroe package ' ( $ 1,800/night ) which includes a stay in the marilyn suite and tickets to the marilyn exhibit . thomas house , red boiling springs , tennessee with a history dating back to the late 1800s , the thomas house in red boiling springs began as the cloyd hotel . indeed , one of the ghosts still said to roam the bed and breakfast is sarah cloyd . visitors trade reports of possible deaths on the property , which may fuel activity . the hotel was featured on paranormal state ' in 2009 , an a & e cable network program that aired until 2011 . if you go : you can go for dinner and the ghosts of the inn ' show and tour , and book a room at the bed and breakfast . the thomas house also hosts several ghost hunt weekends , ' with the next available dates in january , 2014 . the whaley house museum , san diego , california one of the steigers'most memorable visits is right on the tourist map , but it still packs a metaphysical punch , ' brad steiger said . and that 's the whaley house in old san diego . ' the california house has a long history ; and , like its home state , the house has been many things at different times , with origins dating back to the 1800s and including several hangings . it just kept growing , ' brad said . it started as , the judge , his home . then it became a courthouse and his home . then it became a theater and his home . then there were hangings that took place in the backyard and eventually that hanging area , where people were hanged , became part of the house . ' while investigating , sherry said she captured psychic phenomena on film -- a picture of a noose , coming right down in the room . i had no inkling anything would develop and lo and behold , there were so many pictures , ' she said . what should have been a photo of one of the beds instead revealed a ghostly figure , just waking up . if you go : now a museum , tourists can take tours . st. augustine lighthouse & museum , florida first christened as a lighthouse in 1824 ( it started out as a watchtower ) the structure lost a long battle with the shoreline before collapsing during a storm in 1880 . luckily , its successor had already been completed in 1874 . that lighthouse is now st. augustine 's oldest structure -- a status that has given it plenty of time to attract visitors . ' what 's more , a keeper 's house was added to the grounds in 1876 and people lived and worked the lighthouse for decades , until 1955 . the unexpected was at play at the lighthouse when investigator jason hawes and his team visited . they believed they would disprove the reports of activity , finding just local sounds and things of that nature . ' and we actually caught some of the'holy grail ,'what appeared to be people leaning over rails , showing up on thermal , showing up on infrared when there 's no one else in there , ' said hawes , founder of the atlantic paranormal society and one of the stars and producers of syfy 's long-running ghost hunters . ' if you go : while other tours are available , the dark of the moon ' tour is billed as the only ghost tour that gets you in the tower . ' gettysburg , pennsylvania the town of gettysburg has its share of haunted history . no wonder : approximately 7,000 people died -- both union and confederate soldiers -- during the battle of gettysburg at the heart of the civil war . ( about another 3,500 died in the weeks and months following the battle . ) buell , founder of the paranormal research society and host of a & e 's paranormal state , ' remembers getting shot there . except he never was . we were taking a ghost tour of gettysburg ( national military park ) and suddenly i was having trouble breathing ... i was wheezing and i was having trouble breathing and the pain , it got worse , ' buell said . buell went to the hospital , and the doctors ran some tests . long story short , suddenly they come running back and they tear off my shirt and they said something like ,'where 's the exit wound ?' buell said . but no exit wound ever appeared on his body . if you go : there are several gettysburg ghost tours , including gettysburg ghost tours and ghosts of gettysburg ( which is hosted by a former park ranger ) . charleston and savannah older cities such as charleston , south carolina , and savannah , georgia , remind tourists that they just might be walking on bones . savannah is literally built on its dead , ' hawes said . when they 're going to put up buildings , they have to do tests , core samples , to see if they find any bones . ' robert edgerly , founder of one of the city 's popular walking ghost tours and author of savannah hauntings , ' said that the 17hundred90 inn is one of his favorite local spots . the 17hundred90 inn , first built in the 1800s , is proud of its paranormal history , with an entire section of the website devoted to people 's experiences . the inn 's most famous resident is anne powell , who reportedly fell from a window to her death , though the event is clouded with rumor . charleston is no less spooky -- especially the old city jail , which is famous for the prisoners kept locked behind its bars , including lavinia fisher , often thought of as america 's first female mass murderer . if you go : savannah visitors can book a room at the 17hundred90 inn . charleston features many tours , with the ghost & dungeon walking tour , charleston 's ghost hunt and ghosts of the south among the options . gilliland 's ranch , trout lake , washington gilliland 's ranch , in trout lake is fairly new as a paranormal hotspot , at least measured against the decades- or centuries-plus history of some of the other locales on our list . owned and operated by james gilliland -- whose resume includes minister , counselor , author and radio host -- the ranch distinguishes itself in other ways : buell said he was guaranteed ' to experience activity on his first visit , a rare and rarely true claim . gilliland claimed he was being visited by aliens , all the time , and that there were supernatural beings on his property , ' buell said . so a friend , another paranormal aficionado , took up the claim and reported back . he 's like ,'i swear to you , all night long we had experiences in this place ... every night , something happened ,' buell said . a big ball of light would appear and then split up into triangles and then regroup -- circling and darting unnaturally , according to buell 's friend . many people claim to have experienced contact with extraterrestrial life at the ranch , with anecdotes spread across the web . if you go : contact the ranch to schedule a private tour . ( reservations are required . ) point pleasant , west virginia west virginia 's point pleasant is synonymous with the story of the mothman , an extraterrestrial creature sighted throughout the town in the late 1960s and made famous by the book the mothman prophecies , ' later adapted as a film starring richard gere . the town boasts several landmarks , including the mothman statue , which depicts the creature as a silvery humanoid , with teeth bared . the lowe hotel is nearby , offering an easy second stop on any personalized ghost tour . not only does it house the mothman museum , the hotel is home to a small coterie of otherworldly figures . many people assume the experiences in the town have stopped . not so . while he was visiting , buell had some really crazy experiences , ' including a brush with the mothman that involved an underground munitions bunker , a voice-activated tape recorder and a psychic . you want to talk about something right out of'the x-files'-- here 's point pleasant , ' he said . if you go : book a room at the lowe hotel and take a tour of the hotel museum . where do you like to go to get scared during halloween ? share your thoughts in the comments below . | a hollywood hotel makes no promises that you 'll spot marilyn monroe |
food bank <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when kellogg 's dumped its endorsement of michael phelps after a photograph surfaced of the olympic gold medalist using a bong , the company was stuck with thousands of boxes of cereal featuring the swimmer 's image . kellogg 's ended its michael phelps endorsement , so it sent two tons of cereal with his face on it to a food bank . no problem . the company , based in battle creek , michigan , made short order of the already-printed and filled boxes , donating two tons of cereal to the san francisco food bank late last month . with food banks across the country reporting shortages of food , the donation was a welcome one , said the food bank 's director of development , christopher wiley . it took only two weeks for about 3,000 boxes to move through warehouse . thousands of families benefited from the donation ' wiley said . it was a surprise to us . we were lacking a lot of cereal . it is a great product many low-income families really need . ' the real story for us was not the box but what 's inside the box . the food is so valuable for the community . it 's making good from bad , ' wiley said . the food bank has seen a 6 percent increase in its customer base since the beginning of the year , he said . phelps , 23 , won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 olympic games in beijing , china . he admitted regrettable behavior ' after a british newspaper published the controversial photograph in early february . the tabloid news of the world showed phelps using the bong during what it said was a november party at the university of south carolina in columbia . a bong is a device commonly used to smoke marijuana . the phelps box attracted considerable attention to the food bank . administrators received several calls from people wanting to get the box as a novelty item . but , said wiley , all the cereal went to food bank customers . kellogg 's was the only one of phelps sponsors to drop the athlete , although u.s.a . swimming , the nation 's governing body for competitive swimming , suspended him for three months , withdrew financial support and barred him from competition during the period of his reprimand . ' cnn 's jackie castillo and mayra cuevas contributed to this report . | kellogg 's donated two tons of cereal to the san francisco food bank |
food bank <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when kellogg 's dumped its endorsement of michael phelps after a photograph surfaced of the olympic gold medalist using a bong , the company was stuck with thousands of boxes of cereal featuring the swimmer 's image . kellogg 's ended its michael phelps endorsement , so it sent two tons of cereal with his face on it to a food bank . no problem . the company , based in battle creek , michigan , made short order of the already-printed and filled boxes , donating two tons of cereal to the san francisco food bank late last month . with food banks across the country reporting shortages of food , the donation was a welcome one , said the food bank 's director of development , christopher wiley . it took only two weeks for about 3,000 boxes to move through warehouse . thousands of families benefited from the donation ' wiley said . it was a surprise to us . we were lacking a lot of cereal . it is a great product many low-income families really need . ' the real story for us was not the box but what 's inside the box . the food is so valuable for the community . it 's making good from bad , ' wiley said . the food bank has seen a 6 percent increase in its customer base since the beginning of the year , he said . phelps , 23 , won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 olympic games in beijing , china . he admitted regrettable behavior ' after a british newspaper published the controversial photograph in early february . the tabloid news of the world showed phelps using the bong during what it said was a november party at the university of south carolina in columbia . a bong is a device commonly used to smoke marijuana . the phelps box attracted considerable attention to the food bank . administrators received several calls from people wanting to get the box as a novelty item . but , said wiley , all the cereal went to food bank customers . kellogg 's was the only one of phelps sponsors to drop the athlete , although u.s.a . swimming , the nation 's governing body for competitive swimming , suspended him for three months , withdrew financial support and barred him from competition during the period of his reprimand . ' cnn 's jackie castillo and mayra cuevas contributed to this report . | food bank director : helpful donation is making good from bad ' |
stutzman <tsp> ( cnn ) if you have not been following the case of barronelle stutzman , you should be . stutzman is the washington florist who has been sued for living out her christian beliefs . in 2013 , a long-time friend and customer came to her flower shop and asked her to provide flowers for his gay wedding . stutzman had known this man and had done business with him for about nine years . nevertheless , she told him that she could not participate in his wedding because of my relationship with jesus . ' the man 's partner subsequently spread the word via social media . as a result , the attorney general of washington state sued stutzman for violating the state 's anti-discrimination law . the two men also sued her in their personal capacity and were represented by the aclu . as a result of these lawsuits , stutzman stands to lose her business , her home , and her personal savings . her whole life hangs in the balance with this case . yesterday , a washington state judge issued a summary judgment that went against her . stutzman 's legal team put out this statement explaining what this means : a state judge ruled wednesday that washington floral artist and grandmother barronelle stutzman must provide full support for wedding ceremonies that are contrary to her faith . the court also ruled recently that both the state and the same-sex couple , who each filed lawsuits against her , may collect damages and attorneys fees not only from her business , but from stutzman personally . that means the 70-year-old grandmother may not only lose her business , but also her home and savings because she lives her life and operates her business according to her beliefs . the message of these rulings is unmistakable : the government will bring about your personal and professional ruin if you do n't help celebrate same-sex marriage , ' said kristen waggoner , senior counsel for alliance defending freedom , who argued before the court in december . the decision against stutzman sets a dreadful precedent against our first freedom in the bill of rights : religious liberty . the court says that she is free to believe what she wants , but not to practice her religious beliefs . the court has ruled that if she wants to run a business in the state of washington , she must defy her conscience and participate in same-sex weddings . if she does not , then the full coercive power of the state -- as well as civil liability -- will be brought against her . keep in mind that stutzman does not refuse service to gay people . indeed she had been selling flowers to this gay couple for nine years . she has also employed gay people in her flower shop . she had a friendship with the man suing her and cared for him personally and wished for her relationship with him to continue . she simply could not defy her conscience and lend her creative talent to help celebrate what her faith says she can not celebrate . she had no idea that staying true to her faith would end up threatening her entire livelihood and savings . we are witnessing a shift in our society -- a shift which inevitably leads to christians being treated as pariahs at every level of our national life . louie giglio 's christian views on marriage got him removed from the president 's inauguration . brendan eich 's support for traditional marriage got him dismissed as ceo of mozilla . kelvin cochran 's christian faith got him fired from his position as fire chief of atlanta . two bakers in oregon had to shutter their business and are now facing bankruptcy for refusing to participate in a gay wedding . the stories are mounting . who will be next ? this summer , the supreme court will rule on gay marriage , and many observers expect the ruling to be a roe v. wade-type legal landmark , perhaps declaring a constitutional right to same-sex marriage . the congress may consider again a version of the employment non-discrimination act , which would make sexual orientation and gender identity into protected classes . this means that what is happening to barronelle stutzman in washington state could be happening to christians nationwide in very short order . barronelle stutzman 's case is nothing less than an egregious violation of our first freedom . it is caesar saying , conscience be damned . submit to the new sexual orthodoxy or risk losing everything . ' this is not tolerance . this is injustice that flies in the face of this nation 's laws and traditions . and if this kind of thing can be done to a 70-year-old grandmother running a small flower shop in rural washington state , then it can be done to you . no one 's conscience is safe if this precedent becomes the norm . | barronelle stutzman was sued for not providing flowers for a same-sex wedding . |
stutzman <tsp> ( cnn ) if you have not been following the case of barronelle stutzman , you should be . stutzman is the washington florist who has been sued for living out her christian beliefs . in 2013 , a long-time friend and customer came to her flower shop and asked her to provide flowers for his gay wedding . stutzman had known this man and had done business with him for about nine years . nevertheless , she told him that she could not participate in his wedding because of my relationship with jesus . ' the man 's partner subsequently spread the word via social media . as a result , the attorney general of washington state sued stutzman for violating the state 's anti-discrimination law . the two men also sued her in their personal capacity and were represented by the aclu . as a result of these lawsuits , stutzman stands to lose her business , her home , and her personal savings . her whole life hangs in the balance with this case . yesterday , a washington state judge issued a summary judgment that went against her . stutzman 's legal team put out this statement explaining what this means : a state judge ruled wednesday that washington floral artist and grandmother barronelle stutzman must provide full support for wedding ceremonies that are contrary to her faith . the court also ruled recently that both the state and the same-sex couple , who each filed lawsuits against her , may collect damages and attorneys fees not only from her business , but from stutzman personally . that means the 70-year-old grandmother may not only lose her business , but also her home and savings because she lives her life and operates her business according to her beliefs . the message of these rulings is unmistakable : the government will bring about your personal and professional ruin if you do n't help celebrate same-sex marriage , ' said kristen waggoner , senior counsel for alliance defending freedom , who argued before the court in december . the decision against stutzman sets a dreadful precedent against our first freedom in the bill of rights : religious liberty . the court says that she is free to believe what she wants , but not to practice her religious beliefs . the court has ruled that if she wants to run a business in the state of washington , she must defy her conscience and participate in same-sex weddings . if she does not , then the full coercive power of the state -- as well as civil liability -- will be brought against her . keep in mind that stutzman does not refuse service to gay people . indeed she had been selling flowers to this gay couple for nine years . she has also employed gay people in her flower shop . she had a friendship with the man suing her and cared for him personally and wished for her relationship with him to continue . she simply could not defy her conscience and lend her creative talent to help celebrate what her faith says she can not celebrate . she had no idea that staying true to her faith would end up threatening her entire livelihood and savings . we are witnessing a shift in our society -- a shift which inevitably leads to christians being treated as pariahs at every level of our national life . louie giglio 's christian views on marriage got him removed from the president 's inauguration . brendan eich 's support for traditional marriage got him dismissed as ceo of mozilla . kelvin cochran 's christian faith got him fired from his position as fire chief of atlanta . two bakers in oregon had to shutter their business and are now facing bankruptcy for refusing to participate in a gay wedding . the stories are mounting . who will be next ? this summer , the supreme court will rule on gay marriage , and many observers expect the ruling to be a roe v. wade-type legal landmark , perhaps declaring a constitutional right to same-sex marriage . the congress may consider again a version of the employment non-discrimination act , which would make sexual orientation and gender identity into protected classes . this means that what is happening to barronelle stutzman in washington state could be happening to christians nationwide in very short order . barronelle stutzman 's case is nothing less than an egregious violation of our first freedom . it is caesar saying , conscience be damned . submit to the new sexual orthodoxy or risk losing everything . ' this is not tolerance . this is injustice that flies in the face of this nation 's laws and traditions . and if this kind of thing can be done to a 70-year-old grandmother running a small flower shop in rural washington state , then it can be done to you . no one 's conscience is safe if this precedent becomes the norm . | on thursday , a washington state judge ruled against stutzman |
cheryl <tsp> ( cnn ) are you smarter than a really smart singapore high school student ? see if you can figure out cheryl 's birthday , the singapore logic problem that 's got the internet twisted into knots . some are even saying it 's the math equivalent of the what color is the dress ' debate . the puzzling problem went viral after singapore television host kenneth kong posted it to facebook . cheryl 's birthday challenge was meant to test the better high-school students competing in the singapore and asian schools math olympiad , held april 8 . here it is : cheryl has a birthday , and she does n't want to share it right away . ( otherwise , we have no challenge to solve . ) so she gives her friends albert and bernard a list of 10 possible birthday dates : may 15 , may 16 , may 19 , june 17 , june 18 , july 14 , july 16 , august 14 , august 15 or august 17 . a brief conversation between albert and bernard -- who we assume are not lying for the sake of this problem -- gives the reader enough clues to eliminate nine of the 10 dates and discover cheryl 's birthday . that 's assuming you want to celebrate with cheryl after she 's put you through all that trouble . see our video below for the answer from georgia tech mathematician matt baker . the new york times and the washington post have also posted solutions to the problem , along with explanations . of course , the internet has offered other solutions . | a logic question about cheryl 's birthday ' goes viral |
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