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kuti <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if there 's only one african musician you 've heard of , it 's probably my father : fela kuti . his innovative musical style and flamboyant showmanship made him famous not just in nigeria , but throughout the world as he pioneered what became known as afrobeat . but fela kuti was more than a musician -- he was also a legendary activist , who with many other brave africans was jailed for speaking out . one of the great injustices of our time is that some of the poorest people in the world are living on top of some of the earth 's richest resources of oil , gas and minerals . but rather than benefiting from this wealth , they 're too often being robbed of it . in many african countries , the deals to extract these resources are done in the dark , with no information made available to citizens who deserve to know what their natural riches were sold for , and whether the money went to the national budget , or someone 's swiss bank account . as world leaders gather for the g20 summit in brisbane , australia , this weekend , it 's time to draw a line in the sand over the corruption that wracks africa . after all , you do n't have to visit lagos or abuja to see the disparity between the haves and have-nots . indeed , given revelations of government officials from some of africa 's poorest countries owning luxury homes in the united kingdom , united states and france , it is clear we need strong international transparency laws to help ensure such assets are n't purchased with money stolen from public coffers . but this is no longer my father 's fight . it 's time for the next generation of activists to hold today 's leaders accountable to their people . corruption is not just an african problem ; it 's a global issue . in today 's globalized world , where stolen money can be wired instantly from one country to another , we need global action to end corruption . after all , it takes two to tango . although a corrupt official or business in africa may be the one stealing money , those funds often end up in bank accounts and anonymous shell companies based in supposedly reputable financial centers like london , new york and hong kong . take , for instance , the case of former nigerian military dictator sani abacha . during his five-year reign in the 1990s , an estimated $ 3 billion to $ 5 billion of public money went missing . it is widely believed that much of that money ended up in bank accounts and shell companies in europe and the united states . the nigerian government has spent the past decade trying to find and recover it , with only modest success . with this in mind , we need to start by asking powerful countries to stop enabling the flow of ill-gotten spoils from developing nations to their shores . rich nations must pull up the welcome mat to criminals and they have a great opportunity to do just that at the upcoming g20 summit . so what practical steps can the g20 take to crack down on corruption ? first , they should require companies to publicize the names of their owners so that anonymous companies can no longer be used to steal the riches of developing countries . second , they should endorse mandatory transparency laws for oil , gas and mining companies so citizens can follow the money and hold their governments accountable for the effective use of natural resource wealth . and finally , the g20 should lead on greater tax transparency for companies , making information publicly available that can be used to ensure that businesses pay their fair share of taxes to governments . we can not lose sight of the impact of corruption on real human beings . according to the one campaign , nearly $ 1 trillion each year is siphoned out of developing countries through shady deals and money laundering , with sizable amounts of that money ending up in the world 's richest countries and offshore tax havens . this money could and should be used to build hospitals , schools , roads and infrastructure necessary to save and improve millions of peoples'lives . for decades , my father , and countless activists whose names history has forgotten , risked their lives to expose corruption and bring people to act , urging them to stand up for justice and human dignity . now is the time for world leaders meeting in australia to honor their legacy by tackling the problem of global corruption with smart , meaningful action . | many of the poorest people live in resource-rich nations , says femi kuti |
kuti <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if there 's only one african musician you 've heard of , it 's probably my father : fela kuti . his innovative musical style and flamboyant showmanship made him famous not just in nigeria , but throughout the world as he pioneered what became known as afrobeat . but fela kuti was more than a musician -- he was also a legendary activist , who with many other brave africans was jailed for speaking out . one of the great injustices of our time is that some of the poorest people in the world are living on top of some of the earth 's richest resources of oil , gas and minerals . but rather than benefiting from this wealth , they 're too often being robbed of it . in many african countries , the deals to extract these resources are done in the dark , with no information made available to citizens who deserve to know what their natural riches were sold for , and whether the money went to the national budget , or someone 's swiss bank account . as world leaders gather for the g20 summit in brisbane , australia , this weekend , it 's time to draw a line in the sand over the corruption that wracks africa . after all , you do n't have to visit lagos or abuja to see the disparity between the haves and have-nots . indeed , given revelations of government officials from some of africa 's poorest countries owning luxury homes in the united kingdom , united states and france , it is clear we need strong international transparency laws to help ensure such assets are n't purchased with money stolen from public coffers . but this is no longer my father 's fight . it 's time for the next generation of activists to hold today 's leaders accountable to their people . corruption is not just an african problem ; it 's a global issue . in today 's globalized world , where stolen money can be wired instantly from one country to another , we need global action to end corruption . after all , it takes two to tango . although a corrupt official or business in africa may be the one stealing money , those funds often end up in bank accounts and anonymous shell companies based in supposedly reputable financial centers like london , new york and hong kong . take , for instance , the case of former nigerian military dictator sani abacha . during his five-year reign in the 1990s , an estimated $ 3 billion to $ 5 billion of public money went missing . it is widely believed that much of that money ended up in bank accounts and shell companies in europe and the united states . the nigerian government has spent the past decade trying to find and recover it , with only modest success . with this in mind , we need to start by asking powerful countries to stop enabling the flow of ill-gotten spoils from developing nations to their shores . rich nations must pull up the welcome mat to criminals and they have a great opportunity to do just that at the upcoming g20 summit . so what practical steps can the g20 take to crack down on corruption ? first , they should require companies to publicize the names of their owners so that anonymous companies can no longer be used to steal the riches of developing countries . second , they should endorse mandatory transparency laws for oil , gas and mining companies so citizens can follow the money and hold their governments accountable for the effective use of natural resource wealth . and finally , the g20 should lead on greater tax transparency for companies , making information publicly available that can be used to ensure that businesses pay their fair share of taxes to governments . we can not lose sight of the impact of corruption on real human beings . according to the one campaign , nearly $ 1 trillion each year is siphoned out of developing countries through shady deals and money laundering , with sizable amounts of that money ending up in the world 's richest countries and offshore tax havens . this money could and should be used to build hospitals , schools , roads and infrastructure necessary to save and improve millions of peoples'lives . for decades , my father , and countless activists whose names history has forgotten , risked their lives to expose corruption and bring people to act , urging them to stand up for justice and human dignity . now is the time for world leaders meeting in australia to honor their legacy by tackling the problem of global corruption with smart , meaningful action . | kuti : corruption not just an african problem ; it 's a global issue |
united states <tsp> ( cnn ) -- al qaeda warnings against the united states emerged friday as the materials taken from osama bin laden 's compound continued to yield a trove of intelligence , including details about a possible attack on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 . al qaeda , the bin laden terrorist network that carried out the deadly attack in 2001 , confirmed its leader 's death on friday in a web statement and used that opportunity to taunt and threaten the united states . sheikh osama did n't build an organization that will vanish with his death or fades away with his departure , ' according to the statement , which cnn could not independently authenticate . the statement , which congratulates the islamic nation on the martyrdom of their devoted son osama , ' repeated themes and threats made over the years in prior al qaeda statements . the blood of the mujahid sheikh , osama bin laden , may god have mercy on him , is very dear to us and more precious to us and to every muslim from being shed in vain , ' the statement said . a mujahid is defined as a muslim engaged in what he considers to be jihad . this blood will be a curse that will chase the americans and their agents , a curse that will pursue them inside and outside their country , and soon -- with god 's help -- we pray that their happiness turns into sorrow and may their blood mix with their tears and let sheikh osama 's resonate again . ' in its pronouncements , al qaeda frequently cites the conflict between israel and the palestinians , and it did so again , saying friday that america will neither enjoy nor live in security until our people in palestine live it and enjoy it . ' the soldiers of islam in groups and as individuals will continue to plan and plot without any fatigue , boredom , despair , surrender or indifference until you receive from them a cunning misfortune that will gray the hair of the child even before he gets old , ' the statement said . pakistanis were urged to rise up ' and cleanse the disgrace that was brought upon them by a handful of traitors and thieves ' and their country from the filth of the americans who have wreaked havoc in the land . ' the statement surfaced as protesters packed the streets of abbottabad -- where bin laden was shot and killed -- in a rally organized by jamaat-e-islami , pakistan 's largest islamist party . the demonstrators denounced the u.s. and pakistani governments . also , the statement expressed disdain for the united states , both its efforts and its motives , saying that the americans managed to kill bin laden by disgrace and betrayal . ' bin laden was killed in a u.s. navy seal raid on his compound early monday in abbottabad , a military garrison town north of the capital of islamabad . men and heroes only should be confronted in the battlefields but at the end , that 's god 's fate . still we ask , will the americans be able -- through their media outlets , their agents , their instruments , soldiers , intelligence services and their might -- be able to kill what sheikh osama lived for and was killed for ? how far ! how impossible ! ' bin laden was buried at sea in what u.s. officials have described as a proper islamic burial . but the statement said if americans treat the bodies of bin laden or his family members improperly , either dead or alive , or do not hand over the bodies to families , there will be retribution . any offense will open unto your doors of multitudes of evil for which you will only have yourselves to blame . ' according to the statement , bin laden recorded an audio message a week prior to his death regarding the revolutions sweeping the muslim world and offering advice and guidance . al qaeda indicated that the release of this message is forthcoming . meanwhile , investigators poring over material seized in the monday raid found details about a possible attack on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 , and the intelligence led thursday to a nationwide alert regarding rail security . as early as february 2010 , al qaeda members discussed a plan to derail trains in the united states by placing obstructions on tracks over bridges and valleys , the alert said , according to one law enforcement official . the plan was to be executed later this year , coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the september 11 attacks , though no specific rail system was identified , the official said . the department of homeland security confirmed a notice was sent to federal , state , local and tribal authorities . we have no information of any imminent terrorist threat to the u.s. rail sector , but wanted to make sure our partners are aware of the alleged plotting . it is unclear if any further planning has been conducted since february of last year , ' spokesman matt chandler said . rail agencies across the united states heightened security . the chicago transit authority reissued security bulletins , reminding employees of what activities to look for and what steps to take should they encounter any suspicious or criminal activity during the course of their duties , ' said wanda taylor , a cta spokeswoman . amtrak employees also were on a heightened state of vigilance , ' spokesman marc magliari said . at fort campbell , kentucky , president obama thanked the troops for their efforts and vowed to achieve more . we are going to ultimately defeat al qaeda , ' he said to applause . we have cut off their head and we will ultimately defeat them . ' he said the u.s. strategy is working , and there is no greater evidence of that than justice finally being delivered to osama bin laden . ' a u.s. official said that valuable information has been gleaned already ' from the information gathered at bin laden 's compound , though no specific plots or terrorist suspects were identified . but the material suggests that al qaeda was particularly interested in striking washington , new york , los angeles and chicago , according to the law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity . u.s. authorities have found that al qaeda appeared especially interested in striking on significant dates like july 4 , christmas and the opening day of the united nations . the material seized from the compound included audio and video equipment , suggesting bin laden may have taped messages there , a u.s. official said . ten hard drives , five computers and more than 100 storage devices , such as disks and thumb drives , were also found , a senior u.s. official told cnn . the washington post reported on thursday that the cia had a safe house in abbottabad for a small team of spies ' who performed surveillance on the compound . citing u.s. officials , the effort relied on pakistani informants and other sources to help assemble a'pattern of life'portrait of the occupants and daily activities at the fortified compound where bin laden was found . ' it was mobilized after the discovery of the suspicious complex last august that involved virtually every category of collection in the u.s. arsenal , ranging from satellite imagery to eavesdropping efforts aimed at recording voices inside the compound , ' the post reported . dozens of people in abbottabad have been arrested because of their suspected connections to the compound where osama bin laden was shot and killed , a pakistani intelligence official said friday . investigators want to know whether any of the people are al qaeda members or sympathizers . the united states and pakistan have been allies for years in the anti-terrorism effort , but u.s. concerns that pakistanis have n't been robust enough in the fight against islamic militants and suspected u.s. drone attacks that killed innocent civilians have heightened tensions . another suspected drone strike killed 12 suspected militants on friday in the pakistani tribal region . questions remain over why and how pakistani intelligence officials could not have known bin laden was hiding out in the city , which is home to a military academy and has a strong military presence . pakistani armed forces chiefs issued a statement thursday admitting shortcomings in developing intelligence ' on the terrorist leader 's presence in the country . the army chief of staff , gen. ashfaq parvez kayani , made it very clear that any similar action , violating the sovereignty of pakistan , will warrant a review on the level of military/intelligence cooperation with the united states , ' the statement said . since the raid , pakistan has ordered u.s. military personnel on its territory drawn down to the minimum essential ' level , the statement said . | al qaeda says bin laden 's death will curse the united states |
powerball <tsp> ( cnn ) millions played -- and prayed . but no one got all the six life-changing numbers : 5 , 10 , 21 , 34 , 58 and the powerball , 33 . the next drawing is wednesday , and the estimated jackpot now shoots up to $ 450 million . it 's now among the largest jackpots and inching closer to the biggest in powerball history : $ 590.5 million won in 2013 meanwhile , here 's some mathematical reality : you do n't stand a chance . we know , we know -- someone may get at least a share of the prize . if not this one , then in a subsequent drawing . chances of it being you ? virtually nonexistent . the chance of a ticket winning a powerball jackpot is 1 in 175,223,510 . you have a better chance of becoming an astronaut , dating a supermodel -- maybe even being attacked by a shark or struck by lightning -- the latter two simultaneously . but hey , dream on ! we will , too . cnn 's anneclaire stapleton contributed to this report | your chances of winning the powerball are ... virtually nonexistent |
powerball <tsp> ( cnn ) millions played -- and prayed . but no one got all the six life-changing numbers : 5 , 10 , 21 , 34 , 58 and the powerball , 33 . the next drawing is wednesday , and the estimated jackpot now shoots up to $ 450 million . it 's now among the largest jackpots and inching closer to the biggest in powerball history : $ 590.5 million won in 2013 meanwhile , here 's some mathematical reality : you do n't stand a chance . we know , we know -- someone may get at least a share of the prize . if not this one , then in a subsequent drawing . chances of it being you ? virtually nonexistent . the chance of a ticket winning a powerball jackpot is 1 in 175,223,510 . you have a better chance of becoming an astronaut , dating a supermodel -- maybe even being attacked by a shark or struck by lightning -- the latter two simultaneously . but hey , dream on ! we will , too . cnn 's anneclaire stapleton contributed to this report | the biggest jackpot in powerball history was $ 590.5 million , won in 2013 |
anthony <tsp> ( cnn ) -- casey anthony , accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter caylee in 2008 , was determined competent to proceed with her capital murder trial after she was examined by three psychologists over the weekend , the judge said monday . the psychologists'reports will be sealed , said orange county chief judge belvin perry jr. outside the presence of the jury . based on privileged communications between casey marie anthony and her counsel , counsel reasonably believes that ms. anthony is not competent to aid and assist in her own defense and is incompetent to proceed , ' said the motion , filed by defense attorneys saturday under seal and made public monday . as a result of this well-founded concern , counsel requests a full competency determination before the continuation of trial proceedings . ' it was implied -- but not expressly stated -- that the motion was the reason for the abrupt recess perry called on saturday morning . anthony , 25 , is charged with seven counts , including first-degree murder , aggravated child abuse and misleading police , in her daughter 's death . prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against her . anthony 's defense team is trying to discredit the prosecution theory that the orlando woman rendered caylee unconscious with chloroform , duct-taped her mouth and nose , and stored the body in her car trunk for a few days before dumping it in the woods . the defense says caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool and that anthony and her father , george , panicked and covered it up . george anthony has denied that theory . anthony 's defense attorneys also filed a motion monday asking perry to reconsider an earlier decision and declare florida 's death penalty law unconstitutional . the motion cites a june 20 decision by u.s. district judge jose martinez , which found the method used to reach a death sentence in florida is improper because it does not require a jury to make the findings of fact necessary to impose a death sentence . ' anthony 's attorneys had previously filed a motion asking for the statute to be declared unconstitutional , and perry denied it . after the martinez decision , they are asking him to reconsider . because florida 's death penalty procedure is unconstitutional , the death penalty should be precluded as a potential sentence , ' according to the motion . in the case martinez ruled on , evans v. mcneil , the jury recommended a sentence of death on a 9-3 vote but did not say on which aggravating factors it based the decision . a motion to alter or amend has been filed in the case -- basically a motion asking martinez to reconsider . jurors heard monday from two men who worked for casey anthony 's parents , george and cindy anthony , after caylee 's disappearance on june 16 , 2008 . private investigators james hoover and dominic casey both said they provided security services at the anthony home from protesters ' who would show up . hoover said he was working as a citizen although he is a licensed private investigator . the two said they spent two days in november 2008 searching a wooded area for caylee 's body . the search site was near where the remains were found a month later . a videotape of that search was played for jurors . casey told defense attorney ann finnell the search was prompted by a phone tip he received from a psychic . both defense attorney jose baez and prosecutor linda drane burdick accused hoover of attempting to cash in on his association with the case by trying to sell the tape of the search , but he denied that , saying he actually thought he had taped over the search and only discovered later he had not . he did say he at one point was going to sell some photographs of the search and give the money to casey and the anthony family . i did n't need it , ' he said . jurors also heard from kenneth furton , a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at florida international university and director emeritus of the university 's international forensic research institute . furton testified that he studies chemicals emitted by both live and dead people . chloroform can be given off in small amounts by a decomposing body . one prosecution expert , arpad vass of tennessee 's oak ridge national laboratory , described the levels of the substance in the trunk of anthony 's white pontiac sunfire as shockingly high . ' several witnesses also testified for the state about odors that they said smelled like the unmistakable scent of human decomposition . furton said there are alternative explanations for the chloroform found in the trunk , noting the compound is found in a number of household items , particularly bleach . on his cross-examination , prosecutor jeff ashton held up the black spare tire cover from anthony 's trunk . furton acknowledged that if bleach had been poured directly on the carpet , the cover would have showed some evidence of that . also , furton said , the chemical reactions that produce chloroform also produce other substances . testing was not done to determine whether any of those substances were present , he said -- either by him or by the oak ridge laboratory . furton said there is no instrumentation that can record with scientific validity the presence or absence of human decomposition , and said his studies suggest there are chemical compounds unique to human decomposition that were not present in vass'analysis of the air samples from the trunk . on cross-examination , however , he acknowledged that a decomposing human body would explain the presence of the compounds that vass found , but furton said a bag of garbage that was left in the trunk for weeks could have contributed . before a lunch break , furton testified that the oak ridge laboratory should have done a quantitative analysis to determine how much chloroform was present in the trunk in order to state its importance . orange county sheriff 's office detective yuri melich , the lead investigator in the case , was also recalled to the stand monday . baez questioned melich in an effort to cast doubt on the thoroughness of the investigation . under questioning , melich acknowledged that he did not subpoena george anthony 's cell tower records , showing where he was when calls were made or received . asked whether that might have helped investigators , melich said it would have , if i had had a reason to believe it would play a part in this case , which at the time i did not . ' he said he also did not seize a computer belonging to roy kronk , the meter reader who discovered caylee 's remains in a wooded area near the anthony home on december 11 , 2008 . melich testified he had no reason to do so . melich also said that cadaver dogs were not deployed on george and cindy anthony 's cars , only on casey anthony 's . on cross-examination , burdick asked melich whether anyone ever reported that either of those cars smelled like a dead body , and he said they did not . monday marks the beginning of the sixth week of testimony in the trial , which began with opening statements on may 24 . perry originally told jurors , who are being housed in an orlando hotel shielded from media coverage of the trial , that the trial could last six to eight weeks . on friday -- before saturday 's delay -- baez said he expected the defense to rest on wednesday or possibly thursday . that would leave room for a rebuttal case from the prosecution and closing statements before the independence day holiday . saturday was planned as a full day in the trial , and it was unclear how the day 's delay would affect those plans . testimony on monday lasted until after 7 p.m. caylee was not reported missing to police until july 15 , 2008 , when cindy anthony , tracked down her daughter casey and demanded answers regarding caylee 's whereabouts . prosecution witnesses described casey anthony 's behavior in the month after caylee was last seen as nonchalant , testifying that she spent time with her boyfriend , went shopping and to nightclubs -- but told no one her daughter was missing . they testified they noticed no change in her demeanor . baez said in his opening statement that anthony behaved as she did because years of sexual abuse by her father had conditioned her to conceal the truth and hide her pain . george anthony has denied the claims that he abused his daughter or helped conceal his granddaughter 's death . in session 's grace wong , jean casarez , jessica thill and michael christian contributed to this report . watch nancy grace monday through sunday starting at 8 p.m . et on hln . for the latest from nancy grace click here . | three psychologists examined anthony over the weekend at her attorneys'request |
united <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the 161 passengers aboard united flight 1603 must have known something was wrong when a crew member announced on the cabin loudspeaker if anyone aboard was a physician . the pilot , capt . henry skillern , 63 , was suffering a heart attack . the in-flight emergency thursday night that began somewhere in the skies between houston and seattle prompted the 737 to divert to boise , idaho . air traffic controllers radioed the plane 's first officer who updated them with the captain 's condition . we got a man down , chest compressions going on right now , ' the first officer said . i 'm not sure too much right now on status . ' once the aircraft was on the ground , first responders boarded and rushed skillern to boise 's saint alphonsus hospital , where he later died . the tragedy threatens to reignite the debate over faa age restrictions for commercial airline pilots . in 2007 , the mandatory pilot retirement age was raised from 60 to 65 . at that time the faa said five pilotsâ -- their ages ranging from 48 to 57 -- had died in-flight since 1994 , when the faa began following that statistic . related story : health vs. experience central to pilot-age debate when the faa was considering raising the retirement age , then-administrator marion blakey underscored the value of pilot experience , calling it an added margin of safety . ' foreign airlines have demonstrated that experienced pilots in good health can fly beyond age 60 without compromising safety , ' she said . friday , former department of transportation inspector general mary schiavo said she does n't believe the flight 1603 tragedy alone will fuel a new debate over the issue . but she says it does point out the importance of careful pilot health screening . people die everyday from unanticipated heart attacks , but in many cases you can find problems when you do a rigorous physical , ' says schiavo , who 's now at the law firm motley rice , where she specializes in aviation . the faa has already shown signs that it 's looking more closely at other pilot related health issues , including the effects of prescription and over-the-counter medications . i think the faa will probably revisit whether they 're monitoring pilot health stringently enough , ' schiavo says . current faa regulations call for a medical examination every year for commercial airline pilots under age 40 and every six months for those over age 40 . to pass the exam , they must not have an established medical history or diagnosis of coronary heart disease that has required treatment . all airline pilots are required to get ekg heart checks at the age of 35 . for those age 40 and older , annual ekgs are required . and airline pilots are required to report any heart disease to the faa , regardless of when they learn about it . it was n't immediately known whether capt . skillern was piloting the plane at the time he became incapacitated . typically , there are two pilots in the cockpit so that during an emergency , either pilot can quickly take control of the aircraft . flight 1603 's passengers waited at the boise airport until united flew in another pilot from san francisco , before they were able to continue their journey to seattle . cnn 's john branch and mike m. ahlers contributed to this report . | united capt . henry skillern , 63 , of humble , texas , died after heart attack , according to coroner |
united <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the 161 passengers aboard united flight 1603 must have known something was wrong when a crew member announced on the cabin loudspeaker if anyone aboard was a physician . the pilot , capt . henry skillern , 63 , was suffering a heart attack . the in-flight emergency thursday night that began somewhere in the skies between houston and seattle prompted the 737 to divert to boise , idaho . air traffic controllers radioed the plane 's first officer who updated them with the captain 's condition . we got a man down , chest compressions going on right now , ' the first officer said . i 'm not sure too much right now on status . ' once the aircraft was on the ground , first responders boarded and rushed skillern to boise 's saint alphonsus hospital , where he later died . the tragedy threatens to reignite the debate over faa age restrictions for commercial airline pilots . in 2007 , the mandatory pilot retirement age was raised from 60 to 65 . at that time the faa said five pilotsâ -- their ages ranging from 48 to 57 -- had died in-flight since 1994 , when the faa began following that statistic . related story : health vs. experience central to pilot-age debate when the faa was considering raising the retirement age , then-administrator marion blakey underscored the value of pilot experience , calling it an added margin of safety . ' foreign airlines have demonstrated that experienced pilots in good health can fly beyond age 60 without compromising safety , ' she said . friday , former department of transportation inspector general mary schiavo said she does n't believe the flight 1603 tragedy alone will fuel a new debate over the issue . but she says it does point out the importance of careful pilot health screening . people die everyday from unanticipated heart attacks , but in many cases you can find problems when you do a rigorous physical , ' says schiavo , who 's now at the law firm motley rice , where she specializes in aviation . the faa has already shown signs that it 's looking more closely at other pilot related health issues , including the effects of prescription and over-the-counter medications . i think the faa will probably revisit whether they 're monitoring pilot health stringently enough , ' schiavo says . current faa regulations call for a medical examination every year for commercial airline pilots under age 40 and every six months for those over age 40 . to pass the exam , they must not have an established medical history or diagnosis of coronary heart disease that has required treatment . all airline pilots are required to get ekg heart checks at the age of 35 . for those age 40 and older , annual ekgs are required . and airline pilots are required to report any heart disease to the faa , regardless of when they learn about it . it was n't immediately known whether capt . skillern was piloting the plane at the time he became incapacitated . typically , there are two pilots in the cockpit so that during an emergency , either pilot can quickly take control of the aircraft . flight 1603 's passengers waited at the boise airport until united flew in another pilot from san francisco , before they were able to continue their journey to seattle . cnn 's john branch and mike m. ahlers contributed to this report . | united flight 1063 diverted to boise , idaho , where paramedics took the pilot to a hospital |
hong kong <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- tam chi tat has driven his bright red taxi for 20 years . born and raised in hong kong , he calls himself not chinese but a hong konger . ' the distinction is very important to him . the difference between hong kong and the mainland is that we grew up in a relatively free environment , ' he says . relative freedom rings in this metropolis on the southern tip of china . there 's freedom of assembly , freedom of the press and rule of law . since the handover from britain to china 17 years ago , the people of hong kong were granted a wide range of civil liberties and a measure of autonomy under the governing principle known as one country , two systems . ' but many say that way of life is now under threat as beijing affirms its comprehensive jurisdiction ' over hong kong in a white paper issued by the state council information office . many in hong kong consider the white paper an abrupt missive from beijing declaring that they call the shots . political muscles albert ho is a member of hong kong 's legislative council and organizer of occupy central -- a movement of pro-democracy activists who have threatened to occupy ' the central business district if their calls are not heard . he tells me this is the message from beijing : hong kong is subordinate to the central government . and when the time comes -- if it 's necessary and appropriate -- all the powers previously given , dedicated and authorized to hong kong , could be taken back , ' ho adds . china 's political muscle flexing comes at a politically sensitive time for the territory , as scores of hong kongers demand true universal suffrage to elect their leader . the national people 's congress has said that the election of hong kong 's top leader may be implemented by universal suffrage in 2017 . but will it happen without beijing effectively screening the candidates ? as a hint of what will happen in 2017 , michael degolyer , professor and director of the hong kong transition project , points to how patriotism is emphasized in the white paper . clearly they are saying that ( patriotism ) is the fundamental requirement , ' degolyer says . and we have to be assured whoever is being nominated to run is patriotic , according to our definition , i.e . willing to follow orders . ' standing ground on july 1st in hong kong , tens of thousands of protesters -- if not more -- demonstrated for a free and open system to elect their government . after the march , more than 500 protesters were arrested at an illegal sit-in -- including albert ho . prior to his arrest , the pro-democracy lawmaker told me he was willing to go to jail to expand democracy in hong kong because we have to make it absolutely clear to beijing that they have to honor their promises given to the hong kong people . ' but is civil disobedience the only way forward ? douglas young is hong kong-born designer and co-founder of goods of desire , a retail business and lifestyle brand that draws inspiration from local icons from old mailboxes to mooncakes . over the years , young has courted controversy -- and the attention of hong kong police -- with a few eyebrow-raising designs . and yet the rebel designer believes persuasion -- not protest -- should shape the future of hong kong . young addresses albert ho point blank : i think you are going to create more enemies than supporters . ' at the end of the day , especially in an asian society , i do n't think people react well with aggression . it 's soft power , it 's persuasion , that can appeal to them . ' true freedom like many other business owners in hong kong , young believes demonstrations should take a backseat to dialogue with china to bring about more opportunity . we should integrate with china , ' young says . kids will be able to build their homes and businesses because what we suffer from is the lack of space in hong kong . ' if we can embrace guangzhou , shanghai , dongguan and macau , hong kong will be a great metropolis . ' but , as albert ho points out , such opportunity requires both sound infrastructure and sound governance . we need good government , ' ho tells me emphatically . and that must be based on a truly democratic government . ' hong kong taxi driver tam chi tat wants his vote to truly count one day . i definitely want universal suffrage , ' he says . so that we can have a leader who is not as corrupt as mainland officials . ' it 's the aspiration of a people raised on freedom . but true universal suffrage anywhere on chinese soil is not something beijing will easily grant . | hong kong governed by china under one country , two systems ' model allows the territory more freedoms than the rest of the country |
hong kong <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- tam chi tat has driven his bright red taxi for 20 years . born and raised in hong kong , he calls himself not chinese but a hong konger . ' the distinction is very important to him . the difference between hong kong and the mainland is that we grew up in a relatively free environment , ' he says . relative freedom rings in this metropolis on the southern tip of china . there 's freedom of assembly , freedom of the press and rule of law . since the handover from britain to china 17 years ago , the people of hong kong were granted a wide range of civil liberties and a measure of autonomy under the governing principle known as one country , two systems . ' but many say that way of life is now under threat as beijing affirms its comprehensive jurisdiction ' over hong kong in a white paper issued by the state council information office . many in hong kong consider the white paper an abrupt missive from beijing declaring that they call the shots . political muscles albert ho is a member of hong kong 's legislative council and organizer of occupy central -- a movement of pro-democracy activists who have threatened to occupy ' the central business district if their calls are not heard . he tells me this is the message from beijing : hong kong is subordinate to the central government . and when the time comes -- if it 's necessary and appropriate -- all the powers previously given , dedicated and authorized to hong kong , could be taken back , ' ho adds . china 's political muscle flexing comes at a politically sensitive time for the territory , as scores of hong kongers demand true universal suffrage to elect their leader . the national people 's congress has said that the election of hong kong 's top leader may be implemented by universal suffrage in 2017 . but will it happen without beijing effectively screening the candidates ? as a hint of what will happen in 2017 , michael degolyer , professor and director of the hong kong transition project , points to how patriotism is emphasized in the white paper . clearly they are saying that ( patriotism ) is the fundamental requirement , ' degolyer says . and we have to be assured whoever is being nominated to run is patriotic , according to our definition , i.e . willing to follow orders . ' standing ground on july 1st in hong kong , tens of thousands of protesters -- if not more -- demonstrated for a free and open system to elect their government . after the march , more than 500 protesters were arrested at an illegal sit-in -- including albert ho . prior to his arrest , the pro-democracy lawmaker told me he was willing to go to jail to expand democracy in hong kong because we have to make it absolutely clear to beijing that they have to honor their promises given to the hong kong people . ' but is civil disobedience the only way forward ? douglas young is hong kong-born designer and co-founder of goods of desire , a retail business and lifestyle brand that draws inspiration from local icons from old mailboxes to mooncakes . over the years , young has courted controversy -- and the attention of hong kong police -- with a few eyebrow-raising designs . and yet the rebel designer believes persuasion -- not protest -- should shape the future of hong kong . young addresses albert ho point blank : i think you are going to create more enemies than supporters . ' at the end of the day , especially in an asian society , i do n't think people react well with aggression . it 's soft power , it 's persuasion , that can appeal to them . ' true freedom like many other business owners in hong kong , young believes demonstrations should take a backseat to dialogue with china to bring about more opportunity . we should integrate with china , ' young says . kids will be able to build their homes and businesses because what we suffer from is the lack of space in hong kong . ' if we can embrace guangzhou , shanghai , dongguan and macau , hong kong will be a great metropolis . ' but , as albert ho points out , such opportunity requires both sound infrastructure and sound governance . we need good government , ' ho tells me emphatically . and that must be based on a truly democratic government . ' hong kong taxi driver tam chi tat wants his vote to truly count one day . i definitely want universal suffrage , ' he says . so that we can have a leader who is not as corrupt as mainland officials . ' it 's the aspiration of a people raised on freedom . but true universal suffrage anywhere on chinese soil is not something beijing will easily grant . | hong kong resident : i definitely want universal suffrage so that we can have a leader who is not as corrupt as mainland officials ' |
hong kong <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- tam chi tat has driven his bright red taxi for 20 years . born and raised in hong kong , he calls himself not chinese but a hong konger . ' the distinction is very important to him . the difference between hong kong and the mainland is that we grew up in a relatively free environment , ' he says . relative freedom rings in this metropolis on the southern tip of china . there 's freedom of assembly , freedom of the press and rule of law . since the handover from britain to china 17 years ago , the people of hong kong were granted a wide range of civil liberties and a measure of autonomy under the governing principle known as one country , two systems . ' but many say that way of life is now under threat as beijing affirms its comprehensive jurisdiction ' over hong kong in a white paper issued by the state council information office . many in hong kong consider the white paper an abrupt missive from beijing declaring that they call the shots . political muscles albert ho is a member of hong kong 's legislative council and organizer of occupy central -- a movement of pro-democracy activists who have threatened to occupy ' the central business district if their calls are not heard . he tells me this is the message from beijing : hong kong is subordinate to the central government . and when the time comes -- if it 's necessary and appropriate -- all the powers previously given , dedicated and authorized to hong kong , could be taken back , ' ho adds . china 's political muscle flexing comes at a politically sensitive time for the territory , as scores of hong kongers demand true universal suffrage to elect their leader . the national people 's congress has said that the election of hong kong 's top leader may be implemented by universal suffrage in 2017 . but will it happen without beijing effectively screening the candidates ? as a hint of what will happen in 2017 , michael degolyer , professor and director of the hong kong transition project , points to how patriotism is emphasized in the white paper . clearly they are saying that ( patriotism ) is the fundamental requirement , ' degolyer says . and we have to be assured whoever is being nominated to run is patriotic , according to our definition , i.e . willing to follow orders . ' standing ground on july 1st in hong kong , tens of thousands of protesters -- if not more -- demonstrated for a free and open system to elect their government . after the march , more than 500 protesters were arrested at an illegal sit-in -- including albert ho . prior to his arrest , the pro-democracy lawmaker told me he was willing to go to jail to expand democracy in hong kong because we have to make it absolutely clear to beijing that they have to honor their promises given to the hong kong people . ' but is civil disobedience the only way forward ? douglas young is hong kong-born designer and co-founder of goods of desire , a retail business and lifestyle brand that draws inspiration from local icons from old mailboxes to mooncakes . over the years , young has courted controversy -- and the attention of hong kong police -- with a few eyebrow-raising designs . and yet the rebel designer believes persuasion -- not protest -- should shape the future of hong kong . young addresses albert ho point blank : i think you are going to create more enemies than supporters . ' at the end of the day , especially in an asian society , i do n't think people react well with aggression . it 's soft power , it 's persuasion , that can appeal to them . ' true freedom like many other business owners in hong kong , young believes demonstrations should take a backseat to dialogue with china to bring about more opportunity . we should integrate with china , ' young says . kids will be able to build their homes and businesses because what we suffer from is the lack of space in hong kong . ' if we can embrace guangzhou , shanghai , dongguan and macau , hong kong will be a great metropolis . ' but , as albert ho points out , such opportunity requires both sound infrastructure and sound governance . we need good government , ' ho tells me emphatically . and that must be based on a truly democratic government . ' hong kong taxi driver tam chi tat wants his vote to truly count one day . i definitely want universal suffrage , ' he says . so that we can have a leader who is not as corrupt as mainland officials . ' it 's the aspiration of a people raised on freedom . but true universal suffrage anywhere on chinese soil is not something beijing will easily grant . | the election of hong kong 's top leader may be by universal suffrage in 2017 |
house <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it was smooth sailing in the house , but things are looking much tighter in the senate for a bipartisan budget proposal that aims to avert another government shutdown and relax sweeping forced spending cuts . still , despite strong opposition from republicans to the compromise , supporters are within striking distance of rounding up the votes they need to pass it in the senate next week . top aides in both parties privately expressed confidence on friday the bill will get the necessary support , even if a couple of wary moderate democrats end up voting no . ' at least four republicans told cnn they are committed to backing procedural votes needed to pass the measure . that gets the 55 senate democrats †” most of whom are expected to support it -- close to the 60 votes needed to get the legislation through the chamber . final congressional approval of an elusive budget agreement that was overwhelmingly approved in the house and supported by the white house would mark a rare win for bipartisanship and a step up for a congress infected with political dysfunction and held in low public esteem with midterm elections less than a year off . it would also avert another government shutdown like the one in october that americans largely blamed on congress . i think it would be outrageous to shut down the government and i 'm not going to do that to my constituents who i represent , ' said sen. john mccain , r-arizona . other key gop members in addition to mccain , sen. susan collins , r-maine , a moderate who often votes with democrats , said she will vote for the bill . sen. richard burr , r-north carolina , and sen. jeff flake , r-arizona , said they are undecided on the bill itself , but both will vote with democrats on the critical procedural motions . democrats think they have a chance of getting the support of sen. lisa murkowski , r-alaska , and sen. roy blunt , r-missouri . each seemed to be struggling with their decision . i would say it 's not as good an agreement i had hoped for but it 's a better agreement than i was afraid it might be . so i 'm certainly open to looking at it , ' blunt said . it needs to get done for a lot of good reasons ; we want to avoid a shutdown , clearly , ' murkowski said . do i like a lot of the stuff in it ? eh , no . ' most gop senators , raising a variety of concerns , are expected to vote against the bill . i 'm concerned we have once again kicked the can down now a long road , ' said sen. dan coats , r-indiana , who said he is undecided . i 'm leaning strongly against it , ' said sen. chuck grassley , r-iowa , a veteran lawmaker who opposes some of the fees the bill raises . budget deal struck the budget agreement , which was months in the making , eases spending caps for the next two fiscal years while softening the impact of across-the-board spending cuts , known as the sequester , on hard-hit defense and non-defense programs . it does this , in part , by raising fees on airlines tickets , shrinking the retirement benefits of some veterans , extending some cuts to medicare providers , and imposing other fees . current federal spending expires in mid january , raising the possibility of another shut down at that time without a new agreement in place to keep federal coffers filled . the strong vote in the house on the budget plan on thursday -- 332-94 -- brought a collective sigh of relief among supporters who initially thought it would sail through the senate where bipartisanship has been more the norm than in the sharply divided house . but after reading details of the agreement , many senate republicans -- including several in leadership positions -- came out against the bill . i 'd really like to stay within the caps , ' complained sen. john boozman , r-arkansas . this busts the caps and as a result i 'll vote against it . ' i believe it will do disproportionate harm to our military retirees , ' said sen. lindsay graham , r-south carolina , in announcing his opposition . we need to find a better way to save $ 6 billion than take it out of the hides of our retired veterans , ' said sen. roger wicker , r-mississippi who said he would vote against the bill . graham , wicker , and sen. kelly ayotte , r-new hampshire , sent a letter to their senate colleagues urging them to oppose the bill over the reduction in military benefits . it was unclear if the emergence of the politically sensitive issue would increase opposition . one senator said outside interest groups for service members and veterans were caught off guard to the provision in the agreement and were just now beginning to mobilize against it . sen. mike johanns , r-nebraska , said he finds the military pension issue bothersome'but remains undecided on how to vote . i would n't say leaning'yes'or leaning'no .'i 'm very concerned about the package but i can also see the merits of a two year deal . so i want the weekend to think about it , ' he said . the retiring first-term lawmaker predicted the bill will pass the senate regardless of the way he votes . midterm primaries , and 2016 the top senate republican , mitch mcconnell , r-kentucky , has hinted strongly he will vote against it . he cites the weakening of budget sequester as a key complaint . the same is true for his top two lieutenants -- sen. john cornyn of texas and sen. john thune of south dakota -- both of whom have declared they will oppose the compromise . mcconnell and cornyn are up for re-election and both facing primary challenges from the right . that might explain some of their sensitivity to giving up on the budget cuts , which are very popular with conservative voters . three leading tea party-backed senators -- rand paul of kentucky , ted cruz of texas , and marco rubio of florida , -- each with 2016 presidential aspirations , also have come out against it for similar reasons . the new budget deal moves in the wrong direction : it spends more , taxes more , and allows continued funding for obamacare . i can not support it , ' cruz said . | the house passed a compromise budget bill easily , sending it to the senate |
boston police department <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a scathing review of policing in boston found that in a city where about a quarter of the population is african-american , two-thirds of police stops involved black residents , according to the american civil liberties union . the report , titled black , brown , and targeted , ' is based on the preliminary results of a study commissioned by the boston police department -- which analyzed 204,000 field interrogation and observation ' ( fio ) reports from police officers between 2007 and 2010 . the fact that blacks make up about 25 % of boston 's population , but are stopped 63 % of the time raises serious concerns of racially biased policing , ' said nusrat choudhury , an attorney with the aclu racial justice program . the findings come in the wake of troubling incidents across the nation in which police actions disproportionately targeted african-americans in cities like new york , where questionable police tactics have been captured on video . additionally , the controversial shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in ferguson , missouri , has drawn national attention to the issue of police/community relations . released jointly by the aclu and its branch in massachusetts , the report found that boston police gave no justification for 75 % of the encounters with citizens and listed the reason for the stop simply as investigate person . ' only 2.5 % of the encounters lead to seizure of contraband , according to the aclu . 'investigate person'can not provide a constitutionally permissible reason for stopping or frisking someone , ' said matthew segal , legal director at the aclu of massachusetts . it only describes what the officer decided to do . it basically means :'because i said so .'' the boston police department said it has made significant changes to procedures since 2011 , including improved documentation and supervision of stops . over the past month , the department has held three separate meetings with the aclu to receive feedback and engage the organization in the solutions , ' the department said in a statement . as a result of the meetings , the department agrees that publishing fio statistics going forward is necessary , and the department is working toward personalizing interactions between officers and citizens . ' the report said that boston police failed to show that its stops and frisks produced results . in a four-year span , the bpd targeted blacks for roughly 129,600 encounters -- 63.3 % of 204,739 -- that did not result in arrest , ' the report said . segal said the findings were clear evidence of racial bias by boston officers . this practice contradicts the principle of equal protection under the law , which is guaranteed by both the u.s. and massachusetts constitutions , ' he said . we hope that we can work collaboratively with the bpd to address this problem . ' a report released in new york last year found that officers there also disproportionately targeted minorities during stops . nearly nine out of 10 people stopped and frisked ' under a controversial new york police department policy in 2011 were african-american or hispanic , the nypd report said . the new york report showed that of 685,724 stops made by police that year , 53 % of those questioned were black , 34 % were latino , 9 % were white and 3 % were asian . the citywide population in 2011 was 23.4 % black , 29.4 % hispanic , 12.9 % asian , and 34.3 % non-hispanic white , according to the report . opinion : obama needs to lead on racial profiling legislation in boston , the aclu has requested that police release statistics on police-civilian encounters on a quarterly basis . it also recommended that officers who are involved in stops wear body cameras during interactions with the public -- a practice now in place in ferguson , missouri , after unarmed teenager michael brown was shot and killed by a white police officer . a spate of incidents across the nation has drawn attention to police tactics . ferguson police officer darren wilson shot and killed the 18-year-old in the middle of the day on august 9 after telling brown and a friend to get out of the street . a grand jury is expected to decide by mid-november whether wilson will be charged criminally for the shooting , which has sparked weeks of unrest . on staten island in new york on july 17 , eric garner raised both hands in the air and told officers who approached him about illegally selling cigarettes to not touch him . seconds later , a video taken by a bystander showed an officer grab garner from behind in a chokehold and pull him to the sidewalk , rolling him onto his stomach . the video showed garner lying on the ground motionless . an asthmatic and father of six , garner was later declared dead at a nearby hospital . an indiana family is suing a city and the local police after officers smashed a car window to stun and arrest a black passenger during a traffic stop . the family said police pulled them over because the two front passengers were not wearing a seat belt on september 24 in hammond , indiana . | aclu report is based on study commissioned by boston police department |
brisman <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the mother of a 25-year-old woman killed in a boston hotel more than a week ago said friday that she will remain haunted by her daughter 's death for the rest of her life . the mother of julissa brisman says she remains haunted by her daughter 's death . our family has been devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter , julissa , ' carmen guzman said in a statement released friday , which would have been julissa brisman 's 26th birthday . the feeling of losing my daughter in this way and the pain she must have felt will haunt me for the rest of my life , ' guzman said . she wo n't live to see her dreams . we will hold julissa in our hearts every day . ' philip markoff , 23 , a second-year student at boston university 's school of medicine , is charged with killing brisman on april 14 at boston 's copley marriott hotel . police have said that brisman , a model from new york , advertised as a masseuse on the online classifieds web site craigslist . they say markoff may have met her through the online site . prosecutors say brisman sustained blunt head trauma , and said she was shot three times at close range . one of the bullets passed through her heart , killing her , prosecutors said . markoff , who was arraigned tuesday , is being held without bail . his attorney , john salsberg , told reporters after the hearing that markoff is not guilty of the charges . he has his family 's support . i have not received any document or report or piece of evidence other than what i heard in the courtroom . all i have at the moment are words -- no proof of anything . ' a procedural not-guilty plea was entered on markoff 's behalf , according to suffolk county district attorney daniel conley . markoff is also charged in connection with the april 10 robbery of trisha leffler , 29 , at a westin hotel in boston . leffler was robbed of $ 800 in cash and $ 250 in american express giftcards , according to police reports . she was held at gunpoint and bound , prosecutors said . megan mcallister , who identified herself as markoff 's fiancee , maintained his innocence in an e-mail sent to abc news . mcallister said markoff is the wrong man ' and was set up . ' unfortunately , you were given wrong information as was the public , ' she wrote . all i have to say to you is philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly ! ' authorities believe the motive in brisman 's death was robbery , conley told reporters . in executing a search warrant at markoff 's home , police found a firearm , along with restraints and duct tape , he said . authorities in boston are working with police in warwick , rhode island , on what could be a related case . on april 16 at a holiday inn express in warwick , a man tied up and demanded money from a 26-year-old dancer who had posted a craigslist advertisement , warwick police chief col. stephen mccartney said . the robbery was interrupted when the woman 's husband entered the room . after pointing his gun at the husband , the suspect fled , mccartney said . he said the incident may be related to similar crimes occurring in the boston area ' but that had not been determined . | philip markoff , 23 , charged in brisman 's death |
brisman <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the mother of a 25-year-old woman killed in a boston hotel more than a week ago said friday that she will remain haunted by her daughter 's death for the rest of her life . the mother of julissa brisman says she remains haunted by her daughter 's death . our family has been devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter , julissa , ' carmen guzman said in a statement released friday , which would have been julissa brisman 's 26th birthday . the feeling of losing my daughter in this way and the pain she must have felt will haunt me for the rest of my life , ' guzman said . she wo n't live to see her dreams . we will hold julissa in our hearts every day . ' philip markoff , 23 , a second-year student at boston university 's school of medicine , is charged with killing brisman on april 14 at boston 's copley marriott hotel . police have said that brisman , a model from new york , advertised as a masseuse on the online classifieds web site craigslist . they say markoff may have met her through the online site . prosecutors say brisman sustained blunt head trauma , and said she was shot three times at close range . one of the bullets passed through her heart , killing her , prosecutors said . markoff , who was arraigned tuesday , is being held without bail . his attorney , john salsberg , told reporters after the hearing that markoff is not guilty of the charges . he has his family 's support . i have not received any document or report or piece of evidence other than what i heard in the courtroom . all i have at the moment are words -- no proof of anything . ' a procedural not-guilty plea was entered on markoff 's behalf , according to suffolk county district attorney daniel conley . markoff is also charged in connection with the april 10 robbery of trisha leffler , 29 , at a westin hotel in boston . leffler was robbed of $ 800 in cash and $ 250 in american express giftcards , according to police reports . she was held at gunpoint and bound , prosecutors said . megan mcallister , who identified herself as markoff 's fiancee , maintained his innocence in an e-mail sent to abc news . mcallister said markoff is the wrong man ' and was set up . ' unfortunately , you were given wrong information as was the public , ' she wrote . all i have to say to you is philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly ! ' authorities believe the motive in brisman 's death was robbery , conley told reporters . in executing a search warrant at markoff 's home , police found a firearm , along with restraints and duct tape , he said . authorities in boston are working with police in warwick , rhode island , on what could be a related case . on april 16 at a holiday inn express in warwick , a man tied up and demanded money from a 26-year-old dancer who had posted a craigslist advertisement , warwick police chief col. stephen mccartney said . the robbery was interrupted when the woman 's husband entered the room . after pointing his gun at the husband , the suspect fled , mccartney said . he said the incident may be related to similar crimes occurring in the boston area ' but that had not been determined . | police say markoff met brisman on popular online classifieds web site |
brisman <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the mother of a 25-year-old woman killed in a boston hotel more than a week ago said friday that she will remain haunted by her daughter 's death for the rest of her life . the mother of julissa brisman says she remains haunted by her daughter 's death . our family has been devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter , julissa , ' carmen guzman said in a statement released friday , which would have been julissa brisman 's 26th birthday . the feeling of losing my daughter in this way and the pain she must have felt will haunt me for the rest of my life , ' guzman said . she wo n't live to see her dreams . we will hold julissa in our hearts every day . ' philip markoff , 23 , a second-year student at boston university 's school of medicine , is charged with killing brisman on april 14 at boston 's copley marriott hotel . police have said that brisman , a model from new york , advertised as a masseuse on the online classifieds web site craigslist . they say markoff may have met her through the online site . prosecutors say brisman sustained blunt head trauma , and said she was shot three times at close range . one of the bullets passed through her heart , killing her , prosecutors said . markoff , who was arraigned tuesday , is being held without bail . his attorney , john salsberg , told reporters after the hearing that markoff is not guilty of the charges . he has his family 's support . i have not received any document or report or piece of evidence other than what i heard in the courtroom . all i have at the moment are words -- no proof of anything . ' a procedural not-guilty plea was entered on markoff 's behalf , according to suffolk county district attorney daniel conley . markoff is also charged in connection with the april 10 robbery of trisha leffler , 29 , at a westin hotel in boston . leffler was robbed of $ 800 in cash and $ 250 in american express giftcards , according to police reports . she was held at gunpoint and bound , prosecutors said . megan mcallister , who identified herself as markoff 's fiancee , maintained his innocence in an e-mail sent to abc news . mcallister said markoff is the wrong man ' and was set up . ' unfortunately , you were given wrong information as was the public , ' she wrote . all i have to say to you is philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly ! ' authorities believe the motive in brisman 's death was robbery , conley told reporters . in executing a search warrant at markoff 's home , police found a firearm , along with restraints and duct tape , he said . authorities in boston are working with police in warwick , rhode island , on what could be a related case . on april 16 at a holiday inn express in warwick , a man tied up and demanded money from a 26-year-old dancer who had posted a craigslist advertisement , warwick police chief col. stephen mccartney said . the robbery was interrupted when the woman 's husband entered the room . after pointing his gun at the husband , the suspect fled , mccartney said . he said the incident may be related to similar crimes occurring in the boston area ' but that had not been determined . | mother of craigslist victim julissa brisman says family'devastated'by loss |
middle east <tsp> ( cnn ) -- youtube : it 's not just for cute cats anymore . the web 's leading video site is now the home of a new kind of interactive visual journalism , where citizen witnesses ' are reaching millions of people with the news of the day , according to a new report from the pew research center . a prime example was the tsunami that hit japan in march 2011 . in the week following the earthquake that caused the deadly wave , the 20 most-watched news videos on youtube received 96 million views , according to the report . most of that footage came not from professionals but from users who were in the middle of the disaster that killed more than 18,000 people . citizens are creating their own videos about news and posting them , ' read the report released monday . they are also actively sharing news videos produced by journalism professionals . and news organizations are taking advantage of citizen content and incorporating it into their journalism . consumers , in turn , seem to be embracing the interplay in what they watch and share , creating a new kind of television news . ' in effect , pew describes an emerging partnership of sorts between traditional media outlets and citizen journalists . while many of the tsunami videos were user-generated , they received most of their views after being shared by professional outlets on the site , the report said . cnn has officially embraced citizen journalism since 2006 with cnn ireport , which encourages users around the world to share news , opinions , images and video on a wide range of topics . the second annual ireport awards this month honored an ireporter 's eyewitness footage of the 2011 indiana state fair stage collapse , among other video clips . the pew research center 's project for excellence in journalism studied 15 months'worth of news videos between january 2011 and march 2012 , tracking the five most popular videos each week in the news & politics ' channel on youtube . the data reveal that a complex , symbiotic relationship has developed between citizens and news organizations on youtube , a relationship that comes close to the continuous journalistic'dialogue'many observers predicted would become the new journalism online , ' the report said . among the study 's findings : • video of natural disasters tends to draw the most attention . • news events outside the united states topped the list . the three most-viewed topics were the tsunami , russian elections and unrest in the middle east . as pew notes , 70 % of youtube 's traffic comes from outside the united states . • more than one-third ( 39 % ) of the top videos were clearly citizen-generated and another 51 % -- making a whopping 90 % of all videos studied -- came from news organizations but included some user-created content . • personalities do n't seem to be a big deal for youtube news seekers . no individual appeared in more than 5 % of the top news videos , with president barack obama topping the list by appearing in 4 % . while the numbers are impressive , they still pale in comparison to the number of viewers of traditional television news . the report compares the 96 million-view week for tsunami videos to the roughly 22 million people who watch network news shows each evening . ( that 's 154 million over a seven-day period , and does n't include cable or local news . ) the difference , pew notes , is that sites such as youtube provide for a la carte ' news , letting users choose their own programming . the report does note one potentially troubling aspect of youtube news sharing . giving credit for videos , the report said , can get blurry , a problem stemming from a lack of clear ethical guidelines . researchers found instances of traditional news sites apparently using citizen-created videos without clearly attributing them as well as citizens posting copyrighted material without permission . all this creates the potential for news to be manufactured , or even falsified , without giving audiences much ability to know who produced it or how to verify it , ' the report said . | japanese tsunami , russian elections and middle east unrest were big on the site |
riad seif <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a prominent syrian opposition figure was arrested in a suburb of damascus on friday , according to witnesses and his wife , and protests sweeping across the country left at least 21 civilians and 10 security officers dead . riad seif , a one-time syrian lawmaker once said to have the appeal and charisma of south african statesman and former freedom fighter nelson mandela , was arrested during demonstrations close to the al hasan mosque in maydan , a suburb of the capital . this comes as government troops have been battling pro-reform protesters across the country over the past month and a half , and clashes between security forces and protesters have intensified on friday after weekly muslim prayers . the tenacious demonstrations and the fierce government crackdown has garnered widespread international attention from many nations , the european union and the united nations . the white house press secretary friday condemned the syrian government 's use of violence and mass arrests and saluted the courage of syrian protesters for insisting on their right to express themselves and we regret the loss of life on all sides . ' in a statement , the press secretary 's office made reference to recent sanctions against top members and elements of the syrian regime of bashar al-assad responsible for overseeing the recent violent crackdown against protesters . human rights group amnesty international says more than 500 people have been killed during the clashes and thousands more were rounded up for questioning . seif 's wife , pelican mourad , told cnn : his nephew witnessed riad being arrested among tens of other protesters and taken in a bus . ' mourad said her husband was released from prison only last august . he had been arrested in january 2008 for convening a meeting of what was called the damascus declaration , ' a pro-democracy group . seif was a member of the syrian parliament in the 1990s before being detained in 2001 , when he organized a seminar that called for political reforms and democratic elections . he also was stripped of his parliamentary immunity . it was the first of many times over the following decade that he was held . a u.s. diplomatic cable written in 2006 suggested that seif could become a rallying figure for the opposition . the cable , written at the u.s. embassy in damascus , was obtained by wikileaks . it said the regime regarded seif as a potential mandela-type figure on the syrian political scene . ' the cable suggested that the government was scrambling to minimize his influence and split the fledgling opposition movement . after his arrest friday , his wife said she is very worried for his health . riad is sick with cancer for which he needs a daily medicine , ' she said . she added that she was trying to find out which branch of the security forces had detained him so she could deliver his medication . seif has been battling prostate cancer for several years . in 2007 , the u.s. state department called on the syrian government to allow seif to leave the country so that he could receive urgent medical treatment . demonstrations broke out across many provinces and cities in syria , with security forces relying heavily on the army and the regime 's guard to disperse demonstrations . a human rights activist told cnn at least 21 civilians died in two syrian cities when security forces opened fire on civilians friday . at least 15 people were killed in homs and six others were killed in hama , according to ammar qurabi , chairman of the national organization for human rights in syria . ten syrian soldiers and policemen were killed in homs by armed terrorist groups , ' according to state-run news agency sana . some members of the groups were killed as well , sana said friday . state tv reported that about 50 people took part in acts of hooliganism ' in damascus . they blocked roads , threw stones and started fires , the report said . in the damascus suburb of barzah , army tanks are present and the western city of banias is surrounded by tanks and army presence is heavy . in jableh , security forces opened fire and there have been reports of injuries . in tal , there are reports of demonstrators taking fire from security but there have been no reports of casualties . state tv reported that the syrian military began pulling out of daraa on thursday after a mission to restore security and calm , ' but an activist told cnn that the troops still remain in the city . in the past seven days alone says 3,000 people have been arrested . so many people were arrested that the central stadium in daraa has been transformed into a makeshift prison by the army and syrian security forces . a european union official who does n't want to be named told cnn that the eu has agreed to impose sanctions on 13 syrian officials involved in the regime 's crackdown on protesters . the sanctions include asset freeze and travel ban , and will be enforced early next week said the official . president bashar al-assad is not on the list , the official said , but we keep the list under constant review and we can always add names if necessary . ' britain 's foreign secretary william hague , who said sanctions are against 14 individuals , said the eu is sending a clear message that we will act against those who brutalize peaceful protesters and seek to repress their legitimate aspirations for reform . ' u.n. officials said on friday a u.n. humanitarian assessment team will enter syria in the next few days , with the flashpoint city of daraa as a destination . humanitarian agencies friday brought two truckloads of food , baby milk and medical supplies to daraa residents , hard-hit by the government 's security clampdown . a 15-member team from the international committee of the red cross , the syrian arab red crescent and the international federation of red cross and red crescent societies entered the city . cnn has not been granted access into syria and is unable to independently verify witness accounts . but cnn has spoken with witnesses , some of whom have also reported what they see via social networking sites and have posted homemade videos . reports also have been compiled by human rights organizations . cnn 's rima maktabi and hamdi alkhshali contributed to this report . | opposition figure riad seif is arrested , his wife says |
white house <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a prominent syrian opposition figure was arrested in a suburb of damascus on friday , according to witnesses and his wife , and protests sweeping across the country left at least 21 civilians and 10 security officers dead . riad seif , a one-time syrian lawmaker once said to have the appeal and charisma of south african statesman and former freedom fighter nelson mandela , was arrested during demonstrations close to the al hasan mosque in maydan , a suburb of the capital . this comes as government troops have been battling pro-reform protesters across the country over the past month and a half , and clashes between security forces and protesters have intensified on friday after weekly muslim prayers . the tenacious demonstrations and the fierce government crackdown has garnered widespread international attention from many nations , the european union and the united nations . the white house press secretary friday condemned the syrian government 's use of violence and mass arrests and saluted the courage of syrian protesters for insisting on their right to express themselves and we regret the loss of life on all sides . ' in a statement , the press secretary 's office made reference to recent sanctions against top members and elements of the syrian regime of bashar al-assad responsible for overseeing the recent violent crackdown against protesters . human rights group amnesty international says more than 500 people have been killed during the clashes and thousands more were rounded up for questioning . seif 's wife , pelican mourad , told cnn : his nephew witnessed riad being arrested among tens of other protesters and taken in a bus . ' mourad said her husband was released from prison only last august . he had been arrested in january 2008 for convening a meeting of what was called the damascus declaration , ' a pro-democracy group . seif was a member of the syrian parliament in the 1990s before being detained in 2001 , when he organized a seminar that called for political reforms and democratic elections . he also was stripped of his parliamentary immunity . it was the first of many times over the following decade that he was held . a u.s. diplomatic cable written in 2006 suggested that seif could become a rallying figure for the opposition . the cable , written at the u.s. embassy in damascus , was obtained by wikileaks . it said the regime regarded seif as a potential mandela-type figure on the syrian political scene . ' the cable suggested that the government was scrambling to minimize his influence and split the fledgling opposition movement . after his arrest friday , his wife said she is very worried for his health . riad is sick with cancer for which he needs a daily medicine , ' she said . she added that she was trying to find out which branch of the security forces had detained him so she could deliver his medication . seif has been battling prostate cancer for several years . in 2007 , the u.s. state department called on the syrian government to allow seif to leave the country so that he could receive urgent medical treatment . demonstrations broke out across many provinces and cities in syria , with security forces relying heavily on the army and the regime 's guard to disperse demonstrations . a human rights activist told cnn at least 21 civilians died in two syrian cities when security forces opened fire on civilians friday . at least 15 people were killed in homs and six others were killed in hama , according to ammar qurabi , chairman of the national organization for human rights in syria . ten syrian soldiers and policemen were killed in homs by armed terrorist groups , ' according to state-run news agency sana . some members of the groups were killed as well , sana said friday . state tv reported that about 50 people took part in acts of hooliganism ' in damascus . they blocked roads , threw stones and started fires , the report said . in the damascus suburb of barzah , army tanks are present and the western city of banias is surrounded by tanks and army presence is heavy . in jableh , security forces opened fire and there have been reports of injuries . in tal , there are reports of demonstrators taking fire from security but there have been no reports of casualties . state tv reported that the syrian military began pulling out of daraa on thursday after a mission to restore security and calm , ' but an activist told cnn that the troops still remain in the city . in the past seven days alone says 3,000 people have been arrested . so many people were arrested that the central stadium in daraa has been transformed into a makeshift prison by the army and syrian security forces . a european union official who does n't want to be named told cnn that the eu has agreed to impose sanctions on 13 syrian officials involved in the regime 's crackdown on protesters . the sanctions include asset freeze and travel ban , and will be enforced early next week said the official . president bashar al-assad is not on the list , the official said , but we keep the list under constant review and we can always add names if necessary . ' britain 's foreign secretary william hague , who said sanctions are against 14 individuals , said the eu is sending a clear message that we will act against those who brutalize peaceful protesters and seek to repress their legitimate aspirations for reform . ' u.n. officials said on friday a u.n. humanitarian assessment team will enter syria in the next few days , with the flashpoint city of daraa as a destination . humanitarian agencies friday brought two truckloads of food , baby milk and medical supplies to daraa residents , hard-hit by the government 's security clampdown . a 15-member team from the international committee of the red cross , the syrian arab red crescent and the international federation of red cross and red crescent societies entered the city . cnn has not been granted access into syria and is unable to independently verify witness accounts . but cnn has spoken with witnesses , some of whom have also reported what they see via social networking sites and have posted homemade videos . reports also have been compiled by human rights organizations . cnn 's rima maktabi and hamdi alkhshali contributed to this report . | new : white house press secretary condemns syrian government |
goldberg <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in 1976 , jo freeman published an essay in ms. magazine titled , trashing : the dark side of sisterhood , ' which described how groups of women within the feminist movement attacked and ostracized those seen as too visible or ambitious . to do something significant , to be recognized , to achieve , is to imply that one is'making it off other women 's oppression'or that one thinks oneself better than other women , ' she wrote . the piece struck a chord , receiving more letters in response than anything else the magazine had printed . as various over-the-top denunciations of facebook coo sheryl sandberg , the avowedly feminist author of lean in : women , work and the will to lead , ' suggest , it remains depressingly relevant decades later . not all the critiques of lean in ' have been unfair or unduly personal , but there has been enough viciousness directed toward sandberg to indicate that a lot of women , some self-described feminists among them , still have a problem with female power .'having it all': 10 views with trademark alliteration , new york times columnist maureen dowd called sandberg a powerpoint pied piper in prada ankle boots . ' a usa today column accused her of waging a war on moms , ' and melissa gira grant , writing in the washington post , went after her for relying on a staff to help keep house , raise her children and throw her women 's leadership dinners . ' unconsciously echoing freeman 's essay , grant wrote that there is simply no way for women to lean in without leaning on the backs of other women . ' this was especially ironic because grant , who writes frequently about sex work , often argues that it 's wrong to assume that prostitutes are exploited , because that denies their agency . apparently men who hire hookers are n't taking advantage of them , but women who hire nannies are . why are women so much harder on other women than they are on men ? part of it seems to be because they expect so much more . the assumption that women should be altruistic and self-effacing pervades both mainstream society and some precincts of the feminist movement . it 's ok if women advocate on behalf of the collective , but not if they champion themselves . as freeman wrote , among women there are two roles perceived as permissible : the'helper'and the'helped .'' opinion : guilt poisons women this creates difficulties for women from both above and below . as sandberg writes in lean in , ' women seeking raises and promotions ca n't simply use the same techniques as their male peers , because they 'll be judged far more harshly ; instead , she recommends that women smile a lot and speak in terms of we ' instead of i . ' she does n't dwell as much on how powerful women are regarded by those with less power , but the reception of her book has demonstrated that part of what 's tricky about women 's attempts to lead is getting others to follow . this is n't just about sheryl sandberg . polls pretty consistently show that women and men prefer male bosses over female ones , although the margin has been narrowing . interestingly , according to a 2011 gallup poll , those who have female bosses are more likely to say they 'd rather work for a woman . the aversion to female leadership , then , comes from prejudice rather than negative experience with actual women , and can dissipate as more women attain positions of authority . their quests for more authority , however , will continue to inspire disproportionate hostility . this does n't mean that sandberg or any other woman deserves support simply for her gender . it does mean they should n't be held to a higher standard than men . balancing work and family : how do you make it work ? consider , for example , the very different way the activism of facebook co-founder chris hughes has been received . hughes , like sandberg , is extremely , even obscenely rich , and he and his husband have used part of their wealth to become major champions of same-sex marriage . maybe someone somewhere has argued that their work for gay rights means little because it stems from self-interest , or that they should n't be focusing on a bourgeois issue like marriage that does little for , say , homeless gay teenagers . if such critics are out there , though , they 're certainly not on the pages of our major newspapers . when women have the temerity to marshal power on their own behalf , the response is much more negative , and one ca n't always tell the difference between those who resent women and those who resent power . as freeman wrote about trashing , ' it was often clothed in the rhetoric of revolution and feminism . but underneath are some very traditional ideas about women 's proper roles . ' editor 's note : join cnn opinion on facebook for a live discussion about women and the workplace on tuesday from noon to 1 p.m . et . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of michelle goldberg . | michelle goldberg : sandberg backlash shows many women have issues with female power |
goldberg <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in 1976 , jo freeman published an essay in ms. magazine titled , trashing : the dark side of sisterhood , ' which described how groups of women within the feminist movement attacked and ostracized those seen as too visible or ambitious . to do something significant , to be recognized , to achieve , is to imply that one is'making it off other women 's oppression'or that one thinks oneself better than other women , ' she wrote . the piece struck a chord , receiving more letters in response than anything else the magazine had printed . as various over-the-top denunciations of facebook coo sheryl sandberg , the avowedly feminist author of lean in : women , work and the will to lead , ' suggest , it remains depressingly relevant decades later . not all the critiques of lean in ' have been unfair or unduly personal , but there has been enough viciousness directed toward sandberg to indicate that a lot of women , some self-described feminists among them , still have a problem with female power .'having it all': 10 views with trademark alliteration , new york times columnist maureen dowd called sandberg a powerpoint pied piper in prada ankle boots . ' a usa today column accused her of waging a war on moms , ' and melissa gira grant , writing in the washington post , went after her for relying on a staff to help keep house , raise her children and throw her women 's leadership dinners . ' unconsciously echoing freeman 's essay , grant wrote that there is simply no way for women to lean in without leaning on the backs of other women . ' this was especially ironic because grant , who writes frequently about sex work , often argues that it 's wrong to assume that prostitutes are exploited , because that denies their agency . apparently men who hire hookers are n't taking advantage of them , but women who hire nannies are . why are women so much harder on other women than they are on men ? part of it seems to be because they expect so much more . the assumption that women should be altruistic and self-effacing pervades both mainstream society and some precincts of the feminist movement . it 's ok if women advocate on behalf of the collective , but not if they champion themselves . as freeman wrote , among women there are two roles perceived as permissible : the'helper'and the'helped .'' opinion : guilt poisons women this creates difficulties for women from both above and below . as sandberg writes in lean in , ' women seeking raises and promotions ca n't simply use the same techniques as their male peers , because they 'll be judged far more harshly ; instead , she recommends that women smile a lot and speak in terms of we ' instead of i . ' she does n't dwell as much on how powerful women are regarded by those with less power , but the reception of her book has demonstrated that part of what 's tricky about women 's attempts to lead is getting others to follow . this is n't just about sheryl sandberg . polls pretty consistently show that women and men prefer male bosses over female ones , although the margin has been narrowing . interestingly , according to a 2011 gallup poll , those who have female bosses are more likely to say they 'd rather work for a woman . the aversion to female leadership , then , comes from prejudice rather than negative experience with actual women , and can dissipate as more women attain positions of authority . their quests for more authority , however , will continue to inspire disproportionate hostility . this does n't mean that sandberg or any other woman deserves support simply for her gender . it does mean they should n't be held to a higher standard than men . balancing work and family : how do you make it work ? consider , for example , the very different way the activism of facebook co-founder chris hughes has been received . hughes , like sandberg , is extremely , even obscenely rich , and he and his husband have used part of their wealth to become major champions of same-sex marriage . maybe someone somewhere has argued that their work for gay rights means little because it stems from self-interest , or that they should n't be focusing on a bourgeois issue like marriage that does little for , say , homeless gay teenagers . if such critics are out there , though , they 're certainly not on the pages of our major newspapers . when women have the temerity to marshal power on their own behalf , the response is much more negative , and one ca n't always tell the difference between those who resent women and those who resent power . as freeman wrote about trashing , ' it was often clothed in the rhetoric of revolution and feminism . but underneath are some very traditional ideas about women 's proper roles . ' editor 's note : join cnn opinion on facebook for a live discussion about women and the workplace on tuesday from noon to 1 p.m . et . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of michelle goldberg . | goldberg : women seeking authority inspire disproportionate hostility , much more than men |
north carolina <tsp> washington ( cnn ) a ticking clock and a carolinas calendar conundrum , turmoil in camp clinton and a gop establishment revenge plot filled our sunday trip around the inside politics ' table . mike lee was proof in 2010 that the tea party movement was growing from protest movement to political force . lee stunned the gop establishment by wresting the republican nomination for a senate seat in utah from longtime incumbent sen. robert bennett , and from that moment on has been a national tea party star . now , the establishment is looking to return the favor . so far , no credible 2016 primary challenger has emerged despite frequent complaints about lee from utah business and gop establishment figures . but cnn is told there is now an aggressive push to lure a onetime utah gop star back into the game . former utah gov . jon huntsman , you might recall , went nowhere as a 2012 republican presidential candidate . since then , huntsman is more often seen in washington , where he is a radio host for a program affiliated with the no labels political organization . it 's no secret that hunstman 's deep-pocketed father is not a fan of lee 's . word now is that utah business leaders are looking to talk huntsman into returning home full time to challenge lee . and some of the national gop establishment forces who were successful in opposing tea party candidates in 2014 have told their utah allies they will join a pitch to huntsman . there are myriad reasons to be skeptical such a heavyweight matchup will materialize , but it 's worth watching . john podesta wrapped up his work as a top obama white house lieutenant on friday , yet the west wing will be just as much on his mind as he shifts to his new job . podesta is taking a top position in the nascent hillary clinton presidential campaign . after a week-plus of headlines about infighting in the democratic ranks , the ap 's julie pace reports there is a feeling among many party loyalists that podesta is getting started not a moment too soon . i 'm told that even though he 's going to be the campaign chairman , he 's going to have a very hands-on , day-to-day role , ' said pace . he 's not going to be somebody who 's just doing 30,000-foot strategic thinking . and that 's very important to a lot of the clinton camp . ' watch now for reports of skippy ' moments ; podesta is a disciplined , driven but normally soft-spoken guy but is known for having a more feisty alter ego when he feels it necessary to bang heads . the wrangling getting the most attention in camp clinton of late is among players in the super pac community who are gearing up to support her campaign . accounts vary widely depending on who you talk to -- and their loyalties -- but suffice it to say there are turf and title wars going on , as well as some ego clashes . at the center of much of this is david brock , once a clinton nemesis , now turned clinton convert . he was on the board of super pac priorities usa , and also runs a pro-clinton ( anti-republican ) research group . brock resigned from the priorities board in a dustup with longtime obama operatives who are now gravitating to camp clinton . but jonathan martin of the new york times reports on efforts to make peace -- or at least detente . one democrat told me that the priorities folks are groveling to david brock , ' said martin . i am told that he is on course to come back to the board -- likely to happen early this week . ' both parties have rules about their presidential nominating calendars , and the republican national committee is especially eager to assert more control over the schedule , debates and more heading into 2016 . but cnn 's peter hamby says north carolina wants more impact on presidential politics -- even if it means sanctions . remember , as a table setter , iowa votes first , followed by new hampshire and then south carolina . north carolina passed a statute last year that said they are going to go the week after south carolina , one of the first four states in the republican nominating process , ' said hamby . so three days after these first four states , you could have a state with a lot of big media markets and a lot of voters right square in the middle of this nominating fight . and the people i 've talked to in north carolina , in the republican party there , say they do not care at all if the republican national committee penalizes them with delegates or whatever ; they want the attention , they want to be square out front . ' ohio gov . john kasich is off to south carolina soon . which means -- you know what . officially , it 's part of his recent travels pushing a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget . but kasich won a big re-election in 2014 and is among a handful of gop potential 2016 contenders who need to soon make tough choices . or , as the atlantic 's molly ball reports , there is a clock ticking because a crowded republican field means activists and fund-raisers are feeling pressure to pick sides . time is running out for him to decide , ' said ball . i spoke to him recently and he says he has n't made up his mind . people close to him think he really has n't decided what he 's going to do . ' | north carolina tries to muscle its way into the 2016 early state ranks |
huntsman <tsp> washington ( cnn ) a ticking clock and a carolinas calendar conundrum , turmoil in camp clinton and a gop establishment revenge plot filled our sunday trip around the inside politics ' table . mike lee was proof in 2010 that the tea party movement was growing from protest movement to political force . lee stunned the gop establishment by wresting the republican nomination for a senate seat in utah from longtime incumbent sen. robert bennett , and from that moment on has been a national tea party star . now , the establishment is looking to return the favor . so far , no credible 2016 primary challenger has emerged despite frequent complaints about lee from utah business and gop establishment figures . but cnn is told there is now an aggressive push to lure a onetime utah gop star back into the game . former utah gov . jon huntsman , you might recall , went nowhere as a 2012 republican presidential candidate . since then , huntsman is more often seen in washington , where he is a radio host for a program affiliated with the no labels political organization . it 's no secret that hunstman 's deep-pocketed father is not a fan of lee 's . word now is that utah business leaders are looking to talk huntsman into returning home full time to challenge lee . and some of the national gop establishment forces who were successful in opposing tea party candidates in 2014 have told their utah allies they will join a pitch to huntsman . there are myriad reasons to be skeptical such a heavyweight matchup will materialize , but it 's worth watching . john podesta wrapped up his work as a top obama white house lieutenant on friday , yet the west wing will be just as much on his mind as he shifts to his new job . podesta is taking a top position in the nascent hillary clinton presidential campaign . after a week-plus of headlines about infighting in the democratic ranks , the ap 's julie pace reports there is a feeling among many party loyalists that podesta is getting started not a moment too soon . i 'm told that even though he 's going to be the campaign chairman , he 's going to have a very hands-on , day-to-day role , ' said pace . he 's not going to be somebody who 's just doing 30,000-foot strategic thinking . and that 's very important to a lot of the clinton camp . ' watch now for reports of skippy ' moments ; podesta is a disciplined , driven but normally soft-spoken guy but is known for having a more feisty alter ego when he feels it necessary to bang heads . the wrangling getting the most attention in camp clinton of late is among players in the super pac community who are gearing up to support her campaign . accounts vary widely depending on who you talk to -- and their loyalties -- but suffice it to say there are turf and title wars going on , as well as some ego clashes . at the center of much of this is david brock , once a clinton nemesis , now turned clinton convert . he was on the board of super pac priorities usa , and also runs a pro-clinton ( anti-republican ) research group . brock resigned from the priorities board in a dustup with longtime obama operatives who are now gravitating to camp clinton . but jonathan martin of the new york times reports on efforts to make peace -- or at least detente . one democrat told me that the priorities folks are groveling to david brock , ' said martin . i am told that he is on course to come back to the board -- likely to happen early this week . ' both parties have rules about their presidential nominating calendars , and the republican national committee is especially eager to assert more control over the schedule , debates and more heading into 2016 . but cnn 's peter hamby says north carolina wants more impact on presidential politics -- even if it means sanctions . remember , as a table setter , iowa votes first , followed by new hampshire and then south carolina . north carolina passed a statute last year that said they are going to go the week after south carolina , one of the first four states in the republican nominating process , ' said hamby . so three days after these first four states , you could have a state with a lot of big media markets and a lot of voters right square in the middle of this nominating fight . and the people i 've talked to in north carolina , in the republican party there , say they do not care at all if the republican national committee penalizes them with delegates or whatever ; they want the attention , they want to be square out front . ' ohio gov . john kasich is off to south carolina soon . which means -- you know what . officially , it 's part of his recent travels pushing a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget . but kasich won a big re-election in 2014 and is among a handful of gop potential 2016 contenders who need to soon make tough choices . or , as the atlantic 's molly ball reports , there is a clock ticking because a crowded republican field means activists and fund-raisers are feeling pressure to pick sides . time is running out for him to decide , ' said ball . i spoke to him recently and he says he has n't made up his mind . people close to him think he really has n't decided what he 's going to do . ' | huntsman being courted for a 2016 gop run -- in utah |
caplan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- back in the 1950s , hollywood fell in love with the idea of truth serum . all manner of spies , murderers and other bad guys were given a needle containing sodium pentothal on the big screen and soon were babbling away uncontrollably as to their guilt or complicity with red china or the soviet union . as recently as 2004 in meet the fockers , ' a former cia agent played by robert de niro injects his would-be son-in-law , played by ben stiller , with the stuff to get the lowdown on his love life . stiller 's character confesses , in a foreshadowing of arnold schwarzenegger 's amorous ways , to having had a child with his housekeeper , although whether he did or not is far from clear . harry potter knew all about truth serum . veritaserum was used on a variety of miscreants and by evildoers . it was so powerful and feared that its use was strictly controlled by the ministry of magic . in reality , magical thinking is all it really is . there is no such thing as truth serum . but that news has apparently not reached colorado . the judge in charge of the mass murder trial of james holmes seems to think hollywood was onto something with its fascination with truth serums . he has approved the use of a narcoanalytic interview ' -- such as a truth serum ' like sodium pentothal -- as part of a competency evaluation to determine whether holmes was legally insane at the time he allegedly went on a rampage in a theater in aurora , colorado . holmes is charged with killing 12 people and injuring many more . sodium pentothal -- the original truth serum ' -- was discovered in 1936 by ernest h. volwiler and donalee l. tabern working in chicago at abbott laboratories . they were trying to create an injectable drug for use in general anesthesia . their discovery was a success and had a huge impact on surgery . sodium pentothal is still used today to knock out patients before they are given another , longer-lasting anesthetic to keep them unconscious during surgery . sodium pentothal made surgery far less painful . it also has an interesting side effect . people under its influence lose their inhibitions and babble on about all sorts of things , leading to some amusing moments for surgical teams . this loss of inhibition gave a few researchers hope that the drug or something like it could be used to get the truth out of people in police stations , security interrogations or trials . but outside of hollywood , no drug passes muster as a potion capable of getting accurately at the truth . people do get uninhibited and talk more freely , but they do n't necessarily stop lying or fantasizing . they also grow more compliant , tending to agree with those asking them leading questions . there is no solid evidence that what is said under the influence of a truth ' drug correlates reliably with the truth . for the most part , people yammer away . if anything , they behave as if they were drunk rather than diligently affirming the sober truth . there is no drug that is going to shed trustworthy light on holmes'state of mind last year when , police say , he donned a gas mask as well as full body armor and grabbed a rifle , a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun and at least one .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol to launch a heinous attack . no drug can tell us what he was really thinking . in giving permission to use drugs , the judge has opened the door to a line of defense in which holmes'lawyers can argue that if drugged , he is being forced to testify against himself against his will . as much as some might hope for a thing such as a truth serum , none exists . whether holmes was bad or mad when he allegedly caused so much misery to so many people will not get resolved by a technique beloved by hollywood movie directors but not by scientists . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of arthur caplan . | arthur caplan : no drug can shed light on mindset of shooting suspect holmes |
caplan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- back in the 1950s , hollywood fell in love with the idea of truth serum . all manner of spies , murderers and other bad guys were given a needle containing sodium pentothal on the big screen and soon were babbling away uncontrollably as to their guilt or complicity with red china or the soviet union . as recently as 2004 in meet the fockers , ' a former cia agent played by robert de niro injects his would-be son-in-law , played by ben stiller , with the stuff to get the lowdown on his love life . stiller 's character confesses , in a foreshadowing of arnold schwarzenegger 's amorous ways , to having had a child with his housekeeper , although whether he did or not is far from clear . harry potter knew all about truth serum . veritaserum was used on a variety of miscreants and by evildoers . it was so powerful and feared that its use was strictly controlled by the ministry of magic . in reality , magical thinking is all it really is . there is no such thing as truth serum . but that news has apparently not reached colorado . the judge in charge of the mass murder trial of james holmes seems to think hollywood was onto something with its fascination with truth serums . he has approved the use of a narcoanalytic interview ' -- such as a truth serum ' like sodium pentothal -- as part of a competency evaluation to determine whether holmes was legally insane at the time he allegedly went on a rampage in a theater in aurora , colorado . holmes is charged with killing 12 people and injuring many more . sodium pentothal -- the original truth serum ' -- was discovered in 1936 by ernest h. volwiler and donalee l. tabern working in chicago at abbott laboratories . they were trying to create an injectable drug for use in general anesthesia . their discovery was a success and had a huge impact on surgery . sodium pentothal is still used today to knock out patients before they are given another , longer-lasting anesthetic to keep them unconscious during surgery . sodium pentothal made surgery far less painful . it also has an interesting side effect . people under its influence lose their inhibitions and babble on about all sorts of things , leading to some amusing moments for surgical teams . this loss of inhibition gave a few researchers hope that the drug or something like it could be used to get the truth out of people in police stations , security interrogations or trials . but outside of hollywood , no drug passes muster as a potion capable of getting accurately at the truth . people do get uninhibited and talk more freely , but they do n't necessarily stop lying or fantasizing . they also grow more compliant , tending to agree with those asking them leading questions . there is no solid evidence that what is said under the influence of a truth ' drug correlates reliably with the truth . for the most part , people yammer away . if anything , they behave as if they were drunk rather than diligently affirming the sober truth . there is no drug that is going to shed trustworthy light on holmes'state of mind last year when , police say , he donned a gas mask as well as full body armor and grabbed a rifle , a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun and at least one .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol to launch a heinous attack . no drug can tell us what he was really thinking . in giving permission to use drugs , the judge has opened the door to a line of defense in which holmes'lawyers can argue that if drugged , he is being forced to testify against himself against his will . as much as some might hope for a thing such as a truth serum , none exists . whether holmes was bad or mad when he allegedly caused so much misery to so many people will not get resolved by a technique beloved by hollywood movie directors but not by scientists . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of arthur caplan . | caplan : only hollywood likes the idea of truth serum , ' not scientists |
hercules <tsp> three new york courts have rejected one group 's legal effort to grant captive chimpanzees in that state the same rights as a legal person . ' the nonhuman rights project filed three separate suits on behalf of four chimpanzees in new york state last week in a bid to secure for tommy , kiko , hercules and leo -- all male chimps held in various parts of the state -- the right to bodily liberty . ' the lawsuits asked that the four chimpanzees be moved to a sanctuary where they can live out their days with others of their kind in an environment as close to the wild as is possible in north america , ' the group said . the group says it will appeal the courts'decisions . these outcomes allow the nhrp to proceed to the appellate courts , ' nhrp spokeswoman stacey doss told cnn . are we really different from animals ? nhrp founder and president steven wise said before the suits were filed that he would be asking judges to recognize , for the first time , that these cognitively complex , autonomous beings have the basic legal right to not be imprisoned . ' tommy 's owner , pat levery , dismissed the notion that he confines the 26-year-old chimp to a prison . tommy lives in a cage on a trailer lot in gloversville , new york . totally ridiculous ' he said of the lawsuit , which he has not read . i 'd be happy to show you tommy 's home , to show you how well he is cared for , ' levery said . when reached by cnn monday , he did not know the suit had been rejected . he said that he was relieved and that he had assumed the lawsuit would not proceed . the owners of kiko , hercules and leo could not be reached monday night . the group said it plans to file more lawsuits across the country on behalf of captive animals who are scientifically proven to be self-aware and autonomous , ' such as elephants , dolphins and whales . morality : it 's not just for humans | the nonhuman rights project says tommy , kiko , hercules and leo deserve bodily liberty ' |
mastercard <tsp> ( cnn ) the first female engineer to work on offshore oil and gas rigs in the u.k , knows what it 's like to be the only woman in sight for hundreds of kilometers . in her twenties , mathematician ann cairns was quite literally thrown in the deep end , working on british gas rigs in the remote north sea in the early 1980s . it started off with designing pipelines , testing them , blowing up the pipes and seeing what pressure they 'd burst at , ' said the mother-of-one , originally from newcastle in the north of england . decades later , cairns'office is far more conventional -- though no less demanding . she is now the president of international markets for credit card giant , mastercard , overseeing 5,000 employees in over 200 countries . funnily enough , cairns says working in investment banking in the 1980s , was a more sexist environment than the all-male rigs . i think engineers , as i see it , are really team players , ' she said . and providing that you have a scale that people can recognize and you add value to , then you 're seen not for who you are -- but what you can do . ' towards the end of the decade cairns was again plunged in the deep end , this time joining citigroup in 1987 -- just 19 days before the black monday ' market crash . i think if you 're in the engineering world you love fixing things , ' she said of coping under extreme pressure . and i found that i thrived in that environment . ' it 's a trait that served cairns well later in her career -- in 2008 she led the european team managing the lehman brothers'bankruptcy . three years later cairns joined mastercard as the head of international business , managing all operations for the company outside of the u.s . does she want to be the ultimate boss one day ? i think we have a fantastic ceo in ajay banga , but you know i think there 's nothing wrong with being ambitious and wanting to have the next job , ' she said . so that 's a'yes .'' you 're only as good as your boss thinks you are . and if your boss does n't think you 're great , go and find another boss ! ' i hope my daughter has learned that happiness and success are bound together -- you ca n't separate your business life from your family life . ' insight : meet the woman controlling india 's money watch : five things you did n't know about christine lagarde | mastercard boss ann cairns was also first female engineer on uk offshore oil rig |
epstein <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- queen elizabeth ii and prince andrew have met to discuss concerns that more revelations could surface about the prince 's friendship with jeffrey epstein , a u.s. financier who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution , according to a royal source who spoke on the condition of anonymity . prince andrew 's office recently declined to comment when asked about the prince 's friendship with epstein . also called the duke of york , prince andrew is queen elizabeth 's second son and the brother of prince charles , who is next in line to the throne . he also is the united kingdom 's special representative for international trade and investment . the queen and prince andrew discussed epstein , the royal source said , but details about their talk were not immediately available . the british government periodically reviews the prince 's position . the next meeting is scheduled to happen this summer . some politicians and royal commentators have said that prince andrew is an embarrassment to britain and the royal family . in leaked diplomatic documents published by wikileaks last year , the u.s. ambassador in the central asian state of kyrgyzstan , tatiana gfoeller , reportedly said that the prince -- during a business lunch in 2008 -- was astonishingly candid . the discussion at times verged on the rude ( from the british side ) . ' the prince has not commented publicly on characterizations put forth in the leaked documents . [ prince ] andrew has n't really done the royal family any favors , ' said royal historian christopher warwick . as fourth in line to the throne , he is a senior member of the royal family . ' all members of the royal family have an ambassadorial responsibility , particularly the senior members . part of the royal remit is to take the monarchy abroad and wave the flag for britain plc . we have to recognize how immensely marvelous the queen is , she 's never put a foot wrong , ' he added . cnn 's thair shaikh contributed to this report | prince andrew is friends with jeffrey epstein |
epstein <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- queen elizabeth ii and prince andrew have met to discuss concerns that more revelations could surface about the prince 's friendship with jeffrey epstein , a u.s. financier who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution , according to a royal source who spoke on the condition of anonymity . prince andrew 's office recently declined to comment when asked about the prince 's friendship with epstein . also called the duke of york , prince andrew is queen elizabeth 's second son and the brother of prince charles , who is next in line to the throne . he also is the united kingdom 's special representative for international trade and investment . the queen and prince andrew discussed epstein , the royal source said , but details about their talk were not immediately available . the british government periodically reviews the prince 's position . the next meeting is scheduled to happen this summer . some politicians and royal commentators have said that prince andrew is an embarrassment to britain and the royal family . in leaked diplomatic documents published by wikileaks last year , the u.s. ambassador in the central asian state of kyrgyzstan , tatiana gfoeller , reportedly said that the prince -- during a business lunch in 2008 -- was astonishingly candid . the discussion at times verged on the rude ( from the british side ) . ' the prince has not commented publicly on characterizations put forth in the leaked documents . [ prince ] andrew has n't really done the royal family any favors , ' said royal historian christopher warwick . as fourth in line to the throne , he is a senior member of the royal family . ' all members of the royal family have an ambassadorial responsibility , particularly the senior members . part of the royal remit is to take the monarchy abroad and wave the flag for britain plc . we have to recognize how immensely marvelous the queen is , she 's never put a foot wrong , ' he added . cnn 's thair shaikh contributed to this report | epstein was sentenced to prison for soliciting a minor for prostitution , according to court documents |
malaak compton-rock <tsp> editor 's note : malaak compton-rock is founder and director of the angelrock project , an online e-village promoting volunteerism , social responsibility , and sustainable change . ' one of her initiatives , journey for change : empowering youth through global service , ' will be seen as part of cnn 's black in america 2 . ' her first book is being published by broadway books in may , 2010 , titled , if it takes a village , build one : how i found meaning through a life of service to others and 100+ ways you can too . ' malaak compton-rock says focusing on problems facing african-americans is difficult but necessary . ( cnn ) -- in the words of my mentor and america 's foremost child advocate marian wright edelman , founder and president of the children 's defense fund , it 's time to raise a ruckus people , it is time to raise a ruckus ! ' cnn 's black in america ' raised many critical issues facing african-american people in this great country of ours . it was not pretty , it was not flattering , but it was very , very frank . the show delved into the negative issues that have plagued the african-american community for generations , i.e. , crime , education , single parent families , drug abuse and the like . people got mad . people sent many e-mails and letters to soledad o'brien and cnn and cried foul . people said black in america ' was not consistent with the lives of many african-american people and was one-sided . blogs and web sites popped up all over the place where people raised a ruckus ' about the content of the show . i read a lot of these comments . as a matter of fact , i was obsessed with people 's views for many weeks after the documentary aired . and the more i read , the more i got angry . the more i read , the more i wanted to raise my own ruckus . ' but i was frustrated and upset for a very different reason than most . i was almost apoplectic with the amount of criticism for black in america ' without critical , thought provoking commentary about how each person can do their part to make a difference to change the very startling and distressing issues facing most african-american children and adults in america . on a typical day in the lives of black american children : and on a typical school day for black children in america : and consider that in america , [ statistics are from the children 's defense fund 's child research data . ] this is serious stuff people . and it is the cold-hearted truth . so , it is okay to comment that the documentary did not represent your life . it is okay to comment that it was upsetting to see images of black men in jail , children dropping out of school , and unwed mothers . it is okay because the truth hurts , especially when it is seen by 16 million people . in fact , most of the images shown in black in america ' do not represent my personal life or the lives of my children . but because these issues face my brothers and sisters in my collective african-american family , they concern me , they hurt me , they belong to me , and i will own them . we know that as african-americans we have come a long way . we know that we are doctors , lawyers , ceos , philanthropists , politicians , and even the president of the united states of america . and yes , it would do our children a lot of good if these images were portrayed more frequently in the media . but this does not change the very real issues facing african-american people portrayed in black in america . ' and frankly , with so many of our people struggling , we ca n't just celebrate our achievements -- we must make it a priority to work on the most critical and urgent matters in our community . as i always say , the blessed and the best of us , must take care of the rest of us . ' so why did the criticism make me so mad ? because so much of it was unaccompanied by real ideas , thought-provoking suggestions , plans of action , or inspiring initiatives or solutions . how can you complain if you are unwilling to join the fight ? how can you get mad , if you are disinclined to make a difference in someone else 's life ? and why would you take the time to write an accusatory e-mail to soledad o'brien instead of writing a letter to your representative in congress demanding health care for all children and pregnant women , increased funding for schools , or new initiatives to increase black-owned businesses in black neighborhoods ? black in america 2 ' will offer many solutions to the ills facing african-american people . i think it will make the naysayers happy . but it will only make me happy if the naysayers raise a ruckus ' by joining the fight to better the lives of all black folks . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of malaak compton-rock . | malaak compton-rock : some critical of black in america ' focus on problems |
federer <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rafael nadal and roger federer remain on course for a semifinal clash at the australian open after both men recorded straight sets victories in melbourne on sunday . nadal , the 2009 champion , defeated fellow spaniard feliciano lopez 6-4 6-4 6-2 while 16-time grand slam winner federer breezed past australian teenager bernard tomic 6-4 6-2 6-2 . federer , the world number three , will now face juan martin del potro after the argentinean enjoyed a comfortable 6-4 6-2 6-1 victory over german philipp kohlschreiber . nadal will meet tomas berdych in the last eight as the czech overcame a tough encounter with spanish tenth seed nicolas almagro to win 4-6 7-6 7-6 7-6 . federer rarely broke sweat against tomic , breaking his opponent six times in a victory that took him just one hour and 44 minutes to record . he told reporters : maybe the score suggested differently , but i thought we had a lot of long games , tough points , and i thought he did actually really well . ' federer will now face del potro -- the man who beat him in the 2009 u.s. open final -- and the 30-year-old admitted he was in for a tough encounter . i think it 's going to be a good match . i think he 's coming back awfully strong again , ' federer said ahead of his 1000th tour match . i was sad to see that he was out for so long after his amazing year in 2009 and i thought he had a chance in 2010 to sort of make a run for world number one . ' del potro looked in imperious form as he dismantled the unseeded kohlschreiber . roger is the best tennis player of the history , and of course he 's the favorite , ' he said . i remember three years ago i played in the quarters against him and i only won three games . so if this time is something different and i win more games it is going to be ok for me . ' nadal enjoyed his 11th win against lopez in 13 meetings and said he feels in better condition than the last two australian open tournaments , where injuries hampered his progress . i 've started the tournament playing really well this time . i felt i 've played well from the first match and today i played another complete match , ' nadal said . now i 'm in the quarter-finals . i am doing the right things . i am in the right place , right moment . ' there was controversy in berdych 's win as the czech refused to shake hands with almagro at the end of the game after claiming his opponent had deliberately hit the ball at him . berdych was booed off by the melbourne crowd after he had to rely on three tiebreak wins to progress into the quarters . he claimed alamgro targeted him as they rallied at the net . probably whoever has played tennis knows that the court is pretty big , and you always have some space to put the ball in , ' he told reporters . he should play the ball differently . that 's it . i think maybe we both did some mistakes . so it 's even , and that 's it , ' he said . we do n't have any problems at all , ' monday 's action sees number one seed novak djokovic take on home favorite lleyton hewitt while british fourth seed andy murray takes on unseeded mikhail kukushkin from kazakhstan . the other last 16 ties see spaniard david ferrer , seeded five , take on 17th seed richard gasquet , from france and sixth seed jo-wilfried tsonga play japanese 24th seed kei nishikori . | number three seed federer dispatches australian bernard tomic in straight sets |
federer <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rafael nadal and roger federer remain on course for a semifinal clash at the australian open after both men recorded straight sets victories in melbourne on sunday . nadal , the 2009 champion , defeated fellow spaniard feliciano lopez 6-4 6-4 6-2 while 16-time grand slam winner federer breezed past australian teenager bernard tomic 6-4 6-2 6-2 . federer , the world number three , will now face juan martin del potro after the argentinean enjoyed a comfortable 6-4 6-2 6-1 victory over german philipp kohlschreiber . nadal will meet tomas berdych in the last eight as the czech overcame a tough encounter with spanish tenth seed nicolas almagro to win 4-6 7-6 7-6 7-6 . federer rarely broke sweat against tomic , breaking his opponent six times in a victory that took him just one hour and 44 minutes to record . he told reporters : maybe the score suggested differently , but i thought we had a lot of long games , tough points , and i thought he did actually really well . ' federer will now face del potro -- the man who beat him in the 2009 u.s. open final -- and the 30-year-old admitted he was in for a tough encounter . i think it 's going to be a good match . i think he 's coming back awfully strong again , ' federer said ahead of his 1000th tour match . i was sad to see that he was out for so long after his amazing year in 2009 and i thought he had a chance in 2010 to sort of make a run for world number one . ' del potro looked in imperious form as he dismantled the unseeded kohlschreiber . roger is the best tennis player of the history , and of course he 's the favorite , ' he said . i remember three years ago i played in the quarters against him and i only won three games . so if this time is something different and i win more games it is going to be ok for me . ' nadal enjoyed his 11th win against lopez in 13 meetings and said he feels in better condition than the last two australian open tournaments , where injuries hampered his progress . i 've started the tournament playing really well this time . i felt i 've played well from the first match and today i played another complete match , ' nadal said . now i 'm in the quarter-finals . i am doing the right things . i am in the right place , right moment . ' there was controversy in berdych 's win as the czech refused to shake hands with almagro at the end of the game after claiming his opponent had deliberately hit the ball at him . berdych was booed off by the melbourne crowd after he had to rely on three tiebreak wins to progress into the quarters . he claimed alamgro targeted him as they rallied at the net . probably whoever has played tennis knows that the court is pretty big , and you always have some space to put the ball in , ' he told reporters . he should play the ball differently . that 's it . i think maybe we both did some mistakes . so it 's even , and that 's it , ' he said . we do n't have any problems at all , ' monday 's action sees number one seed novak djokovic take on home favorite lleyton hewitt while british fourth seed andy murray takes on unseeded mikhail kukushkin from kazakhstan . the other last 16 ties see spaniard david ferrer , seeded five , take on 17th seed richard gasquet , from france and sixth seed jo-wilfried tsonga play japanese 24th seed kei nishikori . | roger federer and rafael nadal both cruise into the australian open quarterfinals |
federer <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rafael nadal and roger federer remain on course for a semifinal clash at the australian open after both men recorded straight sets victories in melbourne on sunday . nadal , the 2009 champion , defeated fellow spaniard feliciano lopez 6-4 6-4 6-2 while 16-time grand slam winner federer breezed past australian teenager bernard tomic 6-4 6-2 6-2 . federer , the world number three , will now face juan martin del potro after the argentinean enjoyed a comfortable 6-4 6-2 6-1 victory over german philipp kohlschreiber . nadal will meet tomas berdych in the last eight as the czech overcame a tough encounter with spanish tenth seed nicolas almagro to win 4-6 7-6 7-6 7-6 . federer rarely broke sweat against tomic , breaking his opponent six times in a victory that took him just one hour and 44 minutes to record . he told reporters : maybe the score suggested differently , but i thought we had a lot of long games , tough points , and i thought he did actually really well . ' federer will now face del potro -- the man who beat him in the 2009 u.s. open final -- and the 30-year-old admitted he was in for a tough encounter . i think it 's going to be a good match . i think he 's coming back awfully strong again , ' federer said ahead of his 1000th tour match . i was sad to see that he was out for so long after his amazing year in 2009 and i thought he had a chance in 2010 to sort of make a run for world number one . ' del potro looked in imperious form as he dismantled the unseeded kohlschreiber . roger is the best tennis player of the history , and of course he 's the favorite , ' he said . i remember three years ago i played in the quarters against him and i only won three games . so if this time is something different and i win more games it is going to be ok for me . ' nadal enjoyed his 11th win against lopez in 13 meetings and said he feels in better condition than the last two australian open tournaments , where injuries hampered his progress . i 've started the tournament playing really well this time . i felt i 've played well from the first match and today i played another complete match , ' nadal said . now i 'm in the quarter-finals . i am doing the right things . i am in the right place , right moment . ' there was controversy in berdych 's win as the czech refused to shake hands with almagro at the end of the game after claiming his opponent had deliberately hit the ball at him . berdych was booed off by the melbourne crowd after he had to rely on three tiebreak wins to progress into the quarters . he claimed alamgro targeted him as they rallied at the net . probably whoever has played tennis knows that the court is pretty big , and you always have some space to put the ball in , ' he told reporters . he should play the ball differently . that 's it . i think maybe we both did some mistakes . so it 's even , and that 's it , ' he said . we do n't have any problems at all , ' monday 's action sees number one seed novak djokovic take on home favorite lleyton hewitt while british fourth seed andy murray takes on unseeded mikhail kukushkin from kazakhstan . the other last 16 ties see spaniard david ferrer , seeded five , take on 17th seed richard gasquet , from france and sixth seed jo-wilfried tsonga play japanese 24th seed kei nishikori . | federer will now face juan martin del potro after argentine beat philipp kohlschreiber |
defense of marriage act <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- in a preview of a major constitutional showdown at the supreme court over same-sex marriage , the obama administration said on friday that a federal law denying financial benefits to legally wed gay and lesbian couples is unconstitutional . the justice department filed the first of a series of briefs in a pair of cases dealing with the multilayered issue , outlining the executive branch 's positions . the high court will hear oral arguments next month on the defense of marriage act ( doma ) , a 1996 congressional law that says for federal purposes , marriage is defined as only between one man and one woman . that means federal tax , social security , pension , and bankruptcy benefits , and family medical leave protections -- do not apply to gay and lesbian couples . this case deals with edith edie ' windsor , forced to assume an estate tax bill much larger than other married couples would have to pay . because her decades-long partner was a woman , the federal government did not recognize the same-sex marriage in legal terms , even though their home state of new york did . but now , led by president barack obama 's recent political about-face , the administration opposes the law . moral opposition to homosexuality , though it may reflect deeply held personal views , is not a legitimate policy objective that can justify unequal treatment of gay and lesbian people ' contained in the doma law , solicitor general donald verrilli said in the justice department 's legal brief . the separate case from california deals with proposition 8 , a 2008 voter-approved referendum banning same-sex marriage . this after the california high court had earlier concluded same-sex couples could legally wed. that case too will be heard in late march . though not a party in the california case , government sources say the justice department was prepared next week to file an amicus ' or supporting brief asserting a constitutional right to same-sex marriage , and that proposition 8 should be struck down as a violation of constitutionally guaranteed equal protection ' of the laws . those sources say obama was expected to make the final call on whether to intervene in the state dispute . i have to make sure that i 'm not interjecting myself too much in this process , particularly when we 're not a party to the case , ' obama said wednesday in an interview with cnn affiliate kgo-tv in san francisco . of more immediate concern was the doma fight , where the administration is squarely involved . but a tricky gateway or jurisdictional ' question threatens to stall any final consideration of the law 's constitutionality . that was the focus of much of the friday legal papers . the doma law will be defended by house republicans , after obama concluded the law was unconstitutional . traditionally , that role would fall to the solicitor general 's office . but obama , in an election-year stunner , said last may that he supported same-sex marriage . the president had already ordered attorney general eric holder not to defend doma in court . that raised the question of whether any party could rightfully step in and defend the law . besides the constitutional issue , the justices had specifically ordered both sides to argue a supplemental question : whether congressional republicans -- operating officially as the bipartisan legal advisory group of the u.s. house of representatives -- have standing ' or legal authority to make the case . lawyers representing the house gop said friday that they should be able to take the lead and defend the law , since both windsor and the obama administration are taking the same legal position . without the house 's participation , ' said attorney paul clement , representing house leaders , it is hard to see how there is any case or controversy here at all . both ms. windsor and the executive agree that doma is unconstitutional and that ms. windsor was entitled to a [ tax ] refund . and the lower courts granted them all the relief they requested . only the house 's intervention provides the adverseness that article iii [ federal court jurisdiction ] demands . ' but the justice department said it alone should present the government 's case . house republicans lack any basis for supplanting the executive branch 's exclusive role in representing the united states'interests in this litigation , and has no interests of its own that would satisfy ' federal court scrutiny , said administration lawyers . windsor 's legal team also said the house leaders could defend doma , at least partially , suggesting the woman wants ultimate resolution on the constitutional questions as soon as possible . i was devastated by the loss of the great love of my life , and i was also very sick , then had to deal with pulling together enough money to pay for the taxes , ' the 83-year-old windsor told cnn recently . and it was deeply upsetting . ' the story of edith and thea that fundamental unfairness , as windsor and her supporters see it , is at the center of doma legal fight . in november , three states -- maryland , washington , and maine -- approved same-sex marriage , adding to the six states and the district of columbia that already have done so . minnesota voters also rejected an effort to ban such unions through a constitutional amendment . as more states legalize same-sex marriage , one of the key questions the justices may be forced to address is whether a national consensus now exists supporting the idea of expanding an equal protection ' right of marriage to homosexuals . a bill known as the respect for marriage act is working its way through congress and would repeal doma . that law does not prohibit states from allowing same-sex marriages , but it also does not force states to recognize them from other states . most of the current plaintiffs are federal workers , who are not allowed to add their spouses to health care plans , and other benefits . many other states , including new jersey , illinois , delaware , rhode island and hawaii , have legalized domestic partnerships and civil unions for such couples -- a step designed in most cases to provide the same rights of marriage under state law . but other states have passed laws or state constitutional amendments banning such marriages . california 's proposition 8 is the only such referendum that revoked the right after lawmakers and the state courts previously allowed it . that makes it a somewhat unique legal case for review by the justices . the doma cases are u.s. v. windsor ( 12-307 ) and bipartisan legal advisory group of the u.s. house of representatives v. windsor ( 12-785 ) . | supreme court will hear arguments next month on defense of marriage act |
bayern munich <tsp> ( cnn ) -- thomas mueller celebrated signing a new contract with bayern munich by helping the bundesliga champions to win the pre-season german supercup clash with runners-up schalke on saturday . the 20-year-old , a revelation for germany at the 2010 world cup after scoring five goals , broke the deadlock in the second half in augsburg before miroslav klose sealed a 2-0 win . before the match , he agreed a two-year extension to his previous deal , which was due to expire in 2013 . a dream has come true for me , and not just in the course of last season , ' mueller , who was joint top scorer in south africa and also named best young player , told the bayern website . i come from bavaria , and fc bayern is my club . i 'm delighted that i 'll continue to wear a bayern shirt for the next five years . ' bayern lost 3-1 to schalke last week in the liga total cup friendly event , as coach louis van gaal fielded several reserve players . but the dutchman included six world cup stars -- minus the injured arjen robben -- in a traditional pre-season fixture between league and cup winners which has been reinstated on the calendar after a 14-year absence . bayern angry as dutch star robben is ruled out schalke coach felix magath fielded his marquee signing , former real madrid striker raul . bayern , who also won the german cup last season as well as reaching the final of the uefa champions league , took the lead in the 75th minute . mueller slotted into the empty net when veteran striker klose put the ball past onrushing goalkeeper manuel neuer . klose , who scored four goals at the world cup to move second in the all-time scorers list with gerd mueller , doubled the lead from close range six minutes later after ivica olic beat schalke 's new spanish defender sergio escudero and provided the assist . bayern begin the new bundesliga season at home to the 2009 champions wolfsburg on august 20 . | bayern munich reward world cup star thomas mueller with new deal until 2015 |
muslim <tsp> ( cnn ) -- while western banking 's reputation was tarnished in the wake of the global economic crisis , islamic finance is being touted by some as a more ethical alternative , with the potential to appeal to customers beyond its muslim base . what sets islamic finance apart from other models is that it complies with sharia moral and religious law , including not charging or paying interest . and with more than 700 islamic financial institutions around the world , the sector is already worth up to $ 1.3 trillion globally . cnn 's jim boulden sat down with atif hanif , islamic finance specialist and partner at allen & overy , to discuss what islamic finance really is and where it is growing . cnn : how would you describe islamic finance ? atif hanif : islamic finance is an alternative form of finance . it is something that is trying to cater to a particular segment of the population , in this case the muslim segment , because they are ethically constrained from participating in the conventional banking industry . but the aim is to try and offer to this segment as much as possible of what is available in the conventional sphere -- so in terms of your regular financial services and products , but overlaying that with certain rules which are derived from the islamic jurisprudence . and the chief among these rules will obviously be the prohibition of charging and paying interest . cnn : i imagine those who 're trying to offer these products are trying to explain that they 're not just islamic , they 're just different . ah : absolutely -- i think that 's the way they are being pitched , and you know , 20 years ago , yes it was very exotic , but i think these days they 're much more a feature of the global financial industry . cnn : do you think we will see an exponential growth in this ? ah : certainly where i sit i can see islamic finance moving into newer markets . it 's coming out of its sort of traditional dominion in the gulf and malaysia and moving into places like north africa , central asia , and also western europe to some extent . cnn : is it going to be a slow growth ? what would be your projection ? ah : you have to look at a number of factors behind what drives growth in these markets . one , obviously , is the population . i think the second factor is that there are political issues around what 's happening in those markets . there 's uncertainty ; we 've all seen what 's happening in libya . it 's places like bangladesh and pakistan -- a significant population in both countries , and particularly in the case of pakistan , a case of instability in the last 10 to 20 years . if that ever gets resolved , who knows ? that could be a very fertile land for growth . and there 's obviously india in the middle , which is not an islamic country but again has a huge muslim population , which is a potential growth area . cnn : malaysia and indonesia are obvious places , and i know it 's growing , but i wonder if there 's a lot of untapped potential there as well ? ah : malaysia is very well established . i think that 's a very mature market and they are one of , i would say , the pioneers of this industry . so there does n't seem to be that much further room to grow in malaysia . but indonesia is largely untapped . i mean , the indonesian government is moving in that direction . they have passed some legislation , i understand , to try and facilitate islamic banking . and some of the malaysian clients that i work with , the malaysian banks , they see indonesia as the last frontier for them to expand their operations and grow . | population growth in muslim countries has meant a boost in islamic finance |
indonesia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- while western banking 's reputation was tarnished in the wake of the global economic crisis , islamic finance is being touted by some as a more ethical alternative , with the potential to appeal to customers beyond its muslim base . what sets islamic finance apart from other models is that it complies with sharia moral and religious law , including not charging or paying interest . and with more than 700 islamic financial institutions around the world , the sector is already worth up to $ 1.3 trillion globally . cnn 's jim boulden sat down with atif hanif , islamic finance specialist and partner at allen & overy , to discuss what islamic finance really is and where it is growing . cnn : how would you describe islamic finance ? atif hanif : islamic finance is an alternative form of finance . it is something that is trying to cater to a particular segment of the population , in this case the muslim segment , because they are ethically constrained from participating in the conventional banking industry . but the aim is to try and offer to this segment as much as possible of what is available in the conventional sphere -- so in terms of your regular financial services and products , but overlaying that with certain rules which are derived from the islamic jurisprudence . and the chief among these rules will obviously be the prohibition of charging and paying interest . cnn : i imagine those who 're trying to offer these products are trying to explain that they 're not just islamic , they 're just different . ah : absolutely -- i think that 's the way they are being pitched , and you know , 20 years ago , yes it was very exotic , but i think these days they 're much more a feature of the global financial industry . cnn : do you think we will see an exponential growth in this ? ah : certainly where i sit i can see islamic finance moving into newer markets . it 's coming out of its sort of traditional dominion in the gulf and malaysia and moving into places like north africa , central asia , and also western europe to some extent . cnn : is it going to be a slow growth ? what would be your projection ? ah : you have to look at a number of factors behind what drives growth in these markets . one , obviously , is the population . i think the second factor is that there are political issues around what 's happening in those markets . there 's uncertainty ; we 've all seen what 's happening in libya . it 's places like bangladesh and pakistan -- a significant population in both countries , and particularly in the case of pakistan , a case of instability in the last 10 to 20 years . if that ever gets resolved , who knows ? that could be a very fertile land for growth . and there 's obviously india in the middle , which is not an islamic country but again has a huge muslim population , which is a potential growth area . cnn : malaysia and indonesia are obvious places , and i know it 's growing , but i wonder if there 's a lot of untapped potential there as well ? ah : malaysia is very well established . i think that 's a very mature market and they are one of , i would say , the pioneers of this industry . so there does n't seem to be that much further room to grow in malaysia . but indonesia is largely untapped . i mean , the indonesian government is moving in that direction . they have passed some legislation , i understand , to try and facilitate islamic banking . and some of the malaysian clients that i work with , the malaysian banks , they see indonesia as the last frontier for them to expand their operations and grow . | north africa , pakistan , bangladesh and indonesia are potential growth areas |
madonna <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pop star madonna is causing a commotion in malawi , days after her return from a goodwill trip to the nation . the singer is in a bitter feud with the government over accusations that she demanded vip treatment , including at the airport , while visiting last week . madonna asked to meet the president and she believed malawi should have abandoned everything and ... rolled out a red carpet and blasted the 21-gun salute in her honor , ' the government said in a statement . a government spokesman also accused her of overstating her contributions , saying she announced that she built schools in the nation while she only helped construct classrooms in existing facilities . malawi officials blast madonna 's school plans the pop star shot down the reports as inaccurate , and pledged to continue helping educate young girls in the nation . madonna adopted a son from malawi in 2006 , and her ties to the nation run deep . in addition to adopting a daughter three years later , she has several education projects in the nation . they include the documentary , i am because we are , ' which highlights diseases devastating children in the country . she also co-founded a nonprofit group , raising malawi , to help educate and provide programs to help the needy . despite her charitable involvement and fame , the government said , it is not obligated to give her special treatment . madonna feels that the malawi government and its leadership should have abandoned everything and attended to her because she believes she is a music star turned benefactor , ' tusekele mwanyongo , a government spokesman , said in a statement posted by the nation 's media outlets . granted , madonna is a famed international musician . but that does not impose an injunction of obligation on any government ... to give her state treatment . such treatment , even if she deserved it , is discretionary not obligatory . ' the spokesman did not provide specific details on what kind of special treatment madonna reportedly asked for . i 'm saddened that malawi 's president joyce banda has chosen to release lies about what we 've accomplished , my intentions , how i personally conducted myself while visiting malawi and other untruths , ' madonna said in a statement . i have no intentions of being distracted by these ridiculous allegations . i came to malawi seven years ago with honorable intentions . i returned earlier this month to view the new schools we built . i did not ever ask or demand special treatment at the airport or elsewhere during my visit . ' in her statement , madonna said the animosity is a result of her history with the president 's sister , anjimile mtila oponyo , who once headed raising malawi . oponyo was later fired , and sued the nonprofit for wrongful termination . madonna is not letting politics stand in the way of her deep commitment to help build schools there and educate as many children as possible , ' said liz rosenberg , the singer 's publicist . malawian officials dismissed the implication that their discontent was based on her relationship with the president 's sister . raising malawi at first planned to build a major girls academy , but later revised its goal and joined buildon to construct smaller schools in villages . the two groups say they 've built 10 schools so far , all in 2012 . madonna visited the nation with her children , including son david banda and daughter chifundo james , both of whom were adopted from malawi . the malawian president , a longtime women 's rights activist and former vice president , came to office last year after the death of her predecessor . cnn 's denise quan contributed to this report | madonna denies the claims , says she remains committed to educating malawians |
madonna <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pop star madonna is causing a commotion in malawi , days after her return from a goodwill trip to the nation . the singer is in a bitter feud with the government over accusations that she demanded vip treatment , including at the airport , while visiting last week . madonna asked to meet the president and she believed malawi should have abandoned everything and ... rolled out a red carpet and blasted the 21-gun salute in her honor , ' the government said in a statement . a government spokesman also accused her of overstating her contributions , saying she announced that she built schools in the nation while she only helped construct classrooms in existing facilities . malawi officials blast madonna 's school plans the pop star shot down the reports as inaccurate , and pledged to continue helping educate young girls in the nation . madonna adopted a son from malawi in 2006 , and her ties to the nation run deep . in addition to adopting a daughter three years later , she has several education projects in the nation . they include the documentary , i am because we are , ' which highlights diseases devastating children in the country . she also co-founded a nonprofit group , raising malawi , to help educate and provide programs to help the needy . despite her charitable involvement and fame , the government said , it is not obligated to give her special treatment . madonna feels that the malawi government and its leadership should have abandoned everything and attended to her because she believes she is a music star turned benefactor , ' tusekele mwanyongo , a government spokesman , said in a statement posted by the nation 's media outlets . granted , madonna is a famed international musician . but that does not impose an injunction of obligation on any government ... to give her state treatment . such treatment , even if she deserved it , is discretionary not obligatory . ' the spokesman did not provide specific details on what kind of special treatment madonna reportedly asked for . i 'm saddened that malawi 's president joyce banda has chosen to release lies about what we 've accomplished , my intentions , how i personally conducted myself while visiting malawi and other untruths , ' madonna said in a statement . i have no intentions of being distracted by these ridiculous allegations . i came to malawi seven years ago with honorable intentions . i returned earlier this month to view the new schools we built . i did not ever ask or demand special treatment at the airport or elsewhere during my visit . ' in her statement , madonna said the animosity is a result of her history with the president 's sister , anjimile mtila oponyo , who once headed raising malawi . oponyo was later fired , and sued the nonprofit for wrongful termination . madonna is not letting politics stand in the way of her deep commitment to help build schools there and educate as many children as possible , ' said liz rosenberg , the singer 's publicist . malawian officials dismissed the implication that their discontent was based on her relationship with the president 's sister . raising malawi at first planned to build a major girls academy , but later revised its goal and joined buildon to construct smaller schools in villages . the two groups say they 've built 10 schools so far , all in 2012 . madonna visited the nation with her children , including son david banda and daughter chifundo james , both of whom were adopted from malawi . the malawian president , a longtime women 's rights activist and former vice president , came to office last year after the death of her predecessor . cnn 's denise quan contributed to this report | the government accuses madonna of demanding special treatment |
texas <tsp> atlanta ( cnn ) -- tornado warning sirens echoed across northern georgia on monday as the remnants of tropical storm lee swept through the area , damaging dozens of homes and knocking out power to thousands . one man was treated for superficial ' injuries after being rescued from the basement of a collapsed home near woodstock , about 30 miles north of downtown atlanta , cherokee county emergency management supervisor robby westbrook told cnn . he said sheriff 's deputies counted more than 100 homes damaged in a roughly five-mile stretch around the town . and cherokee county fire department spokesman tim cavender said several trees were knocked down around holly springs , about five miles north of woodstock . high winds ripped the siding from homes and scattered strands of pink insulation around neighborhoods , while falling trees split others apart . the storm also knocked out power to about 20,000 georgia power customers , half of them around atlanta , company spokeswoman christy ihrig told cnn . another 5,000 were left in the dark in savannah , on the atlantic coast , with the remainder of outages scattered around the state , ihrig said . lee hit southwestern louisiana on sunday and has drenched the southeast as it moves inland . one flooding death was reported in rural northeast mississippi , while authorities were still searching for a teenager they said was swept off a beach on the alabama coast . in eastern tennessee , chattanooga saw a record 8-plus inches of rain in a 24-hour period and was expecting another two inches , said david gaffin , a national weather service meteorologist . the previous record of 7.61 inches had stood since 1886 , he said . two nearby creeks were both over flood stage , but both were expected to crest tuesday . south chicamauga creek , near the chattanooga airport , ran seven feet over its 18-foot flood stage monday evening , while lookout creek , at 17 feet , was five feet over , gaffin said . lee weakened to a tropical depression after hitting land , but was projected to dump up to 20 inches of rain on some areas as it moves northeast , the national hurricane center said . the sole confirmed fatality as of monday evening was in tishomingo county , mississippi , where one person drowned after floodwaters swept away a vehicle , state emergency officials said . but the threat of flash floods forced authorities in jackson to evacuate more than two dozen families from an apartment complex early monday , jackson police spokeswoman colendula green said . the storm knocked down power lines and trees across jackson , mississippi 's capital , officials said monday . and in alabama , searchers were still looking for a 16-year-old boy who was last seen on a beach near gulf shores on sunday , baldwin county sheriff 's spokesman anthony lowery told cnn . the search would continue as weather permits , he said . lee 's winds have also fueled wildfires that killed at least two people and threatened about 1,000 homes in texas , officials said . at least 450 homes burned down and thousands of people were evacuated in bastrop county , authorities there said sunday night . in eastern texas , a mother and her 18-month-old child died when flames engulfed their mobile home near gladewater , the gregg county sheriff 's department said . state and local officials in louisiana had reported flooding over the weekend in numerous parishes , including iberia , terrebonne , plaquemines , st. bernard , st. tammany and jefferson . crews in crown point , louisiana , were scrambling monday to create makeshift levees aimed at protecting homes from water that was creeping out of the intracoastal waterway . new orleans mayor mitch landrieu told reporters sunday that the storm had dumped 10 to 13 inches of rain on the city and brought wind gusts of up to 50 mph . but new orleans is otherwise fully functional , with all 24 pump stations in the city 100 % operational ' and roughly 200 people without power , down significantly from saturday , the mayor said . lee is expected to dump considerable rain in the east -- including new jersey , new york and vermont , where grounds are drenched and rivers are already full after irene . the hurricane center noted sunday night that flooding rains ( are ) expected to spread from the gulf coast to the appalachians . ' cnn 's jacqui jeras , john branch and joe sutton contributed to this report . | lee 's winds fuel wildfires in texas , where at least two died in a blaze |
mark lippert <tsp> seoul , south korea ( cnn ) the man accused of stabbing u.s . ambassador mark lippert in seoul last month is now charged with attempted murder , a south korean court official said wednesday . kim ki-jong has also been charged with assaulting a foreign envoy and business obstruction , the seoul central district court official said . according to south korean law , kim 's trial must begin within 14 days of receiving today 's indictment . lippert was stabbed march 5 during an event organized by the korean council for reconciliation and cooperation , which advocates peaceful reunification between north and south korea . shortly before lippert was supposed to give a speech , the attacker slashed him in the face and jaw . the ambassador suffered a gash from his right cheekbone to his lower jaw that required 80 stitches . that wound measured 10 centimeters ( 4 inches ) long and 2.5 centimeters ( 1 inch ) deep , but there was no serious facial nerve damage , said dr. jung nam-shik of the yonsei severance hospital . lippert also suffered five cuts in his left arm and hand , but was not expected to have permanent damage to his arm function . police said kim stabbed lippert with a 10-inch knife because he opposed the joint south korean-u.s. military drills , which happen every year and frequently draw the ire of north korea . police official yoon myeong-seong told reporters that kim had visited north korea seven times between 1999 and 2007 , and that authorities were investigating a possible connection between his visits to the reclusive state and the attack against lippert . kim , 55 , has a history of unpredictable behavior . in 2010 , he received a suspended two-year prison sentence for throwing a piece of concrete at a japanese ambassador to south korea , according to the yonhap news agency . south korean president park geun-hye condemned the attack . this incident is not only a physical attack on the u.s. ambassador , ' she said , but an attack on the south korea-u.s. alliance and it can never be tolerated . ' cnn 's madison park and greg botelho contributed to this report . | he 's accused of stabbing u.s . ambassador mark lippert in the face and arm |
kim <tsp> seoul , south korea ( cnn ) the man accused of stabbing u.s . ambassador mark lippert in seoul last month is now charged with attempted murder , a south korean court official said wednesday . kim ki-jong has also been charged with assaulting a foreign envoy and business obstruction , the seoul central district court official said . according to south korean law , kim 's trial must begin within 14 days of receiving today 's indictment . lippert was stabbed march 5 during an event organized by the korean council for reconciliation and cooperation , which advocates peaceful reunification between north and south korea . shortly before lippert was supposed to give a speech , the attacker slashed him in the face and jaw . the ambassador suffered a gash from his right cheekbone to his lower jaw that required 80 stitches . that wound measured 10 centimeters ( 4 inches ) long and 2.5 centimeters ( 1 inch ) deep , but there was no serious facial nerve damage , said dr. jung nam-shik of the yonsei severance hospital . lippert also suffered five cuts in his left arm and hand , but was not expected to have permanent damage to his arm function . police said kim stabbed lippert with a 10-inch knife because he opposed the joint south korean-u.s. military drills , which happen every year and frequently draw the ire of north korea . police official yoon myeong-seong told reporters that kim had visited north korea seven times between 1999 and 2007 , and that authorities were investigating a possible connection between his visits to the reclusive state and the attack against lippert . kim , 55 , has a history of unpredictable behavior . in 2010 , he received a suspended two-year prison sentence for throwing a piece of concrete at a japanese ambassador to south korea , according to the yonhap news agency . south korean president park geun-hye condemned the attack . this incident is not only a physical attack on the u.s. ambassador , ' she said , but an attack on the south korea-u.s. alliance and it can never be tolerated . ' cnn 's madison park and greg botelho contributed to this report . | kim ki-jong is charged with attempted murder and assaulting a foreign envoy |
kim <tsp> seoul , south korea ( cnn ) the man accused of stabbing u.s . ambassador mark lippert in seoul last month is now charged with attempted murder , a south korean court official said wednesday . kim ki-jong has also been charged with assaulting a foreign envoy and business obstruction , the seoul central district court official said . according to south korean law , kim 's trial must begin within 14 days of receiving today 's indictment . lippert was stabbed march 5 during an event organized by the korean council for reconciliation and cooperation , which advocates peaceful reunification between north and south korea . shortly before lippert was supposed to give a speech , the attacker slashed him in the face and jaw . the ambassador suffered a gash from his right cheekbone to his lower jaw that required 80 stitches . that wound measured 10 centimeters ( 4 inches ) long and 2.5 centimeters ( 1 inch ) deep , but there was no serious facial nerve damage , said dr. jung nam-shik of the yonsei severance hospital . lippert also suffered five cuts in his left arm and hand , but was not expected to have permanent damage to his arm function . police said kim stabbed lippert with a 10-inch knife because he opposed the joint south korean-u.s. military drills , which happen every year and frequently draw the ire of north korea . police official yoon myeong-seong told reporters that kim had visited north korea seven times between 1999 and 2007 , and that authorities were investigating a possible connection between his visits to the reclusive state and the attack against lippert . kim , 55 , has a history of unpredictable behavior . in 2010 , he received a suspended two-year prison sentence for throwing a piece of concrete at a japanese ambassador to south korea , according to the yonhap news agency . south korean president park geun-hye condemned the attack . this incident is not only a physical attack on the u.s. ambassador , ' she said , but an attack on the south korea-u.s. alliance and it can never be tolerated . ' cnn 's madison park and greg botelho contributed to this report . | police said kim opposed the joint u.s.-south korean military drills |
u.s . <tsp> seoul , south korea ( cnn ) the man accused of stabbing u.s . ambassador mark lippert in seoul last month is now charged with attempted murder , a south korean court official said wednesday . kim ki-jong has also been charged with assaulting a foreign envoy and business obstruction , the seoul central district court official said . according to south korean law , kim 's trial must begin within 14 days of receiving today 's indictment . lippert was stabbed march 5 during an event organized by the korean council for reconciliation and cooperation , which advocates peaceful reunification between north and south korea . shortly before lippert was supposed to give a speech , the attacker slashed him in the face and jaw . the ambassador suffered a gash from his right cheekbone to his lower jaw that required 80 stitches . that wound measured 10 centimeters ( 4 inches ) long and 2.5 centimeters ( 1 inch ) deep , but there was no serious facial nerve damage , said dr. jung nam-shik of the yonsei severance hospital . lippert also suffered five cuts in his left arm and hand , but was not expected to have permanent damage to his arm function . police said kim stabbed lippert with a 10-inch knife because he opposed the joint south korean-u.s. military drills , which happen every year and frequently draw the ire of north korea . police official yoon myeong-seong told reporters that kim had visited north korea seven times between 1999 and 2007 , and that authorities were investigating a possible connection between his visits to the reclusive state and the attack against lippert . kim , 55 , has a history of unpredictable behavior . in 2010 , he received a suspended two-year prison sentence for throwing a piece of concrete at a japanese ambassador to south korea , according to the yonhap news agency . south korean president park geun-hye condemned the attack . this incident is not only a physical attack on the u.s. ambassador , ' she said , but an attack on the south korea-u.s. alliance and it can never be tolerated . ' cnn 's madison park and greg botelho contributed to this report . | he 's accused of stabbing u.s . ambassador mark lippert in the face and arm |
wimbledon <tsp> ( cnn ) -- world no . 2 novak djokovic survived his first big test of wimbledon 2011 as he overcame crowd favorite marcos baghdatis to reach the last 16 of the grass-court grand slam in london on saturday . the serbian appeared on course for an easy victory after winning the first set , but the 24-year-old completely lost his cool as his 30th-ranked opponent fought back in the second . djokovic was given a warning after smashing his racket into the ground three times , a petulant outburst that ensured the centre court crowd was firmly behind baghdatis -- a 2006 semifinalist here after losing in the final of that year 's australian open . djokovic , seeking his first wimbledon title after his 43-match unbeaten run ended at the french open semifinals , recovered his poise to triumph 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-4 and set up a fourth-round clash with france 's michael llodra . baghdatis will not feature when the second week of the tournament begins on monday , but the 26-year-old won plenty of fans with his big-hearted performance as he tested australian open champion djokovic right until the end -- even winning an 18-shot rally despite his tiring legs . to pull a win out of this game was great . today was n't my day totally but when i needed to i played some good shots , ' djokovic said . he joined world no . 1 rafael nadal and roger federer in winning through , meaning the top four players are still in the draw following andy murray 's victory on friday . defending champion nadal will next play former world no . 4 juan martin del potro in the tie of the fourth round , with the spaniard completing a straight-sets win over luxembourg 's gilles muller . resuming the rain-delayed match after winning the opening set 7-6 ( 8-6 ) , nadal won the next 7-5 in another tie-and then whitewashed his 92nd-ranked fellow left-hander 6-0 in the third . del potro , now ranked 21st as he continues his comeback from long-term wrist problems , defeated french 15th seed gilles simon 7-6 ( 10-8 ) 7-6 ( 7-5 ) 7-5 . the argentine had never gone past round two before , but has a great chance of reaching the semis if he can beat nadal . i 'm not lucky to play against del potro in the round of 16 , ' nadal said , adding that the knee problem he suffered on friday was not serious . he 's a very , very tough opponent , one of the best players of the world . when he 's healthy , he 's top-five level normally , so it will be a very tough opponent for me . i have to be playing my best tennis to try to win . ' the winner of their match will face either last year 's runner-up tomas berdych or 10th seed mardy fish in the quarterfinals . czech seventh seed berdych beat alex bogomolov jr. 6-2 6-4 6-3 to leave fish as the only american left in the men 's draw following dutchman robin haase 's injury retirement at 6-3 6-7 ( 5-7 ) 6-2 1-1 down in their encounter . federer , seeking to equal pete sampras with a seventh open era title at wimbledon , showed he will again be a contender by defeating sometime nemesis david nalbandian in straight sets . the 16-time grand slam winner has lost eight times to the argentine , but the swiss third seed was in control as he triumphed 6-4 6-2 6-4 to set up a clash with russia 's mikhail youzhny . youzhny , seeded 18th , has now reached the fourth round six times since 2001 following his 4-6 6-3 7-6 ( 7-3 ) 6-3 win over spain 's no . 16 nicolas almagro , but has yet to go further . fifth seed robin soderling reached the quarterfinals last year , but the swede 's participation ended on saturday with a shock defeat by australian teenager bernard tomic . the 18-year-old , who lost in the first round in his debut appearance in 2010 , won 6-1 6-4 7-5 to earn a meeting with 2002 semifinalist xavier malisse . ranked 158th in the world , he will become australia 's new no . 1 after the tournament ahead of 2002 wimbledon champion lleyton hewitt , who was beaten by soderling in five sets in the previous round . belgium 's malisse ended the hopes of austrian 11th seed jurgen melzer , winning 7-6 ( 7-5 ) 6-3 6-0 to qualify for the last 16 for the first time since 2004 . french ninth seed gael monfils also crashed out , losing 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-3 to poland 's lukasz kubot . the world no . 93 , a doubles specialist who lost in the second round last year , will next take on spain 's feliciano lopez -- who eliminated three-time runner-up andy roddick on friday . spanish seventh seed david ferrer moved into the last 16 for the second successive year as he beat slovakia 's karol beck 6-4 6-3 6-3 . the australian open semifinalist will next face french 12th seed jo-wilfried tsonga , who won 6-3 6-4 6-3 against chile 's fernando gonzalez . llodra , seeded 19th , has already bettered his best performance by passing the second round and will take on djokovic after his 6-3 6-3 6-1 win over lu yen-hsun , who last year became the first taiwanese player to reach the quarterfinals . the other fourth-round match sees murray play french 15th seed richard gasquet , who he beat in a five-set thriller at wimbledon three years ago to reach his first grand slam quarterfinal . | world 's top four men 's tennis players will feature in fourth round at wimbledon next week |
turkish airlines <tsp> turkish airlines has gone from strength to strength in recent years , adding new routes across europe and asia as well as expanding into africa . a new multi-billion dollar hub airport in the works in istanbul means this impressive growth story will soon be given yet another boost . but with many ambitious competitors also expanding across the gulf and the middle east , can the turkish aviation vision continue to soar ? john defterios spoke to the airline 's ceo , temel kotil , to find out . below is an edited version of their conversation . john defterios ( jd ) : why do you think there is so much growth coming out of turkey ? temel kotil ( tk ) : the airline business is so big and economies are growing in east asia , africa and europe which is feeding us so we are going to grow . this is very simple . jd : when do you get to the point when the market is too saturated as there are also many expanding hubs across the middle east and particularly in the gulf states ? tk : that 's the beauty of the airline business . there are about 3.1 billion travelers and by 2030 that will be between seven or eight billion , so there are more coming . we are growing at 18 % . our friends in the gulf are growing at about 10 % to 15 % . what is happening is that passengers are floating ( between carriers ) . so you have the option to go from city x in europe to city y in asia to go via istanbul , via dubai , via abu dhabi and so on . who will become the winner will be the airline who loves the passengers . we love the passengers . we are the best airline in europe for the last two years . hopefully we will continue that but who knows ? we will work hard . it 's a big business and it 's a big market . if we are good we can become the winner . ( having a ) good brand , quality , prices , network , size ; this matters . jd : you 're building major infrastructure in istanbul with a third airport that has a $ 35 billion price tag . some say this is grandiosity and that you do n't really need an airport of that size . how do you counter these critics ? tk : no , we need it . from istanbul we have to cover the whole of europe . we have more than 100 destinations coming as a european carrier . we ( also ) cover the whole of the middle east , africa , northern africa , central africa all through central asia . this means turkish airlines becomes a nice feeder from istanbul . by 2023 , depending upon ourselves will be ... 120 million ( passengers every year ) . because of this ... you can make a big investment in the airport . ( we can ) combine these bigger airports with the passenger capabilities of the turkish airlines . history will change . the asian carriers who are feeding the other hubs ( just now ) they will appear in istanbul . today they want to fly to istanbul but because of capacity concerns they are not coming . turkey is a growing country . the cost issue is not a problem because of the volume from turkish airlines is already put on the table already . | turkish airlines expanding into asia , europe and africa |
indianapolis <tsp> ( cnn ) seven people -- including illinois state university associate men 's basketball coach torrey ward and deputy athletic director aaron leetch -- died when their small plane crashed while heading back from the ncaa tournament final . the aircraft went down overnight monday about 2 miles east of the central illinois regional airport in bloomington , mclean county sheriff 's office sgt . bill tate said . that 's about 5 miles from the campus of illinois state , where ward and leetch both worked . it was not immediately known who else was on the aircraft , which the national transportation safety board tweeted was a cessna 414 . the plane was coming back from the ncaa final four championship game in indianapolis , according to illinois state athletics spokesman john twork . the isu community is reeling from the loss , ' twork said . the last post from a twitter account that purportedly belongs to ward features pictures from lucas oil stadium , where duke beat wisconsin in the title game . there 's also a picture of a small plane with the words , my ride to the game was n't bad # indy2015f4 . ' in a statement , illinois state university president larry dietz remembered ward and leetch as well-respected and much-loved colleagues in our athletics department ' in the crash near bloomington . words can not fully express the grief that is felt in the wake of such a tragedy , ' dietz said . we move between shock and profound sadness . ' a standout player at the university of alabama at birmingham in his hometown between 1996 and 2000 , ward played professionally in china alongside yao ming before getting into coaching . he was part of the staffs at jacksonsville state university , the university of mississippi and , for one year , in china before coming to illinois state as an assistant prior to the 2012 season . he was promoted to associate head coach in may 2014 , according to his official bio . coming from arkansas state university , leetch joined isu in 2005 as an athletic director for development before assuming a number of other roles through 2011 , his bio notes . leetch left the illinois school to serve as director of athletics at whitworth university in spokane , washington , then came back in june 2013 as isu 's deputy director of athletics . he was in charge of the redbirds'athletics communications and video production units , and had a hands-on role in its football , men 's basketball , golf and baseball programs . athletic director larry lyons described leetch as a shining star in the business , ' while lauding ward as a talented coach and recruiter ' with a big personality who was loved by fans . there is no play in the playbook for times like these , ' lyons said . we will miss aaron and torrey deeply , and we will support their families in any way that we can . ' people we 've lost in 2015 | the plane crashed while coming back from the ncaa title game in indianapolis |
ncaa <tsp> ( cnn ) seven people -- including illinois state university associate men 's basketball coach torrey ward and deputy athletic director aaron leetch -- died when their small plane crashed while heading back from the ncaa tournament final . the aircraft went down overnight monday about 2 miles east of the central illinois regional airport in bloomington , mclean county sheriff 's office sgt . bill tate said . that 's about 5 miles from the campus of illinois state , where ward and leetch both worked . it was not immediately known who else was on the aircraft , which the national transportation safety board tweeted was a cessna 414 . the plane was coming back from the ncaa final four championship game in indianapolis , according to illinois state athletics spokesman john twork . the isu community is reeling from the loss , ' twork said . the last post from a twitter account that purportedly belongs to ward features pictures from lucas oil stadium , where duke beat wisconsin in the title game . there 's also a picture of a small plane with the words , my ride to the game was n't bad # indy2015f4 . ' in a statement , illinois state university president larry dietz remembered ward and leetch as well-respected and much-loved colleagues in our athletics department ' in the crash near bloomington . words can not fully express the grief that is felt in the wake of such a tragedy , ' dietz said . we move between shock and profound sadness . ' a standout player at the university of alabama at birmingham in his hometown between 1996 and 2000 , ward played professionally in china alongside yao ming before getting into coaching . he was part of the staffs at jacksonsville state university , the university of mississippi and , for one year , in china before coming to illinois state as an assistant prior to the 2012 season . he was promoted to associate head coach in may 2014 , according to his official bio . coming from arkansas state university , leetch joined isu in 2005 as an athletic director for development before assuming a number of other roles through 2011 , his bio notes . leetch left the illinois school to serve as director of athletics at whitworth university in spokane , washington , then came back in june 2013 as isu 's deputy director of athletics . he was in charge of the redbirds'athletics communications and video production units , and had a hands-on role in its football , men 's basketball , golf and baseball programs . athletic director larry lyons described leetch as a shining star in the business , ' while lauding ward as a talented coach and recruiter ' with a big personality who was loved by fans . there is no play in the playbook for times like these , ' lyons said . we will miss aaron and torrey deeply , and we will support their families in any way that we can . ' people we 've lost in 2015 | the plane crashed while coming back from the ncaa title game in indianapolis |
national transportation safety board <tsp> ( cnn ) seven people -- including illinois state university associate men 's basketball coach torrey ward and deputy athletic director aaron leetch -- died when their small plane crashed while heading back from the ncaa tournament final . the aircraft went down overnight monday about 2 miles east of the central illinois regional airport in bloomington , mclean county sheriff 's office sgt . bill tate said . that 's about 5 miles from the campus of illinois state , where ward and leetch both worked . it was not immediately known who else was on the aircraft , which the national transportation safety board tweeted was a cessna 414 . the plane was coming back from the ncaa final four championship game in indianapolis , according to illinois state athletics spokesman john twork . the isu community is reeling from the loss , ' twork said . the last post from a twitter account that purportedly belongs to ward features pictures from lucas oil stadium , where duke beat wisconsin in the title game . there 's also a picture of a small plane with the words , my ride to the game was n't bad # indy2015f4 . ' in a statement , illinois state university president larry dietz remembered ward and leetch as well-respected and much-loved colleagues in our athletics department ' in the crash near bloomington . words can not fully express the grief that is felt in the wake of such a tragedy , ' dietz said . we move between shock and profound sadness . ' a standout player at the university of alabama at birmingham in his hometown between 1996 and 2000 , ward played professionally in china alongside yao ming before getting into coaching . he was part of the staffs at jacksonsville state university , the university of mississippi and , for one year , in china before coming to illinois state as an assistant prior to the 2012 season . he was promoted to associate head coach in may 2014 , according to his official bio . coming from arkansas state university , leetch joined isu in 2005 as an athletic director for development before assuming a number of other roles through 2011 , his bio notes . leetch left the illinois school to serve as director of athletics at whitworth university in spokane , washington , then came back in june 2013 as isu 's deputy director of athletics . he was in charge of the redbirds'athletics communications and video production units , and had a hands-on role in its football , men 's basketball , golf and baseball programs . athletic director larry lyons described leetch as a shining star in the business , ' while lauding ward as a talented coach and recruiter ' with a big personality who was loved by fans . there is no play in the playbook for times like these , ' lyons said . we will miss aaron and torrey deeply , and we will support their families in any way that we can . ' people we 've lost in 2015 | the crashed plane was a cessna 414 , national transportation safety board reports |
torrey ward <tsp> ( cnn ) seven people -- including illinois state university associate men 's basketball coach torrey ward and deputy athletic director aaron leetch -- died when their small plane crashed while heading back from the ncaa tournament final . the aircraft went down overnight monday about 2 miles east of the central illinois regional airport in bloomington , mclean county sheriff 's office sgt . bill tate said . that 's about 5 miles from the campus of illinois state , where ward and leetch both worked . it was not immediately known who else was on the aircraft , which the national transportation safety board tweeted was a cessna 414 . the plane was coming back from the ncaa final four championship game in indianapolis , according to illinois state athletics spokesman john twork . the isu community is reeling from the loss , ' twork said . the last post from a twitter account that purportedly belongs to ward features pictures from lucas oil stadium , where duke beat wisconsin in the title game . there 's also a picture of a small plane with the words , my ride to the game was n't bad # indy2015f4 . ' in a statement , illinois state university president larry dietz remembered ward and leetch as well-respected and much-loved colleagues in our athletics department ' in the crash near bloomington . words can not fully express the grief that is felt in the wake of such a tragedy , ' dietz said . we move between shock and profound sadness . ' a standout player at the university of alabama at birmingham in his hometown between 1996 and 2000 , ward played professionally in china alongside yao ming before getting into coaching . he was part of the staffs at jacksonsville state university , the university of mississippi and , for one year , in china before coming to illinois state as an assistant prior to the 2012 season . he was promoted to associate head coach in may 2014 , according to his official bio . coming from arkansas state university , leetch joined isu in 2005 as an athletic director for development before assuming a number of other roles through 2011 , his bio notes . leetch left the illinois school to serve as director of athletics at whitworth university in spokane , washington , then came back in june 2013 as isu 's deputy director of athletics . he was in charge of the redbirds'athletics communications and video production units , and had a hands-on role in its football , men 's basketball , golf and baseball programs . athletic director larry lyons described leetch as a shining star in the business , ' while lauding ward as a talented coach and recruiter ' with a big personality who was loved by fans . there is no play in the playbook for times like these , ' lyons said . we will miss aaron and torrey deeply , and we will support their families in any way that we can . ' people we 've lost in 2015 | coach torrey ward , administrator aaron leetch among the 7 killed in the crash |
cessna 414 <tsp> ( cnn ) seven people -- including illinois state university associate men 's basketball coach torrey ward and deputy athletic director aaron leetch -- died when their small plane crashed while heading back from the ncaa tournament final . the aircraft went down overnight monday about 2 miles east of the central illinois regional airport in bloomington , mclean county sheriff 's office sgt . bill tate said . that 's about 5 miles from the campus of illinois state , where ward and leetch both worked . it was not immediately known who else was on the aircraft , which the national transportation safety board tweeted was a cessna 414 . the plane was coming back from the ncaa final four championship game in indianapolis , according to illinois state athletics spokesman john twork . the isu community is reeling from the loss , ' twork said . the last post from a twitter account that purportedly belongs to ward features pictures from lucas oil stadium , where duke beat wisconsin in the title game . there 's also a picture of a small plane with the words , my ride to the game was n't bad # indy2015f4 . ' in a statement , illinois state university president larry dietz remembered ward and leetch as well-respected and much-loved colleagues in our athletics department ' in the crash near bloomington . words can not fully express the grief that is felt in the wake of such a tragedy , ' dietz said . we move between shock and profound sadness . ' a standout player at the university of alabama at birmingham in his hometown between 1996 and 2000 , ward played professionally in china alongside yao ming before getting into coaching . he was part of the staffs at jacksonsville state university , the university of mississippi and , for one year , in china before coming to illinois state as an assistant prior to the 2012 season . he was promoted to associate head coach in may 2014 , according to his official bio . coming from arkansas state university , leetch joined isu in 2005 as an athletic director for development before assuming a number of other roles through 2011 , his bio notes . leetch left the illinois school to serve as director of athletics at whitworth university in spokane , washington , then came back in june 2013 as isu 's deputy director of athletics . he was in charge of the redbirds'athletics communications and video production units , and had a hands-on role in its football , men 's basketball , golf and baseball programs . athletic director larry lyons described leetch as a shining star in the business , ' while lauding ward as a talented coach and recruiter ' with a big personality who was loved by fans . there is no play in the playbook for times like these , ' lyons said . we will miss aaron and torrey deeply , and we will support their families in any way that we can . ' people we 've lost in 2015 | the crashed plane was a cessna 414 , national transportation safety board reports |
aaron leetch <tsp> ( cnn ) seven people -- including illinois state university associate men 's basketball coach torrey ward and deputy athletic director aaron leetch -- died when their small plane crashed while heading back from the ncaa tournament final . the aircraft went down overnight monday about 2 miles east of the central illinois regional airport in bloomington , mclean county sheriff 's office sgt . bill tate said . that 's about 5 miles from the campus of illinois state , where ward and leetch both worked . it was not immediately known who else was on the aircraft , which the national transportation safety board tweeted was a cessna 414 . the plane was coming back from the ncaa final four championship game in indianapolis , according to illinois state athletics spokesman john twork . the isu community is reeling from the loss , ' twork said . the last post from a twitter account that purportedly belongs to ward features pictures from lucas oil stadium , where duke beat wisconsin in the title game . there 's also a picture of a small plane with the words , my ride to the game was n't bad # indy2015f4 . ' in a statement , illinois state university president larry dietz remembered ward and leetch as well-respected and much-loved colleagues in our athletics department ' in the crash near bloomington . words can not fully express the grief that is felt in the wake of such a tragedy , ' dietz said . we move between shock and profound sadness . ' a standout player at the university of alabama at birmingham in his hometown between 1996 and 2000 , ward played professionally in china alongside yao ming before getting into coaching . he was part of the staffs at jacksonsville state university , the university of mississippi and , for one year , in china before coming to illinois state as an assistant prior to the 2012 season . he was promoted to associate head coach in may 2014 , according to his official bio . coming from arkansas state university , leetch joined isu in 2005 as an athletic director for development before assuming a number of other roles through 2011 , his bio notes . leetch left the illinois school to serve as director of athletics at whitworth university in spokane , washington , then came back in june 2013 as isu 's deputy director of athletics . he was in charge of the redbirds'athletics communications and video production units , and had a hands-on role in its football , men 's basketball , golf and baseball programs . athletic director larry lyons described leetch as a shining star in the business , ' while lauding ward as a talented coach and recruiter ' with a big personality who was loved by fans . there is no play in the playbook for times like these , ' lyons said . we will miss aaron and torrey deeply , and we will support their families in any way that we can . ' people we 've lost in 2015 | coach torrey ward , administrator aaron leetch among the 7 killed in the crash |
formula one <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two-time formula one champion fernando alonso set his sights on a title charge in 2012 friday as ferrari unveiled the radical design of their car for the new season . the f2012 , ferrari 's 58th f1 car , features a dramatic steeped-nose look in order to conform to new regulations regarding the height of the front chassis . spain 's alonso finished 2011 fourth in the drivers'standings , 135 points behind red bull 's double world champion sebastian vettel , after claiming just one race win at the british grand prix . it looks very different from what we have seen in the last two years , ' alonso said at the launch , which was originally scheduled to take place thursday but was pushed back 24 hours due to heavy snowfall . can senna restore the romance to formula one ? my third season at ferrari and i am going to start with the same strength and determination . i want to do great . of course it will be quite competitive for the whole season , but we want to see red cars on the podium . we start next week in jerez and we keep working together . i am sure we will do well this year . ' ferrari have won a record 16 constructors'titles and the italian marque have clinched 15 drivers'championships -- more than any other team . but a disappointing campaign last year saw them finish third in the standings , 122 points adrift of mclaren and a massive 275 points behind double constructors'championship winners red bull . i believe in the skills we have here in ferrari , ' former mclaren driver alonso said . we have two months to get ready before the first competition . new car gives mclaren confidence ' we have to fight for the title and try and get as many points as possible . we really want to be right at the top of the ranking . we have to be as consistent and resolute as possible and i am sure , really , really sure we will be able to get great targets and great responsibility for driving for ferrari . ' alonso 's teammate felipe massa also endured a frustrating season , but the brazilian is confident the new car can fire ferrari to success . let me tell you that it looks really , really aggressive , ' said massa . this was part of my dreams . i know there was quite a lot of brainstorming when it comes to the new car . we always wanted to develop new models so i am impressed with the new car . we start in a few days and i am sure the championship will be stunning and very competitive . ' ferrari were not the only team showing off their new car friday . silverstone-based force india had drivers paul di resta and nico hulkenberg on hand to reveal the vjm05 . britain 's di resta , the cousin of indycar legend dario franchitti , enjoyed a successful rookie season with the indian-owned team , collecting 27 points to finish 13th in the drivers'championship . seeing the new car built and complete for the first time is always an exciting moment , ' the 25-year-old said . i 've had a good winter and i 've recharged my batteries , but now i 'm fully focused on 2012 and looking forward to the start of testing . there 's a really positive feeling in the team , good stability and hopefully we can pick up where we left off at the end of last year . ' german driver nico hulkenberg has taken the place of compatriot adrian sutil , who was handed an 18-month suspended jail sentence earlier this week for injuring eric lux -- the chief executive of lotus'parent company genii capital . preparations for the new season have been full-on with simulator sessions and lots of fitness training , ' said hulkenberg , who last raced for williams in 2010 . i feel ready to get back to racing and i 'm excited to find out what the new car feels like next week . ' elsewhere , veteran indian driver narain karthikeyan has returned to spanish team hrt . the 35-year-old 's recruitment means all 24 places on the grid for the 2012 season have now been filled . karthikeyan took part in the first eight races of 2011 with the madrid-based team before making way for young red bull prospect daniel ricciardo . he last raced at the inaugural indian grand prix in october . it has taken a lot of hard work to make this happen but i am absolutely elated to feature on the 2012 grid with hrt f1 team , ' the former nascar racer said . i was pleased with our strong performance at the indian grand prix , in front of my passionate home fans and i look forward to building on this result in 2012 . i have been training hard since the end of 2011 , ensuring i was ready for the rigors of f1 if an opportunity arose . ' the 2012 formula one season will begin with the australian grand prix in melbourne on march 18 . | ferrari unveil their radically-designed car for the 2012 formula one season |
ferrari <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two-time formula one champion fernando alonso set his sights on a title charge in 2012 friday as ferrari unveiled the radical design of their car for the new season . the f2012 , ferrari 's 58th f1 car , features a dramatic steeped-nose look in order to conform to new regulations regarding the height of the front chassis . spain 's alonso finished 2011 fourth in the drivers'standings , 135 points behind red bull 's double world champion sebastian vettel , after claiming just one race win at the british grand prix . it looks very different from what we have seen in the last two years , ' alonso said at the launch , which was originally scheduled to take place thursday but was pushed back 24 hours due to heavy snowfall . can senna restore the romance to formula one ? my third season at ferrari and i am going to start with the same strength and determination . i want to do great . of course it will be quite competitive for the whole season , but we want to see red cars on the podium . we start next week in jerez and we keep working together . i am sure we will do well this year . ' ferrari have won a record 16 constructors'titles and the italian marque have clinched 15 drivers'championships -- more than any other team . but a disappointing campaign last year saw them finish third in the standings , 122 points adrift of mclaren and a massive 275 points behind double constructors'championship winners red bull . i believe in the skills we have here in ferrari , ' former mclaren driver alonso said . we have two months to get ready before the first competition . new car gives mclaren confidence ' we have to fight for the title and try and get as many points as possible . we really want to be right at the top of the ranking . we have to be as consistent and resolute as possible and i am sure , really , really sure we will be able to get great targets and great responsibility for driving for ferrari . ' alonso 's teammate felipe massa also endured a frustrating season , but the brazilian is confident the new car can fire ferrari to success . let me tell you that it looks really , really aggressive , ' said massa . this was part of my dreams . i know there was quite a lot of brainstorming when it comes to the new car . we always wanted to develop new models so i am impressed with the new car . we start in a few days and i am sure the championship will be stunning and very competitive . ' ferrari were not the only team showing off their new car friday . silverstone-based force india had drivers paul di resta and nico hulkenberg on hand to reveal the vjm05 . britain 's di resta , the cousin of indycar legend dario franchitti , enjoyed a successful rookie season with the indian-owned team , collecting 27 points to finish 13th in the drivers'championship . seeing the new car built and complete for the first time is always an exciting moment , ' the 25-year-old said . i 've had a good winter and i 've recharged my batteries , but now i 'm fully focused on 2012 and looking forward to the start of testing . there 's a really positive feeling in the team , good stability and hopefully we can pick up where we left off at the end of last year . ' german driver nico hulkenberg has taken the place of compatriot adrian sutil , who was handed an 18-month suspended jail sentence earlier this week for injuring eric lux -- the chief executive of lotus'parent company genii capital . preparations for the new season have been full-on with simulator sessions and lots of fitness training , ' said hulkenberg , who last raced for williams in 2010 . i feel ready to get back to racing and i 'm excited to find out what the new car feels like next week . ' elsewhere , veteran indian driver narain karthikeyan has returned to spanish team hrt . the 35-year-old 's recruitment means all 24 places on the grid for the 2012 season have now been filled . karthikeyan took part in the first eight races of 2011 with the madrid-based team before making way for young red bull prospect daniel ricciardo . he last raced at the inaugural indian grand prix in october . it has taken a lot of hard work to make this happen but i am absolutely elated to feature on the 2012 grid with hrt f1 team , ' the former nascar racer said . i was pleased with our strong performance at the indian grand prix , in front of my passionate home fans and i look forward to building on this result in 2012 . i have been training hard since the end of 2011 , ensuring i was ready for the rigors of f1 if an opportunity arose . ' the 2012 formula one season will begin with the australian grand prix in melbourne on march 18 . | ferrari unveil their radically-designed car for the 2012 formula one season |
aurora <tsp> ( cnn ) on july 20 , 2012 , excited moviegoers gathered for a midnight screening of the dark knight rises ' at the century aurora 16 multiplex theater in aurora , colorado . eighteen minutes into the show , and shortly after midnight , a gunman opened fire on the audience . twelve people were killed and 70 were injured . on monday , shooting suspect james holmes goes on trial for 165 counts , including murder and attempted murder charges . he has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity . it 's a moment the survivors and those who lost loved ones have waited for anxiously . it 's a moment that will be a painful next step toward healing and one that will no doubt bring back a flood of painful memories . ahead of the trial , cnn spoke with several people whose lives were changed because of the shooting . they will attend at least part of the trial . pierce o'farrill made a last-minute decision to go to the movies with a friend . o'farrill was shot multiple times and collapsed as he tried to escape . the shooter stood above him , and o'farrill prepared to die . then , the gunman moved in another direction . o'farrill soon saw an officer who told him he was going to make it . kaylan bailey attended the movie with her cousin , jamison , his girlfriend , ashley , and their daughter , veronica . kaylan , just 13 at the time , babysat 6-year-old veronica often . she had watched her earlier in the day when ashley , who was pregnant , had an appointment for an ultrasound . when she heard gunfire , kaylan made a heartrending 911 call . ashley , jamison and veronica had all been shot . veronica was the youngest to die in the theater . ashley was paralyzed and later suffered a miscarriage because of the trauma she suffered . jamison was shot in the head and survived . tom and caren teves lost their son , alex , who was in the theater with his girlfriend . when the shooting began , alex shielded his girlfriend , saving her life and absorbing the bullets that would take his . the teveses remember alex as someone who was fearless , funny and gave the greatest hugs . the world had a great person taken out of it that could 've done so much more , ' caren teves said . the teveses launched a campaign called no notoriety ' to challenge the media to not show photos or use the name of the shooter . marcus weaver was at the movies with his friend , rebecca wingo . as the gunman opened fire , marcus and rebecca dropped to the ground . during a break in the gunshots , marcus tried to get to the exit , taking rebecca , who was unconscious , with him . the shots started again and it was chaos . marcus had been hit in the shoulder with buckshot , but he made it to an exit . rebecca did n't make it out alive . weaver remembers her as a bright and shining person with a contagious smile . here , in their own words , is a glimpse at what these people are experiencing 2½ years after the shooting and as the trial begins . o'farrill : i do n't think the shooting has defined me as a person . but i think what i 've learned from it , the strength that i 've gained from overcoming something this terrible , has become a defining factor of my life . ' bailey : i would say that the theater shooting is life-changing , but i do n't think it defines me . ' caren teves : the ripple effect from this whole tragedy is just endless . it goes on and on and on . ' tom teves : people start to shy away from you , too . because it 's just too painful . and they 're afraid of the fact that you 're a window into the fact that evil exists . because you 're proof that evil exists , not in your persona but in what happened to your child . ' weaver : and so as you ask about life , how i see it , i just see it in a different lens . and it took a while to get used to that lens . because i could n't do the same thing i did before . i just was n't that person anymore . i rarely go out to restaurants and stuff . because , you know , people come up to you and start talking about it . ... ' i do n't think anybody who was in that theater that night will ever be the same . ' o'farrill : we woke up today , we got out of bed ; this was the day that the lord promised us . but he certainly has n't promised us that ... we 'll live to see another one . so for me , just living in gratitude and being grateful for every moment i get has been key to my healing . ' caren teves : it does n't get any easier . you just learn to fake it better . ... you get stronger carrying the weight . ' weaver : ... just like my arm 's going to heal , so will i . and we 'll all move past this . and we 'll get stronger. o'farrill : i do hope to meet him someday . it 's something that 's been on my heart since the shooting happened . and i hope to meet him and just tell him in person ,'look , you know , you tried to kill me but i do n't hate you , and i forgive you . and there 's only one way that 's possible and that 's through jesus .'' bailey : no , i do n't forgive him . he took so many people 's lives , and he hurt so many other people that were n't even in the theater . he hurt families and friends and just everybody in aurora , honestly . ' caren teves : as far as forgiveness goes -- normally , i will forgive someone who asks for forgiveness . in this case , i have n't had anyone ask for forgiveness . ' tom teves : god will forgive anyone who asks for forgiveness . but that also means that you have to stand up and take responsibility for your actions . ' weaver : there 's no doubt about it . i forgive him . i really do n't even think about him that much at this point ... i just did n't want to carry that bag of rocks on my back anymore . ' o'farrill : the trial starting , i think , will kind of stir things up . and it 's been something i 've really been trying to prepare myself for , you know . talking to my counselor about it and praying on it daily , and understanding that , again , i ca n't control how it all unfolds , you know . but i can be prepared for it . ' bailey : i 've never been involved in something so serious . i do n't think it 's hit me . i do n't think i realize what i 'm going into . ' tom teves : it does n't bring these emotions to the surface again for us . these emotions never leave for us . ' weaver : you start thinking about being on that stand . you start thinking about seeing the shooter right there . you start thinking about -- just all kinds of things and what 's it going to be like . and it just races in your head , if you let it , you know ? so part of the coping skills is you just do n't let it . go do something different . go exercise . go hang out with your wife . ' o'farrill : whatever punishment james holmes receives is not going to be part of my closure . i certainly understand that other folks are looking forward to that and that 's their path . but we all have different paths to healing . ' bailey : so , like , i do n't think that if he does get the death penalty , then , i 'll , i do n't know how to word this . i wo n't be happy because that 's another person 's life . but i think he deserves it . ' caren teaves : the only justice , for me ... is if that thing was in an urn on my dresser , and alex was sitting next to us on this couch . that 's the only justice . ' weaver : although i 'm not a death penalty person , if the death penalty was ever warranted in any case , it 's this case . ' | trial for aurora theater shooting suspect begins monday |
democratic party <tsp> tokyo , japan ( cnn ) -- yoshiko sato would love to give her only son a brother or a sister . but money struggles and japan 's cost of living have pushed the mother to wait . japanese mother yoshiko sato says the proposal would help us with a second child . ' a proposal to pay parents about $ 3,400 a year per child has got her thinking seriously about expanding her family . the cash for kids plan is the brainchild of the country 's new ruling democratic party of japan , which came into power during the elections this week . the proposal has garnered supporters and critics . it would help us with a second child , ' sato said . the proposal would pay families the money every year until the child reached high school . it is an effort to boost japan 's birthrate , which is one of the lowest in the world and is a major drag on the country 's economy . it is compounded by japan 's rapidly aging population . about a quarter of the country 's population is older than 65 , according to government figures . by 2050 , that number is expected to reach 40 percent . watch as some parents ponder procreation » nevertheless , the money for babies proposal has its critics . economist yuri okina said she wonders where japan 's government is going to come up with the money to fund it . the plan is not an instant fix , she said . what 's needed , okina said , is a way for women to remain in the work force after having children instead of being forced out because of lack of child care . we have to make it normal in japan for a woman to raise a child and have a career , ' okina said . critics also have said the plan would not fix a significant problem for working families -- the lack of day care centers . about 40,000 children are on waiting lists for day care , according to government figures . these facilities'scarcity is problematic for mothers such as hiromi espineli . going back to work would be tough , ' she said , since there are so few day care centers . ' | democratic party of japan came to power this week in elections |
mayweather <tsp> ( cnn ) -- floyd mayweather jr. had his nose bloodied midway through the fight , but maintained his poise to remain undefeated and claim the wba junior middleweight title from miguel cotto . mayweather won by unanimous decision on saturday night . the 35-year-old ( 43-0 , 26 kos ) was tested early and often by cotto ( 37-3 , 32 kos ) , but the five-division champion started to pull away in the later rounds . two judges scored the fight 117-111 and the third judge gave it 118-110 . after the judges'decision , sold-out crowds booed mayweather at the mgm grand in las vegas . when it 's pay-per-view and the fans are paying and the fans are coming out to see you , you want to give the fans excitement , ' mayweather said . cotto , 31 , gave mayweather all he could handle , tagging his competitor with shots to the head most of the night . but mayweather was more accurate with his punches . in the end , cotto earned the respect of his opponent . you 're a hell of a champion , ' mayweather said . you 're the toughest guy i ever fought . ' after the fight , mayweather was asked about the likelihood of facing manny pacquiao -- something boxing fans have wanted for years . if you 're the best , take the test , ' mayweather said , referring to his insistence that pacquaio submit to olympic-style drug testing and has served as a stumbling block to making the fight happen . pacquiao has said he would agree to such testing . regardless , mayweather 's next fight will have to wait . on june 1 , he starts a three-month jail sentence for misdemeanor domestic violence and harassment charges involving a former girlfriend . mayweather will make a guaranteed $ 32 million , which is a state record , according to the nevada athletic commission . cotto will make $ 8 million -- the largest purse of his career . | mayweather remains undefeated in 43 fights |
mayweather <tsp> ( cnn ) -- floyd mayweather jr. had his nose bloodied midway through the fight , but maintained his poise to remain undefeated and claim the wba junior middleweight title from miguel cotto . mayweather won by unanimous decision on saturday night . the 35-year-old ( 43-0 , 26 kos ) was tested early and often by cotto ( 37-3 , 32 kos ) , but the five-division champion started to pull away in the later rounds . two judges scored the fight 117-111 and the third judge gave it 118-110 . after the judges'decision , sold-out crowds booed mayweather at the mgm grand in las vegas . when it 's pay-per-view and the fans are paying and the fans are coming out to see you , you want to give the fans excitement , ' mayweather said . cotto , 31 , gave mayweather all he could handle , tagging his competitor with shots to the head most of the night . but mayweather was more accurate with his punches . in the end , cotto earned the respect of his opponent . you 're a hell of a champion , ' mayweather said . you 're the toughest guy i ever fought . ' after the fight , mayweather was asked about the likelihood of facing manny pacquiao -- something boxing fans have wanted for years . if you 're the best , take the test , ' mayweather said , referring to his insistence that pacquaio submit to olympic-style drug testing and has served as a stumbling block to making the fight happen . pacquiao has said he would agree to such testing . regardless , mayweather 's next fight will have to wait . on june 1 , he starts a three-month jail sentence for misdemeanor domestic violence and harassment charges involving a former girlfriend . mayweather will make a guaranteed $ 32 million , which is a state record , according to the nevada athletic commission . cotto will make $ 8 million -- the largest purse of his career . | mayweather will head to jail in june to serve three-month sentence |
mayweather <tsp> ( cnn ) -- floyd mayweather jr. had his nose bloodied midway through the fight , but maintained his poise to remain undefeated and claim the wba junior middleweight title from miguel cotto . mayweather won by unanimous decision on saturday night . the 35-year-old ( 43-0 , 26 kos ) was tested early and often by cotto ( 37-3 , 32 kos ) , but the five-division champion started to pull away in the later rounds . two judges scored the fight 117-111 and the third judge gave it 118-110 . after the judges'decision , sold-out crowds booed mayweather at the mgm grand in las vegas . when it 's pay-per-view and the fans are paying and the fans are coming out to see you , you want to give the fans excitement , ' mayweather said . cotto , 31 , gave mayweather all he could handle , tagging his competitor with shots to the head most of the night . but mayweather was more accurate with his punches . in the end , cotto earned the respect of his opponent . you 're a hell of a champion , ' mayweather said . you 're the toughest guy i ever fought . ' after the fight , mayweather was asked about the likelihood of facing manny pacquiao -- something boxing fans have wanted for years . if you 're the best , take the test , ' mayweather said , referring to his insistence that pacquaio submit to olympic-style drug testing and has served as a stumbling block to making the fight happen . pacquiao has said he would agree to such testing . regardless , mayweather 's next fight will have to wait . on june 1 , he starts a three-month jail sentence for misdemeanor domestic violence and harassment charges involving a former girlfriend . mayweather will make a guaranteed $ 32 million , which is a state record , according to the nevada athletic commission . cotto will make $ 8 million -- the largest purse of his career . | floyd mayweather jr. defeats miguel cotto by unanimous decision to claim wba title |
bush <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- in a congratulatory letter to president-elect barack obama , french president nicholas sarkozy writes , your election raises in france , in europe , and beyond throughout the world , immense hope . ' president-elect barack obama faces a litany of foreign policy problems when he takes office january 20 . similar statements from dozens of world leaders and images of people around the world celebrating his election make clear barack obama will enjoy a good deal of international goodwill when he takes office on january 20 . obama 's election offers a monumental transformation of america 's face to the world . many see him as the epitome of the american dream . but his appeal is not solely based on the fact that he is black or that his middle name is hussein or that his father was kenyan or that he spent part of his childhood in indonesia . the global excitement over obama 's election is as much about the fact that he is n't president bush . in his victory speech tuesday night , obama said , to all those watching from beyond our shores , our stories are singular , but our destiny is shared , and a new dawn of american leadership is at hand . ' watch cnn 's zain verjee report on the world 's reaction to obama 's election » those were welcome words to those who resented what they viewed as eight years of unilateralist ' bush policies . his words spark hope that an obama administration will repair america 's relations with the rest of the world . but as high as those hopes are , so too are the sky-high expectations . the world has been seduced by obama 's vision of change . but will obamamania ' survive the realities of governing ? it is difficult to think of a u.s. president who has come to power with a more complex and pressing web of domestic and international burdens . he inherits a global financial meltdown , wars in iraq and afghanistan , a global struggle against terrorism , and a military already stretched to its limits . add to that , a simmering crisis with iran , renewed tensions with russia , and the rise of china as a global economic powerhouse , and obama 's plate starts to get pretty full . obama also takes the reins at a time of enormous anti-american sentiment after the stains of abu ghraib , guantanamo and , closer to home , hurricane katrina . u.s. power is declining , and not entirely by fault of its own . the concept of a single-superpower world no longer fits . developing countries like china , brazil and india , coupled with a stronger european union belong to a new world where many players call the shots . globalization requires more cooperation with a wider range of countries and organizations . obama 's speech in europe this summer about the need for reconciliation , signaled he wants to strengthen ties with europe damaged during the bush administration , especially over iraq . his pledge to withdraw from iraq and his promise for strong action on climate change is bound to make european allies happy . but issues like trade and increased troops for afghanistan could spark new differences with europe . obama has pledged to make middle east peace a priority from day one . arabs are already calling for a more even-handed approach , while israel is expecting obama to stay true to the pro-israel posture he showed during the campaign . and there are other complications -- like politics on the ground . israeli elections early next year could bring hawkish former prime minister benjamin netanyahu back to power . and if moderate palestinian president mahmoud abbas is unable to win support from hamas next year to extend his term , his re-election is far from certain . obama has promised to engage iran 's leaders on a multitude of issues , but it remains to be seen if iran would accept any deal to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons . obama could be forced into a devil 's choice between military action ( or supporting an israeli strike ) and living with a nuclear iran . there is a long list of other pressing issues . obama is likely to continue the bush administration 's policy of going after extremists in pakistan . and in africa , conflicts in sudan , somalia and the democratic republic of congo continue to churn . this is by no means an exhaustive list . countries around the world will compete for obama 's attention . africa , elated over the election of america 's first black president , may expect increased attention and aid from the united states . additionally , muslims familiar with obama 's kenyan father and middle name , hussein , ' may think he will be more understanding of their concerns . will he embrace them or distance himself from them , in an effort to prove he does not hold any bias ? the president-elect must navigate this minefield of expectations . once the gloss of this historic election wears off , the world will find obama can not be president to the world . he can only be president of the united states and americans will expect him to protect their interests first and foremost . | analysis : global excitement over obama 's election is also about bush 's exit |
blagojevich <tsp> springfield , illinois ( cnn ) -- workers at the illinois capitol building wasted little time thursday night changing the face of state government , shortly after gov . pat quinn replaced the ousted rod blagojevich . a worker replaces ousted illinois gov . rod blagojevich 's picture with that of pat quinn . the illinois senate voted 59-0 on thursday to remove blagojevich from office . moments later , the illinois senate voted unanimously to prevent blagojevich from ever holding political office in the state again . after the senate vote , the welcome ' sign with blagojevich 's face , which visitors saw as they entered the capitol in springfield , was quickly brought down . maintenance crews arrived , first removing the gold nameplate with blagojevich 's name . using drills and a ladder , they then brought down the 5-foot-high sign to make the official change . workers also removed the former governor 's official state picture positioned atop a state outline and a silhouette of abraham lincoln . watch senate 's impeachment vote » ' was that quick enough ? ' one worker said to laughter . an employee standing nearby as the picture was taken away said , do we need someone to throw a shoe ? ' watch blagojevich say he 's saddened by senate decision » moments later , the picture of quinn was placed where blagojevich 's picture used to be . blagojevich , who was elected governor twice after terms as a u.s. representative and state lawmaker , was arrested on federal corruption charges in december . federal authorities allege , among other things , that blagojevich was trying to sell the senate seat that became vacant after barack obama was elected president . during the impeachment trial 's closing arguments , blagojevich appeared before the senators , saying he had done absolutely nothing wrong . ' cnn 's steve brusk and greg morrison contributed to this report . | workers waste little time removing images of rod blagojevich from state capitol |
blagojevich <tsp> springfield , illinois ( cnn ) -- workers at the illinois capitol building wasted little time thursday night changing the face of state government , shortly after gov . pat quinn replaced the ousted rod blagojevich . a worker replaces ousted illinois gov . rod blagojevich 's picture with that of pat quinn . the illinois senate voted 59-0 on thursday to remove blagojevich from office . moments later , the illinois senate voted unanimously to prevent blagojevich from ever holding political office in the state again . after the senate vote , the welcome ' sign with blagojevich 's face , which visitors saw as they entered the capitol in springfield , was quickly brought down . maintenance crews arrived , first removing the gold nameplate with blagojevich 's name . using drills and a ladder , they then brought down the 5-foot-high sign to make the official change . workers also removed the former governor 's official state picture positioned atop a state outline and a silhouette of abraham lincoln . watch senate 's impeachment vote » ' was that quick enough ? ' one worker said to laughter . an employee standing nearby as the picture was taken away said , do we need someone to throw a shoe ? ' watch blagojevich say he 's saddened by senate decision » moments later , the picture of quinn was placed where blagojevich 's picture used to be . blagojevich , who was elected governor twice after terms as a u.s. representative and state lawmaker , was arrested on federal corruption charges in december . federal authorities allege , among other things , that blagojevich was trying to sell the senate seat that became vacant after barack obama was elected president . during the impeachment trial 's closing arguments , blagojevich appeared before the senators , saying he had done absolutely nothing wrong . ' cnn 's steve brusk and greg morrison contributed to this report . | illinois senate voted 59-0 on thursday to remove blagojevich from office |
blagojevich <tsp> springfield , illinois ( cnn ) -- workers at the illinois capitol building wasted little time thursday night changing the face of state government , shortly after gov . pat quinn replaced the ousted rod blagojevich . a worker replaces ousted illinois gov . rod blagojevich 's picture with that of pat quinn . the illinois senate voted 59-0 on thursday to remove blagojevich from office . moments later , the illinois senate voted unanimously to prevent blagojevich from ever holding political office in the state again . after the senate vote , the welcome ' sign with blagojevich 's face , which visitors saw as they entered the capitol in springfield , was quickly brought down . maintenance crews arrived , first removing the gold nameplate with blagojevich 's name . using drills and a ladder , they then brought down the 5-foot-high sign to make the official change . workers also removed the former governor 's official state picture positioned atop a state outline and a silhouette of abraham lincoln . watch senate 's impeachment vote » ' was that quick enough ? ' one worker said to laughter . an employee standing nearby as the picture was taken away said , do we need someone to throw a shoe ? ' watch blagojevich say he 's saddened by senate decision » moments later , the picture of quinn was placed where blagojevich 's picture used to be . blagojevich , who was elected governor twice after terms as a u.s. representative and state lawmaker , was arrested on federal corruption charges in december . federal authorities allege , among other things , that blagojevich was trying to sell the senate seat that became vacant after barack obama was elected president . during the impeachment trial 's closing arguments , blagojevich appeared before the senators , saying he had done absolutely nothing wrong . ' cnn 's steve brusk and greg morrison contributed to this report . | blagojevich was arrested on corruption charges , continues to proclaim innocence |
papandreou <tsp> athens , greece ( cnn ) -- greek prime minister george papandreou 's reshuffled cabinet survived a vote of confidence early wednesday despite widespread opposition to budget cuts he says are needed to prevent a government default . international lenders have demanded greece cut spending , lay off public workers , raise taxes and raise 50 billion euros ( $ 71 billion ) through selling off state-owned enterprises in exchange for another bailout deal for the cash-strapped nation . weeks of protests against the austerity measures spurred papandreou to shake up his government last week , leading to wednesday 's 155-143 vote . analysts warn that a greek default could cripple the euro , the european union 's common currency , and send shock waves throughout the world economy . lawmakers are slated to vote on the privatization plan and further tax increases , pension cuts and layoffs on june 30 , and european commission president jose manuel barroso warned greece risks being abandoned by both europe and the international monetary fund if it fails to act . there is no alternative to this program . let 's face it , ' barroso told cnn on tuesday . and that 's why it has to be clear . we need greece to deliver , and if greece wants this program of support , europe is ready to support it . ' greek finance minister evangelos venizelos said tuesday he was encouraged by bipartisan support he received from main opposition leader antonis samaras on the austerity plan , which venizelos said he would take to eurogroup ministers july 3 . harsh reforms designed to help reduce greece 's enormous budget deficit have so far led to tax hikes and public-sector job losses alongside already record-high unemployment . papandreou faces opposition from within his own ruling socialists over the austerity measures needed to secure an additional bailout package . on sunday , international lenders demanded that greece stick with tough austerity measures and raise billions of euros by selling off state assets in exchange for further support . airports , highways and state-owned companies as well as banks , real estate and gaming licenses will all go on the auction block . on june 9 , the cabinet approved a tough five-year plan for 2011-15 and introduced a bill in parliament to put austerity measures into effect . the government proposes reducing the public-sector workforce by 150,000 ; workers will also face changes in working hours , practices and wages , and the plan also sets out changes to social benefits , including pensions and unemployment aid . protests against those plans turned violent june 15 as demonstrators threw gasoline bombs at the finance ministry and police fired tear gas at protesters , police said . but papandreou did not change course , telling lawmakers over the weekend , the government must stop spending more than it takes in . ' according to the finance ministry , these measures will help achieve 28.3 billion euros ( $ 40.5 billion ) in cuts from 2012 to 2015 and shrink greece 's public deficit to less than 3 % of gross domestic product , in accordance with the eu target . cnn 's diana magnay and journalist elinda labropoulou contributed to this report . | new : papandreou 's government survives confidence vote |
matt <tsp> ( cnn ) -- mike cianciullo hated the stares . whenever his family went out to eat , strangers'eyes would follow -- gawking at the sizes of father and son , judging the food on their plates . at 5 feet 7 inches , cianciullo weighed 321 pounds . his son , matt , was 5 feet 3 inches and weighed 333 pounds . it 's like they 'd never seen a fat person before , ' cianciullo recalls . for mike , the decision to go through with weight loss surgery was about stopping those stares , getting in shape and , most importantly , saving his son 's life . in denial when his dad first approached him about going to a weight loss clinic , 17-year-old matt cianciullo was hesitant . unlike many children who are bullied because of their weight , matt had a lot of friends and did n't really see his size as an issue . matt was more concerned about his dad 's health . mike was on medication for acid reflux disease , hypertension and high cholesterol . to think that , that young , i might lose him before i was 20 -- it 's not something you want , ' matt says . and i always thought if i kept going down the same path , i would be like him or worse . ' still , matt was nervous . surgery seemed dangerous . maybe , he thought , i 'll just try dieting again . fear stops many people from getting weight loss procedures done , says dr. carson liu , the cianciullo 's doctor and a bariatric surgeon in los angeles . but often the biggest obstacle is denial -- they do n't want to admit they ca n't do it on their own . the hardest thing for patients to do is pick up the phone and go see a doctor , ' liu says . they see it as a kind of defeat . ' bariatric surgery does n't help obese live longer , study finds there are several types of bariatric surgery . most cost between $ 18,000 and $ 30,000 . gastric bypass has been the gold standard , ' liu says , since the 1990s . with gastric bypass , a new stomach about the size of a golf ball is created laparoscopically by cutting across the top of the stomach and connecting the smaller pouch with the intestines . mike knew about gastric bypass but did n't like how invasive it was ; he did n't know if he wanted to restructure his internal organs that way . then he started seeing commercials for lap-band . the food and drug administration approved allergan inc. 's lap-band adjustable gastric banding system in february 2011 . ( liu sits on allergan 's doctor approval board . ) the first adjustable gastric band , ethicon edno-surgery inc. 's realize , was approved in 2007 . both bands are placed laparoscopically around the upper portion of the stomach in an outpatient procedure that generally takes 45 minutes to an hour . the devices can be tightened or loosened at subsequent doctor 's visits , helping patients feel full faster , eat less and lose weight . ' and unlike gastric bypass , adjustable gastric band procedures can be easily reversed . the fda has approved the lap-band for patients over 18 with a bmi over 40 , or patients with a bmi over 30 who also have a serious obesity-related condition like high-blood pressure or sleep apnea . surgery no quick fix for obese teens mike had a bmi of 50 . his son 's was 59 . with all the excess weight on him , it was putting so much stress on his heart , ' mike says . for me this would be a good thing . my son needed it . ' two years , 200 pounds shortly after father 's day 2009 , mike and matt were ready for surgery . mike was ready to give up the italian food he loved as a child ; matt was determined to no longer constantly eat just because he was bored . they had completed all the prerequisites . liu asks patients to lose 5 to 10 pounds before undergoing anesthesia , to ensure they 're willing to make the serious commitment that 's forthcoming . he stresses that the lap-band is just a tool to help patients lose weight . the main thing we talk about is motivation , ' liu says . if they ca n't change their lifestyle , they are n't going to lose more than 30 to 40 pounds . ' that might seem like a lot to some , but most who undergo the surgery have 80 to 100 pounds to lose . and if they do n't eat right and exercise , they 'll most likely gain it all back . the cianciullos also knew about the risks . the fda lists possible complications from the lap-band procedure : vomiting , difficulty swallowing , gastroesophageal reflux disease , abdominal pain , pulmonary embolism or leaking that could lead to death . weight-loss surgery may raise risk of alcohol abuse fortunately , their dual procedures went smoothly . mike and matt were on a liquid diet for two weeks after surgery , and then ate only soft foods for another two weeks . it would be several more weeks before they learned what they could eat and how much . you have to chew your food really well , 20 to 25 times before you swallow , ' mike says . the more fibrous vegetables , they do n't digest as well . the skin of peaches , apples , do n't digest well . ' carbohydrates are pretty much off-limits as well , matt says . before the surgery , he would usually have a sandwich , chips and soda or a few pieces of pizza for lunch . now he eats maybe half a chicken breast and half a cucumber . dinners used to be double servings . now he orders off the kids'menu at restaurants and can barely eat half . when food gets stuck , it 's painful . it feels like you 're having a heart attack or something , ' matt says . the results , though , have been phenomenal . matt has dropped 160 pounds ; his dad has lost more than 100 . it 's been fun and exciting to watch them , ' says his mom , martha . they 're happy . matt is always out now , compared to what he used to be . and my husband ... he likes to share his story with everybody . even with people he does n't even know . ' matt was named liu 's patient of the month . he was so shy and introverted , never looked people in the eye , ' liu says . when he lost 100 pounds he opened up and came out of his shell . plus the guy ate chicken all day long . ' liu likes when family members tackle weight loss together . they motivate each other to stick with the diet , keep junk food out of the house and keep moving . matt and mike had a sense of competition -- when his dad was losing weight more quickly , matt took up basketball to catch up . at 170 pounds , matt is almost to his goal weight of 150 . he plans to swim more and try other activities that he could n't do when he was bigger . he also hopes to help other obese teens by sharing his story . mike is working on reaching his goal weight as well . he knows as an adult it 's more difficult to lose the weight , but he keeps pushing forward . i really want to be as healthy as possible for my family . ' | mike cianciullo and his son matt were extremely obese , with bmis over 50 |
iceland <tsp> ( cnn ) -- iceland is losing its only three mcdonald 's restaurants as a result of the poor economic situation in the country . businessman magnus ogmundsson , who owns the only mcdonald 's franchise in iceland , said it had become too expensive to operate the restaurants after iceland 's currency , the krona , plunged in value . the krona is quite weak and we are buying everything in euros , and we have very high tariffs on imported agricultural products , ' he told cnn on tuesday . in january 2008 , it cost more than 95 icelandic krona to buy one euro , according to the central bank of iceland . tuesday , that price had shot up to more than 186 krona . that means the currency is worth half as much today as it was in january 2008 -- and things priced in euros now cost twice as much to buy . ogmundsson said the mcdonald 's corporation worked with him to find a solution , but in the end he had no choice but to close . there was good cooperation ' with mcdonald 's , ogmundsson told cnn . no hard feelings . ' mcdonald 's said it had become financially prohibitive to continue operating in iceland because of the unique operational complexity of doing business in iceland combined with the very challenging economic climate in the country . ' it said there are no plans to seek a new franchise partner in that country . the three stores will close at midnight saturday , but they will reopen as an independent chain called metro , with more domestic ingredients and fewer imported products . we believe we can be more successful with our own brand , ' ogmundsson said . a mcdonald 's big mac hamburger currently sells for the equivalent of $ 5.29 , making iceland one of the most expensive places in the world to buy the sandwich . only norway and switzerland charge more , according to the countries listed on the economist magazine 's big mac index , published in february . a big mac costs about $ 3.54 in the united states , $ 2.19 in australia , $ 5.07 in denmark , $ 1.66 in south africa , and $ 1.52 in malaysia . | franchise owner said restaurants now too expensive to run after iceland 's currency plunged in value |
iceland <tsp> ( cnn ) -- iceland is losing its only three mcdonald 's restaurants as a result of the poor economic situation in the country . businessman magnus ogmundsson , who owns the only mcdonald 's franchise in iceland , said it had become too expensive to operate the restaurants after iceland 's currency , the krona , plunged in value . the krona is quite weak and we are buying everything in euros , and we have very high tariffs on imported agricultural products , ' he told cnn on tuesday . in january 2008 , it cost more than 95 icelandic krona to buy one euro , according to the central bank of iceland . tuesday , that price had shot up to more than 186 krona . that means the currency is worth half as much today as it was in january 2008 -- and things priced in euros now cost twice as much to buy . ogmundsson said the mcdonald 's corporation worked with him to find a solution , but in the end he had no choice but to close . there was good cooperation ' with mcdonald 's , ogmundsson told cnn . no hard feelings . ' mcdonald 's said it had become financially prohibitive to continue operating in iceland because of the unique operational complexity of doing business in iceland combined with the very challenging economic climate in the country . ' it said there are no plans to seek a new franchise partner in that country . the three stores will close at midnight saturday , but they will reopen as an independent chain called metro , with more domestic ingredients and fewer imported products . we believe we can be more successful with our own brand , ' ogmundsson said . a mcdonald 's big mac hamburger currently sells for the equivalent of $ 5.29 , making iceland one of the most expensive places in the world to buy the sandwich . only norway and switzerland charge more , according to the countries listed on the economist magazine 's big mac index , published in february . a big mac costs about $ 3.54 in the united states , $ 2.19 in australia , $ 5.07 in denmark , $ 1.66 in south africa , and $ 1.52 in malaysia . | iceland is losing its only three mcdonald 's restaurants after economic collapse |
al-merreikh <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nigerian footballer stephen worgu has been sentenced to 40 lashes after he was convicted of drinking alcohol in sudan where he plays for first division side al-merreikh of omdurman . the 20-year-old forward , who joined the northern sudan outfit in october 2008 , was found guilty of drinking alcohol and driving under the influence by an east khartoum court . alcohol is illegal in the muslim north of sudan according to article 78 of the penal code , although it is not in the semi-autonomous and largely non-muslim south . the court ordered worgu to pay a fine of $ 20 for the alcohol consumption , $ 80 for driving under the influence as well as receiving 40 lashes for the incident which is said to have taken place in the capital khartoum on august 21 . the forward 's lawyer has appealed against the punishment for the player who had previously admitted in interviews that he had struggled to adapt to the different culture and religious life in sudan . worgu , who has been a regular for the nigerian under-20 side , had moved to al-merreikh for $ 2.6 million from enyimba in nigeria ahead of egyptian side al-ahly in what was one of the biggest transfers in african football . he had previously been the top scorer in the african champions league in 2008 after he found the net 13 times but has largely struggled to recapture that form at al-merreikh . | the lawyer for the al-merreikh forward has appealed against the punishment handed out to worgu |
article 78 <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nigerian footballer stephen worgu has been sentenced to 40 lashes after he was convicted of drinking alcohol in sudan where he plays for first division side al-merreikh of omdurman . the 20-year-old forward , who joined the northern sudan outfit in october 2008 , was found guilty of drinking alcohol and driving under the influence by an east khartoum court . alcohol is illegal in the muslim north of sudan according to article 78 of the penal code , although it is not in the semi-autonomous and largely non-muslim south . the court ordered worgu to pay a fine of $ 20 for the alcohol consumption , $ 80 for driving under the influence as well as receiving 40 lashes for the incident which is said to have taken place in the capital khartoum on august 21 . the forward 's lawyer has appealed against the punishment for the player who had previously admitted in interviews that he had struggled to adapt to the different culture and religious life in sudan . worgu , who has been a regular for the nigerian under-20 side , had moved to al-merreikh for $ 2.6 million from enyimba in nigeria ahead of egyptian side al-ahly in what was one of the biggest transfers in african football . he had previously been the top scorer in the african champions league in 2008 after he found the net 13 times but has largely struggled to recapture that form at al-merreikh . | alcohol is illegal in the muslim north of sudan according to article 78 of the country 's penal code |
ktvu <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the fbi is investigating an arson fire at the chinese consulate in san francisco , an incident that has china 's diplomats calling on the united states thursday to take all measures to provide adequate protection . ' there is no indication the fire was an act of terrorism , fbi spokesman peter lee said . according to a statement released by the consulate , footage from surveillance cameras shows the fire began wednesday night after a person emerged from a parked mini-van , poured two buckets of gasoline on the front door of the consulate and ignited it . we strongly condemn this despicable attack , ' wang chuan , the consulate spokesman , told reporters during a news briefing outside the consulate . we urge the u.s. side to take all necessary measures to provide adequate protection for chinese consular personnel and properties . ' chuan characterized the fire as a violent crime ' that not only targeted the consulate but also its employees and residents living nearby . there were no injuries reported in the fire , though a small number of employees were in the building when it began , chuan told cnn affiliate kgo . surveillance video obtained exclusively by cnn affiliate ktvu appears to show a person standing in front of the consulate . then seconds later on the grainy video , there is a ball of fire that erupts in front of the building , and the person can be seen walking to vehicle parked only a few feet away . the vehicle then drives off . there have been no claims of responsibility for the attack , and the united states is not aware of a specific threat made against the consulate , state department spokeswoman marie harf said . we take this incident very seriously , ' harf said , adding that the united states is deeply concerned ' about the reported attack . cnn 's evan perez and jill dougherty contributed to this report . | new : video obtained by ktvu shows a ball of fire erupting in front of the consulate |
soldiers'home <tsp> ( mental floss ) -- we 're in the throes of summer vacation season , but at least one american is still on the job . while it 's rumored that president obama will follow in the footsteps of president clinton and vacation on martha 's vineyard , he has n't had a chance to break out his bermuda shorts just yet . when obama does take off , though , he 'll join in the grand tradition of presidential vacations , like these notable ones : president bush ( r ) and danish prime minister anders fogh rasmussen ride bikes in crawford , texas , in 2008 . 1 . abe lincoln does n't go too far far-flung vacations are nice , but president lincoln preferred to stay a bit closer to home . when lincoln needed a getaway from the heat and political turmoil of civil war-era washington , d.c. , he headed to ... a different part of washington , d.c. from 1862 to 1864 lincoln spent june through november living in a cottage atop a hill at the soldiers'home a few miles from the white house . lincoln apparently loved the slight change of scenery , which meant slightly cooler temperatures and a chance to ride his horse each morning . if you 're considering a stay-cation this year , consider this honest abe 's endorsement . 2 . movie cowboy does real ranching think george w. bush was the first president to sneak away from the white house to spend time on his ranch ? not quite . at the end of his second term as governor of california in 1974 , ronald reagan paid just over half a million dollars to acquire rancho del cielo in california 's santa ynez mountains . the 688-acre ranch , complete with stables and a 1500-square-foot adobe house , was reagan 's go-to vacation destination while he was in office , and he entertained some big names there , including margaret thatcher , queen elizabeth ii , and mikhail gorbachev , who gamely wore a cowboy hat during his visit . 3 . lbj does some ranching , too texan lyndon johnson was very involved in the everyday operations of his ranch . johnson , who had gotten into ranching in 1951 , grew his lbj ranch into a 2,700-acre spread populated by 400 head of hereford cattle . johnson was no absentee owner when he was in washington , either . johnson frequently headed back on vacations and supposedly drove his foreman crazy by calling every day to talk about the weather on the ranch or how the pastures looked . today , the national park service maintains lbj 's spread as a working ranch , complete with a herd of cattle descended from the herefords johnson bred . 4 . george w. bush initiates a war on brush george w. bush followed in lbj 's footsteps and went to his own texas ranch when he needed a getaway . prairie chapel ranch , a 1,583-acre spread bush owns near crawford , texas , served as the secondary white house throughout bush 's presidency , and he was often shown clearing brush during vacations . bush was n't just doing farm work , though . he exhorted visitors to join the president 's 100-degrees club ' by running three miles or biking 10 after the mercury hit 100 degrees . anyone who could pull of the feat got a specialized under armour shirt as recognition . we can only hope one of the many foreign dignitaries bush entertained at the ranch -- including vladimir putin , tony blair , silvio berlusconi , ariel sharon , and saudi king abdullah -- managed to get one of the coveted shirts into their suitcases . mental floss : iraq , afghanistan and other extreme vacation spots 5 . fdr heats up georgia some presidents choose to head to their hometowns or a beach side resort for their vacations , but franklin roosevelt preferred to travel to western georgia . warm springs , georgia , is the home of ( you guessed it ! ) warm springs that supposedly had therapeutic value for polio sufferers . fdr , who had contracted his own paralytic illness in 1921 , started visiting warm springs in 1924 in the hope that exercising in the springs'warm waters would cure him . although the springs did n't reverse his illness , fdr felt like his time at the resort alleviated his symptoms somewhat . in 1927 he bought the resort he 'd been staying at , and in 1932 he ordered a six-room georgia pine house to be built on the property . this house was fdr 's retreat throughout his presidency and became known as the little white house . fdr was sitting for a portrait at the little white house when he died of a stroke in april 1945 . today , the house is part of georgia 's state park system and is open to visitors ; it 's been preserved to look almost exactly as it did the day fdr died . 6 . nixon gets the right ice cubes when richard nixon wanted a break from washington , he headed to a modest ranch home he owned on key biscayne off miami . nixon 's florida white house , ' which he visited 50-plus times during his tenure in office , eventually swelled to include three houses and a floating helipad , which the department of defense installed at a taxpayer expense of $ 400,000 . ( there was plenty of room for taxpayer outrage at the $ 625,000 total the government spent sprucing up the florida white house ; one itemized expense was $ 621 for a replacement icemaker because the president does not like ice with holes in it . ' ) given that this house was nixon 's retreat , it 's no surprise that some shady dealings transpired on the premises . nixon allegedly discussed plans for the watergate break-in at the house , and he holed up there when the coverup came to light . the house fell into disrepair after nixon sold it , and in 2004 it was razed to make room for a new building . the florida white house was n't nixon 's only retreat , though . he bought a mansion overlooking the pacific ocean in san clemente , california , shortly after taking office in 1969 . nixon dubbed his new digs la casa pacifica , ' but the press quickly started referring to the spread as the western white house . ' this house was n't cheap for taxpayers , either ; the government dropped over a million dollars improving this home with temporary office quarters for staffers , helipads , and an upgraded heating system . mental floss : donald nixon and other memorable presidential siblings 7 . teddy roosevelt goes bear hunting lounging on the beach is great , but do you really think teddy roosevelt would miss the opportunity to do something manly ? roosevelt 's vacation in 1905 took him to the hotel colorado in glenwood springs , colorado , where he stayed for three weeks while bear hunting . 8 . fdr 's successor gets his own little white house harry truman may have been from missouri , but he headed south when he needed some r & r . truman started suffering from exhaustion in late 1946 , and his physicians recommended a warm weather vacation to revitalize the president . truman took his vacation in a converted duplex in key west that already held some history . the house , which was originally built in 1890 for the commandant and paymaster of key west 's naval base , had already hosted william howard taft while he was in office in 1912 . when thomas edison developed 41 new weapons to aid in the american efforts in world war i , he spent six months living in the house . once truman visited the house , though , it quickly became known as truman 's little white house . he ended up spending 175 days in key west over the course of his two terms in office . presidents eisenhower and kennedy later used the house while they were in office , and it 's now open as a tourist attraction . mental floss : early summer jobs of truman , lbj and more 9 . kennedy retreats to his compound starting in 1926 , joseph p. kennedy began taking his family to hyannisport , massachusetts , on vacation each summer . his son john liked the area so much that in 1956 he bought a cottage of his own near his parents'digs , and the family soon purchased a third cottage in the area , giving rise to the name the kennedy compound . ' jfk used his cottage as a base of operations for his presidential campaign and later vacationed there each summer he was in office . 10 . george h.w . bush prefers not to ranch not to be outdone by the kennedys , the bush family has an even older compound of their own in kennebunkport , maine . in 1903 george h. walker , the grandfather of george h.w . bush , built a great mansion on his oceanfront estate in kennebunkport , and the property has remained in the family ever since . george h.w . bush used the kennebunkport compound as his vacation home during his presidency , and george w. bush made a few getaways to the house as well . between father and son , they 've entertained some pretty big names at their summer house , including yitzhak rabin , vladimir putin , and nicolas sarkozy . for more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com entire contents of this article copyright , mental floss llc . all rights reserved . | pres . lincoln spent four months at the slightly cooler soldiers'home |
oscar <tsp> ( cnn ) documentary filmmaker michael moore pronounced that snipers are n't heroes ' in a tweet on sunday as american sniper , ' the oscar-nominated biopic of a former navy seal and sharpshooter , won the weekend box office . the fahrenheit 9/11 ' and bowling for columbine ' director later expanded on his remarks , saying : but if you 're on the roof of your home defending it from invaders who 've come 7k miles , you are not a sniper , u are brave , u are a neighbor . ' moore has long been a staunch advocate for stricter gun control laws in the u.s. , and his statements are known to court controversy . his latest comments quickly prompted backlash . former u.s. house speaker and cnn contributor newt gingrich invited moore to spend some time with terrorist cells overseas , then weigh in on the value of snipers . the movie , starring bradley cooper and directed by clint eastwood , earned $ 105 million in weekend ticket sales and nabbed six academy award nominations last week , including best picture . the box office take trumped previous records for a january opening and is expected to grow on monday as moviegoers enjoy another day off for the martin luther king jr. holiday weekend . moore is n't the only one in hollywood taking aim at the film : actor seth rogen equated the war drama to a nazi propaganda film shown in quentin tarantino 's inglourious basterds . ' american sniper ' is based on the best-selling memoir of the same name by chris kyle . kyle served four tours in iraq with the navy seals and is lauded as america 's deadliest sniper . ' he was not without controversy of his own , including disputed claims in his book that he punched former minnesota gov . jesse ventura and killed two armed carjackers . kyle was shot and killed by a former marine in 2013 . | american sniper ' earned six oscar nominations , including best picture |
american sniper <tsp> ( cnn ) documentary filmmaker michael moore pronounced that snipers are n't heroes ' in a tweet on sunday as american sniper , ' the oscar-nominated biopic of a former navy seal and sharpshooter , won the weekend box office . the fahrenheit 9/11 ' and bowling for columbine ' director later expanded on his remarks , saying : but if you 're on the roof of your home defending it from invaders who 've come 7k miles , you are not a sniper , u are brave , u are a neighbor . ' moore has long been a staunch advocate for stricter gun control laws in the u.s. , and his statements are known to court controversy . his latest comments quickly prompted backlash . former u.s. house speaker and cnn contributor newt gingrich invited moore to spend some time with terrorist cells overseas , then weigh in on the value of snipers . the movie , starring bradley cooper and directed by clint eastwood , earned $ 105 million in weekend ticket sales and nabbed six academy award nominations last week , including best picture . the box office take trumped previous records for a january opening and is expected to grow on monday as moviegoers enjoy another day off for the martin luther king jr. holiday weekend . moore is n't the only one in hollywood taking aim at the film : actor seth rogen equated the war drama to a nazi propaganda film shown in quentin tarantino 's inglourious basterds . ' american sniper ' is based on the best-selling memoir of the same name by chris kyle . kyle served four tours in iraq with the navy seals and is lauded as america 's deadliest sniper . ' he was not without controversy of his own , including disputed claims in his book that he punched former minnesota gov . jesse ventura and killed two armed carjackers . kyle was shot and killed by a former marine in 2013 . | american sniper ' earned six oscar nominations , including best picture |
american sniper <tsp> ( cnn ) documentary filmmaker michael moore pronounced that snipers are n't heroes ' in a tweet on sunday as american sniper , ' the oscar-nominated biopic of a former navy seal and sharpshooter , won the weekend box office . the fahrenheit 9/11 ' and bowling for columbine ' director later expanded on his remarks , saying : but if you 're on the roof of your home defending it from invaders who 've come 7k miles , you are not a sniper , u are brave , u are a neighbor . ' moore has long been a staunch advocate for stricter gun control laws in the u.s. , and his statements are known to court controversy . his latest comments quickly prompted backlash . former u.s. house speaker and cnn contributor newt gingrich invited moore to spend some time with terrorist cells overseas , then weigh in on the value of snipers . the movie , starring bradley cooper and directed by clint eastwood , earned $ 105 million in weekend ticket sales and nabbed six academy award nominations last week , including best picture . the box office take trumped previous records for a january opening and is expected to grow on monday as moviegoers enjoy another day off for the martin luther king jr. holiday weekend . moore is n't the only one in hollywood taking aim at the film : actor seth rogen equated the war drama to a nazi propaganda film shown in quentin tarantino 's inglourious basterds . ' american sniper ' is based on the best-selling memoir of the same name by chris kyle . kyle served four tours in iraq with the navy seals and is lauded as america 's deadliest sniper . ' he was not without controversy of his own , including disputed claims in his book that he punched former minnesota gov . jesse ventura and killed two armed carjackers . kyle was shot and killed by a former marine in 2013 . | moore 's statement comes the same weekend american sniper ' broke box office records |
egypt <tsp> ( cnn ) -- u.s. marines stationed in southern europe have been put on alert as a precaution in advance of expected large demonstrations and potential unrest in egypt this weekend , cnn has learned . about 200 combat capable marines in sigonella , italy , and moron , spain , have been told to be ready to be airborne within 60 minutes of getting orders to deploy , according to two administration officials . the units have several v-22 tilt-rotor aircraft that would carry troops and infantry weapons to egypt to protect the u.s. embassy and american government personnel and citizens if violence broke out against americans . the planned demonstrations are aimed against the egyptian government . the officials both emphasized this is contingency planning in advance of the expected demonstrations to ensure american military assets , including rescue forces , can act if needed . in the event americans had to be evacuated from egypt and could not get to the airport due to the unrest , there are about 2,000 additional marines on board three navy warships in the red sea , officials said . a third official said the decision to keep the warship in the red sea was very precautionary . ' the united states expects egyptian security forces will be able to protect american assets and personnel . no plans for personnel to leave have been announced , state department spokesman patrick ventrell said friday . this is not libya , ' said the third official , alluding to last year 's attack on the u.s. mission in benghazi . during that attack , the military was unable to muster resources fast enough to protect the mission . four americans , including the ambassador to libya , died in the attack . since then , after much criticism from congress about the inability to respond , the pentagon has been particularly sensitive about ensuring troops are within deployment distance of potential trouble spots in north africa . the embassy had already planned to be closed sunday and monday because of the demonstrations , according to a notice on the embassy 's website . american citizens in cairo have been advised to avoid areas where the demonstrations are taking place and limit their movements . ' | large demonstrations are expected in egypt this weekend |
corkins <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the suspect in wednesday 's shooting of a building manager at the headquarters of a conservative christian group was charged thursday with assault with intent to kill , ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and held without bond . in his initial appearance in u.s. district court , floyd lee corkins ii , 28 , also was charged with interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition . the assault charge is a district of columbia offense that carries a maximum 30-year sentence . the federal firearms charge carries a 10-year maximum sentence . at about 11 a.m. , corkins entered the washington office of the family research council , where he encountered the building manager , leo johnson , at the front door , according to a criminal complaint that cited a witness . corkins stated words to the effect of ,'i do n't like your politics ,' the witness told fbi agents , according to the complaint . surveillance video shows that corkins took a firearm from his backpack and shot johnson in the arm , at which point the wounded johnson wrestled the firearm away from corkins , and subdued him , ' according to the complaint . corkins , who was wearing a white plastic jumpsuit during thursday 's court appearance , was ordered to remain in custody pending a prelimary and detention hearing on august 24 . his right eye was red and appeared swollen . magistrate judge alan kay appointed a public defender after corkins told him he had only $ 300 and could not afford to hire his own lawyer . a law enforcement official told cnn that initial evidence indicated corkins was acting alone . officials recovered a loaded sig sauer 9mm pistol and two additional loaded 9mm magazines , according to the complaint . inside the backpack , police found 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 15 chick-fil-a sandwiches , the complaint says . family research council president tony perkins said the chick-fil-a company gave the family research council $ 1,000 a number of years ago ' but does not underwrite his group . and the family research council , which which focuses on family and anti-abortion issues and religious liberties , supported chick-fil-a president dan cathy after he said in an interview published last month that his company is a family-owned business , a family-led business , and we are married to our first wives . we give god thanks for that . ' the statement sparked an uproar , with activists saying that cathy voiced opposition to gay marriages . the chick-fil-a culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor , dignity and respect -- regardless of their belief , race , creed , sexual orientation or gender , ' the company says in a posting on its website . corkins has strong opinions with respect to those he believes do not treat homosexuals in a fair manner , ' authorities said in the complaint , citing information from the suspect 's parents , with whom he lives in herndon , virginia , outside washington . in an interview with cnn affiliate wjla , johnson said corkins told him he was there to interview for an internship , then shot him without warning . johnson said it was after he had wrestled corkins to the ground that the suspect told him the shooting was about the group 's policies , according to wjla . authorities found what appeared to be an open gun box on the seat of his car , which had been parked at the east falls church metro station , according to the complaint . corkins legally purchased the handgun from a gun shop in virginia within the last week , according to a law enforcement official . corkins had volunteered at the dc center for the lgbt community , a source working with the center told cnn . the group provides services and support to lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people , he received a master 's degree from george mason university 's college of education and human development in 2006 , the university said . family research council president perkins told reporters thursday that johnson has a secondary role as a security guard , but that he was unarmed and did not wear a uniform . perkins said that he was with the wounded building operations manager when the man came out of surgery about midnight . i said ,'leo , i want you to know that you 're a hero .' ' he said ,'wow , this hero business is hard work .'so , he did not lose his sense of humor . ' perkins predicted johnson would return to work soon . warning signs of violence : what to do while d.c. police chief cathy lanier and others have hailed johnson as a hero , wjla reported the 46-year-old told the station in a telephone interview that he was simply doing his job and is not comfortable being described as a hero . he told the station that corkins spoke with him after he was apprehended . he said it was n't about me , ' johnson said . it was about the organization . ' johnson 's mother , virginia johnson , told the station her son is always trying to help people . i think it 's wonderful , wonderful , ' she said of his actions . by the numbers : guns in america after shootings , opinions on gun control have n't changed white house spokesman jay carney declined to say whether the white house considers the attack a hate crime , but said president barack obama firmly believes that violence of that kind has no place in our society . ' presumptive republican presidential nominee mitt romney used nearly identical language in decrying the attack on wednesday . there is no place for such violence in our society , ' he said in a statement . my prayers go out to the wounded security guard and his family , as well as all the people at the family research council whose sense of security has been shattered by today 's horrific events . ' opinion : politicians hammered by the nra 5 things gun owners want you to know cnn 's greg seaby , javi morgado , paul courson , sandra endo , mike m. ahlers and dan gilgoff contributed to this report . | corkins ordered to undergo mental health exam |
corkins <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the suspect in wednesday 's shooting of a building manager at the headquarters of a conservative christian group was charged thursday with assault with intent to kill , ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and held without bond . in his initial appearance in u.s. district court , floyd lee corkins ii , 28 , also was charged with interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition . the assault charge is a district of columbia offense that carries a maximum 30-year sentence . the federal firearms charge carries a 10-year maximum sentence . at about 11 a.m. , corkins entered the washington office of the family research council , where he encountered the building manager , leo johnson , at the front door , according to a criminal complaint that cited a witness . corkins stated words to the effect of ,'i do n't like your politics ,' the witness told fbi agents , according to the complaint . surveillance video shows that corkins took a firearm from his backpack and shot johnson in the arm , at which point the wounded johnson wrestled the firearm away from corkins , and subdued him , ' according to the complaint . corkins , who was wearing a white plastic jumpsuit during thursday 's court appearance , was ordered to remain in custody pending a prelimary and detention hearing on august 24 . his right eye was red and appeared swollen . magistrate judge alan kay appointed a public defender after corkins told him he had only $ 300 and could not afford to hire his own lawyer . a law enforcement official told cnn that initial evidence indicated corkins was acting alone . officials recovered a loaded sig sauer 9mm pistol and two additional loaded 9mm magazines , according to the complaint . inside the backpack , police found 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 15 chick-fil-a sandwiches , the complaint says . family research council president tony perkins said the chick-fil-a company gave the family research council $ 1,000 a number of years ago ' but does not underwrite his group . and the family research council , which which focuses on family and anti-abortion issues and religious liberties , supported chick-fil-a president dan cathy after he said in an interview published last month that his company is a family-owned business , a family-led business , and we are married to our first wives . we give god thanks for that . ' the statement sparked an uproar , with activists saying that cathy voiced opposition to gay marriages . the chick-fil-a culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor , dignity and respect -- regardless of their belief , race , creed , sexual orientation or gender , ' the company says in a posting on its website . corkins has strong opinions with respect to those he believes do not treat homosexuals in a fair manner , ' authorities said in the complaint , citing information from the suspect 's parents , with whom he lives in herndon , virginia , outside washington . in an interview with cnn affiliate wjla , johnson said corkins told him he was there to interview for an internship , then shot him without warning . johnson said it was after he had wrestled corkins to the ground that the suspect told him the shooting was about the group 's policies , according to wjla . authorities found what appeared to be an open gun box on the seat of his car , which had been parked at the east falls church metro station , according to the complaint . corkins legally purchased the handgun from a gun shop in virginia within the last week , according to a law enforcement official . corkins had volunteered at the dc center for the lgbt community , a source working with the center told cnn . the group provides services and support to lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people , he received a master 's degree from george mason university 's college of education and human development in 2006 , the university said . family research council president perkins told reporters thursday that johnson has a secondary role as a security guard , but that he was unarmed and did not wear a uniform . perkins said that he was with the wounded building operations manager when the man came out of surgery about midnight . i said ,'leo , i want you to know that you 're a hero .' ' he said ,'wow , this hero business is hard work .'so , he did not lose his sense of humor . ' perkins predicted johnson would return to work soon . warning signs of violence : what to do while d.c. police chief cathy lanier and others have hailed johnson as a hero , wjla reported the 46-year-old told the station in a telephone interview that he was simply doing his job and is not comfortable being described as a hero . he told the station that corkins spoke with him after he was apprehended . he said it was n't about me , ' johnson said . it was about the organization . ' johnson 's mother , virginia johnson , told the station her son is always trying to help people . i think it 's wonderful , wonderful , ' she said of his actions . by the numbers : guns in america after shootings , opinions on gun control have n't changed white house spokesman jay carney declined to say whether the white house considers the attack a hate crime , but said president barack obama firmly believes that violence of that kind has no place in our society . ' presumptive republican presidential nominee mitt romney used nearly identical language in decrying the attack on wednesday . there is no place for such violence in our society , ' he said in a statement . my prayers go out to the wounded security guard and his family , as well as all the people at the family research council whose sense of security has been shattered by today 's horrific events . ' opinion : politicians hammered by the nra 5 things gun owners want you to know cnn 's greg seaby , javi morgado , paul courson , sandra endo , mike m. ahlers and dan gilgoff contributed to this report . | i do n't like your politics , ' suspect floyd lee corkins reportedly says |
corkins <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the suspect in wednesday 's shooting of a building manager at the headquarters of a conservative christian group was charged thursday with assault with intent to kill , ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and held without bond . in his initial appearance in u.s. district court , floyd lee corkins ii , 28 , also was charged with interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition . the assault charge is a district of columbia offense that carries a maximum 30-year sentence . the federal firearms charge carries a 10-year maximum sentence . at about 11 a.m. , corkins entered the washington office of the family research council , where he encountered the building manager , leo johnson , at the front door , according to a criminal complaint that cited a witness . corkins stated words to the effect of ,'i do n't like your politics ,' the witness told fbi agents , according to the complaint . surveillance video shows that corkins took a firearm from his backpack and shot johnson in the arm , at which point the wounded johnson wrestled the firearm away from corkins , and subdued him , ' according to the complaint . corkins , who was wearing a white plastic jumpsuit during thursday 's court appearance , was ordered to remain in custody pending a prelimary and detention hearing on august 24 . his right eye was red and appeared swollen . magistrate judge alan kay appointed a public defender after corkins told him he had only $ 300 and could not afford to hire his own lawyer . a law enforcement official told cnn that initial evidence indicated corkins was acting alone . officials recovered a loaded sig sauer 9mm pistol and two additional loaded 9mm magazines , according to the complaint . inside the backpack , police found 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 15 chick-fil-a sandwiches , the complaint says . family research council president tony perkins said the chick-fil-a company gave the family research council $ 1,000 a number of years ago ' but does not underwrite his group . and the family research council , which which focuses on family and anti-abortion issues and religious liberties , supported chick-fil-a president dan cathy after he said in an interview published last month that his company is a family-owned business , a family-led business , and we are married to our first wives . we give god thanks for that . ' the statement sparked an uproar , with activists saying that cathy voiced opposition to gay marriages . the chick-fil-a culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor , dignity and respect -- regardless of their belief , race , creed , sexual orientation or gender , ' the company says in a posting on its website . corkins has strong opinions with respect to those he believes do not treat homosexuals in a fair manner , ' authorities said in the complaint , citing information from the suspect 's parents , with whom he lives in herndon , virginia , outside washington . in an interview with cnn affiliate wjla , johnson said corkins told him he was there to interview for an internship , then shot him without warning . johnson said it was after he had wrestled corkins to the ground that the suspect told him the shooting was about the group 's policies , according to wjla . authorities found what appeared to be an open gun box on the seat of his car , which had been parked at the east falls church metro station , according to the complaint . corkins legally purchased the handgun from a gun shop in virginia within the last week , according to a law enforcement official . corkins had volunteered at the dc center for the lgbt community , a source working with the center told cnn . the group provides services and support to lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people , he received a master 's degree from george mason university 's college of education and human development in 2006 , the university said . family research council president perkins told reporters thursday that johnson has a secondary role as a security guard , but that he was unarmed and did not wear a uniform . perkins said that he was with the wounded building operations manager when the man came out of surgery about midnight . i said ,'leo , i want you to know that you 're a hero .' ' he said ,'wow , this hero business is hard work .'so , he did not lose his sense of humor . ' perkins predicted johnson would return to work soon . warning signs of violence : what to do while d.c. police chief cathy lanier and others have hailed johnson as a hero , wjla reported the 46-year-old told the station in a telephone interview that he was simply doing his job and is not comfortable being described as a hero . he told the station that corkins spoke with him after he was apprehended . he said it was n't about me , ' johnson said . it was about the organization . ' johnson 's mother , virginia johnson , told the station her son is always trying to help people . i think it 's wonderful , wonderful , ' she said of his actions . by the numbers : guns in america after shootings , opinions on gun control have n't changed white house spokesman jay carney declined to say whether the white house considers the attack a hate crime , but said president barack obama firmly believes that violence of that kind has no place in our society . ' presumptive republican presidential nominee mitt romney used nearly identical language in decrying the attack on wednesday . there is no place for such violence in our society , ' he said in a statement . my prayers go out to the wounded security guard and his family , as well as all the people at the family research council whose sense of security has been shattered by today 's horrific events . ' opinion : politicians hammered by the nra 5 things gun owners want you to know cnn 's greg seaby , javi morgado , paul courson , sandra endo , mike m. ahlers and dan gilgoff contributed to this report . | corkins has strong opinions ' about gay rights , his parents tell officials |
defense ministry <tsp> japan 's new defense white paper has done little to mend fences with beijing , with the chinese government complaining that its asian neighbor is using the china threat ' to justify a bigger defense budget . japan will spend about $ 49 billion on defense in the fiscal year to march 2015 -- up about 3 % from the previous year -- in the face of what it says is a worsening security environment in the region . it cites tensions on the korean peninsula and territorial disputes in the sea lanes running south from northern asia as its key concerns . under prime minister shinzo abe , japan is becoming more assertive about its defense posture , and is looking to upgrade its military over the next four years with bigger helicopter carriers , more anti-submarine patrol aircraft , surveillance drones , better amphibious warfare capability , and first deliveries in 2018 of its new fifth-generation fighter , the u.s.-made f35 joint strike fighter . in terms of regional defense , japan benefits substantially from its security alliance with the united states , and is a big buyer of u.s.-made weaponry . it also builds its own submarines , surface ships and fighter variants . china , which will likely spend about $ 200 billion this financial year on defense -- second only to the united states -- is a significant buyer of russian aircraft , ships and submarines , but is concentrating on its own domestic capabilities . it launched its first aircraft carrier in late 2012 , with two more likely to be built by the end of this decade . it is also developing its own fifth-generation stealth fighter , the twin-engined j20 , with the first deployment expected in 2018 . dangerous activities japan 's annual defense document , approved by the abe cabinet on august 5 , says chinese ships and aircraft have engaged in dangerous activities ' in disputed areas such as the south china and east china seas , and these could have unintended consequences . ' china 's defense ministry quickly rejected the japanese claim , calling it simply an excuse for japan 's own military expansion . it said it strongly opposed japan 's ignorance of facts ' and its groundless accusations ' about china 's military development . japan says china needs to be more transparent about the reasons behind what tokyo calls a broad and rapid ' buildup of chinese military might . it says china has n't been clear about the rationale for its expansion . in the air , china already has more frontline fighters than japan , with the chinese combat arsenal including advanced russian su-27 and su-30 planes , and the domestic j10 , j11 and j16 . japan has about 260 planes , including about 200 f15s , its mainstay fighter . qualitatively , japan still is seen to have an edge because of its close integration with the japan-based u.s. military forces , in areas such as early warning , electronic warfare and refueling . by 2018 , that air superiority could tilt to china , depending on how smoothly the roll-out proceeds respectively for china 's j20 and the japanese variant of the u.s. f35 . u.s. pivot for the united states , the china-japan defense spending spat is another point of asia-pacific regional tension . the administration of u.s. president barack obama wants to expand and maintain good relations with china , but is mindful that japan hosts most of the key u.s. forward bases in the region . plus there is a powerful economic incentive : asia-pacific continues to be a major focus of arms sales for the u.s. , in competition with russia , some european suppliers , and china itself . according to the stockholm international peace research institute ( sipri ) , global military spending last year was about $ 1.75 trillion , with the top 15 nations accounting for about $ 1.4 trillion of that . it ascribed a figure of $ 640 billion to the u.s. in 2013 , followed by china on $ 188 billion . russia ranked third , with a 2013 spend of about $ 88 billion , ahead of saudi arabia ( $ 67 billion ) , france ( $ 61 billion ) , uk ( $ 58 billion ) , and germany ( $ 48.8 billion ) . japan , india and south korea ranked 8th , 9th and 10th in 2013 , according to sipri 's calculations . u.s. military spending declined in 2013 and is budgeted to fall again in the year to september 2014 to about $ 526 billion . in contrast , sipri says that china , russia and saudi arabia have more than doubled their military spending since 2004 . territorial spat china and japan have a long-standing territorial dispute in the east china sea over a group of islands known in japan as the senkakus and in china as the diaoyutai . the islands lie about 111 miles ( 180 kilometers ) northeast of taiwan and about 248 miles ( 400 kilometers ) west of okinawa . the area has seen a number of air and sea confrontations in recent years -- a point highlighted in the japanese defense white paper . it says : china has intruded into japanese territorial waters frequently and violated japan 's airspace by its government ships and aircraft belonging to maritime law-enforcement agencies , and has engaged in dangerous activities that could cause unintended consequences , such as its vessel 's direction of a fire control radar at a jmsdf destroyer , the flight of fighters abnormally close to jsdf aircraft , and its announcement of establishing the'east china sea air defense identification zone'based on its own assertion thereby infringing the freedom of overflight over the high seas . ' in response , a chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on august 8 that there was nothing disputable ' about china carrying out normal maritime and air activities which are consistent with international laws and relevant domestic laws and regulations . ' the spokesperson said china was exercising its legitimate rights and interests in establishing the east china sea adiz , and was in conformity with international laws and common practices . ' japan also has a territorial dispute with south korea over the takeshima/dokdo group of islands in the sea of japan/east sea . south korea complained that the japanese defense white paper included the disputed islets as japanese territory and called on japan to withdraw what it termed an unjust claim . ' further south , in the south china sea , china is in dispute with vietnam , the philippines , malaysia , brunei , indonesia and taiwan over competing claims to various islets and rocky outcrops . | china 's defense ministry says defense paper is an excuse for japan 's military expansion |
china <tsp> china launched its first lunar probe early monday , which , if all goes well , will make it only the third nation -- after the united states and the soviet union -- to soft-land on the moon . the launch of the unmanned probe took place at 1:30 a.m. monday ( 12:30 p.m . et sunday ) , state-run xinhua news agency reported . the chang'e-3 blasted off from a long march 3b rocket in sichuan province located in southwest china and is expected to land on the moon 's surface in mid-december . the new space effort comes just over a decade after the country first sent an astronaut into space . unlike the soft-landing of the u.s. and the soviet union 's unmanned spacecraft , chang'e-3 will be able to survey the landscape first and determine the safest spot . researchers say an impact crater named sinus iridum , or bay of rainbows , is its likely destination . in 2010 , china 's previous lunar mission captured images of the crater while scouting potential landing sites for the 2013 probe . china sets course for lunar landing this year on landing , the spacecraft will release jade rabbit ( called yutu in chinese ) -- a six-wheeled lunar rover equipped with four cameras and two mechanical legs that can dig up soil samples , a designer for the rover told xinhua last month . a public poll determined the the solar-powered robot 's name , which comes from the white pet rabbit of the chinese moon godess chang'e . the slow-moving rover will patrol the moon 's surface for at least three months , according to xinhua . timeline : china 's race into space in the united states , scientists are concerned the chinese mission could interfere with a nasa study of the moon 's dust environment . chang'e-3 's descent is likely to create a noticeable plume on the moon 's surface that could skew the results of research already being carried out by nasa 's lunar atmosphere and dust environment explorer ( ladee ) , jeff plescia , chair of nasa 's lunar exploration analysis group told space.com , a space news site . chopsticks and soup spoons the inspiration behind china 's space tools | china launched an unmanned lunar probe monday |
al-ahram <tsp> cairo ( cnn ) -- a car bomb apparently targeting the egyptian interior minister 's motorcade exploded in eastern cairo thursday , leaving four people injured , state media reported . the interior minister , mohammed ibrahim , is safe , according to the state-run al-ahram newspaper . al-ahram said no one was killed in the blast near the minister 's residence in nasr city . egyptian state news agency egynews said four security personnel were injured , with one policeman having a leg amputated as a result of his injuries . an interior ministry statement said the explosion caused injuries to security guards and some bystanders . it occurred about 10:30 a.m. as the minister 's convoy passed through mostafa el nahas street in nasr city , it said . security agencies are investigating , the ministry added . it 's not yet clear who was behind the attack . official news agency mena cited a security source as saying the bomb was remotely detonated . cairo has witnessed wide unrest on its streets since former president mohamed morsy was ousted in july and an interim administration was installed by the military . a crackdown last month by egyptian authorities on morsy supporters left hundreds of people dead . cnn 's hosam ahmed reported from cairo , and samira said from atlanta . cnn 's saad abedine also contributed to this report . | the interior minister , mohammed ibrahim , is safe , state-run al-ahram reports |
bayern munich <tsp> ( cnn ) -- cristiano ronaldo continued his battle for scoring supremacy with fellow superstar lionel messi with two more goals as real madrid reached the last 16 of the european champions league on wednesday . while messi passed the 200 mark for barcelona with a hat-trick on tuesday that put the titleholders into the knockout stage , ronaldo 's double in the 2-0 win against lyon gave him 100 since moving to the spanish capital in mid-2009 . it was real 's first triumph in the french city in five attempts , and gave jose mourinho 's team a perfect four wins from four in group d -- with no goals conceded . ronaldo broke the deadlock with a swerving free-kick in the 24th minute , a fitting way to bring up the nine-time european champions'900th score in the competition . is messi the only real ballon d'or candidate ? the portugal forward doubled the lead with 21 minutes to play from the penalty spot after going down under the challenge of mouhamadou dabo , while the hosts hit the bar through jimmy briand 's header . lyon , seeking to reach the last 16 for the ninth successive season , suffered a first home defeat in 24 matches and now trail second-placed ajax by three points ahead of the dutch club 's visit later this month . the amsterdam side moved up to seven points with a 4-0 win at home to pointless dinamo zagreb . gregory van der wiel and miralem sulejmani finished off fine team moves inside the opening 25 minutes , while second-half goals from siem de jong and substitute nicolas lodeiro killed off the croatians . messi hat-trick puts barcelona into last 16 bayern munich stayed top of group a with a 3-2 win at home to napoli , which featured a first-half hat-trick from germany striker mario gomez , a broken collarbone for key midfielder bastian schweinsteiger and two red cards . the italians pulled one back before the break through federico fernandez , but after bayern lost schweinsteiger on 53 , the visitors had juan zuniga sent off in the 70th minute for a second booking . the germans had defender holger badstuber sent off for a second yellow card , and defender fernandez capitalized with his second goal soon after , but gomez was denied a 20th this season -- this time from the halfway line as goalkeeper morgan de sanctis was forced to scramble back desperately . manchester city beat struggling spanish side villarreal 3-0 to move up to second place on seven points -- three behind bayern and two ahead of napoli . midfielder yaya toure scored his first goals since city 's fa cup final win in may , sidefooting home from the edge of the box after david silva created space for him on the half hour and then again in the second half after waltzing into the area following a pass from mario balotelli . balotelli had made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time after earning a hotly-disputed penalty . inter milan edged closer to a second-round place with a 2-1 win at home to french champions lille that left the 2009 european titleholders top of group b. walter samuel headed in an 18th-minute corner and diego milito made up for three bad first-half misses when he converted a cross from captain javier zanetti on 65 . claudio ranieri 's team have now won more matches in europe this season than domestically in serie a. tulio de melo netted a late consolation for lille , who ended the match bottom of the table on two points . trabzonspor and cska moscow both have five points after a goalless draw in turkey , which the russians finished with 10 men as ivory coast striker seydou doumbia was sent off for a second booking . manchester united joined benfica on eight points at the top of group c after beating romanian minnows otelul galati 2-0 for the second match in a row . last season 's runners-up took an eighth-minute lead through winger antonio valencia , while cristian sarghi scored a late own-goal when he deflected in a shot by england striker wayne rooney -- who scored both times in the first fixture . they made it difficult for us , ' said united manager alex ferguson , who celebrates 25 years in charge at old trafford this weekend . benfica could only draw 1-1 at home to basel despite taking a fourth-minute lead through rodrigo 's volley . benjamin huggel 's 64th-minute equalizer put the swiss side on five points ahead of the trip to galati later this month , while portugal 's benfica travel to england . | bayern munich stay top of group a , while inter milan lead group b |
lionel messi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after 75 long years , the united states'national soccer team can finally celebrate a victory across its southern borders . the u.s. had drawn one and lost 23 of 24 previous matches in mexico , but michael orozco fiscal 's late goal in wednesday 's friendly international was enough for a landmark success over the newly-crowned olympic champions . orozco fiscal , who plays for mexican club san luis , netted from close range in the 80th minute to inflict just the ninth defeat for mexico in 120 games at the azteca stadium . mexico beat the u.s. 4-2 in last year 's gold cup final in pasadena , after which former germany international klinsmann replaced bob bradley as coach . i think it 's huge , ' head coach jurgen klinsmann told u.s. soccer 's official website . it 's huge for all american fans and it 's huge for the team . it 's historic . we were well aware that we 've never won here at azteca and this is an amazing experience for all the players . we told them before the game ,'this moment is for you , go and grab it .' which clubs will win europe 's big leagues ? the americans'triumph owed much to the performance of goalkeeper tim howard , who produced a string of saves , including an impressive late denial of striker javier hernandez . it 's a wonderful moment because winning a game against a very good mexican team that we have a lot of respect for at the azteca stadium , that means a lot to us , ' added klinsmann . that was very difficult for us and tim howard made some unbelievable saves , and i 've said it many times over the last few years that he belongs to the top three goalkeepers in the world and he showed that tonight . ' defeat for mexico comes off the back of an impressive run at the olympic tournament , where the under-23 team upset the odds to defeat brazil 2-1 in the london 2012 final on saturday . none of the players involved played in wednesday 's mexico city game . manchester united agree fee for arsenal striker van persie ' i think it 's important for us to understand that we can compete with big teams at their stadiums , ' said klinsmann , whose team recorded a historic first win in italy earlier this year and next face two world cup qualifiers against jamaica in september . it 's like when you play wembley in england or stade de france or in berlin . those are special occasions . i want the players to appreciate that . i want the players to take it all in because you never know when you 'll have another occasion like that . that 's what we told the players : you have nothing to lose here . give it all you have . can we play better ? yes . can we play technically cleaner ? yes . ' elsewhere , argentina registered a 3-1 win away to euro 2012 semifinalists germany with lionel messi scoring after missing a penalty in the frankfurt contest . the barcelona forward failed to convert a first-half spot kick after germany goalkeeper ron robert zieler had been sent off for hauling down jose ernesto sosa . an own-goal from sami khedira gave argentina the lead early in the second half , before messi and winger angel di maria put alejandro sabella 's team 3-0 up . germany could only offer benedikt howedes'late goal in response . louis van gaal began his second spell in charge of the netherlands national team with a 4-2 defeat in belgium , as robin van persie was omitted from the match-day squad . the striker , who is poised to join manchester united after a fee was agreed with arsenal that day , has lost his place to klaas-jan huntelaar after struggling to impress at euro 2012 . christian benteke gave belgium a 1-0 lead in brussels , before a first international goal for luciano narsingh and a huntelaar strike put the netherlands 2-1 ahead . but van gaal 's team collapsed in the final 15 minutes , with dries martens , striker romelu lukaku and defender jan vertonghen sealing a shock success for belgium . in a rematch of the euro 2012 quarterfinal , england turned the tables on italy to register a 2-1 win in switzerland . fielding a much-changed team weeks after being beaten 4-0 by spain in the tournament final , italy took the lead through daniele de rossi 's first-half header . defender phil jagielka equalized for roy hodgson 's team before substitute striker jermain defoe fired in a fine late winner . former world cup winner didier deschamps began his reign as france coach with a 0-0 draw against 2010 semifinalists uruguay , while vicente del bosque 's spain earned a 2-1 win in puerto rico . new arsenal signing santi cazorla and former gunner cesc fabregas gave the world and european champions a 2-0 lead before marc cintron scored a consolation goal for the caribbean side . | argentina beat germany 3-1 in frankfurt as lionel messi scores and misses a penalty |
louis van gaal <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after 75 long years , the united states'national soccer team can finally celebrate a victory across its southern borders . the u.s. had drawn one and lost 23 of 24 previous matches in mexico , but michael orozco fiscal 's late goal in wednesday 's friendly international was enough for a landmark success over the newly-crowned olympic champions . orozco fiscal , who plays for mexican club san luis , netted from close range in the 80th minute to inflict just the ninth defeat for mexico in 120 games at the azteca stadium . mexico beat the u.s. 4-2 in last year 's gold cup final in pasadena , after which former germany international klinsmann replaced bob bradley as coach . i think it 's huge , ' head coach jurgen klinsmann told u.s. soccer 's official website . it 's huge for all american fans and it 's huge for the team . it 's historic . we were well aware that we 've never won here at azteca and this is an amazing experience for all the players . we told them before the game ,'this moment is for you , go and grab it .' which clubs will win europe 's big leagues ? the americans'triumph owed much to the performance of goalkeeper tim howard , who produced a string of saves , including an impressive late denial of striker javier hernandez . it 's a wonderful moment because winning a game against a very good mexican team that we have a lot of respect for at the azteca stadium , that means a lot to us , ' added klinsmann . that was very difficult for us and tim howard made some unbelievable saves , and i 've said it many times over the last few years that he belongs to the top three goalkeepers in the world and he showed that tonight . ' defeat for mexico comes off the back of an impressive run at the olympic tournament , where the under-23 team upset the odds to defeat brazil 2-1 in the london 2012 final on saturday . none of the players involved played in wednesday 's mexico city game . manchester united agree fee for arsenal striker van persie ' i think it 's important for us to understand that we can compete with big teams at their stadiums , ' said klinsmann , whose team recorded a historic first win in italy earlier this year and next face two world cup qualifiers against jamaica in september . it 's like when you play wembley in england or stade de france or in berlin . those are special occasions . i want the players to appreciate that . i want the players to take it all in because you never know when you 'll have another occasion like that . that 's what we told the players : you have nothing to lose here . give it all you have . can we play better ? yes . can we play technically cleaner ? yes . ' elsewhere , argentina registered a 3-1 win away to euro 2012 semifinalists germany with lionel messi scoring after missing a penalty in the frankfurt contest . the barcelona forward failed to convert a first-half spot kick after germany goalkeeper ron robert zieler had been sent off for hauling down jose ernesto sosa . an own-goal from sami khedira gave argentina the lead early in the second half , before messi and winger angel di maria put alejandro sabella 's team 3-0 up . germany could only offer benedikt howedes'late goal in response . louis van gaal began his second spell in charge of the netherlands national team with a 4-2 defeat in belgium , as robin van persie was omitted from the match-day squad . the striker , who is poised to join manchester united after a fee was agreed with arsenal that day , has lost his place to klaas-jan huntelaar after struggling to impress at euro 2012 . christian benteke gave belgium a 1-0 lead in brussels , before a first international goal for luciano narsingh and a huntelaar strike put the netherlands 2-1 ahead . but van gaal 's team collapsed in the final 15 minutes , with dries martens , striker romelu lukaku and defender jan vertonghen sealing a shock success for belgium . in a rematch of the euro 2012 quarterfinal , england turned the tables on italy to register a 2-1 win in switzerland . fielding a much-changed team weeks after being beaten 4-0 by spain in the tournament final , italy took the lead through daniele de rossi 's first-half header . defender phil jagielka equalized for roy hodgson 's team before substitute striker jermain defoe fired in a fine late winner . former world cup winner didier deschamps began his reign as france coach with a 0-0 draw against 2010 semifinalists uruguay , while vicente del bosque 's spain earned a 2-1 win in puerto rico . new arsenal signing santi cazorla and former gunner cesc fabregas gave the world and european champions a 2-0 lead before marc cintron scored a consolation goal for the caribbean side . | louis van gaal 's first game of his second spell as dutch coach ends in defeat |
united states <tsp> ( cnn ) -- known for his outspoken , unapologetic support of migrants in mexico , the rev . alejandro solalinde is bringing his message to the united states . the priest is part of a caravan of migrants and their supporters traveling from los angeles to washington to push for immigration reform . in mexico , solalinde has criticized the government , and even the catholic church , saying that both can be more compassionate to migrants . his views are shaped by the years he has spent leading a migrant shelter in oaxaca that offers support to central americans who embark on the dangerous route north by clinging to trains . a number of threats last year led to his leaving his post , located in ixtepec , in the southern state of oaxaca , but he has since returned . i do n't know how to live with fear , ' solalinde told cnn . immigration issues must be tackled both at the source and the destination of the migrants , he said . in the united states , solalinde says he wants to include more voices in the debate . not just the voice of the north , but the voice of the south , the voice of the poor , the voice of the migrants . ' the 68-year-old , wearing a white button-down shirt , cream-colored vest , thin glasses and a cross necklace , admits that he believes his opinion will have little sway . with so much money and political interests at play , the voice of a mexican priest is likely to get drowned out , he said . but solalinde is undeterred . the caravan 's participants are lobbying for a path to citizenship , a stop to the separation of families , and greater attention to the human cost of immigration policies . the priest says he is not advocating a certain policy , but wants to raise consciousness about the issue . an immigration bill currently pending in the senate commits additional resources to southern border security and establishes a new system of metrics to measure border control effectiveness , but critics insist the plan is full of holes and will ultimately do little to help stem to the tide of illegal immigration . while claiming to strengthen the border , the legislation also would create a 13-year path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants while bringing dramatic change to labor policy on america 's farms . u.s. tactics like a border wall and restrictive immigration policies do nothing other than drive up the price that smugglers charge to sneak people across the border , he said . at the migrant shelter in oaxaca , solalinde says he sees constant suffering , but also constant hope in the people who pass by . during his brief exile from the shelter , solalinde spent a month in europe followed by some weeks of reflection in jalisco state before returning to oaxaca . after doing much reading and writing during his time away , the priest said he returned with a deeper commitment for acting now , for helping migrants today , he said . each day god gives me the grace to be happy , he provides strength , but at the end of the day my heart hurts , it tires emotionally , ' he said . cnn 's alan silverleib contributed to this report . | he is now advocating for immigration reform in the united states |
carson <tsp> neurosurgeon ben carson stood by his controversial comparison of the united states to nazi germany in an interview with cnn 's wolf blitzer on wednesday . asked by blitzer whether he would amend or take back his comments , carson said absolutely not . ' carson made the comments during a march interview with conservative news outlet breitbart.com . he noted that the third reich was using its tools to intimidate the population , ' and said that we now live in a society where people are afraid to say what they actually believe . ' in elaborating on those comments wednesday , he again suggested that the u.s. government is using instruments of government , like the irs , to punish its opponents . ' pressed by blitzer on whether the comparison was appropriate , carson argued his focus on the specific words was part of the problem . ' what you were doing is allowing words to affect you more than listening to what was actually being said . and that 's part of the problem , ' he said . you are just focusing on the words'nazi germany'and completely missing the point of what is being said , ' he added . he was also asked about comments that obamacare was the worst thing ' that 's happened in the u.s. since slavery . ' carson said whether the health care reform law was worse than other crises that have gripped the nation , like the terrorist attacks on sept. 11 or the great depression , is not the point . ' carson : race relations have gotten worse under obama ' the point of what i 'm saying ... is a major fundamental shift of power has occurred , ' from the people to the government , and if we continue down that road the united states of america becomes something very different than it was intended to be . ' carson 's unapologetic , outspoken style has contributed to his meteoric rise within the conservative movement and the republican party more broadly , and he 's begun to raise his profile nationally as he contemplates a 2016 presidential run . related : ben carson : political phenomenon a cnn/orc poll out this week found carson unexpectedly taking second place in the gop field , with 10 percent support , behind only 2012 gop presidential nominee mitt romney . carson told cnn that he 'll decide whether to run certainly before ' may 1 , but that there 's no question we 're putting together an infrastructure ' in case he decides to jump in . gop , dems rally behind social security benefit ban for nazis | a cnn/orc poll this week showed carson taking second in the gop presidential field |
carson <tsp> neurosurgeon ben carson stood by his controversial comparison of the united states to nazi germany in an interview with cnn 's wolf blitzer on wednesday . asked by blitzer whether he would amend or take back his comments , carson said absolutely not . ' carson made the comments during a march interview with conservative news outlet breitbart.com . he noted that the third reich was using its tools to intimidate the population , ' and said that we now live in a society where people are afraid to say what they actually believe . ' in elaborating on those comments wednesday , he again suggested that the u.s. government is using instruments of government , like the irs , to punish its opponents . ' pressed by blitzer on whether the comparison was appropriate , carson argued his focus on the specific words was part of the problem . ' what you were doing is allowing words to affect you more than listening to what was actually being said . and that 's part of the problem , ' he said . you are just focusing on the words'nazi germany'and completely missing the point of what is being said , ' he added . he was also asked about comments that obamacare was the worst thing ' that 's happened in the u.s. since slavery . ' carson said whether the health care reform law was worse than other crises that have gripped the nation , like the terrorist attacks on sept. 11 or the great depression , is not the point . ' carson : race relations have gotten worse under obama ' the point of what i 'm saying ... is a major fundamental shift of power has occurred , ' from the people to the government , and if we continue down that road the united states of america becomes something very different than it was intended to be . ' carson 's unapologetic , outspoken style has contributed to his meteoric rise within the conservative movement and the republican party more broadly , and he 's begun to raise his profile nationally as he contemplates a 2016 presidential run . related : ben carson : political phenomenon a cnn/orc poll out this week found carson unexpectedly taking second place in the gop field , with 10 percent support , behind only 2012 gop presidential nominee mitt romney . carson told cnn that he 'll decide whether to run certainly before ' may 1 , but that there 's no question we 're putting together an infrastructure ' in case he decides to jump in . gop , dems rally behind social security benefit ban for nazis | ben carson said he would absolutely not ' walk back his comparison of the u.s. to nazi germany |
carson <tsp> neurosurgeon ben carson stood by his controversial comparison of the united states to nazi germany in an interview with cnn 's wolf blitzer on wednesday . asked by blitzer whether he would amend or take back his comments , carson said absolutely not . ' carson made the comments during a march interview with conservative news outlet breitbart.com . he noted that the third reich was using its tools to intimidate the population , ' and said that we now live in a society where people are afraid to say what they actually believe . ' in elaborating on those comments wednesday , he again suggested that the u.s. government is using instruments of government , like the irs , to punish its opponents . ' pressed by blitzer on whether the comparison was appropriate , carson argued his focus on the specific words was part of the problem . ' what you were doing is allowing words to affect you more than listening to what was actually being said . and that 's part of the problem , ' he said . you are just focusing on the words'nazi germany'and completely missing the point of what is being said , ' he added . he was also asked about comments that obamacare was the worst thing ' that 's happened in the u.s. since slavery . ' carson said whether the health care reform law was worse than other crises that have gripped the nation , like the terrorist attacks on sept. 11 or the great depression , is not the point . ' carson : race relations have gotten worse under obama ' the point of what i 'm saying ... is a major fundamental shift of power has occurred , ' from the people to the government , and if we continue down that road the united states of america becomes something very different than it was intended to be . ' carson 's unapologetic , outspoken style has contributed to his meteoric rise within the conservative movement and the republican party more broadly , and he 's begun to raise his profile nationally as he contemplates a 2016 presidential run . related : ben carson : political phenomenon a cnn/orc poll out this week found carson unexpectedly taking second place in the gop field , with 10 percent support , behind only 2012 gop presidential nominee mitt romney . carson told cnn that he 'll decide whether to run certainly before ' may 1 , but that there 's no question we 're putting together an infrastructure ' in case he decides to jump in . gop , dems rally behind social security benefit ban for nazis | carson also clarified comments that obamacare was the worst ' thing to happen since slavery |
oscar pistorius <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a british betting firm has sparked outrage with a controversial advert which offers punters money back if south african sports star oscar pistorius is found not guilty of the murder of his girlfriend reeva steenkamp . bookmaker paddy power began its book on the outcome of the trial last week , prompting widespread criticism on social media , but then updated its offer with the advert to coincide with monday 's start of the trial in pretoria . it features a photograph of pistorius mocked up as an oscar-style academy award statuette with the strap line : it 's oscar time . money back if he walks . we will refund all losing bets on oscar pistorius if he is found not guilty . ' in response , an online petition has been started on change.org , demanding that paddy power withdraws its offensive betting ' on the outcome of the trial and donates any profits to a women 's charity fighting domestic violence . it quickly gathered over 60,000 signatures and counting within a few hours of being promoted . the petition was started by jean hatchet , who said on the campaign page she was herself a survivor of domestic violence and abuse . ' her statement added : i know how many women around the world are suffering right now thinking that they are lucky to be alive when poor reeva steenkamp is dead . paddy power are putting all survivors and the families of those who died through even more pain and anguish and they must stop . ' holly dustin , director of end violence against women , told the uk 's press association of her disgust at the ad campaign . they are making a game out of murder and the brutal killing of a young woman , which is unacceptable , ' she said . it is not just that this is a bit sick -- it also actually contributes to a culture in which violence against women is trivialized or made into a bit of a joke . ' there has also been condemnation from lawmakers , with yvette cooper , the opposition labour party 's shadow home secretary , taking to twitter say it was sick and shameful ' to run bets on the trial . paddy power , which has its head office in ireland but is regulated in the uk , told cnn that it would not be withdrawing the offer . we are not planning to take down our betting on the pistorius trial verdict , ' a spokesperson said monday . we have a long history of offering odds on major global news events and the oscar pistorius trial is no different . the world will be watching this trial on dedicated media channels offering rolling coverage and speculating on the verdict across social media . we are simply offering betting on the outcome of the trial -- this is nothing new when it comes to high-profile court cases . ' paddy power has boosted its profile and profits with a series of irreverent campaigns , using social media to spread its message . when u.s. president barack obama visited dublin in may 2011 , the bookmaker renamed some its shops o'bama power , ' while last july it dressed up four large men in nappies to go around london to publicize its odds on the royal baby ahead of prince george 's birth . but its sponsorship of dennis rodman 's basketball diplomacy ' in north korea last year was shelved in december after a brutal crackdown by the country 's leader kim jong-un on political rivals . pistorius pleaded not guilty to the murder of steenkamp and several weapons-related charges on the first day of his trial . he has achieved world wide fame for his track and field feats , winning six paralympic gold medals as well as becoming the first double amputee to compete in the olympics , running for south africa in the summer games in london in 2012 . pistorius earned his nickname the blade runner ' because of the special prostheses he uses while running in events from the 100m to his specialist 400m . | uk betting firm paddy power offering odds on the oscar pistorius trial |
uefa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- real madrid have failed in ar bid to overturn uefa 's ruling denying them the right to register both klaas jan huntelaar and lassana diarra to play in the champions league knockout stages . real must decide whether to register huntelaar , above , or diarra for the champions league ko stage . uefa 's appeals body made the decision on tuesday after madrid challenged the original ruling made by european football 's governing body last week . regulations specify that clubs can only register one player who has already played in europe that season to represent them in the latter stages of the champions league or uefa cup the same campaign . both diarra and huntelaar had played in the uefa cup this season , for premier league portsmouth and dutch club ajax respectively , prior to joining madrid earlier this month . madrid claimed they had a different interpretation ' of the rule , but both the spanish club 's initial request and subsequent appeal have now been thrown out . a statement confirmed : uefa 's appeals body today upheld the decision taken by the uefa control and disciplinary body on 8 january , in accordance with article 17.18 of the [ uefa champions league ] competition regulations . they rejected an appeal by real madrid cf in relation to the spanish club 's request to be able to register two players who have already competed in uefa competition this season , as part of their a-list squad for the knockout rounds of the uefa champions league . ' madrid must now decide whether to accept the finding or pursue the issue further at the swiss-based court of arbitration for sport . | uefa say only one player per club can appear for two sides in same season |
uefa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- real madrid have failed in ar bid to overturn uefa 's ruling denying them the right to register both klaas jan huntelaar and lassana diarra to play in the champions league knockout stages . real must decide whether to register huntelaar , above , or diarra for the champions league ko stage . uefa 's appeals body made the decision on tuesday after madrid challenged the original ruling made by european football 's governing body last week . regulations specify that clubs can only register one player who has already played in europe that season to represent them in the latter stages of the champions league or uefa cup the same campaign . both diarra and huntelaar had played in the uefa cup this season , for premier league portsmouth and dutch club ajax respectively , prior to joining madrid earlier this month . madrid claimed they had a different interpretation ' of the rule , but both the spanish club 's initial request and subsequent appeal have now been thrown out . a statement confirmed : uefa 's appeals body today upheld the decision taken by the uefa control and disciplinary body on 8 january , in accordance with article 17.18 of the [ uefa champions league ] competition regulations . they rejected an appeal by real madrid cf in relation to the spanish club 's request to be able to register two players who have already competed in uefa competition this season , as part of their a-list squad for the knockout rounds of the uefa champions league . ' madrid must now decide whether to accept the finding or pursue the issue further at the swiss-based court of arbitration for sport . | real madrid fail in their bid to overturn uefa ruling regarding player eligibility |
real <tsp> ( cnn ) -- real madrid have failed in ar bid to overturn uefa 's ruling denying them the right to register both klaas jan huntelaar and lassana diarra to play in the champions league knockout stages . real must decide whether to register huntelaar , above , or diarra for the champions league ko stage . uefa 's appeals body made the decision on tuesday after madrid challenged the original ruling made by european football 's governing body last week . regulations specify that clubs can only register one player who has already played in europe that season to represent them in the latter stages of the champions league or uefa cup the same campaign . both diarra and huntelaar had played in the uefa cup this season , for premier league portsmouth and dutch club ajax respectively , prior to joining madrid earlier this month . madrid claimed they had a different interpretation ' of the rule , but both the spanish club 's initial request and subsequent appeal have now been thrown out . a statement confirmed : uefa 's appeals body today upheld the decision taken by the uefa control and disciplinary body on 8 january , in accordance with article 17.18 of the [ uefa champions league ] competition regulations . they rejected an appeal by real madrid cf in relation to the spanish club 's request to be able to register two players who have already competed in uefa competition this season , as part of their a-list squad for the knockout rounds of the uefa champions league . ' madrid must now decide whether to accept the finding or pursue the issue further at the swiss-based court of arbitration for sport . | real madrid fail in their bid to overturn uefa ruling regarding player eligibility |
real <tsp> ( cnn ) -- real madrid have failed in ar bid to overturn uefa 's ruling denying them the right to register both klaas jan huntelaar and lassana diarra to play in the champions league knockout stages . real must decide whether to register huntelaar , above , or diarra for the champions league ko stage . uefa 's appeals body made the decision on tuesday after madrid challenged the original ruling made by european football 's governing body last week . regulations specify that clubs can only register one player who has already played in europe that season to represent them in the latter stages of the champions league or uefa cup the same campaign . both diarra and huntelaar had played in the uefa cup this season , for premier league portsmouth and dutch club ajax respectively , prior to joining madrid earlier this month . madrid claimed they had a different interpretation ' of the rule , but both the spanish club 's initial request and subsequent appeal have now been thrown out . a statement confirmed : uefa 's appeals body today upheld the decision taken by the uefa control and disciplinary body on 8 january , in accordance with article 17.18 of the [ uefa champions league ] competition regulations . they rejected an appeal by real madrid cf in relation to the spanish club 's request to be able to register two players who have already competed in uefa competition this season , as part of their a-list squad for the knockout rounds of the uefa champions league . ' madrid must now decide whether to accept the finding or pursue the issue further at the swiss-based court of arbitration for sport . | real wanted to register newcomers klaas jan huntelaar and lassana diarra |
williams <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- it came as no surprise to anyone who is a baseball fan that last year on september 28 a flurry of articles marked the 50th anniversary of ted williams'final game . williams ended his career as few major leaguers do , with a home run in his final at bat . but this year as we approach the 51st anniversary of the game that ended williams'career in 1960 , it is time to turn our attention to novelist john updike . it is the story updike wrote for the new yorker , hub fans bid kid adieu , ' that has allowed williams'last hurrah to take on a life of its own and that last year prompted critic charles mcgrath to argue that hub fans ' is probably the most celebrated baseball essay ever . ' thanks to updike , williams'last home run is far better known than his even more remarkable feat -- which took place exactly 70 years ago this month -- - of going six for eight on the final day of the 1941 season to lift his average to .406 and become the last man in baseball to hit .400 . like updike , i was at williams'final game . i cut the graduate school poetry class i normally went to three afternoons a week for the chance to see williams end his career . i had expected to get stuck sitting in the center field bleachers , but fenway park was not even half filled . only 10,454 fans showed up for the game with the baltimore orioles . the red sox were a seventh-place ball club in 1960 , and even for ted williams , most bostonians were unwilling to take off work on a wednesday afternoon so gloomy that in the sixth inning the stadium lights were turned on . i got good seats along the third base line , and in the fifth inning i was able to move down to the field boxes next to the visitors'dugout . the ushers could not have cared less . before the game williams was honored with a paul revere silver bowl and speeches from boston 's mayor and red sox television announcer curt gowdy , but the ceremonies felt perfunctory . like the small fenway park crowd , they reflected boston 's divided view of ted williams . he was someone to admire but not to love , and in his final game he stayed true to form . in his last time at bat in an otherwise meaningless game , williams pulled his miracle . in the eighth inning on the third pitch to him , he hit a towering home run to right field that cleared the red sox bullpen with plenty to spare . it was the 521st home run in a baseball career that had been interrupted by service as a marine pilot during world war ii and the korean war . the home run was the perfect stage exit , but as williams trotted around the bases with his head down , he made no effort to dwell on the drama of the moment . once in the red sox dugout , he refused to come out despite the chants of we want ted , ' and when at the start of the ninth inning manager mike higgins sent williams out to his left field position , then instantly replaced him , he jogged back to the red sox dugout with his eyes firmly on the ground . as he had done since the end of his first year in the major leagues , williams refused to tip his hat to the applauding fans . the ted williams whom updike describes is a man divided between pride in his craft and determination to avoid making himself vulnerable to the whims of fans . but what sets williams apart in updike 's account is that his internal and external struggles have taken place before thousands in stadiums across the country . in his role as a marquee athlete , he has not had privacy since his rookie year of 1939 . as much as our contemporary culture will allow , ted williams is a man of mythic dimensions , in updike 's story , ironically titled to sound as if it belonged on the sports page , williams is both achilles , the hero of incomparable powers and beauty , ' and a figure who at rest looks like donatello 's david . ' but always he is larger than life . circling the bases following his home run , williams moves for updike like a feather caught in a vortex . ' updike was able to capture more than any of us saw that afternoon at fenway park , and with the passage of time , his story of ted williams'final game has become more powerful than the original experience . updike 's account is all that thousands who were never at fenway park that fall afternoon , and who now outnumber those of us there , know of the heights on which williams left the game . if williams is our achilles , then updike is our homer . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of nicolaus mills . | mills says john updike told lyrical story of williams'final game |
williams <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- it came as no surprise to anyone who is a baseball fan that last year on september 28 a flurry of articles marked the 50th anniversary of ted williams'final game . williams ended his career as few major leaguers do , with a home run in his final at bat . but this year as we approach the 51st anniversary of the game that ended williams'career in 1960 , it is time to turn our attention to novelist john updike . it is the story updike wrote for the new yorker , hub fans bid kid adieu , ' that has allowed williams'last hurrah to take on a life of its own and that last year prompted critic charles mcgrath to argue that hub fans ' is probably the most celebrated baseball essay ever . ' thanks to updike , williams'last home run is far better known than his even more remarkable feat -- which took place exactly 70 years ago this month -- - of going six for eight on the final day of the 1941 season to lift his average to .406 and become the last man in baseball to hit .400 . like updike , i was at williams'final game . i cut the graduate school poetry class i normally went to three afternoons a week for the chance to see williams end his career . i had expected to get stuck sitting in the center field bleachers , but fenway park was not even half filled . only 10,454 fans showed up for the game with the baltimore orioles . the red sox were a seventh-place ball club in 1960 , and even for ted williams , most bostonians were unwilling to take off work on a wednesday afternoon so gloomy that in the sixth inning the stadium lights were turned on . i got good seats along the third base line , and in the fifth inning i was able to move down to the field boxes next to the visitors'dugout . the ushers could not have cared less . before the game williams was honored with a paul revere silver bowl and speeches from boston 's mayor and red sox television announcer curt gowdy , but the ceremonies felt perfunctory . like the small fenway park crowd , they reflected boston 's divided view of ted williams . he was someone to admire but not to love , and in his final game he stayed true to form . in his last time at bat in an otherwise meaningless game , williams pulled his miracle . in the eighth inning on the third pitch to him , he hit a towering home run to right field that cleared the red sox bullpen with plenty to spare . it was the 521st home run in a baseball career that had been interrupted by service as a marine pilot during world war ii and the korean war . the home run was the perfect stage exit , but as williams trotted around the bases with his head down , he made no effort to dwell on the drama of the moment . once in the red sox dugout , he refused to come out despite the chants of we want ted , ' and when at the start of the ninth inning manager mike higgins sent williams out to his left field position , then instantly replaced him , he jogged back to the red sox dugout with his eyes firmly on the ground . as he had done since the end of his first year in the major leagues , williams refused to tip his hat to the applauding fans . the ted williams whom updike describes is a man divided between pride in his craft and determination to avoid making himself vulnerable to the whims of fans . but what sets williams apart in updike 's account is that his internal and external struggles have taken place before thousands in stadiums across the country . in his role as a marquee athlete , he has not had privacy since his rookie year of 1939 . as much as our contemporary culture will allow , ted williams is a man of mythic dimensions , in updike 's story , ironically titled to sound as if it belonged on the sports page , williams is both achilles , the hero of incomparable powers and beauty , ' and a figure who at rest looks like donatello 's david . ' but always he is larger than life . circling the bases following his home run , williams moves for updike like a feather caught in a vortex . ' updike was able to capture more than any of us saw that afternoon at fenway park , and with the passage of time , his story of ted williams'final game has become more powerful than the original experience . updike 's account is all that thousands who were never at fenway park that fall afternoon , and who now outnumber those of us there , know of the heights on which williams left the game . if williams is our achilles , then updike is our homer . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of nicolaus mills . | williams declined to acknowledge the cheers of the fans |
williams <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- it came as no surprise to anyone who is a baseball fan that last year on september 28 a flurry of articles marked the 50th anniversary of ted williams'final game . williams ended his career as few major leaguers do , with a home run in his final at bat . but this year as we approach the 51st anniversary of the game that ended williams'career in 1960 , it is time to turn our attention to novelist john updike . it is the story updike wrote for the new yorker , hub fans bid kid adieu , ' that has allowed williams'last hurrah to take on a life of its own and that last year prompted critic charles mcgrath to argue that hub fans ' is probably the most celebrated baseball essay ever . ' thanks to updike , williams'last home run is far better known than his even more remarkable feat -- which took place exactly 70 years ago this month -- - of going six for eight on the final day of the 1941 season to lift his average to .406 and become the last man in baseball to hit .400 . like updike , i was at williams'final game . i cut the graduate school poetry class i normally went to three afternoons a week for the chance to see williams end his career . i had expected to get stuck sitting in the center field bleachers , but fenway park was not even half filled . only 10,454 fans showed up for the game with the baltimore orioles . the red sox were a seventh-place ball club in 1960 , and even for ted williams , most bostonians were unwilling to take off work on a wednesday afternoon so gloomy that in the sixth inning the stadium lights were turned on . i got good seats along the third base line , and in the fifth inning i was able to move down to the field boxes next to the visitors'dugout . the ushers could not have cared less . before the game williams was honored with a paul revere silver bowl and speeches from boston 's mayor and red sox television announcer curt gowdy , but the ceremonies felt perfunctory . like the small fenway park crowd , they reflected boston 's divided view of ted williams . he was someone to admire but not to love , and in his final game he stayed true to form . in his last time at bat in an otherwise meaningless game , williams pulled his miracle . in the eighth inning on the third pitch to him , he hit a towering home run to right field that cleared the red sox bullpen with plenty to spare . it was the 521st home run in a baseball career that had been interrupted by service as a marine pilot during world war ii and the korean war . the home run was the perfect stage exit , but as williams trotted around the bases with his head down , he made no effort to dwell on the drama of the moment . once in the red sox dugout , he refused to come out despite the chants of we want ted , ' and when at the start of the ninth inning manager mike higgins sent williams out to his left field position , then instantly replaced him , he jogged back to the red sox dugout with his eyes firmly on the ground . as he had done since the end of his first year in the major leagues , williams refused to tip his hat to the applauding fans . the ted williams whom updike describes is a man divided between pride in his craft and determination to avoid making himself vulnerable to the whims of fans . but what sets williams apart in updike 's account is that his internal and external struggles have taken place before thousands in stadiums across the country . in his role as a marquee athlete , he has not had privacy since his rookie year of 1939 . as much as our contemporary culture will allow , ted williams is a man of mythic dimensions , in updike 's story , ironically titled to sound as if it belonged on the sports page , williams is both achilles , the hero of incomparable powers and beauty , ' and a figure who at rest looks like donatello 's david . ' but always he is larger than life . circling the bases following his home run , williams moves for updike like a feather caught in a vortex . ' updike was able to capture more than any of us saw that afternoon at fenway park , and with the passage of time , his story of ted williams'final game has become more powerful than the original experience . updike 's account is all that thousands who were never at fenway park that fall afternoon , and who now outnumber those of us there , know of the heights on which williams left the game . if williams is our achilles , then updike is our homer . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of nicolaus mills . | nicolaus mills : this year marks 70th anniversary of ted williams'.400 season |
williams <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- it came as no surprise to anyone who is a baseball fan that last year on september 28 a flurry of articles marked the 50th anniversary of ted williams'final game . williams ended his career as few major leaguers do , with a home run in his final at bat . but this year as we approach the 51st anniversary of the game that ended williams'career in 1960 , it is time to turn our attention to novelist john updike . it is the story updike wrote for the new yorker , hub fans bid kid adieu , ' that has allowed williams'last hurrah to take on a life of its own and that last year prompted critic charles mcgrath to argue that hub fans ' is probably the most celebrated baseball essay ever . ' thanks to updike , williams'last home run is far better known than his even more remarkable feat -- which took place exactly 70 years ago this month -- - of going six for eight on the final day of the 1941 season to lift his average to .406 and become the last man in baseball to hit .400 . like updike , i was at williams'final game . i cut the graduate school poetry class i normally went to three afternoons a week for the chance to see williams end his career . i had expected to get stuck sitting in the center field bleachers , but fenway park was not even half filled . only 10,454 fans showed up for the game with the baltimore orioles . the red sox were a seventh-place ball club in 1960 , and even for ted williams , most bostonians were unwilling to take off work on a wednesday afternoon so gloomy that in the sixth inning the stadium lights were turned on . i got good seats along the third base line , and in the fifth inning i was able to move down to the field boxes next to the visitors'dugout . the ushers could not have cared less . before the game williams was honored with a paul revere silver bowl and speeches from boston 's mayor and red sox television announcer curt gowdy , but the ceremonies felt perfunctory . like the small fenway park crowd , they reflected boston 's divided view of ted williams . he was someone to admire but not to love , and in his final game he stayed true to form . in his last time at bat in an otherwise meaningless game , williams pulled his miracle . in the eighth inning on the third pitch to him , he hit a towering home run to right field that cleared the red sox bullpen with plenty to spare . it was the 521st home run in a baseball career that had been interrupted by service as a marine pilot during world war ii and the korean war . the home run was the perfect stage exit , but as williams trotted around the bases with his head down , he made no effort to dwell on the drama of the moment . once in the red sox dugout , he refused to come out despite the chants of we want ted , ' and when at the start of the ninth inning manager mike higgins sent williams out to his left field position , then instantly replaced him , he jogged back to the red sox dugout with his eyes firmly on the ground . as he had done since the end of his first year in the major leagues , williams refused to tip his hat to the applauding fans . the ted williams whom updike describes is a man divided between pride in his craft and determination to avoid making himself vulnerable to the whims of fans . but what sets williams apart in updike 's account is that his internal and external struggles have taken place before thousands in stadiums across the country . in his role as a marquee athlete , he has not had privacy since his rookie year of 1939 . as much as our contemporary culture will allow , ted williams is a man of mythic dimensions , in updike 's story , ironically titled to sound as if it belonged on the sports page , williams is both achilles , the hero of incomparable powers and beauty , ' and a figure who at rest looks like donatello 's david . ' but always he is larger than life . circling the bases following his home run , williams moves for updike like a feather caught in a vortex . ' updike was able to capture more than any of us saw that afternoon at fenway park , and with the passage of time , his story of ted williams'final game has become more powerful than the original experience . updike 's account is all that thousands who were never at fenway park that fall afternoon , and who now outnumber those of us there , know of the heights on which williams left the game . if williams is our achilles , then updike is our homer . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of nicolaus mills . | williams hit a homerun in his last at bat , delighting a sparse crowd |
miss america <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in the seven years since its founding , twitter has become a go-to place for news updates , witty one-liners , political one-upmanship and even absurdist storytelling . it 's also become a go-to place for intolerant bile . on sunday night , nina davuluri , an american of indian ancestry , was named miss america . immediately , the twitterverse started spewing . this is miss america ... not miss foreign country , ' said @ meredithroanell . congratulations al-qaeda . our miss america is one of you , ' posted @ blayne_mkitrain . what is it about twitter ? whether the events are earthshaking or trivial , the site of more than a half-billion accounts has something to say -- and often , it 's upset . ben affleck is named the new batman ; the anger flows . george zimmerman is acquitted ; people fly off the handle . comments on sports , tv shows , politics , news media -- when there 's something negative to be said , it will be said ( occasionally with poor spelling and in all caps ) on twitter . as stephen colbert summarized the miss america outcry on the colbert report , ' and twitter , as usual , could not be happy . ' david reiss , a san diego-based psychiatrist who specializes in personality dynamics , observes that twitter 's impulsiveness can get the best of people . it 's very easy to jot something off and hit send , and you can impulsively say something without thinking it through , ' he says , noting that it 's the reverse of the classic angry letter you write and then put in a drawer until you cool off . with twitter , you do n't need to ( do that ) . and if there is feedback or push back , you do n't necessarily even see it . ' as of friday afternoon , twitter had not responded to a request from cnn for comment .'anger is more influential' such anger is n't just limited to twitter , of course . you can find it on other social media platforms , news site comment boards -- including on cnn.com -- and pretty much all over the internet . youtube , for example , also has been known for attracting mean-spirited comments . still , twitter is an easy target . besides the impulsiveness reiss mentions , there 's a typical litany of virtual-world reasons for twitter 's vitriol : anonymity , a perceived lack of consequences , a troll-ish desire to stir the pot . but perhaps the most intriguing was revealed in a study published recently by beihang university researchers . by analyzing posts on weibo , a chinese version of twitter , they determined that anger is the most powerful online emotion . of the four basic emotions into which they classified tweets , sadness and disgust barely travel . joy does better . but anger , like a potent virus , spreads the fastest and most widely of all . our results show that anger is more influential than other emotions like joy , which indicates that the angry tweets can spread quickly and broadly in the network , ' the researchers wrote . 23 key moments from twitter history the idea of twitter anger is so prominent that monica stephens , a geography professor at humboldt state university in california , put together a map titled the geography of hate . ' the project was inspired , in part , by racial slurs on twitter after president obama 's re-election . the map highlights sections of the country that engage in certain hate speech based on keywords , aggregated by county and adjusted for population . the results have favored rural areas , which stephens attributes to insularity and fear of outsiders . indeed , a more accurate title for the map would be the geography of xenophobia , ' she says . the map certainly hit home with certain parts of the country , stephens says . so many people lashed out in anger towards me after seeing it , ' she says . i have hundreds of really angry e-mails that start with the term'racist bitch .'' anonymity and distance this is n't the sort of thing that tends to happen as widely on facebook or other social media sites . there are a couple reasons for that , says tammy vigil , a professor at boston university 's school of communication . one is that facebook is largely a closed system in which you mainly communicate with people you know -- unlike twitter , where a tweet goes out to the whole world . moreover , facebook friends can react more directly to vitriolic posts , either by calling the poster out or simply unfriending him or her , she says . in may , the site strengthened policies to stamp out hate speech . with facebook , there 's more accountability , ' says vigil . most people 's facebook accounts have multiple pictures of them , they 've got connections to'these are my friends .'there 's a lot less of the anonymity , so there 's a little less of the disinhibition that occurs . ' twitter also creates more distance , adds lesley withers , a communications professor at central michigan university . it 's asynchronous -- you 're not chatting real-time with another person -- so there 's less of a sense that the other people out there are real , ' she says . a phone call or even some kinds of online dialogue establishes a connection that you 're dealing with actual human beings . but on twitter , that connection is n't there , so that allows us to go off in ways that we would n't choose to do if we had to look at another person 's face when we did it . ' consequences ? twitter 's brief screeds seldom have consequences , though that may be changing . the site recently created a report abuse ' button and the media -- which is often to blame for highlighting anger -- is paying more attention to bullying on the site . but the idea of consequences is hard for twitter users to understand , observes withers . i think people do n't think about the long-term ramifications , ' she says . when i talk with students about how they use social media and say that a lot of employers will look to see what kinds of things you 're posting on facebook or twitter , i 'm surprised by the number of people who say ,'any employer that would stalk me that way online , i would n't want to work for them anyway .'' there are signs that a growing number of twitter users do n't like the venom in their midst . after the nastiness with miss america , a number of people responded with positive tweets congratulating her . some even reprimanded the angry tweeters -- and received apologies . i am so sorry . i did n't think before i tweeted what i did . i absolutely did not mean to hurt or offend anyone . again i am so very sorry ! ! ! ' tweeted @ jayres15 . withers points out that the system has much to overcome . people use twitter to get reactions out of others , ' she says . it 's like a popularity contest : if you can put something out there that 's quick and inflammatory and it gets retweeted a ton , that 's your feedback -- that 's how you know that it was an interesting or effective tweet . and people do n't seem to be as concerned if the response is positive or negative . ' and what works ? let 's all scream it at the top of our lungs : anger . anger is an empowering emotion . you can post something angry and it can make other people feel something . it allows us an opportunity to be dramatic , ' says withers . and a lot of people really like drama . ' | the crowning of miss america on sunday led to angry , often bigoted tweets |
deborah hersman <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the pilot at the helm of asiana airlines flight 214 was training to fly a boeing 777 and was sitting next to a man in his first trip as an instructor pilot when their plane 's main landing gear hit a seawall around san francisco 's airport , a u.s. official said tuesday . deborah hersman , the head of the national transportation safety board , revealed these and other details during a news conference that included information about the pilots and their flying experience , based on the interviews they 've conducted with investigators . having finished classroom and simulator training , the flying pilot ' -- as hersman referred to him -- was in the piloting portion of his training to fly a boeing 777 at the time of saturday 's crash . he had flown 10 legs and had about 35 hours of flying time with the 777 , which put him about halfway through the training required by asiana of 20 legs and 60 flight hours , when the plane went down , hersman said . did pilot have enough 777 experience ? sitting beside him during saturday 's flight from seoul to san francisco was the instructor pilot . the trip across the pacific was the first time he had been an instructor pilot and the first time he 'd traveled with the flying pilot , according to hersman . that seemingly uneventful , more than 10-hour flight ended in a few chaotic , panicked minutes of fury , after which two people were dead and 182 others were transported to local hospitals . sections of the cabin ... are found very early in the debris field , ' said hersman , who had walked a few hundred feet from the seawall where the plane 's landing gear and then tail first slammed into the seawall to where it mercifully came to a rest . you can see aircraft parts , gallery materials , newspapers , magazines and flooring . ' according to the pilots'accounts , the tensions started before the plane touched ground . the three pilots in the cockpit -- another was in the cabin -- told investigators they set the auto throttle ' speed to 137 knots ( 157 mph ) , which is the speed it should have been going . akin to cruise control , auto throttles are used to maintain a plane 's speed . at 200 feet above ground , the instructor pilot said he noted precision approach path indicator lights indicated the giant jet was too low . it was then he recognized that the auto throttles were not maintaining speed , and he established a go-around attitude , ' said the ntsb chief . he went to push the throttles forward , but he stated that the other pilot had already ( done so ) . ' hersman cautioned anyone from jumping to conclusions as to whether a mechanical or pilot error is to blame for the crash . she also spoke specifically about the auto throttles , saying investigators were delving into how they were working and how they were used . but hersman also stated : the crew is required to maintain a safe aircraft ... one of the very critical things that needs to be monitored on an approach to landing is speed . so we need to understand what was going on in the cockpit , and also what was going on in the aircraft . ' 2 dead , 182 injured -- including 2 ejected flight attendants when it departed south korea , flight 214 had 307 passengers and crew aboard . despite the scale of the wreckage -- a hole burned through much of the cabin 's roof and the aircraft 's back half lopped off -- 123 walked away . others were n't so lucky , most of all the two chinese teenagers who died in the crash . girls killed in crash were headed for camp those working on the flight were among the injured . the third pilot in the cockpit cracked a rib . one flight attendant was temporarily trapped by an evacuation chute that opened inside the plane . two other flight attendants were not in their seats at the rear of the aircraft when the plane finally ground to a halt , because they were ejected as the aircraft broke up . they were found down the runway and off to the side of the runway , ' hersman said . flight attendants hailed as heroes many of those hospitalized have been released . at san francisco general hospital , for instance , 50 of the 62 patients are now free to go home . but others still require care . four adults and one child in critical condition are still at san francisco general suffering from internal bleeding , fractures and spinal cord , abdominal and traumatic brain injuries , according to the hospital . crew recall plane being too high , then too low the flying pilot ' and instructor pilot ' who were in the front seat of the cockpit were not among the injured , according to hersman . asiana hired the flying pilot in 1994 , after which he reported amassing nearly 10,000 hours of total flight time . that experience included time piloting 737 , 747 and a-320 aircraft , and he was a ground school and simulator instructor for the latter model . the instructor pilot , a south korean air force veteran with about 13,000 hours of flight experience , recalled flight 214 being slightly high when they passed 4,000 feet ( and ) they set vertical speed mode at about 1,500 feet per minute , ' explained hersman . but they ended up coming in low . the third pilot in the cockpit told investigators that , with the nose ... pitched up , ... he could not see the runway , ' said the ntsb chief . in the last few hundred feet before touchdown , the crew was making both lateral and vertical adjustments -- meaning they were both trying to move sideways to get toward the runway and adjust their height . shock and survival : plane crash through the eyes of children when the aircraft hit , it spun 360 degrees . an oil tank ruptured and leaked fuel onto the plane 's right engine , starting a fire . eventually , evacuation chutes deployed , and at least seven of the aircraft 's eight doors were opened . ( an eighth was found on the ground , hersman explained . ) very soon after the plane stopped , tending to the wounded and the investigation began . that probe will continue for months , though authorities have released significant details so far . so much information , in fact , the air line pilots association , for a second straight day on tuesday , criticized what it called the ntsb 's release of incomplete , out-of-context information ' that has fueled rampant speculation about the cause of the accident . ' first responders describe eerie , chaotic moments after crash the union further questioned whether some tools were available to the crew , claiming , for instance , that the instrument landing system , a critical aid to pilots , ( was ) out of service . ' without the full body of facts surrounding a catastrophic event , partial or incomplete information can lead to erroneous conclusions and , in turn , skew the perception of individuals'behavior , ' the pilots union said in its tuesday statement . this could then lead to misguided assessments of the crew 's intentions and actions . ' hersman disputed the union 's claims earlier tuesday on cnn , saying the agency believes that transparent release of information is crucial . we believe that it is always better to put out the correct information and factual information so that bad information is not able to propagate , ' she said . aviation experts say that air crashes often involve several factors , and the san francisco tragedy appears to be following form . experience , training , crew actions , airport navigation , and now the possible role of a mechanical system are all in the mix . the ntsb is not expected to render a decision on probable cause for months . during her news conference later tuesday , hersman stressed that there 's still a lot of work to be done . ' we will not determine probable cause while we are here on scene , ' she said , adding there 's a lot of information to collect and analyze . ... i would really encourage all of you to be very cautious about speculating on the cause of the crash . ' how does an air crash investigation work ? cnn 's chelsea carter , mike ahlers and michael pearson contributed to this report . | flying pilot ' was training to fly a boeing 777 , adds deborah hersman |
american <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the first american to orbit the earth has undergone successful heart surgery . former sen. john glenn , 92 , had a heart valve replaced last month at the cleveland clinic , according to hank wilson , director of communications for the john glenn school of public affairs at the ohio state university . he 's in great shape , ' and is at home in columbus , ohio , recovering , wilson said . glenn , piloting the mercury space capsule dubbed friendship 7 , became the first american to orbit earth on february 20 , 1962 , circling the planet three times in just under five hours . he is the last surviving of the original seven u.s. astronauts from project mercury . in 1998 , at age 77 , he flew a nine-day mission aboard the space shuttle discovery , becoming the oldest person to travel in space . glenn , a democrat , served as a u.s. senator from 1974 until 1999 , and ran for president in 1984 . | the first american to orbit the earth has undergone successful heart surgery . |
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