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odierno <tsp> ( cnn ) -- despite some high-profile bombings in recent days , iraq 's security forces are ready to take over for u.s. forces this week to stabilize the nation 's major cities , the u.s. commander in iraq told cnn on sunday . except for soldiers in advisory roles , all u.s. combat troops will leave iraqi cities and towns by june 30 . army gen. ray odierno said he 's seen a constant improvement ' in both the security situation and governance in iraq to prepare for the june 30 deadline for u.s. troops to withdraw from major cities . they 've been working for this for a long time , ' odierno said on cnn 's state of the union . ' in a separate interview on fox news sunday , ' odierno said all u.s. troops already were out of iraq 's major cities before tuesday 's deadline . we have already moved out of the cities , ' odierno said . we 've been slowly doing it over the last eight months . and the final units have moved out of the cities over the last several weeks . ' watch cnn 's michael ware on the u.s. withdrawal » the shift is part of the security agreement that former president george w. bush 's administration signed with iraq . in the cnn interview , odierno blamed the recent violence in iraq on extremist elements using the timeframe and date to gain attention to themselves and divert attention from the success of iraqi security forces . ' the 131,000 u.s. troops in iraq still will maintain full coordination with iraqi forces inside the cities ' and continue to have intelligence capacity , odierno said . with approval from the iraqis , they also will carry out operations in major cities as necessary , he said . odierno said his goal is to help provide security that allows iraq to hold planned national elections leading to the eventual removal of all u.s. troops by the end of 2011 . he said his biggest worry is a breakdown in stability such as a consistent increase in violence ' or a situation that iraqi forces ca n't handle . i do n't see that ' happening , odierno said . i think we 're on the right path . ' odierno also said iran continues to interfere ' in iraq , including training insurgents and paying surrogates . but he said his mission is limited to providing security within iraq , no matter the provocation from iran or elsewhere . i 'm not authorized to do anything outside the borders of iraq , ' he said . iran 's government has repeatedly denied fomenting violence inside iraq . | gen. ray odierno sees constant improvement ' in security , governance in iraq |
odierno <tsp> ( cnn ) -- despite some high-profile bombings in recent days , iraq 's security forces are ready to take over for u.s. forces this week to stabilize the nation 's major cities , the u.s. commander in iraq told cnn on sunday . except for soldiers in advisory roles , all u.s. combat troops will leave iraqi cities and towns by june 30 . army gen. ray odierno said he 's seen a constant improvement ' in both the security situation and governance in iraq to prepare for the june 30 deadline for u.s. troops to withdraw from major cities . they 've been working for this for a long time , ' odierno said on cnn 's state of the union . ' in a separate interview on fox news sunday , ' odierno said all u.s. troops already were out of iraq 's major cities before tuesday 's deadline . we have already moved out of the cities , ' odierno said . we 've been slowly doing it over the last eight months . and the final units have moved out of the cities over the last several weeks . ' watch cnn 's michael ware on the u.s. withdrawal » the shift is part of the security agreement that former president george w. bush 's administration signed with iraq . in the cnn interview , odierno blamed the recent violence in iraq on extremist elements using the timeframe and date to gain attention to themselves and divert attention from the success of iraqi security forces . ' the 131,000 u.s. troops in iraq still will maintain full coordination with iraqi forces inside the cities ' and continue to have intelligence capacity , odierno said . with approval from the iraqis , they also will carry out operations in major cities as necessary , he said . odierno said his goal is to help provide security that allows iraq to hold planned national elections leading to the eventual removal of all u.s. troops by the end of 2011 . he said his biggest worry is a breakdown in stability such as a consistent increase in violence ' or a situation that iraqi forces ca n't handle . i do n't see that ' happening , odierno said . i think we 're on the right path . ' odierno also said iran continues to interfere ' in iraq , including training insurgents and paying surrogates . but he said his mission is limited to providing security within iraq , no matter the provocation from iran or elsewhere . i 'm not authorized to do anything outside the borders of iraq , ' he said . iran 's government has repeatedly denied fomenting violence inside iraq . | iran continues to interfere ' in iraq , odierno says |
orbitz <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- online travel company orbitz was fined $ 50,000 monday by the department of transportation for failing to properly disclose baggage fees on its website . in announcing the fine , the dot said it had ordered orbitz to immediately fix the problem to avoid further fines . the agency alleged that orbitz failed to clearly and prominently ' inform travelers about potential baggage fees during the airline ticket purchasing process , and in doing so , violated a new rule intended to make airline fees more transparent . the department adopted its rules on baggage fees to ensure that consumers have complete and accurate information about how much they will have to pay when they book a flight , and we will continue to take enforcement action when carriers and ticket agents fail to comply with our rules , ' transportation secretary ray lahood said in a statement . while admitting that orbitz did , in fact , post the fees online , lahood and the dot took issue with where the notice was placed . the agency alleged that customers were forced to scroll to the bottom of the web page to see the cost of checking their baggage . tim enstice , orbitz communications manager , told cnn : as the order acknowledges , we promptly corrected how we displayed airline baggage fee information to be consistent with dot 's preference . we are not aware of any consumer confusion , complaints or deception over this issue , but settled the case to avoid the costs of litigation . ' the rule went into place in january and mandates carriers and ticket agents disclose up-front any baggage fees passengers may have to pay in addition to the ticket price . in june , the dot fined mexican airline volaris $ 130,000 for violating the same rule . go to cnn.com 's travel page for tips and armchair getaways does orbitz steer mac users to pricier hotels ? 10 of the world 's top airport lounges potential faa cuts could produce hassles for fliers | the dot fines orbitz for failing to properly disclose baggage fees on its website |
orbitz <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- online travel company orbitz was fined $ 50,000 monday by the department of transportation for failing to properly disclose baggage fees on its website . in announcing the fine , the dot said it had ordered orbitz to immediately fix the problem to avoid further fines . the agency alleged that orbitz failed to clearly and prominently ' inform travelers about potential baggage fees during the airline ticket purchasing process , and in doing so , violated a new rule intended to make airline fees more transparent . the department adopted its rules on baggage fees to ensure that consumers have complete and accurate information about how much they will have to pay when they book a flight , and we will continue to take enforcement action when carriers and ticket agents fail to comply with our rules , ' transportation secretary ray lahood said in a statement . while admitting that orbitz did , in fact , post the fees online , lahood and the dot took issue with where the notice was placed . the agency alleged that customers were forced to scroll to the bottom of the web page to see the cost of checking their baggage . tim enstice , orbitz communications manager , told cnn : as the order acknowledges , we promptly corrected how we displayed airline baggage fee information to be consistent with dot 's preference . we are not aware of any consumer confusion , complaints or deception over this issue , but settled the case to avoid the costs of litigation . ' the rule went into place in january and mandates carriers and ticket agents disclose up-front any baggage fees passengers may have to pay in addition to the ticket price . in june , the dot fined mexican airline volaris $ 130,000 for violating the same rule . go to cnn.com 's travel page for tips and armchair getaways does orbitz steer mac users to pricier hotels ? 10 of the world 's top airport lounges potential faa cuts could produce hassles for fliers | orbitz says it has corrected its site to be consistent with dot 's preference ' |
orbitz <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- online travel company orbitz was fined $ 50,000 monday by the department of transportation for failing to properly disclose baggage fees on its website . in announcing the fine , the dot said it had ordered orbitz to immediately fix the problem to avoid further fines . the agency alleged that orbitz failed to clearly and prominently ' inform travelers about potential baggage fees during the airline ticket purchasing process , and in doing so , violated a new rule intended to make airline fees more transparent . the department adopted its rules on baggage fees to ensure that consumers have complete and accurate information about how much they will have to pay when they book a flight , and we will continue to take enforcement action when carriers and ticket agents fail to comply with our rules , ' transportation secretary ray lahood said in a statement . while admitting that orbitz did , in fact , post the fees online , lahood and the dot took issue with where the notice was placed . the agency alleged that customers were forced to scroll to the bottom of the web page to see the cost of checking their baggage . tim enstice , orbitz communications manager , told cnn : as the order acknowledges , we promptly corrected how we displayed airline baggage fee information to be consistent with dot 's preference . we are not aware of any consumer confusion , complaints or deception over this issue , but settled the case to avoid the costs of litigation . ' the rule went into place in january and mandates carriers and ticket agents disclose up-front any baggage fees passengers may have to pay in addition to the ticket price . in june , the dot fined mexican airline volaris $ 130,000 for violating the same rule . go to cnn.com 's travel page for tips and armchair getaways does orbitz steer mac users to pricier hotels ? 10 of the world 's top airport lounges potential faa cuts could produce hassles for fliers | we are not aware of any consumer confusion , complaints or deception , ' orbitz says |
gates <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the woman who made the 911 call that led to harvard university professor henry louis gates'controversial arrest was n't present at the so-called beer summit . lucia whalen , who called 911 to report a possible break-in , speaks to reporters wednesday . but she got a shot of kindness and a taste of gratitude from gates himself . lucia whalen received a bouquet of flowers at her office from gates , according to whalen 's attorney , wendy murphy . she described them as amazing , and appreciated them very much , ' murphy said of the bouquet . the attorney described the flowers as being a beautiful assortment of what she believed were different colored roses . there was a note included from gates , the details of which murphy would not divulge . she said the note characterized gates 's expression of gratitude ' for whalen 's action . an officer responding to a report of a possible break-in at gates'cambridge , massachusetts , home arrested the professor on july 16 for disorderly conduct . the charge was later dropped . the arrest sparked a national debate about race and police relations . whalen said an older woman with no cell phone told her that she was worried someone was trying to break into the home , and decided to call 911 . whalen never referred to black suspects when she called authorities about the suspected break-in . on thursday , president barack obama -- who had weighed in on the controversy , saying initially that police acted stupidly ' -- sat down for a beer at the white house with gates and the officer who arrested him . the meeting has been called the beer summit . ' after the meeting , obama said in a statement he was thankful to gates and cambridge police sgt . james crowley for joining him at for a friendly , thoughtful conversation . even before we sat down for the beer , i learned that the two gentlemen spent some time together listening to one another , which is a testament to them , ' the president 's statement said obama 's initial comments on the incident drew criticism and later he softened his stance , saying , i could 've calibrated those words differently . ' murphy told cnn that whalen has been receiving other apologies and accolades from people all over the world , but so far , no beer . | henry gates sends flowers to office of woman who accidentally called police on him |
gates <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the woman who made the 911 call that led to harvard university professor henry louis gates'controversial arrest was n't present at the so-called beer summit . lucia whalen , who called 911 to report a possible break-in , speaks to reporters wednesday . but she got a shot of kindness and a taste of gratitude from gates himself . lucia whalen received a bouquet of flowers at her office from gates , according to whalen 's attorney , wendy murphy . she described them as amazing , and appreciated them very much , ' murphy said of the bouquet . the attorney described the flowers as being a beautiful assortment of what she believed were different colored roses . there was a note included from gates , the details of which murphy would not divulge . she said the note characterized gates 's expression of gratitude ' for whalen 's action . an officer responding to a report of a possible break-in at gates'cambridge , massachusetts , home arrested the professor on july 16 for disorderly conduct . the charge was later dropped . the arrest sparked a national debate about race and police relations . whalen said an older woman with no cell phone told her that she was worried someone was trying to break into the home , and decided to call 911 . whalen never referred to black suspects when she called authorities about the suspected break-in . on thursday , president barack obama -- who had weighed in on the controversy , saying initially that police acted stupidly ' -- sat down for a beer at the white house with gates and the officer who arrested him . the meeting has been called the beer summit . ' after the meeting , obama said in a statement he was thankful to gates and cambridge police sgt . james crowley for joining him at for a friendly , thoughtful conversation . even before we sat down for the beer , i learned that the two gentlemen spent some time together listening to one another , which is a testament to them , ' the president 's statement said obama 's initial comments on the incident drew criticism and later he softened his stance , saying , i could 've calibrated those words differently . ' murphy told cnn that whalen has been receiving other apologies and accolades from people all over the world , but so far , no beer . | whalen called 911 after woman told her she suspected break-in at gates'home |
the glass menagerie <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after it spent decades buried in library archives , a newly discovered story from playwright tennessee williams was published this month . the story , titled crazy night , ' appears in the new issue of the strand mystery magazine released march 25 , and coincides with the 70-year anniversary of williams'classic play the glass menagerie . ' andrew f. gulli , managing editor of the strand , recently uncovered the 14-page manuscript at the university of texas at austin 's harry ransom center . gulli says he was researching the mississippi-born writer when he came across what he describes as a treasure trove ' of williams'personal papers and documents . williams is one of america 's best-known and most revered playwrights . during the peak of his career in the 1940s and '50s , he was praised by critics and scorned by social conservatives for tackling taboo subjects of the time , including rape , incest and homosexuality . many of his plays were turned into hit movies featuring hollywood stars such as marlon brando and elizabeth taylor . williams twice won the pulitzer prize and was awarded the presidential medal of freedom . williams died in 1983 . gulli was initially skeptical that the story had never before been published , but several experts , including an agent for williams'literary estate , said they 'd never heard of it . i thought it was captivating , ' gulli says . it 's raw but has a fresh voice and shows a great deal of maturity for his age . ' williams , who was born in 1911 , wrote crazy night ' in his early 20s , years before his broadway success with plays such as a streetcar named desire ' and cat on a hot tin roof . ' in the semi-autobiographical story , a troubled college freshman faces flunking out of school on the last night of spring term . it explores themes of love and deceit and includes a thinly veiled reference to williams'romance with one of his college classmates . to me , it 's a great highlight to find something new from somebody i grew up revering , ' gulli says . gulli has a knack for finding long-lost works . in the last five years , he 's discovered previously unpublished stories and essays from authors including agatha christie , graham greene , h.g . wells and mark twain . but gulli says he has a soft spot for williams . to me he 's as relevant today as he was when his works were first published , ' gulli said . indeed , many of williams plays are still performed today . the glass menagerie ' first premiered in new york on march 31 , 1945 , and a revival recently wrapped a successful run on broadway . what 's your favorite tennessee williams play ? share your favorites in the comments below , on twitter @ cnnliving or on cnn living 's facebook page . | williams'fans are celebrating the 70th anniversary of his first hit play , the glass menagerie ' |
williams <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after it spent decades buried in library archives , a newly discovered story from playwright tennessee williams was published this month . the story , titled crazy night , ' appears in the new issue of the strand mystery magazine released march 25 , and coincides with the 70-year anniversary of williams'classic play the glass menagerie . ' andrew f. gulli , managing editor of the strand , recently uncovered the 14-page manuscript at the university of texas at austin 's harry ransom center . gulli says he was researching the mississippi-born writer when he came across what he describes as a treasure trove ' of williams'personal papers and documents . williams is one of america 's best-known and most revered playwrights . during the peak of his career in the 1940s and '50s , he was praised by critics and scorned by social conservatives for tackling taboo subjects of the time , including rape , incest and homosexuality . many of his plays were turned into hit movies featuring hollywood stars such as marlon brando and elizabeth taylor . williams twice won the pulitzer prize and was awarded the presidential medal of freedom . williams died in 1983 . gulli was initially skeptical that the story had never before been published , but several experts , including an agent for williams'literary estate , said they 'd never heard of it . i thought it was captivating , ' gulli says . it 's raw but has a fresh voice and shows a great deal of maturity for his age . ' williams , who was born in 1911 , wrote crazy night ' in his early 20s , years before his broadway success with plays such as a streetcar named desire ' and cat on a hot tin roof . ' in the semi-autobiographical story , a troubled college freshman faces flunking out of school on the last night of spring term . it explores themes of love and deceit and includes a thinly veiled reference to williams'romance with one of his college classmates . to me , it 's a great highlight to find something new from somebody i grew up revering , ' gulli says . gulli has a knack for finding long-lost works . in the last five years , he 's discovered previously unpublished stories and essays from authors including agatha christie , graham greene , h.g . wells and mark twain . but gulli says he has a soft spot for williams . to me he 's as relevant today as he was when his works were first published , ' gulli said . indeed , many of williams plays are still performed today . the glass menagerie ' first premiered in new york on march 31 , 1945 , and a revival recently wrapped a successful run on broadway . what 's your favorite tennessee williams play ? share your favorites in the comments below , on twitter @ cnnliving or on cnn living 's facebook page . | williams'fans are celebrating the 70th anniversary of his first hit play , the glass menagerie ' |
williams <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after it spent decades buried in library archives , a newly discovered story from playwright tennessee williams was published this month . the story , titled crazy night , ' appears in the new issue of the strand mystery magazine released march 25 , and coincides with the 70-year anniversary of williams'classic play the glass menagerie . ' andrew f. gulli , managing editor of the strand , recently uncovered the 14-page manuscript at the university of texas at austin 's harry ransom center . gulli says he was researching the mississippi-born writer when he came across what he describes as a treasure trove ' of williams'personal papers and documents . williams is one of america 's best-known and most revered playwrights . during the peak of his career in the 1940s and '50s , he was praised by critics and scorned by social conservatives for tackling taboo subjects of the time , including rape , incest and homosexuality . many of his plays were turned into hit movies featuring hollywood stars such as marlon brando and elizabeth taylor . williams twice won the pulitzer prize and was awarded the presidential medal of freedom . williams died in 1983 . gulli was initially skeptical that the story had never before been published , but several experts , including an agent for williams'literary estate , said they 'd never heard of it . i thought it was captivating , ' gulli says . it 's raw but has a fresh voice and shows a great deal of maturity for his age . ' williams , who was born in 1911 , wrote crazy night ' in his early 20s , years before his broadway success with plays such as a streetcar named desire ' and cat on a hot tin roof . ' in the semi-autobiographical story , a troubled college freshman faces flunking out of school on the last night of spring term . it explores themes of love and deceit and includes a thinly veiled reference to williams'romance with one of his college classmates . to me , it 's a great highlight to find something new from somebody i grew up revering , ' gulli says . gulli has a knack for finding long-lost works . in the last five years , he 's discovered previously unpublished stories and essays from authors including agatha christie , graham greene , h.g . wells and mark twain . but gulli says he has a soft spot for williams . to me he 's as relevant today as he was when his works were first published , ' gulli said . indeed , many of williams plays are still performed today . the glass menagerie ' first premiered in new york on march 31 , 1945 , and a revival recently wrapped a successful run on broadway . what 's your favorite tennessee williams play ? share your favorites in the comments below , on twitter @ cnnliving or on cnn living 's facebook page . | the story was written before williams found success as a broadway playwright |
williams <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after it spent decades buried in library archives , a newly discovered story from playwright tennessee williams was published this month . the story , titled crazy night , ' appears in the new issue of the strand mystery magazine released march 25 , and coincides with the 70-year anniversary of williams'classic play the glass menagerie . ' andrew f. gulli , managing editor of the strand , recently uncovered the 14-page manuscript at the university of texas at austin 's harry ransom center . gulli says he was researching the mississippi-born writer when he came across what he describes as a treasure trove ' of williams'personal papers and documents . williams is one of america 's best-known and most revered playwrights . during the peak of his career in the 1940s and '50s , he was praised by critics and scorned by social conservatives for tackling taboo subjects of the time , including rape , incest and homosexuality . many of his plays were turned into hit movies featuring hollywood stars such as marlon brando and elizabeth taylor . williams twice won the pulitzer prize and was awarded the presidential medal of freedom . williams died in 1983 . gulli was initially skeptical that the story had never before been published , but several experts , including an agent for williams'literary estate , said they 'd never heard of it . i thought it was captivating , ' gulli says . it 's raw but has a fresh voice and shows a great deal of maturity for his age . ' williams , who was born in 1911 , wrote crazy night ' in his early 20s , years before his broadway success with plays such as a streetcar named desire ' and cat on a hot tin roof . ' in the semi-autobiographical story , a troubled college freshman faces flunking out of school on the last night of spring term . it explores themes of love and deceit and includes a thinly veiled reference to williams'romance with one of his college classmates . to me , it 's a great highlight to find something new from somebody i grew up revering , ' gulli says . gulli has a knack for finding long-lost works . in the last five years , he 's discovered previously unpublished stories and essays from authors including agatha christie , graham greene , h.g . wells and mark twain . but gulli says he has a soft spot for williams . to me he 's as relevant today as he was when his works were first published , ' gulli said . indeed , many of williams plays are still performed today . the glass menagerie ' first premiered in new york on march 31 , 1945 , and a revival recently wrapped a successful run on broadway . what 's your favorite tennessee williams play ? share your favorites in the comments below , on twitter @ cnnliving or on cnn living 's facebook page . | a long-lost tennessee williams story was recently discovered at the university of texas |
creflo dollar <tsp> ( cnn ) prosperity gospel pastor creflo dollar responded recently to critics of his campaign to buy a very pricey gulfstream g650 . dollar noted in a recent address to his congregants that the devil was attempting to discredit him in regards to his campaign seeking $ 300 from 200,000 people globally to help buy the luxury jet . in a newly posted five-minute clip on youtube , the atlanta-area pastor speaks to his followers at world changers church international , tackling his critics and allegations about tithes , his real name and reports alleging members of having to reveal their w2 statuses to come into the church 's sanctuary . ( the devil thinks ) i got to discredit that man before he starts showing people jesus ! ' dollar preaches to loud applause . i 'm on my sabbatical , and the enemy 's trying to discredit me , ' dollar stated . dollar is focused in the video on getting his point across and slams critics of his original request by stating to the people gathered , i never one time came to you and asked you for a dime for this airplane , did i ? ' but in march , dollar did appeal in a video to friends from around the world , ' soliciting donations to replace his current 1984 gulfstream g-1159a . because of two accidents that occurred in the 31-year-old plane , dollar and his staff have been flying commercial . the ( critics ) do n't know what we do . that 's why they asked the question , what does a preacher need with an airplane ? if you knew what we did , then you would n't ask that question , ' dollar said . just because the world does n't have it , does n't mean that you ca n't . ' in march , the ministry 's desire to purchase a gulfstream g650 airplane was met with criticism on social media and was the subject of nationwide media reports . the furor came after a nearly six-minute video was uploaded on the creflo dollar ministries website soliciting money for a gulfstream g650 , which sells for a reported $ 65 million . the page featuring the video and information on the fundraiser has been taken down , but those wishing to donate are still able to do so on the church 's gift page . a gulfstream g650 can fly 18 passengers and four crew members , according to gulfstream.com . the jet comes with two rolls-royce engines , high-speed internet and two multichannel satellites and allows for a four-and-a-half-hour commute from new york to los angeles . the g650 is the biggest , fastest , most luxurious , longest range and most technologically advanced jet -- by far , ' according to the site . the project was n't limited to member donations , as the site stated that we are asking members , partners and supporters of this ministry to assist us in acquiring a gulfstream g650 . ' in the new video , dollar claims the church has more than 3 million supporters worldwide who want him to come to where they are . the pastor has said the two incidents involving his old plane -- including one in which a mechanical failure caused the jet to skid off a runway in london while his wife and their three daughters were aboard -- have shown him it was time to turn to god for a new airplane . prosperity gospel is a theology that promises wealth and health to those who tithe 10 % of their income to the church . attempts to contact dollar 's ministry for comment on thursday were unsuccessful . cnn 's steve almasy contributed to this report . | creflo dollar 's ministry had posted a now-withdrawn request asking 200,000 people to chip in $ 300 each |
american history x <tsp> ( cnn ) -- actor edward furlong tried to hide , but ended up caught and behind bars in california for allegedly violating a protective order filed against him by an ex-girlfriend , authorities said . west hollywood , california , deputies responded at 5:44 p.m. thursday to a call about a possible violation of a protection order , the los angeles county sheriff 's department said friday in a news release . they found the suspect -- the 35-year-old actor best known for his role in terminator 2 : judgment day ' -- hiding on a nearby property . he was arrested and brought to a sheriff 's substation in west hollywood , authorities said . the protective order was imposed after the actor was arrested following a domestic disturbance at the same address in january , the sheriff 's department said . he was then charged with felony domestic violence and domestic battery . the actor , who was already serving probation , is being held on $ 100,000 bond , according to los angeles county jail records . after his breakthrough role as john connor in 1991 's terminator 2 ' alongside arnold schwarzenegger , furlong went on to play roles in a number of movies , including american history x , ' and tv projects , such as csi-ny . ' cnn 's tresha lindo contributed to this report . | furlong is known for his roles in terminator 2 , ' american history x ' and csi-ny ' |
west hollywood <tsp> ( cnn ) -- actor edward furlong tried to hide , but ended up caught and behind bars in california for allegedly violating a protective order filed against him by an ex-girlfriend , authorities said . west hollywood , california , deputies responded at 5:44 p.m. thursday to a call about a possible violation of a protection order , the los angeles county sheriff 's department said friday in a news release . they found the suspect -- the 35-year-old actor best known for his role in terminator 2 : judgment day ' -- hiding on a nearby property . he was arrested and brought to a sheriff 's substation in west hollywood , authorities said . the protective order was imposed after the actor was arrested following a domestic disturbance at the same address in january , the sheriff 's department said . he was then charged with felony domestic violence and domestic battery . the actor , who was already serving probation , is being held on $ 100,000 bond , according to los angeles county jail records . after his breakthrough role as john connor in 1991 's terminator 2 ' alongside arnold schwarzenegger , furlong went on to play roles in a number of movies , including american history x , ' and tv projects , such as csi-ny . ' cnn 's tresha lindo contributed to this report . | deputies in west hollywood got a call about a possible protection order violation |
north pacific <tsp> ( cnn ) -- on a stormy january night in 1992 , out in the pacific ocean , 29,000 plastic yellow ducks , blue turtles and green frogs fell from a cargo ship and were lost at sea . for the past 21 years , these durable plastic bath toys have been floating around the world , passing the site where the titanic sank , landing in japan , alaska and hawaii and even spending years frozen in an arctic ice pack . originally sealed in a 40-foot steel shipping container , rough seas and huge waves knocked the bath toys overboard , along with several other containers that sank straight to the ocean floor . see also : is this the age of the super-ports ? some estimates suggest that up to 10,000 containers fall into the ocean every year . the world shipping council , whose members represent 90 % of the world 's container ship capacity , say that figure is grossly exaggerated and estimate that on average no more than 350 containers are lost annually . due to severe weather and high seas , accidents or incorrect stowage , there are now shipping containers littering the seabed all around the world . many float on the surface for months , some rupture and release their goods , but most eventually sink to the bottom -- creating deep-sea stepping stones between ports across the globe . oceanographer and self-confessed beachcomber curt ebbesmeyer says , usually container ships lose containers when the ship starts rolling side-to-side at more than a 55-degree-angle . you have to imagine a couple of dozen containers falling overboard together . when they start banging together , it 's a very , very violent episode . ' approximately 90 % of worldwide cargo travels by sea -- an overwhelming percentage . while often overlooked , shipping containers have transformed global trade , easily moving between truck , train and ship . see also : introducing the world 's biggest ship drewry shipping consultants , who track container inventories at a microscopic level of detail , say 183 million teus ( 20-foot equivalent units ) are moved globally by sea every year and at any one time , approximately 6.7 million containers are in transit . according to peter glover , master mariner and senior associate at international law firm norton rose fulbright , there is no international convention which places an obligation on shipping companies to report losses of containers at sea . ' however , a report will likely be required if the loss of the container is considered to be a marine accident , presents a danger to navigation , or if discharge of the contents of the container is such that it breaches the international convention for the prevention of pollution from ships . in june of this year , a five-year-old container ship , the mol comfort broke its back in heavy weather and split apart off the coast of yemen . there were no casualties but all 7,000 containers , reportedly carrying consumer electronics and clothes , were lost after the ship caught fire and subsequently sank -- a catastrophic event that cost insurers between $ 300-400 million in claims . over the years , a great wealth of unusual items has washed up on beaches around the world . in 2006 , beachcombers scavenging the outer banks of north carolina were greeted by thousands of sealed bags of doritos tortilla chips that floated onto the beach , dry and still in an edible condition . during a storm in 1990 , a large wave washed 21 shipping containers into the north pacific ocean . 60,000 nike shoes -- en route from korea to the us -- splashed into the waves . over the next year , hundreds of shoes -- from hiking boots to children 's shoes -- were discovered on the beaches of the queen charlotte islands , western vancouver island , washington and oregon . see also : navigating the world 's busiest shipping lane but it is the plastic animals that have proved most valuable for scientific research of great ocean currents -- the so-called engine of the planet 's climate . for the last 21 years , ebbesmeyer has been tracking the ducks , frogs and turtles from sitka , where they first landed , all the way to scotland and maine . having patiently recorded the date and location of each sighting , he has been able to learn an enormous amount about the ocean 's conveyor belt . while ebbesmeyer says only 3 % of findings are reported , the last sighting he is aware of was a frog in august of this year . today , he believes there are only a few hundred left ... still at the mercy of the winds and surface currents . once the tale of the tub toys is over , ebbesmeyer says he still has plenty of other container spills to help him track the currents -- 34,000 hockey gloves and 5 million lego pieces were dropped in the ocean 16 years ago , for example . it 's a strange thing to be living on a planet and not know what 's in 70 % of it , ' ebbesmeyer says . you literally never know what 's going to wash up onto shore . ' eoghan macguire contributed to this article | a container of plastic ducks , frogs and beavers broke free from a cargo ship and fell into the north pacific in 1992 |
renee pernice <tsp> ( cnn ) -- renee pernice , a 35-year-old mother of two young children , vanished from her home in kansas city , missouri , shortly after new year 's this year . she has n't been heard from since . renee pernice is pictured here with her two sons and husband , shon . police believe foul play is involved , yet they have not found her body . no one has been arrested in the case . police have not named her husband , shon pernice , as a person of interest or a suspect in the case . however , he 's the last known person to see her alive , ' said doug niemeier , a sergeant with the kansas city police department . six months after renee pernice disappeared , police say they still have questions about her husband in the days after her disappearance , including why he allegedly accessed a local fire department 's hazardous materials building around 4:30 a.m. january 3 . it should be noted that multiple types of cleaners , solvents and cleaning supplies are stored at station # 5 , ' a police affidavit says . attorneys for shon pernice declined to comment for this story . police and family say renee was pursuing a divorce around the time she disappeared . a local firefighter , shon pernice has said he was not involved in her disappearance . he told a local activist in march that i did n't harm my wife one bit . not at all . ' in that interview , one of the few in which he 's referenced his wife 's disappearance , he added , it 's gut-wrenching thinking that either she 's got a rich-ass doctor boyfriend somewhere and she 's happy , or she 's dead . ' since his wife disappeared , shon pernice has been arrested twice on unrelated charges : once for allegedly stealing a neighbor 's gun and another time for disturbing the peace in an incident with that same neighbor this past july fourth weekend . as everybody knows , my wife has been missing since january 2 , ' he told cnn affiliate kctv5 . this is what it stems from . basically what the media ... has portrayed of me -- of the whole situation . there 's a lot of people that do n't like me . ' the couple 's two sons , ages 6 and 9 , remain in the care of the father , although renee pernice 's mother has sought custody of them . there is a lot that just is n't right , ' said rick pretz , the missing woman 's father . it 's not a stable environment for the children . ' renee pernice was known for being a caring mother , a talented nurse at st. luke 's hospital and a gentle animal lover always surrounded by dogs . neighbors say they last saw her in her backyard with her dogs the morning of friday , january 2 , 2009 . when police searched the home , they say they found her purse , coat and other items still in the house . her car was in the garage . police say her cell phone was missing from the house . a homeless man found the phone in grass about 15 miles from her home , in an area renee pernice was not known to frequent , police say . it was found around midnight january 3 , the affidavit says . since then , police and volunteer teams have searched the area extensively , but they have found nothing . family members and common friends of both shon and renee told police that renee was not the kind of mother who would separate herself from her children for any reason , ' the affidavit says . family members advised that finding renee 's purse at the residence was highly unusual as she never went anywhere without her purse . ' according to the affidavit , investigators watched shon pernice drive away from the home with his wife 's dog and drop it off at a park a few days after he reported his wife missing . the affidavit also alleges that a drop of blood was found in the garage . however , authorities have not released whether it matched renee pernice or her husband . according to renee pernice 's family , she was not the kind of person to take off on her own without letting her family know where she was . i spoke to her just the night before at 7 p.m. on the phone , ' her father told cnn . she would never leave her two sons like this . ' the family is offering a $ 25,000 reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of renee pernice . a white truck that could be related to her disappearance was captured on a surveillance tape in the area where her cell phone was found , and police have released a photo of it . anyone who may have lent such a truck at the time the surveillance image was taken is being asked to come forward . renee pernice is white , stands 5 feet , 7 inches tall , and has brown hair and blue eyes . anyone with information is urged to call the kansas city police department at 1-816-474-tips . cnn 's wayne drash contributed to this report . | renee pernice disappeared from her home shortly after new year 's this year |
marseille <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the father of a teenage girl who remarkably survived a plane crash off the comoros islands has described how his daughter was ejected from the plane into the indian ocean . she did n't feel a thing . she found herself in water , ' paris-based kassim bakari told french radio rtl after speaking to his 13-year-old daughter bahia who was recovering wednesday in hospital in moroni . she could hear people talking , but in the middle of the night she could n't see a thing . she managed to hold on to a piece of something , ' said bakari , whose wife was also on board the doomed flight and is presumed to be among the 152 victims . she said she was ejected from the plane , ' bakari said . bahia , who lives in marseille , escaped with just cuts to her face and a fractured collar-bone as the yemenia airways airbus a310 tried to land at moroni airport at the end of a four-stage flight from france . watch more about bahia 's escape » a local surgeon said bahia was doing well in hospital . her health is not in danger . she is very calm given the shock she suffered , ' ben imani told reuters.com at moroni 's el marouf hospital . the girl is expected to be flown home to france on a ministerial plane , agence france-presse reports . earlier kassim bakari told france info , a french radio network , that his wife and daughter were flying to comoros to visit relatives . when i had her on the phone , i asked her what happened and she said ,'daddy , i do n't know what happened , but the plane fell into the water and i found myself in the water ... surrounded by darkness . i could not see anyone ,'' bakari said . french junior foreign minister alain joyandet met the girl in hospital on wednesday and heard how she was pulled from the sea . the head of the rescue team in the comoros also told rtl the teenager survived astonishing odds . it is truly , truly , miraculous , ' said ibrahim abdoulazeb . the young girl can barely swim . ' another rescuer told france 's europe 1 radio the girl was spotted in the rough sea among bodies and plane debris in darkness about two hours after the crash . we tried to throw a life buoy . she could not grab it . i had to jump in the water to get her , ' the rescuer said , according to afp . watch as airline describes child 's rescue » ' she was shaking , shaking . we put four covers on her . we gave her hot , sugary water . we simply asked her name , village . ' bakari said he did not believe he would see his wife or daughter again after learning of the crash . she is a very , very shy girl . i would never have thought she would have survived like this . i ca n't say that it 's a miracle , i can say that it is god 's will , ' he said . kassim bakari said his daughter had been told her mother survived the crash . when i spoke to her she was asking for her mother . they told her she was in a room next door , so as not to traumatize her . but it 's not true . i do n't know who is going to tell her . ' former pilot and aviation analyst john cox said the girl 's discovery reminded him of the 1987 crash of northwest flight 255 in detroit , michigan , in which only a 4-year-old girl survived , while 156 others died . read how people survive air crashes | 13-year-old , who lives in marseille , france , escaped without serious injuries |
newark <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- cory booker already had a national identity before he decided to run for senator . the media-savvy , tweet-happy mayor from newark -- who easily won the new jersey democratic primary for senate tuesday -- has been known for his man-of-the-people streak , charismatic presence and social media intensity , or as some say , fixation . cory booker becomes democratic nominee for n.j. senate seat but can he make the switch from a nationally popular hands-on mayor to the contentious spotlight of the united states senate ? booker , in his path to tuesday 's win , weathered a few negative headlines , but came out largely unscathed by his democratic opponents . his republican challenger , former bogota mayor steve lonegan , may be able to go after booker for spending more time on his national profile than on running the city he leads . but several polls show booker running away with the special election on october 16 and becoming the first african-american elected to the senate since barack obama . despite the possible attacks , experts in new jersey politics and friends close to booker tell cnn that there is little chance the mayor 's national profile will diminish if he heads to the senate later this year . i would n't expect those media requests are going to abate because he moved into a new role , ' said andra gillespie , a friend of booker 's and the author of the new black politician : cory booker , newark , and post-racial america . ' but is that a good thing ? booker shoots down 2016 presidential bid elizabeth warren or john edwards ? when elizabeth warren of massachusetts was elected to the senate in 2012 , she came in as someone with substantial liberal chops and national notoriety for her expertise on banking and consumer rights issues . after arriving in the senate , however , warren shied away from national media attention and is no longer a regular on the interview circuit . that likely wo n't be the case with booker . the difference between him and elizabeth warren ( is ) , he has already mastered social media and mainstream media in a way that she has n't , ' gillespie said . in six years as newark 's mayor , booker gained notoriety for an experiential kind of leadership . late last year , the mayor lived on food stamps in order to show how difficult relying on the government program can be . from 1998 to 2006 , booker lived in a housing project as a way to connect with constituents . these stories -- along with others -- have made booker a household name in new jersey and national politics . on twitter , the mayor has a massive 1.4 million followers and has sent more than 30,000 tweets in his time on the site . it is n't unusual to see booker direct message constituents who tweet him with issues -- in fact , it has become part of his persona . and that might be a problem for booker . as a possible preview to attacks that could be leveled against the mayor in the future , republicans have questioned how booker could rise so high nationally from such an unusual perch . there is something decidedly odd about the whole cory booker phenomenon , ' wrote stuart stevens , a republican strategist , in a daily beast opinion piece . someone who managed to become a national political figure as mayor of the nation 's 67th-largest city , he is dangerously close to falling into the celebrity trap of being famous for being famous . ' that idea -- that booker is famous for being famous -- has begun to circle at home , too . the phrase that everyone has been throwing around here is workhorse vs. showhorse , ' said john weingart , associate director of the eagleton institute of politics at rutgers university . i think he certainly has a unique path to political prominence , ' weingart said . people used to say being mayor of new york was a dead end job politically , but nobody ever said being mayor of newark was a path to higher office . he has certainly had some accomplishment as mayor of newark , but it is almost ( that ) his fame is on a separate track as his record from newark . ' in particular , weingart notes , booker is regularly in front of the camera on national news , but rarely to talk about newark . instead , he said , he is booked because of his charisma and ability to talk about democratic politics , in general . gillespie thinks those critiques are somewhat unfair . instead of comparing him to the media-shy warren , the booker chronicler said the more apt comparison is with former sen. john edwards of north carolina . when edwards was elected to the senate in 1998 , the north carolinian was known as the charismatic lawyer who gained national attention for protecting patients'rights against doctors and hospitals in a 1985 case . when he got to the senate , he became a party standout and was the champion of an issue that put him in front of cameras with some regularity : tort reform . if booker can find an issue , gillespie said , the comparison with edwards -- who ran for president in 2004 and 2008 -- could stick . how far can booker go ? even when booker was a newark city council member , people who came into contact with him said they could see him running for president someday . having known him for a long time , people were talking about him being the first black president in 2001 and 2002 , ' gillespie said . it is looking more plausible now . ' weingart shared a similar story . cost to win congressional election skyrockets ' i think a small number of political figures who from the beginning of their career , lead people to say i can imagine him becoming president , ' weingart said . it has been true of cory booker . ' earlier this month , booker ruled out the possibility of running for president in 2016 . asked by politico whether he would rule out a presidential or vice presidential bid in the next election cycle , booker responded with three words : absolutely yes , unequivocally . ' but that does n't mean never . and with the democrats'markedly short bench on future presidential candidates , along with booker 's ability to command national attention and hefty amounts of fundraising dollars , the possibility is clearly there . with those attributes comes another , more grandiose comparison , with president barack obama . supporters , such as gillespie , said the comparisons have to do with a mix of race , charisma and electoral history . and , of course , possible presidential aspirations . but it is in that last regard that gillespie looked to distance booker from obama . if booker were to run in 2020 , he would have served a full term as u.s. senator , ' she said , which would be different than president obama . ' last month , the two sides of booker -- the political rising star and the national media figure -- came into conflict when a scheduling snafu for a speaking gig at the university of iowa , the state that traditionally hosts the first caucus of the presidential election season , put his possible white house aspirations into focus . all part of the game , says weingart . i think booker will have to face that , ' he said , referring to the mayor being asked about running for president if he goes to iowa , that will be looked at through the lens . ' the democrats do n't have a deep bench , so i think every conversation about the future of the party that extends past hillary clinton and joe biden , he will be on the list . ' | newark mayor cory booker won the dem . primary for the senate seat from n.j . |
university of southern california <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- actor and filmmaker dennis hopper has been diagnosed with prostate cancer , his manager sam maydew said friday . hopper is being treated in a special program at the university of southern california , according to cnn news affiliate ktla . he was expected to appear at an exhibition of his photography at the australian centre for the moving image in melbourne but has cancelled in order to focus on treatment . we 're hoping for the best , ' maydew said . no other details were immediately available . on september 30 , hopper was hospitalized in new york for flu-like symptoms and stomach pains . he was released the next day feeling much better , ' according to ktla . the 73-year-old academy award winner is known for his roles in rebel without a cause , ' hoosiers , ' apocalypse now ' and easy rider ' -- the latter of which he also directed -- among scores of other films . hopper recently finished shooting the second season of the starz drama crash , ' based on the 2006 oscar-winning film . | actor dennis hopper is being treated at the university of southern california |
republicans <tsp> ( cnn ) -- amid the mish-mash of potential presidential contenders at last weekend 's conservative political action conference , pundit ann coulter did n't disappoint her supporters by brandishing once again the language of racialist politics . it was no surprise that she used immigration reform to inflame the right . she has depicted latinos as a deluge of unskilled immigrants pouring into the country , ' and she 'll explain to anyone who will listen that immigrants are looking for little more than the next government handout . her deep ignorance of both the american latino community and immigration reform is shameful . among her fiery comments was an attack on gop politicians florida sen. marco rubio , the endless bushes , ' new jersey 's gov . chris christie and others who have publicly voiced support for immigration reform . coulter alleged that republican politicians are speaking out in favor of immigration reform because they panicked ' reacting to the lackluster voter support last november . and , she proudly announced , from now on she will be a single-issue voter against amnesty for illegals . ' but just a few days later , her remarks seem especially out of touch , given the report released monday by the gop entitled growth and opportunity project . ' as opposed to coulter 's assessment of panic in the ranks , it seems that finally republicans are waking up and taking a clear-eyed view to how to keep their party alive . the report prescribes an overhaul of the party , including a flat-out endorsement of immigration reform . the party , the report states , must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform , ' including a recommended $ 10 million outreach effort that includes hiring national political directors for hispanic , asian-pacific and african-american voters . for the past several years , many members of the gop have rejected any kind of immigration package that would legalize the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the united states . some of those politicians ( including mitt romney ) have gone so far as to support state anti-immigrant laws that sought self-deportation , ' like arizona 's sb 1070 . drawing this type of arbitrary line in the sand against any kind of legalization proposal seriously damaged the gop 's reputation among the latino voting bloc , which overwhelmingly supported obama for president . which is why the party is changing its tone . republicans like jeb bush , marco rubio and chris christie are following the footsteps of ronald reagan in recognizing that the way to move this country forward lies in the sometimes messy , complicated task of seeking a solution to the immigration problem , not in bright-line denouncements like coulter 's sound bites . and in a significant move on monday , tea party favorite sen. rand paul , who just won the washington times-cpac presidential preference straw poll , endorsed a pathway to citizenship for the nation 's 11 million undocumented immigrants . contrary to what coulter would have the cpac audience believe , prominent republican leaders are not panicked ; they are looking for commonsense ways to tackle the broken immigration system , and have clearly stated that they are not interested in giving anyone a free pass to legalization . they 've made it clear that any possible immigration package requires additional measures to secure the border , hefty fees for undocumented immigrants and a lengthy waiting period before eligible applicants are permitted to regularize their immigration status in the united states . along these lines , on monday , republican members of the senate 's gang of eight pushed to augment the period of time that an undocumented person would have to maintain legal permanent residency before applying for citizenship . the proposal extends the current waiting period from eight to 10 years . the negotiated time frame would permit applicants to naturalize three years after gaining legal permanent residency for a total of a 13-year path to citizenship . this proposal is on par with the current citizenship process , except that it would extend the period for permanent residency and shorten the period for naturalization . this development underscores the fact that the gop does not support a fast-track legalization plan for people who are unlawfully present in the country . despite coulter 's assurances to the contrary , the negotiated principles that rubio and other members of the senate 's gang of eight have proposed are not attempts to provide amnesty to illegals . ' the republicans who support the measures are not weak or desperate . instead , they are demonstrating leadership by looking for a smart solution to a complex problem by trying to reach a fair , yet stern , deal with democratic politicians . coulter 's smug rally to become single-issue voters ' smacks of panic she accuses others of experiencing . her take on immigration is exactly the kind of ill-informed and short-sighted stance that has caused the gop to lose supporters . she ca n't be pleased with the timing of the release of her own party 's report , which proclaims in no uncertain terms that immigration reform must be embraced , not dismantled . it is ann coulter 's views that are truly out of step with the leadership and the goals of the only party that will have her . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of charles p. garcia . | garcia : prominent republicans see the need to reform a problem that needs repair |
americans <tsp> ( cnn ) -- stacking building blocks is a popular way for children to fight boredom . now stacking food cans has become part of a national campaign to fight hunger . an atlanta-based organization called canstruction challenges architects , engineers and volunteers to make sculptures by using cans of food . the late cheri melillo founded canstruction in 1992 in new york after seeing similar exhibits in denver and seattle . one year later , she started the first competition in new york . canstruction coordinates relief efforts with dozens of cities around the united states , from long beach , california , to baton rouge , louisiana . the exhibits are held in public places such as malls , convention centers or even state fairs . the idea is that volunteers are able to raise supplies for food banks and simultaneously raise awareness of the problem of hunger throughout the united states . a 2012 u.s. department of agriculture report estimated there are around 49 million people who live in food insecure ' households ( meaning anyone who is at risk of hunger or may not have consistent access to food . ) of that total , 8.3 million are children . canstruction has collected more than 25 million pounds of food since its first competition more than 20 years ago . it 's important for us that we continue to get the word out , ' said jennifer schaefer , chair of the canstruction competition in phoenix , so people are aware of the hunger issues that we have , not only here in arizona but across the country because it 's a big issue . ' judges grade the exhibits on their structural design , attention to detail , creativity and level of difficulty . when the event is over , the cans are donated to local food pantries . it 's a really creative outlet for people , ' schaefer said . it 's a huge event , and it 's just a lot of fun for all of us . ' the idea of canstruction is pretty simple . making one ? not so much . groups of five to 10 people start planning and designing months before the event . they are responsible for finding can labels with colors that match their design as well as raising enough money to pay for them . canstruction 's motto to solving hunger is one can at a time , ' but some projects , such as the phoenix best use of label winner from 2013 , included as many as 7,000 cans -- all tuna . it was four-sided , one with the rev . martin luther king jr. , one with mother teresa , one with abraham lincoln and one with a large qr code . the time limit for building varies . but most groups finish their designs within seven hours , depending on the number of cans and the complexity of the project . despite the sinuous arcs and bends that seemingly defy gravity , the use of glue , leveling boards and most other foreign objects are prohibited . you can use materials for leveling purposes , such as up to a quarter-inch plywood or plexiglas or cardboard , ' said sarah barnard , co-chair of the syracuse , new york , event . but those structures should be self-supporting out of cans . they discourage the use of props of any kind -- not taping eyes onto something but trying to use the labels to create the effect . ' the culmination of months of planning , designing , fund-raising and , finally , building is a completed product of which the architects ' can be proud . but what goes up must come down . after a few weeks on display , the cans are de-canstructed ' and transported to charity . like the feeling of slicing up a colorful cake you do n't want to cut into , the emotion of clearing away the cans can be bittersweet . it 's a little sad to see all of that hard work come back down , ' barnard said . but since we know that all of the food is going to a great cause , i think it makes it a little bit better . ' proceeds of the syracuse event go to the food bank of central new york . barnard said its workers are happy to have a large donation around the beginning of september . the number of charitable donations spike during major holidays such as thanksgiving and christmas . but the need for hunger relief continues year-round , even after the holiday spirit goes away . you always hear the news reports -- the food bank is having trouble or the food bank has a deficit , ' said jessica sappington , chair of the syracuse canstruction event . sappington 's modest goal ? maybe one less news report a year that the food bank is struggling . ' | around 49 million americans are food insecure , ' department of agriculture report says |
philadelphia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a woman was found bound to a bed late friday night in philadelphia when police responded to a neighborhood dispute , police said . around midnight , officers arrested regina bennett , 46 , at her residence on linton street in connection with threats and assault against a neighbor in an ongoing dispute . as officers were leaving , neighbors told them that a small child may also have been living in bennett 's residence , officer tanya little said . initially , police saw no signs of a child living at the residence . but after conducting a full walk-through , they found a 36-year-old woman tied to a bed in unsuitable conditions , ' little said . the woman was extremely thin , with apparent sores and injuries to her body . according to little , she also seemed to have special needs and has a limited vocabulary . we went in there looking for a child , and then this is what we found , ' little said . the woman was freed by officers and transported to einstein hospital , where she was being evaluated sunday . little said it appears to be a case of neglect , and police are unsure for how long the alleged abuse had been going on . officers and medics are also investigating whether the woman had been sexually abused , she said . bennett 's relationship to the woman is still under investigation , little said . according to little , bennett is being held at philadelphia police headquarters . she is charged with terroristic threats , simple assault , public drunkenness , aggravated assault , unlawful restraint , false imprisonment and related offenses . it was unclear sunday afternoon whether bennett has an attorney . cnn 's susan candiotti and kristina sgueglia contributed to this report . | after responding to a dispute , philadelphia police find a woman bound to a bed |
canadian <tsp> the debate over annual mammogram screenings continues this week , as follow-up data from a long-term study come under fire . researchers with the canadian national breast screening study conducted a 25-year follow-up with their participants and concluded that annual mammography in women aged 40 to 59 does not reduce mortality from breast cancer beyond that of physical examination or usual care when adjuvant therapy for breast cancer is freely available . ' ( adjuvant therapy is treatment given after surgery ; this can include chemotherapy , radiation or hormone treatments , according to the national cancer institute . ) the results were published wednesday in the british medical journal . but several professional associations and experts have questioned the study authors'conclusions . results from this study have been reported periodically over the last two decades . the screening data were originally collected in six canadian provinces between 1980 and 1985 . close to 90,000 women aged 40 to 59 were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group . the experimental group received annual mammograms ; the control group received none . the latest data show almost identical results from the two groups . invasive breast cancers were diagnosed in 666 patients in the mammography group ; 524 were diagnosed in the control group . in the mammography group , 180 patients died of breast cancer during the 25-year follow-up ; 171 women died in the control group . there was a significant difference in survival rates for the two groups . the 25-year survival rate was 70.6 % for women with breast cancer detected in the mammography group , but only 62.8 % for women with cancers diagnosed in the control group . the researchers said this difference was due to lead time , length time bias , and over-diagnosis . ' the researchers determined that overall , 22 % of the invasive cancers detected during screening were overdiagnosed , meaning they would likely not have presented a danger to the women over their lifetime if they had been left alone . approximately 38.7 million mammogram procedures are done in the united states each year , according to the u.s. food and drug administration . in one survey , nearly 75 % of women over the age of 40 reported having a mammogram in the past two years . in a joint statement , the american college of radiology and the society of breast imaging said this newly published study is an incredibly misleading analysis based on the deeply flawed and widely discredited canadian national breast screening study . ' experts have criticized the cnbss for using low-quality imaging machines and untrained technicians to do the original screenings . the technology used in the study was a generation behind , ' says dr. otis brawley , chief medical officer of the american cancer society , who noted that the randomization between the study 's control and experimental groups was also flawed . as such , the professional organizations said in their statement , the results should not be used to create breast cancer screening policy , as this would place a great many women at increased risk of dying unnecessarily from breast cancer . ' one problem with screening for any type of cancer is that sometimes the tests pick up cancerous cells that never would have caused a problem for the patient . treating these cancers with chemotherapy , radiation or surgery can damage the body unnecessarily . prostate cancer screening : why ca n't doctors agree ? dr. h. gilbert welch , co-author of overdiagnosed : making people sick in the pursuit of health , ' explains it using turtles , rabbits and birds . the goal , he writes , is not to let any of the animals escape the barnyard pen to become deadly . but the turtles are n't going anywhere anyway . they are the indolent , nonlethal cancers . the rabbits are ready to hop out at any time . they are the potentially lethal cancers , cancers that might be stopped by early detection and treatment . then there are the birds . quite simply , they are already gone . they are the most aggressive cancers , the ones that have already spread by the time they are detectable , the ones that are beyond cure . ' national health services in the united kingdom says that for every one woman who has her life saved by a mammogram , three are diagnosed with a cancer that never would have become life-threatening . currently the american cancer society recommends yearly mammograms for women starting at age 40 , and clinical breast exams every three years for women over the age of 20 . the u.s. preventive services task force recommends mammography screening every two years for women between the ages of 50 and 75 . anyone under 50 should talk to her doctor to assess her individual risk . both organizations have indicated that they will be reviewing their guidelines this year , taking into account any research that has been published in recent years . the best approach to mammography screening is probably somewhere in the middle , says brawley , a practicing oncologist . i believe there is a small benefit to screening , ' he says , but women should also be aware of mammography 's limitations . women have to make an informed decision . ' brawley : most cancers are preventable | researchers publish 25-year follow-up to canadian breast screening study |
moonen <tsp> las vegas , nevada ( cnn ) -- i am and always will be completely against any food that has been altered genetically for human consumption . and never , in the 30-plus years i have been a restaurant chef , has one customer requested a genetically modified organism for dinner . this is why i was alarmed to learn early this month that the food and drug administration announced with reasonable certainty ' that a new genetically modified atlantic salmon awaiting approval posed no harm ' to humans who might soon have the opportunity to buy it and eat it as though it were a fish from nature . the announcement brings this frankenfish ' one step closer to your table . but make no mistake . the creation of this fish is just another tactic for big industry to make bigger , faster profits with no consideration for the impact it will have on our personal health and the health of our environment and ecosystem . the fish , an atlantic salmon , contains growth hormone from a pacific species , the chinook salmon , as well as genetic material from another species , the ocean pout , that causes the transgenic ' salmon to grow at twice the normal speed . the claim made by its developer , aquabounty technologies , is that this altered fish is as safe to consume as farmed atlantic salmon . this argument does n't convince much , since farmed salmon are n't really that safe to eat . they have been found to have higher concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls than wild salmon , which gets into their bodies from the concentrated fish meal used to create their feed . aquabounty also plans to sell the eggs of its fish to fish farms . as we have learned over time , farmed atlantic salmon is horrible for the environment . the fish are grown in overcrowded , open-net pens in the ocean , placing an unnatural stress on the surrounding ocean environment as well as on the fish themselves . in those conditions it becomes necessary to use antibiotics on an already unstable fish in order to control bacterial infections and other diseases -- and to protect the investment of carnivorous fish farming . the byproducts of all this -- a wonderful stew of feces , unconsumed fish food and dead fish called , sweetly , effluent ' -- create a suffocating blanket that spreads across the ocean floor , resulting in a massive dead zone surrounding the farming area . it kills clams , oysters , eel grasses -- where young fish feed and grow -- and more . if the point of genetically engineering fish is to produce more salmon faster , introducing these fish into the fish farm scenario will only magnify an already big problem . and it will create a larger demand for smaller species of wild fish to be used for fish feed necessary to support these constantly feeding frankenfish . wild species do n't stand a chance . it has also been proven that escapes from fish farms into the natural population are inevitable . these transgenic fish have a voracious appetite that has no regard for season or feeding cycle . what could happen ? well , estimates of farmed salmon escapes in british columbia from 1991 to 2001 total at least 400,000 fish . the wild salmon population is already severely endangered . if escaped , the farmed -- and now free-swimming aggressive gluttons -- will compete for the food that is essential for wild stocks to survive , further threatening this already endangered species ( nearly all atlantic salmon sold now comes from fish farms ) . what process has the fda used to determine whether the genetically modified fish is safe for human health and the environment ? we did not know during most of the agency 's evaluation process . fda regulations allow genetically modified animals to be evaluated under the same rules as veterinary pharmaceuticals . so the information given to the agency by the applicant is confidential ; in the case of this fish , the information was not posted on the fda website until the announcement on safety was made in early september . the fda will hold a public meeting on february 21 to discuss how the fish should be labeled . i do n't trust this fish . it is an overweight fish being introduced to an already obese society . protecting a greedy company 's confidential information ' should not be acceptable when you are introducing the first genetically modified animal for human consumption into the marketplace . and i 'm terrified to consider that rules are being considered that would allow this fish to be created and then distributed without any kind of mandatory label stating that it is a genetically modified product . in restaurants , chefs are in a position to assure their guests that the food being served to them is not only delicious but also wholesome and safe to consume . how do we do this when there is no required labeling indicating that a fish has been manufactured by science and not a product of nature ? if these genetically engineered salmon are approved , it will set a worldwide precedent . it will open the door to other kinds of genetically modified animal foods that may pose health or environmental dangers , and the true extent of these might not reveal themselves for years to come . at the very least , given the amount of data that we have seen to date , the creation of these frankenfish for mass consumption should not be approved . it 's simply against nature and is a huge step back in the worldwide movement to eat local , organic and sustainably . bon appétit -- enjoy your dinner . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of rick moonen . | chef rick moonen opposes genetically modified organisms for public table |
moonen <tsp> las vegas , nevada ( cnn ) -- i am and always will be completely against any food that has been altered genetically for human consumption . and never , in the 30-plus years i have been a restaurant chef , has one customer requested a genetically modified organism for dinner . this is why i was alarmed to learn early this month that the food and drug administration announced with reasonable certainty ' that a new genetically modified atlantic salmon awaiting approval posed no harm ' to humans who might soon have the opportunity to buy it and eat it as though it were a fish from nature . the announcement brings this frankenfish ' one step closer to your table . but make no mistake . the creation of this fish is just another tactic for big industry to make bigger , faster profits with no consideration for the impact it will have on our personal health and the health of our environment and ecosystem . the fish , an atlantic salmon , contains growth hormone from a pacific species , the chinook salmon , as well as genetic material from another species , the ocean pout , that causes the transgenic ' salmon to grow at twice the normal speed . the claim made by its developer , aquabounty technologies , is that this altered fish is as safe to consume as farmed atlantic salmon . this argument does n't convince much , since farmed salmon are n't really that safe to eat . they have been found to have higher concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls than wild salmon , which gets into their bodies from the concentrated fish meal used to create their feed . aquabounty also plans to sell the eggs of its fish to fish farms . as we have learned over time , farmed atlantic salmon is horrible for the environment . the fish are grown in overcrowded , open-net pens in the ocean , placing an unnatural stress on the surrounding ocean environment as well as on the fish themselves . in those conditions it becomes necessary to use antibiotics on an already unstable fish in order to control bacterial infections and other diseases -- and to protect the investment of carnivorous fish farming . the byproducts of all this -- a wonderful stew of feces , unconsumed fish food and dead fish called , sweetly , effluent ' -- create a suffocating blanket that spreads across the ocean floor , resulting in a massive dead zone surrounding the farming area . it kills clams , oysters , eel grasses -- where young fish feed and grow -- and more . if the point of genetically engineering fish is to produce more salmon faster , introducing these fish into the fish farm scenario will only magnify an already big problem . and it will create a larger demand for smaller species of wild fish to be used for fish feed necessary to support these constantly feeding frankenfish . wild species do n't stand a chance . it has also been proven that escapes from fish farms into the natural population are inevitable . these transgenic fish have a voracious appetite that has no regard for season or feeding cycle . what could happen ? well , estimates of farmed salmon escapes in british columbia from 1991 to 2001 total at least 400,000 fish . the wild salmon population is already severely endangered . if escaped , the farmed -- and now free-swimming aggressive gluttons -- will compete for the food that is essential for wild stocks to survive , further threatening this already endangered species ( nearly all atlantic salmon sold now comes from fish farms ) . what process has the fda used to determine whether the genetically modified fish is safe for human health and the environment ? we did not know during most of the agency 's evaluation process . fda regulations allow genetically modified animals to be evaluated under the same rules as veterinary pharmaceuticals . so the information given to the agency by the applicant is confidential ; in the case of this fish , the information was not posted on the fda website until the announcement on safety was made in early september . the fda will hold a public meeting on february 21 to discuss how the fish should be labeled . i do n't trust this fish . it is an overweight fish being introduced to an already obese society . protecting a greedy company 's confidential information ' should not be acceptable when you are introducing the first genetically modified animal for human consumption into the marketplace . and i 'm terrified to consider that rules are being considered that would allow this fish to be created and then distributed without any kind of mandatory label stating that it is a genetically modified product . in restaurants , chefs are in a position to assure their guests that the food being served to them is not only delicious but also wholesome and safe to consume . how do we do this when there is no required labeling indicating that a fish has been manufactured by science and not a product of nature ? if these genetically engineered salmon are approved , it will set a worldwide precedent . it will open the door to other kinds of genetically modified animal foods that may pose health or environmental dangers , and the true extent of these might not reveal themselves for years to come . at the very least , given the amount of data that we have seen to date , the creation of these frankenfish for mass consumption should not be approved . it 's simply against nature and is a huge step back in the worldwide movement to eat local , organic and sustainably . bon appétit -- enjoy your dinner . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of rick moonen . | moonen : approval with no required labels would set back sustainability movement |
real <tsp> ( cnn ) -- barcelona coach pep guardiola is warning his side against complacency ahead of their champions league return against arch-rivals real madrid tuesday . guardiola has used their shock 2-1 league defeat to real sociedad saturday as extra motivation although real earlier lost 3-2 to real zaragoza in a double upset . this was a lesson for us showing that nothing has been done yet , ' guardiola told gathered reporters . madrid are a very good team and they have nothing to lose so we have to keep our heads . we are going to have some tough moments in the game and we will need the support of our fans . ' barcelona won a bad-tempered first leg in the bernabeu 2-0 last week to put themselves firmly in command of the semifinal tie . barcelona had substitute goalkeeper jose pinto sent off after a halftime fracas and after the break real suffered a body blow when key defender pepe was sent off and coach jose mourinho dismissed to the stands for his protests . the controversy continued after the game with mourinho lashing out at his post-match press conference as he implied that the officials were favoring barcelona . blog : no way jose , you 've gone too far this time real will be without the suspended sergio ramos and pepe for the next version of'el clasico'in the nou camp , while german midfield star sami khedira is injured . but their players remain convinced they can overturn the deficit in the second leg . we feel that we can do it and also in the league , ' brazil star kaka told afp . until it is mathematically impossible we are not going to give anything up , although we can not afford to make mistakes like we did against zaragoza , ' he added . argentina teammate gonzalo higuain acknowledged that the defeat to zaragoza , which leaves them eight points adrift of barca , had all but ended their title chances . the league is almost over but we need to concentrate on the champions league and we have a side which can reach the final , ' he said . for barcelona , star midfielder andres iniesta and central defender carles puyol are battling to be fit in time . | barcelona coach pep guardiola warns his team to be on their guard against real madrid |
real <tsp> ( cnn ) -- barcelona coach pep guardiola is warning his side against complacency ahead of their champions league return against arch-rivals real madrid tuesday . guardiola has used their shock 2-1 league defeat to real sociedad saturday as extra motivation although real earlier lost 3-2 to real zaragoza in a double upset . this was a lesson for us showing that nothing has been done yet , ' guardiola told gathered reporters . madrid are a very good team and they have nothing to lose so we have to keep our heads . we are going to have some tough moments in the game and we will need the support of our fans . ' barcelona won a bad-tempered first leg in the bernabeu 2-0 last week to put themselves firmly in command of the semifinal tie . barcelona had substitute goalkeeper jose pinto sent off after a halftime fracas and after the break real suffered a body blow when key defender pepe was sent off and coach jose mourinho dismissed to the stands for his protests . the controversy continued after the game with mourinho lashing out at his post-match press conference as he implied that the officials were favoring barcelona . blog : no way jose , you 've gone too far this time real will be without the suspended sergio ramos and pepe for the next version of'el clasico'in the nou camp , while german midfield star sami khedira is injured . but their players remain convinced they can overturn the deficit in the second leg . we feel that we can do it and also in the league , ' brazil star kaka told afp . until it is mathematically impossible we are not going to give anything up , although we can not afford to make mistakes like we did against zaragoza , ' he added . argentina teammate gonzalo higuain acknowledged that the defeat to zaragoza , which leaves them eight points adrift of barca , had all but ended their title chances . the league is almost over but we need to concentrate on the champions league and we have a side which can reach the final , ' he said . for barcelona , star midfielder andres iniesta and central defender carles puyol are battling to be fit in time . | real'pepe and sergio ramos will be banned for the return in the nou camp |
howell <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with rick perry instantly assuming the top spot among candidates for the republican presidential nomination , it is no surprise that nearly every other man and woman on stage with him at last night 's debate took aim . citing his executive order mandating inoculations against a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer , michele bachmann expressed outrage that perry , she said , had forced ' government injections ' of 12-year-old girls . jon huntsman archly claimed that perry 's skepticism about a border fence was nothing short of treasonous . ' ron paul accused perry , his fellow texan , of raising his taxes , increasing the state 's debt , and expanding the state government 's workforce . the most extended critique of perry , though , came right out of the gate , from mitt romney . romney accused perry of trying to scare senior citizens and ruin the republican party by calling social security unconstitutional , a ponzi scheme and a failure . of all the jabs at perry last night , these mattered most . social security stands out as the most important topic generating substantive disagreement among the top republican contenders . in a debate that vacillated between broad principles of national defense and the rule of law on the one hand , and small government initiatives conducted at the state and federal levels on the other , this particular exchange featured disagreements about one of the oldest , largest and most popular entitlement programs in the country . just as important , the exchange between romney and perry over social security underscored their competing views about the meaning of limited government . in their first sentences about entitlement reform , these candidates stand together for reducing waste , slashing fraud and trimming the federal government . it is in the second and third sentences , though , that the differences become clearer . for perry , power should devolve to the states , and the federal government should maintain operations over only those policy domains for which it has a clear constitutional responsibility . as he noted in his opening remarks last night , the very reason he wants to be president is to make washington less consequential in the lives of americans . when asked later about social security , perry went out of his way to offer assurances that the benefits for current and near retirees would remain intact -- slam dunk , guaranteed , ' as he put it . but he persisted in characterizing the issue of social security reform primarily as one of increased state control . the issue is , are there ways to move the states into social security , for state employees or for retirees . ' romney , by contrast , has proposed a variety of measures that in his view will shore up social security without either increasing taxes or reducing the federal government 's involvement . though he did n't lay them out monday night , the components of romney 's plan include the raising of the retirement age , the creation of personal retirement investment accounts for younger workers , and the indexing of benefits to prices rather than wages , as is currently done . between the two at last night 's debate , perry was the clear audience favorite . but should perry win the nomination , we can expect president obama to pick up right where romney left off on social security . on the other hand , if romney can survive a republican primary season in which the median voter is vastly more conservative than in the general election , then the terms of next year 's debate about social security will be vastly more conventional -- to the great relief of moderates and frustration of the tea party sponsors of last night 's debate . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william howell . | william howell says front-runner rick perry was target for gop candidates at debate |
howell <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with rick perry instantly assuming the top spot among candidates for the republican presidential nomination , it is no surprise that nearly every other man and woman on stage with him at last night 's debate took aim . citing his executive order mandating inoculations against a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer , michele bachmann expressed outrage that perry , she said , had forced ' government injections ' of 12-year-old girls . jon huntsman archly claimed that perry 's skepticism about a border fence was nothing short of treasonous . ' ron paul accused perry , his fellow texan , of raising his taxes , increasing the state 's debt , and expanding the state government 's workforce . the most extended critique of perry , though , came right out of the gate , from mitt romney . romney accused perry of trying to scare senior citizens and ruin the republican party by calling social security unconstitutional , a ponzi scheme and a failure . of all the jabs at perry last night , these mattered most . social security stands out as the most important topic generating substantive disagreement among the top republican contenders . in a debate that vacillated between broad principles of national defense and the rule of law on the one hand , and small government initiatives conducted at the state and federal levels on the other , this particular exchange featured disagreements about one of the oldest , largest and most popular entitlement programs in the country . just as important , the exchange between romney and perry over social security underscored their competing views about the meaning of limited government . in their first sentences about entitlement reform , these candidates stand together for reducing waste , slashing fraud and trimming the federal government . it is in the second and third sentences , though , that the differences become clearer . for perry , power should devolve to the states , and the federal government should maintain operations over only those policy domains for which it has a clear constitutional responsibility . as he noted in his opening remarks last night , the very reason he wants to be president is to make washington less consequential in the lives of americans . when asked later about social security , perry went out of his way to offer assurances that the benefits for current and near retirees would remain intact -- slam dunk , guaranteed , ' as he put it . but he persisted in characterizing the issue of social security reform primarily as one of increased state control . the issue is , are there ways to move the states into social security , for state employees or for retirees . ' romney , by contrast , has proposed a variety of measures that in his view will shore up social security without either increasing taxes or reducing the federal government 's involvement . though he did n't lay them out monday night , the components of romney 's plan include the raising of the retirement age , the creation of personal retirement investment accounts for younger workers , and the indexing of benefits to prices rather than wages , as is currently done . between the two at last night 's debate , perry was the clear audience favorite . but should perry win the nomination , we can expect president obama to pick up right where romney left off on social security . on the other hand , if romney can survive a republican primary season in which the median voter is vastly more conservative than in the general election , then the terms of next year 's debate about social security will be vastly more conventional -- to the great relief of moderates and frustration of the tea party sponsors of last night 's debate . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william howell . | howell : perry may be favored , but in general election social security stance would hurt him |
social security <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with rick perry instantly assuming the top spot among candidates for the republican presidential nomination , it is no surprise that nearly every other man and woman on stage with him at last night 's debate took aim . citing his executive order mandating inoculations against a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer , michele bachmann expressed outrage that perry , she said , had forced ' government injections ' of 12-year-old girls . jon huntsman archly claimed that perry 's skepticism about a border fence was nothing short of treasonous . ' ron paul accused perry , his fellow texan , of raising his taxes , increasing the state 's debt , and expanding the state government 's workforce . the most extended critique of perry , though , came right out of the gate , from mitt romney . romney accused perry of trying to scare senior citizens and ruin the republican party by calling social security unconstitutional , a ponzi scheme and a failure . of all the jabs at perry last night , these mattered most . social security stands out as the most important topic generating substantive disagreement among the top republican contenders . in a debate that vacillated between broad principles of national defense and the rule of law on the one hand , and small government initiatives conducted at the state and federal levels on the other , this particular exchange featured disagreements about one of the oldest , largest and most popular entitlement programs in the country . just as important , the exchange between romney and perry over social security underscored their competing views about the meaning of limited government . in their first sentences about entitlement reform , these candidates stand together for reducing waste , slashing fraud and trimming the federal government . it is in the second and third sentences , though , that the differences become clearer . for perry , power should devolve to the states , and the federal government should maintain operations over only those policy domains for which it has a clear constitutional responsibility . as he noted in his opening remarks last night , the very reason he wants to be president is to make washington less consequential in the lives of americans . when asked later about social security , perry went out of his way to offer assurances that the benefits for current and near retirees would remain intact -- slam dunk , guaranteed , ' as he put it . but he persisted in characterizing the issue of social security reform primarily as one of increased state control . the issue is , are there ways to move the states into social security , for state employees or for retirees . ' romney , by contrast , has proposed a variety of measures that in his view will shore up social security without either increasing taxes or reducing the federal government 's involvement . though he did n't lay them out monday night , the components of romney 's plan include the raising of the retirement age , the creation of personal retirement investment accounts for younger workers , and the indexing of benefits to prices rather than wages , as is currently done . between the two at last night 's debate , perry was the clear audience favorite . but should perry win the nomination , we can expect president obama to pick up right where romney left off on social security . on the other hand , if romney can survive a republican primary season in which the median voter is vastly more conservative than in the general election , then the terms of next year 's debate about social security will be vastly more conventional -- to the great relief of moderates and frustration of the tea party sponsors of last night 's debate . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william howell . | howell : perry may be favored , but in general election social security stance would hurt him |
social security <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with rick perry instantly assuming the top spot among candidates for the republican presidential nomination , it is no surprise that nearly every other man and woman on stage with him at last night 's debate took aim . citing his executive order mandating inoculations against a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer , michele bachmann expressed outrage that perry , she said , had forced ' government injections ' of 12-year-old girls . jon huntsman archly claimed that perry 's skepticism about a border fence was nothing short of treasonous . ' ron paul accused perry , his fellow texan , of raising his taxes , increasing the state 's debt , and expanding the state government 's workforce . the most extended critique of perry , though , came right out of the gate , from mitt romney . romney accused perry of trying to scare senior citizens and ruin the republican party by calling social security unconstitutional , a ponzi scheme and a failure . of all the jabs at perry last night , these mattered most . social security stands out as the most important topic generating substantive disagreement among the top republican contenders . in a debate that vacillated between broad principles of national defense and the rule of law on the one hand , and small government initiatives conducted at the state and federal levels on the other , this particular exchange featured disagreements about one of the oldest , largest and most popular entitlement programs in the country . just as important , the exchange between romney and perry over social security underscored their competing views about the meaning of limited government . in their first sentences about entitlement reform , these candidates stand together for reducing waste , slashing fraud and trimming the federal government . it is in the second and third sentences , though , that the differences become clearer . for perry , power should devolve to the states , and the federal government should maintain operations over only those policy domains for which it has a clear constitutional responsibility . as he noted in his opening remarks last night , the very reason he wants to be president is to make washington less consequential in the lives of americans . when asked later about social security , perry went out of his way to offer assurances that the benefits for current and near retirees would remain intact -- slam dunk , guaranteed , ' as he put it . but he persisted in characterizing the issue of social security reform primarily as one of increased state control . the issue is , are there ways to move the states into social security , for state employees or for retirees . ' romney , by contrast , has proposed a variety of measures that in his view will shore up social security without either increasing taxes or reducing the federal government 's involvement . though he did n't lay them out monday night , the components of romney 's plan include the raising of the retirement age , the creation of personal retirement investment accounts for younger workers , and the indexing of benefits to prices rather than wages , as is currently done . between the two at last night 's debate , perry was the clear audience favorite . but should perry win the nomination , we can expect president obama to pick up right where romney left off on social security . on the other hand , if romney can survive a republican primary season in which the median voter is vastly more conservative than in the general election , then the terms of next year 's debate about social security will be vastly more conventional -- to the great relief of moderates and frustration of the tea party sponsors of last night 's debate . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william howell . | he says perry now says he 'd keep social security safe , then talks about moving it to states |
social security <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with rick perry instantly assuming the top spot among candidates for the republican presidential nomination , it is no surprise that nearly every other man and woman on stage with him at last night 's debate took aim . citing his executive order mandating inoculations against a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer , michele bachmann expressed outrage that perry , she said , had forced ' government injections ' of 12-year-old girls . jon huntsman archly claimed that perry 's skepticism about a border fence was nothing short of treasonous . ' ron paul accused perry , his fellow texan , of raising his taxes , increasing the state 's debt , and expanding the state government 's workforce . the most extended critique of perry , though , came right out of the gate , from mitt romney . romney accused perry of trying to scare senior citizens and ruin the republican party by calling social security unconstitutional , a ponzi scheme and a failure . of all the jabs at perry last night , these mattered most . social security stands out as the most important topic generating substantive disagreement among the top republican contenders . in a debate that vacillated between broad principles of national defense and the rule of law on the one hand , and small government initiatives conducted at the state and federal levels on the other , this particular exchange featured disagreements about one of the oldest , largest and most popular entitlement programs in the country . just as important , the exchange between romney and perry over social security underscored their competing views about the meaning of limited government . in their first sentences about entitlement reform , these candidates stand together for reducing waste , slashing fraud and trimming the federal government . it is in the second and third sentences , though , that the differences become clearer . for perry , power should devolve to the states , and the federal government should maintain operations over only those policy domains for which it has a clear constitutional responsibility . as he noted in his opening remarks last night , the very reason he wants to be president is to make washington less consequential in the lives of americans . when asked later about social security , perry went out of his way to offer assurances that the benefits for current and near retirees would remain intact -- slam dunk , guaranteed , ' as he put it . but he persisted in characterizing the issue of social security reform primarily as one of increased state control . the issue is , are there ways to move the states into social security , for state employees or for retirees . ' romney , by contrast , has proposed a variety of measures that in his view will shore up social security without either increasing taxes or reducing the federal government 's involvement . though he did n't lay them out monday night , the components of romney 's plan include the raising of the retirement age , the creation of personal retirement investment accounts for younger workers , and the indexing of benefits to prices rather than wages , as is currently done . between the two at last night 's debate , perry was the clear audience favorite . but should perry win the nomination , we can expect president obama to pick up right where romney left off on social security . on the other hand , if romney can survive a republican primary season in which the median voter is vastly more conservative than in the general election , then the terms of next year 's debate about social security will be vastly more conventional -- to the great relief of moderates and frustration of the tea party sponsors of last night 's debate . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william howell . | he says mitt romney turned focus to social security and perry 's ponzi scheme comment |
mitt romney <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with rick perry instantly assuming the top spot among candidates for the republican presidential nomination , it is no surprise that nearly every other man and woman on stage with him at last night 's debate took aim . citing his executive order mandating inoculations against a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer , michele bachmann expressed outrage that perry , she said , had forced ' government injections ' of 12-year-old girls . jon huntsman archly claimed that perry 's skepticism about a border fence was nothing short of treasonous . ' ron paul accused perry , his fellow texan , of raising his taxes , increasing the state 's debt , and expanding the state government 's workforce . the most extended critique of perry , though , came right out of the gate , from mitt romney . romney accused perry of trying to scare senior citizens and ruin the republican party by calling social security unconstitutional , a ponzi scheme and a failure . of all the jabs at perry last night , these mattered most . social security stands out as the most important topic generating substantive disagreement among the top republican contenders . in a debate that vacillated between broad principles of national defense and the rule of law on the one hand , and small government initiatives conducted at the state and federal levels on the other , this particular exchange featured disagreements about one of the oldest , largest and most popular entitlement programs in the country . just as important , the exchange between romney and perry over social security underscored their competing views about the meaning of limited government . in their first sentences about entitlement reform , these candidates stand together for reducing waste , slashing fraud and trimming the federal government . it is in the second and third sentences , though , that the differences become clearer . for perry , power should devolve to the states , and the federal government should maintain operations over only those policy domains for which it has a clear constitutional responsibility . as he noted in his opening remarks last night , the very reason he wants to be president is to make washington less consequential in the lives of americans . when asked later about social security , perry went out of his way to offer assurances that the benefits for current and near retirees would remain intact -- slam dunk , guaranteed , ' as he put it . but he persisted in characterizing the issue of social security reform primarily as one of increased state control . the issue is , are there ways to move the states into social security , for state employees or for retirees . ' romney , by contrast , has proposed a variety of measures that in his view will shore up social security without either increasing taxes or reducing the federal government 's involvement . though he did n't lay them out monday night , the components of romney 's plan include the raising of the retirement age , the creation of personal retirement investment accounts for younger workers , and the indexing of benefits to prices rather than wages , as is currently done . between the two at last night 's debate , perry was the clear audience favorite . but should perry win the nomination , we can expect president obama to pick up right where romney left off on social security . on the other hand , if romney can survive a republican primary season in which the median voter is vastly more conservative than in the general election , then the terms of next year 's debate about social security will be vastly more conventional -- to the great relief of moderates and frustration of the tea party sponsors of last night 's debate . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william howell . | he says mitt romney turned focus to social security and perry 's ponzi scheme comment |
cardona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there 's a coming showdown between democrats and republicans on the issue of income inequality . president obama has called it the defining issue of our time . ' progressives recognize that sustaining unemployment benefits , increasing the minimum wage and ensuring equal pay are key weapons . republicans , who recently voted to leave 1.3 million americans in the cold by not extending unemployment benefits , frame the inequality debate as yet another attempt to implement liberal , anti-free market , big-government giveaways . americans know better . in a speech last week , gop presidential hopeful marco rubio said federal money should be given to the states to figure out how to deal with poverty . he called for replacing the earned income tax credit with a subsidy to encourage people to take low-wage jobs , and for the federal government to encourage marriage . he called president lyndon johnson 's war on poverty a failure . but there is no question that without the war on poverty , millions more would be in it today . attempts to paint it any other way will backfire , as majorities of americans support its policies . republicans have a chance to show they are on the side of the american people in addressing poverty and inequality . america 's women and children , in particular , are depending on them . in fact , 50 years after johnson declared war on poverty , an astonishing new report by maria shriver paints a bleak picture of today 's barren economic landscape for 42 million women and 28 million children . shriver 's father , sargent shriver , helped lead the johnson administration 's all-out campaign on behalf of the elderly , the hungry and vulnerable families and children . while facts show that without this effort many more americans would be in poverty today , maria shriver 's report , a woman 's nation pushes back from the brink , ' describes a much-changed nation in which poverty wears a different face . on the one hand , it is indisputable that women have made much progress . a majority of women are now family breadwinners , and they hold more college degrees than men . women have also made gains in reaching the highest levels in business and politics . but these benchmarks mask a disturbing reality : too many women are one missed paycheck , one illness , one hospital visit or car breakdown away from economic disaster . a recent best-seller urged career women to lean in ' to succeed in the workplace . the shriver report underscores how many women lie awake at night worrying that they could fall out of the middle or working class and into the ranks of the poor . while many of us are pondering how to have it all , these strong women are doing it all , without having much . shamefully , the richest country in the world does not invest enough to allow women to keep fueling america 's economic growth while securing their own economic futures and those of their children . the report lists many reasons for this predicament -- the lack of well-paying jobs that offer upward mobility ; the change in the family structure where majorities of low-income women , many of them single , are heads of households ; and most importantly , the lack of good education . those are the overarching realities , but there are many more subtle , hidden aspects of the economic landscape for women in america . one-third live in or on the brink of poverty . they struggle to get their children to school at 7 for breakfast , so they can take their mothers to medical appointments and still make it to work by 9 . forty-two million women represent two-thirds of minimum-wage workers in the country , and women still make just 77 % of what men make . so what can be done ? for starters , we can fix the wage discrepancy between men and women . this could cut the poverty rate in half for struggling working women and it would represent an economic stimulus of half a trillion dollars . the shriver report also outlines a set of other public policy solutions , including raising the minimum wage for all and helping women access better paying jobs through job training . it describes how government support structures could allow for better and more affordable child care , enabling women to balance the roles of caregiver and breadwinner . and in a surprising revelation , it uncovers the regret many of these low-income women express about marrying early -- and also , in many cases , their satisfaction at having gotten divorced . republican lectures about marriage and family values will not work to solve poverty . but making education and child care accessible , closing the wage gap and leveling the playing field will . republicans should note that one of the studies in the shriver report shows that women of color -- a key demographic with whom the party desperately needs to make inroads -- overwhelmingly believe government has a role to play in providing adaptive workplace structures and policies that support today 's contemporary families . no , this is not a plea for a handout . these women , while in a more financially precarious position than their white counterparts , are also more optimistic about their futures . as in : i want to work hard and know there are better economic opportunities out there for me to succeed . these policy solutions the report offers are not new ; progressives have been fighting for them for a very long time . but it also outlines what we can do as individuals , communities and corporations . we can , for example , help young girls make smarter choices , promote a college before kids ' mentality , and help businesses identify best practice policies that can better support low-wage women workers . so let 's forgo the showdown . these are common-sense proposals that uphold mainstream principles of taking care of our families and children . they are not liberal , progressive or democratic values . they are american values that will protect and secure the american dream for everyone once and for all . americans expect our leaders from both parties to uphold them . let 's get to work . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of maria cardona . | maria cardona : in parties'inequality debate , gop has chance to show it gets it |
cardona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there 's a coming showdown between democrats and republicans on the issue of income inequality . president obama has called it the defining issue of our time . ' progressives recognize that sustaining unemployment benefits , increasing the minimum wage and ensuring equal pay are key weapons . republicans , who recently voted to leave 1.3 million americans in the cold by not extending unemployment benefits , frame the inequality debate as yet another attempt to implement liberal , anti-free market , big-government giveaways . americans know better . in a speech last week , gop presidential hopeful marco rubio said federal money should be given to the states to figure out how to deal with poverty . he called for replacing the earned income tax credit with a subsidy to encourage people to take low-wage jobs , and for the federal government to encourage marriage . he called president lyndon johnson 's war on poverty a failure . but there is no question that without the war on poverty , millions more would be in it today . attempts to paint it any other way will backfire , as majorities of americans support its policies . republicans have a chance to show they are on the side of the american people in addressing poverty and inequality . america 's women and children , in particular , are depending on them . in fact , 50 years after johnson declared war on poverty , an astonishing new report by maria shriver paints a bleak picture of today 's barren economic landscape for 42 million women and 28 million children . shriver 's father , sargent shriver , helped lead the johnson administration 's all-out campaign on behalf of the elderly , the hungry and vulnerable families and children . while facts show that without this effort many more americans would be in poverty today , maria shriver 's report , a woman 's nation pushes back from the brink , ' describes a much-changed nation in which poverty wears a different face . on the one hand , it is indisputable that women have made much progress . a majority of women are now family breadwinners , and they hold more college degrees than men . women have also made gains in reaching the highest levels in business and politics . but these benchmarks mask a disturbing reality : too many women are one missed paycheck , one illness , one hospital visit or car breakdown away from economic disaster . a recent best-seller urged career women to lean in ' to succeed in the workplace . the shriver report underscores how many women lie awake at night worrying that they could fall out of the middle or working class and into the ranks of the poor . while many of us are pondering how to have it all , these strong women are doing it all , without having much . shamefully , the richest country in the world does not invest enough to allow women to keep fueling america 's economic growth while securing their own economic futures and those of their children . the report lists many reasons for this predicament -- the lack of well-paying jobs that offer upward mobility ; the change in the family structure where majorities of low-income women , many of them single , are heads of households ; and most importantly , the lack of good education . those are the overarching realities , but there are many more subtle , hidden aspects of the economic landscape for women in america . one-third live in or on the brink of poverty . they struggle to get their children to school at 7 for breakfast , so they can take their mothers to medical appointments and still make it to work by 9 . forty-two million women represent two-thirds of minimum-wage workers in the country , and women still make just 77 % of what men make . so what can be done ? for starters , we can fix the wage discrepancy between men and women . this could cut the poverty rate in half for struggling working women and it would represent an economic stimulus of half a trillion dollars . the shriver report also outlines a set of other public policy solutions , including raising the minimum wage for all and helping women access better paying jobs through job training . it describes how government support structures could allow for better and more affordable child care , enabling women to balance the roles of caregiver and breadwinner . and in a surprising revelation , it uncovers the regret many of these low-income women express about marrying early -- and also , in many cases , their satisfaction at having gotten divorced . republican lectures about marriage and family values will not work to solve poverty . but making education and child care accessible , closing the wage gap and leveling the playing field will . republicans should note that one of the studies in the shriver report shows that women of color -- a key demographic with whom the party desperately needs to make inroads -- overwhelmingly believe government has a role to play in providing adaptive workplace structures and policies that support today 's contemporary families . no , this is not a plea for a handout . these women , while in a more financially precarious position than their white counterparts , are also more optimistic about their futures . as in : i want to work hard and know there are better economic opportunities out there for me to succeed . these policy solutions the report offers are not new ; progressives have been fighting for them for a very long time . but it also outlines what we can do as individuals , communities and corporations . we can , for example , help young girls make smarter choices , promote a college before kids ' mentality , and help businesses identify best practice policies that can better support low-wage women workers . so let 's forgo the showdown . these are common-sense proposals that uphold mainstream principles of taking care of our families and children . they are not liberal , progressive or democratic values . they are american values that will protect and secure the american dream for everyone once and for all . americans expect our leaders from both parties to uphold them . let 's get to work . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of maria cardona . | cardona : rubio , gop slam war on poverty policies ; issue needs attention , not partisanship |
moammar gadhafi <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- tripoli 's two million residents faced increasingly dire shortages of food and water tuesday as rebels estimated the number of people killed during the past six months to be at least 50,000 . i can not overstate the urgency of this moment , ' u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon said . time is of the essence . ' ban said his goal was to get u.n. personnel on the ground as quickly as possible . ' sixty percent of tripoli was without water or sanitation , ban said . the european union said gadhafi forces had closed water-pumping stations in jebel hassouna along the route from tripoli to sabha while fleeing the capital . the resulting disruption of the water supply in tripoli is a major issue , ' an eu spokeswoman said , adding that security concerns along the road to the stations made it impossible to predict when the flow could be restored . all 31 eu countries have been asked whether they can help if the situation worsens , she said . the u.n. children 's agency was procuring five million liters ( 1.3 million gallons ) of water to ship to tripoli . the united nations'world food programme was sending 600 tons of food commodities -- wheat flour , pasta , vegetable oil and tomato paste -- for the red cross to distribute in tripoli . the impact of the parched conditions was visible at the city 's main zoo , where the zookeeper said that , for seven days , the animals got nothing . by tuesday , 10 of the usual complement of 200 workers had returned to their jobs . they said rations for the big cats had been cut in half . in the sweltering heat , rail-thin lions paced their cage , forlorn hippopotamuses looked askance at the tank of fetid water in their cage . most of the cages were empty . concern over the unfolding humanitarian disaster came as a rebel military commander said that at least 50,000 people , civilians and combatants had been killed in the war to oust moammar gadhafi . the number was calculated by adding death tolls reported in battle zones and accounts from agencies such as the red cross , said hisham abu hajer , the tripoli brigades coordinator . but he did not divulge the data underlying the total and cnn can not independently verify it . the threat of more bloodshed loomed as reports of human rights violations surfaced and the leader of libya 's national transitional council issued an ultimatum tuesday for tribal leaders in towns still under the control of loyalists : surrender or face attack on saturday , after eid al-fitr festivities have drawn to a close . ntc head mustafa abdul jalil told reporters that the rebels were in negotiations with the loyalists and hoped to avoid more bloodshed and to avoid more destruction and damage , ' but would use force if the loyalists do n't surrender . it might have to be decided militarily ; i hope this will not be the case , ' he said . as fighting continued for the last bastions under gadhafi 's grip , the longtime dictator 's whereabouts remained unknown to rebel authorities . a clue came from a 17-year-old who told sky news he had seen gadhafi on friday at the compound in tripoli belonging to one of gadhafi 's sons , khamis . the teen said he had been working for the previous month as a guard for khamis gadhafi . the leader arrived and spoke with his son for 10 to 15 minutes , abdu salam ataher-ali said . friday 's visit by moammar gadhafi came as rebels were taking control of the capital and gadhafi loyalists were preparing to flee , the teenager told a translator during an interview in a rebel compound . he said gadhafi was visiting us at the same time when we run away from khamis'compound , ' the translator said . during the visit , the leader 's daughter , aisha , arrived at the compound , where she and her father got into a convoy of vehicles and drove off , the teen told the translator . he said one of the high-ranking soldiers come to us and we asked him ,'where is gadhafi going ?'and he said'to sabha ,' the teen said . sabha is a city in southwestern libya and one of the loyalist strongholds . khamis gadhafi then got into an armored toyota land cruiser and drove toward the town of bani walid , the teen said . bani walid is a city in the misrata district in the north , another gadhafi stronghold . an armored land cruiser was among a number of vehicles that were destroyed later by nato bombs along the road northward . but it was not clear whether khamis died in that attack . tripoli residents greeted the end of ramadan with celebratory gunfire amid news of khamis'death sunday night after a battle with rebel forces in northwest libya between tarunah and bani walid . a rebel commander said khamis gadhafi was buried in the area . the teen said he had been persuaded to join khamis gadhafi 's group when he was told that foreign forces were attacking the country , sky news reported . cnn has not been able to verify the sky news report . khamis gadhafi 's legacy includes his eponymous khamis brigade , also known as the 32nd brigade , which has been accused of human rights abuses . human rights watch said monday that the brigade executed detainees a week ago in a warehouse near tripoli . forces led by khamis gadhafi also killed scores of captive civilians as they tried to retreat from tripoli , according to muneer masoud own , who survived the attack , and cnn 's arwa damon , who saw the bodies being hauled off . human rights watch and amnesty international both documented the alleged incident . the legacy also apparently includes shywega mullah , who told cnn she worked as a nanny for hannibal gadhafi , one of moammar gadhafi 's sons . her face and torso a grotesque , infected mass of scar tissue and infection , she said hannibal 's wife , aline , had poured boiling water over her head as punishment for failing to beat into silence one of aline gadhafi 's crying children . during her year of employment , the 30-year-old ethiopian immigrant said , she had received no pay . but on tuesday , she was being treated with antibiotics in a hospital , where she said she was feeling better . another of gadhafi 's sons , businessman saadi gadhafi , has offered to negotiate an end to the war with the rebels who , he said , can not build a new country without having us ( at ) the table . ' he has made previous offers , though this time he appeared ready to cut loose from his father and his brother saif al-islam , once considered the libyan leader 's heir apparent . if ( the rebels ) agree to cooperate to save the country together , then it will be easy and fast . i promise ! ' saadi gadhafi said in an e-mail to cnn 's nic robertson . in a later e-mail , saadi gadhafi said that the ntc had asked him to travel to tripoli to negotiate , but the rebels would not guarantee his security . asked about the offer , ntc deputy prime minister ali tarhouni said saadi gadhafi would get safe passage to tripoli and would be well treated , but would be put on trial rather than given a chance to negotiate . other members of gadhafi 's family fared better than khamis apparently did : moammar gadhafi 's wife , safia , daughter aisha and sons mohamed and hannibal crossed monday into neighboring algeria . mourad benmehidi , algeria 's ambassador to the united nations , said his nation allowed them to enter on humanitarian grounds . ' unlike libya 's other neighbors , algeria has not recognized the authority of the national transitional council and the authoritarian government in algiers has much to fear with arab revolutions so close to home . in washington , state department spokeswoman victoria nuland said the government of algeria had sent a letter to the united nations about the matter . we are reviewing that letter now in new york , ' she said . but clearly , there has to be an international community decision in response with regard to the travel ban restrictions that ( resolution ) 1970 imposes . ' the resolution , which was passed in february , imposes international sanctions on the gadhafi regime for its use of force against peaceful protesters . any nation that takes steps beyond the resolution has 48 hours to explain itself to the security council , she said . referring to the algerians'letter , she said , with regard to our response to it , i think it 's too early to tell . ' jalil said tuesday that the rebels would ask algeria to extradite members of the gadhafi family back to libya . he also said that , once the rebels have full control of the country , courts will be set up to hear people 's complaints against the gadhafi regime . but victory remained elusive , with loyalists controlling bani walid in the north and sabha in the south and gadhaffi 's hometown of sirte , which is located on the mediterranean between tripoli and the opposition nerve center of benghazi . on tuesday , the front line of the rebel forces was about 100 kilometers ( 62 miles ) west of sirte and about 70 kilometers ( 43 miles ) from gadhafi forces . all we 're waiting for is the order from the ntc to move into sirte , ' one rebel said . but he and his fellow fighters expressed the hope that negotiations would succeed in the forces laying down their weapons . in addition to expressing concern over the humanitarian situation in tripoli , the united nations voiced extreme alarm ' over reports of atrocious human rights violations ' in libya , including summary executions . we are also deeply concerned about reports that there are still thousands of people unaccounted for who were arrested or taken prisoner by gadhafi security forces either earlier in the conflict or before it even started , ' said rupert colville , spokesman for the u.n. high commissioner for human rights . another report , released tuesday by physicians for human rights , documents crimes in misrata , which had been under siege from gadhafi 's forces until rebels seized control . the report cites four witnesses who said they saw gadhafi 's troops detain 107 civilians and use them as human shields to guard munitions from nato strikes . one father told the physicians group that soldiers forced his two young children to sit on a tank , and threatened the family , saying , you 'll stay here , and if nato attacks us , you 'll die too . ' the report , which says gadhafi shielded weapons by moving them to markets , mosques and schools , also details accounts of detention and torture . still , signs of normalcy were visible tuesday in tripoli , where some shops reopened , traffic picked up and humanitarian aid was trickling in . france reopened its embassy monday and britain said it was preparing to do the same . cnn 's nic robertson , fred pleitgen and dan rivers contributed to this story | teen says he saw moammar gadhafi on friday in tripoli |
san juan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a raging blaze at a fuel storage complex in puerto rico lit up the night sky friday near san juan as firefighters battled to keep it from spreading further . ireporter maria marquez photographed the flames early friday from the 17th floor of her san juan condominium . fifteen of the 40 tanks at the caribbean petroleum corp. facility in the city of bayamon were ablaze more than 19 hours after an explosion of unknown origin rocked the complex , gov . luis fortuno said at an evening news conference . the governor had put the tally at 11 a few hours earlier . i do n't think there 's ever been a fire like this in puerto rico , ' fire lt. jose atorre told cnn affiliate wlii-tv . the fire started shortly after midnight , when at least one fuel tank exploded . residents described a surreal scene after the blast woke them from their sleep and shattered windows miles away . i was in bed and all of a sudden heard this really horrible sound , so i ran upstairs and thought the whole town had blown up , ' said teo freytes , who filed an ireport for cnn . the explosion blew out windows here in old san juan , ' he said . it 's still burning outrageously . ' others woke up friday morning to an extremely unusual sight . i did n't expect to see a mushroom cloud from my house , ' said justin gehrke , a u.s. army civilian employee who also filed an ireport . fortuno said he declared a state of emergency for the area so puerto rico can get aid from the federal emergency management agency . the storage and refinery complex sits near san juan 's bay , and fortuno said officials are working to protect the water from being affected . we have serious worries that the bay or other bodies of water could be contaminated , ' he said . caribbean petroleum 's web site says the complex has storage facilities for gasoline and gasoline-related products . we have been monitoring the water visually and we have installed preventive pads and other material to contain a spill , ' said pedro nieves , chairman of the puerto rico environmental quality board . no oil has reached the water . ' but nieves said that caribbean petroleum has a history of spills and there was potential that it had contaminated ground water . ' he said he did not have any specifics on hand and that his organization was more focused on containing the current problem of fire and smoke . the u.s. environmental protection agency did not immediately return calls about the company 's environmental history . newspaper and tv reports said a 4-inch pipe from a lagoon on the complex was broken , preventing firefighters from using 2 million gallons of water from the lake to battle the blaze . about 150 area firefighters and 215 national guard personnel were battling to keep the blaze from spreading . one person suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to a hospital , fortuno said . at least 350 people were evacuated to a nearby stadium . ireport.com : see , share , send images of the explosion the smoke can be toxic for people with breathing conditions and officials have asked nearby residents to stay away , the governor said . this is a tremendous amount of smoke , and fire contains all kinds of irritants and this is oil that is burning , ' said mary mears , spokeswoman for the environmental protection agency region that includes puerto rico . it 's smoke , so you 're going to notice coughing , tearing , maybe a sore throat . ' the wind shifted to the north friday morning , blowing most of the smoke over less-populated areas and the atlantic ocean . the smoke plume also is rising 5,000 feet straight up before starting to drift , which keeps it away from people on the ground . the average air quality for puerto rico is still good , ' nieves said . but the wind was expected to change saturday morning , blowing the smoke over a large part of the island west of the fire . officials also are concerned that rain mixed with the smoke could lead to acid rain . authorities urged residents to bring in animals and their food and for people not to go out during or after any precipitation . the national guard combat support team was helping to monitor air quality and local environmental officials were working with the u.s. environmental protection agency to install monitors near the blaze . officials will investigate the cause of the blaze . puerto rico is a u.s. protectorate , which means federal officials are involved . the bureau of alcohol , tobacco and firearms sent a team of fire investigators , but have yet to determine whether the fire was an accident or set deliberately , said orlando felix , atf resident agent in charge of the puerto rico office . the fbi confirmed it is investigating graffiti found on two san juan tunnels that referred to a fire . a spray-painted message on the two tunnels , less than three miles apart , said : boom , fire , rip , gulf , soul , acnf . ' we have found graffiti in two different locations , ' fbi special agent harry rodriguez told cnn . we are looking into the matter as part of this investigation with respect to the fire at the fuel-holding facility . ' rodriguez and san juan police spokeswoman maria del pilar bon said they did not know what or who acnf is . caribbean petroleum owns the gulf oil brand in puerto rico . speaking at a news conference friday afternoon , fortuno said all leads must be followed . there could be many reasons [ for the fire ] , ' he said . we 're not going to guess . but there has to be an investigation . ' caribbean petroleum , which owns 200 gas stations in puerto rico and several inland distribution facilities , supplies much of the island 's fuel . but department of consumer affairs secretary luis rivera marin said there is enough fuel on hand for 24 days , and 16 million gallons of gasoline were in transit to the island . he also froze prices at the level they were at 8:06 a.m. officials transferred 295 inmates from a high-security prison in the area to other facilities , which they declined to identify for security purposes . another 1,600 prisoners were moved from another nearby facility . some 200 extra prison officials were brought in to handle the transfers , fortuno said . watch ireporter 's account of the blast and fire » video on wlii showed a caravan of white vans with sirens blaring transferring the prisoners , san juan police said they activated all units : explosives , transit , tactical operations and swat . schools in bayamon , san juan , toa baja and catano were closed , as was puerto rico road 28 . roads 5 and 22 were partially closed . flights in and out of luis munoz marin international airport in san juan were not affected , an airport official told cnn . cnn 's jackie castillo and khadijah rentas contributed to this report . | complex sits near san juan 's bay , causing worries the water could be affected |
san juan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a raging blaze at a fuel storage complex in puerto rico lit up the night sky friday near san juan as firefighters battled to keep it from spreading further . ireporter maria marquez photographed the flames early friday from the 17th floor of her san juan condominium . fifteen of the 40 tanks at the caribbean petroleum corp. facility in the city of bayamon were ablaze more than 19 hours after an explosion of unknown origin rocked the complex , gov . luis fortuno said at an evening news conference . the governor had put the tally at 11 a few hours earlier . i do n't think there 's ever been a fire like this in puerto rico , ' fire lt. jose atorre told cnn affiliate wlii-tv . the fire started shortly after midnight , when at least one fuel tank exploded . residents described a surreal scene after the blast woke them from their sleep and shattered windows miles away . i was in bed and all of a sudden heard this really horrible sound , so i ran upstairs and thought the whole town had blown up , ' said teo freytes , who filed an ireport for cnn . the explosion blew out windows here in old san juan , ' he said . it 's still burning outrageously . ' others woke up friday morning to an extremely unusual sight . i did n't expect to see a mushroom cloud from my house , ' said justin gehrke , a u.s. army civilian employee who also filed an ireport . fortuno said he declared a state of emergency for the area so puerto rico can get aid from the federal emergency management agency . the storage and refinery complex sits near san juan 's bay , and fortuno said officials are working to protect the water from being affected . we have serious worries that the bay or other bodies of water could be contaminated , ' he said . caribbean petroleum 's web site says the complex has storage facilities for gasoline and gasoline-related products . we have been monitoring the water visually and we have installed preventive pads and other material to contain a spill , ' said pedro nieves , chairman of the puerto rico environmental quality board . no oil has reached the water . ' but nieves said that caribbean petroleum has a history of spills and there was potential that it had contaminated ground water . ' he said he did not have any specifics on hand and that his organization was more focused on containing the current problem of fire and smoke . the u.s. environmental protection agency did not immediately return calls about the company 's environmental history . newspaper and tv reports said a 4-inch pipe from a lagoon on the complex was broken , preventing firefighters from using 2 million gallons of water from the lake to battle the blaze . about 150 area firefighters and 215 national guard personnel were battling to keep the blaze from spreading . one person suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to a hospital , fortuno said . at least 350 people were evacuated to a nearby stadium . ireport.com : see , share , send images of the explosion the smoke can be toxic for people with breathing conditions and officials have asked nearby residents to stay away , the governor said . this is a tremendous amount of smoke , and fire contains all kinds of irritants and this is oil that is burning , ' said mary mears , spokeswoman for the environmental protection agency region that includes puerto rico . it 's smoke , so you 're going to notice coughing , tearing , maybe a sore throat . ' the wind shifted to the north friday morning , blowing most of the smoke over less-populated areas and the atlantic ocean . the smoke plume also is rising 5,000 feet straight up before starting to drift , which keeps it away from people on the ground . the average air quality for puerto rico is still good , ' nieves said . but the wind was expected to change saturday morning , blowing the smoke over a large part of the island west of the fire . officials also are concerned that rain mixed with the smoke could lead to acid rain . authorities urged residents to bring in animals and their food and for people not to go out during or after any precipitation . the national guard combat support team was helping to monitor air quality and local environmental officials were working with the u.s. environmental protection agency to install monitors near the blaze . officials will investigate the cause of the blaze . puerto rico is a u.s. protectorate , which means federal officials are involved . the bureau of alcohol , tobacco and firearms sent a team of fire investigators , but have yet to determine whether the fire was an accident or set deliberately , said orlando felix , atf resident agent in charge of the puerto rico office . the fbi confirmed it is investigating graffiti found on two san juan tunnels that referred to a fire . a spray-painted message on the two tunnels , less than three miles apart , said : boom , fire , rip , gulf , soul , acnf . ' we have found graffiti in two different locations , ' fbi special agent harry rodriguez told cnn . we are looking into the matter as part of this investigation with respect to the fire at the fuel-holding facility . ' rodriguez and san juan police spokeswoman maria del pilar bon said they did not know what or who acnf is . caribbean petroleum owns the gulf oil brand in puerto rico . speaking at a news conference friday afternoon , fortuno said all leads must be followed . there could be many reasons [ for the fire ] , ' he said . we 're not going to guess . but there has to be an investigation . ' caribbean petroleum , which owns 200 gas stations in puerto rico and several inland distribution facilities , supplies much of the island 's fuel . but department of consumer affairs secretary luis rivera marin said there is enough fuel on hand for 24 days , and 16 million gallons of gasoline were in transit to the island . he also froze prices at the level they were at 8:06 a.m. officials transferred 295 inmates from a high-security prison in the area to other facilities , which they declined to identify for security purposes . another 1,600 prisoners were moved from another nearby facility . some 200 extra prison officials were brought in to handle the transfers , fortuno said . watch ireporter 's account of the blast and fire » video on wlii showed a caravan of white vans with sirens blaring transferring the prisoners , san juan police said they activated all units : explosives , transit , tactical operations and swat . schools in bayamon , san juan , toa baja and catano were closed , as was puerto rico road 28 . roads 5 and 22 were partially closed . flights in and out of luis munoz marin international airport in san juan were not affected , an airport official told cnn . cnn 's jackie castillo and khadijah rentas contributed to this report . | one person injured , 350 evacuated near san juan , puerto rico |
s. korea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- hundreds of south koreas were left in limbo after north korea shut its borders monday at the start of joint military exercises between the united states and south korea . u.s. troops have started joint military exercises with their south korean counterparts . when pyongyang took the action , 573 south koreans were staying at the kaesong industrial complex , north of the demilitarized zone , south korea 's yonhap news agency reported . many of the stranded south koreans work at the complex , which is a joint project between the koreas . the south korean government is closely monitoring the situation and preparing for all contingencies , ' said kim ho-nyun , a south korean unification ministry spokesman . we emphasize that currently the first priority is the safety of our citizens . ' eighty south koreans had applied to cross the border into south korea on monday , kim said , but had not been cleared to do so . we are also not certain what will happen to the south koreans that want to cross tomorrow as well , ' he said . the cross-border developments came as north korea said it would retaliate if a satellite ' launch from its northeastern coast were intercepted , with the communist nation saying interference would mean a war . ' shooting our satellite for peaceful purposes will precisely mean a war , ' a spokesman for the north korean army said in a statement carried by the state-run korean central news agency ( kcna ) . u.s. and south korean officials have said that north korea appears to be preparing to test-fire its long-range missile , the taepodong-2 , under the guise of launching a satellite into space . the missile is thought to have an intended range of about 6,700 kilometers ( 4,200 miles ) , which -- if true -- could give it the capability of striking alaska or hawaii . north korea 's bellicose announcement came on the first day of annual joint military drills between south korea and the united states . we have said several times that the u.s.-south korean military exercises are annual defensive exercises , ' kim said . we again urge north korea to maintain the agreed stance of mutual respect and to stop its verbal attacks and actions that are raising tensions on the korean peninsula , ' he said . the north said it has shut its borders to any enemies ' and has cut off the north-south military communications in order to guarantee the security . ' north korea said the military phone lines with the south , the last remaining communications channel , will remain closed until the 12-day military exercises end on march 20 , according to yonhap . kim said his government is urging north korea to immediately retract this measure and to allow the smooth flow of personnel and communication . ' on saturday , u.s. envoy stephen bosworth said he wants dialogue with north korea , but he also spoke against north korea 's move to go forward with a launch , saying it would be ill-advised . ' | s. korea , u.s. have started their annual joint military drills |
champions league <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ac milan bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on a domestic double by beating cagliari 4-1 on saturday , with robinho scoring twice . milan wrapped up the serie a title last weekend but were denied a place in the coppa italia final following a 2-1 defeat by palermo in the second leg of the semi on tuesday . however , massimiliano allegri 's team scored three goals in the first 35 minutes -- two of them going to brazilian forward robinho -- to subdue the visiting sardinians . robinho took his serie a tally to 14 this season , joining compatriot alexandre pato and zlatan ibrahimovic as the club 's top scorers . draw puts inter into italian cup final midfielder andrea cossu pulled a goal back before halftime , but veteran midfielder clarence seedorf sealed victory in the 77th minute to put milan nine points clear of second-placed city rivals inter . the nerazzurri , whose five-year title reign is over after failing to repeat the heroics of last season 's treble , travel to third-placed napoli on sunday . cagliari went into the match in 11th place and in no danger of being relegated , but suffered a fourth successive defeat . lazio moved up to fourth and a possible champions league place after beating 10th-placed genoa 4-2 earlier in the day to end a run of three defeats . brazilian hernanes scored twice in the second half after goals from giuseppe biava and tommaso rocchi to lift the rome side a point above udinese , who visit 12th-placed chievo on sunday . lazio travel to lowly lecce in the final round next weekend , while udinese are at home to milan . meanwhile , lille are on course for a domestic double after beating lille beat paris saint germain 1-0 in saturday 's french cup final , winning the competition for the first time since 1955 . poland midfielder ludovic obraniak scored the only goal in the 89th minute with a superb free-kick after coming on as a substitute . lille , who have a four-point lead over marseille with three matches to play in ligue 1 , then saw mathieu debuchy 's injury-time penalty save by gregory coupet . | lazio boost champions league hopes for next season with 4-2 win over genoa |
tsarnaev <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the sister of the boston marathon bombing suspects has pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana , according to her attorney . bella tsarnaev entered the plea at her arraignment hearing tuesday to the initial charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute , tsarnaev 's attorney , mario blanch told cnn . police originally arrested tsarnaev in december 2012 after responding to a domestic disturbance call and finding marijuana in her fairview , new jersey , apartment . blanch says tsarnaev , 24 , has no prior criminal record , and he is hoping she will be accepted into new jersey 's pretrial intervention program , in which mostly first-time offenders are offered alternatives to the normal prosecution process . no court dates have been set yet . blanch added that his client has no involvement in the boston bombing incidents . i think she found out about her brothers the way the rest of the country did -- on the news . ' suspect : boston bombing was payback for hits on muslims tsarnaev 's younger brother dzhokhar tsarnaev , 19 , is currently being held in federal prison and has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction . her older brother tamerlan tsarnaev , 26 , was killed in a shootout with boston police days after the bombings . one victim of the april 15 attack remains hospitalized . three people were killed and at least 264 injured in the two bombings near the finish line of the marathon . official : tamerlan involved in 2011 slayings | bella tsarnaev pleaded not guilty to a charge of possession with intent to distribute |
tsarnaev <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the sister of the boston marathon bombing suspects has pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana , according to her attorney . bella tsarnaev entered the plea at her arraignment hearing tuesday to the initial charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute , tsarnaev 's attorney , mario blanch told cnn . police originally arrested tsarnaev in december 2012 after responding to a domestic disturbance call and finding marijuana in her fairview , new jersey , apartment . blanch says tsarnaev , 24 , has no prior criminal record , and he is hoping she will be accepted into new jersey 's pretrial intervention program , in which mostly first-time offenders are offered alternatives to the normal prosecution process . no court dates have been set yet . blanch added that his client has no involvement in the boston bombing incidents . i think she found out about her brothers the way the rest of the country did -- on the news . ' suspect : boston bombing was payback for hits on muslims tsarnaev 's younger brother dzhokhar tsarnaev , 19 , is currently being held in federal prison and has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction . her older brother tamerlan tsarnaev , 26 , was killed in a shootout with boston police days after the bombings . one victim of the april 15 attack remains hospitalized . three people were killed and at least 264 injured in the two bombings near the finish line of the marathon . official : tamerlan involved in 2011 slayings | tsarnaev , who has no prior record , was n't involved in the boston marathon bombings , her attorney says |
netherlands <tsp> ( cnn ) indonesia has executed six people -- including five foreign nationals -- for drug offenses , setting off a diplomatic storm . brazil and the netherlands , whose citizens were among those executed , condemned the killings , and recalled their ambassadors to indonesia for consultations in response . the executions , carried out by firing squad shortly after midnight sunday local time , were the first under indonesia 's new president joko widodo . citizens of malawi , nigeria and vietnam were also executed , along with an indonesian woman , officials said . brazi 's president dilma rousseff issued a statement expressing indignation at the execution of brazilian marco archer cardoso moreira , saying the incident severely affected ' relations between the two countries . she also offered sympathies to moreira 's family . rousseff deeply regret ( ted ) ' that her personal appeals for clemency , including one made via telephone , had been ignored by widodo in proceeding with the execution , said the statement . moreira , 53 , who was caught at jakarta airport with 13 kilograms of cocaine in 2003 , was the first of his countrymen ever to be legally executed abroad , brazilian officials said . brazil has also been lobbying on behalf of another of its nationals facing execution in indonesia , rodrigo gularte . executions'tragic' the netherlands also condemned the execution of dutch national ang kiem soei , with dutch minister of foreign affairs bert koenders labeling the punishments tragic . ' my sympathies go out to their families , for whom this brings a dramatic end to years of uncertainty , ' he said in a statement . dutch king willem-alexander and prime minister mark rutte had made overtures to the indonesian president on the matter , which had been a recurring talking point in the relationship between the countries in recent years , he said . the government has used all possible means -- legal , diplomatic and political , at bilateral and european level -- to persuade the indonesian authorities to cancel the execution , ' he said , adding he had temporarily recalled the dutch ambassador in response . every effort has been made , up to the very highest level . ''regressive move' since entering office in october as a reformer , widodo has drawn criticism from rights groups for his vocal support of the death penalty . last month , he publicly stated that he planned to reject the 64 appeals for clemency he had received from drug offenders on death row . the hardline approach has raised concerns for other foreign nationals sentenced to death , including the two australian ringleaders of the so-called bali nine ' ring , arrested in 2005 with more than 8 kg of heroin . indonesia , which has extremely strict drug laws , resumed executions in 2013 after a four year break , but no executions were carried out in 2014 . amnesty international 's research director for southeast asia and the pacific , rupert abbott , said in a statement that the executions were a seriously regressive move ' . the new administration has taken office on the back of promises to make human rights a priority , but the execution of six people flies in the face of these commitments , ' he said . | brazil and the netherlands recall their ambassadors over the issue |
agnieszka radwanska <tsp> ( cnn ) -- world no . 1 caroline wozniacki has progressed to the last 16 at indian wells after beating spain 's maria jose martinez sanchez for the first time . after losing to 29th-ranked martinez sanchez in their three previous encounters , the dane needed just 71 minutes to close out a 6-1 6-3 win on monday . she 's a very different player ; you do n't get any rhythm against her , ' wozniacki told the official wta website . it was very important to keep the pressure but not force it too much . ' the 20-year-old 's next opponent at the californian hard-court tournament will be world no . 24 alisa kleybanova , who upset 15th-ranked italian flavia pennetta 6-3 6-4 . nadal progresses at indian wells kleybanova 's fellow russian maria sharapova dropped her first service game against aravane rezai , but quickly regrouped to beat the french world no . 22 6-2 6-2 . i started like i did n't have my cup of coffee or something , did n't have my peeps around , so that was disappointing , ' the three-time grand slam champion and world no . 18 said . but i got it together . ' the 23-year-old set up a fourth-round encounter with fellow former no . 1 and compatriot dinara safina . safina , who is on the comeback trail after slipping to 108th in the world rankings , knocked out fourth seed sam stosur of australia 7-6 ( 7-2 ) 6-4 . nadia petrova became the fourth russian woman to progress , after the world no . 18 battled past 18-year-old american wildcard christina mchale 3-6 6-4 6-2 . peng shuai will be petrova 's next challenger , with the chinese player earning a hard-fought 6-3 4-6 7-5 win over czech qualifier lucie hradecka . world no . 10 agnieszka radwanska of poland also had to fight for her 6-0 2-6 7-5 win over maria kirilenko of russia . she will now play eighth seed victoria azarenka of belarus , who defeated agnieszka 's younger sister ursula 7-6 ( 7-3 ) 6-3 . | nadia petrova , agnieszka radwanska and victoria azarenka also progress |
michelle obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- students unhappy with school meals are taking it out on the first lady by sharing images on social media of lunches sarcastically tagged # thanksmichelleobama . some of the images depict formless , mushy blobs on a lunch tray . others show patties on whole-grain buns accompanied by an apple where one could imagine a pile of tater tots residing in earlier times . the complaints focus on taste , texture and portion sizes under new nutrition regulations promoted by the first lady . the standards were implemented as part of obama 's let 's move ! ' initiative to reduce childhood obesity . they took effect in 2012 with the goal of including more whole grains , vegetables and fruits in school meals while reducing fat and sodium . but students say the changes make the food unpalatable . i could understand how it might seem ungrateful if i got this lunch for free . but i do n't , ' 17-year-old hunter whitney told cnn . i feel like many people would be upset too if the lunch they bought looked [ like this ] . ' backlash followed from others who said students were wrong to blame michelle obama for the quality of school meals . instead , they suggested that students direct their grievances at local school districts -- or get their lunches from somewhere else . whitney , who attends richland center high school in wisconsin , said students deserve better options , especially those who ca n't leave school grounds during the day . because my school has a closed campus , it 's either bring your own , buy low-quality food you do n't like , or go hungry . ' | sarcastic tweets blame michelle obama for unappetizing school meals |
uruguay <tsp> ( cnn ) -- south africa 's world cup dream is hanging by a thread after uruguay took a firm grip on group a with a ruthless 3-0 win over the hosts . diego forlan gave the south american side a first half lead after his shot deflected off aaron mokoena and into the net . south africa pushed forward in the second half but their hopes were dashed when uruguay striker luis suarez was brought down in the penalty area by goalkeeper itumeleng khune , who was sent off . forlan converted the resulting penalty past substitute'keeper moeneeb josephs to kill the hosts off and send many south africa fans heading for the exits . alvaro pereira converted a late third as south africa desperately tried to salvage something from the game . uruguay go top of group a with four points from their two games . south africa have a solitary point after two games , and must beat france in their final game to have any hope of progressing to the knock out stages . the hosts had gone into the game buoyed by their opening day draw with mexico and riding a wave of emotion after the country enthusiastically embraced the first ever world cup held on african soil . group a was delicately poised after all four teams drew their opening game and it was uruguay who started the more positively , striker luis suarez shooting wide after just seven minutes . on 20 minutes forlan broke the deadlock . picking the ball up in midfield the atletico madrid forward surged towards the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a fierce drive on goal . the ball took a touch off mokoena and dipped under the crossbar . south africa struggled to retain possession as uruguay pushed forward but the game reached the interval with no further scoring . the hosts played with more urgency after the break but could n't unearth a chance before the game 's decisive passage of play . on 75 minutes suarez picked up a loose ball in the area before being clipped by khune 's leg . the referee pointed to the penalty spot and showed the goalkeeper a straight red card . forlan slotted the penalty into the roof of the net to take the stuffing out of south africa and as coach carlos alberto parreira 's ten men edged forward in search of a goal uruguay killed them off . suarez collected forlan 's long pass before crossing for pereira to bundle the ball home and put the game beyond doubt , right on the final whistle . group a 's other teams -- france and mexico -- play on thursday night in polokwane . south africa 's final game is against france on tuesday . | world cup hosts south africa are beaten 3-0 by uruguay |
uruguay <tsp> ( cnn ) -- south africa 's world cup dream is hanging by a thread after uruguay took a firm grip on group a with a ruthless 3-0 win over the hosts . diego forlan gave the south american side a first half lead after his shot deflected off aaron mokoena and into the net . south africa pushed forward in the second half but their hopes were dashed when uruguay striker luis suarez was brought down in the penalty area by goalkeeper itumeleng khune , who was sent off . forlan converted the resulting penalty past substitute'keeper moeneeb josephs to kill the hosts off and send many south africa fans heading for the exits . alvaro pereira converted a late third as south africa desperately tried to salvage something from the game . uruguay go top of group a with four points from their two games . south africa have a solitary point after two games , and must beat france in their final game to have any hope of progressing to the knock out stages . the hosts had gone into the game buoyed by their opening day draw with mexico and riding a wave of emotion after the country enthusiastically embraced the first ever world cup held on african soil . group a was delicately poised after all four teams drew their opening game and it was uruguay who started the more positively , striker luis suarez shooting wide after just seven minutes . on 20 minutes forlan broke the deadlock . picking the ball up in midfield the atletico madrid forward surged towards the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a fierce drive on goal . the ball took a touch off mokoena and dipped under the crossbar . south africa struggled to retain possession as uruguay pushed forward but the game reached the interval with no further scoring . the hosts played with more urgency after the break but could n't unearth a chance before the game 's decisive passage of play . on 75 minutes suarez picked up a loose ball in the area before being clipped by khune 's leg . the referee pointed to the penalty spot and showed the goalkeeper a straight red card . forlan slotted the penalty into the roof of the net to take the stuffing out of south africa and as coach carlos alberto parreira 's ten men edged forward in search of a goal uruguay killed them off . suarez collected forlan 's long pass before crossing for pereira to bundle the ball home and put the game beyond doubt , right on the final whistle . group a 's other teams -- france and mexico -- play on thursday night in polokwane . south africa 's final game is against france on tuesday . | diego forlan scored two goals for uruguay |
natalie cole <tsp> ( cnn ) -- singer natalie cole told cnn 's larry king she is searching for a kidney after an illness caused both of her kidneys to fail . singer natalie cole continues to tour , despite being on dialysis three times a week . before she finished telling king tuesday night about her battles with drugs , illnesses and her search for a kidney , dozens of e-mails flooded the cnn studio . they were all offers from people saying they would get tested to see whether their kidney could be donated . king handed a thick stack of paper to cole . these are all e-mails from dozens -- dozens of people offering to be tested to see if they can match , who want to give you a kidney , ' king said . cole stared at the papers for a moment . there are some great human beings out there . that 's all i can say , ' cole said . watch natalie cole 's interview with larry king » ' i 'm on a very long list , which is why we are looking to donors , ' said cole , the daughter of legendary crooner nat king cole . cole said her kidney troubles date back to february 2008 when she was diagnosed with hepatitis c. cole said she attributes the hepatitis c from her well-publicized struggles to stop using cocaine and heroin . cole said she has been sober for some time now after two stints in a rehabilitation clinic . cole said she underwent chemotherapy in an aggressive way to fight the virus . within four months of getting chemotherapy , both of cole 's kidneys failed . i could n't breathe . i -- i went into -- literally , my kidneys stopped functioning . they stopped , you know , processing the fluid that was starting to build up in my body . ' since then , cole has been on dialysis three days a week and has been searching for a kidney , she told king in one of the first public interviews about the issue . cole won six grammy awards for her 1991 critically acclaimed album unforgettable ... with love , ' a jazzy tribute to her father . she won a grammy this year for her new album still unforgettable ' and another grammy for her work on another album . cole said that she has still been able to tour this year even with her kidney ailment . i have been on dialysis in istanbul , milan , indonesia , manila , london . it 's -- it 's amazing , ' cole said . | natalie cole says she was diagnosed with hepatitis c in february 2008 |
african <tsp> from samba and carnival to food , music and religion , african culture is everywhere in brazil . the cultural heritage stems from the estimated four million slaves who were brought to the country over a 300-year period , at least four times as many as to the united states . brazil was the last country to abolish the slave trade in 1888 . more than half of brazilians now identify themselves as black or of mixed race , according to the latest census . rio de janeiro now has the most famous carnival in the world , attracting an estimated 1.1 million visitors to the city this year and with 5.3 million people taking part in street parties , according to the english language newspaper the rio times . carnival , which is celebrated across brazil , combines samba -- music and dance which grew out of brazil 's black neighborhoods -- and the catholic tradition of celebrating the run-up to lent brought by portuguese colonialists . after the abolition of slavery , the rituals of the catholic former colonialists and their former slaves merged to form the origins of modern carnival , according to the rio times . mixing sushi and samba - meet the japanese brazilians one explanation for the origins of carnival is that it began in a catholic church , our lady of the rosary , built by slaves in the 1700s whose masters wanted them to convert to catholicism . the black people that were part of this congregation , most of them came from congo , ' said joao carlos desales , a tour guide who took cnn around rio de janeiro . so they were able to organize a celebration where they would choose a man and a woman , and they would be the king and queen of congo . that celebration turned out to be the beginning of carnival celebrated in brazil . ' even many of brazil 's catholic saints are said to have african heritage . st benedict , whose name is remembered in our lady of the rosary church , was a slave from north africa , who promised to devote himself to catholicism if he became a free man , desales said . brazil 's patron saint , our lady of aparecida , a black clay statue of the virgin mary , was -- according to some -- found by runaway slaves on their way to quilombo , a community of runaway slaves . quilombo communities continue across brazil to this day . luis sacopa , president of the association of quilombos , runs a restaurant with his 17 members of his family in a piece of jungle in what is now an expensive suburb of rio de janeiro . his grandparents found this piece of land after escaping slavery . the family has fought a legal battle to hold on to its land against the threat of eviction , and now has official protection for their right to remain . thanks to god we have had success and we 're still here at the end of our dispute , ' said sacopa . thanks to god , the family has united , we 're fighting and we 're winning the fight against the elite in this expensive neighborhood of rio de janeiro . ' sacopa said he was able to resist eviction with the help of his orixas , gods of the yoruba people of southwest nigeria , benin and togo . in brazil , the religion is known as candomble , and it has a large following in some afro-brazilian areas , particularly salvador in bahia state . also on inside africa : why tanzanians believe in witchcraft candomble was prohibited in brazil up until the 1950s , but influenced much of the country 's food and music . in sacopa 's restaurant he serves feijoada , a typical brazilian dish originally created by slaves from their masters'leftovers . a new historical circuit of african heritage opened in rio de janeiro in 2010 to help tourists and descendants of slaves reconnect with the past slavery . the project began after workers installing a new drainage system in the central districts of saude and gamboa discovered hundreds of personal objects belonging to african slaves , according to the rio times . archaeologists established that this was the site of the 19th century slave trading complex , the cais do valongo , or valongo quays . many of the discoveries are now on display in the valongo gardens , the newspaper reported . another discovery of recent years is the remains of a squalid slave cemetery in the courtyard of a home in central rio de janeiro . renaldo tavares , an archeologist who has been studying the discovery , said : these are human remains mixed in with the garbage from the city . it shows how society in the 19th century treated slaves . bones , pieces of ceramic , bits from construction , tiles , animal remains , bits of food , society threw all sorts of things in here . slaves were considered garbage by society . ' ana de la merced guimaraes , the homeowner who discovered the bones in her courtyard , said : when we started a reform in our house , we found all these bones . we thought it was a family grave , but there was so much we thought maybe it had been a serial killer . but then we calmed down and talked about it and called a lawyer and the police . and he said do n't worry , we are n't going to accuse you , it 's probably something very old . a neighbor told us , a long time ago , your street was a slave cemetery . ' brazil 's third city salvador , in bahia state , northeast brazil , has some of the strongest links to africa . salvador was the first colonial capital of brazil and its central district , pelourinho , now a unesco world heritage site , was the new world 's first slave market from 1553 , according to unesco . | a historical circuit of african heritage in rio de janeiro helps to connect the past and present |
african <tsp> from samba and carnival to food , music and religion , african culture is everywhere in brazil . the cultural heritage stems from the estimated four million slaves who were brought to the country over a 300-year period , at least four times as many as to the united states . brazil was the last country to abolish the slave trade in 1888 . more than half of brazilians now identify themselves as black or of mixed race , according to the latest census . rio de janeiro now has the most famous carnival in the world , attracting an estimated 1.1 million visitors to the city this year and with 5.3 million people taking part in street parties , according to the english language newspaper the rio times . carnival , which is celebrated across brazil , combines samba -- music and dance which grew out of brazil 's black neighborhoods -- and the catholic tradition of celebrating the run-up to lent brought by portuguese colonialists . after the abolition of slavery , the rituals of the catholic former colonialists and their former slaves merged to form the origins of modern carnival , according to the rio times . mixing sushi and samba - meet the japanese brazilians one explanation for the origins of carnival is that it began in a catholic church , our lady of the rosary , built by slaves in the 1700s whose masters wanted them to convert to catholicism . the black people that were part of this congregation , most of them came from congo , ' said joao carlos desales , a tour guide who took cnn around rio de janeiro . so they were able to organize a celebration where they would choose a man and a woman , and they would be the king and queen of congo . that celebration turned out to be the beginning of carnival celebrated in brazil . ' even many of brazil 's catholic saints are said to have african heritage . st benedict , whose name is remembered in our lady of the rosary church , was a slave from north africa , who promised to devote himself to catholicism if he became a free man , desales said . brazil 's patron saint , our lady of aparecida , a black clay statue of the virgin mary , was -- according to some -- found by runaway slaves on their way to quilombo , a community of runaway slaves . quilombo communities continue across brazil to this day . luis sacopa , president of the association of quilombos , runs a restaurant with his 17 members of his family in a piece of jungle in what is now an expensive suburb of rio de janeiro . his grandparents found this piece of land after escaping slavery . the family has fought a legal battle to hold on to its land against the threat of eviction , and now has official protection for their right to remain . thanks to god we have had success and we 're still here at the end of our dispute , ' said sacopa . thanks to god , the family has united , we 're fighting and we 're winning the fight against the elite in this expensive neighborhood of rio de janeiro . ' sacopa said he was able to resist eviction with the help of his orixas , gods of the yoruba people of southwest nigeria , benin and togo . in brazil , the religion is known as candomble , and it has a large following in some afro-brazilian areas , particularly salvador in bahia state . also on inside africa : why tanzanians believe in witchcraft candomble was prohibited in brazil up until the 1950s , but influenced much of the country 's food and music . in sacopa 's restaurant he serves feijoada , a typical brazilian dish originally created by slaves from their masters'leftovers . a new historical circuit of african heritage opened in rio de janeiro in 2010 to help tourists and descendants of slaves reconnect with the past slavery . the project began after workers installing a new drainage system in the central districts of saude and gamboa discovered hundreds of personal objects belonging to african slaves , according to the rio times . archaeologists established that this was the site of the 19th century slave trading complex , the cais do valongo , or valongo quays . many of the discoveries are now on display in the valongo gardens , the newspaper reported . another discovery of recent years is the remains of a squalid slave cemetery in the courtyard of a home in central rio de janeiro . renaldo tavares , an archeologist who has been studying the discovery , said : these are human remains mixed in with the garbage from the city . it shows how society in the 19th century treated slaves . bones , pieces of ceramic , bits from construction , tiles , animal remains , bits of food , society threw all sorts of things in here . slaves were considered garbage by society . ' ana de la merced guimaraes , the homeowner who discovered the bones in her courtyard , said : when we started a reform in our house , we found all these bones . we thought it was a family grave , but there was so much we thought maybe it had been a serial killer . but then we calmed down and talked about it and called a lawyer and the police . and he said do n't worry , we are n't going to accuse you , it 's probably something very old . a neighbor told us , a long time ago , your street was a slave cemetery . ' brazil 's third city salvador , in bahia state , northeast brazil , has some of the strongest links to africa . salvador was the first colonial capital of brazil and its central district , pelourinho , now a unesco world heritage site , was the new world 's first slave market from 1553 , according to unesco . | african culture is evident in brazil 's carnival , music , dance food and religion |
historical circuit <tsp> from samba and carnival to food , music and religion , african culture is everywhere in brazil . the cultural heritage stems from the estimated four million slaves who were brought to the country over a 300-year period , at least four times as many as to the united states . brazil was the last country to abolish the slave trade in 1888 . more than half of brazilians now identify themselves as black or of mixed race , according to the latest census . rio de janeiro now has the most famous carnival in the world , attracting an estimated 1.1 million visitors to the city this year and with 5.3 million people taking part in street parties , according to the english language newspaper the rio times . carnival , which is celebrated across brazil , combines samba -- music and dance which grew out of brazil 's black neighborhoods -- and the catholic tradition of celebrating the run-up to lent brought by portuguese colonialists . after the abolition of slavery , the rituals of the catholic former colonialists and their former slaves merged to form the origins of modern carnival , according to the rio times . mixing sushi and samba - meet the japanese brazilians one explanation for the origins of carnival is that it began in a catholic church , our lady of the rosary , built by slaves in the 1700s whose masters wanted them to convert to catholicism . the black people that were part of this congregation , most of them came from congo , ' said joao carlos desales , a tour guide who took cnn around rio de janeiro . so they were able to organize a celebration where they would choose a man and a woman , and they would be the king and queen of congo . that celebration turned out to be the beginning of carnival celebrated in brazil . ' even many of brazil 's catholic saints are said to have african heritage . st benedict , whose name is remembered in our lady of the rosary church , was a slave from north africa , who promised to devote himself to catholicism if he became a free man , desales said . brazil 's patron saint , our lady of aparecida , a black clay statue of the virgin mary , was -- according to some -- found by runaway slaves on their way to quilombo , a community of runaway slaves . quilombo communities continue across brazil to this day . luis sacopa , president of the association of quilombos , runs a restaurant with his 17 members of his family in a piece of jungle in what is now an expensive suburb of rio de janeiro . his grandparents found this piece of land after escaping slavery . the family has fought a legal battle to hold on to its land against the threat of eviction , and now has official protection for their right to remain . thanks to god we have had success and we 're still here at the end of our dispute , ' said sacopa . thanks to god , the family has united , we 're fighting and we 're winning the fight against the elite in this expensive neighborhood of rio de janeiro . ' sacopa said he was able to resist eviction with the help of his orixas , gods of the yoruba people of southwest nigeria , benin and togo . in brazil , the religion is known as candomble , and it has a large following in some afro-brazilian areas , particularly salvador in bahia state . also on inside africa : why tanzanians believe in witchcraft candomble was prohibited in brazil up until the 1950s , but influenced much of the country 's food and music . in sacopa 's restaurant he serves feijoada , a typical brazilian dish originally created by slaves from their masters'leftovers . a new historical circuit of african heritage opened in rio de janeiro in 2010 to help tourists and descendants of slaves reconnect with the past slavery . the project began after workers installing a new drainage system in the central districts of saude and gamboa discovered hundreds of personal objects belonging to african slaves , according to the rio times . archaeologists established that this was the site of the 19th century slave trading complex , the cais do valongo , or valongo quays . many of the discoveries are now on display in the valongo gardens , the newspaper reported . another discovery of recent years is the remains of a squalid slave cemetery in the courtyard of a home in central rio de janeiro . renaldo tavares , an archeologist who has been studying the discovery , said : these are human remains mixed in with the garbage from the city . it shows how society in the 19th century treated slaves . bones , pieces of ceramic , bits from construction , tiles , animal remains , bits of food , society threw all sorts of things in here . slaves were considered garbage by society . ' ana de la merced guimaraes , the homeowner who discovered the bones in her courtyard , said : when we started a reform in our house , we found all these bones . we thought it was a family grave , but there was so much we thought maybe it had been a serial killer . but then we calmed down and talked about it and called a lawyer and the police . and he said do n't worry , we are n't going to accuse you , it 's probably something very old . a neighbor told us , a long time ago , your street was a slave cemetery . ' brazil 's third city salvador , in bahia state , northeast brazil , has some of the strongest links to africa . salvador was the first colonial capital of brazil and its central district , pelourinho , now a unesco world heritage site , was the new world 's first slave market from 1553 , according to unesco . | a historical circuit of african heritage in rio de janeiro helps to connect the past and present |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after just over a century of amicable relations , brazil has decided to cool its relationship with iran . gone are the days when brazil 's leader , president luiz inacio lula ' da silva ( 2002-2010 ) , worked hard to strengthen brazil 's partnership with iran , defending iranian interests , sharing and learning from similar policy experiences over cafezinho . at a time when brazil has sought every opportunity to engage the international community and increase its influence as a mediator of conflict and peace , why has brazil 's new president , dilma rousseff , refrained from strengthening the government 's ties with iran ? the answer lies in rousseff 's personal experiences and geopolitical ambitions . as someone who experienced human rights violations first hand under brazil 's military dictatorships ( 1964-1985 ) , rousseff has been unwaveringly committed to human rights . she has made it crystal clear that she will not support iran unless president mahmoud ahmadinejad seriously addresses this issue . it 's striking how quickly two nations sharing similar economic and geopolitical interests have suddenly distanced themselves from each other and how brazil 's decision may negatively affect iran 's relationship with other countries . what this also suggests is that amicable relationships between similar nations are never guaranteed and that a sudden change in government interests and aspirations can reverse historic partnerships while having broader geopolitical ramifications . for rousseff , personal experiences matter . as a high school student from the city of belo horizonte , she joined a marxist revolutionary group called palmares revolutionary armed vanguard ( var-palmares ) , which sought to dethrone a military government that repeatedly violated civil and human rights . in 1970 , she was arrested , interrogated and placed in prison . while serving three years , rousseff was periodically tortured : electrical shocks ran throughout her body ; she was incessantly beaten and called names ; she was hung upside down in between two steel platforms in what the military called the pau de arara , parrots perch . ' by the time of her release at 25 , she lost more than 22 pounds and her thyroid glands were nearly destroyed . needless to say , these horrific experiences had an enduring imprint on rousseff 's foreign policy views . indeed , when questioned about iran during her campaign trail in 2009 , the first two words to often come out of her mouth were human ' and rights . ' the iranian regime 's atrocious history of killing thousands of dissidents , when combined with iranian court orders to have several people stoned to death for violating the law was viewed by rousseff as medieval behavior . ' moreover , the regime 's decision to continuously throw political opponents in jail touched a sensitive nerve with rousseff . she made it very clear that before any business took place with iran , ahmadinejad would need to stop these barbaric acts . yet this may prove difficult as ahmadinejad 's political influence is often perceived as limited because of the presence of iran 's supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei . being blamed and essentially ignored by ahmadinejad also did n't help . last year , ahmadinejad 's media adviser , ali akbar javanfekr , was quoted as stating that rousseff had destroyed years of good relations ' between them . under lula , brazil strengthened its political and economic ties with iran through trade ( indirectly via dubai , estimated at $ 1.25 billion in 2010 ) and investment in iran 's oil sector . but when ahmadinejad visited latin america this january , he avoided meeting with rousseff . apparently he regrets having done so and plans to meet with her later this year . rousseff 's geopolitical aspirations have also caused her to step away from tehran . after lula joined turkey in 2010 to vote against u.n. sanctions on iran for failing to disclose information about its nuclear reactor site and ignoring secretary of state hillary clinton 's request to do so , it appears that rousseff views distancing herself from iran as a way to strengthen brazil 's relationship with the united states . through these efforts , it seems that rousseff is seeking to garner u.s. support for a permanent seat on the u.n. security council , as well as increasing brazil 's influence in major international financial institutions , such as the international monetary fund . without rousseff 's support , ahmadinejad faces problems in latin america . iran has tried to strengthen ties with venezuela , ecuador , bolivia , cuba , and until recently , brazil . and it 's opened six embassies in the region since 2005 , sans brazil . but ahmadinejad can essentially forget about getting the support of brazil 's close economic allies , such as mexico , argentina and chile . ahmadinejad has also failed to live up to his promise of helping spur economic development in the region . at a time when he is trying to increase his legitimacy , given his hostile relationship with israel and efforts to develop his nuclear reactors , ahmadinejad might not be able to afford losing his latin friends , as they have defended him in the past and their support makes him look less isolated in the world . this freeze in relations with brazil , and iran 's gradual loss of allies in the region , also opens up further opportunity for the united nations to impose and enforce additional sanctions on iran . should this occur , ahmadinejad faces the specter of other allies questioning their relationship with iran , which could have serious political and economic repercussions for iran . despite the rich history that these two nations share , it seems unlikely that rousseff will want to strengthen her ties with ahmadinejad . with aspirations to increase brazil 's international influence and geopolitical importance , she will likely place more stock in strengthening her relationship with the united states and other cooperative nations within the united nations . unless ahmadinejad changes his tune on human rights and decides to fully abide by u.n. rules , iran 's losses may go beyond brazil . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ed gómez . | rousseff , a torture victim , has raised concerns about human rights in iran , he says |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after just over a century of amicable relations , brazil has decided to cool its relationship with iran . gone are the days when brazil 's leader , president luiz inacio lula ' da silva ( 2002-2010 ) , worked hard to strengthen brazil 's partnership with iran , defending iranian interests , sharing and learning from similar policy experiences over cafezinho . at a time when brazil has sought every opportunity to engage the international community and increase its influence as a mediator of conflict and peace , why has brazil 's new president , dilma rousseff , refrained from strengthening the government 's ties with iran ? the answer lies in rousseff 's personal experiences and geopolitical ambitions . as someone who experienced human rights violations first hand under brazil 's military dictatorships ( 1964-1985 ) , rousseff has been unwaveringly committed to human rights . she has made it crystal clear that she will not support iran unless president mahmoud ahmadinejad seriously addresses this issue . it 's striking how quickly two nations sharing similar economic and geopolitical interests have suddenly distanced themselves from each other and how brazil 's decision may negatively affect iran 's relationship with other countries . what this also suggests is that amicable relationships between similar nations are never guaranteed and that a sudden change in government interests and aspirations can reverse historic partnerships while having broader geopolitical ramifications . for rousseff , personal experiences matter . as a high school student from the city of belo horizonte , she joined a marxist revolutionary group called palmares revolutionary armed vanguard ( var-palmares ) , which sought to dethrone a military government that repeatedly violated civil and human rights . in 1970 , she was arrested , interrogated and placed in prison . while serving three years , rousseff was periodically tortured : electrical shocks ran throughout her body ; she was incessantly beaten and called names ; she was hung upside down in between two steel platforms in what the military called the pau de arara , parrots perch . ' by the time of her release at 25 , she lost more than 22 pounds and her thyroid glands were nearly destroyed . needless to say , these horrific experiences had an enduring imprint on rousseff 's foreign policy views . indeed , when questioned about iran during her campaign trail in 2009 , the first two words to often come out of her mouth were human ' and rights . ' the iranian regime 's atrocious history of killing thousands of dissidents , when combined with iranian court orders to have several people stoned to death for violating the law was viewed by rousseff as medieval behavior . ' moreover , the regime 's decision to continuously throw political opponents in jail touched a sensitive nerve with rousseff . she made it very clear that before any business took place with iran , ahmadinejad would need to stop these barbaric acts . yet this may prove difficult as ahmadinejad 's political influence is often perceived as limited because of the presence of iran 's supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei . being blamed and essentially ignored by ahmadinejad also did n't help . last year , ahmadinejad 's media adviser , ali akbar javanfekr , was quoted as stating that rousseff had destroyed years of good relations ' between them . under lula , brazil strengthened its political and economic ties with iran through trade ( indirectly via dubai , estimated at $ 1.25 billion in 2010 ) and investment in iran 's oil sector . but when ahmadinejad visited latin america this january , he avoided meeting with rousseff . apparently he regrets having done so and plans to meet with her later this year . rousseff 's geopolitical aspirations have also caused her to step away from tehran . after lula joined turkey in 2010 to vote against u.n. sanctions on iran for failing to disclose information about its nuclear reactor site and ignoring secretary of state hillary clinton 's request to do so , it appears that rousseff views distancing herself from iran as a way to strengthen brazil 's relationship with the united states . through these efforts , it seems that rousseff is seeking to garner u.s. support for a permanent seat on the u.n. security council , as well as increasing brazil 's influence in major international financial institutions , such as the international monetary fund . without rousseff 's support , ahmadinejad faces problems in latin america . iran has tried to strengthen ties with venezuela , ecuador , bolivia , cuba , and until recently , brazil . and it 's opened six embassies in the region since 2005 , sans brazil . but ahmadinejad can essentially forget about getting the support of brazil 's close economic allies , such as mexico , argentina and chile . ahmadinejad has also failed to live up to his promise of helping spur economic development in the region . at a time when he is trying to increase his legitimacy , given his hostile relationship with israel and efforts to develop his nuclear reactors , ahmadinejad might not be able to afford losing his latin friends , as they have defended him in the past and their support makes him look less isolated in the world . this freeze in relations with brazil , and iran 's gradual loss of allies in the region , also opens up further opportunity for the united nations to impose and enforce additional sanctions on iran . should this occur , ahmadinejad faces the specter of other allies questioning their relationship with iran , which could have serious political and economic repercussions for iran . despite the rich history that these two nations share , it seems unlikely that rousseff will want to strengthen her ties with ahmadinejad . with aspirations to increase brazil 's international influence and geopolitical importance , she will likely place more stock in strengthening her relationship with the united states and other cooperative nations within the united nations . unless ahmadinejad changes his tune on human rights and decides to fully abide by u.n. rules , iran 's losses may go beyond brazil . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ed gómez . | he says president dilma rousseff has taken steps to distance brazil from iran |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after just over a century of amicable relations , brazil has decided to cool its relationship with iran . gone are the days when brazil 's leader , president luiz inacio lula ' da silva ( 2002-2010 ) , worked hard to strengthen brazil 's partnership with iran , defending iranian interests , sharing and learning from similar policy experiences over cafezinho . at a time when brazil has sought every opportunity to engage the international community and increase its influence as a mediator of conflict and peace , why has brazil 's new president , dilma rousseff , refrained from strengthening the government 's ties with iran ? the answer lies in rousseff 's personal experiences and geopolitical ambitions . as someone who experienced human rights violations first hand under brazil 's military dictatorships ( 1964-1985 ) , rousseff has been unwaveringly committed to human rights . she has made it crystal clear that she will not support iran unless president mahmoud ahmadinejad seriously addresses this issue . it 's striking how quickly two nations sharing similar economic and geopolitical interests have suddenly distanced themselves from each other and how brazil 's decision may negatively affect iran 's relationship with other countries . what this also suggests is that amicable relationships between similar nations are never guaranteed and that a sudden change in government interests and aspirations can reverse historic partnerships while having broader geopolitical ramifications . for rousseff , personal experiences matter . as a high school student from the city of belo horizonte , she joined a marxist revolutionary group called palmares revolutionary armed vanguard ( var-palmares ) , which sought to dethrone a military government that repeatedly violated civil and human rights . in 1970 , she was arrested , interrogated and placed in prison . while serving three years , rousseff was periodically tortured : electrical shocks ran throughout her body ; she was incessantly beaten and called names ; she was hung upside down in between two steel platforms in what the military called the pau de arara , parrots perch . ' by the time of her release at 25 , she lost more than 22 pounds and her thyroid glands were nearly destroyed . needless to say , these horrific experiences had an enduring imprint on rousseff 's foreign policy views . indeed , when questioned about iran during her campaign trail in 2009 , the first two words to often come out of her mouth were human ' and rights . ' the iranian regime 's atrocious history of killing thousands of dissidents , when combined with iranian court orders to have several people stoned to death for violating the law was viewed by rousseff as medieval behavior . ' moreover , the regime 's decision to continuously throw political opponents in jail touched a sensitive nerve with rousseff . she made it very clear that before any business took place with iran , ahmadinejad would need to stop these barbaric acts . yet this may prove difficult as ahmadinejad 's political influence is often perceived as limited because of the presence of iran 's supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei . being blamed and essentially ignored by ahmadinejad also did n't help . last year , ahmadinejad 's media adviser , ali akbar javanfekr , was quoted as stating that rousseff had destroyed years of good relations ' between them . under lula , brazil strengthened its political and economic ties with iran through trade ( indirectly via dubai , estimated at $ 1.25 billion in 2010 ) and investment in iran 's oil sector . but when ahmadinejad visited latin america this january , he avoided meeting with rousseff . apparently he regrets having done so and plans to meet with her later this year . rousseff 's geopolitical aspirations have also caused her to step away from tehran . after lula joined turkey in 2010 to vote against u.n. sanctions on iran for failing to disclose information about its nuclear reactor site and ignoring secretary of state hillary clinton 's request to do so , it appears that rousseff views distancing herself from iran as a way to strengthen brazil 's relationship with the united states . through these efforts , it seems that rousseff is seeking to garner u.s. support for a permanent seat on the u.n. security council , as well as increasing brazil 's influence in major international financial institutions , such as the international monetary fund . without rousseff 's support , ahmadinejad faces problems in latin america . iran has tried to strengthen ties with venezuela , ecuador , bolivia , cuba , and until recently , brazil . and it 's opened six embassies in the region since 2005 , sans brazil . but ahmadinejad can essentially forget about getting the support of brazil 's close economic allies , such as mexico , argentina and chile . ahmadinejad has also failed to live up to his promise of helping spur economic development in the region . at a time when he is trying to increase his legitimacy , given his hostile relationship with israel and efforts to develop his nuclear reactors , ahmadinejad might not be able to afford losing his latin friends , as they have defended him in the past and their support makes him look less isolated in the world . this freeze in relations with brazil , and iran 's gradual loss of allies in the region , also opens up further opportunity for the united nations to impose and enforce additional sanctions on iran . should this occur , ahmadinejad faces the specter of other allies questioning their relationship with iran , which could have serious political and economic repercussions for iran . despite the rich history that these two nations share , it seems unlikely that rousseff will want to strengthen her ties with ahmadinejad . with aspirations to increase brazil 's international influence and geopolitical importance , she will likely place more stock in strengthening her relationship with the united states and other cooperative nations within the united nations . unless ahmadinejad changes his tune on human rights and decides to fully abide by u.n. rules , iran 's losses may go beyond brazil . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ed gómez . | gómez : brazil 's actions could strengthen ties with u.s. , further isolate iran |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after just over a century of amicable relations , brazil has decided to cool its relationship with iran . gone are the days when brazil 's leader , president luiz inacio lula ' da silva ( 2002-2010 ) , worked hard to strengthen brazil 's partnership with iran , defending iranian interests , sharing and learning from similar policy experiences over cafezinho . at a time when brazil has sought every opportunity to engage the international community and increase its influence as a mediator of conflict and peace , why has brazil 's new president , dilma rousseff , refrained from strengthening the government 's ties with iran ? the answer lies in rousseff 's personal experiences and geopolitical ambitions . as someone who experienced human rights violations first hand under brazil 's military dictatorships ( 1964-1985 ) , rousseff has been unwaveringly committed to human rights . she has made it crystal clear that she will not support iran unless president mahmoud ahmadinejad seriously addresses this issue . it 's striking how quickly two nations sharing similar economic and geopolitical interests have suddenly distanced themselves from each other and how brazil 's decision may negatively affect iran 's relationship with other countries . what this also suggests is that amicable relationships between similar nations are never guaranteed and that a sudden change in government interests and aspirations can reverse historic partnerships while having broader geopolitical ramifications . for rousseff , personal experiences matter . as a high school student from the city of belo horizonte , she joined a marxist revolutionary group called palmares revolutionary armed vanguard ( var-palmares ) , which sought to dethrone a military government that repeatedly violated civil and human rights . in 1970 , she was arrested , interrogated and placed in prison . while serving three years , rousseff was periodically tortured : electrical shocks ran throughout her body ; she was incessantly beaten and called names ; she was hung upside down in between two steel platforms in what the military called the pau de arara , parrots perch . ' by the time of her release at 25 , she lost more than 22 pounds and her thyroid glands were nearly destroyed . needless to say , these horrific experiences had an enduring imprint on rousseff 's foreign policy views . indeed , when questioned about iran during her campaign trail in 2009 , the first two words to often come out of her mouth were human ' and rights . ' the iranian regime 's atrocious history of killing thousands of dissidents , when combined with iranian court orders to have several people stoned to death for violating the law was viewed by rousseff as medieval behavior . ' moreover , the regime 's decision to continuously throw political opponents in jail touched a sensitive nerve with rousseff . she made it very clear that before any business took place with iran , ahmadinejad would need to stop these barbaric acts . yet this may prove difficult as ahmadinejad 's political influence is often perceived as limited because of the presence of iran 's supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei . being blamed and essentially ignored by ahmadinejad also did n't help . last year , ahmadinejad 's media adviser , ali akbar javanfekr , was quoted as stating that rousseff had destroyed years of good relations ' between them . under lula , brazil strengthened its political and economic ties with iran through trade ( indirectly via dubai , estimated at $ 1.25 billion in 2010 ) and investment in iran 's oil sector . but when ahmadinejad visited latin america this january , he avoided meeting with rousseff . apparently he regrets having done so and plans to meet with her later this year . rousseff 's geopolitical aspirations have also caused her to step away from tehran . after lula joined turkey in 2010 to vote against u.n. sanctions on iran for failing to disclose information about its nuclear reactor site and ignoring secretary of state hillary clinton 's request to do so , it appears that rousseff views distancing herself from iran as a way to strengthen brazil 's relationship with the united states . through these efforts , it seems that rousseff is seeking to garner u.s. support for a permanent seat on the u.n. security council , as well as increasing brazil 's influence in major international financial institutions , such as the international monetary fund . without rousseff 's support , ahmadinejad faces problems in latin america . iran has tried to strengthen ties with venezuela , ecuador , bolivia , cuba , and until recently , brazil . and it 's opened six embassies in the region since 2005 , sans brazil . but ahmadinejad can essentially forget about getting the support of brazil 's close economic allies , such as mexico , argentina and chile . ahmadinejad has also failed to live up to his promise of helping spur economic development in the region . at a time when he is trying to increase his legitimacy , given his hostile relationship with israel and efforts to develop his nuclear reactors , ahmadinejad might not be able to afford losing his latin friends , as they have defended him in the past and their support makes him look less isolated in the world . this freeze in relations with brazil , and iran 's gradual loss of allies in the region , also opens up further opportunity for the united nations to impose and enforce additional sanctions on iran . should this occur , ahmadinejad faces the specter of other allies questioning their relationship with iran , which could have serious political and economic repercussions for iran . despite the rich history that these two nations share , it seems unlikely that rousseff will want to strengthen her ties with ahmadinejad . with aspirations to increase brazil 's international influence and geopolitical importance , she will likely place more stock in strengthening her relationship with the united states and other cooperative nations within the united nations . unless ahmadinejad changes his tune on human rights and decides to fully abide by u.n. rules , iran 's losses may go beyond brazil . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ed gómez . | for a century , brazil has had amicable relations with iran , says eduardo gómez |
west ham <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester united claimed a controversial 2-0 victory at home to tottenham on saturday night to keep up the pressure on english premier league leaders chelsea . united stayed within five points of the defending champions , who came from behind to beat blackburn 2-1 earlier in the day , following a bizarre incident late in the match at old trafford . nani was allowed to put the ball into the tottenham net while goalkeeper heurelho gomes was trying to take a free-kick , after the portugal midfielder handled when he went down having vainly claimed a penalty . the linesman instantly flagged , but referee mark clattenburg over-ruled him and awarded united a second goal to the fury of the visiting team -- who have been on the wrong side of several controversial decisions at old trafford in the past decade . united boss alex ferguson said nani had correctly played to the whistle . nani looked back and looked at the referee , and the referee said play on , so what can he do but put the ball in the net , ' ferguson said . you can look at the referee and look at the linesmen and blame them , but the goalkeeper should know better . he 's an experienced goalkeeper . i thought he made a mess of it . i thought it was a penalty first of all and i think nani felt he handled the ball . but the referee did n't blow for it . ' fifth-placed tottenham extended their historically dreadful run at united 's home ground to 21 years without a victory , but had been in the match until the 84th-minute incident . park ji-sung hit the base of the spurs post in the eighth minute , but dutch midfielder rafael van der vaart rattled his compatriot edwin van der sar 's woodwork with an even more spectacular effort just after the half-hour mark -- a day after the goalkeeper 's 40th birthday . united took the lead five minutes later as tottenham paid for poor defending , with serbia center-back nemanja vidic stealing in unmarked to head home nani 's curling free-kick . van der sar then did well to keep out a fierce shot from luka modric , but tottenham lacked the potency to equalize despite their smooth passing game , with boss harry redknapp bringing on roman pavlyuchenko and peter crouch to replace robbie keane and van der vaart . chelsea , still missing injured england midfielder frank lampard , needed an 84th-minute winner from branislav ivanovic to see off blackburn , who earlier in the week announced the club is poised to be the first in the premier league to have indian owners . zimbabwean striker benjani mwaruwari had headed a 21st-minute opener for his first goal for rovers , from el-hadji diouf 's cross , but former france striker nicolas anelka leveled three minutes before the break after didier drogba nodded down florent malouda 's cross . blackburn could have led again in the 81st minute but striker jason roberts missed a golden chance , and the londoners immediately pounced for the winner as serbian defender ivanovic headed home yuri zhirkov 's cross . blackburn could have scored before our goal and we were a little bit lucky , ' chelsea coach carlo ancelotti told reporters . to win here was important because they were better . we were not great again . blackburn put us under some pressure and we were not able to play our football . ' arsenal claimed second place on goal difference above manchester united after snatching victory at home to bottom club west ham , with alex song heading a late winner following an end-to-end london derby . france midfielder samir nasri hit the crossbar with a long-range free-kick and england winger theo walcott struck the post after coming on as a substitute , while former england goalkeeper robert green kept the visitors in the game with a series of fine saves . but cameroon international song finally broke the deadlock with two minutes to play with a diving effort from fullback gael clichy 's cross . arsenal manager arsene wenger told reporters that captain cesc fabregas should be available for wednesday 's champions league trip to ukraine 's shakhtar donetsk despite suffering a hamstring twinge . however , manchester city 's hopes of a first league crown since 1968 were dented by a second successive defeat , this time at lowly wolverhampton , which left the club eight points behind chelsea . beaten 3-0 by arsenal last weekend , city went ahead in the 23rd minute with a penalty from emmanuel adebayor -- who was partnered up front by mario balotelli in the absence of injured captain carlos tevez . but serbia midfielder nenad milijas equalized on half an hour and david edwards -- who headed against the post in the first period -- gave wolves a first win since the opening day of the season with a 57th-minute strike . but wolves remained second from bottom on goal difference below liverpool , who travel to bolton sunday . everton moved up to seventh place with a 1-0 win at home to stoke city , with nigeria striker yakubu scoring his first goal since april in the 67th minute . fulham climbed to eighth with a 2-0 victory against wigan , with u.s. international clint dempsey netting both goals in the first half for the home side . | arsenal claim second place after snatching late 1-0 win at bottom side west ham |
olympic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with austerity measures exposing sharp ideological rifts between european nations , and a shadow now hanging over the future of the single currency , it 's safe to say that relations on the continent have seen better days . with this in mind , a new force has emerged to resuscitate the old ideal of a truly unified europe . but it 's no political party , lobby group or think tank . the latest vehicle flying the flag for eu solidarity ( quite literally in this case ) is a 30 meter-long , 44 meter-high yacht . according to its founders , the esimit europa 2 ' aims to promote pan-european cooperation and a sense of common identity through the unifying power of sport . this boat represents the best of europe in terms of sailing , and it shows that people from different countries can set their differences aside to compete and win as a team . when you are not working together you ca n't win , and without winning there is no future , ' said the project 's slovenian co-founder igor simcic . esimit europa 2 ' is the only yacht in the world that has been granted the right to fly the blue and gold european flag . it has also won the backing of two of europe 's most powerful men -- the president of the european parliament , martin schulz , and the president of the european commission , jose manuel barroso . effusive in his support of the yacht , shulz recently spoke about the importance of such projects : ' a yacht , navigated by a truly european crew , sailing under the european flag , is a strong symbol of european unity and cooperation . europe needs such symbols , which have power to unite and inspire , ' he said last month in a specially recorded video message , laden with suitably apt sailing metaphors : ' today , more than ever , europeans are all in the same boat and only together we can ride out of current storm and reach safe harbor . the esimit europa ' project is a bright example of the optimism that better times are ahead , ' he said . if only europe 's economic prospects really were aligned with the fortune 's of the esimit europa 2 ' . its highly experienced 18-man pan-european crew , led by two-time america 's cup winner and three-time german olympic champion jochen schumann , has so far claimed 11 consecutive wins -- breaking two course records in their 2010 rookie season alone . more from mainsail : solo adventurer says she 's relieved to be back on land but working with so many nationalities on one boat ( the crew is composed of representatives from six eu countries ) poses evident communication problems . to become successful we had to agree on a common language , ' says skipper schumann . we chose english for obvious reasons , but as people do n't have that many words in their personal english dictionary we 've ended up with a very efficient and'to-the-point'language , which works in our favor during races . ' schumann , who grew up in east berlin , believes his experiences -- both before and after the fall of the berlin wall -- has made him appreciate the vision of a united europe . i am proud to be german , but i am also proud to be european . being the skipper of this boat is very much like my personal vision for europe . of course there are always going to be some europeans that feel more nationalistic than others -- even in a team like ours -- but as long as we share the same goal and work together we can win , ' he said . however , at the moment there are few instances of teams competing under the european flag , with the rare notable exception of the ryder cup - the biennial golf competition between europe and america . according to the university of michigan 's professor andrei markovits , who has written extensively on the connections between sports and politics , the reason there are so few pan-european sports teams reflects the problem of individual emotional engagement . in sports where the emotional stakes are very high , such as football or ice hockey , it 's unlikely that these ( continental ) types of teams will appear because people care too much about their clubs and national teams , ' he said . in sports where the emotional stakes are low it could work -- but then it will just remain cute and nice , simply because it does n't matter to people . it 's always easy to unite in intellect but not as easy in terms of your guts , ' he added . the greater issue , markovits argues , is that sport is by its very nature combative . in sports you will always have a winner and a loser . it 's a zero-sum game . so you have to ask yourself whom is a pan-national team competing against ? ' watch related : the secret world of the america 's cup as things stand , the esimit europea 2 ' is only scheduled to compete against boats represented in the big european regattas . but if its visionary founder igor simcic has anything to do with it , there will soon be a new breed of regatta . i think in the future you might see continents or regions race against each other , such as europe against the u.s. and china , ' he said . but with national anti-european sentiment spreading , and the euro on the brink of a possible collapse , can a yacht really be the a symbol which unifies a continent ? schümann , at least , believes it can . for centuries sailing has been a way of connecting countries and continents , ' he said . so i think'esimit europa 2'is a very fitting symbol of what we are trying to achieve -- which is to show the world that we are always stronger if we work together . ' | skipper jochen schümann is a three time german olympic champion and two times america 's cup winner |
confederate <tsp> ( mental floss ) -- even in the midst of the civil war , there was still one thing the north and south shared -- a serious addiction to caffeine . confederate troops were less likely to get a cup of coffee . in that respect , the union clearly had an advantage . not only did the north have more than two-thirds of the population and control most of the heavy industry , railroads , and financial reserves in the country , it hoarded supplies of the highly addictive little bean , leaving the confederacy to wage its own war against java deprivation . coffee : it 's what 's for breakfast , lunch and dinner throughout the civil war , coffee was as prevalent on the battlefields as it is in offices today . in fact , the union army was fueled by the stuff to the point that , if there was no time to boil water , the boys in blue would chew on whole beans as they marched . and at night , union campsites were dotted with tiny fires , each boiling a pot of coffee like a million miniature starbucks . beyond caffeine cravings , union troops loved their coffee because it was , literally , the best thing on the menu . before the advent of helpful ( and tasty ! ) artificial preservatives , a marching soldier 's rations were neither varied nor particularly appetizing . typically , they consisted of salted meat , unleavened bread ( accurately christened hardtack ' ) , and a little sugar and salt . it did n't help that union supply chains were riddled with corrupt food contractors who charged the government top dollar for rotten , stale , and insect-ridden foodstuffs . coffee , however , was almost always fresh because it was delivered in whole-bean form -- making it difficult for even the most dishonest supplier to skimp on quality . not that they did n't try , of course . in fact , officials began requesting coffee as whole beans after some crooked contractors tried to up their per-pound profits by slipping sand and dirt into packages of ground coffee . in 1861 , hoping to cut down on the time soldiers spent roasting and grinding beans , the army switched to a concentrated proto-instant coffee . the new concoction , called essence of coffee , ' was made by boiling prepared coffee , milk , and sugar into a thick gloop , which soldiers then reconstituted by mixing it with water . the product reportedly tasted every bit as bad as you 'd imagine , and thanks to the corrupt dairymen who sold the army spoiled milk , it also tended to cause diarrhea . needless to say , the union army was soon back on the bean . southern discomfort noxious as essence of coffee was , confederate soldiers would have gladly downed a cup or two . but , because of a union naval blockade , coffee ( along with weapons , machinery , medicine , and other vital materials ) was in short supply in the south . before the war , a pound of beans would have set you back around 20 cents in yankee dough . once pre-war stockpiles ran out , however , the same amount was running as high as $ 60 in confederate money . ( despite the undervalued currency , that was still a lot . ) there was some coffee that made it into the confederacy -- usually carried by steam-powered blockade-runner ships . but , for the most part , southerners had to rely on coffee substitutes , including various forms of roasted corn , rye , okra seeds , sweet potatoes , acorns , and peanuts . unfortunately , all these imitations lacked potency , tasted awful , and upset the bowels . the only slightly better alternative was tea made from the leaves of the native yaupon shrub . the good news was that it contained caffeine ; the bad news was that it was incredibly difficult to digest . luckily , there was one surefire way for southern folk to get their coffee -- by making peace with the union . soldiers on the front lines often called informal truces so rebels could swap tobacco for yankee coffee and then dash back to their camps before they were reported missing . e-mail to a friend for more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com entire contents of this article copyright , mental floss llc . all rights reserved . | blockade kept coffee had to get for confederate troops |
soviets <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- in sport , being the best is not just about the having the greatest players . here are five teams that have gone from zeroes to heroes , and in the process left their mark on sporting history . 1 . the european ryder cup team the 1980 u.s. hockey team 's'miracle on ice'against the soviet union . europe 's ryder cup team has become renowned for upsetting the form book , frequently triumphing against higher ranked american opposition . since european players were first allowed to join the british and irish team for the famous golf tournament ( to improve the level of competition ) in 1979 , the u.s. has won six times ; europe seven ; and the teams have tied once . the slight edge enjoyed by europe , however , belies the lowly status of their players in world golf . for the last tournament two years ago in ireland , for example , the americans boasted 68.4 world-ranking points and the top three players , including world number one , tiger woods . compare this with just 47.8 ranking points for the europeans . even so europe went on to achieve a record third consecutive win . the key to this success has been the camaraderie and teamwork exhibited by the europeans . their players have consistently rallied around their position as underdog , managing to achieve a level of togetherness made all the more surprising since the team is made up of a collection of nationalities that are better known for falling out with each other . 2 . the 1980 u.s. olympic ice hockey team a famous victory against a seemingly invincible soviet union side propelled this team of college players and amateurs to the level of national heroes . although the u.s. team went on to win the gold medal by defeating finland at the winter olympics , it was the earlier match against the soviets that captured the popular imagination . classed as amateurs , the soviet players were essentially professional , and were provided with different job titles by the communist government to allow them to compete . many of their players were considered legends of world ice hockey at the time . the u.s. team coached by herb brooks was , by contrast , genuinely amateur and came into the tournament in lake placid , new york , as rank outsiders . their youthfulness and tenacity combined with patriotic home support saw them upset predictions , defeating the soviets 4-3 in a match that became known as the miracle on ice . ' the win over their cold war enemies seized the imagination of the u.s. public -- it inspired two films and was voted the greatest sporting moment of the 20th century by sports illustrated . dave ogrean , former executive director of usa hockey , called the victory the most transcending moment in the history of our sport in this country . ' 3 . the'crazy gang'defeat liverpool in the fa cup nobody expected lowly wimbledon football club to do anything other than turn up when they played liverpool in the 1988 fa cup final at wembley stadium . dubbed the'crazy gang'by british media because of the eccentric antics of their players and staff , who included future film actor vinnie jones , the team was outclassed on every front . at the time liverpool were the dominant force in english football , having won the league title that year for the seventh time in a decade . managed by former player kenny dalglish and boasting a host of stars , the team was expected to cruise past wimbledon , who had little resources and were considered something of a joke . under the chairmanship of lebanese businessman samir sam ' hammam , wimbledon earned a reputation for bizarre behaviour , with players setting fire to new signings football kits , and hammam once offering to buy a camel for the team 's striker if he scored 20 goals in a season . the practical jokes helped to foster an extraordinarily strong team spirit , however , which saw them topple liverpool 1-0 , with wimbledon captain dave beasant the hero of the hour after he saved a penalty . 4 . joe 's jets win the superbowl when the new york jets took on the baltimore colts in the 1969 superbowl , it was the team from baltimore that was strong favorites . the colts had stormed the national football league ( nfl ) championship , considered at the time a much stronger competition than the american football league ( afl ) , headed that year by the jets . this news , however , seemed to have escaped joe namath , the jets'charismatic quarterback , who gave a guarantee ' a few days earlier at a news conference in miami -- where the superbowl was being staged -- that his team would win . true to his predictions , the jets came out on top with namath taking all the plaudits ( sports illustrated described him as a folk hero of the new generation ' ) after a blistering performance that saw his team triumph 16-7 . 5 . the magical magyars the legendary hungarian national football team of the 1950s is still considered one of the greatest teams in the history of sport . although many of its players -- most notably striker ferenc puskas , who eventually moved to real madrid -- went on to play in the west , during its heyday the majority of the team was drawn from the honved club in budapest . the magyars remained unbeaten for an unprecedented 33 consecutive matches ( a record that still stands today ) finally losing out in the 1954 world cup final to germany . this golden age of hungarian football was brought to an abrupt end in 1956 by the events of the hungarian revolution . puskas and some of his team mates opted to defect to western europe , and never played for their country again . | america 's ice hockey win against the soviets is known as the miracle on ice ' |
mccain <tsp> ( cnn ) -- former vice presidential candidate sarah palin spoke friday at a rally for her former running mate , sen. john mccain , urging voters to support the senator in his re-election bid in arizona . the rally , in tucson , arizona , was their first joint public appearance since mccain conceded the 2008 presidential election . mccain faces a primary challenge from former rep. j.d . hayworth and has come under criticism for being too moderate on a variety of issues , including immigration . several leading tea party activists in arizona have decided not to endorse mccain or hayworth , criticizing both of their records while serving in congress . but some national tea party members came out this week in support of hayworth . while several said they were not upset with palin 's endorsement of mccain , a few said they were disappointed . the enthusiastic crowd greeted palin with shouts of sarah , sarah , ' as she , her husband , todd , and mccain took the stage . everybody here , supporting john mccain , we are all part of that tea party movement , ' palin said . i think he 's gon na win this one , ' she said . before there were protests on main street and marches on capitol hill , there was the maverick of the senate , fighting for us . ' palin railed against the health care legislation , saying that mccain fought against obamacare . ' and mccain , speaking after palin , said the bill will be repealed . it is historic that it is also the first time that on a pure partisan basis a major piece of legislation has been passed and it is going to be historic because it is going to be repealed and replaced , ' he said . and it is going to be done soon . ' palin 's remarks at the rally were preceded by an op-ed piece in friday 's arizona republic . she wrote that she respected mccain long before she was his running mate , a theme she reiterated in her public appearance . read the full article ' i admired his tireless crusade against the old pork-barrel-spending , earmarking-backroom-dealing ways of d.c. that make a whole lot of us pretty ill , ' she said . after a town hall meeting on thursday night attended by about 120 people , hayworth downplayed the significance of palin 's visit . i think what we are seeing from the governor is a very understandable level of gratitude . after all , it was john who gave her entrée to the national stage . we all understand gratitude . that is fine , ' he said . the campaign appearance comes as palin is being criticized for a fundraising appeal she posted on her facebook page with what looked like crosshairs marking the districts of house members who voted for health care reform . she asked for donations to her political action committee to help defeat 17 congressmen who voted yes and who are running for re-election . in a twitter message earlier in the week palin said do n't retreat-instead , reload ! ' urging supporters to keep up the fight on the issue . the messages came as members of congress were reporting threats in retaliation to their votes on health care reform . however , mccain told cnn 's john king , usa ' on thursday that palin 's language was not over the top . the rhetoric that we use in everyday language about political campaigns -- battleground states , it 's going to be a war -- all of those are things that we have used for years and years . they are in the crosshairs . ' from arizona , palin heads to searchlight , nevada , to be the keynote speaker saturday for the kickoff rally of the tea party express cross-country caravan to protest big government spending . cnn 's kevin bohn contributed to this report . | mccain faces primary challenge from former rep. j.d . hayworth |
mccain <tsp> ( cnn ) -- former vice presidential candidate sarah palin spoke friday at a rally for her former running mate , sen. john mccain , urging voters to support the senator in his re-election bid in arizona . the rally , in tucson , arizona , was their first joint public appearance since mccain conceded the 2008 presidential election . mccain faces a primary challenge from former rep. j.d . hayworth and has come under criticism for being too moderate on a variety of issues , including immigration . several leading tea party activists in arizona have decided not to endorse mccain or hayworth , criticizing both of their records while serving in congress . but some national tea party members came out this week in support of hayworth . while several said they were not upset with palin 's endorsement of mccain , a few said they were disappointed . the enthusiastic crowd greeted palin with shouts of sarah , sarah , ' as she , her husband , todd , and mccain took the stage . everybody here , supporting john mccain , we are all part of that tea party movement , ' palin said . i think he 's gon na win this one , ' she said . before there were protests on main street and marches on capitol hill , there was the maverick of the senate , fighting for us . ' palin railed against the health care legislation , saying that mccain fought against obamacare . ' and mccain , speaking after palin , said the bill will be repealed . it is historic that it is also the first time that on a pure partisan basis a major piece of legislation has been passed and it is going to be historic because it is going to be repealed and replaced , ' he said . and it is going to be done soon . ' palin 's remarks at the rally were preceded by an op-ed piece in friday 's arizona republic . she wrote that she respected mccain long before she was his running mate , a theme she reiterated in her public appearance . read the full article ' i admired his tireless crusade against the old pork-barrel-spending , earmarking-backroom-dealing ways of d.c. that make a whole lot of us pretty ill , ' she said . after a town hall meeting on thursday night attended by about 120 people , hayworth downplayed the significance of palin 's visit . i think what we are seeing from the governor is a very understandable level of gratitude . after all , it was john who gave her entrée to the national stage . we all understand gratitude . that is fine , ' he said . the campaign appearance comes as palin is being criticized for a fundraising appeal she posted on her facebook page with what looked like crosshairs marking the districts of house members who voted for health care reform . she asked for donations to her political action committee to help defeat 17 congressmen who voted yes and who are running for re-election . in a twitter message earlier in the week palin said do n't retreat-instead , reload ! ' urging supporters to keep up the fight on the issue . the messages came as members of congress were reporting threats in retaliation to their votes on health care reform . however , mccain told cnn 's john king , usa ' on thursday that palin 's language was not over the top . the rhetoric that we use in everyday language about political campaigns -- battleground states , it 's going to be a war -- all of those are things that we have used for years and years . they are in the crosshairs . ' from arizona , palin heads to searchlight , nevada , to be the keynote speaker saturday for the kickoff rally of the tea party express cross-country caravan to protest big government spending . cnn 's kevin bohn contributed to this report . | sarah palin , john mccain make first joint appearance since conceding 2008 election |
iraq <tsp> america 's contentious and costly war in iraq officially ended thursday with an understated ceremony in baghdad that contrasted sharply with its thundering start almost nine years ago . u.s. troops lowered the flag of command that flew over the iraqi capital , carefully rolled it and cased it in camouflage in accordance with army tradition . the quiet ceremony , under a bright iraqi sun , was the opposite of the nighttime shock and awe ' bombardment of baghdad that launched the war against saddam hussein in march 2003 . justified by president george w. bush on the grounds that hussein was seeking weapons of mass destruction that he could share with terrorists such as al qaeda , the invasion cased deep divisions in america and around the world . cnn photos : looking back at 8 years of war in iraq after that , men and women from maine to hawaii began crossing the border into iraq -- and began dying or coming home with lifelong injuries . hussein 's regime proved easy to topple , but no weapons of mass destruction were found , and the united states and its allies were left occupying a country where they were not greeted as liberators , despite the prediction of bush 's vice president , dick cheney . iraq erupted into sectarian violence , leaving u.s. troops to try to contain what threatened to become a civil war . improvised explosive device became a household term , traumatic brain injuries a signature wound of the war . defense secretary leon panetta , who flew into baghdad for thursday 's flag-lowering ceremony , recalled that when he visited in 2006 as a member of bush 's iraq study group , sectarian violence was skyrocketing , and it seemed as if nothing was working . ' but , he said , after a lot of blood spilled by iraqis and americans , the mission of an iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real . ' on thursday , the iraq war officially ended as president barack obama described it : not with a final battle but with a final march home for u.s. troops . in all , the united states spent more than $ 800 billion in iraq . panetta reflected on a greater cost . he said the united states was deeply indebted ' to all americans in uniform . nearly 4,500 of them were killed in this war , more than 30,000 wounded . in their own words : eight lives changed by the iraq war and he hailed the advances made in iraq since hussein was ousted . this is a time for iraq to look forward , ' he said . this is an opportunity for iraq to forge ahead on a path to security and prosperity . we owe it to all of the lives that were sacrificed in this war not to fail . ' no one knows how many iraqis have been killed since march 2003 , but the independent public database iraq body count has compiled reports of more than 150,000 between the invasion and october 2010 , with four out of five dead being civilians . thousands of other iraqis struggle to cope with lives marred by war . for them , the battle goes on as the americans leave behind a fragile nation struggling to establish democracy , struggling to establish stability . violence still claims innocent lives in iraq . people are frustrated with the lack of electricity . baghdad is awash in trash . no one can predict iraq 's future without the presence of americans . as long as there are assassinations and explosions from time to time in this country , then of course i have fears , ' said ministry of transportation employee abu hadeel . when i walk in a crowded street , i have concern of any sudden explosion . there are no guarantees . ' student moutazz sami said iraq was not prepared militarily or politically to handle challenges . but businessman ethar mohammed said every beginning has an end . ' the political divisions are huge and no one knows what will happen after december 31 , ' the date by which american troops must leave , said iraqi journalist mina al-oraibi , assistant editor-in-chief of asharq alawsat newspaper in london . fareed zakaria on iraq 's oil potential all u.s. troops must be out of iraq by the end of this month after washington and baghdad failed to agree on terms under which they could remain . at the height of the war in 2007 , when bush ordered a so-called surge , more than 170,000 american troops were stationed in iraq , living on more than 500 bases and outposts across the nation . as of tuesday , only 5,500 american troops remained . a senior defense official traveling with panetta said that some troops -- perhaps 3,000 to 4,000 -- will remain in kuwait for a certain period of time but said the details have not been worked out with the kuwaitis . only half of americans think their nation achieved its goals in iraq , according to a cnn/orc international poll conducted last month . still , 61 % favored the withdrawal of all troops by the end of the year . and 68 % said they opposed the war in iraq . opinion : i 'm grateful my husband served in afghanistan , not iraq iraqis , on the other hand , are worried that the united states wants to disengage from their country entirely , al-oraibi said , pointing out that obama came to office partly on the strength of his opposition to the war and sent vice president joe biden to visit recently rather than coming himself . but brett mcgurk , a former adviser to three u.s. ambassadors , pointed out that u.s. disengagement has been a process , rather than a sudden action . iraq , he said , has been in charge of its own security since 2009 . it 's not like we were controlling iraq 's security situation last week , and now we 're suddenly leaving , ' he said . we have n't had troops in baghdad for over two years . ' gen. martin dempsey , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , explained in practical terms what the end of the u.s. military mission meant . departing from his prepared text , he said he had been able to fly into iraq on this occasion simply because he wanted to do so . the next time i come here , i 'm going to have to be invited by the iraqi government , and i kind of like that , ' dempsey said before concluding his speech with thanks and a blessing in arabic . secretary of state hillary clinton said the united states will help the people realize their own ambitions for a free and sovereign iraq . ' it also will work closely with the iraqi government to ensure the safety of u.s. civilians staying in the country , she said . i think it 's understood this is one of the most challenging missions that the state department has ever led , but we 've had a great deal of thought given to what needs to be accomplished , ' clinton said in washington . back home , many of those americans who sacrificed in iraq harbor mixed feelings about the war . but if iraq can emerge as a free and democratic nation , every american soldier should feel proud , said retired army gen. mark kimmitt . if that 's the case , then these soldiers can say , yes , indeed , they won , ' he said . every soldier and their families should walk away extremely satisfied and proud of what they accomplished and what they left behind . i just hope it can remain that way . ' obama laid out that same message as he welcomed home returning troops wednesday at fort bragg , north carolina . because of you , because you sacrificed so much for a people that you had never met , iraqis have a chance to forge their own destiny , ' obama said . that 's part of what makes us special as americans . unlike the empires of old , we did so not for territory or for resources . we do it because it 's right . obama said there was no fuller expression of u.s. support for self-determination than its withdrawal from iraq . that , he said , speaks volumes for the american people . | more than 4,500 american troops have died in iraq since 2003 |
iraq <tsp> america 's contentious and costly war in iraq officially ended thursday with an understated ceremony in baghdad that contrasted sharply with its thundering start almost nine years ago . u.s. troops lowered the flag of command that flew over the iraqi capital , carefully rolled it and cased it in camouflage in accordance with army tradition . the quiet ceremony , under a bright iraqi sun , was the opposite of the nighttime shock and awe ' bombardment of baghdad that launched the war against saddam hussein in march 2003 . justified by president george w. bush on the grounds that hussein was seeking weapons of mass destruction that he could share with terrorists such as al qaeda , the invasion cased deep divisions in america and around the world . cnn photos : looking back at 8 years of war in iraq after that , men and women from maine to hawaii began crossing the border into iraq -- and began dying or coming home with lifelong injuries . hussein 's regime proved easy to topple , but no weapons of mass destruction were found , and the united states and its allies were left occupying a country where they were not greeted as liberators , despite the prediction of bush 's vice president , dick cheney . iraq erupted into sectarian violence , leaving u.s. troops to try to contain what threatened to become a civil war . improvised explosive device became a household term , traumatic brain injuries a signature wound of the war . defense secretary leon panetta , who flew into baghdad for thursday 's flag-lowering ceremony , recalled that when he visited in 2006 as a member of bush 's iraq study group , sectarian violence was skyrocketing , and it seemed as if nothing was working . ' but , he said , after a lot of blood spilled by iraqis and americans , the mission of an iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real . ' on thursday , the iraq war officially ended as president barack obama described it : not with a final battle but with a final march home for u.s. troops . in all , the united states spent more than $ 800 billion in iraq . panetta reflected on a greater cost . he said the united states was deeply indebted ' to all americans in uniform . nearly 4,500 of them were killed in this war , more than 30,000 wounded . in their own words : eight lives changed by the iraq war and he hailed the advances made in iraq since hussein was ousted . this is a time for iraq to look forward , ' he said . this is an opportunity for iraq to forge ahead on a path to security and prosperity . we owe it to all of the lives that were sacrificed in this war not to fail . ' no one knows how many iraqis have been killed since march 2003 , but the independent public database iraq body count has compiled reports of more than 150,000 between the invasion and october 2010 , with four out of five dead being civilians . thousands of other iraqis struggle to cope with lives marred by war . for them , the battle goes on as the americans leave behind a fragile nation struggling to establish democracy , struggling to establish stability . violence still claims innocent lives in iraq . people are frustrated with the lack of electricity . baghdad is awash in trash . no one can predict iraq 's future without the presence of americans . as long as there are assassinations and explosions from time to time in this country , then of course i have fears , ' said ministry of transportation employee abu hadeel . when i walk in a crowded street , i have concern of any sudden explosion . there are no guarantees . ' student moutazz sami said iraq was not prepared militarily or politically to handle challenges . but businessman ethar mohammed said every beginning has an end . ' the political divisions are huge and no one knows what will happen after december 31 , ' the date by which american troops must leave , said iraqi journalist mina al-oraibi , assistant editor-in-chief of asharq alawsat newspaper in london . fareed zakaria on iraq 's oil potential all u.s. troops must be out of iraq by the end of this month after washington and baghdad failed to agree on terms under which they could remain . at the height of the war in 2007 , when bush ordered a so-called surge , more than 170,000 american troops were stationed in iraq , living on more than 500 bases and outposts across the nation . as of tuesday , only 5,500 american troops remained . a senior defense official traveling with panetta said that some troops -- perhaps 3,000 to 4,000 -- will remain in kuwait for a certain period of time but said the details have not been worked out with the kuwaitis . only half of americans think their nation achieved its goals in iraq , according to a cnn/orc international poll conducted last month . still , 61 % favored the withdrawal of all troops by the end of the year . and 68 % said they opposed the war in iraq . opinion : i 'm grateful my husband served in afghanistan , not iraq iraqis , on the other hand , are worried that the united states wants to disengage from their country entirely , al-oraibi said , pointing out that obama came to office partly on the strength of his opposition to the war and sent vice president joe biden to visit recently rather than coming himself . but brett mcgurk , a former adviser to three u.s. ambassadors , pointed out that u.s. disengagement has been a process , rather than a sudden action . iraq , he said , has been in charge of its own security since 2009 . it 's not like we were controlling iraq 's security situation last week , and now we 're suddenly leaving , ' he said . we have n't had troops in baghdad for over two years . ' gen. martin dempsey , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , explained in practical terms what the end of the u.s. military mission meant . departing from his prepared text , he said he had been able to fly into iraq on this occasion simply because he wanted to do so . the next time i come here , i 'm going to have to be invited by the iraqi government , and i kind of like that , ' dempsey said before concluding his speech with thanks and a blessing in arabic . secretary of state hillary clinton said the united states will help the people realize their own ambitions for a free and sovereign iraq . ' it also will work closely with the iraqi government to ensure the safety of u.s. civilians staying in the country , she said . i think it 's understood this is one of the most challenging missions that the state department has ever led , but we 've had a great deal of thought given to what needs to be accomplished , ' clinton said in washington . back home , many of those americans who sacrificed in iraq harbor mixed feelings about the war . but if iraq can emerge as a free and democratic nation , every american soldier should feel proud , said retired army gen. mark kimmitt . if that 's the case , then these soldiers can say , yes , indeed , they won , ' he said . every soldier and their families should walk away extremely satisfied and proud of what they accomplished and what they left behind . i just hope it can remain that way . ' obama laid out that same message as he welcomed home returning troops wednesday at fort bragg , north carolina . because of you , because you sacrificed so much for a people that you had never met , iraqis have a chance to forge their own destiny , ' obama said . that 's part of what makes us special as americans . unlike the empires of old , we did so not for territory or for resources . we do it because it 's right . obama said there was no fuller expression of u.s. support for self-determination than its withdrawal from iraq . that , he said , speaks volumes for the american people . | u.s. committed to assisting iraq , clinton says |
american <tsp> america 's contentious and costly war in iraq officially ended thursday with an understated ceremony in baghdad that contrasted sharply with its thundering start almost nine years ago . u.s. troops lowered the flag of command that flew over the iraqi capital , carefully rolled it and cased it in camouflage in accordance with army tradition . the quiet ceremony , under a bright iraqi sun , was the opposite of the nighttime shock and awe ' bombardment of baghdad that launched the war against saddam hussein in march 2003 . justified by president george w. bush on the grounds that hussein was seeking weapons of mass destruction that he could share with terrorists such as al qaeda , the invasion cased deep divisions in america and around the world . cnn photos : looking back at 8 years of war in iraq after that , men and women from maine to hawaii began crossing the border into iraq -- and began dying or coming home with lifelong injuries . hussein 's regime proved easy to topple , but no weapons of mass destruction were found , and the united states and its allies were left occupying a country where they were not greeted as liberators , despite the prediction of bush 's vice president , dick cheney . iraq erupted into sectarian violence , leaving u.s. troops to try to contain what threatened to become a civil war . improvised explosive device became a household term , traumatic brain injuries a signature wound of the war . defense secretary leon panetta , who flew into baghdad for thursday 's flag-lowering ceremony , recalled that when he visited in 2006 as a member of bush 's iraq study group , sectarian violence was skyrocketing , and it seemed as if nothing was working . ' but , he said , after a lot of blood spilled by iraqis and americans , the mission of an iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real . ' on thursday , the iraq war officially ended as president barack obama described it : not with a final battle but with a final march home for u.s. troops . in all , the united states spent more than $ 800 billion in iraq . panetta reflected on a greater cost . he said the united states was deeply indebted ' to all americans in uniform . nearly 4,500 of them were killed in this war , more than 30,000 wounded . in their own words : eight lives changed by the iraq war and he hailed the advances made in iraq since hussein was ousted . this is a time for iraq to look forward , ' he said . this is an opportunity for iraq to forge ahead on a path to security and prosperity . we owe it to all of the lives that were sacrificed in this war not to fail . ' no one knows how many iraqis have been killed since march 2003 , but the independent public database iraq body count has compiled reports of more than 150,000 between the invasion and october 2010 , with four out of five dead being civilians . thousands of other iraqis struggle to cope with lives marred by war . for them , the battle goes on as the americans leave behind a fragile nation struggling to establish democracy , struggling to establish stability . violence still claims innocent lives in iraq . people are frustrated with the lack of electricity . baghdad is awash in trash . no one can predict iraq 's future without the presence of americans . as long as there are assassinations and explosions from time to time in this country , then of course i have fears , ' said ministry of transportation employee abu hadeel . when i walk in a crowded street , i have concern of any sudden explosion . there are no guarantees . ' student moutazz sami said iraq was not prepared militarily or politically to handle challenges . but businessman ethar mohammed said every beginning has an end . ' the political divisions are huge and no one knows what will happen after december 31 , ' the date by which american troops must leave , said iraqi journalist mina al-oraibi , assistant editor-in-chief of asharq alawsat newspaper in london . fareed zakaria on iraq 's oil potential all u.s. troops must be out of iraq by the end of this month after washington and baghdad failed to agree on terms under which they could remain . at the height of the war in 2007 , when bush ordered a so-called surge , more than 170,000 american troops were stationed in iraq , living on more than 500 bases and outposts across the nation . as of tuesday , only 5,500 american troops remained . a senior defense official traveling with panetta said that some troops -- perhaps 3,000 to 4,000 -- will remain in kuwait for a certain period of time but said the details have not been worked out with the kuwaitis . only half of americans think their nation achieved its goals in iraq , according to a cnn/orc international poll conducted last month . still , 61 % favored the withdrawal of all troops by the end of the year . and 68 % said they opposed the war in iraq . opinion : i 'm grateful my husband served in afghanistan , not iraq iraqis , on the other hand , are worried that the united states wants to disengage from their country entirely , al-oraibi said , pointing out that obama came to office partly on the strength of his opposition to the war and sent vice president joe biden to visit recently rather than coming himself . but brett mcgurk , a former adviser to three u.s. ambassadors , pointed out that u.s. disengagement has been a process , rather than a sudden action . iraq , he said , has been in charge of its own security since 2009 . it 's not like we were controlling iraq 's security situation last week , and now we 're suddenly leaving , ' he said . we have n't had troops in baghdad for over two years . ' gen. martin dempsey , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , explained in practical terms what the end of the u.s. military mission meant . departing from his prepared text , he said he had been able to fly into iraq on this occasion simply because he wanted to do so . the next time i come here , i 'm going to have to be invited by the iraqi government , and i kind of like that , ' dempsey said before concluding his speech with thanks and a blessing in arabic . secretary of state hillary clinton said the united states will help the people realize their own ambitions for a free and sovereign iraq . ' it also will work closely with the iraqi government to ensure the safety of u.s. civilians staying in the country , she said . i think it 's understood this is one of the most challenging missions that the state department has ever led , but we 've had a great deal of thought given to what needs to be accomplished , ' clinton said in washington . back home , many of those americans who sacrificed in iraq harbor mixed feelings about the war . but if iraq can emerge as a free and democratic nation , every american soldier should feel proud , said retired army gen. mark kimmitt . if that 's the case , then these soldiers can say , yes , indeed , they won , ' he said . every soldier and their families should walk away extremely satisfied and proud of what they accomplished and what they left behind . i just hope it can remain that way . ' obama laid out that same message as he welcomed home returning troops wednesday at fort bragg , north carolina . because of you , because you sacrificed so much for a people that you had never met , iraqis have a chance to forge their own destiny , ' obama said . that 's part of what makes us special as americans . unlike the empires of old , we did so not for territory or for resources . we do it because it 's right . obama said there was no fuller expression of u.s. support for self-determination than its withdrawal from iraq . that , he said , speaks volumes for the american people . | more than 4,500 american troops have died in iraq since 2003 |
gm <tsp> according to court documents that surfaced this week , general motors'engineers knew about ignition-switch problems in the chevrolet cobalt as early as 2009 . the company may have been aware of the dangers as early as 2005 soon after the first cobalts rolled off the assembly line in 2004 . since 2009 , at least a dozen deaths have resulted from the flaw in which , upon impact , the ignition switch slips out of the on ' position and thus prevented airbags from deploying . last month , gm announced the recall of 1.6 million cobalts . in a june 2013 deposition , gary altman , program engineering manager for the 2005 cobalt , was asked whether gm made a business decision not to address the problem . that is what happened , yes , ' said altman . this news comes just a week after toyota motor corporation announced it would pay $ 1.2 billion to settle pending criminal charges from the department of justice alleging toyota covered up evidence of safety defects in its vehicles . the private sector is more efficient , ' says sen. rand paul and his fellow conservatives . really ? efficient at what , exactly — fraud , deception and disaster ? many of the public policy disagreements between conservatives and progressives are at essence a debate over whether government or the private sector is best equipped to provide vital services . conservatives argue that government can be bloated and inefficient , which is certainly true sometimes , but attributing those characteristics to all government is like accusing every small businessperson of being bernie madoff . at its heart , whatever the occasional shortcomings , government exists solely for the purpose of advancing the public good . that 's the mission . that 's the entire design of the enterprise . corruption , waste and falling short on delivery are inherently anathema to the core principles and existence of government . on the other hand , the point of the private sector is to make money . that 's a good thing . private enterprise is a vital engine of economic growth and opportunity in america and worldwide . that said -- if your primary goal is to make money , then hiding inconvenient facts , deceiving customers , cutting corners or sweeping risks under the rug are endemic to your enterprise . in an era of capitalism where businesses are increasingly massive and removed from the direct consequences of their business practices on employees , customers and communities , these profit-at-all-cost impulses are increasingly unbound . that 's how you end up with companies knowing that its products are killing or hurting people and yet still refusing to do something about it lest it hurt their bottom line . today we 're talking about the chevy cobalt , but before that it was securitized sub-prime mortgages and before that it was tobacco companies selling cigarettes to kids . the list goes on and on and on . and this week , we have the supreme court hearing arguments in the hobby lobby and conestoga wood cases that private businesses should be able to claim religion in order to evade tenets of the law . the litigants want to evade compliance with the obamacare mandate that they provide health insurance that covers contraception . but , as justice elena kagan asked during oral arguments , what 's to stop a company from using religion to object to vaccinations ? or blood transfusions ? or minimum wage laws or family medical leave or child labor laws ? we 've already ushered in unprecedented corporate rights through citizens united and various doctrines of corporate personhood . do we really need to go a step further and let corporations use religion as a loophole to rationalize their whims ? more importantly , in spite of example after example to the contrary , why do we trust corporations to tell us the truth and do the right thing when they are not only designed but incentivized to do the opposite ? why on earth would we trust oil companies to tell us that fracking poses no harm to our drinking water ? or that our old health insurance policies are good ones ? or that our education system would be better off in their hands ? it seems that almost every day there 's yet another corporation covering up how it endangered people 's safety and well-being for the sake of profit . this is why we need to strengthen checks and balances of government regulation and be wary of privatizing vital public services . | sally kohn : gm recall and recent toyota settlement shows companies can not be trusted |
democratic <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- at pricey fundraisers -- where there 's plenty of freedom to offer an unvarnished view of the world away from the cameras -- president barack obama is sounding increasingly pessimistic about his party 's chances in the midterm elections . at a thursday fundraiser at the los angeles home of actress gwyneth paltrow , obama complained democrats have a congenital disease ' during midterm cycles , repeating a diagnosis he has used before . we get depressed too easily , ' obama joked . we 're terrible at paying attention to midterm elections , ' he continued . the gloomy mood is understandable . former top cabinet secretaries , and even jimmy carter , are hammering his policies . key democratic candidates are avoiding him , and in at least one case , unwilling to say if she voted for him . next month 's elections loom at a moment of great hand-wringing for the president 's party . understanding full well obama 's unpopularity is a drag on some democrats in tight congressional races , white house officials are signaling to party leaders and campaign managers alike there will be no consequences should they run away from the president in order to win . obama has yet to acknowledge his own weak standing with the public at any of his political events . instead , the president appears to blame what he describes as obstructionist republicans and a polarized , vapid news media . we live in such a cynical time , partly because of how the media is now structured , ' obama said at paltrow 's home . we only listen to folks who feed our biases and our inclinations . and bad news tends to attract the most attention , ' he added . at an earlier event in the day , obama used stark language to label house republican refusals to pass immigration reform suicide . ' the president seemed to retool at least part of his midterm pitch , after declaring his policies are on the ballot ' in november , a line that his former strategist david axelrod called a mistake . in hollywood , there was a re-write to that declaration . my name is not on the ballot , ' obama said in los angeles . but our values and our ideals ... are at stake , ' he added , avoiding any reference to his policies . ' democratic candidates in critical races across the country are scrambling to distance themselves from both obama and his policies , especially in the south where the president remains deeply unpopular . in kentucky , democratic senate candidate alison lundergan grimes refused to answer whether she had ever voted for obama during an appearance before the louisville courier-journal editorial board thursday . you know , this election is n't about the president , ' grimes said . i was actually , in'08 , a delegate for hillary clinton , ' she added . as he starts his own midterm push , the president is sticking to friendlier turf . in california , he made an unannounced stop at the campaign office of democratic congressional candidate ted lieu , a state senator running for the seat vacated by outgoing rep. henry waxman ( d ) california . california is right at the heart of the battle for control of the house , ' obama said to volunteers at lieu 's call center . because of just the day-to-day work you 're doing , making phone calls , making sure our voters turn out , answering people 's questions about what the issues are , it makes a difference -- that 's how i was able to get elected . ' white house officials reject the notion that the president 's mood is grim . obama 's message at upcoming public campaign events will likely differ in tone and substance from remarks he makes at fundraisers , another official added . obama will campaign with connecticut governor dan malloy on october 15 , white house officials announced thursday . obama 's advisers argue the president still has the ability to excite base democratic party supporters who were instrumental to his two successful runs for the white house . steering clear of obama , they argue , is also a gamble . we 're not bringing him in to suppress voter turnout , if that 's what you 're asking , ' malloy quipped to the connecticut post . as soon as the president steps onto the stage in connecticut , the president 's rhetoric will be placed under a microscope . not a great way to go out of office , angry and blaming the system , ' former presidential adviser and cnn political analyst david gergen said . my sense of it is he 's on an emotional roller coaster , ' gergen added . once the midterms are over , gergen suggested a reshuffling of top white house staff to buoy the president 's prospects for his final years in office . if he shook it up a little bit , that would help , ' gergen said . | democratic candidates in races across the country are distancing from obama |
google <tsp> ( cnn ) -- microsoft 's search engine bing is copying results from google , the dominant search engine on the internet , has claimed . suspicious of their new rival , google engineers set up random results on their site for a series of unlikely search terms , such as hiybbprqag . ' ( google arranged for the nonsense word to point to a los angeles theater seating plan on its search engine . ) within a couple weeks of starting this experiment , our inserted results started appearing in bing , ' google said in a statement on its official blog tuesday . google said it welcomed honest competition , but sneered at bing 's recycled search results from a competitor . ' bing did not deny that it took google into account when producing its own search results , but suggested they were only one factor among many . they also accused google in turn of a spy-novelesque stunt ' that would only affect very unusual search terms . we use over 1,000 different signals and features in our ranking algorithm , ' bing vice president harry shum said tuesday , referring to the mathematical code that search engines use to choose their results . each company develops its own search algorithms , and the quality of the results depends on them , making them the key to a search engine 's effectiveness . bing gets a small piece ' of the data for its algorithm from some of our customers , who opt-in to sharing anonymous data as they navigate the web in order to help us improve the experience for all users , ' shum said , saying many internet companies used collective intelligence ' gathered online the same way . he shrugged off google 's sting as a creative tactic by a competitor , and we 'll take it as a back-handed compliment . ' google had more than 70 % of the u.s. search engine market as of the end of august , when it started running its sting , according to experian hitwise , which monitors web traffic . bing had just under 10 % . cnn 's per nyberg contributed to this report . | google 's results started showing up on bing within weeks , ' it says |
google <tsp> ( cnn ) -- microsoft 's search engine bing is copying results from google , the dominant search engine on the internet , has claimed . suspicious of their new rival , google engineers set up random results on their site for a series of unlikely search terms , such as hiybbprqag . ' ( google arranged for the nonsense word to point to a los angeles theater seating plan on its search engine . ) within a couple weeks of starting this experiment , our inserted results started appearing in bing , ' google said in a statement on its official blog tuesday . google said it welcomed honest competition , but sneered at bing 's recycled search results from a competitor . ' bing did not deny that it took google into account when producing its own search results , but suggested they were only one factor among many . they also accused google in turn of a spy-novelesque stunt ' that would only affect very unusual search terms . we use over 1,000 different signals and features in our ranking algorithm , ' bing vice president harry shum said tuesday , referring to the mathematical code that search engines use to choose their results . each company develops its own search algorithms , and the quality of the results depends on them , making them the key to a search engine 's effectiveness . bing gets a small piece ' of the data for its algorithm from some of our customers , who opt-in to sharing anonymous data as they navigate the web in order to help us improve the experience for all users , ' shum said , saying many internet companies used collective intelligence ' gathered online the same way . he shrugged off google 's sting as a creative tactic by a competitor , and we 'll take it as a back-handed compliment . ' google had more than 70 % of the u.s. search engine market as of the end of august , when it started running its sting , according to experian hitwise , which monitors web traffic . bing had just under 10 % . cnn 's per nyberg contributed to this report . | bing is recycling , ' google says ; bing shoots back that google ran a stunt ' |
google <tsp> ( cnn ) -- microsoft 's search engine bing is copying results from google , the dominant search engine on the internet , has claimed . suspicious of their new rival , google engineers set up random results on their site for a series of unlikely search terms , such as hiybbprqag . ' ( google arranged for the nonsense word to point to a los angeles theater seating plan on its search engine . ) within a couple weeks of starting this experiment , our inserted results started appearing in bing , ' google said in a statement on its official blog tuesday . google said it welcomed honest competition , but sneered at bing 's recycled search results from a competitor . ' bing did not deny that it took google into account when producing its own search results , but suggested they were only one factor among many . they also accused google in turn of a spy-novelesque stunt ' that would only affect very unusual search terms . we use over 1,000 different signals and features in our ranking algorithm , ' bing vice president harry shum said tuesday , referring to the mathematical code that search engines use to choose their results . each company develops its own search algorithms , and the quality of the results depends on them , making them the key to a search engine 's effectiveness . bing gets a small piece ' of the data for its algorithm from some of our customers , who opt-in to sharing anonymous data as they navigate the web in order to help us improve the experience for all users , ' shum said , saying many internet companies used collective intelligence ' gathered online the same way . he shrugged off google 's sting as a creative tactic by a competitor , and we 'll take it as a back-handed compliment . ' google had more than 70 % of the u.s. search engine market as of the end of august , when it started running its sting , according to experian hitwise , which monitors web traffic . bing had just under 10 % . cnn 's per nyberg contributed to this report . | bing does n't deny using google results but suggests they are one factor among many |
mubarak <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- ousted egyptian president hosni mubarak is very sad and sorry ' that he is accused of ordering that live ammunition be fired on protesters , but he has no regrets , his lawyer told cnn sunday . the former leader is in very bad health , ' suffering from a serious heart problem and a resurgence of colon cancer , attorney farid el deeb said . he does n't watch tv or anything else , ' el deeb said in his first interview since the mubarak family hired him in april . they ban him from doing so to avoid more psychological pain . he speaks very little and suppresses a lot of his pain . ' el deeb suggested that his cnn interview will probably be the only piece of television he 'll watch . ' mubarak faces criminal charges , including using his political position to acquire funds illegally and potentially capital charges of killing protesters . he was very sad and sorry because he did not imagine such accusations , especially as he believes that they are all false , ' el deeb said . his lawyer denied that mubarak gave any kind of authorization to use force or live ammunition against demonstrators who were calling for his removal . mubarak had expressed his sorrow and had ordered a committee to investigate how they happened , ' he said . more than 800 people lost their lives during egypt 's 18-day revolution , including about 50 police . we still need to discover who shot the policemen who were killed during the revolution , ' el deeb said . a cairo court , in the first ruling against mubarak since he was ousted on february 11 , fined him and his top officials more than $ 90 million for their role in cutting the mobile phone network and internet service for five days . adel saeed , spokesman for the general prosecutor , said saturday that mubarak himself was fined $ 34 million , former interior minister habib el-adly $ 50 million and former prime minister ahmed nazif $ 6 million . they were charged with cutting the communication to hinder the efforts of the january 25 revolutionaries , ' saeed said . the blocks began january 28 as demonstrations against mubarak 's rule heightened in cairo 's tahrir square . el deeb denied that mubarak , his family and friends amassed fortunes at the expense of the egyptian people . mubarak 's personal wealth is only about six million egyptian pounds -- about $ 1 million in u.s. dollars -- which he saved from working for 62 years , ' he said . he does not own anything else in egypt or outside of egypt , ' he said . he does not own a single dollar abroad . ' egypt 's justice minister told cnn in may that mubarak 's fortune was in the billions of dollars . ' unfortunately , all the chaos and problems on the egyptian streets are caused by the minister of justice , mr. mohamed abdel-aziz el guindy , ' el deeb said . it has been proven that all his talk is lies . ' the lawyer laughed at rumors that mubarak 's two sons are getting vip treatment in cairo 's tora prison , where they are awaiting trial on a variety of corruption charges . all this is not true , ' he said . they 're being treated like any other prisoner . ' the sons have no contact with their father , he said . transferring mubarak to tora is not an option because the prison hospital does not have a proper intensive care unit , he said . honestly , he is now in very bad health , ' he said . he even needs help to go to the bathroom . the president has serious heart problems and complications with his stomach from the operation he had in germany last year . ' | mubarak 's wealth is just about $ 1 million , he says |
mubarak <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- ousted egyptian president hosni mubarak is very sad and sorry ' that he is accused of ordering that live ammunition be fired on protesters , but he has no regrets , his lawyer told cnn sunday . the former leader is in very bad health , ' suffering from a serious heart problem and a resurgence of colon cancer , attorney farid el deeb said . he does n't watch tv or anything else , ' el deeb said in his first interview since the mubarak family hired him in april . they ban him from doing so to avoid more psychological pain . he speaks very little and suppresses a lot of his pain . ' el deeb suggested that his cnn interview will probably be the only piece of television he 'll watch . ' mubarak faces criminal charges , including using his political position to acquire funds illegally and potentially capital charges of killing protesters . he was very sad and sorry because he did not imagine such accusations , especially as he believes that they are all false , ' el deeb said . his lawyer denied that mubarak gave any kind of authorization to use force or live ammunition against demonstrators who were calling for his removal . mubarak had expressed his sorrow and had ordered a committee to investigate how they happened , ' he said . more than 800 people lost their lives during egypt 's 18-day revolution , including about 50 police . we still need to discover who shot the policemen who were killed during the revolution , ' el deeb said . a cairo court , in the first ruling against mubarak since he was ousted on february 11 , fined him and his top officials more than $ 90 million for their role in cutting the mobile phone network and internet service for five days . adel saeed , spokesman for the general prosecutor , said saturday that mubarak himself was fined $ 34 million , former interior minister habib el-adly $ 50 million and former prime minister ahmed nazif $ 6 million . they were charged with cutting the communication to hinder the efforts of the january 25 revolutionaries , ' saeed said . the blocks began january 28 as demonstrations against mubarak 's rule heightened in cairo 's tahrir square . el deeb denied that mubarak , his family and friends amassed fortunes at the expense of the egyptian people . mubarak 's personal wealth is only about six million egyptian pounds -- about $ 1 million in u.s. dollars -- which he saved from working for 62 years , ' he said . he does not own anything else in egypt or outside of egypt , ' he said . he does not own a single dollar abroad . ' egypt 's justice minister told cnn in may that mubarak 's fortune was in the billions of dollars . ' unfortunately , all the chaos and problems on the egyptian streets are caused by the minister of justice , mr. mohamed abdel-aziz el guindy , ' el deeb said . it has been proven that all his talk is lies . ' the lawyer laughed at rumors that mubarak 's two sons are getting vip treatment in cairo 's tora prison , where they are awaiting trial on a variety of corruption charges . all this is not true , ' he said . they 're being treated like any other prisoner . ' the sons have no contact with their father , he said . transferring mubarak to tora is not an option because the prison hospital does not have a proper intensive care unit , he said . honestly , he is now in very bad health , ' he said . he even needs help to go to the bathroom . the president has serious heart problems and complications with his stomach from the operation he had in germany last year . ' | mubarak 's lawyer gives his first interview to cnn sunday |
mubarak <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- ousted egyptian president hosni mubarak is very sad and sorry ' that he is accused of ordering that live ammunition be fired on protesters , but he has no regrets , his lawyer told cnn sunday . the former leader is in very bad health , ' suffering from a serious heart problem and a resurgence of colon cancer , attorney farid el deeb said . he does n't watch tv or anything else , ' el deeb said in his first interview since the mubarak family hired him in april . they ban him from doing so to avoid more psychological pain . he speaks very little and suppresses a lot of his pain . ' el deeb suggested that his cnn interview will probably be the only piece of television he 'll watch . ' mubarak faces criminal charges , including using his political position to acquire funds illegally and potentially capital charges of killing protesters . he was very sad and sorry because he did not imagine such accusations , especially as he believes that they are all false , ' el deeb said . his lawyer denied that mubarak gave any kind of authorization to use force or live ammunition against demonstrators who were calling for his removal . mubarak had expressed his sorrow and had ordered a committee to investigate how they happened , ' he said . more than 800 people lost their lives during egypt 's 18-day revolution , including about 50 police . we still need to discover who shot the policemen who were killed during the revolution , ' el deeb said . a cairo court , in the first ruling against mubarak since he was ousted on february 11 , fined him and his top officials more than $ 90 million for their role in cutting the mobile phone network and internet service for five days . adel saeed , spokesman for the general prosecutor , said saturday that mubarak himself was fined $ 34 million , former interior minister habib el-adly $ 50 million and former prime minister ahmed nazif $ 6 million . they were charged with cutting the communication to hinder the efforts of the january 25 revolutionaries , ' saeed said . the blocks began january 28 as demonstrations against mubarak 's rule heightened in cairo 's tahrir square . el deeb denied that mubarak , his family and friends amassed fortunes at the expense of the egyptian people . mubarak 's personal wealth is only about six million egyptian pounds -- about $ 1 million in u.s. dollars -- which he saved from working for 62 years , ' he said . he does not own anything else in egypt or outside of egypt , ' he said . he does not own a single dollar abroad . ' egypt 's justice minister told cnn in may that mubarak 's fortune was in the billions of dollars . ' unfortunately , all the chaos and problems on the egyptian streets are caused by the minister of justice , mr. mohamed abdel-aziz el guindy , ' el deeb said . it has been proven that all his talk is lies . ' the lawyer laughed at rumors that mubarak 's two sons are getting vip treatment in cairo 's tora prison , where they are awaiting trial on a variety of corruption charges . all this is not true , ' he said . they 're being treated like any other prisoner . ' the sons have no contact with their father , he said . transferring mubarak to tora is not an option because the prison hospital does not have a proper intensive care unit , he said . honestly , he is now in very bad health , ' he said . he even needs help to go to the bathroom . the president has serious heart problems and complications with his stomach from the operation he had in germany last year . ' | mubarak speaks very little and suppresses a lot of his pain , ' he says |
dallas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- actor larry hagman , who created one of television 's iconic villains with the treacherous j.r. ewing of dallas , ' died friday , according to a family statement . he was 81 . hagman died at a dallas hospital of complications from cancer , said the statement posted on hagman 's official web site early saturday . larry was back in his beloved dallas , re-enacting the iconic role he loved most , ' it said . larry 's family and close friends had joined him in dallas for the thanksgiving holiday . when he passed , he was surrounded by loved ones . it was a peaceful passing , just as he had wished for . the family requests privacy at this time . ' hagman shot to television superstardom in 1978 with the role of j.r. ewing , the scheming texas oil tycoon , in the prime-time soap opera dallas . ' he was the villain viewers loved to hate . co-stars , fellow actors grieve over loss of larry hagman in 1980 , the show became a mega-hit with the who shot j.r. ? ' plot line that left americans guessing who pulled the trigger . the answer came on november 21 , 1980 , in an episode dubbed who done it ? . ' more than 350 million viewers tuned in around the world to find out kristen shepherd , the sister of j.r. 's wife , shot him . it remains one of the most watched television episodes in history . ewing survived that shooting , and hagman and the rest of the cast thrived for 14 seasons total before bowing out in 1991 . he reprised the role for tnt 's reboot of the series dallas ' in june 2012 . hagman filmed appearances for the show 's second season , which is set to air in january . ( like cnn , tnt is a division of time warner and turner broadcasting . ) it was a role in which he clearly reveled , even developing a trademark laugh for the character . at one point , hagman made up fake $ 100 bills emblazoned with his face and the words in hagman we trust ' to hand out to fans . in one of his final interviews on cnn , hagman appeared alongside original dallas ' cast members linda gray ( sue ellen ) and patrick duffy ( bobby ) on piers morgan tonight . ' during the interview , morgan described the character of j.r. ewing as the dark dealer of evil scheming . ' moi ? ' hagman said , breaking into a wide smile . in a statement released friday by gray 's publicist to knbc-tv in los angeles , the actress described hagman as my best friend for more than 35 years . ' he was the pied piper of life and brought joy to everyone he knew . he was creative , generous , funny , loving and talented and i will miss him enormously . he was an original and lived life to the full and the world was a brighter place because of him , ' the statement said . hagman told morgan when he was first approached about doing the dallas ' remake , the first question he asked was : are my friends going to be on the show ? ' i would n't be doing it without them , ' he said . word of hagman 's passing spread quickly late friday and early saturday , with celebrities and fans mourning his death . actor william shatner took to twitter : my thoughts and prayers go out to the family of larry hagman . my best , bill . ' he was a wonderful human being and an extremely gifted actor . we will be forever thankful that a whole new generation of people got to know and appreciate larry through his performance as j.r. ewing , ' tnt said in a statement . our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time . ' hagman was born in fort worth , texas , on the cusp of the great depression to actress mary martin and ben hagman , a lawyer . he spent a year at bard college in new york and then embarked on a life in theater in dallas and new york , according to his official website . he appeared onstage with his mother in south pacific ' in england and even produced and directed several shows while in the u.s. air force . after getting married and leaving the service , hagman returned to the united states and starred in a number of broadway plays . his family then headed to hollywood , where hagman earned roles in such television shows as the edge of night ' and the defenders . ' where 's the cast of the original'dallas'now ? hagman 's breakthrough role came in 1965 , when he played astronaut maj. tony nelson , or master , ' as he was known to the scantily clad , 2,000-year-old genie played by barbara eden in the hit comedy , i dream of jeannie . ' i can still remember , that first day on zuma beach with him , in the frigid cold . from that day for five more years , larry was the center of so many fun , wild , shocking and , in retrospect , memorable moments that will remain in my heart forever , ' eden said in a facebook post on friday , shortly after hearing of hagman 's death . ... i , like many others , believed he had beat cancer and yet we are reminded that life is never guaranteed . ' eden signed off , simply : goodbye larry . there was no one like you before and there will never be anyone like you again . ' hagman kept busy after the show went off the air in 1970 , appearing in guest roles in the streets of san francisco , ' the rockford files ' and barnaby jones . ' in the 1990s , he starred in the television show orleans . ' off screen , his drinking earned him unwanted attention from the tabloids , which chronicled his battle with alcoholism . in recent years , he went public with his wife 's battle with alzheimer 's . hagman'one of my favorite people' he also suffered several health scares , including a bout with cirrhosis and a 16-hour liver transplant in 1995 that helped save his life . last year , he revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer , but at the time , hagman called it a very common and treatable form . ' he is survived by his wife , a son , a daughter and five grandchildren . people we 've lost in 2012 : the lives they lived cnn 's anneclaire stapleton contributed to this report . | hagman was best known as iconic villain j.r. ewing of dallas ' |
kerry <tsp> seoul , south korea ( cnn ) -- secretary of state john kerry said friday that the united states is prepared to enter into talks with north korea , but only if it is serious about negotiating the denuclearization of the korean peninsula kerry is in seoul meeting with south korean foreign minister yun byung-se amid heightened tensions spurred by north korea 's recent nuclear threats and provocations . he landed in seoul , about 30 miles from the demilitarized zone separating the two countries . the korean peninsula is rife with tensions over the belligerent threats issued by pyongyang . the united states will defend itself and its allies if needed , kerry said . north korea will not be accepted as a nuclear power , ' he said at a news conference with yun . the rhetoric that we are hearing is simply unacceptable . ' pentagon intelligence assessment suggesting north korea may have the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon on a missile has set off a flurry in washington , with top officials trying to play down concerns about the capabilities of the pyongyang regime . the pentagon 's intelligence arm has assessed with moderate confidence ' that north korea has the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon with a ballistic missile , though the reliability is believed to be low . ' first disclosed by a congressman at a hearing thursday and then confirmed to cnn by the defense department , the assessment by the defense intelligence agency is the clearest acknowledgment yet by the united states about potential advances in north korea 's nuclear program . will kim jong un listen to china ? the united states calculates that a test launch of mobile ballistic missiles could come at any time . but a senior administration official said there is no indication that missiles that north korea is believed to be readying for tests have been armed with any nuclear material . the surprising development comes amid heightened tensions on the korean peninsula . north korea has unleashed a torrent of dramatic threats against the united states and south korea in recent weeks , including that of a possible nuclear strike . kerry 's asia trip will include visits to china and japan . the tour comes at a time when all three countries have new leaders . the north korea we rearely see it 's the first time the obama administration is engaging with all three countries in the same trip , the state department said . the top u.s. diplomat 's trip comes days after he warned the north on what he calls leader kim jong un 's provocative ... dangerous , reckless ' rhetoric and actions . china , u.s. officials say , is growing more concerned about the north 's provocations , but it also is closely watching washington 's latest military moves in the region . report sparks intel controversy kerry will try to convince leaders in beijing that pyongyang is putting china 's own interests at risk , ' a senior administration official said . pyongyang 's provocations are the immediate threat , but the obama administration 's pivot to asia ' has broader strategic implications for beijing . throughout his asia swing , kerry will have to balance his short-term and long-term diplomatic objectives . secretary kerry can reassure regional states that , as a pacific century dawns , the united states will continue to be right in the middle of it and will not allow any power to edge the united states out of a region where nearly every country welcomes its leadership , ' said daniel twining , the german marshall fund 's senior fellow for asia . he should also make clear that the united states will not countenance aggression against any territory covered by the u.s.-japan security treaty and commit to working closely with japan to meet security challenges across asia , starting with north korea . ' | kerry 's asia trip will include visits to china and japan |
kerry <tsp> seoul , south korea ( cnn ) -- secretary of state john kerry said friday that the united states is prepared to enter into talks with north korea , but only if it is serious about negotiating the denuclearization of the korean peninsula kerry is in seoul meeting with south korean foreign minister yun byung-se amid heightened tensions spurred by north korea 's recent nuclear threats and provocations . he landed in seoul , about 30 miles from the demilitarized zone separating the two countries . the korean peninsula is rife with tensions over the belligerent threats issued by pyongyang . the united states will defend itself and its allies if needed , kerry said . north korea will not be accepted as a nuclear power , ' he said at a news conference with yun . the rhetoric that we are hearing is simply unacceptable . ' pentagon intelligence assessment suggesting north korea may have the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon on a missile has set off a flurry in washington , with top officials trying to play down concerns about the capabilities of the pyongyang regime . the pentagon 's intelligence arm has assessed with moderate confidence ' that north korea has the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon with a ballistic missile , though the reliability is believed to be low . ' first disclosed by a congressman at a hearing thursday and then confirmed to cnn by the defense department , the assessment by the defense intelligence agency is the clearest acknowledgment yet by the united states about potential advances in north korea 's nuclear program . will kim jong un listen to china ? the united states calculates that a test launch of mobile ballistic missiles could come at any time . but a senior administration official said there is no indication that missiles that north korea is believed to be readying for tests have been armed with any nuclear material . the surprising development comes amid heightened tensions on the korean peninsula . north korea has unleashed a torrent of dramatic threats against the united states and south korea in recent weeks , including that of a possible nuclear strike . kerry 's asia trip will include visits to china and japan . the tour comes at a time when all three countries have new leaders . the north korea we rearely see it 's the first time the obama administration is engaging with all three countries in the same trip , the state department said . the top u.s. diplomat 's trip comes days after he warned the north on what he calls leader kim jong un 's provocative ... dangerous , reckless ' rhetoric and actions . china , u.s. officials say , is growing more concerned about the north 's provocations , but it also is closely watching washington 's latest military moves in the region . report sparks intel controversy kerry will try to convince leaders in beijing that pyongyang is putting china 's own interests at risk , ' a senior administration official said . pyongyang 's provocations are the immediate threat , but the obama administration 's pivot to asia ' has broader strategic implications for beijing . throughout his asia swing , kerry will have to balance his short-term and long-term diplomatic objectives . secretary kerry can reassure regional states that , as a pacific century dawns , the united states will continue to be right in the middle of it and will not allow any power to edge the united states out of a region where nearly every country welcomes its leadership , ' said daniel twining , the german marshall fund 's senior fellow for asia . he should also make clear that the united states will not countenance aggression against any territory covered by the u.s.-japan security treaty and commit to working closely with japan to meet security challenges across asia , starting with north korea . ' | new : the united states will defend itself and its allies if needed , kerry says |
lesotho <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's nicknamed the kingdom in the sky ' -- where blue , chilly skies linger over barren mountains , lush green mountains , snow-covered mountains . this is truly a kingdom of mountains -- the southern african country of lesotho . but the breathtakingly beautiful landscapes are a tough place to live and some remote highland areas can only be reached on foot or horseback . during winter time , temperatures can drop down to -4 fahrenheit ( -20 c ) and bad weather can cut off much of the population for months . the rural mountainsides are where boys as young as five tend cattle and sheep . they are the herd boys of lesotho , often spending months or even years away from their families . it is estimated that around a third of lesotho 's school-aged boys are shepherds . becoming a shepherd is a cultural obligation in the country and often deprives young boys of any form of education . instead , they lead isolated lives . i wake up at seven in the morning . i boil some water and take a bath . i clean my surroundings and prepare for the day ahead . then i take the cattle to the grazing field , ' says 17-year-old shepherd thuso leeto , who over time has formed a special bond with the cows that are his only companions and which he considers to be his friends . i have ( even ) given them names and when i reprimand them they listen and respond to their names , ' he says . read this : africa 's magnificent mountains - seven amazing climbs the work of the herd boys is both mentally and physically demanding , but their income is often the only means of support for their families . for one year 's work , some boys will receive just one cow or 12 sheep . prince seeiso , younger brother of lesotho 's king and the country 's high commissioner to the united kingdom , has co-founded a charity called sentebale , together with britain 's prince harry . the aim is to help support some of lesotho 's most vulnerable children , the herd boys included . there is not much social security in this country as far as the welfare or wellbeing of the herd boys ( goes ) , ' says prince seeiso . prince seeiso explains that whilst the tradition of the herd boys goes far back in time , the herding used to be done by older men . when the migrant labor began to get into lesotho when the mines were opening , the older men went into south africa and then there was a void . then the kids became the herders , ' he says . lesotho has one of the world 's highest hiv/aids rates , with around 23 % of adults aged 15-49 being hiv positive , according to unaids . providing support and information about hiv/aids is one of sentebale 's missions , and it is also providing an education for the herd boys through night schools . we are looking at the long-term goals of eradicating the need for herding , but in the meantime we try and bring some kind of respite in terms of education , in terms of appropriate clothing , in terms of appropriate technology , introducing them to mobile phones , so that when they are out there , they can be alerted to weather reports , ' says the prince . improving the lives of young herd boys it 's not only the possibility of floods , or the biting winds that easily find their way through the worn-out , thin clothes of the young shepherds , that threaten them . after rounding their livestock into holding pens and retreating to their own small huts , the herd boys nervously await the impending night . this is peak time for cattle thieves and jackals . julius majoro , one of the local night school teachers , became a herd boy when he was 12 years old . he knows the fears these young men face . many thieves come during nighttime and attack the shepherds . they sometimes kill them with a gun , ' majoro says , recalling the feeling of isolation . i used to be lonely because i was just staying with the animals , also not feeling free , during the day and also during nighttime because i was supposed to care for ( them ) . ' the isolation , the hunger ( majoro says he sometimes had to eat food left out for the dogs by the farmer who employed him ) and the hard weather conditions motivated him to fight for the rights of the herd boys . the word shepherd , it sounds like an insult ... because those people have been abandoned by society , by our nation by everybody . nobody cares for them , ' he says . now what i always try to tell the shepherd , ( being ) a shepherd does n't mean something bad , it means you 're doing something special . ' read this : maasai cricket warriors going the extra mile for education and a hot meal as of october this year , sentebale has three night schools for the herd boys , and majoro runs one of them , in semongkong , one of the remotest parts of the country . he has been teaching there for five years now , and this season he has about 30 students . it 's winter time , and the classroom is cold . but many shepherds walk for hours after they have finished their work for the day , to get basic education and a hot meal . it 's very , very cold , ' majoro says . even if it 's worse than now , they will still come . education is their need . they need love . they want to socialize . and only here at school is where they get what they need . ' the lesson plans involve math as well as english and sesotho -- - the language of lesotho . the young men are also being informed about hiv and aids . but it 's not only about the education . their eyelids may be heavy after a long day of working , but here they can socialize . here , they can break through isolation . they do n't grow spiritually , they do n't grow emotionally , ' majoro says . they do n't grow socially , which is part of their life , because if they are not getting those things , they are not well complete . that 's why we bring them here , teach them how to behave , counsel them . this is just like a big family . ' before returning to their respective cattle posts , the herd boys of lesotho sing and dance together , forming a community spirit in remote highlands , 1,000 meters above the sea . then they walk off alone , again . | lesotho 's prince seeiso and britain 's prince harry started charity sentebale to help them |
lesotho <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's nicknamed the kingdom in the sky ' -- where blue , chilly skies linger over barren mountains , lush green mountains , snow-covered mountains . this is truly a kingdom of mountains -- the southern african country of lesotho . but the breathtakingly beautiful landscapes are a tough place to live and some remote highland areas can only be reached on foot or horseback . during winter time , temperatures can drop down to -4 fahrenheit ( -20 c ) and bad weather can cut off much of the population for months . the rural mountainsides are where boys as young as five tend cattle and sheep . they are the herd boys of lesotho , often spending months or even years away from their families . it is estimated that around a third of lesotho 's school-aged boys are shepherds . becoming a shepherd is a cultural obligation in the country and often deprives young boys of any form of education . instead , they lead isolated lives . i wake up at seven in the morning . i boil some water and take a bath . i clean my surroundings and prepare for the day ahead . then i take the cattle to the grazing field , ' says 17-year-old shepherd thuso leeto , who over time has formed a special bond with the cows that are his only companions and which he considers to be his friends . i have ( even ) given them names and when i reprimand them they listen and respond to their names , ' he says . read this : africa 's magnificent mountains - seven amazing climbs the work of the herd boys is both mentally and physically demanding , but their income is often the only means of support for their families . for one year 's work , some boys will receive just one cow or 12 sheep . prince seeiso , younger brother of lesotho 's king and the country 's high commissioner to the united kingdom , has co-founded a charity called sentebale , together with britain 's prince harry . the aim is to help support some of lesotho 's most vulnerable children , the herd boys included . there is not much social security in this country as far as the welfare or wellbeing of the herd boys ( goes ) , ' says prince seeiso . prince seeiso explains that whilst the tradition of the herd boys goes far back in time , the herding used to be done by older men . when the migrant labor began to get into lesotho when the mines were opening , the older men went into south africa and then there was a void . then the kids became the herders , ' he says . lesotho has one of the world 's highest hiv/aids rates , with around 23 % of adults aged 15-49 being hiv positive , according to unaids . providing support and information about hiv/aids is one of sentebale 's missions , and it is also providing an education for the herd boys through night schools . we are looking at the long-term goals of eradicating the need for herding , but in the meantime we try and bring some kind of respite in terms of education , in terms of appropriate clothing , in terms of appropriate technology , introducing them to mobile phones , so that when they are out there , they can be alerted to weather reports , ' says the prince . improving the lives of young herd boys it 's not only the possibility of floods , or the biting winds that easily find their way through the worn-out , thin clothes of the young shepherds , that threaten them . after rounding their livestock into holding pens and retreating to their own small huts , the herd boys nervously await the impending night . this is peak time for cattle thieves and jackals . julius majoro , one of the local night school teachers , became a herd boy when he was 12 years old . he knows the fears these young men face . many thieves come during nighttime and attack the shepherds . they sometimes kill them with a gun , ' majoro says , recalling the feeling of isolation . i used to be lonely because i was just staying with the animals , also not feeling free , during the day and also during nighttime because i was supposed to care for ( them ) . ' the isolation , the hunger ( majoro says he sometimes had to eat food left out for the dogs by the farmer who employed him ) and the hard weather conditions motivated him to fight for the rights of the herd boys . the word shepherd , it sounds like an insult ... because those people have been abandoned by society , by our nation by everybody . nobody cares for them , ' he says . now what i always try to tell the shepherd , ( being ) a shepherd does n't mean something bad , it means you 're doing something special . ' read this : maasai cricket warriors going the extra mile for education and a hot meal as of october this year , sentebale has three night schools for the herd boys , and majoro runs one of them , in semongkong , one of the remotest parts of the country . he has been teaching there for five years now , and this season he has about 30 students . it 's winter time , and the classroom is cold . but many shepherds walk for hours after they have finished their work for the day , to get basic education and a hot meal . it 's very , very cold , ' majoro says . even if it 's worse than now , they will still come . education is their need . they need love . they want to socialize . and only here at school is where they get what they need . ' the lesson plans involve math as well as english and sesotho -- - the language of lesotho . the young men are also being informed about hiv and aids . but it 's not only about the education . their eyelids may be heavy after a long day of working , but here they can socialize . here , they can break through isolation . they do n't grow spiritually , they do n't grow emotionally , ' majoro says . they do n't grow socially , which is part of their life , because if they are not getting those things , they are not well complete . that 's why we bring them here , teach them how to behave , counsel them . this is just like a big family . ' before returning to their respective cattle posts , the herd boys of lesotho sing and dance together , forming a community spirit in remote highlands , 1,000 meters above the sea . then they walk off alone , again . | in lesotho , around a third of school-age boys work as herd boys |
khartoum <tsp> ( cnn ) -- fourteen passengers are still missing after a plane burst into flames after landing in sudan 's capital khartoum on tuesday , killing 29 people . officials say 29 are dead after a plane caught fire shortly after landing in sudan . the sudan civil aviation authority said wednesday the remaining 171 passengers on the sudan airways airbus survived . many passengers did not wait around for customs inspection after fleeing the burning plane , making the toll difficult to ascertain initially , officials said . khartoum police chief mohammad othman mohammad noor said that a defect ' in the sudan airways plane caused it to catch fire as it touched down during a storm . the fire then led to an explosion on the airplane , ' he said . there was a large number of passengers on the plane , some of whom survived . the number of casualties is still unconfirmed at this time . ' ireport.com : send your photos , videos lighting up the night sky , flames consumed the plane as it sat on the runway at the airport , which is in the center of khartoum near residential and business areas . watch as flames engulf the wreckage » the weather in khartoum as the plane attempted to land was terrible . low visibility and heavy rain and wind followed a big sandstorm earlier in the day . the last airline disaster involving a sudan airways plane was july 8 , 2003 , when a boeing 737 reported engine trouble after take-off from port sudan and missed its return approach to the airport . it crashed about three miles away . a 3-year-old boy was the only survivor of the 117 people aboard . it was sudan 's worst air disaster . | khartoum accident occurred as plane touched down in low visibility , heavy rain |
georgia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as he surveys the nation 's landfills , chemical plants , waste facilities , and smelters , robert bullard sees an insidious form of institutional racism . robert bullard is the director of the environmental justice resource center at clark atlanta university . when you look at the neighborhoods that are where you have a lot of different waste facilities ... the people who live closest are oftentimes the most vulnerable people who have the fewest resources to escape neighborhoods because of residential segregation , housing discrimination , and limited incomes , ' said bullard , a professor at georgia 's clark atlanta university and the director of that university 's environmental justice resource center . just because you 're poor , just because you live physically on the wrong'side of the track'does n't mean that you should be dumped on . ' those people are predominantly minorities , bullard said . in fact , more than half of the 9 million people living within two miles of the nation 's hazardous waste facilities are minorities , according to toxic wastes and race at twenty , 1987-2007 : grassroots struggles to dismantle environmental racism , ' a recent report that bullard co-wrote . widely acknowledged as a pioneer in environmental justice , bullard has worked in the field since 1978 . he is the author of several books on the topic , including confronting environmental racism , ' dumping on dixie ' and unequal protection . ' in his nearly two decades of work in the field , bullard said little has changed . i 've visited dozens of communities and done these toxic tours , ' bullard said . what 's so disheartening is that it looks so familiar . i could have been in louisiana , richmond , california ... i could have been in chester , pennsylvania . and i think this phenomenon of concentrating polluting industries in communities [ of ] working class ... low incomes , communities of color , this phenomenon has to be dealt with . ' living near these facilities puts people at higher risk for health problems , bullard said . we 're seeing elevated asthma rates , we 're seeing higher than average cancer rates , we 're seeing lots of diabetes and kidney failure , ' he said . in a response to the toxic wastes and race at twenty , 1987-2007 : grassroots struggles to dismantle environmental racism ' report , the environmental protection agency said the epa is committed to delivering a healthy environment for all americans and is making significant strides in addressing environmental justice concerns . since 1993 , epa has awarded more than $ 30 million in grants to over 1,100 community-based organizations focused on addressing local environmental and public health issues . ' the agency also said that it is developing an environmental justice smart enforcement assessment tool , which will look at environmental , health , socioeconomic and compliance factors to ensure that the epa 's enforcement activities will focus on communities that need it most . epa expects to begin using this tool later this year , ' the agency said . e-mail to a friend | robert bullard is a professor at georgia 's clark atlanta university |
vonn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lindsey vonn of the united states lived up to her billing as the golden girl of the winter olympics with a dominant victory in the women 's downhill at whistler creekside on wednesday . vonn had been troubled by a shin injury in the build-up to the games in vancouver but showed no ill-effects with a blistering run of one minute 44.19 seconds to win her first olympic medal of any color . the minnesotan , the reigning world champion in the discipline and totally dominant on the world cup circuit in the build-up to games , decimated the time set by fellow american julia mancuso by over half a second from start number 16 . i dreamed about what this would feel like but it is much better in real life , ' said the 25-year-old . i ca n't stop crying . this is everything that i ever wanted and hoped for . i had a lot of ups and downs in my career . standing here today at the finish , and to win , is amazing . ' vonn is also the first american woman to win downhill gold and the first to win a speed event at the olympics since picabo street triumphed in the super-g at nagano in 1998 . elisabeth goergl of austria won the bronze medal , fully 1.46 seconds adrift of vonn , just edging out compatriot andrea fishbacher for the final podium position . experienced swede anja paerson looked to be mounting a dangerous challenge to vonn on the early part of the course , but took a heavy fall on one of the numerous jumps and needed medical attention . germany 's maria riesch , a great friend of vonn 's and her closest challenger in the overall world cup standings this season , could only finish a disappointing eighth . vonn , who was injured at the turin games four years ago , but bravely still took part , is competing in five events this time around and has strong medal chances in each , particularly in the super-combined and super-g disciplines . her husband and coach thomas vonn had no doubts she would claim gold with her first attempt despite her pre-games injury scare . for lindsey to come though , under this kind of pressure and with her shin injury , is fantastic , ' he said . lindsey called me before the race and told me ,'i think i got this . i may not need you , ' he added . she will next be in action in thursday 's super-combined event . there was further triumph for the united states in the men 's speed skating as shani davis retained his 1,000 meters crown at the richmond olympic oval . davis is the first man in winter games history to achieve the feat as he enjoyed a victory margin of 0.19 seconds over south korea 's mo tae-bum . another american , chad hedrick , took bronze . and the u.s. gold rush continued with a commanding performance from shaun white in snowboarding 's half-pipe final to successfully defend his olympic title . white had a massive four-point lead over compatriot scott lago after the first run and rounded off an incredible display with a series of trademark moves in his second effort which scored a massive 48.4 points . elsewhere , there were golds in the cross country sprint races for nikita kruikov of russia in the men 's event and in the women 's for norway 's marit bjoergen , who also won bronze in the 10km freestyle event on monday . in the men 's luge doubles event , the linger brothers from austria , wolfgang and andreas , successfully defended the title they won in turin ahead of the latvian pair of andris and juris sics . china won their first gold of the sixth day in the short track speed skating as wang meng took the 500 meters event by a convincing margin as she pulled clear of the field in the final after a series of false starts . | lindsey vonn wins olympic women 's downhill title with dominant display |
vonn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lindsey vonn of the united states lived up to her billing as the golden girl of the winter olympics with a dominant victory in the women 's downhill at whistler creekside on wednesday . vonn had been troubled by a shin injury in the build-up to the games in vancouver but showed no ill-effects with a blistering run of one minute 44.19 seconds to win her first olympic medal of any color . the minnesotan , the reigning world champion in the discipline and totally dominant on the world cup circuit in the build-up to games , decimated the time set by fellow american julia mancuso by over half a second from start number 16 . i dreamed about what this would feel like but it is much better in real life , ' said the 25-year-old . i ca n't stop crying . this is everything that i ever wanted and hoped for . i had a lot of ups and downs in my career . standing here today at the finish , and to win , is amazing . ' vonn is also the first american woman to win downhill gold and the first to win a speed event at the olympics since picabo street triumphed in the super-g at nagano in 1998 . elisabeth goergl of austria won the bronze medal , fully 1.46 seconds adrift of vonn , just edging out compatriot andrea fishbacher for the final podium position . experienced swede anja paerson looked to be mounting a dangerous challenge to vonn on the early part of the course , but took a heavy fall on one of the numerous jumps and needed medical attention . germany 's maria riesch , a great friend of vonn 's and her closest challenger in the overall world cup standings this season , could only finish a disappointing eighth . vonn , who was injured at the turin games four years ago , but bravely still took part , is competing in five events this time around and has strong medal chances in each , particularly in the super-combined and super-g disciplines . her husband and coach thomas vonn had no doubts she would claim gold with her first attempt despite her pre-games injury scare . for lindsey to come though , under this kind of pressure and with her shin injury , is fantastic , ' he said . lindsey called me before the race and told me ,'i think i got this . i may not need you , ' he added . she will next be in action in thursday 's super-combined event . there was further triumph for the united states in the men 's speed skating as shani davis retained his 1,000 meters crown at the richmond olympic oval . davis is the first man in winter games history to achieve the feat as he enjoyed a victory margin of 0.19 seconds over south korea 's mo tae-bum . another american , chad hedrick , took bronze . and the u.s. gold rush continued with a commanding performance from shaun white in snowboarding 's half-pipe final to successfully defend his olympic title . white had a massive four-point lead over compatriot scott lago after the first run and rounded off an incredible display with a series of trademark moves in his second effort which scored a massive 48.4 points . elsewhere , there were golds in the cross country sprint races for nikita kruikov of russia in the men 's event and in the women 's for norway 's marit bjoergen , who also won bronze in the 10km freestyle event on monday . in the men 's luge doubles event , the linger brothers from austria , wolfgang and andreas , successfully defended the title they won in turin ahead of the latvian pair of andris and juris sics . china won their first gold of the sixth day in the short track speed skating as wang meng took the 500 meters event by a convincing margin as she pulled clear of the field in the final after a series of false starts . | vonn beats fellow american julia mancuso by over half a second at whistler creekside |
whistler creekside <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lindsey vonn of the united states lived up to her billing as the golden girl of the winter olympics with a dominant victory in the women 's downhill at whistler creekside on wednesday . vonn had been troubled by a shin injury in the build-up to the games in vancouver but showed no ill-effects with a blistering run of one minute 44.19 seconds to win her first olympic medal of any color . the minnesotan , the reigning world champion in the discipline and totally dominant on the world cup circuit in the build-up to games , decimated the time set by fellow american julia mancuso by over half a second from start number 16 . i dreamed about what this would feel like but it is much better in real life , ' said the 25-year-old . i ca n't stop crying . this is everything that i ever wanted and hoped for . i had a lot of ups and downs in my career . standing here today at the finish , and to win , is amazing . ' vonn is also the first american woman to win downhill gold and the first to win a speed event at the olympics since picabo street triumphed in the super-g at nagano in 1998 . elisabeth goergl of austria won the bronze medal , fully 1.46 seconds adrift of vonn , just edging out compatriot andrea fishbacher for the final podium position . experienced swede anja paerson looked to be mounting a dangerous challenge to vonn on the early part of the course , but took a heavy fall on one of the numerous jumps and needed medical attention . germany 's maria riesch , a great friend of vonn 's and her closest challenger in the overall world cup standings this season , could only finish a disappointing eighth . vonn , who was injured at the turin games four years ago , but bravely still took part , is competing in five events this time around and has strong medal chances in each , particularly in the super-combined and super-g disciplines . her husband and coach thomas vonn had no doubts she would claim gold with her first attempt despite her pre-games injury scare . for lindsey to come though , under this kind of pressure and with her shin injury , is fantastic , ' he said . lindsey called me before the race and told me ,'i think i got this . i may not need you , ' he added . she will next be in action in thursday 's super-combined event . there was further triumph for the united states in the men 's speed skating as shani davis retained his 1,000 meters crown at the richmond olympic oval . davis is the first man in winter games history to achieve the feat as he enjoyed a victory margin of 0.19 seconds over south korea 's mo tae-bum . another american , chad hedrick , took bronze . and the u.s. gold rush continued with a commanding performance from shaun white in snowboarding 's half-pipe final to successfully defend his olympic title . white had a massive four-point lead over compatriot scott lago after the first run and rounded off an incredible display with a series of trademark moves in his second effort which scored a massive 48.4 points . elsewhere , there were golds in the cross country sprint races for nikita kruikov of russia in the men 's event and in the women 's for norway 's marit bjoergen , who also won bronze in the 10km freestyle event on monday . in the men 's luge doubles event , the linger brothers from austria , wolfgang and andreas , successfully defended the title they won in turin ahead of the latvian pair of andris and juris sics . china won their first gold of the sixth day in the short track speed skating as wang meng took the 500 meters event by a convincing margin as she pulled clear of the field in the final after a series of false starts . | vonn beats fellow american julia mancuso by over half a second at whistler creekside |
olympic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lindsey vonn of the united states lived up to her billing as the golden girl of the winter olympics with a dominant victory in the women 's downhill at whistler creekside on wednesday . vonn had been troubled by a shin injury in the build-up to the games in vancouver but showed no ill-effects with a blistering run of one minute 44.19 seconds to win her first olympic medal of any color . the minnesotan , the reigning world champion in the discipline and totally dominant on the world cup circuit in the build-up to games , decimated the time set by fellow american julia mancuso by over half a second from start number 16 . i dreamed about what this would feel like but it is much better in real life , ' said the 25-year-old . i ca n't stop crying . this is everything that i ever wanted and hoped for . i had a lot of ups and downs in my career . standing here today at the finish , and to win , is amazing . ' vonn is also the first american woman to win downhill gold and the first to win a speed event at the olympics since picabo street triumphed in the super-g at nagano in 1998 . elisabeth goergl of austria won the bronze medal , fully 1.46 seconds adrift of vonn , just edging out compatriot andrea fishbacher for the final podium position . experienced swede anja paerson looked to be mounting a dangerous challenge to vonn on the early part of the course , but took a heavy fall on one of the numerous jumps and needed medical attention . germany 's maria riesch , a great friend of vonn 's and her closest challenger in the overall world cup standings this season , could only finish a disappointing eighth . vonn , who was injured at the turin games four years ago , but bravely still took part , is competing in five events this time around and has strong medal chances in each , particularly in the super-combined and super-g disciplines . her husband and coach thomas vonn had no doubts she would claim gold with her first attempt despite her pre-games injury scare . for lindsey to come though , under this kind of pressure and with her shin injury , is fantastic , ' he said . lindsey called me before the race and told me ,'i think i got this . i may not need you , ' he added . she will next be in action in thursday 's super-combined event . there was further triumph for the united states in the men 's speed skating as shani davis retained his 1,000 meters crown at the richmond olympic oval . davis is the first man in winter games history to achieve the feat as he enjoyed a victory margin of 0.19 seconds over south korea 's mo tae-bum . another american , chad hedrick , took bronze . and the u.s. gold rush continued with a commanding performance from shaun white in snowboarding 's half-pipe final to successfully defend his olympic title . white had a massive four-point lead over compatriot scott lago after the first run and rounded off an incredible display with a series of trademark moves in his second effort which scored a massive 48.4 points . elsewhere , there were golds in the cross country sprint races for nikita kruikov of russia in the men 's event and in the women 's for norway 's marit bjoergen , who also won bronze in the 10km freestyle event on monday . in the men 's luge doubles event , the linger brothers from austria , wolfgang and andreas , successfully defended the title they won in turin ahead of the latvian pair of andris and juris sics . china won their first gold of the sixth day in the short track speed skating as wang meng took the 500 meters event by a convincing margin as she pulled clear of the field in the final after a series of false starts . | new : shani davis of united states retains his olympic title in men 's 1,000m speed skating |
olympic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lindsey vonn of the united states lived up to her billing as the golden girl of the winter olympics with a dominant victory in the women 's downhill at whistler creekside on wednesday . vonn had been troubled by a shin injury in the build-up to the games in vancouver but showed no ill-effects with a blistering run of one minute 44.19 seconds to win her first olympic medal of any color . the minnesotan , the reigning world champion in the discipline and totally dominant on the world cup circuit in the build-up to games , decimated the time set by fellow american julia mancuso by over half a second from start number 16 . i dreamed about what this would feel like but it is much better in real life , ' said the 25-year-old . i ca n't stop crying . this is everything that i ever wanted and hoped for . i had a lot of ups and downs in my career . standing here today at the finish , and to win , is amazing . ' vonn is also the first american woman to win downhill gold and the first to win a speed event at the olympics since picabo street triumphed in the super-g at nagano in 1998 . elisabeth goergl of austria won the bronze medal , fully 1.46 seconds adrift of vonn , just edging out compatriot andrea fishbacher for the final podium position . experienced swede anja paerson looked to be mounting a dangerous challenge to vonn on the early part of the course , but took a heavy fall on one of the numerous jumps and needed medical attention . germany 's maria riesch , a great friend of vonn 's and her closest challenger in the overall world cup standings this season , could only finish a disappointing eighth . vonn , who was injured at the turin games four years ago , but bravely still took part , is competing in five events this time around and has strong medal chances in each , particularly in the super-combined and super-g disciplines . her husband and coach thomas vonn had no doubts she would claim gold with her first attempt despite her pre-games injury scare . for lindsey to come though , under this kind of pressure and with her shin injury , is fantastic , ' he said . lindsey called me before the race and told me ,'i think i got this . i may not need you , ' he added . she will next be in action in thursday 's super-combined event . there was further triumph for the united states in the men 's speed skating as shani davis retained his 1,000 meters crown at the richmond olympic oval . davis is the first man in winter games history to achieve the feat as he enjoyed a victory margin of 0.19 seconds over south korea 's mo tae-bum . another american , chad hedrick , took bronze . and the u.s. gold rush continued with a commanding performance from shaun white in snowboarding 's half-pipe final to successfully defend his olympic title . white had a massive four-point lead over compatriot scott lago after the first run and rounded off an incredible display with a series of trademark moves in his second effort which scored a massive 48.4 points . elsewhere , there were golds in the cross country sprint races for nikita kruikov of russia in the men 's event and in the women 's for norway 's marit bjoergen , who also won bronze in the 10km freestyle event on monday . in the men 's luge doubles event , the linger brothers from austria , wolfgang and andreas , successfully defended the title they won in turin ahead of the latvian pair of andris and juris sics . china won their first gold of the sixth day in the short track speed skating as wang meng took the 500 meters event by a convincing margin as she pulled clear of the field in the final after a series of false starts . | lindsey vonn wins olympic women 's downhill title with dominant display |
english premier league <tsp> ( cnn ) -- others may already be faltering , but chelsea march on . jose mourinho 's side continued their impressive early season form with a 6-3 win against everton in the english premier league on saturday . after comfortable wins against leicester city and burnley in their opening two league fixtures , the blues traveled to goodison park . roberto martinez 's side were expected to provide a stern test of mourinho 's newly-modeled side but were ultimately swept aside in a thrilling encounter on merseyside . the home side 's interest in the match threatened to be curtailed inside three minutes as chelsea raced into a 2-0 lead . diego costa struck after just 35 seconds , guiding a low shot underneath everton keeper tim howard with branislav ivanovic doubling the lead two minutes later . everton regrouped and thought they 'd pulled one back in the 16th minute when sylvain distin turned the ball in after romelu lukaku 's header had rebounded off the post . but the french defender 's effort was ruled offside . the toffees stuck at it and their perseverance paid off on the stroke of halftime as seamus coleman 's cross was met by belgian midfielder kevin mirallas who headed past chelsea keeper and international teammate thibaut courtois . everton started the second half brightly , but chelsea were soon in control of the match once more when coleman deflected eden hazard 's cross into his own net in the 67th minute to make it 3-1 . despondency soon turned to hope again as everton 's steven naismith scored two minutes later only for nemanja matic to restore chelsea 's two-goal cushion in the 74th minute . substitute samuel eto'o made an immediate impact against his former club with a headed goal to make the score 4-3 , before ramires scored for the visitors again moments later . diego costa confirmed the inevitable with his second goal of the match in the 90th minute to cap another good day for his new club . as one spanish striker beds in at stamford bridge another has departed after it was announced that fernando torres will join serie a side ac milan on a two-year loan deal subject to the 30-year-old passing a medical . torres has endured a torrid time in london since his â£50 million ( $ 83 million ) move from liverpool in 2011 scoring just 20 times in 110 appearances . the unsettled spaniard leaves an increasingly settled chelsea side who are now top of the league with nine points from three games . their main rivals for the title this season have so far endured mixed fortunes with manchester city the latest to slip up . the sky blues slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat to stoke city earlier on saturday . following comfortable wins over newcastle united and liverpool , manuel pellegrini 's side were hot favorites to make light work the potters who had lost all previous 12 matches at the etihad stadium . but it was stoke who walked away with all three points after senegal striker mame biram diouf 's fine solo effort in the 58th minute settled the game . stoke 's first win of the new campaign lifts them to ninth in the table while city slip to fourth . united still winless the red side of manchester will be equally blue this weekend as louis van gaal 's search for a first premier league win goes on . despite fielding new signing angel di maria for the first time , united were unable to break down the defenses of newly promoted burnley in a game that ended goalless . the result leaves united languishing in 14th place in the table with two points from a possible nine . the lackluster display caps another dismal week for united who suffered a shock exit from the english league cup in midweek at the hands of mk dons , a team two divisions below them . there was one bright spot on an otherwise gloomy weekend for united fans with the announcement that dutch international daley blind will join from ajax , subject to a medical and the defensive midfielder agreeing personal terms , the club said saturday . in sunday 's matches , mario balotelli is expected to make his debut for liverpool as the merseysiders take on tottenham hotspur at white hart lane . arsenal are also in action against leicester city , while aston villa take on hull city . bayern held by schalke meanwhile in the bundesliga , xabi alonso made his debut for bayern munich but could n't prevent the german champions from dropping their first points of the season in a 1-1 draw at schalke . the veteran spanish midfielder , who joined pep guardiola 's side from real madrid on friday , played nearly 70 minutes before being substituted , by which time both goals in the game had been scored . bayern took the lead in the 10th minute courtesy of robert lewandowski -- scoring his first goal for his new club since joining from borussia dortmund in the summer -- before schalke picked up their first point of the new season with a 62nd minute equalizer from benedikt howedes . the draw leaves bayern with four points from two games and joint second behind bayer leverkusen who continued their perfect start to the season with a 4-2 win over hertha berlin . paderborn , cologne were also winners on saturday with the matches between werder bremen and hoffenheim and wolfsburg and frankfurt ending in draws . atletico win in spain in la liga , reigning champions atletico madrid picked up their first win of the new season beating new boys eibar 2-1 . former bayern munich striker mario mandzukic scored what proved to be his new team 's winning goal in the 25th minute following brazilian center back miranda 's 11th-minute opener . abraham minero fernandez pulled one back for eibar in the 33rd minute but they could n't find an equalizer . the result leaves diego simeone 's side on four points from two games with barcelona and city rivals real madrid both in action on sunday . the catalans travel to villarreal while real visit real sociedad . serie a kicks off new season two matches were played on the opening day of serie a in italy on saturday . reigning champions juventus were 1-0 winners at chievo while last season 's runners up were also victorious beating fiorentina 2-0 at the stadio olimpico . | chelsea maintain 100 % start to new english premier league season |
simpson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- love everybody and be good to everybody . that 's the main thing . ' those are the all-caps words that greet visitors to grandma betty 's website . and you can expect an uptick in the number of visitors , after the inspirational instagram celebrity ( real name : betty jo simpson ) from jeffersonville , indiana , succumbed to lung cancer saturday , eight months after she was diagnosed . appropriately , word of the beloved 80-year-old great-grandmother 's death was posted first on instagram , attached to a photo of her beloved dog harley , alone , in the rocking chair she sat in so often in her instagram snapshots . after a much needed night of rest , grandma has come to peace with her battle of lung cancer . although grandma betty is no longer physically with us , she will forever be in the hearts of the millions of people she touches every single day . grandma betty did not lose her battle to cancer , because her legacy she has left behind will inspire millions of people to # smile , # behappy , and # stayhappy no matter what . the fight has ended . the battle is won , ' the online epitaph read . as of saturday evening , simpson had more than 682,000 instagram followers , drawn by her amusing videos , positive messages and fighting spirit . to the general public , the legend of grandma betty began around the time of her cancer diagnosis , when her 18-year-old great-grandson , zach belden , decided to document the remainder of her life . before grade school , i did n't have a babysitter . i had my grandma , ' belden told cnn 's jarrett bellini in march . many of my friends knew grandma . and it was a neat way to connect her to them . ' apparently this matters : instagram 's favorite grandma despite her advanced age , and the cancer , betty grew quite savvy about social media , even learning to take selfies , though belden admitted that process was harder than it probably seems . ' now , the woman who defined herself on instagram as a cancer fighter ' and follower of jesus ' is no longer with us . but she 'll live on in the pictures , words , and spirit that made the social media generation fall in love with the octogenarian . | betty jo simpson , 80 , of jeffersonville , indiana , dies from lung cancer |
simpson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- love everybody and be good to everybody . that 's the main thing . ' those are the all-caps words that greet visitors to grandma betty 's website . and you can expect an uptick in the number of visitors , after the inspirational instagram celebrity ( real name : betty jo simpson ) from jeffersonville , indiana , succumbed to lung cancer saturday , eight months after she was diagnosed . appropriately , word of the beloved 80-year-old great-grandmother 's death was posted first on instagram , attached to a photo of her beloved dog harley , alone , in the rocking chair she sat in so often in her instagram snapshots . after a much needed night of rest , grandma has come to peace with her battle of lung cancer . although grandma betty is no longer physically with us , she will forever be in the hearts of the millions of people she touches every single day . grandma betty did not lose her battle to cancer , because her legacy she has left behind will inspire millions of people to # smile , # behappy , and # stayhappy no matter what . the fight has ended . the battle is won , ' the online epitaph read . as of saturday evening , simpson had more than 682,000 instagram followers , drawn by her amusing videos , positive messages and fighting spirit . to the general public , the legend of grandma betty began around the time of her cancer diagnosis , when her 18-year-old great-grandson , zach belden , decided to document the remainder of her life . before grade school , i did n't have a babysitter . i had my grandma , ' belden told cnn 's jarrett bellini in march . many of my friends knew grandma . and it was a neat way to connect her to them . ' apparently this matters : instagram 's favorite grandma despite her advanced age , and the cancer , betty grew quite savvy about social media , even learning to take selfies , though belden admitted that process was harder than it probably seems . ' now , the woman who defined herself on instagram as a cancer fighter ' and follower of jesus ' is no longer with us . but she 'll live on in the pictures , words , and spirit that made the social media generation fall in love with the octogenarian . | her great-grandson documented simpson 's last months to share her inspirational story |
tracy morgan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there 's no disputing tracy morgan 's comedic voice is one of a kind . whether playing animal enthusiast brian fellow or imitating star jones of the view ' on saturday night live , ' or just an exaggerated version of himself as tracy jordan on 30 rock , ' morgan has commanded the stage and small screen . he was a series regular on snl ' for seven years and earned an emmy nomination for best supporting actor in a comedy for his 30 rock ' role . known for over-the-top characters ( astronaut jones , dominican lou ) and outrageous celebrity impressions ( mike tyson , oprah winfrey and marion suge ' knight ) , morgan performs his standup routines with the same characteristic'no holds barred'attitude . the actor also starred in the tracy morgan show ' from 2003-2004 and has hosted and executive produced the hidden camera show scare tactics ' on syfy . a multivehicle accident on the new jersey turnpike left tracy morgan , 45 , in critical condition on saturday , authorities said . one person was killed . morgan and two other passengers in a limo bus remained hospitalized late saturday . morgan performed a comedy act friday night at the dover downs hotel & casino in delaware , according to the venue . the actor-comedian-producer grew up in new york city -- raised by a single mom , along with his four siblings . in 2009 , he published an autobiography titled i am the new black ' chronicling his rise from a brooklyn housing project to starring on the snl ' stage from 1996 to 2003 . his father died of aids when morgan was 17 . in an interview , morgan said his father taught him the key to survival was to learn from your mistakes . the comedian is no stranger to controversy . after being arrested twice for drunk driving and ordered to wear an ankle monitoring device , morgan said it took tough talk from his then-teenage son to sober him up . the comedian credits his son for confronting him about his drinking and saving his life . in a 2010 pbs interview , morgan referred to fame as the worst drug known to mankind , ' saying it led down the path of partying and hanging out ' and the end of his first marriage . he was previously married for 21 years to his high school sweetheart , sabina morgan , mother of his three sons -- gitrid , malcolm and tracy jr. ' i started to hurt even people that i love . i was changing and i 'm glad that i caught it in time , ' morgan said . in 2011 , morgan received backlash from a standup routine he performed in nashville . an audience member recorded morgan 's show in which he went on a homophobic rant which included a comment that he 'd stab his son to death if he said he was gay . ' the audio of morgan 's routine was later picked up by several websites . a few weeks later , morgan returned to nashville to meet with members of the gay & lesbian alliance against defamation ( glaad ) and deliver a face-to-face apology to people who were in the audience the night of his performance . i do n't have a hateful bone in my body , ' morgan said . i do n't believe anyone should be bullied or made to feel bad about who they are . ' after that meeting , morgan vowed to change his comedy routine , saying the controversy , gave him the opportunity to change my message onstage . ' in my heart , i really do n't care who you love , same sex or not , as long as you have the ability to love , that 's the important thing here , ' he said . over the years , morgan has had his share of health challenges , battling diabetes and surviving a kidney transplant in 2010 . in 2012 , the actor was rushed to the hospital at the sundance film festival after collapsing after giving an awards acceptance speech , according to industry trade publication variety . morgan 's representative told cnn that the actor sought medical attention for a combination of exhaustion and altitude . ' the father of four is engaged to model megan wollover and the two have an 11-month-old daughter , maven . according to a statement by his publicist , morgan 's family is with him and he is receiving excellent care . ' actor tracy morgan in critical condition after wreck in new jersey cnn 's alan duke contributed to this report . | tracy morgan is a father of four |
champions league <tsp> ( cnn ) -- bayern munich are through to the group stages of the champions league after a 1-0 win at swiss side fc zurich gave them a 3-0 aggregate success in their play-off second leg . a strong bayern side , featuring eight members of the germany national side , secured their place in the last 32 courtesy of an early strike from mario gomez . gomez was left unmarked in the area to finish off a flowing move involving toni kroos and thomas mueller , for the only goal of the game in the seventh minute . bayern -- who will be hosting the final of the competition in may 2012 -- now join compatriots borussia dortmund and bayer leverkusen in the main draw . four other second round ties were played on tuesday , with spanish side villarreal also sealing their place in the group stage with a 3-0 win over odense of denmark , for a 3-1 aggregate success . highly-rated italian striker giuseppe rossi netted a close range double , the second coming via a superb curling right-wing cross from ruben cani . substitute carlos marchena added a third after goalkeeper stefan wessels fumbled his long-range shot , but a bad-tempered second half saw each side have a player sent off , with the home side losing borja valero for head-buttting andreas johansson in the stomach . dinamo zagreb are also through to the group stages , but they were given a scare by malmo of sweden . zagreb side led 4-1 from the first leg in croatia , but malmo won 2-0 on the night , just failing to get the third goal that would have seen them progress on the away goals rule . belgian side genk beat maccabi haifa of israel 2-1 on the night , a result that left the sides tied at 3-3 on aggregate . the scoreline remained the same through extra time , but genk prevailed 4-1 on penalties to seal their place . brazilian striker ailton scored twice , with the decisive goal coming three minutes from time , to give cypriot side apoel nicosia a 3-1 victory over wisla krakow of poland for a 3-2 aggregate success . there is a consolation prize for the losing teams with a place in the group stages of the europa league . | bayern munich are through to the group stage of the champions league |
martin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for more than a year i 've tried to get republican national committee chairman reince priebus to make an appearance on my sunday morning news show on tv one , the nation 's second-largest black cable network . he has also been invited to appear on my daily segment on the tom joyner morning show , ' with 8 million listeners . although priebus did tell me yes ' a year ago , on the day of the gop primary debate in south carolina , he has yet to show up and talk gop politics to either of these audiences . this is no shock to me , because most white republicans i 've invited appear to be deathly afraid to accept invites to appear on both shows . in fact , it has been tough even getting a callback or an e-mail from gop staffers . since the debut of my show , washington watch , ' in september 2009 , we have had an open invitation for any member of the gop house or senate conference to appear on the show . in four years , only four -- reps. tom price ( twice ) , allen west , steve king , and pete olson -- have appeared on the show . none was verbally attacked . none was called a bigot or a racist . none was prevented from talking . we had polite , but firm , discourse on multiple issues . any of them would tell you i was more than fair , providing them with a forum to discuss their policy differences with president barack obama and democrats . think about that : even gop backbenchers who rarely get called to appear on a national tv or radio show seem afraid to show up . you would think they 'd welcome a chance to share their policies with a constituency that routinely does n't vote for them . but republicans routinely pass it up , and then wonder why they do n't get the votes of blacks and other minorities . what i 'm describing points up a much larger problem with the gop and its inability to speak to issues that all voters care about . that 's why i find it interesting that at the gop retreat this past weekend in virginia , there was a session entitled , coalitions-discussion on successful comms w/ minorities & women . ' comms stands for communications . ' if republicans want to understand how to successfully communicate with minorities and women , it sure would help to actually go to the forums where minorities and women read , listen and watch . when michael steele was chairman of the rnc , he appeared on my tv show and radio segments on many occasions . i could call him on his cell phone or at home and book him on a moment 's notice . see , steele understood that if you want to communicate a policy to black people , it helps to talk to them . maybe his being black is the reason . the mental block that keeps the gop from engaging black folks and others could have something to do with its perception of the issues we care about . for instance , a prominent black republican in illinois told me about a presentation a few years ago with party elders about how they could attract black voters . when it was all done , this republican said , the first comment from the floor was , we are not going to support welfare . ' the group of black republicans was puzzled : we did n't even bring up welfare . what are you talking about ? ' the gop apparently has the idea that minorities do n't care about education , taxes , entrepreneurship , homeownership , and a litany of other issues . when republicans speak to black folks and the main thing they have to say is that the gop is the party of lincoln and he freed the slaves , then you have a problem . yes , republicans played a critical role in civil rights legislation during the 1950s and 1960s while southern democrats were obstructionists -- but it 's the gop 's concern for blacks and minorities in the last four decades that has been troubling and problematic . republican consultants will say that cultivating minority voters is a waste of time . that 's a short-term view . i would think that allowing the opposition party to get 90 % of a group 's vote without lifting a finger -- because your own ineptitude prevents you from making your case -- means trouble long-term . republicans could compete for minority votes if they were actually interested in listening to the concerns of said voters . but if they just want to talk to minority voters and not listen , they can not compete . i know a bunch of african-americans who do n't self-identify as democrats . they , and i am one of them , have voted for both republicans and democrats . the issues that we care about vary . it 's not about ideology or party ; it 's about what you can do to be of help to those in need . if the gop wants to learn how to communicate with minorities , it must listen to and work with the numerous minority republicans who have been shouting this from the rooftop for years . you want to hear evidence from a couple of white guys ? pick up the phone and call former u.s. sen. george voinovich of ohio . he enjoyed sizable black support because when he was mayor of cleveland , he did n't avoid minorities and treat them as outcasts . he sat down with them , shared their concerns , and worked on public policy -- together . give mike huckabee a ring . when he was governor of arkansas , he earned a lot of black votes for the same reason as voinovich . he has urged the gop to reach out . one issue where republicans are finding themselves working with black civil rights leaders and pastors is in the area of sentencing reform . african-americans see a legal system that has turned into a moneymaking machine for private prisons . gop governors see state budgets out of control . a major civil rights leader told me he has found more success working with gop governors than democratic governors on sentencing reform . this is an example of what happens when individuals sit down , talk , share their concerns , and find common ground . but as long as the gop is scared to even sit down with black folks and other minorities , it can expect to keep getting dusted at the ballot box . and do n't look to blame anyone else but yourselves , when you were given the chance and your own ignorance prevented you from reaching across the divide to talk . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roland martin . | martin : one area where gop , minority voters might share goals : sentencing reform |
martin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for more than a year i 've tried to get republican national committee chairman reince priebus to make an appearance on my sunday morning news show on tv one , the nation 's second-largest black cable network . he has also been invited to appear on my daily segment on the tom joyner morning show , ' with 8 million listeners . although priebus did tell me yes ' a year ago , on the day of the gop primary debate in south carolina , he has yet to show up and talk gop politics to either of these audiences . this is no shock to me , because most white republicans i 've invited appear to be deathly afraid to accept invites to appear on both shows . in fact , it has been tough even getting a callback or an e-mail from gop staffers . since the debut of my show , washington watch , ' in september 2009 , we have had an open invitation for any member of the gop house or senate conference to appear on the show . in four years , only four -- reps. tom price ( twice ) , allen west , steve king , and pete olson -- have appeared on the show . none was verbally attacked . none was called a bigot or a racist . none was prevented from talking . we had polite , but firm , discourse on multiple issues . any of them would tell you i was more than fair , providing them with a forum to discuss their policy differences with president barack obama and democrats . think about that : even gop backbenchers who rarely get called to appear on a national tv or radio show seem afraid to show up . you would think they 'd welcome a chance to share their policies with a constituency that routinely does n't vote for them . but republicans routinely pass it up , and then wonder why they do n't get the votes of blacks and other minorities . what i 'm describing points up a much larger problem with the gop and its inability to speak to issues that all voters care about . that 's why i find it interesting that at the gop retreat this past weekend in virginia , there was a session entitled , coalitions-discussion on successful comms w/ minorities & women . ' comms stands for communications . ' if republicans want to understand how to successfully communicate with minorities and women , it sure would help to actually go to the forums where minorities and women read , listen and watch . when michael steele was chairman of the rnc , he appeared on my tv show and radio segments on many occasions . i could call him on his cell phone or at home and book him on a moment 's notice . see , steele understood that if you want to communicate a policy to black people , it helps to talk to them . maybe his being black is the reason . the mental block that keeps the gop from engaging black folks and others could have something to do with its perception of the issues we care about . for instance , a prominent black republican in illinois told me about a presentation a few years ago with party elders about how they could attract black voters . when it was all done , this republican said , the first comment from the floor was , we are not going to support welfare . ' the group of black republicans was puzzled : we did n't even bring up welfare . what are you talking about ? ' the gop apparently has the idea that minorities do n't care about education , taxes , entrepreneurship , homeownership , and a litany of other issues . when republicans speak to black folks and the main thing they have to say is that the gop is the party of lincoln and he freed the slaves , then you have a problem . yes , republicans played a critical role in civil rights legislation during the 1950s and 1960s while southern democrats were obstructionists -- but it 's the gop 's concern for blacks and minorities in the last four decades that has been troubling and problematic . republican consultants will say that cultivating minority voters is a waste of time . that 's a short-term view . i would think that allowing the opposition party to get 90 % of a group 's vote without lifting a finger -- because your own ineptitude prevents you from making your case -- means trouble long-term . republicans could compete for minority votes if they were actually interested in listening to the concerns of said voters . but if they just want to talk to minority voters and not listen , they can not compete . i know a bunch of african-americans who do n't self-identify as democrats . they , and i am one of them , have voted for both republicans and democrats . the issues that we care about vary . it 's not about ideology or party ; it 's about what you can do to be of help to those in need . if the gop wants to learn how to communicate with minorities , it must listen to and work with the numerous minority republicans who have been shouting this from the rooftop for years . you want to hear evidence from a couple of white guys ? pick up the phone and call former u.s. sen. george voinovich of ohio . he enjoyed sizable black support because when he was mayor of cleveland , he did n't avoid minorities and treat them as outcasts . he sat down with them , shared their concerns , and worked on public policy -- together . give mike huckabee a ring . when he was governor of arkansas , he earned a lot of black votes for the same reason as voinovich . he has urged the gop to reach out . one issue where republicans are finding themselves working with black civil rights leaders and pastors is in the area of sentencing reform . african-americans see a legal system that has turned into a moneymaking machine for private prisons . gop governors see state budgets out of control . a major civil rights leader told me he has found more success working with gop governors than democratic governors on sentencing reform . this is an example of what happens when individuals sit down , talk , share their concerns , and find common ground . but as long as the gop is scared to even sit down with black folks and other minorities , it can expect to keep getting dusted at the ballot box . and do n't look to blame anyone else but yourselves , when you were given the chance and your own ignorance prevented you from reaching across the divide to talk . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roland martin . | roland martin : gop national committee 's priebus dodges appearing on martin shows |
maria sharapova <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two-time defending champion kim clijsters has pulled out of this year 's u.s. open with a stomach muscle injury . the 28-year-old belgian suffered the injury at the rogers cup tournament in toronto last week and told the official wta website that she would not be able to recover in time for the final grand slam of the season which starts on august 29 in new york . two weeks of rehab was not enough to heal this injury . obviously i 'm very disappointed , ' she said . i trained very hard this summer and felt in a good shape to play the u.s . open . ' clijsters , the world number three , has suffered an injury-hit year since claiming the australian open title back in january , her fourth grand slam crown . she missed most of the clay court season and then wimbledon with an ankle injury and was hoping for better luck as she chased a fourth triumph at flushing meadows where she won in 2005 , 2009 and 2010 . the injury will also affect her end of season campaign and she acknowledged that she will need careful rehabilitation . now there is nothing else i can do than to rest and have treatment every day . if a gradual approach is not taken , i will relapse in the same injury , and therefore i have also no other possibility than to withdraw from the tournaments in tokyo and beijing . ' clijsters'withdrawal is likely to leave serena williams as a warm favorite to add to her grand slam tally , but the american was herself forced out of the latest wta event in cincinnati through injury , but it is not thought serious . meanwhile , wimbledon runner-up maria sharapova eased into the semifinals of the tournament in ohio friday with a straight-sets victory over samantha stosur . fourth seed sharapova beat the 10th-seeded australian 6-3 6-2 and next faces second seed vera zvonareva of russia , who battled past unseeded slovakian daniela hantuchova 6-3 7-6 . ninth seed andrea petkovic also reached the semifinals with a 7-5 6-1 win over nadia petrova . petkovic will face 13th seed jelena jankovic , who went through when shuai peng withdrew before the start of their match with a hip injury . | maria sharapova marches into semifinals in cincinnati to play vera zvonareva |
strong <tsp> ( cnn ) c-span 's live telecast of the white house correspondents'association dinner on saturday night , hosted by cecily strong of saturday night live , ' was not strong 's finest hour , though the entire affair seemed like five of c-span 's longest hours . even so , there were some genuinely funny moments , although the ratio was low , and you had to be patient to get to them . but when you step back and look at the event as a whole , and appreciate what 's really happening -- in terms of press freedoms and even a u.s. president willing and able to poke fun at himself as well as others -- it 's hard not to think of this particular beltway-meets-showbiz event as a wonderfully american exercise in tolerance and good humor . that being said , it 's a very tough room -- and not just because the washington hilton ballroom is so cavernous . more than 2,000 credentialed white house journalists and their mostly celebrity guests convened for the occasion . and convened , and convened , and convened , as time dragged on and dinner was served late . president barack obama , as strong 's warm-up act , did n't hit the podium until 10:20 p.m. ( strong got her turn at 10:45 . ) obama , as in past years , came out strong -- a tough act to follow for any comedian . he had strong comedy lines and delivered them with timing that many stand-up comics would envy . noting his lame-duck status , obama said his advisers asked him if he had a bucket list . i have something that rhymes with bucket list , ' he claimed to have replied . obama , noting the night 's guest speaker , said , on'saturday night live ,'cecily impersonates cnn anchor brooke baldwin . ' then , after a brief but well-timed pause , he added , which is surprising , because usually , the only people impersonating journalists on cnn are journalists on cnn . ' obama was nailing his own punch lines frequently , and perfectly . then , to up the ante on his time at the podium , he welcomed his anger translator ' -- a recurring character played by keegan-michael key on comedy central 's key & peele . ' it was a clever surprise , and the crowd reacted with surprising enthusiasm ( i would n't have presumed most of them knew of key 's character or his series ) , though key 's jokes lost something in the translation , and did n't pack the punch of obama 's . but the bit ended with a great twist : obama himself getting so worked up about a snowball being carried into congress to denounce global warming that the president 's anger translator ' had to calm obama down instead . and then came cecily strong , with a sly opening line referring not only to her appearance as one of the few female guest speakers at the correspondents'dinner , but to the upcoming 2016 presidential election . feels right , ' she said , to have a woman following president obama . ' from there , the crowd seemed as tough as advertised , with oohs ' often as loud as laughter , as strong went from one target to another . she even got oohs ' when her targets were outside the room , as when she said , noting how obama has aged visibly in office , your hair is so white now , it can talk back to the police . ' but the seemingly tepid response to strong 's routine may have been partly due to the late hour . she came on after not only the dinner service and obama , but after scholarship awards , correspondent awards and tributes and other bits of official business . and her routine was n't over until 11:08 p.m. -- making it a longer tv show than even the emmys . before the main event finally began , c-span filled the time scanning the room with its cameras , but providing only ambient sound with very few identifying voice-overs or prerecorded features . once in a while , you could see someone recognizable in the large , oddly eclectic crowd : tea leoni , ivanka trump , larry wilmore , jane pauley . for the most part , though , it was like playing a frustratingly difficult beltway game of spot-the-face-in-the-crowd -- a sort of who 's waldo ? ' and after a few hours watching a gaggle of people chat and eat , all i wanted to do was go home . and i was already home . but i stayed tuned , just so i could watch , and grade , the results . final tally : obama gets an a- , keegan-michael key a c , cecily strong a b- , and the entire telecast and event an a+ for democracy -- but a d as television . | david bianculli : correspondents'dinner , and cecily strong as host , were mostly weak , but obama had some funny zingers |
strong <tsp> ( cnn ) c-span 's live telecast of the white house correspondents'association dinner on saturday night , hosted by cecily strong of saturday night live , ' was not strong 's finest hour , though the entire affair seemed like five of c-span 's longest hours . even so , there were some genuinely funny moments , although the ratio was low , and you had to be patient to get to them . but when you step back and look at the event as a whole , and appreciate what 's really happening -- in terms of press freedoms and even a u.s. president willing and able to poke fun at himself as well as others -- it 's hard not to think of this particular beltway-meets-showbiz event as a wonderfully american exercise in tolerance and good humor . that being said , it 's a very tough room -- and not just because the washington hilton ballroom is so cavernous . more than 2,000 credentialed white house journalists and their mostly celebrity guests convened for the occasion . and convened , and convened , and convened , as time dragged on and dinner was served late . president barack obama , as strong 's warm-up act , did n't hit the podium until 10:20 p.m. ( strong got her turn at 10:45 . ) obama , as in past years , came out strong -- a tough act to follow for any comedian . he had strong comedy lines and delivered them with timing that many stand-up comics would envy . noting his lame-duck status , obama said his advisers asked him if he had a bucket list . i have something that rhymes with bucket list , ' he claimed to have replied . obama , noting the night 's guest speaker , said , on'saturday night live ,'cecily impersonates cnn anchor brooke baldwin . ' then , after a brief but well-timed pause , he added , which is surprising , because usually , the only people impersonating journalists on cnn are journalists on cnn . ' obama was nailing his own punch lines frequently , and perfectly . then , to up the ante on his time at the podium , he welcomed his anger translator ' -- a recurring character played by keegan-michael key on comedy central 's key & peele . ' it was a clever surprise , and the crowd reacted with surprising enthusiasm ( i would n't have presumed most of them knew of key 's character or his series ) , though key 's jokes lost something in the translation , and did n't pack the punch of obama 's . but the bit ended with a great twist : obama himself getting so worked up about a snowball being carried into congress to denounce global warming that the president 's anger translator ' had to calm obama down instead . and then came cecily strong , with a sly opening line referring not only to her appearance as one of the few female guest speakers at the correspondents'dinner , but to the upcoming 2016 presidential election . feels right , ' she said , to have a woman following president obama . ' from there , the crowd seemed as tough as advertised , with oohs ' often as loud as laughter , as strong went from one target to another . she even got oohs ' when her targets were outside the room , as when she said , noting how obama has aged visibly in office , your hair is so white now , it can talk back to the police . ' but the seemingly tepid response to strong 's routine may have been partly due to the late hour . she came on after not only the dinner service and obama , but after scholarship awards , correspondent awards and tributes and other bits of official business . and her routine was n't over until 11:08 p.m. -- making it a longer tv show than even the emmys . before the main event finally began , c-span filled the time scanning the room with its cameras , but providing only ambient sound with very few identifying voice-overs or prerecorded features . once in a while , you could see someone recognizable in the large , oddly eclectic crowd : tea leoni , ivanka trump , larry wilmore , jane pauley . for the most part , though , it was like playing a frustratingly difficult beltway game of spot-the-face-in-the-crowd -- a sort of who 's waldo ? ' and after a few hours watching a gaggle of people chat and eat , all i wanted to do was go home . and i was already home . but i stayed tuned , just so i could watch , and grade , the results . final tally : obama gets an a- , keegan-michael key a c , cecily strong a b- , and the entire telecast and event an a+ for democracy -- but a d as television . | he says anger translator ' bit was funny , but crowd was tough on strong as event went on and on |
cecily strong <tsp> ( cnn ) c-span 's live telecast of the white house correspondents'association dinner on saturday night , hosted by cecily strong of saturday night live , ' was not strong 's finest hour , though the entire affair seemed like five of c-span 's longest hours . even so , there were some genuinely funny moments , although the ratio was low , and you had to be patient to get to them . but when you step back and look at the event as a whole , and appreciate what 's really happening -- in terms of press freedoms and even a u.s. president willing and able to poke fun at himself as well as others -- it 's hard not to think of this particular beltway-meets-showbiz event as a wonderfully american exercise in tolerance and good humor . that being said , it 's a very tough room -- and not just because the washington hilton ballroom is so cavernous . more than 2,000 credentialed white house journalists and their mostly celebrity guests convened for the occasion . and convened , and convened , and convened , as time dragged on and dinner was served late . president barack obama , as strong 's warm-up act , did n't hit the podium until 10:20 p.m. ( strong got her turn at 10:45 . ) obama , as in past years , came out strong -- a tough act to follow for any comedian . he had strong comedy lines and delivered them with timing that many stand-up comics would envy . noting his lame-duck status , obama said his advisers asked him if he had a bucket list . i have something that rhymes with bucket list , ' he claimed to have replied . obama , noting the night 's guest speaker , said , on'saturday night live ,'cecily impersonates cnn anchor brooke baldwin . ' then , after a brief but well-timed pause , he added , which is surprising , because usually , the only people impersonating journalists on cnn are journalists on cnn . ' obama was nailing his own punch lines frequently , and perfectly . then , to up the ante on his time at the podium , he welcomed his anger translator ' -- a recurring character played by keegan-michael key on comedy central 's key & peele . ' it was a clever surprise , and the crowd reacted with surprising enthusiasm ( i would n't have presumed most of them knew of key 's character or his series ) , though key 's jokes lost something in the translation , and did n't pack the punch of obama 's . but the bit ended with a great twist : obama himself getting so worked up about a snowball being carried into congress to denounce global warming that the president 's anger translator ' had to calm obama down instead . and then came cecily strong , with a sly opening line referring not only to her appearance as one of the few female guest speakers at the correspondents'dinner , but to the upcoming 2016 presidential election . feels right , ' she said , to have a woman following president obama . ' from there , the crowd seemed as tough as advertised , with oohs ' often as loud as laughter , as strong went from one target to another . she even got oohs ' when her targets were outside the room , as when she said , noting how obama has aged visibly in office , your hair is so white now , it can talk back to the police . ' but the seemingly tepid response to strong 's routine may have been partly due to the late hour . she came on after not only the dinner service and obama , but after scholarship awards , correspondent awards and tributes and other bits of official business . and her routine was n't over until 11:08 p.m. -- making it a longer tv show than even the emmys . before the main event finally began , c-span filled the time scanning the room with its cameras , but providing only ambient sound with very few identifying voice-overs or prerecorded features . once in a while , you could see someone recognizable in the large , oddly eclectic crowd : tea leoni , ivanka trump , larry wilmore , jane pauley . for the most part , though , it was like playing a frustratingly difficult beltway game of spot-the-face-in-the-crowd -- a sort of who 's waldo ? ' and after a few hours watching a gaggle of people chat and eat , all i wanted to do was go home . and i was already home . but i stayed tuned , just so i could watch , and grade , the results . final tally : obama gets an a- , keegan-michael key a c , cecily strong a b- , and the entire telecast and event an a+ for democracy -- but a d as television . | david bianculli : correspondents'dinner , and cecily strong as host , were mostly weak , but obama had some funny zingers |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) c-span 's live telecast of the white house correspondents'association dinner on saturday night , hosted by cecily strong of saturday night live , ' was not strong 's finest hour , though the entire affair seemed like five of c-span 's longest hours . even so , there were some genuinely funny moments , although the ratio was low , and you had to be patient to get to them . but when you step back and look at the event as a whole , and appreciate what 's really happening -- in terms of press freedoms and even a u.s. president willing and able to poke fun at himself as well as others -- it 's hard not to think of this particular beltway-meets-showbiz event as a wonderfully american exercise in tolerance and good humor . that being said , it 's a very tough room -- and not just because the washington hilton ballroom is so cavernous . more than 2,000 credentialed white house journalists and their mostly celebrity guests convened for the occasion . and convened , and convened , and convened , as time dragged on and dinner was served late . president barack obama , as strong 's warm-up act , did n't hit the podium until 10:20 p.m. ( strong got her turn at 10:45 . ) obama , as in past years , came out strong -- a tough act to follow for any comedian . he had strong comedy lines and delivered them with timing that many stand-up comics would envy . noting his lame-duck status , obama said his advisers asked him if he had a bucket list . i have something that rhymes with bucket list , ' he claimed to have replied . obama , noting the night 's guest speaker , said , on'saturday night live ,'cecily impersonates cnn anchor brooke baldwin . ' then , after a brief but well-timed pause , he added , which is surprising , because usually , the only people impersonating journalists on cnn are journalists on cnn . ' obama was nailing his own punch lines frequently , and perfectly . then , to up the ante on his time at the podium , he welcomed his anger translator ' -- a recurring character played by keegan-michael key on comedy central 's key & peele . ' it was a clever surprise , and the crowd reacted with surprising enthusiasm ( i would n't have presumed most of them knew of key 's character or his series ) , though key 's jokes lost something in the translation , and did n't pack the punch of obama 's . but the bit ended with a great twist : obama himself getting so worked up about a snowball being carried into congress to denounce global warming that the president 's anger translator ' had to calm obama down instead . and then came cecily strong , with a sly opening line referring not only to her appearance as one of the few female guest speakers at the correspondents'dinner , but to the upcoming 2016 presidential election . feels right , ' she said , to have a woman following president obama . ' from there , the crowd seemed as tough as advertised , with oohs ' often as loud as laughter , as strong went from one target to another . she even got oohs ' when her targets were outside the room , as when she said , noting how obama has aged visibly in office , your hair is so white now , it can talk back to the police . ' but the seemingly tepid response to strong 's routine may have been partly due to the late hour . she came on after not only the dinner service and obama , but after scholarship awards , correspondent awards and tributes and other bits of official business . and her routine was n't over until 11:08 p.m. -- making it a longer tv show than even the emmys . before the main event finally began , c-span filled the time scanning the room with its cameras , but providing only ambient sound with very few identifying voice-overs or prerecorded features . once in a while , you could see someone recognizable in the large , oddly eclectic crowd : tea leoni , ivanka trump , larry wilmore , jane pauley . for the most part , though , it was like playing a frustratingly difficult beltway game of spot-the-face-in-the-crowd -- a sort of who 's waldo ? ' and after a few hours watching a gaggle of people chat and eat , all i wanted to do was go home . and i was already home . but i stayed tuned , just so i could watch , and grade , the results . final tally : obama gets an a- , keegan-michael key a c , cecily strong a b- , and the entire telecast and event an a+ for democracy -- but a d as television . | david bianculli : correspondents'dinner , and cecily strong as host , were mostly weak , but obama had some funny zingers |
wall street journal <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- the regional airline involved in a fatal february plane crash outside buffalo , new york , contested a report monday alleging the pilot did not have the training to handle the emergency that brought the plane down , and that he might have been fatigued on the night of the crash . debris is cleared from the scene of flight 3407 's crash near buffalo , new york , in february . continental connection flight 3407 , operated by regional carrier colgan air , plunged into a house in clarence center , new york , on the night of february 12 , killing all 49 on board as well as one man in the house . in a story monday , the wall street journal cited investigators as saying the crash resulted from pilot marvin renslow 's incorrect response to the plane 's precarious drop in speed : he overrode an emergency system known as a stick pusher , ' which sends the plane into a dive so it can regain speed and avoid a stall . the journal 's report said colgan had not provided renslow with hands-on flight-simulator training for a stick-pusher emergency . colgan , in rebuttal , issued a statement saying renslow had received classroom instruction for such an emergency . watch a colgan official respond to questions » the company also emphasized that the federal aviation administration does not require pilots to receive a stick-pusher demonstration in a flight simulator . the faa generally trains to standards of routine line operations . they do n't focus on the edges of the envelope , ' stall recovery expert doug moss told cnn . colgan further admitted that during his career , renslow failed five check rides ' -- occasional tests of pilot proficiency -- including two that colgan said he did not disclose on his application with the airline . his most recent failed check ride occurred 16 months before the crash . in the cases while with colgan , he received additional training and successfully passed the check rides , ' the airline said . colgan stressed that despite his performance on check rides , renslow nonetheless ultimately passed his pilot exams and had all the training and experience to safely operate the q400 , ' the airplane involved in the crash . colgan further insisted that pilot fatigue was not a factor in the crash , noting that renslow had nearly 22 consecutive hours of time off before he reported for duty on the day of the accident . ' in its statement , colgan did not specifically address potential illness-related fatigue in 24-year-old co-pilot rebecca shaw , who , according to the wall street journal report , said before takeoff that she probably should have called in sick . the national transportation safety board begins a three-day hearing on the crash on tuesday . renslow 's history as well as pilot training broadly will be examined . | wall street journal report says pilot did n't have hands-on flight-simulator training |
french <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- the governing body of world football , fifa , has turned down the request from the irish football association ( fai ) to replay their deciding world cup play-off game against france . the controversial match , that was played on wednesday , has caused a diplomatic storm after french forward thierry henry admitted to illegally using his hand to set-up the goal that gave his team a 2-1 aggregate victory to seal qualification to the tournament . but despite a letter sent to fifa by the fai , and calls from both the irish prime minister brian cowen and irish justice minister dermot ahern for the game to be replayed , the sport 's organizing body has refused the request . in a statement on their official web site fifa stated : the result of the match can not be changed and the match can not be replayed . as is clearly mentioned in the laws of the game , during matches , decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final . ' irish football officials lodged an official complaint with fifa on thursday and sent a letter to the french football federation ( fff ) in a bid to get the game reconvened . the world 's worst football injustices ' the governing body of world football have to step up to the plate and accede to our call for a replay , ' fai chief executive john delaney told reporters . the fai pointed to a precedent set in 2005 when a world cup qualifier between uzbekistan and bahrain was replayed after the referee was found to have committed a technical error in the application of the laws of the game . but a fifa spokesman said the precedent did not apply because the referee in the match saw the incident in question and simply failed to apply the proper rules ' . irish prime minister cowen raised the issue with french president nicolas sarkozy at a european union ( eu ) summit in brussels , where the two leaders were meeting to vote for the next president of europe . cowen told the irish independent newspaper : i did n't ask for a replay . i said , you know :'what do you think ?'and he said :'look , i understand totally the sense of disappointment that you feel about the game . i 'm not trying to mix politics and sport in this respect . we just had a chat . [ but ] it 's not going to be resolved by he and i . ' mr sarkozy , however , said he did not want to get involved : i said to brian cowen , who is a friend of mine as you know , that i was sorry for them and how i was struck by the talent and vigor of the irish team . now do not ask me to stand in for the referee of the game or the football decision -- be they in france or in europe , ' he said . what will be done will be done . but leave me out of it , please . and to be perfectly frank with you that is the sort of answer i want to give , ' he added . despite sarkozy 's comments , french finance minister christine lagarde said she supported moves for a replay . i think it 's very sad . i 'm of course very happy that the french team will play in the world cup , but i find it very sad that it did qualify with ... you know ... an act of cheating , ' she told rtl radio station . the game between france and ireland was one of six play offs played on wednesday which decided the final 32 teams heading south africa in 2010 . video replays showed henry used his hand to stop the ball going out of play in extra-time , before he passed to william gallas who booked his nation 's place with a headed goal . the draw for next year 's finals is due to be made in cape town on december 4 . | french president nicolas sarkozy said : i was sorry for [ ireland ] but do not ask me to stand in for the referee of the game ' |
fifa <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- the governing body of world football , fifa , has turned down the request from the irish football association ( fai ) to replay their deciding world cup play-off game against france . the controversial match , that was played on wednesday , has caused a diplomatic storm after french forward thierry henry admitted to illegally using his hand to set-up the goal that gave his team a 2-1 aggregate victory to seal qualification to the tournament . but despite a letter sent to fifa by the fai , and calls from both the irish prime minister brian cowen and irish justice minister dermot ahern for the game to be replayed , the sport 's organizing body has refused the request . in a statement on their official web site fifa stated : the result of the match can not be changed and the match can not be replayed . as is clearly mentioned in the laws of the game , during matches , decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final . ' irish football officials lodged an official complaint with fifa on thursday and sent a letter to the french football federation ( fff ) in a bid to get the game reconvened . the world 's worst football injustices ' the governing body of world football have to step up to the plate and accede to our call for a replay , ' fai chief executive john delaney told reporters . the fai pointed to a precedent set in 2005 when a world cup qualifier between uzbekistan and bahrain was replayed after the referee was found to have committed a technical error in the application of the laws of the game . but a fifa spokesman said the precedent did not apply because the referee in the match saw the incident in question and simply failed to apply the proper rules ' . irish prime minister cowen raised the issue with french president nicolas sarkozy at a european union ( eu ) summit in brussels , where the two leaders were meeting to vote for the next president of europe . cowen told the irish independent newspaper : i did n't ask for a replay . i said , you know :'what do you think ?'and he said :'look , i understand totally the sense of disappointment that you feel about the game . i 'm not trying to mix politics and sport in this respect . we just had a chat . [ but ] it 's not going to be resolved by he and i . ' mr sarkozy , however , said he did not want to get involved : i said to brian cowen , who is a friend of mine as you know , that i was sorry for them and how i was struck by the talent and vigor of the irish team . now do not ask me to stand in for the referee of the game or the football decision -- be they in france or in europe , ' he said . what will be done will be done . but leave me out of it , please . and to be perfectly frank with you that is the sort of answer i want to give , ' he added . despite sarkozy 's comments , french finance minister christine lagarde said she supported moves for a replay . i think it 's very sad . i 'm of course very happy that the french team will play in the world cup , but i find it very sad that it did qualify with ... you know ... an act of cheating , ' she told rtl radio station . the game between france and ireland was one of six play offs played on wednesday which decided the final 32 teams heading south africa in 2010 . video replays showed henry used his hand to stop the ball going out of play in extra-time , before he passed to william gallas who booked his nation 's place with a headed goal . the draw for next year 's finals is due to be made in cape town on december 4 . | fifa turn down a request from the irish football association ( fai ) to replay their deciding world cup play-off game against france |
fifa <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- the governing body of world football , fifa , has turned down the request from the irish football association ( fai ) to replay their deciding world cup play-off game against france . the controversial match , that was played on wednesday , has caused a diplomatic storm after french forward thierry henry admitted to illegally using his hand to set-up the goal that gave his team a 2-1 aggregate victory to seal qualification to the tournament . but despite a letter sent to fifa by the fai , and calls from both the irish prime minister brian cowen and irish justice minister dermot ahern for the game to be replayed , the sport 's organizing body has refused the request . in a statement on their official web site fifa stated : the result of the match can not be changed and the match can not be replayed . as is clearly mentioned in the laws of the game , during matches , decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final . ' irish football officials lodged an official complaint with fifa on thursday and sent a letter to the french football federation ( fff ) in a bid to get the game reconvened . the world 's worst football injustices ' the governing body of world football have to step up to the plate and accede to our call for a replay , ' fai chief executive john delaney told reporters . the fai pointed to a precedent set in 2005 when a world cup qualifier between uzbekistan and bahrain was replayed after the referee was found to have committed a technical error in the application of the laws of the game . but a fifa spokesman said the precedent did not apply because the referee in the match saw the incident in question and simply failed to apply the proper rules ' . irish prime minister cowen raised the issue with french president nicolas sarkozy at a european union ( eu ) summit in brussels , where the two leaders were meeting to vote for the next president of europe . cowen told the irish independent newspaper : i did n't ask for a replay . i said , you know :'what do you think ?'and he said :'look , i understand totally the sense of disappointment that you feel about the game . i 'm not trying to mix politics and sport in this respect . we just had a chat . [ but ] it 's not going to be resolved by he and i . ' mr sarkozy , however , said he did not want to get involved : i said to brian cowen , who is a friend of mine as you know , that i was sorry for them and how i was struck by the talent and vigor of the irish team . now do not ask me to stand in for the referee of the game or the football decision -- be they in france or in europe , ' he said . what will be done will be done . but leave me out of it , please . and to be perfectly frank with you that is the sort of answer i want to give , ' he added . despite sarkozy 's comments , french finance minister christine lagarde said she supported moves for a replay . i think it 's very sad . i 'm of course very happy that the french team will play in the world cup , but i find it very sad that it did qualify with ... you know ... an act of cheating , ' she told rtl radio station . the game between france and ireland was one of six play offs played on wednesday which decided the final 32 teams heading south africa in 2010 . video replays showed henry used his hand to stop the ball going out of play in extra-time , before he passed to william gallas who booked his nation 's place with a headed goal . the draw for next year 's finals is due to be made in cape town on december 4 . | new : former ireland captain roy keane accuses fai of hyprocrisy in their appeal to fifa |
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