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eu <tsp> istanbul ( cnn ) -- the european union avoided a rupture of relations with turkey by agreeing to open a new round of membership negotiations with the turkish government . but the date for the next round of talks on the nation joining the eu will be determined only after publication of an annual progress report on turkey . the decision was reached after several long rounds of talks last weekend between the foreign ministers of germany and turkey . germany had threatened to block turkish membership negotiations after more than three weeks of riots in turkey during which riot police repeatedly attacked anti-government demonstrators with tear gas and pepper spray . the development comes amid daily tensions . turkish police detained at least 20 people in ankara on tuesday . turkey 's semiofficial anatolian agency reported they were accused of being members of a terrorist organization , attacking police and destroying public property . turkey 's foreign minister welcomed tuesday 's decision by the eu . i hope we will not go through such a crisis again , ' ahmet davutoglu said in remarks to journalists in ankara . the turkey-eu train will move to reach its target in the quickest way . ' compromise ( is a ) good decision in difficult times , ' the german embassy in ankara said on twitter , citing german foreign minister guido westerwelle . turkey has been pursuing membership in the european union for more than half a century . but while turkey 's top diplomat was embracing international rapprochement with europe , the turkish prime minister was delivering a speech warning of a shadowy foreign conspiracy aimed at toppling him from power . speaking before members of his political party in the turkish parliament , recep tayyip erdogan repeated his claims that the protests against him were being organized by the same center ' that he alleged organized recent riots in brazil . there are many similarities between what is going on in brazil and here , ' he said . ... the button that was pushed to activate the riots in both countries was pushed from the same center . ' erdogan vowed to prosecute hotels that sheltered protesters during clashes with police . he also criticized a female journalist from the british broadcasting corporation 's turkish service , who became the target of an online smear campaign by the mayor of ankara last sunday . ibrahim melih gokcek , an elected mayor from erdogan 's justice and development party , launched a hashtag campaign on twitter accusing the bbc 's selin girit of being a british spy . the bbc issued a statement on monday expressing concern about what it described as turkish government threats against a bbc employee . monday night , u.s. president barack obama held a telephone call with erdogan , a close middle eastern ally who received a warm reception during a visit to the white house last month . the two leaders discussed providing additional support to rebels battling the government in neighboring syria . according to a white house statement , erdogan and obama also discussed the importance of nonviolence and of the rights to free expression and assembly and a free press . ' family of slain protester'devastated' meanwhile , the family of ethem sarisuluk , a protester who died in a hospital after being shot by a police officer earlier this month in ankara , said they were devastated ' after a court released the suspected shooter on monday . the court ruled the police officer shot sarisuluk while firing in self-defense , anatolian agency reported . my family thought justice would be shown in this case , and now especially my mother is devastated , ' said sarisuluk 's brother , mustafa , in a phone call with cnn . the government controls law and justice and blesses the murderous police department , ' he added . amateur video of what is believed to be the shooting incident on june 1 shows a helmeted police officer nearly surrounded by stone-throwing protesters . in the video , which has gone viral across turkish social networking sites , the police officer lunges forward , kicking a demonstrator while being pelted with stones . immediately afterward , he pulls out his pistol and fire three rapid shots in the air , at which point sarisuluk , one of the masked demonstrators involved in the clash , drops to the ground . according to anatolian agency , the court ruled that the suspect 's action of firing into the air may fall within the limits of self-defense . ' sarisuluk , two other demonstrators and a police officer are among at least four people killed during the wave of anti-government protests over the past month . earlier this month , the european parliament adopted a resolution criticizing the turkish government for the disproportionate and excessive use of force by turkish police to break up peaceful and legitimate protests . ' on monday , several hundred demonstrators organized a protest march in istanbul upon receiving news of the release of the suspected shooter of sarisuluk . protesters also organized a twitter campaign repeating the message , my name is ethem sarisuluk . i was unarmed . police shot me in the head and i died . they set my murderer free . ' the unprecedented violence in turkey began after riot police repeatedly attacked a group of demonstrators who were protesting against the demolition of a small park in istanbul . prime minister erdogan had announced plans to replace the park with a shopping mall . after police launched a predawn raid on the sit-in on may 31 using tear gas and water cannons , demonstrators began fighting back . the violence rapidly escalated and spread to other turkish cities , as protesters began building barricades , hurling stones , and eventually throwing fireworks and gas bombs at police . the clashes blossomed into the largest civil disobedience movement turkey has seen in a generation . demonstrators have lashed out against what they describe as the increasingly dictatorial policies of erdogan . erdogan first swept to power after his party won national elections more than a decade ago . | the government 's harsh reaction to protests has raised concerns among eu nations |
u.s. state department <tsp> a joint military task force in nigeria arrested 158 suspected members of the islamist militant group boko haram , security sources told cnn tuesday , three days after a spate of bombings and shootings left more than 200 people dead in nigeria 's second-largest city . some suspects resisted arrest and exchanged gunfire with the task force in the city of kano , said security sources who asked not to be named because they are not authorized to speak to the media . no casualties have been reported so far , they said . the arrests come as community leaders said the number of dead from the kano bombing and gun attacks has risen to at least 211 . community leaders have been keeping their own count of the number of dead from friday 's attacks , they told cnn tuesday , including victims who never made it to hospitals . they declined to be quoted by name for security reasons . government officials declined to confirm the number of victims . they previously put the death toll at 157 . police in kano announced tuesday that they had seized 10 cars laden with explosives and about 300 improvised explosive devices hidden in soft drink cans and bottles at a number of locations in the city . the state police commissioner , ibrahim idris , said a mass search turned up the explosives after police found undetonated devices at a police barracks in kano . president goodluck jonathan toured the city sunday after the attacks there left the police headquarters and other government buildings in charred ruins friday night . the message i had for the people of kano is the same message i have for all nigerians : a terrorist attack on one person is an attack on all of us , ' jonathan said in a post on his official facebook page after the visit . boko haram -- whose name means western education is sacrilege ' -- claimed responsibility for the blast in a phone call to the daily trust , according to journalists at the newspaper . the group has been blamed for months of widespread bloodshed , with churches and police stations among the targets . the united states tuesday strongly condemned the terrorist attacks ' carried out in kano on friday and in the neighboring state of bauchi on sunday , state department representative victoria nuland said . this is a time for all nigerians to stand united against the enemies of civility and peace , ' she said in a written statement . nigeria 's ethnic and religious diversity is a source of strength for the country and those who seek to undermine that strength with divisive tactics can not succeed , ' she insisted . the bombings hit eight government sites friday . shell-shocked residents wandered the streets , looking for loved ones . others hid behind barricaded doors , too scared to leave for fear of more attacks . that 's the scary part , not knowing , ' said faruk mohammed , 27 , who lives near one of the bombed police stations . we do n't know what 's going to happen next . no one thought this would ever happen here . there 's a general sense of despair . ' the attacks paired bomb blasts with shootings at various sites including police stations , the passport office , state security headquarters and the immigration office . during the attack , assailants entered a police station , freed detainees and bombed it , authorities said . they later canvassed the area in a car led by motorcycles , spraying targets with gunfire . i counted at least 25 explosions , ' mohammed said . ... then it went deathly quiet . kano is a bustling city . ... i 've lived here for years and it has never been quiet , even at night . but after the bombings stopped , the only noise you could hear were dogs barking . ' on sunday , two churches and a security checkpoint were attacked in bauchi state , the state police commissioner said in a written release . at least 11 people , including police and army personnel , were killed in the checkpoint attack , the commissioner said . there were no casualties reported from the church attacks . police said they suspect boko haram was involved in the checkpoint attack . in december , jonathan declared a state of emergency in four northern states after a series of christmas day attacks on churches blamed on boko haram . the man suspected of orchestrating those attacks was briefly captured before escaping police custody while being transferred to another prison . depending on the faction , boko haram 's ambitions range from the stricter enforcement of their interpretation of islamic sharia law to the total destruction of the government . its grievances remain local , but it has attacked international institutions -- - such as the united nations -- on nigerian soil . an august 26 attack -- during which a boko haram suicide bomber drove a jeep laden with explosives into the u.n. headquarters in abuja -- was one of the deadliest in the world body 's history . twenty-four people were killed , including 12 u.n. staff members . the group was formed in 2002 by islamic preacher mohammad yusuf as an outgrowth of ethnic tensions in the country in the 1990s . nigeria 's population is split between mostly muslims living in the north and predominantly christians in the south . yusuf advocated the institution of sharia law throughout the northern states and opposed democracy . the group operated openly out of northeastern nigeria and staged small-scale attacks against government targets . in 2009 , nigerian police forces moved to crack down on boko haram . harsh police tactics led to an armed uprising and the arrest of yusuf , who later died in police custody . the death spurred the group to begin its attacks on police stations . ensuing clashes between group members and the police killed hundreds . the following year , boko haram re-emerged as a more radicalized , insurgent-style group , staging assassinations and attacks against not only government targets , but also churches and even a beer garden . we 're dealing with a movement of inchoate rage , ' said john campbell , a u.s. ambassador to nigeria who left his post in 2007 . it 's highly decentralized , but what it has in common is a strongly islamic character , and hatred for the secular , political economy of nigeria , particularly the federal and state governments , ' he said . | this is a time for all nigerians to stand united , ' the u.s. state department says |
kiss <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a year after beating breast cancer , peter criss , a founding member of the rock band kiss , calls himself the luckiest man in the planet . ' peter criss , now 63 , said getting medical treatment early at the first sign of trouble saved his life . while some men feel embarrassed because of this macho crap , ' criss said surviving breast cancer -- yes , men get it , too -- was actually a blessing . he was treated before the tumor could spread and said he 's speaking about male breast cancer now -- during national breast cancer awareness month -- to raise the profile of this rare disease . criss , who played drums for kiss and was known as catman , ' offered this advice to men who spot lumps in their breast : do n't sit around playing mr. tough guy . do n't say'it 's going to go away .'it might not and you might not see life anymore and how beautiful that is . ' the 63-year-old musician is now cancer free . like many others , criss was n't aware men could get breast cancer . even though we do n't think of men as having breasts , they have breast tissue and are susceptible to getting breast cancer , ' said dr. sharon giordano , an associate professor of medicine in the department of breast medical oncology at the university of texas m. d. anderson cancer center in houston . she is not involved in criss'care . all men have some residual degree of breast tissue behind the nipples . it may be very small , but just like any part of the body can get cancer , that part of the body can get cancer , ' she said . male cases are rarer than female breast cancer , making up less than 1 percent of total cases . according to the national cancer institute , in 2009 an estimated 192,370 women in the united states are expected to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer and about 40,170 are expected to die of the disease . among men , there will be an estimated 1,910 new cases and 440 deaths . so many people must die from this , ' criss said . somebody has to step up to the plate and say something to get them aware of how dangerous this is . lots of men die : they wait , they do n't go in , they put it off . ' watch criss'interview . » criss joins a small group of men who have spoken publicly about having breast cancer . several years ago , richard roundtree , the actor who played the title role in the 1970s shaft ' films , revealed he had breast cancer . experts say men tend to get a diagnosis at a later stage than women , because they do n't believe they can get breast cancer , and do n't get routine mammograms or breast exams . take the quiz on breast cancer . » breast cancer is actually easier to find in men for obvious reasons . they develop an asymmetrical lump in their breast , ' said dr. stanley waintraub , co-chief of the john theurer cancer center 's division of breast oncology at hackensack university medical center in new jersey . men may ignore symptoms , such as lumps , pain in the breast or discharge from the nipples . a man has to know , if he has enlarged breasts , a lump , a discharge , just because he 's a man , he is not immune to breast cancer , ' waintraub said . when criss spotted a painful lump in his left breast after a workout in 2007 , he did n't wait . i go to the gym ; i 've been drumming since i was a kid . so i 'm very aware of my body , ' he said . so when this happened i said ,'jesus , what 's this thing ?' after consulting with his wife , who was battling a different type of cancer at the time , he sought medical attention . criss had surgery in february 2008 to remove what the doctors thought was a harmless nodule . later , he learned the nodule was actually breast cancer . i flipped out . i just could n't believe it . it 's a nightmare , ' he recalled . i was angry at everything . i could n't believe i had this . i was a really angry guy for a long time . ' doctors removed the cancer in a march 2008 surgery . because the cancer had been caught early , criss did not need breast reconstruction or chemotherapy . the operation left no scars , so his doctor joked that criss could still take his shirt off to play the drums . criss responded with a laugh , i 'm in my 60s . those days are over . ' criss sang lead vocal and co-wrote one of kiss'most famous songs , beth . ' he left the band in 1980 . he rejoined the band for a reunion tour in the mid-1990s and stayed on , eventually leaving again in 2004 . he still plays the drums , and has started working on a record and an autobiography . for men , because of the lack of awareness , it can be stigmatizing to feel like they have a female disease when they 're a man , ' giordano said . in the sea of pink ribbons , men who have breast cancer may feel isolated . to build a network among them , the john w. nick foundation started connecting male breast cancer survivors in 1996 . they talk with one another , ' said the founder , nancy nick , whose father died of the disease . it 's the greatest thing for healing . they learn they 're not alone . second , they learn about protocol and treatment . they can compare their treatments and the care their doctor is giving them . ' criss credits his wife and his catholic faith for pulling him through the difficult times . every year , he gets a mammogram ; he had his checkup two weeks ago . i left smiling like a cheshire cat . now , i 'm coming around , i 'm just so grateful , ' he said . the causes of breast cancer remain unknown . but like women , men 's risk of breast cancer increases if they inherit brca1 or brca2 gene mutations . criss said he learned that breast cancer ran in his family , so he called his sisters , nieces , daughter and even his brother about possible risks . it 's just important -- just go get checked out , ' said criss . it 's not like you 're going to lose your manhood . ' | peter criss , original drummer for kiss , talks about his breast cancer |
tory <tsp> ( cnn ) -- much has been written about the twitterfication of the gaza war . but there 's a much more significant war taking place right now on twitter . it 's a war about freedom of speech in our new reputation economy ; it 's a war about what we legally should and should n't be able to say on twitter . the latest battle in this war is being fought over the lord alistair mcalpine case . you 'll remember that it was mcalpine who was identified by twitter users as being the senior conservative politician whom the bbc newsnight show said was a pedophile . the bbc , which had never revealed the alleged abuser 's name , apologized nonetheless for mcalpine being wrongly implicated . the false rumor then spread on twitter with , according to mcalpine 's lawyers , more than 1,000 libelous tweets and 9,000 retweets maliciously destroying the innocent man 's reputation . as a result , lord mcalpine not only successfully sued the bbc for $ 185,000 , but is also now considering suing prominent twitter users such as sally bercow , the wife of the speaker of the house of commons , who tweeted to her almost 60,000 followers : why is lord mcalpine trending ? * innocent face * . ' what 's significant about mcalpine 's twibel ' strategy is his focus on high-profile tweeters ' with more than 500 followers like bercow , comedian alan davies and guardian journalist george monbiot who tweeted to his 56,000 followers : i looked up lord mcalpine on t'internet . it says the strangest things . ' while mcalpine 's lawyers are encouraging many less well-endowed twitter users who spread the pedophile rumor to donate a small sum to a children 's charity , their focus appears to be on going after big names like davies who , with his more than 442,000 followers , gives him an audience almost nine times the size of the main twitter account of the times of london newspaper . cyber-libertarians like harvard university 's jonathan zittrain argue that mcalpine 's attack on monbiot , davies , bercow and the other notable tweeters is unwise and uncalled for ' because these individuals do n't have the fact-checking resources of media companies . perhaps . but what freedom-of-speech fundamentalists like zittrain fail to recognize is that with all this new power should come new responsibility . and if one does , indeed , like alan davies , have nearly half a million twitter followers , then one should indeed be as liable under the libel law as any other large media company . on twitter 's terms of service , it tells new users : what you say on twitter may be viewed all around the world instantly . you are what you tweet ! ' but this is wrong . if you have no followers , then what you say on twitter has , essentially , no significance . so , you are n't what you tweet . instead , you are the size of your twitter audience . size matters . thus , on twitter , the reach of one 's megaphone should come with commensurate accountability . welcome to our 21st century reputation economy in which individual brands like george monbiot or alan davies have as much power as 20th century newspapers or television networks . that 's why mcalpine 's legal strategy is so just . sure , slap the small twitter user , that digital peasant , with a symbolic fine for their thoughtless behavior . but the tory lord is right to aggressively go after the new media aristocrats , with their enormous audience , who so thoughtlessly sullied his reputation and whom he claims have broken the uk 's libel laws . this should be a salutary lesson in our radical new media world . with media power comes media responsibility . and the larger one 's audience , the more responsibility one has to get the facts straight . it 's almost enough to encourage me to tweet : why are sally bercow , george monbiot and alan davies trending ? * innocent face * . ' but then , with my almost 21,000 twitter followers , i might get sued myself . so i 'll resist the temptation and , instead , maintain a dignified silence in this latest battle in the war about freedom of speech in our twitter age . but it 's a tricky balancing act . early this year , twitter announced a new policy giving the company the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country -- while keeping it available in the rest of the world . ' ( removing a tweet previously meant deleting it from the web entirely . ) critics said the move was a form of censorship , but twitter promised tweets would be removed only upon request and only if they broke the law -- a system that alexander macgillivray , one of the policy 's architects , defended as a way to keep more tweets up in more places . ' the company refused to comply with all six government removal requests in the first half of 2012 , but in october twitter blocked access in germany to the account of a neo-nazi group that is banned by the german government , in addition to removing anti-semitic tweets in france . never want to withhold content ; good to have tools to do it narrowly & transparently , ' macgillivray tweeted . the microblogging service may still be figuring out the kinks of this new policy , but at a time when multinational corporations are caving left and right to countries like china , macgillivray 's principled defense of free speech is vital . no one wants a pen that 's going to rat them out , ' he told the new york times . we all want pens that can be used to write anything and that will stand up for who we are . ' macgillvray is right . today 's war about online freedom of speech is being fought both with and about the twitter pen . ' let 's hope that he lord mcalpine case encourages powerful voices on twitter to self-censor tweets that might libel others . but that does n't mean i 'm in favor of censoring twitter . so , for example , let 's also hope that macgillivray and his team resists calls by the us israel lobby to ban political groups like hamas from twitter . yes , this is a balancing act . and the future of free expression in our digital age rests on getting it right . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of andrew keen . | tory lord is right to pursue new media aristocrats who sullied his reputation , keen adds |
keen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- much has been written about the twitterfication of the gaza war . but there 's a much more significant war taking place right now on twitter . it 's a war about freedom of speech in our new reputation economy ; it 's a war about what we legally should and should n't be able to say on twitter . the latest battle in this war is being fought over the lord alistair mcalpine case . you 'll remember that it was mcalpine who was identified by twitter users as being the senior conservative politician whom the bbc newsnight show said was a pedophile . the bbc , which had never revealed the alleged abuser 's name , apologized nonetheless for mcalpine being wrongly implicated . the false rumor then spread on twitter with , according to mcalpine 's lawyers , more than 1,000 libelous tweets and 9,000 retweets maliciously destroying the innocent man 's reputation . as a result , lord mcalpine not only successfully sued the bbc for $ 185,000 , but is also now considering suing prominent twitter users such as sally bercow , the wife of the speaker of the house of commons , who tweeted to her almost 60,000 followers : why is lord mcalpine trending ? * innocent face * . ' what 's significant about mcalpine 's twibel ' strategy is his focus on high-profile tweeters ' with more than 500 followers like bercow , comedian alan davies and guardian journalist george monbiot who tweeted to his 56,000 followers : i looked up lord mcalpine on t'internet . it says the strangest things . ' while mcalpine 's lawyers are encouraging many less well-endowed twitter users who spread the pedophile rumor to donate a small sum to a children 's charity , their focus appears to be on going after big names like davies who , with his more than 442,000 followers , gives him an audience almost nine times the size of the main twitter account of the times of london newspaper . cyber-libertarians like harvard university 's jonathan zittrain argue that mcalpine 's attack on monbiot , davies , bercow and the other notable tweeters is unwise and uncalled for ' because these individuals do n't have the fact-checking resources of media companies . perhaps . but what freedom-of-speech fundamentalists like zittrain fail to recognize is that with all this new power should come new responsibility . and if one does , indeed , like alan davies , have nearly half a million twitter followers , then one should indeed be as liable under the libel law as any other large media company . on twitter 's terms of service , it tells new users : what you say on twitter may be viewed all around the world instantly . you are what you tweet ! ' but this is wrong . if you have no followers , then what you say on twitter has , essentially , no significance . so , you are n't what you tweet . instead , you are the size of your twitter audience . size matters . thus , on twitter , the reach of one 's megaphone should come with commensurate accountability . welcome to our 21st century reputation economy in which individual brands like george monbiot or alan davies have as much power as 20th century newspapers or television networks . that 's why mcalpine 's legal strategy is so just . sure , slap the small twitter user , that digital peasant , with a symbolic fine for their thoughtless behavior . but the tory lord is right to aggressively go after the new media aristocrats , with their enormous audience , who so thoughtlessly sullied his reputation and whom he claims have broken the uk 's libel laws . this should be a salutary lesson in our radical new media world . with media power comes media responsibility . and the larger one 's audience , the more responsibility one has to get the facts straight . it 's almost enough to encourage me to tweet : why are sally bercow , george monbiot and alan davies trending ? * innocent face * . ' but then , with my almost 21,000 twitter followers , i might get sued myself . so i 'll resist the temptation and , instead , maintain a dignified silence in this latest battle in the war about freedom of speech in our twitter age . but it 's a tricky balancing act . early this year , twitter announced a new policy giving the company the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country -- while keeping it available in the rest of the world . ' ( removing a tweet previously meant deleting it from the web entirely . ) critics said the move was a form of censorship , but twitter promised tweets would be removed only upon request and only if they broke the law -- a system that alexander macgillivray , one of the policy 's architects , defended as a way to keep more tweets up in more places . ' the company refused to comply with all six government removal requests in the first half of 2012 , but in october twitter blocked access in germany to the account of a neo-nazi group that is banned by the german government , in addition to removing anti-semitic tweets in france . never want to withhold content ; good to have tools to do it narrowly & transparently , ' macgillivray tweeted . the microblogging service may still be figuring out the kinks of this new policy , but at a time when multinational corporations are caving left and right to countries like china , macgillivray 's principled defense of free speech is vital . no one wants a pen that 's going to rat them out , ' he told the new york times . we all want pens that can be used to write anything and that will stand up for who we are . ' macgillvray is right . today 's war about online freedom of speech is being fought both with and about the twitter pen . ' let 's hope that he lord mcalpine case encourages powerful voices on twitter to self-censor tweets that might libel others . but that does n't mean i 'm in favor of censoring twitter . so , for example , let 's also hope that macgillivray and his team resists calls by the us israel lobby to ban political groups like hamas from twitter . yes , this is a balancing act . and the future of free expression in our digital age rests on getting it right . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of andrew keen . | keen : those with many twitter followers are as liable under libel law as media companies |
keen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- much has been written about the twitterfication of the gaza war . but there 's a much more significant war taking place right now on twitter . it 's a war about freedom of speech in our new reputation economy ; it 's a war about what we legally should and should n't be able to say on twitter . the latest battle in this war is being fought over the lord alistair mcalpine case . you 'll remember that it was mcalpine who was identified by twitter users as being the senior conservative politician whom the bbc newsnight show said was a pedophile . the bbc , which had never revealed the alleged abuser 's name , apologized nonetheless for mcalpine being wrongly implicated . the false rumor then spread on twitter with , according to mcalpine 's lawyers , more than 1,000 libelous tweets and 9,000 retweets maliciously destroying the innocent man 's reputation . as a result , lord mcalpine not only successfully sued the bbc for $ 185,000 , but is also now considering suing prominent twitter users such as sally bercow , the wife of the speaker of the house of commons , who tweeted to her almost 60,000 followers : why is lord mcalpine trending ? * innocent face * . ' what 's significant about mcalpine 's twibel ' strategy is his focus on high-profile tweeters ' with more than 500 followers like bercow , comedian alan davies and guardian journalist george monbiot who tweeted to his 56,000 followers : i looked up lord mcalpine on t'internet . it says the strangest things . ' while mcalpine 's lawyers are encouraging many less well-endowed twitter users who spread the pedophile rumor to donate a small sum to a children 's charity , their focus appears to be on going after big names like davies who , with his more than 442,000 followers , gives him an audience almost nine times the size of the main twitter account of the times of london newspaper . cyber-libertarians like harvard university 's jonathan zittrain argue that mcalpine 's attack on monbiot , davies , bercow and the other notable tweeters is unwise and uncalled for ' because these individuals do n't have the fact-checking resources of media companies . perhaps . but what freedom-of-speech fundamentalists like zittrain fail to recognize is that with all this new power should come new responsibility . and if one does , indeed , like alan davies , have nearly half a million twitter followers , then one should indeed be as liable under the libel law as any other large media company . on twitter 's terms of service , it tells new users : what you say on twitter may be viewed all around the world instantly . you are what you tweet ! ' but this is wrong . if you have no followers , then what you say on twitter has , essentially , no significance . so , you are n't what you tweet . instead , you are the size of your twitter audience . size matters . thus , on twitter , the reach of one 's megaphone should come with commensurate accountability . welcome to our 21st century reputation economy in which individual brands like george monbiot or alan davies have as much power as 20th century newspapers or television networks . that 's why mcalpine 's legal strategy is so just . sure , slap the small twitter user , that digital peasant , with a symbolic fine for their thoughtless behavior . but the tory lord is right to aggressively go after the new media aristocrats , with their enormous audience , who so thoughtlessly sullied his reputation and whom he claims have broken the uk 's libel laws . this should be a salutary lesson in our radical new media world . with media power comes media responsibility . and the larger one 's audience , the more responsibility one has to get the facts straight . it 's almost enough to encourage me to tweet : why are sally bercow , george monbiot and alan davies trending ? * innocent face * . ' but then , with my almost 21,000 twitter followers , i might get sued myself . so i 'll resist the temptation and , instead , maintain a dignified silence in this latest battle in the war about freedom of speech in our twitter age . but it 's a tricky balancing act . early this year , twitter announced a new policy giving the company the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country -- while keeping it available in the rest of the world . ' ( removing a tweet previously meant deleting it from the web entirely . ) critics said the move was a form of censorship , but twitter promised tweets would be removed only upon request and only if they broke the law -- a system that alexander macgillivray , one of the policy 's architects , defended as a way to keep more tweets up in more places . ' the company refused to comply with all six government removal requests in the first half of 2012 , but in october twitter blocked access in germany to the account of a neo-nazi group that is banned by the german government , in addition to removing anti-semitic tweets in france . never want to withhold content ; good to have tools to do it narrowly & transparently , ' macgillivray tweeted . the microblogging service may still be figuring out the kinks of this new policy , but at a time when multinational corporations are caving left and right to countries like china , macgillivray 's principled defense of free speech is vital . no one wants a pen that 's going to rat them out , ' he told the new york times . we all want pens that can be used to write anything and that will stand up for who we are . ' macgillvray is right . today 's war about online freedom of speech is being fought both with and about the twitter pen . ' let 's hope that he lord mcalpine case encourages powerful voices on twitter to self-censor tweets that might libel others . but that does n't mean i 'm in favor of censoring twitter . so , for example , let 's also hope that macgillivray and his team resists calls by the us israel lobby to ban political groups like hamas from twitter . yes , this is a balancing act . and the future of free expression in our digital age rests on getting it right . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of andrew keen . | tory lord is right to pursue new media aristocrats who sullied his reputation , keen adds |
keen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- much has been written about the twitterfication of the gaza war . but there 's a much more significant war taking place right now on twitter . it 's a war about freedom of speech in our new reputation economy ; it 's a war about what we legally should and should n't be able to say on twitter . the latest battle in this war is being fought over the lord alistair mcalpine case . you 'll remember that it was mcalpine who was identified by twitter users as being the senior conservative politician whom the bbc newsnight show said was a pedophile . the bbc , which had never revealed the alleged abuser 's name , apologized nonetheless for mcalpine being wrongly implicated . the false rumor then spread on twitter with , according to mcalpine 's lawyers , more than 1,000 libelous tweets and 9,000 retweets maliciously destroying the innocent man 's reputation . as a result , lord mcalpine not only successfully sued the bbc for $ 185,000 , but is also now considering suing prominent twitter users such as sally bercow , the wife of the speaker of the house of commons , who tweeted to her almost 60,000 followers : why is lord mcalpine trending ? * innocent face * . ' what 's significant about mcalpine 's twibel ' strategy is his focus on high-profile tweeters ' with more than 500 followers like bercow , comedian alan davies and guardian journalist george monbiot who tweeted to his 56,000 followers : i looked up lord mcalpine on t'internet . it says the strangest things . ' while mcalpine 's lawyers are encouraging many less well-endowed twitter users who spread the pedophile rumor to donate a small sum to a children 's charity , their focus appears to be on going after big names like davies who , with his more than 442,000 followers , gives him an audience almost nine times the size of the main twitter account of the times of london newspaper . cyber-libertarians like harvard university 's jonathan zittrain argue that mcalpine 's attack on monbiot , davies , bercow and the other notable tweeters is unwise and uncalled for ' because these individuals do n't have the fact-checking resources of media companies . perhaps . but what freedom-of-speech fundamentalists like zittrain fail to recognize is that with all this new power should come new responsibility . and if one does , indeed , like alan davies , have nearly half a million twitter followers , then one should indeed be as liable under the libel law as any other large media company . on twitter 's terms of service , it tells new users : what you say on twitter may be viewed all around the world instantly . you are what you tweet ! ' but this is wrong . if you have no followers , then what you say on twitter has , essentially , no significance . so , you are n't what you tweet . instead , you are the size of your twitter audience . size matters . thus , on twitter , the reach of one 's megaphone should come with commensurate accountability . welcome to our 21st century reputation economy in which individual brands like george monbiot or alan davies have as much power as 20th century newspapers or television networks . that 's why mcalpine 's legal strategy is so just . sure , slap the small twitter user , that digital peasant , with a symbolic fine for their thoughtless behavior . but the tory lord is right to aggressively go after the new media aristocrats , with their enormous audience , who so thoughtlessly sullied his reputation and whom he claims have broken the uk 's libel laws . this should be a salutary lesson in our radical new media world . with media power comes media responsibility . and the larger one 's audience , the more responsibility one has to get the facts straight . it 's almost enough to encourage me to tweet : why are sally bercow , george monbiot and alan davies trending ? * innocent face * . ' but then , with my almost 21,000 twitter followers , i might get sued myself . so i 'll resist the temptation and , instead , maintain a dignified silence in this latest battle in the war about freedom of speech in our twitter age . but it 's a tricky balancing act . early this year , twitter announced a new policy giving the company the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country -- while keeping it available in the rest of the world . ' ( removing a tweet previously meant deleting it from the web entirely . ) critics said the move was a form of censorship , but twitter promised tweets would be removed only upon request and only if they broke the law -- a system that alexander macgillivray , one of the policy 's architects , defended as a way to keep more tweets up in more places . ' the company refused to comply with all six government removal requests in the first half of 2012 , but in october twitter blocked access in germany to the account of a neo-nazi group that is banned by the german government , in addition to removing anti-semitic tweets in france . never want to withhold content ; good to have tools to do it narrowly & transparently , ' macgillivray tweeted . the microblogging service may still be figuring out the kinks of this new policy , but at a time when multinational corporations are caving left and right to countries like china , macgillivray 's principled defense of free speech is vital . no one wants a pen that 's going to rat them out , ' he told the new york times . we all want pens that can be used to write anything and that will stand up for who we are . ' macgillvray is right . today 's war about online freedom of speech is being fought both with and about the twitter pen . ' let 's hope that he lord mcalpine case encourages powerful voices on twitter to self-censor tweets that might libel others . but that does n't mean i 'm in favor of censoring twitter . so , for example , let 's also hope that macgillivray and his team resists calls by the us israel lobby to ban political groups like hamas from twitter . yes , this is a balancing act . and the future of free expression in our digital age rests on getting it right . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of andrew keen . | latest battle in twitter war is being fought over lord alistair mcalpine case , says andrew keen |
indonesia <tsp> sydney , australia ( cnn ) indonesian authorities remain on course to execute two australians for drug trafficking , despite pleas for leniency made by the government in canberra and six former prime ministers . australia 's second longest serving premier , john howard , said : mercy being shown in such circumstances would not weaken the deterrent effect of indonesia 's strong anti-drug laws , ' while kevin rudd , who served as premier on two occasions , said : as a deep , long-standing friend of indonesia , i would respectfully request an act of clemency . ' julia gillard , bob hawke , malcolm fraser and paul keating all followed suit in a united plea to indonesia 's president . myuran sukumaran and andrew chan , members of the so-called bali nine , ' were sentenced to death in 2006 and after several failed legal appeals and two denials of clemency , their execution by firing squad may now be close . bali 's kerobokan prison was given permission this week to move sukumaran and chan to a maximum security facility on the island of nusa kambangan to have their sentence carried out . but the transfer has now been delayed due to technical reasons . ' on friday , agence france-presse quoted the vice president 's office as saying the executions will be delayed for up to a month . the two men were among five inmates scheduled to be transferred , tony spontana , a spokesman for the indonesian attorney general 's office , told cnn . spontana said requests from australian officials for the families to spend more time with the prisoners had been granted . he also said one of the prisoners , a brazilian , needs medical attention . spontana added that there was an issue with the holding cell at the prison where the executions would take place . the inmates will be transferred when those issues are resolved , he said . perhaps fearing a boycott , national carrier garuda airlines has said it would not be involved in their transportation . most observers believe the executions will proceed despite a last minute appeal to indonesia 's administrative court and a new claim that the 2006 trial judges offered a lighter sentence in exchange for a bribe . and this has n't gone down well in australia . speaking on monday , australian prime minister tony abbott asked indonesia to reconsider their position on sukumaran and chan , considered the ringleaders of the bali nine -- a group of nine australians who failed in a bid to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin back to their country in 2005 . well , what we understand is that there are still legal options available to these two australians and their legal teams and we certainly appreciate that the indonesian government does n't normally go ahead with executions of this type , while there are legal options still available and that 's what we 're saying to the indonesian government , ' he said . at the weekend , abbott struck a more combative tone when he told the bolt report on the ten television network we will be finding ways to make our displeasure felt . ' he did not detail what the government intended to do . what we are asking of indonesia is what indonesia asks of other countries when its citizens are on death row , and if it 's right for indonesia to ask and expect some kind of clemency , it 's surely right for us to ask and expect some kind of clemency , ' he said . it 's also a point that the mothers of the two men , raji sukumaran and helen chan struggle to comprehend . they are helping the indonesian citizens overseas who are on death row and what is the difference between my son and these people overseas ? ' sukumaran told reporters in jakarta , where she had sought the help of indonesia 's national commission on human rights . i do n't want my son murdered . please help . ' read more : capital punishment : inhumane aberration or necessary deterrent ? but on tuesday , indonesian foreign minister retno marsudi told cnn that australia should not interfere with indonesian law and policy . although we understand the position of the australian government ... it should be underlined that this issue is purely a law enforcement issue . law enforcement against extraordinary crime . law enforcement by a sovereign country , indonesia , ' she said . both indonesia and australia have wide ranging cooperation in many fields -- political , security , trade and investment , as well as sociocultural and people to people . bilateral relations between two counties should be based on mutual respect and mutual benefit . indonesia is committed this principle . ' meanwhile , the australian federal police has been criticized for its part in the case . speaking to media in sydney last week , afp deputy commissioner graham ashton admitted the role his force played in the 2005 bali arrests of the nine but denied it was responsible for what then transpired . instead of stopping one of the convicted drug mules , scott rush , from traveling to bali -- which had been the request of his parents -- the afp alerted its counterpart , the indonesian national police of his intentions . it offered the names of the conspirators , some of whom had been on the afp 's radar . the afp had no evidence or lawful reason to detain , much less arrest or charge , any member of the bali nine before their departure from australia , ' the afp noted in a february 7 statement . it also explained it could not limit its cooperation to countries that have similar legal systems as australia . ' the afp is not compelled to answer requests for information about australians from countries where the death penalty might be imposed , but there are no guidelines to stop it volunteering information , as it did with the bali nine . opinion : why executions wo n't win indonesia 's drug war sukumaran and chan have become model prisoners during their time behind bars , according to fellow inmates and the jail 's chief warden . sukumaran is studying fine arts and has set up a class for fellow inmates . chan has found spirituality , which he uses to counsel inmates with drug problems . their rehabilitation is genuine , australia 's foreign minister julie bishop said . andrew and myuran are the model of what penal systems the world over long to achieve , ' bishop told the australian parliament last week . the foreign affairs spokesperson for the opposition australian labor party , tanya plibersek delivered a personal account of what it means to be given a second chance . long before she met her husband , he 'd been convicted in australia of conspiracy to import heroin from thailand where the death penalty applies to such crimes . aged 19 , michael coutts trotter was sentenced to nine years in prison but released after three . he is now one of the most respected public servants in state of new south wales and the father of three children , all of which might not have been , said plibersek . i feel a genuine debt of gratitude , ' michael coutts trotter told cnn . so like it or not , you have to accept a deeper sense of responsibility to try to make something useful of your life to repay the trust people have invested in you , ' said coutts trotter , the current secretary of the department of family and community services . short of a miracle , redemption is not a gift likely to be offered to sukumaran and chan . if last-minute appeals fail , sukumaran and chan will be allowed a few final choices : whether to stand or kneel , wear a blindfold or face the 12 man firing squad , one or more of whom will kill them . the hashtag , # boycottbali trends in australia whenever news of the men 's plight features in the media . while chan 's parents have now left bali , sukumaran 's will stay to the end . as they prepare for what appears inevitable , it is surely little comfort for them to know that according to the sydney morning herald , the man police suspect was the mastermind of their son 's trafficking enterprise is reportedly living a life of luxury in sydney . he was investigated but escaped prosecution and is believed to have won u.s. $ 3.89 million in a lottery just after the young australians were convicted . his fortunes stand in stark contrast to that of sukumaran and chan . cnn 's kathy quiano in jakarta contributed to this report . | one of their mothers questions why indonesia calls for mercy for its citizens abroad on death row , while sentencing foreigners at home |
alabama <tsp> ( cnn ) two alabama college students are accused of gang raping a woman while on spring break at florida 's panama city beach . ryan calhoun and delonte martistee , students at troy university , were arrested and charged with sexual battery by multiple perpetrators , according to a statement from the bay county , florida , sheriff 's office . the troy , alabama , police department found video of what appeared to be a panama city gang rape during the course of an investigation into an unrelated shooting . the video was turned over to the bay county sheriff 's office . the bay county sheriff 's office criminal investigations division has identified the victim in the video but said state law prevents the office from releasing any information about her . she was a visitor in panama city . we are not releasing her location or any additional information on victim to protect her from further trauma , ' said sheriff 's spokesman tommy ford . after interviewing witnesses , bay county investigators determined the alleged rape took place sometime from march 10 , 2015 , to march 12 , 2015 , behind spinnaker beach club , a popular bar and dance club for spring breakers . a statement from troy university confirmed the two men are current students . the students have been placed on temporary suspension from school per the university 's standards of conduct and disciplinary procedures . martistee , a member of the track and field team , has also been removed from the team . ' the investigation continues and more arrests are expected , the bay county sheriff 's office said . calhoun and martistee will have their first court appearance saturday morning , a bay county deputy said . cnn could not determine if the men have attorneys . | 2 students from troy university in alabama are charged in the case |
troy university <tsp> ( cnn ) two alabama college students are accused of gang raping a woman while on spring break at florida 's panama city beach . ryan calhoun and delonte martistee , students at troy university , were arrested and charged with sexual battery by multiple perpetrators , according to a statement from the bay county , florida , sheriff 's office . the troy , alabama , police department found video of what appeared to be a panama city gang rape during the course of an investigation into an unrelated shooting . the video was turned over to the bay county sheriff 's office . the bay county sheriff 's office criminal investigations division has identified the victim in the video but said state law prevents the office from releasing any information about her . she was a visitor in panama city . we are not releasing her location or any additional information on victim to protect her from further trauma , ' said sheriff 's spokesman tommy ford . after interviewing witnesses , bay county investigators determined the alleged rape took place sometime from march 10 , 2015 , to march 12 , 2015 , behind spinnaker beach club , a popular bar and dance club for spring breakers . a statement from troy university confirmed the two men are current students . the students have been placed on temporary suspension from school per the university 's standards of conduct and disciplinary procedures . martistee , a member of the track and field team , has also been removed from the team . ' the investigation continues and more arrests are expected , the bay county sheriff 's office said . calhoun and martistee will have their first court appearance saturday morning , a bay county deputy said . cnn could not determine if the men have attorneys . | 2 students from troy university in alabama are charged in the case |
ukraine <tsp> kiev , ukraine ( cnn ) the question haunting kiev is this : who might be murdering allies of ukraine 's ousted president viktor yanukovych ? the idea that this might be happening is not entirely new . but it muscled its way to the fore again this week with two high-profile shooting deaths in the ukrainian capital -- one of a former member of parliament with ties to yanukovych , the other of a ukrainian journalist known for his pro-russian views . oleg kalashnikov , the former member of parliament , was shot and killed shortly after 7 p.m. wednesday at the entrance to his apartment block . kalashnikov , 52 , was a member of the party of regions , the former ruling party in ukraine , and was close to yanukovych . police are investigating the death as a murder . a day later , on thursday , journalist oles buzyna , 45 , was killed near his home by shots fired from a dark blue ford focus , interior ministry adviser anton herashchenko said . the car 's license plates were reported to have been from either latvia or belorussia . the killings renewed speculation , sparked by earlier unusual deaths , about a conspiracy to kill people close to yanukovych . at least three former members of parliament with the party of regions have reportedly committed suicide in the last seven weeks : • on february 28 , mikhail chechetov reportedly jumped from the window of his 17th-floor apartment in kiev , having left a suicide note . he was suspected of having falsified the results of a parliamentary vote in early 2014 that essentially prohibited protest just as thousands of people were protesting against the yanukovych government . • on march 9 , stanislav melnik , a former member of parliament with the party of regions and the manager of several businesses in the separatist-minded eastern city of donetsk , was found dead in his apartment near kiev . he , too , reportedly left a suicide note . • and three days later , on march 12 , oleksandr peklushenko , another former member of parliament , was found in his house in zaporizhzhya , in southeastern ukraine , dead of a gunshot wound . police are investigating various scenarios , including suicide . interior ministry adviser anton gerashchenko said peklushenko might have wanted to avoid punishment for using violence against protesters , which he was suspected of . ' ukraine is deeply divided , and it has been for years . about a third of the population speaks russian as opposed to ukrainian . whether the country should be drawn into the orbit of russia or the west is a visceral issue , a question for many ukrainians not of politics but of identity . recent events have deepened the divide . in 2014 , after yanukovych turned his back on the european union in favor of closer ties with russia , he was driven from office by mass demonstrations . and with russia 's subsequent annexation of crimea and its support for russian-speaking separatists in eastern ukraine , the internecine animosity made the ugly transformation into war . with a government toppled and armed conflict in the east , ukrainians have reason to want each other dead . but the view of who might be responsible for the series of deaths differs starkly , according to which side of the country 's divide one is on . the opposition bloc , the country 's major opposition party , has no doubt the deaths have been politically motivated -- bloody terror against opposition politicians and journalists , ' the bloc 's media office called them . it is clear oppression of those who are not afraid to criticize the government , ' it said . the government , unsurprisingly , sees things differently . ukrainian president petro poroshenko , who came to office after yanukovych was ousted , has demanded an investigation of the killings of kalashnikov and buzyna , his media office said . it is evident that these crimes have the same origin , ' the media office quoted poroshenko as saying . their nature and political sense are clear . it is a deliberate provocation that plays in favor of our enemies . it is aimed at destabilizing the internal political situation in ukraine and discrediting the political choice of the ukrainian people . ' and anton geraschenko , an adviser to the country 's interior minister , took the theory one step further . it should not be excluded that the killings of oleg kalashnikov and olez buzyna were planned and organized from moscow and are a part of a plan to destabilize ukraine and further support anti-ukrainian mood in russian society , ' geraschenko said . | five recent deaths heighten suspicions on both side of ukraine 's ethnic divide |
ukraine <tsp> kiev , ukraine ( cnn ) the question haunting kiev is this : who might be murdering allies of ukraine 's ousted president viktor yanukovych ? the idea that this might be happening is not entirely new . but it muscled its way to the fore again this week with two high-profile shooting deaths in the ukrainian capital -- one of a former member of parliament with ties to yanukovych , the other of a ukrainian journalist known for his pro-russian views . oleg kalashnikov , the former member of parliament , was shot and killed shortly after 7 p.m. wednesday at the entrance to his apartment block . kalashnikov , 52 , was a member of the party of regions , the former ruling party in ukraine , and was close to yanukovych . police are investigating the death as a murder . a day later , on thursday , journalist oles buzyna , 45 , was killed near his home by shots fired from a dark blue ford focus , interior ministry adviser anton herashchenko said . the car 's license plates were reported to have been from either latvia or belorussia . the killings renewed speculation , sparked by earlier unusual deaths , about a conspiracy to kill people close to yanukovych . at least three former members of parliament with the party of regions have reportedly committed suicide in the last seven weeks : • on february 28 , mikhail chechetov reportedly jumped from the window of his 17th-floor apartment in kiev , having left a suicide note . he was suspected of having falsified the results of a parliamentary vote in early 2014 that essentially prohibited protest just as thousands of people were protesting against the yanukovych government . • on march 9 , stanislav melnik , a former member of parliament with the party of regions and the manager of several businesses in the separatist-minded eastern city of donetsk , was found dead in his apartment near kiev . he , too , reportedly left a suicide note . • and three days later , on march 12 , oleksandr peklushenko , another former member of parliament , was found in his house in zaporizhzhya , in southeastern ukraine , dead of a gunshot wound . police are investigating various scenarios , including suicide . interior ministry adviser anton gerashchenko said peklushenko might have wanted to avoid punishment for using violence against protesters , which he was suspected of . ' ukraine is deeply divided , and it has been for years . about a third of the population speaks russian as opposed to ukrainian . whether the country should be drawn into the orbit of russia or the west is a visceral issue , a question for many ukrainians not of politics but of identity . recent events have deepened the divide . in 2014 , after yanukovych turned his back on the european union in favor of closer ties with russia , he was driven from office by mass demonstrations . and with russia 's subsequent annexation of crimea and its support for russian-speaking separatists in eastern ukraine , the internecine animosity made the ugly transformation into war . with a government toppled and armed conflict in the east , ukrainians have reason to want each other dead . but the view of who might be responsible for the series of deaths differs starkly , according to which side of the country 's divide one is on . the opposition bloc , the country 's major opposition party , has no doubt the deaths have been politically motivated -- bloody terror against opposition politicians and journalists , ' the bloc 's media office called them . it is clear oppression of those who are not afraid to criticize the government , ' it said . the government , unsurprisingly , sees things differently . ukrainian president petro poroshenko , who came to office after yanukovych was ousted , has demanded an investigation of the killings of kalashnikov and buzyna , his media office said . it is evident that these crimes have the same origin , ' the media office quoted poroshenko as saying . their nature and political sense are clear . it is a deliberate provocation that plays in favor of our enemies . it is aimed at destabilizing the internal political situation in ukraine and discrediting the political choice of the ukrainian people . ' and anton geraschenko , an adviser to the country 's interior minister , took the theory one step further . it should not be excluded that the killings of oleg kalashnikov and olez buzyna were planned and organized from moscow and are a part of a plan to destabilize ukraine and further support anti-ukrainian mood in russian society , ' geraschenko said . | ukraine 's president orders an investigation of the recent killings |
moscow <tsp> kiev , ukraine ( cnn ) the question haunting kiev is this : who might be murdering allies of ukraine 's ousted president viktor yanukovych ? the idea that this might be happening is not entirely new . but it muscled its way to the fore again this week with two high-profile shooting deaths in the ukrainian capital -- one of a former member of parliament with ties to yanukovych , the other of a ukrainian journalist known for his pro-russian views . oleg kalashnikov , the former member of parliament , was shot and killed shortly after 7 p.m. wednesday at the entrance to his apartment block . kalashnikov , 52 , was a member of the party of regions , the former ruling party in ukraine , and was close to yanukovych . police are investigating the death as a murder . a day later , on thursday , journalist oles buzyna , 45 , was killed near his home by shots fired from a dark blue ford focus , interior ministry adviser anton herashchenko said . the car 's license plates were reported to have been from either latvia or belorussia . the killings renewed speculation , sparked by earlier unusual deaths , about a conspiracy to kill people close to yanukovych . at least three former members of parliament with the party of regions have reportedly committed suicide in the last seven weeks : • on february 28 , mikhail chechetov reportedly jumped from the window of his 17th-floor apartment in kiev , having left a suicide note . he was suspected of having falsified the results of a parliamentary vote in early 2014 that essentially prohibited protest just as thousands of people were protesting against the yanukovych government . • on march 9 , stanislav melnik , a former member of parliament with the party of regions and the manager of several businesses in the separatist-minded eastern city of donetsk , was found dead in his apartment near kiev . he , too , reportedly left a suicide note . • and three days later , on march 12 , oleksandr peklushenko , another former member of parliament , was found in his house in zaporizhzhya , in southeastern ukraine , dead of a gunshot wound . police are investigating various scenarios , including suicide . interior ministry adviser anton gerashchenko said peklushenko might have wanted to avoid punishment for using violence against protesters , which he was suspected of . ' ukraine is deeply divided , and it has been for years . about a third of the population speaks russian as opposed to ukrainian . whether the country should be drawn into the orbit of russia or the west is a visceral issue , a question for many ukrainians not of politics but of identity . recent events have deepened the divide . in 2014 , after yanukovych turned his back on the european union in favor of closer ties with russia , he was driven from office by mass demonstrations . and with russia 's subsequent annexation of crimea and its support for russian-speaking separatists in eastern ukraine , the internecine animosity made the ugly transformation into war . with a government toppled and armed conflict in the east , ukrainians have reason to want each other dead . but the view of who might be responsible for the series of deaths differs starkly , according to which side of the country 's divide one is on . the opposition bloc , the country 's major opposition party , has no doubt the deaths have been politically motivated -- bloody terror against opposition politicians and journalists , ' the bloc 's media office called them . it is clear oppression of those who are not afraid to criticize the government , ' it said . the government , unsurprisingly , sees things differently . ukrainian president petro poroshenko , who came to office after yanukovych was ousted , has demanded an investigation of the killings of kalashnikov and buzyna , his media office said . it is evident that these crimes have the same origin , ' the media office quoted poroshenko as saying . their nature and political sense are clear . it is a deliberate provocation that plays in favor of our enemies . it is aimed at destabilizing the internal political situation in ukraine and discrediting the political choice of the ukrainian people . ' and anton geraschenko , an adviser to the country 's interior minister , took the theory one step further . it should not be excluded that the killings of oleg kalashnikov and olez buzyna were planned and organized from moscow and are a part of a plan to destabilize ukraine and further support anti-ukrainian mood in russian society , ' geraschenko said . | the opposition calls the killings oppression , ' but the government says moscow may be to blame |
national prayer breakfast <tsp> ( cnn ) when the dalai lama attends the national prayer breakfast this thursday , it will not only be an implicit endorsement of the tibetan buddhist leader 's stand against china in the name of religious freedom , but also an acknowledgment that buddhism is firmly established as one strand among many in the tapestry of american spiritual diversity . yet it might also serve as a reminder that a religion now considered universally benign once endured suspicion , vocal protest and even government surveillance -- much as islam has in recent years . already , 2015 has seen threats of violence canceling a call to prayer in north carolina , anti-muslim demonstrations in texas and louisiana gov . bobby jindal comparing non-assimilating muslims to an invasion . ' all of this would have been familiar to some buddhists not so long ago . today , buddhism is the model of a minority religious tradition that exerts an influence far beyond what its numbers would suggest . while the buddhist population of the united states is not much larger than a million -- less than 1 % of the population -- the number of americans inspired by the buddha is estimated to be more than 10 times that size . the cultural position of buddhism 73 years ago could not have been more different . when franklin d. roosevelt signed executive order 9066 in february 1942 , authorizing the evacuation of all those of japanese descent from the west coast to war relocation centers , the buddhist faith practiced by many japanese americans was itself regarded as a potential threat . after the attack on pearl harbor and the formal entry of the united states into world war ii , the fbi compiled a list of suspected collaborators that included not only members of groups with political ties to japan , but the leaders of buddhist temples . fbi director j. edgar hoover 's custodial detention list used a classification system designating the supposed risk of individuals on an a-b-c scale , with an a ' assigned to those deserving greatest suspicion . in hoover 's system , buddhist priests were designated a-1 ' : dangerous enemy aliens ' whose arrest was considered a matter of urgent concern . even before the war , japanese buddhists were thought to be less americanized ' than their countrymen who had converted to christianity , and in some ways this was true . within the japanese immigrant community , buddhists were more likely than christians to maintain their native language , as well as their facility with customs and rituals performed in that language . they were also more likely than japanese christians to read publications concerned with political affairs in the country they left behind . subscription rolls of such publications provided the fbi with a starting point for building its a ' list of suspects . because of the connections and traditional knowledge buddhist temples helped maintain , to be a japanese buddhist in america was to be considered a risk to national security . facing such scrutiny , many buddhists enlisted for military service to prove their loyalty and patriotism . the famous 442nd combat regiment was not only entirely japanese , but it was largely buddhist . it became the most decorated infantry regiment in europe . in the pacific theater , 6,000 american servicemen of japanese descent -- again , many buddhists among them -- worked as linguists and code breakers , hastening the end of the war . in the wake of these accomplishments , japanese american veterans petitioned the military throughout the late 1940s to add a buddhist designation to dog tags and grave markers , which before had offered only markings signifying protestant , catholic , hebrew and other . their eventual victory opened up the u.s. armed forces to recognition of all other faiths . coming during a time of increasing anti-muslim rhetoric , and during the month in which the internment of buddhists and other japanese americans is commemorated , the dalai lama 's presence at the national prayer breakfast offers an opportunity for the politicians and faith leaders in attendance to reaffirm a basic truth too often forgotten in our history : in a nation that cherishes religious freedom and hopes to see it spread across the globe , targeting one spiritual tradition diminishes them all . | the dalai lama will attend the national prayer breakfast on thursday with president obama |
australia <tsp> western australia ( cnn ) many australians are understandably appalled by the brutal and pointless executions of andrew chan and myuran sukumaran . the death penalty looks anachronistic and ineffective at the best of times , but to kill two people who had clearly made the most of their long periods of incarceration to transform themselves and make amends for their actions looks gratuitous and cruel . consequently , indonesia 's actions raise more general questions about the powers we give to states -- or , more accurately , to those who control the coercive apparatus of the state at any particular moment . as german sociologist max weber pointed out , one of the key features of an effective state is that it has a monopoly over the legitimate use of violence . state officials can order people to be killed because -- especially in democracies -- we authorize them to do so . we can give no more significant power to another human being than to decide who lives or who dies . and yet even where that authority is deemed legitimate -- as is clearly the case in indonesia -- its significance is only seriously considered at moments like this , when the very personal circumstances of some of its victims become the stuff of popular commentary and media interest . less prominent victims of state-sanctioned violence often go entirely unremarked . however disappointed we may be in the actions of indonesian president joko widodo -- in whom so many inside and outside indonesia have invested such hopes as a progressive force -- he can make a couple of claims in his defense . first , widodo -- popularly known as jokowi -- is indonesia 's elected leader and is fulfilling his promise to crack down on what he and many other indonesians see as a problem . indonesia 's domestic political context and the need to be seen as not giving favorable treatment to foreigners left him very little room to maneuver . this is not a justification for his actions , but it helps to explain why he was so impervious to pleas for mercy . whatever we may think about the underlying principles and administration of justice in indonesia , at least jokowi can claim that it is essentially a domestic issue . we may not like indonesia 's laws , but they are being applied even-handedly within national borders where state officials have authority . significantly , it is those same national borders that demarcate the extent of indonesia 's leaders ability -- or even desire , perhaps -- to use their capacity for state-sanctioned violence . other countries -- including australia -- have no such inhibitions and regularly kill perfectly innocent civilians in the course of one conflict or another . this propensity for the application of state-sanctioned violence seems especially germane when we consider another president about whom great things were expected , but who has inevitably disappointed . after the unilateralism of george w. bush , barack obama was widely predicted to be a very different sort of president and one who would not make the sort of catastrophic strategic miscalculations of his predecessor . paradoxically enough , though , while obama has been widely criticized for a lack of decisiveness and unwillingness to commit more american forces to the middle east , this has done nothing to curb the use of state-sanctioned violence . on the contrary , the use of drone strikes has become a key part of america 's continuing war on terror . it is unsurprising , perhaps , that a cerebral and reflective leader as obama is should be attracted to drones as a weapon of choice . unlike jokowi , obama does n't have to confront the personal narratives of the people who die at his command . or he does n't unless they 're american citizens , at least . the recent death of an american hostage during a recent drone strike highlights the potential for collateral damage ' . are these cases comparable ? yes and no . widodo 's executions were cold-blooded , unnecessary and highly political . obama clearly was not intending to kill americans , and this has only become an issue because one of the hostages actually was . however , dozens of entirely innocent women and children from other countries are routinely killed in such strikes with little comment . the key point is that we are collectively responsible for such deaths at some level or another , especially if our leaders and state officials carry them out . do good intentions justify one death and not another ? perhaps . would we encourage the state to kill a thousand innocents if it meant eliminating hitler ? almost certainly . would we authorize a drone strike to kill isis leader abu bakr al-baghdad if we thought a couple of passers-by might die , too ? perhaps . would we permit the state to execute people ? not any longer in australia , at least . but before we congratulate ourselves on how civilized and humane we 've become , perhaps we should pause to consider the violence that is still being inflicted on perfectly innocent people around the world in our collective name . what was done in the name of the indonesian state was undoubtedly awful , futile and reprehensible . whether our moral calculus is quite so self-evidently superior is not quite so clear . copyright 2015 the conversation . some rights reserved . | two of bali nine ' were killed despite australia 's pleas for mercy |
indonesia <tsp> western australia ( cnn ) many australians are understandably appalled by the brutal and pointless executions of andrew chan and myuran sukumaran . the death penalty looks anachronistic and ineffective at the best of times , but to kill two people who had clearly made the most of their long periods of incarceration to transform themselves and make amends for their actions looks gratuitous and cruel . consequently , indonesia 's actions raise more general questions about the powers we give to states -- or , more accurately , to those who control the coercive apparatus of the state at any particular moment . as german sociologist max weber pointed out , one of the key features of an effective state is that it has a monopoly over the legitimate use of violence . state officials can order people to be killed because -- especially in democracies -- we authorize them to do so . we can give no more significant power to another human being than to decide who lives or who dies . and yet even where that authority is deemed legitimate -- as is clearly the case in indonesia -- its significance is only seriously considered at moments like this , when the very personal circumstances of some of its victims become the stuff of popular commentary and media interest . less prominent victims of state-sanctioned violence often go entirely unremarked . however disappointed we may be in the actions of indonesian president joko widodo -- in whom so many inside and outside indonesia have invested such hopes as a progressive force -- he can make a couple of claims in his defense . first , widodo -- popularly known as jokowi -- is indonesia 's elected leader and is fulfilling his promise to crack down on what he and many other indonesians see as a problem . indonesia 's domestic political context and the need to be seen as not giving favorable treatment to foreigners left him very little room to maneuver . this is not a justification for his actions , but it helps to explain why he was so impervious to pleas for mercy . whatever we may think about the underlying principles and administration of justice in indonesia , at least jokowi can claim that it is essentially a domestic issue . we may not like indonesia 's laws , but they are being applied even-handedly within national borders where state officials have authority . significantly , it is those same national borders that demarcate the extent of indonesia 's leaders ability -- or even desire , perhaps -- to use their capacity for state-sanctioned violence . other countries -- including australia -- have no such inhibitions and regularly kill perfectly innocent civilians in the course of one conflict or another . this propensity for the application of state-sanctioned violence seems especially germane when we consider another president about whom great things were expected , but who has inevitably disappointed . after the unilateralism of george w. bush , barack obama was widely predicted to be a very different sort of president and one who would not make the sort of catastrophic strategic miscalculations of his predecessor . paradoxically enough , though , while obama has been widely criticized for a lack of decisiveness and unwillingness to commit more american forces to the middle east , this has done nothing to curb the use of state-sanctioned violence . on the contrary , the use of drone strikes has become a key part of america 's continuing war on terror . it is unsurprising , perhaps , that a cerebral and reflective leader as obama is should be attracted to drones as a weapon of choice . unlike jokowi , obama does n't have to confront the personal narratives of the people who die at his command . or he does n't unless they 're american citizens , at least . the recent death of an american hostage during a recent drone strike highlights the potential for collateral damage ' . are these cases comparable ? yes and no . widodo 's executions were cold-blooded , unnecessary and highly political . obama clearly was not intending to kill americans , and this has only become an issue because one of the hostages actually was . however , dozens of entirely innocent women and children from other countries are routinely killed in such strikes with little comment . the key point is that we are collectively responsible for such deaths at some level or another , especially if our leaders and state officials carry them out . do good intentions justify one death and not another ? perhaps . would we encourage the state to kill a thousand innocents if it meant eliminating hitler ? almost certainly . would we authorize a drone strike to kill isis leader abu bakr al-baghdad if we thought a couple of passers-by might die , too ? perhaps . would we permit the state to execute people ? not any longer in australia , at least . but before we congratulate ourselves on how civilized and humane we 've become , perhaps we should pause to consider the violence that is still being inflicted on perfectly innocent people around the world in our collective name . what was done in the name of the indonesian state was undoubtedly awful , futile and reprehensible . whether our moral calculus is quite so self-evidently superior is not quite so clear . copyright 2015 the conversation . some rights reserved . | indonesia executed eight prisoners including two australians on wednesday |
lawson <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- celebrity chef nigella lawson used cocaine during two periods of her life , she admitted wednesday as she testified in the fraud trial of two former personal assistants in a london court . she told the court she had used the drug about six times with her late husband , john diamond , when he learned that his cancer was terminal , in order to give him some escape from his treatment . ' she also used cocaine once in july 2010 when she felt subject to terrorism ' by her then-husband charles saatchi , she said . at that point she felt trapped , isolated and unhappy , she said , and a friend offered her the drug . but , lawson said , i 've never been a drug addict , i 've never been an habitual user . ... i did not have a drug problem , i had a life problem . ' saatchi had claimed in an e-mail that lawson had used drugs regularly , but in testimony friday he backed off that claim . lawson 's admission of cocaine use came after she earlier testified that saatchi had threatened to destroy ' her if she did not clear his name . ' she had been asked about her reluctance to attend court as a witness in the assistants'trial -- a case that has gripped the media as claims emerge about the couple 's troubled personal life . i have been put on trial here where i am called to answer , and glad to answer the allegations , and the world 's press , and it comes after a long summer of bullying and abuse , ' lawson said . i find it 's another chapter in that . ' referring to saatchi 's request for her to attend the trial , made in a letter sent by his lawyers , lawson said : he had said to me if i did n't get back to him and clear his name he would destroy me . ' lawson said she felt she had to do her civic duty . it 's difficult for me , it 's very difficult for my children , but i want to do the right thing , ' she added . the former aides , italian sisters francesca and elisabetta grillo , deny embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds on company credit cards while employed by lawson and saatchi .'no hard evidence' in his testimony last friday , saatchi addressed the claim made in an e-mail he sent to lawson in october that alleged she had used drugs . he told the court he never saw his wife taking drugs during their 10-year marriage and he had no hard evidence she had done so . he also said he was utterly heartbroken ' by the end of their relationship . in the e-mail , which was shared with the court by the defense in a pretrial hearing , saatchi wrote that the assistants would likely get off ' because lawson was using cocaine and marijuana on a daily basis and allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked . ' the allegations emerged in june , around the time the couple were photographed in a restaurant having an argument . in the photos , which were splashed across the front pages of national newspapers , saatchi is seen with his hand around lawson 's throat . saatchi accepted a police caution for assault , and the couple announced they would divorce soon afterward .'she was a rock' the two defendants , who worked for lawson and saatchi for a number of years , were supposed to use the cards for household expenses , but allegedly spent large amounts on themselves . lawson acknowledged wednesday she was n't familiar with every detail of the purchases made by the grillo sisters . she told the court she had employed elisabetta , also known as lisa , while her ex-husband had hired francesca . i loved lisa . she came to me in a difficult time in my life . she was a rock , ' lawson said . she said elisabetta grillo had left her job for a while , and when she came back she 'd been increasingly bitter and unhappy . i do not think her bitterness was towards me personally . i think it was towards her life , ' the chef said . lawson ignored the crowd of reporters and photographers waiting outside isleworth crown court as she entered earlier , wearing black and looking somber . transactions top $ 1 million saatchi 's accountant gave details of the sisters'alleged spending on luxury goods in court last week , including purchases from prada , miu miu and louis vuitton . the prosecution also showed saatchi a list of the top 50 transactions made by the sisters , totaling more than $ 1 million , which he said he did not recognize and had not authorized . he did not know whether lawson had approved them , he said . lawson , whose culinary skills and flirtatious manner have long entranced uk audiences , has also appeared as a judge on abc show the taste ' in the united states . a second season of the show is due to air in january . | ex-husband said he 'd destroy ' her if she did n't clear his name , ' lawson tells court |
lawson <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- celebrity chef nigella lawson used cocaine during two periods of her life , she admitted wednesday as she testified in the fraud trial of two former personal assistants in a london court . she told the court she had used the drug about six times with her late husband , john diamond , when he learned that his cancer was terminal , in order to give him some escape from his treatment . ' she also used cocaine once in july 2010 when she felt subject to terrorism ' by her then-husband charles saatchi , she said . at that point she felt trapped , isolated and unhappy , she said , and a friend offered her the drug . but , lawson said , i 've never been a drug addict , i 've never been an habitual user . ... i did not have a drug problem , i had a life problem . ' saatchi had claimed in an e-mail that lawson had used drugs regularly , but in testimony friday he backed off that claim . lawson 's admission of cocaine use came after she earlier testified that saatchi had threatened to destroy ' her if she did not clear his name . ' she had been asked about her reluctance to attend court as a witness in the assistants'trial -- a case that has gripped the media as claims emerge about the couple 's troubled personal life . i have been put on trial here where i am called to answer , and glad to answer the allegations , and the world 's press , and it comes after a long summer of bullying and abuse , ' lawson said . i find it 's another chapter in that . ' referring to saatchi 's request for her to attend the trial , made in a letter sent by his lawyers , lawson said : he had said to me if i did n't get back to him and clear his name he would destroy me . ' lawson said she felt she had to do her civic duty . it 's difficult for me , it 's very difficult for my children , but i want to do the right thing , ' she added . the former aides , italian sisters francesca and elisabetta grillo , deny embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds on company credit cards while employed by lawson and saatchi .'no hard evidence' in his testimony last friday , saatchi addressed the claim made in an e-mail he sent to lawson in october that alleged she had used drugs . he told the court he never saw his wife taking drugs during their 10-year marriage and he had no hard evidence she had done so . he also said he was utterly heartbroken ' by the end of their relationship . in the e-mail , which was shared with the court by the defense in a pretrial hearing , saatchi wrote that the assistants would likely get off ' because lawson was using cocaine and marijuana on a daily basis and allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked . ' the allegations emerged in june , around the time the couple were photographed in a restaurant having an argument . in the photos , which were splashed across the front pages of national newspapers , saatchi is seen with his hand around lawson 's throat . saatchi accepted a police caution for assault , and the couple announced they would divorce soon afterward .'she was a rock' the two defendants , who worked for lawson and saatchi for a number of years , were supposed to use the cards for household expenses , but allegedly spent large amounts on themselves . lawson acknowledged wednesday she was n't familiar with every detail of the purchases made by the grillo sisters . she told the court she had employed elisabetta , also known as lisa , while her ex-husband had hired francesca . i loved lisa . she came to me in a difficult time in my life . she was a rock , ' lawson said . she said elisabetta grillo had left her job for a while , and when she came back she 'd been increasingly bitter and unhappy . i do not think her bitterness was towards me personally . i think it was towards her life , ' the chef said . lawson ignored the crowd of reporters and photographers waiting outside isleworth crown court as she entered earlier , wearing black and looking somber . transactions top $ 1 million saatchi 's accountant gave details of the sisters'alleged spending on luxury goods in court last week , including purchases from prada , miu miu and louis vuitton . the prosecution also showed saatchi a list of the top 50 transactions made by the sisters , totaling more than $ 1 million , which he said he did not recognize and had not authorized . he did not know whether lawson had approved them , he said . lawson , whose culinary skills and flirtatious manner have long entranced uk audiences , has also appeared as a judge on abc show the taste ' in the united states . a second season of the show is due to air in january . | i did not have a drug problem , i had a life problem , ' says nigella lawson |
lawson <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- celebrity chef nigella lawson used cocaine during two periods of her life , she admitted wednesday as she testified in the fraud trial of two former personal assistants in a london court . she told the court she had used the drug about six times with her late husband , john diamond , when he learned that his cancer was terminal , in order to give him some escape from his treatment . ' she also used cocaine once in july 2010 when she felt subject to terrorism ' by her then-husband charles saatchi , she said . at that point she felt trapped , isolated and unhappy , she said , and a friend offered her the drug . but , lawson said , i 've never been a drug addict , i 've never been an habitual user . ... i did not have a drug problem , i had a life problem . ' saatchi had claimed in an e-mail that lawson had used drugs regularly , but in testimony friday he backed off that claim . lawson 's admission of cocaine use came after she earlier testified that saatchi had threatened to destroy ' her if she did not clear his name . ' she had been asked about her reluctance to attend court as a witness in the assistants'trial -- a case that has gripped the media as claims emerge about the couple 's troubled personal life . i have been put on trial here where i am called to answer , and glad to answer the allegations , and the world 's press , and it comes after a long summer of bullying and abuse , ' lawson said . i find it 's another chapter in that . ' referring to saatchi 's request for her to attend the trial , made in a letter sent by his lawyers , lawson said : he had said to me if i did n't get back to him and clear his name he would destroy me . ' lawson said she felt she had to do her civic duty . it 's difficult for me , it 's very difficult for my children , but i want to do the right thing , ' she added . the former aides , italian sisters francesca and elisabetta grillo , deny embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds on company credit cards while employed by lawson and saatchi .'no hard evidence' in his testimony last friday , saatchi addressed the claim made in an e-mail he sent to lawson in october that alleged she had used drugs . he told the court he never saw his wife taking drugs during their 10-year marriage and he had no hard evidence she had done so . he also said he was utterly heartbroken ' by the end of their relationship . in the e-mail , which was shared with the court by the defense in a pretrial hearing , saatchi wrote that the assistants would likely get off ' because lawson was using cocaine and marijuana on a daily basis and allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked . ' the allegations emerged in june , around the time the couple were photographed in a restaurant having an argument . in the photos , which were splashed across the front pages of national newspapers , saatchi is seen with his hand around lawson 's throat . saatchi accepted a police caution for assault , and the couple announced they would divorce soon afterward .'she was a rock' the two defendants , who worked for lawson and saatchi for a number of years , were supposed to use the cards for household expenses , but allegedly spent large amounts on themselves . lawson acknowledged wednesday she was n't familiar with every detail of the purchases made by the grillo sisters . she told the court she had employed elisabetta , also known as lisa , while her ex-husband had hired francesca . i loved lisa . she came to me in a difficult time in my life . she was a rock , ' lawson said . she said elisabetta grillo had left her job for a while , and when she came back she 'd been increasingly bitter and unhappy . i do not think her bitterness was towards me personally . i think it was towards her life , ' the chef said . lawson ignored the crowd of reporters and photographers waiting outside isleworth crown court as she entered earlier , wearing black and looking somber . transactions top $ 1 million saatchi 's accountant gave details of the sisters'alleged spending on luxury goods in court last week , including purchases from prada , miu miu and louis vuitton . the prosecution also showed saatchi a list of the top 50 transactions made by the sisters , totaling more than $ 1 million , which he said he did not recognize and had not authorized . he did not know whether lawson had approved them , he said . lawson , whose culinary skills and flirtatious manner have long entranced uk audiences , has also appeared as a judge on abc show the taste ' in the united states . a second season of the show is due to air in january . | lawson admits using cocaine during two periods of her life |
noaa <tsp> the first ten months of 2014 have been the hottest since record keeping began more than 130 years ago , according to data from the national oceanic and atmospheric administration . that may be hard to believe for people in places like buffalo , new york , which saw a record early snowfall this year . but noaa says , despite the early bitter cold across parts of the united states in recent weeks , it 's been a hot year so far for the earth . with two months left on the calendar , 2014 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record . the average global temperature between january and october has been 0.68 degrees celsius ( 1.22 degrees fahrenheit ) higher than the 20th century 's average global temperature of 14.1 c ( 57.4 f ) . noaa 's analysis is an important health gauge ' indicating an ominous trend for the planet , says cnn meteorologist derek van dam . it 's becoming increasingly more difficult to be a skeptic of the causes of our warming planet , ' he says . hottest october this october was the hottest october on record globally , noaa data showed . the mercury climbed more than one degree fahrenheit above the 20th century average of 57.1 f. it was the fourth warmest october on record for the united states , noaa said . the record high october temperature was driven by warmth across the globe over both the land and ocean surfaces and was fairly evenly distributed between the northern and southern hemispheres , ' the agency said . that 's significant , says van dam . most notably , this record warmth is not contained to any specific part of the world . meaning , we are all in this together , ' he says . so far this year , record-breaking warmth has been observed in at least every continent and major ocean basin of our planet . this is something we can not ignore . ' important benchmark noaa 's analysis breaks down global temperatures into two categories -- land and ocean -- then an average that includes both . the record high temperatures in october were recorded across both land and sea . the surface temperature on land approached an important scientific benchmark . it was almost 2 degrees celsius higher than the 20th century average for october of 9.3 c ( 48.7 f ) . scientists have long predicted that a change in global average temperature of just 2 to 3 degrees higher could spell disaster for the planet , contributing to catastrophic storms , sea level rise , dangerous storm surges and melting polar ice . according to the non-binding international agreement on climate change -- the copenhagen accord , reached in 2009 -- any temperature increase above the 2 degree celsius mark is dangerous . ' noaa said the ocean temperatures were also the warmest on record in october with an increase of 1.12 f over the 20th century average of 60.6 degrees . hot spots ' record warmth for the year-to-date was particularly notable across much of northern and western europe , parts of far east russia , and large areas of the northeastern and western equatorial pacific ocean , noaa said . it is also notable that record warmth was observed in at least some areas of every continent and major ocean basin around the world , ' the agency added . of particular note , several countries have already seen an average temperature increase of more than 2 degrees celsius in october 2014 compared to 20th century averages , including australia , germany , france , switzerland , and sweden . there was also one notable cold spot on the map . the average temperature this year in the midsection of the united states , which saw a severe winter , has been below the 20th century average . | noaa : global temperatures pushing record highs this year |
noaa <tsp> the first ten months of 2014 have been the hottest since record keeping began more than 130 years ago , according to data from the national oceanic and atmospheric administration . that may be hard to believe for people in places like buffalo , new york , which saw a record early snowfall this year . but noaa says , despite the early bitter cold across parts of the united states in recent weeks , it 's been a hot year so far for the earth . with two months left on the calendar , 2014 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record . the average global temperature between january and october has been 0.68 degrees celsius ( 1.22 degrees fahrenheit ) higher than the 20th century 's average global temperature of 14.1 c ( 57.4 f ) . noaa 's analysis is an important health gauge ' indicating an ominous trend for the planet , says cnn meteorologist derek van dam . it 's becoming increasingly more difficult to be a skeptic of the causes of our warming planet , ' he says . hottest october this october was the hottest october on record globally , noaa data showed . the mercury climbed more than one degree fahrenheit above the 20th century average of 57.1 f. it was the fourth warmest october on record for the united states , noaa said . the record high october temperature was driven by warmth across the globe over both the land and ocean surfaces and was fairly evenly distributed between the northern and southern hemispheres , ' the agency said . that 's significant , says van dam . most notably , this record warmth is not contained to any specific part of the world . meaning , we are all in this together , ' he says . so far this year , record-breaking warmth has been observed in at least every continent and major ocean basin of our planet . this is something we can not ignore . ' important benchmark noaa 's analysis breaks down global temperatures into two categories -- land and ocean -- then an average that includes both . the record high temperatures in october were recorded across both land and sea . the surface temperature on land approached an important scientific benchmark . it was almost 2 degrees celsius higher than the 20th century average for october of 9.3 c ( 48.7 f ) . scientists have long predicted that a change in global average temperature of just 2 to 3 degrees higher could spell disaster for the planet , contributing to catastrophic storms , sea level rise , dangerous storm surges and melting polar ice . according to the non-binding international agreement on climate change -- the copenhagen accord , reached in 2009 -- any temperature increase above the 2 degree celsius mark is dangerous . ' noaa said the ocean temperatures were also the warmest on record in october with an increase of 1.12 f over the 20th century average of 60.6 degrees . hot spots ' record warmth for the year-to-date was particularly notable across much of northern and western europe , parts of far east russia , and large areas of the northeastern and western equatorial pacific ocean , noaa said . it is also notable that record warmth was observed in at least some areas of every continent and major ocean basin around the world , ' the agency added . of particular note , several countries have already seen an average temperature increase of more than 2 degrees celsius in october 2014 compared to 20th century averages , including australia , germany , france , switzerland , and sweden . there was also one notable cold spot on the map . the average temperature this year in the midsection of the united states , which saw a severe winter , has been below the 20th century average . | noaa data looked at land and ocean conditions , then averaged the numbers |
tucson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- u.s. rep. gabrielle giffords is recovering really , really well ' from surgery that implanted a synthetic bone and a shunt in her skull , her doctors said thursday . the arizona democrat told her neurosurgeon that she was extremely excited to have crossed a key milestone in her recovery , which her doctors called almost miraculous ' considering she was shot point-blank in the head in january . the shunt is in good position , the implant is in good position and everything looks great , ' said dr. dong kim , who performed the 3 1/2 hour-surgery to replace the part of her skull bone that was shattered and contaminated . she looks great , ' he said . i started calling her'gorgeous gaby'today . ' the shunt is expected to help giffords improve but , kim said , it was impossible to predict exactly how much progress she was going to make . the arizona democrat was shot outside a tucson , arizona , supermarket where she was meeting with constituents in january . six people -- including a federal judge -- were killed and 13 others were wounded in the attack . jared lee loughner stands accused in the shooting . surgeons in arizona had cut a hole in giffords'skull to give her brain space to temporarily swell . the congresswoman was later transported to houston for further treatment and rehabilitation . her skull could be repaired only after the swelling had subsided . kim implanted a piece of synthetic bone specially made for the congresswoman . it really is a significant step . more than just getting the bone back , it is a marker for where we are ' in giffords'recovery , kim said . like many other patients with gunshot wounds to the head , giffords has hydrocephalus , or a build-up of fluid in the brain . kim said an internal drain , called a shunt , was inserted into giffords'cranial cavity to carry excess fluids from the brain to the abdominal cavity . giffords will have to wear the shunt forever . dr. girard francisco , who is in charge of giffords'rehabilitation , said that the congresswoman will undergo bedside rehab for at least the next two days before returning to the in-patient program at the tirr memorial hermann rehabilitation center in houston . giffords'husband , mark kelly , the commander of the space shuttle endeavor , has been getting updates from conversations with family . everything went as planned , ' he told pbs thursday from the international space station . her neurosurgeons are very happy and she 's recuperating and she 's actually getting back to therapy today so it went really , really well . ' monday , giffords watched and cheered as the endeavour took off on its final voyage from the kennedy space center in florida . cnn 's elizabeth cohen contributed to this report . | giffords was shot in january in tucson , arizona |
katherine <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- michael jackson 's fear that promoters would pull the plug ' on his comeback concerts if he missed more rehearsals was unfounded , the head of the promotion company testified tuesday in dr. conrad murray 's involuntary manslaughter trial . no one on our end was ever contemplating pulling the plug , ' said randy phillips , the head of aeg live . murray 's defense lawyers contend jackson self-administered the overdose of drugs that killed him in a desperate desire to get to sleep , ' because he feared without rest he would miss his next rehearsal and trigger the cancellation of his this is it ' tour . jackson 's mother , katherine , sisters janet and la toya , and brother randy jackson were in court to watch tuesday 's testimony . earlier tuesday , a nurse who tried to treat jackson 's insomnia with natural remedies testified that jackson told her that doctors assured him using the surgical anesthetic propofol at home to induce sleep was safe as long as he was monitored . jackson died two months after that conversation with nurse cherilyn lee , from what the coroner ruled was an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol , combined with sedatives . prosecutors contend dr. murray 's use of propofol to treat jackson 's insomnia in his home was reckless , in part because he did not have proper equipment to monitor his patient and he abandoned him to make phone calls . phillips was the eighth witness called by the defense since the prosecution rested its case against murray monday morning . if the tour was canceled , jackson would have to pay for all of the production and rehearsal costs , phillips said , although the judge would not let him tell jurors how much that might have been . defense lawyer ed chernoff estimated the cost to be about $ 40 million , leaving him a very , very poor man , ' but it was not while the jury was present . concert director kenny ortega sent phillips an e-mail five days before jackson 's death referring to jackson 's fear the company would pull the plug ' on the tour . the e-mail triggered a meeting with jackson and dr. murray to address ortega 's concerns about jackson 's lack of focus ' and missed rehearsals , with the debut of his london shows just three weeks away . he and ortega were satisfied when jackson told them you build the house and i will put on the door and paint it , ' suggesting he would be ready , phillips testified . also at the meeting , phillips told dr. murray that he wanted to make sure he knew about jackson 's visits to another doctor , dermatologist dr. arnold klein . because he 's his principal physician , i thought he should know , ' he said . phillips said he was concerned because jackson seemed a little distracted and not focused ' in a meeting after a visit to klein 's beverly hills clinic . the defense contends jackson became addicted to the painkiller demerol in his frequent visits to klein in the three months before his death . his withdrawal from the demerol , which murray was unaware of , would explain why jackson could not sleep the day he died , the defense contends . testimony from nurse cherilyn lee 's was interrupted for 25 minutes tuesday as she was overcome with emotion . i 'm feeling really , really dizzy , ' lee said . this is just very sensitive to me . ' lee and a los angeles doctor , both called as defense witnesses , testified that jackson asked them for drugs to help him sleep in april 2009 . this was after dr. murray had already agreed to work as his personal physician and placed his first orders for propofol . lee , who used iv drips loaded with vitamins , sophisticated ' vitamin smoothies and bedtime teas , to treat jackson 's insomnia , said jackson became frustrated with her natural remedies . he said'i 'm telling you the only thing that 's going to help me sleep right away is the diprivan and can you find someone to help me to sleep ?'' lee said . diprivan is a brand name for propofol . after some quick research , the nurse warned jackson that it was dangerous to use propofol at home , lee testified . jackson was not deterred , she said , even after she asked him but what if you do n't wake up ? ' deputy district attorney david walgren asked her , and he responded ,'i will be ok , i only need someone to monitor me with the equipment while i sleep'? ' yes , that 's exactly what i said , ' lee said . dr. allan metzger , who treated jackson off and on for two decades for his profound sleep disorder , ' testified monday that jackson called him to his home on april 18 , 2009 , to ask for intravenous sleep medicine ' to help him sleep . jackson wanted the anesthetic delivered by iv because he did not believe any oral medicine would be helpful , ' dr. metzger said . metzger declined jackson 's request , instead giving him prescriptions for two oral sedatives to help him sleep . | jackson mom katherine , sisters janet and la toya , and brother randy jackson attend court tuesday |
jackson <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- michael jackson 's fear that promoters would pull the plug ' on his comeback concerts if he missed more rehearsals was unfounded , the head of the promotion company testified tuesday in dr. conrad murray 's involuntary manslaughter trial . no one on our end was ever contemplating pulling the plug , ' said randy phillips , the head of aeg live . murray 's defense lawyers contend jackson self-administered the overdose of drugs that killed him in a desperate desire to get to sleep , ' because he feared without rest he would miss his next rehearsal and trigger the cancellation of his this is it ' tour . jackson 's mother , katherine , sisters janet and la toya , and brother randy jackson were in court to watch tuesday 's testimony . earlier tuesday , a nurse who tried to treat jackson 's insomnia with natural remedies testified that jackson told her that doctors assured him using the surgical anesthetic propofol at home to induce sleep was safe as long as he was monitored . jackson died two months after that conversation with nurse cherilyn lee , from what the coroner ruled was an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol , combined with sedatives . prosecutors contend dr. murray 's use of propofol to treat jackson 's insomnia in his home was reckless , in part because he did not have proper equipment to monitor his patient and he abandoned him to make phone calls . phillips was the eighth witness called by the defense since the prosecution rested its case against murray monday morning . if the tour was canceled , jackson would have to pay for all of the production and rehearsal costs , phillips said , although the judge would not let him tell jurors how much that might have been . defense lawyer ed chernoff estimated the cost to be about $ 40 million , leaving him a very , very poor man , ' but it was not while the jury was present . concert director kenny ortega sent phillips an e-mail five days before jackson 's death referring to jackson 's fear the company would pull the plug ' on the tour . the e-mail triggered a meeting with jackson and dr. murray to address ortega 's concerns about jackson 's lack of focus ' and missed rehearsals , with the debut of his london shows just three weeks away . he and ortega were satisfied when jackson told them you build the house and i will put on the door and paint it , ' suggesting he would be ready , phillips testified . also at the meeting , phillips told dr. murray that he wanted to make sure he knew about jackson 's visits to another doctor , dermatologist dr. arnold klein . because he 's his principal physician , i thought he should know , ' he said . phillips said he was concerned because jackson seemed a little distracted and not focused ' in a meeting after a visit to klein 's beverly hills clinic . the defense contends jackson became addicted to the painkiller demerol in his frequent visits to klein in the three months before his death . his withdrawal from the demerol , which murray was unaware of , would explain why jackson could not sleep the day he died , the defense contends . testimony from nurse cherilyn lee 's was interrupted for 25 minutes tuesday as she was overcome with emotion . i 'm feeling really , really dizzy , ' lee said . this is just very sensitive to me . ' lee and a los angeles doctor , both called as defense witnesses , testified that jackson asked them for drugs to help him sleep in april 2009 . this was after dr. murray had already agreed to work as his personal physician and placed his first orders for propofol . lee , who used iv drips loaded with vitamins , sophisticated ' vitamin smoothies and bedtime teas , to treat jackson 's insomnia , said jackson became frustrated with her natural remedies . he said'i 'm telling you the only thing that 's going to help me sleep right away is the diprivan and can you find someone to help me to sleep ?'' lee said . diprivan is a brand name for propofol . after some quick research , the nurse warned jackson that it was dangerous to use propofol at home , lee testified . jackson was not deterred , she said , even after she asked him but what if you do n't wake up ? ' deputy district attorney david walgren asked her , and he responded ,'i will be ok , i only need someone to monitor me with the equipment while i sleep'? ' yes , that 's exactly what i said , ' lee said . dr. allan metzger , who treated jackson off and on for two decades for his profound sleep disorder , ' testified monday that jackson called him to his home on april 18 , 2009 , to ask for intravenous sleep medicine ' to help him sleep . jackson wanted the anesthetic delivered by iv because he did not believe any oral medicine would be helpful , ' dr. metzger said . metzger declined jackson 's request , instead giving him prescriptions for two oral sedatives to help him sleep . | jackson mom katherine , sisters janet and la toya , and brother randy jackson attend court tuesday |
jackson <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- michael jackson 's fear that promoters would pull the plug ' on his comeback concerts if he missed more rehearsals was unfounded , the head of the promotion company testified tuesday in dr. conrad murray 's involuntary manslaughter trial . no one on our end was ever contemplating pulling the plug , ' said randy phillips , the head of aeg live . murray 's defense lawyers contend jackson self-administered the overdose of drugs that killed him in a desperate desire to get to sleep , ' because he feared without rest he would miss his next rehearsal and trigger the cancellation of his this is it ' tour . jackson 's mother , katherine , sisters janet and la toya , and brother randy jackson were in court to watch tuesday 's testimony . earlier tuesday , a nurse who tried to treat jackson 's insomnia with natural remedies testified that jackson told her that doctors assured him using the surgical anesthetic propofol at home to induce sleep was safe as long as he was monitored . jackson died two months after that conversation with nurse cherilyn lee , from what the coroner ruled was an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol , combined with sedatives . prosecutors contend dr. murray 's use of propofol to treat jackson 's insomnia in his home was reckless , in part because he did not have proper equipment to monitor his patient and he abandoned him to make phone calls . phillips was the eighth witness called by the defense since the prosecution rested its case against murray monday morning . if the tour was canceled , jackson would have to pay for all of the production and rehearsal costs , phillips said , although the judge would not let him tell jurors how much that might have been . defense lawyer ed chernoff estimated the cost to be about $ 40 million , leaving him a very , very poor man , ' but it was not while the jury was present . concert director kenny ortega sent phillips an e-mail five days before jackson 's death referring to jackson 's fear the company would pull the plug ' on the tour . the e-mail triggered a meeting with jackson and dr. murray to address ortega 's concerns about jackson 's lack of focus ' and missed rehearsals , with the debut of his london shows just three weeks away . he and ortega were satisfied when jackson told them you build the house and i will put on the door and paint it , ' suggesting he would be ready , phillips testified . also at the meeting , phillips told dr. murray that he wanted to make sure he knew about jackson 's visits to another doctor , dermatologist dr. arnold klein . because he 's his principal physician , i thought he should know , ' he said . phillips said he was concerned because jackson seemed a little distracted and not focused ' in a meeting after a visit to klein 's beverly hills clinic . the defense contends jackson became addicted to the painkiller demerol in his frequent visits to klein in the three months before his death . his withdrawal from the demerol , which murray was unaware of , would explain why jackson could not sleep the day he died , the defense contends . testimony from nurse cherilyn lee 's was interrupted for 25 minutes tuesday as she was overcome with emotion . i 'm feeling really , really dizzy , ' lee said . this is just very sensitive to me . ' lee and a los angeles doctor , both called as defense witnesses , testified that jackson asked them for drugs to help him sleep in april 2009 . this was after dr. murray had already agreed to work as his personal physician and placed his first orders for propofol . lee , who used iv drips loaded with vitamins , sophisticated ' vitamin smoothies and bedtime teas , to treat jackson 's insomnia , said jackson became frustrated with her natural remedies . he said'i 'm telling you the only thing that 's going to help me sleep right away is the diprivan and can you find someone to help me to sleep ?'' lee said . diprivan is a brand name for propofol . after some quick research , the nurse warned jackson that it was dangerous to use propofol at home , lee testified . jackson was not deterred , she said , even after she asked him but what if you do n't wake up ? ' deputy district attorney david walgren asked her , and he responded ,'i will be ok , i only need someone to monitor me with the equipment while i sleep'? ' yes , that 's exactly what i said , ' lee said . dr. allan metzger , who treated jackson off and on for two decades for his profound sleep disorder , ' testified monday that jackson called him to his home on april 18 , 2009 , to ask for intravenous sleep medicine ' to help him sleep . jackson wanted the anesthetic delivered by iv because he did not believe any oral medicine would be helpful , ' dr. metzger said . metzger declined jackson 's request , instead giving him prescriptions for two oral sedatives to help him sleep . | i only need someone to monitor me with the equipment while i sleep ' jackson told nurse |
jackson <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- michael jackson 's fear that promoters would pull the plug ' on his comeback concerts if he missed more rehearsals was unfounded , the head of the promotion company testified tuesday in dr. conrad murray 's involuntary manslaughter trial . no one on our end was ever contemplating pulling the plug , ' said randy phillips , the head of aeg live . murray 's defense lawyers contend jackson self-administered the overdose of drugs that killed him in a desperate desire to get to sleep , ' because he feared without rest he would miss his next rehearsal and trigger the cancellation of his this is it ' tour . jackson 's mother , katherine , sisters janet and la toya , and brother randy jackson were in court to watch tuesday 's testimony . earlier tuesday , a nurse who tried to treat jackson 's insomnia with natural remedies testified that jackson told her that doctors assured him using the surgical anesthetic propofol at home to induce sleep was safe as long as he was monitored . jackson died two months after that conversation with nurse cherilyn lee , from what the coroner ruled was an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol , combined with sedatives . prosecutors contend dr. murray 's use of propofol to treat jackson 's insomnia in his home was reckless , in part because he did not have proper equipment to monitor his patient and he abandoned him to make phone calls . phillips was the eighth witness called by the defense since the prosecution rested its case against murray monday morning . if the tour was canceled , jackson would have to pay for all of the production and rehearsal costs , phillips said , although the judge would not let him tell jurors how much that might have been . defense lawyer ed chernoff estimated the cost to be about $ 40 million , leaving him a very , very poor man , ' but it was not while the jury was present . concert director kenny ortega sent phillips an e-mail five days before jackson 's death referring to jackson 's fear the company would pull the plug ' on the tour . the e-mail triggered a meeting with jackson and dr. murray to address ortega 's concerns about jackson 's lack of focus ' and missed rehearsals , with the debut of his london shows just three weeks away . he and ortega were satisfied when jackson told them you build the house and i will put on the door and paint it , ' suggesting he would be ready , phillips testified . also at the meeting , phillips told dr. murray that he wanted to make sure he knew about jackson 's visits to another doctor , dermatologist dr. arnold klein . because he 's his principal physician , i thought he should know , ' he said . phillips said he was concerned because jackson seemed a little distracted and not focused ' in a meeting after a visit to klein 's beverly hills clinic . the defense contends jackson became addicted to the painkiller demerol in his frequent visits to klein in the three months before his death . his withdrawal from the demerol , which murray was unaware of , would explain why jackson could not sleep the day he died , the defense contends . testimony from nurse cherilyn lee 's was interrupted for 25 minutes tuesday as she was overcome with emotion . i 'm feeling really , really dizzy , ' lee said . this is just very sensitive to me . ' lee and a los angeles doctor , both called as defense witnesses , testified that jackson asked them for drugs to help him sleep in april 2009 . this was after dr. murray had already agreed to work as his personal physician and placed his first orders for propofol . lee , who used iv drips loaded with vitamins , sophisticated ' vitamin smoothies and bedtime teas , to treat jackson 's insomnia , said jackson became frustrated with her natural remedies . he said'i 'm telling you the only thing that 's going to help me sleep right away is the diprivan and can you find someone to help me to sleep ?'' lee said . diprivan is a brand name for propofol . after some quick research , the nurse warned jackson that it was dangerous to use propofol at home , lee testified . jackson was not deterred , she said , even after she asked him but what if you do n't wake up ? ' deputy district attorney david walgren asked her , and he responded ,'i will be ok , i only need someone to monitor me with the equipment while i sleep'? ' yes , that 's exactly what i said , ' lee said . dr. allan metzger , who treated jackson off and on for two decades for his profound sleep disorder , ' testified monday that jackson called him to his home on april 18 , 2009 , to ask for intravenous sleep medicine ' to help him sleep . jackson wanted the anesthetic delivered by iv because he did not believe any oral medicine would be helpful , ' dr. metzger said . metzger declined jackson 's request , instead giving him prescriptions for two oral sedatives to help him sleep . | new : jackson would 've had to pay production , rehearsal costs if tour was canceled , promoter says |
jackson <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- michael jackson 's fear that promoters would pull the plug ' on his comeback concerts if he missed more rehearsals was unfounded , the head of the promotion company testified tuesday in dr. conrad murray 's involuntary manslaughter trial . no one on our end was ever contemplating pulling the plug , ' said randy phillips , the head of aeg live . murray 's defense lawyers contend jackson self-administered the overdose of drugs that killed him in a desperate desire to get to sleep , ' because he feared without rest he would miss his next rehearsal and trigger the cancellation of his this is it ' tour . jackson 's mother , katherine , sisters janet and la toya , and brother randy jackson were in court to watch tuesday 's testimony . earlier tuesday , a nurse who tried to treat jackson 's insomnia with natural remedies testified that jackson told her that doctors assured him using the surgical anesthetic propofol at home to induce sleep was safe as long as he was monitored . jackson died two months after that conversation with nurse cherilyn lee , from what the coroner ruled was an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol , combined with sedatives . prosecutors contend dr. murray 's use of propofol to treat jackson 's insomnia in his home was reckless , in part because he did not have proper equipment to monitor his patient and he abandoned him to make phone calls . phillips was the eighth witness called by the defense since the prosecution rested its case against murray monday morning . if the tour was canceled , jackson would have to pay for all of the production and rehearsal costs , phillips said , although the judge would not let him tell jurors how much that might have been . defense lawyer ed chernoff estimated the cost to be about $ 40 million , leaving him a very , very poor man , ' but it was not while the jury was present . concert director kenny ortega sent phillips an e-mail five days before jackson 's death referring to jackson 's fear the company would pull the plug ' on the tour . the e-mail triggered a meeting with jackson and dr. murray to address ortega 's concerns about jackson 's lack of focus ' and missed rehearsals , with the debut of his london shows just three weeks away . he and ortega were satisfied when jackson told them you build the house and i will put on the door and paint it , ' suggesting he would be ready , phillips testified . also at the meeting , phillips told dr. murray that he wanted to make sure he knew about jackson 's visits to another doctor , dermatologist dr. arnold klein . because he 's his principal physician , i thought he should know , ' he said . phillips said he was concerned because jackson seemed a little distracted and not focused ' in a meeting after a visit to klein 's beverly hills clinic . the defense contends jackson became addicted to the painkiller demerol in his frequent visits to klein in the three months before his death . his withdrawal from the demerol , which murray was unaware of , would explain why jackson could not sleep the day he died , the defense contends . testimony from nurse cherilyn lee 's was interrupted for 25 minutes tuesday as she was overcome with emotion . i 'm feeling really , really dizzy , ' lee said . this is just very sensitive to me . ' lee and a los angeles doctor , both called as defense witnesses , testified that jackson asked them for drugs to help him sleep in april 2009 . this was after dr. murray had already agreed to work as his personal physician and placed his first orders for propofol . lee , who used iv drips loaded with vitamins , sophisticated ' vitamin smoothies and bedtime teas , to treat jackson 's insomnia , said jackson became frustrated with her natural remedies . he said'i 'm telling you the only thing that 's going to help me sleep right away is the diprivan and can you find someone to help me to sleep ?'' lee said . diprivan is a brand name for propofol . after some quick research , the nurse warned jackson that it was dangerous to use propofol at home , lee testified . jackson was not deterred , she said , even after she asked him but what if you do n't wake up ? ' deputy district attorney david walgren asked her , and he responded ,'i will be ok , i only need someone to monitor me with the equipment while i sleep'? ' yes , that 's exactly what i said , ' lee said . dr. allan metzger , who treated jackson off and on for two decades for his profound sleep disorder , ' testified monday that jackson called him to his home on april 18 , 2009 , to ask for intravenous sleep medicine ' to help him sleep . jackson wanted the anesthetic delivered by iv because he did not believe any oral medicine would be helpful , ' dr. metzger said . metzger declined jackson 's request , instead giving him prescriptions for two oral sedatives to help him sleep . | jackson told nurse that doctors assured him propofol in the home was safe , witness says |
armstrong <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lance armstrong bestrode the sport of cycling like a colossus between 1999 and 2005 . his feat of winning seven consecutive titles at the tour de france -- arguably the world 's toughest sporting event -- was like the demigod hercules completing his twelve labors . ' armstrong 's achievements seemed all the more extraordinary given his against-the-odds recovery after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 . his best-selling autobiography it 's not about the bike : my journey back to life ' in 2000 helped give birth to the armstrong legend , as it recounted his fight for life against a disease that had spread to his lungs , abdomen and brain before he underwent radical treatment and went on to win his first tour in 1999 . this was a sporting story that gave hope to millions across the world . the texan 's battle with cancer led him to set up the livestrong foundation in 1997 , which according to its website has raised close to $ 500 million in the battle against the disease -- thanks in no small part to the charity 's iconic yellow wristbands . read more : armstrong loses tour titles his heroic story attracted an army of fans and lucrative sponsorship deals with big corporations such as nike and the anheuser-busch brewery . but then came the fall from grace . a demise that is like a greek tragedy , which is now only awaiting an act of contrition or recognition ( anagnorisis ) from the 41-year-old , who is expected to admit to his transgressions when a pre-taped interview with u.s. chat show queen oprah winfey airs on friday . armstrong is expected to face up to the extraordinary body of evidence the united states anti-doping agency put together before releasing more than 1,000 pages of evidence in october 2012 . a positive test for a banned substance during his first tour de france win in 1999 was explained away by a prescription for a cream to treat saddle sores , but the doubts and rumors surrounding armstrong refused to go away . the 2004 book l.a . confidential : the secrets of lance armstrong ' by journalists david walsh and pierre ballester alleged the use of performance-enhancing substances . read more : armstrong appeals to supporters a key witness for walsh and ballester , and then the usada , was emma o'reilly -- formerly a masseuse/personal assistant to armstrong and his cycling team , u.s . postal service . she told the agency she engaged in clandestine trips to pick up and drop off what she assumed were doping products , and said she was in the room when armstrong and two other team officials came up with a plan to backdate a prescription for corticosteroids for a saddle sore to explain a positive steroid test result during the 1999 tour de france . now , emma , you know enough to bring me down , ' she says armstrong told her after the meeting . the quote has got a bit dramatized , ' she said . history has shown that i did n't have enough to bring him down , and i never wanted to bring him down . never , ever wanted to bring lance down . ' doping was commonplace in cycling in the '90s , o'reilly said , as integral to the sport as the bikes that bore riders up and down the challenging french hillsides . she said she tried to distance herself from doping activities but felt some pressure to co-operate . read more : should you wear a livestrong bracelet ? she said she first came across doping by u.s . postal in 1998 , when she said a man gave her a package that he described as testosterone for team cyclist george hincapie . the man , whose name is redacted from the affidavit , warned her not to travel to the united states with it , o'reilly said . hincapie acknowledged using banned substances in his affidavit to the usada and in a statement released the same day . that same year , she says , armstrong gave her a small plastic-wrapped package after a race in the netherlands and asked her to dispose of it . o'reilly said armstrong told her it contained some things he was uneasy traveling with and had not wanted to throw away at the team hotel . ' o'reilly also recounted buying makeup for armstrong to conceal what she said he described as bruise from a syringe injection during a race . while o'reilly said she never saw armstrong use banned substances -- though she felt sure that he did -- tyler hamilton had a different story , saying the first time i ever blood-doped was with lance ' and that his teammate was well aware and involved with everything that happened . the publication of l.a . confidential ' led to a raft of lawsuits . armstrong sued british newspaper the sunday times , which published an article referencing the book , before eventually reaching an out-of-court settlement . the sunday times is now suing armstrong for $ 1.5 million it claims he got by fraud ' using britain 's draconian libel laws against us . ' the paper also took out an advert in the chicago tribune listing 10 questions that oprah should ask armstrong . it was signed by its chief sports writer walsh , who was named uk journalist of the year for his 13-year investigation into armstrong 's activities . cycling 's governing body the uci could seek to reclaim the millions he secured in prize money during his halcyon years , while reports have suggested armstrong -- who was dropped by major sponsors such as nike and oakley -- may agree to pay back some of the sponsorship funding that his u.s . postal team received . read more : u.s . postal team doping'predates armstrong' over time , a host of riders who had raced alongside armstrong with the team between 1998 and 2004 began to cast doubt on his unparalleled achievements . in 2010 floyd landis , a disgraced former rider who was stripped of the 2006 tour de france title for doping offenses , claimed he and armstrong had both taken prohibited substances while teammates at u.s . postal service . landis launched legal action against armstrong in the form of a whistleblower suit , claiming he had defrauded the u.s. government by accepting money from the postal service . armstrong remained staunch in his denial of doping allegations , but former colleagues such as hamilton continued to make claims of wrongdoing . the american , who has since been stripped of the gold medal he won at the 2004 olympic games , admitted to doping while also pointing the finger at armstrong . the drip of allegations refused to go away , until it become a flood with the report released by the usada . it accused him of being part of the most sophisticated , professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen . ' the report included evidence from 26 people -- 11 of whom were armstrong 's former teammates . read more : usada -'evidence overwhelming' armstrong maintains that he has been subjected to 500 drug tests and failed none , but the fallout from usada 's 202-page report has been catastrophic for the texan . in addition to losing the tour titles he won between 1999 and 2005 , he also faces being stripped of bronze medal he won at the 2000 olympic games . livestrong has not emerged from the scandal unscathed , with armstrong forced to step down from his role as chairman . at first he put on a brave face , telling his supporters at a livestrong charity event in texas : i 've been better , but i 've been a lot worse . ' but , on the day he taped his interview with winfrey , armstrong visited the charity 's staff and reportedly made a sincere and heartfelt apology for the stress they 've endured because of him . ' armstrong 's words might be true , but there can be no doubt that the sport he seemingly did so much for has never been in a hole quite as deep as the one his fall from grace has created . | lance armstrong stripped of his seven tour de france titles by cycling 's ruling body |
armstrong <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lance armstrong bestrode the sport of cycling like a colossus between 1999 and 2005 . his feat of winning seven consecutive titles at the tour de france -- arguably the world 's toughest sporting event -- was like the demigod hercules completing his twelve labors . ' armstrong 's achievements seemed all the more extraordinary given his against-the-odds recovery after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 . his best-selling autobiography it 's not about the bike : my journey back to life ' in 2000 helped give birth to the armstrong legend , as it recounted his fight for life against a disease that had spread to his lungs , abdomen and brain before he underwent radical treatment and went on to win his first tour in 1999 . this was a sporting story that gave hope to millions across the world . the texan 's battle with cancer led him to set up the livestrong foundation in 1997 , which according to its website has raised close to $ 500 million in the battle against the disease -- thanks in no small part to the charity 's iconic yellow wristbands . read more : armstrong loses tour titles his heroic story attracted an army of fans and lucrative sponsorship deals with big corporations such as nike and the anheuser-busch brewery . but then came the fall from grace . a demise that is like a greek tragedy , which is now only awaiting an act of contrition or recognition ( anagnorisis ) from the 41-year-old , who is expected to admit to his transgressions when a pre-taped interview with u.s. chat show queen oprah winfey airs on friday . armstrong is expected to face up to the extraordinary body of evidence the united states anti-doping agency put together before releasing more than 1,000 pages of evidence in october 2012 . a positive test for a banned substance during his first tour de france win in 1999 was explained away by a prescription for a cream to treat saddle sores , but the doubts and rumors surrounding armstrong refused to go away . the 2004 book l.a . confidential : the secrets of lance armstrong ' by journalists david walsh and pierre ballester alleged the use of performance-enhancing substances . read more : armstrong appeals to supporters a key witness for walsh and ballester , and then the usada , was emma o'reilly -- formerly a masseuse/personal assistant to armstrong and his cycling team , u.s . postal service . she told the agency she engaged in clandestine trips to pick up and drop off what she assumed were doping products , and said she was in the room when armstrong and two other team officials came up with a plan to backdate a prescription for corticosteroids for a saddle sore to explain a positive steroid test result during the 1999 tour de france . now , emma , you know enough to bring me down , ' she says armstrong told her after the meeting . the quote has got a bit dramatized , ' she said . history has shown that i did n't have enough to bring him down , and i never wanted to bring him down . never , ever wanted to bring lance down . ' doping was commonplace in cycling in the '90s , o'reilly said , as integral to the sport as the bikes that bore riders up and down the challenging french hillsides . she said she tried to distance herself from doping activities but felt some pressure to co-operate . read more : should you wear a livestrong bracelet ? she said she first came across doping by u.s . postal in 1998 , when she said a man gave her a package that he described as testosterone for team cyclist george hincapie . the man , whose name is redacted from the affidavit , warned her not to travel to the united states with it , o'reilly said . hincapie acknowledged using banned substances in his affidavit to the usada and in a statement released the same day . that same year , she says , armstrong gave her a small plastic-wrapped package after a race in the netherlands and asked her to dispose of it . o'reilly said armstrong told her it contained some things he was uneasy traveling with and had not wanted to throw away at the team hotel . ' o'reilly also recounted buying makeup for armstrong to conceal what she said he described as bruise from a syringe injection during a race . while o'reilly said she never saw armstrong use banned substances -- though she felt sure that he did -- tyler hamilton had a different story , saying the first time i ever blood-doped was with lance ' and that his teammate was well aware and involved with everything that happened . the publication of l.a . confidential ' led to a raft of lawsuits . armstrong sued british newspaper the sunday times , which published an article referencing the book , before eventually reaching an out-of-court settlement . the sunday times is now suing armstrong for $ 1.5 million it claims he got by fraud ' using britain 's draconian libel laws against us . ' the paper also took out an advert in the chicago tribune listing 10 questions that oprah should ask armstrong . it was signed by its chief sports writer walsh , who was named uk journalist of the year for his 13-year investigation into armstrong 's activities . cycling 's governing body the uci could seek to reclaim the millions he secured in prize money during his halcyon years , while reports have suggested armstrong -- who was dropped by major sponsors such as nike and oakley -- may agree to pay back some of the sponsorship funding that his u.s . postal team received . read more : u.s . postal team doping'predates armstrong' over time , a host of riders who had raced alongside armstrong with the team between 1998 and 2004 began to cast doubt on his unparalleled achievements . in 2010 floyd landis , a disgraced former rider who was stripped of the 2006 tour de france title for doping offenses , claimed he and armstrong had both taken prohibited substances while teammates at u.s . postal service . landis launched legal action against armstrong in the form of a whistleblower suit , claiming he had defrauded the u.s. government by accepting money from the postal service . armstrong remained staunch in his denial of doping allegations , but former colleagues such as hamilton continued to make claims of wrongdoing . the american , who has since been stripped of the gold medal he won at the 2004 olympic games , admitted to doping while also pointing the finger at armstrong . the drip of allegations refused to go away , until it become a flood with the report released by the usada . it accused him of being part of the most sophisticated , professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen . ' the report included evidence from 26 people -- 11 of whom were armstrong 's former teammates . read more : usada -'evidence overwhelming' armstrong maintains that he has been subjected to 500 drug tests and failed none , but the fallout from usada 's 202-page report has been catastrophic for the texan . in addition to losing the tour titles he won between 1999 and 2005 , he also faces being stripped of bronze medal he won at the 2000 olympic games . livestrong has not emerged from the scandal unscathed , with armstrong forced to step down from his role as chairman . at first he put on a brave face , telling his supporters at a livestrong charity event in texas : i 've been better , but i 've been a lot worse . ' but , on the day he taped his interview with winfrey , armstrong visited the charity 's staff and reportedly made a sincere and heartfelt apology for the stress they 've endured because of him . ' armstrong 's words might be true , but there can be no doubt that the sport he seemingly did so much for has never been in a hole quite as deep as the one his fall from grace has created . | armstrong has stepped down as chairman of the livestrong foundation |
livestrong foundation <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lance armstrong bestrode the sport of cycling like a colossus between 1999 and 2005 . his feat of winning seven consecutive titles at the tour de france -- arguably the world 's toughest sporting event -- was like the demigod hercules completing his twelve labors . ' armstrong 's achievements seemed all the more extraordinary given his against-the-odds recovery after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 . his best-selling autobiography it 's not about the bike : my journey back to life ' in 2000 helped give birth to the armstrong legend , as it recounted his fight for life against a disease that had spread to his lungs , abdomen and brain before he underwent radical treatment and went on to win his first tour in 1999 . this was a sporting story that gave hope to millions across the world . the texan 's battle with cancer led him to set up the livestrong foundation in 1997 , which according to its website has raised close to $ 500 million in the battle against the disease -- thanks in no small part to the charity 's iconic yellow wristbands . read more : armstrong loses tour titles his heroic story attracted an army of fans and lucrative sponsorship deals with big corporations such as nike and the anheuser-busch brewery . but then came the fall from grace . a demise that is like a greek tragedy , which is now only awaiting an act of contrition or recognition ( anagnorisis ) from the 41-year-old , who is expected to admit to his transgressions when a pre-taped interview with u.s. chat show queen oprah winfey airs on friday . armstrong is expected to face up to the extraordinary body of evidence the united states anti-doping agency put together before releasing more than 1,000 pages of evidence in october 2012 . a positive test for a banned substance during his first tour de france win in 1999 was explained away by a prescription for a cream to treat saddle sores , but the doubts and rumors surrounding armstrong refused to go away . the 2004 book l.a . confidential : the secrets of lance armstrong ' by journalists david walsh and pierre ballester alleged the use of performance-enhancing substances . read more : armstrong appeals to supporters a key witness for walsh and ballester , and then the usada , was emma o'reilly -- formerly a masseuse/personal assistant to armstrong and his cycling team , u.s . postal service . she told the agency she engaged in clandestine trips to pick up and drop off what she assumed were doping products , and said she was in the room when armstrong and two other team officials came up with a plan to backdate a prescription for corticosteroids for a saddle sore to explain a positive steroid test result during the 1999 tour de france . now , emma , you know enough to bring me down , ' she says armstrong told her after the meeting . the quote has got a bit dramatized , ' she said . history has shown that i did n't have enough to bring him down , and i never wanted to bring him down . never , ever wanted to bring lance down . ' doping was commonplace in cycling in the '90s , o'reilly said , as integral to the sport as the bikes that bore riders up and down the challenging french hillsides . she said she tried to distance herself from doping activities but felt some pressure to co-operate . read more : should you wear a livestrong bracelet ? she said she first came across doping by u.s . postal in 1998 , when she said a man gave her a package that he described as testosterone for team cyclist george hincapie . the man , whose name is redacted from the affidavit , warned her not to travel to the united states with it , o'reilly said . hincapie acknowledged using banned substances in his affidavit to the usada and in a statement released the same day . that same year , she says , armstrong gave her a small plastic-wrapped package after a race in the netherlands and asked her to dispose of it . o'reilly said armstrong told her it contained some things he was uneasy traveling with and had not wanted to throw away at the team hotel . ' o'reilly also recounted buying makeup for armstrong to conceal what she said he described as bruise from a syringe injection during a race . while o'reilly said she never saw armstrong use banned substances -- though she felt sure that he did -- tyler hamilton had a different story , saying the first time i ever blood-doped was with lance ' and that his teammate was well aware and involved with everything that happened . the publication of l.a . confidential ' led to a raft of lawsuits . armstrong sued british newspaper the sunday times , which published an article referencing the book , before eventually reaching an out-of-court settlement . the sunday times is now suing armstrong for $ 1.5 million it claims he got by fraud ' using britain 's draconian libel laws against us . ' the paper also took out an advert in the chicago tribune listing 10 questions that oprah should ask armstrong . it was signed by its chief sports writer walsh , who was named uk journalist of the year for his 13-year investigation into armstrong 's activities . cycling 's governing body the uci could seek to reclaim the millions he secured in prize money during his halcyon years , while reports have suggested armstrong -- who was dropped by major sponsors such as nike and oakley -- may agree to pay back some of the sponsorship funding that his u.s . postal team received . read more : u.s . postal team doping'predates armstrong' over time , a host of riders who had raced alongside armstrong with the team between 1998 and 2004 began to cast doubt on his unparalleled achievements . in 2010 floyd landis , a disgraced former rider who was stripped of the 2006 tour de france title for doping offenses , claimed he and armstrong had both taken prohibited substances while teammates at u.s . postal service . landis launched legal action against armstrong in the form of a whistleblower suit , claiming he had defrauded the u.s. government by accepting money from the postal service . armstrong remained staunch in his denial of doping allegations , but former colleagues such as hamilton continued to make claims of wrongdoing . the american , who has since been stripped of the gold medal he won at the 2004 olympic games , admitted to doping while also pointing the finger at armstrong . the drip of allegations refused to go away , until it become a flood with the report released by the usada . it accused him of being part of the most sophisticated , professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen . ' the report included evidence from 26 people -- 11 of whom were armstrong 's former teammates . read more : usada -'evidence overwhelming' armstrong maintains that he has been subjected to 500 drug tests and failed none , but the fallout from usada 's 202-page report has been catastrophic for the texan . in addition to losing the tour titles he won between 1999 and 2005 , he also faces being stripped of bronze medal he won at the 2000 olympic games . livestrong has not emerged from the scandal unscathed , with armstrong forced to step down from his role as chairman . at first he put on a brave face , telling his supporters at a livestrong charity event in texas : i 've been better , but i 've been a lot worse . ' but , on the day he taped his interview with winfrey , armstrong visited the charity 's staff and reportedly made a sincere and heartfelt apology for the stress they 've endured because of him . ' armstrong 's words might be true , but there can be no doubt that the sport he seemingly did so much for has never been in a hole quite as deep as the one his fall from grace has created . | armstrong has stepped down as chairman of the livestrong foundation |
rizzi <tsp> usually airline passengers side with flight attendants when it comes to safety , but in the case of a us airways flight wednesday night , passengers rallied around a blind man and his guide dog and disembarked en masse . all 35 passengers on us airways flight 4384 walked off the plane after albert rizzi , a blind man from long island , and his dog , doxy , were escorted off the flight after a heated exchange between rizzi and a flight attendant about where his dog was placed , according to rizzi . although he was first to arrive on the tarmac for the flight from philadelphia international airport to macarthur airport on long island , rizzi said he and his dog were the last to be seated on the small plane . he was seated in the middle of the back row looking onto the aisle with no seat in front of him for doxy to lie under . shortly after boarding , rizzi said a flight attendant told him the dog would need to go under a seat for safety reasons . several passengers in rizzi 's row offered to have the dog lay under their seats , and he was placed under the seat of the woman to his left , according to rizzi . the plane was then delayed nearly two hours . while the plane was sitting on the runway , doxy got up to reposition himself a few times , ending up under rizzi 's seat against the back of the plane , rizzi said . the flight attendant asked rizzi to control his dog and keep him underneath his neighbor 's seat , according to rizzi . after a heated exchange between rizzi and the flight attendant , the pilot announced the plane would be returning to the gate , rizzi said . rizzi and his dog were then escorted off the plane by airport security , according to rizzi . school opens'investigation'after airline kicks students off plane after rizzi and doxy were removed from the plane , passengers demanded that the flight attendant be removed from the plane and rizzi let back on , said passenger kurt budke . he said that all 35 passengers banded together in support of rizzi , and after realizing the passengers would not budge , the pilot announced the flight was canceled . if the flight attendant had tried to make alternate accommodations for rizzi , budke believes that the situation could have been avoided completely . us airways is sorry for the inconvenience , and we are looking into the situation to see if it was handled properly , ' us airways spokeswoman liz landau said thursday . she added that the pilot and the flight crew elected to return to the gate due to the safety concerns caused by the actions of the dog and said rizzi was verbally abusive to the flight attendant . landau said that the pilot and flight crew did n't feel that it was safe to operate the flight after seeing how upset the customers were at the incident and said that the pilot asked everyone to disembark once it reached the gate . us airways then provided free buses from the philadelphia airport to the long island airport , landau said . this became the most wonderful experience , out of the most horrible experience . i found that humanity does exist , and people can do the right thing , ' rizzi said , referring to the actions of his fellow passengers . rizzi said he has not been contacted by us airways since the incident and is considering legal action . they picked the wrong guy to mess with , ' rizzi said . he is active in the blind community and sits on the disability advisory board for suffolk county , where he resides . rizzi became blind eight years ago after surviving meningitis and has had doxy for seven years . rizzi said doxy is short for doxology , meaning praise to god ' and a new beginning . ' when they were matched seven years ago , doxy was just beginning his service as a guide dog and rizzi was just beginning his life as a blind man . | rizzi says he got into a heated exchange with a flight attendant over doxy 's placement |
rizzi <tsp> usually airline passengers side with flight attendants when it comes to safety , but in the case of a us airways flight wednesday night , passengers rallied around a blind man and his guide dog and disembarked en masse . all 35 passengers on us airways flight 4384 walked off the plane after albert rizzi , a blind man from long island , and his dog , doxy , were escorted off the flight after a heated exchange between rizzi and a flight attendant about where his dog was placed , according to rizzi . although he was first to arrive on the tarmac for the flight from philadelphia international airport to macarthur airport on long island , rizzi said he and his dog were the last to be seated on the small plane . he was seated in the middle of the back row looking onto the aisle with no seat in front of him for doxy to lie under . shortly after boarding , rizzi said a flight attendant told him the dog would need to go under a seat for safety reasons . several passengers in rizzi 's row offered to have the dog lay under their seats , and he was placed under the seat of the woman to his left , according to rizzi . the plane was then delayed nearly two hours . while the plane was sitting on the runway , doxy got up to reposition himself a few times , ending up under rizzi 's seat against the back of the plane , rizzi said . the flight attendant asked rizzi to control his dog and keep him underneath his neighbor 's seat , according to rizzi . after a heated exchange between rizzi and the flight attendant , the pilot announced the plane would be returning to the gate , rizzi said . rizzi and his dog were then escorted off the plane by airport security , according to rizzi . school opens'investigation'after airline kicks students off plane after rizzi and doxy were removed from the plane , passengers demanded that the flight attendant be removed from the plane and rizzi let back on , said passenger kurt budke . he said that all 35 passengers banded together in support of rizzi , and after realizing the passengers would not budge , the pilot announced the flight was canceled . if the flight attendant had tried to make alternate accommodations for rizzi , budke believes that the situation could have been avoided completely . us airways is sorry for the inconvenience , and we are looking into the situation to see if it was handled properly , ' us airways spokeswoman liz landau said thursday . she added that the pilot and the flight crew elected to return to the gate due to the safety concerns caused by the actions of the dog and said rizzi was verbally abusive to the flight attendant . landau said that the pilot and flight crew did n't feel that it was safe to operate the flight after seeing how upset the customers were at the incident and said that the pilot asked everyone to disembark once it reached the gate . us airways then provided free buses from the philadelphia airport to the long island airport , landau said . this became the most wonderful experience , out of the most horrible experience . i found that humanity does exist , and people can do the right thing , ' rizzi said , referring to the actions of his fellow passengers . rizzi said he has not been contacted by us airways since the incident and is considering legal action . they picked the wrong guy to mess with , ' rizzi said . he is active in the blind community and sits on the disability advisory board for suffolk county , where he resides . rizzi became blind eight years ago after surviving meningitis and has had doxy for seven years . rizzi said doxy is short for doxology , meaning praise to god ' and a new beginning . ' when they were matched seven years ago , doxy was just beginning his service as a guide dog and rizzi was just beginning his life as a blind man . | rizzi and doxy escorted off the plane ; other passengers followed in support |
rizzi <tsp> usually airline passengers side with flight attendants when it comes to safety , but in the case of a us airways flight wednesday night , passengers rallied around a blind man and his guide dog and disembarked en masse . all 35 passengers on us airways flight 4384 walked off the plane after albert rizzi , a blind man from long island , and his dog , doxy , were escorted off the flight after a heated exchange between rizzi and a flight attendant about where his dog was placed , according to rizzi . although he was first to arrive on the tarmac for the flight from philadelphia international airport to macarthur airport on long island , rizzi said he and his dog were the last to be seated on the small plane . he was seated in the middle of the back row looking onto the aisle with no seat in front of him for doxy to lie under . shortly after boarding , rizzi said a flight attendant told him the dog would need to go under a seat for safety reasons . several passengers in rizzi 's row offered to have the dog lay under their seats , and he was placed under the seat of the woman to his left , according to rizzi . the plane was then delayed nearly two hours . while the plane was sitting on the runway , doxy got up to reposition himself a few times , ending up under rizzi 's seat against the back of the plane , rizzi said . the flight attendant asked rizzi to control his dog and keep him underneath his neighbor 's seat , according to rizzi . after a heated exchange between rizzi and the flight attendant , the pilot announced the plane would be returning to the gate , rizzi said . rizzi and his dog were then escorted off the plane by airport security , according to rizzi . school opens'investigation'after airline kicks students off plane after rizzi and doxy were removed from the plane , passengers demanded that the flight attendant be removed from the plane and rizzi let back on , said passenger kurt budke . he said that all 35 passengers banded together in support of rizzi , and after realizing the passengers would not budge , the pilot announced the flight was canceled . if the flight attendant had tried to make alternate accommodations for rizzi , budke believes that the situation could have been avoided completely . us airways is sorry for the inconvenience , and we are looking into the situation to see if it was handled properly , ' us airways spokeswoman liz landau said thursday . she added that the pilot and the flight crew elected to return to the gate due to the safety concerns caused by the actions of the dog and said rizzi was verbally abusive to the flight attendant . landau said that the pilot and flight crew did n't feel that it was safe to operate the flight after seeing how upset the customers were at the incident and said that the pilot asked everyone to disembark once it reached the gate . us airways then provided free buses from the philadelphia airport to the long island airport , landau said . this became the most wonderful experience , out of the most horrible experience . i found that humanity does exist , and people can do the right thing , ' rizzi said , referring to the actions of his fellow passengers . rizzi said he has not been contacted by us airways since the incident and is considering legal action . they picked the wrong guy to mess with , ' rizzi said . he is active in the blind community and sits on the disability advisory board for suffolk county , where he resides . rizzi became blind eight years ago after surviving meningitis and has had doxy for seven years . rizzi said doxy is short for doxology , meaning praise to god ' and a new beginning . ' when they were matched seven years ago , doxy was just beginning his service as a guide dog and rizzi was just beginning his life as a blind man . | albert rizzi , who is blind , boarded a us airways flight with guide dog , doxy |
hong kong <tsp> hong kong , china ( cnn ) -- the most coveted property on hong kong island is called the peak , ' overlooking the city 's stunning victoria harbor . but these days , the prices are what is taking people 's breath away -- a modest apartment here now can go for $ 30 million . recently what is claimed to be the world 's most expensive apartment -- a 6,200-square-foot duplex -- sold for a record $ 57 million . while an implosion of property prices sparked the financial crisis in the united states , property prices in hong kong are booming in part because of mainland cash pouring into the city . china 's superrich are purchasing homes and sweeping luxury brand items off the shelf here . there would be no good turnover of luxury brands in hong kong if it was n't for the chinese shopper , ' said francis guten , a luxury brand consultant in hong kong . although total retail sales have dropped 4 percent this year , luxury brands are doing brisk business thanks to mainland shoppers . they come to hong kong because hong kong was always the first window on the world for luxury goods for the chinese , ' guten said , adding that the purchase of genuine ' luxury goods -- rather than the fakes that proliferate the mainland -- is actually cheaper in hong kong because of lack of sales taxes or tariffs . and how are they purchasing these goods ? with cash , ' guten said . because they have the cash . ' the real estate boom by mainlanders is a way for china 's rich to diversify their investments close to home . if you look at the history of china , despite the fact that the economy is very strong on a global basis right now , there 's been a very volatile period , ' said francis cheung of clsa . ( if ) you have 100-percent wealth in china , you just naturally want to diversify . ' they are not only buying property and gucci bags , but stock -- the hang seng stock exchange is up 50 percent this year . research firm clsa expects the market to rise another 20 percent in 2010 . cnn 's andrew stevens and eunice yoon contributed to this report . | an apartment in hong kong recently sold for a record $ 57 million |
united states <tsp> a new video shows what looks like the largest and most dangerous gathering of al qaeda in years . and the cia and the pentagon either did n't know about it or could n't get a drone there in time to strike . u.s. officials wo n't comment on that , but every frame of the video is now being analyzed by the united states . in the middle of the clip , the man known as al qaeda 's crown prince , nasir al-wuhayshi , appears brazenly out in the open , greeting followers in yemen . al-wuhayshi , the no . 2 leader of al qaeda globally and the head of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula , has said he wants to attack the united states . but in the video , he looks unconcerned that he could be hit by an american drone . the video started appearing on jihadist websites recently , drawing the attention of u.s. officials and global terrorism experts . u.s. officials say they believe it 's authentic . this is quite an extraordinary video , ' paul cruickshank , cnn terrorism analyst , said . the video shows al-wuhayshi addressing more than 100 fighters somewhere within yemen , cruickshank said , a restive nation on the southwestern portion of the arabian peninsula . the al qaeda leader , he said , is taking a big risk in doing this . ' but he does n't mince words about his mission . in a speech to the group , al-wuhayshi makes it clear that he 's going after the united states , saying we must eliminate the cross . ... the bearer of the cross is america ! ' u.s. officials believe the highly produced video is recent . with some fighters faces blurred , there is worry it signals a new round of plotting . the u.s. intelligence community should be surprised that such a large group of al qaeda assembled together , including the leadership , and somehow they did n't notice , ' said peter bergen , cnn national security analyst . there is good reason to worry . al qaeda in the arabian peninsula , also known as aqap , is considered the most dangerous al qaeda affiliate . the cia and the pentagon have repeatedly killed aqap leaders with drone strikes . but the group is now emboldened . the main problem about this group is that it has a bomb maker who can put bombs on to planes that ca n't be detected , ' bergen said . that bomb maker , ibrahim al-asiri , is believed to be responsible for several attack attempts against the united states , including the failed 2009 christmas day underwear bomber attack in detroit . al-asiri does n't appear in the video . he remains in hiding , and intelligence experts say he and other aqap leaders have gone back to using couriers to communicate to avoid detection . that makes it even harder to figure out what al-wuhayshi may order next . but the terror group leader 's goal is clear , cruickshank said . his message to the united states , ' cruickshank said , was very much the same as ( former al qaeda leader osama ) bin laden 's :'we 're coming after you .' u.s. rep. mike rogers , chairman of the house intelligence committee , told the situation room with wolf blitzer ' that leaks tied to yemen have affected u.s. intelligence collection , but he said he could n't say whether u.s. intelligence knew about the meeting . chairman : al qaeda'more diverse and more aggressive'than pre-9/11 asked by blitzer whether the united states would have sent a drone if officials had known such a large meeting of terrorists was taking place out in the open , the michigan republican said it 's unclear . it really depends , ' he said . there are a lot of procedures that one would go through ... to do an airstrike on any large package of individuals . ' seeing such a group of al qaeda operatives assembled is n't a surprise , he said . i think they have these meetings more often than people realize , ' rogers said . it 's difficult to get assets in position . you have to know where they are and where they meet at the right time in the right place with the right equipment . that 's a lot to do . ' the video , rogers says , is another sign that al qaeda remains a dangerous threat . we think that they 're feeling empowered . the less pressure you put on them , the more they take that as a victory , the more that they believe that they can get away with plotting , planning , organizing as you saw there ( in the video ) , finance , training , ' he said . all of the things that they would need to do to strike a western target , they 're going through that process . ' retired gen. mark kimmitt said smaller al qaeda affiliates are coalescing into a more organized base . sooner or later , if they continue to get better , stronger and more organized , ' he said , they will be a direct threat to the united states . ' it 's unlikely the united states was n't aware of the meeting shown in the video , kimmitt told cnn tonight . ' the question is n't why did n't we know , ' he said . the question is : what are we going to do about it ? ' al qaeda leader urges militants to find out who killed his syria representative syria : top training ground for al qaeda , senate is told | nasir al-wuhayshi threatens the united states in the clip |
djokovic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- roger federer is confident he can beat novak djokovic again if he meets the world no . 2 in the semifinals of a grand slam for the fourth time in a row at wimbledon . the third seed ended djokovic 's 43-match winning run at the french open two weeks ago , but failed to add to his record 16 major titles as he lost to top-ranked rafael nadal in the final . federer is again in the same half of the draw as the serbian as he seeks to equal pete sampras'leading seven open era crowns at the english grass-court event , where he opens his campaign against kazakhstani debutant mikhail kukushkin next week . it will be the swiss star 's first match on grass since his shock quarterfinal defeat by tomas berdych at wimbledon in 2010 , as he pulled out of last week 's warm-up tournament in germany due to a groin problem suffered at roland garros . holder nadal faces american russell in wimbledon opener ' the first time i hit here on monday , very easily , like right away after 10 minutes , it feels so natural for me to play on grass . i hope that feeling is going to pay off by going deep and then hopefully winning the tournament here , ' federer told the tournament 's website on saturday . i 'm happy about my game , and i am happy it showed in paris . i played a wonderful match against novak , and also all the other matches before that were good . obviously i come into this tournament very confident . i feel good about myself , about my body . i 've recovered . the last week was vital for me to recover from my groin injury . i feel like i 'm almost back at 100 % again , which is a really good sign for wimbledon . ' why murray 's wimbledon mission is unlikely to succeed djokovic beat federer on the way to winning the australian open in january , and also triumphed in the semifinals of the 2010 u.s. open before losing at the same stage to his rival at the season-ending atp world tour finals in london . i did n't necessarily need to prove my point in paris for my mind or for my confidence . i know i can beat novak on any surface , ' federer said . i 've done that in the past . just because he 's on a great winning streak does n't mean he 's unbeatable . that was my mindset going into the match in paris . i played really well . i was able to play well in the key moments . here at wimbledon anyway , i 'm even more confident . i think i 'm a better player than in paris , so i expect myself to do really well here , even better maybe . ' federer said the world 's top-four players had similar chances of winning the title at wimbledon , where no . 4 andy murray is seeking to become the first british champion since fred perry in 1936 . i think all four guys at the top right now feel very comfortable on grass . that 's maybe something that 's a bit different than maybe in the past , where maybe one of the top four guys would n't feel so comfortable on grass , ' he said . but this year it seems like all of us are , which is a good thing . murray 's game is very natural for this surface . i think djokovic has always been great , but nothing extraordinary yet . but with the run he 's on , obviously there 's a lot of possibilities for him as well here . ' | six-time champion roger federer could face novak djokovic in wimbledon semifinals |
djokovic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- roger federer is confident he can beat novak djokovic again if he meets the world no . 2 in the semifinals of a grand slam for the fourth time in a row at wimbledon . the third seed ended djokovic 's 43-match winning run at the french open two weeks ago , but failed to add to his record 16 major titles as he lost to top-ranked rafael nadal in the final . federer is again in the same half of the draw as the serbian as he seeks to equal pete sampras'leading seven open era crowns at the english grass-court event , where he opens his campaign against kazakhstani debutant mikhail kukushkin next week . it will be the swiss star 's first match on grass since his shock quarterfinal defeat by tomas berdych at wimbledon in 2010 , as he pulled out of last week 's warm-up tournament in germany due to a groin problem suffered at roland garros . holder nadal faces american russell in wimbledon opener ' the first time i hit here on monday , very easily , like right away after 10 minutes , it feels so natural for me to play on grass . i hope that feeling is going to pay off by going deep and then hopefully winning the tournament here , ' federer told the tournament 's website on saturday . i 'm happy about my game , and i am happy it showed in paris . i played a wonderful match against novak , and also all the other matches before that were good . obviously i come into this tournament very confident . i feel good about myself , about my body . i 've recovered . the last week was vital for me to recover from my groin injury . i feel like i 'm almost back at 100 % again , which is a really good sign for wimbledon . ' why murray 's wimbledon mission is unlikely to succeed djokovic beat federer on the way to winning the australian open in january , and also triumphed in the semifinals of the 2010 u.s. open before losing at the same stage to his rival at the season-ending atp world tour finals in london . i did n't necessarily need to prove my point in paris for my mind or for my confidence . i know i can beat novak on any surface , ' federer said . i 've done that in the past . just because he 's on a great winning streak does n't mean he 's unbeatable . that was my mindset going into the match in paris . i played really well . i was able to play well in the key moments . here at wimbledon anyway , i 'm even more confident . i think i 'm a better player than in paris , so i expect myself to do really well here , even better maybe . ' federer said the world 's top-four players had similar chances of winning the title at wimbledon , where no . 4 andy murray is seeking to become the first british champion since fred perry in 1936 . i think all four guys at the top right now feel very comfortable on grass . that 's maybe something that 's a bit different than maybe in the past , where maybe one of the top four guys would n't feel so comfortable on grass , ' he said . but this year it seems like all of us are , which is a good thing . murray 's game is very natural for this surface . i think djokovic has always been great , but nothing extraordinary yet . but with the run he 's on , obviously there 's a lot of possibilities for him as well here . ' | the 16-time major winner says he can beat djokovic on any surface ' |
gaza strip <tsp> gaza city ( cnn ) -- four israeli soldiers were wounded and five palestinians , including a militant , were killed saturday as the two sides traded fire . an anti-tank missile was fired at an israel defense force patrol , wounding the soldiers , according to the idf , which targeted several sites in the gaza strip in retaliation . four palestinians were killed and more than 20 wounded when israeli tank fire hit a building east of gaza city where hundreds of mourners were gathered for a funeral , palestinian medical sources said . about half of those injured were in a serious condition , the medical sources said , and the number of deaths could rise . israeli defense minister ehud barak said the country 's forces will not let the grave events on the border ' go unnoticed . the idf also said it targeted a rocket launching squad in the northern gaza strip after it fired rockets toward israel . more than 30 rockets fired from gaza hit southern israel , the idf said . an idf strike west of gaza city killed a militant and wounded four , one of whom is in critical condition , according to security sources with hamas , which has governed gaza since 2007 . the militant was from al-saraya , the military wing of islamic jihad , they said . in a separate incident , palestinian medical sources in khan younis , in the south of the gaza strip , said an israeli artillery shell hit a civilian house and injured a couple and their two children . cnn 's talal abu rahman , michael schwartz and kareem khadder contributed to this report . | the idf targeted sites in the gaza strip in retaliation |
simona halep <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the australian open is known as the happy slam . ' the players are usually re-energized after the off-season and gush over the way the tournament is organized . but for the fourth day in a row in melbourne , a multiple grand slam winner left the tournament without a smile on their face . following serena williams , maria sharapova and novak djokovic , two-time women 's defending champion victoria azarenka became the latest big name bundled out when the belorussian fell to agnieszka radwanska on wednesday . yes , the upsets keep coming . radwanska not only defeated azarenka in the quarterfinals to snap a seven-match losing streak against the world no . 2 but she did n't drop a game in the third set of the 6-1 5-7 6-0 victory . when azarenka misfired to seal her fate on match point , the crowd at rod laver arena roared its approval . with djokovic departing tuesday at the hands of stanislas wawrinka , it marked the first time in the open era both the men 's and women 's defending champions in australia were eliminated at the quarterfinal stage . i think about today 's match , what i did , what i could do better , ' azarenka told reporters . but other players , different vibe , whatever , i do n't really care about that . ' radwanska meets dominika cibulkova in the semifinals thursday after the diminutive slovak -- who sent sharapova packing -- cruised past maiden grand slam quarterfinalist simona halep 6-3 6-0 . this is for sure one of the greatest matches at the slam , especially here , ' radwanska told reporters . ( azarenka ) is playing great tennis here . especially the third set was unbelievable . i really can not complain about anything . ' li na , the only grand slam champion in the women 's semifinals and twice the australian open runner-up , battles canadian upstart eugenie bouchard in the other semifinal . blog : five future tennis stars to watch | cibulkova beat romania 's simona halep to reach the last four |
australian open <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the australian open is known as the happy slam . ' the players are usually re-energized after the off-season and gush over the way the tournament is organized . but for the fourth day in a row in melbourne , a multiple grand slam winner left the tournament without a smile on their face . following serena williams , maria sharapova and novak djokovic , two-time women 's defending champion victoria azarenka became the latest big name bundled out when the belorussian fell to agnieszka radwanska on wednesday . yes , the upsets keep coming . radwanska not only defeated azarenka in the quarterfinals to snap a seven-match losing streak against the world no . 2 but she did n't drop a game in the third set of the 6-1 5-7 6-0 victory . when azarenka misfired to seal her fate on match point , the crowd at rod laver arena roared its approval . with djokovic departing tuesday at the hands of stanislas wawrinka , it marked the first time in the open era both the men 's and women 's defending champions in australia were eliminated at the quarterfinal stage . i think about today 's match , what i did , what i could do better , ' azarenka told reporters . but other players , different vibe , whatever , i do n't really care about that . ' radwanska meets dominika cibulkova in the semifinals thursday after the diminutive slovak -- who sent sharapova packing -- cruised past maiden grand slam quarterfinalist simona halep 6-3 6-0 . this is for sure one of the greatest matches at the slam , especially here , ' radwanska told reporters . ( azarenka ) is playing great tennis here . especially the third set was unbelievable . i really can not complain about anything . ' li na , the only grand slam champion in the women 's semifinals and twice the australian open runner-up , battles canadian upstart eugenie bouchard in the other semifinal . blog : five future tennis stars to watch | defending champion victoria azarenka beaten by agnieszka radwanska at the australian open |
victoria azarenka <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the australian open is known as the happy slam . ' the players are usually re-energized after the off-season and gush over the way the tournament is organized . but for the fourth day in a row in melbourne , a multiple grand slam winner left the tournament without a smile on their face . following serena williams , maria sharapova and novak djokovic , two-time women 's defending champion victoria azarenka became the latest big name bundled out when the belorussian fell to agnieszka radwanska on wednesday . yes , the upsets keep coming . radwanska not only defeated azarenka in the quarterfinals to snap a seven-match losing streak against the world no . 2 but she did n't drop a game in the third set of the 6-1 5-7 6-0 victory . when azarenka misfired to seal her fate on match point , the crowd at rod laver arena roared its approval . with djokovic departing tuesday at the hands of stanislas wawrinka , it marked the first time in the open era both the men 's and women 's defending champions in australia were eliminated at the quarterfinal stage . i think about today 's match , what i did , what i could do better , ' azarenka told reporters . but other players , different vibe , whatever , i do n't really care about that . ' radwanska meets dominika cibulkova in the semifinals thursday after the diminutive slovak -- who sent sharapova packing -- cruised past maiden grand slam quarterfinalist simona halep 6-3 6-0 . this is for sure one of the greatest matches at the slam , especially here , ' radwanska told reporters . ( azarenka ) is playing great tennis here . especially the third set was unbelievable . i really can not complain about anything . ' li na , the only grand slam champion in the women 's semifinals and twice the australian open runner-up , battles canadian upstart eugenie bouchard in the other semifinal . blog : five future tennis stars to watch | defending champion victoria azarenka beaten by agnieszka radwanska at the australian open |
forbes <tsp> ( cnn ) -- fortunes forever rise and fall , but perhaps none so fast as those of drug lords . on monday , forbes magazine released its annual list of the world 's richest people , and for the first time since 2009 , joaquin el chapo ' guzman did not make the cut . guzman is the boss of the sinaloa cartel , one of mexico 's most powerful drug trafficking operations . his nickname , which means shorty , ' matches his 5-foot-6-inch frame , though he has climbed to great heights in the drug business . forbes had previously estimated his net worth at $ 1 billion . as the leader of the sinaloa cartel , he is one of the most powerful people in the world , but no longer someone we are confident enough to call a billionaire , ' the magazine said on its website . read : forbes rankings finds 210 new billionaires forbes believes an increasing part of his fortune is going to protect him and his family and said that it had been unable to reach guzman to verify figures . ' it also said it was unclear how he spends the money he makes . authorities have been looking for guzman ever since he escaped from a mexican prison in a laundry cart in 2001 . there have been reports of his death , but none confirmed . the u.s. treasury department has declared guzman the most influential trafficker in the world . he was just one of just 68 billionaires who were reported dropped from the list this year versus the 210 who were added to the exclusive 10-figure club . there are a record 1,426 billionaires , according to the latest count from forbes . the rankings showed that mexican telecom mogul carlos slim remained the world 's richest person , with an estimated fortune of $ 73 billion . microsoft founder bill gates ranked no . 2 with $ 67 billion . | forbes had previously put joaquin el chapo ' guzman 's fortune at $ 1 billion |
nashi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- opening in select u.s. theaters next week , the documentary putin 's kiss ' tells the story of a russian teenager who became famous in the mid-2000s when she was shown on tv giving president vladimir putin a kiss on the cheek . danish filmmaker lise birk pedersen 's movie is well-timed . putin won his third term as russia 's president last month and will officially take power in may . he is finishing up a stint as prime minister , as he was limited to two consecutive terms as president . while not well-known in the west , masha drokova will always be a symbol of putin 's power and of the first generation to come of age in post-soviet russia , after her tumultuous tenure as the spokeswoman for nashi , a nationalist youth movement that putin officials created in 2005 . nashi organized mass marches in support of the russian president , proactively heading off opposition to putin at every turn . as nashi gained thousands of members , the provincial but ambitious teen from the moscow suburbs was rewarded for being its mouthpiece . she got a car , an apartment and even a television show . the film shows masha as she begins to question it all after befriending independent journalists who criticize putin . audiences watch masha 's disillusionment with nashi turn to anguish when one of those reporters is savagely beaten by attackers he suspects are nashi members . putin 's kiss ' took the world cinematography award at this year 's sundance film festival . watch the trailer cnn spoke with pedersen by phone from her home in denmark . cnn : why did you want to make this movie ? pedersen : i wanted to make a contemporary portrait of the first generation to come of age in the new russia . for research , i spoke to a lot of young people masha 's age . ... i traveled to russia for three or four weeks and i spoke only with young people , 18 to 20 , in big cities and the countryside , who were born exactly at the time the soviet union was collapsing . cnn : why focus on masha ? pedersen : when masha was very young , and russia was changing to a capitalist society , the middle class gained more money , more possibilities to send their young people to good schools and to take vacations abroad . it had changed the attitudes among the young people and the population all in all . so people were much more optimistic and they really looked up to putin and ( were ) feeling proud about russia . i wanted to portray that side as well , and that 's also one of the reasons i chose to portray a person who was a spokesperson for putin 's youth movement , nashi . cnn : masha was someone who certainly believed in nashi , which describes itself as this kind of democratic anti-fascist movement that putin and the presidential administration was very much for . things were going well for her . suddenly she had this great fame . then she meets journalists and starts spending time with journalists . what does that cause to happen in her life ? what happens ? what goes wrong ? pedersen : nashi actually means ours . ' in nashi they believe very much in russia and that russia should be the leader of 21st century , and to make ( the country ) the leader of the 21st century we need to support the ruling power . and if you do n't support the ruling power , if you 're critical towards putin , you 're basically labeled an enemy . a lot of these young liberal journalists that masha started to hang out with , they were very critical about putin and his ruling . so masha gets into this crowd and she 's warned by the leadership of nashi that she should not mix with these people , that she could not in daytime believe in putin and then in nighttime be friends with people who would criticize him . cnn : can you give our audience some perspective on why nashi was so important to both putin and why their voice was so important on the national political scene ? if there are a lot of young people ( in the u.s. ) who band together and decide they want to support president obama or some other politician , it 's not as if that group is going to make headlines every single day and their voice is going to be the top . pedersen : nashi was formed from above . it 's not like a grass-roots organization . it 's not like a young person would wake up in the suburb and then think oh , i have to go out and support putin and then form nashi . ' ... nashi was formed by the political top . its former leader is now a kind of youth minister . nashi had a very specific mission . ( nashi , the filmmaker adds , was putin 's way of heading off anything like 2005 's orange revolution ' in the ukraine . protesters took to the streets claiming that the re-election of the country 's president had been rigged . demonstrators successfully demanded a recount that revealed the leader of the opposition party had actually won . ) putin was very much afraid that young people would take to the streets and make revolution as well as what happened in the ukraine . nashi was formed to counteract something like that . during parliamentary elections four years ago , nashi has this role to go in and occupy squares in major cities , mainly in moscow and st. petersburg . they would apply for ( permits ) to stay on the square and use the whole day for their action to prevent others from using the space . we see in the film the different methods they used to fight any opposition . cnn : how , logistically , did you go about making the film , considering your characters were in jeopardy all the time ? ( the independent journalist who was beaten , oleg kashin , wrote a new york times op-ed from his hospital room saying he suspected nashi members were behind the attack . he wrote that one of his fingers needed to be amputated , his jaw and leg were broken and he had head injuries . ) pedersen : what was difficult was that in the beginning , masha wanted to draw a very positive picture of nashi . i kept telling her i wanted to tell ( both sides ) . she most of the time , especially in the beginning , would make this picture of nashi almost like a boy scout movement . as filming progressed , and she started to meet people who were criticizing nashi , she actually still tried to keep away from meeting some of her new friends who had been critical toward nashi . she was in a difficult process herself . even to talk about it and let me see would have made it real to her . cnn : what is masha up to now and what does she think of the film ? pedersen : she is pr manager for a foreign investment firm . she is quite successful , but she has withdrawn from politics and from liberal journalists . she felt like she was very manipulated by both sides . when she saw the film , she told me she felt 50/50 . ' she liked the film , and thought it was a good portrait of her , but that it took the side of the journalists too much . cnn : what role is nashi playing right now in russian politics ? we saw an unprecedented number of anti-putin protesters take to the streets just before the march election . pederson : during the presidential election , nashi were saying that there would be 20,000 ( members ) on the streets of moscow fighting the opposition . there has been activity , ( but ) it 's a little difficult to say what . the thing with nashi is that they grow every time there is an election . they tend to shrink during nonelection periods . people are saying that nashi will disappear , but i 'm not sure about that . it 's a fantastic tool for the ruling power . click here to see where putin 's kiss ' is playing . | masha drokova was the spokeswoman for nashi , a youth group putin created |
nashi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- opening in select u.s. theaters next week , the documentary putin 's kiss ' tells the story of a russian teenager who became famous in the mid-2000s when she was shown on tv giving president vladimir putin a kiss on the cheek . danish filmmaker lise birk pedersen 's movie is well-timed . putin won his third term as russia 's president last month and will officially take power in may . he is finishing up a stint as prime minister , as he was limited to two consecutive terms as president . while not well-known in the west , masha drokova will always be a symbol of putin 's power and of the first generation to come of age in post-soviet russia , after her tumultuous tenure as the spokeswoman for nashi , a nationalist youth movement that putin officials created in 2005 . nashi organized mass marches in support of the russian president , proactively heading off opposition to putin at every turn . as nashi gained thousands of members , the provincial but ambitious teen from the moscow suburbs was rewarded for being its mouthpiece . she got a car , an apartment and even a television show . the film shows masha as she begins to question it all after befriending independent journalists who criticize putin . audiences watch masha 's disillusionment with nashi turn to anguish when one of those reporters is savagely beaten by attackers he suspects are nashi members . putin 's kiss ' took the world cinematography award at this year 's sundance film festival . watch the trailer cnn spoke with pedersen by phone from her home in denmark . cnn : why did you want to make this movie ? pedersen : i wanted to make a contemporary portrait of the first generation to come of age in the new russia . for research , i spoke to a lot of young people masha 's age . ... i traveled to russia for three or four weeks and i spoke only with young people , 18 to 20 , in big cities and the countryside , who were born exactly at the time the soviet union was collapsing . cnn : why focus on masha ? pedersen : when masha was very young , and russia was changing to a capitalist society , the middle class gained more money , more possibilities to send their young people to good schools and to take vacations abroad . it had changed the attitudes among the young people and the population all in all . so people were much more optimistic and they really looked up to putin and ( were ) feeling proud about russia . i wanted to portray that side as well , and that 's also one of the reasons i chose to portray a person who was a spokesperson for putin 's youth movement , nashi . cnn : masha was someone who certainly believed in nashi , which describes itself as this kind of democratic anti-fascist movement that putin and the presidential administration was very much for . things were going well for her . suddenly she had this great fame . then she meets journalists and starts spending time with journalists . what does that cause to happen in her life ? what happens ? what goes wrong ? pedersen : nashi actually means ours . ' in nashi they believe very much in russia and that russia should be the leader of 21st century , and to make ( the country ) the leader of the 21st century we need to support the ruling power . and if you do n't support the ruling power , if you 're critical towards putin , you 're basically labeled an enemy . a lot of these young liberal journalists that masha started to hang out with , they were very critical about putin and his ruling . so masha gets into this crowd and she 's warned by the leadership of nashi that she should not mix with these people , that she could not in daytime believe in putin and then in nighttime be friends with people who would criticize him . cnn : can you give our audience some perspective on why nashi was so important to both putin and why their voice was so important on the national political scene ? if there are a lot of young people ( in the u.s. ) who band together and decide they want to support president obama or some other politician , it 's not as if that group is going to make headlines every single day and their voice is going to be the top . pedersen : nashi was formed from above . it 's not like a grass-roots organization . it 's not like a young person would wake up in the suburb and then think oh , i have to go out and support putin and then form nashi . ' ... nashi was formed by the political top . its former leader is now a kind of youth minister . nashi had a very specific mission . ( nashi , the filmmaker adds , was putin 's way of heading off anything like 2005 's orange revolution ' in the ukraine . protesters took to the streets claiming that the re-election of the country 's president had been rigged . demonstrators successfully demanded a recount that revealed the leader of the opposition party had actually won . ) putin was very much afraid that young people would take to the streets and make revolution as well as what happened in the ukraine . nashi was formed to counteract something like that . during parliamentary elections four years ago , nashi has this role to go in and occupy squares in major cities , mainly in moscow and st. petersburg . they would apply for ( permits ) to stay on the square and use the whole day for their action to prevent others from using the space . we see in the film the different methods they used to fight any opposition . cnn : how , logistically , did you go about making the film , considering your characters were in jeopardy all the time ? ( the independent journalist who was beaten , oleg kashin , wrote a new york times op-ed from his hospital room saying he suspected nashi members were behind the attack . he wrote that one of his fingers needed to be amputated , his jaw and leg were broken and he had head injuries . ) pedersen : what was difficult was that in the beginning , masha wanted to draw a very positive picture of nashi . i kept telling her i wanted to tell ( both sides ) . she most of the time , especially in the beginning , would make this picture of nashi almost like a boy scout movement . as filming progressed , and she started to meet people who were criticizing nashi , she actually still tried to keep away from meeting some of her new friends who had been critical toward nashi . she was in a difficult process herself . even to talk about it and let me see would have made it real to her . cnn : what is masha up to now and what does she think of the film ? pedersen : she is pr manager for a foreign investment firm . she is quite successful , but she has withdrawn from politics and from liberal journalists . she felt like she was very manipulated by both sides . when she saw the film , she told me she felt 50/50 . ' she liked the film , and thought it was a good portrait of her , but that it took the side of the journalists too much . cnn : what role is nashi playing right now in russian politics ? we saw an unprecedented number of anti-putin protesters take to the streets just before the march election . pederson : during the presidential election , nashi were saying that there would be 20,000 ( members ) on the streets of moscow fighting the opposition . there has been activity , ( but ) it 's a little difficult to say what . the thing with nashi is that they grow every time there is an election . they tend to shrink during nonelection periods . people are saying that nashi will disappear , but i 'm not sure about that . it 's a fantastic tool for the ruling power . click here to see where putin 's kiss ' is playing . | filmmaker : masha became torn between nashi and journalists who questioned it |
murdock <tsp> ( cnn ) -- o.j . murdock , who signed with the nfl 's tennessee titans last year , killed himself monday morning in front of the tampa , florida , high school where he was a track and football star , police said . murdock , 25 , never played a game in the nfl because he had been sidelined with an injury since signing as an undrafted player a year ago . in his brief time here , a number of our players , coaches and staff had grown close to o.j. , and this is a difficult time for them , ' the titans said in a statement . he spent the last year battling back from an achilles injury as he prepared for this year 's training camp . ' nfl launches help line for current , former players titans head coach mike munchak , in his daily briefing with reporters saturday , was asked why murdock , a wide receiver , had not reported to training camp . he had some personal things come up , ' munchak said . he called us , and we 're hoping to see him tonight . ' murdock was placed on the did not report ' list over the weekend , but he was still on the roster , team spokesman robbie bohren said monday . our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they try to cope with this tragedy , ' the team statement said . a tampa police officer found murdock in his car in front of middleton high school with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound ' at 8:30 a.m. monday , a police statement said . he died two hours later at tampa general hospital , police said . murdock was ranked among the top football players in florida and the nation in 2005 when he was a senior at middleton high school , according to his biography on the titans website . he was also a star sprinter on his school 's track team . his college career started at the university of south carolina , but he transferred to pearl river community college after playing in just four games as a freshman . he later moved to fort hays state , where he played for two years . si.com : murdock 's suicide hits home for former s. carolina teammate nfl 's junior seau 's death classified as a suicide cnn 's jillian martin contributed to this report . | o.j . murdock failed to report to tennessee titans training camp last week |
murdock <tsp> ( cnn ) -- o.j . murdock , who signed with the nfl 's tennessee titans last year , killed himself monday morning in front of the tampa , florida , high school where he was a track and football star , police said . murdock , 25 , never played a game in the nfl because he had been sidelined with an injury since signing as an undrafted player a year ago . in his brief time here , a number of our players , coaches and staff had grown close to o.j. , and this is a difficult time for them , ' the titans said in a statement . he spent the last year battling back from an achilles injury as he prepared for this year 's training camp . ' nfl launches help line for current , former players titans head coach mike munchak , in his daily briefing with reporters saturday , was asked why murdock , a wide receiver , had not reported to training camp . he had some personal things come up , ' munchak said . he called us , and we 're hoping to see him tonight . ' murdock was placed on the did not report ' list over the weekend , but he was still on the roster , team spokesman robbie bohren said monday . our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they try to cope with this tragedy , ' the team statement said . a tampa police officer found murdock in his car in front of middleton high school with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound ' at 8:30 a.m. monday , a police statement said . he died two hours later at tampa general hospital , police said . murdock was ranked among the top football players in florida and the nation in 2005 when he was a senior at middleton high school , according to his biography on the titans website . he was also a star sprinter on his school 's track team . his college career started at the university of south carolina , but he transferred to pearl river community college after playing in just four games as a freshman . he later moved to fort hays state , where he played for two years . si.com : murdock 's suicide hits home for former s. carolina teammate nfl 's junior seau 's death classified as a suicide cnn 's jillian martin contributed to this report . | because of an injury , murdock never played in the nfl |
pakistan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two months before her death , former pakistani prime minister benazir bhutto sent an e-mail to her u.s. adviser and longtime friend , saying that if she were killed , pakistani president pervez musharraf would bear some of the blame . bhutto was assassinated after the campaign rally , seen here , thursday . she cited his government 's denial of her request for additional security measures after the october suicide bombing that targeted her upon returning to pakistan from exile . nothing will , god willing happen , ' she wrote to mark siegel , her u.s. spokesman , lobbyist and friend . just wanted u to know if it does in addition to the names in my letter to musharaf of oct 16nth , i wld hold musharaf responsible . i have been made to feel insecure by his minions and there is no way what is happening in terms of stopping me from taking private cars or using tinted windows or giving jammers or four police mobiles to cover all sides cld happen without him . ' bhutto was seeking to become prime minister for a third time when she was assassinated ; her death comes exactly two weeks before pakistan 's january 8 parliamentary elections . watch siegel describe her concern and the reaction of pakistan 's u.s. ambassador » pakistan 's ambassador to the u.s. , mahmud ali durrani , on thursday insisted musharraf 's government provided the former prime minister with unprecedented security . he said that terrorists and extremists , who also have targeted musharraf , were the only ones responsible for her death . watch a report on security provided to bhutto » bhutto wrote the e-mail on october 26 , eight days after at least 130 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in karachi by the suicide bombing that occurred as bhutto 's motorcade passed . siegel forwarded that e-mail to cnn 's wolf blitzer , with instructions he not report on it unless bhutto was killed . just before returning to pakistan after eight years of self-imposed exile , bhutto told cnn she was aware of threats against her and said that some had come from people who hold high positions ' in pakistan 's government . she said she had written a letter to musharraf about her fears , apparently the same letter she refers to in her e-mail to siegel . in a speech , she listed four groups she believed posed the biggest threat to her and her cause -- the taliban in pakistan , the taliban in afghanistan , al qaeda and a suicide team from karachi that she did not describe . after the october bombing , she accused elements in the government and security services of trying to kill her and asked musharraf for basic security , ' including vehicles with tinted windows and private guards in addition to police guards . three united states senators repeated the request in a letter to musharraf . bhutto was concerned by the lack of security she had upon her arrival in karachi and called the october 18 bombing very suspicious , ' siegel said . he accused pakistani authorities of not investigating the assassination attempt and of refusing bhutto 's request for scotland yard and the fbi to aid in the investigation . bhutto and her husband had asked for jammers to impede the detonation of bombs ; special vehicles with tinted windows ; and four police vehicles to surround her at all times , siegel said . she basically asked for all that was required for someone of the standing of a former prime minister , ' siegel told cnn 's the situation room . ' all of that was denied to her . ... she got some police protection , but it was sporadic and erratic . ' bhutto was concerned the problem was worsening as the january elections neared , siegel said . at the time of the october suicide bombing , bhutto was riding in a truck from karachi 's airport to the tomb of mohammed ali jinnah , founder of pakistan . she had moved from the roof to inside the bulletproof , armed vehicle just moments before the blast and was unharmed . cnn 's dan rivers , in karachi to cover her return to pakistan , remarked at the time that her security appeared to be loose , saying his crew was able to walk up to the side of her vehicle without being stopped by authorities . durrani , pakistan 's ambassador to the u.s. , insisted security surrounding bhutto then was more than adequate . there were , i think , a sea of security people , ' he said . she was surrounded by police vehicles . and had it not been one of the police vehicles which took the blast in karachi , unfortunately she would have died there . there was a bubble around her of security . the ppp [ people 's party of pakistan , bhutto 's party ] insisted that they have their own private loyalists around . they were there too . and there were about 7,800 to 8,000 security people deployed just for that , ' durrani said . that is more security than anybody deploys anywhere in the world . ' she was moving almost in a sea of humanity , ' durrani said . no system in the world can protect you against that . ' bhutto is not a security person , ' he said . she 's a politician . i think the government of pakistan provided her all the security that was necessary . you tell me -- the way she was hit , she would have been hit with tinted windows or without , or without the ied ... so it 's just a blame game . ' after the october attack , bhutto said police offered to let her use a helicopter for the trip from the airport , but she told them she wanted to be near her people . she said she did not regret that decision . she believed in democracy , and she believed in speaking to the people , ' siegel said . it 's not reckless to go out and touch the people . do n't blame the victim for the crime . the person that was supposed to be protecting benazir bhutto and the other candidates was the government of pakistan with the government of pervez musharraf . ' blitzer noted that bhutto was shot thursday while standing out of her vehicle 's sunroof -- seen by some as a a reckless action after the october incident . getty images senior staff photographer john moore , who was at the scene of her assassination , told cnn he was surprised at bhutto 's actions , considering the earlier suicide attempt . the rally was smaller than expected , he said , and the people he spoke with said they were just afraid to come out , for the simple reason that they all remembered what happened in karachi . ' siegel grew emotional as he told blitzer that bhutto was the bravest person i ever knew . ... she knew that there were risks coming back , but those risks were important , she thought , for the fight for democracy . ' e-mail to a friend | before returning to pakistan , bhutto told cnn she was aware of threats |
aclu <tsp> police around the united states are recording the license plates of passing drivers and storing the information for years with little privacy protection , the american civil liberties union said wednesday . the information potentially allows authorities to track the movements of everyone who drives a car . the aclu documented the police surveillance after reviewing 26,000 pages of material gathered through public records requests to almost 600 local and state police departments in 38 states and the district of columbia . opinion : supreme court must protect our privacy from the government police are gathering the vehicle information with surveillance technology called automatic license plate readers , and it 's being stored -- sometimes indefinitely -- with few or no privacy protections , the aclu said . the documents paint a startling picture of a technology deployed with too few rules that is becoming a tool for mass routine location tracking and surveillance , ' the aclu said in a written statement . the license plate readers alert police to an automobile associated with an investigation , but such instances account for a tiny fraction of license plate scans , and too many police departments are storing millions of records about innocent drivers , ' the aclu said . after the crash : license , registration , cellphone , please ' private companies are also using license plate readers and sharing the information they collect with police with little or no oversight or privacy protections . a lack of regulation means that policies governing how long our location data is kept vary widely , ' the aclu said . the civil liberties group is advocating legislation regulating the use of the technology . the readers have been proliferating at worrying speed ' and are typically mounted on bridges , overpasses and patrol cars , the aclu said . the devices use high-speed cameras , and the software analyzes the photographs to retrieve the plate number , the group said . lawsuit by 19 groups seeks to halt nsa snooping the system then runs the data against hot lists ' of plate numbers and produces an instant alert when a match , or hit , ' registers , the group said . the hot lists include the national crime information center file , which includes stolen cars and vehicles used in the commission of a crime . license plate readers would pose few civil liberties risks if they only checked plates against hot lists and these hot lists were implemented soundly . but these systems are configured to store the photograph , the license plate number , and the date , time , and location where all vehicles are seen — not just the data of vehicles that generate hits , ' the aclu report said . the growing collection of data allows police to create a single , high-resolution image of our lives , ' and the constant monitoring can chill the exercise of our cherished rights to free speech and association , ' the group said . if not properly secured , license plate reader databases open the door to abusive tracking , enabling anyone with access to pry into the lives of his boss , his ex-wife , or his romantic , political , or workplace rivals , ' the aclu said . law enforcement argues the tools keep officers and the public safe . in a blog post last week , the los angeles police protective league said that license plate recognition ( lpr ) technology has helped with literally thousands of cases nationwide . ' lpr is not an invasion of privacy , but rather a tool for law enforcement to better accomplish its mission to protect and serve . the onus is on law enforcement agencies and governing bodies to ensure that they have proper policies in place for disciplined and responsible use , with appropriate punishments for anyone operating outside of policy , ' the union said . the aclu report cited how the minneapolis star tribune in 2012 tracked the movement of the mayor r.t. rybak 's car 41 times at a license police reader in the prior year . the newspaper put the information on a map and gathered the data through public records requests . the newspaper found that the police department 's plate readers yielded hits of fewer than 1 % of the 805,000 plate scans made in june 2012 , according to the aclu . a hit means that a read matched a listing in a database of vehicles law enforcement was interested in , for whatever reason . they might be reported stolen , for instance , or belonging to missing persons . as a result , the mayor directed the police chief to recommend a new policy on data retention , the group said . | there 's little , if any , privacy protection for innocent motorists , the aclu says |
congress <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- senate republicans mounted a counter-attack sunday against ratifying a new nuclear arms treaty with russia this year , trying to put off a vote that democrats say they will win if it is held . senate minority leader mitch mcconnell of kentucky led the way , telling cnn 's state of the union ' that members of his party need more time to consider the start accord . i 've decided i can not support the treaty , ' mcconnell said in his first outright rejection of ratifying the treaty during the current lame-duck session of congress . the treaty would resume mutual inspections of u.s. and russian nuclear arsenals , while limiting both nations to 1,550 warheads and 700 launchers each . on sunday , democrats rejected a republican amendment to the treaty 's preamble that would have added a reference to tactical nuclear weapons , which are not covered by the pact . republican senators are uneasy ' about the treaty , and trying to get a vote before christmas was not the best way to get the support of people like me , ' mcconnell said . his unequivocal stance increased the gop 's public opposition to ratification , which would require at least 10 gop senators to vote with the democrats to reach the two-thirds majority of 67 needed . the democratic caucus has 58 members , but one of them , sen. ron wyden of oregon , is preparing for prostate cancer surgery monday and is expected to miss the rest of the current lame-duck session that expires january 4 . if the vote gets put off to the new congress , as republicans want , the number of gop votes needed for ratification rises to at least 14 because the democrats will have a diminished majority of 53 seats . mcconnell 's comments prompted a response from his democratic counterpart , senate majority leader harry reid of nevada , who issued a statement saying he was deeply disappointed ' at mcconnell 's opposition to the treaty . reid 's statement noted that respected republican leaders ' including former president george h.w . bush and several former secretaries of state , as well as the current military leadership all called for ratification . in addition , reid 's statement said , the proposed treaty has been available since may and the obama administration has answered questions from senators and taken steps to address concerns . for example , the administration has committed to increased spending on modernizing the u.s. nuclear arsenal at the request of sen. jon kyl , r-arizona , who had been leading the gop opposition to the treaty . i know many senators , including my colleagues on the other side of the aisle , who share the belief that this treaty is too critical to our national security to delay , and i look forward to strong bipartisan support to pass this treaty before we end this session of congress , ' reid 's statement concluded . later sunday , reid filed a cloture motion -- a necessary procedural step to end debate and set up a vote . after months of consideration and five days of open and robust debate , it is time to move forward on a treaty that will help reverse nuclear proliferation and make it harder for terrorists to get their hands on a nuclear weapon . every day we delay is another day we do not have inspectors on the ground in russia monitoring their nuclear arsenal , ' he said in a statement . democratic sen. john kerry , the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee , predicted sunday that democrats have the necessary support for ratification and that the vote would occur in the coming days . i believe it will pass , and i believe there will be a vote , ' kerry said on the abc program this week . ' however , the ranking republican on the senate panel , richard lugar of indiana , said he was uncertain that the vote would occur before the lame-duck session expires . several republicans will support it , and i join the chairman ( kerry ) in believing that there are the votes there , ' said lugar , who backs ratification . the problem is really getting to that final vote . ' lugar noted that the senate still needs to debate republican amendments to the treaty . any change in the language or substance of the pact would require reopening negotiations with russia , effectively killing the agreement . so far , democrats have defeated the two republican amendments proposed -- sunday 's attempt to add a reference to tactical nuclear weapons , and a saturday bid by sen. john mccain of arizona to remove from the preamble language recognizing a relationship between offensive and defensive weapons . in both cases , however , democrats were at least seven votes shy of the 67 they will need to ratify the treaty . republican sen. lindsey graham , r-south carolina , on sunday continued questioning the language cited in the failed mccain amendment , telling the cbs program face the nation ' that it could undermine future development of u.s. missile defense systems . according to graham , russia could object to continuing u.s. development of missile defense capability as a violation of the treaty and withdraw from it . kyl , appearing on fox news sunday , ' also challenged the language in the preamble , which he said changes the past u.s. stance by linking offensive and defensive weapons . in the last arms control treaty with russia in 2002 we absolutely separated the two issues , ' kyl said . now , he said , the democrats were insisting the treaty ca n't be changed . if that 's the case , kyl said , we 're just a rubber stamp for the administration and the russians , the administration that for the first time was n't willing to stand up to the russians and say ,'you 're not going to implicate our missile defenses .' however , democratic sen. carl levin of michigan , the chairman of the senate armed services committee , labeled the missile defense concern a straw man ' argument without substance . the nation 's top military leaders say there is no restriction , no limitations whatsoever ' on missile defense in the treaty , levin said . lugar also challenged some of the gop arguments , saying the resumed inspections under the new treaty were essential for verifying compliance by russia . in addition , the treaty represents new opportunities to engage with russia on important issues in the continuing evolution of relations between the countries after the cold war era , he noted . to throw away all of those opportunities simply because some feel the russians are no longer relevant or we should just simply build whatever we want to quite apart from the russians seems to me is an illogical stance , but we 're hearing a lot of that , ' lugar said on the abc program . democrats argued that the senate has plenty of time to consider further republican amendments and debate the treaty before the new congress gets sworn in during the first week of january . previous arms control treaties have taken a similar amount of time to debate , levin noted on the cbs program . the senate is expected to go into a closed session monday afternoon to discuss classified information related to the treaty . on saturday , president barack obama sent letters to mcconnell and reid expressing his support for the accord . the new start treaty places no limitations on the development or deployment of our missile defense programs , ' obama wrote . cnn 's gabriella schwarz contributed to this report . | wait until a new congress convenes in january to debate it , mcconnell says |
senate <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- senate republicans mounted a counter-attack sunday against ratifying a new nuclear arms treaty with russia this year , trying to put off a vote that democrats say they will win if it is held . senate minority leader mitch mcconnell of kentucky led the way , telling cnn 's state of the union ' that members of his party need more time to consider the start accord . i 've decided i can not support the treaty , ' mcconnell said in his first outright rejection of ratifying the treaty during the current lame-duck session of congress . the treaty would resume mutual inspections of u.s. and russian nuclear arsenals , while limiting both nations to 1,550 warheads and 700 launchers each . on sunday , democrats rejected a republican amendment to the treaty 's preamble that would have added a reference to tactical nuclear weapons , which are not covered by the pact . republican senators are uneasy ' about the treaty , and trying to get a vote before christmas was not the best way to get the support of people like me , ' mcconnell said . his unequivocal stance increased the gop 's public opposition to ratification , which would require at least 10 gop senators to vote with the democrats to reach the two-thirds majority of 67 needed . the democratic caucus has 58 members , but one of them , sen. ron wyden of oregon , is preparing for prostate cancer surgery monday and is expected to miss the rest of the current lame-duck session that expires january 4 . if the vote gets put off to the new congress , as republicans want , the number of gop votes needed for ratification rises to at least 14 because the democrats will have a diminished majority of 53 seats . mcconnell 's comments prompted a response from his democratic counterpart , senate majority leader harry reid of nevada , who issued a statement saying he was deeply disappointed ' at mcconnell 's opposition to the treaty . reid 's statement noted that respected republican leaders ' including former president george h.w . bush and several former secretaries of state , as well as the current military leadership all called for ratification . in addition , reid 's statement said , the proposed treaty has been available since may and the obama administration has answered questions from senators and taken steps to address concerns . for example , the administration has committed to increased spending on modernizing the u.s. nuclear arsenal at the request of sen. jon kyl , r-arizona , who had been leading the gop opposition to the treaty . i know many senators , including my colleagues on the other side of the aisle , who share the belief that this treaty is too critical to our national security to delay , and i look forward to strong bipartisan support to pass this treaty before we end this session of congress , ' reid 's statement concluded . later sunday , reid filed a cloture motion -- a necessary procedural step to end debate and set up a vote . after months of consideration and five days of open and robust debate , it is time to move forward on a treaty that will help reverse nuclear proliferation and make it harder for terrorists to get their hands on a nuclear weapon . every day we delay is another day we do not have inspectors on the ground in russia monitoring their nuclear arsenal , ' he said in a statement . democratic sen. john kerry , the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee , predicted sunday that democrats have the necessary support for ratification and that the vote would occur in the coming days . i believe it will pass , and i believe there will be a vote , ' kerry said on the abc program this week . ' however , the ranking republican on the senate panel , richard lugar of indiana , said he was uncertain that the vote would occur before the lame-duck session expires . several republicans will support it , and i join the chairman ( kerry ) in believing that there are the votes there , ' said lugar , who backs ratification . the problem is really getting to that final vote . ' lugar noted that the senate still needs to debate republican amendments to the treaty . any change in the language or substance of the pact would require reopening negotiations with russia , effectively killing the agreement . so far , democrats have defeated the two republican amendments proposed -- sunday 's attempt to add a reference to tactical nuclear weapons , and a saturday bid by sen. john mccain of arizona to remove from the preamble language recognizing a relationship between offensive and defensive weapons . in both cases , however , democrats were at least seven votes shy of the 67 they will need to ratify the treaty . republican sen. lindsey graham , r-south carolina , on sunday continued questioning the language cited in the failed mccain amendment , telling the cbs program face the nation ' that it could undermine future development of u.s. missile defense systems . according to graham , russia could object to continuing u.s. development of missile defense capability as a violation of the treaty and withdraw from it . kyl , appearing on fox news sunday , ' also challenged the language in the preamble , which he said changes the past u.s. stance by linking offensive and defensive weapons . in the last arms control treaty with russia in 2002 we absolutely separated the two issues , ' kyl said . now , he said , the democrats were insisting the treaty ca n't be changed . if that 's the case , kyl said , we 're just a rubber stamp for the administration and the russians , the administration that for the first time was n't willing to stand up to the russians and say ,'you 're not going to implicate our missile defenses .' however , democratic sen. carl levin of michigan , the chairman of the senate armed services committee , labeled the missile defense concern a straw man ' argument without substance . the nation 's top military leaders say there is no restriction , no limitations whatsoever ' on missile defense in the treaty , levin said . lugar also challenged some of the gop arguments , saying the resumed inspections under the new treaty were essential for verifying compliance by russia . in addition , the treaty represents new opportunities to engage with russia on important issues in the continuing evolution of relations between the countries after the cold war era , he noted . to throw away all of those opportunities simply because some feel the russians are no longer relevant or we should just simply build whatever we want to quite apart from the russians seems to me is an illogical stance , but we 're hearing a lot of that , ' lugar said on the abc program . democrats argued that the senate has plenty of time to consider further republican amendments and debate the treaty before the new congress gets sworn in during the first week of january . previous arms control treaties have taken a similar amount of time to debate , levin noted on the cbs program . the senate is expected to go into a closed session monday afternoon to discuss classified information related to the treaty . on saturday , president barack obama sent letters to mcconnell and reid expressing his support for the accord . the new start treaty places no limitations on the development or deployment of our missile defense programs , ' obama wrote . cnn 's gabriella schwarz contributed to this report . | the senate republican leader says he opposes the treaty if the vote occurs now |
senate <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- senate republicans mounted a counter-attack sunday against ratifying a new nuclear arms treaty with russia this year , trying to put off a vote that democrats say they will win if it is held . senate minority leader mitch mcconnell of kentucky led the way , telling cnn 's state of the union ' that members of his party need more time to consider the start accord . i 've decided i can not support the treaty , ' mcconnell said in his first outright rejection of ratifying the treaty during the current lame-duck session of congress . the treaty would resume mutual inspections of u.s. and russian nuclear arsenals , while limiting both nations to 1,550 warheads and 700 launchers each . on sunday , democrats rejected a republican amendment to the treaty 's preamble that would have added a reference to tactical nuclear weapons , which are not covered by the pact . republican senators are uneasy ' about the treaty , and trying to get a vote before christmas was not the best way to get the support of people like me , ' mcconnell said . his unequivocal stance increased the gop 's public opposition to ratification , which would require at least 10 gop senators to vote with the democrats to reach the two-thirds majority of 67 needed . the democratic caucus has 58 members , but one of them , sen. ron wyden of oregon , is preparing for prostate cancer surgery monday and is expected to miss the rest of the current lame-duck session that expires january 4 . if the vote gets put off to the new congress , as republicans want , the number of gop votes needed for ratification rises to at least 14 because the democrats will have a diminished majority of 53 seats . mcconnell 's comments prompted a response from his democratic counterpart , senate majority leader harry reid of nevada , who issued a statement saying he was deeply disappointed ' at mcconnell 's opposition to the treaty . reid 's statement noted that respected republican leaders ' including former president george h.w . bush and several former secretaries of state , as well as the current military leadership all called for ratification . in addition , reid 's statement said , the proposed treaty has been available since may and the obama administration has answered questions from senators and taken steps to address concerns . for example , the administration has committed to increased spending on modernizing the u.s. nuclear arsenal at the request of sen. jon kyl , r-arizona , who had been leading the gop opposition to the treaty . i know many senators , including my colleagues on the other side of the aisle , who share the belief that this treaty is too critical to our national security to delay , and i look forward to strong bipartisan support to pass this treaty before we end this session of congress , ' reid 's statement concluded . later sunday , reid filed a cloture motion -- a necessary procedural step to end debate and set up a vote . after months of consideration and five days of open and robust debate , it is time to move forward on a treaty that will help reverse nuclear proliferation and make it harder for terrorists to get their hands on a nuclear weapon . every day we delay is another day we do not have inspectors on the ground in russia monitoring their nuclear arsenal , ' he said in a statement . democratic sen. john kerry , the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee , predicted sunday that democrats have the necessary support for ratification and that the vote would occur in the coming days . i believe it will pass , and i believe there will be a vote , ' kerry said on the abc program this week . ' however , the ranking republican on the senate panel , richard lugar of indiana , said he was uncertain that the vote would occur before the lame-duck session expires . several republicans will support it , and i join the chairman ( kerry ) in believing that there are the votes there , ' said lugar , who backs ratification . the problem is really getting to that final vote . ' lugar noted that the senate still needs to debate republican amendments to the treaty . any change in the language or substance of the pact would require reopening negotiations with russia , effectively killing the agreement . so far , democrats have defeated the two republican amendments proposed -- sunday 's attempt to add a reference to tactical nuclear weapons , and a saturday bid by sen. john mccain of arizona to remove from the preamble language recognizing a relationship between offensive and defensive weapons . in both cases , however , democrats were at least seven votes shy of the 67 they will need to ratify the treaty . republican sen. lindsey graham , r-south carolina , on sunday continued questioning the language cited in the failed mccain amendment , telling the cbs program face the nation ' that it could undermine future development of u.s. missile defense systems . according to graham , russia could object to continuing u.s. development of missile defense capability as a violation of the treaty and withdraw from it . kyl , appearing on fox news sunday , ' also challenged the language in the preamble , which he said changes the past u.s. stance by linking offensive and defensive weapons . in the last arms control treaty with russia in 2002 we absolutely separated the two issues , ' kyl said . now , he said , the democrats were insisting the treaty ca n't be changed . if that 's the case , kyl said , we 're just a rubber stamp for the administration and the russians , the administration that for the first time was n't willing to stand up to the russians and say ,'you 're not going to implicate our missile defenses .' however , democratic sen. carl levin of michigan , the chairman of the senate armed services committee , labeled the missile defense concern a straw man ' argument without substance . the nation 's top military leaders say there is no restriction , no limitations whatsoever ' on missile defense in the treaty , levin said . lugar also challenged some of the gop arguments , saying the resumed inspections under the new treaty were essential for verifying compliance by russia . in addition , the treaty represents new opportunities to engage with russia on important issues in the continuing evolution of relations between the countries after the cold war era , he noted . to throw away all of those opportunities simply because some feel the russians are no longer relevant or we should just simply build whatever we want to quite apart from the russians seems to me is an illogical stance , but we 're hearing a lot of that , ' lugar said on the abc program . democrats argued that the senate has plenty of time to consider further republican amendments and debate the treaty before the new congress gets sworn in during the first week of january . previous arms control treaties have taken a similar amount of time to debate , levin noted on the cbs program . the senate is expected to go into a closed session monday afternoon to discuss classified information related to the treaty . on saturday , president barack obama sent letters to mcconnell and reid expressing his support for the accord . the new start treaty places no limitations on the development or deployment of our missile defense programs , ' obama wrote . cnn 's gabriella schwarz contributed to this report . | senate democrats defeat a second republican amendment |
papua <tsp> jakarta , indonesia ( cnn ) -- emergency workers have recovered all 28 bodies from a collapsed tunnel at an underground mine training facility in indonesia , the mining company said wednesday . another 10 people were rescued in the aftermath of the accident , which occurred on may 14 about 500 meters from the entrance of the big gossan mine , according to pt freeport indonesia , which mines gold , copper and silver in the region . the indonesian government said a tunnel roof collapsed after a landslide . the facility is in the eastern indonesian province of papua . pt freeport has said mining operations , which ceased during the rescue and recovery operations , will remain suspended indefinitely . it says it will launch an independent investigation into the cause of the incident . with the recovery work completed we are now focusing on reviewing safety throughout our underground operations and in determining what caused the collapse . we will take all actions required to provide for the safety of our work force , ' said richard adkerson , president and ceo of freeport . our workforce has always been , and will continue to be , our top priority . our goal in all our worldwide operations has been to reduce incidents and avoid fatalities . fatalities are unacceptable for our company . we are in the process of assembling an outside investigation team comprised of indonesian and international experts in underground mining and geotechnical science . we will be transparent in the investigation and its findings and cooperating with the authorities from the government of indonesia . ' dozens dead in sudan mine collapse cnn 's kathy quiano contributed to this report | the accident happened in the eastern province of papua |
americans <tsp> ( cnn ) the death of beloved mexican soap opera star lorena rojas this week in miami drew a deluge of heartfelt condolences -- from los angeles to san juan , from dallas to buenos aires . that hordes of latinas and latin americans are mourning the 44-year-old actress , who starred in more than a dozen telenovelas , is no surprise to anyone who understands the deep hold that these soap operas have on the imagination of latino culture . in fact , for americans to fully grasp the culture of the more than 51 million latinos who live in the u.s. , as well as their spanish-speaking brethren south of the border and in the spanish-speaking caribbean islands , they would do well to understand the importance of the telenovela . telenovelas are such an integral part of latino tradition , in the u.s. and in the spanish-speaking world , that soap stars like rojas become part a household 's extended family . fans follow the stars'lives on and off the screen and live vicariously through both their fictional characters and real lives . they are something like the kardashians of latino culture . what 's more , social media has given fans access to their beloved celebrities 24-7 , which may explain the outpouring of grief when news broke that rojas succumbed to breast cancer that had spread to her liver . it was , after all , like losing a family member . since her debut in the mexican soap alcanzar una estrella , ' where she played opposite her biological sister , mayra , rojas had been a beloved member of mexican households . among the soaps she went on to star in were the sequel , alcanzar una estrella ii , ' cancion de amor , ' rosario , ' pecados ajenos , ' and her latest , filmed in miami , where she lived , the venezuelan series demente criminal . ' rojas , however , was best known for her role as isabel in the deliciously sexy soap el cuerpo del deseo . ' the story revolved around a young woman who falls in love with a 67-year old man , played by the legendary mexican-dominican actor andres garcia . in the show , he dies and comes back to life as a young stud , mario cimarro . in the nightly ritual of telenovela watching for millions of latinas , such fantasy plots are exactly the point . after a hard day 's work , they are the balm or the dirty martini -- the inexpensive reward and gift -- that hispanic women offer themselves . one reason why ? for immigrants , many of them laboring in a new land -- cleaning , cooking for others , slaughtering cows in meat houses , running their own businesses , for instance -- the novelas represent a shared escape , a way to stay connected with loved ones back home and to each other , here in america . they run on fast-paced cycles and feature a roller coaster of emotions and plot twists that fans savor until it all ends a few months later . one veteran actress described it to a reporter this way : ... cry . in this one you do n't cry . now you are laughing . now you are happy . getting engaged . they 're killing you . you are sick . ' the popularity of novelas helped univision edge out nbc in several sweeps months , making the spanish-language network the no . 4 network among adults 18-49 . audience share is a testament of the growth of the latino population in the u.s. , but it could also indicate a dearth of shows targeting this demographic in english-language networks . indeed , while the american soap opera genre has continued to decline in viewership , latino soaps have surged , partly because they have kept up with the times . while 30 years ago most story lines featured sappy cinderella-like plots -- poor girl meets rich guy , falls in love and , after a series of tragedies , ends up with her prince -- they have evolved . plots , twists and characters wink to issues of the day , and in many ways the shows serve as surrogate teachers , where taboos are explored and often debunked . characters are getting divorces , remarrying , having premarital sex , cheating , having abortions , killing and getting killed . they are not just the good girls anymore -- they are naughty , and they 're winning , too . but perhaps the most delightful difference between american soaps and spanish novelas is not just how over the top , fashionable and gorgeous the stars are ; it is also that when they end after several months , evil is taken out , good always wins , and there is , for the most part , a happy ending . a refreshing way to live in a country where people want to deport you and your family ! in some ways , rojas was a standard bearer for the telenovela . she may not have had a happy ending the way many of her on-screen characters did , but she lived her life like many of the women she played on the small screen : valiantly fighting cancer , divorcing , falling in love again and adopting a baby girl . she had more than a quarter-million twitter followers and celebrated her 44th birthday with them in her final days . in her last tweet on february 10 , she thanked her fans : gracias a todos por celebrar mi cumple conmigo . ' | sandra guzman : grief over death of telenovela star lorena rojas can help americans understand something about latino culture |
latino <tsp> ( cnn ) the death of beloved mexican soap opera star lorena rojas this week in miami drew a deluge of heartfelt condolences -- from los angeles to san juan , from dallas to buenos aires . that hordes of latinas and latin americans are mourning the 44-year-old actress , who starred in more than a dozen telenovelas , is no surprise to anyone who understands the deep hold that these soap operas have on the imagination of latino culture . in fact , for americans to fully grasp the culture of the more than 51 million latinos who live in the u.s. , as well as their spanish-speaking brethren south of the border and in the spanish-speaking caribbean islands , they would do well to understand the importance of the telenovela . telenovelas are such an integral part of latino tradition , in the u.s. and in the spanish-speaking world , that soap stars like rojas become part a household 's extended family . fans follow the stars'lives on and off the screen and live vicariously through both their fictional characters and real lives . they are something like the kardashians of latino culture . what 's more , social media has given fans access to their beloved celebrities 24-7 , which may explain the outpouring of grief when news broke that rojas succumbed to breast cancer that had spread to her liver . it was , after all , like losing a family member . since her debut in the mexican soap alcanzar una estrella , ' where she played opposite her biological sister , mayra , rojas had been a beloved member of mexican households . among the soaps she went on to star in were the sequel , alcanzar una estrella ii , ' cancion de amor , ' rosario , ' pecados ajenos , ' and her latest , filmed in miami , where she lived , the venezuelan series demente criminal . ' rojas , however , was best known for her role as isabel in the deliciously sexy soap el cuerpo del deseo . ' the story revolved around a young woman who falls in love with a 67-year old man , played by the legendary mexican-dominican actor andres garcia . in the show , he dies and comes back to life as a young stud , mario cimarro . in the nightly ritual of telenovela watching for millions of latinas , such fantasy plots are exactly the point . after a hard day 's work , they are the balm or the dirty martini -- the inexpensive reward and gift -- that hispanic women offer themselves . one reason why ? for immigrants , many of them laboring in a new land -- cleaning , cooking for others , slaughtering cows in meat houses , running their own businesses , for instance -- the novelas represent a shared escape , a way to stay connected with loved ones back home and to each other , here in america . they run on fast-paced cycles and feature a roller coaster of emotions and plot twists that fans savor until it all ends a few months later . one veteran actress described it to a reporter this way : ... cry . in this one you do n't cry . now you are laughing . now you are happy . getting engaged . they 're killing you . you are sick . ' the popularity of novelas helped univision edge out nbc in several sweeps months , making the spanish-language network the no . 4 network among adults 18-49 . audience share is a testament of the growth of the latino population in the u.s. , but it could also indicate a dearth of shows targeting this demographic in english-language networks . indeed , while the american soap opera genre has continued to decline in viewership , latino soaps have surged , partly because they have kept up with the times . while 30 years ago most story lines featured sappy cinderella-like plots -- poor girl meets rich guy , falls in love and , after a series of tragedies , ends up with her prince -- they have evolved . plots , twists and characters wink to issues of the day , and in many ways the shows serve as surrogate teachers , where taboos are explored and often debunked . characters are getting divorces , remarrying , having premarital sex , cheating , having abortions , killing and getting killed . they are not just the good girls anymore -- they are naughty , and they 're winning , too . but perhaps the most delightful difference between american soaps and spanish novelas is not just how over the top , fashionable and gorgeous the stars are ; it is also that when they end after several months , evil is taken out , good always wins , and there is , for the most part , a happy ending . a refreshing way to live in a country where people want to deport you and your family ! in some ways , rojas was a standard bearer for the telenovela . she may not have had a happy ending the way many of her on-screen characters did , but she lived her life like many of the women she played on the small screen : valiantly fighting cancer , divorcing , falling in love again and adopting a baby girl . she had more than a quarter-million twitter followers and celebrated her 44th birthday with them in her final days . in her last tweet on february 10 , she thanked her fans : gracias a todos por celebrar mi cumple conmigo . ' | sandra guzman : grief over death of telenovela star lorena rojas can help americans understand something about latino culture |
latino <tsp> ( cnn ) the death of beloved mexican soap opera star lorena rojas this week in miami drew a deluge of heartfelt condolences -- from los angeles to san juan , from dallas to buenos aires . that hordes of latinas and latin americans are mourning the 44-year-old actress , who starred in more than a dozen telenovelas , is no surprise to anyone who understands the deep hold that these soap operas have on the imagination of latino culture . in fact , for americans to fully grasp the culture of the more than 51 million latinos who live in the u.s. , as well as their spanish-speaking brethren south of the border and in the spanish-speaking caribbean islands , they would do well to understand the importance of the telenovela . telenovelas are such an integral part of latino tradition , in the u.s. and in the spanish-speaking world , that soap stars like rojas become part a household 's extended family . fans follow the stars'lives on and off the screen and live vicariously through both their fictional characters and real lives . they are something like the kardashians of latino culture . what 's more , social media has given fans access to their beloved celebrities 24-7 , which may explain the outpouring of grief when news broke that rojas succumbed to breast cancer that had spread to her liver . it was , after all , like losing a family member . since her debut in the mexican soap alcanzar una estrella , ' where she played opposite her biological sister , mayra , rojas had been a beloved member of mexican households . among the soaps she went on to star in were the sequel , alcanzar una estrella ii , ' cancion de amor , ' rosario , ' pecados ajenos , ' and her latest , filmed in miami , where she lived , the venezuelan series demente criminal . ' rojas , however , was best known for her role as isabel in the deliciously sexy soap el cuerpo del deseo . ' the story revolved around a young woman who falls in love with a 67-year old man , played by the legendary mexican-dominican actor andres garcia . in the show , he dies and comes back to life as a young stud , mario cimarro . in the nightly ritual of telenovela watching for millions of latinas , such fantasy plots are exactly the point . after a hard day 's work , they are the balm or the dirty martini -- the inexpensive reward and gift -- that hispanic women offer themselves . one reason why ? for immigrants , many of them laboring in a new land -- cleaning , cooking for others , slaughtering cows in meat houses , running their own businesses , for instance -- the novelas represent a shared escape , a way to stay connected with loved ones back home and to each other , here in america . they run on fast-paced cycles and feature a roller coaster of emotions and plot twists that fans savor until it all ends a few months later . one veteran actress described it to a reporter this way : ... cry . in this one you do n't cry . now you are laughing . now you are happy . getting engaged . they 're killing you . you are sick . ' the popularity of novelas helped univision edge out nbc in several sweeps months , making the spanish-language network the no . 4 network among adults 18-49 . audience share is a testament of the growth of the latino population in the u.s. , but it could also indicate a dearth of shows targeting this demographic in english-language networks . indeed , while the american soap opera genre has continued to decline in viewership , latino soaps have surged , partly because they have kept up with the times . while 30 years ago most story lines featured sappy cinderella-like plots -- poor girl meets rich guy , falls in love and , after a series of tragedies , ends up with her prince -- they have evolved . plots , twists and characters wink to issues of the day , and in many ways the shows serve as surrogate teachers , where taboos are explored and often debunked . characters are getting divorces , remarrying , having premarital sex , cheating , having abortions , killing and getting killed . they are not just the good girls anymore -- they are naughty , and they 're winning , too . but perhaps the most delightful difference between american soaps and spanish novelas is not just how over the top , fashionable and gorgeous the stars are ; it is also that when they end after several months , evil is taken out , good always wins , and there is , for the most part , a happy ending . a refreshing way to live in a country where people want to deport you and your family ! in some ways , rojas was a standard bearer for the telenovela . she may not have had a happy ending the way many of her on-screen characters did , but she lived her life like many of the women she played on the small screen : valiantly fighting cancer , divorcing , falling in love again and adopting a baby girl . she had more than a quarter-million twitter followers and celebrated her 44th birthday with them in her final days . in her last tweet on february 10 , she thanked her fans : gracias a todos por celebrar mi cumple conmigo . ' | hugely popular , novelas are integral to modern latino tradition , a shared escape and a way to stay connected with one another , she says |
syria <tsp> the u.s. intelligence community now believes two key terrorist operatives targeted by the united states in the opening night of attacks in syria are still alive and could be actively plotting , multiple officials tell cnn . the operatives are key members of khorasan group , the al qaeda affiliate entrenched in syria that the united states has declared poses a great risk to american national security . one official with direct knowledge of the latest u.s. assessment said the working assumption now is that both muhsin al-fadhli , the leader of the group , and david drugeon , a french jihadist and key member , who is believed to be a skilled bomb-maker , are alive . the united states does not know with certainty if they are injured . an intelligence analyst with knowledge of the intelligence tells cnn its 99.5 % certain ' they are alive . there had been scattered press reports about the fate of both men . but until now the united states had not indicated this strongly that it believes both men survived or left before a barrage of 47 u.s. navy tomahawk missiles on september 22 on several suspected khorasan sites in syria . officials said news reports on khorasan group before the strikes may have had an impact on the effectiveness of striking the group . drugeon is believed to be heavily involved in facilitating the movement of fighters back and forth from europe , and in planning attacks in europe . his name has not been widely disclosed by the united states . like al-fadhli and the rest of the khorasan group , u.s. officials say drugeon has ties to the core al qaeda group in pakistan and is believed to have come to syria from pakistan in the last two years . u.s. officials said he is believed to be one of the key bomb-makers in the group and may have been actively involved with creating easily concealed bombs that led to increased security measures at overseas airports this past summer . u.s. intelligence officials said it 's possible he may still be living in syria . the united states is tracking a number of al qaeda leaders believed to have moved into syria , some having transited iran to get there . al qaeda in yemen 's master bomb-maker , ibrahim al asiri , is believed to have shared techniques and technology with khorasan . one of the targets during the u.s. attack this fall was a bomb-making facility . another u.s. official told cnn about a month ago there were communications intercepts suggesting the militants were discussing the possibility of al asiri traveling to aleppo , syria , to offer direct assistance to khorasan and the al nusra front , a related jihadist group . what 's the difference between isis , al-nusra and the khorasan group ? u.s. officials believe al asiri did not take the risk of traveling to syria and would not do so because of the presence of u.s. reconnaissance and surveillance over syria and the stepped up airstrikes . it is not clear to what extent those intercepts were verified as representing al asiri 's views . u.s. officials have said recently they believe the missile attacks against khorasan did not destroy the group and that it still poses an imminent threat to the united states because of its ability to make bombs that are not readily detected by airport screening technology . the recently retired director of the national counterterrorism center , matthew olsen , said the threat from the group is still significant . this group was in a position to train without any sort of interference , they were able to recruit operatives . we saw that they were looking to test explosives . so they were in the advanced stages of plotting . and again they had both intent and that capability that put them nearing an execution phase of an attack , ' olsen told cnn ' s jim sciutto . i do n't think there 's any realistic likelihood that some limited airstrikes even just for a period of time will degrade that threat altogether . those individuals , they 're hardened , seasoned veterans , and they 've got an ability to operate pretty freely in syria . so i think it 's unlikely that threat 's altogether been eliminated . ' the united states has not acknowledged striking against the khorasan group since that first night in september . | after first strikes in syria , reports said top khorasan members had been hit |
new york <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sasheer zamata will join saturday night live ' this month , making her the first african-american female in the show 's cast in six years , a show rep said monday . zamata will make her debut on the late-night sketch comedy show on january 18 , when hip-hop star drake is scheduled to host , the rep said . the comedian has been honing her skills with the upright citizens brigade in new york since graduating from the university of virginia with a drama degree in 2009 , according to her official biography . producers of the nbc show have been criticized for the lack of diversity since maya rudolph left the cast six years ago . in october , snl ' cast member kenan thompson told tv guide the show had difficulty finding qualified black female comedians to hire.â he insisted that the talent pool was limited because so many of the women were not seasonedâ enough for the job . executive producer lorne michaels told the new york times last month he was holding audition and that a black woman would be added to the cast in january . all told , we 've seen about 25 people , ' â he said . a lot of the people we saw are really good . hopefully , we 'll come out of the process well . ' zamata , whose name was one of those floated in media reports , is known for her comedy videos online in which she writes and performs . tim meadows : how could'snl'do bill brasky without me ? cnn 's topher gauk-roger contributed to this report . | the comedian has been honing her skills with the upright citizens brigade in new york |
wisconsin <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- ronald reagan , shot and wounded by john hinckley jr. , on march 30 , 1981 , was the ninth american president , in or out of office , to be the target of an assassination attempt since the civil war . four presidents were killed . will hinckley go free ? 1865 : abraham lincoln was murdered at ford 's theatre in washington by confederate sympathizer john wilkes booth , who was tracked down hiding on a virginia tobacco farm 12 days later and was shot to death trying to escape . four co-conspirators , including a woman , were hanged three months later . 1881 : james garfield , only four months in office , was shot at a railway station in washington by disappointed office-seeker charles guiteau . garfield died 11 weeks later . guiteau was convicted and hanged within the year . 1901 : william mckinley was shot by anarchist leon czolgosz at the pan american exposition in buffalo , new york , and died eight days later . czolgosz was convicted only nine days after mckinley 's death and was electrocuted the next month . 1912 : ex-president theodore roosevelt , who had succeeded mckinley in office , was making a campaign speech as the bull moose party nominee in milwaukee , wisconsin , when he was shot and wounded by a new york saloon keeper , john schrank , who was committed to a mental institution where he died 30 years later . teddy roosevelt finished the speech and lived the rest of his life with the bullet still inside his body . 1933 : president-elect franklin d. roosevelt survived unscathed when five shots were fired by guiseppe zangara in miami , florida , but chicago mayor anton cermak , standing next to roosevelt , was killed . zangara pleaded guilty and was electrocuted less than five weeks later . his last words : push the button . ' 1950 : harry truman , staying at blair house while the white house was being remodeled , looked out the window as two puerto rican nationalists tried to storm the residence . a white house policeman and one of the attackers were killed , the other was to be executed , but truman commuted his sentence to life , and president carter eventually freed the gunman after almost 30 years in prison . 1963 : john f. kennedy was shot and killed by lee harvey oswald as he was riding through the streets of dallas . oswald killed a dallas policeman later that day in a nearby movie theater . two days later , after police had arrested oswald , he was shot to death by nightclub operator jack ruby as police led him through the dallas police garage . 1975 : gerald ford was twice the target of assassination attempts . lynette ( squeaky ) fromme , a member of the infamous late 1960s family ' of convicted killer charles manson , was stopped by a secret service agent before she could fire during an event in sacramento , california . seventeen days later in san francisco , sara jane moore fired at ford but missed when a bystander grabbed her arm . fromme spent 34 years in prison , moore served 32 . the 30 years since hinckley tried to kill reagan is the longest interval in american history without shots fired at a u.s. president . | teddy roosevelt was shot while giving a speech in wisconsin ; he finished the speech |
california <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- ronald reagan , shot and wounded by john hinckley jr. , on march 30 , 1981 , was the ninth american president , in or out of office , to be the target of an assassination attempt since the civil war . four presidents were killed . will hinckley go free ? 1865 : abraham lincoln was murdered at ford 's theatre in washington by confederate sympathizer john wilkes booth , who was tracked down hiding on a virginia tobacco farm 12 days later and was shot to death trying to escape . four co-conspirators , including a woman , were hanged three months later . 1881 : james garfield , only four months in office , was shot at a railway station in washington by disappointed office-seeker charles guiteau . garfield died 11 weeks later . guiteau was convicted and hanged within the year . 1901 : william mckinley was shot by anarchist leon czolgosz at the pan american exposition in buffalo , new york , and died eight days later . czolgosz was convicted only nine days after mckinley 's death and was electrocuted the next month . 1912 : ex-president theodore roosevelt , who had succeeded mckinley in office , was making a campaign speech as the bull moose party nominee in milwaukee , wisconsin , when he was shot and wounded by a new york saloon keeper , john schrank , who was committed to a mental institution where he died 30 years later . teddy roosevelt finished the speech and lived the rest of his life with the bullet still inside his body . 1933 : president-elect franklin d. roosevelt survived unscathed when five shots were fired by guiseppe zangara in miami , florida , but chicago mayor anton cermak , standing next to roosevelt , was killed . zangara pleaded guilty and was electrocuted less than five weeks later . his last words : push the button . ' 1950 : harry truman , staying at blair house while the white house was being remodeled , looked out the window as two puerto rican nationalists tried to storm the residence . a white house policeman and one of the attackers were killed , the other was to be executed , but truman commuted his sentence to life , and president carter eventually freed the gunman after almost 30 years in prison . 1963 : john f. kennedy was shot and killed by lee harvey oswald as he was riding through the streets of dallas . oswald killed a dallas policeman later that day in a nearby movie theater . two days later , after police had arrested oswald , he was shot to death by nightclub operator jack ruby as police led him through the dallas police garage . 1975 : gerald ford was twice the target of assassination attempts . lynette ( squeaky ) fromme , a member of the infamous late 1960s family ' of convicted killer charles manson , was stopped by a secret service agent before she could fire during an event in sacramento , california . seventeen days later in san francisco , sara jane moore fired at ford but missed when a bystander grabbed her arm . fromme spent 34 years in prison , moore served 32 . the 30 years since hinckley tried to kill reagan is the longest interval in american history without shots fired at a u.s. president . | in california , gerald ford was targeted twice in 17 days by two different armed women |
burma <tsp> ( cnn ) -- myanmar 's former prime minister thein sein has been sworn in as the country 's new president , marking the end of the military body that has governed the asian nation for decades , state-run myanmar radio reported wednesday . tin myint oo and sai muak kham will serve as vice presidents . the president named 30 ministers and 39 deputy ministers to his government , according to state-run radio . in february , myanmar convened its first parliament in more than two decades in the capital , naypyidaw . the lawmakers came into office after elections were held in november for the first time in 20 years . the elections drew fire from critics who said the voting was aimed at creating a facade of democracy . the regime refused to allow international monitors to oversee the race and would not allow international journalists to cover the voting from inside the country . journalists who reported from inside myanmar had to do so surreptitiously . the military junta also overhauled myanmar 's constitution in a way that critics say was aimed at tightening the regime 's grip . the constitution now requires more than 100 military nominees in parliament . myanmar , also known as burma , has been under military rule since 1962 . among those who boycotted the elections was opposition leader aung san suu kyi 's national league for democracy party , which described it as a sham . | myanmar , also known as burma , has been under military rule since 1962 |
girardi <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- it was a busy night for new york yankees manager joe girardi -- not only did he lead his team to the world series championship , but on his way home , he also helped the victim of a car accident get out of harm 's way . according to jason zillo , spokesman for the yankees , girardi was heading home after his team 's world series win and celebration wednesday night when he spotted a car that had crashed along a busy , curving stretch of highway on the outskirts of new york near the suburb of new rochelle . the car was jutting into traffic . girardi immediately stopped to check on the driver and help her out of the car , zillo said . he wanted to make sure that if someone was in the car they were ok , ' zillo said . and then he wanted to help her get away from a dangerous position in the highway . ' zillo said police officers arrived at the scene of the accident moments later . according to cnn affiliate wabc , the accident happened around 2:25 a.m. on the eastbound lanes of the cross county parkway at the hutchinson river parkway , when a woman lost control of her car along a long blind curve and crashed into a wall . marie henry , 27 , of stratford , connecticut , said girardi sprinted across three lanes of traffic to come to her aid . she had no idea who i was , ' girardi said in a radio interview thursday . a westchester county police officer who arrived at the scene described girardi in the good samaritan role as totally surreal . ' the guy wins the world series , what does he do ? he stops to help , ' officer kathleen cristiano told local news web site lohud.com . the westchester police department did not return calls from cnn . a lot of people know him as'joe girardi , the manager of the new york yankees ,'but joe is someone who puts other people first , ' zillo said . the easy thing would have been for him to just drive by . but i think it shows a lot about his character . ' | on way home from world series win , joe girardi stops to help motorist |
girardi <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- it was a busy night for new york yankees manager joe girardi -- not only did he lead his team to the world series championship , but on his way home , he also helped the victim of a car accident get out of harm 's way . according to jason zillo , spokesman for the yankees , girardi was heading home after his team 's world series win and celebration wednesday night when he spotted a car that had crashed along a busy , curving stretch of highway on the outskirts of new york near the suburb of new rochelle . the car was jutting into traffic . girardi immediately stopped to check on the driver and help her out of the car , zillo said . he wanted to make sure that if someone was in the car they were ok , ' zillo said . and then he wanted to help her get away from a dangerous position in the highway . ' zillo said police officers arrived at the scene of the accident moments later . according to cnn affiliate wabc , the accident happened around 2:25 a.m. on the eastbound lanes of the cross county parkway at the hutchinson river parkway , when a woman lost control of her car along a long blind curve and crashed into a wall . marie henry , 27 , of stratford , connecticut , said girardi sprinted across three lanes of traffic to come to her aid . she had no idea who i was , ' girardi said in a radio interview thursday . a westchester county police officer who arrived at the scene described girardi in the good samaritan role as totally surreal . ' the guy wins the world series , what does he do ? he stops to help , ' officer kathleen cristiano told local news web site lohud.com . the westchester police department did not return calls from cnn . a lot of people know him as'joe girardi , the manager of the new york yankees ,'but joe is someone who puts other people first , ' zillo said . the easy thing would have been for him to just drive by . but i think it shows a lot about his character . ' | girardi comes upon wrecked car on highway outside new york |
girardi <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- it was a busy night for new york yankees manager joe girardi -- not only did he lead his team to the world series championship , but on his way home , he also helped the victim of a car accident get out of harm 's way . according to jason zillo , spokesman for the yankees , girardi was heading home after his team 's world series win and celebration wednesday night when he spotted a car that had crashed along a busy , curving stretch of highway on the outskirts of new york near the suburb of new rochelle . the car was jutting into traffic . girardi immediately stopped to check on the driver and help her out of the car , zillo said . he wanted to make sure that if someone was in the car they were ok , ' zillo said . and then he wanted to help her get away from a dangerous position in the highway . ' zillo said police officers arrived at the scene of the accident moments later . according to cnn affiliate wabc , the accident happened around 2:25 a.m. on the eastbound lanes of the cross county parkway at the hutchinson river parkway , when a woman lost control of her car along a long blind curve and crashed into a wall . marie henry , 27 , of stratford , connecticut , said girardi sprinted across three lanes of traffic to come to her aid . she had no idea who i was , ' girardi said in a radio interview thursday . a westchester county police officer who arrived at the scene described girardi in the good samaritan role as totally surreal . ' the guy wins the world series , what does he do ? he stops to help , ' officer kathleen cristiano told local news web site lohud.com . the westchester police department did not return calls from cnn . a lot of people know him as'joe girardi , the manager of the new york yankees ,'but joe is someone who puts other people first , ' zillo said . the easy thing would have been for him to just drive by . but i think it shows a lot about his character . ' | she had no idea who i was , ' girardi says in radio interview |
north korea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- internationally renowned classical musician sarah chang has played violin to audiences in some of the world 's greatest capital cities . but her virtuosity has also helped gain her access to one of the world 's most secretive of places ; pyongyang . the american with korean heritage was invited to play in north korea 's capital with a south korean orchestra in 2002 , and it proved to be one of the most remarkable experiences of her life . it really was very fascinating . it was an experience unlike any other . it was a joint concert between the kbs south korean orchestra and they shared the stage with the north korean orchestra . it was pretty powerful , ' she said . the audience reaction was pretty remarkable . they were very warm . personally , i was a little sad that did n't get to see the general public . it was a very much a controlled environment to be in ... i could n't go anywhere without two soldiers and an interpreter . ' despite being only 29 years old , chang has traveled the world and been performing for more than two-thirds of her life . while many child prodigies fail to translate that early talent into a career , chang has matured into a highly regarded musician who has recorded more than 20 albums . ( her first came when she was only 9 ) . she credits her successful career to a love for the music and performing . i think it was a mixture of genuinely loving being on stage , loving what i do . the travel is amazing , i get to work with the most incredible musicians in the industry . i am so fortunate in that respect and [ i have ] just an amazing team to help , ' she said . watch the full interview with sarah chang from wednesday , may 12 . | classical musician sarah chang played a concert in north korea |
texas <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- former president george w. bush will host an elite group at the dedication of his presidential library in dallas on thursday . president barack obama and former presidents bill clinton , george h. w. bush and jimmy carter will attend the event . here 's a look at other presidential libraries by the numbers . 13 - number of presidential libraries in the united states . 1939 - year of the groundbreaking of the franklin d. roosevelt presidential library and museum , in hyde park , new york . it was the first presidential library . 7 - number of presidential libraries located on campus or affiliated with a university . 3 - number of presidential libraries located at universities in texas . the lyndon b. johnson presidential library and museum is at the university of texas in austin . the george bush library and museum is at texas a & m in college station , and the george w. bush presidential library is on the campus of southern methodist university . stand back : bush is'busting stereotypes' 2 - number of universities campaigning to host president barack obama 's library and museum : the university of chicago and the university of hawaii . 6 tons - weight of the sikorsky vh 3a sea king ' helicopter that is on display at the richard nixon presidential library and museum in yorba linda , california . nixon made his final flight on it after his resignation on august 9 , 1974 . army one ' was used by presidents kennedy , johnson , nixon , and ford . 1,600 - number of oral interviews archived in the collection at the john f. kennedy presidential library and museum in boston . 27 million - pages of historical material originally archived in the jimmy carter library and museum in atlanta . 305 - number of energy saving solar panels at the william j. clinton presidential library and museum in little rock , arkansas . 2 inches - height of the base that was added to president ronald reagan 's desk , so his legs would fit underneath . a full-sized replica of reagan 's oval office is on display at his library in simi valley , california . 1 - number of recipes for a frosted mint delight ' dessert that appear on the dwight d. eisenhower presidential library and museum 's website . it was listed as one of his favorites ! ( a prune whip ' also made the list. ) . the library is located in abilene , kansas . more than 3,000 - number of gifts president george h. w. bush received from foreign heads of state that are part of the main collection at the george bush library and museum . more than 43,000 - number of gifts president george w. bush and laura bush received from heads of state and from american citizens , some of which are on display on an online gallery . it includes a bullhorn president bush used at ground zero after the september 11 , 2001 , attacks . more than $ 500 million - amount raised for the george w. bush presidential library , which opens to the public on may 1 . | 3 - number of presidential libraries located at universities in texas |
martin luther king <tsp> dr. john w.v . cordice , the surgeon who operated on dr. martin luther king after he was stabbed in harlem in 1958 , died sunday in iowa , according to ian michaels , a spokesman for the agency that oversees harlem hospital , where king was operated on . cordice was 95 . cordice , along with aubre c. maynard , led the team of surgeons that operated on king after he was stabbed with a letter opener at a book signing in harlem , according to the statement released tuesday . king 's critical condition mandated that he be transferred to the nearest hospital , where cordice and his team extracted the letter opener , according to a statement from new york city 's health and hospitals corporation . king was discharged from the hospital 14 days later . in a statement , hhc president alan aviles called cordice a brilliant clinical practitioner , a wise and thoughtful teacher , and a man of deep and abiding kindness and quiet modesty . ' cordice practiced medicine in harlem for more than 40 years , according to the hhc statement . in a statement , cordice 's family members said they are going through a difficult time . we ca n't imagine our lives without him and we thank the almighty for giving him the compassion and the ability to use his gifts in service to others and we honor his life and feel greatly blessed , ' they said . people we lost in 2013 | dr. martin luther king was stabbed with a letter opener in harlem in 1958 |
guns n'roses <tsp> ( rolling stone ) -- walking into cleveland , ohio 's public auditorium for the 27th annual rock and roll hall of fame induction ceremony last night , it was hard to not think of the titanic striking an iceberg on the very same day 100 years ago . in recent days axl rose and rod stewart , two of the biggest stars entering the hall of fame this year , pulled out of the show , making complete reunion performances by the faces and guns n'roses impossible . red hot chili peppers guitarist john frusciante opted not to come , and the beastie boys'adam yauch stayed home as he continues to recover from cancer . one might think that these absences would sink the induction ceremony somewhere deep into the atlantic ocean , but it turns out they did n't matter much at all . in fact , it was one of the best hall of fame induction ceremonies in recent memory . i do n't know that it matters who 's here tonight , because it 's about the music that these bands played , ' guns n'roses bassist duff mckagan said during his induction speech . minutes after making that point , mckagan walked over across to the stage to play an explosive three-song set of guns n'roses songs with slash , guitarist gilby clarke , alter bridge singer myles kennedy and drummers matt sorum and steven adler . fans were screaming out f * * * axl ' through much of the night , but the moment the group launched into mr. brownstone , ' rose and izzy stradlin 's decision to not attend the ceremony was completely forgotten , and this previously unassembled lineup of the band proved they could revive the spirit of gnr on their own . adler was grinning from ear-to-ear during a note-perfect sweet child o'mine , ' and the finale of paradise city ' had nearly every single person in the audience screaming at the top of their lungs . a powerful singer , kennedy hit every axl-patented banshee wail perfectly . the faces also soldiered on without their lead singer , recruiting simply red 's mick hucknall to fill his slot . he 's done a bunch of shows with the group over the past few years , and he sounds exactly like early 1970s-era rod stewart . ooh la la ' was a lot of fun , but they absolutely destroyed with stay with me . ' ron wood played guitar with fiery passion , almost like he was trying to prove to mick and keith that he 's in fighting shape for a rolling stones tour . ian mclagan demonstrated that he 's still one of the greatest keyboardists in rock and roll , and drummer kenny jones still has the chops that got him keith moon 's old job in the late 1970s . here 's hoping that one day rod comes to his senses and agrees to a tour with these guys . the beastie boys had no intention of performing without adam yauch , so the roots were joined by kid rock and travie mccoy of gym class heroes for an incredible medley of beastie classics , including sabotage ' and so what'cha want . ' rock , black thought and mccoy all wore matching green adidas track suits , and they did a great job of channeling the energy and spirit of the groundbreaking trio . the evening kicked off with a surprise performance by green day , who did a bombastic rendition of the american idiot deep cut letterbomb . ' few in the audience seemed to know the song , but billie joe armstrong worked the large room like a pro and got everyone pumped for the long night of music and speeches ahead of them . per tradition , rock and roll hall of fame co-founder jann wenner addressed the crowd early on . i believe in the magic of rock and roll , ' he said . that magic can set you free . ladies and gentlemen , tonight you 've entered a place where magic happens . ' billy gibbons and dusty hill of zz top delivered the first induction speech of the evening , honoring the late blues guitarist freddie king . king 's daughter , wanda , spoke warmly about her father . he inspired so many young blues artists , ' she said . i remember going to a show when i was 14 and meeting stevie ray vaughan for the first time . he said to my dad ,'how can i play the blues like you ?'my dad said ,'if you do n't feel the blues , you 'll never play the blues .'' after a smoking blues guitar battle by gibbons , joe bonamassa and derek trucks on king songs hideaway ' and going down , ' john mellencamp came onstage to induct donovan . he was my inspiration , ' mellencamp said . i would n't just listen to donovan . i would live donovan , which means i was stealing all my s * * * from donovan . other artists -- and you know who you guys are -- called that being inspired . ' donovan read a short poem , then played catch the wind ' and sunshine superman ' before duetting with mellencamp on season of the witch . ' bette midler broke down into tears near the end of her speech about laura nyro , who died of ovarian cancer in 1997 . in a world full of imitators saying'fake it till you make it ,'she was a complete original , ' said midler . she was in a league all her own . when you put her records on , you 'd think they were made yesterday . she embodies what we all want to be , if only we had the guts ... she was an ornament on the earth . everyone is so gratified to see this day finally come around at last . ' sara bareilles then honored nyro with a gorgeous take on stoney end ' on the piano . many non-performers were honored during the ceremony . carole king inducted don kirshner , who was her boss and mentor during her days as a brill building songwriter in the late 1950s and early 1960s . darlene love honored the late record executive with an extremely powerful version of will you still love me tomorrow , ' which she sang with paul shaffer and the cbs orchestra . later in the evening , robbie robertson presented the award for musical excellence to cosimo matassa , glyn jones and tom dowd . in the middle of the evening , the hall of fame made up for some past oversights by having smokey robinson induct the blue caps ( who backed gene vincent ) , the comets ( bill haley ) , the crickets ( buddy holly ) , the famous flames ( james brown ) , the midnighters ( hank ballard ) and the miracles , who backed robinson for the first two decades of his career . the surviving members of all six groups took the stage together , and it was very moving to see these largely overlooked musicians finally getting the credit they deserved for their huge role in rock history . public enemy frontman chuck d and ll cool j teamed up to induct the beastie boys . they still are one of the greatest live acts in music , ' said chuck d. they challenged the conventions in the music business and made up their own rules about what it means to be world class hip-hop cats ... they always insisted ( on ) maturing as musicians and human beings . ' ll cool j said that he owes his entire career to the beasties . i would n't be here today without them , ' he said . the beastie boys actually played my demo for rick rubin in his nyu dorm room . a lot of people do n't know that . ' adam horowitz read the audience a letter from yauch . i 'd like to dedicate this to my brothers adam and mike , ' he wrote . they walked the globe with me . it 's also for anyone who has ever been touched by our band . this induction is as much ours as it is yours . ' green day initially seemed like a slightly odd choice to induct guns n'roses , but billie joe armstong spoke extremely eloquently about group . 'appetite for destruction'is the greatest debut album of all time , ' he said . every song hits hard on all emotion levels and takes you on a journey through the seedy underworld of los angeles in brutal sequence ... the thing that set them apart from everybody else was guts , heart and soul . most important , they told the truth . ' not a single member of guns n'roses mentioned axl rose by name in their speech . matt sorum gently teased steven adler for somehow managing to get fired from guns n'roses for a drug addiction , and adler gave a surprisingly brief speech that culminated with him quoting we are the champions ' by queen . slash admitted that all the drama building up to the ceremony almost caused him to bail , but his wife ultimately talked him into attending . keyboardist dizzy reed and guitarist izzy stradlin opted not to come . it was about 12:30 a.m. when chris rock stepped up to the podium to induct the red hot chili peppers . a lot of people are upset that axl did n't come tonight , ' he said . but let 's face it . even if he was coming tonight , he would n't be here by now . where the f * * * is axl ? ' he went on to explain that he first saw the red hot chili peppers when he tried to see grandmaster flash in philadelphia , but walked into the wrong club . my friends and i were like ,'what the f * * * is this s * * * ? there 's a lot of white people in here ,'' rock said . they came out and i could n't understand a f * * * * * * word they said , and they had socks on their d * * * * ! i had never been to a white show before , so i thought all white groups put socks on their d * * * * . years later , they 're one of the biggest groups in the world and getting inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame . they have black ties on their d * * * * tonight . ' john frusciante may have stayed home , but former drummers jack irons and cliff martinez were in the house . at 1:00 a.m. , the group ( with three drummers ) did a three-song set of by the way , ' the adventures of rain dance maggie ' and give it away . ' i have n't played with cliff in 25 years ! ' flea said to the crowd . he 's a beautiful man . ' at the end of give it away , ' anthony kiedis invited everyone back to the stage . slash , ron wood , billie joe armstrong , kenny jones and even audience member george clinton crammed onstage for a euphoric finale of stevie wonder 's higher ground . ' in typical hall of fame fashion , the jam was completely chaotic , but everyone in the house seemed to be having a great time . the five-and-a-half hour show wrapped up at 1:30 a.m. , and as the crowd poured onto the cleveland streets in search of their cars or an after party , not a single person was talking about axl rose . it turns out they did n't even need him . see the full article at rollingstone.com . copyright © 2011 rolling stone . | duff mckagan played an explosive three-song set of guns n'roses songs with slash |
beastie boys <tsp> ( rolling stone ) -- walking into cleveland , ohio 's public auditorium for the 27th annual rock and roll hall of fame induction ceremony last night , it was hard to not think of the titanic striking an iceberg on the very same day 100 years ago . in recent days axl rose and rod stewart , two of the biggest stars entering the hall of fame this year , pulled out of the show , making complete reunion performances by the faces and guns n'roses impossible . red hot chili peppers guitarist john frusciante opted not to come , and the beastie boys'adam yauch stayed home as he continues to recover from cancer . one might think that these absences would sink the induction ceremony somewhere deep into the atlantic ocean , but it turns out they did n't matter much at all . in fact , it was one of the best hall of fame induction ceremonies in recent memory . i do n't know that it matters who 's here tonight , because it 's about the music that these bands played , ' guns n'roses bassist duff mckagan said during his induction speech . minutes after making that point , mckagan walked over across to the stage to play an explosive three-song set of guns n'roses songs with slash , guitarist gilby clarke , alter bridge singer myles kennedy and drummers matt sorum and steven adler . fans were screaming out f * * * axl ' through much of the night , but the moment the group launched into mr. brownstone , ' rose and izzy stradlin 's decision to not attend the ceremony was completely forgotten , and this previously unassembled lineup of the band proved they could revive the spirit of gnr on their own . adler was grinning from ear-to-ear during a note-perfect sweet child o'mine , ' and the finale of paradise city ' had nearly every single person in the audience screaming at the top of their lungs . a powerful singer , kennedy hit every axl-patented banshee wail perfectly . the faces also soldiered on without their lead singer , recruiting simply red 's mick hucknall to fill his slot . he 's done a bunch of shows with the group over the past few years , and he sounds exactly like early 1970s-era rod stewart . ooh la la ' was a lot of fun , but they absolutely destroyed with stay with me . ' ron wood played guitar with fiery passion , almost like he was trying to prove to mick and keith that he 's in fighting shape for a rolling stones tour . ian mclagan demonstrated that he 's still one of the greatest keyboardists in rock and roll , and drummer kenny jones still has the chops that got him keith moon 's old job in the late 1970s . here 's hoping that one day rod comes to his senses and agrees to a tour with these guys . the beastie boys had no intention of performing without adam yauch , so the roots were joined by kid rock and travie mccoy of gym class heroes for an incredible medley of beastie classics , including sabotage ' and so what'cha want . ' rock , black thought and mccoy all wore matching green adidas track suits , and they did a great job of channeling the energy and spirit of the groundbreaking trio . the evening kicked off with a surprise performance by green day , who did a bombastic rendition of the american idiot deep cut letterbomb . ' few in the audience seemed to know the song , but billie joe armstrong worked the large room like a pro and got everyone pumped for the long night of music and speeches ahead of them . per tradition , rock and roll hall of fame co-founder jann wenner addressed the crowd early on . i believe in the magic of rock and roll , ' he said . that magic can set you free . ladies and gentlemen , tonight you 've entered a place where magic happens . ' billy gibbons and dusty hill of zz top delivered the first induction speech of the evening , honoring the late blues guitarist freddie king . king 's daughter , wanda , spoke warmly about her father . he inspired so many young blues artists , ' she said . i remember going to a show when i was 14 and meeting stevie ray vaughan for the first time . he said to my dad ,'how can i play the blues like you ?'my dad said ,'if you do n't feel the blues , you 'll never play the blues .'' after a smoking blues guitar battle by gibbons , joe bonamassa and derek trucks on king songs hideaway ' and going down , ' john mellencamp came onstage to induct donovan . he was my inspiration , ' mellencamp said . i would n't just listen to donovan . i would live donovan , which means i was stealing all my s * * * from donovan . other artists -- and you know who you guys are -- called that being inspired . ' donovan read a short poem , then played catch the wind ' and sunshine superman ' before duetting with mellencamp on season of the witch . ' bette midler broke down into tears near the end of her speech about laura nyro , who died of ovarian cancer in 1997 . in a world full of imitators saying'fake it till you make it ,'she was a complete original , ' said midler . she was in a league all her own . when you put her records on , you 'd think they were made yesterday . she embodies what we all want to be , if only we had the guts ... she was an ornament on the earth . everyone is so gratified to see this day finally come around at last . ' sara bareilles then honored nyro with a gorgeous take on stoney end ' on the piano . many non-performers were honored during the ceremony . carole king inducted don kirshner , who was her boss and mentor during her days as a brill building songwriter in the late 1950s and early 1960s . darlene love honored the late record executive with an extremely powerful version of will you still love me tomorrow , ' which she sang with paul shaffer and the cbs orchestra . later in the evening , robbie robertson presented the award for musical excellence to cosimo matassa , glyn jones and tom dowd . in the middle of the evening , the hall of fame made up for some past oversights by having smokey robinson induct the blue caps ( who backed gene vincent ) , the comets ( bill haley ) , the crickets ( buddy holly ) , the famous flames ( james brown ) , the midnighters ( hank ballard ) and the miracles , who backed robinson for the first two decades of his career . the surviving members of all six groups took the stage together , and it was very moving to see these largely overlooked musicians finally getting the credit they deserved for their huge role in rock history . public enemy frontman chuck d and ll cool j teamed up to induct the beastie boys . they still are one of the greatest live acts in music , ' said chuck d. they challenged the conventions in the music business and made up their own rules about what it means to be world class hip-hop cats ... they always insisted ( on ) maturing as musicians and human beings . ' ll cool j said that he owes his entire career to the beasties . i would n't be here today without them , ' he said . the beastie boys actually played my demo for rick rubin in his nyu dorm room . a lot of people do n't know that . ' adam horowitz read the audience a letter from yauch . i 'd like to dedicate this to my brothers adam and mike , ' he wrote . they walked the globe with me . it 's also for anyone who has ever been touched by our band . this induction is as much ours as it is yours . ' green day initially seemed like a slightly odd choice to induct guns n'roses , but billie joe armstong spoke extremely eloquently about group . 'appetite for destruction'is the greatest debut album of all time , ' he said . every song hits hard on all emotion levels and takes you on a journey through the seedy underworld of los angeles in brutal sequence ... the thing that set them apart from everybody else was guts , heart and soul . most important , they told the truth . ' not a single member of guns n'roses mentioned axl rose by name in their speech . matt sorum gently teased steven adler for somehow managing to get fired from guns n'roses for a drug addiction , and adler gave a surprisingly brief speech that culminated with him quoting we are the champions ' by queen . slash admitted that all the drama building up to the ceremony almost caused him to bail , but his wife ultimately talked him into attending . keyboardist dizzy reed and guitarist izzy stradlin opted not to come . it was about 12:30 a.m. when chris rock stepped up to the podium to induct the red hot chili peppers . a lot of people are upset that axl did n't come tonight , ' he said . but let 's face it . even if he was coming tonight , he would n't be here by now . where the f * * * is axl ? ' he went on to explain that he first saw the red hot chili peppers when he tried to see grandmaster flash in philadelphia , but walked into the wrong club . my friends and i were like ,'what the f * * * is this s * * * ? there 's a lot of white people in here ,'' rock said . they came out and i could n't understand a f * * * * * * word they said , and they had socks on their d * * * * ! i had never been to a white show before , so i thought all white groups put socks on their d * * * * . years later , they 're one of the biggest groups in the world and getting inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame . they have black ties on their d * * * * tonight . ' john frusciante may have stayed home , but former drummers jack irons and cliff martinez were in the house . at 1:00 a.m. , the group ( with three drummers ) did a three-song set of by the way , ' the adventures of rain dance maggie ' and give it away . ' i have n't played with cliff in 25 years ! ' flea said to the crowd . he 's a beautiful man . ' at the end of give it away , ' anthony kiedis invited everyone back to the stage . slash , ron wood , billie joe armstrong , kenny jones and even audience member george clinton crammed onstage for a euphoric finale of stevie wonder 's higher ground . ' in typical hall of fame fashion , the jam was completely chaotic , but everyone in the house seemed to be having a great time . the five-and-a-half hour show wrapped up at 1:30 a.m. , and as the crowd poured onto the cleveland streets in search of their cars or an after party , not a single person was talking about axl rose . it turns out they did n't even need him . see the full article at rollingstone.com . copyright © 2011 rolling stone . | the beastie boys had no intention of performing without adam yauch |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- top democrats have expressed concern over president obama 's plan to draw down nearly two-thirds of u.s. forces in iraq by august 2010 , while some key republicans are offering praise . house speaker nancy pelosi earlier this week questioned the need to keep 50,000 troops in iraq until 2011 . at issue : obama plans to leave between 35,000 to 50,000 residual forces in the war-torn country , serving in a training or advisory role to the iraqi military . all u.s. troops have to be out of iraq by december 31 , 2011 , under an agreement the bush administration signed with the iraqi government last year . there are currently 142,000 u.s. troops in iraq . house speaker nancy pelosi , d-california , indicated earlier this week that the residual force obama is planning to leave in iraq is too large . pelosi on wednesday told msnbc 's rachel maddow : i do n't know what the justification is for 50,000 , a presence of 50,000 troops in iraq . ... i do think that there 's a need for some . i do n't know that all of them have to be in [ the ] country . ' pelosi clarified her concerns after obama announced the plan at an event friday at camp lejeune , north carolina . ireport.com : do you think troops should be pulled , or should numbers increase ? as president obama 's iraq policy is implemented , the remaining missions given to our remaining forces must be clearly defined and narrowly focused so that the number of troops needed to perform them is as small as possible , ' pelosi said in a press release . the president 's decision means that the time has come at last for iraq 's own security forces to have the prime responsibility for iraq 's security . ' rep. lynn woolsey , d-california , co-founder of the out of iraq house caucus , was critical of the plan . i am deeply troubled by the suggestion that a force of 50,000 troops could remain in iraq beyond this time frame , ' she said in a statement friday . call such a troop level what you will , but such a large number can only be viewed by the iraqi public as an enduring occupation force . this is unacceptable . ' rep. dennis kucinich , d-ohio , said that while he supports obama 's step in the right direction , ' the new troop plan does not go far enough . ' you can not leave combat troops in a foreign country to conduct combat operations and call it the end of the war . you ca n't be in and out at the same time , ' kucinich said in a release friday . and top senate democrats echoed some of their house colleagues'skepticism . that 's a little higher number than i expected , ' majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , said thursday . the third-ranking senate democrat , sen. charles schumer of new york , said , it has to be done responsibly , we all agree . but 50,000 is more than i would have thought . ' on thursday afternoon , the president briefed bipartisan leaders from the house of representatives and senate -- including sen. john mccain , r-arizona , at the white house about the troop plan . sen. carl levin , d-michigan , chairman of the senate armed services committee , said that 50,000 is somewhat larger ' than what he expected . however , he said he has always believed a few tens of thousands ' of troops would be needed for noncombat missions such as training and fighting terrorism . watch obama announce the new iraq plan » before the white house meeting , sen. dick durbin of illinois , the no . 2 senate democrat and a close obama ally , said he was anxious to get the troops home . but he defended the administration , saying it is trying to strike the right balance ' between ending the war and maintaining stability in iraq . rep. john mchugh of new york , the top republican on the house armed services committee , said later that obama assured him the plan to withdraw all combat forces will be revisited if conditions on the ground in iraq deteriorate . the president 's objective to withdraw u.s. combat troops from iraq is one we should pray for , plan for and work toward , ' mchugh said in a statement . however , i remain concerned that the security situation in iraq is fragile , and we should work to mitigate any risks to our troops and their mission . i specifically raised these points with the president this evening . ' mchugh added , our commanders must have the flexibility they need in order to respond to these challenges , and president obama assured me that there is a'plan b .' on friday morning , mccain , who criticized obama 's plan to pull combat troops from iraq in the presidential race , offered warm praise for the new proposal . in a speech on the senate floor , mccain said obama 's decision is reasonable ' and that he is cautiously optimistic that the plan that is laid out by the president can lead to success . ' mccain , the ranking republican on the senate armed services committee , said that a failing situation in iraq has been arrested and reversed ' due to the dramatic success of the surge strategy , ' referring to president bush 's plan in 2007 to send additional troops to iraq . he also praised obama 's willingness to leave behind a significant residual force and reassess the situation if conditions change in the future . we are finally on a path to success ' in iraq , mccain said . let us have no crisis of confidence now . ' obama touted his opposition to the iraq war during the presidential campaign , a position popular with liberal groups such as moveon.org . but according to a new cnn/opinion research corp. poll , many democrats may not be satisfied with obama 's plan . when asked if the u.s. should keep the same number of troops in iraq that are currently stationed there , 12 percent of democratic respondents agreed -- compared with 58 percent of republican respondents . watch more on the poll » asked if u.s. forces should be removed by next spring , ' 87 percent of democrats and 39 percent of republicans surveyed were in favor . but the survey suggested that half of all americans think the united states is winning the war in iraq , the highest percentage since that question was first asked in a cnn poll in 2004 . this indicates that the public thinks the surge worked , but that has n't changed their view of the war in iraq at all , ' said keating holland , cnn polling director . as a result , nearly seven out of 10 favor the idea of removing most u.s. troops from iraq by next spring , a proposal that was a key part of obama 's presidential campaign last year . ' the cnn/opinion research poll was conducted february 18-19 , with 1,046 adult americans questioned by telephone . the survey 's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points . cnn 's ted barrett , mark preston and paul steinhauser contributed to this report . | president obama announces drawdown of combat troops in iraq by august 2010 |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- top democrats have expressed concern over president obama 's plan to draw down nearly two-thirds of u.s. forces in iraq by august 2010 , while some key republicans are offering praise . house speaker nancy pelosi earlier this week questioned the need to keep 50,000 troops in iraq until 2011 . at issue : obama plans to leave between 35,000 to 50,000 residual forces in the war-torn country , serving in a training or advisory role to the iraqi military . all u.s. troops have to be out of iraq by december 31 , 2011 , under an agreement the bush administration signed with the iraqi government last year . there are currently 142,000 u.s. troops in iraq . house speaker nancy pelosi , d-california , indicated earlier this week that the residual force obama is planning to leave in iraq is too large . pelosi on wednesday told msnbc 's rachel maddow : i do n't know what the justification is for 50,000 , a presence of 50,000 troops in iraq . ... i do think that there 's a need for some . i do n't know that all of them have to be in [ the ] country . ' pelosi clarified her concerns after obama announced the plan at an event friday at camp lejeune , north carolina . ireport.com : do you think troops should be pulled , or should numbers increase ? as president obama 's iraq policy is implemented , the remaining missions given to our remaining forces must be clearly defined and narrowly focused so that the number of troops needed to perform them is as small as possible , ' pelosi said in a press release . the president 's decision means that the time has come at last for iraq 's own security forces to have the prime responsibility for iraq 's security . ' rep. lynn woolsey , d-california , co-founder of the out of iraq house caucus , was critical of the plan . i am deeply troubled by the suggestion that a force of 50,000 troops could remain in iraq beyond this time frame , ' she said in a statement friday . call such a troop level what you will , but such a large number can only be viewed by the iraqi public as an enduring occupation force . this is unacceptable . ' rep. dennis kucinich , d-ohio , said that while he supports obama 's step in the right direction , ' the new troop plan does not go far enough . ' you can not leave combat troops in a foreign country to conduct combat operations and call it the end of the war . you ca n't be in and out at the same time , ' kucinich said in a release friday . and top senate democrats echoed some of their house colleagues'skepticism . that 's a little higher number than i expected , ' majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , said thursday . the third-ranking senate democrat , sen. charles schumer of new york , said , it has to be done responsibly , we all agree . but 50,000 is more than i would have thought . ' on thursday afternoon , the president briefed bipartisan leaders from the house of representatives and senate -- including sen. john mccain , r-arizona , at the white house about the troop plan . sen. carl levin , d-michigan , chairman of the senate armed services committee , said that 50,000 is somewhat larger ' than what he expected . however , he said he has always believed a few tens of thousands ' of troops would be needed for noncombat missions such as training and fighting terrorism . watch obama announce the new iraq plan » before the white house meeting , sen. dick durbin of illinois , the no . 2 senate democrat and a close obama ally , said he was anxious to get the troops home . but he defended the administration , saying it is trying to strike the right balance ' between ending the war and maintaining stability in iraq . rep. john mchugh of new york , the top republican on the house armed services committee , said later that obama assured him the plan to withdraw all combat forces will be revisited if conditions on the ground in iraq deteriorate . the president 's objective to withdraw u.s. combat troops from iraq is one we should pray for , plan for and work toward , ' mchugh said in a statement . however , i remain concerned that the security situation in iraq is fragile , and we should work to mitigate any risks to our troops and their mission . i specifically raised these points with the president this evening . ' mchugh added , our commanders must have the flexibility they need in order to respond to these challenges , and president obama assured me that there is a'plan b .' on friday morning , mccain , who criticized obama 's plan to pull combat troops from iraq in the presidential race , offered warm praise for the new proposal . in a speech on the senate floor , mccain said obama 's decision is reasonable ' and that he is cautiously optimistic that the plan that is laid out by the president can lead to success . ' mccain , the ranking republican on the senate armed services committee , said that a failing situation in iraq has been arrested and reversed ' due to the dramatic success of the surge strategy , ' referring to president bush 's plan in 2007 to send additional troops to iraq . he also praised obama 's willingness to leave behind a significant residual force and reassess the situation if conditions change in the future . we are finally on a path to success ' in iraq , mccain said . let us have no crisis of confidence now . ' obama touted his opposition to the iraq war during the presidential campaign , a position popular with liberal groups such as moveon.org . but according to a new cnn/opinion research corp. poll , many democrats may not be satisfied with obama 's plan . when asked if the u.s. should keep the same number of troops in iraq that are currently stationed there , 12 percent of democratic respondents agreed -- compared with 58 percent of republican respondents . watch more on the poll » asked if u.s. forces should be removed by next spring , ' 87 percent of democrats and 39 percent of republicans surveyed were in favor . but the survey suggested that half of all americans think the united states is winning the war in iraq , the highest percentage since that question was first asked in a cnn poll in 2004 . this indicates that the public thinks the surge worked , but that has n't changed their view of the war in iraq at all , ' said keating holland , cnn polling director . as a result , nearly seven out of 10 favor the idea of removing most u.s. troops from iraq by next spring , a proposal that was a key part of obama 's presidential campaign last year . ' the cnn/opinion research poll was conducted february 18-19 , with 1,046 adult americans questioned by telephone . the survey 's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points . cnn 's ted barrett , mark preston and paul steinhauser contributed to this report . | sen. john mccain offers praise , calling obama 's plan reasonable ' |
tina fey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there was so much -- so ! much ! -- to love about sunday night 's golden globe awards . to begin with , amy poehler finally won something ( much to her astonishment ) , and she did it while killing her hosting job with tina fey . over on our golden globes live blog , we asked those watching with us how fey and poehler were doing , and 81 % voted they were doing a-ok , with roughly half that saying the duo were even better than last year . that 's great news for the hollywood foreign press association , since they 've already booked fey and poehler for a third round of globes . the comedic team were just as sharp as they were last year , although we 're curious who you think had the best one-liners . these were some of our favorite jokes of the night : tina fey , introducing gravity ' during the opening monologue : 'gravity'is nominated for best film . it 's the story of how george clooney would rather float away into space and die than spend one more minute with a woman his own age . ' amy poehler , calling out netflix for breaking through with its original shows : enjoy it while it lasts , netflix . you 're not going to be feeling so smug in a couple of years when snapchat is up here accepting best drama . ' tina fey , on meryl streep : ( she 's ) so brilliant in'august : osage county ,'proving that there are still great roles in hollywood for meryl streeps over 60 . ' amy poehler introducing one of showtime 's new hit shows : 'masters of sex ,'which is the degree i got from boston college . ' when tina and amy accused julia louis-dreyfus of becoming a diva : interestingly , julia has chosen to sit in the film section tonight . hi , julia . hi , julia ... you know us from tv . ' amy poehler as tina fey 's adult son from a previous relationship ' ( who sadly did n't know his dad ) : amy poehler 's heartwarming acceptance speech : tina fey , introducing leonardo dicaprio : like a supermodel 's vagina , let 's all give a warm welcome to leonardo dicaprio . ' those were some of the jokes that caused us to laugh the hardest . what about you ? | tina fey and amy poehler hosted sunday 's golden globes |
godfather <tsp> boston ( cnn ) -- over eight days of testimony , jurors in the trial of reputed mob boss james whitey ' bulger have seen tears from witnesses whose loved ones died in bloody gangland shootings , heard horror stories from victims who barely survived drive-by shootouts , and peered into the world of the mob through testimony from an old friend turned star government witness . and things are just warming up -- the trial , which is expected to take up to three months , enters just its third week on monday . bulger is charged in the deaths of 19 people during some two decades when prosecutors say he ran boston 's irish mob . he also faces charges of extortion , racketeering and money laundering . after escaping a 1995 indictment , allegedly on a tip from a rogue fbi agent , bulger went into hiding for 16 years , landing himself on the fbi 's most wanted list before getting arrested with his girlfriend in santa monica california in 2011 . among highlights from the first two weeks of testimony : -- in three days on the witness stand , former bulger associate and hitman john martorano casually detailed killing after killing , confirming to prosecutors that together he and bulger were involved in 11 slayings , two of which put bulger on the firing end of a gun in a killing . bulger had admitted to another two murders he 'd committed on his own , martorano testified . -- a callous martorano showed brief signs of emotion , telling the jury that when he found out bulger was an fbi informant , it broke my heart . it broke all loyalties . ' martorano testified that he thought bulger 's fbi confidant , john connolly , was just doing a favor to bulger 's well-respected politician brother by looking out for whitey ' and the gang . he knew the crew was going to benefit from tips from inside the fbi , but he never though bulger would become a judas ' or a person like an informant , a rat , a no good guy , ' which in southie ' -- south boston -- was the ultimate sin . -- defense attorneys and prosecutors were at each others'legal throats all week , taking jab after jab while court was in session . in one spat , defense attorney hank brennan accused martorano of being a liar in front of the jury , turning the room into a vacuum of tension . prosecuting attorney fred wyshak fired off an objection before u.s. district court judge denise casper put the kibosh on the ugly squabble with , that 's for the jury to decide . ' -- two jurors were reduced to tears as one witness , 63-year-old diane sussman de tennen , alternated between bouts of crying and attempts to smile as she recounted the night she was in a car that suddenly was riddled by bullets , leaving her then-boyfriend a quadriplegic for the remaining three decades of his life . she was riding in a car that martorano and bulger rained fire on in march on 1973 , mistaking the driver with another gang-rival target , according to martorano 's earlier testimony . jurors heard gripping testimony from three people who barely survived drive-by shootings , and seven family members of victims who died in alleged mob killings . -- famed godfather ' actor robert duvall was an unlikely spectator in the federal courtroom friday morning . duvall is expected to play a federal judge in an upcoming movie called the judge . ' a smiling duvall became immediately stern when court was called into session , paying aggressive attention to judge casper . he sat with his hands propped on his knees , and listened intently to the testimony , methodically turning his head back and forth . bulger sat through all eight days of it , mostly expressionless except for one notable moment . whitey bulger fast facts his former bookmaker , richard o'brien , was on the witness stand describing a meeting between bulger and a man who owed him money . when the man balked at paying , o'brien said , bulger told him , we have a business besides bookmaking . ' what 's that ? ' the man asked . killing ( expletive ) like you , ' o'brien quoted bulger as saying . the 83-year old defendant threw his head back and let out a laugh . on monday , the prosecution intends to introduce bulger 's full informant file , a 700-page document detailing his relationship with the fbi over 15 years . jurors also will hear from former fbi supervisor john morris , who gained immunity after agreeing to testify about cash he accepted from bulger in exchange for protecting the mobster from the law . tensions in the courtroom are likely to be high in anticipation of a morris-bulger face-off . the jury will continue to hear from family members of alleged murder victims , law enforcement operatives from bulger 's past , and at least one more of his former associates in a trial that could last well into august . | among those in the gallery -- famed godfather ' actor robert duvall |
rodney alcala <tsp> ( cnn ) -- dozens of tips have poured in after california authorities released more than 100 photos of women and children on thursday that are believed to have been taken by a serial killer who appeared on the dating game . ' police determined friday that two female minors in the pictures , taken in the 1970s , are alive and well . they have received tips on a handful of other women who could be dead or missing , according to patrick ellis , a detective with the huntington beach police department . we 've received several calls saying that someone in a photo could be so-and-so who 's been missing or found dead , ' ellis said friday . the response has been overwhelming , and that 's what we were looking for . ' investigators are trying to determine whether any of the people in the photos were victims of rodney alcala , 66 , who was convicted in february of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old girl and raping and murdering four los angeles county women in the 1970s . a jury this week recommended he be sentenced to death . ellis said police received tips on as many as four dead or missing women who were identified by other people calling and e-mailing about the photos . people are saying that they recognize someone from their past , from school or college or the neighborhood beach , ' he said . the two women who identified themselves from the photos on friday were minors at the time the pictures were taken and are now in their 40s , ellis said . police are not releasing their identities , though ellis said they live in california . nancy grace blog : see the photos huntington beach police are contacting law enforcement authorities across the country with information about dead or missing women who were identified by people calling or e-mailing on friday , ellis said . he stressed that police have not confirmed that any of the women or children in the photos are dead or missing . the portrait-style photographs were discovered in a storage unit alcala kept in seattle , washington , said orange county district attorney spokeswoman susan kang schroeder . the locker also contained earrings that belonged to robin samsoe , the 12-year-old girl whom alcala abducted and killed in 1979 . the discovery of the earring in the locker has raised speculation that there may be other victims or that the photographs were trophies to alcala , she said . we know that mr. alcala used his photography as a ruse to get close to his victims , ' she said . authorities already believe that alcala may be responsible for deaths in new york , schroeder said . it 's very possible , ' schroeder said . mr. alcala is a predatory monster and we believe that he destroyed many lives everywhere he went . ' alcala was convicted in 1972 of kidnapping and molesting a child in los angeles county in 1968 , according to the orange county district attorney 's office . after serving a 34-month sentence , he was released . in 1978 , alcala appeared as a bachelor no . 1 ' on the dating game . ' jed mills , who played bachelor no . 2 , ' said he had an almost immediate aversion to alcala . something about him , i could not be near him , ' mills recalled . i am kind of bending toward the other guy to get away from him , and i do n't know if i did that consciously . but thinking back on that , i probably did . ' but alcala succeeded in charming bachelorette cheryl bradshaw from the other side of the dating game ' wall . but she declined her date with alcala . anyone with information regarding the identities of the women and children in the photographs found in alcala 's storage locker is asked to contact the orange county district attorney 's office or the huntington beach police department . cnn 's gabriel falcon contributed to this report . | a jury recommended that rodney alcala , 66 , be sentenced to death for killing 4 |
rubio <tsp> san diego , california ( cnn ) -- for much of this election season , i saw a lot to admire in marco rubio . i liked the independence and courage he showed in going against the republican party establishment by challenging gov . charlie crist in the u.s. senate race in florida . and when rubio was viciously and unfairly attacked by presumptuous white liberals for not being authentically latino , i liked him even more . and now ? not so much . it 's all because of how rubio bungled his reaction to an arizona law that -- despite supporters'assurances that it wo n't lead to racial and ethnic profiling -- is certain to lead to racial and ethnic profiling . in true kerryesque fashion , rubio was against the law before he was in favor of it . as the intelligent , charismatic and well-spoken son of cuban immigrants , rubio rose through the ranks quickly to become speaker of the florida assembly before taking on crist for the gop senate nomination . rubio had not only vanquished crist 's nomination hopes but , in effect , ran him out of the party . the governor is now running for the senate as an independent , against both rubio and presumptive democratic nominee kendrick meek . in fact , things were going smoothly for rubio until arizonans passed a law intended to deputize state and local police officers to act as surrogate immigration agents . the idea behind sb 1070 is to round up as many illegal immigrants as possible by requiring that police check the immigration status of people with whom they come in contact if officers have reasonable suspicion ' to believe that the person is the country illegally -- whether police want to or not . despite the fact that the law is enormously popular with the gop base , rubio rightly opposed it as overly broad and flat-out dangerous . just a few weeks ago , he said in a statement : ' states certainly have the right to enact policies to protect their citizens , but arizona 's policy shows the difficulty and limitations of states trying to act piecemeal to solve what is a serious federal problem . from what i have read in news reports , i do have concerns about this legislation . while i do n't believe arizona 's policy was based on anything other than trying to get a handle on our broken borders , i think aspects of the law , especially that dealing with'reasonable suspicion ,'are going to put our law enforcement officers in an incredibly difficult position . it could also unreasonably single out people who are here legally , including many american citizens . throughout american history and throughout this administration we have seen that when government is given an inch it takes a mile . ' rubio was right to be concerned . sb 1070 is such a deeply flawed piece of legislation that it had to be amended a week after it was signed . supporters say the changes prevent racial and ethnic profiling . now , police officers can prowl for illegal immigrants only in the course of enforcing some other law or ordinance . in the original version , all that was required was lawful contact . ' another change is that now , the state attorney general or a county attorney can not investigate complaints based on a person 's race , color or national origin . the original law allowed for race , color and national origin to be considered as one of several factors and only prohibited law enforcement from focusing solely ' on those characteristics . that was good enough for rubio , who now says he backs the controversial law as amended . apparently , his concerns about racial profiling have been assuaged . glad to hear it . trouble is , now i have concerns about rubio . he ca n't be that gullible . so he must be in denial . the amendments are totally cosmetic . in the real world of policing , it 's impossible for law enforcement officers -- particularly those who lack the specialized training given to border patrol agents -- to make assumptions about one 's legal status without taking race and ethnicity into account . we can tell them not to think about race and ethnicity , but that only makes them more likely to think about them . anyone who claims otherwise is dishonest , disingenuous or delusional . besides , there was an additional change in the law that arguably makes it even more dangerous and more divisive . now , the requirement that a police officer must determine the immigration status of an individual who they have a reasonable suspicion ' is in the country illegally extends to those instances where police respond to something as minor as city ordinance violations . that could include loud parties , barking dogs , cars on blocks , overcrowded apartments , etc . one can easily imagine neighbors turning in one another , and an environment that is already poisoned with resentment and fear becoming more so . supporters say they changed sb 1070 . believe it . they made it worse and more likely to lead to abuse . anyone who does n't see that must be blind . of course , ambition has been known to have that effect on people . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ruben navarrette . | ruben navarrette used to admire marco rubio , who challenged gov . crist in florida election |
rubio <tsp> san diego , california ( cnn ) -- for much of this election season , i saw a lot to admire in marco rubio . i liked the independence and courage he showed in going against the republican party establishment by challenging gov . charlie crist in the u.s. senate race in florida . and when rubio was viciously and unfairly attacked by presumptuous white liberals for not being authentically latino , i liked him even more . and now ? not so much . it 's all because of how rubio bungled his reaction to an arizona law that -- despite supporters'assurances that it wo n't lead to racial and ethnic profiling -- is certain to lead to racial and ethnic profiling . in true kerryesque fashion , rubio was against the law before he was in favor of it . as the intelligent , charismatic and well-spoken son of cuban immigrants , rubio rose through the ranks quickly to become speaker of the florida assembly before taking on crist for the gop senate nomination . rubio had not only vanquished crist 's nomination hopes but , in effect , ran him out of the party . the governor is now running for the senate as an independent , against both rubio and presumptive democratic nominee kendrick meek . in fact , things were going smoothly for rubio until arizonans passed a law intended to deputize state and local police officers to act as surrogate immigration agents . the idea behind sb 1070 is to round up as many illegal immigrants as possible by requiring that police check the immigration status of people with whom they come in contact if officers have reasonable suspicion ' to believe that the person is the country illegally -- whether police want to or not . despite the fact that the law is enormously popular with the gop base , rubio rightly opposed it as overly broad and flat-out dangerous . just a few weeks ago , he said in a statement : ' states certainly have the right to enact policies to protect their citizens , but arizona 's policy shows the difficulty and limitations of states trying to act piecemeal to solve what is a serious federal problem . from what i have read in news reports , i do have concerns about this legislation . while i do n't believe arizona 's policy was based on anything other than trying to get a handle on our broken borders , i think aspects of the law , especially that dealing with'reasonable suspicion ,'are going to put our law enforcement officers in an incredibly difficult position . it could also unreasonably single out people who are here legally , including many american citizens . throughout american history and throughout this administration we have seen that when government is given an inch it takes a mile . ' rubio was right to be concerned . sb 1070 is such a deeply flawed piece of legislation that it had to be amended a week after it was signed . supporters say the changes prevent racial and ethnic profiling . now , police officers can prowl for illegal immigrants only in the course of enforcing some other law or ordinance . in the original version , all that was required was lawful contact . ' another change is that now , the state attorney general or a county attorney can not investigate complaints based on a person 's race , color or national origin . the original law allowed for race , color and national origin to be considered as one of several factors and only prohibited law enforcement from focusing solely ' on those characteristics . that was good enough for rubio , who now says he backs the controversial law as amended . apparently , his concerns about racial profiling have been assuaged . glad to hear it . trouble is , now i have concerns about rubio . he ca n't be that gullible . so he must be in denial . the amendments are totally cosmetic . in the real world of policing , it 's impossible for law enforcement officers -- particularly those who lack the specialized training given to border patrol agents -- to make assumptions about one 's legal status without taking race and ethnicity into account . we can tell them not to think about race and ethnicity , but that only makes them more likely to think about them . anyone who claims otherwise is dishonest , disingenuous or delusional . besides , there was an additional change in the law that arguably makes it even more dangerous and more divisive . now , the requirement that a police officer must determine the immigration status of an individual who they have a reasonable suspicion ' is in the country illegally extends to those instances where police respond to something as minor as city ordinance violations . that could include loud parties , barking dogs , cars on blocks , overcrowded apartments , etc . one can easily imagine neighbors turning in one another , and an environment that is already poisoned with resentment and fear becoming more so . supporters say they changed sb 1070 . believe it . they made it worse and more likely to lead to abuse . anyone who does n't see that must be blind . of course , ambition has been known to have that effect on people . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ruben navarrette . | navarrette says amendments are cosmetic at best ; rubio gullible or blinded by ambition |
rubio <tsp> san diego , california ( cnn ) -- for much of this election season , i saw a lot to admire in marco rubio . i liked the independence and courage he showed in going against the republican party establishment by challenging gov . charlie crist in the u.s. senate race in florida . and when rubio was viciously and unfairly attacked by presumptuous white liberals for not being authentically latino , i liked him even more . and now ? not so much . it 's all because of how rubio bungled his reaction to an arizona law that -- despite supporters'assurances that it wo n't lead to racial and ethnic profiling -- is certain to lead to racial and ethnic profiling . in true kerryesque fashion , rubio was against the law before he was in favor of it . as the intelligent , charismatic and well-spoken son of cuban immigrants , rubio rose through the ranks quickly to become speaker of the florida assembly before taking on crist for the gop senate nomination . rubio had not only vanquished crist 's nomination hopes but , in effect , ran him out of the party . the governor is now running for the senate as an independent , against both rubio and presumptive democratic nominee kendrick meek . in fact , things were going smoothly for rubio until arizonans passed a law intended to deputize state and local police officers to act as surrogate immigration agents . the idea behind sb 1070 is to round up as many illegal immigrants as possible by requiring that police check the immigration status of people with whom they come in contact if officers have reasonable suspicion ' to believe that the person is the country illegally -- whether police want to or not . despite the fact that the law is enormously popular with the gop base , rubio rightly opposed it as overly broad and flat-out dangerous . just a few weeks ago , he said in a statement : ' states certainly have the right to enact policies to protect their citizens , but arizona 's policy shows the difficulty and limitations of states trying to act piecemeal to solve what is a serious federal problem . from what i have read in news reports , i do have concerns about this legislation . while i do n't believe arizona 's policy was based on anything other than trying to get a handle on our broken borders , i think aspects of the law , especially that dealing with'reasonable suspicion ,'are going to put our law enforcement officers in an incredibly difficult position . it could also unreasonably single out people who are here legally , including many american citizens . throughout american history and throughout this administration we have seen that when government is given an inch it takes a mile . ' rubio was right to be concerned . sb 1070 is such a deeply flawed piece of legislation that it had to be amended a week after it was signed . supporters say the changes prevent racial and ethnic profiling . now , police officers can prowl for illegal immigrants only in the course of enforcing some other law or ordinance . in the original version , all that was required was lawful contact . ' another change is that now , the state attorney general or a county attorney can not investigate complaints based on a person 's race , color or national origin . the original law allowed for race , color and national origin to be considered as one of several factors and only prohibited law enforcement from focusing solely ' on those characteristics . that was good enough for rubio , who now says he backs the controversial law as amended . apparently , his concerns about racial profiling have been assuaged . glad to hear it . trouble is , now i have concerns about rubio . he ca n't be that gullible . so he must be in denial . the amendments are totally cosmetic . in the real world of policing , it 's impossible for law enforcement officers -- particularly those who lack the specialized training given to border patrol agents -- to make assumptions about one 's legal status without taking race and ethnicity into account . we can tell them not to think about race and ethnicity , but that only makes them more likely to think about them . anyone who claims otherwise is dishonest , disingenuous or delusional . besides , there was an additional change in the law that arguably makes it even more dangerous and more divisive . now , the requirement that a police officer must determine the immigration status of an individual who they have a reasonable suspicion ' is in the country illegally extends to those instances where police respond to something as minor as city ordinance violations . that could include loud parties , barking dogs , cars on blocks , overcrowded apartments , etc . one can easily imagine neighbors turning in one another , and an environment that is already poisoned with resentment and fear becoming more so . supporters say they changed sb 1070 . believe it . they made it worse and more likely to lead to abuse . anyone who does n't see that must be blind . of course , ambition has been known to have that effect on people . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ruben navarrette . | rubio opposed the law as racial profiling , now backs amended version , navarrette says |
rubio <tsp> san diego , california ( cnn ) -- for much of this election season , i saw a lot to admire in marco rubio . i liked the independence and courage he showed in going against the republican party establishment by challenging gov . charlie crist in the u.s. senate race in florida . and when rubio was viciously and unfairly attacked by presumptuous white liberals for not being authentically latino , i liked him even more . and now ? not so much . it 's all because of how rubio bungled his reaction to an arizona law that -- despite supporters'assurances that it wo n't lead to racial and ethnic profiling -- is certain to lead to racial and ethnic profiling . in true kerryesque fashion , rubio was against the law before he was in favor of it . as the intelligent , charismatic and well-spoken son of cuban immigrants , rubio rose through the ranks quickly to become speaker of the florida assembly before taking on crist for the gop senate nomination . rubio had not only vanquished crist 's nomination hopes but , in effect , ran him out of the party . the governor is now running for the senate as an independent , against both rubio and presumptive democratic nominee kendrick meek . in fact , things were going smoothly for rubio until arizonans passed a law intended to deputize state and local police officers to act as surrogate immigration agents . the idea behind sb 1070 is to round up as many illegal immigrants as possible by requiring that police check the immigration status of people with whom they come in contact if officers have reasonable suspicion ' to believe that the person is the country illegally -- whether police want to or not . despite the fact that the law is enormously popular with the gop base , rubio rightly opposed it as overly broad and flat-out dangerous . just a few weeks ago , he said in a statement : ' states certainly have the right to enact policies to protect their citizens , but arizona 's policy shows the difficulty and limitations of states trying to act piecemeal to solve what is a serious federal problem . from what i have read in news reports , i do have concerns about this legislation . while i do n't believe arizona 's policy was based on anything other than trying to get a handle on our broken borders , i think aspects of the law , especially that dealing with'reasonable suspicion ,'are going to put our law enforcement officers in an incredibly difficult position . it could also unreasonably single out people who are here legally , including many american citizens . throughout american history and throughout this administration we have seen that when government is given an inch it takes a mile . ' rubio was right to be concerned . sb 1070 is such a deeply flawed piece of legislation that it had to be amended a week after it was signed . supporters say the changes prevent racial and ethnic profiling . now , police officers can prowl for illegal immigrants only in the course of enforcing some other law or ordinance . in the original version , all that was required was lawful contact . ' another change is that now , the state attorney general or a county attorney can not investigate complaints based on a person 's race , color or national origin . the original law allowed for race , color and national origin to be considered as one of several factors and only prohibited law enforcement from focusing solely ' on those characteristics . that was good enough for rubio , who now says he backs the controversial law as amended . apparently , his concerns about racial profiling have been assuaged . glad to hear it . trouble is , now i have concerns about rubio . he ca n't be that gullible . so he must be in denial . the amendments are totally cosmetic . in the real world of policing , it 's impossible for law enforcement officers -- particularly those who lack the specialized training given to border patrol agents -- to make assumptions about one 's legal status without taking race and ethnicity into account . we can tell them not to think about race and ethnicity , but that only makes them more likely to think about them . anyone who claims otherwise is dishonest , disingenuous or delusional . besides , there was an additional change in the law that arguably makes it even more dangerous and more divisive . now , the requirement that a police officer must determine the immigration status of an individual who they have a reasonable suspicion ' is in the country illegally extends to those instances where police respond to something as minor as city ordinance violations . that could include loud parties , barking dogs , cars on blocks , overcrowded apartments , etc . one can easily imagine neighbors turning in one another , and an environment that is already poisoned with resentment and fear becoming more so . supporters say they changed sb 1070 . believe it . they made it worse and more likely to lead to abuse . anyone who does n't see that must be blind . of course , ambition has been known to have that effect on people . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ruben navarrette . | but , navarrette says , rubio 's flip-flop on arizona 's immigration law changed his mind |
crist <tsp> san diego , california ( cnn ) -- for much of this election season , i saw a lot to admire in marco rubio . i liked the independence and courage he showed in going against the republican party establishment by challenging gov . charlie crist in the u.s. senate race in florida . and when rubio was viciously and unfairly attacked by presumptuous white liberals for not being authentically latino , i liked him even more . and now ? not so much . it 's all because of how rubio bungled his reaction to an arizona law that -- despite supporters'assurances that it wo n't lead to racial and ethnic profiling -- is certain to lead to racial and ethnic profiling . in true kerryesque fashion , rubio was against the law before he was in favor of it . as the intelligent , charismatic and well-spoken son of cuban immigrants , rubio rose through the ranks quickly to become speaker of the florida assembly before taking on crist for the gop senate nomination . rubio had not only vanquished crist 's nomination hopes but , in effect , ran him out of the party . the governor is now running for the senate as an independent , against both rubio and presumptive democratic nominee kendrick meek . in fact , things were going smoothly for rubio until arizonans passed a law intended to deputize state and local police officers to act as surrogate immigration agents . the idea behind sb 1070 is to round up as many illegal immigrants as possible by requiring that police check the immigration status of people with whom they come in contact if officers have reasonable suspicion ' to believe that the person is the country illegally -- whether police want to or not . despite the fact that the law is enormously popular with the gop base , rubio rightly opposed it as overly broad and flat-out dangerous . just a few weeks ago , he said in a statement : ' states certainly have the right to enact policies to protect their citizens , but arizona 's policy shows the difficulty and limitations of states trying to act piecemeal to solve what is a serious federal problem . from what i have read in news reports , i do have concerns about this legislation . while i do n't believe arizona 's policy was based on anything other than trying to get a handle on our broken borders , i think aspects of the law , especially that dealing with'reasonable suspicion ,'are going to put our law enforcement officers in an incredibly difficult position . it could also unreasonably single out people who are here legally , including many american citizens . throughout american history and throughout this administration we have seen that when government is given an inch it takes a mile . ' rubio was right to be concerned . sb 1070 is such a deeply flawed piece of legislation that it had to be amended a week after it was signed . supporters say the changes prevent racial and ethnic profiling . now , police officers can prowl for illegal immigrants only in the course of enforcing some other law or ordinance . in the original version , all that was required was lawful contact . ' another change is that now , the state attorney general or a county attorney can not investigate complaints based on a person 's race , color or national origin . the original law allowed for race , color and national origin to be considered as one of several factors and only prohibited law enforcement from focusing solely ' on those characteristics . that was good enough for rubio , who now says he backs the controversial law as amended . apparently , his concerns about racial profiling have been assuaged . glad to hear it . trouble is , now i have concerns about rubio . he ca n't be that gullible . so he must be in denial . the amendments are totally cosmetic . in the real world of policing , it 's impossible for law enforcement officers -- particularly those who lack the specialized training given to border patrol agents -- to make assumptions about one 's legal status without taking race and ethnicity into account . we can tell them not to think about race and ethnicity , but that only makes them more likely to think about them . anyone who claims otherwise is dishonest , disingenuous or delusional . besides , there was an additional change in the law that arguably makes it even more dangerous and more divisive . now , the requirement that a police officer must determine the immigration status of an individual who they have a reasonable suspicion ' is in the country illegally extends to those instances where police respond to something as minor as city ordinance violations . that could include loud parties , barking dogs , cars on blocks , overcrowded apartments , etc . one can easily imagine neighbors turning in one another , and an environment that is already poisoned with resentment and fear becoming more so . supporters say they changed sb 1070 . believe it . they made it worse and more likely to lead to abuse . anyone who does n't see that must be blind . of course , ambition has been known to have that effect on people . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ruben navarrette . | ruben navarrette used to admire marco rubio , who challenged gov . crist in florida election |
internet <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's been impossible to go online or turn on a tv monday without seeing all the breathless chatter about the doomsday ' for the internet , when hundreds of thousands of people were expected to abruptly lose their connection to the world 's computer brain . but what caused the malware monday ' panic , and is it really warranted ? here 's a quick-and-dirty guide to what 's going on : is my computer affected ? before we actually get into what 's happening , go to this site : http : //www.dns-ok.us/ . it will tell you , with near certainty , whether your computer ( or smartphone or whatever ) has been compromised by the dnschanger malware , which is the thing everyone 's talking about . ireport : how has the internet changed your life ? how did all of this start ? in november , the u.s. federal bureau of investigation charged seven people in connection with a massive and sophisticated internet fraud scheme ' called operation ghost click . that scam tampered with the way computers access the web by sending internet traffic to websites that people did n't intend to visit . the group made money -- $ 14 million , according to the fbi -- off of fraudulent advertisements on those websites . the fbi eventually shut down the computers that were used to reroute internet traffic . that move would have essentially cut access to the internet for those people who had the dnschanger malware on their systems . so , as a backup , the fbi turned on its own computers to make sure infected machines still would have internet access . so , what happened on monday ? on monday , the fbi turned off those backup computer servers . that means machines infected with the dnschanger malware -- or that have traces of that malicious computer program left on their computers -- no longer can access the internet as expected . how many people are affected ? about 211,000 machines -- only 42,000 of them in the united states -- were infected monday , according to cnnmoney . maybe that sounds like a lot . but , at its peak , 4 million computers were hijacked ' by the malware , according to the fbi . that 's 19 times the number of computers currently infected . that 's a large number , but it 's a very small subset of the 1.6 billion pcs worldwide , of which an estimated 339 million are in the united states , ' cnnmoney writes . education campaigns are thought to have accounted for the difference . google , facebook and the u.s. government have created tools to help people notice if their machines have the dnschanger malware . what should you do if you 're infected ? go to this website and follow the steps listed ( assuming you can access it ) : http : //www.dcwg.org/fix/ or contact your internet service providers and seek help . tell them you believe that your computer has been infected with the dnschanger malware . to prevent future infections , it 's important to install updates to your machine . professionals also recommend anti-virus software that can detect infections . | the dnschanger malware affects how computers look up internet addresses |
dnschanger <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's been impossible to go online or turn on a tv monday without seeing all the breathless chatter about the doomsday ' for the internet , when hundreds of thousands of people were expected to abruptly lose their connection to the world 's computer brain . but what caused the malware monday ' panic , and is it really warranted ? here 's a quick-and-dirty guide to what 's going on : is my computer affected ? before we actually get into what 's happening , go to this site : http : //www.dns-ok.us/ . it will tell you , with near certainty , whether your computer ( or smartphone or whatever ) has been compromised by the dnschanger malware , which is the thing everyone 's talking about . ireport : how has the internet changed your life ? how did all of this start ? in november , the u.s. federal bureau of investigation charged seven people in connection with a massive and sophisticated internet fraud scheme ' called operation ghost click . that scam tampered with the way computers access the web by sending internet traffic to websites that people did n't intend to visit . the group made money -- $ 14 million , according to the fbi -- off of fraudulent advertisements on those websites . the fbi eventually shut down the computers that were used to reroute internet traffic . that move would have essentially cut access to the internet for those people who had the dnschanger malware on their systems . so , as a backup , the fbi turned on its own computers to make sure infected machines still would have internet access . so , what happened on monday ? on monday , the fbi turned off those backup computer servers . that means machines infected with the dnschanger malware -- or that have traces of that malicious computer program left on their computers -- no longer can access the internet as expected . how many people are affected ? about 211,000 machines -- only 42,000 of them in the united states -- were infected monday , according to cnnmoney . maybe that sounds like a lot . but , at its peak , 4 million computers were hijacked ' by the malware , according to the fbi . that 's 19 times the number of computers currently infected . that 's a large number , but it 's a very small subset of the 1.6 billion pcs worldwide , of which an estimated 339 million are in the united states , ' cnnmoney writes . education campaigns are thought to have accounted for the difference . google , facebook and the u.s. government have created tools to help people notice if their machines have the dnschanger malware . what should you do if you 're infected ? go to this website and follow the steps listed ( assuming you can access it ) : http : //www.dcwg.org/fix/ or contact your internet service providers and seek help . tell them you believe that your computer has been infected with the dnschanger malware . to prevent future infections , it 's important to install updates to your machine . professionals also recommend anti-virus software that can detect infections . | the dnschanger malware affects how computers look up internet addresses |
jscreen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- caroline gold calls out to her three children as she takes pizza bagels out of the oven . shai , 18 months old , runs to her high chair chanting , pizza , pizza ! ' natanel , 7 , comes in from another room in their atlanta home . they join their sister , eden , who is already at the table . randy gold sits down next to his son while caroline puts food on everyone 's plates . they seem like the quintessential family , in what could be any household in america . but a closer look reveals caroline is feeding 5-year-old eden . eden can not talk or walk . she needs help sitting up and doing most anything a girl her age should be doing on her own . eden has a progressive neurological disorder called mucolipidosis type iv , also known as ml4 . it 's a rare genetic disease that is more common among ashkenazi jews , or people of eastern and central european jewish descent . there is no treatment or cure . eden 's mental development was halted at 18 months old . she is expected to go blind by age 12 . doctors say she will not live beyond early adulthood . eden 's diagnosis was confirmed just before the jewish new year in september 2009 . instead of focusing on the wonderful things the next year would bring , caroline says their family 's dreams were shattered . anything that we had dreamed and hoped for our family at that point was broken . done . ' ml4 is preventable . so how did this happen ? caroline and randy struggled with that very question . knowing that one in five ashkenazi jews in the united states are carriers for a genetic disease , the golds were screened before they got married . or so they thought . caroline was screened for just eight of the 16 jewish genetic diseases that were being screened for in 2004 . randy was screened for two . proponents for standardized screening say it could have spared or prepared the golds for what they are going through with eden . screening assesses a couple 's reproductive risk , says karen arnovitz grinzaid , a genetic counselor at emory university school of medicine in atlanta . couples who are both carriers for the same disease have a 25 % chance of passing that disease onto their children . many of these disorders are fatal , says dr. stephen warren , the chair of the department of human genetics at emory , and they can severely impact patients'quality of life . a bright future when randy and caroline met , their love blossomed quickly . they dated for eight months before getting engaged and were married three months later . they did n't waste time starting a family either . fifteen months after their walk down the aisle , they welcomed natanel into their lives . the golds , now a family , were living the dream . that dream included a bigger family ; eden was born two years later . but when eden was just 3 months old , caroline started wondering whether something was wrong with her precious little girl . she could n't quite put her finger on it . at first eden did n't seem to be meeting her milestones on time . then they noticed she had low muscle tone . at 9 months , eden started physical therapy and had surgery to correct her crossed eyes . doctors hoped she 'd have a better view of the world and everything else would fall into place . the pediatrician continued to reassure caroline that every child develops at her own rate . at one point , caroline was even told she should stop comparing her second child to her first and just enjoy her daughter . we finally decided that being told ,'she 's gon na be fine'or'not to worry so much'just was n't enough , ' caroline remembers . against their pediatrician 's advice , they took eden to a neurologist who did an mri on her brain . caroline and randy hold back tears as they remember the phone call from the neurologist at 9:30 p.m . he did n't know what was wrong with their daughter , he said , but it was n't good . it was more than a sad moment , ' randy says . it was the beginning of what became a lot of sad moments . ' the neurologist ran more tests before referring eden to a geneticist . the geneticist thought it might be a jewish genetic disease , but the golds told him they had been screened . still , when he described ml4 , randy remembers thinking he had just described eden . they waited two agonizing weeks for the lab to confirm the diagnosis . until screening is routine as difficult as it was to hear the news about eden , the golds never ask , why us ? ' instead , randy says , we decided to make sure that the tragedy of eden 's story does n't happen to another family . ' they started by creating a comprehensive education program to teach doctors , rabbis and young couples in their community about the risks . then they lobbied insurance companies and medical labs to standardize genetic screening , make it more accessible and lower the cost . their work inspired the marcus foundation and emory university school of medicine to create jscreen , a web-based national screening program for the 19 most common jewish genetic diseases , including ml4 , that launched this month . while it 's targeted at the jewish population , the site also offers an expanded screening panel to check for a total of 80 genetic diseases , which may be more appropriate for non-jewish spouses of a jewish carrier or for those who are unsure of their ancestry . there 's no trip to the doctor or needle needed to draw blood . people who are interested in being screened can visit jscreen.org , read about the screening test and request a kit . a box with the saliva test is then sent to the individual 's home with instructions and an envelope to return the completed kit to the lab . approximately four weeks later , results are discussed with a genetic counselor over the phone . additional counseling can then be scheduled with a local genetic counselor . the kit costs $ 99 for most people with insurance and $ 599 if you are uninsured . unlike direct-to-consumer genetic testing , offered by companies such as 23andme , jscreen is a nonprofit program with an educational component . every request for screening is reviewed by a genetic counselor at emory university before a kit is sent out to make sure that the patient fully understands what the results can ( and can not ) tell them . warren believes genetic testing will be part of routine medical care for every potential parent in the coming years ; jscreen is just the start , he says . we are looking at this as a prototype to see how well we can do this for the general population . ' prevention is the goal , says grinzaid , who is also the senior director of outreach initiatives for jscreen . in every ethnic group , there are diseases ... unless you have screening , you can have an affected kid . ' carrier screening programs for jewish genetic diseases have seen success in the past , she says ; in the 1970s and '80s , the fatal condition tay-sachs was reduced by approximately 90 % . but genetics is a rapidly changing field ; the human body has hundreds of thousands of genes and mutations , and new ones are being discovered . new screening tests are also being developed quickly . when the golds were married in 2004 , screening tests were available for 16 jewish genetic diseases . now scientists can screen for up to 19 . the ability to make informed decisions warren says parents of children affected by these types of diseases overwhelmingly say they would have wanted to know before they became pregnant . armed with the right knowledge , a couple may chose to avoid the risk by using alternative pregnancy paths , such as adoption or in vitro fertilization . if there 's a risk , a couple could also choose to have amniocentesis or cvs testing done during pregnancy to check the fetus . the results could give the parents time to plan for the birth of a baby that will need special care . or they may choose to end the pregnancy , says grinzaid . aware of their risk , caroline and randy gold added a beautiful , healthy baby girl to their family last year . they used pre-implantation genetic testing and ivf to ensure their new little one would not have ml4 . the golds celebrated the jewish new year again last week with their three beautiful children . this year , they are hoping to encourage 7,000 people to get screened for preventable genetic diseases . eden is here to save lives , and if that 's what she 's here to do , there is no life more noble than that , ' randy says . | jscreen identifies the risks for the 19 most common jewish genetic diseases |
al qaeda <tsp> a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest blew himself up among mourners inside a funeral tent on a farm about 12 miles north of baghdad , iraq , on monday , according to police . at least 21 people were killed and 35 others injured at the funeral in al taji , a mostly sunni district , officials said . the funeral was for a member of the local awakening council , a group also known as the sons of iraq and sahawat , made up of sunni arab fighters who turned against al qaeda . iraqi security forces believe that isis militants were behind the attack . awakening councils are u.s.-backed groups that have been active in iraq since 2006 . a few years ago , the councils were credited as being a major factor in a drop in violence across iraq , but council members have also become targets for jihadists . | the funeral was for a member of a sunni group that has turned against al qaeda |
cnn <tsp> tokyo ( cnn ) -- beneath the cherry blossoms of shiba park , more than 2,000 people lined up for a sunday afternoon march calling for japan 's nuclear power stations to be shut down . a week before , a similar protest -- though in a chilly drizzle , not on a warm , sunny day -- drew about 250 . and a month of frustration , desperation and anger boiled over at tokyo electric power company 's headquarters friday as officials from towns around the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant demanded to know when the crisis that has besieged their farming communities would end . the nuclear plant situation needs to be resolved as soon as possible . if not , we farmers will die , ' one of the officials , iwao suzuki , told the utility 's executives . but the response from naomi hirose , the managing director of japan 's largest utility , offered little encouragement to the delegation or the rest of the world . there is a need to draw an end to the current situation as soon as possible , ' hirose said , adding , we totally agree to this and are taking the utmost endeavors to contain the radiation . ' since the march 11 earthquake that ravaged northern japan , workers at fukushima daiichi have been struggling to cool down three overheated reactors and keep pools of spent but still potent nuclear fuel from spreading further radioactive contamination across northern japan . a month into the crisis , the utility acknowledges , there is no end in sight . the problems are so far beyond the design capacity ' of the plant that the japanese are working in uncharted territory , said michael friedlander , a former senior operator at u.s. nuclear power plants . no nuclear power plant has ever considered the inability to get on long-term core cooling for more than a week , much less three weeks , ' friedlander said . some japanese experts now say the effort is in danger of failing unless japan seeks more help from international experts to bring it to an end . tetsunari iida , an engineer-turned-industry critic , said the situation is beyond the reach ' of japan 's closely knit nuclear establishment . a real exit strategy has to start with an inspection by the world 's top experts on nuclear accidents , ' iida told reporters at japan 's national press club last week . engineers and workers so far have managed to stave off a complete meltdown in fukushima daiichi 's reactors 1-3 and in the spent fuel pool of unit 4 . but experts say the overheated fuel rods are likely to have suffered extensive damage , and there is a complication for seemingly every advance . much of the past week was dominated by the attempt to stop water laced with massive amounts of radioactive particles from pouring into the pacific ocean -- water that comes out of the reactors screaming with radioactivity , ' friedlander said . tokyo electric is now grappling with where to put the stuff , even dumping thousands of tons of less-radioactive water into the pacific to make room for it in a reservoir for low-level waste . in a normally functioning plant , coolant water is circulated out of the reactors and chilled . then it 's pumped back in to carry more heat away from the plant 's fuel rods , which continue producing energy long after the chain reaction at the heart of the units has been stopped . you have to get the recirculation system up and functioning so they can cool that water in the normal way , ' said gary was , a nuclear engineering professor at the university of michigan and a cnn consultant . normal cooling systems do n't require the massive amounts of water -- around 7 metric tons ( 1,850 gallons ) per hour -- now being poured into the reactors . that 's a big problem , ' was said . tokyo electric officials told cnn they ca n't say when they 'll be able to restore those normal cooling . the first step is to get highly radioactive water out of the flooded basements of the units'turbine plants , then figure out how badly the equipment inside has been damaged . for the first two weeks of the crisis , engineers pumped seawater into the reactors . but the resulting buildup of salt inside has made it harder for coolant to circulate , u.s. nuclear safety officials advised in march . in addition , was said , the fuel rods are likely in a state of partial melt , ' the extent of which will be difficult to determine . after 1979 's three mile island accident in pennsylvania , it took more than two years before operators were able to get a camera into the reactor to examine its condition , he said . satoshi sato , a japanese nuclear industry consultant , called the current line of attack a waste of effort . ' plant instruments are likely damaged and unreliable because of the intense heat that was generated , and pumping more water into the reactors is only making the contamination problem worse , he said . there is no happy end with their approach , ' sato told cnn . they must change the approach . that 's something i 'm sure of 100 percent . ' after the 1986 chernobyl accident , the world 's worst to date , the soviet union encased the plant 's damaged reactor in a massive concrete sarcophagus . iida said fukushima daiichi 's reactors remain too hot to pour concrete , but he suggested pouring a slurry of minerals and sand over them to carry away heat before encasing them . and was said the reactors have to be cooled in order to let the molten fuel harden again : only when it solidifies are you sure you can contain it . ' he said tokyo electric should be in the lead -- it 's their plant ' -- but he added , there 's a lot of different areas in which they could benefit from international help . ' japan 's government is consulting with experts from the u.s. nuclear regulatory commission and the french nuclear fuel company areva , said hidehiko nishiyama , deputy director-general of japan 's nuclear and industrial safety agency and the agency 's chief spokesman . u.s. navy barges have been carrying fresh water to fukushima daiichi , and tokyo 's foreign ministry has asked russia about using a japanese-built ship outfitted as a floating decontamination plant . we already have quite a bit of support from outside countries and organizations , ' nishiyama said . but he added , i think the most urgent issue now is support in whatever form possible with regard to how we can dispose of the cooling water and be able to build a sustainable cooling system . ' general electric which designed the reactors , and hitachi , which built most of the plant , are also advising the government and tokyo electric . ge chief jeffrey immelt flew to japan to consult with japanese officials and executives last week , and tokyo has asked russian officials about using a japanese-built ship outfitted as a floating decontamination plant . but for now , japan has no choice ' but to continue pouring water into the reactors , friedlander said . i have no doubt that the men and women working at the power plant are indeed going to exert every human effort to make sure that they resolve this , ' he said . what i do n't know and what i ca n't tell and the big question mark for me is , will it be done sooner than later ? and again , my hope is , is that it 'll be done sooner . but in order for it to be done sooner , tepco 's going to have to step up and ask for more help from the international community . ' ailing chang and cnn 's brian walker contributed to this report . | it 's too early for a chernobyl-type solution , a cnn consultant advises |
fc moscow <tsp> ( cnn ) -- fc moscow have pulled out of the 2010 russian premier liga after the club 's owner withdrew financing of the club . after days of speculation sports projects , a subsidiary of the club 's owners norilsk nickel , confirmed on friday the company could no longer justify financing the club . the club 's future now looks uncertain , with lower league football or even closure a possibility . meanwhile , montenegrin coach miodrag bozovic , his staff and players are expected to be told to find new employers . in my opinion the decision has been taken because , from the point of view of the club 's location and name , it does not fit in with the priorities of norilsk nickel , the majority of whose workforce are based in russia 's polar regions and the krasnodar territory , ' sports projects general director leonid isakovich told reporters . our decision has been influenced by a lack of support from the moscow authorities . we have made several attempts to find mutual cooperation , but were unable to find an understanding . ' the club passed the licensing requirements to compete in the premier liga on thursday , offering a glimmer of hope . but the growing speculation surrounding norilsk nickel 's continued backing led to a group of fans congregating at the city 's sheremetyevo airport to lobby support from national team coach guus hiddink , who was returning to the country to meet new russian football association president sergei fursenko . fc moscow were founded in 1997 under the name torpedo-zil . they finished the 2009 season in sixth place , narrowly missing out on a europa league spot , and have reached the quarterfinals of the russian cup , with ties due to be played in april . former russian champions alania vladikavkaz , who finished third in division one , are now expected to take fc moscow 's place in the top flight . fc moscow may not turn out to be the premier liga 's only casualty this season . samara-based side krylya sovetov , who are heavily in debt and are reported to owe some of their players wages and bonuses going back to august , have until february 15 to clear their debts and satisfy the licensing requirements for the coming season . the 2010 premier liga is due to begin on march 13 . | fc moscow have pulled out of competing in the 2010 russian premier liga |
fc moscow <tsp> ( cnn ) -- fc moscow have pulled out of the 2010 russian premier liga after the club 's owner withdrew financing of the club . after days of speculation sports projects , a subsidiary of the club 's owners norilsk nickel , confirmed on friday the company could no longer justify financing the club . the club 's future now looks uncertain , with lower league football or even closure a possibility . meanwhile , montenegrin coach miodrag bozovic , his staff and players are expected to be told to find new employers . in my opinion the decision has been taken because , from the point of view of the club 's location and name , it does not fit in with the priorities of norilsk nickel , the majority of whose workforce are based in russia 's polar regions and the krasnodar territory , ' sports projects general director leonid isakovich told reporters . our decision has been influenced by a lack of support from the moscow authorities . we have made several attempts to find mutual cooperation , but were unable to find an understanding . ' the club passed the licensing requirements to compete in the premier liga on thursday , offering a glimmer of hope . but the growing speculation surrounding norilsk nickel 's continued backing led to a group of fans congregating at the city 's sheremetyevo airport to lobby support from national team coach guus hiddink , who was returning to the country to meet new russian football association president sergei fursenko . fc moscow were founded in 1997 under the name torpedo-zil . they finished the 2009 season in sixth place , narrowly missing out on a europa league spot , and have reached the quarterfinals of the russian cup , with ties due to be played in april . former russian champions alania vladikavkaz , who finished third in division one , are now expected to take fc moscow 's place in the top flight . fc moscow may not turn out to be the premier liga 's only casualty this season . samara-based side krylya sovetov , who are heavily in debt and are reported to owe some of their players wages and bonuses going back to august , have until february 15 to clear their debts and satisfy the licensing requirements for the coming season . the 2010 premier liga is due to begin on march 13 . | alania vladikavkaz are now expected to take fc moscow 's place in the top flight |
nic robertson <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- the residents of zoos are often the first to be neglected when cities are hit by man-made or natural disasters . cnn senior international correspondent nic robertson discovered a dire situation tuesday at the tripoli zoo , struggling to function as a nationwide conflict rages around it . robertson found the gates locked and was told the zoo was under renovation -- that there were no animals there . but a big cat 's roar told a different story , and robertson followed the sound -- underscored by the echo of gunfire in the distance -- to find enclosures holding a tiger , lions , giant tortoises , hippos , hyenas , bears , monkeys , deer , emus and more . all the animals appeared undernourished and struggling as they waited for food and for water where there was little or none to be found . a tiger , loose skin hanging on its frame , prowled its enclosure when it sensed visitors . just looking at him , you can see how thin he is in the way he is walking -- those back thighs , they 're so skinny , ' robertson said of the big cat . there 's no one here to tell us how often they 're being fed or how much they 're getting fed , ' robertson said as he walked the deserted grounds . we do n't even know if there 's a vet here to take care of them . ' during the cnn visit , the zookeeper arrived and explained that for seven days amid the turmoil of conflict in tripoli , the animals got nothing . now 10 of the 200-person staff have returned and are trying to feed all the animals . the big cats get only half of what they need . and all the animals languish with one essential in very short supply . water is these animals'most pressing need , ' robertson said . and it seems without help in these sweltering temperatures , all the animals here will continue to suffer . ' | cnn 's nic robertson finds the tripoli zoo deserted of people |
tripoli zoo <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- the residents of zoos are often the first to be neglected when cities are hit by man-made or natural disasters . cnn senior international correspondent nic robertson discovered a dire situation tuesday at the tripoli zoo , struggling to function as a nationwide conflict rages around it . robertson found the gates locked and was told the zoo was under renovation -- that there were no animals there . but a big cat 's roar told a different story , and robertson followed the sound -- underscored by the echo of gunfire in the distance -- to find enclosures holding a tiger , lions , giant tortoises , hippos , hyenas , bears , monkeys , deer , emus and more . all the animals appeared undernourished and struggling as they waited for food and for water where there was little or none to be found . a tiger , loose skin hanging on its frame , prowled its enclosure when it sensed visitors . just looking at him , you can see how thin he is in the way he is walking -- those back thighs , they 're so skinny , ' robertson said of the big cat . there 's no one here to tell us how often they 're being fed or how much they 're getting fed , ' robertson said as he walked the deserted grounds . we do n't even know if there 's a vet here to take care of them . ' during the cnn visit , the zookeeper arrived and explained that for seven days amid the turmoil of conflict in tripoli , the animals got nothing . now 10 of the 200-person staff have returned and are trying to feed all the animals . the big cats get only half of what they need . and all the animals languish with one essential in very short supply . water is these animals'most pressing need , ' robertson said . and it seems without help in these sweltering temperatures , all the animals here will continue to suffer . ' | cnn 's nic robertson finds the tripoli zoo deserted of people |
stoke <tsp> ( cnn ) -- bolton 's first match since the on-pitch collapse of their midfielder fabrice muamba last weekend ended with an emotional 2-1 victory over local rivals blackburn saturday . muamba is recovering in a london hospital after the horrific scenes at tottenham hotspur in the fa cup tie at white hart lane while his teammates did him proud with a battling victory . a pair of david wheater goals in the first half set them on their way to three points which lifted them out of the relegation zone . but steven n'zonzi pulled one back in the second half and bolton had to survive some nervous moments before sealing victory . at the end they formed a huddle on the pitch , with fans chanting muamba 's name in celebration . before kickoff , there was a minute 's applause for the footballer , who has made a remarkable recovery after his heart stopped for 78 minutes after his collapse last saturday . manager owen coyle said he was proud of his players after a difficult week . in a football context it 's a great end to the week to get three points but the perfect end will be for fabrice to come out of that hospital better with that big smile of his , ' he told sky sports . sometimes you are so pumped up to represent fabrice that it can be a negative energy . but once we got the first goal we kicked on . we could have had more goals but we made it nervous , as we always do here . our thoughts are still with him . he 's not only a footballer and a colleague to those players in the dressing room but an outstanding young man . ' in the late kickoff , manchester city went back to the top of the table but were held 1-1 at stoke . they head manchester united on goal difference , but the reigning champions can open up a three point lead when they host fulham at old trafford monday . city were heading for defeat until yaya toure equalized with a deflected long-range shot . former england striker peter crouch had put stoke ahead with a superb volley from outside the penalty area . wolves stayed rooted to the bottom after losing 2-1 at norwich , but wigan improved their chances with a 2-1 victory at slumping liverpool although they stay in the bottom three . shaun maloney put wigan ahead from the penalty spot only for luis suarez to equalize early in the second half . the home side , who were heading for their fifth defeat in six matches , looked the more likely to edge it until defender gary caldwell became an unlikely match winner for the visitors with a fine strike just after the hour . but qpr 's hopes of avoiding the drop took a setback as they lost 3-1 at sunderland after having djbril cisse sent off in the second half . arsenal cruised past aston villa 3-0 with goals from kieran gibbs , theo walcott and mikel arteta to cement third spot . they are three points clear of north london rivals tottenham hotspur , who held chelsea 0-0 in the early kickoff at stamford bridge to maintain their five-point gap over their rivals for a champions league spot . tottenham might have secured the three points , with the better chances in a tense affair with rafael van der vaart and emmanuel adebayor having efforts cleared with the goal gaping . gareth bale also rattled the post while juan mata 's free kick which hit the woodwork was the closest fifth-placed chelsea came to scoring . | leaders manchester city held 1-1 at stoke |
mideast <tsp> fort lauderdale , florida ( cnn ) -- standing onstage , comedian aron kader describes how his cousin in the middle east likes to curse the united states -- in english . maz jobrani ( left ) says middle easterners get a bad rap in the media . ahmed ahmed has the name of a most-wanted ' terrorist . arabs love to cuss in english , ' kader belts out . they cuss their heads off in english , but they wo n't do it in arabic because then god can hear them . ' the audience , two-thirds of mideast descent , explodes in laughter . kader is a member of the axis of evil ' comedy group , a collection of comics with mideast roots who have formed a niche by taking on mideast stereotypes and making subjects such as war , terrorism and suicide bombers funny . it 's a delicate balance , but one that seems to be catching on with a larger audience . the comics'videos on youtube have been viewed more than 200,000 times , they recently had a one-hour special on comedy central and they currently are on a 15-city tour with packed crowds . how do they make such serious topics funny ? the key , kader says , is getting the audience on board . let them know that'hey , i get it , you guys have a stereotype of us , and i know what you see .' ethnic humor has a long history in the united states , but kader says being middle eastern is different . he says people too often think of militants , terrorists and suicide bombers . you just say you 're palestinian , and it 's like you made a political statement . ' and so the group has worked to try to change those stereotypes , one laugh at a time . in november 2005 , the comics took up the name axis of evil , playing off the term president bush used in his 2002 state of the union address to describe iraq , iran and north korea . there are four members of the axis comedy group . kader is a palestinian-american , and maz jobrani is an iranian-american with a degree in political science from the university of california , berkeley . ( jobrani was one of the stars of the abc series the knights of prosperity . ' ) rounding out the axis are ahmed ahmed , an egyptian-american , and dean obeidallah , a palestinian-american who once was a practicing attorney . their biting humor is something to which many in their audience can relate . jobrani says when he tells one joke begging for the news media to show middle easterners doing something positive -- like baking a cookie or something ' -- the crowd loves it for more than just its humor . that gets a laugh , but it also gets a clap from regular audiences , and i think that 's because a lot of people are sick of seeing middle easterners depicted the way we 're always depicted , ' he says . obeidallah says he never felt like a middle easterner until after the september 11 , 2001 , attacks . now , he says , he does his comedy not just for me . ' it 's for my cousins , it 's for my friends , it 's for other arabs and other people who get dirty looks or looked at funny because they have an accent or are viewed as suspicious simply because of their heritage , ' he says . we do n't want to be defined any longer by the worst examples in our community , and it 's a very small amount of people . there are a few terrorists and they define all of us . ' ahmed says he gets problems at the airport -- because his name matches the alias of a terrorist on the fbi 's most wanted ' list . but he takes it in stride . like his fellow axis comedians , he says , you can scare people into laughing . ' he quotes a comedy colleague who is a rabbi . he always says you ca n't hate anybody when you 're laughing with them . so it 's nice , when we 're doing our comedy show , to see the diversity in the crowd and people actually laughing together , ' ahmed says . you see arabs and jews and mexicans and whites , and they 're all sitting together and they 're sharing the same laugh . comedy 's like food or music . it 's universal . laughter 's universal . ' e-mail to a friend | axis of evil ' comics joke about mideast stereotypes |
south africa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- mark boucher has revealed that his hopes of returning to competitive cricket following a serious eye injury are unlikely ' in the near future . boucher , whose 147 test match caps is a record for a wicketkeeper , lost the lens , iris and pupil in his left eye after being struck by a bail during south africa 's tour of england in july . the 35-year-old has undergone numerous medical procedures since the incident and had hoped to continue his career playing for the cape cobras in his homeland . but he ruled out a speedy comeback as he does not want to risk any further damage to his eye . it has been a difficult time for me mentally and physically , ' boucher said in statement on wednesday . i have lost the lens , iris and pupil in my left eye . there was severe damage to my retina . i have had two major operations and four blood draining operations in the past three weeks and physically , at times , i have been in a lot of pain . it is unlikely that i will play any professional cricket again in the near future , which is very unfortunate as i was looking forward to contributing as a player for the cobras . ' boucher made his test debut for south africa in 1997 and went on to score 5,515 runs and claim a record 555 dismissals for the proteas before being forced to call time on his international career last month . he said he was initially unsure what had happened to him during the match in taunton . all i felt was a bail hitting my eye , ' he told cnn . jacques ( kallis ) , who was standing at slip , seems to think that the ball actually helped the bail into my eye . i knew i was in trouble when my head hit the floor . i knew some fluid was coming out of my eye . i thought it might have been blood ... when i saw there was no blood in it and there was sort of white stuff coming out of it i knew i was in a bit of trouble . ' the cape province native initially prepared himself for the worst where his eye was concerned , but he is now feeling positive about his ongoing recovery . when i first went to hospital the doctor said ,'listen , you know your eye is pretty messed up . i asked him to be honest with me and he said to me ,'it 's too early to say , but be mindful you might never get vision back in your eye .' the pupil can be replaced , the iris can be replaced , the cornea can be replaced , the retina can be replaced . the biggest thing is the retina ; that is mine and the doctor 's biggest worry . ' boucher said many people had expressed sympathy for the sudden end to his top-level career . a lot of people have said to me ,'shame , i feel sorry for you .'if you would have told me at the beginning of my career i would have played 147 test matches i would have taken it ! i had plans , hopefully with both eyes working , to do quite a lot of things . i believe you get dealt certain cards that you might not enjoy , but things you can handle and i know i can handle this . yes it 's going to be tough , tough on me , tough on a few other people . but i believe i 've got the strength to be able to handle it . ' | south africa 's mark boucher rules out a quick return to cricket |
j. howard marshall <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the estate of the late actress anna nicole smith has lost a supreme court appeal in a longstanding fight to secure a share of her deceased husband 's fortune . the 5-4 ruling thursday was the latest chapter in a tedious legal soap opera , over the kind of evidence a separate bankruptcy court may hear when deciding various claims and counterclaims . state courts generally hear probate cases , while bankruptcy proceedings are confined to federal courts . the high court 's 38-page decision will now likely put an end to this particular legal dispute . j. howard marshall was married to the much younger smith , who is named in court papers as vickie lynn marshall , for 14 months before he died in 1995 . his will left nearly all assets and trust to his son from a previous marriage , e. pierce marshall , and smith received virtually nothing . she later sued , claiming her elderly husband promised to give her more than $ 300 million . the separate estate of smith , who died more than three years ago , has been fighting for years to secure a share of the deceased texas oilman 's fortune . at issue now in the probate dispute was the kind of evidence a separate bankruptcy court may hear when deciding various claims and counterclaims . in the court 's very narrow ruling on a very complex issue , chief justice john roberts concluded , the [ federal ] bankruptcy court below lacked the constitutional authority to enter final judgment on a state law counterclaim that is not resolved in the process of ruling on a creditor 's proof of claim . ' translation : smith 's estate lost . court records shows she had already received about $ 7 million in cash and gifts during their brief union . in 2006 , the high court gave smith a temporary victory when it allowed her to continue the legal fight , after earlier judicial setbacks . smith 's appearance in the supreme court during the first oral arguments caused a minor media sensation , with cameras jockeying for position as she entered and left the building . despite the colorful details contained in the legal briefs , the issue this time for the supreme court remained fairly pedestrian . the justices decided whether smith 's estate received a proper hearing in federal courts , and whether state probate courts should be the proper venue for hearing such cases . the so-called probate exception ' normally keeps federal courts from hearing such disputes , but there is no law mandating the hands-off approach . the high court tried to sort out what is a core ' -- or essential -- issue in a bankruptcy proceeding . smith had made several personal-injury allegations against pierce marshall -- who died in 2006 -- during the bitter bankruptcy hearings . smith 's estate claims that it was a core ' proceeding the judge should have been allowed to sort out and decide . smith , a onetime playboy and jeans model , reality tv star and diet company spokeswoman , went to both state and federal courts to press her claims . the supreme court did not delve into matters raised in past legal proceedings : whether document tampering happened , whether smith was kept from her husband 's bedside as he was dying , and how the money should be divided . in dissent , justice stephen breyer said the majority opinion would only create confusion for those filing bankruptcy claims . a total of 1.6 million such claims were filed last year , an ever-increasing trend . a constitutionally required game of jurisdictional ping-pong between courts would lead to inefficiency , increased cost , delay , and needless additional suffering among those faced with bankruptcy , ' he said . he was supported by justices ruth bader ginsburg , sonia sotomayor , and elena kagan . the justices in their second hearing in the case in march did not mention either smith or pierce marshall by name , or comment about the celebrity aspect of the dispute . the questions they posed at oral argument were on mundane issues tied to interpretation of bankruptcy law , a topic only some lawyers and judges would appreciate . howard marshall , a yale-educated businessman , was 89 in 1994 when he married the then-26-year-old texan . they had met a few years earlier at a strip club where she worked . smith died of a drug overdose in 2007 , leaving behind a young daughter from a later relationship . that has created the unusual scenario of executors of competing estates fighting over still-frozen assets . state and federal courts have disagreed over the years on whether smith should receive any part of the money . a u.s. bankruptcy judge initially awarded her $ 474 million , which later was reduced to about $ 90 million . a federal appeals court has since twice dismissed smith 's case . a state probate court also dismissed her claims , saying pierce marshall was the sole heir . leading the fight on behalf of smith is howard k. stern , her attorney and onetime boyfriend . stern was cleared of criminal charges by a judge earlier this year in los angeles . he had been accused conspiring to feed smith 's drug addiction and using false names to obtain the drugs . he and two doctors charged as co-conspirators had denied wrongdoing . pierce marshall 's wife , elaine , is the key party on the other side . | j. howard marshall left smith virtually nothing |
facebook <tsp> paris ( cnn ) -- france carries out mass surveillance of phone calls and e-mails in a program similar to the american one revealed by u.s. leaker edward snowden , a french newspaper has claimed . the program is run by france 's secret service , the directorate general for external security , and also is used by six other french intelligence services , national daily le monde alleged in a report late thursday . it says it is able to prove that the agency systematically collects electromagnetic signals from computers or phones in france , and also collects flows between french and abroad : all our communications are spied on . ' all e-mails , sms , records of telephone calls , accesses to facebook , twitter , are then stored for years . ' the newspaper 's report comes on the heels of wide european concern over the disclosures made by snowden , a former u.s. national security agency contractor . eu envoys meet over claims of u.s. spying on european allies documents he 's leaked to the media have led to allegations that the united states has been spying on its european allies as well as carrying out mass surveillance of telephone and internet traffic . but le monde claims the french government 's response has betrayed its conflicting interests . if revelations on the u.s. spying system ( prism ) led to a chorus of indignation in europe , france only showed weak signs of protest . for two excellent reasons : paris already knew . and it does the same thing , ' it said . le monde alleges that the french intelligence agencies'use of this huge store of data is on the margin of legality , and beyond serious control ' and that politicians who are aware of it turn a blind eye . it cites a parliamentary intelligence committee report from april in which it was said that since 2008 , progress has been made on the subject of sharing capacities , especially in the field of electromagnetic intelligence , led by the dgse for the profit of the intelligence community . ' the french government has not yet responded to several requests from cnn for comment . at about the same time the allegations were published by le monde , french interior minister manuel valls gave a speech to guests at a july 4 celebration at the u.s. embassy in paris in which he was critical of the alleged u.s. spying on its allies . espionage has no place in relations between allied countries , said valls , adding that they should depend on reciprocal confidence to maintain their alliance . the occasion of his remarks , as a guest of the u.s. embassy , led some of his fellow countrymen to complain that he had overstepped proprieties . valls declined to answer subsequent questions from reporters about the claims made in le monde . national assembly lawmaker jean-jacques urvoas , a member of the governing socialist party , questioned the accuracy of le monde 's report in his blog friday , saying he did so because intelligence matters do not easily accommodate fantasies and inaccuracies . ' while the legal framework concerning intelligence activities is indeed very incomplete , allowing our services to use wiretaps , the acquiring of technical data ... and limited access to files , the assertion that'all of our communications are spied upon ( and ) stored for years'does not quite match the reality that i know , ' he wrote . urvoas , who is president of the national assembly 's law commission and a member of a parliamentary intelligence committee , said that the tools used by services to intercept the internet communications of french citizens operate within a legal framework laid down in 1991 . french citizens are therefore not subject to uncontrolled , massive and constant espionage , ' he wrote . snowden is believed to have been holed up at moscow 's sheremetyevo international airport since june 23 , having arrived there from hong kong . opinion : why we 're all stuck in the digital transit zone with snowden cnn 's jim bittermann reported from paris , while laura smith-spark and saskya vandoorne wrote and reported from london . cnn 's laura richardson also contributed to this report . | e-mails , sms , phone call , facebook and twitter data are stored , it says |
britain <tsp> ( cnn ) -- british tv host piers morgan will take over larry king 's prime-time hour with a candid , in-depth newsmaker interview program ' starting in january , cnn announced wednesday . morgan , best known to american viewers as a judge on nbc 's america 's got talent , ' has most recently hosted piers morgan 's life stories ' on television in the united kingdom . piers has made his name posing tough questions to public figures , holding them accountable for their words and deeds , ' said cnn-us president jon klein . he is able to look at all aspects of the news with style and humor with an occasional good laugh in the process . ' morgan 's show , which was not named in the cnn news release , will air live on cnn-us at 9 p.m . et and will air worldwide on cnn-international in more than 200 countries , the network said . morgan will be based in new york , but also will work from los angeles and london , cnn said . king announced this summer that he was stepping aside from cnn 's larry king live , ' a show he began hosting in 1985 . i have watched'larry king live'for much of the last 25 years , and dreamed of one day filling the legendary suspenders of the man i consider to be the greatest tv interviewer of them all , ' morgan said . morgan , 45 , began his journalism career as a newspaper reporter in the united kingdom for the wimbledon news . in 1994 , when he was 28 , morgan became the youngest editor ever at rupert murdoch 's news of the world . he moved to the daily mirror as editor-in-chief in 1995 , a post he held for nine years . he left the mirror under a cloud of controversy in 2004 , after the publication of photos purported to be of abused iraqi prisoners . the newspaper later acknowledged the images were faked , saying it was the victim of a hoax . morgan went on to become a television personality , hosting interview programs on the bbc and itv . simon cowell hired morgan as on a judge on the top-rated britain 's got talent . ' his print journalism career continued beyond the mirror , including a monthly interview column for gq magazine . morgan also writes two regular columns for the mail on sunday newspaper , which he will continue . in addition , he will provide regular columns to cnn.com , the network said . | he has been a judge on america 's got talent ' and britain 's got talent ' |
russia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a 7-year-old russian boy adopted by an american family last year was put on a return flight to moscow this week because of violent and psychotic behavior , according to a tennessee grandmother . the child showed up unannounced at russia 's child protection ministry thursday , triggering an international investigation . russian foreign minister sergey lavrov told a russian tv channel on friday that his country has banned future adoptions by americans until the united states signs a new agreement to regulate them . u.s. diplomats have avoided such an agreement to set responsibilities for the adopting parents , lavrov said , but this latest incident has exhausted our patience . ' we are now investigating the circumstances of the boy 's return to see if any crimes were committed , ' said u.s . ambassador to russia john beyrle . we are also in close contact with the russian government on all aspects of the case , and we know that he is being well cared for . ' nancy hansen , the tennessee woman who put justin hansen on the plane in washington , insisted she did not abandon the child , but was following instructions from a lawyer she found online . hansen told cnn that she was concerned about her family 's safety after a series of violent incidents and threats . i still have energy and i love children , ' hansen said . it was n't that he was just energetic and wearing us down . it was the violent tendencies and he had to be watched at all time . ' when her daughter , torry hansen , adopted the boy from a russian orphanage last year , she asked the doctor there if he had any physical or mental problems , nancy hansen said . the doctor answered 'he 's healthy ,'and turned and left , ' she said . once the child learned enough english , he told his new family about the horrors of his previous life , including being beaten at the orphanage after his mother abandoned him , she said . he also told of an incident in which he burned down a building near the orphanage , she said . russian children 's rights commissioner pavel astakhov said the child was completely healthy , physically and mentally ' before the adoption . nobody withheld anything from her [ torry hansen ] , ' he said . it 's a lie . ' justin told russian officials he was abused by the american family , astakhov said . there was a grandmother who was at home with the boys , ' he said . she used to shout at [ justin ] a lot . when i asked how the mother treated him he burst into tears and said she used to pull his hair . ' hansen said the child had a hit list ' of people he was targeting , including her daughter , who he said he wanted to kill for the house . ' he threatened to kill her grandson for a videogame , she said . the final incident that convinced hansen she should send the boy back to russia was when she caught him starting a fire with papers in his bedroom last monday , she said . she feared the child might burn down the house and kill her family , she said . hansen and her family were set to meet with bedford county , tennessee , sheriff randall boyce on friday afternoon but their lawyer asked to reschedule the session for next week , a sheriff 's spokeswoman said . i 'm not sure there 's been a crime committed , ' boyce said earlier . he was asked by the u.s. state department to investigate . a state department spokesman said the u.s. government was very troubled ' by the incident . as parents , my wife and i were deeply shocked by the news of justin hansen , and very angry that any family would act so callously toward a child that they had legally adopted , ' ambassador beyrle said . nancy hansen outlined for cnn the process she followed after she decided justin must go back to russia . when the lawyer she found online advised her the adoption could be reversed , hansen booked the flight and paid the fee for a steward to escort justin through the airport , she said . she hired a driver in moscow she found online to pick the child up from the moscow airport , she said . she found safe references ' for the driver online , she said . she then prepared a letter for justin to present to russian officials , which included a photo of the driver , whom she identified as arthur , ' she said . justin had never been happier ' than when he boarded the plane for moscow , she said . russian child protection officials were not happy when the child arrived unannounced at their ministry wednesday . nancy hansen said when they called her there was a lot of yelling going on . ' but hansen said after the call she believed the matter was settled and the boy was safe , until she also got a call from the u.s. embassy . they told her she had set off an international incident . ' the u.s. state department spokesman on friday said it was up to the russian government to decide whether it will suspend adoptions by americans because of the incident . ambassador beyrle said cases of neglect are rare among the tens of thousands of adopted russian children who are living happily and lovingly with their american families . ' but even one incident like this is too many , and we will get to the bottom of what went wrong , ' he said . the seattle-based agency which hansen said her daughter used to coordinate the adoption said it found out about justin 's return only friday . we were alerted to this situation by our branch office in moscow , russia , and are shocked and saddened by this turn of events , ' said a spokeswoman for the world association for children and parents . in the 1 percent of the cases where the dissolution of an adoption has been needed , the agency has always supported and worked closely with [ adoptive ] parents to assist the child in moving into a new adoptive family , ' she said . cnn 's carolina sanchez , dave alsup and elise labott contributed to this report . | 7-year-old 's adoptive family in u.s. sends him back to russia |
aqua leisure industries <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. consumer product safety commission is asking parents to immediately stop using a series of inflatable floats for babies in swimming pools , announcing a voluntary recall of about 4 million floats thursday . the squirtin'tootin'tugboat is among the floats covered by the recall . the items -- which inflate to seat babies and toddlers as they float on water -- are manufactured by massachusetts-based aqua leisure industries . the company has voluntarily recalled 14 models because the leg straps in the seat of the float can tear , causing children to slip into the water , posing a drowning risk , the commission said in a statement . there have been 31 reports of float seats tearing , though no injuries have been reported , the commission said . the floats were sold from december 2002 through june 2009 at retailers nationwide , including target , toys r ' us , wal-mart , dollar general , kmart , walgreens , ace hardware and bed , bath & beyond . the commission is asking consumers to stop using the floats and to send them back to the company . aqua leisure officials could not be immediately reached for comment , but the company 's web site has posted the commission 's recall advisory . cnn 's gerri willis contributed to this report . | aqua leisure industries recalls 14 models |
mexico <tsp> ( cnn ) -- mexican army special forces have arrested a top lieutenant for alleged drug kingpin joaquin el chapo ' guzman , the defense ministry said monday . troops arrested felipe cabrera sarabia on friday in a surgical operation in cuiliacan ' in the northwestern state of sinaloa , said ricardo trevilla trejo , a defense ministry spokesman . cabrera , who was responsible for the activities of the pacific cartel in durango and the southern part of the state of chihuahua , was detained after fleeing from durango , trevilla told reporters . the analysis of his behavior permitted ( us ) to find the building where he was hiding ' and cabrera was taken into custody without violence , trevilla said . firearms , computer equipment and other documentation were seized , too , he said . cabrera , who appeared monday in the office of a prosecutor who specializes in organized crime , was responsible for guzman 's security in durango , the state-run notimex news agency said . he is charged with possessing firearms reserved for use by the army and falsification of a public document , a spokeswoman for the attorney general said . trevilla said cabrera was involved in kidnappings , extortion and arson . the violence caused him to rise within the organization , ' said trevilla , who predicted that the arrest will affect the cartel 's leadership and abilities . guzman , who is under indictment by u.s. authorities in chicago , new york and los angeles , is described by the u.s. drug enforcement administration as one of the most powerful drug traffickers in mexico . ' in 2004 , the u.s. government announced a $ 5 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction . he is accused of running a major network that distributes cocaine and heroin . he is worth about $ 1 billion , according to forbes magazine , which began listing him on its billionaires list in 2009 . the magazine lists him as no . 55 on its most powerful people list and as the only crime lord on its list of mexico 's billionaires . | guzman is a billionaire who is wanted in mexico and the united states |
durango <tsp> ( cnn ) -- mexican army special forces have arrested a top lieutenant for alleged drug kingpin joaquin el chapo ' guzman , the defense ministry said monday . troops arrested felipe cabrera sarabia on friday in a surgical operation in cuiliacan ' in the northwestern state of sinaloa , said ricardo trevilla trejo , a defense ministry spokesman . cabrera , who was responsible for the activities of the pacific cartel in durango and the southern part of the state of chihuahua , was detained after fleeing from durango , trevilla told reporters . the analysis of his behavior permitted ( us ) to find the building where he was hiding ' and cabrera was taken into custody without violence , trevilla said . firearms , computer equipment and other documentation were seized , too , he said . cabrera , who appeared monday in the office of a prosecutor who specializes in organized crime , was responsible for guzman 's security in durango , the state-run notimex news agency said . he is charged with possessing firearms reserved for use by the army and falsification of a public document , a spokeswoman for the attorney general said . trevilla said cabrera was involved in kidnappings , extortion and arson . the violence caused him to rise within the organization , ' said trevilla , who predicted that the arrest will affect the cartel 's leadership and abilities . guzman , who is under indictment by u.s. authorities in chicago , new york and los angeles , is described by the u.s. drug enforcement administration as one of the most powerful drug traffickers in mexico . ' in 2004 , the u.s. government announced a $ 5 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction . he is accused of running a major network that distributes cocaine and heroin . he is worth about $ 1 billion , according to forbes magazine , which began listing him on its billionaires list in 2009 . the magazine lists him as no . 55 on its most powerful people list and as the only crime lord on its list of mexico 's billionaires . | alleged drug kingpin 's lieutenant handled his security in durango , defense ministry says |
rupaul 's drag race <tsp> victoria 's secret is synonymous with sultry femininity , and if carmen carrera had her way , that would include transgendered women as well . fans have petitioned for the transgender burlesque performer and model to join the ranks of heidi klum , gisele bundchen and miranda kerr as victoria 's secret 's newest angel . the change.org petition , which calls carrera a force to be reckoned with , ' says such a move by victoria 's secret would show the entire community that they embrace trans patrons . ' the petition has received more than 36,000 signatures , but carrera told cnn en español that she has yet to hear from the lingerie company . trans women are a part of the female population and i think that they deserve a respectful representation , ' carrera said . it would be pretty amazing for victoria 's secret to be that huge corporation that embraces trans women . we shop there as well . i can only hope and dream , but i think it 's time . and , i meet most of the requirements and have credibility as a model . they should do it . ' victoria 's secret declined to comment . before carrera became carmen , ' she was christopher roman from new jersey . she first garnered fame on season three of rupaul 's drag race ' on the logo network . she began her transition to a woman after the show wrapped , and has since been signed by elite model management , appeared on what would you do ? ' and in w magazine , and worked with famed photographer steven meisel on a film . for five seasons rupaul 's drag race ' has demystified drag queens and redefined a standard of beauty . rupaul 's drag race ' executive producer tom campbell told cnn , the first face of mac viva glam was rupaul , ( who ) was a pioneer for drag performers . now it 's carmen carrera 's chance to break the'beauty barrier'for trans people . ' while the lgbt community has made some strides around the nation , carrera said she still comes across many people who simply do n't understand the transgender community . for a long time trans people have always been a joke . our reputation has always been the bottom of the barrel and it 's not fair , ' she said . carrera confessed that her transition to a woman was both a physical and emotional uphill battle . i run into a lot of ignorance and stupidity , ' carrera said . it gets really frustrating , but you have to take yourself out of it and realize what 's happening in the bigger picture . a lot of people are still uncomfortable with this idea , i do n't know why . i think most of the country and the world have n't gotten to know trans people . if you do n't know me , get to know me . i 'm open , honest and genuine . ' it 's difficult for people ( who ) do n't know trans men and women to wrap their head around the whole thing , ' campbell said . that 's why it 's so important that more trans people have a chance to tell their stories and , as is the case with carmen , to give a face ... to the trans movement . ' model and designer isis king was the first trans woman to compete on america 's next top model , ' and said that while the petitioners'hearts might be in the right place , the petition itself might not be the best approach . i do n't want any special treatment because i 'm trans unless there 's a particular role made for it . i want my legacy to be that i was hard-working and good at what i did , ' king said , should victoria 's secret have a trans model ? sure , why not . but should they be pressured into hiring one ? no , i do n't think it 's fair . ' king is n't offended that the lingerie company does n't have a trans model . she knows firsthand how difficult it is for any woman to land a spot in the elite group of victoria 's secret models . if trans people are going to make any strides in society it should n't be forced , but if anyone can make it as a victoria 's secret model it 's carmen . she 's beautiful and just did a runway show with marco marco and was amazing , ' king said . while carrera did n't join the angels for the victoria 's secret runway show in new york on november 13 , she said she has the love and support from those that matter most : her family , friends and fans . i have an education , stepdaughter and go to pta meetings . i live my life as a woman does in this country , ' carrera said , that 's what people need to know . ' if carrera ever does become an angel , campbell said she would bring rupaul 's trademark charisma , uniqueness , nerve and talent to victoria 's secret , and thinks she 's on the right path . but , if he had to give any advice he would say , to quote rupaul : i have one thing to say . you better work ! ' do you think victoria 's secret should hire carmen carrera ? share your thoughts in the comments . | executive producer of rupaul 's drag race : ' it 's carmen carrera 's chance to break the beauty barrier ' |
capriles <tsp> ( cnn ) -- all eyes were on the opposition candidate as word of the election results spread . after tireless campaigning and vows of victory , what would he say to throngs of fired-up supporters ? would he snap , after months of keeping his cool as venezuelan president hugo chavez sprinkled speeches with insults aimed at him ? on the night after the election , henrique capriles radonski was quick to concede after official results revealed he had lost by more than 10 percentage points . new venezuelan vp seen as possible successor to chavez ' to know how to win , you also must know how to lose , ' capriles said . the word of the people is sacred . ' his words , analysts say , reveal a strategy that could play a key role in how venezuela 's opposition evolves . it was very magnanimous and , i think , very constructive , ' said michael shifter , president of the inter-american dialogue . i think that 's a real model for venezuela and for other countries . ' after any vote , the way the losing candidate responds can have an impact far beyond election day , said barbara kellerman , a lecturer on leadership at harvard university 's john f. kennedy school of government . this is much more about the future than it is about the present , ' she said .'the country is not waiting for my insults' on the campaign trail before masses of supporters , and in state television interviews broadcast nationwide , chavez described capriles as a dirty swine ' and a fly ' who was not worth chasing . he called him a little yankee ' and assailed him as a member of the bourgeoisie . he never acknowledged his name , just talked about the rich kid , and taunted him , as chavez tends to do , ' shifter said . capriles defended himself . but there was n't the rhetorical back and forth , the tit for tat . ' from the outset , capriles said he wanted to take a different tone . they insult me , hey , i am not going to respond with an insult . the country is not waiting for my insults . the country expects my commitment , ' he said in a february interview with the televen network . the country expects me to offer them a future . ' going head to head with chavez was a tactic opposition politicians had unsuccessfully tried in the past , shifter said . chavez slams venezuelan opposition after election victory ' he 's such a master at it . if you start to criticize him , then he 'll come back with more , ' shifter said . he 's demonstrated over 14 years that he plays this game better than anybody ... ( and ) he emerges stronger than ever . ' chavez still triumphed in sunday 's vote , shifter said , but capriles -- with more than 45 % of votes -- came closer than any past presidential election opponent has come to defeating chavez . it obviously resonated with over 6 million venezuelans , ' shifter said . the opposition candidate was quick to reassure his supporters and stressed that he did not believe there was fraud at the polls . he compared the election to the way diehard fans feel when venezuela 's national soccer team loses . they are devastated , he said , but they do n't stop going to the stadium . look , i am on my feet . i got up , as i am sure the great majority of venezuelans got up today . you have to learn from every process . you have to reflect always on every contest , ' he said tuesday . this path that we started to build together , this path continues , not against anyone but in favor of a better future . ' maintaining a unified front may prove difficult for the opposition coalition that backed capriles , said miguel tinker salas , a latin american history professor at pomona college in california . the one thing that brought them together was the figure of chavez , ' he said . stephen johnson , director of the americas program at the center for strategic and international studies , said capriles'reaction after sunday 's vote may help the opposition stick together . conceding quickly and doing so in an honorable way is helpful in maintaining civility on the opposition side , ' johnson said , and also in moving beyond the elections . ' a different approach you do n't have to look far , shifter said , to see an example of an opposition candidate who took a different approach . after official results indicated he narrowly lost to felipe calderon in mexico 's 2006 presidential election , leftist presidential candidate andres manuel lopez obrador accused authorities of fraud and never conceded . in the years that followed , lopez obrador referred to himself as the legitimate president of mexico ' and continued campaigning around the country . his supporters protested nationwide . in mexico city , they staged sit-ins and blockades . memories of the upheaval stuck with many mexicans . this year , when lopez obrador was once again a candidate , it did n't play well at the polls , shifter said . it did n't really help his image very much nationally . i think he may have done a lot better this time . i do n't know whether he would have won , ' shifter said , but i think people remembered the way he acted in 2006 , and that was a real liability for him . ' this year , election officials have repeatedly ruled that enrique pena nieto won july 's presidential vote . lopez obrador has not conceded . looking toward the future that 's not the norm , kellerman said . the democratic tradition is to concede defeat graciously , so that whatever your future ... you are seen as a grown-up person who can accept this in the gracious spirit of an adult democracy , ' she said . in the united states , for example , candidates often bounce back after an election loss , she said . we have a real tradition of people who 've been defeated once coming back to win the next time over , ' she said , noting that capriles could have a similar comeback in mind . kellerman , who analyzes global leadership trends on her blog , lame leaders/fed up followers , ' described chavez as a bully ' and said a nation 's people tire of such tactics over time . eventually , the temper of the times is such that it 's moving toward relatively greater levels of democracy and civility , ' kellerman said , and relatively lower levels of autocracy and bullying . ' shifter said capriles'post-election comments struck a perfect pitch . ' venezuela 's political landscape will inevitably change at some point , he said . chavez is not going to last forever , and the concern is always that given the tremendous polarization in the country , and tremendous rancor , there 's always the potential you ca n't rule out for some instability and some violence , ' he said . the discourse that capriles used during the campaign , but especially after he lost , is very helpful to reduce those tensions and to point to a path of reconciliation , which is what the country will need to heal . ' even with the election results in , political uncertainty remains in venezuela , with questions about chavez 's health lingering . over the past year , the 58-year-old leader has been visibly weakened by cancer surgeries and treatment . he has kept secret the kind of cancer he has and his prognosis . in may , speculation intensified over who would succeed chavez when he named 10 people to the highest circle of his advisers . but in july , he said he was cancer free . since sunday 's vote , he has pledged to push forward with his socialist reforms in his next six-year term and be a better president every day . ' that has n't stopped speculation that the situation could be more dire than the president lets on . who knows how long it will be before the next presidential election , given the president 's current health ? ' johnson said . no matter when the next election is , johnson said that going forward , it remains to be seen ' whether capriles will be able to win more support and maintain the opposition 's momentum . on thursday , cnn affiliate globovision reported that the opposition candidate filed paperwork to run in december 's election for governor in the state of miranda -- a post he held until february , when he resigned to run for president . he will face former venezuelan vice president elias jaua , who has been a key member of chavez 's inner circle . cnn 's jethro mullen and mariano castillo contributed to this report . | henrique capriles radonski conceded quickly after venezuela 's election |
capriles <tsp> ( cnn ) -- all eyes were on the opposition candidate as word of the election results spread . after tireless campaigning and vows of victory , what would he say to throngs of fired-up supporters ? would he snap , after months of keeping his cool as venezuelan president hugo chavez sprinkled speeches with insults aimed at him ? on the night after the election , henrique capriles radonski was quick to concede after official results revealed he had lost by more than 10 percentage points . new venezuelan vp seen as possible successor to chavez ' to know how to win , you also must know how to lose , ' capriles said . the word of the people is sacred . ' his words , analysts say , reveal a strategy that could play a key role in how venezuela 's opposition evolves . it was very magnanimous and , i think , very constructive , ' said michael shifter , president of the inter-american dialogue . i think that 's a real model for venezuela and for other countries . ' after any vote , the way the losing candidate responds can have an impact far beyond election day , said barbara kellerman , a lecturer on leadership at harvard university 's john f. kennedy school of government . this is much more about the future than it is about the present , ' she said .'the country is not waiting for my insults' on the campaign trail before masses of supporters , and in state television interviews broadcast nationwide , chavez described capriles as a dirty swine ' and a fly ' who was not worth chasing . he called him a little yankee ' and assailed him as a member of the bourgeoisie . he never acknowledged his name , just talked about the rich kid , and taunted him , as chavez tends to do , ' shifter said . capriles defended himself . but there was n't the rhetorical back and forth , the tit for tat . ' from the outset , capriles said he wanted to take a different tone . they insult me , hey , i am not going to respond with an insult . the country is not waiting for my insults . the country expects my commitment , ' he said in a february interview with the televen network . the country expects me to offer them a future . ' going head to head with chavez was a tactic opposition politicians had unsuccessfully tried in the past , shifter said . chavez slams venezuelan opposition after election victory ' he 's such a master at it . if you start to criticize him , then he 'll come back with more , ' shifter said . he 's demonstrated over 14 years that he plays this game better than anybody ... ( and ) he emerges stronger than ever . ' chavez still triumphed in sunday 's vote , shifter said , but capriles -- with more than 45 % of votes -- came closer than any past presidential election opponent has come to defeating chavez . it obviously resonated with over 6 million venezuelans , ' shifter said . the opposition candidate was quick to reassure his supporters and stressed that he did not believe there was fraud at the polls . he compared the election to the way diehard fans feel when venezuela 's national soccer team loses . they are devastated , he said , but they do n't stop going to the stadium . look , i am on my feet . i got up , as i am sure the great majority of venezuelans got up today . you have to learn from every process . you have to reflect always on every contest , ' he said tuesday . this path that we started to build together , this path continues , not against anyone but in favor of a better future . ' maintaining a unified front may prove difficult for the opposition coalition that backed capriles , said miguel tinker salas , a latin american history professor at pomona college in california . the one thing that brought them together was the figure of chavez , ' he said . stephen johnson , director of the americas program at the center for strategic and international studies , said capriles'reaction after sunday 's vote may help the opposition stick together . conceding quickly and doing so in an honorable way is helpful in maintaining civility on the opposition side , ' johnson said , and also in moving beyond the elections . ' a different approach you do n't have to look far , shifter said , to see an example of an opposition candidate who took a different approach . after official results indicated he narrowly lost to felipe calderon in mexico 's 2006 presidential election , leftist presidential candidate andres manuel lopez obrador accused authorities of fraud and never conceded . in the years that followed , lopez obrador referred to himself as the legitimate president of mexico ' and continued campaigning around the country . his supporters protested nationwide . in mexico city , they staged sit-ins and blockades . memories of the upheaval stuck with many mexicans . this year , when lopez obrador was once again a candidate , it did n't play well at the polls , shifter said . it did n't really help his image very much nationally . i think he may have done a lot better this time . i do n't know whether he would have won , ' shifter said , but i think people remembered the way he acted in 2006 , and that was a real liability for him . ' this year , election officials have repeatedly ruled that enrique pena nieto won july 's presidential vote . lopez obrador has not conceded . looking toward the future that 's not the norm , kellerman said . the democratic tradition is to concede defeat graciously , so that whatever your future ... you are seen as a grown-up person who can accept this in the gracious spirit of an adult democracy , ' she said . in the united states , for example , candidates often bounce back after an election loss , she said . we have a real tradition of people who 've been defeated once coming back to win the next time over , ' she said , noting that capriles could have a similar comeback in mind . kellerman , who analyzes global leadership trends on her blog , lame leaders/fed up followers , ' described chavez as a bully ' and said a nation 's people tire of such tactics over time . eventually , the temper of the times is such that it 's moving toward relatively greater levels of democracy and civility , ' kellerman said , and relatively lower levels of autocracy and bullying . ' shifter said capriles'post-election comments struck a perfect pitch . ' venezuela 's political landscape will inevitably change at some point , he said . chavez is not going to last forever , and the concern is always that given the tremendous polarization in the country , and tremendous rancor , there 's always the potential you ca n't rule out for some instability and some violence , ' he said . the discourse that capriles used during the campaign , but especially after he lost , is very helpful to reduce those tensions and to point to a path of reconciliation , which is what the country will need to heal . ' even with the election results in , political uncertainty remains in venezuela , with questions about chavez 's health lingering . over the past year , the 58-year-old leader has been visibly weakened by cancer surgeries and treatment . he has kept secret the kind of cancer he has and his prognosis . in may , speculation intensified over who would succeed chavez when he named 10 people to the highest circle of his advisers . but in july , he said he was cancer free . since sunday 's vote , he has pledged to push forward with his socialist reforms in his next six-year term and be a better president every day . ' that has n't stopped speculation that the situation could be more dire than the president lets on . who knows how long it will be before the next presidential election , given the president 's current health ? ' johnson said . no matter when the next election is , johnson said that going forward , it remains to be seen ' whether capriles will be able to win more support and maintain the opposition 's momentum . on thursday , cnn affiliate globovision reported that the opposition candidate filed paperwork to run in december 's election for governor in the state of miranda -- a post he held until february , when he resigned to run for president . he will face former venezuelan vice president elias jaua , who has been a key member of chavez 's inner circle . cnn 's jethro mullen and mariano castillo contributed to this report . | analyst says capriles'comments were perfect pitch ' |
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